Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 642: Baekje and Goguryeo Alliance

Seeing that the time was right, Jia Changsheng said, "I'll give you one day to think about it. I'll come again at this time tomorrow. Those who are willing to surrender, stand on the left; those who are not willing, stand on the right. I respect your choice, but I hope you can make a wise decision for the future of yourself and your family."

After saying this, Jia Changsheng left the prisoner camp, leaving behind a group of prisoners who were lost in thought.

During this day, the prisoners of war were talking about it. Some recalled that Jia Changsheng's army's performance in the war was indeed different from the image of invaders they had heard before; while others were worried that they would be regarded as traitors and despised by the Baekje people after surrendering.

The next day, Jia Changsheng arrived at the prisoner camp on time. When he saw that most of the prisoners stood on the left and expressed their willingness to surrender, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Very good, you made a wise choice." Jia Changsheng said with satisfaction, "From today on, you are part of my Jia Changsheng army. I believe you will not regret your decision."

As for those captives who were still unwilling to surrender, Jia Changsheng did not make things difficult for them. Instead, he had them properly accommodated and waited until the end of the war to deal with them.

In the following days, Jia Changsheng fulfilled his promise, treated the surrendered guards equally, provided them with good training and living conditions. These soldiers gradually integrated into Jia Changsheng's army, made great contributions to his campaigns, and became one of the important forces for him to achieve his hegemony.

In the magnificent but despair-filled palace of Baekje, the king of Baekje sat high on the cold throne, his face as pale as paper, his hands tightly grasping the armrests, his knuckles turning white from the force. Below, a group of civil and military officials lowered their heads, and the entire palace was shrouded in a deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing echoing, as if telling everyone's inner fear and anxiety.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the palace. Then, a soldier covered in dust and in a state of disgrace rushed into the palace, fell to his knees with a plop, and reported in tears: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Royal Guards... The Royal Guards were completely wiped out in the decisive battle in the west!"

This news was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in the hall in an instant. The Baekje king's body shook violently, his eyes filled with disbelief and despair. He stared at the soldier with wide eyes, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word for a long time.

After a long while, the King of Baekje seemed to wake up from a nightmare and let out a shrill roar: "How is this possible? The Royal Guards are the elite of Baekje. How could they be wiped out so easily?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers all looked up and exchanged horrified glances with each other. For a moment, the hall was filled with discussions and chaos.

"Your Majesty, the situation is critical now. Jia Changsheng's army is unstoppable and Baekje is no longer able to resist. In my opinion, we might as well surrender. Perhaps we can still save the people and ancestral temples of Baekje." A civil official stood up tremblingly and said in a trembling voice.

As soon as these words came out, the King of Baekje's face instantly became extremely gloomy. He glared at the civil official angrily, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire: "You coward! How dare you say such treasonous words! Baekje has been established for hundreds of years, how can we surrender without a fight?"

As he spoke, the King of Baekje suddenly drew out the sword from his waist, and with a swipe of his sword, the head of the civil official instantly fell to the ground, blood gushed out, and splashed on the bodies of the ministers around him. Suddenly, there were screams of fear and gasps in the hall.

The King of Baekje held up the bloody sword, looked around, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Whoever dares to mention the word surrender today will suffer this fate!"

The ministers were so frightened that they all knelt on the ground, shouting: "Your Majesty, calm down! We will die!"

At this time, an old general stood up. He was one of the few remaining generals in the Baekje army. Although he was old, his eyes still showed a strong determination. He clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, I think that although we have suffered a heavy blow, we are not without hope. Jia Changsheng's rise has already threatened the interests of the surrounding countries. We might as well unite with Goguryeo to fight against Jia Changsheng. Goguryeo has a strong military force. If we can join forces with it, we may be able to turn the tide of the war."

After hearing the old general's words, the Baekje king frowned slightly, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes: "Goguryeo and Baekje have always had conflicts. Will they be willing to join forces with us?"

The old general said quickly: "Your Majesty, this is a different time. Now Jia Changsheng's power is expanding too fast, and Goguryeo must have felt threatened. We can send envoys to Goguryeo to explain the interests and justice to them, and at the same time promise them great benefits. I believe they will consider cooperating with us."

