Chapter 117: The Siege of Yanmen (Part Three)

“Has the envoy sent to the Turks not returned yet?” Yang Guang frowned and asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. They have not come back so far,” Su Wei responded, bowing slightly.

“What do you think the Turks intend to do?” Yang Guang inquired.

“I have never been well-versed in Turkic affairs. If General Gongsun were here, perhaps he could provide some insight,” Su Wei replied.

“Never mind. You may leave,” Yang Guang said wearily, waving his hand to dismiss him.

“Khan, are we really going to cross Ma Yi Commandery without concern? Those Han armies could easily cut off our retreat,” a Turkic cavalryman asked the Eastern Turkic Khan, who was leading the army south.

“It’s fine. Once we get past that endless city wall, the land here is full of grain for us to feast upon. Besides, as the Han say, everyone has their price. The gold and silver we’ve given those garrison commanders will be enough to fuel their extravagance for a lifetime. There’s no need to worry about our rear,” the Khan said with a smile.

“But I still don’t understand, Khan, why you’d spend such wealth on that Han man?”

“Much? If I weren’t afraid of frightening him, I’d have sent a few beauties from the Xi tribe as tribute as well,” the Khan chuckled. “Besides, who says all that treasure belongs to him? Once we’ve slain the emperor of the Central Plains, what can a small place like Ma Yi Commandery do to stop our iron hooves? Then we can take back all the treasure we gave—and everything else besides.”

“Very well. Let the warriors feed their steeds well. Beyond the Sanggan River lies Yanmen Commandery. Once we break through Yanmen and capture Empress Xiao to bring her to the steppes, I’ve often heard she is a beauty who appears once in a millennium. This time, we shall see for ourselves,” the Khan encouraged his men.

“Great Commander Lu, the Turks have already mobilized. They have crossed the Great Wall and are soon to reach Yanmen Commandery,” a Goguryeo man knelt before Yeon Gaesomun.

Since Yeon Gaesomun personally led troops to repel the Sui Empire’s eastern campaign, his reputation among the Goguryeo people had soared, surpassing even that of his father, Yeon Taejo. After all, no one desired to belong to a weaker faction; no one was born to be a mere subject.

Due to his advanced age and the disappearance of his daughter in the war, Yeon Taejo, worn and weary, began delegating some of his powers to his son. Among these was the much-coveted military authority. With command of the troops, Yeon Gaesomun began to implement his plans. Though the official titles had yet to be formally transferred, this did not prevent his subordinates from addressing him as the Great Commander Lu.

Since Yeon Gaesomun assumed power, he had employed a blend of force and subtlety to unify the semi-autonomous tribes, gradually setting his sights beyond the borders. First, he brought Silla and Baekje under Goguryeo’s influence, redirecting tribute that should have gone to the Sui. Then, capitalizing on the military supplies left behind by the retreating Sui forces, he resolved border disputes with the Mohe tribes through three wars, securing the northern frontier and establishing Goguryeo’s dominance in Northeast Asia. Compared to the distant Sui, the Mohe preferred to depend on the neighboring Goguryeo’s protection. Likewise, the Khitan tribes caught between Goguryeo and the Turks chose to submit to Goguryeo, abandoning tributes to the Sui.

With the rear secured, Yeon Gaesomun shifted his military focus southward against the mighty Sui. This led him to personally visit the Turks, persuading them to join forces against the Sui. Both nations harbored enmity toward the Sui. Yang Guang’s two campaigns against Goguryeo had severely drained its strength. While Goguryeo now stood strong, it was walking a tightrope with the full weight of the nation behind it. In effect, Yang Guang’s military ventures had shattered Yeon Taejo’s lifelong vision for Goguryeo’s rise, nearly driving it to ruin.

As for the Eastern Turks, matters were simpler. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, Gongsun Sheng had accompanied a marriage alliance envoy to the Turks and lived among them for about a year. During that time, he gained intimate knowledge of the internal tribal conflicts, the Ashina clan’s rivalries, and the Turkic geography. In the second year of the Kaihuang era, they were defeated in the Sui-Turk war. Subsequently, the Sui employed both military and diplomatic means to fracture the powerful Turks into two hostile factions, effectively stripping them of the capacity to engage the Sui directly.

Upon receiving news of the Turks marching south, Yeon Gaesomun’s heart surged with excitement. This was a scheme he had meticulously orchestrated. If successful, it could swiftly shatter the mighty Central Plains empire, plunging it into internal chaos. He could then seize the moment to march south, emulate the Xianbei, and rule over the Han, establishing an unprecedentedly powerful Goguryeo kingdom.

He appreciated the report delivered with the title “Great Commander Lu” by his subordinate. Yeon Gaesomun asked, “How many Turks have marched south?”

“Almost their entire horde, and this time they brought only their core forces, leaving behind the cumbersome allied tribes,” the subordinate replied.

“How are the Shiwei tribes in the north preparing?”

“They are ready. If the Turks capture Yanmen Commandery, the Shiwei will march south to join us in a concentrated assault to relieve the Sui forces trapped there. Should the Turks fail at Yanmen, the Shiwei will attack the Turks from the west. In any case, we will emerge victorious.”

“Good. Let us continue to wait,” Yeon Gaesomun said with a sinister smile.

Meanwhile, inside Yanmen Commandery:

“Have the Turkic forces really arrived?” Yang Guang asked the Xuegao army commander before him.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Ma Yi Commandery has gone silent; they must be besieged by the Turks,” the commander reported.

“That’s impossible. Even if surrounded, there are many ways to send messages out. The total silence suggests Ma Yi Commandery is colluding with the Turks, perhaps having reached some agreement,” Yang Guang said, clenching the fist concealed within his sleeve. He crushed the secret report sent by the Censorate in his palm, thinking bitterly that the northern border was controlled mostly by noble clans—unreliable, as expected. If he risked everything now, the aristocrats might not hesitate to use treacherous means to eliminate him.

He then instructed the Censorate officials, “Issue a proclamation. Order all troops across the land to gather at Yanmen Commandery to rally and save the Emperor.”

(End of chapter)