I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 297 Calling a deer a horse
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After the two concubines and three newly arrived Khitan women left behind by Yelü Jun were helped to another room to rest by palace servants with satisfied expressions, Zhao Yu asked Xiao Puxian, the woman in his arms, "Their identities are not ordinary. Is it alright for you to bring them here?"

Zhao Yu had already had his fun, and only then did he realize that the inexperienced beautiful woman and the woman in her thirties who was still a virgin were actually the Liao Dynasty's Dowager Consort and Yelü Yanxi's stepmother. The three Khitan girls were all daughters of important Liao Dynasty ministers or generals.

Those three Khitan girls were one thing, but with the Liao Dynasty on the verge of collapse, their respective families were probably eager to get involved with Zhao Yu, hoping to have another way out.

As for those two imperial concubines, to be honest, their identities are a bit sensitive.

Xiao Puxian said confidently, "Firstly, with the country in ruins and people in chaos, they have nowhere to go. It is a great act of kindness for the Emperor to take them in, and there is nothing wrong with it. Secondly, since the Emperor is already preparing to depose the Liao Emperor and install his son as the Liao Emperor, and to use the Liao Emperor to command the Liao princes, he should use both kindness and force to make the Liao people obey his orders. They are just some insignificant women. If any Liao people dare to criticize the Emperor for taking them in, how can they be allowed to stay?"

Zhao Yu understood; Xiao Puxian's words were akin to "calling a deer a horse." She clearly intended to use this tactic to test who in the Liao court obeyed and who opposed him, thereby consolidating Zhao Yu's power in Liao.

It is conceivable that Xiao Puxian would regard those Liao people who echoed Zhao Yu's harm to the Liao Kingdom, including the Liao beauties of extraordinary status, as her own followers and win them over and give them important positions.

Those Liao people who dared to complain about Zhao Yu's acceptance of these controversial Liao beauties were identified as opponents and were subsequently eliminated to remove dissidents.

This behavior is essentially a means of testing power and conducting political purges by confusing right and wrong, ultimately aiming to seize control of the government.

After listening to Xiao Puxian's thoughtful and logically rigorous analysis, Zhao Yu couldn't help but secretly admire her shrewdness, skill, and decisiveness.

Zhao Yu gently stroked Xiao Puxian's soft hair, thinking, 'I think I chose the right person. You should be able to help me drain the blood of the Liao and Jin dynasties, and even help me drain the blood of the Mongol tribes, so that I can eventually become the overlord of the grasslands and unify the two plains...'

What Zhao Yu didn't know was that Xiao Puxian saw things very clearly. Yelü Aoluwo was Xiao Sese's son, not hers. She wasn't even Yelü Yanxi's concubine. Her becoming the Empress Dowager of Liao was neither reasonable nor legal. She could only become the Empress Dowager of Liao and obtain the highest power in Liao by relying on Zhao Yu's support. Without Zhao Yu's support, she would have been overthrown by the Liao people in no time.

There's not much to say here. Xiao Puxian must stand firmly on Zhao Yu's side and on the side of the Zhao Song Dynasty in order to realize her political ambitions.

Moreover, Xiao Puxian knew very well that the reason why Zhao Yu did not completely hand over the Liao Kingdom to Xiao Sese was because Xiao Sese had the Liao Kingdom in her heart. The reason why Zhao Yu chose her to run the Liao Kingdom with Xiao Sese was because she had been helping Zhao Yu to scheme against the Liao Kingdom and to help Zhao Yu to profit from the Liao Kingdom all these years.

The key point is that Xiao Puxian was very clear that she was different from Xiao Sese. Xiao Sese was once the concubine of Yelü Yanxi, and the son she gave birth to for Yelü Yanxi, Yelü Aoluwo, had the blood of the Liao emperor and could inherit the Liao dynasty. However, the three sons she gave birth to for Zhao Yu all had the blood of the Zhao Song dynasty emperor and could not inherit the Liao throne. Even if they did inherit, they could only inherit the throne of the Zhao Song dynasty.

In other words, although Xiao Puxian was a Khitan, from the day she married Zhao Yu, she had actually severed ties with the Liao Dynasty and become a member of the Zhao Song Dynasty, or more accurately, Zhao Yu's people.

Therefore, Xiao Puxian knew very well which side she should be on, and she also showed Zhao Yu through her actions that she would definitely help Zhao Yu and the Zhao Song Dynasty to get as many benefits as possible from the Liao Dynasty.

Offering these Liao beauties to Zhao Yu was proof of Xiao Puxian's loyalty to him and a brilliant part of her political scheme. She knew that although the identities of these Liao beauties were sensitive, they could be a double-edged sword in the chaotic world. On one hand, they could be used to deter those Liao people with ulterior motives, and on the other hand, they could serve as a bond to bind more Liao people who longed for survival and power to Zhao Yu's cause.

After thorough communication, Zhao Yu and Xiao Puxian fought another great battle.

A little over a month later, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese received good news at the same time—they were pregnant again.

