Moma Liangshan

Chapter 202 The Three Armies Meet, Generals Gather in the Main Tent

The reason the 5,000 troops personally led by the Shu princess advanced slowly was because they carried enough rations to feed 10,000 soldiers for 100 days. The other 5,000 troops arriving later were lightly equipped, carrying only enough rations for half a month. The rear guard, led by Xiao Shanbie, successfully joined forces with the Shu princess's vanguard 30 li south of Shangjing. With the arrival of the Shu princess, the number of troops outside Shangjing who came to defend the capital reached 260,000. However, although the Liao army was numerous, it lacked leadership; even the two palace generals, Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu, were not under each other's command, let alone the twenty tribal armies. The first thing the Shu princess did upon arrival was to summon her generals and unify their commands.

However, regarding the military orders from the Shu princess, apart from Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu who arrived on time, the twenty tribal military leaders all refused to attend, citing the "stalemate in the war." Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu had no animosity towards each other. Their estrangement stemmed from two factors: firstly, Nanjing and Xijing had always been governed independently, a measure taken by the Liao court to prevent collusion among local officials; secondly, Yelü Dashi did not want to participate in the succession struggle, thus keeping his distance from Xiao Yu, who was not only a supporter of the Prince of Jin but also the Liao prince consort, making him the brother-in-law of the Shu princess.

Inside the central command tent, Princess Shu, Wang Hao, Xiao Shanbie, Gao Que, Yelü Dashi, and Xiao Yu were all present. Outside the tent, Li Cangbai personally led his troops to guard the area. Everyone except Wang Hao was dressed in Khitan attire. Princess Shu noticed Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu's questions and pointed to Wang Hao, saying, "Young Master Wang is the Imperial Guardian of Tokyo and the Duke of Bohai, personally appointed by the Emperor. If it weren't for Young Master Wang's strong support, the Liaodong army would likely be stranded overseas!" Yelü Dashi, who commanded the Nanjing troops, had long heard of Wang Hao and said, "Greetings, Duke of Bohai!" It turned out that although Yelü Dashi's position as Right Chancellor was one rank higher than Wang Hao's position as Imperial Guardian of Tokyo, Wang Hao's noble rank was superior, hence Yelü Dashi's greeting to Wang Hao. Wang Hao, fully aware of his situation, quickly said, "I've heard so much about Yelü Dashi Linya back in the Song Dynasty, and seeing him today, I can confirm his reputation is well-deserved!" Yelü Dashi had passed the imperial examination and served as a Hanlin Academician, and in the Khitan language, Hanlin Academician was also called Linya. Fearing misunderstandings about his alleged close ties with the Song Dynasty, Yelü Dashi added, "I've been stationed in Nanjing for many years, fighting the Song army for every inch of ground. I'm afraid the rumors about me in the Song Dynasty are nothing but bad."

Wang Hao feigned deep thought and said, "Insidious and cunning, a vicious demon!" Yelü Dashi wasn't afraid of being slandered, but rather of being praised to death. Hearing Wang Hao's words, he breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, saying, "That's quite a fair assessment!" Wang Hao could sense the conciliatory tone in Yelü Dashi's voice and said, "Dashi Linya arrived a few days earlier than us. What are your thoughts on the Jurchen army?" Yelü Dashi didn't answer immediately but instead looked at the Shu princess. The Shu princess said, "Speak freely!" Yelü Dashi began, "The Jurchens have mobilized their entire nation's army to fight, seemingly poised to sweep across the world!" After speaking, he looked at Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu said, "Scouts at the front report that the walls of Shangjing have been almost leveled by two feet, and the moat outside the city is filled with the corpses of soldiers from both sides. Although the Jurchens have paused their attack these days, they have been filling the moat outside the north city wall with sand. I'm afraid that in another three days, the moat will be completely filled in, and then a new round of attacks will begin!" The Shu princess frowned and asked, "What do you two generals think we should do?" Yelü Dashi seemed to have already thought of a battle plan and said, "In my humble opinion, while the enemy is in the midst of their siege, we should concentrate 60,000 troops from Liaodong, Youdu, and Yunzhong to launch a full-scale attack on the Jurchen central army!"

Xiao Yu disagreed, saying, "If the 60,000 palace troops are defeated, the 200,000 tribal troops will surely be terrified and even flee in panic. If that happens, the morale in the city will suffer a huge blow, and the only result will be the fall of Shangjing and the destruction of the Liao Dynasty!" However, Xiao Yu did not finish his sentence, continuing, "Even if we are lucky enough to win, it will be difficult for us to inflict heavy losses on the enemy. When the Jurchens return with renewed force, we will be unable to win and have nowhere to retreat. What will we do then?"

Xiao Yu's words were not alarmist, but rather well-reasoned and supported by evidence. The Shu princess and Yelü Dashi were at a loss for words. Just as everyone remained silent, Wang Hao said, "The princess is personally leading 60,000 troops to attack the Jurchen central army. If we can win, the 200,000 tribal troops may not be so useless!" Seeing that Xiao Yu intended to refute, Wang Hao said sincerely, "The emperor is fighting valiantly, yet the generals are retreating. Such an army is already dead in name only! In my opinion, the brave will prevail in a narrow encounter!" The Shu princess slammed her hand on the table and said, "My mind is made up. I will lead the charge and fight to the death!" Wang Hao's words made Xiao Yu feel ashamed, and the Shu princess's clear stance strengthened the resolve of everyone present, making them willing to die for her cause. To prove that his previous concerns were not out of cowardice, Xiao Yu volunteered, saying, "The 20,000 troops of Yunzhong are willing to be the vanguard!" The princess of Shu looked at Xiao Yu with new respect and said, "General Xiao, charge forward with confidence! I and Da Shi Lin Ya will cover your retreat!" Xiao Yu cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Wang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "I have a suggestion, but I don't know if I should say it?" The Princess of Shu said, "Speak freely!" Wang Hao said, "With a great battle imminent, we must unify our commands." At this point, everyone present changed color, but Wang Hao remained calm and said, "The scouts of the three armies will be under the unified command of Her Highness the Princess, and the commanders of each army will perform their duties without change!" The Princess of Shu almost obeyed Wang Hao's every word. She looked at Yelü Dashi and Xiao Yu and asked, "What do you two generals think?" The two exchanged a glance and replied one after the other, "We will follow Your Highness's orders!" The Princess of Shu was very satisfied and said, "If you generals have nothing else to say, please return to your camps to prepare for battle!" Everyone replied, "Yes!"

Leaving the central command tent, Xiao Yu said, "Her Highness the Princess seems to treat Wang Hao very differently!" Yelü Dashi said, "Wang Hao is just a Han Chinese who has only met the Emperor once, yet he was granted the titles of Governor of Dongjing and Duke of Bohai. Without Her Highness's intervention, no matter how capable he is, he would never have received such honors!" Xiao Yu whispered, "Could it be that Her Highness has feelings for Wang Hao?" Yelü Dashi said, "As far as I know, Wang Hao is the chosen consort of the Song Emperor. Is there anyone in the world who can marry princesses of both Liao and Song at the same time?" Xiao Yu, who was not only the Governor of Xijing but also the consort of the Liao Emperor, shook his head and said, "Even the King of Western Xia has no precedent!"