Chapter 863: The Mighty Han Through Xiao Husi's Eyes

Inside the felt tent, three senior ministers of Liao sat on camp stools, drinking wine and eating meat, discussing matters concerning the Han.

"I recall that in the early years of Yingli, I was ordered south to Kaifeng to discuss peace and the cessation of hostilities with the Southern Court. At that time, Shizong had unfortunately perished at the hands of rebels, and His Majesty had just ascended the throne, with the rebellion barely suppressed. Yet because our dynasty's elite troops had marched south with the sole intent of attacking the Han, the Southern Court responded in kind, massing troops and deploying forces, repairing armor and stockpiling grain. In the prefectures and counties of Hebei, armies moved northward in an endless stream, while grain and equipment transports clogged the roads.

But no matter how the Southern Court mobilized and prepared for war back then, I never felt fear. Yet now, the Han court of the Central Plains has reduced its northern garrisons day by day, and the cries of battle toward the north have ceased—and this fills me with even greater dread!" Xiao Husi took a drink of wine and began to share his impressions from his mission to the Han.

"It sounds like Commissioner Xiao's journey to the Han this time has left him with deep reflections!" Yelu Wuzhi raised his cup in a toast and spoke.

"Some things are ultimately better seen than heard. Only by walking the path oneself can one truly know the current state of the Han nation!" Xiao Husi replied.

He drank another cup to the dregs, then slowly continued: "The Southern Court today, in my view, is like a fierce tiger or hungry wolf that has temporarily sheathed its claws—eyes closed in feigned slumber, yet never relaxing its sharpening of fangs and talons in the dark. The moment it finishes pacifying the south, it will inevitably turn its vicious claws and fangs toward the Great Liao.

At present, the Southern Court maintains no fewer than thirty thousand troops stationed in Hebei, all commanded by capable generals. They have culled the old and weak, retained the elite, and drilled them year after year without cease. Moreover, An Shenqi, the Prince of Chenliu, serves as overall commander. Though advanced in years, An Shenqi is a veteran of countless campaigns—a lifetime of warfare with few defeats. He is no easy opponent.

If we add the Yan army and the Han troops of Hedong, the combined Han and Yan defensive forces south of Yan and Dai have long numbered no fewer than sixty thousand. In recent years, the Southern Court has repeatedly mobilized troops to campaign against various directions, yet it has never touched its northern forces—and it periodically rotates them, filling the passes with elite soldiers!

From this, one can see how grave the vigilance and defense of the Han court and its ministers are against our dynasty!"

Xiao Husi's account made the expressions of Yelu Wuzhi and Xiao Haili turn solemn. These matters were not entirely unknown to them. In recent years, exchanges between Han and Liao had been constant, with border trade flourishing. Throughout this process, the Great Han had never relaxed its attention on Liao—and had Liao ever relaxed its probing into the Great Han's military and governance? Some things simply cannot be completely hidden, especially the construction of the Great Han's army and border defenses. Much of it was displayed openly, precisely to intimidate Liao.

Yelu Wuzhi said: "The Southern Court's military strength has indeed become very formidable in recent years!"

Xiao Husi nodded and said in a tone of apprehension: "The Southern Court's elite forces today number around two hundred thousand. These Han troops have grown through a decade of successive unification wars, accumulating considerable combat experience. Even compared to our Great Liao's tiger divisions, their fighting power likely would not fall far short. Moreover, over this decade, a great number of generals and commanders have emerged from the Han army—men of valor and heroism, most of whom have been given proper appointments.

Furthermore, the Han ruler has reformed the military system, selected and trained elite troops, and centralized military authority, placing the army firmly under his control. Compared to everything else, this is even more alarming. For decades, the Southern Court was plagued by internal strife, yet no one has surpassed the current Han ruler in his ability to control the military.

With an entire nation and several hundred thousand troops at his disposal, the war-making power he can unleash is far more worthy of vigilance than two hundred thousand elite soldiers alone.

Taking Huainan, absorbing Jinghu, pacifying Chuanshu—beyond seizing cities, territory, and wealth, he has also gained at least eight million people. I am not crying wolf. With so many people, if properly utilized, combined with the existing foundations of the Central Plains and Hebei, arming a million-strong army is not out of the question..."

Hearing this, Xiao Haili could not help but sigh: "For a thousand years, what the Southern Court has been feared for, besides its vast and wealthy territory, is precisely these inexhaustible populations and reserves of grain and wealth!"

Xiao Haili's tone carried a sense of helpless admiration. Even now, in terms of population and economy, the Great Han could already crush Liao. But the contest of national strength was not limited to these alone.

When the Khitan first founded its state, its population was about two million—already the result of unifying all Khitan tribes and conquering the peoples beyond the northern frontier. For a nomadic regime, that was not insignificant. Thereafter, incorporating the lands of Bohai and northern Yan, it developed for over forty years, until the present reign of Yelu Jing, reaching only about three and a half million—merely one-fifth of the Great Han's population.

