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In August of the first year of the prosperous era, 150,000 national defense troops approached the city of Yunzhou.

On the city wall, the Khitan flags were still fluttering in the wind.

But when the garrison looked at the dark Zhou army camp outside the city, their hearts sank.

Yelü Qilie stood on the city wall, looking at the endless rows of tents, and remained silent for a long time.

Thirty thousand defenders against one hundred and fifty thousand Zhou troops.

Where are the reinforcements? Is there any news from the capital?

No.

None of the people sent out to seek help have returned.

Were they intercepted by Zhou's army, or... or did His Majesty never intend to send troops at all?
Yelü Qilie truly knew nothing.

All he knew was that the city could no longer be defended.

His career as a renowned general came to an end.

That very night, someone secretly sneaked into Yelü Qilie's residence in Yunzhou City.

They were not scouts of Zhou Jun, but rather agents of the Imperial City Guard.

They disguised themselves as merchants and lay in wait in the city for three months, waiting for this day.

The leader was named Chen Jing, in his forties, with an honest face and a gentle manner; he was clearly a seasoned businessman.

In reality, he was a veteran of the Imperial City Guard's Outer Division, having followed Zhao Pu for over a decade and handled countless major cases.

He and two of his men sneaked into the back gate of Yelü Qilie's residence under the cover of night.

Just as the guards were about to shout, Chen Jing handed over a waist token.

"Chen Jing, from the Imperial City Guard, requests an audience with General Yelü. He has important matters to discuss."

The guard hesitated for a moment, then, not wanting to delay, immediately went inside to report.

After a short while, Yelü Qilie came out in person.

Looking at the honest-looking "merchant" before him with a complicated expression, he asked, "Imperial City Guard?"

"Yes." Chen Jing bowed and said, "I have come to pay my respects to General Yelü on the orders of the Emperor of Great Zhou."

Yelü Qilie was silent for a moment, then said, "Come in."

In the study, the candlelight flickered.

Yelü Qilie sat at the head of the table, while Chen Jing sat at the foot of the table; the two remained silent.

Finally, Chen Jing spoke first, "General, I have come here without permission, but there is only one thing to say—I urge you to surrender to my Great Zhou."

Yelü Qilie sneered, "Surrender? I wounded your late emperor and crushed tens of thousands of your troops. Do you think your new emperor will let me go?"

Chen Jing did not respond, but instead took out a roll of yellow silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands, saying, "This is an edict personally written by His Majesty. Please take a look, General."

Yelü Qilie was stunned.

He quickly took the imperial edict and unfolded it.

The edict was written very simply, without any red tape, consisting of only a few sentences:

"Yelü Qilie, a famous Khitan general. On the battlefield, each fought for their own master. I will not blame you for the late emperor's injury. I will not blame you for Li Chongjin's defeat. If you can surrender, the Great Zhou will treat you as a national hero. Those soldiers under your command who wish to stay will be incorporated into the national defense army, and those who wish to leave will be given travel expenses. Khitan sons who wish to serve the Great Zhou will all be given important positions by me."

"The ruler of the Central Plains is the Heavenly Khan of all the tribes of the grasslands. The Khitan and the Central Plains are originally one family. Why should thousands of lives be sacrificed for Yelü Jing alone?"

Yelü Qilie's hands trembled as he looked at the imperial edict.

He really didn't expect that.

He wounded Guo Rong with his own arrow, defeated Li Chongjin, and caused countless casualties to Zhou's army.

But the emperor of the Great Zhou actually said, "I will not punish you" and "I will not blame you."

They actually said they would treat him as a national hero.

They actually said, "The Khitan and the Central Plains were originally one family."

Yelü Qilie raised his head and looked at Chen Jing, "Your emperor... really doesn't hate me?"

Chen Jing shook his head. "General, His Majesty said something."

"What?"

"In battle, each side fights for their own cause. On the battlefield, it is a soldier's duty to fight to the death. Once off the battlefield, one should lay down one's weapons."

"Besides, the general injured the late emperor, not Your Majesty. The late emperor has already passed away, why should Your Majesty hold a grudge against the dead?"

Yelü Qilie remained silent.

He recalled all the humiliation he had suffered in Khitan over the years.

It should be noted that Yelü Jing was notoriously licentious and immoral. If it weren't for Empress Dowager Xiao's painstaking efforts, the Khitan might have collapsed long ago.

