Chapter 690: Landing in Bohai
By the banks of the Mo River, the sounds of battle roared through the sky, blood flowed like rivers, and corpses covered the vast plains. Half-buried spears lay in the ground, along with broken bows and arrows intertwined with shattered bodies. Battle flags fluttered in the wind as this brutal battle neared its end.
The combined force of 170,000 troops from the Khitans, Xis, and Yans advanced with unstoppable momentum. After wiping out the Fuyu regime, they turned south, invaded the Changling region, and defeated the 20,000 Bohai defenders in the battle of Xiazhou. The army then crossed the Mo River, aiming at Xiande Prefecture, the prosperous capital of Bohai.
The Khitan forces’ goal was to capture Shangjing Longquan Prefecture, the capital of Bohai. Taking Longquan Prefecture meant capturing the entire Bohai kingdom.
Longquan Prefecture was located northeast of Xiande Prefecture, bordered by Tianmen Ridge to the west and Mount Changbai to the east, nestled within a narrow basin. To capture Longquan Prefecture, it was first necessary to take Xiande Prefecture, which became the last barrier to Shangjing Longquan Prefecture.
By this time, Silla had sent 70,000 troops into Bohai to form a coalition with them. 100,000 of these troops were deployed along the Mo River, while the Khitan forces split into two groups. After forcing their way across the Mo River, the two sides engaged in fierce battles on its banks.
The Bohai-Silla coalition faced a pincer attack from the Khitans. After three days and nights of intense fighting, they could no longer hold out and began to collapse. The Bohai-Silla troops fled everywhere. At this moment, the ferocity of the Khitans and Xis was fully revealed—they slaughtered indiscriminately, beheading prisoners and wounded alike and hanging their heads at their waists. Their faces were grotesque, like demons emerging from hell.
In this battle, over 70,000 of the Bohai-Silla coalition’s 100,000 troops were killed. Corpses piled up, staining the land red. Only more than 20,000 troops in the rear managed to flee into Xianzhou City. The Bohai army’s commander, General Da Xu, also perished in battle. The Khitan forces then surrounded Xianzhou City and began relentless attacks day and night. Meanwhile, Li Huaijie sent another Khitan general, Agu, with 30,000 troops south to attack Silla, hoping to take advantage of Silla’s weakened defenses as its army moved north to destroy the country outright.
News of the devastating defeat in Xianzhou had reached the capital, causing chaos both inside and outside the city. The people from various counties in Longquan Prefecture fled to the capital in panic, bringing their families with them, while the nobles in the city fled north in haste by carriage. The capital was completely devoid of order, with crowds of people carrying bags and bundles everywhere, ready to flee. Only 20,000 troops remained in Longquan Prefecture, and the entire Bohai Kingdom had less than 50,000 soldiers—its fate was precarious.
In the palace, King Da Qinmao sat alone in a room, staring blankly at a map of Bohai hanging on the wall. To him, the map now appeared bloodstained, as if he could see the entire country perishing and its people suffering brutal slaughter and rape. With the defeat at Mojiang, he clearly understood Bohai’s fate—there was no hope. Before winter arrived, his country would be destroyed. They had only two choices: either be killed by the Khitans or surrender and endure slavery under them for generations—no third option existed.
His head would become a toilet for Li Huaijie, who liked to use the heads of enemy leaders as such and to give noble women to the lowest slaves as wives, ending their lives in the most humiliating ways. Da Qinmao’s gaze fell on a golden sword on the table. If Bohai was to perish, he would without hesitation stab the sword into his own heart—preferring destruction to surrender.
“Your Majesty, the princes have arrived!” announced the guard at the door.
“Let them in!”
Da Qinmao sighed. Though determined to die for his country, he still wanted his sons to survive. Moments later, his three sons entered—his eldest son Da Honglin, his second son Da Zhenwo, and his third son Da Yingjun. All three knelt down together. “Father!”
Da Qinmao looked at his sons. His eldest and second sons resembled him—strong and tall—while his third son was handsome but thin. Thinking of how his son had suffered as a hostage in a foreign land, Da Qinmao felt immense guilt. He had once thought of compensating him, but with Bohai’s downfall, it was no longer possible.
