Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 502 If it weren't for limited financial resources

The shipping route from Gwangju to Baesa City has been established for many years, the waterway conditions are mature, and trade between the two sides continues uninterrupted.

Just as the Battle of Gaimou and Zhucheng officially began, Murong Shaozong led 10,000 naval troops and hundreds of ships across the Bohai Sea.

Although they already knew that Murong Shaozong was building warships and training a navy in Guang Prefecture, and that Murong Shaozong could attack at any time, the Goguryeo people did not immediately send reinforcements to Bisha City.

The reason for this lies in the unique defensive advantages of Bisha City.

Nestled between mountains and the sea, it controls the sea route.

The city of Beisha had only a few thousand inhabitants, but it was built on the Dahei Mountain, which was hundreds of feet high. To the north was the Liaodong Peninsula, and at that time, the land on the east, west, and south sides had not yet silted up; it was all sea.

In other words, this is a city built on a high mountain surrounded by the sea on three sides, and there are mountain springs in the city, so there is no shortage of water.

Because of its elevated location, ships coming and going at sea can be clearly seen from the city.

The Goguryeo people built their city here, which allowed them to firmly control the southern seas.

In fact, the people in the city had already seen Murong Shaozong sailing at sea with his naval warships and immediately sent out a request for help, and made preparations for defense.

Murong Shaozong also knew that the other party knew about his arrival, but he didn't take it to heart and instead anchored at the port east of the city.

By the time the warships docked and the army landed, it was already dark.

However, Murong Shaozong did not rest at this time. Instead, he urgently summoned his generals to hold a meeting.

They don't have much time left.

Jian'an City, north of Beisha City, was currently tied down by Gao Huan's forces, but Wugu City in the northeast could send reinforcements at any time.

Reinforcements will arrive in three to five days, or at most ten days.

Murong Shaozong looked at the map and knew very well that if he could not capture Beisha City as soon as possible, he would have no choice but to retreat.

And Gao Huan's restraint in Jian'an City became meaningless.

Thus, the strategic operation in the south would fail, making it impossible to achieve the strategic goal of ultimately encircling Liaodong City.

However, normal siege methods cannot be effective in a short time in order to capture Beisha City.

This is also why the Goguryeo people were so fearless.

However, Murong Shaozong did not come empty-handed.

In fact, when Li Shuang put him in charge of Guang Prefecture, Murong Shaozong already understood Li Shuang's purpose.

Over the years, Murong Shaozong had been scouting the situation of the Goguryeo people across the coast, knowing both himself and his enemy, and making preparations for war.

Li Shuang also provided Murong Shaozong with ample manpower and supplies.

"This city is strategically important, and a direct assault would be ineffective. The only way to achieve this is to catch the enemy off guard and launch a surprise attack."

Before Murong Shaozong arrived, he had already planned how to fight!
A normal siege is definitely not going to work, so the only option is to steal the city.

As he spoke, Murong Shaozong produced a city defense map and said:

"I have already thoroughly investigated the Goguryeo city's defenses. There is a small path in the southwest of this city that can be climbed."

No sooner had Murong Shaozong finished speaking than one of his men said:

"The water soldiers from the Jianghuai region are unlikely to be able to shoulder this responsibility."

Half of Murong Shaozong's subordinates were military officers from Guanzhong, a small number were locals from Guang Prefecture, and the rest were generals from the Jianghuai region.

They excel in mounted combat, infantry combat, and naval warfare, and are capable of traversing mountains and dangerous terrain, but not everyone can handle these tasks.

Murong Shaozong nodded. He knew his subordinates' concerns were valid, but he had already prepared a response.

"The King has selected five hundred strong and brave men from the land of Ba and Shu, who can climb mountains and carry heavy loads as easily as flat ground. They are currently in the army."

Everyone was shocked. Murong Shaozong had done an excellent job of keeping it a secret, only revealing it now.

"If that's the case, when should we attack?"

Murong Shaozong understood very well what the key to this war was.
The key lies in the physical strength of these five hundred warriors! Climbing mountains and braving dangers to raid cities, they not only had to go up themselves, but also had to carry armor and weapons.

After climbing the mountain, they still had to enter the city to fight.

This is physically demanding!

Therefore, in addition to taking care of the daily lives of these 500 warriors and their physical and mental health, Murong Shaozong also prepared ample supplies for them.

Donkey-hide gelatin, beef jerky, rice wine...

These are all essential military supplies for quickly restoring physical strength. Of course, if it weren't for limited resources, Murong Shaozong would have prepared a few wild ginseng roots for each person.

"Tonight!"

……

Jian'an City.

Under the starry sky, Gao Huan gazed at Jian'an City in the distance and murmured:
"As agreed, Murong Shaozong should have led his navy to Beisha City five days ago."

Jian'an City was a major city of Goguryeo in southern Liaodong. Located on a major transportation route, connecting Beisha City, Yingzhou, and Yuguan, it was a prosperous commercial center with a market within its walls.

This city is also a mountain city, with the outer city walls built along the mountain ridges on both sides. There is also a city within a city on a small hill in the city, and residential houses are nestled in the mountain valleys.

The Goguryeo people had a natural talent for building mountain fortresses, and each one was a masterpiece.

This city is no exception.

Jian'an City has large reservoirs and military camps inside, so it is not afraid of being besieged. Even if the outer city walls are breached, it can still rely on the inner city on the small hill to defend itself.

The southwestern coastal area of ​​the city is all mudflats, where ships from the Central Plains cannot anchor, so there is no need to worry about being attacked from this direction.

The northwest direction of the city connects to the coastal road, but this road is closed for most of the year, so there is no need to worry too much.

To the southeast of the city lies a plain, with fertile land sufficient to support tens of thousands of people.

These conditions established Jian'an City's unshakeable position within Goguryeo.

However, at this time, Jian'an City was under siege by Gao Huan, and the city gates were tightly closed, with no one daring to go out to fight.

There are battles in Liaodong and the north and south, and reinforcements are needed everywhere, but there are no reinforcements anywhere.

Seeing the chaotic situation, the people in Liaodong City were at a loss as to how to deal with it, so they simply closed the gates and did not guard them.

After all, Jian'an and Gaimou were mountain cities that could be defended by relying on the terrain, while Liaodong City was a large city built on flat land. It was so large that it could not be defended without sufficient troops.

The war was progressing more smoothly than Gao Huan had imagined, but he understood that whether or not Jian'an City could be captured ultimately depended on the results of Murong Shaozong's campaign.

"My lord, is Murong Shaozong capable of this?"

The people lacked confidence in Murong Shaozong. The reason was simple: Murong Shaozong's most glorious period was when he served under Erzhu Rong, who considered him a confidant.

But after that, he remained unknown.

For so many years, Li Shuang had been assigning him to clean up the mess left by the refugees in Qingzhou.

While the others lacked confidence, Gao Huan wore a smile on his face.

"Among Murong Shaozong's military talent, there are only a few people under the Prince of Qin who can compare with him."

Several people?

Gao Huan didn't mention specific numbers, but the evaluation was quite high.

Just then, a report came, seemingly confirming Gao Huan's words.

"Murong Shaozong captured Beisha City in one day, and by then the reinforcements were less than thirty li away from Jian'an City."

……

(End of this chapter)