Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 667 Another victory

Abe Haruaki began to weigh the pros and cons in his mind. He came here originally to test Goguryeo's strength and see if there was any opportunity to take advantage of. However, he did not expect that Goguryeo would point out the potential crisis of the island country so directly.

At this time, a young general of Goguryeo stood up and said loudly: "Emissary, now the only way for us Goguryeo and the island country to form an alliance and fight against Jia Changsheng together is to have a glimmer of hope. If we fight alone, he will defeat us one by one sooner or later."

Abe Haruaki looked at the general and asked, "Although what the general said makes sense, the matter of alliance is of great importance. What benefits can my island nation gain if it forms an alliance with your country? How can we cooperate?"

Yi Zhi Wende said: "Emissary, if we form an alliance, Goguryeo can provide land support to the island country. Once Jia Changsheng launches an attack on the island country, we can send troops from the land to harass his rear, making it difficult for him to take care of both ends. Moreover, our Goguryeo military strength should not be underestimated. Our soldiers are brave and experienced in combat. When combined with the army of the island country, we will surely be able to exert a strong combat effectiveness."

Gao Yuan also said: "In addition, if the alliance is successful, we can share resources and develop trade together after the war. My Goguryeo has rich mineral resources and fertile land, which can be exchanged with the island countries to promote the prosperity of both sides."

Abe Haruaki thought to himself that these conditions were indeed attractive, but he still had concerns and said, "Your Majesty, adults, I cannot make the decision on the alliance alone. I need to report back to His Majesty the Emperor. Moreover, even if we form an alliance, we still need a detailed battle plan. How to cooperate in the battle and how to allocate troops all need to be discussed carefully."

Yi Zhi Wende said: "The envoy is right. We can first draft a preliminary letter of intent for an alliance, which includes our demands and the general direction of cooperation. You can take it back and present it to His Majesty the Emperor. After His Majesty agrees, we can further discuss the specific battle plan and details."

Gao Yuan nodded and said, "Just as Da Dui Lu said. I hope the messenger can convey this matter to His Majesty the Emperor as soon as possible. Time is running out and we don't have much time to waste."

Abe Haruaki bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured that I will report this matter to the Emperor as soon as possible. But before I leave, I would like to learn about your country's current military deployment and strength, so that I can report in detail to His Majesty the Emperor when I return."

Gao Yuan and Yi Zhiwende looked at each other, and Yi Zhiwende said, "Emissary, military deployment is a confidential matter and should not be disclosed easily. But now for the sake of the alliance, we can tell you some general information. At present, we still have a lot of troops on the front line to resist Jia Changsheng's attack. Although we are temporarily at a disadvantage, our soldiers are fighting desperately. Moreover, we are also urgently recruiting soldiers and storing food and grass in the country to prepare for a long-term resistance."

Abe Haruaki nodded and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, and the adults for your trust. I also hope that we can reach cooperation as soon as possible to jointly deal with this crisis."

Afterwards, the two sides discussed some details, including the specific content of the letter of intent for alliance and the itinerary arrangements for the envoys returning home.

As the sky gradually darkened, Abe Haruaki said goodbye and left the palace. Gao Yuan looked at his departing figure and said to Yi Zhi Wende: "Da Duilu, do you think the envoys of this island country can be trusted? Will they form an alliance with us?"

Yi Zhi Wende frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the envoys from this island country seem to be sincere, but they have their own considerations after all. However, we have no better choice at the moment. We can only hope that they can understand the principle of "lips and teeth are cold" and join hands with us to fight the enemy."

Gao Yuan sighed and said, "I hope so. If we can form an alliance with the island nation, our chances of winning may be better."

On the way back to his residence, Abe Haruaki was full of thoughts. He knew that the content of his report to the Emperor would have a significant impact on the island nation's future strategy. The crisis described by Goguryeo was not an exaggeration. If Jia Changsheng really pointed his spearhead at the island nation after annexing Goguryeo as they said, the island nation would indeed face a huge threat. However, forming an alliance is not an easy task, which involves the weighing of many interests and the difficulty of military cooperation.

