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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 110: The First Battle
Ignoring the general's advice, he continued to urge them to advance and issued an edict to all of Goguryeo.
"The punishment from heaven is just; it lies with the original evil. The multitude of human faults leads to coercion and neglect of governance."
This meant that all blame rested solely on the Goryeo King, while the other officials and citizens could abandon their resistance, as the Celestial Empire's army would not harm them in the slightest.
However, to prevent the Goryeo King from resorting to desperate measures, a path for surrender was still left open.
"If Gao Yuan approaches the gate of surrender and submits to the authorities, he should be released from his bindings and treated with grace."
At the same time, the emperor received a new batch of supplies along with a report from Li Jian Cheng, stating that due to local unrest, supplies were often intercepted on their way.
The importance of these supplies was self-evident. The emperor finally remembered his subjects and decreed, "As I wage war against Goguryeo, all across the nation must assist. The civil and military officials of the court must do their utmost. Ordinary citizens have abandoned their homes and livelihoods; there is little surplus grain left in their households. I am fully aware of these circumstances.
Therefore, county magistrates must take good care of these hardworking citizens. If their homes lack food, they may draw from the national treasury. If they own land but are unwell, they should command wealthy households to help tend to their fields."
During the campaign against Goguryeo, officials must ensure that women, children, and the elderly left behind have enough to eat.
Upon receiving the decree, Li Jian Cheng was at a loss for words. Local officials were seizing this opportunity to engage in rampant corruption, while local gentry were aggressively consolidating land and purchasing slaves.
Just as the emperor ignored counsel, how could they possibly stop because of a single decree?
Li Jian Cheng could no longer hold back; his years of accumulation were now coming into play. Even though there were Ministry of Civil Affairs officials present hindering him, it did not prevent him from deepening his control over Zhuojun and several surrounding counties.
Under the nod of Yang Xuangan, both Yuyang County and Shanggu County obeyed Li Jian Cheng without question, while Anle County was under the command of Dou's Son, who had already mobilized the forces of the Four Commanderies.
From the perspective of the world, the land of the Four Commanderies was merely a corner, but due to the emperor's campaign against Goguryeo, it had become one of the richest places in the realm, gathering countless supplies, provisions, weapons, armor, and craftsmen.
Li Jian Cheng naturally would not let this opportunity slip by. The provisions were relatively minor in his plans; it was the weapons and armor that truly mattered. Moreover, he had already found a scapegoat: Yuwen Huaji.
Years ago, he had set a precedent during the emperor's first Northern Expedition against the Turkic tribes when he defied orders and traded with the Turks, primarily exchanging weapons and provisions for horses.
When the emperor learned of this, he imposed a light punishment as a warning: he granted Yuwen Shu, Yuwen Huaji's father, a slave status and made his son a slave to him. Clearly, this was not a severe punishment.
Thus, Yuwen Huaji grew quite bold in this regard, believing that his father would surely achieve great merit. Even if discovered by the emperor, he thought that at most he would receive a beating, so he did not even bother to cover his tracks and acted recklessly in Wuji.
This saved Li Jian Cheng much effort; there was no need for him to set traps or schemes since Yuwen Huaji was already fervently engaged in his activities.
The provisions and weapons flowed along the river channels opened by the emperor to reach those Li Jian Cheng intended to supply. The quantity was not large but sufficient for them to use for a while, preventing them from breaking free from their constraints.
...
Dan Xiongxin and Qin Shubao stood at the bow of the ship as they marched along Pyongyang Road. The Governor and Right Wing General Come to Protect the Child led the Naval Forces from Panshui into Goguryeo.
Both were cavalry generals and felt somewhat out of place on the ship. Dan Xiongxin asked, "Brother Shubao, do you think Goguryeo dares to confront us?"
Qin Shubao shook his head and replied, "Most likely they are fortifying their defenses and holding their capital."
“It will be difficult to conquer, even if it is just a small country. After all, it is the capital, and it must be well-fortified and hard to breach.”
Dan Xiongxin's rank was slightly lower than Qin Shubao's, but he was personally recommended by Li Jian Cheng. With exceptional bravery, Come to Protect the Child also valued him highly and placed him under Qin Shubao's command.
The two had fought several matches, with Qin Shubao narrowly winning each time. However, the fact that he won every time spoke volumes.
After talking for a while, Dan Xiongxin sighed, “This time was indeed rushed; I didn’t even have the chance to pay my respects to Li Langjun.”
Qin Shubao had heard Dan Xiongxin mention Li Langjun several times and couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve heard you don’t have a deep connection with Li Langjun. Why do you seem so preoccupied with him? Is he really as remarkable as the rumors say?”
Dan Xiongxin sighed again, “He is a rare talent, unparalleled in the world. To be honest with you, Shubao, I often regret that I asked Lord to recommend me for military service instead of staying by his side.”
Qin Shubao fell silent for a moment before saying, “After this battle, I will accompany you to pay our respects. If he truly is such a person, it would be a regret in life if we cannot share a drink together.”
“Ha ha! Li Langjun is best at befriending heroes. If he hears that you are coming, he will surely prepare a warm welcome.”
Qin Shubao shook his head and laughed, “A rough man like me hardly deserves such courtesy from a noble like him.”
“You’ll understand once you meet Li Langjun,” Dan Xiongxin said as he gazed at the water’s surface. “If we can achieve some merit in this battle, it would honor Lord’s recommendation.”
To march in such a manner, it was faster than the army to reach the destination. After a successful landing, they aimed to launch a surprise attack on Pyongyang, but were intercepted by Goguryeo King Gao Yuan and his troops sixty miles outside the capital.
The Goguryeo army formed a line for dozens of miles, with Gao Jianwen, the king's brother, leading the warriors into battle. Since the Sui Army had not yet stabilized their position, they were momentarily thrown into disarray by the assault. Come to Protect the Child raised the flag to stabilize morale and laughed at the generals, saying, "I thought they would fortify their defenses and wait for our royal army, but now they come to seek death. Today we shall annihilate them!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Shubao charged straight at the commander of the invading cavalry. His troops followed closely behind to support him. Gao Jian was still feeling pleased, thinking that the Sui Army was indeed weak and that his brother was too soft.
Unfortunately, he had not brought more troops; otherwise, they could have taken advantage of the situation to eliminate the Sui Army's naval forces. Just as he was about to retreat, he heard his bodyguard shout in panic as if seeing a ghost: "Your Majesty, retreat quickly!"
But it was slightly too late. At the moment he turned to look, a spear pierced through his eye and exited from the back of his head. Qin Qiong exerted his strength and let out a roar as the spearhead broke through his skull, directly killing two riders. Blood flowed from the spearhead, and he appeared majestic like a celestial being descending from heaven.
His bodyguards rushed madly towards Qin Shubao, but Dan Xiongxin had already arrived with his troops. He was also a formidable warrior, and none of his men were a match for him. The two groups clashed together in a bloody melee with horses neighing and men shouting.
Come to Protect the Child laughed loudly: "The achievement of destroying a nation is today; let you all take the title of Duke of the State!"
"Kill!"
There were no tactics involved; relying solely on the invincible momentum of the Sui Army from their campaigns north and south, Come to Protect the Child led his troops into battle. King Gao Yuan could not care less about his brother's death and began to regret listening to him about coming out to meet the enemy.
……………
(End of Chapter)
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