Chapter 170: First Victory: Seize One Prefecture First

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War is never the only way to solve problems. Politics and diplomacy are also effective means.

Zhao Yu and his ministers knew that Liao had suffered disasters this year, and severe famines had broken out across its territories.

So Zhao Yu ordered Han Zhongyan to post yellow proclamations in the name of the Pacification Commission, informing the officials and people of Yanjing: the Zhao-Song dynasty had grain; regardless of barbarian or Han, regardless of gender or age, all could come to Hebei to join Zhao-Song, and the court would feed them, assign them to reclaim wasteland, and grant them full ownership of the fertile fields they cultivated. Those who surrendered entire prefectures or counties would surely be promoted and enriched!

The surrender proclamation read thus:

You, the lands of Youyan, were once ours, lost to the Khitans for nearly two centuries. Recently, the Khitans have been struck by natural disasters and human misfortunes, leaving their people in unbearable suffering. Our great emperor pities these good people, now again plunged into ruin. Today, I personally lead a mighty army, stationing at the border, to punish the guilty and save the people—not to slaughter. Each of you should rise up and plan your return early.

The court has established soup kitchens throughout Hebei; all who come may eat. Those with official posts shall resume their former ranks; those with land shall return to their former livelihoods. If you lead heroes to achieve special merit, you shall be granted high office and generous rewards of gold and silk. If you surrender a prefecture or county, you shall be appointed its governor. If any hero delivers Yanjing, whether soldier or civilian, even without prior appointment, he shall be made Military Governor, given one hundred thousand strings of cash, and a grand mansion…

It is clear that Zhao Yu and his ministers were not merely trying to prevent Liao troops from advancing south—they aimed to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

Someone might ask: Has Zhao Yu and his ministers changed their strategic goal? Are they truly preparing to recover Xixia while also reclaiming Yanyun, forcing Liao to mobilize its entire nation against them?

Of course not.

The Analects: Aim for the highest, and you may attain the middle; aim for the middle, and you may attain the low; aim for the low, and you attain nothing.

The Art of War: Seek the highest, attain the middle; seek the middle, attain the low; seek the low, and you shall surely fail.

Emperor Taizong of Tang's Emperor's Model, Volume Four: Imitate the highest, and you may become merely middling; imitate the middle, and you become low.

These statements all mean: if one sets a high goal, he may still achieve only a middling result; if he sets a middling goal, he may achieve only a low result; if he sets a low goal, he may achieve nothing at all.

Zhao Yu and his ministers planned to use the recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun as a threat to intimidate Liao, forcing Liao not to interfere with Zhao-Song's recovery of Xixia, and not to send reinforcements to Xixia.

Ceng Bu ordered recruits from Xiongzhou to carry the proclamations across the border, infiltrating deep into Liao territory to post and distribute them widely.

The yellow surrender proclamations, issued in the name of the Pacification Commission, gradually spread to Liao's Yizhou, Zhuozhou, Yanjing, and other areas.

Zhao Yu and his ministers monitored the battlefield while patiently awaiting good news in Xiongzhou.

Soon, large numbers of refugees chose to cross into Song territory.

Chen Gou and other frontier officials had long prepared thick porridge and registered the refugees; those with talent were retained for service, the useless were uniformly relocated inland for proper resettlement.

In the initial days, no officials came, no particularly useful men appeared, and not a single person surrendered a prefecture or county.

Zhao Yu and his ministers were not anxious, for they never intended to recover Yanyun—they aimed only to stall Liao, so they had nothing to fear.

What Zhao Yu never expected was that just seven or eight days later, a famous Liao minister disguised himself as a refugee and defected to Song.

This man was Zhao Liangsi, the historical figure who proposed the plan "Alliance with Jin to Destroy Liao and Recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

But at this time, Zhao Liangsi was still called Ma Zhi.

Historically, Accompanying Tong Guan was sent as envoy to Liao; Zhao Liangsi secretly met him and proposed the "Alliance with Jin to Destroy Liao" strategy, advising Song to send envoys across the sea to ally with the Jurchens and jointly attack Liao to recover Yanyun.

