On the North Korean side, Luo Shangzhi, one of the chief generals of the Ming Dynasty's Southern Army, has been recuperating since the war in Pyongyang. Because he had witnessed the actual combat performance of the North Korean army, he visited Liu Chenglong many times and gave his advice on training soldiers and preventing Japanese invasion. Professor, hoping to use Liu Chenglong's power to help North Korean soldiers strengthen training to prepare for the war.
Therefore, starting in March, Luo Shangzhi accepted Liu Chenglong's invitation and selected ten elite soldiers from the Southern Army to teach the Korean army such martial arts as spears, swords, and wolf swords, as well as the Mandarin Duck Formation and Xinyou Sword Techniques (note: these were actually open to the public in the Ming Dynasty). Yes, Qi Jiguang’s works had already been published). In addition, Luo Shangzhi also suggested that North Korea exploit silver mines and trade with Liaodong to enrich the country and strengthen the people. Liu Chenglong was deeply moved and had a close relationship with Luo Shangzhi ever since.
After entering March, news of the cabinet dispute caused by the imperial inspection in the Ming Dynasty also spread to the Ming army aiding the Ming Dynasty. The manager Song Yingchang, the admiral Li Rusong and others felt that a storm was coming and the pressure was high, and they became more and more worried about how to change the confrontation situation. .
Song Yingchang summoned Yuan Huang, Liu Huangshang, admiral Li Rusong, guerrilla fighter Shen Weijing, and Liu Chenglong, the envoy of the three Koreas, to discuss military affairs. He said: "We are outnumbered and the country is barren. Although spring has begun, the sea route is much smoother, and the army can The food and grass were finally enough to cope with it.
However, sea transportation is not as good as land transportation. It does not arrive continuously but in batches. If one of the batches is delayed for some reason, the military supply may be unexpected and the army will face a desperate situation. Therefore, such a long-term confrontation is really not good for me.
The cabinet also has guidance on our military's tactics, requiring us to either wait for an opportunity to make a surprise attack or to detour to key points. In short, we need to look for good opportunities... However, given the current situation, the good opportunity for surprise attacks has not yet appeared.
Now that Jeolla Road has not yet been captured by Japanese pirates, it seems worth a try to bluff at Wangjing and go south via Jeolla Road, pretending to go straight to Busan to cut off their return, and then set up an ambush on the main road to annihilate the main force of the enemy invaders.
However, no matter which method we choose, our army is in urgent need of replenishing its troops. If the imperial reinforcements do not arrive, the more casualties we will have and our combat power will become weaker. It will be extremely difficult to regain the entire territory of North Korea. "
Yuan Huang said in praise of Hua: "While there is no accident in the supply of food and military supplies, and the Japanese pirates are afraid of our army, we may go to the imperial court to request immediate reinforcements. When the reinforcements are assembled, we can fully develop our strategies and plan, and the Japanese pirates will be defeated soon."
Liu Huangshang, who praised painting, said: "The imperial court also has difficulties. The war against the Yuan Dynasty has not long ended. Recently, it is not only necessary to distribute the merit rewards of Tumut, Ordos and Jurchen tribes, but the Ming Dynasty itself also has to send troops to the old land of Chahar. In building urban defenses, military towns in various parts of Shaanxi and Gansu must also be strengthened to prevent the Chahar forces, who have fled west, from invading eastward.
Coupled with the Bozhou Rebellion in Southwest China, the imperial court mobilized more than 200,000 troops on the front line alone, and reserve mobilization was not included. Where should we not spend money and where should we not bother?
It is precisely because of various difficulties that the number of people mobilized this time was no more than 50,000. Besides, even if the imperial court is willing to send reinforcements, it will take a long time. I think we should not miss the opportunity while waiting for reinforcements. It is better to investigate the Japanese situation in detail before deciding where to attack. "
What he said is truly the truth. War is not an end after the war. The follow-up work is sometimes more troublesome than the war. During the Battle of Yuan Dynasty, Tumut, Ordos, Nenhorqin and Jurchen tribes were ordered to accompany them. After the war, they had to receive rewards and help them divide their spheres of influence, determine their future status, etc.
As the executor of this battle, Gao Pragmatic was naturally responsible for the aftermath after the war. In addition, under the large household system, he also had to provide a lot of merit examination data to the Jingcha, so he was very busy and supported the Korean battlefield. It is human nature to have limited strength. Regarding these situations, both Song Yingchang, Li Rusong and the following civil and military generals were well aware of it, and would not bother them too much.
