Chapter 942: Yunzhou Falls at Last

A fierce life-and-death assault and defense came to an end by mutual tacit understanding. Though the attack had ceased, the gains already made still needed to be consolidated—the four city gates remained firmly in the hands of the Han army.

The soldiers who had fought through the entire day each withdrew to their camps to tend wounds and rest. The cooks had long since prepared soup and food to fill their bellies. The Han troops entering the city were naturally replaced with a fresh batch, who hastily constructed a simple line of defense beyond the fire zone.

At the same time, large numbers of laborers resumed their work, carrying the wounded and clearing away the dead. In four days and three nights of continuous combat, neither side had paid much attention to the corpses, and so above and below the walls, bodies piled up like mountains, filling every space with severed arms and broken limbs, leaving almost no room at all—many had even been trampled into pulp...

Those whose faces were beyond recognition could only be identified by the soldiers' identity tags. The corpses of Han army soldiers were naturally collected and arranged with care, while the disposal of the Liao dead was far more casual—several large pits were dug in the open fields, and they were buried on the spot, their flesh and blood enriching the soil of Yunzhou.

The four city gates that had been sealed shut were gradually cleared of their earth, stone, and hardwood, opening up passages. The weapons and armor scattered across the battlefield also needed to be gathered. In the assaults and defenses of these days, the Han army had expended arrows in the hundreds of thousands, and virtually all of them needed to be recovered. A war could be fought with grandeur, but waste was not permitted.

Below, the soldiers were either taking up defensive positions or resting. As the generals at the top, however, they still had military affairs to handle, with no room for rest. Liu Chengyou, for his part, led his men on a tour of the wounded. Whatever sincerity lay behind it, it had a tremendous effect in soothing the morale of the army.

It was not until late into the night that the generals without guard duty gathered together in the imperial tent to conduct a stage-by-stage summary of the siege. At the start, however, Liu Chengyou was met with the generals offering their apologies for their faults—quite uniformly, especially the four commanders. Of course, everyone knew full well it was just for show, a way of making their stance known.

"That we could break the outer city of Yunzhong is owed, first, to the bravery of our soldiers, who fought and died in the face of peril, and second, to the able command of you all—what fault is there to speak of?" Emperor Liu naturally displayed great magnanimity. "Though we have not yet fully taken the city or destroyed the Liao army, now that the outer city has fallen, how long can they hold out with only a paltry inner city? Set your minds at ease, gentlemen. Comfort the soldiers well, press on with renewed vigor, and break Yunzhong completely—and bind its ringleader!"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty—your subject will surely take that rebel chieftain's head and present it to you!" As Liu Chengyou finished speaking, an old general stepped forward, his voice full and vigorous, his bearing bold and heroic. It was none other than Zhe Deyi, father of Consort Zhe. As he spoke, he swept a glance over the frontline commanders in the imperial tent, as if to say, Don't any of you try to steal this from this old man.

In this northern expedition, Zhe Deyi's performance had not been particularly conspicuous—not for lack of effort, but for lack of a good opportunity. Commanding his own army on a separate route had demonstrated his status, but on the Yun-Shuo battlefield, wanting to fight a great battle and win great merit also required luck.

Thus, apart from leading his troops to seize Shuozhou in this spring offensive, Zhe Deyi had no other achievements worth boasting of. After the army surrounded Yunzhou, Zhe Deyi had also led his forces north to assist in the fighting. In this siege, Zhe Deyi had given his subordinates strict orders, determined to be the first army to enter Yunzhong. Fu Yanqing had also been quite considerate of him in his troop deployments, yet in the end, it was Li Wanchao's subordinates who first breached the city.

Noticing the old father-in-law's display, Liu Chengyou gave him face, smiling lightly: "Then I shall await your achievement, sir!"

"Still, that Yelu Talie is truly a man of talent—able to lead an isolated army and hold out to such a state without the slightest sign of wavering. I hear he only entered official service at the age of forty, and was directly appointed to a key post with command over a whole region. I would quite like to meet this man!" Liu Chengyou sighed.

"Merely a stubborn chieftain. Though he is to be pitied, before the heavenly might of our Great Han, he is ultimately doomed to destruction!" Guo Rong said calmly, his tone seemingly carrying a subtle reminder to the Emperor.

Liu Chengyou sensed it as well—before these generals, praising the enemy commander lavishly, though it might have some motivating effect and display his own breadth of mind, was ultimately somewhat inappropriate. Especially so soon after a bitter struggle.

Catching himself, Liu Chengyou said: "However, his hero is our foe. Since he insists on stubborn resistance, I shall grant him his wish!"

