Chapter 898: Yelu Cong's Proposal

Compared to the earth-shattering situation at Tanzhou, the situation in the direction of Juyong Pass appeared far calmer and more peaceful. Unlike the Miyun direction, at Juyong Pass the Han army focused mainly on surveillance, coordinating with the offensive against Tanzhou.

Tanzhou was a position that had to be taken, while Juyong Pass, as one of the Eight Passes of the Taihang Mountains and a great fortress under heaven, was strategically perilous, vastly superior to Miyun in terms of terrain advantages. Moreover, behind Juyong Pass, the Liao army had massed heavy troops ready to provide support at any moment, making it no easy task to breach—and if fortune turned even slightly unfavorable, matters would become dire.

Therefore, although the Han army likewise mobilized its forces in full and launched a grand sortie from Changping, appearing ferocious in momentum, in reality they were extremely cautious and deliberate. Changping was very close to Juyong Pass, only about twenty li away—the two sides could practically see each other under their very noses.

Hence, there was no need to set up separate supply camps; grain, fodder, and military equipment were all stored within Changping city, guarded by Han Hui, Bureau Director of the Ministry of War and concurrently Deputy Transport Commissioner of the field headquarters, who was responsible for dispatch and supply. Han Hui, nicknamed "the Camel," had been in official service for some years now. A rising star at court, he had served continuously in the Ministry of War and was highly regarded by Chancellor Wei Renpu, who instructed and mentored him with tireless personal attention.

Of course, this was not merely because he was Han Tong's son—the main reason was that he genuinely possessed talent. Although his appearance left something to be desired, his insight was extraordinary, and his administrative abilities had been honed through his years in the Ministry of War. This time, he had been selected to accompany the northern expedition and entrusted with a crucial post. As long as he made no mistakes, upon returning to court, promotion, increased honors, and important appointments would come naturally.

Unlike the Miyun side, where the Han army directly assaulted the city gates, encircled and blockaded, seized key thoroughfares, and severed communications with overwhelming pressure, An Shenqi's side, commanding a hundred thousand troops, remained steady as an old dog, not even daring to approach the walls of Juyong Pass too closely. They merely seized Nankou and then made no further progress.

Similar to the situation at Miyun, south of Juyong Pass the Han army was likewise engaged in major construction—erecting sturdy walls and setting up solid fortifications. Though ostensibly on the offensive, they adopted a defensive posture. At the same time, between Changping and Nankou, they built a covered corridor more than ten li long, leveling the road for transporting grain and supplies.

These actions were practically routine for the Han army, and they did not begrudge the expenditure of labor. Faced with this posturing, the Liao army at Juyong Pass did not simply sit idle—they sent cavalry to harass, but just as in previous engagements, while the harassment had some effect, it was minimal.

Moreover, under the Han army's forceful and decisive response, several times the raiders got entangled, and whenever they lingered or retreated too slowly, they found themselves encircled by combined infantry and cavalry. Thus, since the Han army's major sortie from Changping, nearly two thousand Liao cavalrymen who had sallied forth from Juyong Pass had been surrounded and annihilated.

In fact, by this point in the fighting, not to mention the Han army, even the Liao army themselves had realized that they seemed completely suppressed. Relying on iron cavalry to gallop about and strike was entirely ineffective. In field battles, the Han army was in no way inferior—in head-on engagements, relying on infantry-cavalry coordination, the Han army could completely dominate the Liao army.

As for leveraging the cavalry's mobility, small numbers were useless—the several tens of thousands of cavalry that the Han court had spent ten years arming and training had all been dispatched to the front. If the numbers were large, then once they entered the pass, they had to worry about whether they could retreat safely. Han infantry might not be able to catch four legs, but combined with cavalry, fortresses, terrain, and the sheer scale of their army and resources, their suppressive power was overwhelming.

With the Han army's formidable engineering capabilities, a massive and sturdy camp rose from the ground south of Juyong Pass. Once the stockade was completed, there was no further activity whatsoever—not the slightest intention of advancing to attack the Liao army.

