Chapter 1503
Riverside outside the city
Chapter 1503 Riverside outside the city
Although the area within the city wall of Seoul is not small, there is Gyeongbokgung Palace and various bureaucratic institutions in the north of the city. There are also official residences, large families, business facades, etc. in the city, leaving not much space for civilians to live in.Therefore, outside the city is a civilian area that stretches for several kilometers. More than [-] people live on this Linjiang Plain inside and outside Seoul, which is the most densely populated area on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.
But although it is already in the hinterland of North Korea, it has not been very peaceful in history.Not to mention the several palace coups after the capital of the Li Dynasty in North Korea, the Japanese invasion of North Korea during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the Dingmao chaos nine years ago, the Japanese and Houjin armies all attacked the city of Seoul.The shadow of war against the invasion of foreign enemies has always lingered in the hearts of the people in Seoul, but there was a certain buffer period in the previous wars, and there has never been an armed fleet that appeared on the Han River without warning like today. .
Because North Korea could not build a sailboat with such a large hull, some witnesses initially regarded the fleet as a foreign merchant fleet until the sound of the cannon on the "Majesty" resounded across the river. The people on the shore realized that the fleet had come for bad intentions.
The fear of war caused the people on the shore to disperse immediately, and the wharf along the Han River became empty in a short period of time.However, this was all expected by Tom Wang. He ordered the fleet to slow down, and at the same time sent two troop transport ships to the river bank in the direction of Seoul, ready to send a group of soldiers to land, to clear a safety for the fleet at the riverside pier. zone for subsequent stops.
The troop transport ship was not hindered or resisted in the process of docking, and the soldiers completed the landing operation without any difficulty, and this place is only two miles away from the city wall of Seoul.If the Haihan Army had set up large-caliber artillery on the river bank, it would have been able to blast directly to the city wall.Of course, those officials in the city who had never seen the heavy artillery fire of the Haihan Army would not have such concerns at this time.
At the last moment, Kim Sang Hun finally persuaded Li Yu not to rush out the army to try to drive away the Haihan people by the Han River, nor to rush out of the palace to escape. Let him first go outside the city to meet with the Haihan people to discuss and find out the true nature of the other party. Come to make a decision.As for Kim Sang-hun's brave move, his political opponent Choi Ming-gil is not good at refuting any more. He can't say that he will not let me go. He doesn't want to put his safety in the sea of bad people. Under the sword of the Han army.
Kim Sang-hun is only a civil servant, and of course he is not a bold person, but he knows that if the situation in front of him is not dealt with as soon as possible, it is likely to turn into a real war.Moreover, the foreign troops are in the city, this is the opportunity to make a contribution , I bet that the Haihan people didn't really intend to go to war with North Korea.
Kim Sang Hun knew that if he could handle the crisis of Haehan, no matter whether North Korea would form an alliance with Haehan in the future, he would definitely have more say in the court than in the past, and there would definitely be more trust and reliance from the king. increased.Although the risk is not small, Luo Xian swore that the Haihan people would choose negotiation rather than war, and now he can only temporarily believe this time.However, before leaving the city, Jin Shangxian specially ordered his cronies who stayed in the city. If he encounters an accident or is taken hostage by Haihan after leaving the city, he must get rid of Luo Luoxian as soon as possible to avoid future troubles, so that he will not deceive other officials. .
Luo Luoxian was also very depressed. Originally, if he could introduce high-ranking North Korean officials to the Haihan people in this situation, it would definitely be much simpler, but instead of taking him with him, Kim Shangxian ordered him to be temporarily placed under house arrest. , which shows that he cannot be trusted.He can only pray now that Kim Sang-hun doesn't have an accident outside the city, otherwise he will definitely be involved.However, if Kim Sang-hun can successfully negotiate with Hai Hanren, he may not be credited with it afterwards.
Facing the Haihan fleet lined up on the Han River, of course Kim Sangxian did not dare to go out of the city rashly. Instead, he first sent someone to the riverside to contact the Haihan troops that had landed on the shore, after confirming that the other party really had the intention to talk. , and then went out of the city to meet the other's general.
