Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 638 Victory

With the adjustment of tactics, Jia Changsheng's army gradually gained the upper hand. They advanced in an orderly manner, gradually compressing the space for Baekje soldiers to move.

General Park of Baekje was in a desperate situation at this time. His soldiers were getting fewer and fewer, and his defenses were constantly being breached. But he still did not give up, and personally led the last elite troops to make a final resistance in front of a palace in the city.

"Warriors of Baekje, behind us are our homes and our loved ones. Today, even if we fight to the last man, we must not let the enemy succeed easily!" General Park shouted loudly, waving the sword in his hand.

Jia Changsheng's army surrounded General Park and others, but each attack was stubbornly repelled.

"General, these Baekje people are really tenacious." Zhao Meng said, wiping the sweat from his face.

Jia Changsheng frowned slightly: "They are indeed worthy opponents, but we must win this battle today. Gather all the archers to shoot at their positions, and then the infantry will charge and take them down in one fell swoop!"

As Jia Changsheng gave the order, a dense rain of arrows shot towards General Park's position. Although General Park's soldiers raised their shields to resist, many of them were still shot and fell.

Under the cover of the rain of arrows, Jia Changsheng's infantry launched a final charge. They shouted and bravely moved forward, engaging in a final desperate fight with the Baekje soldiers.

Although General Park fought hard, he was outnumbered and wounded. In the end, he was surrounded by Jia Changsheng's soldiers and could no longer fight.

"Forget it, forget it..." General Park looked at the fallen soldiers around him, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow. He put down his weapon, closed his eyes, and waited for death to come.

With the capture of General Park, the resistance of the Baekje soldiers gradually collapsed. Jia Changsheng's army successfully occupied the northern city. The people in the city watched the army entering the city with fear and anxiety.

Jia Changsheng rode his warhorse and walked slowly on the streets of the city. Looking at the devastated scene before him, he did not feel the joy of victory, but was filled with reflections on the war.

"Pass the order down, no harm to the people, anyone who disobeys the order will be beheaded!" Jia Changsheng said loudly.

Although Jia Changsheng finally won the battle, he also knew clearly that the road ahead was still long and there were more challenges waiting for him. He must lead his army and continue to move forward to realize his ambitions and ideals, while also minimizing the harm of the war to the people and bringing peace and tranquility to this land.

In the palace of Baekje, the atmosphere was as heavy as the depression before a storm. The Baekje king sat high on the throne, his face as pale as paper, his eyes full of anxiety and fear. Below, a group of ministers lowered their heads, silent as a cicada, and the whole palace was filled with an atmosphere of despair.

The King of Baekje was the first to break the silence, his voice trembling and hoarse: "My dear ministers, now the northern cities have fallen into the hands of Jia Changsheng, and most of our Baekje elite have been lost in this battle. What should we do? Jia Changsheng is ambitious and will surely not stop here. Next, he will covet our western, southern and even central regions. How should we deal with this catastrophe?"

An old minister with white hair walked out slowly. He was the prime minister of Baekje and had assisted several generations of Baekje kings. He was quite prestigious in the court. At this time, he frowned and said worriedly: "Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng's army is amazingly powerful. We cannot fight them head-on. In my opinion, the most urgent task is to strengthen the city defenses in the west, south and central parts, and mobilize more troops and supplies to these areas for defense."

"What the Prime Minister said is very true, but now my Baekje is short of military strength. Where can I recruit troops from?" The King of Baekje sighed helplessly.

At this time, a young general stood up. His eyes were firm. Although his face was exhausted, he still showed a strong determination. "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the remaining troops to the west and organize the local people to defend the city together. The terrain in the west is dangerous. If we can make good use of it, we may be able to resist Jia Changsheng for a while."

A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of the Baekje king, but it soon dimmed again: "General, your loyalty is commendable, but with your limited military force, I'm afraid it will be difficult to resist Jia Changsheng's army."

The prime minister twisted his beard, thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, we can strengthen the city defense while recruiting new soldiers from the people. At the same time, we can send envoys to the neighboring countries to explain the interests to them and ask for support. Although Baekje has had conflicts with some countries, the rise of Jia Changsheng has now threatened the situation in the entire region, and they may consider lending a helping hand."