The scene was silent for a while, and Shen Weijing suddenly suggested: "Since the two armies are currently at a stalemate, why not consider Xiaguan's previous suggestion, and let Xiaguan go and use the power of the heavenly soldiers to scare the Japanese pirates into retreating, so that our army can recover without bloodshed?" Wang Jing can also obtain new military supplies."
As soon as he interrupted, Liu Chenglong immediately became vigilant and asked, "Isn't Shen Youji going to negotiate peace?"
Shen Weijing said angrily: "Why do you ask such a question again! I have already said that as a minister of the Ming Dynasty, how can you make peace with the thieves? This is to deter the enemy, know the benefits, avoid casualties and regain Wang Jing's plan." Isn’t it a courtesy of the vassal state for the general to have doubts about the superior state?”
Before Liu Chenglong could reply this time, Li Rusong had already said mockingly: "Shen Weijing, you place too much value on your words. You can push back hundreds of thousands of enemy invaders with just your words, so why do you need a large army here? There is a tense situation between the two armies, and when our army has not defeated the enemy in one fell swoop, who can be frightened by a mere envoy?
If you insist on doing this, either Roubaozi will beat the dog and there will be no return, or it will have no effect and let our army be despised by the Japanese pirates. I advise you to stop saying these useless things. When you are needed, there will be instructions from the sutra. "
Although Shen Weijing had made some achievements last time, his status was naturally far behind that of Li Rusong. When Li Rusong said this, he could only give up for the time being.
Song Yingchang began to ponder and said slowly: "In this case, we can only start with the enemy's food and grass. This is the key to the war. The Japanese army came across the sea and was actually alone. If we can cut off its military supplies, Then the enemy's troops will be confused and no matter how strong their troops are, they will collapse at the first touch, and Wang Jing can attack immediately.
However, it is still unclear where the Japanese pirates stored their food. Capital Inspector, you are a famous minister of Korea and are familiar with the country's geography. Where do you think near Wangjing can be a place for Japanese troops to garrison food? "
Liu Chenglong cupped his hands and replied: "Since the Jingtai has this intention, the foreign minister should do his best. The foreign minister suddenly remembered that there is an official warehouse on Longshan in the north of Wangjing City, and all the rents and taxes of Korea over the years have been accumulated here. Although at the moment, I don’t know how much Longshan’s stored grain has been lost, but the Japanese pirates came from afar, so they should store the grain in Longshan nearby.
Today, the Japanese invaders are stationed in Wangjing. Due to the dangerous situation, Longshan also has terrain that can be defended. If suspicious soldiers are deployed in advance, they attack Longshan at night, burn the granaries, and the Japanese invaders run out of food, it will be difficult for Wang Jing to hold on. Moreover, Jingtai also said that the Japanese pirates are thousands of miles away, and they are all our officials and righteous soldiers on the left and right. As long as they all attack at that time and cut off the Japanese pirates head to tail, the Japanese Japanese troops in Wangjing will definitely flee south. At that time, the heavenly soldiers will pursue them from behind, and they will definitely be able to win a big victory. Total victory. "
Song Yingchang was quite satisfied with this, nodded and said: "In this way, if all the Japanese pirates' rations are really stationed in Longshan, then a good opportunity for this battle has arrived. However, we still need to find out the truth to avoid another foolish battle like before. It just so happens that I have asked Luo Sigong, a member of the Jinyiwei family, to send four teams of Jinyiwei to secretly investigate various places. There will be returns soon, and we can then decide on specific strategies."
Li Rusong hesitated a little and said: "Jingtai, this Jinyiwei usually abuses his power, so he may not be of great use in the battle array..."
Song Yingchang shook his head and replied: "Of course you don't know that you have been away from the capital all year round. This Luo Sigong is extraordinary. He is by no means an ordinary person. Not only does he have long experience and training, he is a versatile military and political person, and is deeply trusted by the emperor. Your brother Li Ruzhen is also the commander of the imperial guards in the capital." Yes, you can ask him.
These teams of Jin Yiwei can be called elites. They were all personally selected by Luo Sigong. They are loyal, brave and capable. I feel reassured. Just wait for the news. "
Since Jing Lue personally guaranteed it, Li Rusong, who had just eased his relationship with Song Yingchang because of his pragmatic reply, naturally could not continue to be suspicious, so everyone accepted the order.
