I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 380 The Liao Dynasty is completely destroyed

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Liaozhongjing.

Hearing that Yelü Aoluwo had gone hunting again, Xiao Sese was utterly disillusioned with Yelü Aoluwo and lost all hope of restoring her kingdom.

Of course, this is not only because Yelü Aoluwo is evolving in the direction of Yelü Yanxi, but also because of the current situation of the remnant Liao.

Yes.

There is a large area of ​​territory west of the Mongolian Plateau that was nominally part of the Liao Dynasty.

In reality, that area had already been divided up by a group of grassland tribes.

The tribes that obeyed the Liao Dynasty's orders had already come to fight, while the rest neither obeyed orders nor summons, and some had even declared independence. For example, Genghis Khan's great-grandfather, Khabul Khan of the Borjigin clan, seized the opportunity to establish himself on the Mongolian steppe, expanding his territory and growing in power. The surrounding tribes all followed his lead and wanted to elect him as Khan. As for the nomadic tribes such as the Naiman and Kereit, their attitudes were wavering, either out of fear of the power of the Song and Jin dynasties or for their own interests.

Further west, the Liao Dynasty had even less control over the kingdoms of the Western Regions.

At this time, there was no dominant hegemon in Central Asia. The Gaochang Uyghur Kingdom, the Karakhanid Dynasty, and other regimes were independent and had territorial disputes and conflicts with each other. The military forces of these regimes were scattered and it was difficult to form a unified resistance. The Song Dynasty had long been planning to seize the Western Regions and move towards Central Asia.

As for the only remaining region, Liaodong, it was more accurate to say that it was controlled by the Song Dynasty than by the Liao Dynasty.

The remaining Liao forces that can still be commanded number less than 50,000.

Of these less than 50,000 men, less than 10% were truly capable and willing to fight. They remained under the crumbling Liao flag because they were unwilling to abandon their homeland, were forced by circumstances, had no other way out, or wanted to seek revenge against the Jurchens.

The rest, whether old, weak, sick, or disabled, or harboring ulterior motives, are waiting for the right opportunity to seek other paths.

Not to mention others, even a large number of Khitan tribes have already switched allegiance to the Song Dynasty, accepting the Song Dynasty's decision to reorganize them and disperse them in various new cities, where they live among Han people and other ethnic groups, preparing to be completely integrated into the Song Dynasty.

Standing atop the city wall of Zhongjing, Xiao Sese gazed at the desolate plains in the distance, her heart filled with sorrow. She recalled the former glory of the Liao Dynasty, its vast territory, powerful army, and formidable might. But now, it had fallen to such a state…

Before long, Xiao Sese personally selected Xiao Wugulun, the last empress of the Liao Dynasty, for Yelü Aoluwo, to come and pay her respects.

Xiao Sese asked in a deep voice, "Why didn't you stop His Majesty from going hunting?"

Xiao Wugu calmly replied, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It is not that I did not advise you, but that the situation was beyond our control."

The ancient Book of Rites states: "The husband is the wife's heaven; the ruler is the subject's master." Your Majesty is both the Emperor of the Great Liao and the husband of your concubines, holding two positions of honor.

When Your Majesty mentioned hunting, I knelt and pleaded with you, explaining the perilous situation of our Great Liao and urging you to prioritize national affairs. However, Your Majesty's mind was made up, saying, "Hunting is not only for pleasure, but also for training our troops and enhancing the prestige of our nation."

When the ruler commands, the subject shall obey; when the husband gives an order, the wife shall comply.

Although I am the Empress, I am still a woman of the inner palace and cannot interfere in politics; although I am a wife, I am still of lowly status and cannot disobey my husband.

If we forcibly obstruct it, firstly, it would violate the husband's authority and the emperor's power; secondly, it might incur His Majesty's wrath and bring disaster upon ourselves.

Our Great Liao Dynasty is now in turmoil, with suspicion between the emperor and his ministers, and discord between husband and wife, which is a grave taboo.

Your Majesty, I can only remain steadfast in my duty, awaiting Your Majesty's return, and then devise another opportunity to offer my advice.

As Xiao Wugu finished speaking, the wind blew across the city tower, ruffling the strands of hair at Xiao Sese's temples. She gazed at the departing figures of Yelü Aoluwo and his entourage in the distance, and in a daze, she even saw the shadows of the banners that Yelü Yanxi had used for hunting years ago.

In the past, when she first entered the palace, she saw that Yelü Yanxi was obsessed with hunting and ignored the rise of the Jurchens and the decline of the court. She wrote a satirical article with the line "Do not lament the dark red dust on the frontier." She also risked her life to knock on the palace several times, explaining the harm of hunting to the people and the waste of money, and earnestly pleading with Yelü Yanxi to put the country first.

