Chapter 2: Qing Shan Has the Good Fortune of Burying a Loyal Tomb (Part 2)

  The Sui army had a total of 300,000 men divided into nine small teams, crossing the Yalu River to march south. The old general Yu Zhongwen, who led the troops out of Lewang Road, was more strategic. He led his army to Wugu City and deliberately selected thousands of weak horses and donkeys (old horses and donkeys that could not go to battle) and placed them at the back of the army, while he himself led the main force to advance eastward.

  On the road, Yu Zhongwen encountered Goguryeo's army ambushing the rear supply line. Yu Zhongwen led his troops to counterattack and greatly defeated the Goguryeo army.

  Goguryeo king sent a high-ranking official, Yeon Gaesomun's brother-in-law Yi Jeung, to the Sui army camp to pretend to surrender, but actually to spy on the military situation. Because Yang Guang was overconfident and showed off his power, there were no military secrets to speak of. Yi Jeung's surrender was fake, and spying on the military situation was real.

  Goguryeo also knew that Yang Guang had a decree of surrender without killing, and they knew the effect of feigning surrender. Those who surrendered would not be in danger of losing their lives, so as the Prime Minister of Goguryeo, Yeon Gaesomun dared to come to the Sui army's camp, as if nothing was wrong, without worrying about his own safety being in danger.

  Entering and exiting the enemy's camp of hundreds of thousands, his face unchanged, as if entering a deserted land, truly having great courage. No wonder this old man can become the second-in-command of Goguryeo, under one person but above tens of thousands.

  However, Yang Guang had previously secretly instructed Yu Zhongwen, "If we encounter Gao Yuan and Wen De coming to surrender, we must capture them." In other words, if they encountered the Emperor of Goguryeo, Gao Yuan, and his prime minister, Yeon Gaesomun, coming to surrender, there was no need to say more - just capture them directly.

  Yu Zhongwen wanted to take the opportunity to arrest Yi Zhiwende, but the comfort of the monitor made Shangshu You Cheng Liu Sidragon unaware of Yang Guang's secret order, only knowing that "if Goguryeo surrenders, it should be comforted and not allowed to release troops" clear order, face-to-face with the commander-in-chief, the two argued without a conclusion.

  The opportunity to capture the enemy general was missed. After Yizhen Wende was released, the generals regretted and sent someone to chase Wende, saying: "There is still something to discuss, you can come back."

  Yizhi Wende, who dares to charge into the tiger's lair alone, do you think others are fools? Hurriedly whip the horse and rush back to camp, leaving behind the Sui generals with only a fleeting glimpse of his back and a heart full of regret.

  Yu Zhongwen and Yuwen Shu let the enemy general escape, feeling uneasy in their hearts, fearing Yang Guang's blame. Yuwen Shu suggested retreating due to lack of food, but Yu Zhongwen was unwilling to return without achieving anything. He wanted to pursue Wen De with elite troops and angrily rebuked Yuwen Shu: "General, relying on an army of 100,000, you cannot defeat a small bandit, what face do you have to see the Emperor?"

  You have 100,000 soldiers under your command and can't defeat or capture a few bandits. What face will you have to see Emperor Yang Guang after retreating? Yuwen Shu's words were like a strong medicine that directly touched Yuwen Shu's sore spot.

  Yu Wen Zhong saw that the faces of his generals were filled with worry and anxiety, and he let out a loud roar: "Wen Zhong's expedition this time is certainly doomed to failure, why? In ancient times, good generals who achieved success in battle had sole control over military affairs. Now everyone has their own ideas, how can we defeat the enemy?" His words were passionate and stirring, and the generals were also moved by them. They all sat down together, no one daring to take command, but Yu Wen Zhong took responsibility, so the generals did not dare to retreat.

  Yu Wenzhong was able to say such words, truly loyal and righteous. The voice still echoed in the ears of the generals: I, Yu Wenzhong, this time, although I knew that there would be no military merit to be gained (letting go of Abe no Hirafu), why did I still insist on it? The reason why the good generals of ancient times were able to succeed was because the matters in the army were already unanimous, and the upper and lower levels were united. Now everyone has different opinions, how can we win the battle?

  Yuwen Shu knew that the army's food supply would not last for several days, but he had no choice and followed Yu Zhongwen. The Sui generals then led their troops to cross the Yalu River in pursuit of Yi Jeung-bok.

  Yiwen Wende was deeply strategizing, he had already observed that the soldiers in the Sui camp were showing signs of hunger. Therefore, he intentionally fought a battle of attrition, pretending to be defeated as soon as they made contact, luring the Sui army into pursuit. In one day, they fought seven battles, and the Sui army won each time. The Sui generals then loosened their pace, relying on their victories to advance rapidly, crossing the Sa River and pursuing them to within thirty miles of Pyongyang Castle, where they set up camp at the foot of a mountain. However, they did not see the naval forces led by Xue Rengui that were supposed to meet them.

  They have no idea that coming to protect their son is already a matter of self-preservation.

  The cunning Uei of Baekje again sent an envoy to feign surrender, claiming that if the Sui army withdrew, he would bring King Gao Yuan of Goguryeo to pay homage to Emperor Yang of Sui at his imperial residence.

  Yuwen Shu and others saw that the soldiers were exhausted, the army had no food or grass, the water army led by Gaozu's son had not arrived on time to respond, and the Baekje troops who promised to send troops northward from the south of Goguryeo also failed to arrive.

  Pyongyang's defenses were solid, and for the time being, it was impossible to capture it. Therefore, they retreated with a promise of surrender from the Goguryeo envoy, which was considered an honorable withdrawal.

