Chapter 890: A Team of Famous Generals

Stone City was only a small town. Liao had established a county here merely as a foothold, to expand Luanping's influence and strengthen control over the surrounding region. The city walls were low, the garrison small, and the population sparse. The rebel Wang Lin was a local strongman; his grandfather had been a junior officer under Liu Shouguang of the Jie Yan regime, and his father had served as an officer under Lu Long Military Governor Zhao Dejun during the Later Tang, dying in battle against the Khitan.

When the Later Jin was established and Yanyun was ceded, he followed Zhao Yanshou in surrendering to Liao, and remained there until now. It could be said that Wang Lin was a typical Han military-officer-landlord of the Youyan region. This great war between Han and Liao, no matter the outcome, had dealt a de facto shock to these Han people under Liao rule, especially those Han bureaucrats and junior officers of some standing.

The times surged, the winds shifted, and hearts stirred. A man like Wang Lin chose to rebel against Liao and return to Han, and at the critical moment stabbed Gao Mohan in the back. Gathering local heroes and Han soldiers under his command, he killed the Khitan officers, ultimately sending a great Liao general to his death — head severed from body.

After entering the city, Ma Quanyi and the others treated Wang Lin and his men with courtesy, expressing high praise for their righteous act. They especially commended Wang Lin's story, saying that to avenge his father, he raised his sword against the Hu — a double act of righteousness.

However, this was clearly only the surface. If Wang Lin truly harbored a desire for revenge, how could he have served as a docile subject of the Khitan for twenty years, holding office and commanding troops for them? Even if in his early years he was forced to submit by their overwhelming power, when Zhao Yanshou raised his banner at Youzhou and countless heroes of the Yan region responded, why did he not lead his men to follow and fight the Khitan then?

The real reason lay in the fact that this time, the Great Han had come with overwhelming force and formidable strength. Moreover, Wang Lin was among the more down-and-out of those Han military landlords — after twenty years of scrambling, he had only risen to command a single county's troops, utterly incomparable to top-tier Han families of Liao like the Han clan or the Geng clan.

Add to that the fact that, being fellow Han, there was naturally some emotional affinity — though of course, that was the least important reason, something to be trotted out when the occasion suited.

Before the crude government hall, a dozen or so officers of the puppet army stood in disarray, dejected and hangdog, surrounded by dozens of elite Han soldiers standing at attention. Ma Quanyi, Li Hanqiong, and Ma Renyu, the three commanders, stood on the steps, sizing up these Han officers.

Ma Renyu, known for his chivalrous spirit, stared at them and said with indignation: "You people have been in Liao for a long time, serving the Khitan as slaves and maids, paying grain to Liao, fighting for them — can you still speak Chinese?"

Ma Renyu's overbearing manner made no one dare meet his gaze. One of the leading officers stepped forward of his own accord, clasped his hands, and replied with faltering confidence: "General, we too are sons of Han, of course we can speak our national tongue."

"Ha!" Ma Renyu sneered. "I thought you could only speak the Khitan language by now!"

Ma Renyu was no more than twenty-six, but he had served in the army for twelve or thirteen years, weathered countless battles, and earned distinguished merit. He now held the rank of Longjie Army commander — a young and fierce general, like a sword at full sharpness, its edge impossible to withstand. These surrendered officers had mostly seen Ma Renyu galloping across the field, cutting down men like hemp, so hearing his angry words, most of them trembled with fear.

Xin'an Army Commander Li Hanqiong also spoke, his expression stern and severe, his words concise and his tone harsh: "Since you are Han, why did you not raise your blades against the Hu, but instead aided them in their tyranny and fought against the imperial army?"

Facing this accusation, the leading officer sighed: "We are all abandoned men, our lives and families in the hands of others, like arrows held in another's grip — we had no choice!"

"Men like you, following the Hu barbarians, ravaging Youyan, slaughtering Han people — you deserve death!" Ma Quanyi stepped forward, his tiger eyes blazing with intimidating light, and declared in a ringing voice: "But considering you were not masters of your own fate, you may be spared death. Now there is a sage Son of Heaven, who to wash away twenty years of shame for the Han, raises an army to punish Liao, leading a million troops north to strike the foe, determined to recover the passes and mountains and break their army. The day the edict was issued, the soldiers of the three armies cheered and leaped; the heroes of Yan and Zhao answered with fervor; men of ambition from all directions raised their heads to the north, eagerly awaiting news of the imperial army's victory.

The coming of the heavenly army is like a mountain crushing eggs, a torrent in full flood. The sons of Han rouse their martial might — how much longer can the Hu barbarians run rampant? You remnant people of the old lands — if you do not change your banners and return to the right path, abandoning Liao for Han, do you still intend to sell your lives for the Khitan, until you die with no place even to be buried?"

Ma Quanyi's words had in fact already shown these Han officers the clear path — only by submitting to the Great Han and redeeming their crimes through merit could they survive. These Han officers naturally understood, and immediately knelt, expressing their willingness to abandon darkness for light, return to the Great Han, and serve the Han army.

Only then did Ma Quanyi reveal a satisfied smile. He immediately arranged for them to return to the prisoner camp, to persuade the puppet troops, calm their morale, and encourage them toward sincere submission. He also provided medical care and medicine, allocated a portion of grain to them, and sent several propaganda officers from the army into their camp to conduct ideological reformation.

"General Ma, can these prisoners be trusted?" After handling the surrender matters, the three Han generals conferred in the hall, and Ma Renyu could not help asking, his tone betraying doubt.