As soon as this statement was made, there was a lot of discussion in the court. Some people were worried that neighboring countries would take advantage of the situation instead of helping sincerely; others felt that this was the only feasible solution at the moment.

"Your Majesty, I think this plan is feasible, but when sending envoys, be sure to select people who are eloquent and familiar with the national conditions of various countries, and bring generous gifts to show your sincerity." A civil official added.

The King of Baekje nodded slightly and said, "I will do as you say. How should we prepare the food and supplies for the country?"

The minister in charge of logistics stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, we should increase the tax collection from the people in the country, and at the same time check the granaries and treasuries in various places, concentrate all the materials that can be mobilized, and transport them to key areas. In addition, we must encourage the people to reclaim wasteland and grow food to prepare for long-term needs."

As soon as this proposal was made, voices of opposition were heard in the court.

"No, Your Majesty! The people are already living in poverty. If you increase the taxes further, it will probably cause public resentment. By then there will be chaos in the country, and we will collapse even without Jia Changsheng's attack!" said an old minister with great sorrow.

The king of Baekje was caught in a dilemma. After a long silence, he said, "Let's put the tax issue on hold for now. First, check the granaries and treasuries to see how much supplies we can raise. At the same time, send people to negotiate with wealthy merchants from all over the country and ask them to contribute funds. After the matter is completed, promise them huge profits."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Then, a counselor stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the reason why Jia Changsheng's army has been able to win battles again and again must be that his military strategy and intelligence work are quite excellent. We should also strengthen intelligence gathering and place spies in Jia Changsheng's army so that we can grasp their movements and deployments in a timely manner and prepare countermeasures in advance." "Well, this plan is very good. I'll leave this matter to you. You must be careful and not alert the enemy." The King of Baekje said to the counselor.

After discussing military defense and material preparation, everyone turned the topic to the stability of the people's hearts at home.

"Your Majesty, the people in the country are now in panic, and the fear of Jia Changsheng is spreading like a plague. Our top priority is to appease the people and make them believe that the court has the ability to protect them." A minister said worriedly.

"Then according to your opinion, how can we appease the people?" asked the King of Baekje.

“Your Majesty can issue an edict to reduce or exempt the taxes of the people in the disaster-stricken areas, open the granaries to release grain to help the poor, and at the same time send officials to various places to explain the court’s defense measures and response strategies to the people so that they can have peace of mind. In addition, some sacrificial activities can be organized to pray to the gods to bless Baekje with peace in order to stabilize the people’s hearts.” The minister suggested.

The King of Baekje thought this plan was feasible and agreed to all of them.

Afterwards, the King of Baekje clearly divided the responsibilities of each department and ordered all ministers to perform their duties and complete all tasks in the shortest time possible.

"My dear ministers, Baekje is in danger now and we have no way out. I hope you will work together to overcome the difficulties. Anyone who is slack or derelict in his duty will be severely punished!" The King of Baekje glanced at the ministers below and said in a stern tone.

"We, the ministers, obey your order and are willing to devote our lives to Baekje until our death!" the ministers shouted in unison.

In the following days, Baekje was a busy scene. With the joint efforts of soldiers and civilians, the city defenses in the west, south and central parts were reinforced day and night. Envoys carried letters and gifts from the king of Baekje and traveled to neighboring countries non-stop. Intelligence personnel also quietly sneaked into Jia Changsheng's sphere of influence, trying to find out the enemy's secrets. Granaries and treasuries in various places were checked and inventoried, and supplies were continuously transported to key areas. Officials traveled around to appease the people and organize sacrificial activities...

However, Jia Changsheng's actions were faster than Baekje had expected. While Baekje was busy responding, Jia Changsheng's army had already gathered on the western border, and a new storm was about to come.

After receiving the news, the King of Baekje urgently summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures.

"Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng's army is coming with great force, and our city defenses have not yet been fully reinforced. What should we do?" a minister asked anxiously.