“I’ve called you here to announce something to you.” Da Qinmao’s voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with endless sorrow. “You must understand the situation. The fall of Zhongjing City is only a matter of time. Once it falls, the Khitan army will advance to Longquan, and even Shangjing will be in danger. Now is the time for our last stand. I ask you—who is willing to stay in Shangjing to defend it?”
The three princes looked at each other in confusion. The eldest son, Da Honglin, spoke up, “Why does Father say such things? Although the situation is critical, Shangjing is not entirely hopeless. The prime minister has already gone to the Tang Dynasty for help. Since the Tang court has reached an agreement with Father, they surely won’t stand by idly—they will send troops. Please reconsider, Father.”
The second son, Da Zhenwo, also urged him, “Father, it’s already September. At most, another month, and the first snow will fall. The Khitans can’t launch an attack in winter and will have to retreat. This is our chance. Father, can’t we hold on for just another month?”
“I know, I understand everything you’re saying. But the time is simply not enough!”
He sighed deeply and said to his eldest son, “I know the Tang court will send troops to help. But it’s been just over a month since the prime minister left, and he still needs to go to Chang’an, get approval, mobilize troops, gather ships, and set sail for Bohai. By then, it will be deep winter, and the Tang army won’t be able to provide support. By the time they reach Shangjing, it will likely be next spring. By then, our bones will have long turned to ice. What good will it do for them to come? To avenge us?”
Da Qinmao was extremely depressed. The distance between Bohai and the Tang Dynasty made any aid from the Tang army meaningless. He hadn’t expected the allied forces to be defeated so quickly. If they could hold on for just over a month until winter arrived, the Khitans would withdraw, giving them a chance. But the Khitan army knew this too, and they were attacking fiercely in an attempt to end the battle before winter came.
The situation was extremely unfavorable for them; they were on the verge of destruction.
“I wish I could hold on until winter, but the Khitans also know that winter is unfavorable for them. Judging from the current situation, we can only hold on for about half a month at most. So I want you all to scatter. Let me ask again—among the three of you, who is willing to stay in Shangjing and share its fate?”
The eldest son, Da Honglin, raised his hand. As the crown prince, it was his duty to stay in the capital. Da Qinmao nodded. “Very good! The eldest son should stay in the capital—that’s only proper.”
He then said to the second son, Da Zhenwo, “You can lead some members of the royal family to Anbian Prefecture and wait there for news. If Shangjing falls, you must immediately board ships and flee to the Tang Dynasty.”
He then turned to the third son, Da Yingjun, and said, “The same goes for you. Lead some officials and nobles to Nanjing first. If Bohai Kingdom falls, you must board ships and flee to the Tang Dynasty. You two brothers must ask the Tang Dynasty to send troops to help us restore our country.”
“But Father, why not let them all go together? Why separate them and send them on different ships?” Crown Prince Da Honglin didn’t understand the reason behind his father’s arrangement.
“The vast ocean is unpredictable; we can never foresee what will happen. By going our separate ways, we gain more hope.” With that, Da Qinmao stood up and ordered his two sons, “Leave now, pack your things, and set off immediately!” Da Zhenwo and Da Yingjun, realizing there was no turning back, kowtowed three times to their father and left in tears…
Under the cover of night, two large armies left the capital city, heading northeast and southeast respectively. On the city walls, Da Qinmao and his eldest son Da Hong watched as the noble convoy left the capital. Feeling slightly relieved, Da Qinmao said to his eldest son, “I will set out tonight as well, leading five thousand troops to attack the Khitan forces’ supply lines. I leave the capital in your hands.”
“Father, let me go instead.”
“No! You lack combat experience. I have fought the Khitans for years and know their tactics. I’ll go, and you must defend the capital well. If anything happens to me, you shall succeed me as the King of Bohai.”
“Father, you must not be hurt!”
“Don’t worry! I will return victorious.”
