"The Storm in the East China Sea Returns" is set in the Tang Dynasty and tells the story of Xue Rengui's legendary life.
Xue Rengui was born in a poor peasant family in Longmen County, Jiangzhou, Hedong Province. His family lived in a dilapidated thatched hut, and his parents worked hard to make ends meet. However, he had the ambition to join the army and serve the country, and he practiced diligently in the fields with a homemade wooden gun. He persisted in his ambition regardless of the doubts of his neighbors.
At that time, the Tang Dynasty was just established and the frontiers were unstable. Goguryeo was burning, killing, looting, and seizing land on the borders, making the people miserable. In the court, the ministers had their own opinions on how to deal with Goguryeo. After weighing the situation, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty favored conquest, which provided an opportunity for Xue Rengui's rise. When the military conscription came, Xue Rengui resolutely signed up, ignoring his parents' dissuasion, and embarked on the journey with the determination to change his destiny and protect his family and country.
When he first entered the military camp, he started as a low-level soldier and distinguished himself through hard training with perseverance. During the Battle of Anshi City, he single-handedly rushed into the enemy formation and saved Liu Junqiong from danger, which attracted the attention of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. Since then, he has repeatedly made military exploits in the battles of Geumsan, Buyeo Castle, and Pyongyang Castle, demonstrating outstanding military ability and fearless spirit.
After the fall of Goguryeo, the Tang Dynasty established the Andong Protectorate, and Xue Rengui served as the Inspector of the Andong Protectorate. However, the remnants of Goguryeo united with the restoration forces of Baekje and surrounding tribes dissatisfied with the Tang Dynasty in an attempt to overthrow the rule. Xue Rengui sensed the crisis and cleverly planned to divide and disintegrate the enemy, break the alliance, and stabilize the Tang Dynasty's borders.
Through wonderful war descriptions and gripping plots, the novel depicts Xue Rengui's growth from a poor boy to a famous general, shows the political, military and social outlook of the early Tang Dynasty, and demonstrates his tenacity, loyalty and wisdom.