"Master Jin is really the servant of the king! He can still stand up and share the king's worries at a critical moment!" King Li Yu saw the carriage that Jin Shangxian was riding along the official road to the riverside on the castle tower, and couldn't help but feel Made a sound of admiration.
And Cui Mingji, who was standing behind him, couldn't help but look a little embarrassed. After all, the political enemy took this job to greatly improve his image in the king's mind. Now he hopes that the negotiation will fail and Jin Shangxian will come back, but he is worried about the Haihan people. The attitude is too tough, and the other party will attack the city if the talks collapse.Although the size of the other party's fleet is unlikely to bring in too many troops, who would dare to say that they will have another larger fleet waiting in Jianghua Bay?
At this time, Kim Sang-heon could no longer think about the king's perception of himself and the thoughts of his political opponents. He took the time to sort out the information he had obtained from Lok-heon, and figured out how to bargain with the Haihan people to get a better deal for North Korea. conditions of.
The outside of the city was already silent at this time, and the people who could escape into the city had already entered before closing the city gate, and those who couldn’t get in ran to the north on their own. He stayed at home and closed his door, hoping that the fire of war would not burn his head.Kim Sang-heon's carriage passed through the streets of the civilian area, only occasionally one or two daring people stuck their heads out of the house to take a look, and then quickly retreated.
Jin Shangxian came to the river and got off the carriage, but he did not see General Haihan immediately. The person waiting for him here was Shen Zhixiang, a general of the Ming army.Although he was just a general, Jin Shangxian did not dare to neglect him, and stepped forward to meet Shen Zhixiang according to the number of feet.
Shen Zhixiang is very relaxed. Since Seoul sent officials to negotiate, it means that the other party gave up the plan to confront by force at the first time, and this errand may be completed more easily than expected.
Dongjiang Town is the Ming army unit that North Korea has mainly funded in recent years. Of course, Jin Sangxian knows Shen Zhixiang's identity and background, and he doesn't need to find a way to verify it, but he has one very important thing that he must immediately ask for confirmation from Shen Zhixiang: "Shen Zhixiang's identity and background. General, our envoy said that Dongjiang Town has now been killed back to Liaodong, and most of Jinzhou has been recaptured, is this true?"
Although Jin Shangxian asked about the battle situation in Dongjiang Town, Shen Zhixiang had already heard his overtones and knew exactly what he wanted to inquire about. It is the army of the Haihan Kingdom, and our army is only cooperating with them on the battlefield. This time, General Wang Tom of the Haihan Kingdom led a fleet to visit the Seoul Palace. Although it is a bit abrupt, it is not malicious. The Haihan people hope to cooperate with them. North Korea has formed an ally to deal with the Jin, presumably Special Envoy Luo has already informed the court of your country?"
After hearing what Shen Zhixiang said, Jin Shangxian was indeed in line with Luodexian's caliber, and he was relieved a lot at the moment, but whether the Haihan people's intentions were just as simple as Shen Zhixiang said, or did they have other intentions, probably only after meeting the other party. Know.
For the sake of safety, Tom Wang did not land on the shore, but waited to meet Kim Shangxian on the "Majesty".The sailors used small boats to take Kim Sang-hun and his entourage from the shore to the "Majesty", and by the way, these North Koreans had a glimpse of the most powerful existence of the battleships currently in the Haihan Navy.
Although Jin Shangxian is a civilian, he can still recognize the artillery. There are several artillery pieces left by the Wanli Ming army when they aided the dynasty on the top of Seoul City.As for the ship he was on right now, more than ten artillery pieces were deployed on the left and right sides of the ship just from what he saw from the deck.Jin Shangxian remembered that Luodexian had said that the fleet of the Haihan people was almost invincible at sea. After seeing the weapons and equipment on the battleship Haihan with his own eyes, he believed this statement a little more.
He was then taken to the rear of the deck, where he met the commander-in-chief of the fleet, Admiral King Tom of the Haihan Navy.Just based on his strong body and dark complexion, Jin Shangxian could tell that General Haihan was not an official in the yamen, but a man who stayed at sea all year round.
