Chapter 917: Yelu Wuzhi's True Suggestion

The imperial council meeting ended in a somewhat oppressive atmosphere, but at least a major decision had been made—withdraw westward to Wende to temporarily escape the predicament.

The ministers took their leave to prepare the arrangements for comforting the troops and the withdrawal. For an army that had just suffered defeat, this too was a matter requiring careful preparation. Emperor Yelu Jing of Liao sat in the hall, his expression extremely unpleasant, his face dark and gloomy.

In fact, given the Liao army's current situation, although it was not optimistic, it was far from hopeless. In the Huailai region, there were still over a hundred thousand troops. With proper handling, restoring morale, and resting and rebuilding combat strength, they could still put up a fight.

At the same time, although the Han army's offensive capability was formidable, the barrier of the Yan Mountains still had to be crossed, and fighting across the mountains was no simple matter—especially as time dragged on and winter deepened, conditions would become even more unfavorable for combat.

The Liao army, for its part, could take some proactive measures—for example, while firmly holding Juyong Pass, dispatch troops to seal off the mountain passes and surround and starve out Li Chongjin's army controlling Jin Mountain.

Of course, this was only one possibility. If the Liao army did this, what consequences it would bring, what impact it would create, and how the Han army would respond—all of these were uncertain matters.

However, once the choice was made to withdraw westward, it would prove that the current rulers of Liao truly held no hope of fighting the Han army. This was probably the impact brought by the defeat at Nankou.

Just as Yelu Jing himself had said—if they voluntarily abandoned the reliance of the Yan Mountains defense line, then once the Han army crossed the mountains, how could they rely on the cities west of the mountains to defend and withstand the Han army's offensive?

Therefore, although he had agreed to Yelu Wuzhi's suggestion, Yelu Jing still harbored doubts in his heart and was extraordinarily depressed. And the more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.

His face dark and brooding, he sat in deep thought, and before he knew it, mealtime had arrived. Two close attendants carefully carried in a jug of wine, a platter of roasted mutton, and some tea snacks, preparing to serve the Liao emperor his meal.

Perhaps because Yelu Jing's expression was too dark and cold, the attendants were extremely nervous under the intimidation. One of them, while arranging things, trembled and spilled wine onto the table.

Yelu Jing abruptly turned his head, his sharp gaze falling on the attendant like a knife. The man's face went pale, startled out of his wits, and he hastily knelt down, begging for forgiveness.

Seeing this, Yelu Jing smiled instead. He stood up, a flash of murderous intent flickering across his stern face, drew the treasured saber from his waist, and chopped straight at the attendant's neck.

With a scream, the head hit the ground, blood splattering everywhere—staining Yelu Jing's clothes and splashing onto the other eunuch's face. This commotion immediately alerted the imperial guards outside. A guard officer led several soldiers bursting in, and what they saw was this scene:

The Liao emperor held a blood-stained blade in his hand, his breathing somewhat uneven, with a headless corpse lying at his feet and the head rolled off to the side, hideous and terrifying. A eunuch knelt nearby, trembling with terror, kowtowing incessantly and begging for his life.

The guard soldiers were all stunned by this. Yelu Jing took a deep breath, discarded the saber in his hand, looked around, and without offering any explanation, simply ordered flatly: "Clean this place up!"

Having killed a man, the murderous aura on Yelu Jing's face dissipated, and the depression in his heart seemed to ease considerably. His eyes regained their clarity once more, and his thoughts became much clearer.

After thinking for a moment, Yelu Jing summoned the guard officer and ordered: "Go, bring the Great King of the Northern Division here!"

Yelu Wuzhi had only just left not long ago, and being summoned back alone made him feel somewhat puzzled. Upon returning, he happened to see the guard soldiers carrying out a corpse. Seeing this, he hastily stopped them and inquired about the situation. The guards actually didn't know the specifics either and dared not speak carelessly, only vaguely revealing a bit—the emperor had personally killed one of his close attendants...

His slightly furrowed brow relaxed, and Yelu Wuzhi subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought some accident had occurred. After all, during this period, Yelu Wuzhi had been highly vigilant against the undercurrents beneath the Liao emperor's throne and those with treacherous intentions.

By the time he saw the Liao emperor, he had already changed clothes, and the hall had been cleaned thoroughly—even the smell of blood had been eliminated, covered by the scent of incense.

"May I ask what Your Majesty's orders are for your servant?" Yelu Wuzhi entered and bowed respectfully, strictly observing the rites of a subject.

Gesturing for Yelu Wuzhi to sit, Yelu Jing looked at him, appearing deep in thought. After organizing his words for a moment, he finally looked straight at him and said in a low voice: "In the military council just now, all the ministers offered their opinions. Although I have also decided to withdraw westward to temporarily avoid the Han army's edge, there is still no overall strategy for how to deal with this northern expedition of the Han army—how to repel the enemy remains unresolved!"

Clearly, Yelu Jing could see some things very clearly. His expression was especially serious as he said to Yelu Wuzhi: "I always feel that Your Excellency held something back in your earlier counsel and did not speak your full mind! Now that it is only the two of us, ruler and subject, I beg Your Excellency not to withhold your guidance!"

Facing the Liao emperor's question, Yelu Wuzhi was rather taken aback, but after noting his gaze, he sighed inwardly, rose, and said solemnly with a bow: "Your Majesty, please forgive your servant for speaking bluntly—even if our army withdraws to Wende, in truth it will still be difficult to avoid the Han army's edge!"

