Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 632: Preparing to Conquer Baekje

One day, Zhao Feng came to report: "My lord, I have established a deep friendship with some of the garrison commanders in the Baekje capital of Ungjin. They are also dissatisfied with the Baekje king's rule. We can start an uprising in the city as soon as my lord gives the order."

A hint of joy flashed in Jia Changsheng's eyes: "Very good, but don't act rashly. We need to wait for cooperation from other parties."

Li Su also said immediately: "My lord, the court of Baekje is now divided into two factions, fighting for power. The faction we support has gained the upper hand, and the other faction is unwilling to accept it, but it is powerless to change the situation."

Sun Yu smiled and said, "My lord, most of the common people have become accustomed to the skills of the Han people, and we have secretly controlled many mines and salt fields. The economy of Baekje has gradually fallen into our grasp."

Chen Ying finally said: "My Lord, there is no unusual movement in the surrounding countries, and Baekje has not noticed our intentions."

Upon hearing this, Jia Changsheng was overjoyed: "You all have made great contributions. Now the time is ripe. With a little more preparation, we can launch a fatal attack and make Baekje completely ours. At that time, we will use Baekje as a starting point to start the journey to control the world."

Everyone is gearing up and full of fighting spirit, just waiting for the final moment to come, to set off a world-shaking change in this overseas land, and to move forward courageously towards the set grand goal.

Jia Changsheng stood in the tent, looking firmly at the map of Baekje on the table. His finger slowly landed on the area of ​​the eight eastern cities of Baekje, and he said to his confidants, "Everyone, if you want to control Baekje, you can start with the eight eastern cities. These eight cities are connected geographically. If we can take them for ourselves, we can lay a solid foundation for us. However, a strong attack will inevitably encounter stubborn resistance, not to mention the loss of soldiers and generals, but also easily alarm the entire country of Baekje. Therefore, I intend to infiltrate first, then win over, and finally eliminate dissidents, and finally take over smoothly. If you have any good ideas, please speak freely."

Li Su, the strategist, was the first to offer his advice, "My lord, I think the key to infiltration lies in personnel. We can select people who are smart, eloquent, and proficient in the language and customs of Baekje, and disguise them as merchants, craftsmen, and scholars, and sneak into the eight cities. They can make friends with heroes in the market, or cling to minor officials in government offices, and spread the word of your kindness and ability, and find out the truth about the city, especially the core secrets such as the city defense layout, the number of troops, the food and grass reserves, and the network of relationships among the powerful people in the city."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly: "This is a very good plan. Li Su, you should take care of the selection of candidates. When the intelligence is gradually accumulated, the strategy of winning them over should be followed up. Sun Yu, you have a lot of experience in the economy and people's livelihood. Please tell us how to win over the dignitaries and people of the eight cities."

Sun Yu stepped forward and said respectfully, "My lord, you can promise great benefits to the powerful according to their preferences. If there are those who love money in the city, we can help them expand their business territory and share the benefits of trade; if there are those who love fame, you can promise them honorary titles and invite them to discuss "governance" together, so that they feel they are participating in a high position. As for the common people, we should reduce taxes and levies, build water conservancy projects, and improve people's livelihood. We can organize manpower to help them reclaim wasteland and increase grain production, and then teach them the advanced farming tools and techniques of the Han Dynasty. In this way, the people will benefit and will definitely remember your kindness."

"Good." Jia Changsheng praised, "However, there must be some tough people in the city who are unwilling to cooperate with us and even attempt to resist. We must eliminate these dissidents. Zhao Feng, you have rich military experience. How can we eliminate these dissidents and keep the city from chaos?"

Zhao Feng clasped his fists and saluted, saying loudly, "My lord, first, you can use the infiltrators to secretly find out the names of the dissidents and their daily whereabouts. For those with military power, you can design to alienate their relationship with their subordinates, or create conflicts and suspicions between them and the Baekje royal family, so that they are isolated. If you encounter a small group of resistance forces, I can lead the elite, disguised as Baekje soldiers or city defense forces, and raid at night, fight quickly and resolve the situation with minimal noise. For those dissidents who have influence among the people, you can let the infiltrators spread rumors about their evil deeds to weaken their prestige. When the time is right, arrest them on trumped-up charges. In this way, you can eliminate the danger without causing panic and resentment among the people."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment, and then said, "Chen Ying, you need to fully cooperate with us in terms of intelligence. Not only should you pay attention to the movements within the eight cities, but you should also pay attention to whether the Baekje royal family and other forces have noticed our intentions. If there is any sign of trouble, report it immediately."

Chen Ying's eyes were stern: "My Lord, rest assured, I will keep a close watch and not miss any clues."

