Daming: My boss Zhu Yuanzhang

Hosokawa Yoriyuki nodded, of course he could see this.

"We have occupied the area around Dazaifu. The next step is to recapture Dazaifu and drive the Ming army out of our Japanese country!"

Hosokawa Yoriyuki said loudly, and all the daimyo present nodded their heads.

They all understand that the final battle is coming!
In Dazaifu, Li Wei summoned a soldier and handed him a secret letter: "Send someone to send this letter back to the capital, quickly!"

The soldier took the secret letter, said yes respectfully, and left in a hurry.

Li Wei let out a sigh of relief.

The Japanese thought that the decisive battle was in Dazaifu, but his target was the capital of Japan. Only by leveling the shogunate there and killing all the shoguns and emperors would his expedition be considered complete!

After arranging for someone to send the secret message out, Li Wei got up and left the house, calling Lu Tang to accompany him to inspect the city defense.

The part of the city wall of Dazaifu that he had blown down had been repaired. However, in his opinion, the Japanese city was still too crude, and basically incomparable to the Ming Dynasty's Xiongguan.

The artillery and ammunition in the army had been moved to the city wall at this time, and the soldiers were also in full position, waiting for the Japanese to attack at any time.

While inspecting the city wall, Li Wei also met Hu Hai and Guo Ying. When they saw him, they both bowed their hands and said, "I have seen the general."

"Ah."

Li Wei nodded slightly.

After he took over as general, these two lieutenants felt marginalized.

There was no way, Li Wei was only familiar with firearms combat, and he did not dare to command the troops led by Hu Hai and others at random. It was better to let them use their free will and wait for opportunities.

"General, the Japanese have increased their troops to 200,000 this time. Do we really want to stick here?"

Guo Ying asked worriedly.

Li Wei glanced at him and said disdainfully: "It's just a mob of 200,000 people. Lieutenant General Guo can rest assured that with the city and firearms, we can easily defeat them!"

When Guo Ying heard this, he was doubtful.

Hu Hai was not worried about the combat effectiveness of Li Wei's firearms, but he was worried about the lack of ammunition.

"Do we still have enough ammunition?" Hu Hai asked.

Li Wei said: "One more battle should be enough, any more will be enough."

Hu Hai frowned immediately when he heard this: "Then how can we hold on?"

He knew very well that if Li Wei's soldiers and horses lost their firearms, their combat power would be reduced by half immediately, and they would not be able to compete with such a large Japanese army.

Li Wei chuckled and said: "If we can't hold it, we can't hold it anymore. Don't worry, I have already ordered the navy ships to respond. Then we can just retreat."

Hu and Hai were stunned when they heard this. They thought that the young general was going to fight to the death with the Japanese, but it turned out that was not the case.

But this is fine, since they have punished the Japanese anyway, so it doesn't matter if they withdraw their troops now.

Li Wei did not explain what he was thinking, he just smiled and allowed them to misunderstand.

The Japanese were very fast. It only took them two or three days to rest and reorganize their army, and then they began to attack Dazaifu.

As the sun rose, Dazaifu was silently surrounded by the army led by Hosokawa Yoriyuki. However, Hosokawa Yoriyuki was also well versed in the art of war and did not forget to leave a hole for the Ming army to retreat.

The so-called turning three and missing one means leaving a way for the enemy to retreat when attacking a city. The enemy's morale and will to resist will be reduced a lot. Otherwise, after being completely surrounded, the enemy will definitely become a trapped beast in despair. Fighting will definitely cause huge casualties to one's own side.

Li Wei looked at the densely packed Japanese outside the city and raised the corner of his mouth: "Huh, just these few people are not enough? Lu Tang, give me a good deal with them later!"

"General, don't worry, the soldiers are all ready!"

Lu Tang also had a relaxed smile on his face.

When it comes to field battles, firearms are not so convenient, but when it comes to defending a city, he has no worries even if he faces several times the number of enemies.

The Japanese suffered two losses in a row, but this time they had a better memory. The army stopped and arranged their troops more than two miles away from the city wall, and all the catapults and other siege engines were set up.

"Our army is fully prepared this time and will be able to drive these Ming people out of our country in one fell swoop!"

Yamana Tokiyoshi looked at the city wall in the distance and said confidently. Hosokawa Yoriyuki also nodded in agreement.

However, famous names such as Shao Er Puteng who have played against Li Wei are not so optimistic.

"Master in charge, I think this distance is still a bit dangerous. Why don't we retreat further?"

Shao Er Puteng reminded anxiously.

When Hosokawa Yoriyuki heard this, he frowned: "This is already two miles away. Can the Ming army's artillery still reach here?"

Yamana Tokiyoshi also sneered and glanced at him with some disdain.

Shao Er Puteng's face turned ugly and he closed his mouth in confusion.

Seeing this, Shimazu Yoshihisa, Otomo Sobayashi and others didn't say anything more.

They didn't know exactly how far the Ming army's artillery could hit. After all, the two armies fought in places not too far apart.

On the city wall, Li Wei suddenly raised the corner of his mouth when he saw them starting to form their troops more than two miles away without any scruples.

