Chapter 1500 Deterring North Korea
In Ludexian's view, the Haihan Army with powerful maritime armaments is simply a nightmare for all maritime countries. These warships equipped with a large number of artillery have extremely strong attack power, coupled with the incredibly fast speed, they can indeed be used as Ignore the capital of North Korea's coastal defense. But precisely because of this, the appearance of this fleet will inevitably cause panic among the North Korean military and civilians. Even if it does not come with the purpose of war, it may lead to uncontrollable armed conflicts due to misunderstandings.
Luo Dexian was most worried about letting his country fall into war. Even though Wang Tom had repeatedly promised him on the way that he would not take the opportunity to invade North Korea, he did not want to leave any excuse for the Haihan people to use force.
Of course, Tom Wang knew very well that the purpose of leading his fleet to North Korea was not to start a war. If he went too far, he might not be able to stop it later. What Haihan needs is for North Korea to surrender as soon as possible, and then receive urgently needed war logistics services from North Korea, making North Korea one of Haihan's sources of supplies in Northeast Asia. The urgency of time is the focus of this operation. It is best to achieve the effect without hurting your temper.
Wang Tom was worried that Luo Luo Xian alone would not have enough weight, so before leaving, he also transferred Dongjiang Town Counselor Shen Zhixiang to his side. Shen Zhixiang also had many dealings with North Korean officials during his stay in Pidao. With his official status in the Ming Dynasty, North Koreans would give some face to him.
So when he was about forty or fifty nautical miles away from Haehan in Korea, Wang Tom ordered the fleet to slow down and use a fast ship to send Luo Dexian back to the land first, and then he rushed back to Seoul to report the Haehan army to the king of Korea. arrival.
After the Haihan Fleet arrived near the mouth of the Han River, it did not continue to move forward rashly and chose to dock on the coast of Ganghwa Island. During the Goryeo Dynasty, this island became the temporary capital of the Goryeo Kingdom several times due to external military pressure. The Tripitaka of Goryeo, which was later regarded as a national treasure by Koreans, was moved to Ganghwa Island again in the 13th century when the Goryeo Kingdom was invaded by the Mongols. , carved on the island. This Tripitaka has a total of 1,496 chapters, 6,568 volumes, 52.38 million Chinese characters, and is carved on more than 80,000 wooden boards. It was one of the most complete Tripitakas in the world at that time. Of course, this is not a Korean creation. Including the font, the entire Korean Tripitaka is a copy of the Song Dynasty Tripitaka.
However, Wang Tom didn't have much interest in these cultural things. Even if he knew that Ganghwa Island was once the ruins of the capital of the Goryeo Dynasty, he had no intention of going to this island with an area of more than 400 square kilometers to explore the ancient times. To put it simply, I just don’t have the time.
This fleet, consisting of more than thirty warships and logistics ships, appeared on the coast of Ganghwa Island and was quickly noticed by the people on the island. None of them had seen the red and blue flag on the top of the mast of Haihan's sailing ship, so they didn't know the purpose of this fleet. But it was obvious that this was not a merchant fleet, because after the fleet docked, a large number of armed personnel disembarked from the ship, and the coastal area near the docking area was quickly cordoned off. This did not look very friendly. His behavior naturally caused panic among the nearby people, and they quickly went home to escape.
After all, Ganghwa Island is the seaside barrier of the capital. North Korea also has a small number of troops stationed on the island, but its station is in the direction of the entrance of the Han River, not the west bank where the Haihan Fleet temporarily docked. The distance between these two places is about twenty miles, and the route between them runs through the entire Ganghwa Island in the east-west direction. It would be at least half a day before the villages and towns near the coast sent people to report the news to the garrison. Of course, Wang Tom doesn't care too much about what tricks the North Korean troops stationed on the island can do. If anyone really plans to get close to here, the Marines stationed on the coast will naturally drive them away.
After Luo Dexian hurried back to Seoul by boat, he did not immediately go to the palace to resume his duties. Instead, he first went to meet with Kim Sang-xian, the representative of the anti-peace faction in the DPRK and the leader of the Western Qing Dynasty.
Kim Sang-heon took the imperial examination in the 18th year of Wanli, and won the Jinshi at the age of 20. He later served as deputy editor of Chengwenyuan, deputy school manager, Li Cao, and Li Cao Zuorang. In the 29th year of Wanli, he was appointed as the Fuyu of Jeju. History, and later held official positions such as Gaoshan Inspector, Jingcheng Judge, and Kaesong Experience. However, his official career was not smooth sailing. During the political struggle in North Korea in the 41st year of Wanli, Kim Sang-heon was implicated and was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown. It wasn't until the current North Korean king Li Zhu came to power through a coup in the third year of the Apocalypse that Kim Sang-heon was able to re-enter politics and was worshiped as Daesi-heon.
