Gold Tiger King - Ch. 5

The Battle of Yanmen

Rated E10+ Ten and Up

The sun fell softly on the rocky northeastern frontier. This land would later be known as Dai County of Shanxi. Emperor Yang was visiting the Yanmen Commandery accompanied by the empress, her brother, some officials including General Yuwen, six thousand cavalrymen, and four thousand infantrymen. The stage was set for the betrayal of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Shibi Khan, leader of the Göktürks, had amassed a great army from his own nation and Chinese separatists who foreran the later uprisings of an increasingly crumbling Sui dynasty. Luckily for the emperor, the Khagan’s wife, Princess Yicheng, was treated well by the empress and repaid them with a grave warning:

“The Lord Emperor’s subject, my husband Shibi Khan, rides to Yanmen in betrayal of his heavenly lord. I hope you receive this and are guided by Kyzaghan to a great victory or swift and safe escape.”

At word, the emperor’s party retreated to a fortified pass along the Great Wall. As the empress attempted to sooth Emperor Yang’s hysteria, her brother, Xiao Yu, informed a squad of messengers to break off and head for the Turkic capital.

“Inform the princess of the situation," he ordered the messengers. "As acting director of military affairs, hopefully she can order a retreat so we can escape.”

As the imperial party reached modern day Wujiayao, Xiao Yu’s messenger squad split and rode northwest to seek Yicheng’s help.

Finally, the emperor was escorted to the pass’s noble residence. General Yuwen’s force of about ten thousand evened out as it met with those who were posted at the pass. The Sui’s twenty-four armies lined the northern bank of the Yangtze River but were unprepared for war. So Yuwen sent out a call for anyone to join the army and rescue the emperor.

It wasn’t long after that they heard the roaring stampede of Shibi Khan’s army. Twenty thousand strong, his sword and bow wielding cavalry rode into Yanmen Commandery from modern day Daiyugocun. They surrounded the fortified pass and blockaded the emperor. The Khagan’s forces were strong, camping eight thousand of their men in a valley north of the pass. Six thousand guarded the western gate while another six thousand held the eastern gate. It was a dark day for the Sui, but the Göktürks would soon be met by a young lord and his rival with the warrior spirit.

#

Li Shimin and Long Yen-shu, now sixteen and seventeen respectively, rode side by side behind the duke and General Yun Dingxing. They camped in what would be known as Dougou Liang, four thousand strong. Another four thousand had already split off toward the east so they could attack from Fujiaping. Their scouts were able to reveal the Turkic army’s positioning to General Yun’s rescue force. Yun met with Li Yuan in the general’s tent to discuss his plan. Shimin stood outside to eavesdrop.

“Tomorrow, we will lead the main force up and around these westward mountains while the secondary force starts toward the enemy camp north of the pass,” General Yun growled. “Once we arrive, I’ll send out a company toward the western gate while we position on these two hills for an ambush.”

Shimin raises a brow upon hearing this.

“So the proceeding battle will attract their forces in the northward valley,” Yuan said.

“Precisely,” the general confirmed. “That’s when the secondary force will come up from these eastern hills and attack from behind.”

“And we wouldn’t have to worry about the forces at the east gate.”

“By the time they make it all the way around those hills, we’ll have already won.”

“Assuming your messenger makes it into the pass to inform General Yuwen of the plan. This all requires perfect execution.”

“I pray you left your doubt in Wugong.”

“Yes. My wife is taking good care of it.”

Suddenly, Shimin entered with a dramatic swat of the tent door flap.

“Put me in charge of the company,” he proudly commanded.

The duke choked on his words as he stomped towards his son. General Yun wheezed out a hearty laugh. Yuan grabbed his son by the arm and threw a quick slap to his face. Shimin was unfazed.

“Do not think your talent overrules the need to be respectful,” Yuan angrily whispered.

“I may be young, Jiangjun Ye,” Shimin said calmly as he bowed. “But under your leadership, Long Yen-shu and I will ensure tomorrow’s victory.”

The duke’s eyes widened as his lips pursed with rage. Shimin kept his eyes on the general. After a moment of silence, General Yun chuckled.

“I’ve heard your praises sung for the past two years, boy,” Yun said. “But who is this Long Yen-shu?”

“My son is confused, Lord General--” Yuan started.

“He is the only man I consider to be my equal,” Shimin declaratively interrupted. “If we ride together in charge of the diversionary company, the enemy will see two hundred as a thousand.”