Da Qinmao patted his son’s shoulder, forced a smile, nodded firmly at him, then strode away. An hour later, five thousand cavalry, led by King Da Qinmao of Bohai, rushed out of the city gates at full speed and headed south…
In Pyongyang, one hundred thousand Tang troops had all landed, including sixty thousand cavalry and forty thousand infantry. Outside Pyongyang, an endless array of camps had been set up. Having traveled by boat, many soldiers from the Central Plains were unaccustomed to the rough seas, exhausted and listless. They needed rest urgently. General Li Baozhen decided to have the army camp there for two days before advancing northward.
Inside the command tent, Li Baozhen, Zhao Chongjie, and Geshu Yao gathered around a sand table, discussing their next moves. Li Baozhen pointed at the Mo River with a wooden stick and said, “We just received news that the Khitan allied forces are fighting fiercely against the Bohai and Silla allied forces at the Mo River. I wonder how the battle is going now?”
“Have the Khitans crossed the river?” Zhao Chongjie asked anxiously, frowning.
“I heard they have already crossed.”
Zhao Chongjie shook his head and said with a sigh, “If they’ve crossed, the Bohai army is doomed to defeat. The Bohai army had the advantage of terrain to block them across the river, yet they still couldn’t stop the Khitans from crossing. It’s obvious what the outcome of this battle will be.”
Both Li Baozhen and Geshu Yao agreed with Zhao Chongjie’s analysis. As experienced generals, they understood well that having the enemy cross the river would surely demoralize their troops.
Li Baozhen took another close look at the sand table and said to the two of them, “Do you see? The Khitans have a clear goal—they intend to concentrate their forces to capture Longquan Prefecture. Once they seize the capital of Bohai State, Bohai State’s destruction will be only a matter of time. Therefore, we must head north as soon as possible to boost the morale of Bohai State’s army and help them hold on a few more days.”
Zhao Chongjie disagreed with launching an immediate attack. He said, “But many soldiers are exhausted. We need to let them rest to recover their strength.”
“I know that’s why I wanted to discuss this with you.”
Li Baozhen looked at the two of them. “What I mean is that we can select ten thousand soldiers in better physical condition as an vanguard force and send them north first to let Bohai State know of our arrival. What do you think?”
Zhao Chongjie replied, “But in that case, the Khitans will also be aware of our arrival, and we won’t be able to use a surprise attack anymore.”
Li Baozhen smiled. “A one or two surprise attacks might kill more enemies, but that’s only a tactical advantage. Letting the people of Bohai State know of our arrival has strategic significance. So, we’d rather avoid surprise attacks and achieve strategic success as soon as possible.”
Geshu Yao strongly agreed with Li Baozhen’s idea. He nodded and said, “I have ten thousand cavalry at my disposal—those are the same troops who followed my father southward in the past. They’ve been in Jingxiang for a long time and are familiar with water travel; they didn’t even get seasick during this sea voyage. They’re in excellent condition now. I can lead them as the vanguard. If possible, I’d like to cut off the Khitans’ supply lines first.”
“Good!” Li Baozhen agreed immediately. “Then please, General Geshu, lead ten thousand cavalry as the vanguard and bring good news back soon.”
“Please wait for my good news, General,” said Geshu Yao, bowing before striding out of the tent.
That very night, Geshu Yao led ten thousand elite cavalry northward.
…
The distance from Pyongyang City to Zhongjing Xiande Prefecture wasn’t far, with Yalu Prefecture in between. Two days later, in the early morning, Geshu Yao led ten thousand cavalry to the capital of Yalu Prefecture, Shenzhou City.
The sudden arrival of the Tang army brought great joy to the panicked people of Yalu Prefecture. The entire city was in an uproar. The governor of Yalu Prefecture led three hundred elders to kneel and welcome the Tang army. Tens of thousands of residents welcomed the Tang troops into the city with drums and gongs. They offered the Tang army bread, fruits, eggs, poultry, game, and all their food as a reward for their arrival.
Tears of excitement shone in everyone’s eyes. For hundreds of years, no army had ever received such treatment from the Tang army. They were seen as the last hope to save Bohai State.
But at that very moment, Geshu Yao received extremely important intelligence: a 30,000-strong Khitan army was heading toward Yalu Prefecture. They had already reached the other side of the Yalu River, less than ten li from the riverbank. Five li north of Shenzhou City lay a ferry crossing, the only one in the area—clearly, it would also be the spot where the Khitan army crossed the river.
