Once the order was issued, the 8,000 light cavalrymen accelerated in accordance with the schedule and galloped southwards at full speed.
Cao Zhao's 1,000 light cavalry, along with the 2,000 Wufan light cavalry, formed the left wing, while Liu Ye and Duan Zhao's troops, along with Zhen Xiang's troops and 3,000 Wufan light cavalry made up the right wing. They charged towards the city of Goguryeo from north to south with a resounding roar.
The closer they got to the city of Goguryeo, the more doubts Liu Ye had.
The climate in Liaodong is colder than in Henan, and crops can only be planted once a year. At this time, farmers should be working in the fields. However, there were no signs of people near the city, as if the people had simply disappeared.
With a head full of questions, the 8,000 light cavalry rode to the city gates of Goguryeo, which were tightly shut. As they had just circled the city, someone on the battlements shouted out loud:
"Who are you, horsemen from where? Why did you come to the city of Goguryeo?"
Liu Ye nodded to Duan Zhao, and Duan Zhao bellowed back in a voice as loud as a thunderclap:
"We are the army of the Great Wei, sent here to conquer the Guo family! If you have sense, open the city and surrender quickly, or else you will bring disaster upon the lives and happiness of the people!"
"Wait a moment!"
After a scholar-dressed man on the city wall replied, he was soon lowered down in a large basket from the battlements. After stepping out of the basket and straightening his robe, he walked towards Liu Ye with composure.
Liu Ye looked at Duan Zhao, and though the scene was somewhat strange, he still ordered his soldiers to release this person.
"Greetings, honored guests." The middle-aged scholarly man bowed forward: "I observe that your attire is that of a general in the court, and the camp is filled with flags of Great Wei. Therefore, you must be part of the imperial cavalry?"
Liu Ye did not respond. Duan Zhao sat on his horse, looking down at the man from a position of superiority: "We are the imperial cavalry. Who are you?"
The middle-aged scholar smiled and said, "From your accent, it seems you must be a part of the imperial army stationed in Henan."
Duan Zhao snorted and drew his blade, pointing it at the middle-aged scholar: "The Guo family aims to usurp power and establish a fief, while the court has sent troops to recapture Liaodong. There is no room for indecision or hesitation on your part as a local official in Liaodong!"
"Who are you?"
The middle-aged scholar smiled a few times, retreated back a step, and continued to ask: "Given that you come from the north, it seems there must be imperial troops on the south as well."
Duan Zhao's eyes turned cold, and he urged his horse forward with a gentle slap on its flanks, bringing the blade to the middle-aged scholar's neck.
"General, there's no need to draw a sword. We are both officials of the same court, why resort to such a measure?" The middle-aged scholar carefully pushed Duan Zhao's sword away a little and said cautiously, "General, weren't you hoping to persuade the people inside the city to open the gates and surrender? How can you not even answer my two questions?"
Liu Ye noticed the middle-aged scholar's feigned nonchalance and concealed nervousness. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke up: "Great Wei has dispatched troops from three directions, raising an army of 200,000 to conquer Sun Yan. We are merely at the forefront of the northern route."
"The main forces of the army have entered Liaodong through the Banyang Channel, and they should be at Liaotun by now!"
The middle-aged scholar still insisted: "General, what is your name?"
Liu Ye did not speak, and from the side of his saddle, he took out four seal belts and threw them one by one towards the middle-aged scholar.
How many seal belts are there?
The middle-aged scholar looked at the first seal belt, which shone with golden light, and did not dare to delay. He quickly ran forward two steps to catch it. After catching all four seal belts, he did not stop to look at them for a moment.
The first seal belt, which is extremely small in size, has a purple sash and a golden seal engraved with the characters 'Ping Ning Village Lord' in four characters.
The remaining two larger silver seals are respectively inscribed with the characters 'Imperial Commissioner of Youzhou' and 'Commander of Crossing Liaodong'.
The last private seal is engraved with the characters 'Liu Ziyang Seal'.
