In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 914 Open Sesame

As dusk approached, the Goryeo army's camp seemed to have its soul ripped away by the cold wind.

The campsite, which should have been filled with the rich aroma of rice, was now only sparsely filled with a few wisps of smoke rising from the stoves, which dissipated with a gust of wind.

Old Zhou, the cook, squatted beside the icy stove.
Clutching the fire tongs, he poked at the damp, cold firewood listlessly.

The sparks had barely appeared when the wind blowing into the tent extinguished them.

He looked up at the soldiers not far away.

The soldiers, who usually flocked to the kitchen when it was time to cook, were now either leaning against the tent poles in a daze or squatting in the snow rubbing their hands. They were too lazy to even put on their armor, letting the iron armor freeze white in the snow.

Even the cooks are now aware of the situation within the army.

The successive defeats drained everyone's morale, and even he himself couldn't muster the energy. The camp was eerily quiet.

Inside the central command tent,
The candlelight flickered violently in the wind.
The shadow of Yi Seong-gye was cast on the tent wall, flickering between light and shadow.

He held a crumpled letter in his hand, the edges of which were frayed from being gripped so tightly.

This is a letter that was sent from Kaesong yesterday!

The handwriting was neat, yet it exuded a chilling coldness:
"The Northwest Road is the nation's bulwark, and now our four armies are encircling Shun'an."

"If we cannot capture and kill the Jurchens and recover the lost territories, I fear there will be widespread criticism both inside and outside the court."

"Now that you have commanded the military in the Northwest, you should prioritize the affairs of the state. If you fail, I will hold you responsible."

"Li Se wrote this on behalf of Li Xiang."

"Ghostwriting?"

Lee Seong-gye chuckled softly, his fingertips tracing the letter, the thick ink stains clearly palpable.

"And I fear that you, Prime Minister, will become too powerful by holding onto your troops."
They want to rely on their own strength to fight against the enemy, don't they feel ashamed?

He placed the letter on the table, his gaze sweeping over the map spread out on the table.
The location of Shun'an City was circled repeatedly in red.
The red arrows that originally marked Northeast Road and North Road have been heavily crossed out, like two huge rocks pressing down on his heart.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the tent; it was the sound of guards trudging through the snow.

Yi Seong-gye looked up and saw his personal guards enter. He asked:

"Hasn't a reply arrived yet?"

"Reporting to Prime Minister Li, the envoy sent to Shun'an City has not yet returned."

Yi Seong-gye nodded, said nothing more, and simply got up and paced around inside the tent.

He walked to the edge of the tent, lifted it a crack,

A cold wind rushed in instantly.

Most of the torches in the camp had gone out, with only a few stubbornly burning, their orange-red light appearing particularly weak in the night.

"My lord, you should rest for a while." A guard handed over a cloak.

It's almost 1:00 AM.

"rest?"

Yi Seong-gye accepted the cloak.
But instead of draping it over her body, she only put it on her arm.

Can we rest now?

The imperial court is urging for a victory, the soldiers are waiting for a way to survive, and the enemy is still plotting something.

"These heavy burdens all fall on my shoulders."

How can I rest?

Time passes little by little,

One candle after another was lit.
The sky outside the tent was gradually turning a pale white.

Lee Seong-gye's eyes were bloodshot.
A bluish stubble appeared on his chin.

He looked utterly exhausted.

Just when he was about to collapse and wanted to doze off on the desk for a while,
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside the tent.

"Prime Minister Li! The envoy has returned!"

The guard's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Yi Seong-gye suddenly straightened up, strode to the tent entrance, and lifted the curtain.

The messenger was covered in snow, his face purple from the cold.

Clutching a letter wrapped in kraft paper tightly in his hand, he saw Lee Seong-gye and said urgently:
"Prime Minister Li, General Lu has replied from Shun'an City!"

Yi Seong-gye snatched the letter, hurried back to his tent, tore open the parchment, and inside was a sheet of clean white Xuan paper with strong, vigorous handwriting:
"To Prime Minister Li: When two armies clash, it is for the sake of their country, but the suffering of the people is not what I wish for."

"Now that you have lost your elite troops in the northeast and north, further fighting will be of no use."

"If you wish to cease hostilities, you may come to Shun'an City in person within three days to discuss a ceasefire plan."

