Moma Liangshan

Chapter 83 Liaodong Strategy, He Li Joins the Alliance

Wang Hao's words were quite unexpected. Lin Chong said, "The Liao court is in chaos. Emperor Tianzuo is stubborn and self-willed, and the Khitan nobles are constantly fighting amongst themselves. On the other hand, the Jurchens are strong and powerful, and everyone in them has ambitions to conquer the world. I'm afraid that given time, the Yelü clan's ancestral temple will be in danger!" Wang Hao agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "You all should understand that a powerful northern dynasty is absolutely not in our dynasty's interest!" As the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, Lin Chong understood this simple truth and asked, "Does the young master have other plans regarding the Liao?" Wang Hao smiled mysteriously and said, "Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily! Although the Jin's offensive is fierce, it's impossible for them to annex the five capitals of Liao in less than several years!" At this point, he looked around at everyone and continued, "His Majesty wants to recover the Youyun region and then rebuild the northern defense line by relying on the terrain of the Yanshan Mountains. Jiaozhou's mission is to form an alliance with the Jurchens by sea and sign a treaty to attack the Liao from both sides. You all should be aware of this?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Without any warning, Wang Hao suddenly stepped to the center of the crowd and loudly proclaimed, "A true man stands between heaven and earth; how can he live a muddled life without achieving anything? The affairs of Jiaozhou are not to be interfered with by the Three Offices and Six Ministries; they should be reported directly to the Emperor! If we seize the opportunity, maneuvering between the Jin and Liao dynasties, and persuade the Mongol tribes to rise up and establish their own rule, then the grasslands beyond the Great Wall will be in constant turmoil. Our dynasty can take this opportunity to prepare for war and restore the glorious era of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han!"

Lin Chong, his face bitter, said, “Since the time of Emperor Taizu’s release of military power over a cup of wine, our dynasty has strictly adhered to the military system of ‘generals not knowing their soldiers, and soldiers not knowing their generals’ to prevent a recurrence of the chaos of regional warlordism at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, it has become commonplace for scholars and even eunuchs to lead troops, and the low status of military officers is unprecedented in history. I believe that if we cannot train a new army for the court, your plans will surely be in vain!” Wang Hao, not expecting that life’s misfortunes would bring such a profound change to Lin Chong’s personality, said… "Eight hundred new recruits are within the Emperor's permitted range, but training an entire army is currently impossible!" Lin Chong, unable to hide his dejection, could only say, "I am deeply indebted to you, sir. Whatever your orders, I will do my utmost!" Wang Hao saw through Lin Chong's thoughts and said, "One must take things one step at a time. Once we land in Liaodong, I have a way to get the Emperor to promise me at least three thousand men." Lin Chong's hope rekindled, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is what you say true, sir?" Wang Hao nodded slightly and said, "I'm about 80% confident!"

Di Chunqiu glanced at Qin Guanhai and said, "According to the local chronicles of Dengzhou, there is a group of islands twenty li north of Penglai, with Changshan Island as the main island. If you wish to go north to Liaodong, you only need to send someone to build a temporary dock on Changshan Island, which can be completed in half a month. Then, using Changshan Island as a springboard, why worry about not being able to freely travel between Song and Liao?" Wang Hao immediately looked at Qin Guanhai and asked, "Is what you say possible, Lord Di?" Qin Guanhai said, "If it is just about building a temporary dock, it is not difficult!" Wang Hao then said, "I would like to hear the details!" Qin Guanhai explained, "A temporary dock can be built simply by burying wooden stakes in the sand and gravel, and then filling it with stones. It can be used for several months and can accommodate several ships."