Therefore, groups of carefully selected and trained personnel, disguised, quietly sneaked into the eight cities in the east of Baekje. They opened shops, worked as clerks, or traveled around to give lectures, gradually integrating into local life.

A few months later, Li Su came to report: "My lord, the people who sneaked into the eight cities have brought back a lot of news. For example, the lord of the East City, Jin Junhao, is greedy and loves money, but he has great prestige in the city. His brother Jin Junxi holds part of the military power in the city, and the two brothers rely on each other. The wealthy businessman Park Jae-hyun in the South City is very wealthy and has a distant relationship with the Baekje royal family. He is determined to make further progress in his official career. There are several old ministers of Baekje who live in the West City after retiring and returning to their hometown. They often interfere in the affairs of the city. They are suspicious of outsiders like us and may be a threat to us..."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "In that case, Sun Yu, you first send someone to contact the Lord of East City and the wealthy businessman of South City, and offer them huge rewards to test their opinions. Zhao Feng, you arrange for someone to closely monitor the movements of the old officials in West City and gather evidence against them."

Sun Yu took the order and left. Soon he got a reply: "My Lord, the Lord of East City, Jin Junhao, is quite interested in the business cooperation we proposed, but he is still waiting and hesitating. His brother Jin Junxi is more cautious. Park Jae-hyun, a wealthy businessman in South City, heard that my Lord promised him a promotion and is willing to cooperate with us, but he requires a detailed future plan to show his sincerity."

Jia Changsheng said with a smile: "Pu Zaixian's move is nothing more than trying to get hold of something against us or to win credit from the royal family. Don't worry about it for now, just leave him alone for a while. Zhao Feng, how is the matter in West City?"

Zhao Feng replied, "My lord, the old officials of West City have been gathering together recently, secretly discussing a joint letter to the King of Baekje to report our suspicious behavior in the eight eastern cities. I have already found out that one of the old officials was involved in corruption and bribery, and another one secretly had correspondence with the enemy country."

"Very good." A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Jia Changsheng's eyes. "First, spread this matter secretly to make them lose prestige among the people of West City. Then, find an excuse to detain them and declare to the public that it is to investigate the spies in Baekje."

As these plans were gradually implemented, the eight eastern cities began to fall into subtle turmoil. The brothers of the East City Lords developed a rift due to the temptation of interests and Zhao Feng's alienation plan; the wealthy businessman of the South City began to move around the city because he did not get a response, but the people knew that he was trying to collude with foreign countries for personal gain, and his prestige was greatly damaged; the old minister of the West City was detained, and although the people had doubts, they were also dissatisfied after hearing about his crimes.

At this time, Jia Changsheng felt that the time had come, and said to Zhao Feng: "Zhao Feng, you lead the main force and quietly approach East City. Li Su, you send another eloquent person into the city to persuade Jin Junhao. If he is willing to surrender and hand over the power of city defense, you can ensure that his two brothers will be rich and prosperous. If he is stubborn, then attack the city and take East City at the lowest cost."

Zhao Feng took the order and left, and Li Su also hurriedly arranged for his men. After weighing the pros and cons, Jin Junhao, the Lord of East City, finally opened the city gate and surrendered Jia Changsheng.

With the example of East City, South City and several other cities also fell into chaos and instability. Jia Changsheng followed suit, either by winning over, or by force, or by wits, gradually eliminating dissidents and bringing the eight cities in the east of Baekje under his control.

After taking over the eight cities, Jia Changsheng quickly issued a series of decrees: reducing taxes, organizing the people to repair the city walls and water conservancy facilities, opening schools to teach knowledge and skills, reorganizing the army, and bringing the troops of the eight cities under his unified command. For a time, the eight eastern cities had a new look, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the army was strictly disciplined, and Jia Changsheng's reputation gradually spread in the eastern part of Baekje, laying a solid foundation for him to further control the entire Baekje and steadily move towards his ambitions. Jia Changsheng stood on the high platform in the center of the eight cities, looking at the bustling people below the stage, his heart full of ambitions and lofty sentiments. He knew that although he had obtained the eight cities, there were still many matters to be dealt with if he wanted to completely turn this place into his solid foundation.

"Everyone, now the eight cities are in our hands, and the people are under our rule. However, there are many things to be done, and the most urgent task is to distribute land to win the hearts of the people, develop agriculture to provide them with food, and fish to make up for the shortage. Only in this way can the people live and work in peace and contentment, and we can gain a firm foothold here." Jia Changsheng's loud voice spread in all directions.

Li Su, the counselor, stepped forward and said, "My lord, we need to be very careful when dividing the land. We can first measure the fields in the eight cities and divide them according to their fertility, distance, water sources, etc. To show fairness, we can call on the elders, gentry and representatives of the people in the city to participate. Each household will be allocated according to the number of people. At the same time, in order to encourage the reclamation of wasteland, we can allow the newly reclaimed land to be tax-free for several years."

