Everyone around him wanted to come up and call him a traitor, but the King of Goguryeo had no such idea because he had been observing Gai Yuan Su Wen's expression. The king and his subject had been together for a long time, so naturally he had some experience.
When Gai Yuansu Wen said these words just now, he was very serious. In fact, there was not much hatred between the king and the minister. A lot of the hatred was caused by his subordinates. Now Goguryeo was in danger. When both sides discussed this matter, they still felt that they should stick to the facts. After all, they both had the greatest interests in Goguryeo.
If Goguryeo falls, these people around may still have a chance to survive. After all, the Hall has to appoint other people to manage this place, and it is impossible for all officials to be transferred from the Tang Dynasty. But the King of Goguryeo and Gai Yuansuwen are different. The two will not have any freedom in the future. According to the Tang Dynasty's way of doing things to the outside world, Gai Yuansuwen is likely to be beheaded directly, and the King of Goguryeo will be taken to Chang'an City and live as a caged bird for the rest of his life.
Therefore, when facing the life and death of Goguryeo, the two of them had more common interests than others. Interests and responsibilities were not important. It was useless to talk about those things now. The most important thing was how to overcome the current difficulties, even if it meant surrendering in advance. As long as they were not allowed to become caged birds in Chang'an City, ceding land and paying compensation would not matter.
"Please continue, Prime Minister."
King Goguryeo's words shut everyone up. No matter what the Prime Minister said, you just had to listen obediently. You are all powerful than each other in normal times, but when it comes to serious matters, you guys are completely useless.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
What surprised everyone was that Gai Yuan and Su Wen actually knew to say thank you. Everyone felt that today had changed too much. Both the king's reaction and the prime minister's reaction seemed to have exceeded their cognition. In fact, as long as they analyzed it carefully, they should understand what was going on. No matter how powerful the two of them were, it was always on their own territory, but now this territory is about to be lost. If they continue to make trouble, are they waiting to be like a bird in a cage?
"We should abandon the three border cities and the surrounding 200 li of land, then retreat. All our troops, save for a few government offices, should withdraw to the south of the Taedong River. In exchange for the Tang's forgiveness, we should also ask the Tang to grant us a title of vassal, following the example of Tuyuhun, and request the dispatch of a Protector General."
After Gai Yuansu Wen finished speaking, everyone present could not help but stand up and call him a traitor. Even if we were defeated, this would be the worst result we would have. Now we haven't even seen the Tang army, and you are planning to withdraw all your troops to the south of the Taedong River, and you want our king to submit to the Tang.
When the Sui Dynasty was at its most powerful, the king of Goguryeo was once named Prince of Liaodong. Unfortunately, they did not recognize it at the time and simply threw the title away. Later, Emperor Yang of Sui launched a series of eastern expeditions to Goguryeo. We were not afraid at that time. Although Li Shimin was a good emperor, the strength of the entire Tang Dynasty was still far behind that of the Sui Dynasty. We did not agree at that time, so do we agree now?
"I suggest that the Prime Minister be dragged out and torn into pieces by five horses. He is a man who would destroy the country..."
"The Grand Marshal is right. What are you talking about, Prime Minister? We still have hundreds of thousands of capable and skilled soldiers. How can we just give up like that? And we have to cede so much land. Do you know how fertile the land north of the Yangtze River is? If we lose the grain-producing areas north of the Yangtze River, even if we retreat, we will still starve to death every year."
The ministers below were all dissatisfied. They were able to suppress themselves just now, but now after hearing such a traitorous agreement, they couldn't help themselves, as if they were patriots in normal times and that the current situation was all the Prime Minister's responsibility. Gai Yuansu Wen did not explain. Anyway, these words were not spoken to them, but to the king in front of them. It depends on what the king thinks.
If the king has the same idea as you, then today's negotiations can end here. Gai Yuansuwen will also send his own envoy to meet Li Xiang directly, and he can also cooperate internally and externally to directly help the Tang Dynasty deal with the Goguryeo King in front of it.
Of course, doing so might bring me a lifetime of infamy, but then again, if you can't even save your own life, why would you care about my infamy? Only in this way can I save the lives of my entire family. Maybe if Li Shimin is happy, he can even give me an official title and help the Tang Protectorate stabilize the local situation.
"That's enough, shut up and get out of here."
Hearing the crowds of people around him, the King of Goguryeo could not help it. He asked you in the hall, but you could not say a word at that time. Now, no matter what the plan is, at least the Prime Minister has said it, but you people started to slander the Prime Minister without asking any questions. What were you doing when he asked you?
Gai Yuan Su Wen nodded in appreciation. It is said that there is no fool who can become a king. Although the king in front of him is young, he is mature in thinking.
None of the ministers dared to utter a word, but they were still worried. Could it be that the king had listened to such nonsense? If so, they would have to make new arrangements after returning. The Tang Dynasty would rule this area, and they had to go there to show their loyalty in advance. As for the king and prime minister on the city wall, their power in the future would be limited. Just look at the current Tuyuhun Khan.
"Besides that?"
The King of Goguryeo also knew that Gai Yeon Su Wen was not a simple man and he would not allow this place to become an area ruled by the Tang Dynasty. If that was the case, why not let the Tang army march straight in?
"Send envoys to unite Silla and Baekje, and have them each send 50,000 troops to jointly defend the Taedong River. This is our last piece of land. If the Tang people attack across the Taedong River, not only will Goguryeo die, but Silla and Baekje will die too."
Gai Yuansuwen's strategy was simple: abandon the area north of the Taedong River. We would leave only one outpost there, and hand over the rest to the Tang Dynasty. If the Tang Dynasty agreed, that would be great. If not, we would have to fight a bloody battle at the Taedong River...