Shenzhou City immediately fell silent. All the people rushed inside the city, the city gates were tightly closed, and every household shut its doors. The once bustling streets were now deserted, as if the entire city had turned into a dead city…
The banks of the Yalu River were quiet, covered with dense forests on both sides. This section of the river was flat, with the banks only one li apart, making it the ideal spot to cross. There were no bridges; crossing required boats. There were only two ferry crossings along the entire Yalu River—one upstream in Anfeng County and the other here, called Shenlu Ferry. Dozens of ferries were available at the ferry, most of them concentrated on the south bank.
But soon, 3,000 of the Khitan army’s vanguard troops arrived. They crossed to the south bank first and moved all the ferries to the north bank. Yet these were far from enough. The 3,000 troops began cutting down trees to build rafts. Both banks of the Yalu River were mostly covered with tall trees, mainly pines, with straight trunks perfect for making rafts. Soon, huge rafts appeared, each capable of carrying dozens of warhorses.
At noon, the 30,000-strong Khitan army finally showed up. This army was led by General Agu and consisted of troops sent south to attack Silla under the orders of Li Huaijie, aiming to conquer Silla while it was weak.
In the forest on the south bank, 10,000 Tang cavalry troops had been lying in ambush for a long time. Today would be their first battle in the northern campaign. The soldiers were eager, waiting for their commander to give the order to attack.
The edge of the forest was right by the riverbank. On the south bank, there was a narrow strip of gravel about 300 steps long, followed by vast primeval forests. West of the forest, Shenzhou City could be faintly seen.
Geshu Yao stood behind a large tree at the edge of the forest, right by the riverbank, watching the situation across the river. In his early thirties, he was tall and robust, with a thick beard. He resembled his father, Geshu Han, greatly. He had joined the army in Longyou at the age of 15 and had fought in dozens of battles against the Tubo forces, rising from a fire commander to a lieutenant general.
After his father, Geshu Han, was assassinated by King Jing of Jing, Geshu Yao resolutely led his troops to surrender to Li Qing’an. He won Li Qing’an’s trust and was appointed as the military commander of Jiangning. In this northern campaign against the Khitan with an army of 100,000, he served as a deputy commander, becoming one of the three leading generals of the Tang army.
Although Geshu Yao was highly trusted by Li Qingan, he remained deeply regretful, as he had yet to achieve any accomplishments. It was his eagerness to prove himself that drove him to volunteer as the vanguard. Unbeknownst to him, he would encounter 30,000 Khitan troops by the Yalu River. On the opposite bank, 30,000 Khitan soldiers crowded the shore, with humans and horses mixed together, and heavy carts blocking the roads, making the area extremely crowded. The soldiers shouted loudly, pushing and shoving each other in chaos. Someone reported something to their commander, A’ge, who waved his sword, signaling an immediate crossing of the river. With a loud noise, huge rafts were pushed into the river, creating waves of white foam. There were over 300 such rafts, and soldiers began carefully leading their horses onto them. The rafts were large enough to hold 20 warhorses and supplies, with dedicated horsekeepers taking care of the animals, while five or six soldiers each rowed vigorously on either side. The rafts served mainly as a supplement for transporting warhorses; over 100 larger sheepskin rafts appeared on the river, which were the main means for transporting soldiers across. A single sheepskin raft could carry 50 to 60 soldiers, and five or six trips were enough to transport all of them. The river was very calm, making the crossing easy. Small black dots appeared in the river, getting closer and closer. Soon, the rafts, sheepskin rafts, and ferries arrived at the south bank one after another. The first batch of soldiers and warhorses landed, after which the rafts and ferries headed back to the other side to pick up the second batch. Geshu Yao patiently waited for an opportunity. Clearly, the enemy was transporting soldiers quickly but warhorses slowly. Two hours later, nearly 20,000 soldiers had crossed the river, while only 5,000 warhorses had done so. The Khitan soldiers lay on the riverbank, basking in the sun and resting, exhausted from their rapid march. The opportunity came. Geshu Yao quietly gave the order, “Prepare for battle!” The order was passed from person to person and quickly spread throughout the army. The Tang soldiers mounted their horses, drew their swords, and nocked their arrows. Everyone bent forward, ready to charge. The dense ranks of Tang soldiers filled the forest, ready to deliver a devastating strike against the Khitans. “Charge!” Geshu Yao finally gave the order to attack. “Charge!” Ten thousand Tang soldiers surged forth like a dam breaking, rushing out of the forest as a black torrent that swept toward the 20,000 Khitan soldiers on the riverbank like raging waves. The Khitan soldiers never expected the Tang army to appear suddenly. Their intelligence had indicated that there were no troops stationed in Yalu Prefecture, let alone sudden appearances of Tang soldiers.