  But during the retreat, the Goguryeo army took advantage of the situation and attacked from all sides. The Sui army formed a square formation and fought while retreating. Yu Zhongwen sent a poem to Uija: "Divine strategy reaches the heavens, wonderful calculations exhaust the geography, the merit of victory is already high, knowing when to stop is a blessing." Upon receiving this, the Sui generals were enraged.

  On the twenty-fourth of July, which was the day when Xiao Shouren crossed over, the Sui army retreated to the Sa Water, and just as half of the troops had crossed, the Goguryeo army launched a general attack on the rear route. The Sui army suffered a great defeat and fled in disarray, with Xue Shi-xiong's unit escaping to Baishi Mountain.

  Xiao Shouren and his men fought one by one, bathing in blood, with countless comrades dying or wounded in battle.

  "Where is the general? Have you seen the general?" asked Xiao Shouren.

  The general in Xiao Shouren's mouth is Xue Shiying.

  Silence, Xiao Shouren's question was met with a deafening silence all around, so quiet it was frightening!

  "The general has fallen." Mu Yi said, looking at Xiao Shouren with red eyes.

  "What? General Xue has fallen? Fallen? Actually fallen?" Xiao Shouren was stunned, after recalling the memories, Xiao Shouren knew that Xue Shiying was really formidable and also very kind to him, valuing him and his companions highly.

  There was a time when Xiao Shouren was also injured by an arrow. Due to the lack of timely treatment, he became infected and developed pus. He was discovered by Xue Shiying on patrol at night. After a long conversation, they felt like they had met too late. Xue Shiying even helped Xiao Shouren suck out the thick fluid. One was a general who held a large army, and the other was a small soldier who charged into battle. The difference in status was so great that Xue Shiying could lower himself to interact with him. From then on, Xiao Shouren made up his mind to follow Xue Shiying through life and death.

  But now? Xue Shi Xiong has actually fallen, although Xiao Shou Ren had just crossed over not long ago, he still felt the loss and sorrow in his heart.

  A generation of famous generals is gone like this, and Qing Shan has the good fortune to bury loyal bones!

  Everyone rushed in silence, hoping to make it back alive to the Yalu River.

  Xiao Shouren knew that this was not the time to be sad, but to think of a way to escape from Goguryeo's pursuit. Only by living could he give the deceased the greatest comfort.

  "Ai, I think we can't go on any further." Xiao Shouren suddenly stopped and said to Mu Yi and the others.

  "Huh? What's wrong, Big Brother Xiao?" Mu Yi heard Xiao Shouren say this and immediately put his hand on the hilt of his sword, thinking that Xiao Shouren had spotted some Goguryeo soldiers.

  "Don't worry, everyone, there are no pursuing soldiers around us, but there must be thousands and millions of Goguryeo soldiers ahead. Think about it, after the battle at Sa Water, our army suffered heavy casualties, and not many people could escape. It's been several days now, and the Goguryeo pursuers have probably already arrived ahead of us, riding day and night on their four-legged horses, which are much faster than our two legs, even if we travel by day and hide at night. If we keep running forward, it will definitely be a dead end, and who knows, maybe we'll be discovered halfway." Xiang Shouren said loudly.

  Everyone was stunned and dumbfounded after hearing Xiao Shouren's words. Xiao Shouren's words were not unreasonable, and his analysis was reasonable and logical, but if what he said was true, then everyone would be doomed.

  Everyone looked very pessimistic, with a disappointed face, and some had already wiped away tears. Yes, no one wanted to die in a foreign land, everyone wanted to return home, whether they had a family or not, some still had parents to support at home, and some had babies waiting to be fed, just thinking about it made them unable to hold back their tears. Xiao Shouren saw that everyone was so pessimistic, he quickly pressed his hands together to signal everyone to calm down.

  "Don't be so pessimistic, actually we're not completely out of options yet. I have an idea, I don't know if you all want to hear it," said Xiao Shouren.

  "Xiao Da Ge, now that everyone is in a desperate situation anyway, if you have any plans, just say it!" Mu Yi asked anxiously.

  "What's your solution, Brother Xiao? Just say it!"

  "Xiao Da Ge, speak up, we all believe you!"

  "Xiao Da Ge, we'll follow you, whatever you say, we'll do."

  Everyone is urging Xiao Shouren.

  "Think about it, now almost all the Goguryeo soldiers have gone to chase after us at the Yalu River. Why do we still want to go? The so-called most dangerous place is actually the safest place. If we were to turn around and head in the opposite direction, running back to the Salsu River would definitely be unnoticed, or even running back to Baekaksan would work. We can gather 7-8 sets of enemy armor and weapons from the battlefield that hasn't been cleaned up yet, disguise ourselves as enemy soldiers, and no one will suspect us. The rest of our people can naturally become prisoners of war, but not just any ordinary prisoners - we can be high-ranking generals. This way, we can openly and safely escort the prisoners back to the Yalu River." Xiao Shouren slowly analyzed.

  "Yes, what Xiao Da Ge said is right, the most dangerous place is actually the safest place"

  "That group of pursuers definitely didn't expect us to turn around and head back in the opposite direction."

  "Right, we put on their armor and take a few high-ranking generals into custody. They definitely won't be suspicious, and even if they ask questions, it will seem like they're trying to steal the credit for the victory."

  Everyone felt that Xiao Shouren's method was feasible after listening to it, and everyone suddenly became very excited, as if their hometown was just in front of them, as if there were no more obstacles ahead.

  "What if we really encounter Goguryeo's pursuers and they interrogate us? We don't understand the Goguryeo language." Yang Cheng asked with a furrowed brow.

  Yang Chengyi raised this question and everyone fell silent, just like a bucket of cold water was poured over everyone's head, their whole body chilled to the bone.