Not long after Yi Sun-shin set his sights on Busan, a meeting ensued in Pyongyang. Mitsunari Ishida, a close confidant of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the captain of the ship before the start of the war, came to meet with Governor Konishi.
President Konishi was really excited when he saw Ishida Mitsunari coming in person. He held Mitsunari's hands tightly and asked each other how they were doing. As mentioned earlier, these two were important figures in the Toyotomi retainers and had always been on good terms with each other, hence the situation.
After chatting for a long time, we finally got to the point. President Konishi asked: "The young assistant in charge of the administrative department is also responsible for supervising the transportation of supplies. It has been a hard journey, but I don't know why I came to Pyongyang today?"
Ishida Mitsunari patted Governor Konishi's shoulder affectionately and said: "His Royal Highness Otani Yoshitsugi and I were ordered by the Taikaku. In addition to supervising the transportation of supplies, we also have the responsibility of supervising the various armies and liaising with each other. However, the body of the Otani Criminal Department If he feels unwell, he will stay in Hanyang and be taken care of by the general. I heard that Mr. Xiaoxi is in Pyongyang, so I came here specially to meet him."
Ishida Mitsunari's words actually did not explain the reason for coming here, but as a close minister of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Konishi Governor was asking him something, so he stopped beating around the bush and asked quickly: "Your Majesty Ishida, does His Majesty Taikaku understand our army?" What’s the real situation in North Korea right now?”
Ishida Mitsunari keenly realized that this question was very problematic, and his eyes narrowed: "What does Xiaonishi-kun mean by this?"
"That's the literal meaning!" Governor Konishi looked extremely serious, stared into Ishida Mitsunari's eyes, and said seriously: "Now the waterway supplies are in danger of being cut off by the North Korean navy, and Jeolla Province has not yet been occupied, and there are many Korean rebels on each road. There are constant harassments, and endemic diseases are spreading here in Pyongyang, which can be said to be full of internal worries.
In addition, although the cavalry sent by the Ming Dynasty last time was defeated and retreated, the number of the cavalry was not large, and no matter how they retreated, their bones and muscles were not damaged. Considering the size of the Ming Dynasty, it is very likely that reinforcements will be sent again.
I heard that the Ming Army deployed nearly a million troops when it sent troops to Mongolia in the first half of the year. Judging from the last battle in Pyongyang, we were almost unable to withstand even a mere 3,000 cavalry. Based on this estimate of strength, that million troops... How amazing would that be? Therefore, if the war lasts too long, I am afraid that all of us will lose our lives. "
Ishida Mitsunari shook his head and said: "Being separated by the sea, the battlefield is changing rapidly. Your Highness Taige does not fully understand the situation here. What are your plans, Mr. Xiaoxi? In addition, you said that the Ming Dynasty used a million troops to fight Mongolia in the first half of the year. This time Are you sure that the situation is true? Even if you are sure, do you know their final losses?"
"Even if the one-million-strong army is an exaggeration, if you discount it in half, it is definitely there. As for the losses, according to the intelligence obtained by North Korea, it should not be large. My personal judgment is also inclined to accept this news, because the Ming Dynasty dealt with the war after the war. The rewards for meritorious officials are very heavy, and there is no need to talk about the rest. There are only two meritorious officials in civil and military affairs, one is a candidate and the other is an uncle. It can be seen that the results of the war are brilliant and the losses are not big."
Speaking of this, Governor Konishi couldn't help but sigh: "Now that the Ming Dynasty has participated in the war, the war is no longer limited to Japan and North Korea. North Korea has been defeated. Although there are rebels in each faction, they cannot affect the war situation. What will happen next is the Ming Dynasty. The country and we will lead the war. With the current situation of our army, if we fight to the death with the Ming Dynasty, the outcome will be uncertain, and we will most likely be trapped and die in North Korea."
Ishida Mitsunari frowned and asked: "Could it be that, Xiaoxi-kun, you plan to negotiate with Mingguo? What are the conditions for negotiation?"
President Konishi solemnly said: "Certain land."
Ishida didn't know what he meant and frowned: "Cut the land? Who will cut the land?"
Konishi Yukinaga said: "The natural thing is to let the Ming Dynasty recognize our occupation of North Korea - or at least recognize that the land we currently occupy belongs to Japan. As for the intertwined land, we can negotiate, such as leaving two northern lands to North Korea. .”
