Chapter 01: Snatching Teeth from the Tiger’s Maw
“Wild grass grows thick along the banks of the Yalu River, foxes and wolves prowl through the forests, black crows cry from wild trees, and at the thirty-foot-high burial mounds, ghosts weep nightly. Young foxes pounce on skulls in wild play, giant rats gnaw on arm bones—a sight too tragic to behold, breaking one’s heart.”
Old Cheng actually recited this entire passage word for word to Yun Ye, while Old Niu also closed his eyes in sorrowful sighs. After Cheng Yaojin finished speaking, he fell silent with his eyes closed, just like Niu Jinda.
“So you’re saying this nephew must go to Liaodong?” Yun Ye sat in the lower seat, raising his head to ask Cheng Yaojin and Niu Jinda. The Great Tang now had strategists abundant as rain and fierce generals numerous as clouds—the重任 of retrieving the bones of the previous dynasty’s fallen soldiers should never have fallen to him.
“Currently confronting Goguryeo is Zhang Jian. Our dynasty’s troops haven’t moved yet, and Zhang Jian is unable to fully employ his abilities. The only option is to deploy special forces, travel up the Liao River against the current, and secretly retrieve the soldiers’ bones. This is the best strategy.”
Cheng Yaojin spoke the reason through gritted teeth. The Great Tang’s most formidable naval force was the Lingnan Navy commanded by Yun Ye. If the Ministry of War intended to achieve its objective, the Lingnan Navy was undoubtedly the most suitable military unit.
“Why not send an envoy to officially and openly retrieve the remains? This nephew doesn’t believe diplomatic means cannot achieve this small objective. With our Great Tang’s illustrious prestige, Goguryeo couldn’t possibly refuse even this matter.”
Having spent a long time in the modern era, Yun Ye had always believed negotiation might be a good approach. Cheng Yaojin and Niu Jinda burst into loud laughter, their sinister tone making Yun Ye feel as if he were in hell.
“How could there be such a cheap solution in this world? They killed our comrades-in-arms, piled them into trophy mounds to display their achievements to the world, and after all that, we’re supposed to beg humbly before they’ll return the remains? Yun Ye, how do you think that would taste?” Niu Jinda showed complete contempt for Yun Ye’s suggestion, while Old Cheng didn’t even look at Yun Ye, taking deep breaths to suppress his fury.
Now he understood—Yun Ye finally understood completely. These men never intended to bow to Goguryeo. They would rather shed blood than lower themselves. These two coming to find him meant the military leaders had already formulated their plan. Because of his special status, they specifically sent Cheng Yaojin and Niu Jinda to persuade him. If he refused to go, they had no means to force him. The Lingnan Navy was now the Emperor’s personal army, and he had ten thousand reasons to refuse the Ministry of War’s orders.
“The Liao River stretches over a thousand li, with most of it under Goguryeo’s control. Along the way are Dawang City, Baiyan City, and Wugu City, all beside the Liao River. Are you asking me to lead the navy, fighting through every obstacle, and then bring back the bones of the fallen soldiers from Goguryeo?”
If this were a family matter, Yun Ye would naturally comply without Cheng or Niu even asking. But now they were discussing state affairs, concerning the safety of thirteen thousand soldiers under his command. Yun Ye had to consider all aspects thoroughly.
“Boy, this kind of matter accumulates great merit for descendants and posterity. Don’t play your little schemes. Losing a few men doesn’t matter—however many die, this old man will compensate you double when you return. This is our collective wish.”
“Uncle Cheng, you speak too seriously. This nephew isn’t someone who doesn’t understand stakes. But from the bottom of my heart, I believe the living are far more important than the dead. If it’s for the Great Tang’s people, even if the Lingnan Navy dies to the last man, this nephew won’t bat an eye. But now, to risk over ten thousand lives for a few skeletons—this nephew finds it unworthy. Unless the Ministry of War gives me full authority and bears all consequences arising from this matter, otherwise this nephew won’t agree to deploy all forces.”
Actually, going to Liaodong wasn’t as difficult as they imagined. Traveling six hundred li up the Liao River against the current wasn’t too challenging. Dongyu was familiar with those waters. As long as they controlled Jinyanping Island, they could prevent other vessels from entering the Liao River. This wasn’t difficult for the Marine Corps that had just completed basic training. But to fully control Jinyanping Island, they had to control Beisha City, or else risk having their retreat cut off. Attacking cities and seizing territory would burden them with the crime of recklessly provoking border conflicts. Even if Li Er agreed to let him depart, he would never break the current peaceful situation between the Great Tang and Goguryeo right now.
Seeing Yun Ye’s stubbornness, Cheng Yaojin and Niu Jinda could only abandon their persuasion and instead told Yun Ye about the ways of generalship. The two old generals were unwilling to force Yun Ye, simply because the military needed to demonstrate its strength and incidentally tell the world that Great Tang soldiers were a hundred times stronger than the warriors of the former Sui.
