"Mr. Yao, what is your opinion?"

Hong Jixun is bold and careful, and the proposed plan seems to be bold and reckless, but if you think about it carefully, it is quite feasible. Yao Haogu admired it very much in his heart, but in the end, the stakes were very high, and he couldn't say anything lightly. He pondered for a long time and asked, "May I ask Lord Hong, if everything goes according to your plan, it will naturally be done." But in the battle on the battlefield, the military situation changes rapidly, if there is a change, there is an unexpected situation, what should we do? ”

"Unexpected?"

"The right time, the right place, and the right people. If there is a rain or snow on the way to the march, the time is delayed. If Gushan and other places desperately intercept it, the whereabouts of our army will be exposed. If it is more difficult to cross the river than you think, the river will be difficult to cross. If the soldiers come to the city, the moon will not be over, and the army will lack food. What to do? ”

"Our army attacked Liaoyang, the weather was cold and frozen, and the snow on the road had not disappeared. The result? Our army won a great victory. To attack Wang Jing, all the elites are selected, even if there is some rain and snow on the road, why bother? Gushan and other places, close to my Pyongyang and Jiangdong, I have already found out the reality in the city, does it dare to go out of the city to intercept desperately? My 20,000 main forces are behind, if it really dares to come out, it will be destroyed first!

"After the beginning of spring, when the ice and snow melt, the river may rise a little, but the Licheng River is a small river, where can it rise? It's ridiculous to be worried.

"The soldiers are coming to the city, and the moon is not over, not to mention that this is just an assumption. Even if this situation really occurs, with our navy crisscrossing the coast, will it still be a problem to supply food and wages? Coming down the coast of Pyongyang in a few days! Having said that, Lord Yao, with that little military strength of Southern Goryeo, do you really think that it can block the thunderous blow of my army? ”

Yao Haogu said: "If our army is fully equipped, Wang Jing will definitely not be an opponent." But, Lord Hong, according to your plan, our army is a rush attack, taking mountain roads, and large siege equipment, it is estimated that it is not easy to bring. ......, in this way, our army has less armament, and the enemy has a fortified city. Against the city, it's really hard to say who will kill the deer. ”

"Just because the equipment is not good doesn't mean you can't bring it. Grain and grass can be supplied by sea, but why can't ordnance? Artillery, trebuchets and other things, the army can bring some with them, and if they are insufficient, they can be transported by the sailors. Two thousand elites, enough to run rampant along the coast of Wangjing! Don't say that if you send some ordnance, if you don't have enough troops, you can also replenish it. ”

Deng She understood that Hong Jixun's whole set of plans was obviously based on the navy.

Wangjing of Goryeo is too close to the sea, although its naval strength is slightly better than that of Haidong, but it is not strong, even the harassment of the Japanese can alarm it as if it is facing a great enemy, and Kyoto has imposed martial law on it several times. If it is really possible to occupy sea supremacy, then this plan can indeed be tried.

There was a risky side to his personality, and when he heard this, he made a decision.

Yao Haogu spoke again: "Back then, the Khitan invaded Goryeo. Goryeo Hyeonjong could not escape Hanyang, and promoted Hanyang to 'Nanjing', which is one of the small three capitals of Goryeo and the capital of the south. Lord Hong, even if everything goes well for our army, it successfully arrives at the city of Wangjing and conquers the city smoothly, but in the end, it accidentally escapes the king of Goryeo and fails to capture the thief and capture the king first, but what is good? ”

Hong Jixun was unhappy and said, "How can people have no last resort? Do your best, listen to the destiny of heaven! Success or not, bang, at least you do it. It's better than looking ahead and looking backwards, and nothing can be accomplished! ”

Yao Haogu smiled and said, "That's a good word. He bowed to Deng She and said, "The minister thinks that Lord Hong's plan is promising." To be successful, there are two words to pay attention to. In the words of Lord Hong, it is: one is 'slow', one is 'fast'. ”

"How slow?"

"Be slow beforehand. We should not act rashly until a complete battle plan has been formulated. After the plan is formulated, the navy must not act rashly until it has been assembled. The army acting as cover should not move the defenders of the South Goryeo border and do not attract the attention of the king of South Goryeo, and should not act rashly. ”

"How?"