His cannon has a range of more than three miles, especially after improvements, it can also hit four or five miles. These Japanese are a living target right there!

"Lu Tang, fire off the cannon!"

Li Wei was not polite. When they were almost ready, he immediately gave the order.

The soldiers on the city had been waiting for a long time. Upon hearing this order, they immediately lit the fuses of the artillery that had been aimed at the Japanese.

Boom boom boom...

The sound of cannons sounded, Hosokawa Yoriyuki and others were startled and hurriedly hid behind.

"Why did Akito fire off the artillery? Could it be that their artillery can really hit here?"

Hosokawa Yoriyuki had a face full of disbelief and whispered to himself.

The expressions of Shaoer Puteng and others also changed drastically.

Their worries soon became reality. The artillery shells crossed a distance of two miles and bombarded their military formation. Suddenly, a group of people fell on their backs and screamed. The Japanese soldiers avoided the place where the shells passed in horror and watched the shells rolling. The people who walked all the way were bloody and frightened, and the formation that had been finally arranged was suddenly in chaos.

Seeing this, Hosokawa Yoriyuki's mood instantly sank to the bottom!

Although he already knew the advantages and disadvantages of the Ming army's artillery from the intelligence, he did not expect it to be so powerful!
This is still more than two miles away. It would be difficult for the mounted cavalry to rush over, not to mention the horseless infantry. How many people would die under artillery fire along the way?

This is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the Ming army's artillery fired very accurately, specifically targeting the siege equipment he prepared. After several rounds of artillery fire, they not only suffered huge casualties, but also suffered heavy casualties from siege vehicles and stone-throwing vehicles. All cars and the like were also destroyed!

"This...this, are you still attacking?"

Yamana Tokiyoshi turned pale and asked Hosokawa Yoriyuki in a trembling voice.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki also looked ugly and glanced at Shaoer Puteng and others.

Shao Er Puteng's expression immediately changed, and he almost begged: "Master, our Shao Er clan has suffered heavy losses this time. You can't let us get in again, right?"

When Hosokawa Yoriyuki heard this, he knew in his heart that he could no longer force him, otherwise the Shaoer clan might rebel.

Looking away from Shao Er Puteng, Hosokawa Yoriyuki looked at Shimazu Yoshihisa, Ouchi Yoshihiro and others.

Several people also felt their hearts sinking.

"Master, the Ming army is very powerful. We still have to unite sincerely to win the battle. In my opinion, it is better for the shogunate to lead everyone to fight together!" Otomo Zonglin stepped forward and said.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki's eyes narrowed slightly, and he pondered for a moment and said: "Okay, let's all send troops to attack the city together this time!"

After hearing this, Shimazu Yoshihisa and others breathed a sigh of relief.

Kyushu is their territory, and they also want to drive the Ming army out. As long as the shogunate does not use them as cannon fodder, of course they are willing to contribute.

After deciding on the strategy, Hosokawa Yoriyuki first ordered the army to retreat one mile again, and then quickly ordered people to repair the siege equipment.

Without equipment, it would be too difficult to just rely on people holding knives and carrying ladders to climb up.

When Li Wei saw them retreating for a moment, he was not in a hurry. Lu Tang stopped the attack first and waited patiently for them to repair the equipment before ordering the aim and firing again. The equipment that the Japanese had just repaired was scrapped again within a moment!

"idiot!"

Hosokawa Yoriyuki was furious. He was not angry that the Ming army's artillery had too far range, but that the Ming army general was clearly playing a trick on him!

"Are you still repairing?"

Yamana Tokiyoshi asked tentatively.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki glared at him and said angrily: "It's such a long distance, even if we repair it, we won't have a chance to transport the equipment to the city! Just attack like this and let the soldiers disperse!"

Several other people wanted to persuade, but they couldn't find any other way. Now they can only bite the bullet and attack!
After the major names gave orders, the Japanese army separated a vanguard and began to attack the city tentatively.

Seeing this, Li Wei had someone fire a few cannons. Although some casualties were caused, the effect was not very good because the Japanese formations were scattered. So he asked Lu Tang to stop the bombardment first and replace it with explosive shells. Wait until the Japanese get close before fighting.

As the Japanese approached within 500 steps, the artillery on the city roared again. Then when they advanced another 200 steps, the muskets also fired with bang. The Japanese casualties increased rapidly, and corpses were scattered along the way.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki tried to repair the siege equipment after he stopped the bombardment, but Li Wei was watching specially. Once he saw that they had repaired it, he used some of the reserved artillery to fire solid shells to destroy it.

After trying several times, Hosokawa Yoriyuki had no choice but to give up.

As the distance approached, Mingbian's artillery and muskets became more lethal, especially the muskets, whose hit rate increased greatly. After the Japanese killed and injured more than a thousand people, they showed signs of collapse without even touching the roots of the city wall.

Seeing this, Hosokawa Yoriyuki had to order the withdrawal of the vanguard and replace it with another group before rushing forward.

From the morning to the afternoon, they attacked seven or eight vanguards in a row. The Japanese only touched the root of the wall, and the damage to the Ming army was almost negligible.