At that time, she was still sincere and believed that with her loyalty and integrity, she could awaken the infatuated Yelü Yanxi.

However, Yelü Yanxi regarded her advice as unpleasant to hear and her poems as complaints. Not only did he not listen, he also demoted her to a cold palace and continued to lead his troops to roam the mountains and forests, putting the fate of the Liao Dynasty out of his mind.

It wasn't until the Jin army's iron hooves trampled through Shangjing and Yelü Yanxi was captured by the Song Dynasty that she personally intervened but failed to save the Liao Dynasty. Only then did she realize that some decline had already penetrated to the bone marrow and was beyond human intervention.

Now that the remnants of the Liao dynasty have established themselves in Zhongjing, Yelü Aoluwo is following in the footsteps of his father, Yelü Yanxi, and is determined to indulge in hunting.

Xiao Wugu's situation is even more difficult than hers was back then.

"Outwardly, the Jin and Song dynasties surround us, and our tribes are divided; inwardly, our foundation is unstable, and we lack capable ministers. Wugulun, now empress, must not only strictly adhere to the ancestral rule that 'the empress must not interfere in politics,' but also maintain the delicate balance between ruler and husband, and between ruler and minister. In such a precarious situation, even if I were to remonstrate with my life, I fear it would be futile to reverse the tide, and would only exacerbate discord and hasten the decline of the Liao dynasty…"

As the wind grew stronger, Xiao Sese watched Xiao Wugu's respectful retreating figure and finally sighed softly.

'The downfall of the Liao dynasty seems predetermined. Now, Aoluwo is repeating his father's mistakes; no matter how much advice he offers, it will only add to the helplessness.'

Xiao Sese turned her head to look at the three sons she had given birth to for Zhao Yu.

The eldest son, Zhao Jiang, joined the army at the age of thirteen. In the past two years, he has made numerous merits on the battlefield. He is decisive in killing and has the potential to become a famous general. He will surely become a good feudal lord in the future.

The second son, Zhao Mei, entered the Imperial Academy at the age of nine and became a student in the middle of the academy at the age of thirteen. In another two or three years, he might become a student in the upper part of the academy. In the future, he might become an official in the Song Dynasty or be sent to a foreign land to become a prince. It doesn't matter much.

The third son, Zhao Jie, is only three years old, but he has already shown great intelligence and will surely have a bright future.

Thinking about how they are both his sons, both raised with his own care, yet they are worlds apart simply because of their different fathers, Xiao Sese couldn't help but wonder, is it really true that dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son knows how to dig a hole?

……

After bidding farewell to Xiao Sese, Xiao Wugulun went to see Xiao Puxian.

Empress Xiao Puxian resided in the main hall of the inner garden of Zhongjing. The hall had few furnishings, with only a map of Liao territory hanging on the wall and military documents and notes on tribal movements spread out on the table.

Upon seeing Xiao Wugu enter, Xiao Puxian's hand, still holding the vermilion brush and focused on the document, asked only casually, "Can Yanliu accompany the Liao Emperor on the hunt?"

Xiao Yanliu was Xiao Puxian's nephew and the son of Xiao Puxian's brother, Xiao Dili. He was Yelü Aoluwo's ​​personal guard captain and was also placed by Xiao Puxian to watch over Yelü Aoluwo.

Xiao Wugu replied, "We will go together. Yanliu even specially brought a battalion of Song soldiers to go hunting with us."

Xiao Puxian did not speak, but circled the words "the Hebul tribe sent envoys to the Song court" next to them. Her tone was calm but her words were precise. "Since you have said everything, there is no need to take it to heart. The Liao emperor's nature is like that of the foolish Duke (Yelü Yanxi, the title given by Zhao Yu). Even if you advise him ten times, it will be difficult to change his behavior."

Xiao Wugu bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply worried about the perilous situation of the Great Liao, yet I am utterly helpless. Our tribes are now disaffected, surrounded by the Song and Jin, and the hearts of our people are scattered..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Puxian interrupted her, pushing a stack of documents in front of her.

"Come and see."

The documents clearly record the process of various tribes submitting to the Song Dynasty. The Naiman and Kereit tribes sent people to visit Zhao Yu in Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty. The Gaochang Uyghurs sent envoys to present a list of annual tributes. Even the Jin Dynasty was trying to repair relations with the Song Dynasty and wanted to reach a non-aggression pact with the Song Dynasty.

“The fate of the Liao Dynasty is sealed, and it cannot be reversed by human effort.” Xiao Puxian stood up, walked to the map, and pointed her finger at Zhongjing. “This place is merely the last vestige of the Liao Dynasty’s dignity. Now, even dignity is difficult to maintain, so we can only go with the flow.”

