Gao Pragmatic's words are a true prophecy. At this time, the situation in North Korea has indeed "got worse."
On that day, in order to plan the attack on the Linjin River, Ukita Hideie was discussing the battle plan with Governor Konishi. Kato Kiyomasa suddenly broke in and took the initiative to ask for orders, hoping that Ukita Hideie would order the second division to attack the Linjin River immediately.
Ukita Hideie was a little surprised and asked him why he suddenly asked for an order to fight. Only then did he learn that the most important Monomiban unit under Kato Kiyomasa's command was ambushed by North Korea near Jeolla Road and the entire army was wiped out.
Governor Konishi couldn't help laughing and said: "Ah ha, how incompetent Monomiban is to be annihilated by the North Korean army that looks like a pig and a dog? Kato-kun, you asked for an immediate attack on the Imjin River. It seems that it is just to vent your anger." Private anger."
Ukita Hideie then reprimanded Kato Kiyomasa: "Chief Kato, please don't waver the military plan because of personal revenge. Nowadays, there are riots in various factions. You must not act rashly before receiving the order!"
Accountant, this is Kato Kiyomasa's official position in the Japanese imperial court. According to the legal system, the Japanese imperial court established an accounting office under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which was responsible for the annual accounting of the imperial court's revenue and expenditure, a position similar to that of an accountant. The chief of the chief accounting liao is the chief accounting officer from the fifth rank, the assistant to the sixth rank is the assistant, the third and fourth rank officers are "yun" and "subordinate", and the internal staff are several "accountants".
At this time, Ukita Hideie called Kato Kiyomasa with the official official title of "chief accountant", which meant that these words were very formal and could not be changed.
Of course Kato Kiyomasa also knew this meaning, but as one of the "Seven Guns of the Cheap Mountain", he had to entrust the second half of the country, so his status was quite special, so he still said: "General, our army will be completely destroyed." Isn't this evidence that North Korea has once again mobilized its troops to fight back?
Our army is in Hanyang. Although North Korea has deployed defenses along the Imjin River, it is reported that there are no less than 40,000 North Korean reinforcements from Jeolla Province heading north. The various divisions are not yet in place and are mostly restrained and harassed by militiamen.
In other words, it will be almost impossible to stop the reinforcements from Jeolla Province when they arrive in Hanyang. If our army does not attack immediately, it will surely fall into a pincer attack from North Korea! "
Ukita Hideie was suddenly shocked after hearing this. After a little thought, he believed that what Kato Kiyomasa said was reasonable, so he immediately ordered Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi Yukinaga to attack the Imjin River.
This time, Governor Konishi didn’t interrupt. Kato Kiyomasa could barely breathe a sigh of relief and thought to himself: The general is quite a sensible person, but Governor Konishi can’t even understand such a simple truth. He is really just a businessman. of waste.
At this time, Han Yingyin and Kim Myung-won led 13,000 North Korean troops to garrison in the Imjin River area. Han Yingyin held a meeting with the generals to discuss military affairs in the commander's tent. Marshal Kim Myung-won took the lead and said without hesitation: "The Japanese army went north and there were no ships to cross the river. All the warships and civilian ships left by Wang Jing have been burned. If we go along the Imjin River If the enemy can be defended from the lower reaches to the upper reaches, the Japanese army will be restless. As long as our army waits for the opportunity, we will be able to completely annihilate the enemy forces in the Imjin River."
After Jin Mingyuan finished speaking, Han Yingyin, the capital inspector, objected. He shook his head and said: "According to what you said, are you just waiting for the Japanese pirates to attack first? I think the Japanese pirates traveled long distances, day and night, and they must be exhausted.
Before coming here, the king ordered me to look for the right opportunity and strike preemptively if the enemy is weak. Therefore, in my opinion, when the Japanese pirates chase them to the Imjin River and set up their formation, if I take advantage of the enemy's unstable footing and attack with the whole army, I will be able to defeat their formation, kill the enemy general, and reverse the decline in one fell swoop. Everyone, the Japanese pirates have been despising me for a long time. They would never have guessed that our army would dare to attack first. This is a fighting opportunity! "
Li Yu, the military commander of Gyeongsang Province Zuo Bing, expressed his opposition clearly, saying: "I cannot agree with this statement. Even if we strike first, our army will still bear the risk of crossing the river. In the river, our army is as vulnerable as the Japanese pirates. I agree with Marshal Dou's policy. , each maintains his own formation, defends tightly, and waits for good opportunities is the best policy."
