Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 681 Changes in the situation
Jia Changsheng was satisfied with this plan. He said, "This sneak attack by the island bandits is a provocation to our Great Sui. We must let them know that our Great Sui Empire is not to be trifled with. All the ministers must work together to make all preparations as soon as possible."

"We obey your order!" everyone shouted in unison, and their voices echoed throughout the hall.

After the meeting, Jia Changsheng stood alone on the tower, looking at the sea in the distance, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He knew that this war with the island country would be a difficult challenge, but he was not afraid. He firmly believed that as long as the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty united, they would be able to defeat the enemy and defend the dignity and honor of the Sui Dynasty.

In the following days, the Great Sui Empire was busy. Chen Yuan carefully selected a group of capable spies and secretly sent them to the island country. These spies disguised themselves as merchants, fishermen and other identities, sneaked into various parts of the island country to collect intelligence.

Li Yong led his soldiers to fight day and night, building fortifications, adding watchtowers, and patrol boats in coastal areas. The people along the coast also actively participated in the defense work under the organization of the government, forming a solid sea defense line.

Zhou Meng devoted himself to the training of the navy and the improvement of warships. He personally guided the soldiers in ocean-going combat training, simulated various naval battle scenes, and improved the soldiers' combat skills and adaptability. At the same time, he also summoned skilled craftsmen from home to make a series of improvements to the warships, increasing the number of artillery and improving the speed and maneuverability of the warships.

Jia Changsheng listens to reports from all parties every day and pays close attention to the progress of various tasks. He makes suggestions and requests from time to time to ensure that all preparations can proceed smoothly.

During the intense preparations, time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Chen Yuan finally sent a message that the spies he sent had collected a lot of intelligence about the island country.

After Jia Changsheng learned the news, he immediately summoned all the generals and held another meeting. He knew that it was time to formulate a specific battle plan based on this intelligence.

"My dear Chen, can you tell me in detail what information you have collected?" Jia Changsheng looked at Chen Yuan, his eyes full of anticipation.

Chen Yuan cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, after in-depth investigation by our spies, we have basically figured out the situation of the island nation. The island nation is composed of multiple islands, and the largest island has their royal city and main military base. The nests of pirates and Japanese pirates are distributed in the coastal areas of each island. They have a wide variety of ships, including small speedboats that are good at close combat and large warships with excellent equipment. Moreover, they collude with each other to form a huge maritime force."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng nodded slightly and said, "It seems that this island bandit is indeed not simple. However, we are not without a chance of winning. Lord Zhou, based on this information, how do you think we should organize our expeditionary force?"

After Zhou Meng pondered for a moment, he said, "Your Majesty, I think our expeditionary force should be mainly composed of navy, with a certain number of land forces. The navy is responsible for sea operations and transportation, while the land forces are responsible for landing operations. In terms of warships, we should mainly use large warships, equipped with sufficient artillery and archers to ensure that we have an advantage in naval battles. At the same time, we also need to prepare some small speedboats for reconnaissance and harassment."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng felt that Zhou Meng's suggestion made sense. He said, "Okay, let's do as Minister Zhou Ai said. The formation of the expeditionary force must be completed as soon as possible. I want those island bandits to pay the price for their actions as soon as possible."

Then, everyone discussed in detail the specific details of the operation, such as the attack route, landing site, logistics supply, etc. After several hours of discussion, a complete operation plan was finally formulated.

Jia Changsheng looked at the battle plan in his hand, his heart full of confidence. He knew that a tough war was coming, but he believed that the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty would surely win.

"My fellow gentlemen, this expedition concerns the dignity and honor of our Great Sui Dynasty. I believe that you will be able to live up to the trust and return victoriously." Jia Changsheng stood up, looked at everyone with a firm gaze and said.

"We will do our best to serve Your Majesty!" Everyone shouted in unison, their voices full of fighting spirit and determination.

With the battle plan completed, the Great Sui Empire's counterattack against the island nation is about to begin. And this war will also become an important turning point in the history of the Great Sui.

In the ever-changing history, Jia Changsheng, with his outstanding military talent and extraordinary strategy, led his army to occupy the vast territories of Baekje and Goguryeo, and established the prestigious Sui Empire. After ascending the throne, he had great ambitions and set his sights on the distance. He wanted to march westward to compete with the Yuan Dynasty, expand territory in a wider world, and write a glorious chapter for the Sui Dynasty.

