Chapter 927: The Han Army's Response

After learning of the upheaval in the rear, two urgent matters lay before Yelu Jing: first, to eliminate the rebels and suppress the unrest at home to ensure internal stability; second, to do everything possible to preserve the great army in the south and bring it safely back north.

Once the decision to withdraw was made, the implementation naturally prioritized speed, and Yelu Jing and his ministers quickly formulated a withdrawal plan. The Liao army stationed at Yunzhou still numbered roughly 130,000 men, and withdrawing smoothly required careful planning—after all, Fu Yanqing's 100,000 troops were already at Huairen, practically within sight.

If earlier they had been frustrated by the Han army's cautious, slow advance, now the situation had reversed, and they worried the Han army was too close, hoping Fu Yanqing would be even more conservative.

However, before any plan could be implemented, the first thing Yelu Jing did was dispatch a thousand elite cavalry, bearing the authority of an imperial envoy, to return to Shangjing at top speed, spreading word to the prefectures, counties, and tribes along the way, and conveying news of the Emperor and the army to Shangjing to reassure the people. The envoy chosen was Yelu Xiezhen, the rising star who had recently distinguished himself in the Liao army.

Thereafter, with the assistance of his ministers, Yelu Jing devoted himself wholly to the withdrawal. First, he urgently summoned all the commanders, officers, and leaders of the various armies in Yunzhong to announce his intention to withdraw. Naturally, the matter of the domestic rebellion was concealed, and faced with the proposal to retreat, the mood was jubilant—the Liao officers and men had long since lost the will to fight, and this proposal struck exactly the right note.

When a decision aligns with the will of the troops, it naturally meets with enthusiastic response and yields twice the results with half the effort—the Liao generals displayed great zeal. In fact, when he announced the withdrawal and noticed the relieved expressions on his generals' faces, Yelu Jing could not help but sigh inwardly.

The withdrawal route was easy to plan: the great army at Yunzhou would head directly north, pass through the Yin Mountains, and exit through the Longcheng Pass. Of course, if one wanted to return to Shangjing quickly, the best route was eastward, through Huaian County and Wuzhou, then north out through the Great Wall. Though somewhat roundabout, it brought one closer to Shangjing—but that route faced Murong Yanzhao's army directly, and moving the main force through there risked danger.

As for Yelu Sha's forces in the Wende and Huaian area, they would head directly north through the Wild Fox Ridge. The terrain around Wild Fox Ridge was complex, easy to defend and hard to attack—if the Han army pursued, they could use it to cover their retreat.

In any case, so long as they did not get entangled in fighting with the Han army, the Liao army's departure should not prove too difficult. The situation was far better than it had been at Nankou.

Even so, problems remained. The Liao army had many livestock and was highly mobile, but it also carried all sorts of baggage and valuables, all of which would slow the march.

Moving the army was not much of a problem; the key issue was the Liao civilians in Yunzhou—Yelu Jing was unwilling to leave the population to the Han army. And relocating civilians was the most troublesome, most problem-ridden matter. On the question of relocation, there was also the distinction between Hu civilians and Han civilians.

In the end, under the strenuous objections of Yelu Wuzhi and others, and compelled by the urgency of the situation, Yelu Jing abandoned the idea of taking the entire population of Yunzhou north with him.

He merely issued a proclamation to the people under his rule, saying that a great battle was imminent, and to avoid suffering and devastation, the people could gather their families and flee to safety on their own. Since the Liao army had already made certain preparations for scorched-earth defense, the official proclamation triggered a wave of migration northward. Of course, it was mainly the Hu who left—the Han living in Yunzhou had deep attachments to their land and were not so easily moved to uproot their families and head north.

Moreover, the attackers this time were the Han army—same script, same race—so they should not suffer much harm. Hmph, it was at times like this that they remembered their Han identity.

Chaos and turmoil reigned among the populace, but the Liao army's withdrawal proceeded in an orderly fashion, using a method of phased departure. Throughout this process, Yelu Jing and his ministers were run off their feet—when it actually came to implementation, problems abounded, and there were even incidents of looting and armed brawling.

In short, both inside and outside Yunzhou was a scene of chaos, spreading and radiating into the surrounding regions, with a vague sense that a great calamity was descending. But perhaps Yelu Jing wanted to leave a chaotic, ruined mess for the Han army to inherit.

At Huairen County, the 100,000-strong Han army had now been encamped for a full five days. During those five days, they had not moved an inch, only intensifying their reconnaissance of the Liao army at Yunzhou. They had naturally noticed the chaos to the north, but Fu Yanqing remained cautious and dared not act rashly.

First, the Emperor's "steady and sure" operational policy was in effect, and the lesson of the Battle of Nankou served as a warning—vigilance was needed, and they should await progress from the other two armies. Of course, although Liu Chengyou claimed to have given his generals discretionary authority, it was not entirely free rein; under his overarching operational framework, the generals were still constrained and influenced in their marching and fighting.

Second, the earlier Liao attempt to lure him north had been completely seen through by Fu Yanqing. What had been a scene of stern battle-readiness suddenly descended into chaos—without knowing the cause, it was hard not to suspect a Liao plot.

