Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 450 Two Arrows
Xue Rengui had no good solution when facing Pyongyang's defense line.

Especially now, they don't even have decent siege equipment.

Their situation was different from that of Liu Rengui's troops. When Liu Rengui's troops were preparing, they were already making simple siege equipment, and catapults, cannonballs and other items could be transported directly from Baekje.

Therefore, when they arrived in Pyongyang, they had the capital to attack the city immediately.

However, Xue Rengui came from Liaodong over mountains and rivers and did not have any decent siege equipment. It was obviously a pipe dream for him to attack the Pyongyang defense line.

No matter what, the Chief Engineer must rush to produce all kinds of siege equipment, which will take at least half a month.

At this time, hearing that Quan was willing to take the risk to persuade Pyongyang to surrender, he also thought it was worth a try.

Whether it succeeds or not is another matter, but it is better than just waiting and doing nothing.

"Alright!" Xue Rengui thought for a moment and said, "Your identity is special. Even if you fail to persuade the enemy to surrender, you can still disrupt the enemy's morale. However, because of this, if the enemy does not want to surrender, they will most likely want to kill you. It is not safe to go there."

Quan Nansheng knew this and said calmly, "My Quan family feels so ashamed of Goguryeo. If we can really achieve peace, we don't mind the slight risks."

"What a spirit!"

Xue Rengui praised him and said, "General Quan has such courage, so I will guarantee your safety."

"No!"

Quan Nansheng hurried to stop him. Xue Rengui's martial arts were unquestionable, but he was going to negotiate, not fight, and he would not be accompanied by too many people.

Xue Rengui had a special status, he was the commander of Liaodong Road. If the generals and soldiers of Goguryeo saw him, it would be bad if they had any bad intentions.

Two fists cannot defeat four hands. No matter how strong Xue Rengui's martial arts are, he cannot stop thousands of troops.

It's no big deal if I die, but if Xue Rengui dies here, the matter will never be resolved peacefully.

Quan Nansheng said, "General Manager Xue is the leader of an army. He is responsible for the safety of thousands of soldiers. How can he risk his life so easily? Besides, if General Manager Xue really wants to go with us, there is no guarantee that the soldiers in the city will not have any concerns."

"No problem!" Xue Rengui said, "I'll just change into my personal guards' uniform. How can I tell them apart at a distance of hundreds of steps?"

Xue Rengui had made up his mind and would not allow Quan Nansheng to refuse.

Quan Nansheng was deeply moved and called his confidants to deliver the message.

Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan, who received the letter from Quan Nansheng, were gathered together and cursing.

When Yuan Nanjian heard that Quan Nansheng had arranged to meet them outside the city to talk, he was so angry that he immediately started to curse: "This traitor even changed his last name to please the Tang people. How dare he come here?"

Yuan Nanchan was also indignant and cursed: "Father was angered to death by Chen Qingsi. He actually surrendered to the enemy who killed my father. What a shameless man."

No wonder the two were so angry.

Because of Xue Rengui's appearance, the atmosphere in Pyongyang is now extremely depressing.

When Liu Rengui's troops were at the gate of the city, Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan didn't really care, as this situation was within their expectations.

The border of Baekje was too close to their capital Pyongyang, and the southern army was the weakest, making it unable to resist the attack of the Tang army.

Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan did not expect that the southern Lisa would be able to resist Liu Rengui.

The existence of the Southern Army is only to give Pyongyang more time to prepare, so that the entire Pyongyang defense line can have time to fortify its defenses, clear the fields, and initiate defensive measures to prevent the Tang Army from advancing straight in and depriving them of a chance to prepare.

As long as they can gain this little time, the Southern Army's mission will be accomplished.

Liu Rengui's troops approaching the city did not cause much psychological pressure on Pyongyang.

The entire Goguryeo people were fully confident in the entire Pyongyang defense line.

But the appearance of Xue Rengui was different.

The entire northwest defense line was built by Goguryeo for the Liaodong Army of the Tang Dynasty. The three Lisa tribes in the north were Goguryeo's most elite troops.

Xue Rengui's arrival in Pyongyang meant that he had penetrated Goguryeo's entire northwest defense line, and the entire north of Goguryeo might fall.

Pyongyang became an isolated city.

As the current rulers of Goguryeo, Yeon Nam-geon and Yeon Nam-chan are well aware that Pyongyang's defense line is not perfect and has its own shortcomings.

It’s a mountain city!
Advantages are indestructible and difficult to destroy by external force.

However, because it is a mountain city, there are no extra fields in the city and it cannot be self-sufficient. Once it becomes an isolated city and lacks external support, it will collapse over time.

In the past, Goguryeo would store large amounts of food and supplies in caves in various mountain cities to cope with this inherent shortage.

