Sweep Yuan

Chapter 304 Laying the Groundwork in Korea: A Long-Term Strategy

Liu Zhuo, mentioned in Shishan, was a Goryeo person, born in the fourth year of Zhida (1311 AD). He held the official position of Deputy Secret Envoy of Goryeo (equivalent to the level of Deputy Prime Minister) and concurrently served as the Military Commander of Gyeonggi Province. Holding military power in the important Goryeo capital region, he was a truly powerful minister in Goryeo.

Knowing that the Mongol Yuan dynasty was short of troops and struggling to procure supplies, Toqto'a, who was in charge of the southern expedition, issued three mobilization orders to the vassal state of Goryeo in the name of the suzerain state, urging it to send troops to help in the war.

Among the many high-ranking officials in Goryeo who could influence national policy, Ryu Jo was the most proactive and quickest to respond.

He not only strongly advocated obeying the Yuan court's orders, but also personally led two thousand of the most elite Goryeo soldiers as the first batch of reinforcements, crossing the sea to Yuan territory and embarking on a battlefield far from his homeland.

Previously, when Wugusun Liangzhen led an army of 30,000 to attack Yangzhou, 4,000 of the Goryeo soldiers were directly commanded by Liu Zhuo.

Wu Gusun Liangzhen regarded these Goryeo soldiers as the main force for attacking the enemy, deploying them in the core position of the central army and placing high hopes on them. Liu Zhuo also hoped to use the merits of this battle to completely solidify his position.

Unexpectedly, Han general Fu Youde took the initiative to send troops, catching them off guard.

In the Battle of Wantou Town, the Yuan army suffered an extremely humiliating defeat. The desertion of its commander-in-chief, Wugusun Liangzhen, caused the entire army to collapse instantly. Liu Zhuo's Goryeo soldiers had no chance to demonstrate their value on the battlefield before they were swept away and scattered by the torrent of fleeing reinforcements.

In the chaos, Liu Zhuo was thrown to the ground by a startled warhorse and trampled by fleeing soldiers, nearly dying. He was then captured by the ferocious Han soldiers and became Fu Youde's prisoner.

Although he was a minister of Goryeo, his political stance was extremely clear, leaning towards the Yuan court, and he held extraordinary loyalty to the Mongol Yuan suzerain state.

After being captured, Liu Zhuo acted quite toughly, not only refusing to surrender, but also remaining silent about the Yuan army's deployment and other matters, except for revealing information about his identity in order to seek preferential treatment.

They adopted an attitude of loyalty to the Yuan court and unwavering devotion.

Because of his noble status, killing him would be pointless and might even provoke strong resistance from the remaining Goryeo soldiers. After weighing the options, Fu Youde spared his life and imprisoned him separately from the other Goryeo prisoners.

However, after learning that Fu Youde had captured more than two thousand Goryeo soldiers and the identity of his commander, Shishan showed great interest and specially ordered Fu Youde to keep a close watch on them. He then led his main force to Yangzhou and specially summoned Liu Zhuo.

During that audience, Shishan did not try to persuade him to surrender. Instead, he inquired in detail about the customs and traditions of Goryeo and its relationship with the Yuan Dynasty. Liu Zhuo did not dare to act presumptuously in front of Shishan. As long as it did not involve the secrets of the Mongol Yuan and Goryeo, he answered all his questions without reservation.

Fu Youde therefore had a very bad impression of Liu Zhuo, believing that he was all bark and no bite and had no integrity whatsoever.

At this moment, seeing that Shi Shan mentioned Liu Zhuo again, seemingly intending to use him to persuade the stubborn Goryeo soldiers to surrender, he couldn't help but step forward, lower his voice, and say:

"Your Majesty, this Goryeo official is extremely cunning. He only wants to cling to the Tartars and serve them for personal gain. He is not a trustworthy person. I fear he will not obey Your Majesty's orders and may ruin everything!"

"It doesn't matter!"

Shi Shan waved his hand, his tone calm and resolute.

As early as his first meeting with Ryu Jo, after learning about his background and political circumstances, Seoksan knew that such a core figure of the pro-Yuan faction in Goryeo, whose interests were deeply intertwined with the Yuan court, was not someone he could persuade to surrender at that time.