"To Shun'an City?"

Yi Seong-gye was stunned for a moment, then frowned.

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and Li Zhilan hurried in, still carrying a chill, clearly having not slept all night either.
"Prime Minister Li, the envoy has returned? What did Lu Yunyi say?"

Yi Seong-gye handed the letter to Yi Ji-ran and said in a deep voice:
"He told me to come to Shun'an City within three days to discuss a ceasefire."

Li Zhilan took the letter, quickly scanned it, and her expression instantly changed:

"No! Prime Minister Li!"

His voice suddenly rose a few decibels.
"Both the Northeast Road and the North Road were caught off guard by him, and now he wants you to go to Shun'an City in person."

What if he had set up an ambush in the city?

"If you go, won't you be like a lamb entering a tiger's den?"

"I know."

Lee Seong-gye rubbed his temples, his voice weary.

"But look at the camp now, do the soldiers still have the will to fight?"

"When news of the defeat on the northern route arrived yesterday, some people had already secretly fled. If we delay any longer..."
"We dispersed on our own without the Ming army even needing to attack."

"You still can't go!"

Li Zhilan was so anxious that she stamped her feet.
"We still have 20,000 troops. Even if we can't win, we can retreat to Xijing!"
As long as Xijing is defended

This will give the imperial court an explanation!

"Explain?"

Yi Seong-gye picked up the letter sent by the royalists.

"Look at this! The imperial court wants victory, not retreat!"

"If I were to retreat, these people would immediately accuse me of abusing my power and being ineffective in battle."
Even if I return to Kaesong, my prestige will be greatly damaged!

Li Zhilan fell silent.

After taking the letter and reading it, his expression darkened.

Yi Seong-gye continued:
"Moreover, if Lu Yunyi really wanted to set an ambush, he wouldn't need to go to so much trouble."

"If I don't go, he'll have another excuse to keep fighting."

If I go, and he makes a move, he'll only earn a reputation for being untrustworthy.

"He just won a battle and is at the peak of his prestige; he wouldn't be so foolish."
Besides, what good would killing me do him?

"But what if he's betting that you'll think that way?"

Li Zhilan was still worried.

"You are the commander-in-chief of the army, you cannot take this risk!"

Yi Seong-gye walked to the tent and lifted the curtain again.

It was already daylight outside, and sunlight shone through the clouds, falling on the snow in the camp and reflecting a dazzling white light.

The soldiers were still listless; some were packing their belongings, while others were whispering amongst themselves. Anxiety, like a chill, enveloped the entire camp.

"We can't not go."

Since we're outmatched, we can't continue fighting. Go on.

"Li Xiang!"

Li Zhilan said urgently.

"Zhilan!"

Yi Seong-gye interrupted him, his tone firm.
"Now is not the time to hesitate. Let's gather our forces and break out of the stronghold. Tell the brothers that we're going to Shun'an City to fight the Jurchens to the death and drive them out of the Northwest Road."

Looking into Li Chenggui's eyes, Li Zhilan knew that he had made up his mind and that further persuasion would be useless.

He sighed and bowed, saying:
"Your subordinate obeys. I will arrange the defensive formation and have the soldiers advance in sections."
If there's an ambush ahead, perhaps some survivors can be preserved.

Yi Seong-gye nodded:
"Alright, go and relay the order."
The entire army will rest today and depart early tomorrow morning to march towards Shun'an City!

"Yes!"

The Goryeo army broke camp early the next morning.

The soldiers, carrying their armor and leading their warhorses, walked slowly forward, lacking the usual fighting spirit and instead filled with a lifeless atmosphere.

Yi Seong-gye rode a tall horse at the head of the procession.
The snow on his armor hadn't melted yet, and his shoulders were stiff with cold.

He looked back and saw the army moving slowly like a long snake on the official road, the soldiers dragging their feet and the ranks occasionally breaking into disarray.

Yi Seong-gye could even hear several soldiers whispering among themselves:
"Are we really going to Shun'an City to fight the Jurchens?"

"Of course! Prime Minister Li said that this time we will wipe out the Jurchens in one fell swoop."
Avenge our brothers on the Northeast and North Roads!

But the soldiers clearly didn't believe it.