After Li Yu finished speaking, Li Yi and other generals in the tent all agreed. Jin Mingyuan was very pleased to see his subordinates seconding the proposal.
Unexpectedly, Han Yingyin instead said sarcastically to Li Yu: "It's really not simple. A man who understands military law so well would actually abandon Donglai, causing General Song Xiangxian to die tragically and martyr his country."
Li Yu was furious and argued, but Han Yingyin ignored him. Instead, he said to the generals: "All of you here are defeated generals. It is a great grace of God to still allow you to command the troops. However, all military affairs here are under my control. You can't Just follow the military orders."
Li Yu sneered and said: "Listening to the rhetoric of people with no command experience will only lead to the annihilation of our entire army. In this case, I might as well lead my troops and leave the Imjin River garrison camp."
Han Yingyin was furious, stood up and angrily rebuked Li Yu for blatantly disobeying military orders. He said in a cold voice: "His Majesty's secret order, anyone who disobeys military orders and makes his own decisions will be put to death to maintain military discipline! Li Yu, I advise you not to seek death."
How could Li Yu believe his "secret order"? At the moment, he refused to comply and insisted on meeting the king and requesting an order to change the coach. Han Yingyin was furious and ordered Li Yu to be killed on the spot.
The tent was surrounded by his personal soldiers, and everyone was afraid of being dealt with on the spot. Moreover, they did not know whether the "secret order" he spoke of was true or false. Suddenly, everyone was shocked and the whole place was silent. As a result, regardless of whether there are hidden dangers, the army is temporarily controlled by Han Yingyin.
At this time, the North Korean King Li Wan summoned Zheng Che in Pyongyang and wanted to re-activate it. Li Huo and Zheng Che cried when they met. Zheng Che fell to the ground and apologized repeatedly. Li Huo comforted: "The war is not your responsibility so far. It is your fault. I should always remember your loyal words... What happened now, all the mistakes are my fault. Is it possible for your Majesty to forgive me?"
Zheng Che was greatly frightened and hurriedly knelt down and said: "Your Highness, please don't do this. I have failed you. I am willing to be a shield to block the enemy's bows and arrows for Your Highness. I am willing to be a sword to chop off the enemy's heads for Your Highness. In short, Your Highness, please be firm in your faith." .”
Li Hao was overjoyed. After thanking him, he summoned Zuo Yizheng Yi Dooshou and the capital inspector Han Yingyin to inquire about the location of King Qin's troops. Yi Dooshou replied that he would arrive south of the Han River in the near future.
Han Yingyin continued: "As long as King Qin's army attacks Wangjing and annihilates the enemy entrenched in Wangjing, the Japanese army on the Imjin River will return to support Wangjing. When the enemy invaders retreat, it will be an opportunity for our army to counterattack. Then we will join King Qin's army, pursue the victory, and assemble the whole country." Not only can we reverse the defeat in one battle, but we may also be able to take advantage of this opportunity to go south and recapture Busan." Li Hao was overjoyed and kept saying yes.
On September 12th, Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Kiyomasa led a total of 23,000 troops to deploy on the south bank of the Imjin River. Because the Imjin River was deep and fast, there was no ferry available, so they were forced to stay here for five days. President Konishi suggested to Kato Kiyomasa to withdraw from the Imjin River, but Kato Kiyomasa firmly opposed it.
Governor Konishi said unhappily: "There is no boat to cross the river now, and our army cannot cross the river. I will send an envoy to negotiate with North Korea, saying that as long as we can use the road to enter the Ming Dynasty, we will never attack them again. When they relax, It will not be too late to annihilate them in another battle. Now that the enemy and our armies are facing each other, North Korea will definitely not believe me, so our army needs to retreat ten miles away to show our sincerity to them."