Accompanying Tong Guan brought him back to Song; Emperor Zhezong granted him the imperial surname Zhao, and Ma Zhi changed his name to Zhao Liangsi. He served as Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, Director of the Longtu Pavilion, and during Xuanhe, made seven trips to Jin to negotiate attacks on Liao, eventually promoted to Guanglu Daifu.

After multiple diplomatic exchanges and negotiations, Song and Jin signed the Haishangzhi Alliance. They agreed that Jin would attack Liao's Zhongjing, while Song would seize Yanjing and its surroundings; upon success, Yanjing would belong to Song, and Northern Song would give Jin 200,000 taels of silver and 300,000 bolts of silk. However, Song delayed its advance due to Fang La's rebellion, and its army performed poorly in attacking Yanjing, so Jin captured Yanjing instead. Later, Zhao Liangsi was ordered to negotiate with Jin over treaty obligations; due to Song's military weakness and Emperor Zhezong's imperial decree demanding only Yanjing and its subordinate counties, Zhao Liangsi was at a disadvantage in negotiations.

Later, the former Liao Han general Zhang Jue defected to Jin, then switched allegiance to Song. Emperor Zhezong and most court ministers gladly accepted him, but Zhao Liangsi fiercely opposed it, warning it would anger Jin. Emperor Zhezong and his ministers ignored him, and Zhao Liangsi was thus stripped of his office.

Later still, when Jin forces invaded south, Zhao Liangsi was impeached by the Censorate for "recklessly provoking border conflicts and inviting Jin invasion," and was exiled to Chenzhou and executed.

The Song Shi listed Zhao Liangsi as a traitor, but in truth, his strategy aimed solely to recover Yanyun—its core logic was sound. The failures lay in Emperor Zhezong's repeated blunders and the Song army's abysmal performance, which ultimately led to Northern Song's collapse and turned him into a controversial figure.

Zhao Yu knew Zhao Liangsi's history and understood that after defecting to Song, he had worked diligently and could be heavily relied upon.

Crucially, Zhao Yu now needed to buy a horse's bones with a thousand gold pieces.

So Zhao Yu personally received Zhao Liangsi.

Although Zhao Liangsi had held the rank of Guanglu Qing in Liao, his Han identity restricted him in the Liao court, preventing him from entering the core of power.

At this time, Liao's court was still corrupt, and Khitan nobles discriminated against and oppressed other ethnic groups.

Under this backdrop, Han official Zhao Liangsi could not even expect a single glance from Yelu Yanxi, let alone the Khitan high officials.

In fact, Zhao Liangsi defected to Song primarily because, not long ago, Liao held a grand imperial banquet, and Zhao Liangsi was invited. At the banquet, Khitan nobles indulged in fine wine and food, treating Han and other ethnic officials with arrogance. Zhao Liangsi was deeply displeased by this scene and lost all faith in Liao's rule—he realized that in such a court, he could never achieve greatness or fulfill his ambitions.

Moreover, during his time in Liao, Zhao Liangsi had witnessed the cruel exploitation and oppression of Han people in Yanyun. Yanyun had once been a Han-populated region; after Liao seized it, the local Han lived in misery. Zhao Liangsi sympathized with them and developed even stronger resentment toward Liao's rule, further strengthening his resolve to return to Song.

Unexpectedly, the moment Zhao Liangsi defected to Zhao-Song, Zhao Yu, the Zhao-Song emperor, personally received him.

This greatly encouraged Zhao Liangsi.

Even more astonishing to Zhao Liangsi was that Zhao Yu had specifically set aside an entire hour to discuss Liao's situation and fully listen to his views on Liao.

Afterwards, Zhao Yu intended to grant Ma Zhi the imperial surname Zhao; Zhang Chun, who loved naming people, wrote "Liangsi" on the table beneath, and Zhao Yu, seeing it, took the cue and named him "Zhao Liangsi."

Zhao Yu appointed Zhao Liangsi as Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, made him his chief advisor, and declared that he would not hesitate to reward him for any merit.

Zhao Liangsi was deeply moved. He knew that though he had once harbored great ambitions, he had long been buried in Liao; now, having met a wise sovereign, he vowed to give his life to repay this grace. Kneeling on the ground, his voice trembling with emotion: "Your Majesty treats me so generously—I shall spare no effort to recover Yizhou for Your Majesty."

In early Northern Song, Zhuozhou and Yizhou still belonged to Zhao-Song.

