Chapter 1503 Riverside outside the city

Although the area within the city walls of Seoul is not small, there is Gyeongbokgung Palace and various bureaucracies in the north of the city. There are also officials' residences, wealthy families, commercial facades, etc. in the city, leaving little space for civilians to live. Therefore, in the city

Outside are civilian areas that stretch for miles. More than 100,000 people live on this riverside plain inside and outside Seoul. It is considered the most densely populated area on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.

But although this place is already in the hinterland of Korea, its history has not been peaceful. Not to mention the several palace coups that followed the establishment of the capital of the Lee Dynasty of Korea, the Japanese invasion of Korea during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the Ding Mao incident nine years ago.

Indiscriminately, the Japanese and Hou Jin armies attacked the city walls of Seoul. The shadow of the war against the invasion of foreign enemies has always been lingering in the hearts of the people of Seoul and is difficult to dissipate. However, there has been a certain buffer period in the previous wars, and there has never been such a situation.

An armed fleet appeared on the Han River without warning today.

Because North Korea cannot build a sailboat with such a large hull, some witnesses initially regarded this fleet as a foreign merchant fleet, until the sound of cannons on the "Mighty" that resounded across the river was heard.

Only those on the shore realized that this fleet had bad intentions.

The fear of war caused the people on the shore to disperse immediately, and the docks on the Han River became deserted in a short period of time. However, this was what Wang Tom expected, and he ordered the fleet to release

Slow down the speed and send two troop transport ships to the river bank in the direction of Seoul at the same time, preparing to send a group of soldiers to land, clearing a safe area for the fleet at the riverside dock for subsequent docking.

The troop transport ship did not encounter any obstruction or resistance when it docked. The soldiers completed the landing operation effortlessly, and this place was only two miles away from the city wall of Seoul. If the Haihan Army set up a large-caliber force on the river bank,

The artillery can actually hit the city wall directly. Of course, those officials in the city who have never seen the powerful artillery fire of the Haihan Army will not have such worries at this time.

At the last moment, Kim Sang-hyun finally persuaded Li Jie not to rush to send out troops to try to drive away the Haihan people on the Han River, and not to rush out of the palace to escape. He first asked him to meet and discuss with the Haihan people outside the city to find out the true nature of the other party.

The decision is made based on the purpose of the visit. As for Kim Sang-heon's brave move, his political opponent Cui Mingji can't refute it. He can't say not to let him go and let me go. He doesn't want to put his own safety at risk.

He was attacked by the unkind Haihan army.

Kim Sang-hyun is just a civil servant, and of course he is not a bold person. However, he knows that if the situation at hand is not dealt with as soon as possible, it is likely to turn into a real war. Moreover, when foreign troops are approaching the city, this is an opportunity to make contributions, as the saying goes.

It is said that wealth can be gained in danger. Kim Sang-hyun has already placed a bet on Lud-heon and cannot take it back. Now he has no choice but to take another gamble and bet all his wealth and life on it. Bet that the Haihan man's intention to come here is not really to deal with North Korea.

Start a war.

Kim Sang-hyun knew that if he could handle Hae-han's crisis, regardless of whether North Korea would form an alliance with Hae-han in the future, he would definitely have more say in the court than in the past, and he would also have more trust and reliance from the king.

Although the risk is not small, Luo Dexian swore that the Haihan people would choose negotiation instead of war. Now he can only believe it temporarily. However, before leaving the city, Jin Sangxian specifically ordered his cronies who stayed in the city,

If something unexpected happens after leaving the city or is taken hostage by Haihan, Luo Dexian must be eliminated as soon as possible to avoid future troubles and prevent him from deceiving other officials again.

Rod Hun was also very depressed. Originally, in this situation, if he could have introduced senior North Korean officials to the Han people, things would have been much simpler. However, instead of taking him with him, Kim Sang Hun ordered someone to temporarily place him under house arrest.

, it is clear that he cannot be trusted. Now he can only pray to Kim Sang-hyun not to cause trouble outside the city, otherwise he will definitely not be able to get away with it. But if Kim Sang-hyun can successfully negotiate with Haihan, he may not get the credit afterwards.

Facing the Haehan fleet arrayed on the Han River, Kim Sang-hyun certainly did not dare to head out of the city rashly. Instead, he first sent people to the riverside to contact the Haehan fleet that had landed on the river, and after confirming that the other party was indeed interested in talks.

, then went out of the city to meet the opponent's general.

