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Chapter 109: Supplies
How could the army not be under his control? Li Jian Cheng summoned numerous officials and carefully arranged the logistics tasks. He also consulted with various noble families, gathering the remaining able-bodied men from Zhuojun to expand the granaries.
Although many officials had accompanied the emperor on his expedition with the six armies, a significant number of Ministry of Civil Affairs officials remained behind to assist him in organizing the transportation and supply of provisions.
Over these days, they had become quite good friends. Each time the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported losses, although there were some discrepancies, Li Jian Cheng would still sign off after a few words.
Today was no different. Li Jian Cheng frowned and said, "So all three routes of grain that were supposed to arrive today have been intercepted?"
The Minister of Civil Affairs replied grimly, "One route coming from Bian River was robbed by a group of bandits known as Wagang. Another route was attacked by horse bandits just after passing Yanmen Pass, and the last route was sabotaged by a grain transport officer who rebelled and led commoners to become bandits."
Li Jian Cheng set down his pen and said, "Losing one route occasionally is something I can cover for you in front of His Majesty, but now that the army has just set out and all three routes have been lost, that's hard to explain."
"Ah, you know how it is; banditry is rampant these days, and we are powerless. We can only ask for your leniency, my lord."
"I have raised my hand plenty; I have never made things difficult for you. The state affairs are challenging, and we need to overcome them together. But you are becoming increasingly unreasonable!"
The Minister of Civil Affairs felt helpless. Initially, they had embezzled quite a bit, but this time not a single grain had been seen; there was no opportunity to steal even if they wanted to.
However, they did not dare to vent their anger at Li Jian Cheng and could only keep pleading for mercy. Even their lies lacked conviction. Finally, Li Jian Cheng said, "In any case, within half a month, you must replenish two routes of grain. Otherwise, if His Majesty investigates, none of you will have a good outcome."
The Deputy Minister of Revenue understood that such an incident occurring right after His Majesty's departure would easily lead to exposure even if Li Jian Cheng covered for them. Thus, he could only agree.
Before leaving, he couldn't help but say, "Thank you, my lord, but this truly has nothing to do with us."
Li Jian Cheng did not respond but waved him off to hurry and replenish the supplies. He knew very well that they had not refrained from corruption; he had consumed all three routes of grain himself.
This matter turned out to be easier than expected due to the chaos. The emperor had gathered troops from across the land and brought along civil and military officials with him, resulting in insufficient local forces and confusion in various offices where officials could not be found.
The officials and generals gathered in Zhuojun looked at the supplies capable of sustaining millions, and how could they not want to take a little for themselves? You take a bit, I take a bit, and let’s not speak of it.
The Emperor had considered a thorough investigation, but upon delving into it, he found that too many people were involved. With the battle imminent, he could not afford to shake morale over this matter, so he had to endure for the time being, hoping to settle accounts after a great victory.
Clearly, the Emperor was overly optimistic. Not to mention Li Jian Cheng, many within the Military were already skeptical about the outcome of this battle. Yet no matter how they advised the Emperor, he remained indifferent, even more obstinate.
If the Emperor won as he wished, it would naturally prove his extraordinary talent and capabilities. But if he failed, then the authority he had built up over the years would come crashing down.
Li Xiaogong entered and handed over a letter written in Zhai Rang's handwriting. It appeared to be a report from a household servant about recent family affairs, but it was actually a prearranged code. Not only had they intercepted grain ships based on his information, but they also gained notoriety in the surrounding Prefecture.
Many wealthy gentry and landlords had already made contact with him, the most notable being the prominent local figure Xu Shijie, who inquired whether Li Jian Cheng would accept their support.
Another letter was from Duwei, the commander of his two thousand elite soldiers—brave men whom Li Jian Cheng had rescued from a pile of corpses. Shen Guang could not last ten exchanges against them, and that was when he hadn’t even used his full strength.
That batch of supplies had also been successfully intercepted and was hidden in a village within Anle County. The original inhabitants had long since fled; they occupied the place as their base and recruited many Khitan people. With this supply of grain, they would soon grow into an elite cavalry force of over three thousand.
...
Yang Guang commanded his troops to march out, but before engaging Goguryeo, Duan Wenzhen, the Grand General of the Left Guard who led the troops out of Nansudao, fell gravely ill due to unfamiliar conditions. On his deathbed, he submitted a memorial: “As a humble and lowly person fortunate enough to live in this prosperous age and favored by Your Majesty's grace, I wished to devote myself tirelessly to repay the great kindness of our nation.
However, I have failed to care for my health and must now depart with regret. I have some heartfelt words to convey to Your Majesty. I have observed that the Gao Clan's petty tricks in Liaodong have not been met with strict punishment; it burdens Your Majesty to personally lead six armies against them.
The Barbarians are treacherous and require deep caution. They may feign submission; we should not hastily accept it. The rains have just begun; we cannot afford delays. I earnestly request that all troops be strictly ordered to move swiftly—both by land and water—to catch them off guard; then Pyongyang’s isolated city may be captured.
If we exhaust our resources now, other cities will fall on their own; if we do not act promptly and encounter autumn rains, we will face severe obstacles. With our supplies depleted and strong enemies ahead, hesitation is not a wise strategy!”
This means advising the emperor not to think about winning without fighting, as their surrender is merely a delaying tactic. They will certainly rebel repeatedly. Now that the water level has dropped, we should firmly advance and attack. If we cannot capture Pyongyang and they wait for the rainy season, it will be very difficult for us to succeed.
As soon as the letter reached the emperor, someone came to report that Duan Wenzhen had already passed away in the military.
After reading the memorial, the emperor's expression did not change. He simply issued an edict posthumously promoting him to Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Right Chancellor, and Duke of Beiping County, while the posthumous title was to be decided by Yang Xuangan and the Ministry of Rites.
However, Duan Wenzhen's words clearly did not change the emperor's mind. He remained firmly convinced that Goguryeo would see his million-strong army and would surrender in fear.
He was not concerned about Duan Wenzhen's worries; he was only worried about how to prevent generals from seeking personal glory and how to orderly accept the enemy's surrender.
He deliberately did not appoint a commander for the twenty-four military divisions, allowing them to check each other at the same level. Any matters must be reported to the emperor for decision, and they were not allowed to engage in battle without permission.
Additionally, he established an Envoy for Surrender to offer comfort and support, who would not be restricted by various generals. This envoy would maintain an equal relationship with the generals; if a general refused to accept a surrender, then the Comforter could still restrain him.
The military leaders learned of Duan Wenzhen's memorial and found it very reasonable, especially the main commanders of each army. They felt constrained everywhere and could not fully control their soldiers.
They all submitted requests for the emperor to appoint a commander among them so that they could coordinate effectively and unleash the power of their forces. However, after much thought, the emperor could not find anyone he deemed trustworthy enough to entrust with the Million-Strong Army.
………
(End of Chapter)
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