Autumn is just about to begin, and the climate in northern Saibei has already been shrouded in coolness. Because of the war, farming and grazing have been seriously affected. Although autumn has not yet arrived, the cattle, alpacas, and horses in the desert grassland should not be as cold as before. As fat as ever.
Entering the second half of the year, what the Liao people will welcome will no longer be harvest and joy. The past six months have been difficult enough, with political turmoil and endless military strife, but the next six months will obviously be even more difficult.
For the Liao Dynasty's monarchs and ministers, as news came from the battlefields on all fronts, their mood was like the transition from hot summer to cool autumn, desolate, cold, and desolate, and it was difficult to feel even half happy.
Shangjing, Liao Palace, Chongzheng Palace.
The autumn sun has no light, the wind is light and the clouds are light, making the entire palace in a hazy gloom, and the interior of the main hall also looks gloomy. That is, the bright light emitted by the row of candles can slightly alleviate the gloom in the heart of the palace owner. .
Yelvxian was already covered in a leather robe, and he was holding a pair of thick black scissors in his hand, cutting the candle wick stiffly, as if this method could cut away the worries and troubles in his heart.
A row of red candles were cut out, and the candlelight became brighter and brighter, adding obvious bright color to the entire hall. Putting down the scissors, Yelu Xian wiped the night sweat from his palms and looked back at the hanging map of Daliao.
Due to the difficulty in collecting information, the lack of historical and geographical data for reference, and the lack of mapping talents, the maps of the Liao Kingdom were naturally not as detailed as those of the Han Dynasty, and many places appeared vague and rough.
However, the vastness of the territory can still be seen intuitively. In terms of territory, the Southern Han Dynasty, which has been annexing and expanding for more than 20 years, may not be able to compare with the Liao Dynasty.
Of course, Yelvxian would not discuss national strength based on land area. He had a relatively clear understanding of the comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides and the advantages and disadvantages of national strength.
A look of worry flashed in his deep eyes. The continuous bad news and defeat reports during this period had already made it unbearable for the young emperor who had just ruled the country.
The ancestors laid down a vast territory, and the great foundation passed to his hands precisely when it faced the biggest crisis in more than half a century since the founding of the country. The powerful invaders from the Han Empire in the Southern Dynasties, and the war that lasted for several months, have peeled off Daliao's seemingly extremely powerful appearance, revealing its weak nature compared to the Han Dynasty. For more than twenty years, the two heroes of the north and the south have stood side by side. The balanced situation seemed so fragile when the wheel of history pushed by Emperor Liu rolled in.
Yelvxian was considered a mature and determined emperor, but since the beginning of the Han-Liao War, he had been feeling physically and mentally exhausted day by day. As the war continued, the suffocating feeling became more and more obvious.
Although so far, the Liao Kingdom has not lost a large amount of territory, that is, Monan has lost some passes, Liaodong has lost the peninsula, the Western Region has been cut off, and the northwest of Mo is a mess...
However, the price paid for this war was not only reflected in the large and useless territorial gains and losses. Since the Han Army's Northern Expedition, the Liao Kingdom had been in a high-level war mode in the face of huge military pressure.
Production was severely damaged, soldiers were killed, injured, and lost in large numbers. The huge war pressure was transferred to the people of all ethnic groups under the rule of the Liao Kingdom, and there were many complaints. The internal conflicts that had been accumulated in the past, especially ethnic conflicts, also tended to explode. Those who had been The servant tribes who were forced to donate food and prepare for the war were even more resentful.
Various unfavorable news from several fronts further catalyzed the internal conflicts of the Liao Kingdom. The Jurchen tribes in the northeast began to make moves, and Shiwei was even more rebellious and had a tradition of rebellion. Even the Lingbei governor of Gasi Those barbarians also began to make trouble, not to mention the conflicts within the Liao clan due to the succession of the throne that had not yet been completely resolved.
The summer war caused the Liao Kingdom to bleed profusely, and there seemed to be no end in sight for the future war. The Han army continued to arm, organize troops and distribute food, maintain high pressure and strength, and would not give up until Liaodong was taken.
At this time, the Liao Kingdom was like a cauldron. Its nobles, officials, soldiers, and tribesmen were like water stored in the cauldron, which began to boil under the flames of war.
