Chapter 313: The Liao Will Never Be Slaves, Unless They Truly Cannot Win

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In the newly recovered Yanping region of Great Song, all residents, whether barbarian or Han, changed from left-lapped to right-lapped clothing.

As for the previously left-lapped statues of Confucius, all were smashed to pieces and replaced with right-lapped ones, correcting the disorder and restoring order.

All residents in the newly recovered regions, if permanently settled, must keep their hair—no hair means no life.

All writing in the Yanping region was changed to Han characters; all other scripts were banned.

Faced with such aggressive actions by the Song Chaoting, many Liao people—not just Khitans, Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei, and Jurchens—but also many Han who deeply loved the Liao state, were furious and even cursed the Song for taking advantage of their misfortune.

At this very moment, the Liao court issued a recruitment edict in Khitan script, the content of which read:

Our great Liao, a century-old foundation, once spanned the great desert, faced the boundless sea, and made all foreign tribes submit. But the traitorous Jurchens, with wolfish ambition, took advantage of our weakness, shattered our Dongjing, captured our Shangjing, seized our Zhongjing, and now all ten thousand li of our northeastern territory lies in enemy hands!

The former Yan-Yun lands were Han territory; now, for the sake of temporary peace, we have returned them to Great Song to secure our chance to restore our Liao state.

Our lost lands remain unrecovered, yet our homeland has been given back—where then can the Liao people find refuge?

Khitan sons, remember where your ancestors' tombs lie; Han sons, never forget the pain of your native fields and gardens; Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei tribes—can you bear to let your homes be trampled by the Jurchens? Even if there are righteous Jurchens, you must know the shame of kin killing kin—unite to resist tyranny! From this day forward, all who take up arms and march north to drive out the Jurchens and reclaim our territory, regardless of ethnicity, are citizens of our great Liao!

Though the enemy's strength is great, it is not unbreakable; though our forces are isolated, united we stand as a city of resolve. Parents sending off their sons must say: "Do not return until the lost lands are recovered"; wives urging their husbands must say: "Defending the land and protecting the home is the duty of a man." Raise the banner of righteousness, turn back the tide, reclaim our rivers and mountains, restore our homeland!

Brave ones, gather swiftly under our banner, face the nation's crisis…

In every corner of the Yanping region, including the main streets of Yanjing, posters recruiting Liao people to march north and resist the Jurchens were quickly posted.

The Liao court also sent riders to every Liao-populated area to promote the call for Liao people to march north and resist the Jurchens.

This drew immense attention from the Liao people.

On one hand, the Song Chaoting was driving out the Liao people.

On the other hand, the Liao state was recruiting Liao people to march north and reclaim lost territory.

Song Ting officials had planted new flags throughout the streets; Liao envoys had posted notices stating the Song-Liao handover was complete: if former Liao subjects wished to return north, they could follow the Liao army away; if they wished to stay, they must adopt Song regulations—tie their hair, change their clothing, and register as citizens.

Some looked at the words "return north" on the notices and recalled their lives under Liao rule; others gazed at the right-lapped robes hanging in fabric shops, their eyes flickering over their own left-lapped old garments.

Some Liao people argued: some tied arrow quivers to their waists, declaring they would join the Liao army, defeat the Jurchens, and reclaim their homeland; others shook their heads, saying the Liao state was already gone, all five capitals lost, the court now merely a department under the Song Chaoting—marching north meant wandering, homelessness, and the collapse of family stability, while the Song, though forcing change, truly wished to accept them—otherwise, why bother?

After days of debate, lines of those choosing to return north formed outside the city gates: Khitan herders drove oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys, their backs laden with tightly rolled felt blankets; Han craftsmen carried toolboxes, inside which hid the Liao court's "Master Artisan" token; Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei, and even Jurchen men took up newly issued Liao long spears, bade farewell to their families, and resolutely went to fight for their country.

Those who chose to stay busied themselves changing into right-lapped clothing, learning to tie their hair like the Han, and personally selling all books, inscriptions, bamboo slips, and silk texts bearing Khitan script to the Song Chaoting, while erasing and destroying all other Khitan writing.

After days of assembly, the Liao people returning north gradually marched northward, leaving the Yanping region. The wind lifted their sleeves; their left-lapped robes, in the twilight, stretched into a continuous stretch, like a tattered old flag.

Those who remained—whether Khitan, Han, or other ethnicities—began their new lives with cautious care yet resolute determination, telling themselves: "From today on, I am Han…"

Zhao Yu kept his word, providing fifty thousand shi of grain and five thousand sets of armor and weapons for those marching north.

