Chapter 160: Fog

From the day Minglin Physician established the Zuoyuan defense line, this fortress cluster of Goguryeo had not fallen in ten years. Two successive Grand Administrators of Xuantu Commandery had come, but both returned empty-handed... Yet today, Gongsun Xun, leading a motley army that might be slightly larger in number but certainly no stronger in fighting power, actually took it in a single day!

Therefore, as someone who had participated in nearly every battle at Zuoyuan, Xu Rong felt dazed and unsettled for a time, as if in a dream.

But when he opened his eyes, the strings of captives, the cheering Han soldiers, the miscellaneous Hu auxiliaries scavenging everywhere, and the White Horse Banner hanging from the high platform of the Goguryeo central camp all told him unmistakably that Zuoyuan had indeed changed hands!

Moreover, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this: the defending general of the Goguryeo Zuoyuan defense line was a complete and utter fool!

First, he was arrogant and overconfident, taking the initiative to attack with inferior forces; after being routed, he did not know how to stabilize his position in time, and actually allowed the Han army to follow on his heels, practically handing over the virtually impregnable and fully equipped central camp as a gift; finally, after the Han army stormed the main camp, not only did he personally surrender, but he even took the initiative to persuade the remaining camps to surrender on behalf of the Han army!

This general of the Guanna tribe origin committed practically every major mistake a general can make. With such a man as the defending general, even if you gave him a fortress like Lulong Pass, how could he possibly hold it?!

Of course, to be fair, Xu Rong raised his head and looked at the White Horse Banner atop the high platform... Was this Prefect Gongsun really just lucky?

Could such a bizarre affair truly be mere coincidence?

If not, it means this Prefect Gongsun's methods and caliber far surpass the imagination of a simple military man like himself; and if it was, then that is even more terrifying... Such luck, combined with decisiveness on the battlefield, could probably be called the Mandate of Fortune!

With this thought, after ascending the high platform, Xu Rong could not help but become even more cautious.

"Commander Xu, you've come at just the right time," Gongsun Xun, seeing the newcomer, quickly greeted him with a smile. "Zuoyuan has fallen. Where to go from here, I was just about to hear your opinion!"

"General, you broke through the eleven camps of Zuoyuan in a single day; the entire army is convinced," Xu Rong saluted respectfully. "If the General wishes to achieve more, my entire command is willing to serve."

"I dare not claim the title of General, you may dispense with the address. What I want is precisely those words from you, Commander." Gongsun Xun stood beneath the banner, one hand on his saber and the other holding his outer cloak, and laughed involuntarily. "Zuoyuan has been taken, Goguryeo's gateway lies wide open, and I plan to take advantage of the frozen Hun River in winter to march directly on the old Goguryeo capital of Gulseonggolseong, then enter the Goguryeo heartland between the Yalu River and the Hun River to sweep through... If things continue to go smoothly, I even intend to go as far as the Goguryeo capital below Mount Jian to intimidate them... What does Commander Xu think?"

Xu Rong seriously lowered his head in thought for a moment, then immediately answered: "It is feasible!"

"Explain!" Gongsun Xun said succinctly.

"Goguryeo's entire nation has no more than four hundred thousand people, and in peacetime no more than ten thousand standing soldiers. Here, the General wiped out two thousand in a single day, leaving eight thousand. Aside from the capital, which has four thousand and can quickly recruit noble sons and able-bodied men to expand the army, the remaining troops are dispersed and stationed in various places. Even if they hastily conscript able-bodied men for civilian defense, they cannot hinder our army." Xu Rong answered calmly. "In other words, if our army strikes immediately while the enemy is unable to react, it will be very difficult for the Goguryeo people to mobilize a force capable of contending with us."

Gongsun Xun immediately nodded repeatedly. This was essentially a simple mathematical problem involving assembly speed, mobilization potential, troop speed, and combat effectiveness.

