We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 642: Poison! It’s really poisonous!

After the meeting in the general's tent ended, the atmosphere was strange.

Most of the generals filed out, their faces showing excitement for the upcoming battle, but also mixed with doubts about Li Che's orders.

Only Park's face was as pale as paper, his steps were unsteady, and he was almost staggering as he was carried out by the crowded crowd.

Outside the tent, the long-awaited generals of the Goryeo, Silla, and Baekje coalition forces immediately surrounded them, their voices filled with panic:

"Master Park, Master Park! What's going on inside?"

"What did His Highness say? Why did he call you by your name alone?"

"Do you want us to take the lead, yes and no?"

"Sir, why do you look so grim?"

Boy Park was surrounded by people and felt a buzzing in his ears. Even the sea breeze could not blow away the cold sweat on his forehead.

Looking at the group of anxious colleagues in front of him, a feeling of powerlessness instantly gripped him.

He took a few deep breaths, tried to calm himself down, and repeated the situation in the general's tent:

"Your Highness...Your Highness has ordered our Park family, Silla, and Baekje fleets...to lead the charge and serve as the vanguard in our cross-sea expedition against Japan!"

"what?!"

"Vanguard? Let's go fight the Japanese pirate navy?"

"This...isn't this asking us to die?"

"Master Park! You...you agree?"

"How could Your Highness do this?!"

The Goryeo generals were shocked and the scene was in chaos.

They were far away from the center of the commander's tent and only heard what seemed to be a heated debate inside, but they never expected to receive such an order.

Park felt even more annoyed as he looked at the generals in a mess in front of him.

"Shut up! You don't agree? So what?!"

The roar temporarily suppressed the noise, and everyone looked at him in astonishment.

Park's face was pale, his eyes full of helplessness, and his voice trembled as he said, "Don't you understand what His Highness means?"

"If we dare not accept the order, we will be useless! Not only am I, Park Nan, a useless waste, but in the eyes of His Highness, our Park family, Silla, and Baekje are all useless burdens!"

"By then, what reason would Fengguo and His Highness have to keep us here?!"

These words were like ice spikes, instantly piercing the hearts of all the Goryeo generals.

They recalled the horrific scene a few years ago when the Feng State cavalry crushed the Goryeo capital with overwhelming force.

He also recalled how Feng State had risen at an astonishing speed over the past three years, becoming an unshakable behemoth above their heads.

Revolt?

That would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, courting self-destruction!

"Then...what should we do then?"

"Master Park, you have to make a decision!"

"How...how can we defeat those Japanese pirates?"

"Ships, our ships are not as good as Fengguo's... and our soldiers are..."

An atmosphere of despair permeated the air, and the generals looked as pale as death.

Park himself was also at a loss. He was just a second-generation rich man who climbed to a high position by relying on his family's influence. The real decision-makers in the Park family were his two elder brothers.

It's fine to talk about military affairs on paper, but when he was asked to lead a fleet to fight against the fierce Japanese pirate navy, he felt his legs go weak.

In despair, Park was like a drowning man grasping at a straw, his eyes fixed on a figure who had been standing silently in the corner.

The man was not particularly tall, but he stood as straight as a pine tree and his face was calm.

Even in such a chaotic environment, he exuded an unusual calmness, completely different from others.

As if he had seen a savior, Park pushed through the crowd and rushed over, grabbing the man's arm tightly.

"Chunchen! General Li!" Park's voice trembled. "This matter... this matter, only you can help me. Commanding the naval operations, it must be you!"

This man's name was Li Chunchen. He was born into the Goryeo general family Li. He was one of the few generals in Goryeo who was truly proficient in naval warfare and had practical combat experience.

It's just because of his straightforward character and his unwillingness to scheme that he has always been excluded from the core.

This time, he was recruited by Park to serve as a staff member.

Li Chunchen looked at Park's face, which was distorted with fear, and glanced at his colleagues around him.

He did not express his opinion immediately, but just looked at Park calmly and said: "Don't worry, sir, the sky will not fall."

"What exactly happened within the account? How did Your Highness assign the tasks? What exactly is the responsibility of the vanguard? Please explain in detail, so that I can consider a countermeasure."

Park seemed to have grasped the backbone and quickly repeated Li Che's order word for word.

Li Chunchen listened quietly, his facial expression not changing at all.

Those calm eyes, however, flashed with a hint of eagerness.

In his opinion, all his colleagues had been frightened and felt that this was a dead end.

But, misfortune often lies behind good fortune, and good fortune often lies behind misfortune.

Maybe... this is an opportunity for me!

If I seize this opportunity, not to mention being able to soar to the sky with the Fengguo ship, at least I won’t have to stand outside the tent next time His Highness comes to discuss matters, right?

. . . . . .

At the same time, inside the general's tent.

The noise died down, and Li Che was still sitting on the commander's seat, with only a dozen or so trusted commanders and generals left by his side.

Wang Sanchun was the first to lose patience, speaking in a muffled voice, "Your Highness! I'm a rough man, I really can't figure it out!"