Tom Wang doesn't have much knowledge about his negotiating partner. Although the intelligence department has prepared information on North Korean officials in advance, Tom Wang has no time to remember these information that is not so important to him.Since the other party is qualified to sit in front of him and negotiate on behalf of the Korean state, Tom Wang will treat this meeting according to the standards between countries.
"Master Jin, the purpose of our army coming to Seoul, I believe that the special envoy has already reported to you, so I will not talk nonsense. Our country mainly requires three points, first, to conclude a covenant 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 merchants and merchant ships to enter Korea to engage in trade activities. As for the conditions that our country can give, it is to provide military protection for your country when necessary. Businessmen from your country are allowed to enter our territory and controlled areas to engage in trade activities and cultural exchanges.”
Tom Wang opened the conditions in one breath, and then waited for Jin Shangxian's reply.
Kim Sang-Hyun didn't expect the Haihan people to be so direct, and he laid out all the conditions straight out of the way as soon as he came up.But he did not dare to agree to these conditions, because any one of them would have a huge impact on North Korea.Before finding out the details of the other party, or the real purpose, Jin Shangxian still has to be cautious enough.
"General Wang, with all due respect, your country and our country did not have official contacts in the past. Now that your country is visiting our country for the first time, it is a bit abrupt to make these requests..." Jin Shangxian carefully observed the other side's words as he spoke. His expression, lest he said something wrong, the other party would take the opportunity to turn his face.
Sure enough, Tom Wang interrupted his words with an impatient cough when he heard the half: "Master Jin, we are willing to negotiate with your country in a peaceful way because of the good relations between your country and Daming. Mr. Shen from Dongjiang Town patted his chest and assured me, saying that the Korean state has a deep sense of righteousness and will definitely join hands with our country to fight against gold. But in your tone, it seems that you have any objection to the conditions proposed by our country?"
Wang Tom has been commanding the army to fight in the south and the north all the year round. The killing spirit on his body makes him not angry and arrogant. Naturally, it is not something that a civil servant like Jin Shangxian can resist.Jin Shangxian answered tremblingly: "General Wang, this country is a vassal of Ming Dynasty. Following the old rules, you cannot form alliances with other countries at will..."
This time, Tom Wang didn't give him any more face, and he threw out his trump card: "Oh? Is there such a rule? Then the brother alliance you signed with the Jin people, did the Emperor Ming nodded in agreement? People pay tribute, have you reported this to Daming?"
"This..." Jin Shangxian didn't expect this Haihan Wufu to be so capable of grasping the handle, and he couldn't help but be speechless for a while, unable to respond to Wang Tom's question.Nowadays, self-preservation is a problem in Daming, and there is no need to blame North Korea for its frivolous behavior.Although the North Koreans understand that this is inappropriate, they are forced to continue this distorted international relationship due to the situation.
Tom Wang went on to say: "The current situation is actually very simple, let me analyze it for you. If you want to form a group with the golden people, then our country will not care about opening up another battlefield. I will be able to represent my country directly to your country. Declaring war is one option. Another option is that you tear up all agreements with the Jin people and form an alliance with my country, then the situation in this region will become the Ming Dynasty, North Korea, plus my country, and the three countries will jointly deal with the Jin people."
Jin Shangxian looked embarrassed, but did not immediately respond to Wang Tom's statement.In fact, after listening to Luo Xian's report, he has already sorted out such an international situation, but before he has seen the strength of the Haihan Army with his own eyes, he did not dare to pin his hopes of changing the fate of North Korea on this somewhat sloppy international alliance. .If the three countries join forces, the odds of winning will greatly increase, but if the Haihan people withdraw, the alliance will collapse if it collapses. Who can stop the ferocious Jinmen from 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. Daming attracts firepower in the northwest direction of Bohai Bay, and our army contains the enemy in the direction of Liaodong. 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, as long as you provide materials and logistics personnel, and we will pay you, not to snatch wealth from your country in vain. If you have any concerns, you might as well say it right away, and I will answer you in person."
