Chapter 867: Turning Point

Among the ministers present, there was no shortage of those versed in military affairs. After briefly considering Yelu Jing's opinion, the Great King of the Southern Division, Yelu Talie, rose and said: "Since the Yingli era began, the Great Liao has not engaged in any battle of more than 500 men with the southern dynasty. How our respective combat strength and capabilities truly compare does indeed require testing and verification."

"Your Majesty's consideration already has the effect of surprise, and may serve to confuse the southern dynasty. At the same time, if our army suddenly strikes and marches south to knock on their passes, the Han will surely not be prepared."

"It can be done!"

"However, the Hedong region has complex terrain and perilous passes, unfavorable for the Great Liao's cavalry to deploy. Moreover, it is defended by elite troops and able generals of the Han state. Without a large army, achieving significant results or breaking through will not be easy."

"Of course, if it is merely to coordinate with the operations in Youzhou, it is worth attempting!"

Yelu Talie's words laid out his views on dispatching troops to Yanmen. From what he said, it was clear that after years of holding the southern front, he had a certain understanding of the Han army's situation to the south. In summary: it could be attempted, but one should not hold too much hope.

On Yelu Jing's side, he clearly had no desire for a single decisive blow—his thinking was mostly exploratory. Thus he accepted Yelu Talie's analysis and directly asked: "Who can lead troops to Yanmen?"

Yelu Talie volunteered: "I believe I am fairly familiar with the Yanmen region and am willing to lead troops south!"

Looking at Yelu Talie's aged yet still robust body, Yelu Jing was somewhat moved, but considering his years, he could not help hesitating. After all, the man was nearly sixty—if anything went wrong on the battlefield, he would regret it. Yelu Talie was a rare figure among Khitan nobles who excelled in both civil and military affairs, possessed outstanding insight, and could bear great responsibility. In recent years at Yunzhou, he had nurtured the army and people, accumulated livestock, and stockpiled grain, achieving tremendous results. Such a pillar of the state being used for a probing side operation seemed a waste of his talents.

Before Yelu Jing could finish deliberating, the emperor's younger brother Yelu Dilie stepped forward with an eager expression: "Why trouble the Great King of the Southern Division to take the field himself? I am willing to lead a force south and test the mettle of the Han army!"

His attention drawn, Yelu Jing's brow immediately furrowed. He looked at his young brother and said directly: "You have never fought in a war and lack understanding of the southern dynasty's situation. How could you command an army alone?"

Hearing this, Yelu Dilie naturally took offense. Stiffening his neck, he declared loudly: "We Khitan men are warriors upon reaching adulthood. Every able-bodied male of the Great Liao enters the military register at fifteen. As a prince of the imperial clan, I am no exception—I should set an example and render merit for the Great Liao. In my daily hunting, I direct operations and drill formations. This march south, I shall treat as a hunting expedition..."

Yelu Dilie's speech, aside from being loud, was also full of bold spirit and high ambition. This confident bearing was quite infectious.

However, Yelu Jing's eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up this younger brother. If his intelligence was not mistaken, this one had recently been drawing rather close to certain people.

Yelu Deguang had five sons in total, the eldest being Yelu Jing himself. The third son, in the early years during Yelu Ruan's reign, had participated in a rebellion and was executed while still young. The second son, in the third year of Yelu Jing's Yingli era, had plotted rebellion to seize power and was exiled to the northwestern regions. The fifth son was still young. The fourth son was this Yelu Dilie. Also a son of Taizong, now grown, he too seemed to be growing restless.

Looking at Yelu Dilie's eager display of volunteering, Yelu Jing hesitated for a moment before saying: "Since you are determined to render merit, I shall give you this opportunity!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hearing this, Yelu Dilie was overjoyed, practically itching to go.

"Don't celebrate too early!" Yelu Jing said sternly. "There are several points you must remember. First, this march south is for containment and probing—you must not fight to the death with the Han army. Second, you have no experience commanding troops alone, so I shall send seasoned generals to assist you, and you must heed their advice. Third, the Han army is no weak force, and their generals are no mediocrities—do not underestimate the enemy or grow careless!"

"Yes! I understand!" Facing his imperial elder brother's earnest instruction and admonition, Yelu Dilie gave it a moment's thought and agreed readily.

Giving Yelu Dilie another look, Yelu Jing thought for a moment and continued his instructions: "Are there not many southern garrison tribes in the Yun and Shuo prefectures who are dissatisfied with the southern dynasty? Then conscript 5,000 tribal soldiers and transfer 3,000 prefectural troops, all under Basujin's command for the march south!"

