Chapter 926: The Shangjing Rebellion

Yelu Jing's shift from hesitation to resolve made the several senior ministers present tighten inwardly—at a time like this, they couldn't afford another twist. And judging by his expression, it was definitely not good news. The men exchanged uneasy glances.

Though they were pleased that the Liao Emperor had calmly decided not to force a decisive battle with the Han army, they still needed to understand what had caused this change. Yelu Wuzhi bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, what has happened in the state?"

Yelu Jing's face was almost trembling, barely containing the fury that threatened to burst forth. He handed the urgent secret report to him. Xiao Haili's report was concise, few in words, but the situation was grave. Zhao King Yelu Xiyin, together with a group of disaffected imperial clansmen and nobles, had launched a rebellion in Shangjing.

Yelu Wuzhi took the secret report, scanned it briefly, and his face changed drastically as well. He cried out in shock, "How dare they!"

Even the Great King of the Northern Division, known for his composure and calm, had lost his bearing—this showed the severity of the matter. The other three also cast curious and wary glances. With Yelu Jing's approval, the warning was circulated, and Xiao Haili's envoy was guided inside.

The envoy had clearly traveled a long distance, exhausted and bedraggled. Yelu Jing stared hard at him, his fierce gaze falling on him like a knife, as if he were the rebel himself: "Tell me, what is the situation in Shangjing now? What of the rebels?"

The envoy dared not even breathe heavily, not daring to be negligent, and hurriedly recounted the situation in Shangjing. It turned out that as early as after winter began last year, as the progress of the Han-Liao war spread northward, instability had already begun to brew within Liao.

Although Yelu Jing tried his utmost to conceal the news, he could not stop those with ulterior motives from probing. Moreover, as time passed, the conscription of troops from the southern regions and the dispatch of grain, weapons, and livestock could not be hidden from anyone. Anyone with any insight in the state knew the war was going very poorly.

Under such circumstances, it gave those with treacherous intentions within an opportunity. They spread news of military incompetence among the conscripted troops and expressed political opposition to the war. Under the prolonged war system with massive mobilization, the Khitan tribes did indeed harbor considerable discontent toward the southern campaign, and this sentiment was being exploited.

Throughout the winter, the Han and Liao faced off in the south, resting and recuperating, while conspirators within Liao were brewing rebellion and accumulating strength. Finally, seven days ago, upon learning that the Han army had launched a massive spring offensive, a group led by Zhao King Yelu Xiyin gathered a number of conscripted troops and private soldiers in Shangjing and launched a rebellion.

The rebellion erupted suddenly. At the time, Xiao Haili, who served as the defender of Shangjing, was busy arranging troops and military supplies for the front lines. Though he had some awareness of the internal crisis, he could hardly be on guard at all times. Fortunately, the rebels were many-tongued and poorly organized—before they moved, someone hesitated out of fear and tipped off Xiao Haili in advance.

Upon receiving the warning, Xiao Haili sprang up in shock. He was no mediocre man—he immediately took decisive measures, dispatching troops to guard the palaces and tents, placing Linhuang Prefecture under martial law, and sending men to arrest Yelu Xiyin. The commotion in the city also alerted the rebels. Seeing their plot exposed, Yelu Xiyin and his cohorts took the one road available and pressed on to the bitter end, decisively gathering their followers and preparing to seize the palaces and government offices.

However, in order to counter the Great Han's offensive, though Yelu Jing had marched south with his entire army, leaving the interior hollow, he had not relaxed his grip on Shangjing's stability in the slightest. Both the garrison and troop strength were amply arranged—among them, nearly ten thousand elite palace guard soldiers. Thus, with Xiao Haili's advance preparations and preemptive strike, Yelu Xiyin's scheme naturally came to naught. After a chaotic battle, the rebels within the city were swiftly scattered and killed, and Yelu Xiyin himself fled Shangjing with a portion of his men.

Yet although the rebellion within the city was suppressed by Xiao Haili's decisive measures, the rebellion did not end there. Yelu Xiyin, having escaped the city, quickly rallied a group of troops he had already allied with and raised the banner of rebellion at Fuyu City, over sixty li west of Linhuang, soon gathering over ten thousand followers. Yelu Xiyin sent people far and wide to spread rumors that the main army had been defeated by the Han army, its elite forces utterly lost, and that the Emperor himself had been captured alive by the Han army. At the same time, Yelu Xiyin raised his banner, proclaiming that he would honor the last wishes of Empress Dowager Yingtian (Shulu Ping), restore the Khitan state, and carry on the legacy of the Great Liao...

Zhao King Yelu Xiyin was Yelu Jing's cousin, the son of Yelu Lihu, the youngest son of Taizu Abaoji. Though he had strength and courage, he was frivolous, arrogant, and self-important. He had never been content with obscurity, failed to read the situation, acted rashly, and had no regard for appearances.

However, even so, by invoking Shulu Ping's name, he still managed to stir up a wave of support. Many within the Khitan who did not accept Yelu Jing's rule jumped out to join him.