As the aloof emperor of the Liao Kingdom, Yelvxian has clearly felt the danger under this turmoil. On the huge map, with the signs of war smoke everywhere, Yelvxian seemed to see the bleak scene of Daliao heading towards sunset, as if he had foreseen his own difficult and tragic future...
"Your Majesty!" Han Derang, who quietly entered the palace, looked at Yelvxian and called softly. That body that was not strong enough seemed to be carrying a huge burden, which made Han Derang feel sad.
During this period, Handerang's status within the Liao Kingdom skyrocketed. This Khitan-turned-Han official who was not yet thirty years old had become Yelvxian's most important adviser. Yelvxian also trusted him very much and even allowed him to enter the main hall directly without notification.
"What bad news has come again? Where is the failure?" Yelvxian also came back to his senses, took a deep breath, returned to the throne and sat down, his expression barely calming down.
Although Yelvxian acted calm, his expression still contained a bit of worry, a bit of anxiety, and a bit of expectation. Although Han Derang wanted to bring exciting news to cheer up Yelvxian like the great victory in Yaozhou more than a month ago, reality did not allow it.
Faced with Yelvxian's gaze, Han Derang still maintained a calm attitude, and reported with Shen Rong: "Your Majesty, Prince Xi reported to the palace that Zezhou has been lost, and Han general Wang Yanchao has led tens of thousands of troops to the north to attack Yuzhou. Since Wang Yanchao's army in the north, has They captured our two cities of Xinghua and Shenshan, causing nearly 10,000 casualties.
The situation in King Xi's territory is becoming increasingly critical. If Yuzhou is lost, the Han army can directly attack the hinterland of King Xi's palace! Now under the jurisdiction of King Xi, people's hearts are in turmoil. King Xi Ning requested to send troops to the capital for support! "
Upon hearing this report, Yelvxian's heart suddenly sank a little more, and his hands couldn't help but clenched his fists. The Liao Kingdom was a multi-ethnic grassland empire that combined agriculture and animal husbandry, and the Xi people were a large ethnic group within the Liao Kingdom and formed the basis of its rule. Yelu Abaoji integrated the tribes under his rule in the early years and divided the Xi people into six tribes. It is under the jurisdiction of Prince Xi's Mansion.
Over the past fifty or sixty years, the Liao Kingdom has established a very solid rule over the Xi people. The full strength of King Xi and the independence of the Xi people have deteriorated over a long period of time, and they are not far away from being fully annexed by the Khitan. During Yelujing's era, this process had already been accelerated. Last year, the Liao court had already begun to take back King Xi's power to rule over the territories and people, directly managing them from the imperial court, and re-established Nanjing Road, with the seat of government set in Xi. Dading City where the royal palace is located.
However, with the murder of Yelujing and the Han army's Northern Expedition, this process was abruptly interrupted. The Raole area where the Xi people lived as pastoralists belonged to the core area ruled by the Liao Kingdom and geographically protected Shangjing from the south.
This time, in order to deal with the Han army, the tribes of the Xi tribe also conscripted troops, collected food, and heavily armed themselves, which to a certain extent caused the emptiness of the Xi tribe's territory.
Originally, due to geographical constraints, it was not easy for the Han army to attack the north, but even if Wang Yanchao attacked steadily and slowly for several months, he gradually forced his way towards Prince Xi's palace.
If the crisis in Liaodong made Yelvxian feel like a thorn in his back, and the Xi people's territory was directly threatened, it would be like a fish in the throat, really suffocating him.
"It seems that Chou Ning is really old. Liaodong has been fighting fiercely with only a few soldiers against the main force of the Han army until now. Facing a partial army and occupying the right location and people, it is impossible to defend a few city gates. The fight has reached the doorstep!" Yelvxian's face twitched a few times, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.
Hearing this, Han Derang said: "In recent years, Xi people have been unstable with regard to the imperial policy, and King Xi's dissatisfaction is also known to everyone! This time, more than 30,000 elite troops were transferred from King Xi's six departments to face the It is understandable that the Han army was weak. Although Wang Yanchao's reputation was not as great as that of other generals of the Han army, he was also a veteran on the battlefield. He was experienced in using troops. The Han army was good at attacking fortresses but was weak at defending... "
"Okay!" In a rare move, Yelvxian interrupted Han Derang roughly.
