novelAbuy Chapter 46 The Empress Dowager with the Severed Wrist is a True Enemy
Chapter 46 The Empress Dowager with the Severed Wrist is a True Enemy
The Khitans went to the capital, Linhuang Prefecture.
The capital city was built in the shape of the Chinese character "日" (sun), with the southern city being the Han city and the northern city being the imperial city. The Baiyingoluo River runs through the city, serving as a dividing line between the Han and non-Han peoples.
The city wall of Han was two zhang high, but it had no watchtowers.
The imperial city was divided into inner and outer sections, with walls three zhang high and watchtowers. The inner city housed the Longmei Palace, commonly known as the West Tower.
In the rear palace of the West Tower, several Hu maids, their hair wrapped in five-colored ribbons and coiled into high buns, and wearing gold earrings, served an old woman who was over fifty years old.
The old woman, dressed in a yellow cotton fur robe with a white cotton belt around her waist and a jade crown on her head, leaned against a folding chair. Her left hand supported her chin and forehead, while her right hand was hidden in the wide sleeve of her robe. She was listening to a middle-aged man wearing a golden crown give a report.
"Mother, my elder brother has sent a secret letter from the Central Plains."
The old woman gave an "oh," her expression indifferent: "He fled south many years ago, and the envoys who come to inquire after his health every year are quite frequent, but unfortunately, they don't bring any useful information—what did he say in his letter this time?"
"My elder brother said that the old emperor died last year, and the young emperor is impetuous and hastily reduced the power of the princes. It seems that the Central Plains are about to fall into chaos, and there may be another case of emperor murder and seizure of power. He advised us to seize the opportunity." (Note 1)
"Li Siyuan is dead? Is the Central Plains about to descend into chaos?"
Upon hearing this important news, the old woman remained unchanged, not even straightening her body, and casually said, "Do you remember how I persuaded your father to attack Youzhou back then?"
The man replied respectfully, "Back then, when Li Tan, the ruler of Wu, presented me with potent fire oil, my father wanted to select 30,000 cavalry to attack Youzhou. My mother dissuaded him, saying, 'How can one attack another country after testing its oil?' She then pointed to a tree in front of the tent and said, 'Can one live without bark?'"
"Yes, more than ten years have passed, and that tree has grown quite a bit taller. It is no longer a small sapling with shallow roots."
As the old woman reminisced about the past, her words carrying a hidden meaning, the man smiled and said, "No matter how tall the sapling grows, it's still just an adornment for this West Building. I've always heeded Mother's teachings."
"Youzhou has land and people, just like a tree has bark. I can conquer its surroundings with three thousand cavalry, and in a few years, it will be exhausted and forced to return to me. Why launch a large-scale war? If we are defeated, we will become a laughingstock in China, and our tribe will disintegrate!"
The old woman sighed, "What a pity. I could persuade your father once, but not twice. He was determined to go south."
"Among the Han people, only Wang Lang was the most loyal and filial. It's a pity that his understanding still had shortcomings."
Wang Lang, also known as Wang Yu, was born to a concubine of Wang Chuzhi, the former military governor of Dingzhou. He fled to Hedong in his early years, and Li Keyong married his daughter to him.
Afterwards, Zhang Wenli, a rebel general in Zhenzhou, killed Prince Zhao, Wang Rong, and his son. He then allied with the Zhu Liang in the south and the Khitan in the north. Wang Chuzhi knew that Li Cunxu would surely quell the rebellion.
If Zhenzhou is pacified, Dingzhou will be unable to survive alone. Therefore, Wang Yu was ordered to lead the Khitans north into the pass to prevent the Jin army from annexing the two prefectures. He was promised that if the matter was accomplished, he would be established as the successor.
Wang Yu presented a memorial and surrendered with his entire family. Yelü Abaoji adopted him as his son, and thus Wang Yu swore brotherhood with Li Keyong.
"Wang Lang said: 'Zhenzhou is teeming with beautiful women and overflowing with gold and silk. If the Emperor goes there quickly, they will all be his; otherwise, they will belong to the Prince of Jin. Your father led all his troops south.' What did I say then?"
The man lowered his head: "My mother said: 'Since we already have the wealth of sheep and horses in the West Tower, our joy is inexhaustible. Why bother sending troops far away to seek profit in danger? Besides, I have heard that the King of Jin is invincible in military affairs. If we suffer a defeat, it will be too late for regrets.'"
The old woman pressed on, "Your father wouldn't listen. And what happened?"
The man said in a low voice, "As it turned out, a heavy snow fell for ten days, leveling the ground by several feet. Men and horses had no food, and the dead lay everywhere on the road. My father hurriedly returned north, pointing to the sky and saying, 'Heaven did not allow me to come to this.'"
The old woman sneered, "Your father's words might fool those brainless chiefs, but do you believe them?"
The man looked troubled. If he believed her, he would be no different from the brainless chieftain the old woman had described; if he didn't believe her, he would be disrespectful to his deceased father. He stood there awkwardly.
Seeing that the man did not react, the old woman sternly admonished him: "Our Khitan foundation is weak, and we cannot afford to lose! If we are defeated and become a laughing stock of China, wouldn't our tribe also disintegrate? Therefore, we must be cautious in launching a large-scale military campaign."
Before the man could answer, the old woman brought up an old story: "Five years ago, Wang Du, the adopted son of Wang Chuzhi, made a slight move, and you sent Tu Nei and Zhala with 5,000 cavalry to help you. They were first defeated at Quyang. You then sent 7,000 more cavalry, and were defeated again at Tanghe. 10,000 cavalry were wiped out, and 600 were lost, which greatly increased the power of China."