Ishida Mitsunari shook his head, thinking that this proposal was not feasible, because neither the Ming Dynasty nor the Taige would find it difficult to agree.
Governor Konishi solemnly said: "Of course I won't agree, so we must find ways, otherwise it will be difficult for us to return home. And the way for our army to preserve the results of the battle and escape unscathed is to make the Ming Dynasty recognize it. Apart from ceding territory to North Korea, I am afraid there is no other solution at the moment."
After listening to Governor Konishi's statement, Ishida Mitsunari frowned, thinking that the Ming army was powerful and the Taikou side was too tough. Their ministers were really trapped in the middle, and they had no good solution for a while.
At this time in Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi once again heard about the great victory of the Korean navy at Hansan Island and Ankopo. He was so angry that he cursed and almost fainted. After calming down for a while, Hideyoshi still couldn't help but angrily yelled: "Isn't it the only one? Do I have to go to Korea in person to annihilate Yi Sun-shin? If that bastard hadn’t blocked the sea route, my navy could have rushed to the west coast to join the army and completely destroy the last strength of the King of Joseon!”
But after a pause, he suppressed his anger and said gloomily: "But it's still a little difficult for me to go there in person... Maeda, what do you think I should do with Kuuki Yoshiro and others? And how should I deal with Yi Sun-shin?" ?”
Maeda Toshiie offered advice: "Your Majesty Taikaku, I really can't understand why the Korean navy led by Yi Sun-shin is so powerful. However, the sea route is still under our control. Although Yi Sun-shin won consecutive battles, It has not yet shaken my sea transport.
It's just that you and I are not familiar with the navy. To decipher the tactics of the North Korean navy, we still need to rely on Jiuki Yoshilong and others. If we are all sentenced to death, we will be even less able to fight against the North Korean navy.
According to what I see, His Highness Taige should not severely punish the navy for the defeat. Instead, he should first reprimand and then comfort, in order to show His Majesty's mastery and inspire the morale of the army.
The art of war states that if you are strong, you should avoid it. Now the navy should temporarily stop fighting Yi Sun-shin at sea and defend the harbor. At the same time, the army should be ordered to support them. They must invade Jeolla Province and occupy the North Korean navy strongholds and defend the coast.
In this way, by cutting off its foundation and drawing fuel from the bottom of the cauldron, Yi Sun-shin will be no more than a lonely soul on the sea. Soon, he will run out of ammunition and food, his soldiers will be exhausted, and the Korean navy will be unable to support it, and it will be destroyed in one battle. If at the same time, Jiuki Jialong can come up with a strategy to defeat the enemy, he will get twice the result with half the effort. "
After hearing this, Hideyoshi felt that it made sense, but after thinking about it, he finally couldn't help but asked: "How about... temporarily transferring the new fleet to Kuuki Yoshiro, and letting him lead it to eliminate Yi Sunshin first, and then send it back to Osaka? ?”
Maeda Toshiie did not say whether it was good or not, but just asked: "Taiko has a deep understanding of the strength of the Kanto fleet in Misaki Castle. If they are still in Misaki Castle and refuse to leave, and the attitude of the Beiyang Sea Trade Alliance is always ambiguous, Then Osaka City may be threatened by those ship-borne giant tubes at any time."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi shook his head and said: "I have confidence in the city defense of Osaka, but...Osaka is the city where I have devoted my life, and when I think that my Osaka City will be rained down with countless shells from such a huge cannon, I can't help it." Let this happen." In other words, forget about mobilizing the new fleet. Osaka City is more important than anything else.
Maeda Toshiie didn't say much. Instead, he reported to Governor Konishi that he had repelled the Ming reinforcements in Pyongyang, and briefly described the situation in each battle. Of course, there were some good news but not bad news. When Hideyoshi heard that he had defeated the Ming army, he did not dwell on the difference in strength between the two sides or the various situations they were in. He was just overjoyed and immediately ordered a commendation.
Back to North Korea, at this time, the Second Army Corps led by Kato Kiyomasa set off from Hanyang, crossed the Imjin River, and went all the way north into Hamgyeong Province. The second legion captured mountain people as their guides, passed through Gushan and crossed Laoli Stream, and easily defeated an army led by Li Hun, the military envoy of South Hamgyong Province, and was able to garrison in Yongxing. But then, Kato Kiyomasa saw an article in Yongxing that read: The second prince traveled north via this road.