Meanwhile, good news also came from Yundi—Yuwen Xuzhong and his men had captured Yelü Yanxi…

……

Let's turn back the clock to six months ago.

Yelü Yudu's sudden defection from Liao to Jin took Wanyan Aguda by surprise.

Upon realizing what was happening, Wanyan Aguda was overjoyed.

It should be noted that Yelü Yudu was one of the few Liao generals who could confront a group of Jin generals head-on.

But that's not the most important thing.

Most importantly, Yelü Yudu's background was enough to shake the foundation of the Liao Dynasty.

What many people don't know is that Yelü Yudu was not only Xiao Sese's brother-in-law, but also the grandson of Emperor Xingzong of Liao, Yelü Zongzhen.

Because of his status, Yelü Yudu was a close confidant of Yelü Yanxi and commanded the Liao army for many years. His position in the Liao was roughly equivalent to that of Gao Qiu in history, but he was the Gao Qiu who commanded his own troops. He was very familiar with the Liao's military deployment, defensive weaknesses, and even internal conflicts within the royal family.

Yelü Yudu's surrender was tantamount to the Jin state obtaining a "golden key" to break through the Liao's defense line. Yelü Yudu could directly provide the Liao's core defense area with deployment maps, including the troop deployment and food reserves in Liao Zhongjing, and even the troop deployment and food reserves in the Yanping area.

Yelü Yudu also had a deep understanding of the personalities and combat habits of the Liao army generals.

This allows the Jin army to bypass the Liao's elite defenses and precisely strike its weak points.

Previously, although the Jin army had won consecutive victories, its offensive into the heart of the Liao Kingdom still required a cautious approach.

With Yelü Yudu's guidance, the Jin army could advance south as if into an empty field.

Furthermore, as a close relative and high-ranking official of the Liao royal family, Yelü Yudu's defection itself dealt a heavy blow to the legitimacy of Liao's rule. If, after surrendering to Jin, he publicly denounced Yelü Yanxi's "debauchery and indiscriminate killing of loyal officials," and called on the tribes and generals within Liao territory to "abandon darkness and embrace light," this would directly shake the morale of Liao. Many Liao officials and generals who were originally hesitant and observing would follow Yelü Yudu's example and abandon Liao for Jin, accelerating the collapse of Liao's ruling system.

For the Liao Dynasty, Yelü Yudu's defection was the beginning of a fatal "avalanche".

Yelü Yanxi was already extremely suspicious due to years of defeats, and Yelü Yudu's betrayal made him even more distrustful of the imperial family members and generals around him.

What made Yelü Yanxi even more foolish was that he subsequently ordered the execution of a group of ministers who had a past relationship with Yelü Yudu, which further pushed more people into the Jin camp.

Meanwhile, the Liao Kingdom's border defense forces were thrown into chaos due to the defection of their commander. Some troops collapsed directly, while others were persuaded by Yelü Yudu to defect.

It can be said that Yelü Yudu's surrender not only completely disrupted the military balance between Jin and Liao, but also undermined the Liao's ruling foundation from within, becoming a turning point in the Liao-Jin War. Before this, although the Liao was weak, it still had the possibility of surviving; after this, the Liao's demise seemed to have entered its countdown.

Who was Wanyan Aguda? He immediately realized the value of Yelü Yudu's betrayal of Liao and surrender to Jin, and seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with precision and ruthlessness.

When Yelü Yudu came to surrender to the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Aguda was in Xianzhou, and he thought highly of the place. Xianzhou was an important military town, bordered by the Qingshui River to the south and Huanglonggang to the north. It was said to be "backed by Huanglonggang to the north and protected by Qinglonggang to the south". Wanyan Wuqimai had already built several palaces and temples in the city.

Upon learning of Yelü Yudu's surrender, Wanyan Aguda's first thought was regret. He deeply regretted sending Yelü Yudu's family to Zhao Yu. However, Wanyan Aguda then reconsidered, realizing it was a good thing. This way, Zhao Yu and Yelü Yudu would become mortal enemies, preventing Yelü Yudu from surrendering to the Song Dynasty. As for the women, that was easy; he could simply send two Jurchen women to Yelü Yudu, thus binding him firmly to the Jin Dynasty's war machine.

To put it simply, since Yelü Yudu has come to surrender to the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Aguda's methods would surely allow him to extract all of Yelü Yudu's value. Otherwise, Wanyan Aguda would not be the number one hero of his time.

Wanyan Aguda received Yelü Yudu in the Golden Palace.

Upon meeting, Wanyan Aguda greeted Yelü Yudu warmly: "Come, come, come over here and sit with me."

Yelü Yudu was somewhat apprehensive. He hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Jin. The Liao ruler indulges in hunting and neglects state affairs. He likes to play with sycophants and stays away from loyal and upright officials. Punishments are heavy and taxes are burdensome, and the people are suffering. I have some knowledge of military affairs and once offered advice to the Liao ruler, but he did not listen or consider it. Now the territory of the Great Jin is expanding day by day. Therefore, I have led three thousand households, five hundred carts, and tens of thousands of livestock to surrender."

