Chapter 517: You Must Not Go to Luoyang!

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Liu Zhiyuan's face was dark as he stared, rather speechlessly, at the envoy from Zhang Cong'en before him.

This man, the future founding emperor of the Later Han, was not blessed with a pleasing appearance, so much so that the Old History of the Five Dynasties, in its Han Annals, could only say his features were "unusual."

Generally speaking, after saying one's features are unusual, one would go on to say exactly what is unusual about them — like Liu Bei, whose arms and legs were said to be nearly equal in length — but the Old History of the Five Dynasties did not say, because it was truly difficult to describe.

This Liu Zhiyuan had a younger brother by the same mother named Murong Yanchao, who had once taken the surname Yan, and so bore the nickname Yan Kunlun.

Note! This "Kunlun" does not mean Murong Yanchao was tall and imposing or noble in bearing. This "Kunlun" is the "Kunlun" of Kunlun slaves.

In short, Murong Yanchao had curly hair, a pockmarked face, and dark skin, looking just like a Kunlun slave.

And Liu Zhiyuan was much the same — apart from the whites of his eyes being more than the black, the rest of his body was especially dark.

And clearly, Liu Zhiyuan had inherited this from his mother, because his half-brother by a different mother, Liu Chong, was not dark at all; only he and his full brother Murong Yanchao were so dark.

Considering that the Great Tang had only fallen a few decades ago, and that Kunlun slaves had been extremely popular back then, Liu Zhiyuan's maternal bloodline very likely had a fair amount of Kunlun slave ancestry.

Facing such a figure, who was moreover glaring with a black face, the military officer of the Zhaoyi Army of Luzhou serving as the messenger had been so frightened that he could no longer speak a complete sentence.

Only now did Liu Zhiyuan learn that this was not the Military Governor of the Luzhou Zhaoyi Army, Zhang Cong'en, coming to submit to him. He had thought it strange — a timid, rat-like man like Zhang Cong'en would never have the nerve to place a bet this early.

It turned out that the Acting Military Governor of the Luzhou Zhaoyi Army, Wang Shou'en, the Zhaoyi Army Commander Li Wanchao, and the Military Governor's aide Gao Fang had killed the Khitan envoys, placed Zhang Cong'en under house arrest, and sent men to offer their allegiance.

Liu Zhiyuan was very happy to accept the allegiance of Wang Shou'en and Li Wanchao, and he knew their submission was sincere.

Because Wang Shou'en had an old connection with Liu Zhiyuan, and Li Wanchao, who actually held military power, was even a fellow native of Taiyuan with Liu Zhiyuan. The two had known each other since youth and had served together as common soldiers in Li Keyong's army.

It was just that, with the war still undecided, their killing of the Khitan envoys was somewhat hasty.

Moreover, the envoy they sent was unreliable. He only knew that the Khitan had lost the Heyang Bridge and that the Zhongtan Fortress had been nearly smashed to ruins. As for anything else, he knew almost nothing.

Liu Zhiyuan personally and meticulously interrogated him more than five times, and only after confirming that the envoy had not spoken carelessly or made false reports did he send him off to rest. Then he summoned the civil and military staff of the Prince of Beiping's headquarters for discussion.

Guo Wei spoke first. After pondering for a moment, he said, "If the Khitan have truly lost Zhongtan Fortress and the Heyang Bridge, then in my humble view, the Liao army is already in grave peril.

They are all now in the lands south of the Yellow River. Having lost the Heyang Bridge, the only way back to the north is by the Baima Ford at Huazhou.

So unless they have suffered a defeat and are already powerless, they would never have lost the Heyang Bridge."

Guo Congyi, the great general whom Liu Zhiyuan had recommended during the Later Jin period and who had recently been drawn in as a trusted confidant, also nodded lightly.

"Wenzhong's analysis is sound. I said to the Great King at the time that the Khitan appear strong, but are in fact strong in appearance and weak within.

Even if the Great King did not strike straight at the Eastern Capital like King Yong of Zhang, he should have raised the banner of righteousness in Hedong and proclaimed it to the world. That would at least have won the hearts of the people of Hebei.

It is a pity that today the great cause of righteousness has been wholly taken by King Yong of Zhang. We have lost the first move!"

Guo Congyi very much wanted to say that this scene was so similar to how Cao Cao of old controlled the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords, while Yuan Shao hesitated and ultimately lost the moral high ground.

But he did not dare say it, for fear of angering Liu Zhiyuan to death on the spot.

