Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 665: Island Country’s Response

Jia Changsheng looked at Zhao Wen approvingly and said, "Zhao Wen, you are right. We can arrange some small units to patrol and exercise on the border and deliberately let the Goguryeo spies find us. At the same time, spread some false news that we are preparing for a large-scale military exercise in the near future, but the location is in the south, which is completely opposite to their direction."

Another general, Sun Hu, also put forward his own idea: "General, when we negotiate with the envoys, can we also deliberately reveal some false military deployments to make them think that our focus is not on the north, so as to relax their vigilance?"

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and said, "This is a good idea. However, the information disclosed must be just right and not too obvious, so as not to arouse their suspicion. We can mention some of our military movements in the south in some seemingly casual conversations and let them guess and judge for themselves."

The generals in the tent nodded one after another, expressing their agreement with Jia Changsheng's plan.

In the next few days, Jia Changsheng carried out various preparations in an orderly manner according to the plan. He personally commanded the soldiers to conduct daily military training, making everything look the same as usual. At the same time, he secretly arranged for the generals to dispatch troops in batches and quietly march towards the northern border of Goguryeo.

The day before the envoy was about to arrive, Jia Changsheng called another meeting of the generals. He said with a serious expression: "Tomorrow, the envoy of Goguryeo will arrive. From now on, each of us must be alert and act strictly according to the plan. Any small mistake may cause our plan to fail. Do you understand?"

The generals shouted in unison: "Understood!" The sound echoed throughout the tent.

The next morning, the sun shone on the earth, and Jia Changsheng led a group of generals to greet the Goguryeo envoys outside the camp. From a distance, they saw a mighty team coming towards them, with the Goguryeo flag flying in front of them.

When the envoys came closer, Jia Changsheng came forward with a smile on his face, bowed and said, "Welcome to your country's envoys. Thank you for your hard work on the journey."

The Goguryeo envoy was a middle-aged man named Park Su-hee, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had an elegant demeanor. He bowed slightly and responded, "General Jia, you are too polite. I came here for the sake of peace and friendship between the two countries. I hope we can reach a consensus smoothly."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "Of course, we have always been looking forward to friendly relations with your country. Please follow me, envoy. We have arranged accommodation and a welcome banquet for you."

Afterwards, Jia Changsheng led the envoys into the tent and arranged for them to rest. At the welcome banquet, Jia Changsheng entertained the envoys warmly and talked with them about everything, without mentioning military matters at all. Envoy Park Su-hee also behaved very friendly, and the atmosphere between the two sides was very harmonious.

However, in this seemingly friendly atmosphere, Jia Changsheng and his generals did not relax their vigilance at all. While dealing with the envoys, they closely followed the progress of the military operation.

In the next few days, Jia Changsheng deliberately revealed some false information about the military deployment in the south in his conversation with the envoy as planned. The envoy Park Suxi remained calm on the surface, but Jia Changsheng keenly noticed that a hint of imperceptible concern occasionally flashed in his eyes.

At the same time, the troops secretly dispatched by Jia Changsheng had already assembled at the northern border of Goguryeo. Everything was ready, and they could launch an attack as long as Jia Changsheng gave the order.

One night, Jia Changsheng was thinking about his next move in his tent when Zhao Wen hurried in and said, "General, I just got news that Goguryeo's garrison on the northern border seems to have relaxed. They may have really believed our illusion."

Jia Changsheng's eyes flashed with excitement. He stood up and said, "Okay, the time is ripe. Pass the order down. All troops will launch an attack on the northern cities of Goguryeo in the early morning of tomorrow according to the original plan. We must take them by surprise and make a quick decision!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Wen took the order and left.

In the early morning of the next day, before the sky was completely bright, the earth was silent. Jia Changsheng led the army and rushed towards the northern cities of Goguryeo like a tide. Due to the laxity of the Goguryeo defenders, they encountered almost no resistance and successfully broke through the first line of defense.

As the battle began, the Goguryeo defenders finally woke up, but it was too late. Jia Changsheng's army was in high spirits and they conquered several cities one after another.