Yelu Chun personally led these Liao people north to Wulanbutong, at the southern edge of the Hunshandake Desert, where they joined forces with Xiao Xiamai, acting head of the Xi Wang Fu; Chancellor of Beifu Xiao Degong; Grand Ritual Master Yelu Dili Gu; Governor of Guizhou Xiao Heshangnu; Eastern Commander Xiao Gan; Western Commander Yelu Dashi; Jiedu of Liao Xing Army Zhang Jue; and Commander of Yuan Army Guo Youshi, along with numerous steppe tribes.

At this point, including the Liao people from Yanping brought by Yelu Chun, this gathering totaled 660,000 Liao troops.

In truth, given the current state of the Liao army, the most urgent need was to train troops, stockpile supplies, adopt a defensive posture, and wait for the right moment.

Yet, whether Yelu Chun or the Liao people who came with a death wish, all hoped to organize a decisive battle here to defeat the Jin army, at least reclaim the Liao Zhongjing first, so their Liao state could claim a foothold and no longer live under another's roof.

This included the hawkish Xiao Gan and Yelu Dashi.

Moreover, the Liao state possessed 600,000 to 700,000 troops, claiming one million—more than the Jin army.

Further, Yelu Chun and others still harbored illusions about Liao generals who had surrendered to Jin, such as Yelu Yudu. They believed it was Yelu Yanxi who had driven Yelu Yudu to rebellion, and that Yelu Yudu's incompetence had brought Liao to ruin, causing Liao people to defect en masse to Jin; now, the Liao emperor had changed from Yelu Yanxi to the widely favored Yelu Ao Luowan, who was precisely the Imperial Prince Yelu Yudu had always supported—Yelu Yudu had no reason not to return.

Perhaps Yelu Yudu would lead his surrendered Liao troops to defect mid-battle.

Not only did Yelu Chun and others think this, they also dispatched secret agents to incite Yelu Yudu and other Liao officers serving Jin to defect.

Yet Yelu Chun's desire for a decisive battle was not without opposition.

Xiao Degong presented Yelu Chun with the strategies "Cultivate Prestige" and "Maintain Caution," urging him not to act rashly.

Yelu Chun smiled and dismissed them.

Yelu Chun convened a military meeting to seek the generals' opinions on the planned battle.

The former Liao commander, acting head of the Xi Wang Fu Xiao Xiamai, spoke: "Our great Liao has suffered repeated defeats; morale is low. The Jurchens have only recently founded their state and are still brimming with vigor; our army cannot match them head-on. We must train our troops and preserve our current territory. Only after at least three years may we speak of a decisive battle."

Yelu Dili Gu spoke: "Though our numbers are great, most are broken troops, terrified of the Jurchens like tigers—we must avoid direct confrontation. Instead, we should harass areas where Jurchen control is weak, plunder grain, livestock, and people, slowly restoring our state's strength."

Xiao Heshangnu spoke: "Since our great Liao has Song support, we should ally with steppe tribes and slowly negotiate with the Jurchens—no need to rush. When the Jurchens' vigor is spent, reclaiming our homeland will not be too late."

Yet the hawkish Liao generals—led by Xiao Gan, Yelu Dashi, and Zhang Jue—believed Xiao Xiamai's view was too slow, and Yelu Dili Gu and Xiao Heshangnu's views too cowardly.

Xiao Degong agreed with Xiao Xiamai, Yelu Dili Gu, and Xiao Heshangnu, arguing fiercely against any immediate battle with the Jin army.

Yelu Chun, hearing this, grew frantic, sharply cutting off Xiao Degong: "Do we not know these things? But our great Liao has lost every capital; our emperor now lives under Song's roof. Though the Song claims to support us, if we keep losing and fail to defeat the Jurchens, how long can the Song support us?"

Yelu Dashi also said: if the Liao people see no hope of restoration, they will either defect to Jin or to Song—our great Liao will exist only in name.

This was an objective fact.

Yet Xiao Xiamai, Xiao Degong, Yelu Dili Gu, and Xiao Heshangnu, still fearful of the Jurchens and relatively cautious, refused to agree to a decisive battle with the Jin army.

Fearing Xiao Xiamai and others would sabotage the battle, on Xiao Gan and Yelu Dashi's advice, Yelu Chun forced them to surrender their command, kept them as advisors by his side, and transferred their troops to his own loyal commanders as the central army, under his direct command.

Wanyan Aguda also wished to crush the Liao army in one battle, then march south with overwhelming momentum to speak with Zhao Yu and find out what Zhao Yu truly intended—whether Song and Jin would make peace or go to war.