Han officials

Chapter 136: Cenotaph【4K】

Even though Liaodong had been preparing for a counterattack on Goguryeo for nearly two years, Wei Zhe still could not send troops immediately.

There is no way. There are too many issues to consider when the army goes out to war.

From mobilizing troops to recruiting laborers, none of them are easy tasks.

As for the logistics and supplies, there is no need to mention it. If you don’t have the ability, the more you help, the more chaos will arise.

It wasn't until September that everything was ready.

September of autumn, day Ji Hai.

Just after the hour of Mao, the county army camp was already crowded with Han people from all over Liaodong.

Among them were soldiers from Liaodong County, soldiers from Xuanshao County, and some were elite soldiers selected from the garrisons of each camp.

But no matter where they came from, their eyes were filled with fighting spirit, as if burning with a raging fire.

At the same time, Wei Zhe on the high platform was also wearing black armor, looking extremely majestic.

Wei Zhe had a certain demeanor due to his many years of military experience. He stood on the stage without saying a word, but looked around at the soldiers below with an expressionless face, and soon the stage fell silent.

Wei Zhe nodded slightly upon seeing this, and then he said in a loud voice like a bell:

“The sage said:”

"Restore the kingly way, respect the king and repel the barbarians."

"Even a vengeance lasting a hundred generations can still be avenged!"

"Goguryeo, originally a clown of the Dongyi people, dared to repeatedly invade Liaodong and kill our Han people."

"My men, what do you think, should we avenge this?"

"Should the Goguryeo people be killed?"

Every time Wei Zhe finished a sentence, the messengers scattered around the parade ground would shout and repeat it.

As soon as Wei Zhe finished speaking, the soldiers in the training ground suddenly shouted excitedly:
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

After the three shouts, both the soldiers and the generals had red faces and murderous expressions.

With so much passion boiling, even the temperature above the training ground suddenly rose a little.

Seeing this, Wei Zhe nodded in satisfaction and immediately waved his hand and said:

"Destroy the country and capture the king, today!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the armies set out one after another.

However, at this moment, the entire army was filled with high spirits, and military morale had reached its peak.

After seeing this scene, the Liaodong county officials and many Liaodong tyrants who came to see him off felt relieved.

With such a strong army and such a famous general, Goguryeo will not be able to escape this disaster!

When they thought of this, the many Liaodong heroes who came to watch the ceremony couldn't help but feel inexplicably emotional.

After so many years, the Han people are finally going to become the sole overlord of Liaodong!

You have to know that even the powerful are different. Except for a small number of guys who betray their ancestors, most of the remaining powerful people also hope that the Han people can become more and more powerful in Liaodong.

Because only when the Han people become stronger can these people gain greater benefits.

They still understand the principle that if the skin is gone, the hair will have no place to stay.

From a certain perspective, this oath-taking ceremony was also held for them to see.

Wei Zhe didn't want some idiot to cause trouble right after he left.

Therefore, Wei Zhe not only boosted the morale of the army, but also the morale of the Han people in Liaodong!
As for the reason for sending troops, it is secondary. After all, Goguryeo had just launched a three-pronged attack on Han last year.

It is natural that Wei Zhe would reciprocate and launch a counterattack against Goguryeo this year.

This reason would make sense even in the Luoyang court.

……

"Zini, I leave Liaodong to you!"

Wei Zhe didn't say much nonsense when he was leaving. He had already said everything he needed to say in the past few days.

Therefore, in front of everyone, Wei Zhe just gave Guo Yuan a special reminder.

As soon as these words were spoken, many people looked at Guo Yuan with a little more awe.

Even though Guo Yuan's official position was only the housekeeper of the Buyehou Mansion, no one dared to underestimate Wei Zhe's words.

With Wei Zhe's authorization, Guo Yuan can even be said to be the most powerful official in Liaodong.

Even if the prefects Xuanchu and Lelang came, they might not have as much influence as Guo Yuan.

Guo Yuan naturally knew the heavy weight of this!