Someone lowered their head and muttered softly:
"Revenge? We haven't even caught a glimpse of them, and you're talking about revenge?"

Yi Seong-gye heard this, but remained silent.

He knew these words were self-deception, but he had no other choice.

If the soldiers knew they were going to negotiate peace, they would probably collapse on the spot. The army moved extremely slowly.

What should have been a half-day journey took a full day.

By evening, they had traveled to a point ten miles from Shun'an City.

Yi Seong-gye ordered the troops to set up camp. The soldiers seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, putting down their luggage. Some even sat directly on the snow, too lazy to even set up tents.

Li Zhilan walked to Li Chenggui's side and whispered:

"Prime Minister Li, the scouts have already gone to investigate."

There was no movement from the direction of Shun'an City, nor were any Ming scouts spotted.

Yi Seong-gye nodded:
"Understood. We'll set off again first thing tomorrow morning."

That night, Yi Seong-gye didn't sleep a wink again.

He sat in the tent, repeatedly turning the pages of Lu Yunyi's letter, wondering whether peace talks or a trap awaited him.

As dawn broke, the army continued its march toward Shun'an City.

The closer they got to Shun'an City, the more nervous the soldiers became, fearing that a group of Jurchens would suddenly rush out and kill them.

But even after reaching the gate of Shun'an City, they didn't see a single person.

The city gates of Shun'an were wide open, as if welcoming them.

There were no guards on the city wall.
Only a few tattered flags fluttered in the wind.

The streets were deserted, the snow untouched by footsteps, with only a few crows perched on the eaves cawing, their cries particularly jarring in the quiet city.

"What's going on? Where are the people?"

Li Zhilan frowned, dismounted, and drew her long sword.

"Scout! Go and investigate the city!"

Several scouts cautiously entered the city.
A moment later, he rushed back, his face deathly pale.

"Prime Minister Li, Lord Li, there's no one in the city! The camp is empty; the grain, provisions, and weapons are all gone!"
Only some dilapidated tents and weapons remained!

"The people are locked in their homes and cannot come out; it is said that this has been going on for two days."

"what?"

Yi Seong-gye abruptly pulled on the reins, his pupils contracting sharply.

He dismounted and strode into the city.

The doors and windows of the houses lining both sides of the street were tightly shut; some window paper was torn, revealing pairs of fearful eyes peeking out.
Tents were scattered all over the camp, old armor and weapons were strewn on the ground, and there were a few unburnt fires with their ashes already cold.

"The Ming army has left?"

Yi Seong-gye stood in the empty camp, muttering to himself.

He had expected a difficult negotiation, or even a trap, to await him.
He had even planned to take more money to settle the matter peacefully.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yunyi had already left.

Li Zhilan walked to Li Chenggui's side, her tone grave:
"Prime Minister Li, the most urgent task is to find out where they went. We still have a large army in the northwest."

Yi Seong-gye looked thoughtful, his expression complex.
He looked up at the sky; the sunlight shone down onto the empty campsite, but brought no warmth whatsoever.

Lu Yunyi left; the goal of a ceasefire had been achieved.
But he felt no relief whatsoever.

With the loss of elite troops in the Northeast and North routes, his prestige has been greatly damaged, and the pressure from the imperial court remains, making the road ahead very difficult.

The soldiers stood in the camp, looking at the empty camp, and began to discuss among themselves:
"Why is nobody here? Where are the Jurchens?"

"Could it be that the Jurchens have fled?"

"Then why are we even fighting?"

Yi Seong-gye turned to look at Yi Ji-ran and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Send out all the scouts to explore the northeast, north, and northwest directions, and gather back the remnants of the defeated army. Be careful on the way."

"Yes!"

Li Zhilan's gaze was solemn.

Then, Yi Seong-gye took a deep breath, turned to his soldiers, and shouted loudly:
"Brothers! The Jurchens have been scared away! We have recaptured Shun'an City!"

The soldiers were stunned for a moment, then burst into a soft cheer.

There was no joy in the cheers, only the relief of surviving a disaster.

Did we win? It seems like we won, but it also seems like we lost.

In a mountain valley ten miles outside Dingzhou City,
The Ming army camp was well hidden.

The surrounding pine forests were covered in snow, which fell in a rustling sound when the wind blew, perfectly concealing any movement in the camp.

