Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 633: Continue to expand territory
Inside the tent, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed like water could drip out of it. Jia Changsheng sat on the main seat with a stern expression, and his confidants stood on both sides, all of whom could sense the seriousness of the situation.

Jia Changsheng was the first to break the silence: "Everyone, our actions in the eight cities in the east of Baekje have been noticed by the King of Baekje. The situation is critical now. If we are not careful, we will lose everything. I would like to hear your opinions on this matter first, and then decide on a response strategy."

Li Su, the counselor, stepped forward and said solemnly, "My lord, since the king of Baekje has noticed this, he will surely not sit idly by. Judging from his current strength and the means he may take, he is very likely to put pressure on us diplomatically first, unite with neighboring countries, and jointly condemn our actions, leaving us isolated and helpless. At the same time, militarily, he will definitely gather the main domestic forces and march towards our eight eastern cities to try to regain the lost territory."

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly: "Then according to your opinion, how should we resolve this diplomatic dilemma?"

Li Su pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, we can adopt a strategy of division and disintegration. First, secretly send envoys to countries that have grievances with Baekje, such as Goguryeo, and promise them huge benefits, making it clear that if Baekje gains power, its surrounding countries will be in turmoil. Then show some small countries the results of our governance in the Eight Cities, and make it clear that we have no intention of invading the entire Baekje, but are just looking for a place to stay temporarily, and are willing to coexist peacefully with all countries and trade with each other. In this way, we may be able to break Baekje's diplomatic encirclement."

"Well, this plan is feasible." Jia Changsheng agreed. "Then what about the military aspect, Zhao Feng, what countermeasures do you have?"

Zhao Feng clasped his fists and saluted, saying loudly: "My lord, although our army has a slight foothold in the Eight Cities, we should not take it lightly when facing the entire army of Baekje. We can first build fortifications on the main roads around the Eight Cities, such as digging trenches, setting up chevaux de frise, and building arrow towers, to block the attack of the Baekje army. At the same time, we can gather the main forces of our army in key cities, such as Dongcheng and Nancheng. These two cities are strategically located and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Furthermore, we can send a small group of elite troops deep into the heart of Baekje and use guerrilla tactics to harass their logistics supply lines, so that their army will be trapped in a situation where they are short of food and money."

Jia Changsheng thought for a moment: "How can we appease the people in the city? Once the war breaks out, they will be in a panic."

Sun Yu bowed and said, "My Lord, you can post a notice in the city to explain the reason for the incident to the people, stating that we are doing this to protect the people of the eight cities from the harsh rule of the Baekje royal family and the suffering of war. At the same time, open the granary to help the poor people, organize civilians to help defend the city, and pay them according to their work. This will not only calm the people's hearts, but also strengthen the city's defense."

"Good. Chen Ying, we must not slack off in intelligence work. You need to pay close attention to military deployments, diplomatic trends and public opinion in Baekje and report back in a timely manner." Jia Changsheng turned around and ordered.

Chen Ying responded, "Don't worry, my lord. I will do my best. However, my lord, we must also be on guard against someone colluding with the King of Baekje and leaking our military secrets."

Jia Changsheng's eyes were stern. "I'll leave this matter to you to investigate. Anyone who is suspicious will be detained and interrogated immediately."

"Yes!" Chen Ying took the order and left.

A few days later, Chen Ying hurriedly reported: "My lord, the king of Baekje has sent envoys to Goguryeo and Silla, intending to unite the two countries to fight against us. At the same time, the domestic army is gathering in Xiongjin and is expected to march towards our eight cities soon. I also found that several old Baekje nobles in the city secretly exchanged letters with the Baekje royal family, and it is suspected that they were tipping off."

Jia Changsheng's face darkened. "Put those old nobles and their families under house arrest. Don't let the news leak out. Li Su, you must immediately prepare to go to Goguryeo. Be sure to bring generous gifts and speak earnestly to explain the benefits and disadvantages. Zhao Feng, speed up the construction of fortifications and prepare for the battle. Sun Yu, how long can the food and grass reserves in the city last?"

Sun Yu replied: "My Lord, at the current consumption rate, it can last about three months. But if the consumption of the people is included, I am afraid it can only last about two months."

Jia Changsheng frowned and said, "Pass the order down to implement the food rationing system. Except for the soldiers guarding the city and the laborers, the rest of the people will be given a fixed amount of food according to the population. At the same time, organize the soldiers to reclaim wasteland in the city and plant fast-growing crops to prepare for emergencies."

"Yes!" Everyone obeyed in unison.

After Li Su set out, Zhao Feng's defensive fortifications also began to show results. Around the eight cities, trenches crisscrossed, chevaux de frise stood in rows, and arrow towers towered high. Soldiers stood on the city walls, ready for battle, with high morale.