However, he did not show any arrogance and remained as calm as ever.

"Take care, my lord. Be careful in everything you do!"

Seeing this, Wei Zhe said nothing more. He immediately jumped on his horse, whipped it, and galloped away.

Although Liaodong sent 20,000 troops this time, they were divided into two groups.

The left wing army led by Wei Zhe was the main force, with soldiers from Xuantu and Liaodong counties, one thousand Xianbei servants and Hu cavalry, plus five thousand selected elite garrison troops, totaling about fourteen thousand infantry and cavalry.

According to Wei Zhe's pre-war plan, he would advance northward along the Daliang River.

The Daliang River outside Xiangping City once again became a sharp weapon for Wei Zhe to attack Goguryeo.

As for the right-wing army, it was led by Taishi Ci and set out from Xi'anping County.

In addition to the 1,000 troops from the Fuli Camp of Liaodong, his vassal state, he also had 1,000 Wuhuan vassal Hu cavalry and 4,000 Lelang County soldiers, a total of 6,000 infantry and cavalry.

As for Taishi Ci's right-wing army, they will go north along the Mazi River (Yalu River) and attack the domestic city directly.

One positive and one odd, one main and one auxiliary.

The left and right sides echo each other, which is in line with the art of war.

It can be said that now is the best time for the Han people in Liaodong to counterattack Goguryeo.

Strategically, Wei Zhe had ample room to maneuver and could do whatever he wanted with Goguryeo.

If they had missed this opportunity and lost Liaodong County, the Han people's base, then the later Central Plains dynasties would have had to fight their way over step by step, but the difficulty would have been different.

Not only is the journey thousands of miles long, but the logistical pressure is also incomparable.

To understand the difference between transporting grain for a thousand miles and transporting grain for a hundred miles, just look at the emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties in later generations to see how miserable they were!

But Taishi Ci didn’t know this at the moment, he just felt it was very satisfying!
"Brother is really kind!"

Along the banks of the Mazi River, watching the Wei fleet plying the water, Taishi Ci couldn't help but smile and say to Wei Muhua beside him, "I thought we'd have to rely on the enemy for food this time, but I didn't expect we could actually win a good fight!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Muhua only smiled and said nothing. After passing a river valley, he said with a slightly focused look, "Ahead is the mountain city belonging to the Guannu tribe, Boyu City!"

Taishi Ci's eyes narrowed when he heard this: "The Guannu tribe? Are they the five tribes of Goguryeo?"

"Yes, this tribe is one of the foundations of Goguryeo."

When Taishi Ci heard Wei Muhua say this, he laughed immediately.

Then, without saying a word, he led his troops forward with a bright smile.

In just one hour, he successfully captured Boyunu City, which made Taishi Ci a little disappointed.

You know, before he could even move his hands and feet, the city of Boyu fell.

Of course, despite his disappointment, he did not let any of the prisoners in the city go.

If he encountered Goguryeo rebels who came to offer their services along the way, Taishi Ci would accept them all.

Taishi Ci's army marched towards Guonei City in such a mighty manner, causing the city to be shocked three times a day.

……

At the same time, Wei Zhe of the left-wing army had just finished cleaning up the battlefield.

I don’t know whether Gao Nan is not strong enough in fighting or he looks down on Wei Zhe.

It was obvious that his left-wing army was the main force, but Gao Nanwu only sent 5,000 miscellaneous Hu people to garrison here.

As expected, Wei Zhe defeated the enemy in one battle at Liangshuikou and took over the city gate.

However, after Wei Zhe entered the city and took a tour, he felt something was wrong.

This place...why does it look more and more like it was built by Han people?
"Indeed!" Xi Zhicai sighed softly upon hearing this. "Your Excellency has a keen eye. I've just inquired about this, and it turns out this is the Goguryeo City, the seat of Xuanchu Commandery during the Western Han Dynasty."

"After Goguryeo County was abandoned, the Goguryeo people took the opportunity to occupy this place and renamed it Xincheng!"

