The vast grassland stretches as far as the eye can see, with the strong wind blowing the green grass, mixed with the neighing of cattle and horses. Several Khitan shepherds rode horses and drove their sheep leisurely, from far to near, and from near to far.
A peaceful scene of nomads.
But this is not the case.
Since Yelu Abaoji established the Liao Dynasty, the territory of the Liao Kingdom has annexed the surrounding small tribes and gradually expanded its territory. The warriors of the Khitan tribe were trained in the harsh environment of the grassland, but they became stronger and better at riding and shooting. They formed an extremely powerful army and defeated the once prosperous Northern Song Dynasty again and again, encroaching on the land around the Northern Song Dynasty. After Liao Shengzong Yelu Longxu succeeded to the throne, his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, took control of the real power of the Liao Kingdom. Empress Dowager Xiao led the army to conquer the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures in the Northern Song Dynasty in one fell swoop. She made Youzhou the capital and renamed it Yanjing.
In 979, Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi sent 300,000 troops with General Dai Hong as the commander-in-chief to recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. On the way, they met the resistance of Brother Yelvxiu, the king of the Northern Court of Liao Kingdom. Both sides were famous generals, and they were also regarded as bright and powerful at the time. They fought several times, each with their own victory or defeat.