novelAbuy Chapter 1479 Alliance Broken
Chapter 1479 Alliance Broken
Chapter 1479 Alliance Broken
In mid-October of the fourteenth year of Yanxi (251 AD), Changli.
Jia Chong, the Grand Secretary of the State of Wei, dispatched an envoy carrying cattle, wine, gold, and silk to the camp of the Xianbei Buyou tribe.
Mu Yan, the leader of the Buyao tribe, sat on a tiger-skin felt mat, flanked by fierce wolf guards.
The Wei envoy presented a list of gifts:
“Great Chanyu, our Great Wei General always keeps his promises. Now that Liaodong has been pacified, we have come to fulfill our commitment.”
"First, the Liaoxi Commandery, which was occupied by the Gongsun clan, now belongs to the Chanyu. The Han people within the commandery are at the Chanyu's disposal."
"Second, the Xiongnu may take all the grain, silk and women that Changli has captured with him."
"Third, a memorial was presented to the emperor, who conferred upon the Chanyu the title of Duke of Liaoxi and granted him the authority to establish his own government and be treated as a Grand Master of the Three Departments."
Mu Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this. He stepped off the tiger-skin rug and performed the Han salute, saying, "General Sima is a man of integrity!"
He immediately ordered:
Within three days, all the grain, cloth, and women plundered from Changli were loaded onto carts and the tribes were moved westward in batches to Liaoxi. The old and weak were left in their original grasslands, while the able-bodied were all moved to Liaoxi.
When the members of the Buyao tribe heard their leader's order, the whole tribe was in an uproar and cheered.
They drove a fully loaded oxcart, with the kidnapped Han Chinese women sitting on horseback, singing all the way.
One of the tribal elders sighed:
"The Han people often say, 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.' Now the Wei people are actually keeping their word... that's quite rare."
Mu Yan, mounted on his horse, looked smug and laughed loudly:
"We have been allied with Wei for many years, when have we ever suffered a loss?"
He looked around at everyone and continued:
“In the past, when Tuoba Li was weak, he repeatedly requested to move his tribe to Liaoxi, but he never got his wish until his death.”
"Now look at us—" Mu Yan waved his whip, "We robbed Changli to get grain, took Liaoxi to get land, have a place to roost in winter, and pastures in spring."
Everyone was impressed.
Mu Yan stroked his beard with satisfaction and sighed:
"This is exactly what they mean by choosing the right path is more important than exerting effort, and attaching oneself to a powerful force is better than being self-reliant!"
Just as the Xianbei people were preparing to migrate to western Liaoning as a whole, Jia Chong, far away in Xiangping, received an envoy sent by the royal palace of Goguryeo.
Gao You, a high-ranking official of Goguryeo, entered Xiangping City and met Sima Zhou and Jia Chong. He arrogantly declared:
"My king sent me to ask: Now that Wei has captured Xiangping, when will it send troops to help me take Xi'anping?"
"We swore an oath on the seashore, saying, 'Let us jointly attack Liaodong and divide its territory.' Now that Liaodong has been conquered, we should fulfill our promise!"
Jia Chong slowly sipped the ginger tea to warm himself, and after a while, he said:
"You may not know this, but our army has been fighting hard for over a month. Our soldiers are exhausted and our supplies are running low. We urgently need to rest and recuperate."
"Moreover, the original agreement was to 'jointly attack Liaodong,' and now Liaodong has been attacked and the Gongsun clan has been destroyed, so the agreement has been fulfilled."
"As for the ownership of Xi'an Ping... it seems it wasn't included in the original agreement?"
Gao You angrily retorted, "Minister Jia! Xi'an is the northeastern gate of Liaodong, how can it not be considered Liaodong?"
Jia Chong smiled and said, "Don't be in such a hurry. Once our army has rested and reorganized, we will... devise a long-term plan."
Upon hearing Jia Chong's excuse, Gao You's expression changed drastically. He took a step forward, and his voice suddenly rose:
"Lord Jia! Does your statement mean that the Great Wei intends to break the alliance?"
He surveyed the Wei generals in the hall, his gaze sharp as a knife:
"Long ago, on the coast, your envoy, holding imperial credentials, swore an oath: 'Together we will attack Liaodong, divide its territory, and forever be brotherly nations.'"
"I, Wang Xinzhi, have just dispatched 5,000 elite troops to attack Xi'an and Ping'an for over a month, suffering thousands of casualties and consuming countless amounts of grain!"
"Now that Xiangping has fallen and the Gongsun clan has been destroyed, your country claims that 'the agreement has been fulfilled'—is this not tantamount to crossing the river and then burning the bridge, breaking your promise for your own benefit?!"
The Wei generals all changed color and placed their hands on their sword hilts.
Sima Zhou was about to speak, but Jia Chong raised his hand to stop him.
