Chapter 80: Willow City

Liucheng...

Li Kong did not know much about this city, but he was clear on its basic situation.

This city could be considered one of the oldest in the northeastern region, dating back to the Spring and Autumn period when it was the territory of the Shanrong and Donghu peoples. During the Warring States era, the State of Yan established Liaoxi Prefecture here.

In the Qin and Han dynasties, the eastern part of this area was the domain of the Xianbei tribe, while the western part also belonged to Youzhou’s Liaoxi Prefecture.

It wasn’t until the Northern and Southern Dynasties that Northern Qi established Yingzhou here, cementing the city's name. In the Sui Dynasty, it was renamed Liucheng, a name that has been used ever since.

However, Li Kong’s impression of the city lingered on the Chaoyang City of his previous life.

Compared to the Chaoyang City of that former world, the city before him appeared desolate. Though a towering city wall stood at the forefront, its battered stones had not been repaired for centuries. Even the gates were rotten and barely standing, surrounded by wild grass. Occasionally, a few roe deer darted past, seemingly intimidated by the formidable presence of Li Kong and his men.

“An empty city?” Li Kong paused, muttering in confusion. Then he ordered, “Send a few men to check if there’s anyone inside and get a sense of the situation.”

By now, the snow was falling heavier and heavier. The cavalry desperately needed shelter from the wind and snow. If the city was truly deserted, it would be an excellent place to settle in for the night; they could light fires and eat hot food. They had been gnawing on cold, dry rations for days—however tough they were, their stomachs could hardly endure it any longer.

With Li Kong’s command, a dozen soldiers mounted their steeds and charged through the dilapidated city gates.

About a quarter of an hour later, they all returned. As Li Kong had guessed, the city was indeed empty and appeared to have been abandoned for at least thirty years.

Once confirmed, Li Kong waved his hand decisively and led his men inside. As he had imagined, the city had some buildings, but not many. The walls might have been hastily constructed in the past.

Throughout the vast city, dry grass grew everywhere, tall enough to reach a person’s height, though under the weight of the snow, it all leaned over, sparing them much trouble.

At the center of the city, a few dilapidated houses stood, but they were sufficient for shelter, allowing Li Kong to breathe a sigh of relief. He ordered the horses to be tied outside the porches, and everyone began collecting dry grass and dead wood within the city. There were many trees here, even more dead ones, mostly birch trees common to the northeast.

The trunks of these trees burned easily and were light, rarely forming charcoal, so they needed a lot of wood to keep warm.

They labored for almost two hours before clearing everything and lighting bonfires. Li Kong then had some cooking equipment brought out—nothing special, just several large, black iron pots.

As for water, that was easy to obtain. This era was still pristine and unpolluted; nothing could be cleaner than snow. After a night’s snowfall, the ground was covered in a layer of snow over ten centimeters thick—more than enough for their needs.

They also had meat from fallen war horses after battle. Though the meat was tough, it was still far better than their dry rations.

While everyone excitedly prepared to eat, Li Kong took four deputies outside to an open area. Based on his knowledge from his previous life, he sketched a rough map of Liaodong. However, most of his knowledge was from the divisions of his previous world, so he was somewhat unclear about the regions of this era, marking only a few key points.

“We are here now. If we continue northeast, five hundred li ahead is Yingguan, the largest grain depot held by Goguryeo in southern Liaoning. The grain stored there is at least twice that of Shanhaiguan. However, it’s foreseeable that our movements are already exposed. The enemy will surely station a large force at Yingguan, waiting for us to walk into their trap.

So we cannot head for Yingguan. What do you suggest our next move should be?”

Zhou Han, the highest-ranking among them, had studied some military strategy before. After Li Kong spoke, he said, “General, you have said our main objective here is to hold back Goguryeo’s southward advance and buy time for the Tang. Now that the snow has begun to fall, even Goguryeo’s people, used to this climate, will fear the cold. Should we wait a while before deciding? If they withdraw now, we can preserve our strength, ready for next year’s campaign.”

The other three deputies agreed, nodding and looking hopefully at Li Kong. The bitter cold was unbearable—fighting was out of the question; even standing outside made them shiver.

Li Kong glanced at the four, then marked a few more circles on the map. “These are minor cities—not very important—but as the snow falls, they will become strongholds for Goguryeo soldiers. But what about their provisions?”

Zhou Han, quick-witted, responded immediately, “General, do you mean we should attack their supply routes? But these small cities are separated by hundreds of li, sometimes more. If we concentrate our forces, we’ll gain little. If we spread out, the enemy’s numbers are too great; we could take heavy losses, so…”

“Exactly, General. If it were just a few small cities, it would be manageable, but Liaodong is vast. Even if we doubled our numbers, we couldn’t truly threaten the enemy’s supply lines,” said another deputy, Han Jun, formerly a palace guard captain, though ranked below Zhou Han.

The other two, though silent, clearly agreed; attacking supply lines would not be worthwhile. In this era, they did not fully grasp the concept of guerrilla warfare; yet the nomads’ tactics were already somewhat similar.

Li Kong pondered for a moment before speaking, “We cannot come to Liaodong and do nothing. Yes, we’ve killed thousands of enemies, but what does that matter? The enemy still has large armies stationed here. Wait until spring to fight again? We could, but at what cost? How much manpower and resources?

Goguryeo is just a small, remote country to the east; how much grain can they have? There are surely many troops at Yingguan, so we can’t enter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t destroy their provisions elsewhere. If we cut off their supplies, all of Liaodong might fall without a battle, perhaps even causing chaos within Goguryeo. If we succeed, it will be a feat unmatched in history—the glory a man seeks can be claimed in an instant. Tell me, what are you all afraid of?”

The four men’s faces flushed red.

Li Kong smiled and patted their shoulders. “This time, I’ll divide the troops into four parts, each a thousand strong. All will move out. Strike if you can; withdraw if you can’t. Remember just one thing, and I guarantee your safety.”

“Please instruct us, General!”

“When the enemy advances, we retreat. When the enemy halts, we harass. When the enemy tires, we attack. When the enemy retreats, we pursue…”