Kato Kiyomasa said with a mocking smile: "Xiaoxi-kun, how come you are still like a businessman on the battlefield, always thinking about transactions first? Huh, I am different from you. For me, Kato Kiyomasa, no matter what We will not trade with the enemy. If you want to retreat, Xiaoxi-kun, you can just retreat yourself."
Governor Konishi said angrily: "Wars should be won by outsights! Don't you know that the longer the confrontation lasts, the more difficult it will be for our army to supply food. At present, our army's supply lines have become longer and longer, and we must minimize wartime losses. You If you don’t agree, then let your Majesty give the order!”
It's not a joke that he moved out Toyotomi Hideyoshi at this moment. Kato Kiyomasa, as one of the "Seven Guns of Cheap Dake", certainly knows that Toyotomi Hideyoshi attaches great importance to logistics. As long as this matter is raised in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, His Highness Taikaku will definitely agree with Konishi the opinion of. In desperation, Kato Kiyomasa had no choice but to agree, and ordered the entire army to prepare to retreat, deceiving the enemy with a false defeat, and setting up ambushes along the main pursuit routes.
The next day, Han Yingyin received a letter from President Konishi and became furious, saying how could he easily negotiate peace with the invaders. But coincidentally, at this time, another reconnaissance report was received that the enemy was retreating covertly.
Han Yingyin sneered and said disdainfully: "So that's it. President Xiaoxi deliberately wrote letters to negotiate, just to delay time so that he could retreat in secret. In this case, the entire army should attack immediately to catch him off guard!"
However, Marshal Jin Mingyuan felt that there was a deceit in it, and quickly advised: "Inspectors of the capital, please don't be impatient. This situation may be a trick to lure the enemy. If you pursue a hasty pursuit, you may be ambushed, so you should be cautious."
Han Yingyin waved his hand and said boldly: "What kind of trick is this to lure the enemy? It is clearly that King Qin's army is attacking Wang Jing, and the Japanese pirates have to come back for reinforcements. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult for us to regain Wang Jing!"
Jin Mingyuan was greatly worried and once again asked for caution, but Han Yingyin refused to listen and threatened Jin Mingyuan with the crime of disobeying military orders. Jin Mingyuan had no choice but to acquiesce. Han Yingyin was so satisfied that he ordered the entire army to attack again.
However, it was said that Kato Kiyomasa heard a report while Governor Konishi was retreating, saying that the North Korean army was preparing to cross the river to pursue him. Kato Kiyomasa was ecstatic and immediately ordered the entire army to turn around and fight.
By the time Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi Gyōchō arrived at the south bank of the Imjin River, the entire North Korean army was crossing the river, and some troops had already landed. The First Division and the Second Division immediately transformed into a crane-wing formation, fired continuously with iron cannons, and then approached step by step to kill them. The North Korean landing troops were caught off guard and were attacked halfway across the river. They were massed and annihilated by the Japanese troops on the south bank.
Subsequently, the Japanese army fired endlessly along the river. In the panic, countless soldiers drowned in the river, and the rest were shot to death. Han Yingyin was forced to lead the remaining troops on the north bank to retreat north, and Li Yi fled back to the north bank to report to Jin Mingyuan. Seeing that something was going wrong and that the entire army was about to be defeated, Kim Myung-won immediately ordered the burning of six military ships with rockets and artillery, and then led the army to withdraw north.
Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi Gyūchō took inventory of the battlefield, and indeed they won a great victory. Unfortunately, they had no boats to cross the river, so they had to search for boats along the river. It was not until September 28 that they were able to cross the Imjin River, and the occupation was almost complete the next day. One of the three capitals of Korea that became an empty city: Kaesong.
Imjin River was defeated, Kaesong fell, and the king of Joseon, Li Wan, and all his ministers were devastated. Li Hao murmured: "I have repeatedly warned that the army ahead must be cautious and ensure victory and no further defeat. But how come our army of 13,000...is so easily wiped out again?"