The tent went quiet. Then the general spoke in a deep voice as rough as the rocky sands of the north.

“Tomorrow, we will save the Huangshang,” Yun proclaimed. “If you promise to learn some respect, I will put you and this Long Yen-shu at the head of the diversionary company.”

Li Yuan shut his eyes and sighed in embarrassment, letting go of his son’s arm.

“Thank you, Jiangjun Ye,” Shimin said with a bow.

After the young lord exited the tent, Yuan turned to the general and bowed as well.

“Forgive me and my son for his insolence,” the duke pleaded.

“We will all earn our forgiveness in the battle ahead,” Yun grunted. “Come. Let us discuss the formation of the ambush.”

“Yes, of course.”

Li Shimin strutted toward his tent with a haughty sneer on his face as his high collar cape blew in the wind.

#

As the sun crept up over Badaling, General Yun Dingxing and Duke Li Yuan led the main rescue force of four thousand spearmen and cavalry around the westward mountains to modern Dayugoucun. Yen-shu winced with discomfort as he rode next to Shimin. The young lord sat up straight, as calm as the early morning breeze. Yen-shu looked at him and smirked.

“Our first real battle,” he said. “I hope you can keep up.”

Shimin glared at his rival. Yen-shu smiled, his eyebrows reaching for the brim of his helmet. The young noble let out a snort as he failed to contain his laughter. The two snickered and giggled like school children. Their fellow soldiers looked at each other with raised brows and turned-down mouths.

“Quiet!” General Yun barked from the front. The two friends quickly shut their mouths and assumed their posture.

“Why don’t we make a game of it?” Shimin whispered.

“A game?” Yen-shu whispered back. “We’re a long way from home, Shimin.”

“And suddenly you want to be serious?”

“Alright, what’s the game?”

“Whoever kills the most wins.”

Yen-shu’s smile faded.

“Uh, yeah,” he chuckled. “Yes. That sounds like, uh...fun.”

“Your voice betrays your words.”

“I just realized that we’ve never actually killed anyone before.”

“Well, according to my brother, it doesn’t feel like killing when you’re in battle. He called it the ‘glaze of war’ in one of those poems he thinks are gifts from heaven. Honestly, I’d make a much better poet.”

“I hope Jiancheng’s right.”

Yen-shu reset his gaze on the road ahead. Shimin looked at his friend. Over the years, Yen-shu had been bulking up. He had already surpassed the young lord in height. He looked mighty in the green cord bound lamellar armor even for his age. Shimin saw courage in Yen-shu’s eyes. He wondered if that was something they shared.

Finally, the main force arrived at the valley road leading to the western gate of the pass. General Yun ordered his men to get in position for the ambush while Shimin and Yen-shu rode with a company of two hundred toward the gate.

“Are you ready, Long Yen-shu?” Shimin asked his greatest rival as they began their charge.

“Can’t stay on one leg forever,” Yen-shu replied.

“It’ll take more than wisdom to beat me, old friend. Hyah!”

And so rode Li Shimin’s diversionary company. The force of two hundred cavalry charged with a battle cry worthy of a thousand. Caught by surprise, the Göktürks at the western gate scrambled to their weapons and horses. The battle had begun.

Shimin wielded a decorated spear. Yen-shu readied his bow. Their company swiped at the outermost section of the western blockade. Yen-shu fired arrows into the crowd of their pursuers as they started riding back up the valley road. The diversion pulled about two thousand of Shibi Khan’s men off of the western gate.

Shimin and Yen-shu led the company into the valley. They nodded at each other before splitting in two. Shimin and a hundred of his men went up the western hill and joined his father. Yen-shu took the other hundred east and joined the general. Suddenly, the two thousand pursuers came into view at full speed. They rode into the valley, and General Yun let out a battle cry that shook the very world. To this day, his voice echoes across the northern lands of Shanxi.

The Göktürks were ambushed! Yuan and Shimin rode down from the west. Yun and Yen-shu from the east. It wasn’t long before the two thousand were crushed. Shimin weaved through horses and men alike, driving his spear into at least ninety men all on his own. Yen-shu fired his arrows like bolts of lightning into the enemy cavalry as well as those who were thrown from their horses. But this was only the beginning.

“The enemy now comes from both sides!” General Yun roared. “Steel yourselves men!”

