Chapter Seventy-Nine: Galloping Across Liaodong

Shanhaiguan, East Gate.

Gao Huizhen watched the billowing smoke of battle, a cold smile flickering across his heart, but soon he lapsed into silence.

He was the son, and only heir, of the southern Nousa of Goguryeo. If he were to die here today, the southern Nousa would be finished. Now, Lu Yuan Taizuo held sway over ninety percent of Goguryeo’s political power, infiltrating even the military. The southern and northern Nousa had become the last military support for King Rongliu. Should they fall, great changes—perhaps even civil strife—would surely engulf Goguryeo.

Gao Huizhen’s thoughts reached further. Personally, he felt little loyalty toward King Rongliu, yet his devotion to Goguryeo was beyond question. If Lu Yuan Taizuo were to seize the entire realm, Goguryeo would inevitably slide from its current golden age into decline—a prospect he could not abide.

“Survive... I must survive!” Gao Huizhen’s gaze grew steely as he surveyed those around him. The clash of battle drew ever closer; more than half of those shielding him had fallen. Only a few hundred remained, desperately defending him.

Behind him, a handful of Tang cavalry had formed a thin circle. If he did not flee now, he would never return alive to Liaodong.

Driven by a powerful will to live, Gao Huizhen made the most humiliating decision of his life. He abandoned all his soldiers, taking only ten trusted guards and turned his horse east, galloping away at full speed.

Li Kong had watched Gao Huizhen closely. Now, seeing him attempt escape, he knew the Tang cavalry could not hope to stop him.

He shouted, “Gao Huizhen, who would have expected the illustrious son of the southern Nousa to forsake his men like this? Do you not fear bringing ruin upon your entire tribe?”

Only the relentless sounds of battle and the thunder of Gao Huizhen’s hooves answered Li Kong.

As Li Kong suspected, Gao Huizhen escaped. By the end, only two guards remained at his side, but he fled nonetheless.

Li Kong was furious, slashing down a nearby soldier and roaring, “Finish this quickly!”

Half an hour later, the battle ended. Not only at the east gate, but the thousand Goguryeo infantry at the west gate were also slain. Yet Li Kong’s five thousand cavalry had lost more than six hundred men; with earlier losses at the pass, only a little over four thousand remained fit for battle.

He gazed at the blazing Shanhaiguan, rallied his troops, then took a deep breath and looked again at the mighty fortress from his previous life.

His mind raced. Two paths lay before him: one, to wreak havoc within Liaodong, sabotaging the enemy from inside—but with his current strength, that would be exceedingly difficult. The other, to head north from Shanhaiguan, then west along the border between Liaodong and Eastern Turkic, waging guerrilla warfare against Goguryeo.

As a special forces soldier, he favored the latter; guerrilla warfare was second nature to him.

Operating along the border, with occasional raids into Liaodong, would be much safer than wandering aimlessly within. Especially now, with Gao Huizhen having escaped, word would soon spread of his army’s operations, and Goguryeo would marshal their forces to hunt him down. He had no desire to face endless pursuit.

With his decision made, he wasted no more time. The smoke had billowed for nearly an hour; nearby troops might already be approaching. If they did not leave now, trouble would follow.

...

The third watch of the night.

A cavalry force, roughly two thousand strong, arrived beneath Shanhaiguan. Seeing the smoke rising from within, the leading general’s eyes widened as he barked, “Quick, enter the city at once. Check on the stores—save what can be saved!”

Hundreds of soldiers, led by a vice commander, rushed into the city. As for the bodies strewn across the ground? No one paid them any mind; the horses trampled over them, turning them to mud.

By then, Li Kong and his men had already reached a vast grassland dozens of miles away. The landscape stretched endlessly beneath the night and moonlight, shrouded in darkness.

Glistening streams wove through the land, forming a web across the fertile plains, a scene of exquisite beauty.

“General, about a hundred miles ahead is the border with Eastern Turkic, where the Ashide tribe lives. Should we turn off ahead?” a vice commander rode beside Li Kong, asking in a low voice.

Li Kong glanced at him. He had brought out five thousand cavalry, with four vice commanders among them. This one was the highest ranking, formerly a captain in Li Shimin’s imperial guard, responsible for security throughout the palace—except the inner chambers, he moved freely within the Taiji Palace.

“You’re Zhou Han?”

“Yes!”

“You say the Ashide tribe is ahead? I recall, three years ago, we captured someone named Ashide Wumeichuo. Is he from that tribe?”

“Yes, General. Ashide Wumeichuo is the heir of the Ashide tribe and its future chief. He is now imprisoned in Chang’an. There is deep enmity between us and the Ashide clan.”

Li Kong understood. He was about to ask the tribe’s numbers, but dismissed the thought. Eastern Turkic was still weakened, and the recent harsh winters had claimed many lives. There was no reason to provoke them now.

Especially at this moment—dealing with Goguryeo in Liaodong was the true path.

He pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well. We’ll turn north fifty miles ahead. Find out if anyone in the ranks knows Liaodong well—get a sense of the land before we proceed.”

“At once!” Zhou Han replied, turning to leave.

The bright moon overhead had grown pale, gradually swallowed by darkness. A cold wind swept from north to south, slight but bone-chilling.

Near dawn, a single white snowflake drifted down and landed on Li Kong’s face. Then, as if commanded by fate, layer upon layer of snow began to fall, the soft sound unceasing.

Li Kong and his men approached another towering city. Gazing at its imposing walls, Li Kong sighed, “What place lies ahead?”

“General, that is Liucheng!”