Moreover, Yelü Jing was suspicious and often distrusted his generals.

If you win a battle, Yelü Jing will see you as a threat; if you lose a battle, he will see you as useless.

Yelü Jing killed more generals than he had promoted.

It's a miracle that Yelü Qilie has survived to this day.

Even the more famous Yelü Talie was cautious and always kept a low profile when he was in Nanjing and Youzhou.

But how much longer can he live?
This time, Xijing was besieged, and reinforcements were slow to arrive.

Is it that they really can't come, or that they simply don't want to come?
Yelü Qilie didn't know, but in his heart, he already had the answer.

"General," Chen Jing continued, "if this humble general dares to ask—for whom are you defending the city?"

Yelü Qilie was stunned. "For whom are you defending the city?"

"Is it for Yelü Jing, or for the millions of Khitan people?"

Yelü Qilie opened his mouth, but could not utter a word.

"What is Yelü Jing?" Chen Jing said. "He is cruel and ruthless, killing people like flies. The Khitan people hate him to the bone, but they dare not speak out. If you die fighting for him, General, would he care?"

"But what about the Khitan people? They don't care who is the emperor; they just want to live. Whether it's the emperor of the Central Plains or the emperor of Khitan, as long as they can live, they will accept it."

"His Majesty said that the ruler of the Central Plains was originally the Heavenly Khan of all the tribes of the grasslands. Wasn't Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, also the Heavenly Khan respected by all the tribes of the grasslands?"

"If the general surrenders and leads the Khitan people to submit to the Central Plains, the Khitan people's lives will only be better than they are now."

Yelü Qilie remained silent.

He recalled stories told by elders when he was a child.

At that time, the emperor of the Central Plains was still the Heavenly Khan, and the various tribes of the grasslands went to Chang'an to pay tribute every year.

There were post stations, caravans, and safety along the way.

Later, the Khitan became powerful, declared themselves emperors, and fought with the Central Plains for decades.

In fact, the Khitans dreamed of integrating into the Central Plains, and Emperor Taizong of Liao, Yelü Deguang, dreamed of becoming the emperor of the Central Plains.

But after all that fighting, who won?
The lives of ordinary people are getting worse day by day.

Yelü Qilie raised his head and looked at Chen Jing, "Your emperor... really would make good use of the Khitans?"

Chen Jing nodded. "His Majesty himself said that the Khitan and the Central Plains are originally one family. Khitan sons who are willing to serve the Great Zhou can all be employed. There are already dozens of Khitans in the National Defense Army, and they are all doing a good job. Those who are willing to farm will be allocated land; those who continue to herd livestock will also be granted pastures by the court."

Yelü Qilie remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "What do I need to do?"

Chen Jing smiled, "General, you don't need to do anything. Just open the city gates tomorrow and lead your troops to surrender."

"His Majesty said that if the general surrenders, those garrison troops in Yunzhou who wish to stay will be incorporated into the National Defense Army, and those who wish to leave will be provided with travel expenses. The general himself will enter the capital as a general, the commander of the National Defense Army Cavalry Division, with a rank equivalent to a Class A division commander."

Yelü Qilie was stunned.

Cavalry division commander?
That's the position of commanding a 10,000-strong elite cavalry unit!
It was a higher rank than his official position in the Khitan!
"Your emperor...is he really that generous?"

Chen Jing nodded. "His Majesty always keeps his word."

Yelü Qilie stood up and walked to the window.

The night outside the window was deep, with the lights of Yunzhou City twinkling.

He gazed at the lights and remained silent for a long time. "After the Great Zhou occupied the northern and southern grasslands, did it really treat the Khitan people equally?"

"Of course! Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, all ethnic groups have prospered together. Unfortunately, there were too many ambitious people, which led to a century of chaos. Now, the three emperors of our Great Zhou are working hard to restore peace and order to the world."

"Very well! I will surrender to the Great Zhou."

……

The next morning, the gates of Yunzhou were opened wide.

Yelü Qilie led 30,000 garrison troops out of the city and surrendered.

Cao Bin personally went to greet him, saying, "General Yelü, I have long admired your name."

Yelü Qilie knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "The sinful general Yelü Qilie is willing to surrender to the Great Zhou."

