We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 490 Three Conditions for Surrender

Since Li Lin needed to capture many cities in his westward advance, Li Che assigned the Dongfeng Brigade to him.

The artillery bombarded continuously, and the sound was like the angry Thor.

Catapults threw explosive packs onto the city wall, and after a series of explosions, bricks fell like raindrops.

Fengguo's powerful industrial system was enough to support them in razing the city to the ground with gunpowder and artillery shells.

When the artillery blasted open the city gates and knocked down several city walls, it no longer mattered how many Khitan defenders were left.

The Mohe cavalry poured into Shangjing City from all directions like a tide and occupied the outer city in an instant.

Once the outer city fell, the capture of the inner city was a natural outcome.

When Li Lin personally led the heavy infantry to the Khitan palace, only more than a thousand royal guards who were resisting stubbornly were left in the palace.

Li Lin came to the outside of the palace under the protection of the soldiers. He looked coldly at the palace gate in the distance and waved his hand indifferently.

Behind him, dozens of small mortars were set up, with their muzzles pointing directly at the city gate.

However, before the officers of the Dongfeng Brigade gave the order to bombard, the city gate slowly opened.

Li Lin frowned and ordered the entire army to stop attacking.

But then he saw a man in his thirties, wearing a loose white robe, walking out slowly with a golden scimitar held flat in both hands.

After seeing Li Lin, the man asked, "Is this the King of Yan?"

Li Lin stepped out, sword in hand, and reaching out to stop the guards who were about to follow him, he walked up to Yelu Yuan and said, "It is me, the king! Yelu Yuan, are you surrendering?"

Yelu Yuan looked at Li Lin calmly and shook his head: "Yelu Yuan is willing to surrender, but the Fengtian Army needs to agree to my three conditions."

Li Lin sneered, "Don't you think it's ridiculous to say this at this time and in this place? The Fengtian Army has already taken Shangjing. You are nothing but lambs to be slaughtered. Why should I agree to your conditions?"

Yelu Yuan raised his head and responded in a deep voice, "Because I know that the Fengtian Army came here to rule, not to destroy."

"Prince Yan, why don't you look up and see that the people of Shangjing are all loyal to our Yelu family. The people from all over the Liao Kingdom still regard our Yelu family as their master."

"If I choose death over surrender, the King of Yan will have no choice but to slaughter these thousand-plus soldiers and the Yelu family. Daqing will certainly be able to occupy this place, but it will have completely lost the support of the Liao people."

Li Lin looked at him silently.

After spending so much time with Li Che, Li Lin has more or less learned some ideas about governing the country from him.

The reason why Feng State was able to rise in a short period of time was not only due to the unity of its people, but also inseparable from these foreign ethnic groups.

The Mohe people, Koreans, and Khitans were all indispensable labor forces for the Feng State.

If it was really as Yelu Yuan said, and he broke into the palace and killed everyone, it would indeed save a lot of trouble.

But the price was that it left an impression of brutality in the hearts of the Khitan people, which created considerable hidden dangers for their future rule here.

But if the Yelu family voluntarily gave up the throne, the situation would be completely different.

Thinking of this, Li Lin said patiently, "What are the conditions? Tell me."

Yelu Yuan was well prepared and spoke slowly, "After the Fengtian Army takes over the Liao Kingdom, they must not kill prisoners, and they must not harm any civilians."

Li Lin sneered, "Do you think we are you? You don't need us to tell you. We will treat the people well. Now, let's talk about the next point."

"Okay!" Yelu Yuan nodded slightly. "Daqing should follow the ancient customs and show respect to the Liao Kingdom. I am willing to perform the ritual of abdication. I will ride a white horse in a plain carriage, tie a rope around my neck, and seal the emperor's seal and symbols. I will then descend on the roadside in Chen."

Li Lin frowned and said, "You mean, we need to have a surrender ceremony?"

"Exactly."

Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief: "This is easy. You can prepare now, and I will personally accept the surrender."

But he didn't expect Yelu Yuan to stiffen his neck and said coldly: "You can't do it."

Li Lin narrowed his eyes immediately: "What do you mean?"

"It was the King of Daqing who destroyed the Liao Kingdom. Even though you are the King of Yan, you are still not following the proper etiquette."

Li Lin almost laughed out of anger: "Okay, I can send a message to Sixth Brother and ask him to come and receive the gift in person."

"Even serving the king is not acceptable."

Li Lin's face suddenly turned cold: "Even the king can't do it, then who do you want to receive the gift?"

"This is the third condition," Yelu Yuan said solemnly, "Although the Liao Kingdom has fallen, it is still a great nation with a long history. Only Emperor Daqing coming here in person to receive the gift is reasonable and proper!"

Li Lin was stunned for a moment, then he drew his sword from its sheath with a clang and placed it on Yelu Yuan's neck. "Are you teasing me?"

Seeing this, the Khitan guards on the city wall pulled their bowstrings, and the Fengtian army soldiers also raised their bows and crossbows to confront them.

Yelu Yuan remained calm, saying, "Prince Yan has misunderstood. I have no intention of teasing you."

"How dare you think of letting the emperor accept this gift?" Li Lin asked coldly, "Do you still want the emperor to come to the capital?"

Yelu Yuan looked at Li Lin calmly, "Why not? After this ceremony, the Daqing Emperor will take over all of Liao territory. From now on, the land outside the Great Wall will belong to the Qing people. Isn't this worth his trip?"

Li Lin narrowed his eyes: "Are you serious?"

"As long as your army can meet these three conditions, I will naturally surrender with my body bared, my face bound, and the jade in my mouth!"

Li Lin was silent for a while and put the sword back into the scabbard.

"This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone. I need to discuss it with my sixth brother before reporting it to the imperial capital."

Yelu Yuan nodded and said, "Of course."

Li Lin looked at the palace in front of him and said, "Until then, you can still live in this city, but your army must surrender all weapons and leave the city. Only one hundred guards can be left here."

As soon as these words came out, the faces of the Khitan guards changed drastically, and they all shouted: "Prince, you can't do this!"

"Let us surrender our weapons and leave the city, and you will have no one to protect you."

"Prince, think twice!"

Yelu Yuan just smiled bitterly and suddenly raised one hand, and the guards behind him shut up.

But then Yelu Yuan said, "That's fine."

Yelu Yuan knew clearly that in the eyes of the Fengtian Army, there was no difference between a palace with a thousand soldiers stationed there and an empty palace. What really stopped them was the people's will.

Unexpectedly, at the last moment, what protected him was not the swords, guns, and bows of the Khitan warriors, but the hearts of the people in Shangjing.