Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 287 Lee Seong-gye’s Confidence
With the successful capture of Xuanwu Gate, the noise and chaos in the city became even worse. The morale of the Ming army soldiers was high, and they poured into the north city, preparing to continue advancing southward.

However, the uneasiness in Zhu Xiongying's heart was like a lingering dark cloud. His intuition told him that the way everything was going was a little unusual.

Perhaps others would not agree, but he had fought against this most elite Goryeo army. This Goryeo army, with the Left Guard of Yixing as its main force, was an iron-blooded army led by Lee Seong-gye who had fought in many battles in the south and the north for many years. It would not be so easy to be defeated in one blow.

What's more, the other side is defending the city.

In addition, the other side's retreat posture could even be said to be quite calm, as if they were luring the Ming army into the city.

"Coach, I don't think things are that simple." Zhu Xiongying turned to Lan Yu and said, his brows revealing great uneasiness.

Lan Yu heard this and observed for a moment. After a moment's silence, he said, "I feel the same way. Perhaps the Goryeo army has set a trap."

"The shape of the northern city is similar to that of an urn city. Could it be that there are archers on the remaining sides?"

Zhu Xiongying was thinking quickly. The picture in his mind was just like the scene in "The Warlords" where archers were used to shoot the surrendered soldiers.

"wrong."

Zhu Xiongying immediately ruled out this answer. The reason was very simple. The Xuanwu Gate had been opened, and the first batch of Ming troops rushing in were all elite heavy armored infantry.

Except for the crossbow that can string these heavily armored infantry through like a candied haws, other bows and crossbows, when shot at the armor, basically just make a noise. Even if they are shot into hedgehogs, as long as the arrows do not hit the same position, they will not have the effect of penetrating the armor.

The Goryeo army placed crossbows at the Zhuanjin Gate in the south, but how many could they place? You know, a team operating a crossbow usually needs three or four people, and the crossbow itself occupies a large area, and the North City is originally a urn structure, so there is really not much space.

Moreover, compared with the casualties caused by a wave of crossbow raids, the continued defense of Xuanwu Gate would cause greater casualties to the Ming army.

At this moment, Zhu Xiongying suddenly felt a tightness in his heart.

——He thought of a possibility.

"We can't let the heavy infantry move forward!"

Zhu Xiongying said to Lan Yu suddenly: "Under the North City, there may be gunpowder!"

"What did you say?!"

Lan Yu's voice was full of disbelief, and his eyes suddenly became sharp, scanning the restless soldiers around him and the still bustling North City in the distance.

Zhu Xiongying's guess was like a thunderclap, instantly exploding in the hearts of the generals around him, freezing their high spirits that were originally due to the sight of victory.

"Are you sure?" Every word Lan Yu said seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

If you guess wrong at this time, you will not be able to attack in one go, and you may miss the opportunity and allow the enemy to reorganize their defense.

But for the commander, war is like this. Sometimes, no matter what choice you make, it may lead to a worse result.

Zhu Xiongying nodded heavily. "We can't underestimate Li He's cunning. He deliberately retreated to lure us in. The structure of the north city's urn, coupled with our incredibly smooth siege process, is too coincidental. The Goryeo army can't have no backup plan. The most likely possibility is that there is gunpowder buried under the north city that is enough to turn the tide of the battle. He also learned this trick from us last time."

Lan Yu no longer hesitated and directly gave the order to sound the horn.

Since ancient times, the army would advance when drums were beaten and retreat when horns were sounded.

When the generals at the front heard the sound of the horn, their faces changed suddenly, but since it was the commander-in-chief's order, there was no need to hesitate. Failure to carry out the order would be punishable by military law!
He quickly looked around and shouted, "Everyone listen up! Stop advancing immediately! The heavy armored infantry retreat to a safe area immediately!"

The Ming army archers and musketeers who were originally charging forward suddenly stopped and looked at each other, but soon realized the seriousness of the situation and retreated according to orders.

The heavy armored infantry turned around quickly, protecting each other in a tight formation, and slowly retreated.

Zhu Xiongying and Lan Yu stood in the distance, staring at Beicheng, praying silently in their hearts, hoping that everything was still in time.

