Moma Liangshan

Chapter 223 A Life of Ups and Downs, The Prince's New Fiefdom

The Tieli tribe was the strongest and most populous of the twenty Khitan tribes, but its original fiefdom, bordering the Jurchen Wanyan tribe, had long since fallen. At this moment, the Tieli tribe was like the Northeast Army during the Anti-Japanese War—possessing numerous troops but without roots, constantly on the move. The arrival of Prince Qin, Yelü Ding, gave the Tieli generals a renewed glimmer of hope.

Upon arriving in the capital, Meng Hui ordered the creation of a massive royal banner, six feet wide and ten feet long, at the Prince of Qin's residence. A hardwood rod was threaded horizontally through the top of the banner so that it could be fully unfurled even in the absence of wind. Ropes were attached to both ends of the hardwood rod, suspending it from a flagpole approximately fifteen feet high. The banner was so large that it could not be lifted by one person alone. It was also supported by a rectangular wooden frame, with each leg of the frame supported by a warhorse, and a slender rider on each horse was responsible for carrying the banner.

At dawn, as the sun rose in the east, Yelü Ding and his entourage, bathed in the warm sunlight, walked towards the gate of the Tieli tribe's camp. The Tieli King, gazing at the fluttering banners in the distance, felt a mix of emotions. He said, "Second Brother, do you think I should go and welcome His Highness the Prince of Qin?" The man addressed as "Second Brother" by the Tieli King was the second general of the Tieli tribe and the successor to the Tieli King. The second general replied, "Since the Jurchen uprising, the Tieli tribe's territory has fallen. Although we have managed to save most of our people, we are like stray dogs, utterly miserable. If we cannot find a powerful patron, I fear the Tieli tribe will cease to exist within a year!" The Tieli King sighed and said, "I understand!" He then shouted, "Open the gates and welcome the Prince of Qin!" With that, the soldiers dismounted and lined up, awaiting Yelü Ding's inspection with the respect due to subjects.

Yelü Ding, mounted on his tall horse, looked down at the kneeling Tieli soldiers and shouted, "Generals, no need for formalities!" As soon as he finished speaking, the Tieli king led the way, shouting, "Thank you, King Qin!" The soldiers echoed in unison, and in an instant, the words "Thank you, King Qin" resounded across the entire grassland like a tidal wave. At that moment, the enormous royal banner finally seemed to truly live up to its name.

Yelü Ding chose the Tieli tribe as the first stop in this pacification campaign precisely because he saw their current predicament. Inside the main tent, Yelü Ding sat high on the throne, looking down at the crowd, and slowly said, "King Tieli's judgment in assessing the situation is truly admirable, a hero of our time!" King Tieli hurriedly replied, "As a guilty subject, I can only beg for a chance to atone for my sins by remembering the king's grace day and night!" Yelü Ding not only needed the Tieli tribe's submission but also their loyalty, saying, "The Jurchens have rebelled, and thousands of miles of the northeast have fallen. Where are the tens of thousands of Tieli tribe members now?" Yelü Ding's words were incisive from their very first meeting, and the Tieli king dared not make the slightest mistake, carefully saying, "They are wandering in the border areas between various tribes!" Yelü Ding feigned sorrow, saying, "How can the descendants of the Great Ancestor be like rootless trees, drifting aimlessly?" The Tieli tribe members looked at each other, but could only remain silent, their faces full of sorrow. Yelü Ding slowly said, "I have a fiefdom in the western grasslands that has been left unused for a long time. How about we lend it to the Tieli tribe for the time being?"

The people of the Tieli tribe whispered amongst themselves, their longing and joy beyond words. Although King Tieli knew there was no such thing as a free lunch, he dared not hesitate any longer and immediately declared, "The 80,000 people and 18,000 soldiers of the Tieli tribe will follow His Highness the King of Qin's lead!" The Tieli tribe echoed, "We will follow His Highness the King of Qin's lead!" However, at that very moment, a messenger from the Rilian tribe delivered a letter. King Tieli took the letter, but without reading it, immediately presented it to Yelü Ding. Yelü Ding opened the letter, said nothing, and handed it to Meng Hui. After reading the letter, Meng Hui said, "Anyone who participates in the Rilian tribe's alliance will receive one hundred battle swords! His Highness Prince Zhao and the Duke of Bohai are quite generous!" Yelü Ding said with some envy, "Fourth Brother, you are quite capable, managing to establish connections with the Duke of Bohai?" Meng Hui said with some worry, "The exact relationship between the Duke of Bohai and the Princess of Shu is still undetermined, but the gifts he gave to the Emperor are undeniably real. I worry that His Highness Prince Zhao might have already sided with Prince Jin?"

Yelü Ding shook his head and said, "Things aren't as bad as you think, nor are they as simple as you imagine. This letter is signed not only by the King of Zhao, but also by 'Cao Hong'!" Meng Hui asked, puzzled, "Is there some hidden meaning in this?" Yelü Ding said, "Although the Tieli tribe has many soldiers, they don't have extra cattle, sheep, or warhorses for trade. The King of Zhao, who is in charge of the Great Compassionate Division, knows this better than I do. Everyone knows our whereabouts. If I'm not mistaken, this letter should have been written specifically to me by that 'Cao Hong'!" Seeing that the Tieli tribe members were trembling with fear, Yelü Ding said, "You may all take your leave for now. King Tieli will accompany me to the Rilian tribe tomorrow!" King Tieli dared not disobey and quickly agreed!

After everyone left, Meng Hui said, "In every dynasty, arms deals required the emperor's approval, but this Duke of Bohai seemed to accept all comers, even arriving uninvited. It's truly perplexing!" Yelü Ding nodded and said, "Although we weren't turned away by the Duke of Bohai, Fourth Brother has undoubtedly gained the upper hand, so we must be wary!" Meng Hui first nodded, then shook his head, saying, "In my opinion, the Duke of Bohai doesn't really show much favoritism towards the Emperor or the princes, except when it comes to the Princess of Shu!" Yelü Ding said, "Although the Princess of Shu was born half a month later than me, she spoke a month earlier. She's a prodigy among the princes and princesses, and has been pampered by her father since childhood." "If she were a man, she would probably be the Crown Prince of Liao long ago!" Meng Hui, a shrewd man, said, "The Emperor in the capital only commands 50,000 troops, yet outside the capital, 60,000 elite soldiers are under the command of the Princess of Shu. Such favor is unprecedented!" Despite his感慨 (feelings of deep emotion), Yelü Ding did not back down, saying, "Since she is a woman, the throne of Liao is not for her. The alliance of the Rilian tribes will undoubtedly have a decisive impact on this pacification effort, but of the 200,000 tribal troops, I must control at least 80,000!" Meng Hui quickly replied, "Your subordinate will do your utmost!" Yelü Ding snorted coldly, saying, "Not just do your utmost, but use any means necessary!" Meng Hui clenched his fists and replied, "Yes, sir!"

Even in the twilight of a dynasty, with armies at its gates and the empire crumbling, internal strife continues unabated. The role that the 200,000-strong tribal army will ultimately play in the Battle of Shangjing remains utterly unpredictable!