War clouds have arisen, and the atmosphere of war is spreading throughout the peninsula.
First of all, in order to prevent the Baekje tribes from causing chaos during the war, Li Jing ordered Su Dingfang and Liu Rengui to lead their troops to massacre more than a dozen tribesmen. In contrast, they gave great benefits to the tribes that had previously behaved respectfully.
For example, they were allowed to leave enough food for the winter, and brave men from the tribe were recruited to join the Tang army, and were promised official positions to fight together.
Those nobles who knew Chinese were given important positions one after another, tribal leaders served as local officials, and their children were sent to the Tang Dynasty for "further study" and so on.
This is similar to the suppression of bandits in the Central Plains. They used both suppression and appeasement. If something went wrong, they would be faced with an attack by the Tang army. They would show no mercy with swords and guns.
The military strength of the Tang army also ensured that they had enough power to clean up the Baekje tribe. With the guidance of local tribesmen and the help of the Silla people, any Baekje tribe that had any intention of resisting were completely destroyed and had almost no way to escape.
escape.
In particular, the Japanese followed the Tang army and acted even more brutally. They wielded their butcher knives at their former allies and were even more cruel and vicious than the Tang army.
The Baekje people were once again ruthlessly purged.
If someone with rich official qualifications like Li Jing was in charge, he would be much more rigorous and ruthless than the big bandit Du Fuwei.
Moreover, at the time of the war, in order to stabilize the rear, Datang's policy of sending as many people as possible to work in Datang on the peninsula also came to a standstill.
Therefore, as long as the Baekje tribes were deemed to be unstable factors, they were included in the purge, and a large number of Baekje people fell under this indiscriminate massacre.
This is a standard act of war. Once the war machine is started, it leaves no room for emotions such as pity.
The officers and soldiers of the Tang army, who had experienced the war in the late Sui Dynasty and still retained the shadow of the former Sui army, had no pressure to execute such orders in a foreign country.
Su Dingfang, Liu Rengui and other generals who surrendered from Hebei believed that it was very appropriate to let their soldiers see blood before going to war with Goguryeo. It was equivalent to sacrificing flags and could also stimulate the fighting spirit and morale of the soldiers.
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The mountains and rivers on the west side of the peninsula echoed with the wails and wailings of the Baekje people, and were covered with a faint blood color.
On the east side, the Silla people started preparations for war in full swing after their King Jinwo returned to the country.
The military organization with Hwarangtu as its core was much faster than Baekje in war mobilization. Young and middle-aged men and even women from various Silla tribes were mobilized.
A large number of people entered the huge logistics supply system of the Tang Army, and the most elite joined the Tang Army and became its subordinates, and would later fight with the Tang Army.
According to Li Po's instructions, some knowledgeable nobles who understood Chinese served as counselors and guides, and went to the generals of the Tang Army at all levels.
The Tang army grew larger and larger, and the smell of gunpowder smoke became stronger and stronger throughout the southern part of the peninsula. No matter whether they were nobles, commoners, or even slaves, they could clearly feel the impact of the war.
The forming army is sucking the vitality of the peninsula, and no one can escape.
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At this time, Li Jing's Chinese army had crossed the Han River and entered Shunning City, which was located south of the Xu River and north of the Han River.
Military meetings were being held one after another, and the generals of the Tang army were going in and out of Shunning City, bringing various military orders to the army.
All kinds of detective reports have gathered in Shunning City.
By the time the Tang army crossed the Han River and reached the south bank of the Xu River, Li Jing and other generals had a general understanding of Goguryeo's military and political affairs as well as Goguryeo's mountains and terrain.
Li Jing even brought people to the shore of Xishui several times to observe, and the results obtained made Li Jing very satisfied.
The flow of the Yi River is not as fast as the Yellow River, and the river is not as wide as the Yangtze River. It is not even as good as the Han River in the south. From the south bank, you can clearly see the other side.
In this case, there would be no need for ships to transport troops, and several temporary pontoons could be built to allow the army to quickly pass through the river.
Liu Qingze, a general and young eunuch from Chang'an, assured Li Jing that he could build a pontoon bridge in a short time. The Goguryeo people could not stop the Sui army on the Liao River, and they could not stop the Tang army on the Hui River.
In fact, if the Goguryeo people had such bridge-building skills, they could make both sides of the river a smooth road. In that case, it would be impossible for the Silla people to control the Han River Basin.
In the Central Plains, it would be unforgivable not to build a bridge in a place like this.
Of course, it seems that the Goguryeo people are still wise now...
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Since Li Jing arrived on the peninsula, the Tang army's spying on Goguryeo on the other side became more in-depth and bolder.
The atmosphere of war has become so intense that there cannot be any movement in Goguryeo.
The wartime reaction of the Goguryeo people was inseparable from their military and political system, which was very similar to the later war zone system. Because Goguryeo had not completely gotten rid of the tribal alliance system, their military mobilization was in pieces.
Not long after he inherited his father's position, the Eastern Lord and Grand Duel Luyuan Gaesowun had disagreements with Goguryeo's King Gaocheng, Western Lord Hui Zuosi, Grand Envoy Gao Ji and others. They were not in Pyongyang all year round, but tightly controlled Goguryeo.