He himself had only ten thousand men, but they were mostly cavalry, and they did not lack mules, horses, or large carts, so their speed was extremely fast and their combat effectiveness not too poor. On the other side, although the Goguryeo people were a nation of four hundred thousand, and could potentially mobilize fifty to sixty thousand able-bodied men nationwide, mobilization required time, and assembling troops also required time... Therefore, unless they had premeditated plans, Gongsun Xun could indeed charge straight to the Goguryeo capital in one breath, helping Yaya Kelyu create immense military pressure and enabling the latter to succeed.

And was this not precisely the objective of Gongsun Xun's expedition?

"By the way!" After finishing this matter, Xu Rong suddenly asked on his own initiative. "General, I wonder if, from last night until now, the general here ever requested reinforcements from the rear?"

Gongsun Xun was slightly startled, then suddenly reacted: "You mean we can catch the reinforcements off guard and strike them head-on?"

"Correct." Xu Rong earnestly advised. "If we can swallow another reinforcing unit, then when our army goes into the Goguryeo heartland, it will truly be like entering an uninhabited land."

Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly, but then suddenly shook his head.

Xu Rong's mind stirred, and he could not help but ask: "Could it be that that fool from the Guanna tribe simply never requested reinforcements at all?"

Gongsun Xun did not explain further, merely nodding slightly.

Xu Rong immediately understood, then saluted and took his leave, claiming he needed to go back down and supervise the clearing of the battlefield.

"Young Master." Lou Gui only approached after the other man had left the high platform and descended. "It seems this swift victory has roused the entire army; even Xu Rong, who was previously the most perfunctory, is now willing to take the initiative to go on the offensive."

"Let's set that aside for now," Gongsun Xun waved his hand, indicating to observe the situation in the valley from their commanding height as he spoke. "Zibo, although everyone says we can advance with confidence, those Hu people only want to go in and plunder for wealth because Goguryeo's gateway is wide open; the Buyeo people among them not only have a grudge against the Goguryeo people but also had early contact with Yaya Kelyu, so they are eager to bring about this coup immediately; only Xu Rong can be considered a disinterested party, and the reasons he gave seem fair and impartial... If we are to make a decision, we should follow his line of thinking!"

"Then we should act swiftly!" Lou Gui also confessed his own thoughts. "Xu Bojin's meaning is clearly that as long as we act fast enough, the Goguryeo people will not have enough time to mobilize sufficient troops..."

"That is not what I mean." Gongsun Xun pointed at the dense, constantly moving soldiers below the platform and suddenly interrupted him. "I mean, since Goguryeo's total military strength is limited, and the purpose of our rapid action is merely to prevent them from assembling their forces, then why not weaken their forces first, leaving them with no troops to transfer and no troops to use? Then wouldn't we be able to do whatever we want?"

Lou Gui immediately understood: "The Young Master means that the matter of 'reinforcements' that Xu Rong just mentioned might be worth pursuing? But didn't Mi Ru, Yaya Kelyu's younger brother, say that yesterday he was worried we would advance too late, so he deliberately did not request reinforcements?"

"Then request them now," Gongsun Xun withdrew his gaze from below the platform and said. "Go find Mi Ru and have him write a letter requesting reinforcements!"

"Won't the defeated soldiers tell the reinforcements the truth?" Lou Gui solemnly reminded him. "The Goguryeo people cannot all have been captured. Even though cavalry pursued them along the main road for a while, there must be quite a few defeated soldiers who took the chance to flee into the mountain forests... Could this backfire?"

"Since they are defeated soldiers, how many would dare to seek out the army again?" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "Aren't they afraid of being subjected to military law? And even if some defeated soldiers do run into the reinforcements, on one side are a few deserters, and on the other is a top noble of the country—who would the reinforcement commander believe? Even if we consider the worst-case scenario, if the plan fails and the reinforcements don't come, what loss do we suffer?"

"The Young Master is absolutely right." Lou Zibo seriously pondered for a moment, then directly saluted. "I will go find Mi Ru now and urge him to write a letter inviting reinforcements!"

Gongsun Xun waved his hand without speaking.

