Han Shizu

Chapter 1291 The thorn is on the back, like a scorpion in the throat

Autumn is just around the corner, and the climate in northern Saibei has already been shrouded in a coolness. Because of the war, farming and grazing have been seriously affected. Although the autumn height has not yet arrived, the cattle, sheep, camels and horses in the desert grassland should not be as cold as before. As fat as ever.

In the second half of the year, the people of Liao will not welcome a good harvest and joy.The past six months have been enough suffering, with political turmoil and endless military struggles, but the next six months will obviously be even more difficult.

For the monarchs and ministers of the Liao court, with the news from all fronts of the battlefield, the mood is like a hot summer turning into a cool autumn, desolate and cold, bleak and desolate, no matter how happy they are.

Shangjing, Liao Palace, Chongzheng Palace.

The autumn sun was dark, the wind was light and the clouds were calm, making the whole palace in a kind of hazy and gloomy, and the interior of the main hall was also gloomy. That is, the bright light from the row of candles could slightly alleviate the haze in the heart of the palace owner. .

Yeluxian was already covered with a leather robe, holding a pair of thick black scissors in his hand, cutting the candle wick stiffly, as if through this method, he could cut away the worries and troubles in his heart.

A row of red candles was cut, and the candles became brighter and brighter, adding a distinct color to the whole hall. Putting down the scissors, Ye Luxian wiped the cold sweat from his palms and looked back at the hanging map of Daliao.

Due to the difficulty in collecting information, the lack of reference to historical and geographical data, and the lack of talents for cartography, the maps of the Liao Kingdom are naturally not as detailed as those of the Han Dynasty, and many places appear to be vague and rough.

However, the vastness of the territory is still intuitively presented. In terms of territory alone, the Han Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties after more than 20 years of annexation and expansion may not be able to compare with the Daliao.

Of course, Ye Luxian would not use the size of the country to discuss national power. He had a clearer understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides and the pros and cons of national power.

A look of worry flickered in his deep eyes. During this period of time, one after another of bad news and failures came, which had already made the young emperor of Bingguo unbearable.

The ancestors laid down a vast territory and a great foundation, but when it was passed on to him, it ushered in the biggest crisis since the founding of the country for more than half a century.The powerful invaders from the Great Han Empire of the Southern Dynasties, and the war that lasted for several months, have lifted off the seemingly incomparably powerful coat of Daliao, revealing its weak nature compared with the Great Han. For more than [-] years, the north and the south have stood side by side. The balance of the situation, when the wheel of history pushed by Emperor Liu, seemed so fragile.

Ye Luxian was considered a mature and determined emperor, but since the start of the Han-Liao war, he has been feeling physically and mentally exhausted day by day. As the war continued, the feeling of suffocation became more and more obvious.

Although so far, the Liao Kingdom has not lost a large amount of territory, that is, some passes have been lost in the southern part of the country, the peninsula in the eastern part of the Liao Dynasty has been lost, the western regions have been cut off, and the northwestern part of the desert has been a mess.
However, the price paid for this war is not only reflected in those large and useless territorial gains and losses. Since the Northern Expedition of the Han Army, facing huge military pressure, the Liao Kingdom has been in a high-level war mode.

Production was severely damaged, a large number of soldiers were killed, injured, and lost. The huge war pressure was transferred to the people of all ethnic groups under the rule of the Liao Kingdom. The servant tribes who forced them to donate food to prepare for the war were full of resentment.

All kinds of unfavorable news from several fronts catalyzed the internal contradictions in Liao Kingdom. The Jurchen tribes in the northeast began to move around. Shi Wei was even more rebellious and had a tradition of rebellion. Those barbarians also began to stir up trouble, not to mention the unresolved contradictions within the Liao clan due to the succession of the throne.

The summer war caused the Liao Kingdom to bleed endlessly. The future war seems to have no end in sight. The Han army is still continuing to arm, reorganize and send food, maintain a high pressure and strength, and will not give up unless it takes Liaodong.

