I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 306 Zhao Yu is numb with defeat

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Yelü Yanxi already knew that Xiao Fengxian had given Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige to Zhao Yu.

Yelü Yanxi was very saddened by this.

Yelü Yanxi felt that he had always favored Xiao Fengxian's family. He couldn't understand why Xiao Fengxian would kick him when he was down. It was one thing to offer his empress to Zhao Yu, but why would he also offer his beloved Xiao Guige to Zhao Yu?

Yelü Yanxi was very saddened by this.

Heartbroken, Yelü Yanxi began to regret his actions.

Regret was like a vine, binding him until his bones ached.

He gazed at the narrow patch of sky outside the window, a bitter, metallic taste rising in his throat.

If he hadn't been blinded by the sweet words of Xiao Fengxian and others, how could he have allowed them to frame loyal officials? Yelü Yudu was a valiant general skilled in battle, yet he was falsely accused of treason and forced to surrender to the Jin Dynasty. As for those old ministers who spoke frankly and offered advice, he treated them like noisy cicadas, demoting them at best and ordering their execution at worst. At that time, he only cared about keeping quiet, unaware that he was blocking the lifeline of the nation.

He shouldn't have indulged in hunting all day, leaving the court to a bunch of sycophantic scoundrels. The winter before last, when Tokyo was besieged, urgent reports poured in like snowflakes, yet he was in the hunting grounds of Qingzhou, chasing a white fox, leaving his messenger to wait in the snow for three days and three nights. At that time, his mind was filled with the boast of his successful hunt; he never thought of the soldiers bleeding on the city walls, or the terrified people inside the city.

He never truly cared about the Liao Dynasty's fate. When the treasury was empty, he increased taxes, forcing people to flee their homes; when famine struck, he hid away to hunt, neglecting the abandoned farmland and the countless deaths of the starving. At that time, he always believed that the Liao Dynasty's foundation was deep and could withstand his mismanagement. Little did he know that he had already personally dug a thousand-mile dike full of ant holes.

Unable to defeat the Song Dynasty, he fled north; unable to defeat the Jurchens, he fled south. He always believed that the Liao Dynasty, stretching east to the Sea of ​​Japan; northeast to the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River basins and Sakhalin Island; west to the Altai Mountains; north to the Ergun River and Outer Khingan Mountains; and south to the Baigou River in central Hebei and northern Shanxi, encompassing the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun—a vast and boundless territory—would provide him with a place to seek refuge. However, he failed to realize that escape was not the solution.

Looking back now, what did it matter that Xiao Fengxian gave Xiao Duolilan and Xiao Guige to Zhao Yu? Ultimately, it was because he, as a ruler, was incompetent, unable to protect his people and his own wife. Those people he abandoned, displaced by war, must have felt the same despair. And how cold must have been in the hearts of the Liao soldiers who fought valiantly on the battlefield as they watched him indulge in pleasure?
He once thought that emperors should do whatever they wanted, and that the legacy left by their ancestors was impregnable. It wasn't until the day the city fell, when he fled in panic on a fast horse, with the capital ablaze behind him and the cries of the people around him, that he realized he had destroyed everything with his own hands.

Yelü Yanxi closed his eyes, and a scene from his childhood, hunting with his grandfather, appeared before him. At that time, he had aspired to be a diligent and capable monarch.

If he could do it all over again, he would definitely kick treacherous officials like Xiao Fengxian far away and let those ministers who dared to speak the truth stand in the court; he would review the memorials every day, care about the grain harvest, and ensure that the people have enough to eat; he would personally go to the border to see if the soldiers' armor was too thin, so that they would know that their monarch remembered their hardships; he would no longer run away, no matter if the enemy was Zhao Yu or Wanyan Aguda...

But the wind outside the window swept past, whistling through the withered leaves, as if mocking his delusions. He was, after all, the foolish ruler who had squandered a winning hand, now a prisoner, with no right to even regret. At this moment, the people and things he had wronged turned into thorns, piercing his heart again and again, the pain making it hard for him to even breathe.

Just then, a group of Liao officials knocked on Yelü Yanxi's door.

Yelü Yanxi quickly wiped away his tears and let Yelü Tanggu, who was still loyal to him, and a group of Liao officials come in.

