Chapter 1775: Curve to save the country
Li Xi got up early this morning. On the one hand, the sound of firecrackers ringing out everywhere in Sanya made it difficult for him to sleep in peacefully. On the other hand, a staff member from the Guesthouse came to inform him that today senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense would arrange a meeting with him. He meets. Although he didn't say the specific time, Li Xi packed up early and waited for the other party's arrival at the Guest House.
Li Xi estimated that this arrangement was directly related to his previous application for military garrison. He originally thought that the matter might take several days to receive a response, but he did not expect that the Haihan military was quite efficient, and it could be received so quickly. Came back. However, he was still a little uneasy. Firstly, he was worried that Haihan would eventually reject his suggestion. Secondly, he was afraid that Haihan would use this to make a big deal out of him and charge astronomical military expenditures to North Korea before sending troops.
As the weaker party, Li Xi had no effective way to change Haihan's attitude and could only face reality. He even thought that if Haihan wanted to reject him, in order to save the fate of the country, he might need to try radical methods such as writing a blood letter and admonishing him.
However, he was worried that too radical a method would annoy the Haihan people, and it would be really bad if it backfired. This kind of ambivalence kept Li Xi in a state of uneasiness all morning. Even when Prince Annan sent someone to invite him to have lunch, he politely declined because he was worried that a senior official from Haihan would come over at noon.
But Li Xi was right to turn down the invitation. As soon as the people sent by Zheng Zha left, Yan Chujie arrived at the Guest House. After hearing the report from his subordinates, Li Xi did not dare to neglect and took the initiative to greet Yan Chujie outside the door of his residence. After the two parties greeted each other, Li Xi welcomed Yan Chujie into his residence and ordered his subordinates to thank the guests behind closed doors.
"Master Li, it's time for lunch, how about we talk while eating!" After Yan Chujie finished speaking, seeing that Li Xi didn't object, he ordered his adjutant to prepare lunch. There is also a food supply here at the Guest House. As long as you say hello, someone will naturally come to help.
What to eat for lunch is a secondary issue, and Li Xi is not in the mood to pay attention to such details. He is now concerned about Yan Chujie's purpose of coming. He didn't understand that before this year, he really didn't have the appetite to enjoy delicious food.
"The climate in Sanya is hot. Are you still used to living here, Mr. Li?" Yan Chujie said casually.
Li Xi responded quickly: "It is indeed hotter here than in our country, but the life is comfortable and I can still adapt to it. Thank you for your concern, Chief."
Yan Chujie nodded and said: "It seems that Mr. Li's health is still good. For example, when our army was sent to fight in Liaodong, there were epidemic diseases due to the acclimatization. Fortunately, treatment was able to control the situation in time."
Li Xi's first reaction when he heard this was that Yan Chujie was deliberately complaining in order to raise the conditions for Haihan to send troops to him, so he had to respond cautiously: "I will inform the country and organize more doctors to come to Jinzhou regularly. To diagnose and treat the wounded and sick of your army...of course the necessary medicinal materials will be prepared, so the leader does not have to worry too much.”
Yan Chujie thought to himself that Li Xi was really a smart man because he heard the song and understood its meaning. When he brought up this topic, he did intend to emphasize the objective difficulties of Haihan sending troops to the Northeast region. You can't just say you don't have money right from the start, as asking for money would be too explicit.
Yan Chujie said: "Your country is willing to help, which is of course the best. However, your country has chosen to form an alliance with our country. I guess the enemy chief Huang Taiji will be quite dissatisfied with your country's performance, right?"
Li Xi smiled bitterly and said: "Chief Mingjian! The golden thieves have been forcing our country to draw a clear line with the Ming Dynasty in recent years and regard it as the master. Naturally, our country refused to comply, and the golden thieves threatened war. To be honest, if it weren't for Pidao Ming The army and your army held back the gold thieves one after another. Our country may have been invaded by them! ”
The situation Li Xi mentioned is basically consistent with the situation grasped and speculated by Haihan, and is also consistent with the current international situation in Northeast Asia. The war between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty lasted for many years. Both sides knew that this war could not end in a short time, and the Haihan army descending from the sky was a hard nut to crack, so it was natural to concentrate on solving the soft persimmon North Korea first. Huang Taiji is the wisest choice. The North Koreans seem to be aware of this dangerous situation, so they are asking for help everywhere.
