Zhang Li, his face filled with sorrow, then continued:
"Not long ago, an urgent report came from the East China Sea that the Japanese were crossing the sea in warships."
"Fusang bowed down to us in the battle against General Huwei in the past, and less than three years have passed since then. Who would have thought that they would be able to make a comeback?"
"They crossed the sea, and Wu Zhao, the governor of the East China Sea Fleet, immediately dispatched a sizable fleet to negotiate with them."
"Unexpectedly, the fleet sent to negotiate was no match for Japan and was instead detained by them!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze frowned.
"Has the Japanese navy developed to the point where it can detain the East China Sea Fleet?"
Zhang Li shook his head and sighed:
“Three years ago, they neither dared to nor had the ability to do such a thing.”
"But in just three years, they have become so rampant. No, it's not just rampant; Japan has truly gained strength, which is really unexpected!"
"After the fleet was detained, Japan used them as hostages to force the East China Sea Fleet to surrender."
At this point, Qin Ze raised an eyebrow and said coldly:
"You said Fusang has already landed in the East China Sea, could it be... that Wu Zhao has really surrendered?"
Zhang Li shook his head and sighed:
"No! There was no reduction!"
"Wu Zhao led the East China Sea navy to fight a great battle against Japan!"
"But the ending..."
"We have lost."
"After that great battle, it was declared that the East China Sea defense was completely defeated, and there was no news of Wu Zhao. I'm afraid... he has already perished at sea with the East China Sea Navy."
Qin Ze sighed softly and shook his head, saying:
"Is the Japanese navy too strong, or the East China Sea navy too weak?"
"They were completely defeated in such a short time."
Zhang Li's eyes were blank: "Anything is possible. This time, the Japanese are different from before; their combat strength has increased considerably."
"Furthermore, there must have been internal reasons why the East China Sea Navy was defeated so quickly, but now, who can know the specific details of the battle at that time?"
"Since then, the Japanese have landed in the East China Sea."
"But this old minister doesn't understand. If the reason why the Japanese navy is so strong is because they are an island nation and the Japanese have been at sea since childhood, and have been developing their navy in recent years, thus increasing their naval strength, then it is understandable."
"What kind of strength do they have, the army?"
"There are many coastal defense troops stationed along the East China Sea coast. They have a large force, so even if the Japanese land, they should not be able to break in."
"But to our surprise, they seemed to know everything and were very familiar with our defenses along the East China Sea coast."
"After the navy was destroyed, the coastal defense forces on the shore were on high alert and made all the necessary preparations, just waiting for the Japanese to come so that they could wipe them out on land."
Qin Ze nodded, stroking his chin, and said, "That's right. The East China Sea Navy is no match for Japan, but on land, we have fought countless battles over the years."
"On land, we are no less than any foreign nation."
Zhang Li clapped his hands and sighed, saying:
"Who can argue with that! Although the tyrannical ruler is wicked and appoints people based on nepotism, the foundation for our great undertaking is still here."
"On land, it's impossible for us to lose to Japan!"
"What's strange is that these cunning Japanese didn't land at the location we planned. Instead, they took a different route, landed in the East China Sea, and launched a surprise attack!"
"The coastal defense force was caught off guard!"
"They actually lost! What a crushing defeat!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze stopped in his tracks and frowned, saying:
"You lost just like that?"
"The Japanese were able to launch a surprise attack from elsewhere; they have mastered the defenses of the East China Sea."
As soon as Qin Ze finished speaking, Zhang Liao coldly added:
"My lord, wasn't it said that the coastal defense forces in the East China Sea are quite strong?"
"Even if the Japanese launch a surprise attack, and the coastal defense forces are no match for them and suffer a defeat in the first battle, as long as the commander-in-chief remains calm and the situation is stabilized, they will not be completely defeated and will not be able to collapse completely."
"You don't even have this much resilience?" He looked at Zhang Li.
Under that gaze, Zhang Li shook his head:
"If everyone were as capable and resourceful as the general, how could things have come to this?"
"The coastal defense forces have suffered a complete defeat, alas."
"The Japanese seemed to have a divine sense of prophecy. After landing in the East China Sea, they first fought a battle with the coastal defense forces. They fought and retreated, advancing with unstoppable momentum. The vast East China Sea defense line was completely overwhelmed by them."
"The Japanese who came this time are completely different from those of the past."
"As for us, our foolish emperor has only known how to consolidate power and indulge in music and entertainment these past few years, which has weakened our national strength. This imbalance has led to the decline of Donghai to this state."
Zhang Li was frustrated and disappointed, and the more he spoke, the more sorrowful he became.
Qin Ze suddenly spoke up:
"That is certainly one reason."
"Fusang may have worked hard in recent years and its combat strength has improved considerably."
"However, even so, it is still too mysterious that they were able to enter the East China Sea so smoothly."
He looked at Zhang Li, then said in a deep voice, "There can't be any traitors assisting the Japanese, can there?"
Zhang Li was taken aback and didn't know how to start the conversation.
Lu Bu, stroking his chin, said, "Official, didn't you say that Wu Zhao, the governor of the East Sea, disappeared after the naval battle? Could it be that he didn't die, but was captured by the Japanese?"
"So you became an inside traitor, didn't you?"
Zhang Liao nodded and continued:
"Very likely!"
"Wu Zhao holds such a high position, he should have the right to know about the defenses of the East China Sea."
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