In the first year of Kaiyunkui, on January 23, the Ruyan army besieged Liyang.
Emperor Shi Chonggui of the Later Jin not only sent Zhang Yanzhi to lead troops in urgent relief to Liyang, but also wrote to the Khitans, seeking to restore old friendships.
At that time, Chen Yun had just emerged from the pass and was considering how to obtain sufficient time for training.
Suddenly, a report was heard in the grayish sky of dawn.
"Master Chen, General Zhao wishes to see you."
"Please, let General Zhao come in and have a chat."
"Here it is."
The guards went out.
Chen Yun tidied up his appearance and sat in front of the desk, waiting for Zhao Yanlong.
A moment later, Zhao Yanlong rushed in from outside.
As soon as he entered, he beamed with joy and said, "Mr. Chen, there is good news, great joy indeed."
"Do not rush, sit down and tell it slowly," Chen Yun pointed to the side, indicating that Zhao Yanlong should sit down while asking, "What is this good news?"
Zhao Yanlong sat down and said, "The emperor has sent a message, saying that the Jin court has sent an envoy to seek peace."
At the words, Chen Yun's eyes lit up.
If the Khitan emperor agreed at this time for the Later Jin to temporarily resume old ties, then it would be an absolute joy for me.
Firstly, the Later Jin wanted to seek peace, which would certainly not be a mere verbal agreement. Real costs must be paid.
For example, ceding some territory and compensating for war losses and so on.
In this way, the Khitan side can expand its territory further south, securing a place for troops to gather, and the next time they want to launch a war, it will be much easier than this time.
With war losses compensation, even if the Khitan army lost some personnel and property this time, they could make up for it, which means their own strength would not be weakened.
On the contrary, the Later Jin not only lost many soldiers but also incurred significant economic losses due to the war.
Which is equivalent to the other absorbing this, indirectly weakening the military strength of the Later Jin.
Secondly, once the war stops temporarily, Chen Yun will have ample time to advance to the realm of immortals.
He calculated the time last night after using his spiritual light to refine the Yang spirit in the void.
He estimated that he would only need ten months to have a high probability of successfully reaching the realm of immortals.
Chen Yun believed that if he could cultivate to the realm of immortals, when the Khitan army comes back in their next attack, it would be much easier to break through the divine support of the Later Jin.
These thoughts flashed through his mind briefly.
Chen Yun asked calmly, "Why do the Jin court suddenly want to seek peace?"
Zhao Yanlong laughed and said, "Mr. Chen, you don't know the full story. The Jin court naturally has its reasons for seeking peace. It is because our army has gained a significant advantage that they have sent envoys to seek peace. Our troops are divided into two wings, with the Eastern Army led by me with 50,000 Lulong troops as vanguard, and the Emperor leading more than 100,000 troops following. We marched from Youzhou to Weizhou. We captured Beizhou, a strategic location on both land and sea. Our troops are now stationed in Yuancheng and Nanle. The vanguard army is attacking Liyang, while the emperor's main force is attacking Weizhou. All of these things you must have known."
Chen Yun nodded slightly, indicating that he indeed knew about these things.
"The military position of Beizhou, Weizhou, or Liyang is extremely important. If we capture one of these cities, we may be able to directly attack Kaifeng. The Jin court will be in fear and naturally want to seek peace, which is the first reason."
Zhao Yanlong detailed the situation of the war, "Secondly, the Western Army led by the Great Prince Yelü Anduan is a supporting force. They have entered the Yanmen Pass and are heading towards Taiyuan to support our main force in southern operations. Now they have surrounded Xinzhou and Daizhou. There is also Yang Yuan Guang in Qingzhou aiding us. Our army is like a double flower blooming on both sides, east and west. As long as we cross the Yellow River, we hope to annihilate the Jin court. Therefore, the Jin court is afraid and wants to take this opportunity to make compensations and seek peace."
Chen Yun has studied military strategies and knows about military affairs.
He naturally understands that in such a situation, it is very possible to annihilate the Later Jin.
Because this time the Khitan army is using a strategy that imitates the original surprise attack on Kaifeng by Li Cunxu.
This is a successful experience and, logically speaking, there should be no problem.
Chen Yun's face color changed slightly.
As the saying goes, "the lessons of the past are the teacher of the future."
Li Cunxu's successful surprise attack on Kaifeng was a classic campaign that many people have studied.
Then the Later Jin has about a 70-80% chance of having a countermeasure for such a surprise attack.
That means if the Khitan army continues to attack the Later Jin according to the current plan, there is no guarantee of success, but there's an 80% chance it might fail.
As for why the Later Jin, who has countermeasures for surprise attacks, is seeking peace, it's likely due to the pressure of our troops.
Chen Yun estimated that the Later Jin might not have the confidence to successfully execute their strategy for dealing with surprise attacks.
After all, the risks are too great.
If they fail to accomplish it, it could be a fate that may lead to the destruction of their country.
Therefore, for the sake of caution, the Later Jin has taken the initiative to seek peace.
