After Kuroda Rusui finished speaking, Kato Kiyomasa said why bother with so much trouble. He still insisted on launching a direct attack on Huangshi Mountain City.
Kuroda Rusui knew Kato Kiyomasa's temper and his status in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, so he patiently explained: "Kato, the Ming army is our biggest enemy. We should try our best before the decisive battle with the Ming army. To reduce meaningless casualties, this Yellowstone Mountain City is not worth the price we pay. It only lasts three days, so what can't we wait for?
In addition, I hope that we will not compete with the left group for credit. The left and right groups should work together to enter Chungcheong Road and then attack Hanyang. Because of this, we can arrange it this way so that we can wait for Ukita Hide's family to meet up in Jeonju. If you have no objections, His Highness Xiuyuan, please make arrangements. "
Mori Hidemoto is the grandson of Mori Motonari and the eldest son of Hoida Motokiyo. He once became the adopted son of his cousin Mori Terumoto. However, after the birth of Mori Terumoto's eldest son Mori Hidemoto, he became independent and has now resumed his status as Terumoto's cousin. The reason why he succeeded Maori Terumoto as the commander-in-chief of the Maori family's troops this time was because Terumoto was ill. Incidentally, Kobayakawa Takakage also died of illness not long ago.
Precisely because he is not the heir of the Maori family, although the Maori family has sent many troops and has become the general of the road, his status and prestige cannot be compared with his cousin Terumoto, so he cannot hold any airs in front of Kuroda Rusui. , so Kuroda Ruishui said bluntly, "Your Highness Hidemoto, please deploy", which was almost an order.
As expected, Mouri Hidemoto did not dare to object. Of course, he agreed with Kuroda Jishui's opinion, so he immediately ordered Kato Kiyomasa to siege the south city, Nabeshima Naoshige to siege the west city, Kuroda Nagamasa to siege the east city, and sent another special force to ambush in the north.
From August 14th to 15th, the Japanese army surrounded them on three sides, tied bamboo shields into fences, and steadily approached Huangshi Mountain City. The Japanese army only defended but did not attack the Korean army's bows and arrows, and killed civilians in the formation every day. During the two days, Bai Shilin, the envoy of Jinhai Mansion, visited the city many times to observe. Although he was frightened by the actions of the Japanese army, he was also a little surprised by the deployment of the Japanese army.
Zhao Zongdao wondered: "This group of Japanese pirates has a strong force. Why are they so procrastinating? It is common sense to attack us directly. What are their intentions?"
Bai Shilin had been confused about this, but suddenly he came to his senses and replied to Zhao Zongdao: "Recently there is news that the army is coming from the sea to help. I thought this was just a rumor, but now it seems that it may be true. , I am afraid that the Japanese pirates have detached a group to stop the Ming army.
The Ming army has always been strong, and the Japanese pirates must have been very wary of it, so they were trapped outside the city and did not attack, and did not dare to act rashly. If this is true, Huangshi Mountain City will be safe, and we will have the opportunity to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds! When someone comes, send an order to the whole city. The Ming army will come to help and relief from the siege can be expected, but everyone must not slack off and be on standby at any time. "Zhao Zongdao took the order and left.
The Japanese army had been killing Korean civilians every day for two days. Anyin County Supervisor Guo Xiong was filled with righteous indignation and repeatedly asked for orders to go out of the city to kill the enemy. Zhao Zongdao reluctantly stopped him: "Guo County Supervisor must not act on his own initiative. With the strength we have at hand, at this time Attacking is like hitting an egg against a rock. If you really do this, Huangshi Mountain City will be easily captured by the Japanese pirates!
Our bows and arrows cannot shoot that far. In the past few days, we have also caused some casualties to the Japanese pirates in the front line. I am also heartbroken that the people were massacred, but we must not lose the big for the small. The Ming army is coming to rescue, and the government envoy has also told them that they need to wait for the Ming army to arrive before joining forces to defeat the enemy invaders. It will not be too late to take revenge by then. Please be patient with County Supervisor Guo. "
However, Guo Xiong was extremely worried and impatient: "This Japanese pirate is cruel and has no mercy at all. He does not want to attack us, but only kills the people in the formation for fun. This is intended to deter us! Many soldiers and civilians in the city have been deeply affected by this." Suffering... By the way, when will the Ming army arrive? It has been two days since the news came out, why are they so slow? "
Seeing that Guo Xiong was agitated, Zhao Zongdao repeatedly comforted him and said all his good words. It took a long time before Guo Xiong was able to calm down.