The old woman stared at the man: "Over the years, we have humbled ourselves and sent envoys many times to make peace, but Li Siyuan has repeatedly executed envoys without reporting back. Isn't this lesson enough?" (Note 2)
The man is none other than the current Khitan emperor Yaogu, whose Han name is Yelü Deguang.
The old woman was none other than Empress Dowager Shulüping of the Khitan mentioned by Yang Hongxin!
When the past defeats and stains were mentioned, Yelü Deguang looked ashamed, lowered his head and admitted his mistakes, saying that his mother's criticism was absolutely right.
Shulu Ping's anger remained unabated as she stared intently at her son: "Tell me, are you tempted again?"
"Indeed."
In front of his mother, Yelü Deguang never dared to hide his true thoughts: "I plan to raise an army. In addition to the news sent by my elder brother, Li Yichao of the Dingnan Army in Xia Prefecture is also willing to act as an inside agent. He said that as long as we go south, they can send troops to contain the Zhenwu Army."
He straightened his chest and said, "Our Khitan state has more than 100,000 cavalrymen, and we are invincible in the north. We are no longer comparable to the tribal alliances of the past. If we can conquer the Yan and Yun prefectures, our strength will be further enhanced, enough to contend with the Central Plains."
"This vast grassland has never lacked overlords."
Shulü Ping sighed: "You must remember, the Xiongnu were defeated by the Han, and the Turks were defeated by the Tang, otherwise how could we Khitans have risen to power? The Jurchens and Shiwei, which one didn't covet our people's position? Even Li Yichao, whom you mentioned, the Dangxiang people are equally ambitious and want to establish an independent state—have you really thought this through?"
"Mother, if we don't try, our people will forever remain in the harsh lands beyond the Great Wall, envying the prosperity of the Central Plains. When Li Siyuan ascended the throne, Father originally intended to send 50,000 armored cavalry to conquer the land. However, it was during our people's eastern campaign against Bohai that Father's wish was thwarted, and he cried out to the heavens."
Yelü Deguang's eyes burned with ambition: "The Jurchens and Shiwei have already submitted, and our rear is stable and secure. We have encountered the same opportunity as before; it is truly a blessing from heaven for our Khitan. Does Mother intend for me to give it up?"
When he mentioned the past, Shulu Ping was reminded of her memories.
"Back then, when the Han messenger bringing news of death chased us from Xilou to Shenzhou, I received him in the yurt, where your father and I sat facing each other. Your father questioned: 'How dare the new emperor establish himself on his own?'"
"The Han envoy remained steadfast in his ambition, stating that the new emperor had commanded the army for twenty years, rising to the rank of Grand Commander and leading 300,000 elite troops. How could the will of Heaven and the will of Man defy it?"
"At that time, your elder brother was by your side and shouted: 'The envoy should not say more. Stealing an ox from a field is surely going too far!'"
The Han envoy retorted, saying that your father's acquisition of the kingdom was not granted by anyone; was it also seized by force?
At this point, Yelü Deguang laughed and said, "Brother, you always like to quote classical texts. To use a story from the Zuo Zhuan to argue with the Han envoy is just asking for humiliation."
Shulu Ping was amused: "It's precisely because your elder brother imitates the Han people in everything he does and has forgotten the Khitan traditions that I look down on him. We can use Han culture for a little bit of fun, but we must never lose the spirit that's in our bones—that's our root!"
"Mother is right. My elder brother is in the Tang Kingdom, but his heart is with the Khitan. He always thinks of our people. Unlike those surrendered generals, who do their best to turn against their own people and forget who their ancestors are."
"That's right."
Shulu Ping spoke with disdain: "The Han people have a vast land and abundant resources, and produce many outstanding talents. Precisely because of this, each of them has carved out their own territory and wants to become king or ancestor. If there is no internal strife, we will at most plunder the border and take what we can, but how dare we attack and occupy cities?"
After the mother and son reminisced about the past, Shulü Ping's mood softened, and she finally agreed to Yelü Deguang's request to send troops to invade the south.
"I used to dissuade your father from going south because Li Cunxu was dashing and Li Siyuan was steady and experienced, and both of them were skilled in battle. Now that a group of veteran generals have passed away, the new generation of generals may not have the same courage and spirit as their fathers. You might as well give it a try."
Yelü Deguang was delighted to receive the approval; his mother was not usually so easy to talk to.
"Don't keep your eyes fixed on the south."
Shulü Ping's expression turned cold, and he said grimly, "Do not be lenient with the Jurchen tribe in the north just because they are humble. The annual tribute of 10,000 horses must not be reduced. We must also demand pearls, sable furs, amber, and other medicinal materials to weaken their wealth, and the monthly hay and grain harvesting should not be stopped." (Note 3)
Yelü Deguang noted down and agreed to each request. Just as he was about to leave the tent, Shulü Ping stopped him: "Also, I've heard that the Jurchen people produce gyrfalcons. Tell them that our people need them for hunting swans, and ask them to send these birds as tribute."
Yelü Deguang didn't quite understand his mother's intention. Why did she specifically order the capture of a few birds? Even if it took some effort, the effect on weakening the Jurchen tribe's strength would be very limited.
"The Jurchens used the gyrfalcon as their totem, calling it 'Xiongkulu,' meaning the god of all eagles, the swiftest bird. I intend to seize their divine bird, tame it, and subdue it." (Note 4)
Shulu Ping stretched out his bare, severed arm, pointed at his son, and fiercely reprimanded him: "You better remember this well, a nation lacking faith has neither the strength nor the spirit to resist!"
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Place Name Comparison
Shangjing: present-day Balinzuo Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region