In the spring of the thirteenth year of the Apocalypse, in the area south of the Yalu River, it was already a time when spring flowers were blooming and everything was recovering.
"We lost!"
In the study room of the Anjucheng County Magistrate's Mansion, Cui Hongzheng said to Jin Yiyuan dejectedly, "The Kingdom of Koryo is also over."
After a cruel winter, Cui Hongzheng, the envoy of the Privy Council of Goryeo to the northwest, became a completely different person. His beard and hair were like a nest of tangled grass, white and messy.
His eye sockets are sunken, his face is ashen, and his body is like a skeleton. He is three-quarters human and seven-quarters ghost-like.
Jin Yiyuan also seemed to have changed his appearance, but he still managed to maintain a bit of bravery.
"Prime Minister Cui, you can't say such depressing words. Now that we have survived the winter, when spring comes, the south will devote all its efforts to save us."
Cui Hongzheng laughed a few times and stood up unsteadily, "No, I know what they are thinking now."
He walked to the window and asked: "Is there any news about Jin Haizhen, Jin Hanzhong, and Li Guanzhen?"
Jin Haizhen led the Shenbu and Shenqi armies, as well as the main force of 60,000, to fight in the north of Pyongyang, intending to open up this life-and-death passage. After more than two months of hard fighting, no ground was advanced. Later, heavy snow blocked the road, and Cui Hongzheng, who returned to Anju, and
He lost contact.
Jin Hanzhong and Li Guanzhen guarded Yizhou and Pingrong towns respectively, and governed Ying, Xiong, Fu, Ji, Xian, Tongtai, Gongwei and other prefecture towns, defending the main force of the Song army north of the Yalu River and Baishan.
Later, we gradually lost contact.
Jin Yiyuan, with his martial arts squad and 10,000 troops, relied on the little food and grass that Anzhou City had previously saved to survive until now.
"Prime Minister Cui, a few days ago when the snow melted and the road was clear, my subordinates sent spies to the north and south to find out news. They even sent a team of spies to the east to find out the news about deputy envoy Huang of Wenzhou. But there was no response.
.”
"Oh, it's too bad." Cui Hongzheng turned his head with an apology on his face.
"Ever since the late king decided to go north, all the battles, big and small, have been fought by you. But every time when a victory is claimed, it is those people who are at the front. They are promoted to officials and are honored for a while. Now that the disaster is approaching, they are all hiding in the open air.
Jing, I’ll leave all the hard things to you. I... I’m sorry for you.”
Jin Yiyuan held back his tears and said, "Prime Minister Cui, aren't you also staying in Anzhou? Aren't Deputy Huang also in Wenzhou? I believe that if the road had not been cut off, Prime Minister Wu would have been with me."
"It's a pity, 'La Leng wants to destroy himself; it cannot be supported by a tree'. Yiyuan, 'The disaster has come; there is nothing we can do!' This battle may have been doomed from the beginning, and we will fail."
"Prime Minister Cui, why do you say that?" Jin Yiyuan asked in surprise.
"'How can you allow others to snore on the side of the couch!' The emperor of the Song Dynasty destroyed Xia Pingliao, settled in Mobei, and accepted Nanzhao. How could he leave only Goryeo on his side? How could he destroy Goryeo? I think the kings and ministers of the Song Dynasty must have
, it took a lot of painstaking efforts.”
Jin Yiyuan couldn't believe it and argued: "In the former Sui and Tang Dynasties, even Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty lost troops and generals in front of Goguryeo. Later, even if Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty destroyed Goguryeo, he could not detain and integrate them. In the end, he still sat back and watched our country of Goguryeo inherit these three countries.
Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains.”
"This time, that time." Cui Hongzheng smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I was so confident before. But the Song Dynasty transported more than 100,000 troops across the sea in an instant, and my confidence collapsed. Moreover, the Sui and Tang Dynasties had not yet fully controlled
In the eastern part of Liaoning and the western part of Liaoning, when using troops against Goguryeo, the sources of troops and food had to be transported thousands of miles from the Central Plains, which was extremely difficult."
"What now? The areas in eastern Liaoning, western Liaoning and Yanjing have become a prosperous and prosperous land after hundreds of years of governance by the Khitans. There is no shortage of personnel, food and grass, and there is no need to transport them all the way from the Central Plains. What's more, the Song Dynasty's navy is the most powerful in the world, with thousands of ships.
The ships are sailing and racing, and they can continuously transport food from the South China Sea, cotton from the south of the Yangtze River, and soldiers from the Central Plains to the front line of Goryeo."
Cui Hongzheng put his hands behind his back, raised his head, and looked at the blue sky, his tone was extremely sad and sorrowful.
"The timing, location, and people are all in the hands of the Song Dynasty. We, Goryeo, are in danger! But this time, we foolishly fell into the trap they set."
"Prime Minister Cui, why is this a poisonous trap?"
"Now that I think about it, if the people of Song Dynasty hadn't had the will to win the great victory over the Qingchuan River, would we have been able to win? They would have been arrogant first, then confused their ambitions, and then they would have led five hundred thousand of us to the north of the Xishui River. No one would be killed.
