Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 641: The Final Battle with the Imperial Guards

After hearing what the old general said, everyone nodded in agreement. General Hong's eyes also flashed a gleam of light: "General Zhang's plan is very good. However, in the process of setting up an ambush, we must pay attention to concealment and coordination, and must not let Jia Changsheng's army notice it."

"General, rest assured. I am willing to lead a group of elite soldiers to set up an ambush and I will definitely live up to the mission!" A general volunteered.

General Hong nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. But remember, don't act rashly, and obey orders in everything."

Then, the officer in charge of intelligence stepped forward and said nervously, "General, according to our spies, Jia Changsheng seems to be secretly mobilizing troops. I don't know what his plan is. Moreover, they have also harassed our rear supply lines. Although they have not caused too much damage yet, if this continues, it may affect our army's food and grass supply."

General Hong's expression became even gloomier. "The rear supply line is the lifeline of our army. We must not lose it. Immediately send more troops to strengthen the protection of the supply line. At the same time, do our utmost to track down Jia Changsheng's spies and cut off their source of intelligence."

"Yes, General!" The intelligence officer took the order and left.

After discussing military strategy, everyone turned the topic to the morale of the soldiers.

A counselor said worriedly: "General, in recent days, our army has fought with Jia Changsheng's army many times. Although both sides have won and lost, the morale of the soldiers is inevitably affected. In addition, I heard that Jia Changsheng's army has strict discipline and never harms the people. He has a good reputation among the people. This has also had a certain impact on the morale of our army."

General Hong frowned and said, "Morale is related to the outcome of the war. We must solve this problem as soon as possible. Pass the order to hold a grand military reward ceremony in the camp tonight, distribute wine and meat to the soldiers to boost morale. At the same time, publicize the glory of Baekje and the significance of our expedition to the soldiers, let them understand that we are fighting to defend our country and our loved ones, and inspire their fighting spirit and patriotism."

"The general is wise!" everyone praised.

Afterwards, General Hong made detailed deployment and division of labor for each unit to ensure that every link was foolproof.

"Everyone, this war with Jia Changsheng is related to the life and death of Baekje. We shoulder the expectations of the country and the people. We must go all out and repel Jia Changsheng's army at all costs. Anyone who retreats in battle or disobeys military orders will be punished by military law!" General Hong stood up, glanced at everyone with a firm gaze, and said in a stern tone.

"We are willing to serve the general and die for Baekje!" The generals shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the tent, full of determination and courage.

In the following days, the Baekje Royal Guards began to act according to the established plan. Soldiers worked day and night to strengthen the camp's fortifications, set traps and secret sentries; the ambushed troops hid in the dark, quietly waiting for the arrival of Jia Changsheng's army; the soldiers responsible for protecting the supply lines strengthened patrols and vigilance to ensure the safe transportation of supplies; and the counselors ran around the camp to calm the soldiers' emotions and boost their morale.

However, Jia Changsheng seemed to have noticed the changes in the Baekje Guards, and his army did not attack easily, but watched from a distance, waiting for a better opportunity. The two sides fell into a delicate confrontation, with tension and depression in the air, as if a bigger storm was about to come.

Battle of Baekje's Western Frontier
On the vast plains in the west of Baekje, the two armies stood facing each other, and the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment. Jia Changsheng, wearing black armor, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, staring at the Baekje Royal Guards in front of him with cold eyes, secretly calculating the key to the victory or defeat of today's decisive battle. The commander of the Baekje Royal Guards, General Hong, also had a solemn expression, riding on a tall horse, commanding the soldiers to be ready for battle, knowing that this battle was of decisive significance to the survival of Baekje.

At the beginning of the battle, Jia Changsheng used the strategy of "making a feint to the east and attacking the west". He ordered a small part of the army to pretend to gather in the east, and made a gesture of full-scale attack with great fanfare. For a time, the flags were flying, and the shouts of killing shook the sky, which attracted the main force of the Baekje Guards to move to the east. At the same time, Jia Changsheng secretly sent an elite cavalry unit to bypass the west of the Baekje army, preparing to raid their rear camp.