Therefore, he never mentioned the matter of surrendering in the first place, and naturally he would not naively believe that Liu Zhuo could be used by him now.

However, the success of many things does not necessarily depend on people who are willing to serve you.

Sometimes, those steadfast and stubborn enemies, if used properly, can have unexpected and remarkable effects.

Shi Shan raised his hand and pointed with his riding whip at the undulating Yuan army fortifications in the distance. His gaze was sharp, as if he could see through the wooden fences and earthen walls to see the anxious and uneasy Goryeo soldiers huddled behind the fortifications.

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips as he said to Fu Youde:

"Wei Xue, think about it from a different perspective. If these Koreans really found out that Toqto'a had abandoned them and surrendered at the mere sight of him, how should we properly settle them now?"

Fu Youde was taken aback upon hearing this.

Based on the information provided by captured Goryeo soldiers, Toqto'a command at its peak numbered nearly 25,000. Even after the losses from successive battles, the total number of surviving Goryeo soldiers is estimated to be close to 20,000 (including those captured by Fu Youde and Li Wu respectively).

Given the current size of the Han state, it is indeed an extremely difficult problem to suddenly assimilate and reorganize such a large number of foreign troops whose homeland still exists and whose language and culture are very different.

Both the hidden dangers of decentralized resettlement and the risks of centralized management are headaches.

However, it would not be entirely accurate to simply summarize the Koreans as "those who are not of our kind must have different hearts" at this time.

To understand why the King of Goryeo was so obedient to the Yuan court, and why Ryu Jo and others were so "loyal" to the Yuan court, it is necessary to delve into the special tributary relationship between the Mongol Yuan dynasty and Goryeo.

The Mongol conquest and control of Goryeo began during the Great Mongol Empire (the empire's name was simply "Great Mongol," without any reign titles).

In the eighth year of the Zhengda era of the Jin Dynasty (1231 AD), the Mongols launched a large-scale invasion of Goryeo under the pretext of "punishing the Khitan remnants who had fled to Goryeo".

Goryeo was founded during the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China (918 AD) and has lasted for over four hundred years. It has not been without its trials and tribulations. It successfully resisted multiple invasions by the Khitan Liao Dynasty and the rising Jurchen forces (before the establishment of the Jin Dynasty).

Thanks to the rugged and mountainous terrain of the country and the indomitable will of the military and civilians, they managed to drag out the two powerful regimes that were on the rise, making them suffer greatly and ultimately forcing them to acknowledge the reality of the Goryeo Kingdom standing alongside their regime.

Faced with the Mongol invasion, the Goryeo people once adopted a strategy of "moving the capital to avoid war" and even hid at sea to continue the fight, trying to repeat the story of the past few hundred years and wear down this new opponent.

However, this time they were facing the Mongols, who possessed an almost insatiable desire for conquest and a terrifying tenacity.

One campaign failed to completely conquer? Then let's try again!
This brutal war of conquest and counter-conquest lasted intermittently for nearly forty years!

The Mongols launched six large-scale invasions, their iron hooves repeatedly ravaging the land of Goryeo, burning, killing, and looting without restraint.

When Goryeo's national strength was exhausted and its people were impoverished, it could no longer sustain this asymmetrical war, and the Goryeo royal family was forced to give up resistance and pay tribute to the Mongols.

After Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty, he further solidified the tributary relationship between the Mongol Yuan and Goryeo based on the military conquest of the Mongol Empire.

He forced the King of Goryeo to marry the Grand Princess of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty as his queen, thus establishing the "uncle-niece" relationship between the two countries.

Behind this seemingly amicable marriage lies a far-reaching political calculation—to control the Goryeo king's harem and thus manipulate the succession to the Goryeo throne, thereby strengthening control over this highly resilient vassal state from the root.

In the seventeenth year of the reign of Emperor Shizu of Yuan (1280 AD), the Yuan court established a special institution—the Zhengdong Province—under the pretext of preparing for the second cross-sea expedition to Japan.

