Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 286 Building upon the Legacy of Five Generations, Uniting the Nine Provinces (Part 2)

The Western Xia dynasty fell.

The result was not surprising to the world, but it also caused quite a stir.

Gu Lin arrived in Xia Jing almost immediately.

It was not about reaping the fruits of victory, nor about mocking the losers of this battle, but about stabilizing the hearts of the people within Xia territory, including restraining the Song Dynasty's infantry.

Of course, this is not a case of discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose.

—The unification of the nine provinces came first.

Gu Lin must focus on the big picture and absolutely cannot allow too many variables to arise in Xia Jing.

The large families within the Xia territory; including the hungry people in various places.

All of this requires Gu Lin to handle personally.

Only he, as the Grand Tutor of the court, could suppress everyone and prevent this chaos from continuing.

This is also one of Gu Lin's strengths.

He was different from the Gu family members of previous generations.

Gu Lin had no expertise in military strategy, but he was quite capable of governing the country, which is why he always followed the path left by Gu Rui.

However, this is enough for the current situation.

He doesn't need to do anything.

As long as everything is properly arranged, it will be enough to maintain overall stability.

And all they have to do is wait until the war with the Liao Kingdom ends.

All of this can no longer be reversed!
September of the first year of Huanji.

Liao Dynasty.

The war was completely different from that of the Western Xia.

The territory of the Liao Kingdom already destined this war to be one that would not end easily.

Unlike the Western Xia, the nobles of the Liao Dynasty were mostly of foreign ethnicity, and these people had a fearful impression of the Gu family.

For them.

Having committed so many evil deeds, it is impossible for them to entrust their lives entirely to the Gu family.

And this also determined their determination to fight.

Even with the Jurchen rebellion, the war is still in a tug-of-war.

It is worth mentioning that--

News of the fall of the Western Xia had already reached them, and it had dealt a significant blow to the morale of the Liao Dynasty.

In fact, Gu Lin's move to settle the situation in Xia Jing also served to win back the hearts of the people.

However, this was still ineffective against the core power of the Liao Kingdom.

In the eyes of the people of Kyushu.

The Gu family is a family of sages.

However, in the eyes of many outsiders, the famous members of the Gu family were all killing gods.

Therefore, it is clearly impossible to completely affect the morale of these Liao people with such actions alone.

The fighting has continued for the past few months.

After defeating the palace army personally led by Yelü Yanxi, the main force of the Song army led by Zhong E failed to wipe out the Liao Kingdom in one fell swoop.

Although Yelü Yanxi was defeated and fled north, he was not captured. He gathered his remaining troops and retreated to Zhenzhou Qadun City, which he used as a temporary residence. He relied on the depth of the grassland to fight against the Song army.

Most importantly, the Liao dynasty's system still exists.

The ministers of the Northern and Southern Courts continued to serve under Yelü Yanxi, constantly conscripting troops from various tribes to harass the Song army's long supply lines.

In Liaodong, the war also reached a stalemate.

Although the Song army's Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces captured Liaoyang Prefecture, the Liao Dynasty's rule in the Tokyo Circuit remained intact.

The remaining Liao army combined with the local Bohai and Jurchen tribes, relying on the complex terrain of the Changbai Mountains, to build fortifications and resist step by step.

In addition, after September, the Liaodong region experienced continuous autumn rains, making the roads muddy and difficult to navigate, which greatly slowed down the Song army's advance and also made the supply from the sea intermittent.

Meanwhile, the Jurchen coalition led by Wanyan Aguda also encountered trouble after its initial rapid advance.

Xiao Yixue, the Grand Councilor of the Northern Court of the Liao Dynasty, gathered a group of soldiers from the Shiwei, Wugu and other tribes who were loyal to the Liao Dynasty. He stabilized his position at the Taizhou line and became embroiled in a brutal tug-of-war with the Jurchens.

Although the Jurchens were fierce and brave, their forces were limited and their ability to attack fortified positions was insufficient. As a result, they made slow progress against the Liao army, which was defending its fortified cities.

