Chapter 106: The Essence of Power.

**Chapter 106: The Essence of Power**

When Chief Eunuch Li Man announced the new reign title to the assembled court officials, many among the ministers subtly changed expressions.

*Celestial Hunt.*

*Celestial Hunt.*

This reign title… this reign title…

Wen Shengan maintained an impassive expression.

Lu Hang couldn’t help but lift his eyebrows slightly, struggling to maintain his composure.

He had thought the reign titles drafted by the Ministry of Rites would satisfy the Empress Dowager, never expecting they would still be too subtle.

Hmm…

Names like *Manifest Brightness*, *Radiant Dawn*, *Heavenly Awakening*, *Celestial Harmony*, and *Establishing Brilliance*…

Compared with the blatantly aggressive *Celestial Hunt*, they indeed seemed excessively restrained.

Ding Jinghuan, clad in deep crimson court robes with his hands tucked into his sleeves, narrowed his long eyes.

The Empress Dowager truly never missed an opportunity to assert her governing philosophy before the court.

Just as Emperor Gaozong favored martial prowess—imbuing everyone from imperial princes and princesses to high-ranking ministers with a culture emphasizing archery and horsemanship—giving the war faction far greater influence.

The late emperor, of gentle and benevolent disposition, disliked military affairs, so during his reign, Great Yan focused on rebuilding and balancing national strength, rarely initiating conflicts.

Huo Ling was using consistent concrete actions to show the court her unyielding approach.

From behind the draped curtains, Huo Ling observed everyone’s reactions, especially those of the senior ministers at the front.

Unless you can completely suppress me and seize the power from my hands, no matter how displeased or disapproving you are, you will have to submit.

Because I will never compromise by choosing a reign title I do not fully favor or approve of just to please or satisfy you.

And this is precisely the essence of power.

...

Huo Ling’s first grand court assembly ended in eerie silence.

And the reign title *Celestial Hunt* was similarly approved in silence.

As Huo Ling left court, a new battlefield report arrived from the frontlines.

Accompanying it was a letter addressed to her from Huo Shiming.

After reading it, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then ordered Huo Ze summoned.

“Father intends to send someone to escort Cousin Fang’s body back to Yanxi for burial.

His original plan was for you to stay in the capital for the New Year. But given these circumstances, you should return to Yanxi first and see if there’s anything you can assist with.”

A look of sorrow crossed Huo Ze’s face.

When news came of Fang Jianbai’s death in battle, he had locked himself in his room and wept uncontrollably. Had Huo Shiming not left in such haste, Huo Ze would have demanded to go with them to Yanbei.

He gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn those Great Mu bastards!"

Huo Ling handed him the letter in her hand. "When you return, console Uncle and Aunt Fang on my behalf, and give them my regards."

After a pause, Huo Ling's voice lowered. "Also, remember to offer three incense sticks at his grave for me."

***

In the end, the Swallow Feather Army couldn't make it back to Yanxi for New Year's.

The first year of Celestial Reign began amidst the continuous deaths of warhorses and a flood of frontline dispatches.

The current state of the war was at a stalemate for both sides.

The weather grew colder, the snow thicker, and the rivers and lakes before the three passes froze rock-solid, allowing Great Mu's cavalry to march across without fear of the ice breaking.

This meant that until the weather warmed, this artificial defensive line would serve no purpose in holding back the enemy.

The Yan army primarily consisted of infantry. Sending them out of the city to engage Great Mu's cavalry in open battle would be like bringing knives to a cavalry fight—hardly a wise decision.

Thus, in recent days, the Yan forces had hunkered down in their fortifications, waiting for the rivers to thaw before launching a counterattack.

Great Mu excelled in cavalry but was terrible at laying siege.

With the Yan army refusing to engage outside the walls, Great Mu found it difficult to breach the gates.

While maintaining pressure on the Yan forces, Great Mu sent cavalry to raid the surrounding areas, butchering Yan villagers in an attempt to force the Yan army into battle.

The lone consolation was that the three passes lay at the border between the two nations, where conflict was frequent. The surrounding land, formed by the flooding of the Yellow River, was saline-alkali and unsuitable for farming, resulting in sparse population.

"We cannot just hide and wait indefinitely."