Seeing this, Hosokawa Yoriyuki suddenly felt a little discouraged.

If the fight continues like this, as long as the Ming army has enough ammunition, even if it is given an army of 500,000, it will be difficult for him to break through this great Zaifu!
In the evening, he had to withdraw his troops and discuss countermeasures with Shao Er Puteng and others.

"Master in charge, this is not the way to go. Our casualties are too great. This is only the first day, and there have already been over 10,000 casualties. If this continues, this battle will be unwinnable!"

Ouchi Yoshihiro complained loudly.

Although the others did not speak, they agreed in their hearts.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki sighed and looked at Imagawa Sadyo and Yamana Tokiyoshi beside him.

Yamana Tokiyoshi also said helplessly: "The only solution now is to wait until the Ming army's ammunition is exhausted before we can retake Dazaifu."

"How to exhaust it? Are we going to use our lives to offset their ammunition?"

Shao Er Puteng asked displeasedly.

Yamana Tokiyoshi was speechless. There was no other way, otherwise what would they do? Stop fighting?

"Actually, there is nothing we can do. We can besiege but not attack. The Ming army will retreat sooner or later if they don't have enough food and fodder to supplement them."

Imagawa Sadyo said softly.

After hearing this, Pu Teng, the second son, quickly nodded in agreement: "This is a good idea. The Ming army will naturally retreat after they have exhausted their rations."

"Humph, this time the Ming army has robbed a lot of money and food from various places. How much can they sustain? Are our 200,000 troops going to waste it with them?"

Hosokawa Yoriyuki asked with a stern face.

Great names such as Shaoer Puteng have their own territories, so it doesn't matter if they fight a protracted war, but the shogunate's army cannot. They come from afar, and they also have to consume food and supplies. If they continue to consume it, it will be a big burden for the shogunate.

"Otherwise, we can attack while surrounding, sending a small number of troops to harass every day and induce them to use firearms. This can consume their ammunition with as few casualties as possible." Imagawa Sadyo added again.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea!"

Everyone else nodded slightly.

"In that case, let's do this!"

"it is good!"

Everyone finally reached a consensus.

The second time, the Japanese began a harassing siege, constantly sending small groups of soldiers and horses to harass.

Li Wei is not polite. With the muskets here, these small groups of soldiers will not be able to leave once they arrive.

Gunfire continued in Dazaifu every day, and the Japanese sent wave after wave.

Every few days, he would launch a large-scale attack to test the strength of the Ming army.

While Yoriyuki Hosokawa and others were executing this combat plan, they requested the shogunate to send additional troops and horses, and stepped up efforts to urge the daimyo in Honshu, Shikoku and other places to dispatch reinforcements.

Although they suffered casualties every day, the overall strength not only did not decrease, but also increased rapidly. In a few days, it exceeded the original 200,000 and headed straight for 300,000.

As time went by, the firepower of the Ming army weakened a lot as expected. Hosokawa Yoriyuki and others suddenly felt that they saw hope, and the frequency of offensives increased a lot.

In the Dazaifu, Li Wei sent someone to contact Du Yuan on the Navy to prepare him to respond, and at the same time asked Lu Tang, Shi Jun and others to organize manpower to gradually dismantle the artillery on the city wall.

He is ready to withdraw!
The Japanese's troops were increasing, and his ammunition was indeed running low.

Of course, if you really want to hold on, it’s okay to hold on for a few more months at the current consumption rate.

But his goal has been achieved, there is no need to waste time here.

The dawn light illuminated the earth, and Hosokawa Yoriyuki once again sent people to carry out harassment missions, but Dazaifu City was extremely silent, and there were no more deadly gunshots.

The samurai who performed the mission hurriedly came to report, and Hosokawa Yoriyuki was overjoyed when he learned about it. He secretly thought that the Ming army must have run out of ammunition. He knew that without firearms, he could not resist their 300,000-strong army, so he took the initiative to withdraw!
"Quick, go into the city and check the situation!" Hosokawa Yoriyuki said quickly.

"Yes!"

Wu Shi took the order and left. Soon after, he reported that the Ming army had indeed withdrawn.

After receiving the exact news, Hosokawa Yoriyuki finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, do we want to pursue him?" Yamana Mingyi asked aloud.

The corner of Hosokawa Yoriyuki's mouth moved slightly. To be honest, he was a little scared of the Ming army now. The Ming army took the initiative to retreat and must have retained its strength. I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to catch up.

But after thinking about it, he nodded in agreement.

It doesn't matter whether he pursues or not, he mainly wants to see the Ming army leave with his own eyes, and don't come back to kill him again!

In Hakata, not far from Dazaifu, a majestic ironclad ship docked. Li Wei had led the Ming army to board the ship overnight.

Hosokawa Yoriyuki led his men to pursue him. Seeing this giant iron-clad ship from a distance, he was even more horrified.

Fortunately, they did not take the initiative to go to sea to fight a naval battle with the Ming army, otherwise they might have suffered an even worse defeat.

The ironclad ship's chimney was burning black, and under the shocked eyes of Hosokawa Yoriyuki and others, it slowly left the dock and gradually accelerated away. (End of chapter)