………………

"What do you mean?!"

Time quickly turned to evening. However, just as Gongsun Xun was using the Goguryeo main camp to host a banquet for senior officers and some low-ranking officers and warriors who had distinguished themselves, Lou Gui, who had gone and returned, brought news that extremely displeased him. "This fellow refuses to write the letter?"

"Mi Ru said that he was merely following his elder brother's orders, compelled to do this for the sake of the family." Outside the rear tent of the Goguryeo main camp, under the torchlight, Lou Gui, still bearing bloodstains and scratches, explained. "And even after the deed is done, he is still a Goguryeo person... He already cannot bear the fact that many Goguryeo soldiers died or were wounded here, so how could he deliberately lure more soldiers to be slaughtered by the Han army?"

Gongsun Xun was actually speechless for a moment.

"Moreover, he also demands that you, Young Master, not linger in battle along the way, but only advance swiftly to the Goguryeo capital according to the prior agreement. He also demands the captives and surrendered soldiers here as his subordinates, and requests provisions and military equipment..."

"Do you think he is truly foolish or just pretending?" Gongsun Xun truly could not restrain himself and could not help but ask in return.

"Perhaps it is a genuine outpouring of emotion." Lou Gui said with his hands tucked in his sleeves.

"What do you mean?"

"I observed that he indeed harbors a heart of loyalty for Goguryeo, and is quite remorseful over the heavy casualties suffered when Zuoyuan was yielded today. Under such circumstances, such a reaction is only human... After all, as this man said, they are only doing this to seize power, and if the power seizure succeeds, wouldn't they cherish the state of Goguryeo even more?"

Gongsun Xun remained silent, merely staring at the surrounding scene, lost in thought... He had been inside rewarding those with merit and had not noticed that fog had risen in the valley. Moreover, this fog was low and thin, drifting only in the low places of the valley, making the surroundings appear even more withered and desolate. And with the still easily detectable scent of blood in the air, it made one feel a sudden chill.

"What is the Young Master thinking?" Lou Gui asked curiously upon seeing this. "Now that the other party is stubbornly refusing, what should we do?"

"I was thinking," Gongsun Xun could not help but collect his thoughts and shake his head. "The human heart is fragile. Surrendering and betraying one's country for family self-interest is like a burst dike—once it starts, it is unstoppable. What difference is there between doing it once and doing it twice? Was it not he who handed over Zuoyuan on a platter? Since this man has already done such a deed, yet still insists on a clean reputation, isn't he just inviting ridicule? Perhaps he is merely putting on an act. Zibo, why not go and frighten him again?"

"It doesn't seem like it." Lou Gui also immediately shook his head. "I believe they were sincere words, and I have already tried to frighten him."

"Then it is even more interesting." Gongsun Xun said abruptly. "Unless he feels that yielding Zuoyuan was not an act of selling out his country for glory... Otherwise, how could he be so self-righteous?"

Lou Gui was momentarily stunned: "What does the Young Master mean by this?"

"Zibo."

The fog grew increasingly pervasive, making the surroundings feel even more damp and cold. Having been called out from the main tent by the other party on short notice, Gongsun Xun was not wearing his cloak, so at this moment he could only instinctively grip the hilt of his waist saber as he spoke. "Do you know why, after this battle was won so easily, with Goguryeo's gateway clearly wide open, I did not immediately advance the army, but instead stood on the high platform asking everyone in the army one by one how we should proceed?"

Lou Gui slowly shook his head.

"For no other reason," Gongsun Xun confessed frankly to his confidant. "Don't look at how they call me a famous general of the northern frontier and so on. The only truly large-scale battle I have independently commanded was the Battle of Danhan Mountain... In that campaign, before we left the frontier, almost everyone thought victory was certain, or at least that we would not be defeated. Yet the world underestimated Tanshihuai and the Xianbei people. They were able to pull over the most remote Eastern Xianbei to alter the balance of power, could ruthlessly use Danhan Mountain as bait and then concentrate their forces to successively devour the divided columns of troops, forcing us into a desperate situation where we had to fight with our backs to the wall."

