Chapter 1333: Hollow

At dusk, the autumn sun hung low in the west, its light dim and weak. A cool wind swept across the wilderness outside Yunzhong City, its sound like faint whispers—ethereal and desolate.

Yunzhong City remained as it had always been—tall, sturdy, clean, and intact. Apart from the somewhat somber atmosphere within, the Liao army had inflicted no damage upon it. After arriving at the city walls, the Liao army had launched not a single attack, not even a probing one.

The Liao army's encirclement was no longer as tight as it had been initially. After dividing their forces, they had also voluntarily pulled back, setting up camps at a distance from the city, spread across the western and northern directions. However, roving cavalry maintained dense patrols, clearly still controlling traffic in and out and cutting off the flow of information.

The Liao army's camp layout did not follow the Han army's habit of deep trenches and high ramparts, ironclad stockades. On the contrary, their arrangement was open and dispersed, appearing scattered, yet always ready to mount up and fight at a moment's notice.

Inevitable chaos came from the many livestock accompanying the army, plus the large quantity of war booty seized after marching south—weapons, money, and grain. Though it could hardly be called piled up like a mountain, the harvest was still considerable. Especially after detachments had been sent to plunder in all directions, some units had already begun returning fully laden.

Within the great camp, the most tightly arranged and most orderly in military appearance was unquestionably the Liao Emperor's imperial camp. At any time and in any place, the personal guards protecting the imperial tent were the strongest, best-equipped, and most trustworthy troops in the Liao army.

As the sky darkened further, campfires were lit throughout the Liao army's various camps. Seen from atop Yunzhong City's walls, countless points of light densely covered the western and northern sides, their bright flames nearly reddening the canopy of heaven—a magnificent sight that seemed to display the might of the Liao army.

Of course, this bit of show was nothing to the Han army commanders, who were accustomed to grand spectacles. The city's response was as steady as the walls that protected it—firm as Mount Tai.

The Liao army's soldiers began to enjoy their food. Officers and commanders could savor some captured Han strong liquor, while ordinary soldiers could also feast their fill on meat. For Liao soldiers who had grown increasingly strapped in recent days, this was already a rare treat.

Gold, silver, and valuables were hardly worth praising. What truly delighted them were the captured livestock and grain. Many Liao soldiers conscripted for the campaign hoped to bring these back to their tribes and share them with their families and clansmen.

The prolonged war had severely damaged the normal nomadic production of the grasslands. On top of that, they had to arm themselves for battle, send troops, and supply grain. By now, many tribes and settlements of the Liao state across the northern and southern steppes had reached the point of being unable to sustain themselves.

In fact, many of the tribal soldiers conscripted for this campaign were no longer fighting for the Liao court or for the Emperor, but rather harboring thoughts of riding south to plunder.

They did not have much patriotic sentiment, nor did they care about the struggle for supremacy between Han and Liao. What they wanted was the most basic survival—even if their current poverty and crisis came from the war that the Great Han had proactively provoked.

The southern court was prosperous, and the Han people were skilled at farming. They were merely learning from countless ancestors of the grasslands, reawakening their instincts, taking up blades and bows, and galloping south.

In fact, Yelu Xian, in boosting morale, also did so by promoting plunder—seizing grain, seizing clothing, seizing all supplies that could help them get through hard times, resisting the oppression of the Han army, and fighting for living space...

The Liao tribal soldiers who followed indeed felt greatly encouraged, eagerly joining the fight and fighting desperately. The gains made since coming south had also gradually lifted their previously lackluster morale. The war booty piling up in the great camp seemed to attest to the correctness of this southern expedition.

However, unlike the soldiers' jubilation, the Liao Emperor Yelu Xian remained perpetually worried and unable to let go of his concerns. Beneath the night sky, the Liao army camp was filled with the sound of wind, the lowing of livestock, and the laughter and chatter of the various units—even grassland folk songs drifting through the air.

As the commander-in-chief, Yelu Xian truly did not wish to break this joyful atmosphere. Since the Han-Liao war began, the Great Liao had always suffered defeat, and the soldiers and tribal warriors had gone too long without indulging in the joy of victory.

But while the soldiers below could immerse themselves in it, he—the lord of the Great Liao, the commander of the three armies—could not. By now, they had already "deeply" penetrated Han territory, inflicting heavy casualties on Han soldiers and civilians, seizing considerable spoils, and issuing the most resolute and resounding cry of resistance against the Han dynasty. Yet in his heart, Yelu Xian still felt unsettled.

Only when alone did Yelu Xian reveal his anxiety. By now, Liaodong had fallen, the northeast was in chaos, the Western Regions were lost, and Mobei was shattered. His Great Liao could no longer withstand more defeats or greater upheavals, and Yelu Xian could not afford to be careless.