But because of Chen Qingsi's existence, this evil thief has been sending troops to harass their fields in the waters of the Taedong River, resulting in a significant reduction in their grain harvest.

The national food supply is somewhat insufficient, and the food supply on the Pyongyang defense line is far less abundant than before.

This isolated city, without any external support, can only last for two years at most.

The original plan of Yeon Nam-geon and Yeon Nam-chan was to use the northwest defense line to resist the Liaodong Army and the Pyongyang defense line to resist Liu Rengui's Baekje Army.

In this way, they can maintain normal operations in the northeastern territory and supply food and supplies to both places.

Now everything is in vain.

In the eyes of Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan, the culprit of all this was naturally the good brother who gave the northern defense line to the Tang army.

The two men cursed at each other, and Yuan Nanchan suddenly realized that he hadn't replied yet, so he shouted, "No, brothers like us won't meet with traitors."

"slow!"

Yuan Nanjian raised his hand to stop him and asked, "How did the soldiers in the outer city react to the traitor?"

Within Goguryeo, they mostly used the simplest terms to represent their three-city and one palace system of their defense line, namely the outer city, middle city, inner city, and Anhak Palace.

"Somewhat shaken..."

The visitor told the truth.

Yuan Nanjian was so angry that he punched Xi Ju and said, "I knew it."

What exactly was the internal change in Goguryeo? From ministers and generals to soldiers and civilians, who didn't know?

Quan Nansheng who lived outside the city was the legitimate heir of Da Molizhi. It was Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan who took advantage of Quan Nansheng's absence to inspect the local military region to launch a rebellion, control Pyongyang, and thus gain power.

Quan Nansheng has now defected to the Tang court and is indeed a traitor to Goguryeo, but what qualifications do Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan have to accuse them?
Aren't they the ones who pushed Quan boys to the situation they are in today?

Yuan Nanjian cursed inwardly. Their father had been wholeheartedly supporting Quan Nansheng, which led to Quan Nansheng's high prestige in Pyongyang.

They have tried hard to clean up the remnants over the years, but they have never been able to eradicate them completely.

This is also related to the national conditions of Goguryeo. When Quan Nansheng succeeded to the throne, the situation of Goguryeo had not collapsed. As the brothers turned against each other and attacked each other, the Tang army imposed blockades and sanctions.

The already precarious political situation collapsed completely.

In this situation, no one will investigate the reasons, they will just think that Yuan Nanjian and Yuan Nanchan are incompetent and far inferior to Quan Nansheng.

Such voices have been common in Pyongyang in recent years, and many people already feel that it is a mistake to assist the two brothers.

"We can't let that traitor shake the morale of the army!"

Yuan Nanjian looked at his younger brother, a hint of cruelty flashing in his eyes.

Pyongyang’s strength, apart from the food problem, is due to its internal collapse.

No matter how strong a fortress is, it cannot withstand internal erosion.

Quan Nansheng was the key figure who could stir up internal turmoil... After sending away the city guards who had reported the incident, when only the two brothers were left, Yuan Nanjian whispered, "Anyone can surrender, except you and I. Don't forget that you also contributed to the killing of my nephew. If we really surrender, do you think he will ignore the revenge of killing his son? Let us go?"

Yuan Nanchan's body trembled slightly and his face turned pale.

Yuan Nanjian explained in a low voice: "He must die... If he dies, Pyongyang City can be defended at best. If it cannot be defended, we still have the capital for negotiation. The Tang people will not settle accounts with us just for a dead person!"

Yuan Nanchan's expression changed from hesitation to determination, and he asked, "What should we do?"

Yuan Nanjian spoke in a low voice, word by word: "We are like this..."

Listening to Yuan Nanjian's devilish words, Yuan Nanchan nodded heavily.

Outside Pyongyang.

Quan Nansheng looked up at the outer city of Pyongyang, waiting anxiously.

Xue Rengui was right behind Quan Nansheng at the moment. He followed Quan Nansheng to persuade him to surrender. In addition to protecting the other party's safety, he also had another purpose that was not made clear.

Take this opportunity to take a close look at the situation in Pyongyang and look for loopholes in the attack.

Now they were two hundred steps outside Pyongyang. Because it was a mountain city, they looked up at the entire city and saw most of the city’s defenses.

The entire defense line of Pyongyang City is built on high ground. Their city towers, towers, and arrow towers are not high, but they are all built at high points, putting the attacking party in an unfavorable situation of attacking from above at all times.

"Goguryeo is really good at defense! This Pyongyang is really like a turtle..."

Xue Rengui thought to himself.

The entire Pyongyang defense line looks desperate from a distance, and it is even more desperate when you look at it up close.

"coming!"

Quan Nansheng suddenly gave a reminder, then looked at the two figures that appeared on the city wall with a complicated expression.

Even though they were far apart and couldn't see each other's faces due to the distance between them, Quan still recognized them at a glance.