After returning to his residence, Abe Haruaki immediately summoned his entourage and began to organize the content of the talks with Goguryeo and prepare to report to the emperor in detail. He knew that this would be a difficult decision and his report would play a key role in it.

In the palace of Goguryeo, Gao Yuan and his ministers were still discussing countermeasures. They understood that even if the island nation finally decided to form an alliance, the road ahead would still be full of thorns. Jia Changsheng's army would not let them go easily, and the next war would be more cruel and fierce. But they had no choice but to do their best for the survival and dignity of Goguryeo. Although the dialogue around the alliance came to an end for the time being, it was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples. No one could accurately predict where the future situation would go.

In Jia Changsheng's central army tent, the atmosphere was solemn and warm. A huge marching map was hung in the center of the tent, with various colored markings clearly marking the situation of both sides. Jia Changsheng, dressed in a black suit, stood tall in front of the map, his eyes fixed on the eastern region of Goguryeo, especially the key Dongxu City.

A group of generals lined up neatly on both sides, with expectation and determination on their faces, waiting for Jia Changsheng to issue combat orders. Jia Changsheng spoke slowly, his voice low but full of power: "Everyone, now we have gained a temporary advantage on the battlefield of Goguryeo, but if we want to completely defeat Goguryeo, there are still many tough battles to fight. Dongxu City in front of us is our next target."

As he spoke, his finger landed heavily on the location of Dongxu City on the map: "Dongxu City is the gateway to the eleven cities in the east of Goguryeo. Once it is captured, we can march straight into its heartland. Moreover, this city stores a large amount of food and military supplies, which are crucial to Goguryeo's defense system. Therefore, whether from a strategic perspective or in terms of material supply, we must capture Dongxu City."

Lieutenant General Li Meng stepped forward and said loudly: "General, I am willing to lead the vanguard troops to attack Dongxu City directly and open the city gate for you!"

Jia Changsheng shook his head slightly and said, "Li Meng, Dongxu City is strategically located and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Goguryeo must have deployed heavy troops in this city. We cannot act rashly and need to make long-term plans."

At this time, Staff Officer Zhao Wen pointed to the map and said, "General, look, there is a river on the south side of Dongxu City. Although the flow of the river decreases in winter, it is still a natural barrier. On the north side of the city is a mountain forest with complex terrain, which is conducive to concealment. Can we find a breakthrough point from these two directions?"

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and agreed: "What Zhao Wen said makes sense. However, Goguryeo must also be aware of the importance of these two places and will definitely strengthen their defense. We must find a way to confuse them and make them unable to figure out our main attack direction."

After a heated discussion, everyone finally decided on the battle plan. Jia Changsheng stood up, looked at each general in turn, and said solemnly: "This battle is of great importance. All troops must strictly follow the plan and not make any mistakes. The army will set out at dawn tomorrow!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the tent.

The next morning, before the sky was completely bright, the earth was silent. Jia Changsheng's army had already quietly set out. According to the plan, Li Meng led an elite force to pretend to attack from the front of Dongxu City. They beat drums and shouted as they rushed towards the city gate. For a moment, dust flew and shouts shook the sky.

The Goguryeo defenders of Dongxu City were awakened by the sudden attack. They quickly climbed the city wall and prepared to fight. The archers on the top of the city drew their bows and shot arrows at the enemy below. For a time, arrows rained down. Li Meng's troops held up their shields and advanced forward with difficulty. At this time, Jia Changsheng personally led the main force and was quietly sneaking along the mountains and forests on the north side of Dongxu City. The mountains and forests were full of thorns and the roads were rugged, but the soldiers gritted their teeth and moved forward carefully, fearing that they would make any noise.

After several hours of arduous journey, Jia Changsheng's main force finally arrived at the north side of Dongxu City. Jia Changsheng looked at the city wall in front of him, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes. He whispered an order: "Prepare to attack the city!"

The soldiers moved quickly, pushing the siege equipment they had prepared to the foot of the city wall. Ladders were erected one after another, and the soldiers rushed to the city wall like a tide. The Goguryeo defenders on the top of the city discovered them and immediately panicked, and hurriedly transferred troops to defend the north side.

