I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 171 How Wonderful It Would Be If My Man Were Zhao Yu

...

Zhao Yu was overjoyed to receive news that Qiu Yu and Zhai Xing had successfully taken over Yizhou City.

This was a resounding victory in the first battle, and moreover, the recapture of an entire prefecture in one fell swoop, which was definitely a remarkable triumph.

It should be noted that the entire Yanyun region only has sixteen prefectures. Even if you include the three prefectures of Pingluanying, there are only nineteen prefectures. If you only look at the Yan region, there are actually only seven prefectures.

In this battle alone, Zhao Yu recovered one-seventh of the Yan territory.

If everything went so smoothly, Zhao Yu might have easily achieved what all the emperors of the Song Dynasty since Zhao Kuangyin had longed for but could not attain, becoming the second most powerful emperor in the Song Dynasty after Zhao Kuangyin.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking.

In reality, from a macro perspective, the reason why Zhao Yu was able to seize Yizhou so easily was not only because Zhao Liangsi acted as an envoy, the Li Chuwen family was willing to surrender to the Song Dynasty, and the Khitans had long been domineering over the Han people, which caused deep conflicts between the two sides, but the main reason was that the Liao Dynasty's war mobilization capacity was too weak at the moment.

According to common sense.

Nomadic peoples primarily relied on animal husbandry, living by moving with the water and pasture. Their way of life made them a nation where everyone was a soldier. Adult men were herders in peacetime, but could quickly transform into cavalrymen and go to war on horseback. In addition, tribal leaders had relatively direct control over their members; when mobilization for war occurred, the tribal members could quickly assemble at the leader's command.

Agricultural societies primarily rely on agriculture, with farmers permanently stationed on the land, engaging in relatively stable agricultural labor. When war breaks out, the court needs to mobilize farmers from the fields. Furthermore, agricultural societies have complex, hierarchical social structures. This vast bureaucratic system can lead to problems such as poor information transmission and inefficiency when disseminating war mobilization orders. In addition, people in agricultural societies are generally only skilled at farming, not at warfare; few have even slaughtered chickens, requiring extensive training to form an army.

All of these factors suggest that the Liao Dynasty's war mobilization capabilities were far superior to those of the Song Dynasty.

The reality now is that, due to the Liao Dynasty's long period of peace, the Liao people have become highly Sinicized, living a life of ease and comfort. Many have abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled down like the Han people, engaging in agriculture or handicrafts and enjoying the prosperity and tranquility of cities. The once nomadic people now find it difficult to find horses, let alone maintain their former valor across the grasslands. Many former tribal leaders have transformed into civil and military officials, engrossed in court intrigues and power struggles, and their ability to control their subordinates has greatly diminished.

The Liao army was no longer the force it once was. The Khitan cavalry, once renowned for its horsemanship and archery, was now largely composed of infantry, and due to a lack of adequate training, its combat effectiveness had been greatly reduced. In terms of logistics, although some livestock still accompanied the army, they relied more heavily on grain and supplies requisitioned from Han territories, which greatly weakened their mobility and flexibility.

Even more serious was the escalating corruption and internal conflicts within the Liao Dynasty. Officials embezzled public funds and withheld military pay, leading to low morale. Furthermore, divisions and conflicts between different ethnic groups persisted, making it difficult for the nation to forge a unified will and strength to resist external enemies.

This greatly weakened the Liao Dynasty's ability to mobilize for war.

On the contrary, the Zhao Song Dynasty had been fighting against the Western Xia for years. Zhao Yu had even specially established the Shenji Army and the Sifu New Army, which were created specifically for combat, and had long been preparing for and mobilizing for war.

The Song army arrived at the battlefield ahead of the Liao army and took advantage of this to successfully capture Yizhou, giving the Liao state a major blow.

Zhao Yu immediately sent the news of the victory back to the court to boost morale.

Next, Zhao Yu ordered Qiu Yu, Zhai Xing, Li Chuwen, and others to immediately strengthen the city's defenses, while simultaneously clearing out the Liao's fortresses, troops, and armed forces in the Yizhou area, and to seize the crucial Zijing Pass when the opportunity presented itself...

……

The Liao Dynasty implemented a five-capital system: Shangjing (Upper Capital), Zhongjing (Middle Capital), Dongjing (Eastern Capital), Xijing (Western Capital), and Nanjing (Southern Capital). Shangjing was the official capital, while the other four were secondary capitals. The palace city of Nanjing, a secondary capital, stood in the southwest corner of Yanjing (Yanjing), and was not large in scale. The city walls were three zhang high and one and a half zhang wide. The palace city was an independent and enclosed area, containing not only palaces but also orchards, a jade pool, and a ball court. The main gate of the palace city was called Xuanjiao Gate, which connected to Yanjing city.

Outside the main hall lies the Jade Pool, its shimmering blue waters a picturesque and uniquely charming sight. The Jade Pool is a beautiful lotus lake, vast and horseshoe-shaped, located in the heart of the imperial palace district. Within the Jade Pool is a small island called Jade Isle, upon which the Jade Pool Palace sits.

