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Chapter 130: Chen Bing
The Sui Army withdrew overnight, and although the garrison at Liaodong City heard some commotion, they did not dare to investigate. They were left with a group of desperate old, weak, sick, and disabled individuals.
In the mountains behind, Zhang Hutan felt a surge of energy; he knew the moment had finally arrived. The logistics of the 400,000 troops included a large number of weapons, bows, crossbows, heavy armor, saddles, and more. This could not be left for the Goguryeo people to take advantage of.
His mission was to move these supplies and assemble heavy cavalry. Zhang Hutan's sharp gaze commanded his subordinates to prepare and sent someone back to Zhuojun to arrange for reinforcements.
By dawn, the Sui Army had already retreated. The once bustling camp was now empty, with military supplies and equipment scattered about like small hills.
The garrison at Liaodong City cautiously sent out two squads of cavalry to scout the area. A trusted aide beside Zhang Hutan said, "It's time to go; otherwise, they will discover that the army has already withdrawn."
"There's no rush; we will act both genuinely and deceptively."
The Goguryeo scouts cautiously entered the camp and saw military supplies, equipment, armor, and siege tools piled high. The fortifications, tents, and documents remained untouched; everything had been abandoned.
Some lavishly decorated tents still contained many valuable items that had not been taken. The scouts eagerly pocketed some small treasures before returning to report.
After observing for a long time in the city, they finally sent people out to clear the fish-leaping road left by the Sui Army while arranging for commoners to transport the supplies from the Sui Army's camp. Just as they began their work,
Zhang Hutan led his elite cavalry out suddenly. The Goguryeo soldiers at the city gate quickly fled back into the city, while the commoners transporting supplies in the camp could not escape and knelt on the ground awaiting their fate.
The supervising soldiers attempted to flee back into the city when Zhang Hutan smoothly drew his iron spine bow into his hand. He released three arrows in quick succession; specially made Black Feather Arrows whistled through the air and pierced the throats of three men.
Two arrows fell to the ground after passing through their necks, while one arrow remained lodged in a throat, giving the impression that it was shot from the front rather than from behind.
Without needing further words, the remaining soldiers reined in their horses and dropped their waist blades and spears as they knelt on the ground. Zhang Hutan ignored them and rode forward alone to stand before Liaodong City while his men entered the camp to gather supplies.
With over a thousand commoners available, they could carry more important supplies while the garrison at Liaodong City could only watch helplessly.
On one hand, they truly lacked the strength to fight outside the city against thousands of elite troops; especially this commander was formidable. On another hand, there was concern that this might be a strategy of the Sui Army. After much deliberation, they concluded that holding the city would be a great achievement; it was better not to take risks.
Meanwhile, Huszheng was preparing to use this significant news as a stepping stone for advancement. He gritted his teeth as he headed towards Pyongyang. He felt he had no choice; fleeing towards Yang Xuangan would require passing through numerous prefectures along the way, which he was not confident about.
Not entering Liaodong City was due to a clear understanding of the emperor's temperament. To vent his anger, it was likely that he would insist on first breaking Liaodong City, capturing him for a thousand tortures. He was left with only Pyongyang as an option.
Yang Xuangan, you have caused me great suffering!
I hope you can succeed.
...
Meanwhile, in Chang'an, news of Yang Xuangan's rebellion had also spread. However, many people's attitudes were ambiguous. The emperor's confidants and the newly promoted nobility had mostly been taken to Luoyang, leaving behind many of the somewhat declining Noble Families of Guanlong in Chang'an.
They were quite critical of the emperor's insistence on relocating the capital and his promotion of people from Shandong and Jiangnan Aristocracy. Yet, the emperor had always been stubborn, leaving them sidelined in Chang'an.
Thus, regarding Yang Xuangan's rebellion, they maintained a stance of neither supporting nor opposing it, merely waiting to see the outcome. If Yang Xuangan captured the Eastern Capital and could withstand the emperor's return, they would officially begin to place their bets.
The Duke Tang's Residence had become quite lively these days, as many wanted to gauge Li Jian Cheng's thoughts. Speaking of Li Jian Cheng, he was indeed a rather peculiar figure.
He was a trusted confidant of the emperor and had been granted a residence in Luoyang long ago. However, the Duke Tang's family still resided in Chang'an. He was the most legitimate descendant of the Wuchuan branch of the Guanlong Aristocracy but maintained connections with both Shandong Gentry and Southern Aristocracy, even recommending several individuals.
Just as Li Jian Cheng was about to express his stance, someone from the palace arrived, stating that the Crown Prince requested him and his son to enter the palace for an important consultation. Unless it was a rebellion, how could they go against the Crown Prince's wishes?
The father and son apologized to everyone present before heading to the palace. Upon entering, they saw Dai Wang Yang You seated above, with Minister Wei Wensheng and Deputy Minister of Justice Wei Yijie among others below.
After a brief exchange of courtesies, Wei Yijie handed them a military report that had just arrived. After reading it, Li Yan passed it to Li Jian Cheng for a careful review.
"Fan Zigai has betrayed the country and its people; he has truly squandered the trust placed in him by His Majesty and Prince of Yue. Those two military commanders—I must submit a formal accusation against them. They are not incapable of resistance; they are clearly complicit in aiding the rebels!"
They had all received news; naturally, Luoyang City, being closest, reacted first. The Eastern Capital was under the watch of King of Yue Yang Tong, but like Dai Wang Yang You, he was too young to be anything more than a nominal guardian.
In Chang'an, Minister Wei Wensheng took charge while Minister of Civil Affairs Fan Zigai led in Luoyang. Upon receiving news of Yang Xuangan's rebellion, Fan Zigai immediately arranged for Magistrate Daxi Shanyi from Henan County to lead five thousand elite troops against Yang Jishan while Henan Governor Pei Hongce commanded eight thousand soldiers against Yang Xuanting.
Yang Xuangan had no shortage of provisions; however, arms were a significant issue. Aside from his eight thousand Guardians, the two or three thousand Commoners he forcibly conscripted wielded only single swords and shields without bows or armor.
The situation was somewhat more organized than that of the rebellious commoners, yet when faced with the elite Sui Army dispatched from Luoyang to intercept them, they were expected to be at a disadvantage. However, something strange occurred.
Before the forces of Daxi Shanyi even engaged in battle, they unexpectedly routed and fled, leaving their armor scattered across the ground. Yang Jishan commanded his common soldiers to pick up the spears, transforming them from mere bandits into a semblance of the imperial army.
On the other hand, Pei Hongce did not flee without a fight, but he was defeated in battle. After abandoning his armor, he regrouped and prepared for another confrontation. Despite facing repeated defeats, by the time they reached Luoyang City, only a handful of his men remained.
The seven thousand elite soldiers' armor had all been collected by Yang Xuanting. Yang Xuangan not only faced no resistance but also grew stronger as he smoothly advanced his troops to Luoyang City.
After observing this, Li Jian Cheng remarked, "This is indeed peculiar, but now is not the time for further investigation; we must immediately rush to aid Luoyang."
Wei Yijie nodded in agreement. "What you say is absolutely correct, Li Langjun. However, we cannot afford any losses in Chang'an either. Therefore, we can only muster a maximum of seventy thousand troops to march against the rebels."
"Who will lead the army?"
"The Lord has fought alongside the northern campaigns against the Turkic forces since his youth. Now that the state is in peril, would you be willing to take command and protect it?"
Li Jian Cheng shook his head without hesitation. "Setting aside my period of mourning, I have served under Yang Su in several campaigns; based on that alone, I should not be entrusted with leading such a large army."
………………
(End of Chapter)
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