Chapter 010: A Battle to the End

The new city of Goguryeo is a mountain city; not only is the new city a mountain city, but most towns in Goguryeo are also mountain cities. The Goguryeo people rely on agriculture and fishing for their livelihood, but the yield of crops is not high. They mostly depend on the mountains for sustenance, gradually becoming a nomadic people who build their cities in the mountains.

Rowling raised the curved dagger in his hand and deliberately traced it across Gao Qi's neck a few times. The cold steel blade glided over his throat, and Gao Qi finally could no longer hold on.

If he deceives us, the first to die will be him. If he helps us seize the new city, I will ensure his peace and prosperity in the next life before the Emperor, allowing him to become a wealthy man in my Great Sui. He may choose either option. Chen Kefu said calmly while sitting on his horse. Although his tone was indifferent, everyone could tell that if Gao Qi truly dared to deceive them, he would certainly be the first to die.

Rowling approached and kicked Gao Qi down, knocking off his helmet and pulling his hair, intending to press him to the ground. Faced with the threat of death, Gao Qi struggled and shouted: "I am of the Goguryeo royal family, you cannot kill me, you must escort me before the Sui Emperor"

Li Benlei participated in both campaigns against Liao. Previously, he had only seen renowned Goguryeo generals like Yi Wenzhide. At this moment, he was suddenly taken aback to see a Goguryeo prince crouching in front of his horse like a startled bird, which inevitably caused him great astonishment and even a subtle sense of disdain in his heart

When a group of people arrived at the southern gate of the new city, looking disheveled and carrying torches, Gao Qi did not engage in any acts of self-sacrifice for the sake of national righteousness. Instead, he honestly followed the instructions given by Chen Kefu earlier and, with considerable authority, shouted at the guards on the city wall: "Open the gate quickly, I am Gao Qi!"

Since you have chosen to be loyal to your country, I will grant you this, Roling. Behead him, and at that time, you shall receive a few taels of gold. Chen Kefu waved his hand and said nonchalantly.

Since you are willing to lower your stance, please tell me in detail about the situation in the new city. How many troops are there in the new city, and who is in charge?

Just as I had inquired about the situation in the new city, Li Benlei arrived with two groups of troops. Upon seeing the situation here with Chen Kefu, he hurried over and said, "General, most of the Goguryeo people over there have already surrendered, with only a few cavalry still engaged in battle, but that will be resolved shortly. I heard that you were pursuing the Goguryeo general coming this way, so I rushed over. Did that Goguryeo general escape?"

Gao Qi himself and the current King Gao Yuan of Goguryeo can be considered as having the same ancestor. However, by the time of their generation, the blood relationship between the two has diverged significantly. Although they bear the title of royalty, they possess little actual power; otherwise, they would not have been exiled to this new city near the Sui border. Yet, when it comes to seeking refuge with the Sui, he finds himself unable to make a firm decision, especially since his family is still in Pyongyang. If he were to submit to the Sui, it would undoubtedly put his family's lives at risk.

Chen Kefu scrutinized the captive before him, adorned in exquisite armor and a white mink fur cloak. If not encountered on this battlefield, one might even mistake him for a noble from the Sui Dynasty, exuding an air of aristocracy typical of the Central Plains.

In the darkness of night, as the Goguryeo soldiers ran and busied themselves, the high-hanging drawbridge was finally lowered slowly through the winch. Meanwhile, the tightly shut southern gate of the new city emitted a series of creaking sounds, gradually opening bit by bit. The solid and impregnable mountain city of the new city was finally removing its defenses, little by little, towards the camp of the broken army, opening its embrace to them

Soon, everyone donned the armor and banners of the Goguryeo people. Fortunately, more than ten thousand troops of Goguryeo were either dead or had surrendered, leaving nothing else; thus, there was no shortage of armor and banners. Once the change was complete, the last rays of summer daylight faded away. A group of approximately six hundred men from three divisions, accompanied by a few Goguryeo generals who were willing to surrender to Sui, headed towards the new city located about ten miles away.

