Chapter 896 The Goguryeo

Chapter 896: 896 The Goguryeo

Simultaneous east-west expansion was risky, but it was an experiment, and also Lu Ming’s vision.

He wanted to observe the speed and carrying capacity of the ships, laying the foundation for future conquest of Japan.

On the streets, people kept their doors tightly shut, fearing disaster. Bloodstains still lingered in the streets as supply wagons loaded corpses onto carts for transport outside the city to be burned.

The corpses had to be disposed of promptly, otherwise, a plague might spread.

The horror of plague was already considered a natural disaster. During the Three Kingdoms period, the population plummeted; besides war, plague was the most critical issue.

Without adequate sanitation and medical care, death was inevitable.

Lu Ming sat in the prefectural governor’s mansion, below him kneeling Gongsun Yuan, who hadn’t yet had time to put on his clothes.

It was summer, but being shirtless made it somewhat chilly.

"Who goes there? State your name!"

"I am Gongsun Yuan, the Prefect of Pyongyang! Please spare my life, sir!"

Gongsun Yuan was spineless; otherwise, he would have been killed in battle long ago, not captured.

Lu Ming was accompanied by three bodyguards, recently recruited heroes from Liangshan: Lu Zhishen, the Flowery Monk; Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind; and Wu Song.

Wu Song had come to join the army when Lu Ming happened to be inspecting the camp and picked him up.

Lu Ming had originally intended to ask Wu Song where he was from, hoping to find out if he had a wife like Pan Jinlian, but the war had already begun, so he started fighting first.

His former subordinates had been left to deal with Cao Cao and Sun Ce. Even though the enemy was now weaker, Lu Ming wouldn’t be careless; he wanted to use his power to intimidate them and ensure absolute success.

"You bastard! This is His Highness Prince Qin! Open your dog eyes and show some respect!"

Li Kui cursed, showing utmost respect for Lu Ming. He was a skilled fighter, approachable, a true hero, and a wise ruler.

"Yes, yes, yes, it’s all my fault, Your Highness Prince Qin! I was blind to your greatness!"

Gongsun Yuan kowtowed repeatedly, not caring about saving his life.

"Your Highness, I have important information. Please spare my life!"

"Tell me."

Lu Ming didn’t even have time to attack; he could only enjoy shooting arrows from afar.

He hadn’t experienced bloodshed for a while. Before, it was out of necessity; now, he had no opportunity at all.

"My uncle, Gongsun Du, has invited the King of Goguryeo to come and help. They’re on their way and should arrive in five or six days."

"And it’s not just Goguryeo; my uncle has also invited the Mahan tribes, asking them to send troops against Your Highness."

Gongsun Yuan, desperate to save his own life, betrayed his uncle in an instant.

Lu Ming listened thoughtfully.

The others, however, looked on with disdain, clearly despising such spinelessness.

"It seems Goguryeo is courting death. This time, we’ll wipe them out. Wen Yuan, send out scouts to investigate the Goguryeo army’s movements, survey the surrounding terrain, and draw a map."

"Gao Shun, you’re in charge of the city’s defenses."

"Chen Gong, you’re in charge of managing Pyongyang." "

Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, who were originally sent to support Youzhou, were recalled.

Chen Gong was also brought along by Lu Ming. Qin was a vast and resource-rich state; there would always be opportunities to utilize his talents.

His trip this time was more of an experiment.

The real main force was still with Mi Heng in the west, who had 150,000 men and was expected to pacify Liaodong within three months.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" "

After assigning tasks, Lu Ming stood up and left with three bodyguards.

The Imperial Guards followed closely. Lu Ming continued exploring; with time, he could quickly survey the area and form a map in his mind.

This was his advantage.

Having Zhang Liao draw the map was also a matter of habit.

On the other side, the Goguryeo military camp was more like a refugee camp than a military camp.

Goguryeo was located on the Korean Peninsula, a region characterized by mountains, few plains, and harsh, barren conditions.

It had always been a border region, a place of exile. The mountainous terrain hindered military maneuvering, making conquest largely meaningless.

Add The forests were dense, making it easy to lose one’s way.

Conquering it would be a losing proposition, so from the Western Han Dynasty onwards, there was little interest in this region.

All wars are intertwined with politics; war is merely a continuation of politics.

And politics is driven by self-interest. Clearly, conquering Goguryeo would not yield significant returns, and the costs wouldn’t be recouped.

Only an ambitious emperor would do such a thing; otherwise, no reasonable person would want such a costly and exhausting war.

Yeon Gaesomun drank fine wine, embracing women he had seized from the surrounding area.

He said to his son, "The Han people are foolish, actually wanting us to fight for them. That Gongsun Du will be finished sooner or later. We’ll hide in the mountains; even the Qin army won’t be able to find us!" "

The fact that Yeon Gaesomun could say this proves he had already fought against the Qin army.

Indeed, he had. He encountered the renowned Hebei general Zhang He and was utterly defeated. With Chao Gai and the Liangshan heroes surrounding him from behind, he almost didn’t make it back.

Fortunately, his son risked his life to save him, saving his life. He brought 20,000 men, but lost 5,000. Terrified, Yeon Gaesomun immediately fled, abandoning everything.

Even in Goguryeo, he had to be wary of others, preventing his subordinates from gaining military power. If they were to seize power, he would be a fool.

"Father, after passing through Pyongyang and returning to Hanseong, perhaps we can extort another sum from the Pyongyang governor!"

Yeon Nam-saeng chuckled, seemingly regarding the Han people as fools.

"That’s right, Father. Since we’ve come all this way, and we’ve suffered 5,000 casualties, Gongsun Du should compensate us!" "

Yeon Nam-san, standing nearby, echoed this sentiment. He was the second son, possessing the characteristic humility, arrogance, and self-importance of the Goguryeo people.

"Alright, if Gongsun Yuan won’t give it to us, we’ll take it ourselves!"

Yeon Gaesomun chuckled after speaking, "Go on, have fun."

The next day, Zhang Liao had already led his troops to ambush at Wild Rabbit Ridge, a place teeming with wild rabbits, hence its name.

"Reporting to the General, the Goguryeo army has arrived. They have no vanguard; the entire army has assembled."

The scout reported that with telescopes, they could see the enemy’s formation from a kilometer away, far more effective and convenient than with the naked eye.

Zhang Liao was initially taken aback, then nodded, "Scout again, report again."

Lu Ming was on the mountain. After reporting the reconnaissance, Zhang Liao proactively suggested, "My lord, perhaps we should send a force to ambush from the rear." "We annihilated most of the Goguryeo forces at Wild Rabbit Ridge, leaving only a small remnant to prevent them from engaging in a desperate, all-or-nothing attack."