Jia Changsheng nodded in approval: "This is a very good idea. Sun Yu, you should prepare for this matter. You must ensure fairness and justice so that the people have no complaints. Do you have any good ideas for promoting agriculture?"

Sun Yu bowed and said, "My Lord, you can first check the local crops and compare them with the advanced farming methods of the Han Dynasty. Introduce new crop varieties, such as the high-yield wheat of the Han Dynasty, whose yield far exceeds the original crops of Baekje. In addition, improve agricultural tools, promote ox-plowing technology, and organize farmers to learn advanced farming techniques, such as deep plowing, irrigation, and fertilization. You can also set up agricultural officials to supervise farming, reward good harvests, and punish laziness."

"Good. As for the fishing matter, Chen Ying, you can send people to investigate the waters around the Eight Cities to find out where the fish are densely populated and suitable for fishing." Jia Changsheng turned around and gave the order.

Chen Ying replied, "My Lord, I have sent people there. According to the report, the bay east of the city and the river north of the city are rich in fish. However, the local fishermen's fishing methods are crude, mostly using small boats and small nets, which is inefficient."

Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "We can order craftsmen to build large boats and large nets, and teach fishermen advanced fishing techniques, such as fish tracking and deep-water fishing. At the same time, we can set up fish markets, regulate fish trading, prevent merchants from lowering prices, and protect the interests of fishermen."

As a result, various policies were gradually implemented. Sun Yu led a group of people to measure the land, and the people came to watch. Sun Yu and his people held tools and carefully measured, recording the conditions of each piece of land in detail.

"Will the land distribution be fair this time? We, the common people, are looking forward to having a good piece of land." An old man asked worriedly.

Sun Yu smiled and replied, "Don't worry, old man. With your joint supervision, the land division will be fair and just. The lord cares about the people and will not let you down."

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At the same time as the land was distributed, new crop seeds were sown in the land of the eight cities. Agricultural officials shuttled between the fields to guide the farmers in farming.

"Can this new seed really increase the yield as they say?" A young farmer looked at the seeds in his hand in confusion.

The agricultural official next to him patiently explained: "This is a good seed from the Han Dynasty. As long as you follow my instructions, cultivate the land carefully, irrigate and fertilize on time, you will definitely have a good harvest. Moreover, newly reclaimed wasteland is tax-free. This is a great opportunity."

At the seaside, craftsmen were launching large boats one after another. Jia Changsheng personally went to the seaside to watch the fishermen learn new fishing techniques.

"This big boat and big net are really powerful. They catch more fish in one go than we used to catch in many days," a fisherman said excitedly.

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "In the future, as long as everyone works hard to catch fish, their lives will get better and better. The fish market will also protect your interests, so you don't have to worry about low fish prices."

As time went by, crops in the farmland grew vigorously, and the scenery was green. In the fish market, the fish caught piled up like mountains, and the trading was very lively. The lives of the people gradually improved, and they became more and more supportive of Jia Changsheng's rule.

"The lord's kindness is like a rebirth. We used to worry about food and clothing, but now we not only have fields to farm, but we can also make a profit from fishing. It is truly a peaceful and prosperous time." A country gentleman said gratefully.

Jia Changsheng was not satisfied with this. He called his confidants to discuss and said, "Although the people are now well fed and clothed, they still need to improve in other areas. The most urgent task is to establish schools, educate the people, and cultivate talents."

Li Su replied, "My lord is wise. You can select learned people as teachers to teach children reading, writing, arithmetic, etiquette and other knowledge. At the same time, set up schools to cultivate high-level talents and study state governance, military strategy, etc."

"Furthermore, we need to strengthen the city defense." Zhao Feng said, "Although we have captured eight cities, there are still other Baekje forces around us who are eyeing us covetously. We can strengthen the city walls, build watchtowers, train soldiers to defend the city, and build strong bows, crossbows and other city defense equipment."

Jia Changsheng adopted everyone's suggestions one by one, and schools were established in the eight cities one after another. The sound of children reading echoed in the city, adding a cultural atmosphere to this land. The construction of the city defense was also in full swing, the soldiers trained day and night, and the city walls became increasingly strong.

"Look at this city wall, it's getting taller and thicker. We won't be afraid of foreign enemies in the future." A soldier guarding the city said proudly.

Under Jia Changsheng's careful governance, the eight cities in the east of Baekje gradually rose from the ruins after the war and became a prosperous place. The people were prosperous, the culture flourished, the city defense was stable, and Jia Changsheng's prestige was also at its peak. This land truly became his solid foundation overseas, accumulating powerful strength for him to further control the entire Baekje and even greater ambitions. It was like a bright pearl, shining the light of hope and vitality in the east of Baekje.

(End of this chapter)