So Luo Sigong, a member of the Jinyiwei family, led several people to cross mountains and ridges, secretly walk along streams, and avoid sentry posts to explore the military situation in Gyeonggi Province. They walked to Longshan at night and hid in the grass. Luo Sigong asked where they were, and his subordinates agreed that it was near Longshan. Luo Sigong immediately asked: "Looking at the Japanese soldiers here carrying grain and grass, could it be a place where Japanese pirates gather grain?"
The subordinate replied: "The Japanese army has a large number of troops, and it is unknown whether this place is just one of the grain storage facilities."
Luo Sigong nodded slightly, but still said: "In the past few days, we have conducted many investigations and found that the forts are scattered all over and the defenses are tight. However, the size of each fort is not enough to store enough military rations, and we have not found any centralized grain storage place before.
Most of the army's rations are concentrated or divided into two. I guess half of them should be in Wangjing, and this Yongsan... seeing that the Japanese soldiers are constantly moving them, so there is no doubt that the other half of the rations must be here.
But don’t be anxious, we will wait and see if there is a scam. If it is true, we can also make a report and confirm it as a place where the Japanese pirates gather food, and then secretly explore the terrain and report back the strategy. This will definitely be a great achievement, so remember this Not to be ignored. "
Soon after, Song Yingchang received a secret report from the Jinyi Guards and was convinced that Longshan was where the Japanese army's rations were located. Liu Chenglong immediately requested the order: "Jingtai, since it has been confirmed, please let the Korean army contribute to the fire attack on Longshan Cang! We are waiting for this moment. It has been too long. The officers, soldiers and rebels have been waiting for the opportunity to make a contribution, thinking of coming from thousands of miles away to help. North Korea has nothing to offer in return, but only wants to do more.
Please rest assured that North Korea hates Japanese pirates deeply and will go all out this time. I will only ask elite troops to be dispatched via Taiwan to help out, and lend North Korea swarms of swarms, rocket vehicles and other firearms. I will also order the North Korean naval division to spread suspicious troops to increase the momentum. "
Song Yingchang replied: "I am deeply impressed that the military commander said this. Longshan is related to the overall situation, and we must make every effort to divert the Japanese pirates away before we can successfully attack. I know that Luo Shangzhi is already assisting North Korea in training soldiers, practicing formations, and gradually popularizing them. Thinking about it, whether it is for North Korea's defense or the war, this will be beneficial without any harm.
In this way, Luo Shangzhi has already stated to me the exchange of opinions between you, and I have no objection. I think the court is also willing to see that the Korean army can protect itself. But you can rest assured that even so, I will not just let North Korea fight alone. Our Ming army will also help attract enemy invaders to facilitate North Korea's attack on Longshan. "
Song Yingchang's words were so magnanimous that he was so magnanimous. Liu Chenglong was extremely grateful, thanked him profusely, and left.
On March 15th, the Ming army's Zu Chengxun, Li Rubai, Yang Yuan, Wu Weizhong and other troops led 8,000 troops across the river to feign an attack, and engaged in sporadic exchanges of fire with the garrison defenders around Hanyang. When the Japanese army heard that the Ming army was coming to attack, they were naturally nervous and immediately sent reinforcements to assist in the defense.
On the other side, under the orders of Liu Chenglong, the Chungcheong Province water envoy Ding Jie, the Gyeonggi Province water envoy Li Bin, and the advocating justice envoy Jin Qianai led the boat division Yaobing to contain the Japanese troops in Yongsan from firing artillery at each other. Above the river and at the foot of the mountain, flames suddenly shot into the sky. As expected, the Korean army sent elite soldiers to attack from behind the mountains at night, and the Ming army generals Cha Dashou, Li Rumei, Qi Jin, etc. were also ordered to send small groups of elite soldiers to help.
Unexpectedly, the Japanese general Ping Xiujia stationed in Yongshan had led 300 soldiers to lie in a strategic position on the terrain. He could see clearly from a high position. Relying on the unique advantages of the Japanese army's mountain city construction, he blocked the attack with batteries of iron cannons. The Korean army was suppressed by firepower, and its strength was reduced. It is simply difficult to unfold, so no progress can be made. The Ming army was also shot by projectiles, causing many casualties.