Until the first year of Duan Gong, Liao troops advanced south again; Li Jilong, the defender of Dingzhou, transferred the Jing Sui cavalry from Yizhou to Dingzhou, and most of Zhuozhou and Yizhou fell to Liao. Only Suicheng remained under Song control among the former counties of Yizhou. Song established Ansu and Guangxin garrisons, extending its territory south of Mancheng to bolster Baozhou; thus, most of Yizhou vanished from Song's map.

If Zhao Yu could reclaim Yizhou in this northern campaign, though of little practical value, a proper publicity campaign would make his prestige rise like the midday sun.

Without hesitation, Zhao Yu told Zhao Liangsi: "If you recover Yizhou for me, I shall never fail you."

In addition to this promise, Zhao Yu gave Zhao Liangsi a full thousand jin of garlic gold to use for bribes.

Zhao Liangsi was filled with unprecedented fervor and loyalty. He knew this was Zhao Yu's unconditional trust and expectation. He spoke with firm resolve: "I shall never fail Your Majesty's great hope—I swear to restore Yizhou to our great Song!"

Soon, Zhao Liangsi requested twenty men and twenty horses from the Pacification Commission, along with the gold, and departed for Yizhou.

Zhao Liangsi was confident he could bring Yizhou into Song's territory because the current governor of Yizhou was Li Chuwen.

During his time in Liao, Zhao Liangsi had formed an inseparable friendship with Li Chuwen. Both had witnessed Yelu Yanxi's moral decay and once planned to flee south together to Song. They had even burned incense together at the North Pole Temple in Yanjing, swearing an oath to jointly destroy the Khitans.

Precisely because of this, Zhao Liangsi was certain that if he approached Li Chuwen, Li Chuwen would surrender Yizhou to Song.

Yizhou lay southwest of Yanjing, about two hundred li away. To the west rose towering mountains; to the east stretched boundless plains, named after the Yi River. In the Warring States period, Crown Prince Dan of Yan bid farewell to the warrior Jing Ke as he set out south to assassinate the King of Qin—on the banks of the Yi River. The wind howls, the Yi River chills; the hero departs, never to return.

When Zhao Liangsi arrived in Yizhou and spoke with Li Chuwen, they were in complete agreement.

—Zhao Liangsi did not know that when Li Chuwen had once been sent as envoy to Song, Zhao Yu had already sent someone to contact him, seeking him as an inside agent.

At that time, Li Chuwen had been tempted, but he still held hope for Liao—he believed that after a new emperor ascended, Liao's political climate might improve and he might gain favor, so he declined Song's overture.

But Yelu Yanxi proved worse than Yelu Hongji—he was even more incompetent, making Liao's political environment even worse, leaving Han officials with no hope of advancement.

This made Li Chuweng lose all hope in the Liao state.

It was under these circumstances that Li Chuweng agreed with Zhao Liangsi to defect together to the Zhao Song dynasty.

Moreover, Li Chuweng's entire family lived in Yizhou; with war between Song and Liao imminent, Yizhou—as the frontline between the two sides—would surely be engulfed, and Li Chuweng was deeply troubled by his future.

Now, with Zhao Liangsi's recommendation and his glowing praise of Zhao Yu, Li Chuweng resolved to defect to the Zhao Song dynasty, saying:

"You and I must immediately send someone to Xiongzhou to contact Your Majesty and declare our intention to return south. When the Song army marches north and reaches Yizhou, we shall slaughter every Khitan inside the city and open the gates from within, joining forces with you. What do you think?"

Zhao Liangsi said: "Excellent. But who should we send to Xiongzhou? This matter is of great importance; the messenger must be utterly trustworthy."

Zhao Liangsi knew that if he returned himself, Li Chuweng would not trust him.

Moreover, Zhao Liangsi feared that after he left, Li Chuweng might change his mind—so he insisted Li Chuweng send someone.

Without hesitation, Li Chuweng sent his younger brother Li Cheneng, who departed that very night carrying Zhao Liangsi's letter to Xiongzhou.

That day, Zhao Yu was studying the terrain of the Yan-Yun region with Li Lin, Zhang Chun, Ceng Bu, Han Zhongyan, Su Zhe, Cai Bian, Guo Cheng, Zhong Pu, Sun Lu, Zong Ze, and Wang Bin.