General Hong of the Baekje army was a veteran of the battlefield. Seeing the enemy troops in the east were unusually noisy, he had some doubts in his heart, but he did not dare to take it lightly and still left some troops to defend the west. When Jia Changsheng's cavalry appeared on the west side, they were immediately met with tenacious resistance from the Baekje army. However, this was only Jia Changsheng's first move, and his purpose was to disrupt the deployment of the Baekje army and disperse their forces.

Then, Jia Changsheng used the strategy of "encircling Wei to save Zhao". He learned that the grain and grass camp of the Baekje army was located in a valley not far behind the battlefield, so he sent a light-armed force to quickly march towards the grain and grass camp, intending to cut off the supply line of the Baekje army. This move really worked. When the Baekje army learned that the grain and grass camp was threatened, the army was in chaos. General Hong was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, he had to deal with the strong pressure from Jia Changsheng's main force, and on the other hand, he had to divide his troops to rescue the grain and grass camp.

General Hong was a man of wisdom and strategy. He responded quickly and adopted the strategy of "waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out". He knew that Jia Changsheng's army must be exhausted after a long journey and continuous fighting. So he ordered the Baekje army to hold their positions, rely on strong fortifications, and shoot the attacking enemy with strong crossbows and hard bows. When Jia Changsheng's light troops attacked the grain camp, they encountered a fierce counterattack from the Baekje army, suffered heavy losses, and had to retreat temporarily.

At this time, the situation on the battlefield was in a stalemate. Seeing that the strong attack failed, Jia Changsheng came up with another plan - "secretly crossing Chencang". On the surface, he continued to maintain the offensive posture on the front, and let the soldiers pretend to be tired and gradually retreat to paralyze the Baekje army. At night, he secretly sent a commando team composed of death squads, carrying light siege equipment, and approached the main camp of the Baekje army from a hidden path.

However, General Hong was not completely defenseless. He set up multiple sentries and traps around the camp, and used a "chain of tricks" to counter Jia Changsheng's various schemes. When Jia Changsheng's commandos approached the camp, the Baekje army's sentries immediately sounded the alarm. For a moment, the camp was brightly lit, and the soldiers quickly entered combat mode. At the same time, General Hong also sent a cavalry unit to outflank Jia Changsheng's commandos from the flank, trying to catch them all in one fell swoop.

When Jia Changsheng learned that the commando was in trouble, he did not panic. He immediately sent a support force to meet the commando and adopted the strategy of "escaping from the shell" to let some soldiers pretend to be the main force in the original place and continue to deal with the Baekje army, while he led the real main force and quietly moved to the rear of the Baekje army. After General Hong found that Jia Changsheng's main force had disappeared, he secretly said in his heart that it was not good. He realized that he might have fallen into Jia Changsheng's trap. So he quickly adjusted the deployment and ordered the troops to shrink the defense line to prevent being attacked from the rear by Jia Changsheng's main force.

Just as both sides were nervously adjusting their deployments, it suddenly rained heavily, and visibility on the battlefield became extremely low. Jia Changsheng took the opportunity to use the strategy of "fishing in troubled waters" and launched another attack. His soldiers shouted in the rain and rushed towards the Baekje army's defense line. Taking advantage of the chaos, they broke through part of the Baekje army's defense line, causing considerable losses to the Baekje army.

Seeing this, General Hong immediately ordered his soldiers to light torches to improve visibility, and adopted the strategy of "turning the tables", taking the initiative to launch a counterattack against Jia Changsheng's army. In the rain, the soldiers of both sides engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat, and the blood and rain intertwined, dyeing the land red.

As the battle continued, the forces of both sides were constantly depleted. Jia Changsheng realized that if he continued like this, it would be extremely disadvantageous to him. So he decided to adopt the strategy of "cutting off the firewood from under the cauldron" and launched an attack on the grain and grass camp of the Baekje army again. This time, he sent out his most elite troops, and at all costs, he must destroy the grain and grass reserves of the Baekje army.