Xiao Fengxian was not among them. He was also ashamed to face Yelü Yanxi.

Because there were too many people, Yelü Huluwa turned to look at his ministers and told them to stand back so that they wouldn't all crowd into the room, which would be improper.

Yelü Yanxi took the initiative to ask Yelü Huluwa, "Uncle, what brings you here?"

Yelü Huluwa said, "Our Great Liao is now at its end. I wonder if Your Majesty has any good ideas?"

Yelü Yanxi said, "Yes, but what can be done?"

Yelü Huluwa said, "I saw Emperor Taizu in a dream before. Emperor Taizu said that there was still a glimmer of hope for our Great Liao. Then I dreamed that Prince Jin led us to defeat the Jurchens and restore the country. I once privately interpreted it as Emperor Taizu asking Your Majesty to abdicate in favor of Prince Jin through my dream."

Yelü Yanxi remained silent.

Yelü Huluwa then said, “Since Your Majesty understands what is meant, I will not fear death. I request Your Majesty to issue an edict of abdication and instruct the nine kings of Yanjing to welcome the new emperor, so as to ensure the continuation of the Liao dynasty.”

Yelü Yanxi remained silent.

Upon seeing this, Yelü Huluwa urged, "If Your Majesty can make a plan, the dynasty will be safe and sound; if you cannot, I fear it will be overthrown. The safety of the dynasty rests on Your Majesty's shoulders today."

After a brief pause, Yelü Huluwa continued to advise, "If Your Majesty makes a decision soon, in my opinion, if the front lines collapse and our Great Liao army is not present, it will be of no use for Your Majesty to pass the throne to your own son. Why would the Great Song save the Great Liao, which is no longer of any use to you?"

Taibao Xiao Temuge, who was standing nearby, also advised, "The Jurchens have already annexed most of our Liao territory, taking three of the five capitals. The Song Dynasty first seized the Western Capital and is determined to take the Yanping region. Your Majesty is already trapped by the Song Dynasty. Our Liao can only hope that Prince Jin will endure hardship and humiliation to revitalize the court. If Your Majesty can prioritize the country and abdicate in favor of Prince Jin, perhaps our Liao lineage can be preserved and the people can be spared the suffering of war."

After a pause, Xiao Te's brother continued, "Prince Jin is His Majesty's own son. Blood is thicker than water, and he is naturally filial. If he can revitalize our Great Liao in the future, how could he not be filial to His Majesty?"

Other Liao ministers also tried to persuade Yelü Yanxi, but he remained silent.

Xiao Fengxian, who was hiding outside the door, was getting anxious.

At this moment, Li Chuwen walked over and handed a proclamation to Xiao Fengxian.

This proclamation was sent by the Jin Dynasty to the Liao Dynasty. It contained many disrespectful words and accused Yelü Yanxi of being incompetent and tyrannical. Li Chuwen lowered his voice and said, "It would be better to present this proclamation to the emperor to provoke him and hopefully obtain an edict to request his advice."

Xiao Fengxian agreed and had someone deliver the proclamation to Yelü Huluwa, Xiao Temuge, and others, so that they could show it to Yelü Yanxi.

Yelü Yanxi took it and looked at it. It read:
Proclamation issued by the Generalissimo's Office of the Great Jin Dynasty:
Emperor Aguo of Liao was a foolish and tyrannical ruler who lost his country due to his lack of virtue. He indulged in wine and women, indiscriminately killed loyal officials, and failed to cultivate virtuous governance, causing widespread resentment among the people. Relying on the Mandate of Heaven, he repeatedly provoked border conflicts, bringing disaster to neighboring states, and was truly a scourge to the people.

Our Great Jin Dynasty, by the mandate of Heaven, has raised an army to punish the wicked and bring peace to the people. All officials and civilians in Liaodong who recognize Heaven's will and submit to the enemy will be reinstated, their lives peaceful, and taxes lightened…

After reading the proclamation, Yelü Yanxi was indeed speechless and wept, only saying, "Enough, you can come and discuss it tonight."

Yelü Yanxi was well aware of his ministers' intentions; they were putting pressure on him. They were also telling him that not only did the Song Dynasty intend to depose him as the Liao emperor, but the Jin Dynasty would not let him off the hook either.

