You have truly caused me great suffering!

The outbreak of war between Jiaozhi did not attract enough attention in the Central Plains.

Especially in Bianliang.

People still prefer to discuss the war with the Jurchens.

Yue Fei, a young general stationed on the frontier, has recently been the most talked-about figure, with his bravery in several battles being vividly described.

However, Chen Shao continued to pay close attention to the battle, and even as he was about to declare himself emperor, he insisted on personally overseeing the supply of provisions.

The caravan transported supplies from the sea to Qinzhou, and then took the traditional trade route: Qinzhou-Yongzhou-Temo Road-Dali. The logistical supply was extremely easy and convenient, which was beyond Chen Shao's expectations.

It turns out that there were already existing roads in the southwest.

At dawn, Zhu Lingling and Yang Cheng entered Bianliang together and headed straight for Zhaodefang, where Chen Shao was located.

Looking at the guards standing beside her, all of whom were from the Lingwu Camp, Zhu Lingling casually picked up a guard and asked, "Who is your commander now?"

"The inner guard is Dong Dahu, and the outer guard is Yang Yizhong."

“Yang Yizhong?” Zhu Lingling turned to ask Yang Cheng, “That name sounds unfamiliar, I’ve never heard of it before.”

Yang Cheng said, "I haven't heard of him either. He's probably newly promoted."

Zhu Lingling frowned slightly, but then thought that the outer guards weren't that important, and that she would ask Chen Shao about his background when she met him later.

Now, any joints that are not reliable must be completely replaced.

There can be absolutely no risk whatsoever!

Upon arriving at the residence, the guards informed them that the Prince of Dai was in the council hall, and the group hurried there.

Yang Cheng, being shrewd, brought his sons and nephews along so that the Prince of Dai could also get to know them.

At least we clicked.

Upon entering the council chamber, Chen Shao was facing a huge map with his back to the door.

They are clearly thinking about war.

Old Zhu took a closer look and realized it wasn't a map of the north.

"Meet the king!"

Chen Shao then turned around and said with a smile, "Sit down."

Seeing the reserved demeanor of the young men in front of Yang Cheng, Chen Shao asked, "Who are these people?"

Yang Cheng stood up and said with a smile, "They are my two sons and three nephews."

Chen Shao was slightly surprised. These people didn't look like the sons or nephews of high-ranking officials; they looked more like the sons of farmers.

His skin was tanned dark, and he was also a bit hunched over, with sunspots and cracks on the back of his hands and face.

Chen Shao couldn't help but feel a deep respect, never expecting Old Yang to be so enlightened.

"Like father, like son; they're destined to be pillars of society."

Yang Cheng waved his hand, "They're all good-for-nothings. Your Majesty, don't praise them. I'm ashamed for them."

Zhu Lingling, supporting herself on her knees, asked, "Your Majesty, how are the preparations going?"

Chen Shao laughed and said, "We are preparing the imperial seal, dragon robe, and ceremonial crown, as well as arranging elegant music and dances. It's quite a hassle."

"Have the people who persuaded him to take the throne been arranged?"

“It was Cai Jing who started by drafting and writing the petition urging him to ascend the throne; these were actually quite simple tasks.”

Yang Cheng and Zhu Lingling exchanged a glance and exclaimed, "Good! Good!"

Chen Shao said, "Enough said. I'll treat you to a welcome dinner. Someone else is coming soon, so let's have some drinks together."

"Who?"

No sooner had Zhu Lingling finished asking than a burly man rushed in, “Your Majesty, you’ve lost weight!”

"Get out!" Chen Shao glared at him and cursed, "This scoundrel is the most cunning. He stole a phrase from me and has been using it for seven or eight years."

Han Shizhong laughed heartily, stood up, and glanced at Old Zhu, "You came so quickly!"

"I just arrived too."

The Prince of Dai is about to ascend the throne. That honest man, Li Xiaozhong, is still fighting diligently on the front lines.

The few who came were all seasoned veterans. Chen Shao then led them to the map and showed them the current situation.

Han Shizhong laughed and said, "Your Majesty, news from that place will arrive ten days later. There's no use looking at your map now. Just wait for Wu Jie to succeed."

“If he loses, I, Han Wu, will make a trip for Your Majesty and capture that damned King of the Joseon Dynasty. You can then do whatever you want with him.”

Chen Shao scoffed at his words and lost all desire to continue the analysis.

Taking the opportunity, Zhu Lingling asked, "Your Majesty, what is Yang Yizhong's background? Is it reliable to entrust Your Majesty with the task of guarding you?"

"I brought several of my generals with me this time. They are all officers from our Silver Xia Army. If they don't perform well, we can replace them at any time."

Chen Shao thought for a moment and said, "There's no need to change them. The new army in Bianliang should withdraw, so we should bring our people in."

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

The new army of the capital garrison was a force that Gao Qiu had risked his life to train for Zhao Ji. Even though it had now submitted to Chen Shao, no one knew if there were any hotheads loyal to Zhao Ji among them.

After all, in name only, many of their generals were indeed protégés of the emperor, promoted by Zhao Ji.