Li Rumei and Qi Jin were watching the battle from the rear. They were surprised that the Japanese army's mountain city defense was so easy to defend and difficult to attack, and they were unwilling to be defeated so easily. They hurriedly ordered the elite soldiers on the front to raise their rockets and fire them all. As a result, a fire broke out in the mountains, smoke filled the sky, and the fire spread with the help of the wind. The Japanese army tried their best to put out the fire, but the North Korean and Ming Dynasty coalition forces were still unable to advance. In the end, they had to take advantage of the chaos and retreat to reduce casualties.
The next day, Japanese General Ukita Hideie urgently summoned Kuroda Kanbei and asked: "Last night the Ryuyama Granary was attacked by fire. How was the damage?"
Kuroda Kanbei replied: "General, there is no need to panic. Ming Dynasty and North Korea are pretending to attack head-on, but they are actually burning our military rations. However, I have been prepared. Ryusan's military rations have been properly stored, and I have already ordered Taira Hideyoshi to defend if attacked." The back mountain, so although Longshan was burned by fire, the military supplies were not seriously damaged." Ukita Hideie breathed a sigh of relief and then praised him greatly.
But unexpectedly, Kuroda Kanbei suggested: "However, our army only has 14,000 dans of rations left, which is only enough for two months. Our army has been suffering from food transportation for a long time. From Busan to Hanyang, Baili Liantun , there were many obstacles in harvesting firewood, and they were often harassed by North Korea. Food transportation was not available, and supply was very difficult.
Mr. Ishida has reported this matter to Taige. In addition, a large army is stationed in the capital. If the food is not consumed, there will be chaos in the long run. Although our army is well-defended, the combat power of the Ming army cannot be underestimated. It rushes back and forth to attack Hanyang and can attack Hanyang at any time. Our army is exhausted to deal with it. In addition, due to the lack of military supplies, Hanyang Congcheng will not last long. It is better to retreat to Busan and garrison Xiasandao. In this way, there will be no worries about military supplies and the gathering of troops will allow them to advance and retreat with more than enough strength. "
The Ukita Hide family was very dissatisfied and said angrily: "Kanbei! How can you propose to retreat? Our army has gathered in the capital according to your plan and is properly prepared. The Ming army cannot advance lightly. It is just waiting for the fighter plane to counterattack north and annihilate the Ming army." , How can we subdue the people by retreating to Busan at this time? Your Highness Taige must have a proper solution to the issue of military supplies, and if you retreat without permission, Your Highness Taige will be furious, how can you handle it!"
Kuroda Kanbei also said angrily: "Ukita Hideie! The war situation is like this, how can we be stubborn! One moment and another, and now the army rations are no longer available, even if His Highness Taikaku has a clever plan, spread it to Hanyang and then implement it to achieve results, It will take several months to say the least, and the civil war situation will be unpredictable within a few months!
You are also a general. You should know that it is okay to fight quickly if the entire army is tired, but how can you defend a long-term confrontation? The Ming army and North Korea are determined to Hanyang and will do their best to regain Wang Jing. If we continue to guard our army here, we will be defeated. To protect our army's safety, we must withdraw from Hanyang! If you are afraid of being held accountable by Taige, then I will bear the responsibility. I am only worried that when our troops withdraw, the Ming army will pursue them vigorously, which will inevitably lead to embarrassment. "
Seeing that the two were arguing at this point, Konishi Governor suggested that if they continue to argue, there will be trouble, so he suggested: "It is better to negotiate peace with the Ming army and negotiate terms, and let the Ming army restrain North Korea, so as to ensure the safe withdrawal of our army from Hanyang."
Peace talks with the Ming army have been President Konishi's consistent attitude. In the past, they were not recognized by most people within the Japanese army, but this time was unusual. Kuroda Kanbei thought it was feasible and agreed.
Ukita Hideie also felt that peace talks proposed by Governor Konishi at this time were indeed a solution, but as the general, he could not say it clearly, so he could only turn around and leave without saying a word.
President Konishi didn't know what to do. Kuroda Kanbei waved his hand and said: "He is just afraid of taking responsibility. Don't worry too much, Konishi-kun. Just do what you want. If His Highness Taikaku wants to hold him accountable afterwards, I will do it myself." Come and bear it.”
Governor Konishi breathed a sigh of relief and saluted the Kuroda officer: "His Majesty Kuroda is of great righteousness. On behalf of the 200,000 soldiers, Governor thanked His Highness for saving lives."
Kuroda Kanbei waved his hands but did not answer. The deep wrinkles on his face were full of exhaustion and loneliness.
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