At this point, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but sigh with regret: "After two hundred years, this city has finally returned to the hands of the Han people!"

Hearing him say this, Wei Zhe's mood suddenly became a little complicated: "...Yes, two hundred years!"

Wei Zhe didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

After all, although this city had been occupied for two hundred years, it was finally recaptured by him.

If it weren't for him, this city would have been lost to the barbarians for five hundred years, with no trace of the Han people left!

Now think about it, the number of Han people who died in Liaodong was more than the millions at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

The countless wronged souls of Han people in Xuanqu County of the Western Han Dynasty must have cried their tears dry by now!

Poor riverside bones,

Still the man in my springtime dreams! Alas~~~
Thinking of this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but shake his head and said, "Let's build a tomb for them and burn some Han Dynasty clothes for them!"

Xi Zhicai didn't object when he heard this, and immediately asked, "What's the inscription on the stele?"

Wei Zhe: ...

After a moment's silence, Wei Zhe slowly said, "Without the Hu people, the Han Dynasty will flourish!"

As soon as these words came out, Xi Zhicai couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, and couldn't help but praise:
"Ming Gong is a great talent!"

"These six words are enough to comfort the souls of our ancestors!"

After saying that, Xi Zhicai hurried down to make arrangements.

……

After the left-wing army left the former Han Goguryeo city, Wei Zhe no longer saw many Han relics.

The differences between Hu customs and Han customs are so obvious in the face of time.

No matter how glorious the cultural heritage and achievements of civilization are, when the sword is swung down, everything is insignificant.

If the descendants are unable to protect, then all the efforts of the ancestors will be in vain, and even all traces will be erased, as if they have never been in this world and are completely "dead"!
The destruction of a country and the extinction of a race is nothing more than this!
As the left-wing army advanced deeper into Goguryeo, they encountered more and more Goguryeo settlements.

However, unless they took the initiative to attack, Wei Zhe usually didn't bother to pay attention to these Goguryeo people.

There's no way around it, because they just like running around in the valley like rabbits. The energy he spends on capturing a mountain city is not enough to make back his investment.

In addition, there are many Goguryeo settlements in remote mountainous areas. If Wei Zhe really wants to capture them one by one, he may not be able to reach the domestic city next year.

Therefore, Wei Zhe could only kill the chicken to scare the monkey and appease the others at the same time.

Only when he encountered a critical position would he wipe out the enemy completely and leave troops to garrison.

In this way, Wei Zhe led his army to the Feiliu River Basin by walking and pushing forward.

This water is actually not very large. Although it is upstream of the Daliang River, there is no intersection between them.

In fact, the boiling water is mainly formed by the confluence of the Yalu River and the Hunjiang River.

It is named so because its water flows rapidly, like boiling water.

As early as the Western Han Dynasty, there were many settlements because the Feiliu River was winding and the surrounding water and grass were lush.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the local Dongyi tribe here even established a Feiliu Kingdom.

However, Jumong, the founding ancestor of Goguryeo, also chose to settle here after fleeing from Buyeo. Therefore, after a series of conquests in the east and the west, he not only destroyed the Biryu Kingdom, but also annexed the Xuanchu County.

The Heshenggu City that now stands by the Boiling River was the royal city of Goguryeo in the early years!
But regardless of what happened to the old capital of Goguryeo, the new royal city was already in turmoil at this moment!
……

Domestic city, royal palace.

Sitting on the throne, Gao Nanwu now has all the arrogance he had countless years ago.

He was clearly in his prime, but his hair was already gray and his face had a bluish tint.

Especially when the news came that the two Han armies had invaded Goguryeo, an unhealthy blush appeared on his face.

"You're right. Weren't you very talkative in the past? Why aren't you talking now?"

In the main hall, the Goguryeo dignitaries were completely silent. All they could hear was Gao Nanwu's sarcastic sarcasm: "Now that the Han people are here, do you think you can still live a life of luxury as before? Dream on!"

God knows how desperate Gao Nanwu has been this past year.