In the sixth year of the Apocalypse, that is, the year before the time travelers came to this time and space, Jin Sangxian was appointed as the Holy Festival and Gratitude Envoy and went to China to worship. It was during his mission to China that the Jin Dynasty invaded North Korea on a large scale and the Dingmao Rebellion broke out. After hearing the news, Jin Sangxian, who was in Beijing at the time, immediately sent a letter to the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty asking for help.
After the war, Kim Sang-heon returned to the country. In the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, he was dismissed from his official position because he opposed King Li Jie's pursuit of his biological father as Yuanzong of Joseon. It was not until last year that he was reactivated and his post as Chief Secretary was restored. Jin Sangxian had always hated the idea of maintaining peace and mitigating disasters, and repeatedly asked the king to adopt tough policies against Hou Jin and even break off diplomatic relations. However, King Li Jie was afraid of Hou Jin's accumulated power and did not dare to act on his suggestions.
The North Korean envoy Luo Dexian was an official of Kim Sang-heon's faction, but he knew that he was a low-key person in North Korean political circles. It would be difficult for him to be trusted if he went directly to report the current situation to the king, so he approached Kim Sang-heon first when he came back, hoping that he would be trusted. A famous veteran can come forward to resolve the current crisis.
Jin Sangxian was also surprised after listening to Ludexian's report. He did not expect that the situation in Liaodong would undergo such unexpected changes. Hou Jinhui was defeated by an army from the south, and this army was being defeated. Try to integrate North Korea into its logistics system.
It stands to reason that it is good news for North Korea that Hou Kim has met a strong opponent, but Hae Han, a powerful character, does not seem to be a good person. Judging from Luo Dexian's narrative, Hae Han obviously wants to force North Korea to take sides in order to be able to In this area, the situation of the Jin family after the three countries competed was formed. This is actually a good thing for North Korea, but this method is a bit rough.
However, Kim Sang-hyun has been an official for many years and has visited the Ming Dynasty and Later Jin Dynasty. His understanding of international relations is much deeper than that of younger generations like Lud-heon. His first reaction was not to consider whether North Korea would be involved in the war, but to consider whether North Korea would be involved in the war. It is to think about the reason why Haihan took such measures. If the other party gradually deepens their understanding through envoys and follows traditional diplomatic methods to win over North Korea, cooperation may not be impossible to discuss. However, there must be a deeper reason for them to send troops to demonstrate so eagerly. Unconventional and unreasonable measures.
Based on the situation described by Lud Xian, all Kim Sang-hyun could think of was that this army from afar was in urgent need of various supplies to stabilize the situation. Otherwise, it would be difficult to sustain a protracted war with Hou Jin without good logistical support. And they sent the army to North Korea to demonstrate, obviously hoping to facilitate this matter as soon as possible. It seems that the logistics situation must be quite tight, so they appear to be so eager.
His idea is actually very close to the actual situation. Although the current logistics situation of the Haihan Army is not that tight, the military does hope to ease the current supply pressure by opening up logistics channels in North Korea. Of course, if labor can be introduced from North Korea, It couldn't be better. The military does not have the patience to slowly contact North Korea before starting negotiations. It will definitely not be accomplished within a year and a half, and it is not in line with Haihan's development plan in Liaodong.
Being an enemy of Hou Jin has something in common with North Korea's interests. As for whether this army will also go to war against North Korea, Kim Sang-hyun is much more optimistic than Lud-Hun. Because according to Luo Xian's description, the strength of the Haihan Army is far superior to that of the Houjin Army, not to mention the North Korean Army. If the opponent wants to fight, then just fight, why bother to play tricks. The purpose of sending troops here is mostly to show off their force, so that North Korea can stand with peace of mind. However, before making a decision, Kim Sang-hyun still has a few things to confirm: "You said that the Dongjiang Town Ming Army also fought side by side with the Haihan people on the battlefield?"
Luo Luo Xian said: "Sir, if it is more accurate, it is actually the Ming army in Dongjiang Town who obeyed the command of the Haihan people on the battlefield. The Haihan people were the main force on the battlefield, and the Ming army only did some logistics and cleaning the battlefield for them. Tasks such as duty rotation”
Jin Shangxian sighed: "The uncle and nephew of the Shen family in Pidao have never surrendered even if they were hunted by the Jin people for years. Such powerful people actually obeyed the Haihan people. They must be really capable. No wonder General Shen will Specifically asking the king to send an envoy to Liaodong, it’s no wonder that Dongjiang Town is not on our side.”