Unlike other provinces in the Yuan Dynasty, the Zhengdong Province was headquartered directly in the capital of Goryeo, with King Wang Su of Goryeo concurrently serving as the Left Chancellor of the Zhengdong Province.

This move was ostensibly to facilitate the coordination of the invasion of Japan, but in reality, it forcibly inserted a bureaucratic and supervisory system of the Yuan Dynasty into the existing national administrative system of Goryeo, further strengthening control over Goryeo's domestic and foreign affairs.

In the first year of the Dade era (1297 AD), Emperor Chengzong of Yuan used the excuse that the King of Goryeo had "arbitrarily changed etiquette and violated the vassal system" to directly send a Mongol noble official to serve as the important position of Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Zhengdong Province.

This appointment effectively stripped the Goryeo king of his power, almost equivalent to depriving Goryeo of its own governance, turning it into a special administrative region of the Yuan Dynasty.

Although eleven years later, after Emperor Wuzong of Yuan ascended the throne, in order to ease domestic and foreign conflicts, he withdrew the Mongol Pingzhang administration in Goryeo and restored the old system of "the King of Goryeo as prime minister", giving Goryeo a certain degree of autonomy.

However, looking at the policies of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty towards Goryeo over the years, no matter how the details were slightly adjusted, the overall strategic direction of "strict control" and "gradual assimilation" has never changed.

Goryeo had lost its independence in economic (it had to pay huge annual tributes to the Yuan Dynasty), diplomacy (all foreign exchanges required the approval of the Yuan Dynasty), military (the Yuan Dynasty could arbitrarily conscript Goryeo troops for war), and politics (the succession of the Goryeo king required the Yuan Dynasty's investiture, and the appointment of important officials was influenced by the Yuan Dynasty), and was firmly controlled by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Therefore, when the Yuan court issued an edict, even though King Wang Jeon of Goryeo was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to exhaust the already strained national resources of his country, sending troops and supplying provisions, without daring to disobey in the slightest, for fear of incurring the wrath of the suzerain state.

The reason why Liu Zhuo was able to rise to the ranks of Goryeo's important officials at such a young age and wield great power over the military in the capital region was not only due to his personal abilities, but also inseparable from his family background and the special tributary relationship between the two countries.

His grandfather, Liu Qingchen, came from a family of "buquli" (a low-ranking official) in Goryeo society.

In the Goryeo Dynasty, where the "Yangban" hereditary nobles firmly controlled the government, someone of his humble origins, under normal circumstances, even if he made outstanding contributions, could only reach the rank of a fifth-grade official, and there would be no possibility of further advancement.

The key factor that enabled Liu Qingchen to miraculously break through the strict constraints of his birth background and achieve upward social mobility was his fluency in Mongolian.

He accompanied the Goryeo delegation to Dadu (Beijing) on ​​several occasions as a "translator". With his excellent language skills and ability to deal with Yuan officials, he gradually gained the appreciation and favor of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo.

Later, he made a great contribution by timely conveying important information about the "Naiyan Rebellion" of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty to the Goryeo royal family, which enabled Goryeo to prepare in advance and avoid being involved in this far-reaching rebellion. As a result, he was given an important position.

This man served under three kings of Goryeo: King Chungnyeol, King Chungseon, and King Chungsuk. He eventually rose to the position of Chief State Councillor (equivalent to the head of the prime minister and the leader of all officials), and was granted the title of Prince Goheong. He became a legendary figure in Goryeo politics, a rare sight in a century, and a model of a rags-to-riches story.

However, Liu Qingchen did not manage to finish what he started.

In his later years, he was embroiled in the rebellion of Prince Shen and was forced to flee in haste. He eventually died far from home, and his family was subjected to political persecution as a result, which led to their decline.

Although Liu Zhuo was able to enter officialdom thanks to the political legacy left by his grandfather, he not only lacked a solid foundation in Goryeo, but also faced attacks and exclusion from many political enemies because of his grandfather's disgraceful past.

The real turning point and rapid rise in his personal career began in his early years when, following the custom of noble sons from Goryeo, he entered the Yuan dynasty as a "royal guard".