The Baekje king pondered for a moment and felt that the old general's words made some sense, so he nodded slowly: "Well, this matter has no choice but to give it a try. In your opinion, who should be sent as an envoy?"

The old general thought for a moment and replied, "I recommend Mr. Jin, the Minister of Rites. Mr. Jin is eloquent, well-versed in the etiquette of various countries, and loyal to Baekje. If he is sent as an envoy to Goguryeo, he will definitely be able to fulfill his mission."

The King of Baekje looked at Minister Jin and asked, "My dear Minister Jin, are you willing to take on this important task?"

Minister Jin knelt down and accepted the order: "I am willing to go! For the safety of Baekje, I will not hesitate to die!"

The King of Baekje nodded slightly and said, "Okay, my dear minister Jin, this mission to Goguryeo is related to the life and death of Baekje. You must do your best to persuade Goguryeo to join forces with us. If you succeed, you will be a great contributor to Baekje, and I will reward you handsomely!"

"I obey your order!" replied Minister Jin.

Afterwards, the King of Baekje discussed with his ministers the specific matters of the alliance with Goguryeo, including the conditions of cooperation, military deployment, and the distribution of benefits. Everyone expressed their opinions and argued endlessly, and the whole hall was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, I think that while we are allying with Goguryeo, we cannot relax our domestic defense. We should immediately mobilize troops from all over the country and strengthen the defense of the capital to prevent Jia Changsheng from taking advantage of the situation." A minister suggested.

"Well, what you said is very true. I will leave this matter to you. Make sure to complete it as soon as possible." The King of Baekje ordered.

"Your Majesty, we also need to prepare a generous gift as a gift to the King of Goguryeo to show our sincerity." Another minister added.

The King of Baekje nodded in agreement and said, "Let the Ministry of Rites handle this matter as well. We must select the most precious gift that will impress the King of Goguryeo the most."

After intense discussions and deployments, the King of Baekje finally decided on a plan to deal with the current crisis. He looked at the ministers below and said in a heavy tone: "My dear ministers, Baekje is now at a critical moment of life and death. We must unite as one and overcome the difficulties together. The alliance with Goguryeo is our last hope. I hope that Minister Jin can successfully accomplish his mission. If anyone dares to slack off or disobey orders at this critical moment, I will never let him off easily!"

"We obey your order! We are willing to serve Baekje!" The ministers shouted in unison. Although there was still a hint of fear in their voices, there was also a sense of determination.

In the following days, Baekje was busy. Minister Jin took the letter from the king of Baekje and generous gifts and embarked on a difficult journey to Goguryeo. Meanwhile, Baekje stepped up its recruitment, stockpiled food and grass, and strengthened its city defenses, making final preparations for the upcoming war. Every Baekje person knew clearly that their fate hung in the balance, and this war would determine the future of Baekje. Minister Jin led a group of followers and left the capital of Baekje, embarking on a difficult journey to Goguryeo. They rode fast horses and galloped along the winding official road, raising clouds of dust with their hooves.

In the team, a young attendant said to Minister Jin worriedly: "Sir, the journey to Goguryeo is long, and the situation is turbulent now. I am afraid that the journey will be full of dangers."

Minister Jin nodded solemnly, "I know that too, but this is related to the survival of Baekje. We have to go no matter how dangerous it is. Now that Jia Changsheng's army is approaching, we have no way to retreat. The only way is to join forces with Goguryeo, and perhaps there will be a glimmer of hope."

Another attendant also interrupted and said, "Sir, Goguryeo has always had a feud with Baekje. Will they be willing to cooperate with us? What if they not only refuse to help us, but also take the opportunity to harm us? What should we do then?"

Minister Jin frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "This is indeed a difficult problem we are facing. But now Jia Changsheng's rise has broken the original balance of power, and Goguryeo must have realized this. This time we go there to explain the interests involved to them and let them understand the truth that the lips and teeth are cold. Moreover, we have prepared generous gifts to show our sincerity. As long as we speak sincerely and explain the righteousness, we still have a chance to convince them."

