Chapter 279: Ping and Japanese (11) lack of food, everyone is short of food
On the North Korean side, Luo Shangzhi, one of the leading 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 coaching soldiers and preventing Japanese invasion. Professor, hoping to use Liu Chenglong's power to help North Korean soldiers strengthen their training to prepare for the war.
Therefore, starting in March, Luo Shangzhi responded to 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 spears, as well as the Mandarin Duck Formation and the Xinyou Sword Technique (Note: These were actually open to the public in the Ming Dynasty) (Qi Jiguang had already published his works). In addition, Luo Shangzhi also suggested that North Korea mine silver mines and trade with Liaodong, so as to enrich the country and strengthen the people. Liu Chenglong was deeply moved, and he and Luo Shangzhi became close friends from then on.
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. Manager Song Yingchang, admiral Li Rusong and others all felt that a storm was coming and were under great pressure. They became more and more worried about how to change the confrontation situation. .
Song Yingchang summoned Yuan Huang, Liu Huangshang and the admiral Li Rusong to guerrilla Shen Weijing. Liu Chenglong, the envoy of the three Koreas, discussed military affairs and said: "The enemy is outnumbered and we are few, and the local area is barren. Although spring is gradually approaching, the sea route is much smoother. , the army can finally cope with the food and fodder.
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 army'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 a surprise attack has not yet appeared.
Now that Jeolla Province has not yet been captured by Japanese pirates, it seems worth a try if they bluff at Wangkyung and head south via Jeolla Province, pretending to go straight to Busan to cut off their return route, and then set up an ambush on the main road to annihilate the main force of the enemy pirates.
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, the weaker our combat power will be, and 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, you may go to the imperial court and request for immediate reinforcements. When the reinforcements are assembled, you can fully develop your strategy 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 ended long ago. 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 dispatch 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 all these difficulties that the current recruitment of only 50,000 people is limited. Besides, even if the imperial court is willing to send reinforcements, it will take a lot of time. I think we should not miss the opportunity while waiting for reinforcements, and we should investigate the Japanese situation in detail. , then decide 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, there are rewards to be distributed, and we need to help them divide their sphere 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 Ohubu system, he also had to provide a lot of merit examination data to the Jingcha, so he was extremely busy, supporting the Korean battlefield. It is human nature that the strength is limited. Regarding these situations, whether it is Song Yingchang, Li Rusong or the following civil and military generals, they are all well aware of these situations, and they would not trouble others.
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, and our army can Recovering Wangjing without any bloodshed will also provide new supplies of military supplies."
As soon as he interrupted, Liu Chenglong immediately became vigilant and asked: "Isn't Shen Guoji 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 bandits? This is a plan to deter the enemy, to know the benefits, to avoid casualties and to regain Wang Jing." It is not a courtesy of the vassal state for the imperial envoys to always 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. Then you need a large army to fight here." What? When there is a tense situation between the two armies, and 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 the meat buns and the dogs will never come back, or it will be useless and our army will be despised by the Japanese pirates. I advise you to stop talking about these useless things. You will have your own instructions when you are needed."
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 pondered and said slowly: "In this case, we can only start with the enemy's food and grass, which is the key to the war. The Japanese army came across the sea and was actually an isolated army. 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.
It’s just that we don’t know where the Japanese invaders stored their grains at the moment. Envoy of the Imperial Guard, 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 store grains?”
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 was an official warehouse on Longshan in the north of Wangjing City, and all the rents and taxes of Korea over the years were accumulated here. Although at the moment I don’t know how much Longshan’s stored grain has been lost, but the Japanese pirates have come from afar, so they should store the grain in Longshan as close as possible.
Today, the Japanese invaders are stationed in Wangjing. Due to the dangerous situation, Longshan also has terrain that can be defended. If suspicious troops are deployed in advance, they attack Longshan at night, burn the granaries, and the Japanese invaders run out of food, it will be difficult to hold on to Wangjing. And Jingtai also said that the Japanese invaders will be alone for thousands of miles. "On the left and right are our officers and soldiers of righteousness. As long as they all attack at that time and cut off the Japanese pirates head to tail, the Japanese troops in Wangjing will definitely flee south. Then the heavenly soldiers will pursue them from behind and they will surely win a great 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 the opportunity for this battle has arrived. However, we still need to find out the truth to avoid another foolish battle like before. As it happens, I have asked Luo Sigong, a member of the Jinyiwei family, to send four teams of Jinyiwei to secretly inspect 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..."