However, just as Jia Changsheng was busy preparing for the Western Expedition, a sudden crisis quietly struck from the sea. The navy of the island nation was like a wolf, taking advantage of the fact that the Great Sui Empire had just been established and its foundation was not yet completely solid, and launched an attack. Their warships sailed towards the coastal border of the Great Sui like a dark cloud covering the sun, burning, killing and looting wherever they went, and the people were plunged into dire straits. The coastal areas were instantly plunged into chaos.

The news reached the capital like an urgent telegram. Jia Changsheng, who had just ascended the throne, was discussing the Western Expedition with his ministers in the court. Upon hearing the news, the emperor was furious. He slammed the memorial in his hand heavily on the dragon table, his eyes revealing incomparable determination and anger: "A small island country dared to provoke trouble when my Great Sui was just established. It's really too much! I must let them know how powerful my Great Sui is!"

The civil and military officials in the court were also filled with righteous indignation and requested to fight. After Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment, he quickly made a decision: "I order the navy and the land forces to send out 100,000 troops each to completely annihilate the invading island army, to ensure the peace of the people of the Great Sui Dynasty and to enhance the prestige of the Great Sui Dynasty!"

After that, Jia Changsheng began to arrange various matters in an orderly manner. He first cast his eyes on the military generals, and appointed the experienced, wise and brave Chen Wu as the Army Marshal to lead an army of 100,000. Chen Wu was burly with a determined face. He stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and responded loudly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best and live up to my mission!" Then, Jia Changsheng appointed the famous naval general Lin Yuan as the Navy Marshal to lead 100,000 naval forces to the expedition. Lin Yuan was good at naval warfare and knew the situation at sea like the back of his hand. He also accepted the order firmly: "I am willing to help Your Majesty eliminate the pirates at sea and restore peace to this sea area!"

After receiving the order, Chen Wu immediately went to the military camp to select elite troops. He carefully selected 100,000 strong and experienced soldiers from the garrisons in various places. Some of these soldiers had participated in the battles to conquer Baekje and Goguryeo, experienced life and death on the battlefield, and had tenacious fighting spirit and excellent military qualities.

Chen Wu knew the importance of this battle, and he organized soldiers to train day and night. Every day before dawn, the horns sounded in the barracks, and the soldiers quickly gathered and began physical training. They ran long distances with heavy loads, shuttled through the rugged mountain roads, and their clothes were soaked with sweat, but no one complained of being tired.

Then came the tactical drills. Chen Wu personally demonstrated the changes of various battle formations, such as the long snake formation and the Bagua formation, so that the soldiers could master the strategies for dealing with different terrains and combat situations. He also organized the soldiers to conduct simulated training on siege and defense, built simple walls and fortresses, and let the soldiers practice climbing, using siege equipment, and defending against enemy attacks.

During the breaks in training, Chen Wu would also tell the soldiers the significance of this battle to inspire their patriotic enthusiasm and fighting will: "We are the warriors of the Great Sui Dynasty. Now the island country has invaded our borders and harmed our people. We shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending our country. For the glory of the Great Sui Dynasty and the peace of the people, we must march forward bravely and defeat the enemy!" After hearing this, the soldiers were excited and shouted slogans one after another, and their morale was extremely high.

At the same time, Lin Yuan was also nervously preparing for the navy's expedition. He came to the military port of the Great Sui Dynasty and carefully inspected each warship. These warships were carefully built by the craftsmen of the Great Sui Dynasty, with a solid hull and excellent equipment. Lin Yuan ordered a comprehensive overhaul and upgrade of the warships, strengthening the hull and replacing the worn-out sails to ensure that the warships could withstand the test of wind and waves and the enemy's attacks at sea.

In terms of weapons and equipment, Lin Yuan equipped the warships with a large number of catapults, crossbows and cannons. The catapults could throw huge stones onto the enemy ships, destroying the enemy's warships and weapons and equipment; the crossbows could fire dense crossbow arrows to attack the enemy from a distance; and the cannons were the powerful weapons of the Sui navy, capable of dealing a fatal blow to the enemy from a long distance.