In the Japanese army formation, Maori Hidemoto was asking Kuroda Ruishui: "It has been two days now. I think there should be some fear in Huangshishan City. As you can imagine, the Koreans are extremely dependent on the Ming army." , when I learned that the Ming army was defeated, I don’t know where I will be lost! Well, are the Ming army’s clothes ready?”
Kuroda Rushui nodded lightly and said: "We have already prepared the Ming army's mandarin duck jersey, but after all, there are not many. We have been strictly ordered to make it in the past few days. Tomorrow we can let the Koreans appreciate the Ming army's defeat and beheading by us." Such a grand occasion, this move will definitely crush their morale, and if we attack fiercely at night, the Yellowstone Mountain City will surely fall apart."
On August 16, in accordance with Kuroda Rusui's order, the Japanese army captured more than a thousand Korean civilians, half of whom were relatively strong and tall, dressed as Ming soldiers, beheaded them all in public, and hung the heads of the Korean civilians in the formation for public display.
Bai Shilin saw "the Ming army was defeated" and as many as five to six hundred people were beheaded. As expected, he was horrified, filled with fear, and his determination to persevere was completely shaken. Not only him, the news of the defeat of the Ming army spread quickly throughout Huangshishan City. The hearts of the whole city were in turmoil, and the morale of the army was also in chaos.
That night, Kuroda Rushui ordered the entire army to launch a general attack at night. Bai Shilin led his troops and fled without fighting. He ran out of the north gate and escaped.
The east gate of Huangshi Mountain City was also easily invaded by the Japanese army. The south gate and west gate defended by the Guo family and their sons were attacked from both sides. The city gate fell quickly and the Japanese army poured into the city. Guo Xiong, his sons Guo Luchang, Guo Lvhou and Zhao Zongdao were all killed in the battle. , all the remaining guards in the city were massacred.
Bai Shilin and his party did not get a good end. After rushing out of the north gate, they were ambushed by the Japanese Rangers. After a one-sided battle, the Korean army was defeated and dispersed. The Japanese army pursued north through the valley, and more than half of Bai Shilin's troops were killed or injured.
Soon Jeonju received the report of Namwon's defeat. Jeonju's guard Jin Jong-il lamented: "I never expected that the Japanese pirates would mobilize in such a large scale. Originally, our troops were stationed in strategic positions, but the Japanese pirates attacked so quickly and concentrated in one place. It seems that our estimates of the Japanese pirates' combat strength and tactics were all wrong, and the situation is extremely critical."
The deputy general urged: "It is reported that the Japanese pirates are besieging Huangshi Mountain City, but according to the general's estimation, Huangshi Mountain City will fall within a few days. This whole state is the core of Jeolla Province, but we only have more than 2,000 soldiers and horses. Nanyuan There are more troops than us and even the northern cavalry can hardly hold out for five days. How can our two thousand weak brigade hold the whole state? We should quickly request the imperial court to send troops for rescue."
Jin Zhong said: "The total military strength of the imperial court is said to be more than 100,000, but in fact it is barely tens of thousands. They are all stationed in various places. How can we stop the 200,000 traitors? We originally expected to be able to hold on until the Ming army came to reinforce us. Who could Three years later, our army is still vulnerable to the rebels. This means that dividing our troops for rescue is tantamount to seeking death.
At this point, I'm afraid we can only unite our troops in one place and concentrate on defense. Otherwise, we will only be annihilated by the Japanese pirates separately. As for Jeonju... it is definitely difficult to protect it, so we must evacuate Jeonju before the Japanese pirates arrive and return to Hanyang. "
The lieutenant general advised: "General, please think twice. If you withdraw from the city you are guarding without a military order, you will be regarded as deserting the battle. It is a matter of military law. Isn't this unfair? It is better to ask the marshal for orders first, and then withdraw from the whole city." The state is the best policy.”
