“Bah! A mere yellow-mouthed child like you dares to speak so presumptuously about being a vanguard. To enter the Liao River and retrieve the remains, you must capture Bisha City and eliminate the Goguryeo naval forces at Sanshan Port. That Bisha City sits atop Dahei Mountain. The city walls are two zhang high, surrounded by dense forests, interlaced and overlapping layers. The mountain forests are filled with countless traps set by the Goguryeo people. To assault the city, you can only attack from the front. The frontal approach is only three zhang wide—how many troops do you think you can deploy?”
“When Lai Hu’er captured this city back then, facing three thousand defenders, he lost a full eighteen thousand soldiers. The walls of Bisha City were literally piled level with corpses before it was taken.”
Yun Ye blinked and asked: “Then what should we do? I only have fifteen thousand soldiers. If they’re all wiped out taking one city, I’d never do such a thing even if you beat me to death. We need to think of another method.”
The old man chuckled and said: “If you’re capable, then burn down all the trees on Dahei Mountain. That way, this five-li city will have vulnerabilities everywhere, and you can do whatever you want.”
The old man spoke in jest, teasing Yun Ye. The enormous Dahei Mountain—burning it completely clean had no feasibility whatsoever. Lai Hu’er had tried this very thing back then. The result was that Dahei Mountain, situated by the great sea, experienced frequent rains in spring, the vegetation was damp, and despite gathering so much dry firewood and sulfur, they only managed to burn one mountain slope. Even then, many soldiers died in the forest.
Yun Ye glanced at the sun in the sky, then looked at the bare trees by the roadside and the dead leaves scattered everywhere on the ground. He suddenly realized that burning down all of Dahei Mountain didn’t seem very difficult. He had arrived early. As long as he acted before spring arrived and yang energy rose, when the sea winds blew toward the mainland, after one massive mountain fire, there wouldn’t be many people left in Bisha City, would there?
“Venerable sir, that’s an excellent suggestion! Let’s burn down Dahei Mountain. Good, Bisha City is solved. Now please tell me how to eliminate the Goguryeo naval forces at Sanshan Port. Once we’ve wiped them all out, we’ll take rafts to Cangyan City. I hear that’s where the Goguryeo people store their supplies. We’ll charge in and make a good haul.” The old man was stunned speechless for a moment, then urgently asked: “Bisha City is solved just like that? You really plan to burn Dahei Mountain bare? Do you know that back then, Lai Hu’er prepared ten thousand dan of firewood and still didn’t succeed?”
“Lai Hu’er, Lai Hu’er—just listen to that name and you know he was a simpleton who only grew muscle, not brains. What did he understand about arson? Arson requires reasonable and meticulous arrangements. Each ignition point must be thoroughly considered. There’s a sequential order to lighting fires—when to light which location, you must also consider wind direction, air pressure, the density of the forest, even people’s moods, and the retreat speed of the brothers who go to light the fires. Not one factor can be lacking. How could someone like Lai Hu’er understand the art of arson? If needed, I can burn Dahei Mountain into a heart shape—it’s just a pity there’s no beauty for me to show off to.”
Yun Ye spoke volubly at great length. The old man listened with growing irritation, his anger rising. Seeing Yun Ye pointing proudly at the sun, explaining when would be the optimal time for arson, he could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. He slapped the back of Yun Ye’s head, pointing at him with a trembling finger and saying: “It’s over, it’s over! Fifteen thousand troops following an idiot commander like you—they’ve stepped with one foot into hell’s gate.”
“Li Shimin, oh Li Shimin! You immoral, benighted ruler! You have countless capable people under your command—Li Jing, Li Ji, these tigers and leopards you don’t dispatch. At the very least, you could have sent dogs and horses like Xue Wanren and Xue Wanche. Why did you send a pig like Yun Ye? Pitiful Liaodong—the old souls have not found peace, and now new ghosts will be added.”
Yun Ye had been speaking quite happily when someone slapped the back of his head so hard he drooled. Just as he was about to get angry, he saw the old man’s tears streaming down, grief-stricken to the extreme, softly sitting on the brocade couch, slapping it while loudly cursing Li Er, looking extremely sorrowful.
He hurried forward to comfort the old man, but before he could open his mouth, the old man kicked him away, pointing at his nose and giving him a thorough scolding. The old man was a good person who didn’t know those colorful curse words of the Chinese land—he only knew how to repeatedly compare Yun Ye to a pig. There was no helping it. He could only wait for the old man’s emotions to settle before discussing the incendiary bombs with him. With those things, never mind the mountain still having trees—even if it had no trees and was all stone, Yun Ye could still set it ablaze.
After the old man finished cursing, he walked toward the alley disheartened. Yun Ye followed behind with his hands clasped behind his back. Further back was Liu Jinbao. As for Dan Ying and Human Bear, the two had long since heard the commotion and were leaning at the doorway, stretching their necks to watch Yun Ye and the old man’s confrontation.
The old man’s home was at the deepest part of the small alley—a dilapidated, independent small courtyard. An eleven or twelve-year-old boy came out to greet them, called out “Grandfather,” and helped support the old man to enter the courtyard.
Seeing the old man go in, Yun Ye also prepared to enter. The old man turned back and said to Yun Ye in a hoarse voice: “Marquis Yun is a noble personage. It’s best not to tread on this humble ground. Your entering would be unfavorable to my family’s feng shui.”
