Chapter 1295: The Time Left for Liaoyang Is Running Out

Resolve was easy to reach, yet considering the current state of the Han-Liao war and the dire predicament facing Liao, doubts inevitably crept into his heart.

His brows furrowed deeply, and after hesitating for a moment, Yelu Xian said in a grave voice: "Since the war began, how many troops and horses has the Great Liao lost?"

Pausing briefly, Han Derang continued: "Compared to the losses in troops, what's more serious is the loss of tribal subjects. Though Monan and Mobei have fully contracted their lines, the Han army has still killed and plundered tens of thousands of people. As for the prefectures and counties under the Eastern Capital Circuit, they have long been the breadbasket of our dynasty. This time, because of the Southern Court's northern campaign, spring plowing has been severely delayed, production has fallen into disarray, and a food shortage this year is absolutely unavoidable! To supply the army fighting in Liaodong, the Eastern Capital has conscripted a great many laborers, which has already stirred popular resentment, and the people's hearts are deeply unsettled..."

"All of this is inevitable!" Hearing this, Yelu Xian was not impatient — clearly he had been mentally prepared — and pointed out as calmly as he could: "At present, to cope with the battlefields on every front, the Great Liao's forces are already insufficient!"

"What does Your Majesty intend?" Han Derang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Yelu Xian: "I intend to continue conscripting troops and levying grain from the tribes and prefectures within the realm, to make up for the losses on the battlefield!"

Given Liao's strength, it could not maintain a massive army for prolonged warfare. Previously, only about three hundred thousand troops had been conscripted for the war, but now, with so many dead and wounded, in terms of consumption, it was still possible to keep squeezing the tribal subjects and commoners, expand the army, and also make up the losses. Only, in terms of troop quality and the conscription process itself, even greater difficulties lay ahead.

But there was no choice. Facing the immense pressure of the Han army, too few troops would certainly make it impossible to hold on. Likewise, too many troops would be equally unsustainable...

Han Derang silently calculated for a while, then cupped his hands and cautioned: "Your Majesty, because of the war, the realm is already in extraordinary difficulty, and the people's hearts are unstable. If we continue conscripting and extracting labor and wealth, I fear they will be unable to bear the burden. The resentment of subjects both inside and outside will grow even heavier, and there may even be rebellion! In the Eastern Capital Circuit, from north of Liaoyang to the old Bohai lands, more than a dozen disturbances have already broken out in this period..."

A trace of reluctance appeared on Yelu Xian's face, but after thinking it over, he gritted his teeth and said: "At this time of crisis, it is precisely when our people must unite as one and face the nation's peril together. If we still hesitate and look ahead and behind, then once the Han army breaks through Liaoyang and reaches the Supreme Capital, if the state no longer exists, what meaning would these concerns have?

Of two bitter fruits, one must be swallowed — otherwise, in the end, we will only lose one thing while trying to save another!"

"Yes!" Han Derang sighed. At this point, the choices left to the Liao court's sovereign and ministers were truly few.

"In what you just said, Minister Han, you seem to have deliberately overlooked the situation in the Eastern Capital!" After a moment of mutual silence, Yelu Xian suddenly raised his head and stared at Han Derang: "If we wish to go south, Mobei must not be thrown into chaos, and the Xi King's territory cannot be lost — but what about Liaodong? The situation in Liaodong right now is the most critical!"

At the question, Han Derang hesitated briefly, then cupped his hands and replied: "Your Majesty, since the fall of Jinzhou and the Han army's great eastward advance, the Great King of the Southern Division has already abandoned Yanyuan in the south, burned the city and destroyed the buildings, and concentrated all remaining troops in Liaoyang Prefecture!"

Yelu Xian nodded in approval: "As previously reported, west of Jinzhou and east of Yaozhou — if either one is lost, neither can be held alone. The Great King of the Southern Division contracting the defensive line, concentrating his forces, luring the enemy deep, and delaying the Han army's advance is a wise move!"

Han Derang's expression did not change, and he continued: "Your Majesty, there is one more matter I have come to report!"

"Speak!" Yelu Xian could read something from Han Derang's expression.

Han Derang: "The Great King of the Southern Division's original strategy was to use the defenses of Jinzhou and Yaozhou to delay and exhaust the Han army. The victory at the Battle of Yaozhou had already stabilized the defensive line and held off the Han army's fierce assault. However, the loss of Jinzhou caused the plan to completely collapse, and the war situation changed drastically!