After the news reached the capital, Huo Ling addressed several high-ranking ministers.

Li Hansong from the Ministry of War, fearing Huo Ling might act rashly, quickly interjected, "Empress Dowager, the frontline generals holding the cities is the wisest choice at present. Ordering them to engage outside the walls would only fall right into the enemy's trap."

Huo Ling replied, "Rest assured, Minister Li. This Empress Dowager will not interfere with the frontline commanders."

Hailing from a military lineage herself, though inexperienced in leading troops, she understood the dilemmas faced by the frontline generals.

How could she possibly know the battlefield better than they did or command more effectively?

"War is the continuation of politics. While our generals fight on the frontlines, we must also apply pressure from our end to help share their burden."

With today's discussion concluded, as Wen Shengan bowed and prepared to leave, Huo Ling stopped him. "The New Year has passed. Has Wen Minister's student, Song Xu, still no intention of entering court service?"

Wen Shengan had expected some important matter, only to find Huo Ling inquiring about Song Xu. His mouth twitched imperceptibly. "This student of mine is thick-headed and obstinate. I never thought he'd warrant Your Majesty's notice."

Huo Ling quirked a half-smile. "Minister Wen's prized student has nothing to do with dull-wittedness. As for stubbornness, this Empress Dowager has observed hints of it in your own conduct."

Wen Shengan's lips twitched again, suspecting the Empress Dowager had kept him behind just to mock him.

Yet he knew Huo Ling was not one for idle jabs—mocking him was likely incidental; her main interest lay in Song Xu.

Returning to his residence and shedding his court regalia, Wen Shengan was about to send for Song Xu when the latter arrived first to come pay his respects.

Having no residence in the capital, Song Xu had been lodging at the Wen residence.

Wen Shengan studied Song Xu with mixed feelings.

Dusting snow off his shoulders, Song Xu asked curiously, "Teacher, why are you looking at me like that?"

Wen Shengan said, “Her Majesty asked about you today.”

Song Xu: “Her Majesty is swamped with state affairs. Why would she ask about me without reason?”

Prompted by Song Xu, Wen Shengan also pondered: “It must be about Yanbei. You’ve been to Great Mu. Her Majesty likely wants to know if you have any strategies to counterbalance Great Mu.”

After carefully listening to the context, Song Xu pondered briefly and said, “There is a way.

“Within Great Mu, many nomadic tribes coexist, most of whom surrendered under the pressure of Great Mu’s might. They’ve long chafed under Great Mu’s oppression, but because their numbers are insufficient and their strength inadequate to oppose Great Mu, they haven’t been able to make waves.

“If we can incite these tribes’ grievances and unite them in rebellion, Great Mu would be forced to fight on two fronts. They’d be stretched thin and worn out.

“The Three Passes are important to Great Mu, but nothing compared to keeping the country stable. Even if Emperor Yongqing wishes to continue attacking the Three Passes, the Khitan nobles would twist his arm into recalling troops for reinforcement.

“For the vast majority of Khitan nobles, capturing the Three Passes would mainly benefit Emperor Yongqing.

“But if these nomadic tribes cause too much unrest, it would harm the interests of these nobles.”

Wen Shengan’s eyes lit up: “If things play out like you say, it would indeed be an excellent strategy.”

In the Shouning Palace, within the octagonal pavilion, Empress Dowager Huo Ling looked at Song Xu below: “Inciting the hatred of foreign tribes and uniting them in rebellion is no easy task.”

Song Xu replied, “Empress Dowager, this plan’s tricky to pull off, and somewhat risky, but high risk, high reward—it’s worth attempting.”

Huo Ling said, “To accomplish this plan, we must send someone to persuade, incite, and unite these tribes. This person must be familiar with Great Mu’s internal conflicts, understand its political situation, be a smooth talker, and have both courage and wisdom to remain composed in crisis.”

Song Xu gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands: “This lowly one proposed the strategy and originally intended to volunteer. But after hearing Your Majesty’s words, I’m almost too shy to step forward now.”

Huo Ling smiled without concealment: “I was indeed praising you.”

Song Xu was slightly surprised and instinctively raised his eyes, but when they met Huo Ling’s face, he lowered them again, somewhat flustered: “In that case, this unworthy one will boldly ask for the job.”