Meanwhile, General Yuwen prepared to mobilize his forces within the pass. Emperor Yang put Xiao Yu and Pei Ju in charge of the counteroffensive forces. Yuwen had Xiao Yu lead four thousand of the best cavalry out the west gate while he and Pei Ju led the other six thousand to attack the enemy at the east gate.

Both gates burst open and out rode the imperial forces! Yuwen and Pei Ju were making easy work out of the Göktürks to the east. Xiao Yu cleaned up another two thousand at the west gate.

Down in the valley north of the pass, Shibi Khan mounted his horse. One of his soldiers handed the behemoth of a man his steel, winged helmet. Together with his force of eight thousand, the fierce Khagan rode to join the fight. However, they didn’t realize that another four thousand of General Yun’s rescue force were coming up behind them!

Shibi Khan hadn’t even arrived at the valley road before turning to see that almost half of his men weren’t present. He growled and let out a raucous battle cry as he led the remainder of his main force back toward their camp to free up their flank.

Back in the western valley, a wild arrow struck Shimin’s horse! The moment it started to fall, he leapt from the saddle. With a spin and a flip, he impaled one of the enemy ground soldiers with his spear. Horses still trampled all around him, some of them without riders. He looked around, breathing heavy as he assessed the situation. He saw Yen-shu fighting a brutish Göktürk. Shimin rushed to join him.

Yen-shu was push kicked to the ground. The brute raised his long handle mace to the sky and roared. He brought it down. Yen-shu rolled out, scooping up the hengdao sword he dropped. Before the brute lifted up his mace, Shimin drove his spear up into his torso through the underarm. The young noble flourished his weapon as the brute fell.

The two found themselves surrounded by about twenty Göktürks as the battle continued to rage. Yen-shu stood blade ready at Shimin’s back.

“I’m at over a hundred,” Shimin said.

“I lost count,” Yen-shu responded, out of breath.

“Then you lose.”

“I don’t care.”

The twenty men charged at the boys. Yen-shu spun and swiped low, cutting at the knees. Shimin twirled his spear around like a propeller, stabbing faces and sweeping the enemy off their feet. Yen-shu parried attacks from all sides, kicking and chopping to counter. Shimin aimed for precise openings in their lamellar. Yen-shu sliced and broke limbs. Shimin piked and gutted his foes. Yen-shu closed his eyes at the sight. Shimin reveled in the bloody rain.

Only one enemy remained, and he charged Yen-shu with a spear from behind.

“Yen-shu!” Shimin yelled.

The tiger cub turned just in time for the spear to spark along his abdominal plating. The Turkic soldier’s face was less than a foot away from Yen-shu’s. Then suddenly, Shimin’s spear came tunneling through the attacker’s face and out the back of his helmet. Yen-shu was frozen. Eyes twitching. He turned to Shimin who’d closed the distance, thrusting his spear into the enemy’s head. Yen-shu tried to blink the sweat and blood out of his eyes. Shimin pulled his spear out of the Turkic soldier’s face and put his hand on Yen-shu’s shoulder.

“The glaze of war,” Shimin said.

Yen-shu simply nodded and tapped his friend’s arm.

Meanwhile at Shibi Khan’s main camp, General Yun’s secondary force was obliterated by the Khagan. He still had over four thousand men standing against Yun’s now two thousand plus Xiao Yu’s little remaining forces. But suddenly, a messenger appeared on horseback and approached Shibi Khan. He told the Turkic leader that the princess was demanding he lift the siege and return to the capital as they were being attacked from the north. This was a lie.

Together with the help of Xiao Yu's cavalry, General Yun and Li Yuan finished off the remaining western gate Göktürks.

“I heard more coming in from the camp,” the duke remarked. “They may be waiting for us to pursue--”

“No,” the general interrupted. “Listen.”

Yun Dingxing, Li Yuan, Xiao Yu, Li Shimin, and Long Yen-shu watched as thousands of Turkic cavalrymen barreled past them and retreated north back towards their capital. Yun’s men cheered and laughed as they claimed victory. The general and the duke turned to see Shimin and Yen-shu limping toward them with their arms around each other. Yuan sighed and let out a laugh of relief.

“Your son has earned his forgiveness, Li Gong,” General Yun said. “So have you. So have I.”

Li Yuan cleared his throat and bowed in thanks.

Yen-shu started to fall. Shimin reached to catch him, but he was brought down as well. The two rivals laid next to each other in the rocky sand and patches of grass. Shimin turned to look at Yen-shu. He was asleep. Shimin laughed and closed his eyes as well.

TO BE CONTINUED