Chapter Seventy-Three: Undercurrents

“Shameless! Have you no sense of decency? Are the Tang people nothing but cowardly rats and mongrels?”
“Treacherous, cunning Tang—if I catch you, I’ll torment you to death…”
…
Three consecutive volleys not only shattered the Goguryeo formation into chaos, but also killed nearly five hundred men outright. Furious roars echoed throughout the enemy camp.
Liu Rengui stood at the gate with his cavalry, watching as the doors slowly closed, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
He knew that today’s battle was over; the enemy was no fool, and the same trick could only work once. The opposing commander would not have recklessly charged unless he was confident he could tangle with Liu Rengui’s forces within a few breaths. Yet they had underestimated Liu Rengui’s thick-skinned resolve.
But this was enough. With at least five hundred dead and hundreds more wounded while suffering almost no casualties themselves, Liu Rengui’s achievement was sufficient to make his name renowned throughout the land. Perhaps, he thought, the emperor would hear of it and see fit to promote him. This miserable outpost was no place for a man; it was suffocating.
As Liu Rengui had predicted, Gao Yanshou, after finally gathering his troops, retreated to a flat area three miles away. Upon counting his numbers, he was infuriated, but he did not charge ahead for vengeance. Instead, he ordered his men to set up camp and notified nearby Goguryeo infantry. This time, he intended to slaughter everyone at the pass.
His icy expression cast a pall over the Goguryeo army, making them seem lifeless and cold. Numbly, they pitched tents, lit bonfires, set pots to boil, and quietly awaited the arrival of reinforcements.
Half an hour later, darkness settled completely over the land. The open mountains and wilds took on a ghostly aura beneath the night’s shadow.
A few miles from the pass, along a narrow path, Li Kong moved forward with a grave expression, his spear trembling slightly in his grip.
Behind him, several thousand cavalry had drawn their sabers, hunched over their horses, ready for any ambush.
After traveling several more miles, they finally caught sight of the pass and its walls. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Kong, discarding his spear, leapt from his horse.
“Send a few men ahead—find out what’s happened!”
“Yes, sir!” Two cavalrymen responded, preparing to gallop off.
Just as they set out, Li Kong suddenly called, “Get off your horses—disguise yourselves. Don’t let the garrison know who you are.”
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Though puzzled, the two soldiers obeyed without hesitation. Li Kong was an officer personally appointed by Li Shimin; these loyal Tang troops would not question his orders.
Once the two had departed, Li Kong ordered everyone to dismount and rest, to eat some dry rations and fill their stomachs.
Suddenly, a horse sneezed, the loud sound jarring in the silent wilderness, causing everyone to pause mid-action.
Li Kong frowned. “Cover the horses’ noses with cloth.”
His deputy, somewhat confused, approached and handed over a canteen. “General, isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“Better safe than sorry. If Goguryeo forces really are at the pass, do you think they’d retreat so easily? Everything seems quiet here, which means only one thing—time has favored us. But at dawn, there may be a great battle. Tonight, we have work to do. Tell the men to be ready to march at any moment—though I hope there’ll be no action tonight.”
The deputy could only accept Li Kong’s reasoning, gazing silently at the city walls ahead and shaking his head.
After two quarters of an hour, a figure rushed up to Li Kong and reported, “General, it’s true—Goguryeo cavalry attacked, but there were only a few thousand. After clashing with the garrison at dusk and losing several hundred men, they’ve camped three miles away, seemingly awaiting reinforcements.”
“Cavalry? Madmen! How could they be so bold?” The deputy was stunned. Cavalry rarely succeed in attacking cities—when it happens, it’s only because the attackers are overwhelmingly numerous.
A few thousand cavalry besieging a city? This Goguryeo commander is either a brute or insane; from the current situation, insanity seems more likely.
Li Kong’s brow furrowed as well. He stood up. “Is there a route nearby we can use to bypass them?”
“There is—not a road, but a hunter’s trail. It’s never been cleared, so it’s overgrown with thorns. We can pass on foot, but horses would have trouble.” A soldier stood and spoke loudly.
Everyone turned to look. The speaker was a burly man in his twenties, scratching his head with a sheepish smile. “I’m local. Only joined the army at Chang’an two years ago, so I know the area. Haven’t seen the trail in years, though, so who knows if it’s still there.”
“Go check!” Li Kong decided instantly, ordering the man to lead the way.
The path lay a kilometer north of the pass. To call it a hunter’s trail was generous; it was barely a fifty-centimeter-wide gully, thick with dead grass on both sides, deep enough to bury a grown man.
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“This is it. It leads straight around the pass and connects to a small village.”
“Lead the way—everyone stay alert, and be ready for battle at any moment!”
…
The moon hung dim in the sky, its pale light surrounded by countless stars. In the Goguryeo camp, Gao Yanshou lay on a wool blanket beside the fire, while a dozen soldiers busied themselves—pouring wine, preparing food, tending the flames.
Despite the seemingly relaxed atmosphere, Gao Yanshou’s expression grew heavier with every passing moment.
It’s unclear how much time passed, but he drained a jug of wine, his clear eyes turning hazy, his face flushed red from firelight and alcohol.
Meanwhile, inside the pass, Liu Rengui was in much better spirits than Gao Yanshou, though he remained somewhat tense. Before him knelt a soldier.
“You say someone is probing into today’s battle?”
“Yes, General, that’s correct!”
“You may go.” Liu Rengui waved his hand, leaning back on the couch and narrowing his eyes.
Moments later, he sprang up, grabbed his armor, and called out, “Deputy! Bring men and follow me to the walls!”
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