Of course, for an empire that combined farming and hunting, half-nomadic and half-feudal, relying on such a population base was still enough to wrestle with the Great Han, and sufficient to conscript and arm a great army capable of confronting it.

Therefore, toward the Southern Court's Great Han, Yelu Wuzhi and the others felt apprehension and treated it with caution—but they were not reduced to fear.

"The Southern Court should not be able to organize a million-strong army, and even if it could, with its wisdom, it would not do so. After all, war is not simply a matter of numbers!" Yelu Wuzhi evaluated coolly: "Our Great Liao also has millions of people and three hundred thousand troops—enough to match them!"

Xiao Husi nodded and continued: "This time, as I traveled south from Hebei, the hundreds of prefectures and counties and millions of people there have clearly resumed development, and the hearts of the people have settled. Everywhere I passed, the villagers, during breaks from farming, gathered in groups to drill and practice martial arts. The local officials continuously repaired irrigation canals and dredged waterways. Official, merchant, and civilian boats traveling north and south numbered in the tens of thousands, blotting out the sky. Through the canal, the Southern Court can smoothly transfer troops, grain, and military equipment from the Henan region northward, all the way to the northern passes—even reaching Youzhou..."

"The Southern Court's Kaifeng has also undergone earth-shaking changes compared to seven years ago. The city walls have expanded severalfold, the population approaches one million, merchants from ten thousand directions gather, all industries prosper, and carts, boats, oxen, and horses flow ceaselessly within and without. The wealth and strength of the nation are visible to the naked eye.

They have greatly expanded the capital, building government offices, granaries, and military barracks, making Kaifeng the most majestic and magnificent city in the world. Yet the imperial city and palace have not undergone major changes. When I entered the Han palace, I could still see familiar scenes from years past, with obvious traces of renovation and maintenance throughout."

"From this, one can see that the Han ruler is no ordinary emperor—he may be called a sagely sovereign of grand strategy. What he plots must be a great enterprise. Such a man is far too dangerous for the Great Liao.

Emperor Taizong was able to destroy the Jin back then, but only because the Jin emperor Shi Chonggui was muddle-headed, indulged in pleasure, and could not govern the state or maintain its military. The current Han emperor, compared to the Jin emperor of that time, is like a soaring eagle compared to a short-legged grass rabbit—a difference between heaven and earth."

"Moreover, the Southern Court's civil and military officials include no shortage of capable ministers. Ruler and subjects suit each other well, united as one in seeking peace and order. Laws are strict and clear, observed both within and without. The clarity of governance and the stability of the court have opened a new era, utterly incomparable to the chaos of previous dynasties."

"On their national celebration day, the grandeur of the ceremonies far exceeded imagination. The Tangut, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Dali, Goryeo, and other powers all came bearing gifts to congratulate. I saw the Han emperor seated high in the Chongyuan Hall, receiving the homage of ten thousand, like a great sun towering between heaven and earth—radiant with ten thousand beams of light, so dazzling one dared not look directly."

"As I toured Kaifeng, beyond witnessing the prosperity of the people's livelihood, what astonished me even more was that even the common folk—peddlers and laborers—were all discussing the conquest of Jiangnan and the unification of the south. The hearts of the people are attached, and the will of the populace is set—ten thousand voices, one intent.

One can well imagine that the Southern Court's grand strategy remains the elimination of the remaining small states south of the Yangtze, and it has already reached its final stage. Once it completes its final unification, the Great Liao will face a nearly complete Central Plains empire that has resolved its concerns on other fronts.

At that time, the Great Liao will be the most direct enemy of the Southern Court's Han nation, and they will pour their main energy onto the Great Liao. Should we face such a situation, even with the Great Liao's current strength, it will not be easy to handle..."

Xiao Husi spoke with flying spittle, recounting all his observations, personal impressions, and understanding from his mission to the Han, until his mouth was parched before he stopped. As they listened, the two senior Liao ministers present felt their hearts grow even heavier—a sense of anxiety for their state and people.

"In merely seven or eight years, the Southern Court has become this powerful?" Yelu Wuzhi sighed deeply.

What Xiao Husi said emphasized the greatness of the Great Han's national strength, especially the rise of its military power. Though his descriptions carried a certain exaggerated quality of lavish praise, how many years had it been? Could the Southern Court truly have grown this strong?

Of course, given that Xiao Husi was always cautious in speech and action, the fact that he spoke to such an extent without concealing his shock and apprehension also demonstrated how terrifying the Southern Court had become.

Though they did not know how much the Southern Court's actual situation differed from the mighty Han described by Xiao Husi, one thing Yelu Wuzhi and Xiao Haili both acknowledged and even firmly believed: the great enemy to the south had already grown strong, and would very likely bare its fangs at the Great Liao in the near future.

Under such circumstances, how should the Great Liao respond? They needed to deliberate carefully and repeatedly, then present the correct counsel to the emperor.

But no matter what, the wine and meat at the feast no longer seemed quite so fragrant...