Liu Zhiyuan also looked somewhat embarrassed. At the time, he had still been thinking of letting Yelu Deguang and Zhang Zhao fight each other to the death while he sat on the mountain and watched the tigers fight. Now, in hindsight, he had indeed lost the first move.

Su Fengji's expression was somewhat unpleasant, and Wang Jun's was much the same. It had been the two of them who had advised Liu Zhiyuan to wait and watch.

At that moment Su Fengji stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Right now we have only seen that the Khitan could not hold the Heyang Bridge. But the Liao sovereign has sixty or seventy thousand elite troops, plus tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers he can use, and ample provisions besides.

It has been less than three months — how could victory or defeat possibly be decided already? For all we know, the Liao sovereign may already have defeated King Yong of Zhang."

Su Fengji actually made a very good point, and this was also Liu Zhiyuan's greatest problem. Having lost the chance to seize the moral high ground and the first move, he could now only wait until the two sides had decided victory or defeat before placing his bet, and he had to constantly watch the outcome of the great war between Yong and Liao.

Wang Jun pondered for a moment. In truth, he was Liu Zhiyuan's real confidant, far above Guo Wei, Guo Congyi, and the rest — and of course, the stake he had placed on Liu Zhiyuan was no small one either.

"With over a hundred thousand troops locked in battle at Luoyang, how can outsiders easily learn who is winning or losing? But in my humble view, the Great King no longer has any room to choose.

Because even if the Khitan win, as long as they cannot cut down King Yong of Zhang on the spot, then given the way they have made both heaven and men furious, they cannot hold the Central Plains for long."

These words made Liu Zhiyuan's eyes light up. If that were truly the case, what a fine thing it would be! He would only need to wait — wait for Yelu Deguang to come begging him to clean up the mess.

Wang Jun saw the gleam that appeared on Liu Zhiyuan's dark face and knew at once that he had guessed Liu Zhiyuan's thoughts, so he continued.

"But if the Khitan are defeated, that would be bad. King Yong of Zhang would enter the Eastern Capital bearing the great cause of driving out the northern barbarians.

Since the fall of the Great Dynasty — indeed, since Emperor Suzong Xuan of the Great Dynasty recovered the two capitals — in two hundred years there has been no one who won the realm with such legitimacy!

He would need only lightly issue one edict transferring our command, summoning us in the name of the great cause of all under heaven, and we would be left helpless."

To be honest, by the time Wang Jun reached this point, he too regretted it.

Had he known the Khitan could not even handle King Yong of Zhang, they truly should have raised the banner in Hedong, seized the great cause and its legitimacy, then sealed off the lands of Hebei and seized the Khitan's fine horses and iron armor. But now, regret came too late.

Ai! Hearing Wang Jun say this too, Liu Zhiyuan's face could not have been any blacker.

"If that is how it is, how can we sit here idly? Better to muster our troops and march straight down from Hedong to Luzhou, then cross the great river and array our forces in the lands south of the Yellow River.

If the Khitan win, we say we came to help, and demand armor, weapons, and provisions. If the Khitan are about to lose, then we lend them a hand."

Shi Hongzhao stroked the short beard on his chin and said loudly.

Liu Zhiyuan's eyes lit up. That could work!

"Ahem!" At that moment, Wang Zhang, the Chief Registrar beside Liu Zhiyuan, spoke softly.

"I have heard that King Yong of Zhang, in Guanzhong, styles himself the reincarnation of Emperor Taizong Wen.

Now the Khitan are bottled up at Mount Mang, just like Wang Shichong of old, while the Great King, dwelling in Hebei with brave soldiers and fierce generals, rather resembles King Dou Jiande of Xia in former days.

When the great battle of Luoyang comes, to march out with the entire army south into the lands of Henan — is that truly a good idea?"

Liu Zhiyuan:..... (╬￣皿￣)

How could he have forgotten that? How terribly inauspicious. Great King Liu waved both hands repeatedly.

"The Heyang Bridge is already sealed off by the Yong-Liang army. The lands of Henan cannot be entered."

Wang Jun shot a dissatisfied glance at Wang Zhang, feeling that this scholar was far too meddlesome.

"This won't do, that won't do — are we to just sit here and wait for King Yong of Zhang to enter the Eastern Capital?"

Wang Zhang ignored Wang Jun's look, because he was no mere scholar.

Wang Zhang's father-in-law was Liu Zhiyuan's trusted deputy, the Acting Deputy Defender of Taiyuan and Honorary Grand Guardian Bai Wenke — and he was right there beside him.

