Jiangjie City.
As the main city of a palace, it is also a city that stands on a fertile plain. It is also close to the Yalu River and has convenient water transportation.
Jiangjie City was originally very prosperous.
However, Goguryeo restricted trade with Liaodong on its own, and could only force merchants to use sea trade and send Goguryeo's specialties to Chu or Fusang.
The risks at sea are too great. If things go wrong, the ship will be destroyed and people will die.
Ordinary businessmen cannot bear such losses. This led to a decline in commercial activities in Goguryeo, and also led to a considerable decline in the prosperity of Jiangjiecheng.
Being an enemy of Liaodong would be a lose-lose situation for Goguryeo.
However, Goguryeo had smooth maritime trade and was twice as large as Liaodong. A skinny camel is bigger than a horse.
Jiangjie City is still densely populated and very prosperous.
There are countless pedestrians on the street, and there are endless carriages and horses. Most of them are famous nobles wearing silks and satins, riding horses or traveling in cars.
The shops on both sides are full of goods.
Vendors sell their goods along the street, making the place bustling with activity.
Its city walls are very wide and its gate towers are majestic. As long as there are elite soldiers guarding the city, it is impregnable.
"Da da da!!!" A fast horse galloped from the north and entered Jiangjie City along the avenue. The knight on the horse was sweating profusely and looked frightened.
He didn't care that the streets were densely populated and running rampant. It provoked many people to yell and curse. When he arrived at the government office, he rolled and crawled off his horse.
The gatekeeper thought he was a gangster and pulled out the steel knife from his waist to serve him.
The cavalryman had exhausted all his energy and lay on the ground panting. He said intermittently: "I. I am a government official in Chongming County."
"Wu Nian's army crossed the Yalu River and headed straight for Jiangjie City along the highway."
"Quick. Take me to see the prefect."
"What did you say?" The yamen officer's face changed drastically, and then the two yamen officers hurriedly set up their cavalry and entered the county yamen.
After meeting the prefect Zhang Chonglou, the cavalry was dragged away.
In the living room. Zhang Chonglou sat on the main seat with a dull expression and was silent for a long time. He is thirty-nine years old this year and comes from a noble family. He grew up reading books about sages and sages. He followed the formal imperial examination route and was awarded the Jinshi as he wished.
Because of his outstanding ability and integrity as an official, he was gradually promoted to the prefect.
He had no military experience and no illusions. He just wants to go further, return to the court by becoming an official, and become an important minister.
Wu Nian crossed the river and attacked Jiangjie Mansion brazenly. To him, it was as if he had been struck by thunder, sending three souls and seven souls flying.
"The Tigers of Liaodong are not people to be taken lightly. They come with hatred. I can't take any chances. The disaster of national subjugation is right in front of me. I want to cheer up."
Zhang Zhonglou reached out and slapped his cheek, letting the three souls that flew away return to their places and cheered up. Then he stood up and walked out of the house, and said to the frightened government servant at the door: "Go to Qujiang camp immediately and ask Zhuge Wu to lead troops into the city."
"Close the city gates immediately. People are not allowed in or out."
"Assemble all the government officials and prepare to defend the city."
"yes."
Although the yamen servant was panicked, he still wrote them down one by one and left in response.
Zhang Zhonglou took a deep breath and calmed down a little. Li Yunchong and Zhao Mancheng were responsible for training 50,000 soldiers.
Most are concentrated in the capital, while a few are scattered in local areas. Mainly in grain-producing areas, you can eat food from nearby cities on the spot.
Qujiang Camp is located fifty miles east of Jiangjie City.
General Zhuge Wu has three thousand soldiers. After the news was sent out, it would take at least four or five hours before Zhuge Wu led his troops to the city.
That is to say, it is night.
Until then, I must hold on.
"Go find Li Tianyang, Zhang Qiu Shan, Zhu Yun Jun... gather the officials in the city. Immediately." Zhang Chonglou turned to another government official, and after announcing many names in one breath, he breathed.
"Yes." The yamen servant was sweating profusely and turned around and walked away.
Zhang Zhonglou straightened his clothes, then walked around and calmly came to the main room and sat down.
"Whether it's the Tiger of Liaodong or the Overlord of Yan. I will stop them."
"The Kim dynasty cannot perish in our hands."
After a while, the people Zhang Zhonglou needed came in one after another. They were all in a miserable state, and some were even disheveled.
Zhang Chonglou looked at everyone and said in a deep voice: "Everyone knows the matter. The disaster of national destruction is right in front of us. I want you to come out."
"Whether they are brothers, nephews, domestic servants, or retainers. Assemble as many people as there are. Follow me to the treasury to get weapons and armor."
"Remember one sentence. The Kim family's court is the roots of the big tree, and we are the branches and leaves on the trunk. If the roots fall, can the branches and leaves still survive?"
"This is a disaster for the family. Men should fight, and women should serve as assistants."
"Of course. There are some people who are just lucky and unwilling to contribute. But, I will kill you."
Having said this, Zhang Zhonglou slapped his right hand heavily on the coffee table, with a ruthless smile on his face, and said: "The city gate has been closed. You can't escape."
His words were emotional, rational, and coercive.
Although Zhang Chonglou did not know how to fight, he was a member of the dynasty and had outstanding abilities.
All the officials, noble families, and squires present were sweating profusely. Some had ashen faces, while others cheered up and stood up and bowed in agreement.
"yes."
Zhang Chonglou nodded with satisfaction, and then asked his cronies to organize everyone to go to the treasury to collect weapons and armor. He stood up and took a deep breath. A sneer appeared on his face and he said: "I, Goguryeo, are not the Kingdom of Chu, and you are not the king of the country's subjugation. I am not the minister of the country's subjugation."
"I, Jiang Jiefu, am not the general of Liaodong. I am made of paper."
"Wu Nian. I'm going to make your teeth break."
As Zhang Chonglou's orders were issued one by one, the news spread. The city fell into chaos, but there was order within the chaos.
Teams of government servants, teams of domestic slaves, children of wealthy families, or loyal ministers and righteous men who received the news, received their armor and climbed onto the city wall.
Time passed slowly.
In the afternoon, as the sun set, Wu Nianjun arrived outside the north gate of Jiangjie City.
Soldiers from three thousand families were spread out on the fields full of rice stubble. The military formation was in strict order, and the aura of killing was soaring into the sky.
Under the banner of "Wu". Wu Nian was riding a tall horse, holding a horse pole, and looked up at Jiangjie City. Seeing the crowds in the city, he sighed and said: "At this moment, it is like when ten thousand households of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty invaded Liaodong."
"It's just that there are no people in Liaodong. There are people in Goguryeo."
"There are many loyal ministers like Zhang Chonglou, the prefect of Jiangjie, in Goguryeo."
"But. Can he stop me?"
Wu Nian suddenly changed the subject, with a domineering look on his face. The extremely powerful aura radiated out, forming an unparalleled pressure.
Zhang Zhen shivered, took a breath, and turned to look at his uncle with admiration.
Good guy.
Is this my uncle on the battlefield? The momentum can scare people to death.