"Brothers, although we are facing a powerful enemy today, our lord treats us well, and the people of the eight cities also need our protection. As long as we hold our positions, we will be able to repel the Baekje enemy!" A general shouted to boost morale on the city wall.

In the Baekje palace, the king was discussing the attack with his ministers.

"Your Majesty, Jia Changsheng should not be underestimated. He is deeply loved by the people in the Eight Cities, and his army is well-trained. If we attack rashly, we may be in danger of failure." A minister said worriedly.

The King of Baekje snorted coldly: "He is just a foreign thief, how dare he attempt to occupy my land. I have allied with Goguryeo and Silla, and they will send troops to help me soon. This time, I must drive Jia Changsheng out of Baekje!"

However, Li Su's mission to Goguryeo achieved unexpected results. With his eloquent speech and generous gifts, he successfully persuaded the King of Goguryeo to remain neutral.

"Jia Changsheng has been quite effective in governing the eight cities in eastern Baekje. If the Baekje royal family takes back the eight cities and their strength increases greatly, it will not be good for Goguryeo. It is better to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and make plans when both sides are defeated." The King of Goguryeo thought secretly in his heart.

Li Su returned to Bacheng with the good news, and Jia Changsheng was overjoyed.

"This is God's help! Now that Goguryeo is neutral, Baekje cannot stand alone. Zhao Feng, when the Baekje army attacks, you can show weakness first, lure them deep into the territory, and then use elite troops to cut off their retreat and surround and annihilate them." Jia Changsheng gave the order decisively.

“Yes!” Zhao Feng took the order and left, with a detailed battle plan in mind.

As the Baekje army approaches, a battle that will determine the fate of the eight cities in the east of Baekje is about to begin. Jia Changsheng stands on the tower of the east city, looking at the smoke and dust in the distance, his heart filled with the belief that he will win. He knows that this battle is not only about the ownership of the eight cities, but also about the foundation of his hegemony overseas. No matter what, he must go all out to win.

Jia Changsheng, wearing armor, stood on the top of the East City, with flags fluttering in the wind beside him. He stared coldly at the approaching Baekje army in the distance. Zhao Feng, Li Su and other confidants surrounded him. The air was filled with tension and solemnity. A war concerning life and death and future plans was about to break out.

“My lord, the Baekje army is coming with great force, with about 50,000 men. However, our army is well prepared and will surely make them unable to return!” Zhao Feng spoke loudly, holding a spear in his hand, his eyes revealing a firm fighting will.

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly. "Although our army has made careful preparations, we must not underestimate the enemy. Zhao Feng, you will command the vanguard troops. First, pretend to be defeated according to the plan and lure the enemy deeper. Remember, you must grasp the right measure, do not let the enemy suspect, and do not lose too many troops."

"I obey your command!" Zhao Feng received the order and quickly went down the city. He gathered the elite vanguards, opened the city gates, and lined up to meet the enemy. Under the command of the generals in front, the Baekje army gradually approached the East City. Seeing that the troops led by Zhao Feng were small in number and their formation seemed loose, they thought there was an opportunity and accelerated their pace of attack.

"Kill!" Baekje soldiers shouted and rushed forward. Zhao Feng led the vanguard troops to fight with them. For a moment, the shouts of killing shook the earth. But after a moment, Zhao Feng ordered the troops to fight and retreat, slowly withdrawing to the city.

"Hmph, Jia Changsheng's army is just so-so and cannot withstand a single blow. Chase them! Don't let them get away!" Upon seeing this, the Baekje general was overjoyed, thinking that victory was certain, and without hesitation led his troops to chase into the city.

At this time, Li Su said to Jia Changsheng on the tower: "My lord, the enemy has fallen into our trap and is entering our encirclement."

Jia Changsheng looked calm. "Pass the order down. When the main force of the enemy enters the city, the ambush troops will immediately rush out to cut off their retreat. Sun Yu, you organize the civilians to prepare stones and rolling logs to support the city defense at any time. Chen Ying, pay close attention to the movements of the enemy's reinforcements. If there is any unusual movement, report it in time."

"No!" everyone responded in unison.

The Baekje army poured into the East City like a tide. When most of the enemy troops entered the city, suddenly, there were shouts of killing all around. The soldiers that Jia Changsheng had ambushed on both sides of the street rushed out one after another. For a moment, there were flashes of swords and blood flying everywhere. The Baekje army was immediately thrown into chaos and was caught off guard.

"What's going on? We've been ambushed! Quick, stabilize the formation!" the Baekje general shouted in panic, but it was too late.

