Chương 582: This is also a kind of battle.

"Your Majesty, we really should return to the palace." Fang Xuanling returned, carrying a thick stack of memorials, panting heavily.

"The Ministry of Revenue has sent the food and supplies budget for the Northern Expedition... The Ministry of Works has sent the new production plan... The Ministry of War has sent the conscription plan, which calls for recruiting another 50, 000 new soldiers next year... The Ministry of Rites has sent the imperial examination plan..."

Liu Ce sighed, took the memorial, and flipped through a couple of pages, becoming increasingly annoyed.

"Old Fang, what do you think I'm doing being emperor for?" Liu Ce said helplessly.

"When I was a general, I was so carefree. I could fight whenever I wanted, drink whenever I wanted, and sleep wherever I wanted. Now, I'm tied to the palace every day by these memorials..."

Fang Xuanling suppressed a laugh and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this is your responsibility. You are the ruler of the land. If you were to leave, who would oversee Luoyang? Who would handle the affairs of state? Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince is only eleven years old and not yet capable of ruling the country."

"And another thing," Fang Xuanling continued, "if you were to personally lead the army, the ladies and princesses in the harem would surely be worried to death."

Liu Ce's heart softened.

Yes, he's not alone anymore.

He had nineteen wives, twenty-seven children, and hundreds of millions of Han Chinese people.

He has a family, a career, a wife and children, and things he cares about and longs for.

If anything were to happen to him, this burly man, who had just managed to stabilize his situation, would fall into chaos again.

He dared not think about what would happen to his family and his people in the days without him.

He used to be all alone, fearless, thinking that he would be a hero again in eighteen years.

Now that he has responsibilities and concerns, he can no longer be as willful as before.

Being willful is a privilege of youth, but he is no longer a young man.

"Alright, I understand." Liu Ce handed the memorial to Li Dequan, dusted himself off, and said, "Go back to the palace."

As he stepped off the reviewing stand, Liu Ce looked back at the northern sky once more.

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the wind carried the scent of earth.

His gaze pierced through the clouds, as if he could see the departing army and those young soldiers.

He silently muttered to himself: Brothers, you continue fighting. Once I have settled things at home and the Crown Prince has grown up and is capable of handling things, I will personally lead the army!

When that time comes, I will personally lead the army and turn the whole world into the territory of the Han Dynasty!

Don't fight all the battles, leave me a few! Don't let me end up with no enemies to find!

...

Upon returning to the palace, as soon as they entered the Ganlu Hall, they saw Crown Prince Liu Chen leading his younger siblings in flying kites in the courtyard.

The spring breeze was gentle and the sun was shining brightly. The crabapple blossoms in the yard were in full bloom, and the pink and white petals drifted down with the wind, landing on the ground, on the children's heads, and on the kite strings, like a rain of petals.

A dozen children ran around, sweating profusely, and kites filled the sky.

There are butterfly-shaped ones, swallow-shaped ones, dragon-shaped ones, all kinds of shapes and colors.

Liu Ran's giant rabbit lantern kite flew the highest, its long ears swaying in the wind, and the colorful ribbons on its tail fluttering long.

She ran and shouted, her little face flushed, "Daddy! Daddy! Look how high my kite is flying! Higher than my brother's!"

Liu Ce walked over with a smile, bent down and picked up Liu Ran. Her small hands wrapped around his neck, while she still held the kite string in her other hand.

He gently pinched her little nose, making her dodge away: "You flew so high. Daddy just went to take the uncles to the north to fight the bad guys. After they win, Daddy will take you to the grasslands to fly kites, okay? Let your kites fly high in the sky, higher than the clouds."

"Okay!" Liu Ran hugged his neck and kissed him on the cheek, smearing his face with saliva.

"Daddy, are you going too? Daddy, are you going to fight the bad guys?"

Liu Ce paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "When you grow up, your father will take you with him. When you can ride horses and shoot arrows, your father will take you to see the outside world."

Leaving the children behind, Liu Ce walked into the side hall, looked at the mountain of memorials, and sighed.

The memorials were stacked in three piles, each pile over a foot high, with red covers and black characters.

There were urgent ones, regular ones, secret ones—a whole variety.

Every single one awaited his review; every single one was related to the national economy and people's livelihood.

Although he cannot personally go to the battlefield, he can provide support from the rear.

He needed to ensure sufficient food supplies so that the soldiers at the front lines could have enough to eat...

Ensure that military equipment is in place so that soldiers have good weapons to use...

To ensure stability in the rear, so that the soldiers have no worries about their families.

He wanted the soldiers at the front to know that they were not fighting alone, and that the entire Han Dynasty was their support.

This is also a kind of battle.

Although it wasn't filled with sword fights, it was just as important and just as arduous.

Liu Ce picked up his pen and began writing on the memorial.

It was a memorial concerning the allocation of provisions for the Northern Expedition, in which the Ministry of Revenue requested the allocation of one million shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain to the front lines.

He wrote one word on the paper: "Accurate".

The sunlight streaming in through the window shone on him, bathing him in a golden glow.

Although he could not lead troops on the battlefield, his pen could still command thousands of soldiers and create an unprecedented golden age.

Civil administration and military prowess are both indispensable.

only......

Liu Ce looked up at the northern sky, still feeling a little regretful.

Next time, next time I must personally lead the expedition! No one can stop me!

...

Last month, Li Jing, commander of the Central Theater Command, Xu Da, commander of the Northern Theater Command, Su Lie, commander of the Western Theater Command, Qi Jiguang, commander of the Eastern Theater Command, and Yue Fei, commander of the Southern Theater Command, had already discussed combat strategies with Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Xi Zhicai, and others in Luoyang.

The final plan: Li Jing led 100, 000 troops from the Central War Zone out of Yanmen Pass to fight against the Xianbei and Xiongnu in the west.

Xu Da led 100, 000 troops from the Northern War Zone out of Zhuo County to attack the Xianbei; Su Lie led 100, 000 troops from the Western Theater Command out of Chang'an to conquer the Western Regions; Qi Jiguang led 50, 000 troops from the Eastern War Zone to Kuaiji to fight against the Japanese pirates; Yue Fei led 50, 000 troops from the Southern Theater Command out of Chengdu to pacify the southern barbarians.

Five armies launched attacks on five fronts, engaging in battles one after another, with a total force exceeding 400, 000.

This is the largest military operation since Liu Ce ascended the throne.

...

Chang Yuchun chased after Li Wenzhong, shouting, "Wenzhong! Let's have a contest to see who kills more enemies! Whoever kills the Xiongnu chieftain will have to drink for a year! No cheating allowed!"

Li Wenzhong didn't turn his head, only made an "OK" gesture, which he had learned from Liu Ce, then mounted his horse and rode away.

Chang Yuchun curled his lip: "That kid is still so cool. If you talk to him, he won't reply to even one out of ten sentences."