Chen Yun pondered for a while, analyzing from various angles, and found that a temporary truce seemed to be the better course of action.
As he was thinking, Zhao Yanlong said, "The emperor is unsure of what to do at the moment and would like you, Mr. Chen, to go to Yuancheng to discuss how to respond."
Chen Yun felt it was necessary for him to go.
In case Yelü Deguang refuses the proposal of the Later Jin.
He stood up and said, "Alright, let's go to Yuancheng for a visit."
Zhao Yanlong quickly said, "I'll have someone prepare horses and carriages right away."
Chen Yun waved his hand and said, "No need."
Zhao Yanlong was about to open his mouth when he realized something.
Chen Yun extended his hand and waved, a beam of crimson light enveloped him, and the teleportation skill was executed.
...
The scenery before him blurred.
Chen Yun and Zhao Yanlong instantly appeared from the Khitan military camp near Liyang to the Yuancheng where the Khitan troops were stationed.
At this moment, Yuancheng was filled with fully armed soldiers, and there were no civilians to be seen on the streets. A faint smell of blood permeated the air.
Chen Yun knew that the Khitan army must have massacred the city. His eyebrows wrinkled in concern.
Zhao Yanlong paid little attention to these things and looked at Chen Yun in awe, exclaiming, "Mr. Chen's great law is truly a miracle. We were just near Liyang and in an instant, we have arrived in Yuancheng. It is truly astonishing."
Chen Yun walked to the direction of the commandery with a blank expression, "Follow me."
Zhao Yanlong quickly followed.
Soon, they arrived at the commander's mansion that served as the temporary palace for Yelü Deguang.
After the soldiers reported, they were welcomed inside.
As soon as they entered, Yelü Deguang led a group of generals and advisors to welcome them.
Afterwards, everyone went to the reception hall, where Chen Yun was seated at the top table.
At this moment, everyone had just taken their seats.
The main seat was occupied by Yelü Deguang, the second seat was for Chen Yun, and Zhao Yanlong and other generals and advisors sat on either side.
Chen Yun picked up his teacup and took a sip, feigning ignorance and asking, "I am not sure what His Majesty intended when he sent General Zhao to find me here. What is the matter?"
Yelü Deguang, with a rosy face, said, "Mr. Chen, I have important matters to discuss with you."
Chen Yun put down his teacup and said, "Please speak."
Yelü Deguang looked down at the twenty or so soldiers and strategists below who were all beaming with joy, and said, "Today, envoys from the Jin court, Sang Weihan and Jing Yanguang, came to seek peace. I have not yet replied, and I want to consult with you first."
Chen Yun already knew about this matter and thought for a moment before asking, "What conditions have the Jin court offered?"
Yelü Deguang told the truth and said, "The Jin court has offered to compensate our military for the war losses, and also to cede the various states of Beihé, provided we withdraw and peace is established. What do you think, Mr. Chen?"
Indeed, as Chen Yun had guessed, the Later Jin had really ceded lands and made compensation.
Chen Yun had thought about this matter before coming and naturally had no objections, "I think this is acceptable. If the Khitan has the Beihé states as a base, next time if we want to wage war against the Jin court, we won't have to send troops over a thousand miles. Additionally, the money from the compensation can also replenish our national treasury and provide more armor for our soldiers. I think we can agree to it. Your Majesty, what is your opinion?"
Yelü Deguang said, "I originally thought the same as Mr. Chen, but after carefully considering, I believe that the Jin court is so easily defeated because it is incredibly weak. Now that our Khitan army is strong and powerful, with the Yellow River as our barrier, there is a very high chance of defeating the Jin court. If we miss this opportunity, we may not be able to obtain such a victory again. Therefore, I believe we should reject the Jin court's proposal and continue our military campaign to occupy the Yellow River crossings to ultimately destroy them!"
"Yes."
"Opportunities come once in a lifetime, and they should not be missed."
"This time the Jin court is weak and empty, it is a great opportunity for us to destroy them. We cannot miss it."
The generals and strategists began to speak out, expressing their desire to continue the war.
Chen Yun had originally thought that the others' joyful expressions were because they were preparing to accept the Later Jin's proposal for territorial cession and compensation, but he hadn't expected them to be so bellicose.
In fact, if it really could be accomplished to annihilate the Later Jin in one fell swoop, it would not be a problem to delay the advance towards the Immortal Realm for some time.
The problem is that Chen Yun previously analyzed that the strategy of surprise attack on Kaifeng is very difficult to succeed.
If the Khitan army continues to attack the Later Jin, it is highly possible that they will not gain any compensation and could even be soundly defeated by the Later Jin army, resulting in maximized losses.
He spoke very reasonably, "Your Majesty, I believe that continuing the war is not necessarily in the best interests of the Khitan."
