Chapter 923: The Great Army at Yingzhou

Yingzhou, Jincheng, less than a hundred li from Yanmen, northeast of Dragon Head Mountain, with favorable terrain all around — this region had long been a place of frequent military conflict, a strategic frontier against barbarian incursions. Thus, after the northern expedition began last year, the main objective of the Hedong Han army's sortie beyond the border was Jincheng County.

Compared to the fighting in the Youzhou theater, Fu Yanqing assembled his army and struck out — few in numbers but grand in display, faithfully fulfilling his role of containment. Knowing the part he played, every move of Fu Yanqing's army was measured and steady — no rash attacks, no hasty advances. He sat north of Yanmen Mountain for an entire month.

Fu Yanqing's conservative tactics kept Yelu Talie, the Liao Great King of the Southern Division commanding defensive operations from Yunzhou, from daring to move. It was only later, after scouts confirmed the Liao main force had shifted eastward, that Fu Yanqing finally gave the order and launched the attack on Jincheng County.

As the Han army formally commenced its offensive, Yelu Talie personally led troops south to reinforce. In truth, because of Yingzhou's strategic position, Yelu Talie had always treated the city as bait, luring the Han army to attack.

Once the Han army marched north, the Liao army moved in response — swiftly and fiercely. Yelu Talie directly dispatched five thousand Xi cavalry to strike the passes north of Yanmen, intending to cut off the Han army's retreat and harass their operations.

Then, leading twenty thousand infantry and cavalry himself, he occupied Huairen City, keeping close watch on the Han army from the north. Because the Liao's main strength had been committed to the Youyan battlefield to deal with those several hundred thousand Han troops, the forces left to Yelu Talie for defending the Yun-Shuo region were not many — counting the garrison at Yingzhou, barely fifty thousand, and they had to be split among various cities. Moreover, their fighting quality was poor, composed mainly of Xi cavalry and puppet troops, supplemented by some tribal garrison soldiers.

But though his forces were at a disadvantage, Yelu Talie did not adopt a purely passive defense — instead he took the initiative to attack and apply pressure. Yelu Talie was a seasoned veteran, most skilled at intimidating through show of force, pursuing the goal of subduing the enemy without fighting. Yet faced with Yelu Talie's tactical schemes, Fu Yanqing remained unmoved, continuing to advance toward his established objective.

The Liao army split into three parts — one holding the fortifications, one circling around to cut off retreat, one lying in wait for opportunity — their intentions completely seen through. But from this it was also apparent that Yelu Talie lacked sufficient strength, unwilling to clash head-on with the Han army, wanting to drag out the war to seek a favorable moment.

On the surface, tens of thousands of Han troops, separated from the border, facing enemies on three sides, seemed in a precarious position. Yet Fu Yanqing was not flustered in the least. First, attacking Yingzhou was hardly a long-distance campaign — if he wanted to withdraw, the Liao army truly couldn't stop him. Second, his strength was formidable — elite troops and ample supplies.

In truth, when two armies face each other on the battlefield, often the enemy's tactical objectives cannot be concealed. It only comes down to who can achieve their own goals — that person gains the advantage and establishes the momentum for victory.

The Liao army's purpose was obvious, and the Han army's objective was equally simple: take Yingzhou's Jincheng. The assault on Jincheng began on the ninth day of the ninth month, and the Han army's operations unfolded in an orderly manner.

Shi Yanchao led cavalry to tangle with the Xi horsemen, while Yang Ye was sent with the Dingxiang Army to seize Huanghuagang northwest of Jincheng, stationing troops there to block Yelu Talie's forces. Subsequently, troops were dispatched to eliminate all the hills and fortified outposts around Jincheng, leaving the city completely isolated.

After the great victory at Yanmen, the Dingxiang Army under Yang Ye, favored by the Emperor, received substantial reinforcements, growing to seven thousand men — the largest of the northern border forces. With Yang Ye and Shi Yanchao occupying two routes of Liao troops, Fu Yanqing freed his hands to deal specifically with the Jincheng garrison.

The Liao troops defending the city numbered only a little over four thousand, but they were clearly elite soldiers with strong fighting will. To steel the defenders' resolve, Yelu Talie made his son the city's commander, ordering him to hold fast, delay and exhaust the Han army. His orders were absolute: if the city fell, the commander would die.

Thus, once the Yingzhou campaign unfolded, the only thing that surprised Fu Yanqing was the determination of the Liao defenders at Jincheng — with eight times their numbers, he stormed the city for half a month without taking it.

Of course, this was both the defenders' stubborn resistance and the result of Yelu Talie, seeing that the Han army was utterly unswayed by intimidation, being forced to commit to full-scale relief. He too knew that if he truly let the Han army press the attack, Jincheng would likely be lost. Around Jincheng County, the Han and Liao sides fought several fierce battles with heavy casualties on both sides. The two old generals, Fu Yanqing and Yelu Talie, maneuvered their troops, striking at each other's weaknesses, painting a magnificent and sweeping picture of war across the Yingzhou region. This was also the most evenly matched battle between Han and Liao since the two sides had begun fighting.

It was not until the Battle of Nankou concluded and word arrived that Yelu Talie, sensing the dramatic shift in the battlefield situation and feeling something amiss, after several days of hesitation, chose to coordinate the Jincheng garrison's breakout and retreat toward Yunzhou.

