Chapter 505: The One You Speak Of — Perhaps That Is My Father

Yelu Deguang's eyelids twitched violently. Wei Prince Zhao Yanshou, along with Hou Yi and Geng Chongmei, knelt on the ground, too terrified to even breathe loudly.

Zhao Yanshou especially — Zhao Kuangzan was his own son! And selling out Hezhong Prefecture like that had directly triggered the chain reaction that followed. His crime was enormous.

Hezhong's Puzhou was small but solid, and it could threaten the Yellow River waterway — far more suitable for defense and blocking than a place like Luoyang.

But Yelu Deguang was ultimately still an enlightened ruler. After rapidly calculating in his mind, he suddenly laughed three times and helped Zhao Yanshou up from the ground.

"The young ones do not understand reason. I fear they take me for a brutal barbarian like Shi Hu, and so they thought to go join that rebel Zhang Zhao.

But all you ministers know that I, Yelu Deguang, am a benevolent Son of Heaven, the lord of the Central Plains.

The Wei Prince need not reproach himself. Come with me and crush the rebel Zhang, and let all under heaven see who the real barbarian is."

Zhao Yanshou was so moved that tears and snot streamed down his face. He did not rise with Yelu Deguang's help, but instead knelt again and knocked his head on the ground three times with loud thuds.

"Your Majesty is benevolent, and your minister is grateful beyond words. That my rebellious son Kuangzan joined the rebels is my failure in upbringing. I beg to lead my own troops as the army's vanguard, to cleanse the Zhao family's door."

Yelu Deguang quickly waved his hand, putting on a very benevolent expression as he spoke to Zhao Yanshou.

"How could there be an emperor who makes a father kill his son? Besides, my Great Liao iron cavalry roams freely, swift as the wind. Killing the rebel Zhang is as easy as turning over a hand.

The Wei Prince knows the customs of the southern court well. Better that you go supervise the dredging of the Bian River, so the great army can reach Luoyang as quickly as possible."

Zhao Yanshou's eyes darkened. Yelu Deguang appeared magnanimous, but in his words he had stripped Zhao Yanshou of his authority over the Han troops, and had thrown him the extremely difficult task of dredging the Bian River.

But Zhao Yanshou did not hesitate at all. He immediately bowed with clasped hands, weeping with gratitude as he acknowledged the order.

"I respectfully obey. Your minister will exert all his strength and dredge the Bian River within ten days."

The reason Zhao Yanshou made such a military pledge was that he understood perfectly well: if the task of dredging the Bian River was not done well, Yelu Deguang would have grounds to deal with him.

Not punishing him now was to avoid alarming all the Han troops.

But if he failed at dredging the Bian River, that would be incompetence, and punishing him then would carry no psychological obstacle.

"Your Majesty, Hezhong and Shanzhou have both fallen. Now only Luoyang remains to defend against the rebel Zhang.

Luoyang has the peril of the eight passes and the firmness of Mang and Xiao. The floating bridges at Mengjin and Heyang are convenient. Our army moves slowly now — if the rebel Zhang seizes Luoyang, we will be extremely passive."

If one asked who among the Khitans was most trustworthy in military matters at this time, it was none other than Gao Song, Gao Mohan, and Yelu Wuzhi.

Yelu Wuzhi was supervising the army in the rear, while Gao Song was at Yelu Deguang's side. It was he who now reminded Yelu Deguang.

Yelu Deguang also trusted Gao Song greatly, because in this southern campaign to destroy the Jin, Gao Song's achievements had been paramount.

Not only had he slain the Jin general Liang Hanzhang, Military Governor of Yongqing Army at Beizhou, in battle, cutting off the Jin army's retreat, but the plan to send men straight to the Jin capital, Kaifeng Prefecture in the Eastern Capital, had also been Gao Song's design.

"In Luoyang, Mada commands ten thousand troops in garrison, plus more than three thousand Jin soldiers. Once our great army exits the Bian River, Luoyang is within reach. How could the rebel Zhang possibly take Luoyang quickly?"

Xiao Han, that bastard, was somewhat jealous of Gao Song winning Yelu Deguang's favor, so whenever Gao Song made a suggestion, he had to find fault with it.

Hearing this, Gao Song did not even look at Xiao Han. He directly lowered his voice and said to Yelu Deguang: "Your Majesty, first there was the sudden upheaval at Hezhong Prefecture, then the defection of Shanzhou and Wu Xingde. The Han folk truly cannot be trusted.

What your minister worries about is precisely the three thousand Han troops in Luoyang. Moreover, this Mada is brave enough, but lacking in strategy.

If the rebel Zhang sends elite cavalry traveling at double speed to seize the passes, I fear the lesson of Liu Yuan losing his head and body will repeat itself.

