Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 654 Panic
"How to adjust? Be more specific!" The voice of the King of Goguryeo softened slightly, but still full of majesty.

Cui Hao raised his head slightly, with a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes: "Your Majesty, we can concentrate the existing forces on several important strategic strongholds, such as Pyongyang City and Liaodong City. These cities have dangerous terrain and strong walls, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack. At the same time, recruit new soldiers from all over the country to make up for the shortage of troops. In addition, strengthen the communication between the cities, so that if a city is attacked, the surrounding cities can quickly provide support."

"If Jia Changsheng continues to attack, how should we respond?" asked the King of Goguryeo.

Cui Hao pondered for a moment and said, "We can set up obstacles on the road that Jia Changsheng must take, dig trenches, and set traps to slow down his march. At the same time, send out a small group of elite troops to harass his army and consume their energy and supplies. In addition, contact other surrounding forces to seek possible alliances to fight against Jia Changsheng together."

At this time, veteran general Zhao Meng expressed a different opinion: "Your Majesty, I think we cannot just defend blindly. Jia Changsheng is now in a strong position. If we just passively take the beating, it will only make him more arrogant. We should organize a surprise force and raid the city he just occupied while he is still unstable, and catch him off guard."

"No!" Cui Hao quickly retorted, "Jia Changsheng is a cautious person, and he will definitely arrange a tight defense in Xinzhan City. If we attack rashly at this time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win, and we will lose troops instead, which is not worth the loss."

The hall was once again plunged into a heated debate, with everyone holding their own opinions and refusing to give in. The King of Goguryeo was annoyed as he listened to their debate. He knew very well that the decision at this moment was related to the survival of Goguryeo, and if he made a mistake, he might lose everything.

"Enough!" The Goguryeo king shouted, stopping the quarrel. "Cui Hao's suggestion makes sense, but General Zhao Meng's words are not entirely unreasonable. We can't just passively defend, we must also look for opportunities to take the initiative. Let's do this, we will follow Cui Hao's plan, strengthen the defense of each city, and send envoys to contact the surrounding forces. As for the surprise attack, we will discuss it later."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Everyone obeyed the order.

"Li Yong, you failed to defend the city this time and should be severely punished. However, considering your past contributions, I will punish you to guard the beacon tower on the border. If you make mistakes again, you will not be forgiven!" The King of Goguryeo said coldly to Li Yong.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy! I will certainly make amends for my crime!" Li Yong kowtowed to express his gratitude and secretly vowed in his heart to restore his reputation.

Afterwards, the King of Goguryeo made detailed arrangements for various affairs, and everyone took his orders and went about their business. The entire Goguryeo fell into a tense state of preparation for war, and the people also felt the shadow of war and were in a state of panic.

In the following days, the Goguryeo army began to strengthen the construction of fortifications in various important cities, and the work of recruiting new soldiers was also carried out in an orderly manner. Messengers set out one after another to various surrounding forces to seek the possibility of an alliance. However, Jia Changsheng did not seem to give Goguryeo too much breathing space. After occupying the two cities, his army continued to carry out small-scale tentative attacks, which kept the Goguryeo army in a state of tension.

"Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng's troops have been frequently mobilized near Liubian City in recent days, and there seems to be signs of another attack." Cui Hao reported to the King of Goguryeo with great concern.

The Goguryeo king's expression became more serious. "Pay close attention to their movements and strengthen reconnaissance around the six-sided city. How are the defense preparations for other cities?"

"Your Majesty, all defensive fortifications are being built at an accelerated pace and the training of new recruits is also ongoing, but time is tight and it will take some time to reach the best condition." Cui Hao answered truthfully.

The King of Goguryeo sighed slightly: "Time waits for no one! Jia Changsheng is trying to force us into a desperate situation. Pass the order down, and tell the generals of each city to hold their posts. Anyone who deserts the battlefield will be killed without mercy!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Cui Hao took the order and left.

At this time, Goguryeo was like a lonely boat in a storm, in danger of being swallowed by huge waves at any time. At this critical moment of life and death, the King of Goguryeo and his ministers were desperately looking for a glimmer of hope for survival, trying to find a way out of the desperate situation and save Goguryeo from danger.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Goguryeo Palace was solemn and depressing. The Goguryeo King sat high on the throne, his eyes tired but resolute, and the ministers below also had heavy faces. The whole palace seemed to be shrouded in a thick haze.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the palace, knelt on one knee and reported: "Your Majesty, there is a man outside the palace who wants to see you. He claims to have a good strategy to defeat the enemy and can save our Goguryeo from danger."