"The soldiers are fast. The so-called strong crossbow is extreme, and the arrow cannot penetrate the reckless. At the end of the storm, the force cannot be bleached. Once the fighting army sets out, it is like an arrow from the string, even if it is tired of a long journey, it must do everything possible to maintain its strong fighting spirit, and must do its best to break through Wangjing and capture the king of Goryeo in one fell swoop before its strength is exhausted! ”

At this point, the discussion is basically a decision.

Deng She asked Wen Huaguo and others for their opinions: "Everyone, what do you think?" Is there anything else to add? ”

"But obey the orders of the lord."

They asked all the questions they could think of. Hong Jixun's reply was leaky, and no one had any objections. Deng She laughed and said, "He is a Goryeo, a small state." With the two 'speeds' and 'slow' of the two gentlemen, why not worry about Haidong? Although he has not yet sent out the army, this battle has been won nine times out of ten! ”

He ordered the Privy Council to work with Wang Laode's General Administration Department to immediately draw up a battle plan, and at the same time began to select and mobilize troops for the expedition, as well as to raise and prepare food, grass, ordnance, and other materials.

This is the first time that the Privy Council has played its role since its establishment. Deng She gave them a half-month deadline and instructed Yao Haogu and Hong Jixun not to participate, which meant decentralization, and it was not without the factor of considering their ability to do things. Zhao Guo and others naturally attach great importance to it.

Gossip, skip it.

It is only said that the Goryeo envoy, the day before, bid farewell to Deng She, and the group did not take the land route, but the sea route, raised the sail and pulled the flag, and went straight down the coast. This Goryeo coast, from early spring to early summer, there is often a dense fog nearby, especially on the west coast and the south coast, the islands are dense, and it is not easy for non-experienced sailors to cross.

Therefore, they did not go fast on the road.

However, there are many cities and mountains along the coast. Sitting in the boat, looking at the islands in the distance, the dark blue water ripples with the waves, boundless. Looking at the city on the shore, the mountains and rivers are scattered, the scenery is handsome, and you can see it while walking, such as walking on the mountain*, you are overwhelmed, and you don't feel depressed. Suddenly, unconsciously, I have passed Fengzhou and walked half the way. In three or two days at most, you can arrive at Wangjing Kaecheng Mansion.

The name of Seongchiju County in Goryeo is mostly the same as that of China. This Fengzhou, the Qiu Yi County of Goguryeo. Goryeo inherited Silla and established the country, expanded to the north, and gained many state capitals that originally belonged to Goguryeo, and Fengju was one of them. It was once placed as the capital protectorate, and later reduced to a defense envoy. The city is not very large, and the population is not too large.

It happened that there was fog on the sea, and the sailors came in and asked if they wanted to dock temporarily.

The Goryeo envoy personally went out of the cabin and watched from afar. But I saw a heavy fog, overwhelming, rolling, intertwined with the waves, covering the verdant shore, occasionally seabirds passing by, in the white mist, in a blink of an eye. After standing in the fog for a moment, I ate a mouth full of wetness, and when the wind blew, it became colder and colder.

"The fog is too big, and our ship is big. It's not easy to navigate, and it doesn't touch the reef, it's too dangerous. ”

Even though the messenger was like an arrow, he couldn't help the temper of God. He said helplessly: "In that case, just stop." Wait for the fog to clear and then walk again. ”

The sailors went to pass orders, sought the shore harbor, and anchored the ship. The messenger had something on his mind, and when he returned to the cabin, he was sullen, so he simply took his hands and paced slowly on the deck.

His name is Hong Yanbo, and he has been on the throne for 17 years, more than 20 years ago. Because of his noble background and the children of the family, the journey was smooth sailing. Many years ago, the King of Goryeo punished the Qi family of Queen Mongwon, and he made great contributions and recorded his merits as first-class. Before the envoy, he was newly appointed as a servant of the door, from a high-ranking official of the first rank.

In the Goryeo Dynasty, the pro-Yuan party was very powerful.

They either had entered the Yuan Suwei before entering the office, or had in-laws with the ministers of Mengyuan, or such as Bian Anlie, they were already vassals of Mengyuan. They may not be in Goryeo, and they eat inside and out, but after all, they are inextricably linked with Meng Yuan, and for the independent King of Goryeo, they inevitably feel constrained.

Hong Yanbo is different from them, he can be regarded as a royal party. This is one of the reasons why the king of Goryeo was relieved to send him as an envoy.

The deputy envoy's name is Kim Yong, but he is a military attaché, who once followed the current king of Goryeo into the Yuan Su Guard, and the attendants are meritorious, and he is extremely favored by the king of Goryeo. In the fourteenth year of Zheng, Meng Yuan raised troops, attacked Gaoyou, and ordered Goryeo to send troops to participate. The king of Goryeo chose several famous ministers and fierce generals, and he was among them.