The middle-aged scholar carefully examined the seal belt's shape and compared it to the ones he remembered. The seal belt of a 'Township Lord' was correct in shape, while officials use 'Seal' and military personnel use 'Badge', which was also correct.
The middle-aged scholar, with both hands holding the seal belts, lifted them in front of Liu Ye's horse: "I am sorry for any disrespect I have shown in front of the gentleman. I hope you will forgive me."
As a 'Township Lord' with the additional titles of 'Imperial Commissioner' and 'Commander,' Liu Ye is the only minister in the Great Wei who currently holds all three types of seals. He truly deserves to be addressed as 'Gentleman.'
Liu Ye reached out to take the seal belts, carefully placed them in his red silk pouch and tied it up, then opened his mouth and asked, "Since you know my name, what do you want to say?"
The middle-aged scholar bowed respectfully: "I am Chen Ning, the Commander of Goguryeo. I wish to open the city gates and welcome the imperial troops!"
Liu Ye snorted lightly: "You are the Commander of Goguryeo? Where have the city's troops gone? Where is the Governor of Xuanyu? Can you open the city gates by yourself?"
Chen Ning was desperate, stomping his feet: "I am in the army of the Lord, and I would never deceive you. The city's army has all been drafted by Lord Guangyun!"
"Gone?" Liu Ye's expression stiffened, dismounting from his horse and walking up to Chen Ning, grabbing his shoulders and asking: "Sun Yan is the original ruler of Liaodong. Why do you directly call him by his name? Where has the army gone?"
Chen Ning winced from the grip and said repeatedly, "Seven days ago, the army in Xuanwu Commandery was led by Governor Qi Jin and has all gone to the eastern part of Goguryeo!"
"Goguryeo?"
Liu Ye looked at Duan Zhao and Zhen Xiang and others, realizing that Chen Ning was referring to the country of Goguryeo, not the city of Goguryeo.
Liu Ye did not let go: "Where is Sun Yan? Where has he gone?" Chen Ning's face showed resentment: "What is this talk of an old ruler of Liaodong? He's nothing more than a tyrant who has oppressed the people! The Great Wei army has come from the west, but he has gathered his troops and gone east to wage war against Goguryeo under the pretext of Goguryeo's disrespect!"
"Not only have the armies of Xuanwu and Xiangping been fully deployed to the east, but they have also conscripted all available grain from the people! Is this not a tyrant? These people are not my old lord!"
Liu Ye's expression immediately became serious: "Enter the city, enter it immediately! Commander Chen, if your words are true, then you have a great contribution!"
"Quickly order the gates to be opened!"
Chen Ning went to open the gates, and Liu Ye first dispatched 300 horsemen to enter the city to check and occupy the North Gate and main road before allowing large numbers of horsemen to enter the city.
After further questioning several people in the city, Liu Ye's heart thumped wildly. A rare opportunity for great achievement was right in front of him!
"Boming!"
"Underling is present!" Zhen Xiang bowed and answered.
"Commander Zhen Xiang, take your forces of 1,000 light cavalry and head southwest towards Lanyang and Liaotun immediately. You've heard what Commander Chen Ning said earlier. Report to the emperor everything you find out about the vacancy in Xiangping. Leave Liaotun alone for now and rush to capture Xiangping! I'll chase Sun Yan's tail to the east!"
"Yes!" Zhen Xiang gave a slight bow and immediately went out to find his detachment, preparing to set out and deliver the message.
Just as Zhen Xiang left, Liu Ye was standing in the hall with his hand on the hilt of his sword, standing up and facing everyone with a serious expression.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years, and the title of a Marquis and a wealth reward awaits us!"
"I propose that the entire army move south to Xiangping immediately, following Sun Yan eastward. Their foot soldiers and supplies are numerous, and they won't travel far. We must block Sun Yan west of Heishenggu City!"
All the generals in the hall, who were of the rank of 'Two Thousand Li' and 'One Thousand Li' Marshals, bowed their hands in unison and said, "We will follow your orders, Lord Commander!"
