Chapter 180: Truly Sending a Princess to Seek Peace

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Xiao Bodi and Zuo Qigong left the meditation palace and immediately rode nonstop back to Yanjing.

After entering the city, they didn't bother to rest, but hurried straight to the palace to report.

Upon meeting Emperor Yelu Yanxi and his ministers, Xiao Bodi, who had spent many days in the Song army camp, spoke his first words: "The Song army forms ranks like bronze walls, charges like thunder rolling. Their movements are unified as if commanded by the arm directing the fingers; their attacks and defenses echo like fish swimming in a deep pool. Orders are executed instantly with no slackness; they face boiling water and burning fire without fear of death. When blades meet, their battle cries shake the heavens; their square formations stand firm as mountains. A tiger-and-wolf army, like a raging tide sweeping clean, is unstoppable!"

Pausing, Xiao Bodi added: "The Song army also possesses numerous weapons—Shenbi bows, Hongtian thunder bombs, Huqun cannons, and explosive packs. Whether in open battle or siege warfare, they are invincible; the previous several cities fell within two hours, a clear indication."

Then Xiao Bodi concluded: "The Song army cannot be resisted; our Great Liao's position is like an egg stacked upon another."

Xiao Bodi's words shocked Emperor Yelu Yanxi and his ministers deeply.

Xiao Fengxian, standing nearby, agreed: "The Song army's strength is indeed formidable and cannot be easily opposed; we must promptly agree to terms, without delay."

But Zuo Qigong, this Han man, urged Emperor Yelu Yanxi and his ministers to reconsider: "The Song Zhu demands repayment of all past tribute payments before any peace talks can proceed. The amount is enormous—how can our Great Liao possibly pay it all?"

For the past hundred years, thanks to the annual tribute from the Zhao Song dynasty, the Liao treasury was full, and the nobility lived in luxury.

Not to mention others—just consider the recently deceased Emperor Daozong, Yelu Hongji.

During his reign, he repeatedly held ceremonies to welcome Buddhist relics, fed monks, and built temples; in the fourth year of Daking alone, he fed 360,000 monks.

He also constructed countless temples; the continuation of the Fangshan stone sutras and the carving of the Khitan Canon were completed during his rule.

These activities required vast amounts of manpower, materials, and wealth.

Without the annual tribute paid by the Zhao Song dynasty, could he have accomplished so many costly endeavors?

Now Zhao Yu wants to reclaim all this money—it's a serious problem.

Twenty million taels of silver, thirty million bolts of silk—how can they pay? What can they pay with?

Yelu Yanxi asked the pro-war faction—Xiao Changge, Yelu Huluo, and others whom he had kept detained—"The Song Zhu demands enormous tribute. How should we respond?"

This tribute was originally extorted by the Liao when they were strong or held the advantage; now the situation has reversed—the Zhao Song dynasty is powerful, no, they've trapped us all within this single city—and they demand back the money and silk they were extorted for over the years—is that unreasonable?

It's not unreasonable.

You Liao could do the first day; let the Zhao Song dynasty do the fifteenth.

Moreover, the Zhao Song dynasty is merely demanding back their own money and silk.

Even if this were taken to the ends of the earth, Zhao Yu could not be called disrespectful.

Furthermore, Xiao Changge, Yelu Huluo, and the other pro-war faction had no better solution.

So Xiao Changge, Yelu Huluo, and the other pro-war faction all fell silent.

Xiao Fengxian fully believed what Xiao Bodi had said; he said: "Now the Song army stands at our gates, yet our city's defenders are insufficient. Only peace can preserve the state and the realm. Let us first agree to their terms, though the amount is too large—we might offer one million taels of gold, two million taels of silver, and silk equal to the silver amount."

Xiao Fengxian's proposal pleased Yelu Yanxi deeply; crucially, Yelu Yanxi dared not risk resistance—he only wished to preserve the state and the realm, to preserve their Khitan domain—so he nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Xiao Fengxian reminded Yelu Yanxi: "The Song envoys are still detained by our court; we must promptly release and soothe them to resolve the enmity between our two states."

Yelu Yanxi's heart jolted—he finally remembered Lin Shu, the man who had dared to speak boldly before his face.

Yelu Yanxi hurriedly said: "Summon Ambassador Lin immediately."

Xiao Changge, standing nearby, reminded him: "Your Majesty is ruler of a nation—how can you personally meet Lin Shu, this arrogant man?"

Prompted by Xiao Changge, Yelu Yanxi—who already feared Lin Shu—took the opportunity to avoid the meeting and ordered Xiao Fengxian to go in his place to soothe Lin Shu and the others.

After Xiao Fengxian departed, Yelu Yanxi asked Xiao Changge, Yelu Huluo, and others: "Is there any other way?"

This time, even Xiao Changge had to admit: "There is no alternative—we must yield for now and await reinforcements."

Agreeing to peace with Zhao Yu means the court must pay a heavy price.

Yelu Yanxi and his ministers were well aware of this.