Lu Yunyi stood on the makeshift watchtower, a rough map in his hand, gazing at the distant city of Dingzhou.

This northwestern border town is much larger than Shun'an City, and the smoke from the chimneys on the city walls can be clearly seen, maintaining its usual order.

"General, Lord Wang and his convoy have been on their way for almost two hours."

A guard brought over a fox fur coat and gently reminded him...

"The wind is getting stronger, you should put on a coat so you don't get cold."

Lu Yunyi took the fox fur coat and draped it over his shoulder, his gaze never leaving Dingzhou City:
"Understood. Send scouts to investigate again and see if there is any movement from the Goryeo army in the Northwest."

He paused and then said:
"Also, have Zou Jing double-check the defense map of Dingzhou City to make sure there are no mistakes."

"Yes!"

The guard acknowledged the order and turned to leave quickly.

Tuoluhuchaer squatted by the campfire, holding a piece of roasted horse meat in his hand.

Seeing Lu Yunyi come down, he quickly handed it over:
"General, try this. It's freshly baked and still warm."

Lu Yunyi took it, took a bite, and the aroma of meat mixed with the smell of smoke spread in his mouth, dispelling much of the chill.

"Any news from Yi Seong-gye's side?"

He asked while chewing the meat.

"not yet."

Tuoluhuchaer wiped his mouth.
"However, the scout said that he led a large army to Shun'an City yesterday, and now he probably sees that the camp is empty."

Lu Yunyi nodded but did not reply.

He knew that Li Chenggui was too busy to deal with his own problems and would not provoke Dingzhou anytime soon.

The most important thing right now is...
They received the 500,000 taels of silver promised by the Goryeo royal family.

This is not only military funding, but also the reward for all the hard work we've put in; there's no room for error.

Just then, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from a distance.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Junping, accompanied by several followers, running along the official road with pale faces. The carriage was empty, obviously because he had not received the silver.

"Lord Lu!"

Wang Junping dismounted and staggered to Lu Yunyi's side, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Something's happened! The royal family refuses to pay!"

The horse meat in Lu Yunyi's hand instantly lost its flavor. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and a murderous aura spread from his body in an instant, making even the surrounding air feel damp and cold.

"what happened?"

His voice was calm and even, and Wang Junping shuddered and quickly lowered his head.

"They said that although the Northeast and North routes were defeated, the Northwest army was still there, and Yi Seong-gye's central army was not seriously injured, so it could not be considered a suppression."

Wang Junping was breathing heavily, his voice urgent.

"They also said that as long as the general can defeat the Goryeo army in the northwest again and disgrace Yi Seong-gye, 500,000 taels of silver will be delivered immediately without delay!"

"hold head high"

Lu Yunyi nodded in understanding, but his expression didn't change much. Instead, he smiled and said:

"We still need to defeat the Northwest Army, huh? I understand. You can go and rest now."

Seeing this, Wang Junping sensed the strange atmosphere around them and quickly advised:
"My lord, my lord, please calm down!"

The royal family had no choice; Yi Seong-gye had cultivated deep roots in the Northwest Province for many years.

The royal family cannot remain secure unless his power is completely eliminated.

"If you help them one more time, they definitely won't dare to renege on their debt after we defeat the army in the Northwest!"

"Go down and rest first."

Lu Yunyi waved his hand casually, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Two guards stepped forward, grabbed Wang Junping, and dragged him away.

"My lord, my lord, please don't be angry!"

Wang Junping's voice gradually faded into the distance.

Watching Wang Junping's figure disappear at the end of the official road.

Lu Yunyi's expression gradually softened, replaced by a coldness.

He turned to look at Zou Jing and Tuoluhuchaer, and said in a deep voice:
Do you think the Goryeo royal family will obediently hand over the silver after we defeat the Northwest Route army?

The two shook their heads repeatedly.

"Um"

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"Let's reorganize the troops and find out the defenses of Dingzhou City, especially the timing and number of guards changing shifts."

"Torukhuchar, select one hundred elite soldiers, disguise them as Goryeo soldiers, and infiltrate the city after dark to take control of the city gates."

After saying that, Lu Yunyi let out a cold laugh:
"Since you haven't come out to greet our distinguished guests, we will pay you a visit in person."

(End of this chapter)