A painful expression appeared on his face...

Thinking of his son and his current situation, he was filled with hatred, but if he could really persuade the other party to surrender, should he continue to seek revenge?

It was precisely because he didn't know the answer that he felt particularly painful.

At this moment, the two sides were too far apart to communicate at all.

Quan Nansheng walked forward step by step and came within the range of an arrow. He did not hesitate and moved forward again to within eighty steps.

"Traitor, you still have the nerve to come here. Are you worthy of your father who died with his eyes wide open?"

Yuan Nanjian's voice spread downward from the city wall, and the soldiers on all sides and Quan Nansheng could hear it clearly.

Yuan Nanjian slandered Quan Nansheng with the charge of defecting to the Tang Dynasty, and now Quan Nansheng has been convicted of this crime.

By saying this now, he was also making it clear to the generals and soldiers in Pyongyang that it was not Yuan Nanjian who slandered his elder brother, but that the other party had indeed become a running dog of the Tang Dynasty.

Quan Nansheng was obviously unwilling to discuss this issue any further. He said loudly, "It's pointless to say this now. The Chinese army has gathered here. Dandong has fallen. Pyongyang is now an isolated city without any support. Pyongyang is not easy to capture, but it doesn't need to be captured. As long as you surround it without attacking, you can only hold out for a year and a half at most."

Quan Nansheng was trained by Yeon Gaesomun since he was a child, and he also had a certain level of military ability. In history, he once relied on the Yalu River to resist the attack of Qibi Heli, a famous foreign general of the Tang Dynasty, and fought back and forth with him.

He knew more about Pyongyang than Yeonnam-geon and Yeonnam-chan.

Of course, I know the shortcomings of Pyongyang City and the economic situation of Goguryeo itself...

Yuan Nanjian, who was far away, heard this and twitched his mouth. He shouted in a low voice: "Do it!"

The bowstring vibrated, and an arrow flew into the air and hit Quan Nansheng in the face.

Quan Nansheng looked at the fatal arrow shot by his own brother, stunned.

A huge force from the side pushed him down.

Xue Rengui cursed: "Beast!"

He took off the family heirloom iron bow behind him, bent the bow, put an arrow on it, and shot an arrow at the person who was shooting the arrow.

The arrow shot by Xue Rengui flew upward from bottom to top, like a meteor flashing by.

The friction between the arrow and the air made a sound of cutting the air.

Yuan Nanchan shot an arrow with an abnormal expression. After all, that man was his brother from the same mother. There was a difference between betrayal and doing it yourself.

Even someone with a strong character like Li Shimin was so determined when he shot the arrow at Li Jiancheng, and so embarrassed when he let himself fall to the ground due to a tree branch, allowing Li Yuanji to snatch his bow and almost strangle him to death.

If his mentality wasn't unbalanced, how could his riding and archery skills be so bad?

When Yuan Nanchan shot the arrow, his head buzzed.

Before he could make any movement, he felt his whole body flying up, a huge force coming from his throat, and he fell heavily on his back to the ground.

Yuan Nanjian widened his eyes, wanting to see his brother, whom he had hated since childhood, die in front of him...

As the man was kicked down, Yuan Nanjian didn't have time to regret. He saw a strong wind passing by and then his brother fell on his back.

Yuan Nanjian was also frightened by this sudden change. Like a robot, he slowly turned his head and looked at his brother in disbelief, looking at the scarlet arrow feather stuck in the middle of his throat.

At the moment he lost consciousness, the same vermilion arrow feather pierced Yuan Nanjian's neck on the right side.

Yuan Nanjian fell to the ground sideways...

The arrow pierced his neck and destroyed his ability to speak. He opened his mouth and looked at Yuan Nanchan who had already died, then closed his eyes unwillingly.

quiet……

There was silence.

The entire outer city wall of Pyongyang was in deathly silence, and everyone was stunned by these two terrifying arrows.

This distance, this firing rate, this power...

Is this really a bow and arrow, not a crossbow?

Time passed by little by little, and suddenly it was like a bolt of thunder struck in a clear sky.

The soldiers on the towers of Pyongyang's outer city were like boiling water, screaming in horror and fleeing in all directions.

The city gate slowly opened.

Xue Rengui took back his 10-stone iron bow that was as powerful as a sniper rifle, looked at the slowly opening city gate, and thought to himself: "Oh no! They are coming out to seek revenge!"

Xue Rengui helped the still shocked Quan Nansheng up and tried to escape, but found that no soldiers rushed out of the city gate. Only some soldiers were kneeling inside the city gate.

Two arrows!

The three arrows that were not shot at Tianshan Mountain now turned into two arrows under the city of Pyongyang...

Like a meteor passing by, it destroyed the faith of the soldiers in Pyongyang City...

Two arrows!

Dinghai East.

(End of this chapter)