(End of this chapter)
Although the area within the city wall of Seoul is not small, there is Gyeongbokgung Palace and various bureaucratic institutions in the north of the city. There are also official residences, large families, business facades, etc. in the city, leaving not much space for civilians to live in.Therefore, outside the city is a civilian area that stretches for several kilometers. More than [-] people live on this Linjiang Plain inside and outside Seoul, which is the most densely populated area on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.
But although it is already in the hinterland of North Korea, it has not been very peaceful in history.Not to mention the several palace coups after the capital of the Li Dynasty in North Korea, the Japanese invasion of North Korea during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the Dingmao chaos nine years ago, the Japanese and Houjin armies all attacked the city of Seoul.The shadow of war against the invasion of foreign enemies has always lingered in the hearts of the people in Seoul, but there was a certain buffer period in the previous wars, and there has never been an armed fleet that appeared on the Han River without warning like today. .
Because North Korea could not build a sailboat with such a large hull, some witnesses initially regarded the fleet as a foreign merchant fleet until the sound of the cannon on the "Majesty" resounded across the river. The people on the shore realized that the fleet had come for bad intentions.
The fear of war caused the people on the shore to disperse immediately, and the wharf along the Han River became empty in a short period of time.However, this was all expected by Tom Wang. He ordered the fleet to slow down, and at the same time sent two troop transport ships to the river bank in the direction of Seoul, ready to send a group of soldiers to land, to clear a safety for the fleet at the riverside pier. zone for subsequent stops.
The troop transport ship was not hindered or resisted in the process of docking, and the soldiers completed the landing operation without any difficulty, and this place is only two miles away from the city wall of Seoul.If the Haihan Army had set up large-caliber artillery on the river bank, it would have been able to blast directly to the city wall.Of course, those officials in the city who had never seen the heavy artillery fire of the Haihan Army would not have such concerns at this time.
At the last moment, Kim Sang Hun finally persuaded Li Yu not to rush out the army to try to drive away the Haihan people by the Han River, nor to rush out of the palace to escape. Let him first go outside the city to meet with the Haihan people to discuss and find out the true nature of the other party. Come to make a decision.As for Kim Sang-hun's brave move, his political opponent Choi Ming-gil is not good at refuting any more. He can't say that he will not let me go. He doesn't want to put his safety in the sea of bad people. Under the sword of the Han army.
Kim Sang-hun is only a civil servant, and of course he is not a bold person, but he knows that if the situation in front of him is not dealt with as soon as possible, it is likely to turn into a real war.Moreover, the foreign troops are in the city, this is the opportunity to make a contribution , I bet that the Haihan people didn't really intend to go to war with North Korea.
Kim Sang Hun knew that if he could handle the crisis of Haehan, no matter whether North Korea would form an alliance with Haehan in the future, he would definitely have more say in the court than in the past, and there would definitely be more trust and reliance from the king. increased.Although the risk is not small, Luo Xian swore that the Haihan people would choose negotiation rather than war, and now he can only temporarily believe this time.However, before leaving the city, Jin Shangxian specially ordered his cronies who stayed in the city. If he encounters an accident or is taken hostage by Haihan after leaving the city, he must get rid of Luo Luoxian as soon as possible to avoid future troubles, so that he will not deceive other officials. .
Luo Luoxian was also very depressed. Originally, if he could introduce high-ranking North Korean officials to the Haihan people in this situation, it would definitely be much simpler, but instead of taking him with him, Kim Shangxian ordered him to be temporarily placed under house arrest. , which shows that he cannot be trusted.He can only pray now that Kim Sang-hun doesn't have an accident outside the city, otherwise he will definitely be involved.However, if Kim Sang-hun can successfully negotiate with Hai Hanren, he may not be credited with it afterwards.
Facing the Haihan fleet lined up on the Han River, of course Kim Sangxian did not dare to go out of the city rashly. Instead, he first sent someone to the riverside to contact the Haihan troops that had landed on the shore, after confirming that the other party really had the intention to talk. , and then went out of the city to meet the other's general.