Before the imperial tent, Yelu Xian stood in the cold wind, clad in fur robes and a sable hat. His gaze revealed no ripples, yet he stared straight south, fixed on the direction of Yunzhong City.

Yelu Xian could hardly fathom what Yelu Jing had felt when he looked back upon abandoning Yunzhong all those years ago. But more than a decade later, with the Liao army returning once more, Yelu Xian felt only the melancholy and loss of gazing at something beyond his reach. He knew full well in his heart that since that distant city had changed its surname to Liu and become Han, the traces that had once belonged to the Great Liao and the Khitan would only grow fainter, until they vanished completely, recorded only in the annals of history.

Eight days had passed since the army arrived at Yunzhong, but over those eight days, Yelu Xian's mood had been sinking continuously. Even the constant reports of captures and good news from all directions could not cover the worry that lingered in his heart.

The impregnable, flawlessly defended Yunzhong City, along with the still-obscure Han army response unfolding around it, gave Yelu Xian a sense of inexplicable pressure—far more profound than what he had felt while in Shangjing.

"Your Majesty!"

The soft call was somewhat gentle, yet it still snapped Yelu Xian back to his senses. Turning his head, he saw Han Derang. Perhaps from too much exposure to the cold wind, Yelu Xian shivered, coughed twice, and revealed a slightly pale smile: "Minister Han, you've come!"

"The wind outside the tent is strong—do not stay out too long. Your Majesty must take care of your health!" Han Derang urged.

Feeling Han Derang's concern, Yelu Xian heeded the advice and invited Han Derang into the tent to talk. They took their seats, and a palace eunuch set out warm wine for the two of them, the sovereign and his minister sharing a drink.

Knowing full well why Han Derang had come, Yelu Xian looked at him: "Minister Han, what are the thoughts of the nobles and generals? Have you gotten any results from your probing?"

"Morale is high, and the army's spirit is ready for use!" Han Derang replied, though his expression instead turned grave: "The Han people in the countryside have either fled into the mountains and forests or hidden within the cities. There is nothing left to plunder in the open countryside!

The imperial guards maintain good discipline and obey Your Majesty's commands without delay. But the conscripted tribal soldiers are not the same—they will not be willing to stop here. Instead, they hope to expand the scope of plundering, continue deeper into Han territory, attack its cities and towns. Some have even proposed a full assault on Yunzhong! There are also some generals who believe we should recall the soldiers sent out to plunder and send others in their place..."

The current mindset of many Liao soldiers was precisely to linger longer in Han territory and grab more supplies. With the gains already made in Monan and Shanyang, their desires had been thoroughly aroused. Even an ordinary tribal soldier knew that the Han people's greater wealth—money, grain, clothing, and armor—was stockpiled in those cities. To get more, they would need to breach the city walls.

The two counties of Huairen and Changqing, already broken into, had yielded considerable gains. With Yunzhong City right before their eyes, if it were taken, how abundant would the spoils be?

Blinded by greed, many people would not consider anything further. The sturdiness of Yunzhong, the arrival of Han reinforcements—none of it mattered until the crisis was upon them. Moreover, they were all cavalry; they could simply come and go!

But Yelu Xian and Han Derang clearly did not think this way. They had to maintain clear heads.

"What does Minister Han think?" Yelu Xian asked in a low voice.

Upon being asked, Han Derang's attitude was resolute: "Your servant still holds his previous opinion—restrain the soldiers, withdraw as soon as possible, and return beyond the northern frontier! Yunzhong is no place to linger!"

"The Han army's reinforcements still have not drawn near. Is there such a need for urgency?" Yelu Xian asked. Han Derang had already proposed withdrawing three days prior.

Han Derang's expression was grave as he spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because of this that your servant feels worried! When our army first arrived, we took advantage of the Han army's recent defeat and the emptiness of Shanyang, and thus advanced triumphantly all the way to Yunzhong!

But more than twenty days have passed. Even if the Han army were slow to react, they should have responded by now. Your Majesty should know that the Han army's true strength is far greater than what we have seen. With Hedong to the south and the Yan Mountains held to the east, our army exploited their weakness to strike—and achieved gains—but we must not remain bogged down here for long!

This much time has been more than enough for the Han army to react and dispatch reinforcements. Yet to this day, there has been no sign of any large force coming to relieve the city. The cities of Shanyang still keep their gates shut and defend themselves—this is already abnormal.

The Han army in Yunzhong has not budged an inch. They have not even sent anyone to attempt a breakout or establish contact. They simply hunker down behind their strong walls with extraordinary patience, as if waiting for an opportunity to strike!

Your Majesty, in this southern expedition, our army has already gained enough. We must not be greedy for more, or else we may fall into an irrecoverable crisis!"