Just as Zhao Yu had arrived in Yan, Yelü Yanxi had also arrived. He was now living in the Yaochi Palace, enjoying a carefree and happy life every day.

Yelü Yanxi was furious but helpless when he learned that Li Chuwen of Yizhou had betrayed him and defected to the Song army.

Although he initiated the war mobilization and prepared to launch an army of 700,000 in one fell swoop.

However, so far he has only gathered half of his forces, which is more than 300,000 men.

A small portion of them were still on the border of Song, Liao, and Xia, threatening the Zhao Song Dynasty, and were preparing to reinforce Western Xia if it could not hold out.

The remaining 200,000 troops were divided into several groups: some were guarding the crucial Juyong Pass, some were guarding other passes and fortresses, some were confronting the Song army at Baigou River and Fancun, and another 100,000 troops were protecting Yelü Yanxi.

In short, although the defending side has a seemingly large force, it is actually scattered in various places, making it difficult to form a concentrated offensive.

In the past, wars between the Liao and Song dynasties were mostly fought with the Liao army attacking and the Song army defending. Now the roles have been reversed, which has made everyone from Yelü Yanxi down to the Liao soldiers very uncomfortable.

This was exactly the effect that Zhao Yu and his ministers wanted.

The reason for the failure to defend was that the defensive fortifications of the Zhao Song Dynasty on the front line in Hebei were unreliable and could not be defended.

Since that's the case, it would be better to launch a full-scale attack into Liao territory, forcing the Liao army to disperse and defend. In this way, the Song army could turn offense into defense, transforming passivity into initiative, and firmly grasp the initiative in the war.

"Your Majesty, the 50,000 elite cavalrymen from Tiande, Yunnei, Shuo, Wu, Ying, and Wei gathered in early August, originally intending to go to Yundi, but now they are heading towards Nanjing." "The 100,000-strong army of the Northeast Pacification Command is on its way, and the 50,000 elite cavalry of the Wugu Dilie tribe will arrive in Nanjing in another 20 days. The 10,000 elite cavalry of the Shiwei Prince's Palace will arrive soon."

"The Jurchen Kingdom's Great King's Palace at Hesuguan, the Great King's Palace of the Southern Jurchen Kingdom, the Great King's Palace of the Northern Jurchen Kingdom, the Shunhua King's Palace of the Jurchen Kingdom, the Great King's Palace of Huanglong Prefecture, and the Great King's Palace of Yalu River together produced 50,000 elite Jurchen soldiers."

"Yingge said that his tribe is about to start fighting against Goryeo and is too busy to spare any troops. He begs Your Majesty..."

Yelü Yanxi interrupted the report of Xiao Changge, the prime minister of the Northern Court, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Tell Yingge that if the Jurchens do not send 50,000 troops to fight, I will stop all trade with the Jurchens and cede Helandian to Goryeo."

Hearing Yelü Yanxi's words, some couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for the Jurchens. Clearly, Yelü Yanxi was threatening the Jurchens: if they didn't help the Liao Dynasty defeat the Song Dynasty, he would first cut off their economy, then support Goryeo in annihilating them.

This shows that Yelü Yanxi was not entirely without political acumen.

Xiao Changge then reported on the troop deployments of various counties and tribes.

Without exception, these people dragged their feet as long as possible, with some even saying they needed two or three more months before they could send troops. To the uninformed, they would have thought they were an agricultural people who needed so long to go to war.

The thought that it would take at least a month for the troops to assemble gave Yelü Yanxi a headache. He asked his men, "The Song army has arrived, but our army has not yet assembled. What should we do?"

Yelü Asu, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, said: "We can send an envoy to question the Song emperor about why he so easily started the war and seized Yizhou from our Great Liao. This will delay the war. The Southern army is afraid of the cold. Time is on our side. If the Southern army falls into our trap and the heavy snow comes, it will be as if our Great Liao has gained an extra 100,000 troops. At that time, the Southern Dynasty will surely be defeated."

Yelü Yanxi was overjoyed. Just as he was about to praise Yelü Asu, he heard Yelü Heluwo, the second son of Emperor Xingzong of Liao, Yelü Zongzhen, the younger brother of Emperor Daozong of Liao, Yelü Hongji, and the King of Wei of Song, say leisurely:
"The Southern Dynasty emperor's purpose in personally leading the army north to fight against our Great Liao is to contain us and prevent us from sending a large army to reinforce Western Xia. If we try to delay him, he will surely turn the tables on us. In that case, Western Xia will be destroyed, and we will have to deal with the Southern Dynasty alone. It is hard to guarantee that he will not be tempted to seize our Great Liao's Xijing Road, Nanjing Road, and Pingzhou Road."

Yelü Dabenu also said: "The emperor of the Southern Dynasty is young and impetuous. He personally led a large army to fight against our Great Liao at the slightest disagreement. If the Western Xia does not restrain him, the consequences will be unimaginable. The most urgent task is to defeat the Song army as soon as possible and make him unable to attend to both ends."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Yanxi's expression turned solemn. He knew that what Yelü Heluwo and Yelü Dabenu had said was true; if Zhao Yu succeeded, the Liao Kingdom would be in danger.