Yelu Jing said to the excited Yelu Dilie: "I shall also have the Pishi Xiangwen Yelu Sagei lead 2,000 Pishi Army soldiers to accompany you south and assist you. You must coordinate well with him!"

"Yes!"

In this manner, Yelu Jing had given Yelu Dilie a force of ten thousand men, and the deployment of two thousand Pishi Army troops in particular showed the importance he placed on this operation. The Liao state's Pishi Army was similar in nature to the Great Han's imperial army, and was relied upon even more heavily than the Central Plains' imperial troops. The mobilization of the Pishi Army also reflected from the side that at this moment, Yelu Jing had already made his final decision regarding the relationship between Han and Liao.

Of course, those two thousand Pishi Army soldiers, besides providing a safety net for Yelu Dilie, were not without an element of surveillance. These imperial clansmen and royal relatives genuinely gave Yelu Jing a headache. With a great enemy to the south, he did not want constant internal rebellions, yet there were always those who would rise to challenge his throne and authority.

Toward others, he could be hard and ruthless, but toward his own brothers, he still hoped they could be of one mind.

Yelu Dilie accepted the orders and withdrew in high spirits to prepare for the campaign. Inside the great tent, Yelu Wuzhi rose and said with slight hesitation: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Anping is after all still very young. Letting him command an army alone—is that perhaps..."

Yelu Wuzhi did not say it outright, and there was a hint of Monday-morning quarterbacking about it, but his hesitant attitude was clear enough. Hearing this, Yelu Jing raised a hand and said: "When I was twenty, I too already led troops on campaign. As for Basujin's march south this time, I care not about success or failure. If an eaglet wishes to spread its wings and soar, it must be released to weather the storms!"

Since the Liao emperor had spoken thus, Yelu Wuzhi could hardly offer more remonstrance—otherwise he would risk suspicion of sowing discord among the imperial kin, and if word reached Yelu Dilie's ears, it would likely cause trouble.

Having said this, Yelu Jing turned to Xiao Husi: "Northern Commissioner, on the Hedong front, I shall have Basujin make a great commotion. Next, on the Youzhou front, it will be up to your methods! I shall add 5,000 elite troops, secretly dispatched to Juyong Pass, to coordinate with you!"

"Your servant will give his all!" Xiao Husi said solemnly.

"Good!" Yelu Jing laughed. "I shall remain here in Yunzhong and await your reports of victory!"

Having finished his arrangements, Yelu Jing then adopted an exceptionally grave expression and said: "Regarding the Youzhou scheme, whether it succeeds or fails, once hostilities begin, the Han state will inevitably react violently. The course of events may not follow our expectations, but gentlemen, from this night onward, the Great Liao must begin preparations for war—preparations for an all-out war against Han!"

"Yes!" With the emperor so serious, the several ministers naturally responded with equal gravity.

Having finished discussing the important matters of military and state strategy, Yelu Jing could not help stretching and said to his ministers: "Today we hunted, drank, and deliberated for so long. I am weary—all of you may withdraw!"

"Your servants take their leave!" Seeing that Yelu Jing clearly wanted to sleep, Yelu Wuzhi and the others tactfully withdrew.

For them, the purpose of this night's tent-council meeting had been achieved. The emperor's attitude had been made clear, and the state's next strategic direction was set. This was also extremely important for the entire Great Liao.

In fact, this Liao court council meeting carried enormous significance. It was a turning point in the relations between the two states—representing a change in Liao's strategic policy toward Han, representing the end of peace between Han and Liao, representing the beginning of a collision between two great empires of East Asia. It even concerned the East Asian order for decades or even a century to come, and affected the course of development of the entire world...

On the surface, it seemed that it was simply because Xiao Husi had made one diplomatic mission to Kaifeng, and upon his return north, everything abruptly changed.

That night, Yelu Jing rarely suffered from insomnia. He thought about many things.

There was deliberation over the Yan scheme—would it succeed, could Zhao Siwan be trusted, what if the Yan army received early warning? If it succeeded, how would the Han dynasty react, and from where would their counterattack come? If it failed, how would this conflict between Liao and Han be concluded, or would it directly enter a stage of full-scale war? Was the Great Liao truly ready? Would the tribes and the people support it?

The Han-Liao war, the future of the Khitan—a series of questions churned endlessly through Yelu Jing's mind......