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 and definitely not an ordinary person. Not only has he experienced many years of 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 am very relieved. Just wait for the news."
Since Jing Lue personally provided guarantee, 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 sentries to explore the military situation in Gyeonggi Province. They walked at night to the vicinity of Longshan and hid in the grass. Luo Sigong asked where they were, and his subordinates agreed that it was near Longshan. Luo Sigong He immediately asked: "Looking at the Japanese soldiers carrying grain and grass here, could it be a place where the Japanese pirates gather grain?"
The subordinate replied: "The Japanese army has a large number of troops. 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 were concentrated or divided into two. I guessed that half of the rations should be in Wangjing, and this Yongsan... seeing that the Japanese soldiers were constantly moving the rations, so 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 for Japanese pirates to gather grain, and then secretly explore the terrain and report back the strategy. This will definitely be a great achievement, so remember this Don’t ignore it.”
Soon after, Song Yingchang received a secret report from the Jinyi Guards and was convinced that Longshan was where the Japanese military supplies were located. Liu Chenglong immediately asked for orders: "Jingtai, since it has been confirmed, please let the North 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 traveling thousands of miles to come to our country to help. North Korea has nothing to offer in return, but only wants to do more.
Please rest assured that North Korea hates the Japanese pirates deeply and will go all out this time. However, I also ask Taiwan to send elite troops to help out and lend North Korea a swarm of swarms, rocket vehicles and other firearms. I will also order the North Korean Navy to spread suspicion among the troops, thinking that Help."
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. I have no objection. Presumably 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 It will only leave North Korea to fight alone, and our Ming army will also help attract enemy invaders, making it easier for North Korea to attack Yongshan."
Song Yingchang's words were so magnanimous that he showed his magnanimity. Liu Chenglong was extremely grateful, thanked him profusely, and said goodbye.
On March 15th, the Ming Army 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. Immediately send reinforcements to assist in the defense.
On the other side, under the command 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 and launch artillery attacks on each other. Above the river , the place at the foot of the mountain suddenly burst into flames. As expected, the Korean army sent elite soldiers to attack from behind the mountain at night. The Ming army general Cha Dashou, Li Rumei, Qi Jin and others 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 ambush at a strategic point 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 was difficult to deploy at all, so they were not allowed to advance. 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 mountain city defenses were so easy to defend and difficult to attack, but they were not willing to be defeated so easily. They hurriedly ordered the elite soldiers on the front to raise their rockets and fire them all. The mountains caught fire, and the smoke filled the sky with great intensity. Taking advantage of the wind to spread, the Japanese army tried their best to fight, 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. What was the damage?"
Kuroda Kanbei replied: "General, there is no need to panic. The Ming Dynasty and North Korea are feinting a frontal attack, which is actually burning our military rations. However, I have been prepared. The Yongshan military rations have been properly stored, and I have already ordered Taira Hideyoshi to defend if attacked." The back mountain, so even though Ryuyama 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, there are hundreds of miles of Liantun. , there were many obstacles in harvesting firewood, and they were frequently 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 Gyeonggi. If the food is not used up, there will be chaos for a long time. Although our army is tightly defended, the Ming army's combat power cannot be underestimated. It rushes back and forth and can attack Hanyang at any time. Our army is exhausted to deal with it. In addition, with the lack of military supplies, Hanyang Congcheng cannot last long. It is better to retreat to Busan and garrison in Xiasandao. In this way, we will not have to worry about military supplies, and when we gather our troops, we will be able 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 gathered in the capital according to your plan and was 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 serve 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 authorization, Your Highness Taige will be furious, how can you handle it!"
Kuroda Kanbei also said angrily: "Ukita Hideie! How can we be stubborn when the war situation is like this! One moment has passed and the other moment, and now the army rations are no longer available. Even if His Highness Taikaku has a clever plan, it will be passed to Hanyang and then implemented to bear fruit. It will take several months to say the least, and the civil war situation within a few months will be unpredictable!
You are also a general. You should know that if the entire army is exhausted and can fight quickly, how can you defend it in a long-term confrontation? The Ming army and North Korea are determined to Hanyang and will do their best to regain Wangjing. At present, if we continue to defend here, our army will be defeated. To ensure the safety of the army , we must withdraw from Hanyang! If you are afraid of Taige's prosecution, then I will bear the responsibility. I am only worried that when our army withdraws, the Ming army will pursue it vigorously, and it will inevitably be embarrassing."
Seeing that the two had been arguing at this point, President Konishi suggested that if they continue to argue, there would 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 has 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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