Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 497 He was wrong

"Sao Ohno is here! Sao Ohno is really here!"

Inside the Pyongyang Royal Palace, Gao Baoyan appeared unusually agitated, muttering to himself as he walked down the corridor.

Scouts from the front lines reported that King Li Shuang of Qin had dispatched 10,000 cavalry from five tribes of Hu and Tiele, led by Hebasheng, the Chancellor of Rouran and the Great Protector of the Shanyu, to attack northern Goguryeo.

He also conscripted more than 10,000 soldiers from the Jianghuai region, who crossed the sea from Guangzhou to attack Beisha City.

Li Shuang led 3,000 elite troops from Chang'an and Luoyang, and mobilized 40,000 soldiers from Hebei and Henan prefectures, launching a combined land and water campaign to personally lead an expedition against Liaodong.

For a time, Goguryeo was in a state of panic.

Although there was infighting within Goguryeo, at this time, no one could say that Liaodong was unimportant, otherwise they would still have given these words.

As king, Gao Baoyan offered enough benefits to get his ministers to agree on the decision to rescue Liaodong.

Liaodong was the most important agricultural region within Goguryeo, besides the royal domain, and it was impossible for them to give it up.

Besides, if Liaodong is our homeland, then aren't the four commanderies of the Han Dynasty also our homeland?
If Li Shuang really takes over Liaodong and his army reaches the Yalu River, will the former Han dynasty commanderies of Xuantu and Lelang become the next piece of his homeland?
Even if Liaodong is left behind as a buffer zone, it would still be profitable for the others.

However, although all the ministers of Goguryeo agreed, the amount of effort they put in varied.

Those who are closer contribute more, while those who are farther away not only contribute less but also move very slowly.

This is also one of the reasons why Gao Baoyan is anxious.

In some ways, Gao Baoyan faced the same problem as Kualü of Tuyuhun.

The Goguryeo army was an appendage of the Goguryeo throne. Go Bo-yeon could issue orders because he was the king, not because he was Go Bo-yeon. Moreover, Go Bo-yeon could only control the royal army.

Within Goguryeo, the other vassal states and city lords each had their own territory and army.

The so-called vassal of a vassal is not my vassal!

It's impossible for Gao Baoyan's royal decree to command all the local armies with differing interests within the country to obey.

Otherwise, the position of Dae Dui-ro, which was as important as the prime minister within Goguryeo, would not have been filled by the victors of the various tribes fighting each other.

The opposite side is different.

After the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons and the Rebellion of the Erzhu Clan, the entire order of the Northern Dynasties was reshaped by Li Shuang.

The local militia in Hebei and Henan, the army composed of refugees in the Jianghuai region, and even the nomadic cavalry on the grasslands all obeyed his orders.

This ability to obey orders without question is not something Gao Baoyan possesses.

It was precisely because Gao Baoyan was not a foolish ruler who knew nothing, but rather quite shrewd, that he understood the difference between himself and his enemy.

At this time, Goguryeo could not find many examples in history of major victories against the Central Plains army.

The past battles were all quite tragic. The only one worth praising was the capture of Liaodong a hundred years ago, when King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo repeatedly defeated the army of Later Yan.

But the Later Yan state was already on the verge of collapse at that time. What would defeating it prove?
The generals and soldiers of Goguryeo were not particularly encouraged by this.

Gao Baoyan's anxiety was noticed by his first wife, who asked softly:
"Your Majesty, why is this so?"

"Ōno Sō has set out with an army of 100,000, intending to seize the land of Liaodong."

Before the First Madam could say anything after hearing this, Gao Baoyan grasped her hand and said:

"At this time, only your father can be the pillar of our country and secure the northern border."

After hearing this, the First Madam looked into her husband's eyes, but did not immediately express her opinion as Gao Baoyan had expected, nor did she swear allegiance as he had seen with the other two wives.

“I am aware of what my father has done over the years, even though I am far away in Pyongyang. If there were no external threats, he would be a key minister of the king, perhaps for his entire life.”

Gao Baoyan looked puzzled and asked:
What do you mean?

"Based on my understanding of Father, if we win the Liaodong campaign, he will be Your Majesty's most loyal subject; otherwise, he will still be a subject under the Heavenly Khan, serving as Your Majesty's vanguard!"

"You're saying they're plotting a rebellion?"

Upon hearing the First Madam's words, Gao Baoyan instinctively spoke up, then realized his mistake. "I have heard of the name of the Heavenly Khan even in the deep palace. The heroes like Polihan Baling and Yujiulü Anagui are no match for him in the north; the Erzhu clan, though extremely powerful, boasting a million-strong army, was also defeated by him; Emperor Liang, a man of extraordinary talent, has now returned to Luoyang. In recent years, the northern barbarians have all submitted, the western barbarians have offered tribute, and the south has waived allegiance, leaving only the King."

The more Gao Baoyan listened, the more dissatisfied he became. No man wants to hear about another man from his wife.

"Are you asking me to surrender and obediently hand over Liaodong?"

"No, I was merely advising Your Majesty to prepare for defeat—"

"enough!"

Gao Baoyan interrupted her before she could finish listening.

“I never would have guessed you were this kind of person. The Koku-gun and Hoshi-gun clans, no matter how much they fight, know to work together to overcome this difficult time, yet you ask me to surrender.”

With that, Gao Baoyan couldn't listen any longer, waved his sleeves, and left.

The First Madam looked at her husband, her face displaying a mixture of emotions, a smile that seemed to hold a hint of worry.

She was pleased with her husband's ambition, but also worried that he might not be able to withstand the pressure if they were defeated.

……

"What does your older sister mean by writing this letter?"

The lord of Buyeo City received a letter from his daughter in Pyongyang and was very dissatisfied.

"What does 'If a daughter is loyal to her father, she will share his glory' mean? Does she mean I would betray King Anwon?"

Li Ayao, standing to the side, shook her head slightly and sighed:
"Sister doesn't understand Father at all. How could Father possibly surrender so easily?"

Upon hearing his daughter's words, Wu Shi first nodded, but then realized something was amiss and scolded her:

"What are you saying? I'm the kind of person who... how was it again?"

Just as Wu Shi was at a loss for words, Li Ayao reminded him from the side:

"Changing allegiance like the morning Qin and the evening Chu!"

"I don't need you to say it!"

Wu Shi was very dissatisfied. At this moment, an alarm sounded in the city.

"What is the matter?"

Wu Shi was confused about the situation for a while, but soon, the soldiers guarding the city brought the latest news.

"The beacon fires have been lit! Barbarian cavalry have invaded!"

Goguryeo's self-proclaimed title of "Little China" was not an exaggeration. For hundreds of years, Goguryeo not only absorbed the etiquette, systems, and agricultural techniques of the Central Plains, but also adopted similar military practices.

Under the warning of the beacon fires, the garrisons surrounding Fuyu City gathered the people and closed the city gates.

However, this Hu cavalry had no intention of looting, but instead went directly to the walls of Fuyu City.

A thousand cavalrymen arrayed themselves in a formidable formation, which astonished everyone present.

The city lord of Fuyu City looked at the cavalry outside the city, took a deep breath, and looked at his daughter.

"What does he mean by sending these people to force us to surrender?"

Seeing her father's angry expression, Li Ayao didn't know how to speak, but then she heard him say:

"Am I, Li Wushi, the kind of heartless person who doesn't know the kindness of the Heavenly Khan?!"

"..."

……

(End of this chapter)