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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 159: The End of the Strong Bow
"Attacking Pyongyang? It's easier said than done. With twenty to thirty thousand troops, how can you reach Pyongyang? How do you plan to get past Liaodong City?"
Yuwen Shu snorted coldly. "Either lead the army back or press forward with determination; there's no reason to split our forces."
Li Jian Cheng did not refute Yuwen Shu, for his words held merit. Instead, he continued to persuade the emperor, "Your Majesty knows that I have always been cautious. Even if we cannot succeed, I will never jeopardize the grand plans of the court. Ceasing hostilities is within our control.
If the war does not go well, I can coordinate with General Lai. With your Majesty's authority backing us, we can compel Goguryeo to surrender once more."
The emperor began to hesitate. Deep down, he did not truly wish to cease military action; otherwise, he would not have insisted on marching under such circumstances.
Everyone had been urging him to withdraw, but now there were indeed supporters. Yang Guang's spirits lifted; it was because of Goguryeo that my nation had reached this state. How could I find peace without avenging Gao Yuan?
Li Jian Cheng sensed they were just a step away from convincing him and said, "Your Majesty knows I have many connections. Recently, the Yan Yun Iron Cavalry has been rampaging in Liaodong. Their leader, Zhao Su, is originally from Guanzhong. If we offer him some benefits, we can entice them to join me in attacking Liaodong City and advancing on Pyongyang.
Moreover, I also wish to recruit these brave warriors for Your Majesty."
"The Yan Yun Iron Cavalry?"
The Deputy Minister of War interjected, "Your Majesty, they are a band of thieves numbering around forty to fifty thousand. It is said that among them are Sui people, Goguryeo people, Turks, and Khitan people—cavalrymen who are quite formidable and swift in their raids against Goguryeo. Gao Yuan has attempted several times to encircle and suppress them but has yet to succeed."
If they were rebels from the Central Plains, the emperor would want nothing more than to see them torn apart. However, Goguryeo's defectors were of little concern to him; in fact, he admired them somewhat since they had inadvertently served his interests.
Furthermore, forty to fifty thousand elite cavalrymen—even if there was some exaggeration—was still an enticing prospect. Just a slight reinforcement could turn into a significant military force.
Yang Guang pondered for a moment and said, "I will leave you with thirty thousand troops and grant you the authority to pacify the rebels!"
Li Jian Cheng understood that a significant matter had been settled, so he hurriedly accepted the decree. Yuwen Shu and the others did not appear too troubled; leading an army alone was no easy task. Regardless of whether one achieved merit or not, there were plenty of opportunities for criticism. Given the emperor's suspicious nature, the Li Family was stepping into dangerous territory.
The emperor felt more at ease now. Li Jian Cheng was not like Yang Xuangan, who had lost both parents. Loyalty alone might be hard to trust, but without filial piety, one could hardly accomplish anything.
Moreover, this was Liaodong. Without the court's supply of provisions, it would be difficult for anyone to sustain themselves, especially with Come to Protect the Child around.
Thus, the emperor cheerfully rejected the envoy sent by Goguryeo to surrender, but he kept Huszheng, who had been captured and brought before him. How could the emperor let him go?
Listening to Huszheng's pleas for mercy only made the emperor feel invigorated. He ordered that Huszheng be executed by being torn apart by five horses and then finely chopped into minced meat to be made into meat soup for everyone.
Some people fed it directly to livestock, while others, eager to please the emperor and prove their loyalty, even consumed it themselves.
In fact, this proved quite effective; those individuals were promoted within a few days.
After arranging matters, the emperor returned to court in haste because Liu Miaowang of Shijun had led a rebellion, claiming himself as the Son of Heaven...
Just as the emperor exited Goguryeo territory, Handan's Thief Leader Lu Mingxing and Yang Gongqing led eight thousand men to rob the eighth convoy following the imperial carriage, stealing forty-two prized horses from the royal stables. The emperor was furious.
