I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 365 A direct decisive battle, no room for trial and error.
...

After the city fell, Wu Yong, the Song Dynasty's military commissioner in charge of the Goryeo campaign, issued two orders in the name of the military commissioner:
First, all official properties in the city, as well as the properties of high-ranking officials, nobles, gentry, wealthy merchants, and other prominent figures, were confiscated and transported back to Bianliang (Kaifeng), the capital of Tokyo.
Secondly, all slaves in the city were granted amnesty and allowed to become free men. The imperial edict of Emperor Zhao Yu of the Great Song Dynasty was read aloud, which stated: "It is strictly forbidden for anyone to obstruct slaves from becoming free men; violators will be killed without exception."

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that behind these two orders lies the foreshadowing of a bloody revolution that the Song Dynasty was laying for Goryeo.

This clearly demonstrates the strategic layout of the Song Dynasty towards Goryeo: the Song Dynasty chose to completely liberate Goryeo slaves and abandon the Goryeo aristocratic class.

These two imperial edicts from Zhao Yu completely ignited the conflict between the Goryeo nobles and Goryeo slaves, a conflict that was irreconcilable.

It is important to understand that in the minds of Goryeo nobles, slaves were their private property and an important part of their family's wealth and status.

The Song Dynasty's liberation of Goryeo slaves was tantamount to depriving Goryeo nobles of their core assets; the confiscation of their property and the subsequent public trial were tantamount to pushing Goryeo nobles into an abyss of no return.

Anyone with eyes could see that the rules of the public trial were completely biased towards Goryeo commoners and Goryeo slaves. As long as the latter believed that the Goryeo nobles were guilty, not only would the Goryeo nobles themselves be in danger, but the male members of their families would also become criminals, and the female members would be sent to the brothel to become prostitutes for everyone.

This was an unacceptable catastrophe for the Goryeo nobles who had enjoyed privileges for generations.

For the Goryeo slaves, this was their only chance to change their fate. If the Song Dynasty conquered Goryeo, they would gain complete freedom and even participate in the public trial of the nobles. This temptation of "turning the tables" would inevitably make them stand firmly on the side of the Song Dynasty and actively resist their former masters.

One side was determined to defend its privileges and property to the death, while the other side was determined to completely escape its lowly fate. From the moment the order was issued, the conflict between the two sides was destined to end in a fight to the death.

This reform, spearheaded by the Song Dynasty, was destined to end in a bloodbath in Goryeo...

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"How can we be slaves for generations, suffering humiliation generation after generation? We are whipped and spitting at by nobles, plagued by hunger and cold, without surnames or clans, forbidden to commerce and officials, and forced to live with slaves, forever plunged into a dark and hopeless world! Why has this happened? Heaven is unjust! I refuse to accept this! Even if I die, I will change this predicament!"

"Goryeo was once a land forsaken by the gods, but now the gods have returned and sent His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty as our savior to free us from our suffering. Only by obeying the will of the gods and responding to the orders of the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty can we escape endless misery and gain our freedom!"

"Does the world have gods or saviors? If we remain mere lackeys of nobles, unable to save ourselves, who can save us?"

"Indeed! We must save ourselves!"

"Those who submit to the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty will prosper, those who oppose the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty will perish! We swear to follow His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty to the death!"

"..."

Under the guidance of Song Dynasty officials and with the vigorous propaganda efforts of Song Dynasty propaganda officials, the Goryeo slaves of Licheng City rose up in rebellion and followed the Song Dynasty to overthrow the rule of the Goryeo aristocratic class.

The once high-ranking princes and gentry became prisoners overnight.

However, the resentment that the Goryeo slaves had accumulated for hundreds of years did not subside with the defeat of the Goryeo nobles.

Some Goryeo slaves stormed into their master's courtyard and dragged the steward who had whipped them into the street, beating him to death with sticks; some Goryeo slaves, harboring resentment against their mistress for withholding rations, led a group to slaughter the entire master's household, sparing not even infants in swaddling clothes; even worse, some took advantage of the chaos after the city fell to loot shops and abduct women, turning "revenge" into an excuse for wanton evil.

They forgot that they were once victims, and only remembered that after "turning the tables," they could finally repay the humiliation of the past tenfold.