But all of this is just a superficial phenomenon.

Although from a macro perspective, the Liao Kingdom is now in dire straits, it still has considerable room for maneuver.

But in reality, everything was predetermined.

These people did put up a fierce fight, but their strength was ultimately limited.

As time goes by, no matter how hard they try, they will not be able to withstand the current trend, because their strength is ultimately limited and they cannot withstand the current Song Dynasty.

No matter how well they perform now, it will all be in vain in the end.

The second year of Huanji, the first month.

—As time goes by, this situation is becoming increasingly apparent.

Faced with the Song army's continuous attacks.

The Liao army is becoming increasingly exhausted.

Even though Yelü Yanxi had exhausted all the resources of the royal family in an attempt to stabilize public sentiment, he ultimately could not change the situation.

The pressure exerted by the Song army left all the Liao soldiers exhausted.

—And most importantly, there's the Jurchen!
It is worth mentioning that Wanyan Aguda was indeed extraordinary.

Although the Song Dynasty does have some veteran generals whose abilities have been tested, they are still inferior to someone like Wanyan Aguda, who was able to establish a country in the original history through his own strength.

Facing the Liao army that relied on the fortress to guard Taizhou, Wanyan Aguda's objective was very clear.

His goal is to break through Taizhou.

Then they will completely join forces with the Song army on the Liaodong Peninsula and form a single line!
Unlike the Song army, which was completely unfamiliar with the northern environment.

The various Jurchen tribes originally lived on this land.

Under the bitter cold of winter.

Wanyan Aguda made a very bold decision: he decided to lead the three thousand most elite "Iron Pagodas" of the Jurchen army, remove their heavy armor, cover themselves with white fur coats, and quietly cross the river under the cover of a blizzard.

And it wasn't an attack on Taizhou!
Instead, it was located beneath the walls of Changchun Prefecture, a key supply town for the Liao army.

—That's right, it's a surprise attack!

Although this may not seem like a sophisticated military strategy, it is extremely useful in the current situation, and only the Jurchen army, who have lived in the north for many years, can use it!

And the chain reaction caused by this is equally deadly!
The Bohai soldiers defending the city had no time to react before the city gate was breached by a ramp made of frozen soil.

Even more audacious, Aguda ordered all 100,000 shi of grain captured to be burned, and only took the captured Liao grain supervisor Yelü Yudu with him on a hasty eastward journey.

This is not a means to conquer Taizhou!

Rather, they wanted to use this to completely help the Song army's detachment on the Liaodong Peninsula open up a path for advancement.

This is what makes Wanyan Aguda so extraordinary!
His judgment on the big picture is indeed far superior to that of others!
Given the current situation in the Liao Kingdom.

Although the Jurchens could put pressure on the Liao Dynasty, they would never be the final straw that broke the Liao's back, because the overall strength of the Jurchens was such that they could not cause any significant damage to the Liao Dynasty.

But the Song army was different!
The only reasons the Liao army was able to resist the Song army were favorable timing and terrain!

The geographical advantage can be overcome.

But timing is such a fatal factor on the current battlefield!

Wanyan Aguda's move was precisely to help the Song army break through the opportune moment!

The billowing smoke and dust from the burning of 100,000 shi of grain and fodder could still be seen from dozens of miles away.

This can definitely be called the last straw that broke the camel's back in the northern defense line of the Liao Dynasty.

Whether it was the troops resisting the Song army in Liaodong or the troops stationed in Taizhou, when they discovered this, all that awaited them was despair!

February of the second year of Huanji.

Before Xiao Yixue could react, the Bohai soldiers, who were already alienated from the Khitan nobles, suddenly mutinied and opened the gates of Taizhou under cover of night.

At the same time—

The Song army's detachment in Liaodong also seized the opportunity.

The warships took advantage of a rare southeasterly wind and headed straight for Suzhou Pass.

This is an extremely important juncture.

