September is a crisp autumn day with no clouds in the sky. Because of the Han-Liao War, the world is filled with a chilling atmosphere, and the Yanyun area, which is the main battlefield, exudes a palpitating smell. It's as if a great calamity is coming, restless and restless.
The Liao Dynasty returned to Huazhou and Wende County, which was the former territory of Wuzhou. Hundreds of thousands of Liao troops had already gathered here. During the fierce battle in the Youyan area, the Liao Kingdom did not relax at all. They recruited troops and marched southward. The pace of the battle was rapid.
Even though the area controlled by the Liao Kingdom was large and the tribes were widely distributed, by the time Han Emperor Liu Chengyou arrived in Youzhou, large numbers of Liao troops were gradually gathering southward and stationed in Wende County.
Like the Han army, the Liao Kingdom was also personally conquered by Emperor Yelv Jing. The two monarchs, who were similar in age and controlled the two most powerful empires in East Asia at the same time, were about to collide head-on for the first time. This collision was earth-shattering.
The Han Empire mobilized troops in a large scale, overwhelming the country's strength. The Liao Dynasty also mobilized a large number of guards, soldiers from various tribes, prefecture and county troops from various places, and levied servants. Taken together, the number of people mobilized was The army also exceeds 300,000.
Such a large-scale military force is already comparable to when Yelu Deguang destroyed the Jin Dynasty, and all the elites came out, leaving no remaining strength. In terms of quantity alone, this was already one-tenth of the population of the Liao Kingdom.
In fact, the Liao Kingdom was not well prepared for this war. Even though they had a deep understanding of the relationship between Han and Liao, the Han Dynasty suddenly raised troops in a large scale, which was still a bit unexpected.
After all, after the Battle of Yanmen, both sides took "positive" actions, sending envoys to each other to express condolences, with the intention of eliminating "misunderstandings." As far as the Liao State was concerned, they also wanted to make more war preparations, reform military construction, and improve strategies. plan.
However, the Han boldly launched an army, which completely disrupted the rhythm of the Liao Kingdom, catching it off guard and causing it to fall into a passive situation. In terms of national organization and mobilization, the Liao Kingdom was not as good as the Han, not to mention that the Liao Kingdom had already had eleven There hasn't been a major war in years.
However, no matter how sudden it was, no matter how difficult it was, for the monarchs and ministers of the Liao Kingdom, facing the Han army's large-scale Northern Expedition, they had no other choice but to actively respond and fight a decisive battle that was not part of their recent plans. .
Here in Wende County, 150,000 troops from the Liao Kingdom, mainly cavalry, have been stationed here for two days. On the one hand, most of the people have traveled long distances and are very tired and need to rest and recuperate. For the huge territory, For the Liao Kingdom, when they started their southern expedition, they had already traveled thousands of miles before reaching the national border, and the Mobei people even traveled thousands of miles south.
On the other hand, a certain amount of army training is required. Among the Liao army, in terms of strict military discipline and well-trained training, only the Pishi Army who stayed in the Wei Dianzhang could be comparable to that of the Central Plains. Since the army comes from a wide range of sources, in terms of military discipline, In terms of the declaration of military orders and the coordination of operations, it is indeed necessary to make some preparations. After all, we are facing the elite Han army this time.
At the same time, the movements of the Han army need to be ascertained before taking action, and regulations also need to be drawn up on how to fight this battle.
Somewhat coincidentally, Shizong Yelu Ruan also led his army through Wende County at that time, intending to leave Juyongguan in the east, invade Youyan, and invade the Han Dynasty in the south. However, he lost his life because of the rebellion of Yelu Chage, which ended in a big way.
Over at Huoshen Lake, the relics of the mutiny still remained. Once here, Yelujing still brought the accompanying clan, civil and military personnel to perform some worship. Then, taking this as a lesson, he strengthened the surveillance and control of the conscripted soldiers and horses.
Strength.
Inside the palace tent, all the accompanying clan members and ministers were present, and the atmosphere was somewhat serious. This was already the fourth military meeting held by Yelujing since he went south.
But this time, Yelujing first delivered an inspiring speech, and then paid tribute to Gao Mohan, who was killed in Shicheng County, and sealed his coffin, posthumously naming him King Anfeng and naming his descendants Dayin.
.
In fact, the death of Gao Mohan had a far more serious impact on the Liao Kingdom than the Han army imagined. In the eyes of the Han army, they only killed a high-ranking Liao official and general, and he was also a Bohai man.
However, this Bohai man has long become a flag of the Liao Kingdom, helping it to appease the people of Bohai and rule the land. In the past thirty years, the old land of Bohai has not only been the granary and deep land of the Liao Kingdom, but also provided it with
A large number of troops.
Bohai survivors were active in various armies of the Liao Kingdom, including the imperial army. They played an extremely important role in the expansion of the Liao Kingdom and made outstanding contributions in consolidating border defense and foreign wars.
And Gao Mohan was one of the best. Not only was he outstanding in ability and prestigious, but he was also loyal to the Liao. He himself was a banner that attracted people from Bohai to serve the Liao.
Now this flag was killed unexpectedly at the beginning of the Han-Liao War. This was a serious blow to the Liao Kingdom. Among the Bohai people, there were people like Gao Mohan who were loyal to the Liao Kingdom. Similarly, in the dark
There are also many careerists who are dissatisfied with his rule and have secret intentions of restoring the country.