When the news reached the ears of Goguryeo envoy Park Su-hee, he could not believe his ears. He angrily found Jia Changsheng and asked: "General Jia, what do you mean? We are here for peace talks, but you are attacking us from behind!"

Jia Changsheng looked at him coldly and said, "Mr. Envoy, we have long seen through the ambitions of Goguryeo. You think you can confuse us by sending an envoy, which is simply wishful thinking. Today is the day for you to pay the price for your actions!"

Park Su-hee was so angry that he was shaking all over, but at this point he was powerless. Jia Changsheng's army had already won a major victory in northern Goguryeo and was still advancing.

In the next few days, Jia Changsheng's army continued to attack the depths of Goguryeo. Because the Goguryeo army was not prepared in advance, it was beaten back step by step. Jia Changsheng's plan was a great success. He not only successfully paralyzed the Goguryeo envoys, but also achieved brilliant results on the battlefield.

However, Jia Changsheng was not carried away by victory. He knew that Goguryeo would not give up easily and the next battle would be more intense. He ordered the army to strengthen the defense in the occupied cities, while continuing to gather troops to prepare for Goguryeo's counterattack. In Goguryeo, upon learning that the northern cities had fallen one after another, Goguryeo King Gao Yuan was furious. He immediately summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures and decided to send a large army to the north to recapture the lost territory.

A more intense war is about to begin on the land of Goguryeo. Can Jia Changsheng and his army withstand Goguryeo's counterattack and continue to expand their victory? And can Goguryeo successfully regain its lost territory and save its face? All this is full of unknowns. But no matter what the result, Jia Changsheng's clever strategy this time has left a strong mark in the history of war.

Deep inside the magnificent yet mysterious and majestic palace of the island nation, a royal meeting concerning the island nation's future strategic direction was quietly taking place. The palace was decorated with various exquisite artworks, and the walls were hung with paintings depicting the island nation's ancient legends and glorious military exploits, but at this moment, the minds of the people in the palace were not on these at all.

The emperor of the island nation sat on a high throne, wearing gorgeous court robes, with a stern face and an elusive deep look in his eyes. Below him were the island nation's powerful ministers, generals and counselors, who were either kneeling or sitting, with solemn expressions, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was a bit suffocating.

An old minister in a black robe and with white hair spoke slowly. He was Fujiwara Mitsunari, the right minister of the island nation. Although his voice was old, it was still steady and powerful: "Your Majesty, I heard recently that Jia Changsheng was leading his army to attack Goguryeo on the mainland, and he has made considerable progress. Now the situation in Goguryeo is precarious. This is a major event that we, the island nation, must pay attention to."

The Emperor nodded slightly, glanced at everyone, and asked, "In your opinion, my dear ministers, how should we deal with this situation?"

At this time, a young and heroic general stood up. He was the left guard general Minamoto no Yoshiyasu. He stood tall and straight, with a resolute look in his eyes. "Your Majesty, I think this is a great opportunity for our island nation. If Jia Changsheng completely conquers Goguryeo, his power will increase greatly, and he may pose a huge threat to our island nation in the future. We might as well cooperate with Goguryeo and jointly resist Jia Changsheng while Jia Changsheng has not yet completely succeeded. Although Goguryeo is at a disadvantage now, its foundation is still there. If we join forces with it, we may be able to repel Jia Changsheng."

As soon as Minamoto no Yoshiyasu spoke, a whisper broke out in the palace. Some young generals nodded in agreement, eager to show their skills in this continental dispute and win glory for the island nation.

However, a counselor in a gray robe and with a thin face shook his head. He was Taira Kiyomori, the think tank in the cabinet, and said slowly: "General Minamoto no Yoshiyasu's words make sense, but this matter is by no means that simple. To cooperate with Goguryeo, the first thing to consider is whether Goguryeo is really willing to join forces with us. Now they are busy with their own affairs, will they just want to use us to solve the urgent problem, and then turn their backs on us? Moreover, Jia Changsheng was able to achieve such a result against Goguryeo in a short period of time, and his military talent should not be underestimated. If we rashly get involved in this war and fail to retreat unscathed, it will bring great disaster to the island nation."