When Wang Yingchen planned to open up the sea in the past, he set his sole development focus on Suzhou. However, due to various problems within the Liao Dynasty, the development of Suzhou was still far behind that of the Central Plains.

However, this does not diminish Suzhou's importance in the entire northern part of the Liao Kingdom. At this time, the main force of the Liao army stationed there had already been transferred to the direction of Taizhou.

Faced with a full-scale attack from the Jurchen tribes and rebel forces.

This was Xiao Yixue's only option.

This, in turn, gave the Song army an opportunity.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the remaining Bohai forces welcomed the Song army with food and drink when they landed, including all the wealthy merchants and clans in Suzhou.

These people are different from the core nobles of the Liao Dynasty.

Although Suzhou's opening of the sea in recent years has been far less extensive than that of the Central Plains, it has inevitably developed many connections of interest with the Central Plains, and these people were originally loyal to the Song Dynasty!

—The situation has completely changed!
With the fall of Suzhou and the continued retreat of various parts of the north.

From the moment the Song army joined forces with the Jurchen tribes, the entire northern defense line of the Liao Kingdom was almost completely breached.

The three armies moved out simultaneously.

From Yanyun, then to Liaodong, and then to the troops on the western front.

The three armies attacked from all directions, constantly shrinking Yelü Yanxi's remaining space to survive.

In mid-March, as the weather continued to warm up.

Zhong E personally led the main force to cross the Huangshui River.

The last natural barrier that the Liao army relied on proved useless against the Song army's series of pontoon bridges.

The arrows from the Divine Arm Bow Battalion rained down like rain, pinning down the Pishi Army on the opposite bank so they couldn't raise their heads.

Just as the two armies were locked in a stalemate, the Jurchen cavalry suddenly attacked from the flank, their spiked clubs, designed to cut off horses' legs, causing the Liao cavalry to fall to their knees.

On the first day of the fourth month, the gates of Yongzhou were opened by an inside agent, and banners with the character "Song" and banners representing the Gu family were raised at this sacred site of the Liao royal family's spring hunting expedition.

Yelü Yanxi urgently ordered the Nanjing garrison to reinforce the north.

But bad news followed one after another.

The Song army's Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces, in coordination with Wanyan Aguda's tribe, advanced by land and sea, heading straight for Liaoyang Prefecture.

The Bohai soldiers defending the city crumbled at the sight of the Jurchen battle flags. This important town in Liaodong, which had been established for two hundred years, fell in just three days thanks to a coordinated attack from within and without.

Almost simultaneously.

The Song army under Wang Shao, which was based in Xijing Road, advanced eastward from Yunzhong Prefecture and successively captured Fengsheng Prefecture and Guihua Prefecture. They then joined forces with the Zhong E army, which came from the east, at Yuanyangbo.

From then on, the Western Capital of the Liao Dynasty became an isolated city.

After holding out for half a month without receiving any reinforcements, the defending general Xiao Chala finally chose to open the city gates and surrender.

With the fall of the northern front and the arrival of spring.

The situation in the entire Liao Kingdom was spiraling out of control.

July of the second year of Huanji.

Northern Desert, Zhenzhou.

Beyond the crumbling palace walls stretched an endless grassland. Yelü Yanxi sat alone in the city's highest watchtower, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cracks in the gilded saddle, his expression utterly calm.

This Khitan emperor, who once shot down three tigers in succession during the spring hunting expedition, now seems to have lost even the strength to grip the bowstring in the northern desert winds.

They no longer had the slightest thought of resistance.

He tried his best.

They couldn't even muster the fighting spirit anymore.

All that we did this past year now seems like a futile effort to stop a chariot.

He couldn't stop the Song army.

It could not retain the nobles who had defected to the enemy from all sides, nor could it boost the morale of the army.

All that was left for him was death.

Fortunately, as time went by, the emperor gradually adapted to the feeling of death, and now he rarely experiences any emotional fluctuations.

The music continued.

Beside him, a beautiful concubine nervously fed the emperor wine.