He lifted the curtain of the cabin, saw Hong Yanbo, bent down and walked out, and said, "The sea is windy. Why doesn't Hou Ye rest in the cabin? Don't catch a cold. "Hong Yanbo was named the Marquis of Nanyang by the King of Goryeo, and he was called this by Jin Yong.

Hong Yanbo walked to the side of the ship, looked at the sea, and said for a long time: "Over the past thousand years, how many dynasties have changed. The only thing that does not change. If there is love in the sky, the sky is also old, honestly! "The waves were like swells, crashing against the reef on the shore, and there was a lot of white foam. The wind and water are blowing, and the rocks are standstill.

"Why is Master Hou so emotional?"

Hong Yanbo stood in the wind and watched the sea ship slowly approach the port. The cold wind ruffled the hem of his garment, and it rattled. He turned to the west, at the end of the sea and sky, and where he could not see was the coast of China. Goryeo has been established for hundreds of years, the national fortune is bumpy, and there is almost no smooth day, first there is the pressure of Liaojin, and then there is the whale swallowing of Mengyuan, and it has been bullied by strong neighbors.

It's easy to wait for the Central Plains to rise up, and the king of Goryeo has the intention to take the opportunity to rise, but he is affected by the war again. Deng Sheshe was born out of thin air, occupying half of Goryeo in a short period of time. Now that there are strong enemies outside and troubles inside, the future is really worrying as the national strength declines day by day.

"On the boat last night, I read the "History of the Song Dynasty" compiled by Yuan Xin. In "The Biography of Yue Fei", Yue Wumu said: "Wenchen does not love money, Wuchen does not hesitate to die, and the world is peaceful." 'Song has such a good minister and a famous general, and he will inevitably destroy the country. Three hundred years of national ancestry, once extinct. Is this providential? Or is it the fortune of the country? ”

Although Jin Yong was a military minister and read poetry and books, he suddenly understood why Hong Yanbo was emotional, involving the government and politics, and it was difficult to say it clearly. He was silent and said: "The minister is the minister of Zhongxing, and the king is not the king of Zhongxing." This Song is so dead. ”

The ship shook violently and docked on the shore.

The two of them looked at the distant sky, the fog was vast, and as far as the eye could see, the islands and forests were faint. Song Gaozong is not the king of Zhongxing, so what about the current king of Goryeo? Can he be called ZTE? In the end, Song Gaozong continued the Southern Song Dynasty for more than 100 years, can the national glory of Goryeo continue?

Both of them are confidants of the King of Goryeo and will not speak ill of the King of Goryeo. But the true ability of the king of Goryeo is well known. To say, they should not have such a conversation, but they have just returned from Haidong, and they have seen with their own eyes that there is a thriving emerging atmosphere everywhere, compared to the twilight of the country, how can it not cause a shadow under the strong difference? In addition, the relationship between the two is good, so they are unscrupulous.

Hong Yanbo was silent for a long time, lifted his spirits, and said: "Song not only has Yue Wumu, but also Prime Minister Wen. Jin Gong, you and I should encourage ourselves! ”

What he said was very vague, I don't know if he wanted Jin Yong to encourage himself with Yue Fei, or Wen Tianxiang who was willing to die. Without waiting for Jin Yong to reply, he changed the topic and asked, "I will go to Pyongyang today, and my mission will stay for many days." Jin Gong was invited by his generals many times to go to banquets. What is your impression of the generals of Haidong? ”

"Most of their generals are vulgar and unliterate. However, each has its own outstanding place, which should not be underestimated. ”

"Oh?"

"I have a lot of contact, there are three people. Wen Huaguo, Tong Shengyang, Zhao Guo. Wen Huaguo is a person, thick and fine, in a high position, in a prominent position, as the uncle of Deng Thief, it is true that Haidong's second person. However, I saw that he treated people, including the left and right guards, even patrol pawns and ordinary servants, all of whom were not arrogant, approachable, and couldn't help but laugh and scold. It is expected that he is very capable of winning the hearts of the military. If they meet on the battlefield, they are great enemies.

"Tong Shengyang, the righteous brother of Deng Thief. The Jurchens, who claim to be after Yue Fei. I heard that his brother died at the hands of the Deng thief. Judging by his words and deeds, he was loyal to the Deng thief. The young man is sharp, heroic, and even more riding and shooting, and his martial arts are outstanding. If they meet on the battlefield, they are brave generals, and they need to be doubly vigilant.