Soon, news of "servants slaughtering their masters and looting in the chaos" piled up on Wu Yong's desk.

The clerk's voice trembled as he read.

Wu Yong kept his eyes down as he flipped through the official documents. Only after the clerk finished reading did he slowly raise his head, tap his fingertips twice on the table, and say in a flat tone as if he were saying, "The weather is nice today": "Issue the order that all those who rob or kill, regardless of the reason, be captured and beheaded in the crossroads as a warning to the public."

The Song army moved with astonishing speed.

Three thousand elite Song soldiers were divided into thirty teams, each responsible for a region. They swiftly captured all the rioters and brought them to the crossroads.

Even now, many of the slaves and thugs are still making excuses:
"These aristocratic old dogs have enslaved us for centuries, are we not allowed to seek revenge? What kind of logic is this?! I refuse to accept this!!!"

"The Song Dynasty claims to have liberated us, yet its heart remains with the nobility. What use is it to come to Goryeo then?!"

Wu Yong arrived in person, standing on the execution platform in a scarlet official robe, with the executioner's gleaming ghost-head blade behind him. He looked down at the people below, his voice not loud, but every word clear: "Revenge? Those who committed evil deeds will be punished by the Great Song's Court of Justice. Those who deserve a public trial will be tried, those who deserve exile will be exiled, and those whose property should be confiscated will have their property confiscated. When did it become your place to take up arms and kill people?"

After a pause, Wu Yong's gaze swept over all the rioters. "Furthermore, your indiscriminate killing of innocent people is nothing more than using 'revenge' as a pretext for your evil deeds. If you were truly capable of overthrowing Goryeo on your own, why would you wait for our Great Song Dynasty to liberate you?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, silencing many of the rioters.

But suddenly a plea came from below the stage. The son of an old servant girl, who was also among those to be beheaded, crawled forward on his knees, his forehead bleeding from kowtowing: "Sir, could you please consider that this is their first offense and that they were unaware of the laws and regulations of our Great Song Dynasty? Could you show them mercy and spare them this time, allowing them to atone for their crimes through good deeds?"

Several maids who were related to the other thugs also knelt down, their cries rising and falling.

Wu Yong remained unmoved, saying calmly, "In chaotic times, severe punishments must be used. How can we be so soft-hearted as to teach others to follow suit?"

"Execution!"

With Wu Yong's command, blades flashed and blood splattered on the bluestone slabs, instantly spreading a crimson hue. Hundreds of heads rolled into the bamboo baskets that had been prepared beforehand, their eyes still wide open, as if they had not seen how this "liberation" had come to such an end.

Among the onlookers below the execution platform, the servants' faces turned from initial excitement to deathly pale. Some instinctively shrank back, their hands trembling as they gripped the hem of their clothes. Just moments ago, they were cheering for their "turnaround," but now they understood that the freedom the Song Dynasty had given them was never about "doing whatever they wanted."

Meanwhile, the ordinary Koreans standing in the crowd secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

They were not excessively exploited by the nobles, and compared with the slaves in Goryeo, they lived a life of farming and weaving, and although they were not rich, they were stable.

For them, it didn't matter whether the rulers were Goryeo nobles, Song Dynasty officials, or even Goryeo slaves; what mattered was whether they could farm the land and live a good life.

They could understand when they saw the Goryeo slaves vandalizing the nobles' residences; but when the slave thugs started looting the common people, fear overwhelmed everything: if the chaos continued, would their own food be stolen? Would their daughters be kidnapped?

Wu Yong, who came from humble beginnings, understood this all too well.

Moreover, before setting off, Zhao Yu had specifically instructed them: "To conquer Goguryeo, first stabilize the hearts of the people. If the hearts of the people are at peace, then Goguryeo will be at peace; if the hearts of the people are in turmoil, then Goguryeo will be difficult to conquer."

If the violence committed by Goryeo slaves forces Goryeo commoners to side with the remaining forces of the Goryeo aristocracy, the Song Dynasty will not only have to face the counterattack of the Goryeo aristocracy, but also the resistance of the Goryeo commoners.

In that case, the Song Dynasty's attempt to recover Goguryeo might fail.