Apart from constructing heavy siege equipment and keeping watch on the enemy pass, there was no other movement. And An Shenqi, as the commander, besides commanding his troops, devoted most of his attention to the battle situation at Tanzhou, while also leading men to survey the terrain around Juyong Pass, lavishly praising the majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the scenery...

The Han army south of Juyong Pass seemed to have come for an "outing"—just on a somewhat large scale, and with ill intentions. They neither attacked nor withdrew, which made things quite uncomfortable for the defending Liao army.

Since the Han army's northern expedition began, the Liao army had massed a great number of troops in the Juyong Pass region—nearly fifty thousand men, predominantly cavalry—stationed in the pass city and the Yuanru and Gui regions behind it.

This area had been a battleground for supremacy since ancient times, a strategic defensive stronghold where wars had repeatedly broken out over the millennia. Not to mention distant times, since the late Tang, when heroes carved up the realm and contended for hegemony, the struggle between Hedong and Lulong had basically revolved around this region. Li Keyong had repeatedly launched attacks, intending to seize Youyan by passing through Juyong Pass.

It was precisely because Shi Jingtang was too "generous," giving the Sixteen Prefectures to the Khitan, handing over the strategic mountain passes and formidable defiles with open arms, that he created enormous trouble for those who came after. Of course, while terrain is certainly a strategic chokepoint, once held by the enemy, what ultimately decides the outcome of war is still hard power.

The Liao commander at Juyong Pass was named Yelu Cong, of Khitan imperial descent. He had accompanied Yelu Deguang in the destruction of the Later Jin, had proven his ability, could assess enemy strength, and knew when to advance and when to withdraw. Since the Han army's northern expedition began, frontline operations against the Han had been led jointly by Xiao Siwen and him, coordinating with each other. Overall, they had performed competently.

However, during the period when An Shenqi's army occupied Nankou, his mood had grown quite irritable. First, the Han army's performance made him feel stifled and anxious; second, the strategy for dealing with the enemy coming from the Liao emperor's tent vexed him.

Indeed, Yelu Cong opposed the tactic of fighting a "defensive counterattack"—relying on city and pass defenses to exhaust the Han army's edge and morale. When he learned that it had been proposed by the Great King of the Northern Division, Yelu Wuzhi, he became even more depressed, unable to understand why Yelu Wuzhi, renowned for his wisdom and clear judgment, would offer such a foolish strategy.

Several times he submitted memorials to the Wende headquarters expounding his views, but they were all rejected, with only instructions to defend the pass well. Fortunately, on the twenty-first day of the ninth month, the Liao emperor Yelu Jing personally came east, accompanied by eighty thousand Liao infantry and cavalry. With his arrival, the Liao army strength along the Juyong Pass front suddenly exceeded one hundred thirty thousand.

Upon hearing this news, Yelu Cong was overjoyed. After arranging the defense of Juyong Pass, he rode out of the pass at full speed, heading straight for Huailai, eager to personally pay homage to the Liao emperor.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!" Inside the imperial tent, Yelu Cong successfully obtained an audience with the Liao emperor and performed the grand ceremonial bow.

"You need not stand on ceremony!" Toward such veteran ministers from the Taizong era, Yelu Jing had always shown great courtesy and trust.

He ordered someone to serve him milk tea, then looked at Yelu Cong and inquired: "How stands the defense of Juyong Pass? We have heard that the Han army has not yet launched an attack."

Yelu Cong nodded and said: "From the current situation, the Han army at Nankou is merely feinting—their main axis of attack is Tanzhou and Miyun. After seizing Nankou, they have built extensive defensive stockades, and their intention to bottle us up north of Nankou is quite clear. Your subject surmises that they intend to systematically uproot the Great Liao's strongholds and passes south of the Yan Mountains one by one!"

Hearing this, Yelu Jing's expression turned somewhat grave. He thought it over seriously, then looked at Yelu Cong and said solemnly: "You have submitted several memorials arguing, on military strategy, that the Great Liao should not adopt a defensive posture but should instead base itself on offense. We have come here in person precisely to hear your views directly!"