Cao Bin helped him up, saying, "General, please rise. His Majesty has decreed that you surrender, and everything will proceed as stated in the edict."

Yelü Qilie stood up, looking at the Zhou army entering the city, his feelings complicated.

He recalled how he had defeated Li Chongjin and wounded Guo Rong by shooting him beneath the city walls.

Now, Yelü Qilie has become a general of the Great Zhou.

Life is truly unpredictable.

But Yelü Qilie did not regret it, because he knew he had made the right choice.

When the news reached Bianliang, Su Ning was reviewing memorials.

After reading the battle report, he nodded. "Yelü Qilie has surrendered, and Yunzhou has been recovered. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun have returned to the Central Plains."

Wei Renpu stood aside with a smile on his face, "Your Majesty is wise. Subduing the enemy without fighting is the best strategy."

Su Ning shook his head. "It's not about being wise. It's about putting yourself in someone else's shoes."

"Put yourself in someone else's shoes?"

"The Khitans are also human beings, and they also want to live a good life. As long as they can survive, they won't fight to the death."

He looked north and said, "Next up are the Tanguts and the Dingnan Army."

Zhao Pu was taken aback.

"Does Your Majesty intend to fight the Tanguts and the Dingnan Army as well?"

"Indeed! How can I allow others to snore under my bed?"

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly. Autumn, the first year of a prosperous era, arrived peacefully.

……

When news of Yunzhou's surrender spread, the final piece of the puzzle of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was finally completely handed over to the Great Zhou.

Su Ning stood before the map in the Imperial Study, gazing at the land that had just been painted red, and remained silent for a long time.

Sixteen provinces.

From the time Shi Jingtang ceded Yan and Yun to the time they were completely recovered, a full thirty years have passed.

Over the past thirty years, five dynasties have risen and fallen in the Central Plains. Countless people have died and countless battles have been fought, all for this land.

Now, it's back.

"Issue the order. The National Defense Army shall immediately seize all strategic locations in the north. Deploy defenses along the Great Wall from Youzhou to Yunzhou."

"If the Khitans want to invade again, they'll have to ask us if we agree first."

The imperial decree was to be sent to the north by express courier, traveling 800 li (approximately

In Yunzhou City, Cao Bin received the imperial decree and immediately summoned his generals.

"His Majesty has ordered us to seize strategic locations." He pointed to the map. "North of Youzhou, Gubeikou and Xifengkou must be taken. North of Yunzhou, Shahukou and Deshengkou must be controlled. To the west, there are Piantouguan, Ningwuguan, and Yanmenguan; none of them can be lost."

"Order all divisions to depart immediately."

The National Defense Army surged northward from Taiyuan, Yunzhou, and Youzhou like a tidal wave.

Gubeikou.

An important pass along the Great Wall, and a necessary route for the Khitans to march south to Youzhou.

The guards were a thousand-man unit of the Khitan, and the commander of the unit was Xiao Talan.

He stood on the pass, looking at the Zhou army rolling in from afar, his face pale. "Zhou army... why is the Zhou army here?"

No one could answer him.

Zhou Jun did not rush to tackle the problem.

They lined up in front of the pass and sent someone up to shout, "Xiao Talan, listen up! The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun have been returned to the Great Zhou, and Yelü Qilie, the garrison commander of Yun Prefecture, has surrendered! Who are you guarding this pass for?"

Xiao Talan was stunned.

Has Yelü Qilie surrendered?

Yunzhou lost?

He looked back at the guards at the pass; the Khitan soldiers were also looking at him, their eyes filled with confusion.

"Chief, what... do we do?"

"..." Xiao Talan remained silent for a long time.

He thought of Yelü Qilie and Yelü Talie, both famous generals of the Khitan who had won many battles but eventually surrendered.

Can a mere centurion hold out?

If we hold out, will the capital send reinforcements?
It's been sent, will it arrive?

He gritted his teeth and said, "Open...open the city."

Gubeikou, captured.

Xifengkou.

The defending general was named Yelü Dilie, Xiao Siwen's nephew, who escaped when Youzhou fell.

He led two thousand remaining soldiers to guard this pass, hoping every day for reinforcements from the capital.

But reinforcements never arrived.

That day, he stood on the pass and saw a troop of Zhou troops approaching from afar.

The Zhou army did not form ranks or attack the city; they simply sent a man on horseback to slowly approach the pass.