The Baekje King's face was solemn: "Now we have no choice but to fight to the death. Pass on my order, the western defenders must hold the city and wait for reinforcements. At the same time, speed up the defense preparations in other areas, and don't stop for a moment!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The ministers took the order and went back to their respective posts.

On the western battlefield, the Baekje defenders were on high alert, knowing that this battle was a matter of life and death for the Baekje. Jia Changsheng stood in front of the army, looking at the Baekje city in front of him, and was also planning a new strategy in his mind. This battle that would determine the fate of the Baekje was about to break out in a tense and murderous atmosphere.

In Jia Changsheng's main tent, the atmosphere was solemn and full of expectation. In the tent, a huge military map was spread out on the table, with detailed markings of various regions of Baekje, and the distribution of mountains, rivers, and cities was clear at a glance. Jia Changsheng was wearing a black battle armor, with an upright posture and sharp eyes like an eagle, staring at the western area on the map, as if he wanted to see through every inch of land there.

Zhao Meng, the capable general who had followed Jia Changsheng for many years, was the first to break the silence: "General, now that we have successfully captured the eight cities in the north, our morale is high! In my opinion, it is time to attack the west. The terrain in the west is relatively flat, which is conducive to our army's attack. Moreover, if we capture the west, we can further cut off the connection between the north and south of the Baiji, which will be a fatal blow to them!"

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Zhao Meng, what you said makes sense. But we can't underestimate the strength of Baekje. They will definitely strengthen their defense in the west. Do you have any specific ideas for this attack on the west?"

Zhao Meng stepped forward and pointed to several key cities on the map and said, "General, I think we can concentrate our forces to attack these cities first. They are the main transportation routes and military strongholds in the west. Once they are conquered, other places will be unstoppable. We can adopt the tactic of dividing our forces and attacking together. One group pretends to be the main force to attract the main force of the enemy, while the other group goes around the rear and raids the city by surprise, catching them off guard!"

Jia Changsheng listened to Zhao Meng's analysis, tapping his fingers on the table, lost in thought. At this time, the counselor Li Xuan frowned slightly and said, "General, although General Zhao's tactics have their merits, they are also risky. Dividing the troops will easily lead to the enemy's defeat one by one, and we are not fully aware of the terrain in the west and the enemy's troop deployment. If we act rashly, we may get into trouble."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Xuan, waiting for him to continue. Li Xuan cleared his throat, pointed to a valley on the map and said, "General, as far as I know, this valley is a hidden path leading to the west. Although the terrain is dangerous, it is not easy for the enemy to detect. We can first send an elite team to secretly pass through the valley, go deep into the enemy's rear, scout the enemy's situation, and at the same time destroy their supply lines and communication facilities to create favorable conditions for the army's attack. Then, we can formulate a detailed siege plan based on the intelligence we have scouted, so that our chances of winning will be greater."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng's eyes lit up: "Li Xuan, this is a great plan! Let's do as you said and send a small team to explore the way first. However, the selection of this team is very important. They must be smart and brave, familiar with mountain warfare, and loyal and reliable."

"General, don't worry. I am willing to lead a small team there!" A young general stood up, his eyes revealing determination and fearlessness.

Jia Changsheng looked at him and nodded with satisfaction: "Okay! You must be careful and cautious. If you encounter danger, don't fight and retreat immediately."

"I obey your command!" The young general took the order and began to select team members and prepare to set off.

Next, everyone discussed the logistics support of the army. Fatty Qian, who was in charge of logistics, frowned and said, "General, the attack on the west will extend the battle line and consume a lot of supplies. Although our current food and grass reserves are adequate, they are far from enough to support a major war. In addition, the road conditions in the west are poor, and transportation is difficult. This is a severe test for our logistics supply."

Jia Changsheng's face became serious. "Fatty Qian, go check all the supplies immediately and figure out how much food, weapons, and medicine are still missing. At the same time, organize more civilians and vehicles to strengthen transportation. Also, send people to the surrounding areas to purchase supplies. At all costs, ensure that there are no problems with logistics supply."

(End of this chapter)