On the other side of the Ming Dynasty, the Clay Bodhisattva could not protect himself when crossing the river. Even the tens of thousands of people in Dongjiang Town could not care about it, so they could not care about the safety of North Korea. Unless the Qing Dynasty had sent troops to invade North Korea, the Ming Dynasty would never divide its troops to share the pressure on North Korea. What's more, after Haihan intervened in the situation in Liaodong, cracks appeared in the relationship between Ming and North Korea. Even if North Korea went to the capital to ask Ming to send troops, I am afraid that Ming would just stand by and watch as a joke.
Therefore, for North Korea, if it needs to mobilize reinforcements from abroad, Haihan has replaced Ming Dynasty's original position and become the only person North Korea can rely on at present. It's just that Li Xi was concerned about the current situation of his country and did not dare to tell Haihan everything, so as not to fall into a more passive situation.
After listening to Li Xi's explanation, Yan Chujie actually understood that the North Koreans had felt that the sword hanging above their heads would fall at any time, so they hurriedly sought military support. However, when Li Xi went south with this mission, he probably didn't expect that Huang Taiji would officially proclaim himself emperor and change his name in a few months. Otherwise, his performance might be even more urgent than now.
"Master Li, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Yan Chujie asked.
"This... the official doesn't know..." Li Xi had never encountered such a routine before, and suddenly felt very embarrassed: "Then... how about... hearing the bad news first?"
Yan Chujie said: "Okay, let's break the bad news first. Just a few days ago, Huang Taiji changed his Yuan Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor, changed the name of the Kingdom of Jin to the Kingdom of Qing, and enfeoffed a bunch of princes and ministers. The rebel generals of the Ming Dynasty also They all became kings.”
Li Xi's expression changed and he said: "Proclaiming himself emperor... I'm afraid Huang Taiji is going to cause trouble again!"
As a close neighbor of the Qing Dynasty, Li Xi certainly knew that a major event such as Huang Taiji proclaiming himself emperor was not just about changing his name for fun. The titles given to a bunch of kings would not be for free, and there would probably be big ones next. Actions, the first one to bear the brunt is probably our own country. This is really bad news for North Korea.
"Chief, if this is true, then the gold thieves... the Qing thieves will soon use force against North Korea. Please help your country as soon as possible!" Li Xi knew that he had to decisively ask for help at this time, and he could not be reserved at all. If it weren't for his and Yan Chujie's men standing next to him, he would even have the heart to kneel down on the spot.
Yan Chujie was waiting for a response when his subordinate reported that lunch had been delivered. Yan Chujie changed his words and said, "Then let's talk while eating!"
Even if there was someone in charge of catering at the Guest House, it would not be possible to set up a banquet so quickly, so the first thing that was served was a few cold dishes and drinks. However, the two parties were talking about business and neither of them planned to drink, so Yan Chujie asked someone to remove the wine and replace it with refreshing coconut water. However, Li Xi had no appetite at all at this time. He was holding chopsticks in his hand and looking straight at Yan Chujie, but he didn't dare to say anything to urge him. He just hoped that Yan Chujie would eat quickly and continue talking.
Yan Chujie has rich negotiation experience, so at this time, he is determined to show off the other party first. The cold cuts of sea urchin, braised beef tendon, fresh pickled clams, and cold cucumber chicken were all dishes that suited his appetite. Moreover, he had already had a morning meeting at Victory Fort before coming to the Guest House, so he was indeed very hungry. , and now he started eating by himself.
"Master Li, are these dishes not to your liking? It doesn't matter, there should be some hot dishes later." Yan Chujie pretended not to know, and just asked Li Xi to use his chopsticks.
Li Xi smiled bitterly and said: "The chief is joking. The subordinate is so anxious at this time that everything he eats tastes like chewing gum. It is really hard to swallow!"
Yan Chujie said: "Master Li, the most important thing is your health. People are like rice and steel. Only after eating can you have the energy to serve the country! Come on, come on, eat as much as you can!"
Li Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he didn't dare to disobey Yan Chujie's wishes, so he had to smile and take a few bites. There were senior officials from the Executive Committee dining here, and the kitchen was quite efficient, and several hot dishes were quickly served one after another. However, Yan Chujie didn't mention the previous topic, and chatted with Li Xi while eating without saying a word. Although Li Xi wanted to get back to the topic quickly, he still had to be patient and have dinner with Yan Chujie.
It was just the two of them sitting down to eat this meal, but whether it was the adjutant trying to flatter Yan Chujie or the kitchen in the guesthouse trying to show off, the food served was so full that a big table was set up, even for eight people. Enough. Fortunately, Haihan was responsible for all the food at the guesthouse, otherwise Li Xi would probably have to worry about the cost of this table of food.