However, Jin Zhongyi sternly asked: "The Japanese pirates are advancing rapidly, and the guards along the road will collapse at the first contact and flee in the wind. Now the Japanese pirates are coming in the morning and evening, and the whole state is in danger. We are isolated and helpless. If we ask Hanyang for orders first, we will wait until the order to withdraw is received." The whole state has long been occupied by Japanese pirates, and we have already lost our lives to the Japanese pirates.
Such a cowardly death method will not cause any meaningful harm to the Japanese pirates, and what benefit will it bring to the overall situation of our country? It is better to withdraw early and join forces with Hanyang, which can not only contribute to the defense of Hanyang, but also save the lives of the soldiers, so that they do not have to die in vain here. "
The deputy general knelt down, hugged Jin Zhong's thigh and urged him repeatedly: "Although you think about the soldiers, I am worried that after returning to Hanyang, the prime minister and the marshal will not listen to your explanation!
General, Li Funan's life and death are now uncertain. If he dies in battle, his family will be able to provide pensions. If he escapes alone, he may still be remembered for his bloody battle and be given a lighter sentence. Your move is to evacuate before seeing the enemy or receiving military orders. I am afraid that you will die no matter what. Please be careful. I am willing to rush to Hanyang to ask for orders. I will rush back to the military gate before the Japanese invaders arrive in Jeonju. Return to life. "
Jin Zhongyi was not willing to listen. At this moment, he just felt that if he stayed for one more day, he might be besieged by Japanese pirates. Sooner or later, he would die. It was better to evacuate the whole state first, and then see if he could find a way to contact the capable people in the court to have a flower. Qian was trying to eliminate the disaster, so he shouted: "The Japanese pirates are close at hand. No matter how fast you rush back and forth, you will never be able to get ahead of the Japanese pirates. In order to save the lives of the soldiers, we must evacuate the entire state immediately!"
What I am worried about is the general trend. In the future, the imperial court will also issue military orders to allow the garrison from various places to withdraw to Hanyang. As for the prime minister and the marshal of the capital, I will explain to them. You don't need to say anything. Immediately send an order to the entire army to withdraw to Hanyang! "
When the people of the whole state heard that the army was about to withdraw to Hanyang, they stopped and dissuaded them one after another, begging the army to stick to the state. Jin Zhong was furious and accused these people of not knowing the overall situation and the art of war. So he simply issued an order to the whole city. Anyone who did not want to die at the hands of the Japanese army should follow him to withdraw to Hanyang. The officers and soldiers would never hold on and would surely fall. Quanzhou in order to preserve strength.
In order to protect their families and lives, the officials and people in Quanzhou had to pack their bags urgently and follow Jin Jong-il to evacuate Quanzhou, escorted by the army all the way to Hanyang.
After the Japanese left and right armies conquered Nanyuan and Huangshi Mountain respectively, they indeed marched towards Quanzhou at the same time, successfully occupying the empty city of Quanzhou on the 19th. After the two Japanese armies met in Quanzhou, they immediately reported the series of great victories to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and then made military plans.
The Japanese army was led by Mouri Hidemoto, Kato Kiyomasa, and Kuroda Nagamasa each with a total of 40,000 troops. Ohta Kazuki and Takenaka Shigeri were the supervisors, and they went north to capture Gongshu; Nagaso Gabe Motochichi, Nabeshima Naoshige, and Yoshikawa Hiroie , Ikeda Hideshi, and Nakagawa Hidesei were assigned to the left road, responsible for clearing Chungcheong Province and the northern part of Jeolla Province.
This time, the Japanese army made a comeback. It was as rapid and unstoppable as in the Renchen year, and it was even more cruel than in the Renchen year. In compliance with the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Maeda Toshiie, the Japanese army would massacre villagers wherever they went and cut off their noses to serve as the base of troops to attack the Korean volunteers. All the craftsmen and Confucian scholars were imprisoned and escorted back to the country in batches.