As the journey progressed, the road became more and more rugged and difficult to travel. One day, they came to a mountain forest with dangerous terrain, dense trees, and a faint sense of danger.

"Sir, this forest doesn't look safe. Should we take a detour?" a servant asked cautiously.

Minister Jin looked up at the sky, then at the surrounding terrain, and shook his head, saying, "Taking a detour will take too much time. We cannot take the risk. Everyone, be alert, be careful, and quickly pass through this forest."

So the team entered the forest carefully. The forest was eerily quiet, with only the sound of horse hooves and the occasional bird song. Suddenly, a rain of arrows came from the woods, and the team was in a panic.

"There is an ambush! Protect our lord!" a guard shouted loudly. Everyone quickly drew their weapons, formed a circle, and protected Minister Jin in the middle.

Minister Jin was startled, but he remained calm: "Don't panic, find the enemy's position and fight back!"

The guards fought fiercely with the ambushed enemy. For a while, shouts of killing echoed in the mountains and forests. After a hard fight, they finally repelled the enemy, but many guards were injured.

"Sir, these people look like bandits from nearby. They must have seen us carrying valuables and wanted to rob us." said a guard after examining the enemy's bodies.

Minister Jin's face was gloomy. "How despicable! At this critical moment, you are still causing trouble. Hurry up and treat the wounded. Let's continue on our way."

After a short rest, the team continued on their way. Along the way, they encountered several small-scale attacks and various difficulties, such as bad weather and broken bridges, but Minister Jin always led the team forward firmly without any retreat.

After several days of traveling, they finally approached the border of Goguryeo. However, at the border, they were blocked by Goguryeo soldiers.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Goguryeo?" the Goguryeo soldier asked vigilantly.

Minister Jin stepped forward and said respectfully, "I am the Minister of Rites of Baekje. I have come to you at the order of my king to seek an audience with the King of Goguryeo to discuss important matters."

The Goguryeo soldier looked them up and down and said, "Wait, I will report it."

After a long time, the Goguryeo soldier came back and said indifferently: "Follow me."

Minister Jin and his men followed the Goguryeo soldiers into the territory of Goguryeo and came to a city. In the city, they went through layers of interrogation and waiting before they were finally brought to the outside of the palace of the Goguryeo king.

"Sir, you are about to meet the King of Goguryeo, you must be careful." An attendant reminded softly.

Minister Jin took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do."

After entering the palace, Minister Jin saw the King of Goguryeo sitting high on the throne, surrounded by a group of majestic ministers. He immediately knelt down and saluted, saying respectfully: "I, Minister Jin of the Ministry of Rites of Baekje, pay my respects to His Majesty the King of Goguryeo. Long live His Majesty!"

The King of Goguryeo looked at him sternly and said, "Get up. Baekje envoy, what are you doing here?"

Minister Jin stood up, cleared his throat, and began to speak: "Your Majesty, Baekje is now facing a huge crisis. Jia Changsheng's army is like a wolf and a tiger. They have successively occupied large tracts of Baekje's territory and are now approaching the capital of Baekje. The people of Baekje are in dire straits and are suffering terribly."

The King of Goguryeo frowned slightly: "What does this have to do with my Goguryeo?"

Minister Jin said quickly, "Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng is an ambitious man. His target is not just Baekje. Once Baekje is destroyed, Goguryeo will also face the same threat. Your Majesty, the king of Baekje knows this very well, so he sent me here, hoping to form an alliance with Goguryeo to fight against Jia Changsheng and protect the territory and people of our two countries."

After hearing this, the King of Goguryeo remained silent, as if he was thinking about what Minister Jin said.

At this time, a Goguryeo minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, do not trust the Baekje people. They have always been at odds with us. Who knows if this is their conspiracy to drag us into the quagmire of war?"

Minister Jin said hurriedly, "Sir, this is wrong. At this critical moment of life and death, how could we Baekje have the mind to play tricks. We sincerely want to cooperate with Goguryeo. To show our sincerity, our Baekje king specially prepared a generous gift."

(End of this chapter)