Therefore, what the Song Dynasty wanted was not to "indulge Goryeo slaves," but to "control Goryeo slaves." That is, to win over Goryeo slaves through "liberation" and restrain them through "laws," making them an asset to the Song Dynasty's rule over Goryeo, not a threat. To put it bluntly, Wu Yong's public execution today was not only to intimidate the Goryeo slaves but also to show the Goryeo commoners that the Song Dynasty could provide them with stability and ensure their safety.

The bloodstains at the execution ground were quickly washed away, and the heads in the bamboo baskets were hung on the city gate, with a notice posted next to them: "Anyone who commits robbery or murder, regardless of rank, shall be beheaded."

The passing Goryeo commoners looked up and quickened their pace; the Goryeo slaves walked around the city gate, no longer daring to entertain the slightest thought of crossing the border...

After capturing Yecheng, in addition to purging the Goryeo nobles, winning over Goryeo commoners and Goryeo slaves, and completely occupying Yecheng, the Ministry of War was also recruiting soldiers and laborers.

Because of their appealing political slogans and good benefits.

In a very short time, the Ministry of War recruited three thousand Goguryeo soldiers and nearly ten thousand laborers. They followed the rested Song army and, under the leadership of generals such as Liu Qi, Yang Yizhong, and Yue Fei, continued their advance towards Gaegyeong...

The next day.

Zhao Shou led his men to Licheng City.

Zhao Shou, representing Chen Gou and Zhong Shizhong, hung up the plaque of the Great Song Dynasty's Goryeo Pacification Commission.

For a long time to come, they will use military, political, and diplomatic means to eliminate Goryeo and cut off one of the arms of the Jin Dynasty.

Another day later, Chen Gou, the Pacification Commissioner and Grand Marshal of this battle, also arrived in Licheng City and was ready to go to the front line to personally command the Battle of Gaegyeong.

Most people only know that Zong Ze and Yue Fei were national heroes and skilled warriors, but they don't know that Chen Gou was actually no less than them. If he hadn't died young, he would definitely have been a top-notch minister of the Song Dynasty, no less than Zhang Jie.

This is not an exaggeration; it simply means that Chen Gou is exceptionally capable and has an impressive resume.

Chen Gou passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-one and initially served as the magistrate of Shen County and Yongqiu County. His outstanding political achievements earned him the recommendation of Wei Yin Jiang Zhiqi, Feng Jing, Xu Jiang and others.

Within a few years, Chen Gou was promoted to the position of Transport Judge of Guangxi.

Later, Chen Gou served as the prefect of Shangzhou and Xingyuan, and was promoted to the position of Attendant Censor. He was then appointed as the Transport Commissioner of Huaibei and Huainan, in charge of the most important transportation in the Song Dynasty, and helped the Song Dynasty suppress the Fang La Rebellion.

During this period, Chen Gou was promoted to Academician of the Longtu Pavilion and put in charge of managing Hangzhou. He created the "Jingzhi Qian" (a system of official currency) to strictly regulate finance and restrict corruption. At the same time, he ordered the mobilization of more than 20,000 garrison soldiers from Zhen, Yang, Run, and Chu prefectures to clear old channels and dredge more than 300 li of new waterways, solving the drinking water and shipping difficulties of the people of Hangzhou.

When the Jin army first marched south, Wanyan Zongwang, the commander of the eastern route army, attacked Hejian Prefecture. Chen Gou served as the prefect of Hejian and led the army and people to defend it with all their might, which prevented the Jin army from taking it for a long time.

In the first year of the Jingkang era, Chen Gou was appointed as the prefect of Zhongshan and the military marshal, stationed in Zhongshan.

When the Jingkang Incident occurred, Zhao Gou established the Grand Marshal's Office for the Armed Forces of the Nation. At that time, Chen Gou served as the Grand Marshal of the Song Dynasty, while Zong Ze and Wang Boyan were only deputy marshals.

During the Song Dynasty, Chen Gou fought two of the five most important defensive battles, and both were extremely difficult, causing the Jin people great suffering and buying the Song Dynasty a lot of time and opportunities.