"Yang Cheng, now that you're here, don't just sit around. Keep an eye on the Zen platform in the suburbs for me."

Yang Cheng happily agreed.

"The officials from the Hedong faction are already on their way, and the Wang family members will also be coming from Hedong," Chen Shao said. "Who will go and greet them?"

"I am willing to go!" Han Shizhong said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"Old Zhu, go ahead," Chen Shao said. "You stay in Bianliang and wait with me."

Zhu Lingling chuckled to herself, thinking, "What are you arguing with me about? Do you even have a daughter who can be an imperial concubine?"

Do you have a grandson who is a prince?

His three daughters were also quite promising and were favored by the Prince of Dai, especially his youngest daughter, who was called "Jin Laosan" and "Huaizhongbao" in the palace.

The Prince of Dai wanted to hold him in his arms when he saw him.
-
The Red River, known as the "Great River" by the Joseon Dynasty, held a similar status to the Yellow River.

The alluvial plains of the Red River provided ample arable land for the Ly Dynasty, accounting for more than 60% of its cultivated land.

Its water network connected various regions ruled by the Joseon Dynasty, such as Gyoju, Aiju, and Huanju, becoming the "lifeblood" of the Joseon Dynasty's territory.

After Wu Jie entered Dali, he formed an alliance with various Bai ethnic groups in Dali and agreed to jointly attack the rebels of the Li Dynasty.

Dali dispatched 5,000 troops, all under the command of Wu Jie, and mobilized countless laborers and 20,000 Yunnan horses for transportation in the mountains.

Wu Jie promised to report to the imperial court and request an official title. Although Dali was a vassal state of the Song Dynasty, to date, only Duan Zhengchun had been granted the title of king.

The Joseon Dynasty's rulers were all granted investiture by the Song Dynasty. After offering sacrifices to Heaven at Shimonoseki, they set off from the upper reaches of the Red River and entered Joseon territory along the valley.

Du Yingwu, the younger brother of Queen Dowager Du of the Joseon Dynasty, was the Assistant Grand Commandant in charge of the Inner Palace and the Imperial Guard. He was captured as soon as he entered Song territory.

The entire Li dynasty, having abandoned their previous arrogance, began to panic.

Wild Boar River is the first natural barrier when entering the Joseon Dynasty from Dali. The two banks are Bazhou Mountain (1800 meters above sea level), and there is only one narrow ferry crossing for people and horses.

The Ly Dynasty established "Zhenyuan Pass" here, stationing 30,000 border troops from Quang Yuan Prefecture, along with Nung soldiers familiar with mountain warfare, under the command of Ly Dynasty border general Nguyen Cong Chu.

He began setting up the defenses early in the morning, with the Guangyuan Prefecture soldiers in the center, armed with bamboo shields and short knives, and the Nong ethnic soldiers on both flanks, lying in ambush in the dense forests of Bazhou Mountain. He also deployed 50 Champa elephants to attack Wu Jie's army if necessary.

Wu Jie, leading 30,000 cavalrymen and with the cooperation of Bai warriors, decisively defeated Ruan Gongzhu, beheading countless people.

Wu Jie ordered that the captured Nguyen Cong Chu and other resisting Ly Dynasty soldiers be beheaded on the riverbank.

Human heads rolled, blood flowed like rivers, and the Red River turned red.

The fleeing Joseon army retreated to the "Gate of Hell" fortress on the upper reaches of the Red River.

Fan Qun, the general guarding the Ghost Gate Pass, also came from a family of officials in the Joseon Dynasty and was a political rival of Du Yingwu.

He knew that the Red River was the "lifeline" of the Joseon Dynasty, and that if this extremely ferocious army went downstream to Thang Long, the capital would be in danger.

He immediately requested reinforcements, and Li Qiande mobilized 1 Imperial Guards, 5000 Imperial Bodyguards, and 2000 Zhenla naval troops to defend the line from Fuliang River to Guimen Pass.

Li Qiande was no longer confident. He appointed Fan Qun as "Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Expedition against the Song Dynasty" and ordered him to reinforce the southern section of the "Great Yue Great Wall" with wooden palisades and trenches.

We must stop this group of people.

After passing Zhenyuan Pass, the world seemed to open up suddenly, and it was no longer an endless mountain range.

Forests, rice paddies, villages, and vast fields of crops came into view of the Southern Expeditionary Army.

The flat plains carved out by the Red River are indeed suitable for cultivation, a gift from heaven.

The sight of houses and people everywhere convinced Wu Jie that he had entered the heart of the Joseon Dynasty!

Since breaking through Zhenyuan Pass, Wu Jie has not encountered any powerful army blocking his way, only small groups of guerrillas harassing him.

Even after entering the fertile heartland of the Joseon Dynasty, everything proceeded smoothly and easily, so smoothly that it made one feel somewhat uneasy!
He was a seasoned general, and he had a good sense of things, so he immediately sent people to investigate.

As expected, the Joseon Dynasty had set up a tight defensive line ahead, just waiting for them to run into it.

In mid-October, Wu Jie was already close to death, with the Fuliang River, an important tributary of the Red River, right in front of him.