Just as the entire army was about to evacuate, a low roar suddenly came from under the North City, and then the ground began to shake violently, and an ominous premonition enveloped everyone's heart.
"Boom!"

With the deafening explosion, the North City seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force. Smoke and flames rose into the sky like a giant beast, covering the sky and the sun. It was not just a fire, but also a signal of death. It instantly engulfed the Ming soldiers who had not yet completely withdrawn. These soldiers were all the most elite heavy armored units in the Ming army.

Fortunately, thanks to Zhu Xiongying's keen intuition and decisive judgment, most of the Ming troops withdrew, with only more than a thousand people left inside.

"Hurry! Hurry up!"

The voice of the hot-tempered general beside him was almost drowned out by the roar of the explosion, but he still roared with all his might, urging the troops to evacuate as quickly as possible, although the people over there could not hear his voice at all.

Zhu Xiongying clenched his fists, stared at the sea of ​​fire with sharp eyes, and quickly thought of a countermeasure in his mind.

The chaos must be quelled quickly, otherwise the entire battle situation will become uncontrollable.

"Pass the order down, all artillery pieces immediately start covering fire on the South Gate of the North City and further away to suppress possible subsequent threats!" Zhu Xiongying gave the order decisively.

The explosion in the north city has already caused huge losses to the Ming army. At this time, we must not give the enemy any chance to continue attacking.

Although the gunpowder explosion would kill some soldiers, more soldiers would be knocked to the ground by the blast and unable to get up. They would also have difficulty breathing in the smoke and could not see the enemy. Therefore, the Goryeo army could not be given the opportunity to go out of the South Gate and reap the lives of these soldiers.

As the order was given, the Ming army's artillery quickly adjusted its angle and aimed at the south of the ruins of the northern city. Rounds of fierce fire poured out, completely engulfing the area in a sea of ​​fire.

As long as the south gate of the north city is suppressed, the Ming army inside the north city can be guaranteed to retreat safely.

The aftermath of the explosion gradually subsided, but the air was still filled with a pungent smell of burning and dust. Parts of the northern city even collapsed directly, and countless Ming soldiers were buried under the rubble. However, the discipline of the Ming army allowed them to stabilize the situation in a short period of time. Despite heavy casualties, the troops did not collapse.

In the smoke and dust, the soldiers of the Ming army stood up covered in dust and dirt. They looked very embarrassed, their clothes and armor were almost all torn, their skin was burned, and they were bleeding all over. They looked extremely miserable, but they still maintained basic calm.

"Raise your shield south first!"

The instruction was not complicated. As long as most soldiers were not killed in the explosion, they would continue to face south.

Then the centurions and generals began to shout loudly: "Archers, listen up! Shoot forward!"

Even with the cross-fire protection of artillery, this group of professional soldiers still relied on their instincts to make the best judgment to protect themselves.

But the Goryeo army was not idle either. Following the orders of the Goryeo generals, thousands of archers drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the Ming army ahead.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Countless arrows whizzed in like a swarm of locusts, instantly tearing apart the Ming army's formation. Many soldiers whose armor was damaged were shot to the ground by inertia.

But because of the thick smoke from the gunpowder, the Goryeo army's archers could only shoot blindly.

The Ming army now had a sparse formation and was protected by armor and shields, so it did not suffer particularly serious subsequent losses.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the Ming army behind them surged up like a tide. The Goryeo army had no second round of gunpowder to bury, and if they buried it at the south gate, they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

"Shoot!" the Goryeo general on the top of the city roared loudly, "Sprinkle kerosene to prevent the enemy from approaching!"

A deputy general immediately responded and ran away.

The Korean army also got busy, carrying several buckets of black liquid from the car and covering their noses with wet towels.

At this time, the Ming army's reinforcements had already erected a shield wall.

After a long time, the wounded were transported to the rear.

Immediately afterwards, the newly arrived Ming army maintained a uniform, rigorous and meticulous battle formation, like a solid reef.

These Ming troops were not frightened by the casualties of their friendly forces.

After all, the originally deadly trap actually only caused the deaths of 200 people because of Zhu Xiongying's command.

The Ming army no longer faced any obstacles when facing the south gate of the north city.