"Master Jin is really the servant of the king! He can still stand up and share the king's worries at a critical moment!" King Li Yu saw the carriage that Jin Shangxian was riding along the official road to the riverside on the castle tower, and couldn't help but feel Made a sound of admiration.
And Cui Mingji, who was standing behind him, couldn't help but look a little embarrassed. After all, the political enemy took this job to greatly improve his image in the king's mind. Now he hopes that the negotiation will fail and Jin Shangxian will come back, but he is worried about the Haihan people. The attitude is too tough, and the other party will attack the city if the talks collapse.Although the size of the other party's fleet is unlikely to bring in too many troops, who would dare to say that they will have another larger fleet waiting in Jianghua Bay?
At this time, Kim Sang-heon could no longer think about the king's perception of himself and the thoughts of his political opponents. He took the time to sort out the information he had obtained from Lok-heon, and figured out how to bargain with the Haihan people to get a better deal for North Korea. conditions of.
The outside of the city was already silent at this time, and the people who could escape into the city had already entered before closing the city gate, and those who couldn’t get in ran to the north on their own. He stayed at home and closed his door, hoping that the fire of war would not burn his head.Kim Sang-heon's carriage passed through the streets of the civilian area, only occasionally one or two daring people stuck their heads out of the house to take a look, and then quickly retreated.
Jin Shangxian came to the river and got off the carriage, but he did not see General Haihan immediately. The person waiting for him here was Shen Zhixiang, a general of the Ming army.Although he was just a general, Jin Shangxian did not dare to neglect him, and stepped forward to meet Shen Zhixiang according to the number of feet.
Shen Zhixiang is very relaxed. Since Seoul sent officials to negotiate, it means that the other party gave up the plan to confront by force at the first time, and this errand may be completed more easily than expected.
Dongjiang Town is the Ming army unit that North Korea has mainly funded in recent years. Of course, Jin Sangxian knows Shen Zhixiang's identity and background, and he doesn't need to find a way to verify it, but he has one very important thing that he must immediately ask for confirmation from Shen Zhixiang: "Shen Zhixiang's identity and background. General, our envoy said that Dongjiang Town has now been killed back to Liaodong, and most of Jinzhou has been recaptured, is this true?"
Although Jin Shangxian asked about the battle situation in Dongjiang Town, Shen Zhixiang had already heard his overtones and knew exactly what he wanted to inquire about. It is the army of the Haihan Kingdom, and our army is only cooperating with them on the battlefield. This time, General Wang Tom of the Haihan Kingdom led a fleet to visit the Seoul Palace. Although it is a bit abrupt, it is not malicious. The Haihan people hope to cooperate with them. North Korea has formed an ally to deal with the Jin, presumably Special Envoy Luo has already informed the court of your country?"
After hearing what Shen Zhixiang said, Jin Shangxian was indeed in line with Luodexian's caliber, and he was relieved a lot at the moment, but whether the Haihan people's intentions were just as simple as Shen Zhixiang said, or did they have other intentions, probably only after meeting the other party. Know.
For the sake of safety, Tom Wang did not land on the shore, but waited to meet Kim Shangxian on the "Majesty".The sailors used small boats to take Kim Sang-hun and his entourage from the shore to the "Majesty", and by the way, these North Koreans had a glimpse of the most powerful existence of the battleships currently in the Haihan Navy.
Although Jin Shangxian is a civilian, he can still recognize the artillery. There are several artillery pieces left by the Wanli Ming army when they aided the dynasty on the top of Seoul City.As for the ship he was on right now, more than ten artillery pieces were deployed on the left and right sides of the ship just from what he saw from the deck.Jin Shangxian remembered that Luodexian had said that the fleet of the Haihan people was almost invincible at sea. After seeing the weapons and equipment on the battleship Haihan with his own eyes, he believed this statement a little more.
He was then taken to the rear of the deck, where he met the commander-in-chief of the fleet, Admiral King Tom of the Haihan Navy.Just based on his strong body and dark complexion, Jin Shangxian could tell that General Haihan was not an official in the yamen, but a man who stayed at sea all year round.