The King of Goguryeo was slightly startled, with a hint of doubt and expectation in his eyes: "Oh? Quickly call him in."

After a while, a middle-aged man in a plain robe walked into the hall steadily. He had a deep gaze and a calm expression. Although he was dressed simply, he could not hide his extraordinary temperament. He bowed to the King of Goguryeo and said in a loud voice: "I am Lin Xiao, a humble man, and I pay my respects to His Majesty."

The King of Goguryeo looked at him and asked, "You said you have a good plan to defeat the enemy. Why not tell me about it? Now that the villain Jia Changsheng has captured two of our cities, Goguryeo is in danger. If what you said is not true, do you know the consequences of deceiving the king?"

Lin Xiao smiled slightly and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, since I dare to come here, I must be fully confident. Under the current situation, Goguryeo has little chance of winning against Jia Changsheng alone. But has your Majesty ever thought of a strategy of alliance?"

"An alliance between the vertical and horizontal elements? Tell me about it." The King of Goguryeo sat up straight and his expression became focused.

Lin Xiao cleared his throat and continued, "Your Majesty, to the east of Goguryeo, there is an island country with a very strong navy, and it has had some friction with Jia Changsheng. We can send envoys to the island country, explain the pros and cons, and promise them great benefits, so as to form an alliance with them and jointly fight against Jia Changsheng. The island country's navy can attack Jia Changsheng's coastal cities from the sea to disrupt his rear, while Goguryeo can confront him head-on on land. With this two-sided attack, Jia Changsheng will be unable to take care of both ends, and we can find an opportunity to defeat the enemy."

As soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, a discussion broke out in the hall. Advisor Cui Hao frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid this matter is not that simple. The people of the island country have always been cunning, and they are far away from our Goguryeo. The cultural and customs are very different. How can we ensure that they will sincerely form an alliance with us? Moreover, even if we form an alliance, how can we coordinate the battle plans of both sides to prevent being defeated one by one by Jia Changsheng?" Lin Xiao replied calmly, "Advisor Cui is right, but I also have a way to deal with it. We can select a man who is eloquent and proficient in strategy as an envoy and bring generous gifts to the island country. In the negotiations with the island country, we can emphasize Jia Changsheng's ambition and potential threat to the island country, so that they understand the truth that the lips and teeth are cold. At the same time, we can propose some specific cooperation plans, such as jointly dividing Jia Changsheng's territory, mutual trade to promote the economic prosperity of both sides, etc., to lure them. As for the coordination of the battle plan, we can agree on the signal and contact method in advance, exchange intelligence regularly, and ensure that the actions of both sides can cooperate with each other."

After hearing this, veteran Zhao Meng nodded and said, "Well, it sounds reasonable. But if the island nation's navy has to travel a long distance to fight along the coast of Goguryeo, how will they provide logistics? They can't rely on us, right?"

Lin Xiao bowed and said, "General Zhao has thought it through. The island nation's navy can set up temporary supply points on some islands along the way to store food and supplies. We can also provide certain support, such as sending some merchant ships to transport some supplies for them, but we must ensure the safety of the merchant ships to avoid being attacked by Jia Changsheng's army. In addition, the island nation's navy is good at naval warfare. They can blockade Jia Changsheng's maritime trade lines at sea and cut off his supply of materials, which will also be a great help to our operations on land."

The King of Goguryeo listened to Lin Xiao's analysis and thought to himself. Although this strategy of alliance has risks, it is still a feasible way at present. He looked at Cui Hao: "Advisor Cui, do you think this is feasible?"

Cui Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, this strategy has many uncertainties, but we don't have many choices at the moment. We might as well send an envoy to the island country to test the waters. If we can successfully form an alliance, it will naturally be a good thing; if not, we can make other plans."

The King of Goguryeo nodded slightly: "Well, let's do it this way. Lin Xiao, you know a lot about the island country, so I will appoint you as an envoy to go to the island country to discuss the alliance. Are you sure?"