Soon, the Ming army was getting closer and closer, and the distance between the two sides was only about a hundred meters. The rain of arrows and catapults were worried about accidentally injuring friendly forces, so the attack range became smaller and smaller, and they could only occasionally hit the Ming army soldiers.

And because the Ming army carried a large number of artillery and the catapults in the city were not easy to move, they soon began to suffer retaliatory destruction, and the Goryeo army's projection power began to decline sharply.

Relying on their tenacious fighting spirit and sturdy armor, the Ming army soldiers withstood round after round of arrow attacks.

Finally, the Ming army arrived at the city wall.

At this time, the eyes of the soldiers on both sides were frighteningly red. They stared with their eyes wide open, holding their breath, staring at the enemy, as if waiting for the best prey.

The next second, both sides could no longer hold back.

The Ming army began to climb the city wall together, and a fierce battle was about to break out!
The two sides soon became entangled with each other.

After the Ming army soldiers climbed up to the top of the city wall, they fought a fierce battle with the Goryeo defenders on the narrow city wall. Corpses lay all over the ground, blood was flowing, and the Ming army soldiers kept falling and rising again.

Up to now, the soldiers on both sides have tried their best, even using all their strength. Such intense exercise has consumed the physical strength of both sides, making the battle extremely fierce.

"Clang" the weapons of the soldiers on both sides collided with each other, sparks burst out.

The Goryeo army also began to pour kerosene on a large scale. Some of them were not careful and their companions' limbs were directly caused to dance in the flames, and the scene was horrific with blood and flesh blurred.

The soldiers on both sides became more and more excited and crazy as they fought.

Some Ming army officers and soldiers did not even bother to protect themselves between moves, and just went head-on. As long as their armor could block the opponent's attack, they would stab the enemy's abdomen or neck with their swords, killing the enemy with one blow. The blood splattered and sprinkled on the Ming army's armor, making them look particularly hideous, like evil spirits from the underworld!

"Go to hell!"

A Ming army soldier shouted angrily and swung his iron sword to smash the head of the enemy next to him.

This weapon has become the main secondary weapon in combat between heavily armored units since the Song, Jin and Xia eras. Although it is not large or heavy, it is very effective in damaging blunt objects that pierce armor.

His movements were very fast and his force was great enough, but unfortunately he failed to hit the enemy and was blocked by the enemy's shield. Moreover, due to too much inertia, he staggered back half a step and almost fell.

At this moment, another Ming army soldier rushed up. He reacted faster and took advantage of the opportunity to stab his opponent in the chest with his knife.

The battle continued, with casualties on both sides. The smell of blood filled the air, stimulating the soldiers' sense of smell.

However, the Goryeo army did not give up and they continued to fight tenaciously.

The Ming army's target was the enemy's city gate. If they wanted to attack the outer city of Pyongyang, they had to capture the entire north city. But now there was only one gate left in the north city, which was Zhuanjin Gate.

The back of the Zhuanjin Gate was already tightly stuffed with all kinds of things, and it was impossible to break it open with a battering ram.

Therefore, only by capturing the city wall could we go around to the back of Zhuanjin Gate, clear out the debris, open the city gate, and let the army enter the city.

However, the Goryeo soldiers obviously did not want to let them do as they wished. When the Ming soldiers raised their swords and axes and rushed towards the city gate, a row of Goryeo soldiers blocked the gap, blocked the Ming soldiers' vision with shields, and then raised their spears and stabbed fiercely in an attempt to drive the Ming soldiers back.

Faced with the tenacious resistance of the Goryeo soldiers, the Ming army officers and soldiers did not retreat at all. They fought with the enemy regardless of the consequences. Even if their arms were chopped off, they would still exchange them for an enemy's leg, even at the cost of their lives.

The shouts and cries for help from both sides intertwined together, mixed with the sharp sounds of fighting, forming a roar that shook the earth.

"Kill--!"

"Rush over!"

The spirits of the Ming army soldiers were extremely excited. They were all strong and muscular. They brandished steel knives and rushed forward with roars.

On the city wall, the battle entered a white-hot stage, and the Ming army's archers and musketeers also followed.