Having said this, he asked Zhang Ji: "Have the casualty figures for each army been tallied?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, after compiling the reports from all armies, from the day the siege began to now: among the laborers accompanying the army, 1,055 dead and 3,290 wounded; among officers and soldiers, 4,836 killed in battle and 8,495 wounded—of whom 47 officers of squad leader rank and above were killed."

Hearing this, the ruler and his ministers fell silent. These casualties were by no means light. Though they had experienced heavy losses like the Battle of Nankou, hearing that string of numbers still weighed heavily on their hearts. The cruelty they represented was something Liu Chengyou had personally witnessed.

"And the Liao army?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"No detailed count was made, but their casualties surely exceed ten thousand!" Zhang Ji replied.

As the attacking side, facing defenders relying on strong walls who were no weak force, with unified command and effective organization, keeping the casualty ratio close to one-to-one was already a demonstration of the Han army's formidable strength.

"Your Majesty, from several prisoners we learned that before the Liao sovereign withdrew north, he left behind some twenty-seven thousand troops. Through the subsequent battles and probing engagements, they suffered about two thousand casualties. After this round of assault and defense, subtracting all manner of losses, among the Liao troops who have retreated to the inner city, those fit to fight should number over ten thousand!" Fu Yanqing reported.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou nodded gently: "Over ten thousand enemies remain. Though the inner city is not as tall and sturdy as the outer, forcing it would still cost how many soldiers' lives? Since the northern expedition began, nearly eight months have passed. The soldiers and civilians at the front have paid too grievous a price in casualties. Though it is said that mercy has no place in commanding troops, in my heart I cannot bear it!"

"When Your Majesty shows such consideration for the soldiers, how could we subjects not devote ourselves to death in your service?" Hearing Liu Chengyou's words, Dong Zunhui clasped his hands and nimbly voiced his submission.

To this, Liu Chengyou waved his hand and said: "Let us instead discuss how to break the inner city and destroy the Liao army while reducing casualties!"

His gaze fell upon Fu Yanqing—he was, after all, the overall commander. Fu Yanqing thought for a moment, then replied: "Your Majesty, the soldiers have fought continuously day and night. Though they took turns in shifts, after these four days and two nights, they cannot help but be weary. Of course, the Liao army is the same—indeed, even more exhausted than we are. Your subject suggests we first secure the city defenses, rest for a day or two, and let the soldiers recover their strength. In terms of speed of recovery, the Liao army absolutely cannot match ours. Moreover, after such bitter fighting, giving them a brief respite should drain their morale..."

"The Prince of Wei is truly a seasoned veteran of the battlefield—his grasp of the situation is as clear as observing fire, and his counsel is most timely!" Liu Chengyou said. "The soldiers have fought long and hard, and I too am inclined to let them rest. However, during this period of rest, we should still be doing other things—we cannot let the Liao army rest easy in the inner city!"

"Your Majesty, previously the Liao army harassed us ceaselessly without interruption. Now that the outer city is in our hands, we can turn this method back against them—harass them, so that they find no peace!" Gao Huaide said.

Zhao Kuangyin thought for a moment, then suggested: "We might attempt to persuade them to surrender. The battle has reached its current state, and the situation is perfectly clear. That Yelu Talie may have a heart of iron and stone, but the Liao soldiers under his command are not necessarily the same. The persuasion may not succeed, but it can shake their morale."

"The strategy of wearying the enemy and the scheme of attacking their hearts—both are usable! But to deliver a decisive blow, they may not suffice!" Liu Chengyou said.

At this moment, Guo Rong spoke up, his expression somewhat cold: "Your Majesty, the Liao army set a great fire to block our advance. We can do the same. The inner city is not large—we can gather dry grass and firewood, pile them at the base of the walls, and use catapults to hurl burning oil into the city.

Burn the city!

The Liao army, to avoid the burden, moved all the Han civilians out of the city—so we need have no scruples whatsoever!"

Looking at Guo Rong, Liu Chengyou sighed inwardly—at critical moments, Guo Rong was truly resolute and ruthless. To his suggestion, however, Liu Chengyou had only one response: "Do as proposed!"

Over the next three days, the Han army piled dry firewood and timber like mountains outside the inner city. All the remaining fire oil in the army was used, and a large quantity of coal was urgently transported from Yingzhou, hurled into the city by catapults.

Facing the Han army's methods, the Liao troops saw it with their eyes and fretted in their hearts, but had little recourse. Hurriedly drawing water from the wells was like trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood with a cup of water. They could only pray for rain—a few spring showers—but day after day it remained clear, and the weather grew ever brighter.

In the end, under the operations of the Great Han's "arsonists," a fierce conflagration engulfed the inner city of Yunzhong. Countless defenders were burned to death, suffocated, or killed by the heat. When

When the fire finally died out, the Han army entered the city at leisure.