When General Hong learned that the grain camp was attacked again, he was extremely anxious. He knew that if the grain was burned, the battle would be lost. So he personally led a troop to the grain camp to rescue it. However, Jia Changsheng had already set up an ambush on the way, waiting for General Hong's arrival.

When General Hong's troops entered the ambush, Jia Changsheng's troops immediately rushed out from all directions and surrounded them. General Hong fought hard, but was outnumbered and eventually died heroically in the battle.

With the death of General Hong, the morale of the Baekje Guards collapsed instantly. Jia Changsheng took the opportunity to launch the final general attack, and the Baekje Army's defense line completely collapsed, and the soldiers fled everywhere. This thrilling Western decisive battle ended with Jia Changsheng's victory.

Jia Changsheng looked at the mess on the battlefield, feeling both the joy of victory and the cruelty of war. He knew that this victory was hard-won, and there was still a long way to go, with more challenges waiting for him.

After the smoke of war gradually dissipated, Jia Changsheng's army successfully captured 20,000 Baekje guards. These prisoners were detained in a makeshift camp surrounded by guards, and the atmosphere was tense and depressing.

Jia Changsheng knew that these 20,000 captives were a valuable resource. If he could successfully recruit them, he could not only replenish his own troops, but also weaken Baekje's military strength, which would have a significant impact on the subsequent course of the war. So he decided to go to the prisoner camp in person and have face-to-face communication with these captives, trying to persuade them to surrender.

When Jia Changsheng entered the prisoner camp, the captives looked at him with mixed emotions, including fear, anger, and a hint of curiosity. Jia Changsheng stood on the platform, calmly scanning the captives below, and said, "Everyone, I know you are full of doubts and uneasiness at the moment. As the royal guards of Baekje, you must have your own loyalty and pride. But I want you to know that the war is not your fault, you are just following orders. Now that you have fallen into my hands, I can give you a chance to choose."

The prisoners looked at each other, no one spoke, but they were all listening quietly.

Jia Changsheng continued, "I am not a bloodthirsty person. What I pursue is peace and prosperity for this land. I know you are worried about being treated unfairly after surrendering, but I can assure you that as long as you are willing to lay down your weapons and join my army, you will be treated the same as my other soldiers, and you will even get more promotion opportunities because of your bravery and talents."

At this time, a young soldier of the Imperial Guard stood up. He looked at Jia Changsheng firmly and said loudly: "It's easy for you to say that! As Baekje people, how can we easily betray our country? Our families are still in Baekje. If we surrender, what will happen to them?"

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and said calmly: "I understand your concerns. But think about it, given the current situation in Baekje, how much peace can your family get in the war? I can promise that once the war is over, I will do my best to protect the safety of all the people, including your family. Moreover, after you surrender, you can also strive for better living conditions for your family."

An elderly general of the Imperial Guards nearby snorted coldly: "Humph, who knows if you are lying to us? Why should we believe you?"

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "I know it's not easy for you to believe me right away. But you can look at what I did before. Wherever I went, did I ever kill innocent people or harm civilians? My army is strictly disciplined, and everyone can see it. I, Jia Changsheng, always keep my word, and I will definitely keep what I said today."

In order to convince the captives, Jia Changsheng also brought some Baekje soldiers who had surrendered before and asked them to tell their stories. These soldiers told about their lives after surrendering and how Jia Changsheng treated them fairly and generously.

"Brothers, I was just like you at the beginning, full of doubts and fears. But it turned out that General Jia is a wise leader worth following. In his army, we have gained respect and opportunities, and are no longer victims of war," said a surrendered soldier sincerely.

Jia Changsheng went on to say: "I know that many of you have superb martial arts and rich combat experience. If you are willing to join me, I will provide you with a bigger stage so that you can display your talents and contribute to the peace and prosperity of this land. Together we can build a new order and let the people live a happy life."

After some persuasion, the captives began to relax their attitudes. Some of them began to discuss privately, weighing the pros and cons of surrender and resistance.

(End of this chapter)