"Pass the order down, concentrate firepower to attack the densely packed areas of the enemy, and make sure to disrupt their formation!"

Archers and musketeers began to provide firepower support to their comrades who were approaching the city from a high position. The dense rain of arrows and bullets continued to pour into the Goryeo defenders, weakening their will to resist. After rounds of fierce shooting, the Goryeo army's formation finally became chaotic. The Ming army seized this opportunity and launched a more fierce charge.

The Ming army soldiers were indeed an elite force. They attacked fiercely from a section of the city wall and soon broke through the Goryeo army's defense. Finally, after a hard battle, the Ming army successfully broke through the Goryeo army's defense line and approached Zhuanjin Gate.

However, as soon as they arrived at the place where the sluice gate was controlled from the city gate, they were greeted by a terrifying wave of crossbow arrows.

No, this is not an arrow at all. It might be more appropriate to call it a short spear.

The Ming army soldiers were immediately thrown to the ground, some were shot dead, and some fell to the ground wailing.

However, the crossbows placed on the streets could not stop the advance of the Ming army, they could only temporarily alleviate the decline of the Goryeo army.

However, just as they were about to open the city gate, an even more powerful resistance stood in their way - a line of defense composed of elite soldiers from the Left Guard of Goryeo Yixing's personal army.

These soldiers were wearing heavy armor and holding long axes, and their eyes revealed their determination to fight to the death.

They knew that once the city gate was lost, the entire outer city of Pyongyang would soon fall into the hands of the Ming army. Therefore, they had to hold this line of defense at all costs.

"Kill!" The Goryeo general shouted loudly. His voice inspired the soldiers to fight forward bravely. However, facing the overwhelming offensive of the Ming army, their resistance became increasingly difficult.

While bloody fighting was going on in the front, the Goryeo army was in chaos in the rear.

A lieutenant rushed in and reported: "General Li, many rebels have appeared in the city, and they are trying to seize other gates!"

Li He snorted coldly and said, "These are traitors who refuse to submit to the king."

However, Li He did not appear to be panicking. He just ordered: "We have the city wall to rely on. How can it be so easy to be breached from the inside? Send the order and send troops to wipe out the rebels in the city."

The lieutenant took the order and left. Soon after, many Goryeo soldiers poured out of the city. They rushed to the East City and South City areas of the outer city, preparing to eliminate the rebels.

These so-called rebels were naturally the forces in Goryeo that refused to submit to Lee Seong-gye.

Fortunately, the Ming army did not massacre the city of Anzhou before.

Otherwise, no one would dare to help the Ming army.

Of course, this is also because the Ming Dynasty holds the Crown Prince Gongyang of Goryeo in its hands, and its legitimacy is much stronger than that of Lee Seong-gye.

In a place like Pyongyang where the power of the old aristocracy and literati is relatively concentrated, it is not surprising that there would be spontaneous internal cooperation with the Ming army.

With the sudden appearance of rebels in the city, the situation in Pyongyang became more complicated, and the Goryeo army had to divide its forces to deal with it, which undoubtedly weakened their defense against the main force of the Ming army.

Zhu Xiongying and Lan Yu stood in the distance, calmly observing every subtle change on the battlefield, secretly thinking about how to take advantage of this new opportunity.

"It seems that we are lucky." Zhu Xiongying smiled faintly and said to Lan Yu, "The emergence of the rebels may be the key to our capture of Pyongyang."

Lan Yu nodded in agreement: "Li He is now under attack from both sides. Our chance has come."

"Pass the order down, have all troops seize the opportunity and speed up their advance. Make sure to strike a fatal blow to the enemy while the two sides are fighting inside."

The order was quickly conveyed to the entire army, and the spirits of the Ming army soldiers were boosted. They seemed to have seen the dawn of victory, and their morale suddenly became higher.

At this time, the Goryeo army was in a dilemma. On the one hand, they had to resist the fierce offensive of the Ming army, and on the other hand, they had to send troops to suppress the rebels in the city. Their defense line began to crumble under the double attack of the Ming army and the rebels.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Li He roared loudly on the city wall, trying to boost morale, but his voice was soon drowned out by the noise of the battlefield. Although the Goryeo soldiers tried their best, under tremendous pressure, the defense line was gradually torn open by the Ming army.

