Portraits of All Walks of Life Before the Tent

"You flatter me, Old General. How could I, Li Dong, possess the virtue and ability to garrison Pyongyang? It was merely a stroke of fortune, and I merely gained an undeserved reputation when we attacked Liaocheng City," Li Dong replied evasively.

"Not at all! You are too modest, Imperial Guard Commander! Ambition is not bound by youth, while a lack of it makes even a hundred years spent in vain. Though you are only sixteen, in this general's eyes, you possess far more vision than those generals who command armies. It is only that you are restricted by your youth, your fame, and your achievements. Were you truly appointed as the garrison commander of Goguryeo, this general would fear you lacked the weight to hold your ground." As the veteran general Yu Zhongwen spoke, he fixed his gaze on Li Dong's face, watching for any reaction.

Knowing that Yu Zhongwen was probing his true stance, Li Dong resolved firmly never to reveal his genuine thoughts. He replied, "Your humble servant was merely entrusted by His Majesty to deliver this imperial decree to you, General. To prevent Your Excellency from finding yourself in a passive position before His Majesty, I merely revealed a slight bit of information. This is by no means my own intention, but rather His Majesty's. I beg the Old General to tease me no further!"

Yu Zhongwen chuckled and said, "Do not forget, you are only sixteen this year, while I am sixty-seven. I have crossed more bridges than you have walked roads, and eaten more salt than you have drunk water! Do you think I cannot see through whatever thoughts you harbor? Stop trying to conceal them! Do you remember how I warned you after the banquet on the day of your enfeoffment? Do not mistake veteran generals for those petty, squalid individuals. I treat you with absolute sincerity! Now that I am old, I wish to find someone reliable to nurture and mentor, so that after I pass a hundred years, I need not worry about affairs behind me!"

"Just speak the truth!"

The more Yu Zhongwen attempted to entice Li Dong into revealing his innermost thoughts, the higher Li Dong's guard rose. No matter how the veteran general tried to provoke him, Li Dong clung stubbornly to his single narrative, firmly denying any desire whatsoever to garrison Goguryeo.

Seeing that Li Dong refused to take the bait, Yu Zhongwen finally gave up.

The reason Li Dong steadfastly refused to admit any ambition of garrisoning Pyongyang was rooted in profound considerations.

First and foremost, he was merely a personal bodyguard. He could not afford to collude internally and externally with these commanding generals. Furthermore, his intentions were extremely clandestine; he wished for no one to see through them, and even less for them to be spoken aloud. Once such news reached Emperor Yang Guang's ears, it was unlikely anyone would praise Li Dong's loyal devotion; instead, it would be perversely misinterpreted as a monstrous plot to usurp power. Lastly, even if Li Dong confessed his desire to garrison the region, Yu Zhongwen could offer no substantive assistance, only generating useless noise.

At present, Li Dong found himself within the highest echelons of power in the Sui Dynasty, having just assumed his post. He must not lightly trust anyone. This included the words of Old General Yu Zhongwen—even if the veteran general truly harbored absolute sincerity toward him, he could not trust him entirely.

Li Dong was merely a lowly personal bodyguard; how could Yu Zhongwen trust a simple guard while alienating the Sui Emperor, Yang Guang? This blatantly defied common sense. When something defies the natural order, there is bound to be wickedness at play. Who knew what scheme Yu Zhongwen was hatching in his heart? Should he turn around and report him to Yang Guang, death would be Li Dong's only remaining destination.

Seeing that Yu Zhongwen no longer pressed the matter, Li Dong took his leave and departed. Even after walking a considerable distance, his heart continued to pound wildly. Ginger truly is spicier the older it gets; the old man had actually seen right through his intentions. Yet he could not tell whether Yu Zhongwen was merely testing his authenticity or truly intended to lend a helping hand. Viewed from this perspective, he was still no match for the veteran general.

He had been able to see through Li Dong, whereas Li Dong could not see through him. To cross swords with him meant facing certain defeat. Henceforth, he must maintain the utmost vigilance regarding Old General Yu Zhongwen.

After Li Dong's departure, a look of admiration crossed Yu Zhongwen's face. To possess such profound tactical cunning at so tender an age, and what was even more commendable, the ability to calmly conceal his inner thoughts—this was certainly beyond the capacity of any ordinary sixteen-year-old child. In days to come, he would either be the Cao Cao of a troubled era; or, should someone manage to tame him, a capable minister in an era of peace!

"I truly am growing old!" Yu Zhongwen sighed inwardly.

