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Choi Minho knelt beside Jang Gidu's lifeless body, his expression unreadable. "You were a loyal servant of Goguryeo," he said quietly, almost to himself. "But loyalty is a fragile thing in times like these." He then stood and turned to the soldiers. "Clean this up. Make it look convincing. The official story must hold."
The soldiers nodded and set to work, arranging the bodies and the evidence to support the fabricated narrative. When they were finished, the scene was perfect, a drunken brawl between two corrupt officers, ending in mutual destruction.
As Choi Minho left the room, his mind was already turning to the next phase of the plan. The death of Jang Gidu would create a power vacuum within the military, one that Yeon Gaesomun would be all too eager to fill.
And with Yeon Gaesomun leading the charge against Xiangping, the stage would be set for the final act of Sima Yi's grand design for Lie Fan.
Outside, the night was dark and silent, the city of Gungnae unaware of the treachery that had just unfolded within its walls. But the storm was coming, and Goguryeo would soon find itself caught in the crossfire of a war it could not win.
Meanwhile, outside the walls of Gungnae, under the cover of a moonless night, Yeon Gaesomun stood atop a makeshift platform, addressing the assembled Goguryeo army. The air was thick with tension, the kind that precedes a storm.
Before him stretched a sea of soldiers, 150,000 strong, their armor glinting faintly in the dim light of torches. The soldiers stood in disciplined ranks, their faces a mixture of determination and unease.
They had been summoned abruptly, pulled from their barracks and homes, and now they waited for the man they once revered as their general to speak.
Yeon Gaesomun's presence was commanding, his voice carrying across the silent field with a power that demanded attention. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity, his words dripping with passion and anger.
"Soldiers of Goguryeo!" he began, his voice echoing through the night. "Tonight, we march not for glory, not for conquest, but for justice! For too long, we have been betrayed by those who were supposed to lead us. Our king, the man we swore to protect, has turned his back on us. He has placed an untalented, corrupt fool like Jang Gidu at the helm of our military, a man who steals the wages meant for you, the brave men who defend this kingdom!"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the ranks, the soldiers' faces hardening as they listened. Yeon Gaesomun's words struck a chord, tapping into their frustrations and grievances.
"Jang Gidu," he continued, his voice rising, "is a puppet, a pawn of foreign powers. He cares not for Goguryeo, not for its people, not for you! He and King Sansang would rather appease Lie Fan, a foreign lord, than protect the very people they are sworn to serve. They have forgotten their duty, their honor, and their loyalty to this kingdom!"
The soldiers' murmurs grew louder, their anger palpable. Yeon Gaesomun's speech was a masterstroke, weaving together their shared frustrations and his own vendetta into a rallying cry.
"But we," he declared, his voice thundering, "we have not forgotten! We are the heart and soul of Goguryeo, the defenders of its people, the guardians of its future. And tonight, we will remind King Sansang and the world of our strength. We will strike at Xiangping, a symbol of Lie Fan's influence on Goguryeo, and show them that Goguryeo will not be cowed, will not be broken!"
The soldiers erupted in cheers, their voices rising in a deafening roar. Swords were brandished, spears thumped against the ground, and the air was filled with the sound of their defiance. Yeon Gaesomun's words had ignited a fire within them, a fire that would fuel their march and their fight.
But even as he stoked their anger, Yeon Gaesomun knew the reality of the battle ahead. "This will not be an easy fight," he warned, his tone sobering. "Xiangping is a well defended fortress. town, its soldiers well trained and well equipped. We must fight with discipline, with strategy, and with the will to survive. Do not throw your lives away recklessly. Fight for Goguryeo, fight for your families, and fight for the future of our kingdom!"
He paused, letting his words sink in. Then, with a final rallying cry, he shouted, "For Goguryeo and its people!"
The soldiers echoed his cry, their voices united in a thunderous roar. "For Goguryeo and its people!"
As the cheers subsided, Yeon Gaesomun stepped down from the platform, his mind already turning to the logistics of the march. It was then that Choi Minho approached, his expression calm but his eyes betraying a flicker of unease.
Yeon Gaesomun noticed his arrival and turned to him, his brow furrowed. "Choi Minho," he said, his tone sharp. "Where have you been? I was looking for you earlier."
Choi Minho bowed his head slightly, his voice steady as he replied, "My apologies, General. I was ensuring that our preparations remained hidden from Jang Gidu and King Sansang. We cannot afford to alert them before we are ready to move."
