Chapter 303: Letter of Commitment

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Since Yelu Yanxi ignored Yelu Chun's advice and insistently left Yanjing, Yelu Chun lost contact with Yelu Yanxi.

When the emperor of a nation vanishes without a trace, no one knows where he has gone—this is an absurdity unparalleled in history, rare across all ages and lands.

Yet at this very moment, during wartime, Liao generals such as Xiao Xia mai of the Xi Wang Fu, Chancellor Xiao Degong of the Beifu, Grand Minister of Rituals Yelu Dili gu, and Inspector Xiao Monk nu were still leading Liao troops in battle against the Jurchens.

At this critical juncture, the Liao emperor had vanished, and the Liao resistance against the Jurchens had completely lost unified command.

It seemed inevitable that the Liao defensive lines would be utterly shattered, and the Liao state would soon face annihilation.

Yelu Chun could neither sit nor sleep in peace; he dispatched numerous spies to scour the land for Yelu Yanxi's whereabouts, hoping to find him and restore order.

At this time, many rumors circulated about Yelu Yanxi: some claimed he had been captured by the Jurchen army, others said he had died in the Yuan Yang Ze, and still others claimed he had been invited by Zhao Yu to seek refuge in the Zhao Song dynasty.

As the highest-ranking official in Yanjing and a descendant of the Liao imperial house, Yelu Chun deeply worried about the future and fate of the Liao state.

Faced with the chaos before him, Yelu Chun longed to act decisively, yet he felt utterly powerless.

The great Liao Empire, once a dominant force on the grasslands, now teetered on the brink of collapse.

That night, Yelu Chun drank alone in the Wang Fu, feeling that only wine could numb his pain and dilute his boundless sorrow.

Zhang Lin came to visit Yelu Chun; seeing him so despondent, he urged: "Wine is a poison that cuts through the intestines—drink too much and it harms the body. At this critical moment, Your Highness must protect your health."

Zhang Lin had once served as Chancellor of the Nanfu, then as commander of the Shenzhou garrison, but after losing Shenzhou city, he was condemned by court ministers and fell into despair. Before leaving Yanjing, Yelu Yanxi had assigned Zhang Lin to assist Yelu Chun in defending Yanjing.

Yelu Chun sighed deeply: "I never imagined that our great Liao's two-century legacy would be destroyed in an instant. What face do we, these incompetent descendants, have to show our ancestors? We shame our Liezulie, we shame heaven, we shame the people!"

Zhang Lin said: "Waiting like this is no solution. In Yanjing, no one outranks you in lineage, prestige, or office. You must take the initiative and summon the ministers to deliberate—perhaps we can devise a plan to save the state?"

Not only Yelu Chun and Zhang Lin were furious and helpless at Yelu Yanxi's inexplicable disappearance at this critical moment; nearly all Liao people in Yan territory had lost faith in him, believing Liao was truly doomed, and they said: "Our great Liao has not yet perished, yet the emperor is gone—this is utterly absurd! If things continue like this, how can our state's fortune endure?"

Many Liao nobles in Yan territory feared that the Jurchens would break through the defenses, sack Yanjing, and massacre and plunder its people; they wished to proclaim Yelu Chun emperor and rally behind him to hold the fort and preserve themselves.

But since the historical figures who had supported Yelu Chun's ascension—Li Chuwen, Xiao Gan, Yelu Dashi—were absent, this faction lacked strength.

Meanwhile, another political faction led by Zhang Lin, alarmed by Liao's precarious situation yet unwilling to betray Yelu Yanxi and become traitors, advocated that Yelu Chun assume regency, not ascend the throne.

The two sides quarreled endlessly, each unable to convince the other, and thus Yelu Chun, unlike in history, failed to ascend the throne after Yelu Yanxi's disappearance and establish the Beiliao.

Of course, this was also because Zhao Yu and his ministers acted swiftly, leaving Yelu Chun no time to proclaim himself emperor.

That day, Yelu Chun received news from Liangxiang: the Song envoys Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo had arrived, bringing word that Yelu Yanxi was currently seeking political asylum in the Zhao Song dynasty.

Upon hearing this, the Liangxiang county official immediately dispatched a Han official as escort, arranged for Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo to stay at the relay station, and hurried to contact Yelu Chun.

