Chapter 1277: A Critical Situation

When it comes to Liaodong, the Liao River is an unavoidable point. As the largest waterway in the Liaodong region, it nurtures the civilization of this land, and the plain takes its name from it. Of course, the Liao River's conditions during this period were not good, with frequent floods.

And as Liao's political, military, and economic center in the northeast, Liaoyang City was not situated on the banks of the Liao River itself, but rather along one of its tributaries, the Dongliang River. If the Han army advanced smoothly and reached the banks of the Dongliang River, perhaps that battle could also be named the "Battle of the Dongliang River."

In summer, Liaoyang, compared to the south, lacked a bit of oppressiveness but gained much more coolness. After a heavy rain, the ever-growing heat was dispelled, and the pressure from the Han army approaching from both west and south was temporarily relieved.

However, this was merely a brief pause in the midst of fierce fighting. It was easy to imagine that after this short rest, the Han army's offensive would become even more ferocious. Under the pressure of the Han army's two-pronged assault, Liao's situation in defending Liaodong remained grim.

The Liao River region could be considered a strategically advantageous location, sandwiched between the hills of western and eastern Liaoning, with terrain to rely upon—Jinzhou to the west, Chenzhou and Yaozhou to the south.

Jinzhou was less than three hundred li from Liaoyang, and Yaozhou less than two hundred li. Once these two gateways were crossed, it would be flat, open terrain, and the entire Liao River plain would become a garden for the Han army to gallop across.

Therefore, to defend Liaodong and protect the Eastern Capital, these two passes were ground the Liao army must fight for, and they could never be easily abandoned.

Inside the office of the Liao Eastern Capital Acting Governor, Yelu Xiezhen stood with a deeply solemn expression before a huge map, a heavy cloud of gloom shrouding his resolute face. The weight of matters concerning the nation's rise and fall, even its very survival, pressed down upon him, bringing extraordinary pressure. For defending Liaodong, he had a set of countermeasures in mind, yet the progress of the war had still somewhat exceeded his expectations.

According to his previous arrangements, the focus of defense was placed on the Jinzhou line, which was also the main direction of attack where the Han army had concentrated its forces. However, with news of defeat from the southern peninsula arriving, he had no choice but to shift his attention to the fighting on the southern front.

Yelu Xiezhen knew the strength of the Han army's navy and held no great hope that the southern forces could hold back the Han army's attack, but he had never imagined they would be defeated so quickly.

In Yelu Xiezhen's plan, this war to defend Liaodong was to be fought as a war of attrition and consumption—dragging out time, depleting the Han army's manpower, money, and grain, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

Even Jinzhou and the Liaodong Peninsula—these defensive barriers—could be abandoned when necessary, but they could not be lost in this manner. The counterattack time Yelu Xiezhen had set was winter, but it was not yet midsummer. If these two gateways were lost like this, even Yelu Xiezhen had no confidence in being able to resist the Han army on the open, flat Liao River plain for four or five months. Even if he could, whether he would still have the strength to counterattack by then was doubtful.

When the report of defeat from the south arrived, Yelu Xiezhen was extremely furious. But after learning the specific details, he could not help but fall silent. He could naturally see that the fundamental reason for the defeat was a problem with his own defensive arrangements, and he had completely failed to anticipate that the Han army's navy would be so formidable, that naval warfare's impact on land warfare would reach such a degree. It seemed that the very form of warfare had changed because of this, catching him off guard.

"Great King, Director of State Affairs Xiao Siwen has led troops from the Supreme Capital!" The report from his subordinate interrupted Yelu Xiezhen's train of thought.

Hearing this, Yelu Xiezhen snapped back to his senses, took a deep breath, suppressed the tangled and chaotic thoughts in his mind, and ordered: "Invite him in quickly!"

In the front courtyard of the government office, it was still a scene after rain. The ground had not yet dried, and fallen leaves and mud and dust looked somewhat messy. Yelu Hai kept his head lowered, silently kneeling there. After arranging the defenses of Chenzhou and the Han army's temporary halt in its offensive, he had hurried back to Liaoyang to beg forgiveness from Yelu Xiezhen.

Passing by under the guidance of a subordinate, Xiao Siwen, who was in high spirits, noticed Yelu Hai at a glance and asked: "What's going on here?"

Yelu Hai was a great general under Yelu Xiezhen's command, so Xiao Siwen naturally knew him. The subordinate briefly explained the situation, and Xiao Siwen's expression immediately darkened.

The war situation in Liaodong seemed rather unfavorable!

Since Yelu Xian had ascended the throne, Xiao Siwen had been somewhat elated—promoted in rank and ennobled, sweeping away more than a decade of decline and stagnation. At the same time, he controlled the Right Pishi Army, making him one of the most powerful figures within the Liao court.

Moreover, he was also pushing for the Liao emperor to marry his exceptionally clever third daughter, Xiao Yanyan, intending to become the emperor's father-in-law and further consolidate his power and influence. However, at this time of national crisis, Yelu Xian was focused entirely on resisting the Great Han's invasion and had not yet agreed.