Jia Chong put down his teacup, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile:
"You've put too much importance on it."
"I ask you, Da Jia, to recall carefully. Wasn't the original alliance written in black and white: 'Together we will attack the Gongsun clan of Liaodong'?"
"Now that Gongsun Xiu has committed suicide by self-immolation in Xiangping, the Liaodong regime has been destroyed, and the alliance has indeed been fulfilled."
He stood up and looked directly at Gao You:
"As for 'dividing the land'... has Dajia considered this carefully: how should the land be divided?"
"Should we cut it like a melon and give each person half? Or should we reward them according to the number of troops they contributed, based on their merits?"
"If we're talking about merits—" Jia Chong's smile turned cold, "Our Great Wei advanced by land and water, breaking through Tajin, capturing Wen County, conquering Pingguo, and taking Xiangping, beheading generals and seizing cities. The credit goes to me."
"Goguryeo attacked Xi'an, but failed to capture it after more than a month, and instead suffered heavy losses... With such 'achievements,' they dare to demand land?"
Gao You trembled with rage: "Jia Chong! You...!"
"Hey, Da Jia, don't be in such a hurry." Jia Chong suddenly changed to a gentler tone. "Our Great Wei is a land of propriety, how could we mistreat our allies?"
"How about this? I can make the decision on behalf of the General: Goguryeo has been besieging Xi'an for a long time without success. If they are worried about insufficient supplies, Xiangping can provide 10,000 bushels as a token of their sincerity. What do you think?"
Gao You glared fiercely at Jia Chong, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
If he could, he would have loved to turn on them on the spot.
However, the few thousand Goguryeo soldiers were isolated in Liaodong, their supplies were running out, and they were no match for the Wei army.
Furthermore, with heavy snow approaching, if the army is attacked from both sides by the Wei army and the garrison in Xi'an, the entire army may be wiped out.
After a long silence, Gao You squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth:
"Master Jia...you have some impressive skills."
"On behalf of my king, I thank the Great Wei for their 'generous gift'!"
He bowed deeply, then turned and stormed off in a huff.
After Gao You left, Sima Zhou frowned and said:
"Lord Jia, treating allies this way is... I fear..."
"Allies?" Jia Chong sneered. "Barbarians are beasts; they will submit when full and betray when hungry."
"Give an inch today, and they'll demand a foot tomorrow. It's better to cut off their thoughts and prevent future trouble."
He gazed at Gao You's departing figure outside the tent:
"Moreover... Goguryeo will find it difficult to recover its strength in a short period of time after this defeat."
"Once our Great Wei has digested Liaodong and prepared its navy, the next target will be it."
Three secret envoys were immediately dispatched:
The first group went to Xi'an and the messenger was a former general who had surrendered to Gongsun Xiu. He carried Gongsun Xiu's sword and seal and met with the garrison commander, Gongsun Mo.
"General Gongsun, Xiangping has fallen, and the King has set himself on fire. The Wei general said: If you surrender, your entire clan will be spared, and you will be granted the title of Marquis within the Pass; if you resist, your clan will be exterminated the day the city falls."
Gongsun Mo held his sword for a long time, then sighed, "The Gongsun clan is extinct. For whom shall I guard this place?"
They then opened the city gates and surrendered.
The second route went to Daifang County, and the messenger brought treasures from the Xiangping treasury to meet with Wang Jian, the governor of Daifang:
"The prefect has long served on the frontier, and his merits have been great, but his rewards have been meager. Now, General Wei has promised him the title of marquis..."
Upon learning that Gongsun Mo had surrendered, Wang Jian immediately agreed.
Upon hearing that the city of Lelang had already surrendered, and realizing that the isolated city was difficult to defend, they also surrendered.
-
When the Wei flag was raised atop Anping City, Gao You had not yet returned to Anping City.
Upon receiving news from his tent that the flags on the walls of Pingcheng in Xi'an had been changed, the Goguryeo king abruptly rose to his feet, his armor clanging loudly.
He strode out of the tent and looked north. He saw a large black banner with the character "Wei" fluttering wildly in the autumn wind atop Pingcheng in Xi'an.
"A Wei person!"
Wei Gong's eyes widened in fury, and the riding whip in his hand snapped in two with a "crack":
"If you won't help me break through the city, fine, but you dare to take advantage of my army's exhaustion and steal the city!"
The generals on both sides angrily drew their swords.
The lieutenant urgently advised: "Your Majesty, our army has been besieging the city for over a month, and our arrows are almost exhausted, with our soldiers wounded..."
"Shut up!" Wei Gong roared. "Send an envoy to the city immediately! Ask that Wei general how dare he break the alliance and seize territory!"