At this time, the Liao Kingdom was like a cauldron, and 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, Ye Luxian already clearly felt the danger under the turmoil.On the huge map, there are signs of beacon smoke everywhere, Ye Luxian seems to see the desolate scene of Daliao going to sunset, as if he foresaw his own difficult and tragic future.
"Your Majesty!" Han Derang, who entered the palace quietly, looked at Ye Luxian, and called out softly. His not strong body seemed to be carrying a heavy burden, which made Han Derang feel sorry for him.

During this period of time, Han Derang's status in the Liao Kingdom has risen sharply. This Khitanized Hanchen who is not yet 30 years old has become the most important adviser around Yeluxian.Ye Luxian also trusted him very much, and even allowed him to enter the main hall without notification.

"What bad news is there again? Where is the failure?" Ye Luxian also came back to his senses, took a deep breath, returned to the throne and sat down, his expression barely calmed down.

Although Ye Luxian showed a calm expression, there was still a little worry, a little anxiety, and a little expectation in his expression.Although Han Derang would like to bring an exciting news to cheer up Ye Luxian like the great victory in Yaozhou more than a month ago, but the reality does not allow it.

Facing Ye Luxian's gaze, Han Derang still maintained a calm attitude, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, the king's mansion is playing, and Zezhou has fallen. The Han general Wang Yanchao has led an army of tens of thousands to the north and invaded Yuzhou. Since Wang Yanchao's army came north, The two cities of Xinghua and Shenshan have been captured in a row, and nearly [-] soldiers have been killed or killed.

The situation in King Xi's territory is becoming more and more critical. If there is a loss in Yuzhou, the Han army can directly attack the hinterland of King Xi's mansion!Now under the jurisdiction of King Xi, the hearts of the people are in turmoil, and King Xi Choining requests to send troops to Beijing for support! "

Upon hearing this report, Ye Luxian's heart sank a little, and he couldn't help clenching his fists.The Liao State is a grassland empire that combines multi-ethnic agriculture and animal husbandry, and the Xi people are a large ethnic group in the Liao State, which is 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 King Xi's Mansion.

After 60 years, the Liao Kingdom has established a very firm rule over the Xi people. The power of King Xi and the autonomy of the Xi people have all degenerated over a long period of time, and it is not far from being fully annexed by Khitan.In the era of Yelujing, this process has been accelerated. Last year, the Liao court had already started to take back the ruling power of King Xi over the territory and tribesmen, and the court directly managed it. Nanjing Road was established again, and the government was set in Xi Dading City where the palace is located.

However, with the murder of Yelujing and the Northern Expedition of the Han army, this process was abruptly interrupted.The Raole area, where Xi Renmu lives, belongs to the core ruling area of ​​the Liao State, and geographically guards Shangjing from the south.

This time, in order to deal with the Han army, the tribes of the Xi clan also conscripted soldiers and food, and armed them wantonly, which to a certain extent caused the emptiness of the territory of the Xi clan.

Originally, due to geographical restrictions, it was not easy for the Han army to attack the north, but even if Wang Yanchao fought steadily and slowly for a few months, he was gradually forced to the Prince Xi's mansion.

If the crisis in Liaodong made Ye Luxian feel a thorn in his back, and Xi Ren's territory was directly threatened, it would be like a stick in his throat, and he would really be suffocating.

"It seems that Cho Ning is really old. Liaodong has fought fiercely against the Han army with a few soldiers against the main force. Now, facing a partial army and occupying a favorable location and people, it is impossible to defend several city gates. It's at the door!" Ye Luxian twitched a few times, with a bit of dissatisfaction in his tone.

Hearing this, Han Derang said: "In recent years, Xi people have been unstable with regard to the imperial court's policies, and King Xi's dissatisfaction is well known! This time, more than 30,000 strong men were recruited from the six departments of King Xi to face It is understandable that the Han army is not supported, although Wang Yanchao’s reputation is not as famous as the other generals of the Han army, but he is also a veteran in the battlefield.

"Okay!" Rarely, Ye Luxian interrupted Han Derang roughly.

(End of this chapter)