However, upon learning of the anomalies at Yunzhou, the Han army officers accompanying the campaign grew restless. Many felt that under the pressure of the main army, the Liao troops had lost their composure and fallen into disorder without a fight, and they saw it as an opportunity, petitioning Fu Yanqing to advance. But their concerns were temporarily suppressed by Fu Yanqing, though he did send out more cavalry to intensify reconnaissance of the Yunzhou area, especially of the Liao army.

"Prince Wei!" The command tent flap was thrown open, and a fiery figure burst in, calling out impatiently to Fu Yanqing.

Fu Yanqing, his brows furrowed in concentration over a map, looked up at the newcomer, and his expression relaxed: "General Shi has come—please, sit. Someone, bring tea!"

"Many thanks for your kindness, Prince Wei, but no need—this general is not thirsty!"

The arriving general was the Han army's great commander Shi Yanchao. Seeing his agitated, discourteous manner, Fu Yanqing had a guess as to the matter and asked calmly, "What urgent business does the General have?"

"This general wishes to ask: when do we advance? We have been encamped at Huairen for five days now—Yunzhong is right before our eyes, how much longer must we delay? The Liao army is now in panic and disarray..." Shi Yanchao spoke for a large portion of the Han generals, and of course, also for his own desire to win merit.

He, Shi Yanchao, was a seasoned veteran of the battlefield—in every campaign he had ridden boldly and won many honors, yet this time, from start to finish, he had not been given much chance to distinguish himself.

Seeing his state, Fu Yanqing, with great forbearance, explained himself to soothe the man. But this clearly failed to convince him, and Shi Yanchao raised his voice: "In battle, how can one seek only stability? If we miss the opportunity because of this, regret will be too late! These past two days, Liao cavalry have been sallying out aggressively, killing our scouts, as if hiding something. This general believes the chaos at Yunzhou is not necessarily some Liao plot!"

Noticing Fu Yanqing's brow furrow in renewed indecision, Shi Yanchao clasped his hands and petitioned: "Prince Wei, Yunzhou is right before our eyes—to delay and observe is to idly squander the opportunity and dampen morale. If the Prince doubts the Liao army's intentions, this general requests permission to lead a force north to attack as a probe, to test their strength!"

Hearing Shi Yanchao's words, Fu Yanqing studied him for a few moments, thought it over seriously, and knew he could no longer suppress these battle-hungry generals—otherwise morale would truly be damaged.

His expression turning stern, Fu Yanqing said at once: "You will lead your own five thousand cavalry north to attempt an attack. Remember, this is primarily a probe—do not under any circumstances engage the Liao army in a hard fight. The enemy has over a hundred thousand men; you must not be careless or overconfident!"

"Yes!" Shi Yanchao agreed swiftly, beaming with joy, and strode out of the tent with a spring in his step.

Soon, the sounds of men shouting and horses neighing rose from the Han camp. Shi Yanchao's suggestion was not reckless—these past two days, he too had harbored doubts, and sending Shi Yanchao, this sharp blade, to probe was not necessarily a bad thing.

However, after a moment's deliberation, Fu Yanqing added: "Someone, summon Yang Ye, Army Commander of Dingxiang!"

"The Prince Wei summons me—what are your orders?" Compared to Shi Yanchao, Yang Ye's bearing was far more agreeable.

Looking at the heroic-faced general before him, Fu Yanqing's eyes held appreciation. After months of contact, he finally understood why the Son of Heaven trusted and favored this young man so deeply.

"What is your view on the situation of the Liao army at Yunzhong?" Fu Yanqing asked.

Yang Ye answered without hesitation: "This general believes the situation is abnormal. Whatever the Liao army's designs, so long as our army is prepared, their attempt to repeat what happened at Nankou is a vain delusion. The task now is to get to the bottom of their situation and ascertain their true strength. These past two days, the harassing Liao cavalry have suddenly changed their tactics, hunting down our scouts—clearly they want to blind our eyes and ears. Therefore, this general believes the Prince Wei's decision to send General Shi north to attack is entirely sound!"

Hearing his analysis, Fu Yanqing nodded approvingly, then said: "However, Shi Yanchao is fierce and bold—a fine weapon for the battlefield, but his temperament is somewhat impetuous. I fear he may press too hard and lose his composure. For absolute safety, you may lead the Dingxiang Army out after him, also making a probing attack, acting according to circumstances, and you can support each other. I will lead the main army and advance north behind you!"

"Yes!" Yang Ye thought briefly, then gathered his robes and clasped his fists in acknowledgment.

"I will also place those three thousand Hedong barbarian cavalry under your command!" Fu Yanqing added.

"Thank you, Prince Wei!" Yang Ye allowed a slight smile to show.

With the two probing forces dispatched, Fu Yanqing then personally led the main army, advancing slowly north—100,000 Han troops marching toward Yunzhong City. Either do not move, or move thoroughly. However, during the preparations for the advance, Fu Yanqing received word from Weizhou: Zhao Kuangyin had already taken the prefectural seat of Lingxian and was turning west, heading toward Yunzhou. With Zhao Kuangyin's great army behind him, Fu Yanqing gained an additional measure of reassurance.