A rider galloped to the foot of Pingcheng in Xi'an, and the messenger on horseback shouted in broken Mandarin:
"Listen up, Wei general on the city wall! My king has a question: As an ally, why have you seized a friendly city? Open the city gates immediately and return Xi'an Ping to its rightful owner!"
The city was silent.
After a long pause, a Wei army strategist peered out from behind the crenellations and said in a cold voice:
"This city was surrendered to Wei by Gongsun Mo, a former general of the Gongsun clan. How can it be described as 'seized'?"
"You have been besieging the city for over a month without success, but you surrendered the moment our army arrived—this is the will of Heaven that belongs to Wei!"
The messenger called out again: "You treacherous scoundrel! Do you dare to leave the city and fight?"
The only response he received was the sound of crossbows being nocked and drawn from the city walls.
Upon seeing this, the envoy had no choice but to return to his camp in a huff.
When Wei Gong saw that there was no movement at the city gate, and then heard the messenger's report, his face turned ashen.
An old general whispered, "Your Majesty, snow is coming this winter, and the army's provisions are insufficient. If we launch a full-scale attack..."
"How could I not know!" Wei Gong gritted his teeth. "However, Xi'an is the northeastern gateway to Liaodong. If we gain control of the Yalu River, we will lose it... Goguryeo will never have a chance to expand southward!"
But when he looked around at his generals and saw that they all looked weary and their armor was stained with blood, he finally sighed and said, "Enough! Enough!"
The next day, Gao You rushed back from Xiangping. When he entered the tent, his face was ashen and his armor was covered in dust.
Wei Gong asked urgently, "How is it? What did the Wei people say?"
Gao You knelt on the ground, his voice trembling:
"Your Majesty... The people of Wei say: 'The land of Liaodong belongs to the virtuous. As for the alliance... Jia Chong says: 'We once agreed to jointly attack Gongsun, but now that Gongsun has been destroyed, the alliance shall naturally end.'"
The tent was deathly silent.
At this moment, Gao You took out a scroll of silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands, saying, "This is a letter from Jia Chong to Your Majesty."
The palace maid slowly unfurled the silk scroll, revealing Jia Chong's own handwriting on it:
"King of Goguryeo, in the Battle of Liaodong, the Great Wei has already captured Xiangping and destroyed the Gongsun clan. If Your Majesty is wise, you should withdraw your troops and make peace, and Wei will surely treat you generously."
"If we insist on fighting for Xiping, we fear that we will suffer heavy losses and waste the country's resources. I hope Your Majesty will be cautious."
"Snapped!"
Wei Gong slammed the silk scroll to the ground, threw his head back and laughed loudly, the laughter shrill and mournful.
"What a fine 'the virtuous shall rule'! What a fine 'the alliance is over'! What a fine 'withdrawal of troops and reconciliation'!"
He staggered out of the tent and looked once more toward Pingcheng in Xi'an:
"That's it...that's it!"
"From beginning to end, Wei was merely feigning an alliance, offering land in exchange for the benefit of both Goguryeo and Gongsun Xiu!"
"Once Gongsun Xiu's northern front collapses, the Wei army will launch a surprise attack from the sea, capturing Tajin and Xiangping..."
"Now that I have suffered heavy losses and wasted resources, holding back Gongsun Xiu's main force for Wei, my usefulness is over, so I will kick him aside!"
With each word he spoke, the generals in the tent paled a little more.
The old general said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty means... that from the very beginning, the State of Wei intended to annex Liaodong for itself?"
"Not just Liaodong!" Wei Gong laughed bitterly, "Sima Zhao might even want my Goguryeo!"
"Very well! So in his eyes, Goguryeo, Gongsun Xiu, Xianbei, the Three Hans... are all just pawns!"
"Excellent!"
“Your subject is here.” Gao You stepped forward.
"Go to Xiangping again and meet with Sima Zhou and Jia Chong," Wei Gong said through gritted teeth. "Just ask them one question: 'Does Wei intend to sever its alliance with Goguryeo?'"
He unfastened the precious sword from his waist and threw it in front of Gao You:
"If the Wei people continue to evade responsibility... then I will use this sword to cut the table as a vow: from this day forward, Goguryeo and Wei are severing all ties!"
With tears in his eyes, Gao You picked up his sword, mounted his horse, and led ten personal guards on a gallop towards Xiangping.
Standing before the independent battalion of Weigong, gazing at the glaring Wei flag on the head of Pingcheng in Xi'an, I suddenly felt the biting autumn wind.
The lieutenant asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, if Wei still does not return..."
After a long silence, Wei Gong slowly said:
"Then...reorganize the army and return home."
"But this grudge," his eyes gleamed with icy coldness, "must be avenged in blood!"
-
Gao You sped along the road, re-entering Xiangping, and stormed straight into the prefect's office.
He was still in his armor, covered in dust, and when he stormed into the main hall, he brought with him a chilling aura.
