Chapter 35: Can't Sit Still

As the palace banquet grew lively, a clerk from the Secretariat hurried up the hall, not daring to face the Liao sovereign directly, whispered a few words to Vice Director Zhang Li, and handed him a memorial—judging by the markings on the envelope, it was an urgent dispatch.

Zhang Li's expression shifted slightly. He looked up at Yelu Deguang, who was trading toasts with Zhao Yanshou, and not daring to delay, rose and approached, calling out: "Your Majesty!"

Interrupted mid-revelry, Yelu Deguang shot Zhang Li a displeased glance. Noticing the memorial in his hand, he grunted: "Speak, then. What's happened now? Where have the people risen up this time?"

"The Military Governor of Zhenning Army (Chanzhou), Yelu Lang'e, reports that a squad leader among the surrendered Jin troops, one Wang Qiong, conspired with the bandit chief Zhang Yi of the prefecture and county, gathered over ten thousand men, and attacked the prefectural city. With insufficient troops in the city and caught off guard, they succeeded. The floating bridge to the north was burned by them. General Lang'e can only hold out with the inner city wall..." Zhang Li reported rapidly.

Hearing this, Yelu Deguang flew into a rage, slamming the table hard: "Useless! What is Lang'e doing? Over ten thousand rebels attack the city and he had no inkling beforehand? Useless!"

Under Yelu Deguang's fury, the hall fell silent at once. Like an enraged tiger, he barked sternly: "Send word to Lang'e—crush those rebels immediately and rebuild the floating bridge. If not, let him take his own life!"

"Hm... Have Gao Mohan lead troops eastward, and make sure to extinguish the rebels as quickly as possible and restore the river routes!" After a moment's hesitation, Yelu Deguang added.

"Yes!"

In recent days—especially since news of the Shanzhou uprising and Liu Zhiyuan's assumption of the imperial title had spread—there had already been no small number of incidents in the prefectures and counties under Khitan rule where rebels attacked cities and killed barbarians. Yelu Deguang had received more than one such report, but none had angered him like today's.

Other places could be tolerated, but Chanzhou was the thoroughfare for crossing south over the river, crucial to his route of retreat north. For even this place to have problems made the still-loose string in Yelu Deguang's heart snap taut in an instant—shock and fury beyond measure.

Amid his rage, doubt also crept into Yelu Deguang's mind. He had stationed heavy troops at Chanzhou—how could the rebels have grown so rampant?

Since entering Kaifeng, Yelu Deguang had been complacent and self-satisfied, spending his days in deep palace revelry, without any clear understanding of the situation outside. The Khitan army was not small in number, but it was largely scattered across the various prefectures, and below the prefectures, further dispersed among counties and towns to plunder.

Yelu Deguang enjoyed himself in the Bian Palace, and the Khitan military governors and generals beneath him followed suit, wallowing in pleasure in their prefectures. Yelu Lang'e was the foremost among them, greedy and cruel without limit—until finally the people rebelled.

There had indeed been unrest at Chanzhou, and Yelu Lang'e's report was mostly truthful—except he had falsified the number of rebels. The righteous army that attacked the city and burned the bridge at Chanzhou actually numbered only about a thousand.

Yelu Deguang was very angry, squirming on the imperial throne, unable to sit still. At this moment, Feng Dao rose and, somewhat unexpectedly, took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty, your minister has a plan that can quell the unrest at Chanzhou without a single blade being drawn..."

"Pray speak, Chancellor Feng!" Yelu Deguang said flatly. In truth, he was disgusted by this posture of Han ministers—so self-assured, wisdom in hand, always going on about "without bloodshed." If it were truly that easy, what need would there be for weapons at all?

Feng Dao's expression was very calm, head bowed, most deferential: "Your Majesty need only rein in the troops, stop the money-levying and grass-grazing, and the people will be at peace, and the prefectures and counties will be settled!"

Hearing this, Yelu Deguang's brows knitted, then a strained smile appeared on his face as he said gently to Feng Dao: "Chancellor Feng need not worry. A few paltry rebels can be wiped out with a turn of the hand—nothing to be concerned about!"