Naoshima Naoshima, another Kyushu daimyo under his command, was quite suspicious of this, and mused: "Logically speaking, there is nothing wrong with setting up a sign where the Korean prince passed by, but at this moment, there is an article here, but I don't It always feels like he is deliberately leaking the prince’s whereabouts to us.”
Kato Kiyomasa also felt strange, but after all, he believed that it was always a good thing for the North Korean prince to be in front, and he was still very excited. He immediately rushed forward to capture the North Korean prince alive for great use.
Prince Imhae Gun of Joseon and the child Soon Hwa Gun were ordered by their father, King Yi Won of Joseon, to go to Hamgyeong Province to recruit sergeants. However, due to the approaching Japanese army and the defeat of South Hamgyong Road, Prince Imhae was afraid and did not dare to pass along the way. After staying for a long time, he entered Huinyeong via Motianling and sought help from Han Kechen, the military envoy of North Hamgyong Province.
When Han Kechu learned that the prince was coming, he rushed to greet him. Linhai Jun traveled day and night and was very weak and haggard. When he saw Han Kechu coming to welcome him, he was overjoyed and asked for help, urging Han Kechu to send troops to resist the Japanese advance.
Han Kechu then comforted Linhai Jun and said: "Prince, there is no need to panic. The cavalry in the six towns of North Hamgyong Province has been stationed at the border all year round to fight bloody battles with Hu Di. It can be called the strongest army in the world. I also know that the Japanese pirates have few cavalry to help them. Therefore, our army in Hamgyong Province With all the advantages, if the Japanese pirates arrive, they will be seeking death."
Linhai Jun and Shunhe Jun suddenly felt at ease, and then settled in Huining under the arrangement of Han Kechang to recuperate their body and mind.
Han Kezhen immediately assembled nearly half of the elite cavalry in the six towns of Gyeongheung, Gyeongwon, Hoeryeong, Jongseong, Gyeongseong, and Funing in North Hamgyong Province, and headed south from Gyeongseong to Motianling to stop the Japanese army. But what he didn't know was that Kato Kiyomasa's Second Army had already crossed Motian Ridge due to day and night travel, so the two armies suddenly encountered each other at Kaitingcang on the 17th.
Hamgyeong Road is a bitterly cold place, and it was already winter, so the Japanese army was very uncomfortable with it. In fact, the soldiers of the six towns are almost the only elites left in Korea today. They are good at riding, using swords, and fighting at the border all year round. They have been tempered for many years and can be called a rare brave army.
Taking advantage of the relatively flat terrain here, Han Kechun ordered the soldiers from the six towns to be divided into forty-eight small groups to go out one after another, scattering fire weapons, galloping and shooting, and encircling them in a roundabout way.
The elite troops in the six towns made full use of the vast terrain and were able to exert their mobility advantages. The Japanese iron artillery team's tactics were much more rigid than the hollow square array created by Gao Pragmatic. As soon as the Korean cavalry moved, they had to change their facing direction, making it difficult to aim. However, they were repeatedly shot by bows and arrows, and the wooden fences erected by the Japanese army blocked them. Unexpectedly, the cavalry was flexible and good at shooting, and the morale of the Japanese army dropped sharply, and they gradually became unable to support themselves.
Upon seeing this, Kato Kiyomasa hurriedly ordered the front team to desperately cover, and the rear team retreated into the Haiting warehouse first, moved out all the grain stones in the warehouse, and arranged them into a city as a cover to resist the arrows. In this way, the entire Japanese army withdrew into Haitingcang, separated into valleys and stone bunkers, and used matchlock guns to hold on. Only then did the situation stabilize.
Han Kechen wanted to take advantage of the situation and ordered soldiers from the six towns to attack twice. However, the advantage of the cavalry was lost, and they were repelled by the Japanese army. The Japanese army was on the defensive, and their matchlock guns showed their superiority. The Korean cavalry was not good at attacking fortresses, and 300 people under the command of Yuan Xi of Funing Prefecture were killed.
It was getting late and the two armies were tired. Han Kechen saw that it was difficult to succeed, so he ordered the entire army to retreat to the mountain to defend, hoping to take advantage of Kato Kiyomasa's attack on the mountain the next day to annihilate them from a high position.
