Chapter 124: A Minor Victory at Sashui City

Lai Hu'er led a crack force of forty thousand, divided into three columns—left, center, and right. Abandoning their ships to land, they pressed their assault directly beneath the city walls, erecting long ladders in preparation for a siege.

From the gates of Sa Shui City emerged a force of about eight thousand, consolidated into a large, dense square formation. The commanding general, mounted on a brown steed and clad in bronze-colored armor, brandished a long saber with an imposing and majestic air.

Lai Hu'er ordered Fei Qingnu to engage the man. Fei Qingnu acknowledged the command, rode out of the ranks, and spurred his horse forward, swinging his blade toward the armored figure.

"Halt!" While still ten paces away, Fei Qingnu let out a thunderous shout, his voice full of vigor, matching the presence of his opponent. "State your name! My blade does not strike nameless vermin!"

The enemy general in bronze armor laughed, a look of contempt crossing his face as he retorted even more loudly, "I am Gao Jian, General of the Border Defense for the Goguryeo Kingdom. And who might you be, you nameless nobody?"

At this time, Goguryeo was a tributary state of the Sui Dynasty and followed its linguistic customs. Communication between the two sides was largely barrier-free, and both understood one another clearly.

Fei Qingnu sneered, "I am Fei Qingnu, a Martial Valor Commandant under the command of the General of the Left Wing of the Great Sui! The territory of the Great Sui is vast, and its divine might is boundless. Goguryeo is but a tiny speck of a nation, and Sa Shui City is merely one of our over a thousand counties. How dare you spout such wild words and claim the title of Border Defense General? Aren't you afraid your tongue might slip from all that bluster?"

"I thought you were some divine figure, but it turns out you are just a lecherous thief under the command of the dissolute and lawless Emperor Yang of Sui! You could have stayed in the comfort of Chang'an or Luoyang, yet you traveled thousands of miles to raid our Goguryeo fortress—your intentions are truly sinister! Hahaha!" Gao Jian laughed, then added sternly, "The Great Sui is a kingdom, but so is Goguryeo. Though the sparrow is small, it has all its vital organs. Isn't this just a case of looking at the sky from the bottom of a well?"

Fei Qingnu knew the man was right—the Sui Emperor was indeed capricious and inscrutable. But being insulted ignited a towering rage within him; he swung his blade and charged. Gao Jian, his majesty undiminished, also wielded his saber and charged forward.

The two horses collided like a whirlwind. As they crossed, Fei Qingnu gripped his saber hilt against his abdomen, angling the blade toward Gao Jian’s waist, attempting to use the horse's momentum to cut his opponent in two. Gao Jian ignored the incoming blade, instead striking directly at the crown of Fei Qingnu’s head. It was a mutual destruction tactic. "If your blade hits me, mine will hit you! We are two thieves meeting; let neither speak ill of the other!"

Both wielded long sabers. Gao Jian’s was a crescent-shaped blade, similar to those used by the Baekje and Turks; though shorter than Fei Qingnu’s, it was razor-sharp. A single graze would mean blood and certain death.

Fei Qingnu felt a surge of frustration, but with no other choice, he swallowed his rage, withdrew his blade to parry, and blocked the blow with all his might.

*Clang!* A thunderous sound rang out as the blades collided, the vibration leaving Fei Qingnu’s ears ringing. In the blink of an eye, the horses galloped past each other. This exchange ended in a stalemate. The two turned their horses around and charged again, locked in a fierce struggle.

The eight hooves of their horses kicked up a thick cloud of dust, gradually obscuring the vision of the onlookers. Only the incessant clashing of steel and the roar of shouts could be heard from within the haze, signaling that the battle had reached a fever pitch.

The vanguard commanders, Lai Zheng and Lai Hong, watched with growing anxiety, unable to tell who held the upper hand. If Fei Qingnu were to fall, the morale of their troops would plummet, severely hindering the siege. They prayed for his victory.

Suddenly, a shrill, piercing scream erupted from the dust. Everyone shivered and widened their eyes, desperate to see the outcome. A horse burst through the dust and raced toward the Sui lines. The Sui soldiers were struck with terror—had Fei Qingnu been defeated and decapitated?

As they looked closer, they gasped. The rider was covered in blood, and on the tip of his long saber, he carried a dripping, severed head. It was Fei Qingnu.

Fei Qingnu tossed the head onto the grass and shouted, "Present this to the General!" A young soldier scrambled over, catching the bloody head in his tunic and sprinting toward General Lai.

Seeing that Fei Qingnu had triumphed and slain the Goguryeo general, the Sui soldiers were ecstatic. "Valiant!" they roared. "Valiant! Valiant!"

Seeing Fei Qingnu’s victory, Lai Hu'er’s face lit up with a grin. He raised his command flag high and roared, "Charge!"

Lai Zheng, Lai Hong, and Fei Qingnu led their respective columns forward, sweeping through the enemy formation. With Gao Jian dead and the Goguryeo army leaderless, they descended into chaos. The Sui soldiers fell upon them like tigers into a flock of sheep, slaughtering them with ease. The Goguryeo soldiers, unable to resist the Sui tiger-wolf army, retreated in defeat, with the Sui troops in hot pursuit, riding right into the city.

The guards on the walls, lacking leadership and panicked, forgot to raise the drawbridge, leaving it open to the Sui forces. The Sui army entered the city, began a massacre, and looted the homes of the citizens, seizing gold and silver to their hearts' content before returning in triumph.

Having secured a minor victory, Lai Hu'er sat in the Sa Shui government office, brimming with satisfaction. "Fei Qingnu, step forward for your reward!" Lai Hu'er said, his face beaming. "Your contribution to taking this city is undeniable. You are awarded one hundred bolts of silk, one hundred sheep, and one hundred taels of silver."

"Thank you, General, for your great kindness! But I believe this victory was due to your brilliant command and strategy. I merely followed your orders and am unworthy of such heavy rewards," Fei Qingnu replied, half-flattering and half-humble. He knew that transporting such a haul back by boat would be inconvenient.

Lai Hu'er laughed heartily. "You have been with me for most of your life; do you think I don't know your mind? You can issue an order: all soldiers who looted gold and silver shall keep half and turn in half. Won't that be your reward?"

"Thank you, General!" Fei Qingnu exclaimed, overjoyed. With tens of thousands of soldiers, the amount of loot would be astronomical. Half of that would still be a massive sum, and since he was the one overseeing the collection, he could easily skim off the top. This was a lucrative assignment indeed.

Lai Hu'er added, "All generals, listen: let the army rest briefly. At the hour of the sheep this afternoon, we strike out from Sa Shui and march directly upon Pyongyang! We shall capture the rebel Gao Yuan and report this great merit to the Emperor!"

"Understood!" the generals shouted in unison.

"Wait, I have something to say!" Dou Jiande stepped out of the ranks, his voice cold and sharp.