Looking at those vibrant lives that not long ago were full of vitality, now reduced to lifeless heads staring blankly at the ground beneath his feet, Gao Qi could not help but feel waves of hesitation in his heart

Chen Kefu pointed at Gao Qi, who was still lying on the ground, trembling incessantly, and said: "He hasn't escaped; he is right in front of your horse, and he is still a member of the royal family. Ha, I have already thought of a plan. We will immediately change into Goguryeo attire, take this Goguryeo prince with us, and then pretend to retreat, feigning the opening of the city gates. In that case, we can capture the new city in one swift move."

I am willing to surrender, I have surrendered, do not kill me! Do not kill me!

After a great battle, the summer sun has already set, leaving only the last rays of sunset. A gentle breeze from the south sweeps through the forest, bringing a refreshing sensation to the cavalry of the Broken Army, who have just endured a fierce conflict.

Gao Qi was already terrified, and at this moment, facing the seemingly amiable young general, he did not dare to be careless at all. He immediately detailed the situation in the city. According to him, there were originally 20,000 troops in the new city, consisting of 15,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. This time, he heard that only 3,000 cavalry were coming to attack the new city. Gao Qi, feeling overconfident, only brought 10,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry with him. Currently, there are still 5,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry in the city, along with a commander equivalent to a great general of the Sui dynasty, named Da Mo Da, and nine others each leading 1,000 troops. However, although the new city has 20,000 soldiers, most of them are composed of slaves and civilians, forming a second-line force, not the elite troops that have engaged in battle with the Sui army several times under the walls of Liaodong.

Chen Kefu gave Luo Ling a glance, and Luo Ling swiftly grabbed him and tossed him aside. Gao Qi, who had been teetering on the brink of life and death, was still trembling. He was merely someone who had ascended to the position of a Ruosa due to his royal lineage, not a Goguryeo general accustomed to bloodshed. He had never experienced such a situation before.

The soldiers of Goguryeo defending the city had not even considered that their own prince had surrendered to the Sui army. Upon hearing the shouts and curses from the commander below, they hurriedly lowered the suspension bridge and urged the other soldiers to quickly open the southern gate. However, they were astonished at the sight of their own troops below, who were abandoning their armor and fleeing. Was it not said that the Sui army numbered only 3,000? How could it seem that it was their own army that was defeated?

I have heard that you are a loyal subject, so you must also be capable of practical matters. Now I present you with two paths to choose from: the first is to die for your country, and I will grant you a swift end. The second option is for you to deceive the city gates of the new city on my behalf. Not only will I not kill you, but I will also ensure that you are honored and wealthy in front of our Emperor, allowing you to become a true noble in the Central Plains and enjoy a lifetime of prosperity

Can he be trusted, adult?

Under the setting sun, the struggling figure of Gao Qina was elongated, yet Chen Kefu remained indifferent to his cries for help, disdainfully saying: "I’m sorry, we did not know that you are of the Goguryeo royal family. You might as well wait until you reach the underworld to report me to King Yan; perhaps he will listen to you"

Seeing that Gao Qi remained unresponsive for a long time, Chen Kefu pointed to the Goguryeo soldiers who had been ambushed and were lying on the ground, severely injured and howling. Luo Lin immediately led several soldiers over like wolves, and one by one, they decapitated those soldiers, ultimately not forgetting to throw the severed heads at Gao Qi's feet

A Goguryeo warrior who surrendered alongside Gao Qi shouted, "Why aren't you opening the city gates? Be careful, or I will behead your dog once I enter the city."

Rowling lagged half a horse's head behind Gao Qi while a dagger was pressed against his back. If Gao Qi did not comply, his life would be taken immediately. The soldiers on the upper floor, illuminated by the torches below, recognized at a glance that the few hundred disheveled soldiers below were the same troops that had left the city earlier that morning. They were astonished and exclaimed, "My lord, how could it come to this?"