The reason for the defeat can be discussed later. For the North Korean ministers who had fierce party conflicts, this was a good opportunity to attack dissidents. Therefore, Chief Secretary Li Hengbo immediately asked Han Yingyin and Kim Myung-won to be convicted of the crime of trusting the enemy's plot and failing in the war.
Hong Ruchun, the judge of Hu Cao, quickly jumped out to protect the people and said: "Victory and defeat are common affairs in military affairs. Previously, Deputy Marshal Shen Ke also lost first and then won! Your Majesty, please give Han Yingyin and Jin Mingyuan another chance to make a difference." .”
When Li Yuanyi, the Ping'an Road Observer, saw Hong Ruchun trying to protect Han Yingyin, he asked Hong Ruchun: "Hong Yanshu, why are you so unfair? You turned a blind eye when Shen Ke was executed after the victory, but now you want to forgive the general who was defeated in a life-and-death battle. This is... What’s the point?”
Although Zuo Yizheng Yi Dooshou was dissatisfied, the people who should be saved were still saved, so he pretended to ponder for a moment and said in a fair manner: "Although Han Yingyin was defeated, he was not afraid of the enemy. His reckless pursuit was actually Because he is eager to perform meritorious service. No matter what, his determination to fight to the death with the enemy is still admirable."
Although these words were meant to excuse Han Yingyin, they were not strong enough. It could be seen that although he wanted to protect others, he was afraid of causing trouble and implicating himself.
Upon seeing this, Li Hengfu quickly took the opportunity to remonstrate, demanding severe punishment for the culprit, but was unexpectedly interrupted by Li Huo. The king didn't bother to comment on the rights and wrongs of Han Yingyin. He just hurriedly said: "The Imjin River was defeated, Kaesong fell, Pyongyang is no longer safe and must be relocated."
When the disagreement was repeated, the officials were stunned for a while, and then began to panic. Now the king just wants to escape if anything goes wrong. Is there any chance of winning this battle?
Idoshou couldn't care less this time, and quickly advised him: "Your Highness, you must not do it. If you leave this place again, the only place you can stay is the northern border."
Unexpectedly, Zheng Che agreed with the relocation this time. Yi Dooshou said angrily: "Since Zheng's affairs have returned to the court, we should assist His Highness to fight against the enemy together. How can we agree to escape? At present, the main force of King Qin's army is still there. As long as we hold on to Pyongyang, we will always have a way and a chance to win."
Zheng Che immediately asked Bingcao Banshu about Pyongyang's military strength, but was told that there were only about 3,000 troops. Zheng Che believed that it would be difficult to hold on, but was ridiculed by Yi Dooshou again.
In fact, Zheng Che and Yi Dooshou were both members of the Western Party. When they saw Yi Dooshou ridiculing him for being cowardly and incompetent and saying that he should not return to the court, he was so angry that he simply remained silent and allowed others to make noises.
Just when Li Huan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, Liu Chenglong and Li Dexin asked for a meeting. Lee Deok-shin reported that Pyongyang had added 4,000 koku of military rations, and Yoo Seong-yong reported that Yi Sun-sin, the envoy of Zuoshui in Jeolla Province, had achieved three victories in Okpo, Haupo, and Chijinpo, sinking dozens of Japanese ships and making great gains. Total victory.
Li Hao was greatly surprised. He didn't expect that during a complete defeat, there were still generals who could fight such a magical battle of "three battles and three victories". After being pleasantly surprised, he quickly inspected the imperial edict in person. After reading it, Li Ao was extremely happy and immediately claimed that he had known that promoting Yi Sun-shin would lead to such brilliant results. He did not mention that Yi Sun-shin was reluctantly appointed because of Liu Chenglong's repeated recommendation.
But in any case, because of Yi Sun-shin's three battles and three victories, the Korean officials finally settled down a lot, believing that this shows that the Japanese army is not invincible. As long as we plan properly and use the right people, we can defeat the Japanese army within a short time. At the same time, he asked Li Huo to strengthen his fighting spirit and not to mention the relocation again.
Li Huo did not answer whether he "should not mention the transfer again", but at least he was overjoyed and immediately ordered to reward Yi Sunchen and the meritorious personnel.
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