"You wait outside the hall; I'll go see the Great King of the Southern Division!" Before entering the hall, Xiao Siwen said in a low voice to a young general following beside him.

"Yes!" This general, named Xiao Talin, was Xiao Siwen's nephew from the same clan.

Clearly, Xiao Siwen's smugness could not be brought before Yelu Xiezhen. When he met Yelu Xiezhen, he still maintained proper etiquette. Yelu Xiezhen was both surprised and somewhat expectant at Xiao Siwen's arrival.

After taking seats and exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Siwen said: "The Han army presses hard on our borders. His Majesty is concerned about the war situation in Liaodong and has specially sent me to reward the Great King and the soldiers, along with bringing a portion of reinforcements!"

"Many thanks for His Majesty's concern!" Hearing this, Yelu Xiezhen's expression relaxed slightly, and he asked: "May I ask how many troops the Director of State Affairs has brought?"

"Not many—thirty thousand infantry and cavalry!" Sensing a hint of urgency hidden within Yelu Xiezhen's calm tone, Xiao Siwen replied: "Ten thousand Right Pishi cavalry, plus twenty thousand infantry from various tribes! His Majesty said that defending the Eastern Capital requires more infantry—he has transferred all the infantry from around the Supreme Capital here!"

Yelu Xiezhen's furrowed brow relaxed somewhat, and he responded: "The Director of State Affairs' arrival is exactly what relieves my difficulties!"

Xiao Siwen said gravely: "I heard you suffered a defeat in southern Liaoning?"

Yelu Xiezhen made no attempt to conceal anything and said directly: "A disastrous defeat. Of the more than twenty thousand naval and land forces I deployed in the south, fewer than one in ten survived. It was my carelessness—I failed to take seriously the advantage of the Han army's navy! As a result, the Han army easily advanced northward, knocking on the gates of Chen and Yao prefectures!"

Xiao Siwen had also spent time in Liaodong and understood the geography there well. His expression grew even more solemn as he asked: "If that's the case, the situation in Liaodong is very critical. Does the Great King have a plan to resolve the crisis?"

Yelu Xiezhen said in a deep voice: "At present, the Han army is attacking the passes from two directions, with forces exceeding three hundred thousand. At Jinzhou, they are under fierce assault, and Yelu Xiuge is defending with great difficulty. In the past half month, casualties have exceeded three thousand, and I have already sent an additional five thousand troops to support the defense.

The problem still lies in southern Liaoning—the elite forces were completely lost in one battle. Although defenses have been re-established at Chen and Yao cities, the blow to morale has been too great. The Eastern Capital has exhausted its armed forces, but those that can be directly thrown into battle are not many. Here in Liaoyang, fewer than fifty thousand can be mobilized, half of them cavalry, and they still need to handle pacification operations in the various prefectures! To resist the Han army, we have already resorted to overextending our military might, and the people's hearts are very unsettled. The Jurchen and other tribes are also stirring at the news and need to be guarded against..."

From Yelu Xiezhen's words, one could feel the pressure bearing down like Mount Tai. Xiao Siwen's military talent might not be outstanding, but he was a man of insight, so he said directly: "The thirty thousand troops I brought are at the Great King's disposal! I will also fully support the Great King in preparing for battle and resisting the enemy!"

"The Director of State Affairs is most honorable! I bow in thanks here!" Yelu Xiezhen rose and said solemnly. In truth, Yelu Xiezhen harbored some dissatisfaction with Xiao Siwen's opportunistic behavior during Yelu Xian's succession, but at this moment and in this situation, he was somewhat moved by his declaration.

Seeing this, Xiao Siwen quickly rose from his seat as well and returned the bow, saying: "At this time of national crisis, we can only stand united in heart and mind, and weather the difficulties together!"

Yelu Xiezhen nodded. He was also well aware that Xiao Siwen's arrival with troops served not only as reinforcement but also carried the implication of an army supervisor.

Walking to the map, Yelu Xiezhen said: "Originally, I planned to use Jinzhou and the cities of southern Liaoning to deplete the Han army's strength and morale, setting up obstacles step by step to lure the Han army deeper. However, the progress of the war has been somewhat unexpected. The failure in southern Liaoning has had too great an impact. Now we must strengthen our defensive forces and consolidate our defenses!

At present, the fighting at Jinzhou is intense, and the military situation at Chen and Yao is urgent. These two places absolutely cannot be lost—we must at least hold against the Han army for three months!"

"In my estimation, having achieved such a breakthrough in southern Liaoning, the Han army will certainly send additional troops by sea next to strengthen their southern offensive. Therefore, while holding firm at Jinzhou, we need to reinforce the defenses in southern Liaoning. Currently, Chen and Yao prefectures have only a little over fifteen thousand defenders—their forces must be bolstered!"

Xiao Siwen nodded in approval. Of course, he had neither the authority nor the ability to interfere in military decisions, even though a disastrous defeat had just been suffered under Yelu Xiezhen's arrangements.