"Master Jin is really my king's loyal minister! He can still stand up and share my worries at the critical moment!" King Li Ju couldn't help but saw the carriage of Kim Sang-heon riding along the official road to the riverside from the tower.

There was a sound of admiration.

Cui Mingji, who was standing behind him, couldn't help but look a little embarrassed. After all, if a political opponent took this job, it would indeed greatly improve his image in the king's mind. He now hopes that the negotiation will fail and Kim Sang-heon will come back in disgrace, but he is also worried about the Haihan people.

Their attitude is too tough, and if the negotiation breaks down, the other party will attack the city. Although the size of the other party's fleet cannot bring too many troops, who dares to say whether they will have another larger fleet waiting.

What about Ganghwa Bay?

At this time, Kim Sang-hyun could no longer think about the king's opinion of him or the thoughts of his political opponents. He took the time to sort out the information he got from Luo-heon, and figured out how to bargain with the Haihan people to get a better deal for North Korea.

conditions.

There was silence outside the city at this time. People who could escape into the city had already entered before the city gate was closed. Those who couldn't get in ran north on their own. Those who really couldn't bear to leave the pots and jars at home and couldn't take them with them had no choice but to

He stayed at home and shut himself up, hoping that the war would not burn him. Kim Sang-hyun's carriage passed through the roads in the civilian area. Only occasionally one or two brave people stuck their heads out of the house to take a look, and then hurried back

Retract.

Jin Sangxian came to the riverside and got off the carriage, but he did not see General Haihan at the first time. The person waiting for him here was Ming Army General Shen Zhixiang. Although he was only a general, Jin Sangxian did not dare to neglect

, stepped forward to meet Shen Zhixiang according to due etiquette.

Shen Zhixiang was very relaxed. Since Seoul had sent officials to negotiate, it meant that the other party had given up on the plan of armed confrontation at the first opportunity. This errand might be completed more easily than expected.

Dongjiang Town is the Ming army that North Korea has mainly funded in recent years. Kim Sangxian certainly knows Shen Zhixiang's identity and background, and he doesn't need to find a way to verify it. However, he has one very important thing that he must immediately ask Shen Zhixiang for confirmation: "Shen Zhixiang

General, our envoy said that Dongjiang Town has returned to Liaodong and recaptured most of Jinzhou. Is this true?"

Although Jin Shangxian asked about the battle situation in Dongjiang Town, Shen Zhixiang had already heard the implication and knew exactly what he wanted to inquire about. He even took the initiative to explain: "It is true that our army has returned to Liaodong, but we are taking the lead in this matter."

It is the army of the Haihan Kingdom, and our army is just cooperating with their actions on the battlefield. This time, General Wang Tom of the Haihan Kingdom led a fleet to visit Seoul. Although it was a bit abrupt, there was no malice. The Haihan people hope to cooperate with them.

North Korea has formed an alliance to jointly deal with the Jin people. Special Envoy Luo must have informed your court of this intention, right?"

Jin Sangxian heard that what Shen Zhixiang said was indeed consistent with Luo Dexian, and he felt relieved at the moment. However, whether the Haihan man's purpose of coming was just as simple as Shen Zhixiang said, or if he had other intentions, he probably had to meet him before he could

Know.

For safety reasons, Tom Wang did not land ashore, but waited on the "Dignity" to meet Kim Sang-hyun. The sailors used a small boat to pick up Kim Sang-heon and his entourage from the shore to the "Dignity".

Let these North Koreans see the most powerful existence among the warships currently installed in the Haihan Navy.

Although Jin Sangxian is a civil servant, he still recognizes artillery. There are several artillery pieces on the top of Seoul City that were left behind when the Wanli Ming Army came to aid Korea. As for the ship he is on now, just from the deck, the left and right sides

More than ten artillery pieces were deployed. Jin Sangxian remembered that Luo Dexian had said that the Haihan fleet was nearly invincible at sea. After seeing the weapons and equipment on the Haihan warship with his own eyes, he believed in this statement more

a bit.

Then he was taken to the back of the deck, where he met the commander of the fleet, Haihan Navy Commander Wang Tom. Just by his strong body and dark complexion, Jin Sangxian could identify General Haihan.

These are not officials who sit in the yamen, but real people who have been at sea all year round.

