Yun Ye led his three thousand subordinates and departed from the banks of the Wei River on a snowy morning. Merchants from Chang’an stared blankly at the empty barracks, but when they saw their goods still being pushed out of the main camp cart by cart, they obediently shut their mouths. Military and state affairs were not matters they dared ask about. As long as their goods arrived, other matters had nothing to do with them.

After receiving the report from the family retainers, Xinyue burst into tears. After crying out once, she immediately covered her mouth and buried her head in the bedding, worried that others might hear her crying. After venting her emotions, she deliberately applied powder to her face to conceal her haggard appearance.

Yun Baobao held a huge frozen persimmon and bounced into the room, bringing the persimmon to his mother’s mouth. Xinyue forced a smile and took an empty bite from the persimmon. Yun Baobao cheered and went out the door. The wet nurse hurried after him, protecting him and worried he might fall.

Xinyue watched her son walk away, then took out a thick cotton-padded garment from the cabinet. This was made from cotton that the Hou family had brought from Gaochang. Her husband said that stuffing this material inside fabric was the warmest thing possible. Her husband’s words were never wrong, and this time was no different. Xinyue put the cotton garment on herself, and in just a moment she began to sweat. It truly was a good thing.

Yet such warm clothing, her husband had not worn. Thinking of this, Xinyue regretted it and knocked her own head. Why hadn’t she started making this garment earlier? She heard people say that Liaodong was so cold it could freeze stones to crack. With this garment, perhaps things would be a bit better. Her husband feared the cold most of all. According to Na Rimu, when on the grasslands, her husband rarely emerged from his tent.

With her husband absent, Na Rimu had also lost her smile. She bit her teeth while preparing luggage for returning to the grasslands, staying busy in her room all day. Over these past two years, her husband had bought her so many things. She wouldn’t even leave behind those clay dolls, preparing a full three or four cartloads. Seeing this, Xinyue couldn’t help but feel heartsick. From now on, Na Rimu would have to rely on these things to get through each cold night.

She must go out! Xinyue straightened her chest and checked her appearance one last time before calling the maids and ordering the servants, preparing to inspect the family’s properties. Grandmother had taken a carriage early in the morning to check whether anyone had encroached upon the Yun family’s fiefdom. With the man absent, she herself was the master of the household. With a single command, the Yun family’s carriage crushed the snow powder on the ground and drove toward Chang’an…

Cheng Chumo returned home, shook off the snow powder from his body, and warmed himself thoroughly by the fire before taking his daughter from Jiuyi’s hands. He hoisted her onto his shoulders and ran wildly around the room. The little girl laughed gleefully, but Cheng Chumo’s face showed not a trace of a smile.

“Husband, if you’re unhappy, then scold me a few times. Even if you strike me twice to vent your anger, it would be better than you keeping your troubles bottled up inside like this.” Unable to bear watching any longer, Jiuyi said softly to Cheng Chumo.

“Hmph, I’m not unhappy. My brother is about to achieve merit and establish his career—am I not happy about that? What kind of skill is beating and scolding women? If I’m going to fight, I should find someone skilled to fight with. Your words have reminded me—last time the eldest of the Cao family cursed at me, I didn’t find a chance to beat him up. Today is perfect—I’ll go find him to loosen my muscles and bones.” Having said this, he took his daughter down from his shoulders and placed her on the ground. Father and daughter pressed their faces together affectionately for a moment, then Cheng Chumo donned his cloak and, amid Jiuyi’s worried gaze, lifted the curtain and walked back into the wind and snow.

Since arriving in the Great Tang, perhaps everything had gone too smoothly. Yun Ye had thought about many things regarding the journey to Liaodong, but the one thing he hadn’t anticipated was this Yellow River beside him. When the coldest part of winter arrived, this river would actually freeze over. The fleet couldn’t enter the Yellow River, and not only the Yellow River—even the canal had frozen solid. Using sleds on the Yellow River was very unsafe, but on the canal there was no problem. As long as the horses were fitted with spiked horseshoes, there would be no issues.

Setting out at this time, Li Er and the others must be laughing themselves silly, right? A military commander who hadn’t even considered this point thoroughly dared to clamor about returning victorious? No wonder when he had asked them for various supplies some days ago, they had given them so readily—they thought Yun Ye had no way to transport these supplies away.

Lai Chuanfeng had already asked Yun Ye several times why they didn’t wait until after the river thawed in the third month, when the fleet could arrive at Chang’an, before departing. That way would save both time and effort. The soldiers wouldn’t need to walk far, and the supplies would be transported away all at once by the large ships.

Yun Ye had no way to tell him that if they didn’t depart now, by the time the fleet arrived at Chang’an and made a round trip, at least two months would be wasted. If the battle went poorly and lasted until the eighth month, there would be terrifying hurricanes on the sea, and Liaodong’s winter would also arrive. At that time, they might truly face a life-or-death dilemma.

Although he didn’t understand, Lai Chuanfeng and the others still strictly obeyed orders, leading the convoy that stretched five or six li through wind and snow along the canal toward Hebei. Save a bit of time wherever they could—according to current conditions, this place called Liaodong wouldn’t have more than six months of the year suitable for free movement. The remaining half of the year was an extended winter, with the earth covered tightly by ice and snow. Historically, Li Er’s three campaigns against Goguryeo had failed precisely because there wasn’t enough time. Each time they arrived at Goguryeo in the fifth month, trying to conquer a large nation in three months—how could that be easy?