The Great King of the Southern Division believes that the Han army, having breached the passes and broken through the barriers, will strike east at the Eastern Capital. Liaoyang has no natural defenses to rely on, and with inferior forces and the loss of geographical advantage, resisting the Han army's offensive will be very difficult..."

"What does the Great King of the Southern Division mean? What strategy does he have? Speak up!" Yelu Xian was a clever man and responded immediately.

Han Derang said: "The Great King of the Southern Division intends to abandon Liaoyang, contract northward, and concentrate his forces at Tongzhou (Siping) in the north, where he will re-establish his defenses. In this way, he can both preserve the remaining military strength and avoid a death struggle with the Han army at Liaoyang, while also stretching the Han army's supply lines.

After all, Liaoyang is too close to the sea, and too close to Jinzhou and Yaozhou as well. Tongzhou is over four hundred li from Liaoyang. If defenses are established at Tongzhou, with the eastern coastal prefectures and tribes at his back..."

"Liaoyang is the capital of my Eastern Capital Circuit!" Before Han Derang could finish, Yelu Xian said with some agitation: "If the Eastern Capital is lost, what kind of impact and consequences would that bring? Does the Great King of the Southern Division not know? Haven't the Shiwei and Jurchen already been unstable? If we abandon Liaoyang, I fear it will be more than just the Eastern Capital that is shaken!"

After venting, seeing that Han Derang remained calm, Yelu Xian made an effort to steady his volatile emotions and asked in a low voice: "What do you think?"

Glancing at Yelu Xian's expression, Han Derang lowered his head slightly and said: "I believe that the Great King of the Southern Division's move — clearly discerning the situation, disregarding temporary gains and losses — shows great boldness, great vision, and great decisiveness..."

"Heh!" Yelu Xian laughed, the laughter carrying obvious displeasure. He withdrew his sharp gaze from Han Derang and said softly: "It seems Minister Han approves of this strategy!"

Han Derang hesitated, then bowed even lower: "Your Majesty, the regular troops remaining around Liaoyang at present number fewer than sixty thousand, and their fighting strength is questionable. Even if we exhaust the able-bodied men of all the surrounding prefectures and counties, we could barely scrape together a hundred thousand, and supplying them would be difficult. Meanwhile, the Han army's two columns, advancing on Liaoyang, number four hundred thousand in total!"

"You mean to say that Liaoyang cannot be held!" Yelu Xian said sternly.

Han Derang bowed deeply and said seriously: "To answer Your Majesty, it would be very difficult."

Clearly, in Han Derang's view, Liaodong — if it had to be abandoned, it should be abandoned. Although Liaodong was very important to Liao, when truly critical moments arrived, it still had to fall behind the core ruling regions of Mobei, the Supreme Capital, and the Xi King's territory — those were the true foundations.

But then, if Liaodong was lost, would the Great Liao still be the Great Liao? If Liaodong fell, could the old Bohai lands and the entire northeast be held? The outcome was unpredictable, and the chain reactions would be even harder to estimate.

Just like Yelu Xiezhen's previous defensive strategy — was it not still strained and forced into passive adjustments under the Han army's powerful offensive? This time as well, at the cost of abandoning all of Liaodong, could shrinking back to Tongzhou achieve the desired effect?

Not necessarily! The commanders of the Great Han clearly would not be led by the nose. Supported by overwhelming strength, the Han army had far more options than they did...

Speaking of it, it was the increasingly dangerous and cramped situation in Liaodong after the fall of Jinzhou that made Yelu Xian begin to lose confidence even in Yelu Xiezhen, the current "Number One Marshal of the Great Liao."

After hesitating for a long time, Yelu Xian scratched his head in an undignified manner, looked at Han Derang, and said: "Let me think it over some more!"

"Your Majesty, the time left for Liaoyang is running out. Once the Han army completes its encirclement and cuts off all communication in and out, even if we want to withdraw, it will be too late!" Han Derang said.

Yelu Xian's expression turned even uglier at once.

With several hundred thousand troops advancing east, the Han army's movements would naturally be somewhat slower, compounded by their cautious tactics. Yet no matter how slow, they were still compressing the Liao army's living and operational space. The time left for the Liao army to react was indeed not much.

However, what Yelu Xian did not know was that Yelu Xiezhen had already made the decision to abandon Liaoyang. By the time Zhao Kuangyin's great army reached the Liao River, more than half of the troops, grain, and military equipment in Liaoyang city had already been withdrawn.

Compared to the bitter battle the Han army had anticipated, seizing Liaoyang this time would be far easier...