Yelü Yanxi was not a wise ruler.

Although he did cheer up for a while due to the change in the situation, now he wants to do things he likes.

He didn't care at all about the constant noise outside the palace.

Death is not terrible.

All it takes is a big fire.

In Yelü Yanxi's view, this was the most satisfactory way for him to die.

Dying in this gentle embrace wouldn't be a wasted life.

The noise outside the hall was incessant.

That was the sound of panicked soldiers and eunuchs scrambling for treasures.

As dusk settled, the occasional mournful cries of crows added to the despair amidst the chaos.

If Yelü Yanxi hadn't been wearing a sword at his waist and hadn't had dozens of armored soldiers guarding outside the palace who were determined to follow him to the death, even his beautiful concubines would probably have scattered and fled for their lives long ago.

Time flowed slowly in despair.

finally--

Amidst this clamor, the sounds of horses' hooves and shouts of battle surged in from afar, like a tidal wave.

"Your Majesty, the Song army has..."

A servant rushed in to report, but before he could finish speaking, Yelü Yanxi waved his hand to interrupt him. This doomed emperor tilted his head back and drank the strong liquor in his cup. He suddenly stood up, and before his concubines could even cry out in alarm, he had already drawn the Emperor's Sword from his waist, its cold light flashing.

"Die! Die with me!" His eyes were bloodshot. "Rather than be humiliated by a wolfish army, come with me to the Yellow Springs and preserve the last dignity of the Liao royal family!"

"So that he can enjoy happiness with me in the afterlife."

Blood splattered on his hideous face, and the screams and sobs of the beauties echoed in the palace.

Some people tried to escape, but were ruthlessly stopped by the loyal armored soldiers at the palace gate.

At this moment, the land of pleasure has become a slaughterhouse, and all the former enchantment has turned into the mournful cries of the dying.

Yelü Yanxi was like a madman, his sword falling again and again.

Her hairpin broke, her silk robes were stained with blood, and her once charming face lost its vitality under the sword.

Seeing this, Yelü Yanxi laughed maniacally, tears mingling with blood streaming down his face: "Good, good! Follow me!"

When the last sob faded away, all that remained in the hall was a mess and the pungent smell of blood.

Yelü Yanxi stood leaning on his sword, breathing heavily.

Meanwhile, the shouts of battle outside the palace grew closer and closer, clearly indicating that someone had opened the city gates again, just as he had done before when he was still unwilling to give up, repeatedly providing opportunities for the Song army.

In the past, Yelü Yanxi would have felt angry about this.

But this time, he was only calm.

Without the slightest panic, he threw down his sword, stepped over the corpses of beauties, picked up the wine beside him, and poured it on himself, the dragon throne, the curtains, and the magnificent carpets.

At that moment, he seemed to have gone mad, pouring wine while muttering something incessantly.

The shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the calls of Song soldiers outside the palace were clearly audible, and the flickering torchlight could even be seen swaying violently outside the window.

He seemed neither to hear nor to see.

He threw aside the empty jar, staggered to the palace lantern, and took down the flickering candle.

He finally took a sip of the drink.

He then calmly tossed the candle flame toward the curtains soaked in wine.

"boom--!"

The flames ignited upon contact with the wine, instantly engulfing the silk, woodenware, and Yelü Yanxi, who had also been smothered in wine.

“Haha. Hahaha.”

It was unclear whether the sound was a scream or laughter, but at that moment it rang out.

Amidst the shouts of battle and laughter.

The entire palace was almost instantly engulfed by the raging fire serpent.

The first year of the Huanji era, the month of signing.

The war that has lasted for nearly three years in history—

The Song army finally captured Zhenzhou, and the Liao emperor Yelü Yanxi committed suicide by burning himself in the palace.

The Liao Dynasty fell.
Nearly three hundred years later, the land of Kyushu is finally unified once again.
(P.S.: It's the end of the month, so I'm begging for monthly votes. I'd be extremely grateful for your support, brothers.)
(End of this chapter)