At the city gate, Zhao Feng led the vanguard troops to turn back and attack from the front and back with the ambush troops, trapping the Baekje army in the city. Although the Baekje soldiers fought hard, they suffered heavy casualties under the fierce attack of Jia Changsheng's army.

At the same time, Chen Ying reported: "My Lord, the Baekje reinforcements, numbering about 10,000, are hesitating whether to continue advancing after seeing that the vanguard is trapped. They are currently camping five miles outside the city and waiting and watching."

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Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "Send a light cavalry unit to go around the rear of the reinforcements and make some noise, so that they will mistakenly think that our main force is attacking from the rear. But do not fight to the end, retreat after one strike."

"Yes!" Chen Ying took the order and quickly organized light cavalry to carry out the mission.

The light cavalry rushed to the rear of the Baekje reinforcements like a whirlwind, holding high their flags and shouting to encourage them, creating a huge momentum. The Baekje reinforcements were already panic-stricken, and when they saw this, they thought they were surrounded and immediately lost their footing.

"Oh no, we are surrounded! Retreat quickly!" The general of the support troops shouted in horror and immediately ordered the troops to retreat.

When the Baekje army in the city learned that the reinforcements had retreated, their morale plummeted. Seeing that the time had come, Jia Changsheng personally led an elite force to charge out of the city and attack the Baekje army's central camp.

"Jia Changsheng is here, you Baekje rats, why don't you surrender!" Jia Changsheng's voice resounded through the battlefield like a loud bell. He held a long sword in his hand, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. Wherever he went, Baekje soldiers fell one after another.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Baekje generals attempted a desperate breakout, but were blocked by Zhao Feng.

"Want to leave? Not so easy!" Zhao Feng shouted, thrusting his spear at the Baekje general. After a fierce fight, Zhao Feng finally killed the Baekje general.

With the death of the Baekje generals, the Baekje army completely lost the will to resist and laid down their arms and surrendered.

In this battle, Jia Changsheng's army won a great victory. They annihilated the main force of Baekje at a relatively small cost, captured a large number of enemy troops, and seized countless weapons, equipment, food and supplies.

Jia Changsheng stood on the battlefield, looking at the corpses and surrendered Baekje soldiers, feeling a lot of emotion in his heart. He knew that this war was just an important node in his overseas journey, and there would be more challenges and opportunities waiting for him in the future.

"My lord, this great victory is all thanks to your wise decision-making and the heroic fighting of your soldiers." Li Su stepped forward to congratulate him.

Jia Changsheng shook his head slightly: "This is the work of all the soldiers. However, we cannot be proud and complacent because of this. The most urgent task is to comfort the people in the city, treat the wounded, reorganize the prisoners, and consolidate our army's rule in the eight cities. At the same time, we must also guard against the Baekje royal family's counterattack again and other surrounding forces taking advantage of the fire to loot."

"My lord, what you said is absolutely right. We will arrange it right away." Everyone took the order and left.

In the following days, Jia Changsheng's army actively carried out post-war reconstruction work in the eight cities. They released some captives and let them return to their hometowns to farm, and promised that as long as they behaved themselves and stopped being enemies of Jia Changsheng's army, they could live a stable life. For the injured soldiers and civilians, Jia Changsheng's army tried their best to treat them, distribute food and medicine, and help them recover. At the same time, they strengthened the city defense construction, trained new soldiers, and improved the army's combat effectiveness.

After this tragic defeat, the Baekje royal family was severely damaged and internal conflicts intensified. The king's prestige was destroyed due to the defeat, and the ministers blamed him for his wrong decisions. Baekje fell into chaos.

Jia Changsheng seized this opportunity and sent envoys to Baekje again to propose peace terms to the king. He asked the Baekje royal family to recognize his rule over the eight eastern cities and cede some territory and resources as compensation. After weighing the pros and cons, the Baekje king reluctantly accepted Jia Changsheng's terms.

This war not only allowed Jia Changsheng to gain a firm foothold in the eight eastern cities of Baekje, but also greatly expanded his sphere of influence and resource reserves. His reputation gradually spread overseas, attracting more talents and forces to come and join him. Jia Changsheng knew that this was only the first step in his grand ambition. He would continue to work hard on this land, accumulate strength, and wait for the right time to move towards a higher goal.

However, occupying the eight provinces of Eastern Wu was just the beginning for the Fake Great Wall. What he really wanted to do was to occupy a larger territory. This was only one east slope. He had 80% insufficient resources to occupy the entire Baekje. So after the eastern part of Baekje was stabilized, his goal had already shifted to other places in Baekje. Moreover, after Baekje's failure in this life, it was a good opportunity for him to invade.

(End of this chapter)