Tom Wang doesn't have much knowledge about his negotiating partner. Although the intelligence department has prepared information on North Korean officials in advance, Tom Wang has no time to remember these information that is not so important to him.Since the other party is qualified to sit in front of him and negotiate on behalf of the Korean state, Tom Wang will treat this meeting according to the standards between countries.
"Master Jin, the purpose of our army coming to Seoul, I believe that the special envoy has already reported to you, so I will not talk nonsense. Our country mainly requires three points, first, to conclude a covenant 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 merchants and merchant ships to enter Korea to engage in trade activities. As for the conditions that our country can give, it is to provide military protection for your country when necessary. Businessmen from your country are allowed to enter our territory and controlled areas to engage in trade activities and cultural exchanges.”
Tom Wang opened the conditions in one breath, and then waited for Jin Shangxian's reply.
Kim Sang-Hyun didn't expect the Haihan people to be so direct, and he laid out all the conditions straight out of the way as soon as he came up.But he did not dare to agree to these conditions, because any one of them would have a huge impact on North Korea.Before finding out the details of the other party, or the real purpose, Jin Shangxian still has to be cautious enough.
"General Wang, with all due respect, your country and our country did not have official contacts in the past. Now that your country is visiting our country for the first time, it is a bit abrupt to make these requests..." Jin Shangxian carefully observed the other side's words as he spoke. His expression, lest he said something wrong, the other party would take the opportunity to turn his face.
Sure enough, Tom Wang interrupted his words with an impatient cough when he heard the half: "Master Jin, we are willing to negotiate with your country in a peaceful way because of the good relations between your country and Daming. Mr. Shen from Dongjiang Town patted his chest and assured me, saying that the Korean state has a deep sense of righteousness and will definitely join hands with our country to fight against gold. But in your tone, it seems that you have any objection to the conditions proposed by our country?"
Wang Tom has been commanding the army to fight in the south and the north all the year round. The killing spirit on his body makes him not angry and arrogant. Naturally, it is not something that a civil servant like Jin Shangxian can resist.Jin Shangxian answered tremblingly: "General Wang, this country is a vassal of Ming Dynasty. Following the old rules, you cannot form alliances with other countries at will..."
This time, Tom Wang didn't give him any more face, and he threw out his trump card: "Oh? Is there such a rule? Then the brother alliance you signed with the Jin people, did the Emperor Ming nodded in agreement? People pay tribute, have you reported this to Daming?"
"This..." Jin Shangxian didn't expect this Haihan Wufu to be so capable of grasping the handle, and he couldn't help but be speechless for a while, unable to respond to Wang Tom's question.Nowadays, self-preservation is a problem in Daming, and there is no need to blame North Korea for its frivolous behavior.Although the North Koreans understand that this is inappropriate, they are forced to continue this distorted international relationship due to the situation.
Tom Wang went on to say: "The current situation is actually very simple, let me analyze it for you. If you want to form a group with the golden people, then our country will not care about opening up another battlefield. I will be able to represent my country directly to your country. Declaring war is one option. Another option is that you tear up all agreements with the Jin people and form an alliance with my country, then the situation in this region will become the Ming Dynasty, North Korea, plus my country, and the three countries will jointly deal with the Jin people."
Jin Shangxian looked embarrassed, but did not immediately respond to Wang Tom's statement.In fact, after listening to Luo Xian's report, he has already sorted out such an international situation, but before he has seen the strength of the Haihan Army with his own eyes, he did not dare to pin his hopes of changing the fate of North Korea on this somewhat sloppy international alliance. .If the three countries join forces, the odds of winning will greatly increase, but if the Haihan people withdraw, the alliance will collapse if it collapses. Who can stop the ferocious Jinmen from 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. Daming attracts firepower in the northwest direction of Bohai Bay, and our army contains the enemy in the direction of Liaodong. 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, as long as you provide materials and logistics personnel, and we will pay you, not to snatch wealth from your country in vain. If you have any concerns, you might as well say it right away, and I will answer you in person."
(End of this chapter)