The formidable momentum of the Tang cavalry terrified the Khitans. They were like creatures facing an approaching tsunami, instinctively wanting to flee, yet their legs felt as heavy as lead, unsure of where to go. It wasn’t until the Tang cavalry surged forward hundreds of steps in an instant that they realized, “It’s the Tang army! It’s the Tang army!” They screamed in terror, utterly panicked, and chaos ensued on the riverbank as 20,000 soldiers trampled each other while fleeing along the shore.
At that moment, no one thought of shooting at the Tang army. They had removed their weapons and armor; many were even bare-chested. The Tang army’s storm-like momentum was enough to crush any will to resist.
A dense curtain of arrows filled the air, forming a black net. Khitan soldiers cried out in pain as they were hit by arrows. With a loud crash, it was as if waves crashed into the crowd, instantly filling the air with blood mist. The Tang cavalry swung their swords, and their horses trampled the bodies everywhere. Heads rolled, blood flowed like rivers, and the sounds of death cries, pleas for mercy, and the crunch of swords cutting through necks were so gruesome that breathing became difficult…
When cornered, the Khitans tried to resist, but were instantly crushed by the Tang cavalry’s overwhelming force. After three attempts at defense and three failures, they finally gave up, becoming mere lambs waiting to be slaughtered by the Tang army.
On a riverbank about five li long and 200 steps wide, a slaughterhouse emerged. Dead bodies piled up, and the blood dyed the Yalu River red. Thousands of Khitan soldiers jumped into the river to save themselves, but they were either shot by the Tang army or drowned in the river—none survived.
The soldiers on the shore were also killed by the Tang army in a cruel and merciless manner. The entire riverbank was filled with the scent of death. It was a battle between wolves and sheep. Although the Khitans worshipped wolves, they had now become lambs to be slaughtered, while the Tang cavalry became iron-willed wolves.
An hour later, all 19,000 Khitan soldiers were slaughtered. The Tang army left no prisoners; every Khitan soldier was killed and thrown into the Yalu River.
On the other side of the river, General Agu went from anger to shock to despair, eventually becoming so terrified that his legs gave out. Not only him but also the 10,000 Khitan soldiers on the north bank were terrified. The Tang cavalry’s brutal killings and overwhelming force made every Khitan soldier feel as if they saw their own doom.
At Agu’s order to retreat, they fled north in panic, as if the Tang cavalry might attack them from behind at any moment. Most of their supplies were abandoned, with hundreds of rafts and sheepskin boats lying still on the river.
Two days later, Tang’s army of 90,000 troops also arrived at Yalu Prefecture. With the help of the people of Bohai State, they successfully crossed the Yalu River, and the 100,000 Tang troops continued marching northward. By this time, Bohai State was on the verge of destruction. King Da Qinmao led 5,000 men in a surprise attack on the enemy’s supply lines but was surrounded and his entire army was wiped out. Da Qinmao committed suicide, while Zhongjing was captured by the Khitan allied forces, and the entire city was massacred. Less than a thousand of the 20,000 soldiers managed to escape back to Shangjing; the rest perished in battle. At this point, Li Huaijie also learned of the arrival of the Tang troops and the destruction of the 20,000 southern expeditionary force. Filled with anger and shock, he divided his forces. Li Yanchong led 30,000 Xi people and 40,000 Yan troops to intercept the Tang army, while he himself led 80,000 troops to attack Shangjing Longquan Prefecture, aiming to capture it before the Tang troops arrived and then use the severe winter cold to completely destroy this southern expeditionary force.