Chapter 870: Head-On Clash

Baicao Pass, located at the northern end of the Yanmen road, was one of the eighteen perilous defiles of Yanmen and a crucial link in the Yanmen defense system. Two forts had been built there, one to the south and one to the north, one low and one high, arranged in layers, jagged and imposing—like two savage beasts fused with the mountain ridges, baring fangs and claws, guarding the road that led south through Yanmen.

Outside the pass, over ten thousand cavalry and infantry had already halted for a full eight days. At first, Yelu Dilie had personally surveyed the terrain of Baicao Pass and the Han army's garrison forts. Fearing their sturdiness and the Han army's preparedness, he had not rashly launched an attack.

The Liao army had arrived at the pass with hostile intent, and Yang Ye naturally responded with firmness, personally going to the northern fort. Facing the menacing Liao army, Yang Ye also took the initiative to send envoys to the Liao camp, asking their purpose and issuing a stern warning: this move by the Liao army damaged Han–Liao relations, and for the sake of peace between the two states, he requested they withdraw their troops.

This slightly conciliatory rhetoric only emboldened Yelu Dilie's arrogance. He immediately replied to the Han envoy, saying that he had come because he had heard that ferocious tigers were prowling in the Gouzhu and Yanmen area, and had come specially to hunt. As for any disturbance caused, he asked Yang Ye not to be alarmed and to forgive him. He also said that if Yang Ye was interested, he should lead his troops out of the pass and hunt tigers together with him. To display his magnanimity, he even personally hosted a banquet in his camp for the Han army's envoy, then courteously saw him back to his fort.

After this bout of "friendly" exchange between the two sides, they sharpened their blades and prepared for battle, the grim atmosphere of war growing ever thicker. As the defender, Yang Ye had it much easier—he only needed to mobilize troops and weapons, watch the defenses at the northern pass, and keep a firm eye on the Liao army's movements.

Yelu Dilie, however, was different. He bore the pressure of attack, and that pressure came from within himself—from his fiery, ambitious heart eager to win merit. Facing the Han army's defenses, after only four days, Yelu Dilie could no longer contain himself. He dispatched the prefectural and county troops under his command, armed with siege equipment half-requisitioned and half-hastily built, to assault the forts.

Compared to culture, technology and Han captives had done more to elevate the Khitan's national strength, and this was most directly reflected in their equipment. Within the Liao army, besides the Pishi Army and the tribal troops, there was also a certain number of prefectural and county troops, composed mainly of Balhae people and Han who had entered Liao. In those years, having tasted the bitterness of failing to take Youzhou by assault, in recent years the Liao army had strengthened its siege units and siege equipment.

The Battle of Baicao Pass began, fittingly enough, as a fight between Han and Han troops. The outcome was naturally no surprise—the Liao army suffered a complete defeat. Since ancient times, storming a fortified pass had always been the last resort of the desperate, let alone attacking a perilous stronghold defended by elite troops. They left behind over two hundred corpses before the Han army's garrison forts, while the Han army merely shot arrows out through the fort's arrow slits.

Yelu Dilie's probing attack ended in failure, and it also proved two things: first, that a strong assault was indeed inadvisable when the enemy was prepared; and second, that the Han soldiers were not to be relied upon. The Han people of the Yun and Shuo regions, even though they had entered Liao over twenty years ago, had never severed contact with those south of the frontier, so their sense of identity in ethnicity, bloodline, and culture had not completely dissipated.

Han people who submitted to Liao would not rashly rebel, and could register as soldiers, but to make them fight desperately and throw away their lives in a southward campaign—that was impossible without paying some price.

Follow the public account

The initial defeat was somewhat disheartening, but it was still within Yelu Dilie's expectations. However, as time dragged on with no progress and no one above or below could think of another way, his mood grew increasingly irritable.

"Is there another route we can take to go around?" Inside the main tent, Yelu Dilie asked his subordinate generals. With this road blocked, he clearly wanted to find another way.

The general, a commander who had garrisoned the frontier for years and had some knowledge of the terrain to the south, shared what he knew: "Of all the Yanmen fortifications, only this road provides the most convenient access to the commanding heights of Yanmen Pass. Everywhere else is even more perilous than here, and the Han army has built forts there as well..."

"As you say, if I want to take the pass, I can only storm it through this road?" Yelu Dilie's brows knitted together.

"If the Han army defends to the death, a strong assault will cost heavy casualties and may not even succeed. It's not advisable!" said Yelu Sagei, the deputy general sent by Yelu Jing.