Yan Chujie calmly ate three bowls of rice and drank a cup of Sanzhen soup. Then he put down the bowl and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth with satisfaction. Li Xi was already panicking from waiting, and immediately said: "Please go back to the study and take a seat. I will ask someone to make a pot of good tea."
The two returned to the study. Li Xi personally poured a cup of tea for Yan Chujie and asked respectfully: "Earlier, the chief said there was one bad news and one good news, so what is the good news?"
Yan Chujie said seriously: "The good news is that the Executive Committee has agreed to the naval fleet heading north to Liaodong to stabilize the situation."
Hearing this, Li Xi stood up and bowed his head and said: "Thank you so much, chief! Thank you so much for sending troops! Our country can be saved!"
Yan Chujie waved his hand and said: "Don't be too hasty to thank me, just listen to what I have to say. Our navy has just completed its combat mission in Manila. After returning, it has to prepare for the National Day military parade and exercises, and it has hardly gotten a good rest. Therefore, the navy's Northern Fleet has The vacation actually started yesterday, and the departure time may be half a month later.”
"Ah! We have to wait for so long... Then if the situation in Liaodong changes, your navy may not be able to catch up!" Li Xi's heart was immediately lifted up after he had just put it down, but he did not dare to give instructions on Haihan's military dispatch. He could only look at Yan Chujie eagerly, hoping that the other party would be considerate of North Korea's situation and change the navy's schedule.
Yan Chujie nodded and said: "It is indeed possible. If the Qing army decides to take action at this time, then I can only hope that your country will try its best to hold on for a while."
Yan Chujie actually didn't say a word. Even if the navy could catch up with the Qing army, it would be difficult to completely prevent the Qing army from invading North Korea. At most, it would only play a certain harassment role near the coastline and the lower reaches of the Yalu River. Haihan had no intention of sending a large-scale army to North Korea to fight against the Qing Dynasty. The navy alone would definitely not be able to resolve the Qing army's offensive. However, Li Xi seemed to have not noticed this detail in his desperation. What he cared about was whether Haihan was willing to send troops to aid Korea, but he never thought about how much Haihan would contribute.
Li Xi said anxiously: "The Qing thieves are cunning. If they find out that all the main forces of your country have left Liaodong, they may really seize this opportunity to take action! Chief, can't we first dispatch troops from Shandong, Zhejiang and other places to go north for emergency response? ”
Yan Chujie shook his head and said: "The main forces stationed in various places went south to participate in the Battle of Manila at the end of last year. The troops currently deployed in various places are mainly for defense, and it is difficult to redeploy them. For our country, the colonies in Shandong and Zhejiang may More important than Liaodong Jinzhou, I hope Mr. Li understands this. ”
Although Li Xi was dissatisfied, he also knew that what Yan Chujie said was actually the truth. The place in Jinzhou was almost completely in ruins. It would take Haihan a long time to rebuild social order, and there was a constant confrontation with the Qing army there. It was really not true. What a good place. In comparison, Shandong and Zhejiang are undoubtedly much peaceful. There is a copper mine mined by Haihan near Zhifu Port, and Zhejiang concentrates various social resources in the richest areas of the Ming Dynasty. Its importance is definitely higher than that of Jinzhou, let alone Let’s talk about allies like North Korea.
Just when Li Xi was almost desperate, he heard Yan Chujie say: "But, it's not that there is no solution at all..."
Li Xi quickly added: "Please give me a clear explanation from the chief!"
Yan Chujie said: "The method is actually very simple, that is, let the troops terminate their vacation early and assemble to go north as soon as possible. But the problem is that in this way, morale will inevitably be greatly affected. You have to know that many soldiers have been fighting abroad for several years. , it’s hard to get a chance to go back to China for a few days of rest. If the vacation is to be cancelled, many people may complain about it... We have to find a way to keep the soldiers motivated!”
Li Xi was not stupid. He understood it halfway after hearing it. Yan Chujie went around without saying the word "money", naturally waiting for him to bring it up on his own initiative. But now that the situation in the north has worsened, it is no time to delay. If it continues, North Korea may be in a very dangerous situation. What he has to do at this time is not to save money for the country, but to move reinforcements to the Northeast as soon as possible.
At that moment, Li Xi could only bite the bullet and respond: "The chief is right, but I have a way to make your soldiers feel less resentful and more motivated."
(End of chapter)