Taira no Kiyomori's words made the crowd, who were discussing a moment ago, fall into deep thought. Minamoto no Yoshiyasu frowned and retorted, "Master Taira no Kiyomori, the concerns you mentioned are not without reason. But if we don't take action now, and wait until Jia Changsheng completely annexes Goguryeo, it will be very difficult for us to do anything. Moreover, we can sign a detailed treaty with Goguryeo to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties and restrict their behavior. As for Jia Changsheng, the warriors of our island country are by no means cowards. If we fight with all our strength, we may not lose."

The two sides held their own opinions and argued endlessly. The emperor listened quietly, with little expression on his face, making it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

At this time, the Minister of Finance Fujiwara no Tadahira, who had been silent, spoke up. He was an important official in charge of the island nation's financial affairs. He spoke slowly but to the point: "Everyone, before discussing whether to join the war, we must consider a crucial issue - finance. War means huge expenses, the manufacture of weapons and equipment, the salary of soldiers, the supply of food and grass, etc., all of which require a lot of money. Although the financial situation of our island nation is relatively stable now, if we are involved in a large-scale war, can we support it with our current reserves? This is a question worth pondering."

Fujiwara Tadahira's words were like pouring cold water on everyone. For a moment, the atmosphere in the palace became more solemn. Everyone knew that war was not only a military contest, but also a competition of economic strength. Without sufficient financial support, even the most powerful army would find it difficult to sustain a long-term battle.

The Right Minister Fujiwara no Mitsunari stroked his beard and said, "Master Fujiwara no Tadahira is right. War is not a joke. We cannot make decisions blindly based on passion alone. Perhaps we can send envoys to the camps of Goguryeo and Jia Changsheng to test their stance and understand their true intentions and strength. On the other hand, we can try to mediate and see if it is possible to resolve the issue through peaceful negotiations and avoid the outbreak of war."

Some people nodded to Fujiwara no Mitsushige's proposal, while others looked disdainful. Minamoto no Yoshiyasu snorted coldly and said, "Sending envoys to negotiate? What's the point? Jia Changsheng is in a strong position now. Will he easily agree to negotiate? And Goguryeo must be panicking now. They probably just want to find help as soon as possible and won't calm down to negotiate."

Taira Kiyomori said, "General Minamoto no Yoshiyasu, there is always room for negotiation. We send envoys not necessarily to facilitate negotiations, but to use this as an opportunity to further understand the situation. Moreover, we can also use envoys to show both sides the strength and attitude of our island nation, let them know that we are not easy to mess with, and perhaps this can influence their decision-making to a certain extent."

The emperor listened to the debate and weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He knew that this decision was related to the future of the island nation, and if he made the wrong choice, the island nation might fall into an irreparable situation.

After a long time, the Emperor finally spoke: "My dear ministers, this matter is of great importance. Please allow me to consider it carefully. In the meantime, Minister Fujiwara no Mitsunari, you will be responsible for selecting suitable envoys and preparing for the mission at any time; Minister Minamoto no Yoshiyasu, you will strengthen military training at home and improve the combat effectiveness of the army; Minister Fujiwara no Tadahira, pay close attention to the financial situation at home and ensure that we have sufficient financial resources to deal with any possible situation."

Everyone followed the order. Afterwards, the imperial meeting ended in a solemn atmosphere, and the ministers left the palace one after another.

Minamoto no Yoshiyasu and Taira no Kiyomori walked side by side in the palace corridor. Although they had just argued fiercely in the meeting, they were silent at this moment. After a while, Minamoto no Yoshiyasu suddenly said, "Lord Taira no Kiyomori, I know you are thinking about the island country, and I am not acting alone. It's just that I think our island country can't always stay in a corner. We should show our strength on the stage of the mainland, otherwise we will be despised by other forces sooner or later."

Taira nods slightly and says, "General Minamoto no Yoshiyasu, I understand your thoughts. But war is cruel after all, and we cannot ignore the consequences. I also hope that the island nation can become strong, but we need more thorough plans and preparations."

The two looked at each other. Although they didn't say anything more, they understood each other's position in their hearts.

(End of this chapter)