Yelü Deguang, although almost blinded by the current war advantages, knew that the smooth progress of this expedition was entirely due to Chen Yun's recruitment of numerous divine beings and ascetics to assist, such as in Yannomen Pass where Er Langshen led the deities from Guanyin Temple to brilliantly display their abilities. Therefore, he could not ignore Chen Yun's opinion.
He humbly asked, "Mr. Chen, may I ask why you say this?"
All the other generals and strategists looked at Chen Yun's face.
Chen Yun organized his words and spoke seriously, "We are imitating Li Cunxu's surprise attack on Kaifeng, right?"
"That's right."
"Exactly."
Yelü Deguang, Zhao Yanlong, and the rest of the generals and strategists responded.
Chen Yun asked back, "As generals and strategists, do you study classic battles?"
Yelü Deguang was taken aback, "As you say, we must learn from history. We will naturally be familiar with various battle cases and thoroughly study them."
Chen Yun asked again, "Do you think that the generals and strategists of the Jin court will learn?"
Upon hearing this, Yelü Deguang's face changed slightly.
Zhao Yanlong seemed to have thought of something, and his eyebrows suddenly furrowed.
The remaining twenty or so generals and strategists were all lost in thought.
Chen Yun continued calmly, "Therefore, I believe that the strategy of the Khitan army on this expedition has been fundamentally wrong from the start. We should accept the Later Jin's offer of territorial cession and compensation for peace, temporarily halt the war, and calmly think about how to launch another attack on the Later Jin court. This would be more appropriate. If we continue to attack as we have been, I dare say that the likelihood of defeat is very high."
At this point, he added, "Of course, the final decision still depends on Your Majesty. My words are just personal opinions. Whether to listen or not is up to you."
Yelü Deguang understood that Chen Yun's words made sense, but the prospect of easily destroying the Later Jin and then stopping midway was deeply unsatisfying to him.
Let alone that Yelü Deguang, the emperor of the Khitan, felt unwilling.
Even Zhao Yanlong and the other twenty or so generals and strategists present felt the same way.
This is like you are almost within reach of the peach, but someone tells you it's not ripe yet. Do you still want to continue picking?
Most people would probably pick it to try, after all, if it's not ripe, there's no harm in it.
This is the thought of Yelü Deguang, Zhao Yanlong, and the other generals and strategists.
In fact, they still didn't understand Chen Yun's meaning.
Chen Yun's point is that the peach the Khitan is reaching for is not just unripe; it has been sprayed with pesticides, and picking it and eating it would be fatal!
Yelü Deguang took a deep breath and didn't immediately respond, "I will carefully consider it. I appreciate your strategy today."
Chen Yun glanced at Yelü Deguang, knowing that he couldn't bring himself to abandon such a huge advantage.
Chen Yun, whose duty was only to deal with the divine beings on the Later Jin side, had no obligation to interfere with the ordinary army. Naturally, he would not continue to persuade.
Chen Yun stood up and said, "Very well, Your Majesty, please consider carefully. Whether or not to declare a ceasefire, I will still do my best to assist you."
Yelü Deguang followed suit, "Alright, I will consider it."
Chen Yun did not respond to the other party any further but turned his head towards Zhao Yanlong, "General Zhao, let's go back."
Zhao Yanlong stepped forward and said, "Yes."
Chen Yun waved his sleeve, and a burst of light enveloped the other person. He then used the Teleportation Technique once again, disappearing from the view of everyone present.
After Chen Yun and Zhao Yanlong left.
Yelü Deguang's cousin and the nearly undefeatable Yelü Ma da opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think?"
All the soldiers and strategists looked up to the highest decision-maker.
Yelü Deguang furrowed his brow and said, "Mr. Chen has a point. I should heed his strategy, but now our army is almost completely surrounding the northern line of the Jin court. With just a crossing of the Yellow River, we have a chance to annihilate them all. To give it up would be a real loss."
So far, Yelü Deguang has not yet made the final decision.
Yelü Ma da, who was more bellicose, argued, "Mr. Chen's analysis is reasonable, but the Jin court has been plagued with disasters this year and its strength is greatly weakened. Even if there are ways to respond, it may not be implemented. I believe we should continue our assault."
"That's right."
"I support."
"After all the hard work, how can we just give up and let the Jin court survive?"
The generals themselves were war-loving individuals, so they naturally supported Yelü Ma da's proposal one by one.
Yelü Deguang's inner thoughts originally wanted to continue attacking the Later Jin.
Now that he heard everyone was on the same page, he was even more inclined to continue fighting.
He took a deep breath and made his final decision, "We will continue to send troops to occupy the Yellow River crossings. We will not rest until the Later Jin is completely annihilated!"
...
On the other side, in the advance troops' camp of the Khitan.
Although Chen Yun had returned with Zhao Yanlong, he had been using his "omniscient" ability to keep an eye on the situation in Yuancheng.
He was the first to learn of Yelü Deguang and others' final decision.
"Ah, still won't listen to my advice."
Chen Yun helplessly shook his head, "Well, then let them bear the brunt of their mistakes before they know who is right and who is wrong. By then, they will surely regret!"