"Why did you insist on letting those Korean pirates lead the charge? Their few shabby boats are as small as bathtubs, not even enough to fill the gaps in the Japanese pirates' teeth!"

Li Che picked up the teacup, took a sip, and had a calm smile on his face, as if he was in control of everything.

He glanced at the anxious Wang Sanchun and couldn't help but laugh and scold: "You idiot, you still have this temper, can't you calm down a little?"

"You only know one side of the story. Japan is not as vulnerable as you imagine."

He put down the teacup and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a light "tap-tap" sound.

"Although Japan is isolated and lacks resources, its people are fierce and aggressive, especially skilled in close combat. Warriors are called 'samurai' and hold a high status."

"Although their navy lacks the massive warships and powerful guns of our Fengguo, their sailors are fearless and familiar with the terrain. They are adept at exploiting the complex terrain of islands and reefs for surprise attacks and boarding operations, and their tactics are quite ingenious."

"Furthermore, the country is plagued by numerous warring princes, who constantly attack each other. The naval commanders who have survived to this day are all extraordinary."

Li Che's eyes swept over several people and his voice was low:

"Let vassals like Goryeo, Nanyang, and Portugal lead the charge. The primary purpose is to find out the truth!"

"First, to discover the location of the main force of the Japanese pirate navy, their common tactics, the performance of their ships, the style of their generals, and so on."

"Second, explore the hydrology, reefs, tides, and landing sites along the coast of Japan!"

"Thirdly," Li Che raised the corner of his mouth with a cold arc, "I want to see how loyal and capable these allies are!"

He paused, and his tone became even colder:

"As for winning or losing? Haha... If the Goryeo army wins, that's good, of course. It proves they are still somewhat useful, and I will reward them generously. But if they lose, or even fight the Japanese pirates to a mutual destruction..."

Li Che pursed his lips, his eyes filled with a smile of triumph:

"What loss is there for our Feng Kingdom? On the contrary, it has weakened the strength of both sides in one fell swoop!"

"The Koreans and Japanese pirates are not of our race, and their hearts must be different! Let them fight each other and consume each other, wouldn't that save the energy and blood of our country's men?"

Wang Sanchun opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth so wide that an egg could fit in.

The other generals also looked at Li Che in silence.

After a while, Wang Sanchun suddenly raised his hand and wanted to pat the thigh of the person next to him.

But the person on his left was Yang Xuan, and he wouldn't dare to slap her even if he had ten times the courage, so he withdrew his hand awkwardly and slapped Yue Yun on his right.

There was only a crisp sound of "pa" and a strange cry:

"Poison! Your Highness, it's truly poisonous!"

"Why didn't I think of this? Let them bite first. The more they kill, the less one there is!"

"Wonderful! So wonderful!"

Yue Yun frowned and subconsciously wanted to grab the spear, but he managed to hold himself back.

Li Che curled his lips, too lazy to bother with this guy.

This guy really can't talk. Is this called poisonous?

This is called driving a tiger to devour a wolf and reaping the benefits. This is the coldness and calculation that a superior should have!

After hearing what Li Che said, the generals finally understood what he was thinking and felt relieved.

Only He Conglong frowned even more tightly after the initial shock.

He stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said solemnly, "Your Highness, this is a plan that is well thought out."

"However... I have a concern. If the Goryeo navy were to collapse as soon as the battle began, or even collapse at the first sign of trouble, wouldn't that be a huge blow to our army's morale?"

"The soldiers witnessed the vanguard's disastrous defeat, and their morale is inevitably damaged. This may be detrimental to subsequent operations!"

He Conglong is indeed a meticulous commander, and he took the key factor of morale into consideration at the first moment.

However, when Li Che heard this, he seemed to have heard something extremely interesting and suddenly burst into laughter:

"Hahaha! Morale? What morale issue?"

Li Che glanced at the generals in the tent and asked word by word:

"I ask you, my soldiers of Fengguo... do you know that the naval forces of the three kingdoms of Goryeo are our 'own people'?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, as if they had thought of something but couldn't grasp the key point.

The smile on Li Che's face turned cold, with an almost cruel mockery:

"In the eyes of the soldiers of Fengguo, the fleets of Goryeo, Silla, and Baekje are nothing more than a group of vassal states who rely on our military might and come to help us in battle!"

"If they win, it's icing on the cake. If they lose..."

"That's the brutality of the Japanese pirates. They attacked our 'friendly forces' and challenged the dignity of our country. It's a blood debt owed by the Japanese pirates!"

"When the time comes, I will raise my arms and tell the soldiers of the three armies that the Japanese pirates are despicable and shameless, slaughtering our allies who are helping us!"

"If I don't avenge this, how can I establish my authority throughout the world? How can I comfort the souls of my fallen allies?!"

"Our army will then be able to justify itself, avenging our 'friendly forces' and upholding justice, with the wrath of thunder and the pressure of a mountain!"

Li Che clenched his right fist and slammed it on the table:

"Crush those exhausted Japanese pirates' navy and their warships, send them to the bottom of the sea, and reap the benefits!"