Yeon Gaesomun grunted in approval, his suspicion momentarily assuaged. "Good," he said. "We cannot afford any mistakes. Oversee the final preparations and ensure the army is ready to march at once. Time is of the essence."
Choi Minho nodded, his expression unreadable. "Understood, General. I will see to it immediately."
As Yeon Gaesomun walked away to prepare himself for the march, Choi Minho watched him go, a pang of guilt twisting in his chest. He had once admired Yeon Gaesomun, had once been loyal to him.
But now, he had betrayed him, not out of malice, but out of necessity. The promise of power, influence, and a better life for his family had swayed him, and he had chosen to serve a different master. He whispered an apology under his breath, a quiet plea for forgiveness that only he could hear.
Tens of minutes later, the Goguryeo army began its march toward Xiangping. The sound of tens of thousands of footsteps echoed through the night, a rhythmic drumbeat that signaled the beginning of a campaign that would change the course of history.
The soldiers moved with purpose, their torches casting flickering light on the path ahead. Despite their numbers, they moved with surprising discipline, a testament to Yeon Gaesomun's leadership and the training they had received under his command.
But no matter how carefully they tried to conceal their movements, an army of 150,000 men was impossible to hide entirely. As they moved through the outskirts of Gungnae, their presence was noticed by the city guards patrolling the area.
One guard, a young man named Park Yeon, froze in his tracks as he saw the endless column of soldiers passing by. His heart raced as he realized the magnitude of what he was witnessing. Without hesitation, he turned and ran back toward the city, his breath coming in short gasps as he raced to report what he had seen.
The news traveled quickly up the chain of command, each report more urgent than the last. By the time it reached King Sansang, the king was asleep in his chambers, his wife Queen Woo resting peacefully beside him.
The knock on the door was sharp and insistent, jolting the king awake. He sat up, his expression one of irritation as he called out, "What is the meaning of this disturbance?"
The door opened, and a palace eunuch entered, his face pale and his voice trembling. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing deeply, "I apologize for the intrusion, but I bring urgent news. The Goguryeo army has mobilized. They are marching toward Xiangping as we speak."
King Sansang's irritation vanished, replaced by a cold, sinking dread. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his mind racing. "What?" he demanded, his voice sharp. "Who gave the order? Who is leading them?"
The guard hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "It… it appears to be Yeon Gaesomun, Your Majesty."
The king's face turned ashen, his hands clenching into fists. "Yeon Gaesomun," he repeated, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "That traitor! How dare he defy my authority?"
Queen Woo, who had been awakened by the commotion, sat up and placed a calming hand on her husband's arm. "My lord," she said, her voice steady, "we must act quickly. If Yeon Gaesomun is leading the army, this is not just a rebellion, it is a direct challenge to your rule and such matter will have large impact on you authority."
King Sansang nodded, his mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan. "Summon the council," he ordered, his voice firm. "And send word to General Jang Gidu. We need to—"
The euncuh interrupted, his voice trembling. "Your Majesty, General Jang Gidu… he is dead. He and his vice general were found in his office, killed in what appears to be a drunken brawl."
The king's eyes widened in shock, his mind struggling to process the news. "Dead?" he repeated, his voice hollow. "How… how is this possible?"
Queen Woo's grip on his arm tightened, her expression one of grim determination. "This is no coincidence, my lord. Yeon Gaesomun has orchestrated this. He has removed Jang Gidu to seize control of the army. We must act now, before it is too late."
King Sansang took a deep breath, his mind clearing as the gravity of the situation settled over him. "You are right," he said, his voice filled with resolve. "Summon the council. We will not let Yeon Gaesomun destroy everything we have built."
As the palace eunuch rushed to carry out his orders, King Sansang stood, his expression one of steely determination but desperation and hopeless was gnawing on his heart, as the storm had arrived, and Goguryeo was on the brink of chaos.
The grand hall of Goguryeo's palace was a cacophony of voices, the air thick with tension and unease. The council had been summoned abruptly, their sleep interrupted by the urgent call of the king. As they filed into the hall, their faces were a mixture of confusion and concern.
Whispers of the army's mobilization had already spread among them when each of them arrived at the palace, but the details were scarce, and the implications were terrifying. The hall, usually a place of order and decorum, was now filled with the chaotic murmur of anxious advisors and officials as they were discussing about what happened..
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 33 (200 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0