He could hardly believe that mere bandits dared to plunder him, the Son of Heaven?
...
After the emperor departed, Li Jian Cheng led Dan Xiongxin, Qin Shubao, and others to Liaodong City. The place was in ruins, looking as if it had been hastily patched up; bloodstains had long since become impossible to wipe away.
Goguryeo had reached a point where even the core stronghold that resisted the Sui Dynasty was difficult to repair. Yet, even so, this city was not something that a mere thirty thousand could conquer, not even with Zhang Hutan's assistance.
Moreover, using elite cavalry as siege materials was an extravagant endeavor that Li Jian Cheng could not afford.
Dan Xiongxin gritted his teeth after watching for a long time and said, "My Lord, with one word from you, The General will take this city for you!"
Qin Shubao shook his head. "It’s not worth the loss; how can we expend all our forces here?"
Luo Yi added, "Wouldn't that just be helping Come to Protect the Child? If Liaodong City falls, Pyongyang won't hold out for long either, and that would be a significant achievement."
After the three generals expressed their opinions, they silently looked at Li Jian Cheng, waiting for his decision.
"Wait, wait for the right time and place."
They then blocked the main gate of Liaodong but did not attack the city nor obstruct Liaodong City's scouts. As long as their numbers were small, they turned a blind eye.
Outside Pyongyang City, Come to Protect the Child had already received news of the emperor's withdrawal of troops, leaving only him and Li Jian Cheng. Originally full of confidence, Come to Protect the Child now felt a sense of danger.
Without the support of hundreds of thousands of troops, his lone force flaunting its might outside the enemy capital was far too risky.
Fortunately, he was part of the Naval Forces and had already arranged for a retreat. However, breaching Pyongyang would be challenging; as the capital, it was even more magnificent than Liaodong City.
Yet for several days, Pyongyang showed no signs of taking the initiative to strike. Come to Protect the Child realized they were indeed at their last gasp.
In front of the soldiers, he declared, "The army has marched three times but failed to quell the rebels; I feel ashamed of this. Today Goguryeo is truly in distress; with our numbers attacking them, we can conquer it in no time and return with Gao Yuanxian's head. Gentlemen, wouldn’t it be good to secure wives and children?"
The generals all praised him, and thus began a large-scale siege. "Come to Protect the Child" continuously proclaimed the emperor's decree that as long as they surrendered the bandit leader Gao Yuan, His Majesty would grant amnesty to the rest.
Using strategies to conquer both enemies and hearts, they successfully threw Pyongyang City into chaos. The Sovereign of Goguryeo, Gao Yuan, remained the undisputed hero of Goguryeo even after two campaigns by the Sui Dynasty.
After the second campaign of the Sui Dynasty, Goguryeo was on the brink of ruin. The treasury was completely empty, the people had no rice, and the gentry had no food; every household was in mourning. Gao Yuan became known as the guilty monarch, yet the upper echelons still supported him.
However, upon hearing news of the Sui Dynasty's Three Expeditions, everyone in the nation thought of only one thing: was it true, as the Great Sui Emperor said, that their misfortunes were all brought about by Gao Yuan? Would surrendering Gao Yuan put an end to the war?
From that moment on, Gao Yuan lost control over the entire nation, including Pyongyang; he found it difficult to leave the palace for orders.
It was not because he had done anything wrong, but because the aristocratic officials of Goguryeo realized that the current emperor of the Central Plains was a complete madman. Even if they repelled the Sui Dynasty once again, he would return with vengeance next year.
They could no longer endure it. Three years had passed without a time for sowing and harvesting; every year they were fortifying their defenses and fighting desperately to hold their city.
Once the Sui Army retreated, famine would follow, and after famine would come great plague. But where would they find food for relief? Not only could they not provide aid to disaster victims, but they also had to continue forcibly requisitioning grain and fodder. If they did not prepare enough food in advance, how could they defend the city when spring arrived next year?
……………
(End of Chapter)
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