Wanyan Aguda said with a smile, "Very well, if you can perform meritorious service for me, I will reward you and give you an important position."

Wanyan Aguda hosted a grand banquet for Yelü Yudu and arranged for two Jurchen noblewomen to serve him that very night. He also promised to allow Yelü Yudu to continue commanding his army.

Yelü Yudu was deeply moved by Wanyan Aguda's actions and subsequently told Wanyan Aguda everything he knew.

With Yelü Yudu serving as the vanguard of the Jin state, the Jin army broke through the Liao state's defenses in just over a month. Moreover, during this period, a large number of Liao soldiers were recruited and surrendered by Yelü Yudu.

On the fourteenth day of the first month of the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign (1380), the Jin army marched towards Liaozhongjing.

That day, the northwest wind blew fiercely, howling across the open fields in ever-increasing gusts.

Yelü Yudu led the vanguard army through wind and snow, marching more than 300 li day and night.

At dawn, the Jin army quietly arrived at a hill outside the capital of Liaozhong.

At this moment, the wind and snow had stopped, and a vast, tranquil white world lay before us.

Yelü Yudu was very excited. According to intelligence reports, Yelü Yanxi was in Zhongjing City at this time.

Yelü Yudu imagined what kind of expression Yelü Yanxi would have when he was captured.

Liaozhongjing was built three years after the Treaty of Chanyuan between the Song and Liao dynasties, a time when the Liao dynasty was at its peak of prosperity.

Liaozhongjing was modeled after Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty, and consisted of three layers: an outer city, an inner city, and an imperial city.

The imperial city was inhabited by Khitan nobles, the inner city by Khitan commoners, and the outer city by people of Han, Jurchen, Zubu, Bohai, Shiwei and other ethnic groups, creating a clear hierarchy.

The siege began at dawn. Yelü Yudu rode a black steed, full of vigor, and galloped forward. Behind him were more than a thousand elite soldiers, who charged towards Zhongjing City together.

Wanyan Xie then led the main force of the Jin army to the scene and surrounded Liaozhongjing.

The siege lasted until noon. When the Liao army defending the city learned that Yelü Yudu was leading the attack, they stopped resisting and surrendered.

At this point, Liaozhongjing was also captured by the Jin Dynasty.

What infuriated Yelü Yudu was that Yelü Yanxi had already led his family and five hundred guards out of the city through a secret passage in the middle of the night.

Yelü Yanxi fled to Yanjing overnight, and Yelü Chun, the Liao governor of Nanjing, advised him to stay in Yanjing to organize forces to fight a decisive battle against the Jin army.

But Yelü Yanxi didn't have the guts. He appointed Yelü Chun as the King of Qin and Jin, ordering Yelü Chun to organize forces in Yanjing to resist the Jin army, while he himself went to the grasslands to gather troops.

The next day, Yelü Yanxi left Yanjing with his family and guards and fled to Yuanyang Lake.

Yuanyangluo is a mirror-like lake with clean water, a tranquil environment, and numerous waterfowl, especially flocks of swans.

This was one of Yelü Yanxi's favorite places, and he would come here once a year.

But as soon as Yelü Yanxi arrived at Yuanyang Lake, Xiao Fengxian rushed over to report, "Your Majesty, we just received a report from a scout that Yu Du is leading his troops this way."

This news shocked and frightened Yelü Yanxi, who was at a loss: "What should we do?"

Xiao Fengxian said, "I see that he is a descendant of Prince Ban. He has no intention of destroying Liao, but only wants to establish Prince Jin. If we consider the state, we should not hesitate to kill one of his sons, and we can retreat without a fight."

Yelü Aoluwo was, after all, Yelü Yanxi's own son, so Yelü Yanxi couldn't help but hesitate. He asked Xiao Fengxian, "If we kill the Prince of Jin, do you really think we can retreat without a fight?"

Xiao Fengxian advised, "This is an extremely urgent matter. Your Majesty must not hesitate any longer, or you will be in grave danger!"

Yelü Yanxi was so foolish that he listened to Xiao Fengxian's flattery and issued an edict to kill his own son, Yelü Aoluwo.

At this time, the Liao people were eagerly hoping that Yelü Yanxi would pass away soon so that Yelü Aoluwo could succeed him and usher in a new era of prosperity for the Liao Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, good people don't live long, while wicked people live for thousands of years.

Yelü Yanxi lived a long and healthy life, while Yelü Aoluwo was about to be executed, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope for the revival of the Liao Dynasty.

Therefore, when they heard that Yelü Aoluwo was to be executed by Yelü Yanxi, the people of Liao all wept bitterly, and their hearts were completely broken.

Yelü Aoluwo was also stubborn. When Yelü Yanxi ordered him to die, he tearfully drew his sword, preparing to commit suicide.

Just as the fate of the Liao Kingdom was about to be decided, tens of thousands of Song soldiers suddenly surged out from all around Yuanyang Lake, their battle cries shaking the heavens, completely surrounding the people in Yuanyang Lake...

……

(End of this chapter)