After notifying all the generals, Li Dong returned to the dragon tent to report the completion of his mission. Several generals had already arrived, casually chatting and passing the time with Emperor Yang Guang. After making his report, Li Dong withdrew to an inconspicuous corner and stood in silence.

Before long, the remaining generals arrived one after another, standing within the tent and joining the idle chatter. Unless Emperor Yang Guang brought it up, no one dared broach the subject of military affairs.

After chatting for a while, Emperor Yang Guang finally instructed, "There is a matter upon which I cannot make up my mind. You are all experienced generals and grand generals; discuss it among yourselves on my behalf. Pyongyang has resisted our siege for a long time, and Gao Yuan is hiding within the city, resisting to the death. Shall we wage a bloody battle to the bitter end, or accept his surrender the moment he shows any inclination to capitulate?"

"Once you have debated the matter, Old General, simply report your conclusions to me!"

Having received Li Dong's subtle hint and fearing that someone else might seize the initiative, Lai Hu'er was the first to step forward and state his position: "This subordinate believes that peace should be valued above all. We have already reached the end of August, and the weather is gradually turning cold. The changing season no longer permits the府兵 (militia/regular troops) of our Great Sui to continue a protracted stalemate against Gao Yuan. Peace will not only bring an end to this long-drawn-out campaign, but will also allow us to withdraw our troops back to Chang'an to quell domestic rebellions."

Hearing Lai Hu'er's proposal, Yuwen Shu stepped forward and rebuked loudly, "This general disagrees with such a course! A million-strong army, marching a thousand miles on a lightning raid, only to return empty-handed—it would merely become a laughingstock for the entire world! We must summon the courage and determination we showed in attacking Liaodong City to capture Pyongyang in one fell stroke, slaughtering the city in blood without a shred of mercy! Only by demonstrating a resolve that strikes terror into the hearts of the enemy can we permanently suppress any desire to defy the Great Sui. Otherwise, they will merely stage a comeback in the future!"

"Battle?" Lai Hu'er sneered. "The regular troops of the Great Sui have been trapped before the city for nearly a month. Every conceivable tactic has been exhausted, yet not a single notable result has been achieved. May I ask, General Yuwen, upon what do you propose to wage this battle? Can you fight simply by letting your upper lip touch your lower lip?"

Yuwen Shu's lips trembled with rage as they brushed against one another. He stammered, "Could it be that after our defeat at the Sasu River, General Lai has had the courage frightened out of him by the enemy, leading him to advocate such cowardly surrender?"

Lai Hu'er's lips began to tremble with equal fury; his old and painful scar had just been ruthlessly exposed in public!

Seated upon the dragon throne, Emperor Yang Guang was amused to the point of laughter watching the two generals bicker. With a smile, he intervened, "Let us have no more noise from the two generals for the moment. Let us first hear the sensible words of Old General Yu."

Prudent and steady by nature, Yu Zhongwen had remained silent until now, but once Emperor Yang Guang spoke, he could no longer hold his tongue.

Stepping forward, he bowed toward Emperor Yang Guang and said, "This subordinate's opinion is that we should simultaneously fight and watch. Fight when we can fight, and accept surrender when surrender is possible. We must adapt to changing circumstances rather than cling rigidly to fixed plans, lest we lose our foresight."

Hearing this, Yuwen Shu grew displeased once more. He demanded sharply, "Old General Yu, pray tell, when is the appropriate time for battle? And when is the appropriate time to accept surrender? What if the timing is misjudged, and you end up engaging the enemy in a bloody fight when you ought to be accepting surrender, or conversely harbor thoughts of surrender when a bloody battle is required? Should such a miscalculation of the strategic moment lead to disaster, who shall bear the responsibility?"

Upon hearing Yu Zhongwen's insight, Emperor Yang Guang's eyes lit up. He declared, "I deem this proposal exceptionally sound! The battlefield is precisely like this—ever-changing. We cannot adhere to an immutable plan; only through adaptability can we achieve success!"

Seeing that the Emperor had spoken, Yuwen Shu fell silent, though a wave of regret washed over him. The atmosphere today felt rather strange; everyone else suddenly appeared several times smarter than he was.

Emperor Yang Guang continued, "Then let us discuss the next question: once Gao Yuan surrenders, who shall be appointed to garrison Pyongyang and guard this northernmost gateway for me?" With these words, he cast a meaningful glance toward Li Dong, who was standing quietly in the neglected corner.

"This subordinate requests permission to submit a memorial!" Seeing his opportunity arrive, Yuwen Shu abruptly stepped forward, bowed, and declared, "I nominate someone who is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for the task!"