In the Battle of Yingzhou, the two sides committed nearly ninety thousand troops in total. Lasting twenty days, the Liao army suffered over thirteen thousand casualties, while the Han army's dead and wounded exceeded seven thousand — most of the losses coming from the city fighting.

In the end, though it concluded with the Liao army's voluntary withdrawal, this battle was ultimately a Han victory. Taking Yingzhou meant that the Great Han now had a solid base for advancing north against Yunzhou, and the threat to Yunzhou rose sharply.

After taking Yingzhou, Fu Yanqing did not continue advancing. First, the troops had fought long and needed rest. Second, winter was unfavorable for Han army operations. Third, the Great Han's overall strategy had to be considered.

Thus, just like on the main Youyan battlefield, the Han army at Yingzhou rested peacefully through the winter, presenting a purely defensive posture. Of course, during that winter, troops and grain were poured in on a large scale — Liu Chengyou transferred men from the field headquarters and Hedong, bringing the Han army at Yingzhou past one hundred thousand men.

Now, with the imperial edict to advance arriving, the long-dormant Han army at Yingzhou — this war machine — slowly began to stir. Throughout the city and beyond, the entire army, from top to bottom, was thrown into a bustle of activity, making preparations to march.

This time, though the offensive against Yunzhou was launched on three routes, the main thrust, the center of gravity of the advance, was clearly on his route. No other reason — simply that Yingzhou was closest to Yunzhou, with the most open sightlines and the best roads.

But by the same token, the danger was also the highest. Thus, unlike the generals below him, Fu Yanqing was not so excited — he maintained his calm and caution throughout. Though the Han army had achieved considerable results against the Liao since the northern expedition began, beneath the glory, the Han army's severe losses could not be concealed, and the Liao army's strength was not to be underestimated.

The battle at Yingzhou had already proven this — in large-scale field operations, the Liao army was no weaker than the Han army. And from the battle reports relayed from the Youyan theater, it was clear that if one grew careless, the Liao army would dare to bite back — Li Chongjin's defeat at Jiming Mountain was clear proof.

Therefore, Fu Yanqing dared not harbor any thought of underestimating the enemy. Of course, not underestimating the enemy did not mean fearing him, and caution did not hinder Fu Yanqing's confidence in victory in this campaign.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. Fu Yanqing had a clear understanding of the Han army's own strength. As for the Liao side, though difficult to fathom completely, he still had basic intelligence and judgment.

Though after reinforcement the Liao army in the Yunzhou region was still said to number two hundred thousand, compared to the Liao army of over two hundred thousand before the Battle of Nankou, it was simply incomparable. Of those, if six in ten could truly fight, that would be generous. Add to that a winter of hardship, and it was only reasonable that their strength had been further eroded by another two-tenths.

Standing atop the Jincheng city tower, stroking the earthen ramparts — besides the scars of the fierce fighting three or four months ago, there was a sense of historical depth. Jincheng was first built under Li Guochang, developed and consolidated under Li Keyong. And going back half a century, Li Keyong could be considered Fu Yanqing's adoptive grandfather. Standing on the walls of Jincheng, Fu Yanqing, contemplating the first city recovered since crossing the border, could not help but feel a slight ripple in his heart. After all, he was old now, and sometimes he couldn't stop himself from reminiscing about the past...

"Reporting to the Prince of Wei — the Duke of Dai has sent an envoy requesting an audience!" A junior officer reported to Fu Yanqing, who was ascending the tower to reminisce.

"Bring him in!" Fu Yanqing ordered.

The Duke of Dai had originally been Zhe Congruan's title. After his death, he was posthumously granted a princely rank, and the title of Duke of Dai passed to Zhe Deyi. Over the years, the local warlord forces had essentially been eliminated under the court's reorganization, but Zhe Deyi had always remained in the former Fuzhou region.

As a Duke of the Great Han and the Son of Heaven's father-in-law, holding only the post of Army Commander of Baoning — frankly, it was somewhat beneath his station. Liu Chengyou had several times wanted to transfer Zhe Deyi to a high office, and Lady Zhe had also written letters urging her father to come to court, but the man was stubborn, saying he would rather guard the frontier for the Son of Heaven. Whatever his thoughts, Liu Chengyou had never moved against this father-in-law.

In this northern expedition, Zhe Deyi was also among the campaign army, leading the Baoning Army and the Baode Prefecture troops, over nine thousand men. Having Fu Yanqing as commander-in-chief left a knot in Zhe Deyi's heart. Though the Fu family was illustrious, as a fellow father-in-law of the emperor, submitting to his command was hard to swallow, and so he frequently voiced complaints.

Perhaps out of consideration for Zhe Deyi's feelings, Fu Yanqing did not have him bring his troops east for the rendezvous, but instead had him lead a separate force to attack Shuozhou. This time, Zhe Deyi's envoy had only one purpose: to urge the offensive to begin.

In response, Fu Yanqing had the envoy reply to Zhe Deyi that they would march north on the eighteenth, ordering him to take Shuozhou on his own — but with repeated admonitions not to advance rashly.

On the eighteenth day of the first month of the twelfth year of Qianyou, following the previously unified deployment, the Han army formally launched its spring offensive. In the Yunzhou direction, the three routes of troops were proclaimed to number five hundred thousand. And here at Yingzhou, an army of one hundred thousand also set forth northward in mighty array.