Wang Bo’s “Song of Wasted Death in Liaodong” wasn’t sung casually. That one line—”Like dying in Liaodong, what harm in losing one’s head?”—said everything about the perilous situation in Liaodong. Back then, Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, believed he had done nothing wrong. The aristocratic families of Sui had already spread throughout the dynasty’s court and countryside. If he didn’t find a powerful enemy and consume the aristocratic military forces in Liaodong, Sui rule would be in grave danger. But fate didn’t favor him. His wish went unfulfilled; instead, he consumed all the wealth and fortune his father had accumulated in Liaodong. His empire instantly fractured into pieces, leaving him only to touch his own head and say, “Such a fine head—I wonder who will take it.”
Both Cheng Yaojin and Niu Jinda had personally experienced that catastrophe, especially Niu Jinda. His father, after the first failed conquest of Goguryeo, was robbed by defeated soldiers, causing the entire family except him to starve to death. So from that time on, Niu Jinda had hated Goguryeo to the bone, thinking day and night about when the Great Tang would wage war against Goguryeo.
After seeing off the two elders, Yun Ye sat in his chair thinking, but finally decided to rest for a while. Going to Liaodong was probably unavoidable, so there was no point worrying about it. Those Great Tang generals would certainly formulate the most perfect military plan for him. When the time came, he need only follow it. The Great Tang Navy had no rivals in this era, let alone his fleet armed to the teeth.
Yun Ye wrote several small notes and sent them via household guards to the appropriate people, then in this warm afternoon, wrapped himself in thick blankets and fell deeply asleep. Having the chance to sleep was good—once he reached Liaodong, he’d probably have no more time for sleep.
The Yun family’s merchant caravans had been continuously transporting wooden barrels to the naval camp these days. Other caravans brought specialty products from Suizhou—a kind of black oil with a pungent smell. The Marquis wanted a large quantity. Though the steward didn’t understand why, the Marquis always worked wonders, so surely this time would be no exception.
After the black oil arrived at the camp, the Marquis began boiling it in large pots. Like distilling alcohol, who knew what the Marquis would extract from the black oil.
Seeing the slightly yellowish liquid flowing from the long iron pipes, Yun Ye smelled that familiar scent again. Back when he lived in the countryside, he had a bad habit of enjoying the smell after cars passed by, never tiring of it. Only later did he learn it was exhaust from burned gasoline. He’d never told anyone this secret, yet now he’d encountered this old friend again.
When he asked Li Er for gunpowder, he was sternly refused. Not only would he not receive any, but he was also given a gag order—never to mention gunpowder again, and never to secretly manufacture it. As for going to Liaodong, Li Er could pretend not to know, but if it failed, he would be dealt with according to military law without mercy.
Was this even reasonable? Without his permission, who in all the Great Tang would dare independently deploy military forces exceeding their own guard numbers? Without military orders, even if Yun Ye talked till the sky fell, no one would follow him into madness.
Without gunpowder, he could only manufacture incendiary bombs. These two were the most powerful weapons Yun Ye could create. The gasoline flowed and then stopped, leaving only a mixture resembling diesel. He carefully had people seal it in porcelain jars and store them far from the camp—he didn’t want to die before his mission even began.
Liaodong was currently still in a frozen, snow-covered state. The Great Liao River region was still wilderness. Since the disappearance of the Balhae Kingdom, Goguryeo had been quietly extending its reach across the Liao River during the Central Plains’ chaos, preparing to use erosion tactics to tear chunks of flesh from the Great Tang bit by bit.
Gao Jianwu was ultimately a wise man. Back when he led five hundred suicide troops and forcibly drove the Sui general who had breached Pyongyang out of the city—these years, while secretly building the Great Wall, always prepared to respond to Great Tang attacks, he continuously requested Daoist classics from the Great Tang, putting on a submissive appearance. He might deceive others, but how could he deceive Yun Ye? Historically, Li Er attacked Goguryeo three times without success—it was his greatest lifelong regret.
“General, are we navy men finally going to see battle?” Old Lai saw Yun Ye standing at the edge of the training ground watching them drill for nearly half an hour, so he came over to ask.
Yun Ye looked at his muscular, dark body and ordered his guard to bring Old Lai clothing to put on before saying, “I’m afraid we’re about to do something big. As long as His Majesty agrees to my demands, we’ll soon board ships and depart. By the time we reach our destination, it will be spring with blooming flowers.”
“Heh heh, this subordinate understands—Liaodong, it can only be Liaodong. But will our navy escort grain supplies or serve as logistics?” Old Lai’s question was reasonable. The Great Tang Navy rarely fought independently. First, they lacked necessary means of attack. Besides dealing with enemy navies, they had little use. Even transporting military grain depended on heaven’s mood. As the commanders said: Entrusting victory to the navy was like hanging one’s fate in heaven’s crotch—no difference.
“Old Lai, prepare for bitter fighting. This time we have no left flank, no right flank, and no reinforcements. We can only rely on ourselves to accomplish something others wouldn’t even dare imagine. See those old fellows standing on the hilltop? They’re the ones preparing to send us into the tiger’s mouth to snatch its teeth.”
Following Yun Ye’s finger, Old Lai saw from afar a large group of people standing on the hillside—all old commanders, each one pointing at the camp as if plotting something. Seeing this scene, Old Lai’s blood immediately rushed to his head.