At this time, Xiao Deledai, the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, said: "It is not that our Great Liao is unwilling to quickly defeat the Southern Dynasty, but that our army has not yet assembled. If we fight hastily, victory would be good, but if we are unfortunately defeated, not only will Western Xia be in danger, but the disloyal tribes within the country will also be restless and take advantage of the situation to rise up, and our Great Liao will be in danger. I believe that the most urgent task is to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements. At the same time, we should send envoys to communicate with Western Xia on the one hand, urging them to hold their ground, and on the other hand, we should negotiate peace with the Southern Dynasty to buy time until our army is fully assembled, and then we can fight the Southern Dynasty to the death."

Upon hearing this, Yelü Yanxi frowned, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials as if weighing the pros and cons, searching for the best course of action. A moment of silence fell over the hall, broken only by the rustling of the lotus leaves in the Jade Pool, a sound jarring against the tense atmosphere.

"Xiao Deledai's words, though prudent, are too pessimistic," Yelü Dabenu couldn't help but speak, his voice tinged with urgency. "Our Great Liao is a celestial empire, how can we easily show weakness to others? If we do not take the initiative to strike and blunt their momentum, when the Southern Dynasty's army presses in and their morale is high, our Great Liao soldiers may find it difficult to resist."

“What Da Bei Nu said is absolutely right.” Yelü Heluwo also nodded in agreement. “The Southern Dynasty emperor’s personal expedition this time must be determined to win. If our Great Liao retreats, it will only embolden their arrogance and be detrimental to the country.”

Upon hearing this, Yelü Yanxi pondered inwardly. He knew that what Yelü Dabenu and Yelü Heluwo said was not without reason, but Xiaodeledai's concerns were not unfounded either. If they were defeated, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Caught in a dilemma, Yelü Yanxi waved his hand and said, "Let me think it over carefully before making a decision."

After speaking, Yelü Yanxi got up and left, leaving behind a group of incredulous ministers!

With the situation so dire, Yelü Yanxi didn't quickly come up with a solution—whether to negotiate, fight, or defend—to give them a direction to strive for. Instead, he chose to hide in his village and escape the difficulties, just like before.

The key point is that, based on the experience of the Liao officials, once Yelü Yanxi goes into hiding, they don't know when he will reappear. If he goes hunting again, then this matter will become very troublesome.

This is how to do?
The ministers, worried about the future of the Liao Kingdom, quickly gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

After much discussion, everyone suggested that the Emperor's uncle, Fang, go to Consort Wen, Xiao Sese, and ask her to urge Yelü Yanxi to make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise things might be delayed.

Unable to refuse, the eldest son had no choice but to go to Xiao Sese, who was about to give birth, and explain the ministers' intentions to her.

Xiao Sese then dragged her heavy body to find Yelü Yanxi.

Xiao Sese was just about to have a proper talk with Yelü Yanxi about this matter when, unexpectedly, Yelü Yanxi preemptively struck, pointing at Xiao Sese and cursing, "It's all your fault for misleading me, instigating me to ally with the Western Xia. Now the emperor of the Southern Dynasty has personally led an expedition to seize my Yizhou, leaving me in a predicament. What can I do? You have caused me so much suffering!"

Xiao Sese never expected that Yelü Yanxi would say such a thing. She was devoted to the Liao Dynasty and to Yelü Yanxi, but she was met with such unfounded accusations from him. For a moment, she felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Xiao Sese forced back her tears, her voice trembling slightly, yet she maintained her composure and dignity, saying, "Your Majesty is mistaken. The Southern Dynasty emperor now wishes to emulate Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, seizing the lands of Western Xia and Yanyun to reclaim the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties. Our Great Liao and Western Xia are interdependent; joining forces to resist the Song is the best strategy. The gain or loss of a city or territory is merely a common occurrence in warfare. How can we negate the grand plan of allying with Western Xia against the Song because of a temporary setback? If Your Majesty can quickly gather your forces and march south, we may well be able to reclaim the lost territories and demonstrate our national power. What I am concerned about is not the immediate victory or defeat, but the long-term safety of our Great Liao. If Your Majesty abandons Western Xia because of a momentary anger, how will our Great Liao face the future when the Southern Dynasty gains power?"

Empress Xiao Duoli Lan, Consort Yuan Xiao Guige, and even Consort De Xiao Shigu all advised Yelü Yanxi. Yelü Yanxi's expression softened slightly, but his anger had not completely subsided. He snorted coldly and said, "You make it sound so easy. Our army is scattered in various places and difficult to assemble. With the Southern Dynasty's army pressing in, what can I do?"

Xiao Sese couldn't help but think, "If only my man were the Song Dynasty emperor, instead of this tyrannical ruler, how wonderful that would be."

Xiao Sese suppressed this unrealistic idea and continued to persuade Yelü Yanxi that at least they should send an envoy to Xiongzhou to meet with the Southern Dynasty emperor to buy some time for their army to assemble; otherwise, wouldn't this be a waste of precious time?

……

(End of this chapter)