"That is exactly what Your subject wishes to report to Your Majesty!" Seeing the Liao emperor's attitude, Yelu Cong immediately said: "In this northern expedition, the Han army has mobilized over a million men and resources—their momentum is fierce and their edge unstoppable. The Great Liao certainly cannot afford to meet them head-on in pitched battle. However, if we adopt a defensive posture, hoping to repel the enemy through fortification and outlast them in attrition, Your subject truly cannot agree!"

Glancing at Yelu Jing and seeing that he was listening attentively, Yelu Cong's thinking grew clearer and he continued more composedly: "Since ancient times, southerners excel at siege and defense, while northerners excel at horsemanship, archery, and hunting. The Great Liao army is built around iron cavalry. If we make our bow-wielding warriors huddle inside cities and passes, waiting for the Han army to attack, would that not be crippling our own strength and playing to our weaknesses?

The Han army, by contrast, is primarily infantry—formation warfare and city fighting are their forte. Allowing them to arrive at our walls at leisure, fully prepared, and then launch their assault would be letting them play to their strengths against our weaknesses—truly inadvisable!

Your subject has long heard that the Han army's armor and weapons are sharp and sturdy, and that they have prepared massive siege engines in great quantity. If we insist on holding fast, it will be difficult to guarantee no loss. Take Juyong Pass—though the terrain is strategically vital and the fortress is said to be solid, it cannot accommodate many troops, and its defenses favor the northern side. Now that the Han army attacks from Nankou in the south, it cannot serve as an unbreakable reliance for our forces."

Pausing briefly, Yelu Cong continued: "Even if our defense holds and proves effective, with the Han army unable to advance an inch, a prolonged standoff with them would be an even worse strategy.

This time, to resist the Han army, Your Majesty has mustered troops on a grand scale, from west to east, mobilizing three hundred thousand men. With an army of three hundred thousand, the daily consumption of rations and fodder is enormous—given the Great Liao's current national strength, how long can we sustain such a force?

The Han army is different—their manpower and resources are so abundant that the time they can sustain is truly incalculable. If we engage in a protracted war of attrition, hoping to tire out and exhaust the Han army, Your subject fears that in the end we will not only fail to achieve our goal, but instead play right into their hands..."

Yelu Cong's arguments—the former points—had already been clearly laid out in his earlier memorials, and it was precisely out of these concerns that Yelu Jing's attitude had shifted, prompting him to personally lead the army here.

After pondering for a while, Yelu Jing asked: "According to your view, defense is insufficient, but if we base ourselves on offense, how should we attack? Can we defeat the Han army in a head-on confrontation?"

To this, Yelu Cong replied: "Your Majesty, the Han army is vast and powerful—their actual mobilization, military and civilian combined, absolutely exceeds five hundred thousand—truly formidable. However, the cost of supplying the military needs and logistics of these five hundred thousand is beyond imagination, and the key lies in their supply lines! If we can strike at their supply routes, no matter how numerous their troops, what is there to fear? And this is precisely where the Great Liao's iron cavalry excels—this is where our strengths should be displayed and brought into play!"

Hearing this, Yelu Jing's brows knitted deeply, and a hesitant expression appeared on his face as he responded: "Previously, the iron cavalry rode south, raiding and killing through Youyan, and the Han and Yan armies and civilians resisted with all their might, fighting bitterly for over forty days. Has it not already been proven that the results were poor and our losses were considerable?"

To this, Yelu Cong said solemnly: "Your Majesty, Your subject believes that the failure of that earlier venture lay in the insufficient strength of the raiding force. Even so, the damage inflicted on the Han and Yan armies and civilians of Youyan was considerable.

Now that Your Majesty personally leads a great army on a southern hunt, if we can execute a grand strategy—concentrating our forces to strike at their supply lines, attacking their rear, and spreading the flames of war into Hebei—then through plains warfare, tangling with the Han army on that ground, how could the Great Liao fear them? This too would be using our strengths to attack their weaknesses!"