—Previously, they had personally ascended hot-air balloons equipped with long-range lenses to survey the entire Yan region from above.

Suddenly, a messenger reported: "Your Majesty, a man named Li Cheneng requests an audience, saying he has urgent news to deliver."

Upon hearing the name, Zhang Chun immediately nodded to Zhao Yu, signaling that he should be admitted.

Li Yan and Chen Gou also reported to Zhao Yu that Li Cheneng was Li Chuweng's younger brother and could be received.

Zhao Yu also knew from history that Li Cheneng had once defected to the Zhao Song dynasty, only to be handed over to the Jin by Emperor Huan and his ministers, so he readily said: "Let him in."

After entering, Li Cheneng immediately handed Zhao Yu Zhao Liangsi's letter.

Li Yan took the letter on Zhao Yu's behalf, inspected it carefully, found no issues, then passed it to Zhao Yu.

After reading it, Zhao Yu smiled and asked: "How many troops are currently in Yizhou?"

Li Cheneng hurriedly replied: "Five thousand men, all willing to obey Your Majesty's orders."

Zhao Yu said without hesitation: "Good! Return at once and instruct Lord Li and Lord Zhao to prepare. Tomorrow, my army will arrive beneath Yizhou's walls—have them open the gates and surrender the city. When this is accomplished, I shall reward you according to merit, without fail."

Li Cheneng rejoiced and immediately returned to deliver the message.

Zhao Yu feared others might mishandle such a critical mission, so he personally appointed the reliable Qiu Yu and the capable defender Zhai Xing.

For safety, Zhao Yu not only ordered Zhai Xing to bring five thousand new troops, but also assigned him five hundred Divine Mechanism Troops as backup.

After receiving their orders, Qiu Yu and Zhai Xing immediately led their forces northward.

Not far from Yizhou, scouts suddenly returned reporting that dust rose along the road ahead—a cavalry force was charging toward them from afar.

Some believed this might be Li Chuweng's men coming to welcome them.

Zhai Xing said calmly: "Find out by checking."

Zhai Xing immediately ordered a scout to climb high with a long-range lens.

Soon, the scout reported that the approaching force was three thousand Liao troops. They quickly signaled Zhai Xing via flag signals.

In fact, this was a unit of the Ox Enclosure Army, dispatched from the ancient Yan City.

The Ox Enclosure Army was commanded by the Ox Enclosure Command Headquarters. As early as the reign of Emperor Shengzong of Liao, to defend against Song forces, the Liao established the "Ox Enclosure Command Headquarters" on Ox Enclosure Mountain, subordinate to the Nanjing Grand Marshal's Office, which oversaw the "Supervisory Garrison Command" and the "Shimen Command," two forces forming a pincer defense spanning over seven hundred li along the Bai Gou River border.

Upon learning that Song forces had crossed the border and marched north, this Ox Enclosure Army immediately deployed over three thousand troops to intercept them.

Zhai Xing immediately formed his battle line to meet the enemy.

Under Zhai Xing's deliberate control, the Divine Mechanism Troops, without deploying tiger crouching cannons or thunder bombs, crushed the Ox Enclosure Army using only divine-arm bows. Zhai Xing personally led the cavalry of the new troops in pursuit for ten li before withdrawing.

Upon hearing that the Song army had defeated the Ox Enclosure Army at once, Li Chuweng and Zhao Liangsi ordered Li Shi, Li Chuweng's son, to carry out the planned massacre of Khitans within the city—especially those surnamed Yelü—execute them all without mercy, eradicate them root and branch.

Though the Khitan population in Yizhou was not large, blood ran thick and the atmosphere turned terrifying.

By the time Qiu Yu and Zhai Xing led the Song army to Yizhou's gates, all Khitans inside had been slaughtered by Li Shi and his men.

Li Chuweng and his son hurriedly came out of the city with Zhao Liangsi to welcome them.

As they stepped outside, Li Chuweng and his son immediately saw that the Song army was disciplined, well-equipped, orderly, and brimming with martial vigor—its soldiers radiated a chilling aura that inspired dread.

Seeing this, Li Chuweng and his son were fully reassured, and they promptly escorted Qiu Yu, Zhai Xing, and the others into the city…

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(End of Chapter)