After the Quanzhou Military Conference, within just a few days, most of Chungcheong Province was easily occupied by the Japanese army. Gyeonggi Province, where Hanyang, the King of Korea, was in danger.
The successive losses of cities in Namwon, Jeonju, Jeolla Province, and Chungcheong Province caused the defensive deployment of the North Korean official army to almost completely fail. In particular, Jin Jong's withdrawal from Jeonju without a fight was tantamount to handing over all of Jeolla Province to the Japanese army, causing various places in Chungcheong Province to surrender one after another, even failing to delay the Japanese offensive. This shocked the Joseon court. No less than an earthquake.
However, from a highly pragmatic perspective, Kim Jong-il's approach is wonderful. It greatly accelerated the process of North Korea's collapse and accelerated the highly pragmatic plan.
However, at this time, Gao Pragmatic could not care about such matters in North Korea for the moment, because there was huge turmoil within the imperial court, followed by drastic changes in the cabinet.
The cause of the incident has to start with the Cajun riot that year. After Qi Jiguang was awarded the title of Haining Bo and led some imperial guards south to suppress the situation, the turmoil in the Cao Army quickly subsided, and several of the ringleaders were severely punished. However, the vast majority of people were hardly affected and continued to live in the Cao Army.
However, there was an undercurrent surging under the seemingly calm situation. Dongchang and Jinyiwei sent capable personnel to trace the cause of the riot in Caojun. Finally, Wu Xun (son of Wu Dui, the person in charge of Jinghua Ningbo Port) ), a major case was uncovered.
The historical background of this case is really a long story. The short story is that the Jiangnan Maritime Group had a deep collusion with various Japanese naval forces (Note: The previous article has talked about the pirates along the coast of the Ming Dynasty in more detail. The origins of the Japanese are that most of them are the so-called Japanese "Navy Army", that is, pirates of all kinds. They were basically absorbed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi later.) After the Ming Dynasty opened the sea, these people did not completely compete with these Japanese "Navy Army" Cut, but continue to find ways to do some shady business.
In view of the rapid rise of Beijing and China's two ocean fleets, these transactions have long since transformed from robbing homes and harassing coastal areas into a relatively simple smuggling trade. In addition to smuggling various normal goods to avoid taxes, Jiangnan maritime merchants also sold pig iron, saltpeter, and even iron sheets and leather for making armor.
Later, because Jinghua treated domestic purchases of artillery and muskets from it equally, Jiangnan maritime merchants also purchased a large number of light and heavy firearms from Jinghua, and a considerable number of these firearms were smuggled to Japan by them. Omi Hideyoshi was also a famous figure in various circles, and most of them bought these weapons from them.
This time the Japanese army made a comeback, most of the naval forces were equipped with more or less artillery. The overall number far exceeded what Gao Pragmatic knew from Zhu Yingzhen (that is, the part that the nobles of the capital had previously secretly sold), that is, from Jiangnan Obtained from Maritime Commerce Department.
In addition, the Cajun riot, a serious matter that needs to be verified, is also inseparable from them. The reason why Japanese pirates appeared in the Nanjing Caoliang robbery that day was because they broke it into pieces and smuggled it to Songjiang. The government then found a way to provide them with ships to commit the crime.
As soon as this incident came out, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue were immediately implicated because the incident occurred in Songjiang. Although the evidence shows that Shen Shixing himself seemed to be unaware of this matter, a manor owned by his family in Songjiang became a foothold for harboring Japanese pirates. Wang Xijue was even more troublesome. Although there seemed to be no direct evidence to prove what Wang Xijue had ordered, half of the ships later provided to the Japanese pirates came from his family's property.
After such a big event, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue were both devastated. The two cabinet ministers wrote three essays a day. Within a few days, they combined to write 21 essays. Finally, they both received Zhu's approval: "Classic." I, the assistant minister of the year, did not manage the family strictly and the family tradition was ruined. I regret it very much, so I will comply with the request and send him back with a message."
In one day, two giants of the Heart School fell from power at the same time. Is such turmoil child's play? However, "the deceased is gone", what is more important is the subsequent development.
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