Clad entirely in armor, Yun Ye had long been frozen through to the bone. Moreover, armor was particularly heat-absorbing. Yun Ye couldn’t even feel blood flowing through his body anymore—it seemed even his blood had frozen solid.

A mouthful of the Yun family’s strong liquor went down his throat, and he seemed to feel warmer. Yun Ye knew this was an illusion. Drinking alcohol wouldn’t make one feel warm; it would only accelerate the loss of body heat.

He looked enviously at those soldiers dressed like bears. They didn’t need to worry about appearances, wearing leather armor that was just right for warmth, with sheepskin vests over the top. Walking and driving carts, their whole bodies steamed with heat. To them, the cold was merely a joke.

Looking at his own retinue around him, frozen stiff like turtles, Yun Ye decided to stop putting on airs. He jumped down from his horse and led Wang Cai walking on the frozen-hard ground.

The effect was immediate. After walking less than a li, his whole body felt warm. The personal guards also began talking and laughing. Only two fools still rode on horseback—even with snot frozen on their faces, they still wouldn’t dismount. One was Dan Ying, the other was Gou Zi, who was stubbornly competing with Dan Ying. Their armor was very similar, and Gou Zi had even prepared a pair of hammers for himself. He greatly admired the veteran soldiers’ chain hammers, so he had also forged a pair for himself. Others had one, but he had a pair—who knew how he planned to wield them.

Fifty li fully armed was sufficient. At Yun Ye’s command, the army began to make camp. This time they didn’t establish fortifications—in the dead of winter, the ground was frozen as hard as bricks. They could only arrange the large carts in a circle to form a wagon fort. The Great Tang’s regulations were annoying—they forbade large armies from entering prefecture cities and county seats. No one dared violate this rule. The head of the last general who had defied orders was already hanging at the city gate, dried by the wind.

After inspecting the encampment, Yun Ye plopped down beside a fire and chatted with his subordinates who were drinking hot soup. Lai Chuanfeng handed Yun Ye a bowl of mutton soup, opened his mouth, and finally asked: “Commander, we’ve already traveled three hundred li from the capital. Why is the Commander in such a hurry? Could you inform this subordinate so we can all deliberate together?”

If the commander had been Old Cheng or Old Niu, he wouldn’t dare ask. If it were Li Jing or Li Ji, with just that one sentence, his head would be served up on a platter for everyone to admire. But Yun Ye had long said that on this campaign, he absolutely would not act arbitrarily. Everyone could discuss any matter, and once a decision was made, it must be strictly executed. So Lai Chuanfeng dared to act in this manner that was quite impolite toward the commander.

Yun Ye took a sip of mutton soup and rubbed his hands before speaking to the officers gathered around him: “On this trip to Liaodong, we won’t have any good fruit to eat. King Gao Jianwu of Goguryeo has long harbored strong vigilance toward the Great Tang. When we go to Liaodong, we only have this Liao River to utilize. For our massive fleet to slip past the fortifications without anyone knowing is pure fantasy. Fortunately, along both banks of the Liao River, the population is sparse. The Goguryeo people only have three cities. If we capture these three cities, for several months the Goguryeo reinforcements won’t be able to reach the banks of the Liao River, and we’ll have sufficient time to exhume those remains and bring them back to Chang’an to complete our mission.”

“Before we departed, many merchant caravans had already set out. Their destinations are Daewang Fortress, Baiyan City, and Wugu City. If possible, Namso and Mudi—these two cities will also be our targets. As for Chifeng Town and Yeonpyeong Island, these must be captured. Think about it—we have so many things to do. How could we possibly finish in a mere half year? We must seize every hour. The more time we have, the more advantageous it is for us. This is why I’ve asked everyone to travel thousands of li.”

Lai Chuanfeng and several others took out Goguryeo maps and kept measuring on them with their hands. The conclusion they reached was indeed discouraging. The places Yun Ye mentioned were indeed ones they must capture, especially Daewang Fortress. The bone mound was right beside this city. If they wanted to retrieve the remains, this city could not be bypassed no matter what.

“The Commander speaks truly. Our time is indeed very tight. We must do the most in the least amount of time. Departing one day earlier gives us one more portion of assurance. This subordinate understands. Tomorrow we’ll travel at full speed without a moment’s delay.”

Glancing at the impassioned Lai Chuanfeng, Yun Ye pulled him to sit down and said irritably: “Retrieving the remains is very important, but going to get rich also can’t be delayed. Chifeng Town is where Goguryeo produces gold. It’s said that fifty thousand taels of gold are produced every year. This time we’ve spent so much money—if we can’t even recover our capital, why would I exert such great effort? Everyone says it’s a bitter assignment, but who knows there are endless benefits to be extracted here?”

Lai Chuanfeng didn’t hear the nonsense about costs that Yun Ye was saying. In his mind, only fifty thousand taels of gold glittered brilliantly and emitted a deafening roar, making stars burst before his eyes. He struggled to straighten his body and asked Yun Ye: “Commander, our Great Tang military laws forbid us from plundering. Violating military law—the army’s司马 won’t forgive it. You can’t tempt this subordinate.”