At night, Kato Kiyomasa wanted to attack Han Kezhi at night, so he gave Nabeshima Naoshige and Sagara Norifu a plan: "This North Korean army is really good at fighting. If we fight hard, our army will inevitably suffer heavy casualties. I heard that the North Korean army is stationed in Tunling There is a huge swampland nearby that I can use...
Mr. Sagara, you lead 800 elite troops to attack the mountain at night, and you must lead the entire North Korean army down the mountain; Mr. Nabeshima, you can gather all the iron artillery teams on one side, and when the North Korean army comes down from the mountain, kill them with all your strength to disrupt their army. potential. Then I personally led 10,000 troops to break in and drive them into the swamp. In this way, the Korean army would be completely destroyed. "Nabeshima and Xiangliang took the order and left.
That night, Sagara Sefou spread his banner widely and took the lead in attacking the mountain with all his strength at night. As expected, Han Kechu fell into the trap. Seeing the Japanese army attacking at night, he ordered the cavalry from the six towns to roar out and launch an assault from a high position. This kind of battle is of course suitable for cavalry. The cavalry takes advantage of the terrain to charge down the mountain, which is as daunting as a tiger descending the mountain.
Sagara Norifu hurriedly led his troops to flee, and the Korean army took advantage of the situation to pursue them down the mountain. Nabeshima Naoshige saw the opportunity and ordered the entire army to fire multiple rounds of matchlocks. The cavalrymen suddenly came under intensive fire at night, and their positions were immediately in chaos.
Kato Kiyomasa sent out a large group of troops to fire a series of cannons. At this time, the Korean cavalry was dense, and there were countless casualties. The horses were frightened and became chaotic.
Han Kechu was furious and led his troops to attack left and right, using cover to attack the Datong team. The Japanese army retreated after being hit, and quickly moved the iron artillery team (musketry team) in front, and the large cannon team behind, firing from far and near.
Han Kechen was about to regroup his army, but Kato Kiyomasa had already led his troops to attack from the flanks. The Korean army hurriedly resisted. Although they could still fight, most of the cavalry were gradually forced into the swamp. Han Kechu secretly complained that something was not going well, and urgently ordered the entire army to gather on the ground to regroup. At the same time, he urgently allocated several death squads to try to contain the Japanese army and cover most of the transfer.
In order to prevent North Korea from breaking out, Kato Kiyomasa shouted for the entire army to attack. Nabeshima Naoshima led his troops to engage in the battle, allowing Kato Kiyomasa to lead the main force of the Japanese army to repair the encirclement network in a roundabout way and prevent North Korea from breaking out.
Under the all-out attack of the Japanese army, although the two armies fought desperately and each suffered casualties, the main Korean force gradually fell into the swamp and had difficulty moving. Most of them died under the bullets of the Japanese army's cannons and iron cannons.
The Japanese army immediately launched a massive siege on the remnants of the six towns. The Korean army's morale collapsed and they dispersed. Han Kechen also fled on horseback. However, after this battle, Kato Kiyomasa's troops suffered many casualties and were exhausted, so they had to rest on the spot and planned to wait until dawn before continuing to pursue the north to seize the land.
Kato Kiyomasa has been heading north since the battle of Kaitingsura. The North Korean side has lost all its elites and has little resistance. The defenders everywhere they go have collapsed and either fled or asked to surrender.
The remaining troops in the six towns of North Korea were defeated by the main force, and the whereabouts of the main general were unknown, resulting in low morale and widespread rumors. Moreover, they were distributed in various cities and were outnumbered. They were either attacked by surprise or lost their will to fight. Except for being annihilated, defeated and surrendered, the rest began to gather towards the northwest intentionally or unintentionally and could not leave. In short, the entire North Hamgyong Province is in a state of fear.
Due to its bitter cold and remoteness, North Hamgyong Province has been a place where criminals were exiled over the years, and many were exploited by the court. The suffering people deeply hated the royal family and the two groups of nobles. Seeing the defeat of the six towns, the garrison officials also began to think of ways to protect themselves, so the North Korean prince who stayed in Huining became their unanimous target.
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Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "Cao Mianzi", "o Shangshu Ling", "Cloudy Good Mood", and "The Sun and the Moon Never Set in Hawaii" for their monthly support, thank you!
PS: After publishing this chapter today, I will go to the countryside first, but even if it is tomorrow or the next two days, there should still be an update.