In the hall, Jia Chong was reviewing documents when he heard the sound and looked up.
Gao You stood with his hand on his knife, his voice as firm as iron.
"Master Jia! The Wei flag flies high above Pingcheng in Xi'an—what does this mean?!"
Jia Chong slowly put down the letter, feigning surprise:
"Oh? Is that so? Perhaps Gongsun Mo saw that the situation was hopeless and took the initiative to surrender. This is the will of Heaven to rule Wei, and it is beyond human power to change."
Gao You gritted his teeth and took a step forward:
"In that case, please, Wei, honor the treaty and return Xi'an to Goguryeo!"
Jia Chong composed himself, his tone turning cold:
“You are mistaken. The land under heaven belongs to the virtuous and the capable.”
"Since Xi'an Ping has surrendered to the Great Wei, it is now the territory of the Great Wei. How can we possibly give it back after gaining it?"
"The alliance of yesteryear only said 'to jointly attack Liaodong,' without mentioning the ownership of the land. Now that Liaodong has been pacified, we are even."
Gao You's eyes were bloodshot, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Lord Jia, do you dare to act on behalf of the Grand General?"
Jia Chong remained silent, his gaze fixed on the nine-pronged staff in the hall—a staff personally bestowed by Sima Zhao, its insignia a testament to the man himself.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Gao Youlian said "Good" three times and then gripped the knife hilt tightly with his right hand.
"Qiang——!"
The seven-jeweled golden sword bestowed upon him by the palace was drawn from its sheath in an instant.
"Qiang! Qiang! Qiang!"
The guards outside the hall instantly drew their swords and rushed in, a dozen or so ring-pommel swords pointing directly at Gao You.
Jia Chong raised his hand to stop the guards from immediately taking down Gao You.
Gao You kept in mind the instructions given by the palace before his departure:
"If the Wei people continue to evade responsibility... then I will use this sword to cut the table as a vow: from this day forward, Goguryeo and Wei are severing all ties!"
He looked around the hall—the table was right next to Jia Chong, but the guards had formed a human wall around it.
The case cannot be closed.
Gao You suddenly turned around, raised his golden sword high, and slashed it down fiercely at the supporting wooden pillar in the hall!
"Crack——!"
The blade pierced the wood three inches deep, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
The entire hall trembled, and dust fell from the beams.
He drew his sword, turned around, and pointed the tip at Jia Chong, the sound echoing through the roof tiles:
"That being the case——"
"On behalf of my king, I swear here: From this day forward, Goguryeo and Wei—all ties are severed!"
The four characters, as firm as iron, echoed in the empty hall.
Jia Chong's face twitched slightly, but he still forced himself to remain calm:
"Great Jia...why did it come to this?"
Gao You did not answer.
He sheathed his sword with a backhand motion, the scabbard clanging against his armor, and strode out of the hall.
Outside the hall, heavy snow was falling, covering the streets and alleys of Xiangping.
Gao You mounted his horse, followed closely by ten personal guards.
Horse hooves trampled the snow in front of the prefect's mansion, splashing up icy mud.
Upon reaching the city gate, he reined in his horse and looked back at the majestic city tower of Xiangping.
The guard asked in a low voice, "Great Khan, after returning to the country... how should we report to the King?"
Gao You remained silent for a long time before slowly saying:
Then he said—
"The Wei people are untrustworthy; the alliance has been broken."
Having said that, he whipped his horse and the group rushed out of the city gate, disappearing into the vast snow.
Inside Xiangping City, in the main hall of the prefect's mansion, the wooden pillars still bear knife marks, as deep as the wounds of a broken alliance.
Sima Zhou frowned and said, "Lord Jia, isn't this... a bit too much?"
Jia Chong stood up, walked to the pillar, ran his fingers over the knife marks, and slowly said:
“Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue.”
"Xi'an is the key to Liaodong and controls the mouth of the Yalu River. How can we cede it to barbarians?"
"Moreover, Goguryeo is greedy and ruthless, and has long coveted Liaodong. If Xi'an is pacified, they will surely try to take over the entire Liaodong region, which will cause endless trouble in the future."
"Now that the Xianbei have taken over Liaoxi, if we let Goguryeo take over Xi'an and Ping, then Liaodong will be in danger of being attacked from both sides by the Xianbei and Goguryeo."
"It is better to make him swear an oath by cutting the pillar here today than to make him cut my flag on the battlefield tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Sima Zhou remained silent.
Jia Chong turned around and gave the order:
"Order the four gates to be on high alert to prevent Goguryeo spies from causing trouble."
"Send another message to King Hai of Tajin: If the navy patrols the mouth of the Yalu River and sees a Goguryeo fleet, do not ask for orders; sink it immediately!"
Outside the hall, the snow fell harder and the wind raged fiercer.