The Ming army poured into the gap like a tide and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the Goryeo army. The battle near Zhuanjin Gate was particularly brutal. The blood of soldiers on both sides dyed the city walls red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

After a desperate fight, the Ming army finally broke through the last line of defense of the Goryeo army and successfully occupied the Zhuanjin Gate. They quickly cleared the obstacles behind the gate, opened the city gate, and paved the way for the subsequent army to enter the city.

As the city gates swung open, the Ming army poured into the outer city of Pyongyang like a tide. They were unstoppable and quickly occupied important strongholds in the city, forcing the Goryeo army into a desperate situation.

Li He stood on the city wall, looking at the flames burning everywhere in the city and the chaotic scene, his heart filled with despair.

He knew that the fall of Pyongyang was inevitable.

If it weren't for these rebels, perhaps he could have relied on the four-layer city structure to resist step by step and hold on.

But now, the internal situation has collapsed and there is no chance of continuing to hold on.

In order to preserve our manpower, the best way is to break through.

Li He ordered his men to open several gates of the outer city at the same time and led his troops to break out.

The Ming army did not have a clear advantage in total military strength, and its main purpose was to attack the city, so it did not, or did not have the ability to, surround the city on all sides.

Therefore, the Ming cavalry, which was unable to participate in the siege, was led by Prince of Yan Zhu Di and adopted the method of blocking the south and deploying some cavalry on the east and west sides.

In theory, as long as the enemy escapes, the cavalry in the south will always be able to react.

But there were a large number of Goryeo cavalry in the outer city, and the city gates were controlled by them, so Li He adopted a more clever approach - dividing his troops and breaking out at the same time.

In this way, although one of the troops is bound to be lost, the remaining cavalry can always be preserved.

Therefore, after breaking through the blockade of the Ming cavalry cruising outside the city, more than 10,000 cavalrymen of the Yixing Royal Army's Left Guard still withdrew.

However, the vast majority of the Goryeo troops, as well as the huge amount of baggage they had stored in Pyongyang, were unable to withdraw.

With Li He's retreat, the morale of the remaining Goryeo troops in Pyongyang fell to the bottom. The Ming army took the opportunity to launch a full-scale offensive and defeated the remaining Goryeo defenders one by one.

A scout hurried over and knelt on one knee to report the battle situation.

Zhu Xiongying heard this and his eyes became stern. "Pass the order down. Make sure to annihilate all the Goryeo troops in the city and don't let them have a chance to breathe. At the same time, ask the King of Yan to lead the main force of the cavalry to pursue the remnants of Li He and make sure to completely destroy them."

It took more than two hours before order was restored in the city.

In Pyongyang, the Ming army began to take over the city and appease the people. Some soldiers were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield, while others assisted in treating the wounded.

After receiving the battle report, Lee Seong-gye in Kaesong had a solemn expression and remained silent.

Next to him, Li Zhilan, who had returned earlier, knelt on the ground and apologized.

"It was our fault that we lost Pyongyang."

"I am willing to redeem myself from my crime and lead the troops to fight back!" Li Zhilan said with his head down.

Li Chenggui sighed, slowly stood up and walked in front of Li Zhilan.

He patted Li Zhilan on the shoulder and said, "I don't blame you."

Li Zhilan was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears.

This Goryeo army, with Yixing's personal army and left guard as its main force, can be said to be an important force in the northern defense. But now, among the 30,000 troops who went to the battlefield, only more than 10,000 people escaped back, and they are still defending the city. To be honest, even if Lee Seong-gye killed him on the spot in a rage to vent his anger, Lee Ji-ran would not say a word.

After all, the Yixing Army was the wealth accumulated by Lee Seong-gye during his twenty years of military service.

These troops had fought with him against the Red Turban Army, the Mongols, and the Japanese pirates. This is the real reason why Lee Seong-gye was able to become king.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

Lee Seong-gye looked at the night outside the palace and murmured to himself, "Where is the destiny?"