Empress Xiao Puxian turned around, her gaze sharp yet composed: "His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree instructing me to prepare for the final stages here. Given time, the Liao Dynasty will surely perish completely. As Empress, you only need to wait patiently and not panic, nor make any more pointless advice. When I return to the capital, I will present you to His Majesty. In the future, if you bear His Majesty a son or daughter, you will be enfeoffed and sent out to be granted fiefdoms. Why should your family not prosper?"

Xiao Wugulun knew from the first day she married Yelü Aoluwo that she would belong to Zhao Yu sooner or later. Therefore, she never let Yelü Aoluwo touch her, and no one dared to bring it up. Even Yelü Aoluwo didn't dare to have any thoughts about touching her.

The tribe to which Xiao Wugulun belonged originally planned to have her first become the empress of Yelü Aoluwo, thus gaining the title of the last empress of the Liao Dynasty and gilding her reputation, before she would enter Zhao Yu's harem.

In this way, Xiao Wugulun might receive Zhao Yu's special attention and, like the six daughters of Xiao Puxian, Xiao Sese, Xiao Duolilan, Xiao Guige, and Yelü Yanxi, be able to bear more children for Zhao Yu.

It was precisely for this reason that, although Xiao Wugulun was chosen by Xiao Sese as the empress for Yelü Aoluwo, she instead chose Xiao Puxian, who was more representative of the Song Dynasty, and acted as Xiao Puxian's spy to monitor Yelü Aoluwo.

As it turned out, Xiao Wugu's choice was correct. In the past two years, far more Liao people sided with Xiao Puxian's daughter than with Xiao Sese.

This made Xiao Puxian the true leader of the remnant Liao dynasty.

Now, the remnants of Liao are on the verge of collapse. Xiao Wugu looked up and saw that Xiao Puxian's expression was calm, as if what she was saying was not about the handover of the throne, but just an ordinary matter.

Xiao Wugu lowered her eyes slightly, straightened her sleeves, and said in a calm tone, "Your Majesty, I will obey your command."

Xiao Puxian waved her hand, signaling Xiao Wugu to continue the discussion. Then she picked up the documents on the table again, and the vermilion pen fell once more, as if the end of the Liao dynasty was merely a pre-planned step in her many affairs...

……

The map on the table still shows the territory of the Liao Dynasty at its peak, extending from the Sea of ​​Japan in the east to the Altai Mountains in the west. The beacon towers of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun and the pastures along the Heilongjiang River are all outlined in red ink.

This is a reconstruction of the old appearance of the homeland by Yelü Chun based on his memory.

Upon hearing the sudden news that Yelü Aoluwo had abandoned state affairs to go hunting, Yelü Chun's jade tablet clattered to the ground, cracks spreading like a spider web, just like the fragmented fate of the Liao Dynasty.

His body, over fifty years old, had long been withered by exhaustion and worry; his temples were white as snow, and his back was hunched like a bow, making him look like an old man in his seventies. He staggered to his feet, leaning on the edge of the table, his eyes fixed on the mark "Shangjing Linhuangfu" on the map, a low, panting sound coming from his throat like a trapped beast.

In the past, Yelü Yanxi treated the ancestral foundation as a mere backdrop to the hunting grounds. When the Jurchens rose to power, he rode his horse in the hunting grounds; when court officials remonstrated with their lives, he chased deer in the mountains and forests, thus handing over the vast land to the Song and Jin dynasties.

Now, I am working tirelessly to save the remnants of the Liao dynasty from the gap between the Song and Jin dynasties. I beg the Song dynasty to give me a chance, to reorganize the military, and to appease the tribes. I work at my desk until dawn every night, hoping to replicate the glory of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

But Yelü Aoluwo, the last hope of the Liao dynasty, followed in the footsteps of Emperor Tianzuo, regarding hunting as a priority and the fate of the nation as a child's game!

Yelü Chun slammed his fist on the table, causing the vermilion markings on the map to smudge and appear to bleed. He coughed and bent over, his knuckles turning white from the force, tears mingling with the coughed-up blood and froth.

"Heaven has forsaken the Liao Dynasty... Heaven has forsaken the Liao Dynasty!!!"

Yelü Chun's lament echoed in the empty hall. He gazed at the bleak autumn scenery outside the window and vaguely saw the hunting flags of Emperor Tianzuo overlapping with the hoofbeats of Yelü Aoluwo. Two emperors, one setback. The last glimmer of hope for the remnant Liao Dynasty was destined to be lost on this hunting ground.

"puff!"

Yelü Chun coughed up a mouthful of blood and then collapsed straight down...

Two days later, Yelü Chun slowly woke up.