During this period, he successfully married the daughter of Dorchi, a minister of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

This marriage was not merely an ordinary alliance; it was a significant marker of his gaining the approval of the Mongol ruling class, paving a "fast track" to the highest levels of power for him.

With this special "qualification" and the secret support of his wife's family, Liu Zhuo's career progressed smoothly after returning to China. He was promoted repeatedly in just a few years, and the "pro-Yuan" label on him became more and more distinct and solidified, and could no longer be removed.

In response to Toqto'a's call to arms, Ryu Cho naturally became the most proactive and enthusiastic general in Goryeo.

After Shi Shan transmigrated to this world, he learned that the Mongol Yuan Dynasty had established the Zhengdong Province in Goryeo, and he has been focusing on collecting intelligence related to Goryeo ever since.

Despite the limitations of time and geographical distance, and the fact that the information he currently possesses is far from systematic and comprehensive, he has been able to roughly deduce the basic stance and interests of figures like Liu Zhuo based on these scattered intelligence pieces and his insightful observations that are ahead of their time.

Therefore, Shishan never expected to "subdue" Liu Zhuo with just a few words in the Han Kingdom at this stage.

When Liu Zhuo was brought before Shi Shan, he did not dismount, but looked down at the man from his elevated position and said bluntly:
"Liu Mizhi, do you wish to return to your country?"

Liu Zhuo's heart tightened suddenly. As a prisoner, far from his homeland, how could he not want to return to Goryeo immediately?

But he knew better than anyone that all his wealth and glory were tightly bound to the Yuan Dynasty's war machine.

He led his troops to assist in the battle, but ended up being defeated and captured. If he were to return to his country in such a disgraceful and humiliating manner, he would be unable to explain himself to either the Yuan court or the King of Goryeo, and his political future would be completely ruined.

He must firmly uphold his pro-Yuan political stance and must never repeat the mistake his grandfather made in his later years by defecting and suffering disgrace.

On the other hand, Liu Zhuo was well aware of the strength of the Han army and the unfathomable methods of Shi Shan, and dared not truly provoke the young rebel king in front of him, lest he squander any possible chance of turning the tide.

After a fierce internal struggle, Liu Zhuo feigned honesty but actually answered cautiously:

"I appreciate the King of Han's good intentions. Unfortunately, I am now a defeated general, having failed the court's trust, and I have no face to return home."

He emphasized the word "imperial court" slightly, which both indicated his stance and left room for maneuver.

"Hahaha! Good!"

That was exactly what Shishan wanted to hear, so he immediately seized the opportunity and said in a loud voice:

"I admire men like Liu Mizhi who are straightforward, honest, and loyal to their duties! That's why, today I have a great fortune to offer, and after much thought, I think it's perfect for someone like you."

Liu Zhuo was an extremely shrewd man who was good at judging the situation. He had not dared to disobey Shi Shan's wishes when he was summoned before. When he was summoned to the front line again, he had some expectations in his heart, hoping to seize the opportunity to do something to change his current bleak situation.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the pounding in his heart, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"I'd like to hear the details." Shi Shan raised his hand and pointed to the cluster of fortified villages and strongholds guarded by the Koreans ahead, his tone becoming serious as he said:
"Toghon Temür has already withdrawn his troops. Toghon Temür has withdrawn his troops, but he has left your compatriots here, trying to use them to block our army's advance. You don't want them all to be buried here, their souls dying in a foreign land, do you?"

"retreat?!"

Liu Zhuo gasped in shock, his face filled with disbelief.

In the Battle of Wantou Town, the Yuan army suffered a sudden and embarrassing defeat. Deep down, he was quite dissatisfied, believing that it was not because the Goryeo soldiers were weak, but because of the incompetence of their commander.

Having commanded troops for many years, he didn't know exactly how many Han soldiers there were, but just by being among them, he could guess that the Yuan army's total strength far exceeded that of the Han army, and that they were fully capable of relying on these meticulously constructed defensive fortifications to fight against the Han army, or even win the battle.

Liu Zhuo did not believe that Tuotuo Taishi, who bore a heavy responsibility, would quietly withdraw his main force when the situation still allowed him to fight!