At this moment, Li Meng, who had been pretending to attack, seized the opportunity and ordered his troops to charge at full speed. They quickly approached the city gate under the enemy's rain of arrows, pushed out the battering rams that had been prepared in advance, and hit the city gate again and again.

The defenders of Dongxu City were in a dilemma. They had to defend against the attack from the ladders on the north side and the attack from the battering rams on the front. The battle on the city wall was extremely fierce, and the soldiers on both sides fought desperately.

Jia Changsheng stood in front of the battle line, closely following the situation on the battlefield. He saw the Goguryeo defenders on the city wall begin to fall into chaos, and knew that the time had come. He drew the sword from his waist, raised it high, and shouted loudly: "Soldiers, charge! Kill for victory!"

With Jia Changsheng's order, the morale of the soldiers instantly reached its peak. They rushed towards the city wall like a tiger descending from a mountain. For a moment, the sound of shouting and killing and the sound of weapons clashing intertwined and resounded through the sky.

Under the fierce attack of Jia Changsheng's troops, the defenders of Dongxu City gradually couldn't hold out. The defense line on the city wall was broken bit by bit, and Jia Changsheng's soldiers climbed up the city wall one after another.

Li Meng saw that the situation on the city wall had turned around, so he took the lead and led the soldiers to hit the city gate. With a loud "bang", the city gate was finally breached.

"Charge in!" Li Meng shouted, leading the soldiers to rush into the city like a tide. Jia Changsheng also led the follow-up troops and quickly followed.

In Dongxu City, the Goguryeo defenders were still making their last stand. They engaged in fierce street fighting with Jia Changsheng's troops. The narrow streets were full of fighting soldiers, and the ground was stained red with blood.

Jia Changsheng knew the cruelty of street fighting, and while commanding his soldiers to advance steadily, he searched for the command center of the Goguryeo defenders. He knew that as long as the enemy's command center was captured, the battle would end quickly.

After a fierce battle, Jia Changsheng's troops finally found the headquarters of the Goguryeo defenders. After a fierce exchange of fire, they successfully eliminated the commander of the defenders.

The Goguryeo defenders, who had lost their commander, fell into chaos. They laid down their weapons and surrendered. Jia Changsheng stood on the top of Dongxu City, looking at the curling smoke rising from the city, feeling a lot of emotion in his heart.

This battle, from planning to victory, has gone through countless hardships. But now, Dongxu City has been conquered by them, which means that they have taken another solid step on the battlefield of Goguryeo.

Jia Changsheng turned to the generals around him and said, "Pass the order down to appease the people in the city and not disturb them. At the same time, count the food and military supplies in the city and make a good statistics."

"Yes, sir!" The generals took the order and left.

Afterwards, Jia Changsheng ordered his men to pass the news that Dongxu City had been conquered back to the rear so that the soldiers in the rear could also share the joy of victory.

Amid the fear and expectation of the people of Dongxu City, Jia Changsheng's troops began to restore order in the city. The soldiers helped the people clean up the debris and corpses on the streets, distributed food and medicine, and gradually won the trust and support of the people.

In the capital of Goguryeo, when the news of the capture of Dongxu City came, the entire palace fell into panic. Goguryeo King Gao Yuan slumped on the throne, his face as pale as paper. He never expected that Jia Changsheng's attack would be so swift and so fierce.

Gao Yuan looked at the panicked ministers below and shouted angrily, "What on earth is going on? How could Dongxu City be breached so quickly? Didn't you say it was a strong city?"

The ministers knelt down one after another, not daring to speak. The great general Lu Yizhi Wende said with a stiff face: "Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng is a cunning man. This time he must have used a surprise attack tactic. We can't just sit there and wait for death. We must find a way to deal with it as soon as possible."

Gao Yuan sighed helplessly and said, "What else can we do now? Our military strength is already stretched to the limit. If Dongxu City is lost, the other cities will also be in danger."

At this moment, a guard rushed in and said, "Your Majesty, the envoy of the island country wants to see you."

Gao Yuan was slightly stunned, then said: "Let him in."

Abe Haruaki walked into the palace and was surprised to see the chaotic scene inside. He bowed to Gao Yuan and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Dongxu City has been conquered by Jia Changsheng. I wonder if this is true?"

(End of this chapter)