From the Jurchen proclamation, it is clear that the Jurchen invasion was aimed at him, and he could not escape responsibility.

The Liao ministers further implied to Yelü Yanxi that abdication was not an attempt to shirk responsibility, but rather a demonstration of courage in taking on that responsibility. —Yelü Yanxi's abdication at this time was essentially a resignation to take responsibility.

To stabilize the court and the people, and to preserve the Liao Empire, Yelü Yanxi had no choice but to abdicate.

The key point is that Yelü Yanxi has already figured it out: everyone has abandoned him, and if he is not dignified, someone will definitely help him to be dignified.

After things calmed down a bit, Yelü Yanxi began to bargain with the Liao ministers. For example, he argued that his reason for abdicating was illness, not incompetence; that he should be addressed as the Retired Emperor; and that the edict should state that his abdication was in accordance with Heaven's will, for the sake of the ancestral temples, and for the benefit of the people, representing a great sacrifice for the millions of lives lost in the Liao Dynasty, and so on...

The Liao royal family, clan members, and ministers all agreed to this, and at the same time, they used a combination of coercion, intimidation, and enticement.

All of this ultimately led to Yelü Yanxi writing the abdication edict in favor of Yelü Aoluwo.

The full text of the abdication edict is as follows:

"I, though lacking in virtue, have been fortunate enough to serve in the ancestral temples. Thanks to the blessings of Heaven and Earth, the realm has enjoyed peace and tranquility for twelve years. I humbly reflect on the heavy trust placed in me by the late emperors, and I have been constantly fearful day and night, never finding peace or tranquility. I have fallen ill due to worry and overwhelmed by the affairs of state. I have made a firm decision to resolve this great matter. My son, Aoluwo, is intelligent and matures daily, and his filial piety, brotherly love, and gentle demeanor are renowned throughout the land. He should be entrusted with the affairs of state, following the example of a prince. This is the hope of Heaven and the people, and I dare not presume to grant it to him. I hereby grant Crown Prince Aoluwo the right to ascend the throne, and all military and state affairs shall be decided by him. I shall retire to the old palace with the title of Retired Emperor. I am pleased to be relieved of this heavy burden and to have such a great responsibility entrusted to me. I still rely on the cooperation and unity of the civil and military officials to ensure the long-term stability of my rule."

Yelü Yanxi glanced at the edict and wrote at the end: "According to this, I am very pleased."

At the same time, Yelü Yanxi also signed the edict to the Liao officials in Yanjing.

As for the matter of using the imperial seal, Yelü Yanxi was no longer needed, as the Liao Dynasty's imperial seal had already been entrusted to Xiao Puxian by Zhao Yu for safekeeping.

Having obtained Yelü Yanxi's abdication edict and the imperial decree to Yelü Chun and other Liao officials, Xiao Fengxian and Li Chuwen immediately went to the palace to see Zhao Yu.

After Zhao Yu read the edict and the imperial decree, he instructed Xiao Fengxian and Li Chuwen to discuss it with Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese.

After discussing it, the four decided that Xiao Fengxian and Li Chuwen would lead a team, along with more than a dozen people of high status and prestige in Liao, including Yelü Huluwa and Xiao Temuge, who had been very active in this incident, to Yanjing at full speed. They were to have Yelü Chun and others prepare to welcome the new Liao emperor and make preparations for his enthronement ceremony.

After receiving their orders, Xiao Fengxian and Li Chuwen set off early the next morning, riding swiftly to Yanjing.

When Xiao Fengxian and Li Chuwen met Yelü Chun, Zhang Lin and others, they took out Yelü Yanxi's abdication edict and the imperial decree to Yelü Chun and others.

Only then did Yelü Chun and others learn that Yelü Yanxi was "seriously ill" and preparing to pass the throne to Yelü Aoluwo. Furthermore, under the mediation of Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese, the Song and Liao dynasties were indeed going to form an alliance. Emperor Zhao Yu of the Song dynasty was about to lead a million-strong army north with the new Liao emperor Yelü Aoluwo to resist the Jin army's attack.

Faced with such news, it would be impossible for Yelü Chun and others not to have doubts.

But from the perspective of the people of Liaoning, this is the most favorable development trend for them under the current circumstances.