After speaking, Liu Ye looked at Chen Ning: "The enemy is only the Poo Sun family. You are still a loyal subject of Great Wei. I will send a hundred horsemen to inform King Yongjin of Goguryeo about the attack by Poo Sun. Will Commander Chen be willing to join our army?"
Chen Ning knew that he could not refuse such an offer; refusal would mean death. He immediately agreed: "I will comply with your command!"
...
Since there were no more troops in Xuanwu Commandery, Liu Ye did not leave a single soldier in the city of Goguryeo.
Liu Ye sent Zhen Xiang's thousand light cavalry to find the main army, taking the remaining seven thousand light cavalry with him to Xiangping in the south, intending to pursue Sun Yan and prevent him from capturing Heishenggu City in Goguryeo.
At the Great Wei's large camp on the west of the Liao River, each outpost was preparing for battle. Food supplies were increased with meat and alcohol, and training was suspended earlier to allow for rest.
The Great Wei's large camp before the battle was exceptionally quiet at night.
The next morning, just as daylight began to break, Xiahou Xian, Tian Yu, and Xianyu Fu led their 5,000 soldiers respectively and formed their ranks in the faint light of the east.
On the western bank of the Liao River, there were sixty stone-throwing machines, which had been transformed by Ma Jun and could fire stones in succession. On the eastern side of the river, a floating bridge was being laid down towards the center of the river.
Fifteen thousand foot soldiers were in front, followed by another fifteen thousand cavalry of the central army, all waiting for the emperor's military orders.
And thirty-five li to the north of the place, away from here and deep into Liaozuo, the six thousand light cavalry of Xianbei Bubu Root, Huns Liu Bao's forces, and others had already begun to cross the river as daylight broke.
On the east side of Liaotun, approximately fifty li to the south of Liaotun, the forces of Cao Shuang and Duan Mo, as well as Ke Bい's five thousand subordinates, a total of seven thousand light cavalry, were speeding up in the faint morning light, racing towards the city of Liaotun.
As the sun's rays fully emerged on the distant horizon, the large black standard of the central army, standing guard in the gate of the camp, pointed resolutely to the east.
Fifteen thousand Wei troops with copper coins in their mouths, under the command of their generals and camp officers, began to race across the floating bridge.
Without the sound of bugles or drums, only the creaking of the floating bridge's ropes heralded the coming of dawn. The bridge dipped and rose, water waves crashing against the planks with a sound like the rhythm of iron and blood.
Despite the Bridge being twisted like an archer's bow by the current of the Liao River, it still tenaciously connected the two banks of the river.
In June, Liaodong was already getting hot. It goes without saying that the early morning was the best time to launch an attack. Even though the early morning climate was most suitable, the soldiers in full armor could not stop their forehead from breaking out in sweat
The Wei army had already set off, and the vanguard had just reached the middle of the river. From the lookout tower on Liaotun city in the east, they noticed that the Wei army was acting abnormally today, and eerie bugle calls could be heard from several miles away.
Old General Gong Sun Yan, who was still having breakfast in the city's governance office, slapped his wooden chopsticks onto the table in an instant, quickly stood up and ran outside. As he walked, he shouted loudly: "What happened? Are the Wei troops attacking?"
A nearby bodyguard bowed and said, "Report to General, the sound of the bugles is long and continuous; it must be that the Wei army has launched a general offensive."
"Send for armor, General! Quickly go and inform the subordinate general to lead the cavalry out of the city and counterattack. We must definitely stop the Wei army from breaking through the encirclement!" shouted Gong Sun Yan.
"Yes!"
Gong Sun Yan quickly put on his armor, mounted his horse, and ran towards the west city wall. As he struggled to climb the steps, he discovered Bi Yan running towards him.
Gong Sun Yan paused slightly, his eyes filled with anger as he turned and asked sharply, "Why aren't you outside commanding the battle right now? What's your purpose here?" (This chapter ends)