As for Feng Dao's advice, Yelu Deguang gave no indication at all. Seeing this, Feng Dao cupped his hands and withdrew, still composed. But in his heart, his suspicion grew ever more certain: the Liao sovereign no longer had any intention of remaining in the Central Plains!

Drawing a deep breath, Yelu Deguang's expression hardened again, assuming a contemplative air, muttering coldly under his breath: "Jin soldiers causing trouble—these surrendered troops truly cannot be relied upon..."

As he spoke, he cast a faint, indifferent glance at Zhao Yanshou.

A chill ran through Zhao Yanshou's heart, and he hastily lowered his head. Back then, when Yelu Deguang had been wary of the large number of surrendered Jin troops and inclined to kill the captives to eliminate future trouble, it was Zhao Yanshou who had strenuously dissuaded him. At that time, Zhao Yanshou had hoped to become a second Shi Jingtang, intending to win the Jin troops over for his own use, and had argued most earnestly to stop it.

And now, with the affair at Chanzhou arriving—led by a mere squad leader among the Jin troops—it seemed to confirm Yelu Deguang's original concerns. Zhao Yanshou's heart suddenly began to flutter with unease.

"Call it off! Everyone out! Out!" Disturbed by this matter, Yelu Deguang had lost all interest in continuing the drinking and revelry. In a foul mood, he waved his hand as if shooing flies, driving the people from the hall.

Civil and military officials, singing girls, dancers, and musicians withdrew as if pardoned, leaving Yelu Deguang sitting cross-legged on the imperial throne, brooding deeply. Suddenly, he tugged hard at the dragon robe on his body, as if it were most uncomfortable, picked up a memorial and fanned himself with it, complaining discontentedly: "Why is this Central Plains so sweltering and vexing..."

Restless and irritable, unable to contain himself, he drew a deep breath and once again flipped through the memorials that vexed him so. As he turned the pages, Yelu Deguang's expression grew increasingly grave.

With a "bang," Yelu Deguang slammed his palm on the imperial desk, panted a few heavy breaths, pondered for a long while, then roared sternly toward the outside: "Someone!"

"Here! What does Your Majesty command?"

"Summon the Prince of Yongkang and the Imperial Uncle to see me at once. Also, send men to fetch that Du Chongwei and Li Shouzhen!"

"Yes!"

Within two days, the Liao sovereign Yelu Deguang made another move. An edict was issued: Military Governor of Tianxiong Army Du Chongwei and Military Governor of Tianping Army Li Shouzhen were to return to their garrisons to suppress the localities.

Yelu Deguang had always been wary of the surrendered ministers of the Later Jin, especially the former regional military governors. Now, seeing the local situation deteriorating day by day, he finally opened a crack. But even so, it was only Du Chongwei and Li Shouzhen—because they were truly unpopular.

At the same time, the Khitan forces scattered across the Central Plains began to concentrate, but the movement was slow—they had plundered themselves into a frenzy. Gathering the men was quick, but transporting the looted goods was hard to speed up. Hebei was the same.

The capital region also suddenly became busy. The vast quantities of gold, silver, goods, grain, and weapons seized by the Khitan in their southern campaign were ordered by Yelu Deguang to be transported north in succession.

Within Kaifeng city, the Feng residence.

In the study, Feng Dao bent over his desk, writing swiftly. He set down the brush, sealed the letter in its casing, and waxed it—all in one fluid motion. Drawing a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on the young man waiting before him and instructed: "Take this letter, slip out of Kaifeng secretly, and go to Hedong!"

"Yes!" The young man was clearly someone Feng Dao trusted with his very heart. He looked quite ordinary and had no second word for the instruction.

"Be careful, and don't arouse suspicion. If you're found out, destroy the letter first!" Feng Dao could not help adding a warning.

"Rest assured, Chancellor!"

What Feng Dao had written was very simple: reporting to Hedong that the Liao sovereign was already preparing for a northern withdrawal, and asking Liu Zhiyuan to march into the Central Plains as soon as possible, to destroy the vicious and stubborn foe and answer the hopes of all under heaven.