“Venerable sir, how about we make a wager? If this youngster completes what was just mentioned—of course, you are widely experienced and knowledgeable, so this youngster will most likely lose. You see, if I cannot complete it, from now on I will certainly obey you and fight battles honestly. But if by chance this youngster succeeds, then what do you say?”
Just based on this old man’s such familiarity with Yan Zhitui and thorough knowledge of the Yun family—these two points alone—Yun Ye believed this old man was definitely no ordinary person. Li Jing and Li Ji were merely tigers and leopards in his eyes. It seemed the old fellow thought very highly of himself. Someone with real capability like this—how could he not go teach at the academy? What kind of hermit was he being? What a waste of talent.
Hearing Yun Ye say this, the old man’s pupils seemed to contract. He looked Yun Ye up and down several times, sat on the stool his grandson brought over, and considered for a long time before saying: “Just now this old man was too agitated and forgot one characteristic of yours—that you never lose a wager. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, Master Yan, even the Empress—none of these people seem to have ever won a bet against you. Li Gang’s letter also said you never make losing deals. Could it be that this old man will also lose today? However, if you have the ability to make this old man lose with conviction, then this old man will follow your arrangements. How about that?”
Hearing the old man agree to the wager, Yun Ye naturally beamed with joy. But hearing the four words “Li Gang’s letter,” he immediately lost his composure. No wonder he was in deep trouble while those old men all remained out of sight—they had already found him powerful assistance long ago. Yun Ye scratched his chin, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He had thought it was his own domineering aura that made the venerable sir voluntarily serve him. Damn it, there was no such cheap deal in this world—everything had its origins.
“If you’re acquainted with Teacher Li and the others, then that’s even better. This youngster sees you living here alone, and the environment isn’t very good either. Your little grandson also needs to receive the best education. When the battle is finished, how about this youngster takes you to Yushan together? Your life will be cared for, your little grandson can receive guidance from famous teachers, and in your leisure time you can row boats on the river with several old friends, listen to music, drink wine, taste tea—that’s the life you should be living, sir.”
“Incidentally helping your Yushan Academy teach students and substitute some classes—is that it or not?”
“Sir is truly wise. This youngster’s little schemes cannot escape your discerning eye. Let’s go right now. First we’ll go rest at the naval camp for a few days. When the fleet arrives, we’ll receive those remains and return to Chang’an.”
The old man suddenly stood up and said: “The wager hasn’t been fulfilled yet. On what basis do you think this old man will go with you?”
“Aiya, old gentleman, you’re definitely going to lose this wager. Never mind burning forests—even burning stone is no problem. There’s nothing in this world that I, Yun Ye, cannot burn. In a few days, Dahei Mountain will become flying ash. Hey, Liu Jinbao, quickly come help the sir move! Human Bear, get your ass over here and pull the cart over! Take everything that can be taken. Little Eagle, help the venerable sir onto the horse. We’re going back.”
Since there was a wager, Yun Ye at this moment wouldn’t bother with the hesitant old man. He pulled a handful of milk candies from his pocket and coaxed the old man’s little grandson happily onto Liu Jinbao’s warhorse. Seeing his grandson mounted on the horse, his cheeks bulging with candy, the old man sighed and, supported by Dan Ying, mounted Wang Cai’s back. Human Bear somehow summoned several men, and like bandits on a raid, they moved the old man’s belongings.
The matter of Bisha City had been inadvertently solved. Lai Hu’er couldn’t burn it because that fellow had never seen gasoline. Right now was the perfect time when everything was dry and parched. Most difficult was that very little snow had fallen this year. The previously snow-white mountain peaks were now dark and black. What excellent weather! As long as Bisha City was solved, Yun Ye didn’t care about the Goguryeo naval forces at Sanshan Port. His own navy was already armed to the teeth. If they couldn’t even handle a few small broken Goguryeo boats, they might as well sink themselves early to avoid embarrassment.
Upon reaching the military camp, the old man didn’t go to the tents but insisted on first seeing Yun Ye’s arson equipment. Having no time to accompany him, Yun Ye called over Lai Chuanfeng and had him take the old man to find a secluded place to experiment. He himself rode his horse to Dengzhou Prefecture Office to find Yuan Dake to solve Human Bear’s matter. Originally, he had wanted to handle this affair without anyone knowing, but now it was different. Human Bear had roamed Liaodong for many years and was most familiar with the terrain of Liaodong.
When the Great Tang pursued him, Human Bear would hide in Goguryeo to continue his business. When Goguryeo pursued him, he’d run back to the Great Tang. In short, he was intimately familiar with those small paths unknown to others, incomparable to the scouts Yun Ye had sent in earlier years. Such talented people had to be properly utilized.
“Human Bear? Where is Human Bear? He’s reached the prefecture city? Heavens! Recording Officer, quickly go mobilize the bailiffs and constables. Bring plenty of foot archers. We absolutely cannot let this great bandit wreak havoc in Dengzhou. No matter what, we must chase him out of Dengzhou territory.”
Yun Ye had just sat down with the Dengzhou Provincial Governor to chat a few idle words and had just mentioned Human Bear’s name when Yuan Dake jumped up as if he’d been shot in the rear with an arrow. He was about to summon men to drive the great bandit out of Dengzhou.
“Old Yuan, that Human Bear has been captured by me. For this trip to Liaodong, I need him to lead the way and serve as a death warrior. He probably won’t return. His subordinates are the same. I promised him to take care of those women, children, and cripples. Allocate them a piece of land so they can be self-sufficient.”