He forced himself to remain calm and tentatively asked:
"I do not know whether the Prince of Han's words are mere speculation or based on fact. This place is still more than fifty li away from the main camp under the city of Gaoyou, and communication between the two places has not been cut off. How can you be so sure that the Grand Tutor has already withdrawn his troops?"

"Because,"

Shi Shan looked calmly at Liu Zhuo and said, word by word:
"Our detachment has already captured Sizhou City and is heading straight for your rear."

Because the battlefields were isolated, battle reports from the Sizhou battle had to be relayed in a roundabout way, first to Chuzhou, then through Liuhe and Yangzi, and finally to Yangzhou. Therefore, Shishan has not yet received any definite results from Li Wu's operations in the Sizhou direction.

He only agreed on the time of dispatch with Li Wu based on the distance and time difference between the two places. In fact, he was not sure if Li Wu could defeat the Yuan army besieging Sizhou, and he was even less sure if the two-faced Peng Erlang could hold out until the reinforcements arrived.

At this moment, Shishan asserted that Tuotuo had retreated, based more on his keen insight and reasonable analysis of the overall battlefield situation.

—If Toqto'a had no intention of withdrawing his troops, then when his main force approached the Goryeo army's defenses, the Yuan army's counterattack forces should have appeared on the flanks or rear of the battlefield to put pressure on the Han army.

However, apart from the Goryeo troops left behind in the fortifications to cover the rear, the main force of the Yuan army was nowhere to be seen.

However, even if the guess is wrong, it will not have a significant impact on Shishan.

His entire strategic plan for this northward march was aimed at demoralizing the Yuan army and forcing Toghtoa to retreat.

Even in the worst-case scenario—Peng Erlang's defeat and death, the fall of Sizhou, and Li Wu's failure to capture Sizhou in time or effectively threaten the Yuan army's supply lines—he could simply lead his main force back to Yangzhou and continue the stalemate with the Yuan army in Huainan.

To put it bluntly, the Han army had a stable rear, ample supplies, and high morale, so it could afford to wait.
And what about Toqto'a? His army's food supply was already very unstable, and his rear was threatened by the Han army. His morale was low. Would he dare to risk the meager resources of the Mongol Empire and engage in a long-term standoff with the Han army in Huainan, gambling with the precarious future of the Mongol Empire?
Although the Mongol Yuan dynasty was large, it was plagued by serious illness and could not mobilize all its forces in a short period of time; the Han state, though small, was well-governed and harmonious, and was fighting on its own front. The strategic situation and war potential faced by the two in the local battlefield of Huainan were simply incomparable.

This is the greatest source of confidence that allows Shi Shan to take such a risky approach and speak with such self-assurance!
He looked at Liu Zhuo, whose expression was constantly changing, and smiled calmly, as if stating a very simple fact:

"As for whether Toqto'a has really withdrawn his troops, well... you can consider this just my guess. But this guess is not unfounded; it has its own basis."

As for its authenticity, verification is actually quite simple—you can go back now and inform your compatriots, so they can immediately dispatch a fast horse back to the Yuan army camp below Gaoyou City to investigate. The truth will then naturally come to light.

Liu Zhuo was not a novice in battle. He knew all too well how complex and difficult it was to evacuate an army of over 100,000. Any slight oversight in organization and coordination could lead to a major disaster.

The battle lines deployed by Toqto'a were extremely long, with a distance of fifty or sixty miles between the front and rear. It was indeed possible that the main force had already set off and fled far away, while the forward defense troops dozens of miles away were still completely unaware of it.

Shishan's plan was, in fact, an open scheme!

Once Liu Zhuo brings back the news that "the Grand Tutor may have abandoned us," regardless of whether Tuotuo has actually withdrawn his troops, the morale of the Goryeo garrison on this defensive line will suffer a devastating blow!

Suspicion and panic will spread rapidly like a plague. Unless Toqto'a can immediately lead the main force of the army to the front lines.

Otherwise, no matter how anyone else explains or tries to suppress it, it will be difficult to stabilize the already fluctuating morale of the troops.

What's even more terrifying is that Liu Zhuo, a high-ranking official of Goryeo who was defeated and captured, suddenly appeared in front of his former comrades. This event itself is a huge signal that shakes the morale of the army!

