webnovelvip Chapter 117 Li Shimin: Without my fourth brother, no one could have entered Liaodong City.
Chapter 117 Li Shimin: Without my fourth brother, no one could have entered Liaodong City.
"Absolutely true!"
The scout replied confidently.
The members of the aristocratic family gasped in shock, their joy instantly replaced by astonishment.
They amassed tens of thousands of troops and launched a fierce attack that lasted for months, but they couldn't even reach the walls of Liaodong City.
With only eighteen men, Lü Xiao stormed the heart of Goguryeo and captured its stronghold.
The crowd was filled with mixed emotions, both amazed by Lü Xiao's bravery.
She secretly envied Yang Guang's good fortune in being able to take such an extraordinary person as his son-in-law.
If they had been able to win over Lü Xiao first, they could have changed the world!
"Where is my son? Is he among these eighteen people?"
Yuwen Huaji was the most anxious and rushed forward to grab the scout and question him.
He knew that if he followed Lü Xiao, even a dog could achieve great things.
Eighteen people entered Pyongyang; such a great achievement! I wonder if the Yuwen family had a share.
"The Marquis is among them."
"Hahaha, Chengdu, did you hear that? Your brother's in there too!"
Yuwen Huaji turned around and said with a loud laugh.
"Um."
Yuwen Chengdu nodded, his eyes filled with longing.
Eighteen people entered Pyongyang—what a thrill!
He longed to follow Lü Xiao, but protecting His Majesty was of greater importance.
"Gao Yuan's gone! Hahaha!"
Yang Guang suddenly pointed to the city tower in Liaodong, his tone mocking.
Just moments ago, Gao Yuan was still swaggering and shouting on the city wall, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
It seems that upon hearing the devastating news of Pyongyang's fall, he was thrown into utter chaos and lost all interest in engaging in verbal sparring.
With a fire breaking out behind him, he was too preoccupied with his own survival to have any time to boast.
"Issue the order: halt the troops! We'll fight again another day!"
Although Yang Guang was eager to capture the city immediately, he also knew that one must take things one step at a time.
The one in a hurry now is Gao Yuan. There's no need for him to rush things. It's better to stabilize the situation first and wait for Gao Yuan's internal situation to collapse.
At this moment, inside Liaodong City, Gao Yuan sat upright in the council hall, his face ashen, and an aura of despair emanating from him.
From feeling confident of victory to receiving the devastating news of the capital's fall, such dramatic ups and downs almost broke him.
"Your Majesty, do not be discouraged," Eulji Mundeok stepped forward and earnestly comforted him.
"Liaodong's defenses are strong and its food supplies are plentiful. In a few more days, Liaodong will be freezing cold, and the Sui soldiers, who are afraid of the cold, will certainly find it difficult to adapt."
"If we simply hold our ground and wait for winter to come, we can win without a fight."
There was still half a sentence left unsaid in his heart.
King Gojon had no children. Although Pyongyang was lost, if he could hold Liaodong, he could still preserve the foundation of Goguryeo.
The most important thing right now is to stabilize the morale of the army and the people, and use the weather to defeat the Sui army.
"That's the only way." Gao Yuan sighed heavily, a resolute glint in his eyes.
The Goguryeo people had lived in this area for generations and were already accustomed to the harsh cold of Liaodong.
The Sui army had come from afar, with long supply lines, making it impossible for them to be outlasted for long.
This may be their only chance of survival.
Compared to Gao Yuan's dejected state, Yang Guang was now in high spirits.
He walked briskly and energetically, his previous sickness and fatigue completely gone, replaced by a surge of vitality.
He couldn't wait to don his armor and personally lead his troops in a fierce attack on Liaodong City.
"Yuwen Huaji, something seems amiss with me."
Yang Guang suddenly stopped and frowned slightly.
"This feeling of boundless energy is something I've only experienced before, when I ventured deep into the northern desert with Zi Lie. Could it be... that Zi Lie is coming back?"
He himself found it hard to believe when he said that.