The authority of the eastern tribes.
Even though he was not in the royal city, he had great power, and there were many friends and subordinates of his father Yuan Taizuo in the Goguryeo Dynasty. It was not easy for the Gao family to deal with him.
Moreover, when Ulji Mundeok came to power, he used the momentum of defeating the Sui army to purge the royal family several times and squeezed the interests of several large tribes that formed the core of Goguryeo's power.
So the Goguryeo royal family united with these people and killed Eulji Mundeok. However, the result was that the power of tribal leaders like Yeon Gaesumun was greatly consolidated, and the royal family suffered heavy losses.
Now it seems that the young Yeon Gaesomun looks like the second Ulji Munduk, but he is much more cunning than Ulji Munduk.
Although he did not return to the royal city, he could influence Goguryeo's military and political affairs.
Previously, he led the army to suppress the bandits under the king's order. It was probably because those in the court wanted to consume his strength, but did not want to be used by him to take advantage of the opportunity of suppressing the bandits to expand their own power.
Currently, nearly 70% of Goguryeo's troops and horses are controlled by Yeon Gaesumun. If it had not been for the arrival of the Tang army, it would have been a matter of time before Yeon Gaesumun eliminated Goguryeo.
However, Hui Zuosi and others who were able to compete with Yuan Gaisuwen were defeated in several battles with the Turks in Liaodong.
After losing a large area of territory, almost all the Liaodong County established by the Han family was taken away by the Turks. To this day, they don't even know whether Liaodong City has fallen.
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The truth has been general since ancient times. Pressure from the outside has always been a good way to resolve internal conflicts.
The Tang army and the Turks formed a pincer attack on Goguryeo from the north and the south. Goguryeo had reached a critical moment, and the political struggle between Goguryeo and the Central Government came to an abrupt end.
Since the death of King Gowon of Pingyang, Yeon Gaesooun, who had never returned to the royal city, entered the court for the first time and reached reconciliation with the political forces in the court that opposed him.
Yuan Gaesuwen agreed to marry Gao Cheng's sister as his wife, and also married his own sister to Gao Cheng. He also agreed to send his eldest son Yuan Laoquan to lead his troops to garrison the royal city to resist the enemy's invasion.
He led the troops from various eastern counties and was ready to reinforce Pyongyang at any time.
Therefore, the strategy of the Goguryeo people is very clear. They use Pyongyang City as a bait to lure the enemy troops under the city, exhaust the enemy troops, and harass the reinforcements from all directions on the periphery.
It is actually somewhat similar to the strategy used by Ulji Mundeok to resist the Sui army. It is just a procrastination. This is obviously the experience that the Goguryeo people learned from many wars with the Central Plains Dynasty.
What has to be said is that Yeon Gaesomun was very organized. When he discussed with Gaocheng and Goguryeo's courtiers, he said that he should be prepared for a long-term war.
Goguryeo's national strength is not what it used to be. Once the Tang army crosses the river and comes north, one or two victories are not enough to repel such an opponent like before, because they have already established a foothold in the south, destroyed Baekje, and gained Silla.
people's help.
A powerful and cunning opponent that the Sui people of the past could not compare with.
At the same time, Yeon Gaesumun also asked those who wanted to have relations with the Tang State and let them stop fighting and call off their armies to give up their illusions.
The enemy has accumulated so many troops in the south, and the signs of invasion are so obvious and certain. Don't take chances anymore, the war will come soon.
If you want to keep your own wealth, then lead your people to defend the royal city. The Goguryeo people will not kneel down on the ground without any resistance to ask for mercy from the enemy. They did not do it before and they will not do it now.
What our ancestors could do, we can also do...
The impassioned speech strengthened the determination of the Goguryeo nobles to resist.
I have to admit that there is something good about Goguryeo being able to survive for so long. At critical moments, there will always be one or two outstanding figures worthy of attention.
However, only God knows whether Goguryeo, which has been eroded by Buddhism for such a long time, can still resist foreign humiliation as firmly as before.
The cruelty of war will test people's will. When the tide recedes, you will know who is swimming naked...
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Even with Yeon Gaesumun as a staunch fighter, Goguryeo King Gaocheng still sent an envoy to the south bank of the Jishui River and met with Li Jing.
Needless to say, the attitude of the Goguryeo people was that they would always say arrogant words, receive the most vicious beatings, and then make the most cowardly gestures.
The visitor asked Li Jing that the Goguryeo people had sent envoys and were in the process of making peace with the Tang Dynasty. Why did the army of the Tang Dynasty come here?
When Li Jing saw the visitors, he was unmoved by their words. He just thought about whether to send them to the flagpole to see the scenery, or to make a show of coercion and make the Goguryeo people lower their guard.
In the end, he chose the latter. He told the envoys who came that the Tang army was here to help the Goguryeo people resist the Turks. As long as the King of Goguryeo surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, then everyone would be friends.
Wouldn't it be nice to let the Tang army cross the river and play with the Turks together?
This chapter has been completed!