Smelting and Exploding the Heavens

Chapter 32
At this time, in the middle of the shogunate army, Hojo Tokimune, the head of the shogunate, looked at the map with a deep frown.

This kind of turtle fortress tactics has revealed the helplessness of the shogunate.

The sea transportation route was cut off, and all he could rely on was the grain reserves in Honshu and Kinki, as well as the grain that was continuously transported inland from other parts of the country.

Relying on these, it can support the battle for about half a year, which is the limit.

Hojo Tokimune's gaze shifted back to the stretching fort outside the county seat.

Such a dense fortress defense system has given Hojo Tokimune a lot of confidence. The targeted design of those old Song veterans has played a big role.

These Song people feared and even hated Yuan Kou more than themselves, so they worked extra hard.

Hojo Tokimune and a group of shogunate retainers originally wanted the Fan family army to lose their spirit when they head-on with this defense system.

Only in this way can I wait for work with leisure and calmly send elites to fight with them and win.

And such a fortress system can also buy him time, and now the elite of [-] pure warriors selected under his command are undergoing rigorous battle training every day.

Those instructors were also the Forbidden Army who participated in the Song-Yuan War in the old Song Dynasty. Everyone has extremely strong strength and rich combat experience. Now they have been trained for four months and have initially formed the ability to fight in battle.

If he was given another two months, the combat power of these elite warriors should be no worse than that of Yuan army infantry, but their long-range strength is weaker.

At the same time, the newly-made iron armor in the army can also be equipped with more elites. The longer the delay, the more beneficial it is to the shogunate.

At that time, relying on the advantage of numbers, they will definitely be able to beat Yuan Kou, who has lost his vigor!
However, things went beyond Hojo Tokimune's expectations. Fan Zhuoyuan's army would pull out several wooden strongholds every day, but they did not continue to expand the results of the battle, and returned to the camp at night to rest.

Even if the shogunate army regained the wooden village that was burned during the day at night and quickly rebuilt it, they didn't care.

Ten days later, the shogunate army just felled trees and rebuilt wooden villages, and tortured a large number of civilians and soldiers.

However, Fan Jiajun seemed to be watching a joke, and carried out normal activities of attacking and burning the village every day, just like ordinary military training, without any sense of tension.

The shogunate's strategy of exhausting soldiers in Hojo Tokimune was not only ineffective, but also blessed himself. It was not the enemy but himself who was exhausted.

Immediately, he gave an order not to rush to repair the outer wooden village, shrink the defense line, only stick to specific defensive nodes, and repair the rest of the peripheral facilities according to the situation.

In this way, the soldiers on the front line were relieved.

This time the shogunate army retreated, Fan Zhuoyuan saw it and waved his hand to press on.

We will completely occupy the places you give up, and further exert psychological pressure on the enemy.

The [-] army, with [-] soldiers and horses as a unit, took turns to fight every day. Relying on advanced firearms and their own powerful strength, they were eating away at the fortress system of the shogunate army every day.

Hojo Tokimune saw Fan Zhuoyuan kicking his nose to the face, he was furious, and sent a group of elite soldiers to invite the battle, and at the same time set up an ambush in the wooden strongholds on both wings.

Of course, it is impossible to hide this little trick from the old Fan Jiajun.

As usual, [-] soldiers and horses were dispatched to fight head-on. When the ambush soldiers on the two wings came out, two cavalrymen suddenly came out from the left and right.

Hojo Tokimune had no choice but to continue the process of the Fan family army pulling out the stronghold and burning it during the day, and his own side recaptured and repaired it at night.

But at this time, Fan Jiajun changed his tactics. Sometimes at night, he would set up ambushes outside the Muzhai.

To do nothing is to kill the vital forces of the shogunate army and severely dampen the morale of its army.

As a result, the large number of fort clusters arranged by Hojo Tokimune not only failed to consume the Fan Jiajun, but were tired of it.

Hojo Tokimune listened to the reports of the recent failures and ambushes and the strong attack of the fortress. He did not expect that he lost nearly [-] soldiers and horses in vain due to piecemeal attacks, and he was very angry.

But he was still able to hold his breath, and insisted on defending, shrinking the defense line as much as possible, controlling key nodes, and waiting for the equipment and elite soldiers to be trained.

But worse news came again...

"Nani?! You said that Yuan Bandits have a large army landing in Kanto?! They also wantonly destroyed, looted food and grass, and blocked supply roads?"

During the military meeting, Hojo Tokimune's expression changed drastically after hearing the report from the messenger soldier.

The samurai nobles and shogunate retainers present also opened their eyes wide.

A retainer shouted and asked: "Even though the Yuan bandits are invincible at sea, after landing, they are not familiar with the terrain of the Kanto. How can they block our army's supply road?"

The messenger soldier trembled and said: "The Yuan bandits often distributed the plundered food and grass to the local people, and many untouchables began to help secretly, notifying our army of the transportation channels for supplies, and guiding the road as guides...

Therefore, even if we go deep into the interior, our army is often caught by Yuan Kou... Although there were several times to set up ambushes with the intention of besieging, with the help of the local people, Yuan Kou was able to see through. "

"Eight Grid Road!"

Hojo Tokimune slapped the table angrily, and the retainers and nobles below were also furious.

"These untouchables! When the war is over, I will definitely skin them when I go back!"

Hojo Hiken is Hojo Tokimune's most trusted elder, and is equivalent to the prime minister's status in the shogunate.

He got up and said: "My lord, the Yuan invaders divided [-] troops to harass our army and cut off supplies in the rear, but the grain and grass stock in the front can still last for nearly half a year.

What should be considered now is how to deal with the current situation, whether to continue to wait for the opportunity, or to fight it decisively? "

During this period of time, some powerful clans were guarding the outlying strongholds, oppressed enough by Fan Zhuoyuan's troops, and shouted for a decisive battle with them.

But Hojo Tokimune suppressed everyone's opinions and said, "It's not time for a decisive battle..."

Just after finishing speaking, some ninjas came in quietly and whispered something.

Hojo Tokimune opened his eyes wide after hearing this, "Is what you said true?!"

Ninja nodded and said: "The captives who escaped from Yuan Kou and businessmen from all over the world are spreading the news, not to mention that Yuan Kou has occupied Kyushu for more than four months, and the information is very likely to be true."

Hojo Hikami below frowned and asked, "Master, what happened?"

"What's the matter? Hmph..." Hojo Tokimune sneered, "Information tells us that the Mongolian and Yuan courts have dispatched [-] troops across the sea from Koryo, and I'm afraid they will arrive in Kyushu in less than a month."

"What?!" Many retainers of the rich family present couldn't sit still anymore.

Bei Tiao was startled and said: "In this way, time is on the side of the Yuan bandits. The longer it is delayed, the more beneficial it is to them? I ask my lord to send troops to fight to the death with the enemy in front of me. If I can annihilate them, maybe there is still a chance Build a line of defense to deal with the new army sent by the Yuan Bandits!"

Hojo Tokimune was silent for a moment, he didn't dare to bet on the truth of this information, and finally said: "Prepare the troops and horses, and quickly fight the Yuan Kou!"

(End of this chapter)