Liu Zhuo was immediately thrown into a state of turmoil, countless thoughts flashing through his mind as he weighed the pros and cons.

However, reason told him that this might be his only chance to break free from the Han army's control and return to his own side! No matter what lay ahead, whether it was a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire or an abyss, he could not give up!
Liu Zhuo gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes, looked up at the stone mountain, and asked in a deep voice:
"King of Han, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Two things."

Shi Shan held up two fingers, his tone calm and collected, and said:
"Firstly, Tuotuo is heartless and has abandoned his comrades. But I have the virtue of cherishing life and do not wish to cause more killings here, thus adding to my sins."

If your compatriots are willing to defect to my army on the battlefield, I can guarantee them a way out. They may be repatriated or resettled in the future, and I will never kill them indiscriminately. If they are unwilling to surrender…

Shi Shan paused, then said something that surprised even Liu Zhuo:
"I can also show leniency and allow them to retreat thirty miles away from here first, and then our army will pursue them."

Liu Zhuo sneered inwardly. Of course, he was not naive enough to believe that Shi Shan would be so "benevolent." On the battlefield, being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself. The so-called "letting them go for thirty miles before chasing them" was probably just a psychological tactic.

But he also understood that he was already at the mercy of the other party and had no right to argue with them.

In the end, it's strength that matters on the battlefield. Since I'm still under Shishan's control, there's no point in making a rash statement.

"And... what about the second one?"

Secondly,

Shi Shan's gaze deepened, as if piercing through the battlefield before him and seeing into the more distant future.

"Although I currently only control a corner of the world, it is only a matter of time before I sweep away all the warlords and unify the land. I will inevitably have to deal with you all again in the future. Today I am giving you a choice: establish your trust. When we meet again in the future, I do not wish to establish my authority again!"
The decision of where you go and what you choose to do is up to you.

Shi Shan's words were extremely boastful, even arrogant. However, it was precisely this "arrogance" based on his overwhelming strength and absolute confidence that made Liu Zhuo believe him to some extent.

He realized that he really couldn't refuse this "offer" that was both threatening and tempting.

—If Toqto'a did indeed secretly withdraw his main force from the Goryeo army without their knowledge, and he was able to lead the remaining nearly ten thousand Goryeo compatriots to successfully escape danger and preserve their strength under the Han army's onslaught during this critical moment of survival...

Therefore, this would be a tremendous achievement, comparable to his grandfather's act of delivering the news of the "Nayan Rebellion," both for the Yuan court and for Goryeo itself!

As for returning to Korea immediately? Forget about it for now!

Given the Yuan court's consistent practice of exploiting and oppressing the Goryeo people, even if they were to catch up with Toqto'a's main force at this moment, they would most likely continue to be used as cannon fodder, left behind to defend a certain city in order to slow down the Han army's advance.

At most, they would be given a few dilapidated, empty cities to defend, and the outcome would still be uncertain.

Having grasped these key points, Liu Zhuo took a deep breath and made up his mind. He cupped his hands towards the stone mountain and said in a complex tone:

"Whether the King of Han's words today were a kindness or a threat, Liu Zhuo will remember them well. If the King of Han encounters misfortune on the battlefield in the future, I may, out of consideration for this 'kindness' today, grant him thirty li of passage as a token of my gratitude!"

Such dry and forced words are less a promise and more a gesture of maintaining one's last shred of dignity.

"Hahaha!"

Shishan didn't care about Liu Zhuo's little bit of stubbornness. He laughed heartily, waved his hand casually, and signaled his personal guards to bring Liu Zhuo a warhorse. He watched as the man rode off towards the Goryeo army's defense line.

"Kings."

Having witnessed Liu Zhuo's poor performance throughout, Fu Youde couldn't help but step forward again, his brow furrowed, and offered his advice:

"People from such small countries are most cowardly and shameless. If Your Majesty lets him go so easily, I fear it is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, which will surely bring disaster in the future!"

Shishan was well aware that letting Liu Zhuo go might cause some trouble.