"Zhao Guo, for Deng Thief's hair. He stammered, spoke the least, was slightly older than Tong Shengyang, and had the most stable temperament. At the banquet, there were often generals drinking and boasting about their achievements, but he was the only one who smiled and did not speak, and he had the demeanor of a big tree general. This person, when they meet on the battlefield, may not be as good as Wenhua Guo's ability to win the death of soldiers, nor as strong as Tong Shengyang's courage, but if it comes to dealing with changes without being alarmed, and not chaotic in the face of danger, he will definitely be unique. ”

The king of Goryeo sent Jin Yong as his deputy envoy, and the main purpose was to look at the level of the generals in Haidong and the reality of Haidong's military strength. He has been in the army for a long time and has participated in the First Battle of Gaoyou, and he still has eyesight. The judgment made by the three of Wenhuaguo is very objective.

Hong Yanbo listened, frowned, and then asked: "However, can you see the reality of Pyongyang's military strength thoroughly?" ”

"Deng thief is very well guarded! Although I had proposed to visit the Haidong military camp at several banquets, how could I Wen Huaguo and others, one by one, just refuse, but they refused to agree. Under the pretext of looking for old friends, I went to the edge of the city with great difficulty, and only glanced at the barracks from a distance, and I couldn't get in at all.

Therefore, it is difficult to judge the reality of Pyongyang's military strength. ......, however, in terms of entering and leaving the city, as well as some of the city's head guards seen at the New Year's Day celebrations, as well as the order of the guards along the streets, the morale of the Haidong army was very high, the equipment was good, and the discipline was very strict.

"Do you remember Master Hou? Before New Year's Day, because a soldier left his post without permission, he was beheaded by Deng thief on the spot. He sighed, "From this point of view, its strictness in governing the army is far better than that of my Goryeo." ”

Hong Yanbo is not young, fifty or sixty years old, he has been standing on the deck for a long time, the cold is deep, and he is a little unbearable. He pulled the placket of his shirt, only to feel that the cold wind was to the bone, and the whole body was cold inside and out, and said, "Let's go into the cabin, you and I will talk about it in detail." "During the few days they were in Pyongyang, they were busy and had no time to talk, so they took advantage of this free time to communicate with each other, and when they returned to Wangjing, they could report to the king of Goryeo.

Kim Yong took a step back and asked him to go first.

He noticed that Hong Yanbo's face was full of worry, comforted and relieved, and said: "Although Haidong is strong, Hou Ye doesn't have to worry too much, and I, Gaoli, am not weak." And, in any case, a truce and a treaty with the Deng thief had been signed. Finally, I have some time to recuperate, and the Hou Ye has done a great job. ”

"What credit is it that you can't share your worries with the Lord?"

The peace treaty with Haidong Province was very humiliating and humiliating, and Hong Yanbo was reluctant to say more. The two of them walked one after the other to the cabin. After walking a few steps, I heard the sergeant on the ship shouting: "There are people on the shore!" "Many alarms rang out three times in quick succession, converging in one place.

Although they were already in Goryeo at this time, there were many thieves along the coast and in the mountains, and they did not dare to be careless.

——

1, Hanyang.

i.e. Seoul.

2, into the Yuan Su Wei.

For example, Liu Hao, a famous minister at that time, once "entered the Yuan Suwei with the shade of the door".

Another example is Lian Yichen, his uncle is Pingzhang of the Yuan Dynasty, "Shaogu, older than his brother-in-law Yuan Pingzhang Moji's family." Emperor Taiding entered the succession from the Jin Palace, and the end of the auspicious rate of the ministers pilgrimage to the frame in Helin, the emperor saw the surprise, and the fate of the guard was forbidden. Summoned Yi Zheng Sicheng, and later served as an envoy to Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, and the officials were honest.

Not only did he have relatives with the ministers of the Yuan Dynasty, he once stayed in the Yuan court, and he once held an official position in the Yuan Dynasty.

3, General Big Tree.

A famous general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, one of the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai of Emperor Guangwu, "the general of the big tree, the partial general Feng Yiye." Be humble and retreat. Edicts: Not at war with the enemy, but often after the camps. Every time they stop, the generals sit side by side to discuss the merits, and they are unusually alone under the tree, so the army is called 'General Big Tree'."