So without the slightest fear, he cupped his hands toward Liu Zhiyuan and said, "Your servant believes that the Great King's prestige is renowned throughout Hebei. If we march east from Taiyuan into the lands of Hebei, the prefectures of Xing, Ming, Wei, and Xiang can be brought to submission by a single proclamation."

In particular, Liang Hui, the Bandit Chief of Xiangzhou, is a man of Hedong by origin and has long admired the Great King; he will surely be willing to submit.

We should not go to Luoyang, but to Xiangzhou — to Baima Ford, to hold the pontoon bridge at Baima Ford.

If the Liao win, then so long as King Zhang Yong is not slain in battle, the Khitan will inevitably be shaken and will surely intend to return north.

Then the Great King can use the pontoon bridge at Baima Ford to bargain with the Khitan, and entering the Eastern Capital to become Son of Heaven will be only a matter of time.

If the Khitan are utterly defeated, we will hold the pontoon bridge at Baima Ford, slaughter the Khitan to the last man, and raise the banner of righteousness ourselves, standing against King Zhang Yong across the river.

It may be said that Heaven's mandate rests with the Great King: the Khitan ruler did not die in Luoyang but turned back north, and if he falls into our hands, then the great cause of driving out the northern barbarians returns to the Great King once more.

King Zhang Yong is a man of Hexi, always called a barbarian bandit by others, and he cannot command the military governors of the Central Plains at all. The Great King rose from Hedong and enjoys universal support; even if we face him across the river, we will surely be able to hold King Zhang Yong down."

At this point, Wang Jun at once changed the dissatisfied look he had worn a moment before and leapt to his feet.

"Registrar Wang's plan is workable! We can also have Wang Shou'en and Li Wanchao of Luzhou press toward the Huizhou and Mengzhou region.

The Khitan garrison commander there, Gao Song, is not a Khitan but a Balhae man, and he commands several thousand elite troops. If the Great King wins him over, he will have the capital to contend with the Hexi troops."

"Perhaps we can even seize the Liao ruler, demand Yunzhou back from the Khitan, and then use Yunzhou to recall the tens of thousands of Datong Army troops under Wu Luan and others who have gone to Xiazhou — and we might even win over the Zhe clan of Fuzhou.

If Daibei and Hedong are both in the Great King's hands, what is there to fear from the Hexi troops?"

Liu Zhiyuan's eldest son, Liu Chengxun, was thoroughly excited as well — though one could not know whether, in this time and place, he would still make Liu Zhiyuan weep himself to death.

Bai Wenke also turned the matter over in his mind and felt it was indeed workable, so he advised Liu Zhiyuan, saying:

"The Khitan envoy Han Kuangsi is still in Taiyuan; he came precisely to persuade the Great King to aid the Khitan. The Great King may summon him at once and first demand Xingzhou, Mingzhou, and the other prefectures from the Khitan."

Hearing everyone speak one after another, a plan was drawn up on the spot — and it was no idle talk.

Liu Zhiyuan at once felt the emperor's crown that had drifted far away come swaying back toward him, and he was overjoyed, even uttering the words "if we prosper, we will not forget one another."

"When wealth and rank come another day, I will never forget this day!"

The civil and military officials of Hedong all rose together, cupped their hands, and answered loudly: "How dare we not exhaust our hearts and minds!"

Yet the civil and military officials of Hedong and Liu Zhiyuan could never have imagined that the Khitan would collapse far faster than they expected.

The Khitan, after all, relied on iron cavalry to sweep across the northern lands. Even when Guangge went south, he brought mostly iron cavalry. In history, the Khitan having large numbers of infantry was a matter of the middle and later periods.

But since they were iron cavalry, and now they were bottled up in Yanshi City, not daring to show their faces — was there even any point in fighting this war?

Defending a city? Never mind the Khitan — even the Xi people hardly knew how!

Rely on the surrendered Jin troops, the Khitan Han subjects, and the Balhae men?

What a joke. What had Yelu Deguang given them, that they should sell their lives so desperately?

Therefore, after Zhang Zhao had cleared away all the Khitan stockades and forts outside Yanshi City, and every Khitan cavalry sortie from the city had ended in failure, even harsh laws and severe punishments could no longer suppress the doubts in the hearts of the common soldiers.

Yelu Deguang was, after all, a Khitan, not a military governor of the Central Plains.

Though his provisions were still ample, with the Yinluo River providing no shortage of water and Mount Mang providing no shortage of firewood, he still ultimately lacked the capital to hold out to the death.

This business of dragging things out for half a year or a year, even several years, behind strong walls until the enemy wears itself away — that did not belong to the Khitan.

The moment the first trebuchet stone crashed into the city, another decisive battle would be unavoidable.

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