He knew that Wei Zhe would definitely retaliate, and he had been preparing for Wei Zhe's counterattack.

But the harder he tried, the more those fat-headed guys below held him back.

Even though Goguryeo was in danger, they were still thinking about their own interests.

They have no idea what it means to tolerate each other for the sake of the country, and they have no idea what it means to consider the overall situation!

As time went by, he couldn't even prepare for war, let alone recover his strength.

Gao Nanwu is like a lone wolf trapped in a swamp. He knows that his life is on the countdown, but he can only watch the swamp drowning him little by little.

This feeling of suffocation is almost driving Gao Nanwu crazy!
However, Gao Nanwu was going crazy, but Zuo Fu Yu Su was not.

Seeing the palace once again in a stalemate, Yu Su finally couldn't help but sigh and said, "Your Majesty, let's go hunting in the east!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many people in the hall couldn't help but brighten their eyes.

Yes, if you can’t win, just run away. Why bother to confront the Han people head-on?

Before Yu Su finished speaking, a chorus of agreement was heard from the hall, which had been silent just a moment ago.

However, there was no joy in Gao Nanwu's eyes, only endless fatigue.

"Now that the Woju land has been lost, there's no room for hunting in the east!"

It’s not that Gao Nanwu didn’t think about suppressing the rebellion in Dongwoju, but he just didn’t play Xi Zhicai in the end.

Do you really think he never thought about escaping? His escape route is already blocked!
When he said this, all the ministers in the hall were speechless.

After a while, someone suggested that everyone just flee to North Wokou.

After all, no matter how barbaric and cruel the barbarians in the forest are, they are easier to deal with than the Han army.

Some people also suggested that Gao Nanwu should directly defect to the Buyeo Kingdom.

You have to know that Goguryeo originated from the Buyeo Kingdom, so it is not an exaggeration to say that the royal families of both sides are connected by blood.

For example, Yu Su is more inclined to this idea.

However, Gao Nanwu said nothing, because it was the same to him no matter which one it was.

Gao Nanwu didn't dare to trust the Buyeo people. If Wei Zhe forced them, Buyeo would probably hand him over as an apology immediately.

The only difference between the two is that one died in battle, while the other died in a miserable state like a stray dog.

Rather than this, he might as well die with dignity.

At least his head and the inner city were enough to satisfy the appetite of the Han army in Liaodong.

Of course, if he could avoid death, he naturally wouldn't want to die.

So under the strong pressure of the Han army, Gao Nanwu finally managed to temporarily bridge the domestic differences.

While Wei Zhe was still at the foot of Heshenggu City and Taishi Ci was on the way, Gao Nanwu could be said to have recruited all the people on the ground as soldiers, regardless of age or strength, and gathered more than 30,000 people to defend the inner city.

They were definitely not going to win a battle in the field, but defending the city wasn’t necessarily the case.

However, Yu Su was not very optimistic about his plan.

"Your Majesty, such a motley crowd... I'm afraid they are no match for the Han army!"

The next day, Yu Su expressed his worry in the hall without concealing it.

However, Gao Nanwu was not disappointed. Instead, he said with a determined look, "I know we are no match for them, but we may still have a chance of winning!"

He looked up outside the hall, gazing towards the direction of the Han army, and said quietly:

"Time! As long as we can delay long enough, Goguryeo will have a chance of survival!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Yu Su's eyes lit up and he understood everything immediately.

Yes, as long as they hold on long enough, the right time and place will be on their side.

The winter in Goguryeo would increase the casualties of the Han people, and their logistical pressure would become increasingly greater.

Once the Han army can no longer hold on, they will have survived this disaster!
Thinking of this, Yu Su couldn't help but look at Gao Nanwu on the throne with admiration.

He didn't expect that at such a critical moment his king could still come up with a way to survive.

Although he was like a gambler at this moment, his bet was on the fate of Goguryeo.

But some hope is better than no hope at all.

After much deliberation, Yu Su finally decided to take the gamble...

(End of this chapter)