Chapter 111 Rise
The bravery of the Sui army exceeded the expectations of the Goguryeo monarch and his ministers, but with the capital behind them, they put up a very tenacious resistance. Finally, under the command of the Goryeo king, they paid some price and reluctantly retreated to Pyongyang.

The morale of the Sui army was high, but the commander Lai Huer and his deputy Zhou Fashang had a disagreement. Lai Huer felt that Goguryeo was vulnerable and that even its commander himself led the army in such a bad situation, not to mention that they were defeated in the first battle. The morale of the army must have been unsettled.

We should take advantage of this opportunity to destroy their country and capture their king. Not to mention how much merit they can achieve, just think about how much food and grass can be saved and how much suffering of corvée can be avoided if Your Majesty does not have to lead a million-strong army to fight here.

Zhou Fashang advised: "The main army has not arrived yet, and we are alone in deep territory. If we lose troops, it will be a betrayal of your majesty's trust. Let's stick to the original plan."

But Lai Huer was determined. His official position was already high, and the honor he received was enough to comfort him for life. Therefore, he was so determined not for fame or fortune, but for the emperor.

He had taken off his armor and served as a governor in the first year of Renshou, so he knew the people's livelihood and national affairs. The emperor's expedition to Goguryeo wasted food and young people, which really shook the country.

Only by returning with a great victory as soon as possible can the situation be eased. He also wants to use this achievement to persuade His Majesty to slow down the pace and allow the people to recuperate, so as to repay the emperor's grace.

The deputy general naturally could not stop the main general, but Lai Huer did not force Zhou Fashang too much. He just selected 40,000 elite soldiers and marched straight to the city of Pyongyang.

In the city of Pyongyang, the King of Goryeo had a heavy face and had no time to mourn for anyone, because this was a disaster that would destroy the country, and everyone would be in the same boat if they couldn't get through it.

The minister of the Goryeo royal family said: "The capital is strong and has plenty of food and grass. Why not hold on? The Sui Kingdom has sent a million troops from afar. As long as we can hold on until the rainy season, they will run out of food and grass and will naturally retreat."

"Yes, Your Majesty, we have already fortified our city and cleared the fields. They cannot steal food from our country. As long as we can delay them, we can also let those vassal tribes invade their food supply. If it goes well, we can starve them to death here and they will never dare to raise troops to show off their power again!"

General Yi Zhi Wende advised: "If we can't win, how can we stabilize people's hearts and plan for the future? Your Majesty, although the navy is brave, they are tired from the long journey. If they attack directly, they will be eager to make achievements, and they are at their weakest!"

"Even when we were at our weakest, we were still not able to win even if we were well-rested and clever."

"If a direct confrontation doesn't work, then I will resort to strategy. If Your Majesty trusts me, I will give you all the gold and silver in the capital, and I will swear to help Your Majesty win the victory!"

Before the King of Goryeo could say anything, the other ministers could not hold back and angrily accused Eulji Mundeok of still coveting gold and silver at this time. They said that such a traitor who had no loyalty to the king or his father should be executed immediately to correct the people's will.

But the King of Goryeo looked at Eulji Mundeok, whose expression was not shaken at all, and said, "Okay, I will hand over all the gold and silver in the royal family and the treasury to you. I hope you will not let me down."

Yi Zhi Wende took the order and left, but the ministers continued to persuade him. The King of Goryeo dismissed all the ministers and only left his younger brother Go Jianwu: "Do you think my decision is wrong?"

"My brother is right. If the country is destroyed, the gold and silver piled up are not as good as scrap iron and grain. If it can be exchanged for victory now, no matter how much, we should give it up."

The King of Goryeo has no son until now, only two half-brothers. Now there is only one left, so there is nothing to hide.

"If you are defeated, you will take my head to the Emperor of Sui and ask for surrender, so as to protect the country and the ancestral temple."

"promise!"

…………

Li Jiancheng was trying to find ways to transfer the Li family members back. Most of the family members who had served in the army in recent years had already risen to the position of lieutenant general, mainly because he did not give them too many resources. Before the expedition, the emperor strictly ordered no one to move soldiers and generals, and all the elite troops must follow him to fight against the rebellion. Most people also thought that it was just to gain military merit, and did not deliberately transfer the family members away.

He was not in a position to take action at that time, but it was different now. Since he had already gone out to fight, he had to decide whether to serve as the vanguard or the rear guard, whether to be responsible for charging into battle or for transporting food.

This is what he can do to mobilize the troops, and the generals will give him face.

At this time, Li Xiaogong suddenly came in and reported: "Shibi Khan sent his confidant to come secretly. Do you want to see him?"

Li Jiancheng thought for a moment and decided to meet the envoy. The envoy was a Han Chinese. After paying his respects, he took out a secret letter from his arms and handed it to him.

When he opened it, Ashina Duoji first greeted him a few times, and then asked whether the emperor was plotting against him, why he suddenly issued an edict to enthrone his brother, and what other plans he had for the future?
Li Jiancheng twisted the letter and fell into deep thought. I shouldn't have surrendered to him, right? I just reminded him once last time, why is he so careless now?

I dipped the pen in ink and wrote two words on the back of the letter paper, I don’t know!

Then he signaled Li Xiaogong to hand the letter to the messenger and send him out.

But the messenger actually took out the letter and started reading it. Li Xiaogong's right hand slowly rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Li Jiancheng waved his hand and said that this was his prefectural government.

At the same time, a sturdy man in black armor walked in and stood behind Li Jiancheng. He had an iron-backed bow on his back and a specially made black-feathered long arrow in his hand. He was Li Jiancheng's personal bodyguard.

His name was Zhang Huli. He had extraordinary arm strength. He could bend a bow weighing 150 kilograms and shoot left and right without missing. He was a rare figure in the world.

After the messenger scanned the letter, he waited until the guard walked behind Li Jiancheng before taking out another letter from his arms. Li Xiaogong took it and handed it to him.

The content of this letter was much more normal, first courtesy and then force, coercion and inducement. After reading it, Li Jiancheng pointed at the letter in the messenger's hand and said, "It's still the same two words. Go and report it to your Khan."

The envoy also knew that since the Khan failed to persuade this noble relative of the Sui Dynasty, his words would be even less important, so he could only turn around and leave with a dejected look on his face.

After the man left, Li Xiaogong said, "More and more Han people are joining the Turks."

"A young man living in the Sui Dynasty is waiting to die. He will either die in corvée or in war. If he escapes to the grassland, at least he can survive. If he has a skill, he will be given a pasture with cattle and sheep. Who wouldn't run if he could?"

"Brother, I am a little worried. If this continues, what will happen to the Turks moving south?"

"When the water comes, the earth will cover the soldiers. What else can we do?" Li Jiancheng said, "Your Majesty has seen this, and the important officials of the court have also noticed it and are also taking some measures, but the emperor still insists on pacifying Goguryeo first."

Zhang Huli suddenly said, "Why? Although Goguryeo is unwilling to surrender, it is still far away from the Central Plains and is just a small country. The Turks may invade the south at any time. The emperor is not stupider than a rough man like me, right?"

...............

(End of this chapter)