Moreover, the identities and status of Xiao Fengxian, Yelü Huluwa, Xiao Temuge, and others were all legitimate.

Crucially, the imperial edicts and decrees brought by Xiao Fengxian and his group were all in order.

After discussing it, Yelü Chun and others decided to obey the summons and began to prepare according to the imperial edict of "Yelü Yanxi".

Seven days later, Yelü Chun and others received news that over 100,000 troops of the Zhao Song Dynasty's Western Army had assembled in front of Juyong Pass. At the same time, the Zhao Song Dynasty's Northern Auxiliary Army and Tiger Army arrived in Zhuozhou and Yizhou respectively.

This is enough to prove that the Song army really did move north.

This made the Liao people in the Yan region both nervous and expectant.

More than half a month later, Zhao Yu, under the protection of the Eastern Auxiliary Army, Western Auxiliary Army, Shenji Vanguard Army, Shenji Central Army, Shenji Left Army, and Shenji Right Army, headed north and arrived at Xiongzhou.

Three days later, after thorough communication between the Song and Liao dynasties, Yelü Chun personally led Han and non-Han officials, monks and Taoist elders from Yanjing to the Song-Liao border to welcome the new Liao emperor Yelü Aoluwo, as well as the two empress dowagers, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese.

At this time, Yelü Chun and others already knew that it was Zhao Yu who forced Yelü Yanxi to abdicate in favor of Yelü Aoluwo. They also knew that Zhao Yu planned to use Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese to govern the Liao Kingdom. Furthermore, they knew that the Song Dynasty would only help the Liao Kingdom recover lost territories if it could recover the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluan and Ying, and the Juyong Pass. They even knew that Zhao Yu had taken Xiao Duolilan, Xiao Guige, and other important women of the Liao Kingdom as his own.

After all, there is no wall that is completely airtight.

Yelü Chun and others must have hated Zhao Yu and the Zhao Song Dynasty for taking advantage of the chaos and for being so overbearing.

However, at the same time, Yelü Chun and others, who had been skeptical about the Song-Liao alliance, finally felt relieved.

That makes sense. Otherwise, since the Liao Dynasty had no favors to the Song Dynasty, only enmity, why would the Song Dynasty help the Liao Dynasty?

Now things are different. Everyone is united because of their own interests, and this is the real opportunity for the Liao Kingdom.

Therefore, despite knowing all this, Yelü Chun and others pretended to be ignorant and took the opportunity to bring Yelü Aoluwo, Xiao Puxian, Xiao Sese, and a group of Liao officials who had already surrendered to the Zhao Song Dynasty or even established maternal relatives with Zhao Yu to Yanjing.

To ensure everything was under control, Zhao Yu also entrusted his personal guard, the Shenji Vanguard Army, to Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese, asking them to protect him.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yu's "million-strong army" began training and displaying its power, putting pressure on the Liao Kingdom.

Against this backdrop, Yelü Aoluwo ascended the throne in Yanjing, becoming the tenth emperor of the Liao Dynasty, known as the "Tianxi Emperor".

After Yelü Aoluwo ascended the throne, he bestowed the title of Retired Emperor upon Yelü Yanxi, the title of Empress Dowager of the East upon Xiao Puxian's daughter, and the title of Empress Dowager of the West upon Xiao Sese. He appointed Yelü Chun as Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces, Li Chuwen as Prime Minister, Xiao Fengxian as Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, Zhang Lin as Grand Tutor, Liu Yanzong as Privy Councilor of the Southern Court, Xiao Gan as Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Route Army, Yelü Dashi as Commander-in-Chief of the Western Route Army, Zuo Qigong as Minister of Works, Yu Zhongwen as Vice Minister of State Affairs, Li Chuneng as Privy Councilor, Li Shi as Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department, and Xiao Dan, the Imperial Son-in-Law, as Privy Councilor. He changed the era name to Jianfu and granted a general amnesty. At the same time, he recruited soldiers and prepared to send a large army north to reinforce the Liao army under the command of Xiao Xiamai, the Prime Minister of the Northern Court, Xiao Degong, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Yelü Diligu, and Xiao Heshangnu, the Inspector of Guizhou.

……

(End of this chapter)