Unfortunately, during the Battle of Zhongshan, Chen Gou adopted a scorched-earth policy, remaining trapped and awaiting reinforcements for half a year.

Later, the Jin army attacked Zhongshan from three sides, and the morale of the army was divided. Chen Gou ordered the general to lead the troops out of the city to meet the enemy, but the general refused and was beheaded. Then he ordered the infantry general Sha Zhen to meet the enemy. Sha Zhen was afraid and went out of the city. He led his troops into Chen Gou's house and killed all seventeen members of his family. Zhongshan fell.

At that time, Chen Gou was only thirty-seven years old.

After the Jin army entered the city, they saw Chen Gou's corpse standing solemnly and praised him as "a loyal minister of the Southern Dynasty," and buried him at Tiezhu Temple.

Judging from Chen Gou's upbringing, if he hadn't died young, he would definitely have been a prime minister.

Over the years, Zhao Yu had been focusing on cultivating Chen Gou, transferring him to wherever the situation was difficult, and Chen Gou had never disappointed Zhao Yu.

Now that Cai Jing is almost seventy years old, Zhao Yu is bound to groom a successor for him, and Chen Gou is one of Zhao Yu's choices.

Therefore, Zhao Yu appointed Chen Gou as the Pacification Commissioner for this battle, and even when planning the battle, Zhao Yu had Chen Gou in charge.

Although Chen Gou is only in his thirties, he acts with the composure of an old man.

Long ago, Chen Gou had already sent people to investigate and find out the truth:
The core organization of the Goryeo capital army consisted of "six guards and two armies." This system was under the jurisdiction of the Goryeo Chongbang and was the core military force of the Goryeo Dynasty.

The two armies belonged to the imperial guard and were divided into three divisions: the Eagle-Winged Army comprised one division, and the Dragon-Tiger Army comprised two. According to the Goryeo military system, "one division consisted of approximately one thousand men," so the two armies had a total strength of about three thousand men. Among the two armies, the Eagle-Winged Army held the highest rank, serving as the personal guard of the Goryeo king. Its leader was called the Supreme General, also known as the "Commander," meaning the head of the military officers. The Dragon-Tiger Army, on the other hand, served as a regular imperial guard force, assisting the Eagle-Winged Army in fulfilling its guard duties.

The Six Guards were the main fighting force of the Goryeo army, consisting of a total of forty-two commanderies, each with different commanderies and troop configurations.

—Among them, "Baosheng" refers to infantry, "Jingyong" refers to cavalry, and there are also many naval forces.

Based on a calculation of 1,000 men per guard, the total strength of the six guards was approximately 42,000 men.

Adding the forces of the two armies and the six guards together, the regular army of the Goryeo capital army was about 45,000 men.

In addition, Chen Gou also considered Goryeo's potential reserves.

The Gaegyeong region was Goryeo's home ground and the most densely populated area. Relying on the foundation accumulated by the Goryeo Dynasty over two hundred years, the Goryeo court could definitely mobilize 100,000 to 200,000 or even more reserve troops in a short period of time, and even arming hundreds of thousands of troops was a realistic possibility.

Moreover, the Goryeo army was not easily defeated; the Battle of Helandian more than 20 years ago is a case in point.

At that time, Yoon Kwan and Oh Yeon Chong led a Goryeo army of 170,000 to invade Helandian, expanding their territory by 300 li and building the "Nine Cities of the Northeast".

Although Wanyan Wosai later led his army in a counterattack, attacking the Goryeo army's transportation lines and communication networks and defeating reinforcements multiple times, forcing the Goryeo army to be exhausted and eventually returning Helandian.

However, the fact that the Goryeo army could fight the Jurchens, who were at their near-peak, to a considerable extent is enough to show that their fighting strength was not actually that weak, especially when faced with the threat of annihilation.

Chen Gou had a deep understanding of this, and Zhao Yu had also reminded him of it.

Most importantly, this battle, after this small-scale preliminary battle, may be the decisive one, leaving Chen Gou no chance to make mistakes. If the Song army is defeated, they may be driven out of the peninsula, not only would their years of planning fall apart, but the overall situation on the Liaodong Peninsula would also be greatly affected.

This is the greatest test for Chen Gou...

……

(End of this chapter)