Inside the central command headquarters, a simple large map lay before Wu Jie. The map was very basic, failing to depict the scale, terrain, or other details, but important rivers, cities, and passes were clearly visible.

This was given by the Dali Kingdom, and Wu Jie could not guarantee its accuracy. Along the way, in addition to leading troops into battle, he also asked his accompanying secretary and advisor to draw down the rivers and mountains along the route.

His troops marched at a slow pace, a far cry from the rapid advance they took when entering Dali from Guangnan earlier.

Before setting out on the campaign, the Prince of Dai instructed him to be ruthless in this battle, so Wu Jie swiftly eliminated any sporadic resistance he encountered along the way.

As they traveled, they repaired the damaged roads and headed southeast along the main river toward the heart of the Joseon Dynasty.

The road is flanked by towering mountains, sparsely populated, and the people are mostly mountain dwellers who have migrated from various ethnic groups.

They encountered little resistance, and whenever the Southern Expeditionary Army was attacked, Wu Jie immediately ordered the massacre of all the nearby inhabitants.

When the Red River reaches the Fulang River and Guimen Pass area, its course becomes more winding and unpredictable. The land here is flat, the water network is more extensive, agriculture is prosperous, and the population is more dense.

At this point, the Bai ethnic minority soldiers in Dali stopped advancing, and Wu Jie did not insist.

He knew that these Bai soldiers would cruelly plunder the mountain people on the land of the Joseon Dynasty, but Wu Jie didn't care.

After capturing a small town on the banks of the Fulang River, Wu Jie set up his central headquarters in the county government office.

The scouts under his command reported, "General Wu, Li Qiande sent someone to sue for peace, but in Thang Long City, he made outrageous remarks, claiming that he would mobilize the entire nation's army to avenge the Song army. He also said that he had recruited a million laborers and wanted the whole nation to be soldiers to resist the Song army."

"The Song army?" someone asked from inside the tent.

The scout said, "It is us."

"Oh"

The scout continued, "They used the Fulang River and Guimen Pass as starting points, and several major cities and towns along the river as a screen, to build a defensive line that they called a thousand miles long."

"Hmm," Wu Jie nodded upon hearing this, and said, "Breaking through this defensive line is like breaking the backbone of the Joseon Dynasty. A million soldiers like this are useless."

Although they are all barbarians, it seems that the northerners are indeed stronger in combat.

Lieutenant General Li Shiyan said, "I don't think their million soldiers will actually fight. Instead, they'll dig ditches and build walls along the Red River to cause us trouble."

Wu Jie agreed wholeheartedly; he was quite surprised when he first heard about the thousand-mile-long trench defense line.

In places like this, relying on the terrain is indeed a good approach.

Because in a direct confrontation, the Joseon Dynasty had already proven that their troops were no match for them.

The only advantage the Joseon Dynasty could rely on was its geographical location.

How many people did the Joseon Dynasty have? He was definitely exaggerating when he said one million, but it's likely true that there were many people.

How could nearly a million people be gathered in this rich, flat, and fertile land?

Wu Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had seen a way to carry out the Prince of Dai's order.

“We have been repeatedly harassed by the rebels of the Joseon Dynasty along the way, which shows that they are not in accordance with the king’s will,” Wu Jie said. “When I came here, the King of Dai gave an order that if the unruly people do not submit to the king’s will and kill or injure the royal army, it means that the people’s hearts have turned bad.”

"The King of Dai said that in this situation, one can keep the land but not the people; if people's hearts are corrupted, then one should replace them with other people."

“I was worried that they would go into the mountains and forests and be difficult to clean up, so Li Qiande gathered the people together for me.”

Generals like Li Shiyan exchanged glances, knowing how much the Prince of Dai hated Li Qiande.

Our chance has come.

We must do everything we can to satisfy the Prince of Dai.

“The Red River Plain is the lifeblood of the Joseon Dynasty. If they lose it, they will lose their tax revenue and grain. We don’t even need to lift a finger; their own internal opposition can kill them. So even if the Joseon Dynasty knows that these people are going to die, they will not give up the Red River Plain.”

"We just need to slowly encircle and annihilate them one by one at each pass!"

After the group finalized their overall strategy, they had a general idea of ​​what to do in this battle.

Li Shiyan then suggested, "I see they've offered to surrender, but we can't completely ignore them. We can talk to them!"

“Keep them hanging, give them a glimmer of hope for peace talks, but don’t actually let them off the hook. This way, we can break down some of their resistance and prevent them from becoming determined to fight to the death.”

Wu Jie nodded, “That’s a good idea. It can reduce our casualties and perhaps even divide them. If we encounter a Joseon general who performs well, we can demand that the Joseon Dynasty kill him, and then we can continue the peace talks.”

Even if they can't be eliminated, they can still increase suspicion.

This group is different from the three main forces; they are fighting a real tough battle over there.

Wu Jie and his men have already destroyed three major powers, as well as countless forces in the Western Regions and Tibet.

They knew how to outwit the rulers of these foreign lands. (End of Chapter)