Your minister begs the Emperor to allocate three thousand elite cavalry as the vanguard, to race to Luoyang and secure the city's defenses."

Yelu Deguang could not help but nod. "Mohan is truly my right-hand minister. I will allocate three thousand iron cavalry to you. Set out at once, and be sure to hold Luoyang."

Gao Song had just withdrawn when Han Kuangsi came forward. "Your Majesty, the rebel Zhang of Hexi is a man of many tricks, and under his command are even more fierce and ruthless men.

Wu Zi said, 'In using troops, one must assess the enemy's strength and weakness, and seize upon the enemy's peril.' The art of war also says: plan for the enemy generously, defend against the enemy strictly.

The rebel Zhang comes down the river with great momentum. In your minister's view, we must first defend steadily, then seek a plan to defeat the enemy.

But if we are to defend steadily, we cannot leave any weak points. Liu Zhiyuan of Hedong commands thirty thousand troops and intends to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. To us, he is a danger like a thorn in the back.

Your minister begs Your Majesty to summon Wang Jun, bestow gold and silver generously, and not stint on titles. Only then can your minister go to Taiyuan, reason with him, and persuade the Hedong troops to come to our aid."

Although Han Kuangsi was a Han man, his family was different from the Zhao Yanshou and Geng Chongmei families. The Han family were the Khitans' own people.

Because Han Kuangsi's father, Han Zhigu, had come to Yelu Abaoji's side as part of the dowry, in his capacity as a household retainer of the wrist-severing Empress Dowager Shulu Ping.

One could say that people like Zhao Yanshou, in the Liao state, did not even count as Han Eight Banners, but the Han family — they were the Yelu family's own servants! Even closer to the Liao imperial house than the servants of the Imperial Household Department.

Otherwise, Han Kuangsi's son Han Derang could never have rolled into Xiao Chuo's bed and made Emperor Shengzong of Liao treat him as a father.

At that moment, hearing that Han Kuangsi was going to persuade Liu Zhiyuan, Yelu Deguang stepped closer and asked in a deep voice: "Liu Zhiyuan is a hero. Are you confident?"

Han Kuangsi slowly nodded. "Precisely because Liu Zhiyuan is a hero, he will not remain subordinate to another.

The rebel Zhang is also a hero. How could he tolerate Liu Zhiyuan waiting for an opportunity in Taiyuan?

Your minister begs Your Majesty to hold the Luoyang line firmly. When the rebel Zhang's men are weary and horses spent, and the Hedong troops arrive, that will be his death day."

Yelu Deguang settled on the basic strategy of holding Luoyang firmly, blunting Zhang Zhao's sharp edge, and then counterattacking. He also sent Zhao Yanshou to dredge the Bian River regardless of the cost to the people, and Han Kuangsi set out for Taiyuan.

Zhang Zhao moved even more swiftly. As soon as the plan was set, Zhang Zhao appointed Murong Xinzhang as vanguard Troop Commander, Zhao Hui and Qiongre Duojin as left and right formation commanders, and Zhe Deyuan, Wang Shenqi, Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Yanjin, Zhang Xibao, and Chen Tingxiao as Chief Supervisors.

He selected four thousand elite cavalry to travel by land straight for Luoyang, while the main army continued advancing down the Yellow River by both water and land.

Murong Xinzhang and the others galloped the whole way, passing Mianchi in just two days, and on the fourth day they bypassed Hangu Pass and entered the Luoyang basin.

Historically there were three Hangu Passes. The one in Lingbao County was the Warring States Hangu Pass. The Hangu Pass here at Xin'an County near Luoyang was newly built in former years by General Yang Pu of the Towered Ships, partly because he wanted to be a man of Guanzhong for once, and partly, of course, because of the need to protect Luoyang. People of the time mostly called it the Han Pass.

By this time, the Han Pass was nearly abandoned. The Khitans had not stationed troops here either. Only a hundred or so Heyang Han soldiers guarded it.

This Mada, having won a prize place like Luoyang, was raiding for provisions everywhere with great delight. How could he spare the attention to station men at this remote little pass?

As soon as Murong Xinzhang arrived, he immediately took control of the Han soldiers guarding the pass.

These Han soldiers had originally been stationed here. After the Khitans came, their supplies were cut off at once. They could only hunt in the Xiao Mountains, catch fish in the streams, and grow a little grain to survive.

In such a state, how could they resist? Instead, seeing that the great army from Yong and Liang had arrived, they immediately crowded around to pour out their grievances, vying to guide the army straight down to Luoyang.

Murong Xinzhang forcibly suppressed the urge to charge straight to Luoyang. There were still more than three thousand Heyang troops in the city. If they rushed over now, friend and foe would be indistinguishable, and the Khitans would profit for nothing.

