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-lapel to right-lapel attire.

As for the previously left-lapel Confucius statues, all were smashed to pieces and replaced with right-lapel versions, restoring order and correcting deviation.

All residents in the newly recovered regions, if permanent inhabitants, 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 forceful actions by the Great Song court, many Liao people—not only Khitans, Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei, and Jurchens—but also many Han who deeply loved the Liao state, were furious and even cursed Great 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, wolves with hearts of ambition, took advantage of our weakness, shattered our Eastern Capital, captured our Upper Capital, seized our Central Capital, and now all ten thousand li of the northeast lie in enemy hands!

The former Yan-Yun lands were once 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, do not forget the pain of your ancestral fields and homesteads; Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei tribes—how can you bear to see your homes trampled by the Jurchens? Even if there are Jurchen men of righteousness, 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, shall be our great Liao’s people!

Though the enemy’s strength is great, it is not invincible; though our forces are isolated, united we stand firm. Parents sending off their sons must say: “Do not return until the lost lands are regained”; wives urging their husbands must say: “Defending the land and protecting the home is the duty of a man.” Raise the banner of righteousness, stem the tide, recover our rivers and mountains, restore our homeland!

Brave men, gather swiftly under our banner, answer the call of national crisis…

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

The Liao court also sent riders to every Liao-populated area to spread the word about recruiting Liao people to march north and resist the Jurchens.

This drew immense attention from the Liao people.

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

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

Song officials had planted new flags along every street; Liao envoys had posted notices declaring the Song-Liao transfer complete: if former Liao subjects wished to return north, they could follow the Liao army away; if they wished to stay, they must tie their hair, change their clothing, and register as Song subjects.

Some looked at the words “return north” on the notices and recalled their lives under Liao rule; others gazed at the right-lapel garments hanging in cloth shops, their eyes flicking to their own left-lapel old robes.

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 gone, all five capitals lost, the court now merely a department of Great Song—marching north meant wandering, homelessness, and the collapse of family stability, while Great 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 herds of cattle, horses, camels, donkeys, their backs laden with tightly rolled felt blankets; Han craftsmen carried toolboxes, inside which hid the Liao court’s “Master Artisan” tokens; Xi, Bohai, Zubu, Shiwei, and even Jurchen men took up newly issued Liao spears, bade farewell to their families, and resolutely marched to fight for their nation.

Those who chose to stay busied themselves changing into right-lapel clothing, learning to tie their hair like the Han, and personally sold all books, inscriptions, bamboo slips, and silk texts bearing Khitan script to the Great Song court, erasing and destroying all other Khitan writings.

After days of assembly, the Liao people returning north gradually marched away from the Yanping region; the wind lifted their sleeves, left-lapel robes blending into a dark sea at dusk, like tattered old banners.

Those who remained—whether Khitan, Han, or other ethnicities—began their new lives with cautious care yet resolute determination, telling themselves: “From today, 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, Administrator of the Xi Prince’s Court; Xiao Degong, Northern Chancellor; Yelü Dili Gu, Grand Sacrificial Officer; Xiao Heshangnu, Inspector of Guizhou; Xiao Gan, Eastern Commander; Yelu Dashi, Western Commander; Zhang Jue, Military Governor of Lixing Army; Guo Yaoshi, Commander of the Grievance Army, and numerous steppe tribes.

At this point, including the Liao people brought by Yelu Chun from Yanping, 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 men who came with a death-wish, all hoped to organize a decisive battle here to defeat the Jin army, at least reclaim the Liao Central Capital, giving their Liao state a foothold and ending their dependence on others.

This included hardliners like 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 to Jin; now, the Liao emperor had changed from Yelu Yanxi to the widely supported Yelu Aoluowan, who was precisely the prince Yelu Yudu had always backed—Yelu Yudu had no reason not to return.

Perhaps Yelu Yudu would lead the 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.

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

Xiao Degong presented Yelu Chun with two 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 a decisive battle.

Former Liao commander Xiao Xiamai spoke: “Our great Liao has suffered repeated defeats; morale is low. The Jurchens, newly established, still brim with vigor—we cannot match them head-on. We must train our troops, preserve our current territory. Only after three years may we speak of a decisive battle.”

Yelü 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 weakly held by the Jurchens, seizing grain, livestock, and people, slowly rebuilding our strength.”

Xiao Heshangnu spoke: “Since we have Great Song’s support, we should ally with steppe tribes and slowly negotiate with the Jurchens—no need to rush. When the Jurchens’ momentum fades, reclaiming our homeland will not be too late.”

Yet hardliners like Xiao Gan, Yelu Dashi, and Zhang Jue deemed Xiao Xiamai’s view too slow, and Yelü Dili Gu and Xiao Heshangnu’s too cowardly.

Xiao Degong agreed with Xiao Xiamai, Yelü Dili Gu, and Xiao Heshangnu, arguing fiercely against any near-term battle with the Jin army.

Yelu Chun, hearing this, grew frantic, cutting him off sharply: “Do we not know these things? But our great Liao has lost every capital; our emperor must live under Great Song’s roof. Great Song may support us—but if we keep losing, fail to defeat the Jurchens, how long can Great Song support us?”

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

This was an objective truth.

Yet Xiao Xiamai, Xiao Degong, Yelü Dili Gu, and Xiao Heshangnu, still fearful of the Jurchens and relatively cautious, refused to fight a decisive battle.

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 at his side, and placed their troops under his own loyal commanders as his central force, 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, to learn what Zhao Yu truly intended—would Great Song and Jin be at peace or war?