Chapter 432: Yelu Ruan: I'm on the Fifth Level

Fire God Lake was merely a shallow lake within Wende County, not large in area, with dense water plants. The entire Khitan army camped along the lake's expanse, exuding a grim, murderous aura, having long since startled away the autumn ducks that had been playing and foraging in the lake.

The Emperor's tent was pitched at the center, like stars clustering around the moon. The spacious imperial tent had plenty of room and was decorated with exceptional luxury. Besides gold and jade objects, there were many things bearing Han cultural symbols—ceremonial regalia, honor guards, ornamental patterns, and other exquisite items—interwoven with the crude, wild air of the Hu people, creating a somewhat incongruous atmosphere.

A large number of palace attendants and maidservants were busily at work, arranging seats, setting out fruits, wine, delicacies... Acting on the orders of Emperor Yelu Ruan, they were preparing a grand banquet, inviting the officers of the various armies from the southern campaign to feast together. It served as a continuation of the daytime memorial rites and, incidentally, a way to relieve the pent-up pressure of the noble generals.

At the innermost part of the imperial tent, a space was partitioned off by curtains, with a huge map hanging inside, on which the current military situation in Hebei was marked in detail, especially the Youyan region. The Khitan sovereign Yelu Ruan stood together with several trusted generals, discussing in grave tones.

These generals, also Khitan nobles, were beneficiaries after Yelu Ruan's succession and still supported him to a degree. If all the Khitan nobles opposed him, he would have been toppled from the throne long ago and could never have gathered such a great army.

"Your Majesty, the Southern Bureau of Military Affairs has already conscripted troops from western and eastern Liaoning, plus the pacification forces in the south, stationed at Tan and Ji, totaling over fifty thousand troops." One general traced his hand across two lines on the map and said: "Our two armies combined have over one hundred fifty thousand battle-ready troops, advancing in left and right columns simultaneously. Once our forces rest briefly, Your Majesty will lead the main army out through Juyong Pass, taking Changping, while the Southern Bureau of Military Affairs exits from Tan and Ji, taking Huairou and Sanhe. The force attacking the Han will be no less formidable than when Taizong destroyed the Later Jin!"

Yelu Ruan's expression was grave as he nodded: "How are the siege equipment preparations coming along?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty!" Another general stepped forward—a Han general, Zhao Kuangsi, whom Yelu Ruan had appointed as Southern Pacification Commissioner: "I received orders in early autumn to concentrate Han artisans from within the realm at Ru and Wu prefectures, felling timber and building various siege engines, all stored at Huailai!"

A slight smile finally appeared on his face as Yelu Ruan nodded and said: "General Han handles matters well; I am at ease. No wonder you were a talent valued by Emperor Taizong. If the state had more men like General Han, why would we worry about failing to hold the Central Plains and sit firmly on the world?"

"Your Majesty overpraises me!" Han Kuangsi quickly expressed his humility.

At present, because the Liao sovereign favored Han ministers and suppressed the nobles within the state, the contradictions among the Khitan had reached an extremely acute point. Although those in the tent were all the Emperor's trusted generals, Yelu Ruan still spoke such words favoring Han ministers while disparaging Liao people—Han Kuangsi had no wish to stand out in this regard.

"For this southern campaign, I am staking the strength of the entire nation—there can be no failure!" No matter how fatuous and arrogant Yelu Ruan might appear among the Khitan nobles at this time, as the Khitan Emperor and supreme commander of the army, he still maintained his composure: "I have made up my mind. In this battle, we will first besiege Youzhou to draw the Han army's reinforcements northward, then unleash the offensive power of our Great Liao iron cavalry, launching endless harassment, division, and annihilation against them across the vast plains of central and northern Hebei!"

Compared to the slogans he proclaimed and the grand promises he painted, once actual troops were set in motion, Yelu Ruan still had some sense of what he was doing. From start to finish, his appetite was never that large; in his heart, the primary objective of this southern campaign remained seizing Youzhou and once again achieving complete suppression of the Central Plains.

Thereafter, he would conserve strength in Youyan, and even if he rested for several years before marching south again, that could be negotiated. Youzhou being in Han hands was like a fishbone stuck in Yelu Ruan's throat—after all, it was lost during his own reign. He also constantly worried, deeply fearing that one day the Han army, relying on Youzhou's formidable defenses, would launch a surprise attack and retake Ru, Wu, Tan, Ji, and other regions.

