Chapter 121: Ambush at Sarwater City

Lai Kou is over a thousand miles from Goguryeo. Hundreds of sampans, powered by oars and sails, plowed through the waves across the sea.

The sky was as clear as washed jade, streaked with ten thousand rays of golden clouds. Li Dong stood at the bow, his robes fluttering in the damp sea breeze. Gazing into the distance, the water stretched vast and boundless, meeting the sky in a hazy line of mist. Seabirds flew by, calling out as they went. Witnessing such exotic scenery, Li Dong felt in high spirits.

By the afternoon, a dark, looming mass appeared ahead, looking like a cluster of low hills. As the fleet drew closer, it became clear that these were actually dark-blue stone walls, some ten fathoms high.

It was the hour of Shen (between 3:00 and 5:00 PM). General Lai Hu'er issued orders for the fleet to rest and conserve energy, preparing to land and assault the city the following day. Upon inquiry, Li Dong learned that their location was the Bei River, also known as the Sa River, home to a Goguryeo county seat located some sixty miles from the capital, Pyongyang.

Flags fluttered atop the city walls, bristling with blades and spears. The soldiers, clad in gleaming armor, stood in strict formation. The commanding general clearly possessed great tactical ability, maintaining rigid discipline among his ranks. Outside the Sa River city stood hills, not particularly high, yet dense with lush trees and thick vegetation.

Li Dong mused that while this was a mere speck of a town, its proximity to the capital—a mere sixty miles away—made it vital; they were as close as lips and teeth. A location of such strategic importance would not be entrusted to a mediocre officer. The defender was likely someone capable of bold, hard-fought battles, as well as clever stratagems, and surely a man of significant reputation at court.

Having traveled for over a month from Lai Kou, the Sui army was exhausted from their thousand-mile forced march. Furthermore, the local troops from Qi Commandery were unaccustomed to naval travel and were suffering from severe seasickness, which had greatly diminished their combat effectiveness.

Analyzing the situation from both sides, the circumstances were heavily unfavorable for the Sui army. Since the Goguryeo commander was no amateur, Li Dong feared he would exploit these conditions to launch a surprise raid on the ships that very night.

It seemed there would be little sleep to be had tonight, Li Dong sighed to himself. However, he reckoned the enemy would be limited to harassment; there was no grave danger. It was but a tiny town with limited manpower—much like a cub trying to hunt a man, lacking the strength to finish the job.

General Lai Hu'er, a veteran commander, understood the principles of war well. Knowing his troops were fatigued from the long journey, he had ordered the ships to remain anchored in the water rather than docking, hoping the natural barrier of the sea would shield them from harassment. Yet, he had not anticipated that the enemy would dare to launch a night raid.

Why? Because Lai Hu'er commanded tens of thousands of elite troops, while the small county town held but a fraction of that. A flick of his whip would be enough to level Sa River city. The defenders should have been preoccupied with their own survival; would they really risk a raid? Thus, he had not made sufficient preparations in this regard, and suffering a setback seemed inevitable.

The climate in the north differed from that of Qi Commandery. Though it was early summer, the night air in Liaodong was quite chilly.

After dinner, Li Dong and Qin Qiong sat by the blacksmith's furnace, chatting idly.

Qin Qiong found it strange. With a battle looming the next day, how could Li Dong, a man so clever and adept at military affairs, be in the mood for idle talk? He had wanted to ask, but Li Dong had deflected the topic every time, causing Qin Qiong to swallow his words.

Around the hour of Xu (about 8:00 PM), Qin Qiong began yawning incessantly, unable to keep his eyes open. "The tossing of the sea is quite severe, and I am exhausted. If there is nothing pressing, I... I am going to sleep," he said, stifling a massive yawn.

"Sleep? Haha!" Li Dong laughed, tilting his head to look at the ship's canopy as he calculated the time. "I fear you will have to get back up before you’ve even closed your eyes."

"What do you mean?" Qin Qiong, also quite sharp, grasped the implication immediately. He asked urgently, "Do you mean General Lai will raid Sa River city tonight?"

"Half right!" Li Dong laughed. "Only it is not General Lai doing the raiding, but *them*—" He pointed his finger toward the direction of Sa River city outside the ship, smiling playfully.

Qin Qiong’s face flushed red. To be "half right" was effectively to be wrong. In military affairs, lives were at stake; a moment of carelessness could lead to rivers of blood and corpses piling up across the city. A minor error in judgment could lead to a disastrous outcome on the battlefield.

What puzzled Qin Qiong was how Li Dong, who hadn't even left the ship and had only spent a short time observing from the bow, could be so certain that the enemy would launch a raid tonight.

"Brother, you are making a bold claim! There are no jokes in the army," Qin Qiong cautioned.

"Shall we make a wager?" Li Dong’s mischievous side emerged, egging Qin Qiong on.

Men were always prone to this. When someone doubted their word, they would either swear to the heavens or make a bet. Regardless of the size of the stake, as long as they could win back a shred of dignity and face, they were satisfied.

"Fine! A bet it is! Who’s afraid of whom?" Qin Qiong was hooked.

They agreed: if Sa River city raided tonight, Li Dong would win, and Qin Qiong would pay him twenty copper coins. If they did not raid, Qin Qiong would win, and Li Dong would pay him twenty.

Li Dong took out twenty special Daye Tongbao coins from his pocket, each inscribed with text on both sides, and laughed, "If I lose, these coins are yours!"

Qin Qiong curled his lip in disdain. "It’s only twenty coins."

Li Dong’s eyes widened. "Do not underestimate these twenty copper coins; they hold the key to whether or not we can win this Liaodong campaign."

"You’re talking more and more nonsense!" Qin Qiong yawned again, saying drowsily, "They were even forged by my own hands. Does that make me the master of this great war?"

Li Dong fell into a contemplative silence for a moment before dropping his playful demeanor. He said in a low voice, "If the opportunity is right, it is not impossible. It depends on our fate and luck."

If Li Dong did not assist General Lai, the General would surely succumb to the trap of underestimating his enemy and suffer an ambush. Once defeated, the situation would change drastically. Perhaps then, he and Qin Qiong would have a chance to enter the fray—that would be the moment for the brothers to show their true worth.

Otherwise, if the army did not suffer a defeat, how would their unique talents be made apparent? He wondered if Liu Heita, Zhang Jincheng, and Dou Jiande would be in danger. He would have to find them in the morning and offer a warning.

"Tch!" Qin Qiong stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. "I’m tired, no more nonsense with you! I’m going to sleep!"

"Very well, go ahead. There is no great emergency; I am only speculating. They should be arriving soon." Li Dong listened for the sound of the night watchman outside.

Qin Qiong ignored him, lying down on his mat and closing his eyes.

Suddenly, Qin Qiong leaped up, his neck stretched long as he asked, "Are you certain Sa River city will raid tonight?"

"Yes," Li Dong nodded.

"Then why didn't you tell General Lai to prepare for it?" Qin Qiong was struck with panic. Only after lying down did he realize that if Li Dong won the bet, it wouldn't just be a matter of losing twenty coins—it could mean the entire campaign ending in a crushing defeat.

No sooner had the words left his lips than a massive commotion erupted on the shore, with shouts of battle shaking the heavens. Qin Qiong and Li Dong rushed out of the cabin to see torches and lanterns flickering across hundreds of ships. The local troops were in a panic, some not even having had time to dress.

The shore was ablaze with torches, stretching for over a mile. "Charge! Kill!" the soldiers of Sa River city roared.