, Damn it! After a cold winter, how many 500,000 young men can be left?"
Cui Hongzheng shook his head sadly, "There aren't many left. At the beginning of winter, more than 200,000 civilians fled south. It must have been instigated by traitors in the Song Dynasty. They were all captured by the Song army at that time. Even if peace was negotiated,
Can it be returned to Goryeo? Impossible. Dingkou is the strength of the country. Without young people, there will be no one to cultivate the land and no one to work. No matter how noble the civil and military teams are, they will still starve to death and freeze to death without food or clothing."
"Just wait. The national power of Goryeo has suddenly declined, but those in the capital city don't know it yet. Once peace is negotiated, they will squeeze the people's power even more - from luxury to frugality, it will be difficult to reach the sky. Given time, there will be no need for the Song Dynasty to attack,
The people of Goryeo who have no way out will burn the capital of Kaijing to rubble."
Jin Yiyuan understood Cui Hongzheng's words and murmured with a pale face: "The Song people's scheme is so vicious!" He rushed to Cui Hongzheng suddenly and begged: "Cui Xiang, you can't just sit idly by and do nothing. You must report it.
Your Majesty, tell the court not to fall into the trap of the Song people."
Cui Hongzheng smiled bitterly and said, "It's useless. Even if we negotiate a peace, do you think we can go back? The Song people will not let us go back. Even if we write to Kaijing, will the king and the ministers believe it? Now
We have become treacherous officials and traitors who are good at provoking foreign affairs and causing harm to the country and the people."
Jin Yiyuan refused to believe it, but when he saw Cui Hongzheng's determined and determined expression, he finally fell to his knees on the ground, with tears streaming down his face, and roared hoarsely.
"Traitors and traitors? We were ordered by the king to expand the territory of Goryeo. We fought bloody battles, went through life and death, and finally became sinners. Haha, sinners, who are the sinners of Goryeo!"
In the capital city, at Li Ziqian's house, he, Li Zixuan, Pu Jingren, Wang Zizhi, Tuo Junjing, Xu Zai and other close confidants gathered together to discuss matters.
"The intentions of Yu Luchong, Gao Lingchen, and Cui Sisu are clear. They are willing to join forces with us."
Li Ziqian looked very relaxed, and everyone present could hear the joy hidden in his words.
"Yu, Gao, and Cui are willing to join hands with me. This important matter can be decided, and the government is still in our hands." Xu Zai said happily.
"It's just that they said that we will handle the peace negotiation." Li Ziqian's words caused everyone to suppress the joy that they had not had time to express.
Yu Luchong was not stupid either. He knew that peace talks were nothing more than a dark cauldron.
Now the disastrous defeat of Goryeo has become very obvious. If they want to negotiate a peace, the Song people will definitely open their mouths. If they meet the conditions of the Song people, they will definitely be scolded by the people of the country when they come back.
You are so servile that you lose your power and humiliate your country!
Those civil servants and those Confucian scholars who claim to be noble have this kind of virtue. Let them solve the problem, they are thousands of years old, and they will never get ahead. Once the problem is solved, they will
He would yell and curse and find trouble in all kinds of ways.
Otherwise, how can they appear noble and caring about the country and the people?
Now Yu Luchong is not willing to take the blame, and wants Li Ziqian to handle it on his own - you supported the war when it started, and you have to take care of your own affairs, so don't drag us into the water.
But who is willing to come forward for such a thing? No one will thank you when you come back, you will only be scolded, despised, and treated like a chamber pot - thrown away far away after you use it.
"Mr. Li, how should we deal with this matter?"
"Wu Yanchong is the minister of the sect, Pingzhangshi, and Ren Yi is the minister of Zhongshu, Tongpingzhangshi. One is the prime minister, and the other is the deputy prime minister. Of course, they are the ones to mediate and mediate in such a major military and state matter. Do they need me, the counselor of political affairs?"
Is it not possible to also judge the affairs of the officials and ministers? This is not in line with the laws of our ancestors and does not comply with the rules of the court."
Li Ziqian said leisurely and contentedly, and then added: "Your Majesty thinks so too."
Li Zixuan, Pu Jingren, Wang Zizhi, Tuo Junjing and others looked at each other in confusion. Xu Zai couldn't wait to flatter him: "Li Gong's clever plan. Let Wu Yanchong and Ren Yi, the two prime ministers, negotiate. If the negotiation is completed, they will not be embarrassed in the court.
If you go down, this seat will be free."
Having said this, Xu Zai leaned forward and said, "Mr. Li, don't be humble this time. At least you must be promoted to the position of Tong Ping Zhangshi, the Minister of Zhongshu. You can turn the tide and save Goryeo from collapse. This is how you do it."
We are dissatisfied if you don't carry on your great achievements."
Li Zixuan, Pu Jingren, Wang Zizhi, Tuo Junjing and others nodded quickly, "Yes, yes! Mr. Li must ascend the throne, otherwise the merits will not be rewarded and the world will not accept it!"
Li Ziqian's eyes swept around everyone's faces, he stroked his beard, and smiled slightly, with a look of confidence in his victory. This chapter has been completed!