Zheng Daochuan, who was standing beside him, reported, "Your Majesty, I have already found out that Zhu Xiongying is the eldest grandson of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He is now named the King of Wu. His mother died early, but the Duke of Liang, Lan Yu, had a close in-law relationship with him, so he deliberately cultivated Zhu Xiongying and gave him the command of the army. This time when the Ming army captured Pyongyang, it was this man who commanded the battle."

Lee Seong-gye nodded slightly and said, "In the absence of heroes, this young man can become famous."

"Your Majesty, what are you going to do?" Li Zhilan asked.

Lee Seong-gye waved his hand and said, "Except for the artillery, this Ming army is not as unstoppable as imagined, but it is indeed a well-equipped and well-trained force."

Although the left guard of Yixing's imperial army has retreated, the right guard is still in Kaifeng and its strength is well preserved.

What Lee Bang-won brought to Busan were only five of the ten guards, namely Yingyang, Jinwu, Zuoyou, Shenhu, and Xingwei, which amounted to 50,000 people.

There are more than 200,000 regular troops in Goryeo, so they will not lose the capital to turn the situation around just because of the defeat in Pyongyang.

Among these more than 200,000 regular troops, the military establishment in Kaifeng and its surrounding areas has 140,000 troops, which is truly a strong trunk and weak branches.

Among them, the Left Guard and the Right Guard of Yixing's imperial army had 30,000 men each, totaling 60,000 men, and the remaining eight guards each had a strength of 10,000 men.

Now in Kaifeng, there is also the Right Guard of Yixing's Imperial Army, plus the three guards of Beixun, Qianniu and Jianmen.

Of course, Lee Seong-gye did not have complete control over these three guards. It was hard to say whether any of them would turn against him when the battle really came.

Moreover, many of these soldiers had been garrisoning in Kaifeng for a long time and had never fought in a war, so their combat effectiveness was not very strong.

In addition, a part of the troops had to be left behind to suppress the opposition. The only troops that Lee Seong-gye could really use for maneuver were the more than 10,000 remnants of the Left Guard of the Uighur Army, the intact Right Guard of the Uighur Army of 30,000, and the more powerful Qianniu Guard, totaling 50,000 people.

Theoretically, these 50,000 people are enough to resist the Ming army.

The reason why Lee Seong-gye was not panicked was because he saw the situation very clearly. Although the Ming army had won victory after victory, by the time the Ming army occupied Pyongyang, the Ming army was already at the end of its strength.

This "last gasp" does not refer to the Ming army's inability to fight again, but to the Ming army's supply line.

Perhaps the Ming army could have continued to move southward, but after crossing the Taedong River, the Ming army's supply line would have reached a temporary limit. At that time, if no significant progress could be made, they would have to retreat back to Pyongyang.

However, the food production in the area north of Pyongyang was not enough to sustain a Ming army of this size through the winter.

Goryeo was indeed small, and the farmland in Goryeo was generally barren. The soil for growing rice and wheat was far inferior to that of Ming Dynasty. However, the agricultural development in the central and southern parts of Goryeo was no worse than that of Ming Dynasty.

But the northern part is in a mess.

Therefore, the Ming army had to transport food from the country.

However, the Ming army’s navy clearly did not have the extra capacity to transport food to an army of this size.

Therefore, it is likely that we will have to travel by land, which means more losses.

How long can the Ming army’s domestic reserves last after this winter?

In addition, Lee Bang-won's attack around Busan was very successful, so Lee Seong-gye was confident that he could drive the Ming army on the southern front, which was mainly composed of Mongolian mercenaries, back to Jeju Island within a month.

In this way, even if a part of the troops are left behind, at least 30,000 mobile troops can be transferred back.

By gathering garrison troops from various places and non-regular mobile troops, he will be able to assemble an army of 100,000 people by the beginning of next spring.

Please note that these 100,000 people are all combat soldiers.

If auxiliary troops and civilian laborers were included, the number would be close to 200,000.

As usual, when bragging to the outside world, the amount was doubled, and with a lucky number, an army of 400,000 was directly sent out.

In addition, the grain harvest this year was good, and Lee Seong-gye was confident that after he recovered from his injury from falling off his horse, he would personally lead the fight against the Ming army.

(End of this chapter)