So Murong Xinzhang immediately sent Zhao Hui, Zhao Yanjin, and Zhao Kuangyin into Luoyang with a personal letter from Li Congyi, to establish contact with Li Jianchong.

Young Zhao was rather gloomy. How to put it — on the one hand, since arriving in Yong and Liang, he had been very happy.

Every day he practiced martial arts and hunting with the army's heroes, and drilled in battle formations. Great King Zhang had even specially assigned men to teach them military strategy, tactics, and mathematics.

Especially the fine horses and fine armor of Liangzhou — Zhao Kuangyin had been granted several sets, all one-in-ten-thousand treasures.

During the western campaign against Gaochang, Zhao Kuangyin had slain generals and seized banners, earning forty-five ranks of merit, the rank of Gentleman of Righteous Service of the eighth grade, and actual appointment as Captain of the Hanshan Capital.

The hundred-odd riders under his command were the elite of the elite, and the status of the Hanshan Capital was needless to say.

Such favor could not be called slight.

But he was still somewhat unhappy, because Zhao Kuangyin clearly sensed that Great King Zhang bore toward him a kind of inexplicable sense of distance.

He too rather wanted to become the Great King's adopted son, but it was said that Wang Shenqi was on the verge of being chosen, while he still saw no sign of himself being selected.

Now in the State of Yong, everyone wished to become the Great King's adopted son — the benefits went without saying, and one did not even have to change one's surname.

This was not merely becoming the Great King's son; in fact it was the mark of a trusted courtier, a title that even a commandery duke's rank could not buy!

Thinking of this, Zhao Kuangyin drew a deep breath. This time, he must take Luoyang and win for himself the status of the Great King's adopted son.

The three men took three attendants and two soldiers who guarded Hangu Pass, disguised as fish-sellers going from Hangu Pass to Luoyang, for these soldiers often went to sell fish in exchange for salt, cloth, and the like.

Zhao Hui glanced at Zhao Kuangyin, knowing he was a trusted courtier of the King of Yong, and further knowing that he had been sent because Zhao Kuangyin was himself a native of Luoyang, knew the roads, and even had relatives there who could provide some cover.

The three walked and discussed together as they went. Zhao Kuangyin held a piece of cloth on which he had drawn Luoyang's defenses and streets from memory, explaining them one by one to Zhao Hui and Zhao Yanjin.

After Zhao Yanjin had heard him out, he in turn told Zhao Kuangyin about the situation in Luoyang.

Zhao Kuangyin had, after all, been away in Hexi for more than two years and did not know much about Luoyang's recent state.

"The Heyang Army in Luoyang numbers about three thousand men, but when the Lord of Jin marched north to attack the Liao in former years, he already drew away more than half of the Heyang Army's elite troops.

Therefore of these three thousand Heyang troops, at most one thousand are fit to fight. To rely on them to drive out the ten thousand Liao troops in the city is unrealistic; we can only have them open the city gates and let our great army enter."

As he spoke, Zhao Yanjin tapped the west gate of Luoyang. "These one thousand battle-worthy Heyang troops are held by two Chief Supervisors under Li Jianchong's command. One is Li Jianchong's son, with whom I am quite well acquainted, so bringing him over to our side should not be difficult.

The other man shares the same surname as Captain Zhao, and is likewise a Luoyang native — his name is Zhao Hongyin.

His defense of Luoyang's west gate is crucial, but I have had little contact with this man. I hear he is skilled in bow and horse and not fond of socializing.

Whether we can successfully buy this man over is the key to whether we can seize Luoyang this time."

"Ah!" Zhao Kuangyin suddenly stood dumbstruck and froze. Zhao Hongyin — was that not his own father?

That could not be right! Before he went to Hexi, his family had moved to the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture. How could they have returned to Luoyang?

Out of caution, Zhao Kuangyin asked in a trembling voice: "This Zhao... er, Chief Supervisor Zhao — is he near fifty, with one wife and one concubine, his principal wife being Lady Du, and two sons and one daughter under his knee, the eldest son away from home?"

Hm? Zhao Yanjin looked at Zhao Kuangyin in surprise. Why are you so agitated? And how do you know it in such detail?

This sort of thing — how could he possibly have inquired into it so thoroughly.

But just then, one of the Heyang Army soldiers carrying fish with them turned back and said,

"How does this young lord know? Chief Supervisor Zhao was only transferred from the Eastern Capital before the new year. He is indeed near fifty, with one wife and one concubine, and two sons and one daughter.

I hear his eldest son is highly skilled in the martial arts and followed a great figure to Liangzhou in Hexi to see the world......

Eh.....? Uh....!"

At this point, the fish-carrying soldier froze, gaping at Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Hui and his son Zhao Yanjin also turned to look at Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin pointed at his own nose and gave a bitter laugh. "Perhaps, probably, this Chief Supervisor Zhao defending Luoyang's west gate is my father."

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