Glancing at him, Yelu Dilie's expression turned somewhat gloomy. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Great King, before we departed, His Majesty warned that we must not launch a strong assault, but should seek out the Han army's weaknesses to fight. Better to wait patiently for now and look for an opportunity!" Yelu Sagei advised.

Hearing this, Yelu Dilie was immediately displeased, annoyed that the man was using the Liao emperor to pressure him. He said at once: "Do you all think that I led the army south truly for hunting? The enemy's pass may be sturdy, but just because a paltry two hundred Han soldiers died, am I supposed to become timid and hesitant?"

It was already May, and the scorching heat—always detested by northern peoples—only added to Yelu Dilie's irritability. Forcing down the turmoil in his heart, Yelu Dilie pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said: "If we could find a way to lure the Han army out of their forts..."

"How do we lure them out?"

Right—how to lure the enemy out? Feigned defeat, feigned withdrawal... Many ideas passed through Yelu Dilie's mind, but though schemes might exist, pulling them off well and actually realizing them was no easy matter, and the initiative always remained in the Han army's hands.

Yelu Dilie finally realized that coming south this time to win merit and establish himself was no easy task. Alone on a single road with no overwhelming strength, how could he defeat the enemy and achieve glory?

While Yelu Dilie and his men racked their brains, carefully planning how to draw the Han army out of Baicao Pass without exposing any flaw, on the third day of the fifth month, a report suddenly arrived: the Han army had taken the initiative to march out of the pass.

Upon hearing this, Yelu Dilie was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. He personally led three thousand cavalry out of camp to survey the enemy situation. Before Baicao Pass, he could clearly see roughly two thousand Han troops, their backs to the pass ridge, formed into a crescent battle formation—swords, shields, spears, and crossbows, all arms combined, tight and orderly. Though not numerous, they radiated immense might.

Seeing the Liao troops approach, Yang Ye again sent a rider with a swift message, saying that he had come out of the pass by invitation, wishing to hunt together with Yelu Dilie. Upon reading the message, Yelu Dilie laughed heartily and intensified his observation of the Han formation, only to find it clearly arranged as if waiting for him to attack.

The formation, back against the steep ridge, was fully bared of its edge—a bristling forest of spears that inspired fear. Such a formation was exactly what steppe cavalry hated most. Yelu Dilie's brows rose high at the sight. Though he had no real combat experience, he had basic knowledge, and said at once: "So that's why the Han army dared to come out! These southerners are always fond of arranging these square and circular formations, hiding themselves under a turtle shell, making it hard to get a bite in!"

"The Han army has few men and can only form up to resist. That Yang Ye daring to come out shows real courage, but I fear he has some scheme!" Yelu Sagei advised from the side: "Look at the Han army's posture—they're waiting for us to attack. The Great King need not pay them any mind, and the Han army's scheme will surely come to nothing!"

"No!" Yelu Dilie was full of high spirits and said confidently: "Pass the order—move all troops from camp to the front of the formation, prepare to attack! The Han army has taken the initiative to come out; how could the warriors of the Great Liao show any fear? Otherwise we'd only give the southerners cause for mockery!"

Hearing this, Yelu Sagei couldn't help but speak in a persuading tone: "Great King—"

"I don't care what schemes that Yang Ye has. Is attacking his formation really harder than attacking his forts? Since he's come out, this is my chance to break the enemy and win merit!" Yelu Dilie's eyes blazed as he declared loudly: "Besides, out here in the open field, the iron cavalry of the Great Liao stands undefeated. Why should we be so full of misgivings?"

"The Pishi Army is the most elite force of the Great Liao. As its Xiangwen, how can you be so timid and hesitant?" Yelu Dilie couldn't help but lash out at Yelu Sagei: "His Majesty sent you to assist me in winning merit, not to teach me how to fight!"

Being dressed down like this by Yelu Dilie, Yelu Sagei's expression darkened. They were both Khitan imperial clansmen—your title of Prince of Anping might be nobler, but what right did you have to humiliate him so? Still, mindful of the other's status, he dared not argue.

Soon, under Yelu Dilie's orders, the Liao camp's infantry and cavalry all marched out, arraying themselves before the Han formation at Baicao Pass in a semi-encircling formation, facing them from a distance.

Beneath the clear sky, amid white clouds and green fields, seven years had passed since the last clash—and now, a head-on collision between Han and Liao was about to unfold.