Tom Wang didn't know much about the person he was negotiating with. Although the intelligence department had prepared information on North Korean officials in advance, Tom Wang didn't have the time to remember this information that he thought was not that important. Since the other party was qualified to represent

North Korea sat in front of him for negotiations, so Tom Wang treated the talks according to the standards between countries.

"Sir Jin, I believe the special envoy has already reported to you the purpose of our army's coming to Seoul, so I won't say any more nonsense. Our country has three main requirements. First, to conclude an alliance with our country; second, to

In the form of transactions, we will provide material and labor support to our occupied areas in Liaodong; third, allow our merchant ships to enter North Korea to engage in trading activities. As for the conditions that our country can provide, that is to provide military protection for your country when necessary.

Allow your businessmen to enter our territory and controlled areas to engage in trade activities and cultural exchanges."

Tom Wang stated the conditions in one breath, and then waited patiently for Jin Sangxian's reply.

Kim Sang-hyun didn't expect the Haihan people to be so direct and lay out all the conditions straight away. But he didn't dare to agree to these conditions at once, because any one of them would have a huge impact on North Korea. Without touching it,

Before knowing the details of the other party, or the real purpose, Kim Sang-hyun still needs to be cautious enough.

"General Wang, with all due respect, your country and our country have not had formal exchanges in the past. Now that your country is visiting our country for the first time, it is a bit abrupt to make these requests..." Kim Sang-hyun said while carefully observing the other party's face.

He looked like he was afraid that if he said something wrong, the other party would take the opportunity to fall out.

Sure enough, Tom Wang coughed impatiently and interrupted his words: "Master Jin, we are willing to negotiate with your country in a peaceful way because of the good relationship between your country and Ming Dynasty. Moreover, we are willing to negotiate with your country in a peaceful way. Moreover,

Commander-in-Chief Shen of Dongjiang Town assured me with a pat on his chest, saying that North Korea understands its righteousness and will definitely join hands with our country to fight against Jin. But your tone seems to suggest that you have any objections to the conditions proposed by our country?"

Wang Tom has been commanding the army in the north and south all year round. The murderous aura in his body makes him calm and intimidating. Naturally, it is not something that a civil servant like Jin Sangxian can resist. Jin Sangxian responded tremblingly: "General Wang, our country is the Ming Dynasty.

A vassal country, following the old rules, cannot arbitrarily form alliances with other countries..."

This time, Tom Wang did not save him any more face, and directly threw out his trump card: "Oh? Is there such a rule? Then the brotherly alliance you signed with the Jin people, did the Ming Emperor nod and agree to it? You now pay tribute to the Jin people every year

People pay tribute, have you reported this to the Ming Dynasty?"

"This..." Jin Sangxian didn't expect that the Haihan warrior would be so good at finding excuses. He couldn't help but speechless for a moment and couldn't respond to Wang Tom's question. Now that Ming Dynasty's self-protection is a problem, how can it bother to blame North Korea's wallflowers?

Behavior. Although the North Koreans understand that this is inappropriate, they are forced by the situation to continue to maintain this distorted international relations.

Wang Tom continued: "The current situation is actually very simple. Let me analyze it for you. If you want to unite with the Jin people, then our country will not care about opening up another battlefield. I will directly represent our country to your country later.

Declaring war is one option. Another option is that you tear up all agreements with the Jin people and form an alliance with our country. Then the situation in this region will become that of Ming Dynasty, North Korea, and our country, and the three countries will jointly deal with the Jin people."

Jin Sangxian looked embarrassed, but did not immediately respond to Wang Tom's statement. In fact, after listening to Luo Dexian's report, he had already understood the international situation, but he did not dare to see the strength of the Haihan Army with his own eyes.

The hope of changing North Korea's fate is pinned on this somewhat hasty international alliance. If the three countries join forces, the chances of winning will be greatly increased, but if the Haihan people withdraw at any time, the alliance will collapse. Who can stop it then?

Is the vicious golden man making a comeback?

Wang Tom continued to persuade: "I know that your country's idea is to try to avoid being involved in the war. In fact, this is also very easy. The Ming Dynasty attracted firepower in the northwest direction of Bohai Bay, and our army contained the enemy in the east direction of Liaoning. In this way, the Jin people

There will be no extra energy to liquidate your country. Our country does not require your country to directly send troops to participate in the war. It only needs to provide materials and logistics personnel, and we will give rewards, not to plunder wealth from your country. If Mr. Jin returns,

If you have any concerns, you may wish to speak up immediately and I will answer you in person."
Chapter completed!