Should such a situation come to pass, then the strategic advantage over the Central Plains that Yelu Deguang had schemed for ten years to achieve would be utterly squandered in his hands. Without the natural barrier of the Yan Mountains in hand, the Hu cavalry would find it far from easy to ride south at will again.

And according to Yelu Ruan's study of Han culture, institutions, and history, once matters reached that point, the Central Plains dynasty would inevitably recover its strength and grow powerful anew. Once the Central Plains dynasty grew powerful, it would be the northern grasslands' turn to suffer. That pack of Han would surely brandish their blades and spears, mount their warhorses, and surge out of the frontier in force, shouting "Seal Wolf Xu Mountain, inscribe stone at Yanran," then slaughter the tribesmen of the grasslands wantonly and plunder cattle, horses, sheep, and camels...

This was the conclusion Yelu Ruan drew from past Han history. And judging by the style of that young Emperor at the Han court, he was clearly capable of doing exactly that. Just as Liu Chengyou constantly kept watch on the great enemies around him, Yelu Ruan likewise never ceased observing the situation of the Han dynasty.

He had originally thought that with Liu Zhiyuan dead and the Son of Heaven of Han ascending the throne at a tender age, no matter how capable he was, a young sovereign would find it hard to hold the realm together. But subsequent developments completely exceeded Yelu Ruan's expectations. That Son of Heaven of Han vigorously pursued centralization of power, and over these past few years, a series of reforms to the Han court had largely achieved good results, greatly enhancing the state's strength. Every piece of news that traveled north deepened the anxiety in Yelu Ruan's heart, already tormented by internal strife.

Until this year, he could no longer endure it.

Therefore, in Yelu Ruan's view, his leading the army south this time was a farsighted move—for the fate of the state, for the long-term prosperity of the Great Liao. With weapons and bloodshed, he would check the resurgence of the Han; with the iron hooves of the Khitan army, he would trample the spine of the Central Plains dynasty.

It was only a pity that his painstaking aspirations received no support, forcing him to bear all manner of pressure alone. In the four years since taking power, Yelu Ruan had deeply experienced the difficulty of it all, especially the desire to be a sage ruler and enlightened sovereign. He had also gained a far more profound understanding of the word "interest."

Back after the Battle of Luancheng, so many clansmen, nobles, and ministers who had supported his succession gradually drifted toward becoming his opponents after the deed was done—simply because Empress Dowager Shulu's restraining hand was gone, and their insatiable greed for power and wealth could not be satisfied...

Although he kept hypnotizing himself inwardly—how great he was, how wise, how he endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens without being understood—one undeniable fact remained: using this war to consolidate power, control the army, and strike at political enemies was also a very strong motive.

His gaze fixed firmly on Youzhou, Yelu Ruan's eyes grew slightly distant as he waved his hand: "You may all withdraw. Command your troops well and soothe the soldiers!"

"Yes!"

If he were only attacking Youzhou, there would be no need to make such a great commotion. Yelu Ruan mobilized these two massive armies for two reasons: first, to strengthen his control over the military and enhance his authority as Emperor among the troops; second, to use Youzhou as bait, drawing the Han army northward to inflict casualties and reduce their war potential.

In mobile warfare, the Han army was certainly no match for his Great Liao iron cavalry—of this confidence, Yelu Ruan was possessed.

He had even considered a whole series of contingency plans.

If the Han army did not take the bait, then he would concentrate his strength and take Youzhou city directly. Methods for breaching the walls had all been considered. However formidable Youzhou's defenses, the city was vast, its garrison limited; with adequate preparation, it could always be broken. He also had his "Han soldiers" under command to use, and as a last resort, he could drive Han civilians to assault the walls.

And once Youzhou was taken, pulling out that thorn in his back, his room for maneuver against the Han would be far greater—whether for war or for stability. Of course, in Yelu Ruan's calculations, he still intended to have a real confrontation with the Han army. Should the Han army suffer even a slight setback, he had more means at his disposal. With so many military governors across the Central Plains and Hebei, how could they possibly be truly loyal to the Great Han court, in his view?

The historical experience of the past several decades told Yelu Ruan that the Han were always quicker and easier to break apart from within—but the prerequisite was that he had to provide the opportunity for those within from without.

Historical experience was important, but Yelu Ruan had clearly overlooked one point: relying entirely on historical experience could also lead to losses. Most importantly, the times had already begun to change, quietly and imperceptibly.

But no matter what, in Yelu Ruan's current view, he was standing on the fifth level, having considered everything—something that foolish men and dullards could never comprehend......