On the advice of Minister Xiao Sanbaonu, Yelu Yanxi decided to lead by example in cutting expenses; he issued an edict: due to the Song invasion, from today onward, he would avoid the main hall and reduce his daily meals.

Meanwhile, Xiao Fengxian gave gifts, spoke sweet words, and apologized profusely until he persuaded Lin Shu and the others to return with Liao envoys to meet the emperor tomorrow.

Unexpectedly, that very night the Song army launched a fierce assault on Yanjing.

The Song army attacked fiercely, using surrendered Liao men as vanguard.

These Liao men, desperate to survive, fired arrows furiously at the walls; their arrows rained down, embedding like the spines of a porcupine.

The Song army also bombarded the walls with giant crossbows, bed crossbows, Huqun cannons, trebuchets, and Shenbi bows.

Cannonballs as large as millstones occasionally struck the walls, destroying many towers and ramparts.

The arrows fired by the giant crossbows and bed crossbows had wooden shafts and iron-fletched tails, known as "One Spear, Three Swords Arrows." These were in fact spears (lances) with fletching, extremely destructive. Bed crossbows could also fire "Treading Peg Arrows," driving them in rows into the rammed-earth walls, allowing attackers to climb them.

Though Huqun cannons had limited power, they fired only shrapnel, which inflicted heavy casualties on Liao soldiers lacking full armor.

The most terrifying were the explosive packs.

Inside those dark, heavy bundles lay terrifying power capable of shaking the walls and tearing apart defenses. Each time a deafening boom echoed, accompanied by rolling smoke and flying debris, a section of the wall would crack, even form deep craters; had Yanjing not been so sturdy, it would have collapsed long ago.

No one doubted that at any moment, a stretch of wall might suddenly collapse, and then Song troops, like a tidal wave, would pour in and massacre the people of Yanjing.

This terrified the Liao soldiers, who fought desperately to repel the Song assault.

Meanwhile, Song soldiers, taking advantage of this momentum, shouted and surged up the walls, trying to carve a path to victory through this narrow window of life and death.

Just as Yanjing's walls reached their limit and the Liao soldiers were on the verge of despair, dawn broke!!!

The Liao defenders within Yanjing wept with joy.

In contrast, the previously dominant Song army was filled with disappointment.

The darkness of night provided attackers with natural cover, allowing them to conceal their movements, approach enemy positions stealthily, reduce the chance of detection, and achieve surprise.

Night also brought psychological unease and fear to defenders, increasing their stress and impairing judgment and reaction. Meanwhile, attackers held a psychological advantage in the dark, emboldening bolder actions.

Moreover, night was typically when defenders' vigilance was relatively low; attackers choosing to strike then could disrupt the defenders' routine, causing confusion and preventing effective resistance.

By day, with ample light, defenders could clearly observe attackers' movements, promptly identify their directions of assault and troop deployments, and thus organize targeted defenses and effective counterfire.

Also, most weapons and equipment functioned better by day; defenders could better utilize observation devices and firepower, maximizing their effectiveness.

Daylight also facilitated communication, coordination, and cooperation among defending units, enabling more accurate execution of defense tasks, mutual support, and the formation of a tighter defensive system.

In short, because dawn had come, the crisis at Yanjing was temporarily averted.

But everyone knew this was only temporary.

The Song army's assault was too fierce; once night fell, Yanjing City would almost certainly fall.

This had nearly become the consensus among the people of Yanjing City.

Not only the people of Yanjing City, but the Song army had also rotated in fresh troops to continue the siege.

Yet during the day, the Song army's attacks were not as fierce as at night—they merely prevented Liao troops from destroying the trench bridges and repaired the city walls damaged by the Song, clearly intending to preserve their gains until tonight and resume the assault on Yanjing City.

In response, Yelu Yanxi convened an emergency meeting.

At the meeting, Xiao Fengxian, whom Yelu Yanxi had promoted to Minister of the Northern Court, spoke solemnly: "We must not allow the Song army to attack again; otherwise, Yanjing City will surely fall. At that moment, Your Majesty will be in peril, our Great Liao will be in peril, and all within the city may be slaughtered by the Song. We have now arrived at such a state—the very survival of our Great Liao hangs in the balance."

This time, no one opposed Xiao Fengxian's words; they all saw that the Liao state was truly in grave danger—slight misstep, and even if the nation did not fall, the people of this city would become fish on a chopping block.

Yelu Yanxi asked fearfully: "How can we preserve our Great Liao?"

Seeing no one speak, Xiao Fengxian said: "Only through peace negotiations."

This was a path everyone knew, but the problem was: the Song army was nearly breaching Yanjing City. Once the walls fell, they could take whatever they wanted—why go through the motions of peace talks now, when it was needless?

Yelu Yanxi asked: "What if the Song Zhu refuses peace?"

Xiao Fengxian said: "I have met the Song Zhu—he is not a cruel man. If our Great Liao shows sincerity—sending more gold, silver, silk, and beauties—and clarify that our alliance with the Western Xia and our aggression against the Southern Court were due to Your Majesty being misled, not by his own will, we may yet preserve our ancestral temples and state."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Changge, Yelu Heluwan, and other pro-war factions immediately grew grim-faced. They felt Xiao Fengxian was insinuating blame against them.