"What does Young General Ma think?"

In the Han army, Ma Renyu's reputation as "Young General Ma" had already been established, and with Ma Quanyi as the "Old Ma" around, he was addressed this way. Ma Renyu did not feel belittled by it.

Meeting Ma Quanyi's gaze, Ma Renyu said: "These surrendered troops are Han, but in the end they have long been under Khitan rule, influenced by barbarian customs, and their families are still under Liao army control. Though they have been defeated and captured, if you say they have therefore turned their hearts to the Great Han and will serve it loyally — I don't believe it!"

Hearing this, Ma Quanyi could not help but smile: "Young General Ma is not only brave in battle and bold in strategy, but also quite perceptive!"

Beside them, Li Hanqiong maintained his expressionless face, his voice calm to the point of coldness: "Since they have surrendered, it's no longer up to them. These prisoners can be treated differently — those registered in Luanping can be absorbed into the army to replenish losses, and when we advance east later, they can serve as vanguard. As for those of Liaodong registration, arrange them for labor duties for now."

Li Hanqiong was also one of the rising stars of the Han army in recent years. He was just past thirty, powerfully built, with astonishing strength, a valiant elite. He was a serious man by nature, with a cold and unyielding temperament, and extremely skilled in combat.

Looking at Li Hanqiong's indifferent expression, Ma Quanyi felt a pang of emotion. To speak with great irreverence, this temperament somewhat resembled the Qianyou Emperor in his youth.

Ma Quanyi then said: "His Majesty once said that under Liao rule there are several hundred thousand Han people. If we can turn them back to the Great Han's service, it would be a tremendous blow to Liao. This time, though we have accepted the surrender of only these fifteen hundred men, it is a good beginning. If handled well, the effect will be incalculable.

With these men as an example, in future battles the Khitan will not dare fully trust their Han soldiers, and the Han soldiers will no longer fight to the death for them. A local strongman like Wang Lin is clear proof — among the various peoples of Liao, hearts can never truly be united!"

Valor had always been Ma Quanyi's defining quality, but beyond that, he also used his head. In his early years following Liu Chengyou, he had repeatedly offered strategic advice, and from that time Liu Chengyou knew he was a commander of great potential.

Through years of garrison duty at Yongqing, his leadership and decision-making abilities had been honed, and he had developed a solid grasp of the bigger picture and strategic vision. This northern expedition boasted a luxurious command lineup for the Great Han, but what was truly luxurious were these commanders serving as the backbone of the army. Among all the forces, famous generals were piled up — for Liu Chengyou, this was truly a rich man's war, with no worry at all about lacking capable men.

Hearing this, Ma Renyu fell into thought. On the other side, Li Hanqiong said in a low voice: "If because of their surrender, Liao punishes or kills their families, then we need not fear them harboring second thoughts!"

Hearing this, both Mas could not help glancing at him, noticing Li Hanqiong's ice-like, unyielding expression, and both felt a slight chill. This man was indeed ruthless. In fact, Li Hanqiong's words revealed that there were still many means available for dealing with those puppet troops.

And for those puppet troops, they had been powerless in Liao, and they were equally powerless in Han. Their situation was destined to be awkward, unless Han and Liao reached a definitive resolution.

However, Ma Quanyi had no intention of dwelling on Li Hanqiong's words. From the bottom of his heart, he was unwilling to play such schemes. After thinking for a moment, he said: "Let us discuss our next move!"

"General Ma, speak directly!" Li Hanqiong replied concisely and forcefully again.

Clearly, among the three Han generals present, Ma Quanyi was the principal. Setting aside his relationship with the Emperor, even on seniority alone, he was enough to overawe the other two.

Ma Quanyi did not put on false modesty. A snake cannot move without a head, let alone an army — he naturally should not shirk responsibility. After brief consideration, Ma Quanyi said: "After the main army moved north, the Liao forces pulled back into full defensive posture. We were ordered east in pursuit, intending to destroy a portion of the eastern Liao army, but unexpectedly we cut down Gao Mohan in battle.

The eastern Liao army was mainly composed of Han, Xi, and Balhae soldiers. After the battle at Stone City, the Liao army suffered heavy losses, morale was shaken, and spirits were low. I intend to temporarily station here to rest and reorganize, and request from field headquarters permission to advance east and attack the three prefectures of Luanping camp, take the Lulong region, seal off Yu Pass, and completely split the Liao army apart. If we can find an opportunity to pass through the Yu Pass road and attack the Liaodong region, that would deal an even heavier blow to the Liao army!"

After hearing Ma Quanyi's plan, Ma Renyu's face lit up with eagerness. This was a strategy of dividing forces, and in a detached force lay a fine opportunity to build merit — he immediately expressed agreement.

Li Hanqiong then said: "Our three armies combined now number less than seven thousand infantry and cavalry. Even adding the prisoners, we don't reach ten thousand. Our strength is too thin — enough to defend, not enough to attack. Though the eastern Liao army was defeated, they still outnumber us, and we cannot predict whether they have reinforcements coming. To accomplish our objectives, we need reinforcements, secure our supply lines, and guarantee the provision of grain and weapons!"

"What General Li says is quite right!" Ma Quanyi fully agreed with Li Hanqiong's assessment. Looking at the two men, he produced a military report and said: "I intend to write to field headquarters, requesting the Prince of Chenliu. Would the two of you be willing to sign with me?"

Ma Renyu immediately nodded, while Li Hanqiong extended his hand: "Bring the brush!"