In fact, the succession of the Liao throne had always been a major problem—a chronic ailment of internal strife that had never healed, traceable back to the struggle for the heir's position between the brothers Yelu Bei and Yelu Deguang. The successive accessions of Yelu Ruan and Yelu Jing only further complicated it. And Yelu Lihu's line was equally of direct Taizu descent. Combined with Shulu Ping's support after Yelu Deguang died at Luancheng, they also held legitimate claim to the succession, making the internal struggles of the Khitan imperial house even more tangled and complex.

Thus, even a man as contemptible as Yelu Xiyin could ignite a deadly rebellion. And though the excessive conscription from the southern campaign was the surface cause, the root lay in their internal struggles.

As could be seen from the composition of Yelu Xiyin's rebel army, aside from a portion of deceived conscripts, the rest were all kinsmen of the Khitan's inner four tribes—and the inner four tribes were all of imperial and consort clan descent, the true ruling core of Liao. Most of his followers came from there, along with a great many officials whom Yelu Jing had suppressed after taking power, including ministers of the Yelu Bei and Yelu Ruan factions.

At the same time, among the rebel army were also a portion of former Shushan Army soldiers who had been disbanded and absorbed. The Shushan Army had been the elite guard force created by Empress Dowager Shulu in earlier years, deeply stamped with her mark. It had been the main force supporting Yelu Lihu's bid for the throne against Yelu Ruan, and was later dismantled by Yelu Jing—even its military designation was not preserved.

After hearing the envoy's report, Yelu Jing was both furious and grieved. He knew many within the imperial and consort clans opposed him, but he never imagined so many would jump out, and at such a sensitive time.

The senior ministers present also felt the gravity of the situation. From the news the envoy brought, Yelu Xiyin's rebel army was not yet large in scale, but the harm and impact it could inflict on Liao could not be underestimated. To a certain degree, it was an even greater threat than the three hundred thousand Han troops pressing ever closer.

The most furious of all was Yelu Wuzhi. Back then, at the Hengdu Oath, it was under his leadership that the consensus was reached for Yelu Lihu's line to abandon their claim to the throne. Now Yelu Xiyin was again invoking Empress Dowager Shulu's name to stir up trouble—and at a time when the front-line campaign was critical and the fate of two hundred thousand troops hung in the balance. How could he not be angry? How could he not be enraged?

"Why didn't Xiao Haili send troops to wipe out that rebel Yelu Xiyin, instead of letting him leave the city?" Yelu Jing demanded of the envoy.

The envoy had been describing the situation for a long while and was in very poor condition, his voice already faint. Facing the stern interrogation, he reported, "The defender instructed me to explain to Your Majesty: at present, Shangjing's populace is restless, and among the clansmen and below, no one knows how many still have ties to the rebels. To ensure Shangjing's stability and safety, he truly dared not act rashly. Now the situation is urgent and rumors are spreading everywhere. He only hopes Your Majesty will return to the capital soon to calm the people, and then the rebels will collapse without a fight..."

Having said this, with a "bang," the envoy collapsed directly, startling Yelu Jing. Han Kuangmei stepped forward to examine him, then looked up at Yelu Jing and said, "Your Majesty, this man has breathed his last!"

It was that this envoy, ordered to report the urgent news, had ridden continuously for less than five days and nights, covering fourteen hundred li, changing horses but never changing riders, holding on until he finished his report—then died of exhaustion.

Yelu Jing and the others had guessed as much and could not help but sigh: "This loyal and brave man—give him a grand burial, and I shall richly reward his descendants!"

"Your Majesty, Xiao Haili's approach is undoubtedly correct—Shangjing must not fall into chaos!" Yelu Wuzhi looked at Yelu Jing and said with utmost gravity: "Now that the state is in turmoil and the troops are seething, to quell the rebellion and calm the people, I beg Your Majesty to return to Shangjing early to maintain stability!"

Matters had reached such a point that Yelu Jing had no room for choice—otherwise he would not have indicated withdrawal the moment he received the urgent report. However unwilling he was, he dared not risk fighting a bitter battle with little chance of victory against the Han army while facing internal rebellion at the same time. Moreover, when it came to damage to the state's vitality, was there anything more severe than internal rebellion?

At the same time, the reason Yelu Xiyin could launch such a rebellion was partly because he, Yelu Jing, was far away in Yunzhong. If Yelu Jing had been stationed in Shangjing, then even if those people had harbored thoughts of revolt, they could never have raised such a commotion.

And after this upheaval, the situation in Shangjing was surely dire. On the day of the rebellion, many of Liao's high officials and nobles were implicated—for instance, Director of State Affairs Han Yanhui was killed in the chaos of battle.

Han Yanhui was a veteran minister from the Taizu era, the meritorious official who proposed "separate governance for Han and barbarian," and the founder of Liao's various institutions.

Taking a deep breath, Yelu Jing looked around at everyone: "Let's discuss directly—how to withdraw the army!"

Though the situation at home was urgent, the threat of the Han army was right before their eyes. The withdrawal would still require a series of meticulous discussions and arrangements.