Yelu Yanxi turned to Xiao Changge, Yelu Heluwan, and the other pro-war factions, as if saying: "If not for your misguidance, how could our Great Liao have come to this?"

Xiao Changge, Yelu Heluwan, and the other pro-war factions had no reply. They had never imagined the Song army would be this powerful—or perhaps, defending behind walls was not suited to the Hu Ren. They should have used the old ways of our Laozu: fight in open battle, strike if we can win, flee if we cannot, and remain invincible.

Yelu Yanxi withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Fengxian with heartfelt sincerity: "I rely entirely on your mediation."

Xiao Fengxian bowed deeply to the ground: "This is the duty of a subject."

Next, Xiao Fengxian proposed immediately informing all high officials, scholar-gentry, and wealthy families of the stakes, borrowing gold, silver, and silk from them—the more the better—and swiftly preparing three hundred beauties of various ethnicities for Zhao Yu, remembering they must be virgins and not Han—lest it backfire.

Seeing this, though Xiao Changge, Yelu Heluwan, and the other pro-war factions disapproved, they had no other way to save Yanjing City, so they could only acquiesce, thinking: "Temporary compromise is acceptable—for now. Once our reinforcements from all corners arrive, we can decide our next move."

Later, Xiao Fengxian went alone to see Yelu Yanxi and said: "Your Majesty must also sacrifice one person."

Yelu Yanxi asked: "Who?"

Xiao Fengxian said calmly: "The Lady of Letters."

Yelu Yanxi was stunned! He had not expected Xiao Fengxian to suggest giving Xiao Sese to Zhao Yu for peace.

Yelu Yanxi recalled his past with Xiao Sese, and a pang of reluctance rose in his heart.

Yes.

Yelu Yanxi hated Xiao Sese for bringing him to such a state.

But he had once loved Xiao Sese deeply.

This made it painful to hand her over to Zhao Yu.

Moreover, as an Emperor, giving his own woman to another Emperor—especially under these circumstances—was a blow to his dignity.

Crucially, Xiao Sese carried his child.

So Yelu Yanxi hesitated and asked: "Is this truly unavoidable?"

It wasn't truly unavoidable—but Xiao Fengxian had long wanted to eliminate Xiao Sese, the great threat posed by her and her brother. Now was a divine opportunity; he must seize it. So he said: "If we give the Song Zhu no explanation, what reason will he have to spare our Great Liao?"

Yelu Yanxi fell silent. He realized: if no face-saving excuse was offered, even if Zhao Yu wished to spare him, he would have no pretext.

After thinking, Yelu Yanxi asked: "Could we substitute someone else?"

Xiao Fengxian shook his head: "Those like Xiao Hudugu have seen the Lady of Letters. If the Song Zhu discovers we deceived him, he will unleash Lei Ting's fury—and then…"

Yelu Yanxi knew: when an Emperor is enraged, a hundred thousand corpses lie in his wake—he must not provoke Zhao Yu.

After much hesitation, Yelu Yanxi asked: "Could we send the Lady of Letters's head?"

In truth, this would already achieve Xiao Fengxian's goal—and sending Xiao Sese's head was the safest option, ensuring she could not cause further trouble.

But while Xiao Fengxian was satisfied, he did not know whether Zhao Yu would be satisfied.

After all, from a man's perspective, one would surely prefer a living beauty—especially an enemy's woman—over a cold, lifeless head.

Moreover, Xiao Sese had once been called "the First Beauty of Liao." A living her would surely quell Zhao Yu's anger more effectively than a dead one.

Crucially, sending only a woman's head to absolve ourselves of responsibility for allying with the Western Xia and provoking the Zhao Song dynasty was pure daydreaming. But if Xiao Sese herself took full blame, it would at least be somewhat better—and demonstrate greater sincerity in our plea for peace.

Based on this, Xiao Fengxian shook his head.

Yelu Yanxi put himself in Zhao Yu's place: if he had besieged Dongjing Bianliang, he too would prefer to take Zhao Yu's concubines to display his Wu Gong, not a meaningless head.

After all, victory over an enemy means seizing all he owns, seeing his kin weep, and taking his wives and daughters—that is the greatest joy in life.

Thus, Yelu Yanxi felt Xiao Fengxian's suggestion was sound.

Yet making such a decision still left Yelu Yanxi hesitant.

Seeing Yelu Yanxi unable to decide, Xiao Fengxian urged: "Your Majesty, for the sake of your nation, why spare one woman? The Lady of Letters is fiercely proud and deeply in love with Your Majesty—she will never endure humiliation. She will surely take her own life once this matter is settled, to preserve Your Majesty's honor."

Yelu Yanxi felt this was indeed Xiao Sese's nature.

Most importantly, at this point, he truly had no other option.

So finally, Yelu Yanxi nodded his "noble" head…

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(End of Chapter)