Huo Ling raised her hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and gazed into the distance: “When you go to Great Mu, you must hold an official position—it will help you contact those tribal leaders.

“Next time you come to court, don’t let me catch you calling yourself a commoner. Go home today and consult Minister Wen. Let him, as Minister of Personnel, assign you a post.”

Suddenly, footsteps came rushing up from nearby. Ji Xianshan bounded out from behind a rockery, followed by Xiao Fuzi softly calling, “Your Majesty, slow down, don’t trip!”

Seeing Huo Ling in discussion with Song Xu, Ji Xianshan’s eyes widened, and he skidded to a stop, clearly debating whether to approach.

Huo Ling curved her lips and teased, “Running like a tiger’s on your tail?”

Encouraged by his mother, Ji Xianshan bounded over: “I was playing hide-and-seek with Aunt Wu Mo. Oh, Aunt Wu Mo’s here.”

Hearing Wu Mo’s voice, Ji Xianshan ducked his head and hid behind Huo Ling.

Wu Mo emerged from behind the rockery, calling “Your Majesty,” and was startled to see Huo Ling, fearing she had interrupted their conversation.

Huo Ling said, “It’s fine. I’ve already finished speaking with Lord Song.”

Wu Mo clutched her chest, relieved: “Then has Your Majesty seen the Emperor?”

Song Xu could clearly sense Ji Xianshan tense up, looking up at Huo Ling, terrified she’d give him away.

Huo Ling raised an eyebrow: “I haven’t seen him.”

The servants played along too, one saying, “Think I saw His Majesty dash by earlier.”

Another added, "Yes, I saw Xiao Fuzi too."

Ji Xianshan covered his mouth, afraid he might accidentally laugh out loud, but his round eyes were already crinkled with mirth.

"Alright, come out now." Once Wu Mo had left, Huo Ling yanked Ji Xianshan up from his crouch like uprooting a radish.

Ji Xianshan rose on his toes to peer in the direction Wu Mo had gone before finally bursting into giggles. "Auntie Wu Mo fell for it!"

Huo Ling gave his forehead a light flick, then wiped his hands clean with a handkerchief before pushing a plate of plum blossom pastries toward him.

Ji Xianshan reached for one. "Mother, how many can I have?"

Huo Ling smiled. "How many do you think you can have?"

Ji Xianshan stuck out his little belly. "I think I can eat four."

Huo Ling gave his belly a pat. "No, you can't."

Ji Xianshan bargained. "What about two?"

"Still no."

"Fine." Ji Xianshan sighed with exaggerated solemnity. "My belly's no good. Only one, then."

Song Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. Noticing Ji Xianshan’s gaze, he quickly cleared his throat and bowed. "Your Majesty."

Ji Xianshan said, "I remember you."

Song Xu was taken aback, only to hear the boy continue, "You... aren't a minister."

Huo Ling rubbed her temples. "He's Lord Song now."

"Eh?" Ji Xianshan looked between Huo Ling and Song Xu before scratching his head. "Oh, so you're a minister now?"

Song Xu smiled warmly and nodded.

Ji Xianshan asked, "What do you minister over?"

Song Xu hesitated before answering, "A minister sent to Great Mu."

Ji Xianshan nodded, though his expression made it clear he didn’t understand. Losing focus, he nestled into Huo Ling’s arms and took a nibble of the peach blossom pastry before pulling it away from his mouth and offering it to her. "Mom, this is so yummy. Do you want a bite?"

Huo Ling glanced at it and declined flatly. "No, you have it."

Song Xu rose to take his leave with a bow.

Huo Ling gestured to the plate of pastries. "Take them with you. Don’t leave them here to tempt little greedy eyes."

Ji Xianshan, knowing she was talking about him, brushed the crumbs off his hands and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before burying his face in Huo Ling’s lap, no longer eyeing the treats.

Song Xu bowed in thanks and left the palace with the pastry box handed to him by a servant.

A carriage from the Wen residence awaited him at the palace gates. Once inside, Song Xu took out a plum blossom pastry and took a bite.

Crisp, sweet, with a hint of milkiness—just the kind of treat a kid would love.

Three days after Huo Ling summoned Song Xu, he slipped out of the capital quietly as the Grand Master of Ceremonies, accompanied by two officials from the Ministry of Rites who knew Great Mu well.