"Yelü Dilie, listen up! Yunzhou has surrendered, Gubeikou has surrendered! What's the point of you guarding this pass?"

Immediately afterwards, the messenger presented Yelü Qilie and Yelü Talie with handwritten letters, which stunned Yelü Dilie.

Has Yunzhou been subdued?

Has the price dropped in Gubeikou too?

Then what is he still guarding?
He glanced at the soldiers around him; they were staring at him with fear in their eyes.

"General..."

Yelü Dilie closed his eyes.

"Open the city gates."

Xifengkou, captured.

Kill Tiger Pass, Victory Pass, Piantou Pass, Ningwu Pass, Yanmen Pass...

One by one, the passes were either captured by Zhou's army or the defending generals surrendered voluntarily.

A month later, from Youzhou to Yunzhou, along the Great Wall, all the strategic locations fell into the hands of the Great Zhou.

The flags of the National Defense Forces are planted all over the northern mountain peaks.

When Suning received the battle report, he was having dinner with Lin Wan.

Lin Wan looked at him, "Your Majesty, is the war in the north over?"

"Ah."

"What about the Khitans?"

Su Ning looked up. "Khitans?"

"They just let it go like that? No retaliation?"

Su Ning shook her head. "No. They will come."

"When?"

"I don't know. But it will definitely come. So we need to be prepared."

……

Then, the defense line of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was quickly put into construction, and soon the long defense line was built.

From Youzhou to Yunzhou, there was a beacon tower every fifty li and a military camp every one hundred li.

Gubeikou, Xifengkou, Shahukou, Deshengkou, Piantouguan, Ningwuguan, and Yanmenguan—each pass was garrisoned with soldiers, ranging from five hundred to a thousand.

The 11th to 20th Divisions of the National Defense Army, all ten Class B divisions, were transferred to the north to garrison various cities and passes.

Each division is stationed in a prefecture, each regiment in a county, and each battalion in a town.

The defense line stretched for three hundred miles, layer upon layer, airtight.

If the Khitans wanted to invade, they would have to pass through ten passes, conquer twenty cities, and fight thirty battles.

Su Ning stood in front of the map, looked at the long defensive line, and nodded.

"enough."

"Your Majesty," Wei Renpu said, "could the Khitans possibly try to come around from the west?"

"West?"

"Across the Hetao region, there are also the Dangxiang people..."

Su Ning shook his head. "Those Tanguts are very clever. When the Khitan were strong, they followed the Khitan. Now that we are strong, they won't be foolish enough to risk their lives for the Khitan."

"Issue an imperial decree to send the Imperial City Guard to Xingqing Prefecture. Tell Li Yixing that the Great Zhou and the Dangxiang can be friends."

"friend?"

“Yes. My friend,” Su Ning said. “As long as he doesn’t help the Khitan, we won’t fight him.”

"This...is it really certain that our military will not be able to deploy troops?"

"We need to stabilize the Dingnan Army and the Dangxiang people first. We need time to integrate the Central Plains, the South, and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."

"Your Majesty is wise."

On the day the defense line was completed, Su Ning personally went to Youzhou.

Standing on Shanhaiguan Pass, I gaze at the vast northern land.

That place is the Khitan.

They are the enemy.

They are also people who will be our neighbors in the future.

After all, it's impossible to solve the Khitan problem once and for all; at this moment, the Khitan are at their most powerful in history.

“Your Majesty,” Gao Huaide said softly, standing behind him, “the Khitans have been very quiet lately.”

“Silence is not a good thing,” Su Ning said. “Too much silence means they’re holding back.”

"Then let's..."

“Let’s wait,” Su Ning said. “Let’s wait for them to come.”

He turned around and looked at the land inside the pass that had been unified.

"After waiting for thirty years, Yan Yun has returned. If we wait a few more years, the Khitan will come too."

"What are you doing here?"

"Come and be our friend."

Gao Huaide was stunned.

"friend?"

“That’s right,” Su Ning said. “If you can’t beat someone, you have to be friends. That’s the rule.”

He stepped down from the wall, mounted his horse, and ordered all troops to train diligently.

“Our Khitan friends will be attacking soon.”

After inspecting the northern defense line, Su Ning knew that most of the Great Zhou's strongest army was gathered there, and he would have to consider the matter of the emperor guarding the country's borders.

...(End of this chapter)