Lin Xiao knelt down and accepted the order: "Your Majesty, I am grateful for your trust. I will do my best to live up to your trust."

"Okay, I will prepare generous gifts and an elite guard for you. You must set off immediately and come back quickly." The King of Goguryeo ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Lin Xiao took the order and left. Everyone in the hall began to discuss domestic defense and preparations for war, waiting for the news that Lin Xiao would bring back from the island country.

Lin Xiao took his mission and escort team and embarked on a journey to the island country by boat. Along the way, they encountered bad weather and several pirate attacks, but thanks to the bravery of the escort team, they were able to escape danger. After several days of sailing, they finally arrived at the island country.

When the king of the island country heard that the envoy from Goguryeo was coming, he received Lin Xiao in the palace. After meeting the king of the island country, Lin Xiao respectfully presented a gift and began to explain his purpose.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of the King of Goguryeo, I would like to extend my most sincere greetings to you. Now my Goguryeo is suffering from the invasion of Jia Changsheng, and the country is in danger. Jia Changsheng is an ambitious man. If he succeeds, the next target will probably be your country. Our two countries are interdependent. If we can form an alliance and jointly fight against Jia Changsheng, we will be able to ensure the peace of both countries, and we can also share the fruits of victory after the war." Lin Xiao said earnestly.

The king of the island nation frowned after hearing this and said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with my ministers. You go down and rest first and wait for news."

Lin Xiao waited anxiously in the island country's posthouse for several days, during which time the island country's ministers had a heated discussion on the alliance. Some worried that getting involved in the war would weaken their country's strength, while others thought it was a good opportunity to expand their power. In the end, the king of the island country weighed the pros and cons and decided to form an alliance with Goguryeo.

When Lin Xiao heard the news, he was overjoyed and immediately brought the island country's conditions and battle plan back to Goguryeo. When the King of Goguryeo heard it, he was overjoyed and immediately began to prepare for joint action with the island country.

In the following days, Goguryeo and the island country began to attack Jia Changsheng from both sides according to the agreed plan. The island country's navy frequently attacked Jia Changsheng's coastal cities and maritime trade lines, causing chaos in his rear. Goguryeo strengthened its defense on land and looked for opportunities to launch a counterattack against Jia Changsheng's army.

Jia Changsheng felt the pressure of fighting on two fronts suddenly doubled, and had to disperse his troops to deal with it. The momentum of the offensive was gradually curbed, and the situation of the war began to become delicate.

The King of Goguryeo watched the situation change, secretly thanking himself for adopting Lin Xiao's strategy of alliance. Although the outcome of the war was still unknown, at least Goguryeo saw a glimmer of hope and found a glimmer of life in this desperate situation...

Inside the main tent, the atmosphere was as heavy as the depression before a storm. Jia Changsheng sat in the first seat, his face gloomy, his eyes fixed on the map in front of him, which marked the cities he had occupied and the surrounding terrain, as well as the approximate locations of Goguryeo and the island country.

"Everyone, the situation has changed now. This island country has come into conflict and colluded with Goguryeo, attacking us from both sides. This general did not expect them to do this. It seems that we must replan our response." Jia Changsheng's voice was low and firm, breaking the silence in the tent.

Upon hearing this, the generals and counselors under his command all looked solemn and began to discuss among themselves.

Vanguard General Zhao Meng frowned and spoke first: "My lord, the navy of this island nation is very powerful. They appear and disappear at sea like ghosts, constantly harassing our coastal cities, making it difficult for us to defend ourselves. In my opinion, we must first form a navy to compete with them at sea, otherwise the coastal areas will sooner or later be disturbed by them."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and looked at the military advisor Xu Shu: "Military Advisor Xu, what do you think about this?"

Xu Shu gently waved his feather fan, pondered for a moment and said, "General Zhao's words make sense, but forming a navy is not a one-day job. Moreover, our experience in naval warfare is far less than that of the island countries. If we hastily form a navy to fight against them, I am afraid it will be difficult to win. In my opinion, we might as well take a defensive stance first, strengthen the fortifications of coastal cities, and deploy a large number of crossbows and catapults on the coastline to resist the attack of the island country's navy. At the same time, send a small group of elite troops to conduct guerrilla warfare in the coastal areas to harass their supply lines and landing troops, so that they cannot easily succeed."

(End of this chapter)