Luo Xian thought to himself: I have personally seen at least a thousand Jin soldiers killed on the battlefield, and Shen Zhixiang completely regarded himself as a member of the Haihan Army. Could this be fake? The soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town now rely on Haihan to survive. Everything they do is ordered by the Haihan people, so how can they possibly occupy the North Korean side?
Kim Sang-hyun continued: "They are so relieved to let you come back. Are they not afraid that you will change your mind after entering Seoul?"
Luo Luo Xian said: "The Haihan people are extremely cunning. As long as Xiaguan changes his mind, they will immediately raise troops to rush into the Han River to attack Seoul after receiving the news. They will declare that they will join hands with Xiaguan inside and outside to seize the city, or they will ask the city to hand over Xiaguan. When the time comes, There is no way to verify whether this is true or not. The official will most likely be imprisoned and it will be difficult to clear his name.”
Jin Sangxian nodded slowly and said: "If you come to the city and use countermeasures, no matter how innocent you are, you will be regarded as a traitor who colluded with outsiders. In this way, if the court does not agree to cooperate with them, then you will still be What a bad luck!”
Luo Dexian said: "That's exactly what the Haihan people said to the official. So whether it's for the future of the country or for self-protection, the official must promote this matter, and I hope your Excellency will make it happen."
Jin Sangxian stood up slowly and said: "Since the other party should have arrived at Ganghwa Island, it is not too late. I will enter the palace and report the matter to the king. But if Cui Mingji and his gang hear the news, they will inevitably jump out again. Playing devil’s advocate! ”
Cui Mingji is the leader of the Korean political arena. He has experienced the three dynasties of Seonjo, Gwanghaegun and Injo. His current official position is Yecao Bangshu. This person's proposal is not to surrender blindly, but to advocate that North Korea should avoid being involved in any war as much as possible. Regardless of whether you are helping the Ming Dynasty to defeat the Later Jin Dynasty, or helping the Later Jin Dynasty to defeat the Ming Dynasty, it is not advisable. You should remain neutral and stay away from the war. Of course, as to whether North Korea has the qualifications to remain neutral, that is another question.
The appearance of Haehan will obviously break North Korea's false neutrality. As a representative of the peace faction, Cui Mingji will inevitably oppose North Korea's side. This is a situation that Kim Sang-hyun could predict without even thinking about it. Therefore, he had to enter the palace as soon as possible to meet King Li Zhu, and persuade Li Zhu to contact Haihan before Cui Mingji could react. According to Luo Dexian, the Haihan fleet was allowed to sail from the Han River to outside Seoul to show the king its force.
This is of course a very dangerous suggestion. The last time a foreign army came to Seoul was when Ding Mao was invaded by Hou Jin in 1627. At that time, even King Li Jie abandoned the city and fled to Ganghwa Island to escape, which shows how critical the situation was. It is worth mentioning that the official at the court who advocated peace negotiation was Cui Mingji. Although nine years have passed, there is no doubt that this is a lingering shadow on North Korea. It is really difficult to get the king to agree to the Haihan Fleet entering the Han River - even if he does not agree, he may not be able to stop the other party from the Han River.
At this time, Navy Commander Wang Tom was introducing the story of Ganghwa Island to Liu Shang: "... After Jin invaded North Korea, the North Korean army was pushed to the capital after being unable to hold it for a few seconds, so the king's ministers had no choice but to abandon it. We ran to Ganghwa Island to take shelter from the wind. Now that we have captured Ganghwa Island first, what do you think the North Koreans will think?”
Liu Shang smiled and said: "The North Koreans must feel that their retreat is cut off, right?"
Wang Tom said: "That's right, we just can't leave them a way out! Why doesn't North Korea dare to confront Hou Jin? It's because they think they still have a way out. If they can't win, they will negotiate peace and pay compensation. Anyway, they will give Hou Jin whatever he wants. As long as the Li Dynasty can continue to rule North Korea, they don't care so much, but I have to tell the North Koreans that if they don't cooperate with us, I won't be as easy to get rid of as Hou Jin!"
Liu Shang repeatedly said yes, but in his heart he did not completely agree with Wang Tom's statement. No matter how weak the country's military force is, North Korea is still a country. Defeating a country and destroying a country are two different things, and the two cannot be confused.
(End of chapter)