Gao Mohan's death had a huge impact. As Yelujing said, he was not sad about the thousands of soldiers and horses lost in the battle of Shicheng. He only deplored the death of veteran Gao Mohan. After learning about the specific battle situation, Yelujing immediately ordered that Gao Mohan be abandoned.
The leader of the two thousand Xi cavalry who left was beheaded and died for him.
However, for now, the most direct question is placed in front of Yelujing: "King Anfeng unfortunately died in the battle. Who should lead the Liaodong armies to deal with the Lulong and Han armies now!"
Faced with this question, King Yelu Wuzhi of the Northern Academy said: "Your Majesty, the person in charge of the three states of Luanping Camp is Gaoxun Gaoxun, the commander of the Liao Xingjun Jiedu. He is quick-tempered, diligent, knowledgeable in military affairs, and has been responsible for Han affairs for many years.
, during this period, the armies on the east route have been integrated to resist the Han army, so why not use them to control the army on the Yuguan Road!"
Gao Xun was also from a famous family in the Central Plains. He was one of the few people who insisted on joining the Liao Kingdom in the late Jin Dynasty and served for it. In fact, the monarchs of the Liao Kingdom have always attached great importance to the Han people's famous children and talented people.
Don't be stingy with the favor of high-ranking officials.
Just like in official history, the Han family, which has been throughout the entire history of the rise and fall of Khitan, has now taken root in the Liao Kingdom and is close to the country. The Han Kuangmei mentioned earlier, the person who formulated and implemented the "encirclement and reinforcements" plan, was in Tan
The state should serve as the military envoy to assist Xiao Siwen in his preparations.
However, upon listening to Yelu Wuzhi's suggestion, a Khitan minister immediately became unhappy and said to Yelujing: "Your Majesty, I heard that King Anfeng was defeated and died because of the betrayal of the Han people in Shicheng, otherwise he would not have been killed.
As a result, all the captured Han troops surrendered to the Han army and turned to attack Daliao, recruiting good generals!"
Facts have proved that some Khitan nobles and ministers are still wary and wary of the Han influence. When Yelujing heard this, he couldn't help but frown. He was not worried about the rebellion of the Han people, but the suspicion of the Hu and Han people.
This is really not a good sign. You must know that among the large army mobilized by the Liao Kingdom this time, there are 40,000 to 50,000 rural Ding and puppet troops from all walks of life. This is not a small number.
However, after careful consideration, Yelujing still did not choose to hand over the affairs of the east to Gao Xun. Instead, she looked at Yeluwu and asked: "Are there any other candidates?"
After hearing this, Yelu Wuzhi thought for a while and said, "Yelu Wansi, the deputy envoy to the Southern Privy Council, is still in Zhongjing. How about using him to lead the army south?"
After hearing this, Yelujing thought for a moment and said, "Okay!"
Yelvwansi is not a very famous person, but he is a Khitan clan, and he has a son who is famous in the "Song-Liao War", brother Yelvxiu. Brother Yelvxiu is still young now, but he is already somewhat famous. Young man
He joined the army and achieved military exploits in pacifying Shiwei's rebellion a few years ago, and entered Yelujing's field of vision.
"With Yelu Wansi as the southeastern envoy and Gao Xun as the deputy envoy, they will lead the Lulong and Liaodong divisions from Yuguan Road to threaten the Han army's flanks!" Yelujing made a decision.
Then he looked at Yelu Wuzhi and other ministers, took out a letter, raised it, and said: "The Emperor of the Han Dynasty sent someone to send me a letter, saying that he knew that I like hunting and wanted to join me in hunting in Saibei.
, how do you think I should reply?"
Upon hearing this, Anping King Yelu Dilie immediately said: "Now that the army is here, why should we be afraid of the Han army? How can we allow them to be rampant? Maybe we can lead the army out of the pass and join them to hunt in Yannan as a reply!"
Yelvjing simply ignored the strong-blooded Yelu Dilie, and still sought the advice of Yu Yeluwuzhi. In recent years, although the power of Yeluwuzhi has been suppressed, when the matter was urgent, the most important thing in every major decision was,
It's still this guy.
In response to this, Yelu Wuzhi also gave an affirmative answer: "Your Majesty, the Southern Dynasty has launched a large-scale military campaign this time, and it is fierce. It has captured both the army and the people of Youyan. In the previous fierce battles, there were many victories, and its momentum is booming.
The front of the army is sharp and cannot be confronted head-on.
I think it is better to hold the city securely for the time being, wait for it to attack, and weaken its morale, waiting for a good opportunity to counterattack. The Han army has already divided its troops, and your Majesty gathered the elite troops together. Once they reveal their flaws, they will launch a fatal blow.
Please defeat the enemy!"
Yelujing basically agreed with Yelu Wuzhi's suggestion, but he couldn't help but ask: "Will the Han army take the initiative to attack?"
"When the Han army comes, it must be based on attack!" Yelu Wuzhi responded with certainty.
Just a few days after this meeting, Yelujing received news from Juyong Pass. As expected, the Han army marched north in large numbers, divided into two groups, and attacked Miyun and Juyong Pass.