Learning that Yelu Yanxi had fled to the Zhao Song dynasty, Yelu Chun and others were stunned! They could not fathom how Yelu Yanxi could be in the Zhao Song dynasty.

For before this, countless people had urged Yelu Yanxi to send envoys to Zhao Yu for aid to relieve Liao's dire emergency, yet each time Yelu Yanxi flew into a rage, declaring that no one understood him better—he who sought Zhao Yu's aid was merely replacing the wolf at the front door with the tiger at the back, and that Zhao Yu's ambitions far surpassed those of Wanyan Aguda by a hundredfold and could never be trusted.

In short, Yelu Yanxi's attitude made it clear: he would rather die than beg Zhao Yu.

Yet now, the Zhao Song dynasty had sent envoys claiming Yelu Yanxi was seeking political asylum within their borders.

It sounded suspicious in every way.

Yelu Chun and others doubted whether Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo's claims were true.

After brief consultation, Yelu Chun and his circle unanimously agreed: regardless of truth or falsehood, they must first bring Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo to Yanjing—after all, they carried the banner of "Song envoys."

Yelu Chun promptly dispatched a Han official as escort to Zhuozhou to welcome Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo.

Outside Yanjing's city walls, Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo were warmly received by the Four-Region Governor Xiao Ao and the Minister of Rites Zhang Jue, who served as their hosts and accompanied them to Jinggou Temple for lodging.

From this reception, it was clear that Yelu Chun placed great importance on the Song envoys' visit.

This was chiefly because Yelu Chun knew well that if the Zhao Song dynasty chose to strike now, with its strength, it could easily reclaim Yan Di Wuzhou, Sanzhou and Luan-Ying, along with strategic passes like Juyong Pass—the Liao could not withstand such an assault. Thus, at all costs, they must stabilize Zhao Song, prevent it from exploiting Liao's weakness, and absolutely prevent Zhao Song from allying with the Jurchens to partition Liao.

The next day, Commander of the Palace Guards Yao Meng and Chief Secretary of the Privy Council Xiao Kui jointly hosted a banquet for Ma Kuo at Jinggou Temple.

During the feast.

Xiao Kui asked: "Why has Your Majesty ended up in your realm?"

Zhao Liangsi replied: "Upon learning that your realm had lost Dongjing, then Shangjing and Zhongjing, our Emperor feared the Jurchens would advance to seize Yanjing and threaten our great Song, so he invited your Emperor to our court to discuss an alliance against the Jurchens."

Hearing this, Xiao Kui rejoiced and hurriedly asked: "Is this true?!"

Zhao Liangsi said: "When two great states negotiate matters of state, how could we speak frivolously?"

Yao Meng asked: "Do you have a decree from our Emperor?"

Ma Kuo smiled: "Would your Emperor issue a decree and entrust it to our Song envoys to carry? I expect within two or three days, your Emperor will send his own decree. Myself and Chief Envoy Zhao have come primarily to declare our Song's intent to ally with your Liao. Soon, our Emperor will personally lead a million troops northward to reinforce you. Hold on a few more days—the reinforcements are coming."

Upon hearing that Zhao Yu would personally lead a million troops to reinforce Liao, Yao Meng and Xiao Kui were overjoyed!

If the Zhao Song dynasty truly sent a million troops to reinforce Liao, not only could they repel the Jurchen attacks, but they could even help Liao reclaim lost territories without question.

Yet Yao Meng and Xiao Kui, well-versed in Han culture, had heard the story of "borrowing a path to destroy Guo"—could it be that Zhao Song, taking advantage of Liao's weakness, was using the pretext of aiding Liao against the Jurchens to seize the Yan-Yun Sixteen Prefectures, which Zhao Song's emperors had long sought to recover?

It was not that Yao Meng and Xiao Kui were suspicious of good intentions; rather, all Liao people in Yan territory were wary of this very thing, and all believed Zhao Song would not miss this divine opportunity to reclaim the Yan-Yun Sixteen Prefectures.

Crucially, if Zhao Song did not seize this chance to reclaim the Yan-Yun Sixteen Prefectures, and if Liao fell to the Jurchens who then occupied them, Zhao Song's northern frontier would never know peace again. The Jurchens were not the Liao, who had been sinicized for centuries—dealing with them was like making a pact with a tiger.