However, compared to engaging in a head-on confrontation with these unsuspecting Goryeo soldiers here, wasting the Han army's precious manpower and time, taking this opportunity to sow discord among the various Yuan army units, severely damaging Toqto'a's personal prestige, and forcing him to withdraw his troops as soon as possible, it would undoubtedly be more in line with the current strategic interests of the Han state.

As for how to completely resolve the Goryeo issue in the future, a real contest is inevitable, and the reason is readily available—Goryeo's unauthorized intervention in the struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains.

At the same time, it was even more necessary to cultivate and support its own "pro-Han" faction within Goryeo, but these were things that core figures like Ryu Jo, who were deeply bound to the "pro-Yuan" faction, could not undertake.

"trouble?"

Shi Shan withdrew his gaze, looked at Fu Youde, and smiled meaningfully:

"Even if there is trouble, it should be that Grand Tutor Toqto'a of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty who has a bigger headache than us right now."

Seeing that Fu Youde still looked somewhat puzzled, Shi Shan, who was in a good mood at the moment, wanted to enlighten his trusted general, so he asked in return:

"Wei Xue, have you ever thought carefully about why Liu Zhuo is so devoted to serving the Yuan court? And what should we do in the future to cultivate a group of 'Liu Zhuo' who are close to our country from those ordinary captured Goryeo soldiers and even the scholars in the country?"

This problem clearly went beyond the tactical scope that Fu Youde usually focused on. He frowned, pondered seriously for a while, and finally shook his head, honestly admitting:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me, this humble general... truly did not know the intricacies of the matter."

Shishan needed Fu Youde to steadfastly guard Yangzhou, but he couldn't let him feel abandoned, so he immediately offered him a lucrative deal.

"Once you've thought this through, I'll grant you the immense wealth and power to destroy a nation!"

Fu Youde was immediately excited. Of course, he dared not imagine claiming all the credit for destroying the Yuan Dynasty for himself, but the world was not just about the Mongol Yuan. And through the words of the Prince of Han, he knew that his position was secure, and suddenly guarding Yangzhou didn't seem so boring anymore.

"It's a deal?"

Shishan was not just making empty promises; he also planned to rotate the Zhenshuo Guard in the future so that Fu Youde could accumulate experience and qualifications. But for now, he also had to reassure his loyal subordinates.

"You have no joke!"

……

Meanwhile, Liu Zhuo had already returned to the Goryeo army's defensive line. Relying on his past prestige and official rank, he quickly met with the highest-ranking officer in charge of military affairs at the time—Yeon Ti-shin, the Chief Councilor, Vice Minister, and Commander-in-Chief of the Goryeo Kingdom.

Liu Zhuo quickly relayed his experiences after being captured (with some omissions and embellishments) and the news that Shi Shan had told him that "Tuotuo may have withdrawn his troops" to Lian Tichen.

When Fu Youde led the vanguard of the Han army to the outer perimeter of the defense line, Lian Tichen sent an urgent messenger to the Grand Tutor's camp below Gaoyou City.

The messenger had returned not long ago, but he had been busy setting up defenses and hadn't thought much of it, only noticing that the messenger had returned sooner than expected. It was only now, reminded by Liu Zhuoyi, that he suddenly realized the oddity of the situation!

Lian Tichen immediately ordered someone to summon the messenger and solemnly said:
"When you entered the camp to pay your respects to the Grand Tutor, did you notice anything unusual? For example, any signs of large-scale troop movements?"

The messenger was taken aback by the general's serious expression. After thinking carefully for a moment, he replied:

"Reporting to the General, I encountered the Grand Tutor's entourage when I was still several miles away from the main camp. There were three or four thousand elite soldiers protecting the Grand Tutor as he marched."

The commander leading the expedition told me that the Grand Tutor had personally gone to the front lines to scout the Han army's movements, and that I didn't need to go to the main camp anymore; I could simply bring back the Grand Tutor's order to "defend with utmost vigilance."

"Alright! You may leave now!" Lian Tichen impatiently waved the messenger away.

After the messenger left, Liu Zhuo and Lian Tichen exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other's eyes:
As expected, these more than 10,000 Goryeo soldiers were ruthlessly abandoned by Toqto'a as a pawn to buy time!

(End of this chapter)