While bedridden, Yelü Chun suddenly saw some black bats flying around in his bedroom.

Yelü Chun said to the servants standing by, "The sun is blazing in the daytime, how could bats have entered? Drive them out of the palace immediately, lest they disturb those inside and outside."

The crowd quickly chased the bats away in the main hall.

In fact, there were no bats in the main hall at all; it was Yelü Chun's hallucination.

Everyone could see that Yelü Chun was probably doomed.

As things turned out, that's exactly what happened.

Yelü Chun felt his mind was sometimes hazy and sometimes clear, always feeling drowsy.

When the Han and non-Han ministers of the remnant Liao Dynasty came to visit Yelü Chun, they were heartbroken and despaired as they looked at the last general of the Liao Dynasty, who was white-haired, haggard, thin as a bone, and had no spirit in his eyes.

When Yelü Chun regained consciousness, he burst into tears, saying that he had let down the ancestors of the Liao Dynasty and the Liao people who had died supporting their restoration.

Suddenly, Yelü Chun's cough worsened, he became breathless, and his head snapped back as he fainted.

The doctor who was waiting nearby rushed forward to provide emergency treatment.

Yelü Chun didn't wake up until the morning of the next day.

The sun shone brightly that day, streaming through the latticed wooden windows. Yelü Chun felt particularly clear-headed that day, and he asked those around him, "Has His Majesty returned?"

Both sides remained silent.

Seeing this, Yelü Chun knew perfectly well that Yelü Aoluwo was still hunting.

After letting out a long sigh, Yelü Chun ordered that Xiao Puxian, Xiao Sese, and a group of ministers from the remnant Liao dynasty be summoned.

Yelü Chun staggered out of bed, kowtowed to Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese, and said:
"The Liao dynasty was in decline, war raged in the north, and the Song dynasty was conquering the land. I lay ill in the capital, observing this dire situation, and knew that fate had changed and could not be reversed by human effort."

When a nation is about to perish, it is like a river flowing downwards. If you try to block it, the dam will burst, and only more lives will be lost. If you go with the flow, you can at least protect your boat and leave a glimmer of hope.

Now, the Liao dynasty has lost all its elite troops, its royal family is scattered, the new emperor is incapable of fulfilling his duties, its policies are not being implemented, and the people are living in fear.

If they continue to resist stubbornly, given the weakness of the Khitan, they will find it difficult to escape annihilation.

We earnestly request the two Empress Dowagers to consider the plight of the Khitan people, and to lead our remaining forces to submit a petition to the Song Dynasty, stating the Liao Dynasty's willingness to surrender, and further clarifying that the Khitan have no ulterior motives. We only ask that the Song Dynasty remember the century-old diplomatic relationship and grant the Khitan people a new life so that the tribal bloodline can continue.

As I approach my death, my only thought is of the foundation laid by our ancestors, Taizu and Taizong. Though I have lost it, I do not wish to see our entire clan annihilated. I urge the two empress dowagers to set aside their royal dignity, endure humiliation and hardship, and not let the thousand-year-old flame of the Khitan people be extinguished at this time. Even in the afterlife, I will be grateful for the two empress dowagers' merit in protecting our people…”

When a person is about to die, their words are kind; when a bird is about to die, its song is mournful.

Almost everyone in Liao knew that the Liao Dynasty was truly doomed, and what Yelü Chun pointed out to them was the only way out.

Therefore, after Empress Xiao Puxian and Empress Xiao Sese agreed, almost all Liao officials expressed their willingness to follow the two empress dowagers and surrender to the Song Dynasty.

Seeing this, Yelü Chun closed his eyes, seemingly asleep. In truth, he wasn't asleep; he simply couldn't fall asleep. The Liao Dynasty had ultimately come to its end under his rule.

Is it fate? Or destiny?

Two streams of hot tears rolled down Yelü Chun's cheeks.

On his deathbed, Yelü Chun glanced at Xiao Puxian and found that she was still so young and beautiful.

Unfortunately, this beauty never belonged to him.

Yelü Chun passed away with endless regrets.

Four days after Yelü Chun's death, Yelü Aoluwo finally returned.

When Yelü Aoluwo was hunting, he killed forty gazelles and twenty-one wolves in a single day. Due to exhaustion from the chase, he fell ill on the way back.

Yelü Aoluwo died a few days after returning to Liaozhongjing.

After Yelü Aoluwo's ​​death, Xiao Puxian and Xiao Sese handed over Liaozhongjing to Cai Jing, the prefect of Dingzhou (the name Zhao Yu gave to Liaozhongjing), appointed by Zhao Yu, and led the remaining Liao officials back to Tokyo Bianliang.

The Liao Dynasty was completely destroyed.

……

(End of this chapter)