Hearing this, Yelu Jing immediately said: "If that's the case, then why did you suggest withdrawing westward!"

Sensing the slight displeasure in the Liao emperor's tone, Yelu Wuzhi showed hesitation on his face. Several times he looked up to observe Yelu Jing's expression. Finally, he took a deep breath and knelt straight down: "Your Majesty, in truth, your servant wishes to suggest that the main army should not merely withdraw to Wende, but should also abandon all the prefectures west of the mountains and retreat to Yunzhou!"

At these words, Yelu Jing's eyes flew wide open, then he stared fixedly at him: "Do you know what you're saying? These prefectures and counties are lands obtained through Taizong's painstaking efforts—how can they be easily given to others!"

Seeing the Liao emperor's reaction—somewhat agitated but without excessive anger—Yelu Wuzhi became even more composed. After weighing his words for a moment, Yelu Wuzhi reported: "Your Majesty! Up to the Battle of Nankou, the Great Liao has already suffered heavy losses—military strength greatly reduced, cities and territories lost. As of now, our army's situation is already extremely perilous, and determining our strategy against the enemy has reached a point of utmost urgency!

Your servant does in fact also concur with the views of the Duke of Qishui. After the defeat at Nankou, in the short term our army no longer has the strength to launch an active offensive against the Han army. And if the war drags on, after this setback, it will be difficult to sustain. After all, we cannot have over a hundred thousand troops fighting a bitter battle against the Han army in the ice and snow..."

Hearing these words from Yelu Wuzhi, Yelu Jing's expression softened considerably, and he calmed down completely once more. He gestured to him: "Continue!"

Yelu Wuzhi said: "Your servant suggests retreating to Yunzhou for three considerations. First, it reduces the difficulty of supplying our main army while increasing the Han army's supply difficulties. If the battlefield is set at Yunzhou, our forces contract, while the Han army, wanting to commit troops to battle, must shift its forces westward, greatly increasing the consumption it must endure.

Second, although the prefectures west of the mountains have dangerous terrain that can serve as a defensive reliance, by the same token, their narrow and cramped geography also restricts the flexibility of the Great Liao's iron cavalry. Fighting a bitter war with the Han army in the mountains plays to our army's weaknesses and to the Han army's strengths. The Yun-Shuo region, by contrast, is relatively open, providing a wider area for our army to maneuver and fight—truly a place for the Great Liao's iron cavalry to display their prowess. Moreover, Yunzhou has been managed by our dynasty for many years; its walls are sturdy and its grain and weapons are abundant. If we use it as a base to resist the Han army, we can greatly reverse our army's predicament.

Third, among the various armies at present, morale is extremely unstable, and the region west of the mountains is not a good place for rest and recuperation. Retreating to Yunzhou, with our backs to the grasslands, can also alleviate the soldiers' longing for home. Additionally, if our army pulls back, the Han army's several hundred thousand troops will not find it easy to readjust either, which can buy our army more time to rest and recover!"

After hearing Yelu Wuzhi's considerations, Yelu Jing did not immediately agree but instead thought seriously for a long while, then said to him: "If we abandon these prefectures, wouldn't that benefit the Han army and further damage our army's prestige and morale? Moreover, abandoning is easy, but taking them back later will be difficult!"

Yelu Wuzhi was silent for a moment as well—after all, territorial matters were extremely serious. Had the Liao emperor not inquired, he would not have revealed his thoughts so quickly.

After a moment of silence, Yelu Wuzhi said: "If our army still insists on holding here, the Han army may not find it easy to achieve a breakthrough in the short term. But your servant fears that doing so would actually play into the Han army's hands! Confronting and grinding against the Han army here, competing in attrition, we are absolutely no match for them, and it will be difficult to give the main army sufficient rest. Since a loss is inevitable sooner or later, why not consider it early?

This northern expedition of the Han army is aimed at completely seizing the territories ceded by the Shi Jin. If this objective is not achieved, they will absolutely not stop. Our army adopting a contraction and defense posture can also inflate their pride.

Retreating to Yunzhou is also a way to exhaust the Han army while waiting for an opportunity to strike!"

In fact, Yelu Wuzhi still had more words he hadn't finished—namely, that if things went badly, the Yun-Shuo region should also be abandoned together. But fearing Yelu Jing couldn't accept it, he didn't dare say it directly.

Being thus admonished so boldly by Yelu Wuzhi, Yelu Jing became even more hesitant, his inner conflict written all over his face. After a long while, he finally sighed: "I reflect on this Liao-Han war, and the Great Liao has been constrained by the enemy at every turn—taking one step late, one step slow, one step wrong.

The root cause lies in our army's insufficient preparation and inadequate response. We had the intention to scheme against the Han, but did not anticipate that the Han army would also have the resolve to launch a great northern expedition. Since the war began, although the Great Liao has suffered repeated defeats, I have never regretted any of the decisions made.

The only thing I feel was a mistake was actively provoking the conflict before fully preparing for a southern campaign, causing the Liao-Han war to break out before it could be anticipated..."

Hearing the Liao emperor suddenly launch into such a reflection and summary, Yelu Wuzhi also felt bewildered and couldn't help but softly call out in a comforting tone: "Your Majesty!"

Yelu Jing's emotions suddenly reined in, and he stared at Yelu Wuzhi with piercing eyes, saying coldly: "Even if we withdraw, we cannot easily hand over these prefectures to the Han army!"

With the Liao emperor saying this, it proved that he had already agreed with Yelu Wuzhi's opinion in his heart.