They did not plan to enter Great Mu through Yanbei but instead headed for Yanxi, cutting through Qiang Rong territory before looping around to Great Mu’s northern frontier.

Upon learning of Song Xu's plan, Huo Ling dispatched Cui Hongyi to the Wen residence to deliver a palm-sized box to Song Xu.

"The Empress Dowager instructed that if Lord Song requires the assistance of the Qiang Rong, he should present the contents of this box to their leader, Li Yichun. The Qiang Rong will lend their full support to help you succeed."

Song Xu asked no further questions and carefully secured the box away.

***

When the first buds of early spring poked through the snowdrifts, Great Yan's long-standing passive defense finally began to shift.

As the ice thawed and warm spring breezes arrived, Great Mu's cavalry could no longer raid unchecked around Great Yan's fortresses as they once had.

The Yan army, having bottled up their rage for so long, launched coordinated counterattacks—infantry forming disciplined formations, cavalry charging fiercely—and landed several crushing defeats on the Mu forces.

At last, the court began receiving reports of victories from the frontlines.

Everyone could finally relax.

Even Huo Ling felt the weight lift from her shoulders, as though the gloom had begun to clear.

What pleased her even more was that, a full four months after Song Xu's departure from the capital, the court finally received a letter from him.

The letter had been sent from the Qiang Rong royal camp to Xingtang Pass, then swiftly conveyed to the capital by courier.

In the letter, Song Xu was brief, merely stating that everything was progressing according to plan and that results would soon become evident.

And indeed, events unfolded exactly as Song Xu had written—

In the sixth month of the first year of the Tian Shou reign, the Dili tribe, located in the northern regions of Great Mu and who made their living as herders and hunters, once again rose up in revolt.

To the east of the Dili tribe, the Wugu tribe refused to continue paying tribute to Great Mu and joined forces with the Dili to resist the empire.

These two were major tribes, and their simultaneous uprising made waves, emboldening even the smaller tribes long oppressed by Great Mu to rise in rebellion.

By the seventh month, the Beizubu tribe also rebelled.

Given Great Mu's strength, fighting on two fronts was not beyond its capabilities—

But only if it was worth it.

Great Mu had committed substantial forces to attacking the three passes but had little to show for it. At least in the short term, there was no hope of a decisive breakthrough.

With no profit to be gained, even if Emperor Yongqing wished to continue the war, others were unwilling to follow suit.

Finally, in the eighth month of the first year of the Tian Shou reign, Emperor Yongqing bowed to mounting pressure and ordered his frontline generals to pull back to defend the homeland.

That same month, the Swallow Feather Army, hardened by months of combat, also returned to Yanxi.

As one of Great Yan's only two cavalry units, the Swallow Feather Army had performed exceptionally well over these months. Their maneuver to bypass enemy lines and burn supplies the previous year had been a masterstroke.

Their outstanding performance on the frontlines only strengthened Huo Ling’s prestige at court.

Not long after, Huo Ze returned to the capital from Yanxi.

Once all matters in Yanbei had settled, An Hongyu petitioned the throne, humbly requesting Her Majesty’s permission to step down due to his aged and ailing condition, as he was no longer fit to bear the heavy responsibility of commanding Yanbei, and hoping to return to the capital to recuperate.

Huo Ling granted his request.

Though displeased with An Hongyu’s performance during the battle at the end of the previous year, she did not neglect the service of this veteran general who had defended the border for decades, granting him the honors he deserved.

She also accepted An Hongyu’s recommendation and promoted his lieutenant to the position of commander of Yanbei.

Upon returning to the capital, An Hongyu requested an audience at the palace.

Looking at the white-haired, battle-worn old general before her, Huo Ling chided gently, "Did I not send word for General An to rest properly before coming to court?"

As An Hongyu attempted to bow, Huo Ling nudged Ji Xianshan’s shoulder. The young man stepped forward, raised his arms to steady An Hongyu, and announced cheerfully, "General An, you are excused from formal courtesies."

Huo Ling bade An Hongyu be seated, first inquiring after his journey and then about the current situation in Yanbei. After a thoughtful pause, she spoke softly, "General An, might you tell me of Commander Fang’s whereabouts in Yanbei?"