Although Lü Xiao was also within the territory of Goguryeo, Pyongyang and Liaodong were hundreds of miles apart, and even traveling day and night, it would take several days to arrive.
Moreover, both places are heavily guarded by checkpoints, so it's not an easy journey.
"I feel the same way!" Yuwen Huaji clenched his fist, feeling an inexhaustible strength within him.
"It must be that His Majesty was deeply moved upon hearing of the Prince of Shuo's heroic deeds, which greatly boosted his spirits."
"Well said!" Yang Guang laughed loudly.
"Starting today, attack Liaodong City! I will personally oversee the central army! Issue the order: a swift and decisive victory, giving Gao Yuan no chance to regroup!"
He always remembered his original intention: if the war dragged on into the dead of winter, the situation could be reversed, and Liaodong City had to be captured before the cold arrived.
Inside Liaodong City, Gao Yuan ordered the construction of a high platform to stabilize the morale of his troops.
He personally ascended the platform, clad in armor, his face solemn as he gazed upon the soldiers and civilians gathered below, his voice carried on the wind in all directions:
"Gentlemen! Pyongyang has fallen, and hundreds of thousands of Sui troops are eyeing the city with predatory intent!"
"Today, Liaodong City is the last line of defense for Goguryeo. If the city falls, my people will face annihilation, and you and your families will become slaves, at the mercy of others!"
He paused, his tone growing increasingly firm, each word carrying immense weight:
"Today, I earnestly request that you all join me in our efforts to resist the Sui army!"
"I, Gao Yuan, hereby swear that I will live and die with Liaodong City. As long as the city stands, I will live; if the city falls, I will die!"
These words, though simple and straightforward, were thought-provoking and struck a chord with people.
No one wants to be a slave to a conquered nation, and no one wants their family to be destroyed.
Whether they were seasoned soldiers or ordinary people, everyone was now filled with the determination to fight to the death.
"I am willing to live and die with Your Majesty!"
Eulji Mundeok was the first to kneel on one knee and loudly echoed his sentiments.
"We are willing to fight to the death! We swear to defend Liaodong City to the last man!"
The soldiers below the stage raised their weapons and shouted loudly, their voices echoing through the sky.
The people in the city also responded enthusiastically, spontaneously picking up hoes and carrying poles to join the defense of the city, moving bricks and stones to reinforce the city's defenses.
Looking at the united scene below the stage, Gao Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He has done all he could; the rest is up to fate.
In the following days, Liaodong City faced an unprecedentedly fierce offensive from the Sui army.
Beneath the city walls, scions of powerful families led their clansmen in repeated assaults, with ladders forming a forest and arrows raining down like a tide. Countless soldiers were killed or wounded, and their corpses piled up like mountains.
On the city walls, the Goguryeo soldiers and civilians, united in their hatred of the enemy, unleashed a barrage of rolling stones, hot oil, and arrows.
Every section of the city wall was stained with blood, and the corpses of soldiers and civilians lay strewn across the fields, yet not a single person retreated.
Both sides paid a heavy price in this offensive and defensive battle, and the war became a fierce stalemate.
The members of the noble families gathered in the central command tent, their faces solemn and filled with helplessness.
No one could have imagined that the Goguryeo soldiers and civilians, facing such dire circumstances, would be able to display such incredible resilience.
In this campaign to the east, they suffered heavy losses, losing more than half of their elite troops, yet they still failed to set foot in Liaodong City.
Li Shimin remained silent. In this situation, what he lacked to break the deadlock was a truly valiant general.
The only one capable of being the first to scale the walls was his fourth brother, Li Yuanba.
However, how could he allow Liaodong City to fall?
This expedition to the east was destined to fail, and Yang Guang returned in defeat.
Given Yang Guang's personality, he would certainly launch a third eastern expedition after this defeat.
People from powerful families would not accompany Yang Guang on another trip.
Yang Guang could only conscript soldiers from various regions and send the common people on an eastern expedition.
When the people are in a state of high spirits, that will be the worst time for uprisings to break out in various places.