Lin Yuan also personally selected a group of experienced sailors and helmsmen. These people have been sailing on the sea for many years, are familiar with various weather and sea conditions, and can skillfully operate warships. He organized strict training for the sailors, including training in sailing, steering, paddling and other skills, as well as tactical drills for maritime operations.

In order to improve the coordinated combat capability of the navy, Lin Yuan also formulated a detailed combat plan. He divided the navy into multiple formations, each with clear tasks and responsibilities. In battle, the various formations cooperated with each other to form a strong combat effectiveness. For example, the forward formation was responsible for attracting the enemy's firepower, the main formation took the opportunity to launch an attack, and the flank formation was responsible for outflanking and cutting off the enemy's retreat.

After everything was ready, the navy and the army set out at the same time. The army marched along the coastline in a mighty manner. The soldiers were dressed in neat armor, holding sharp weapons, and marching with firm and powerful steps. The dust they raised covered the sky and the sun. Wherever they went, the people lined the streets to see them off, giving them food and water, hoping that they would return victoriously soon.

The navy set sail, and the warships broke through the waves on the sea, forming a spectacular scene. Lin Yuan stood on the bow of the flagship, looking at the endless sea, his heart full of confidence. He knew the difficulty of this battle, but he believed that with the strength of the Sui navy and the bravery of the soldiers, they would be able to defeat the enemy.

When the island army learned that the Sui army was coming to attack them, they were not afraid at all. They thought they were familiar with the sea environment, their warships were highly maneuverable, and their soldiers were good at naval warfare, so they did not take the Sui army seriously. So they gathered all their forces and prepared to fight a decisive battle with the Sui navy at sea.

When the Sui navy and the island navy met at sea, both sides immediately deployed their forces. The island navy took the lead in attacking, and their warships quickly rushed towards the Sui navy, attempting to disrupt the Sui navy's formation with their speed and maneuverability. However, Lin Yuan had been prepared, and he calmly commanded his warships to defend. The Sui navy's warships were closely arranged, forming a solid line of defense, using shields and crossbows to resist the enemy's attack.

As the warships of both sides gradually approached, the battle entered a white-hot stage. The catapults and artillery of the Sui navy began to exert their power, and huge stones and shells rained down on the warships of the island nation. For a moment, the sea surface was full of flames and the explosions were deafening. After the warships of the island nation were hit, some of them caught fire, while others were smashed to pieces, and the soldiers fell into the water one after another.

However, the island nation's navy was not to be outdone. With their tenacious fighting spirit and skilled water warfare skills, they engaged in a fierce close combat with the Sui navy. Soldiers from both sides jumped onto each other's warships and fought with swords. The shouts of killing were deafening on the battlefield, and the blood dyed the sea red.

While the naval battle was going on fiercely, the army led by Chen Wu also arrived at the coastal strongholds of the island army. These strongholds were built with strong fortifications and were surrounded by traps and antlers. Chen Wu did not launch an attack rashly, but carefully observed the enemy's defense layout and formulated a detailed siege plan.

He first ordered his soldiers to use catapults to launch stones at the enemy's strongholds to destroy the enemy's fortifications and watchtowers. Then, he organized a group of elite soldiers, armed with shields and ladders, to charge at the enemy's walls. While the soldiers were charging, the archers provided fire support in the rear, suppressing the enemy's counterattack with dense rain of arrows.

The island army put up a tenacious resistance in the stronghold, using rolling logs, rocks and crossbows to attack the Sui soldiers. The Sui soldiers were not afraid, and bravely climbed the ladders despite the enemy's attacks. Some soldiers were unfortunately shot by arrows during the climb, but they still gritted their teeth and insisted on climbing up.

After a fierce battle, the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty finally succeeded in climbing the enemy's wall. They fought fiercely with the enemy, and gradually gained the upper hand with their tenacious fighting spirit and superb martial arts. Other soldiers followed suit, broke through the enemy's defense line, and rushed into the stronghold.

In the stronghold, the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty fought with the island army in the streets. They fought for house by house, and every step forward was at a great cost. However, the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty did not retreat. They had only one belief in their hearts: to destroy the enemy and defend their country.

(End of this chapter)