"Does the Young Master mean there might be an ambush ahead?" Lou Zibo asked in astonishment. "Isn't the Young Master being a bit too suspicious?"

"Perhaps I am overly suspicious, but the current situation, aside from having easily seized Zuoyuan in hand, is fundamentally no different from the situation after we left the frontier that day. The enemy's capital lies ahead, the situation seems excellent, and it appears to be a smooth path. However, once we truly leave this road and enter the Goguryeo heartland, who knows what the situation ahead really is? All military intelligence was transmitted to us by Yaya Kelyu through the Buyeo people. We ourselves know nothing about the distribution of Goguryeo's forces or their mobilization status."

"But Goguryeo is a tiny state; how can it compare to the Xianbei?" Lou Gui still found it inconceivable. "Their population is only four hundred thousand, their soldiers and horses no more than ten thousand. So what if they assemble?"

"That may be true," Gongsun Xun said with increasing seriousness. "But how can our army compare to the imperial court's force of that time, which dispatched all the elite troops of the northern frontier?"

"The court lost that day because of uncoordinated command and forcibly dividing the troops." Lou Gui stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We simply won't divide our troops!"

"They are already divided." Gongsun Xun answered sternly. "When the main camp at the Liaohe fork assembled, there were ten thousand men. Marching here, two thousand have already been split off for Ziheng to handle rear guard and logistics. And if we advance rapidly again, how many men do you think should be left here to receive and support, how many logistics personnel, and how many to escort prisoners? Too few, and given the terrain here in Goguryeo, if someone circles around and cuts off our rear, taking this place, wouldn't we become birds in a cage? And if we leave too many, how do we guarantee our fighting strength at the front?! Moreover, even if we advance along Holsenggol Fortress toward the Goguryeo capital as previously discussed, how many men should be left at Holsenggol Fortress? By the time we reach the enemy's capital walls, how many men will we even have left?"

Faced with his lord's successive questions, Lou Zibo, the sole advisor present, remained silent for a long while before slowly nodding: "If the Goguryeo people truly are prepared, having long since conscripted troops during the winter farming lull, and then fortify and clear the countryside along the way, stretching our supply lines ever longer, I fear we would ultimately fall into a dead end."

"Goguryeo is a small state with few people." Gongsun Xun looked up and sighed. "Fortifying and clearing the countryside along the way may not happen. What I truly fear is that the moment we divide our troops and leave this place, countless Goguryeo soldiers riding Guoxia horses will swarm in and retake it, and then we will crash headlong into a solid formation of tens of thousands of troops already assembled... With our rear route cut off and the front line unbreakable, wouldn't that be even more perilous than Mount Danhan back then? On the grasslands, there is always a way to flee and scatter. Here, the roads are clearly defined — where could one flee?"

Lou Gui was momentarily speechless as well.

"However, these speculations are all premised on Yaya Keli being deeply cunning and deliberately deceiving us from start to finish." Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly, clearly himself somewhat indecisive. "Yet it is also widely known and confirmed that Myeongnim Dap-bu, who styles himself Mangniji, dominates the court alone, and now as his age advances, his health is failing... With failing health, he must naturally choose a successor, and a son inheriting the father's post will inevitably stir domestic discontent — that is only natural. Given this, how could Yaya Keli possibly be willing to go out and execute this scheme for Myeongnim Dap-bu? Am I indeed being somewhat overly suspicious?"

"Never mind suspicious or not!" Lou Gui suddenly spoke up at this moment. "In that case, Young Lord, I have a plan that might calmly break this deadlock! It only depends on whether you have the boldness for it!"

"What plan?" Gongsun Xun withdrew his gaze from the drifting mists coiling above those valleys, not even blinking.

——————I am the groundlessly suspicious dividing line——————

"Seeing ghostly mists in winter portends mourning and turmoil for the state." — Old Book of Yan, Treatise on the Five Elements

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(End of chapter)