Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 288 Busan
Li Fangyuan stood on the top of the hill. The morning light was just breaking, and the golden sunlight penetrated the mist and sprinkled on his face.

His gaze penetrated the distance and locked onto the direction of Busan Port, where the Ming army's flags fluttered slightly in the morning light.

On the outskirts of Busan Port, there are many forts built by the Ming army.

Previously, the southeastern states did respond to the successor to the throne of Goryeo Crown Prince Wang Seok, and many counties defected.

However, the Ming army was short of manpower and was busy deploying defenses around Busan, so it was unable to provide much support to these counties. However, under Lee Seong-gye's decisive decision, Lee Bang-won's 50,000 combat troops, 30,000 auxiliary troops and 20,000 civilian laborers, a total of 100,000 people, came quickly and fiercely, and quickly settled the rebellious counties.

Some of the counties were more stubborn, but Lee Bang-won quickly conquered them and massacred the people in the city.

Yes, Lee Bang-won treated the Goryeo people even more cruelly than the Ming army.

Because for the father and son of the Lee family, they were usurpers. If they could not kill people to establish their authority, and kill people until they were afraid and dared not oppose them, then the Lee family's short-lived rule over Goryeo would most likely come to an end.

Li Fangyuan rode a majestic black horse and slowly walked to the front of the battle.

He looked around and raised his sword high.

"All troops, listen up!" Lee Bang-won's voice was deep and powerful, penetrating the tranquility of the early morning and echoing among the valleys.

"March!"

As Lee Bang-won's order was issued, all units of the Goryeo army began to act quickly.

The heavily armored infantry were in the front, armed with spears and shields, forming an indestructible line of defense.

The light cavalry stood by on both sides, their horses' hooves gently tapping the ground, preparing to bypass Busan's terrain. In theory, the terrain was not suitable for them to perform during the siege phase, and the real useful ones were the infantry units that could tackle tough problems.

The archers stood at the back of the team, their bowstrings tuned and taut, their arrows shining coldly in the sun.

However, this Goryeo army encountered a threat before it could get close to the Ming army's fortress.

A burst of rapid horse hoofbeats suddenly sounded, like a dark cloud sweeping over from the edge of the distant grassland. Li Fangyuan frowned slightly, his sharp eyes piercing through the dust in front of him, and he knew in his heart the impending threat - Mongolian cavalry, and they were coming in waves.

These Mongols who grew up on Jeju Island did not forget the horse riding and archery skills of their ancestors that helped them conquer the world just because Jeju Island is an island.

On the contrary, the terrain there is flat, with abundant grass and water, which is very suitable for raising horses. Therefore, the Mongols on these islands are not only good at swimming, but also good at riding and shooting.

A Mongolian centurion wearing an animal skin robe and an eagle feather crown on his head was particularly eye-catching. His name was Bater. He had a burly figure and eyes as sharp as an eagle. All the Mongols on Jeju Island knew that whenever he pulled the bowstring to its full extent, the arrow would be like the eye of death, shooting accurately at the enemy formation.

"My men, let these Koreans see how powerful our Mongolian cavalry are!" Battelle encouraged the cavalrymen around him with his deep and powerful voice.

At his command, the Mongolian cavalry moved flexibly around the edge of the battlefield like an arrow from a bow, constantly threatening and harassing the rear and flanks of the Goryeo army among the plains and low hills around Busan.

The largest unit of these Mongolian cavalry was no more than a hundred households, and a small team often consisted of dozens or even a dozen people.

If they were to fight head-on, the Mongolian cavalry of that era would really be no match for them.

But in this kind of terrain, harassing from a distance is like a fish in water.

As long as the Goryeo army's main camp sent out a large number of cavalry to chase them, they would just run away and then circle around with their men.

If their number is equal to or less than theirs, they will continue to use their favorite "Mangudai" tactic, which was called "Parthian archery" by the ancient Romans. The mounted archers would flee while turning around on their horses and shooting arrows at the enemies behind them.

To put it simply, this tactic is to pretend to flee and lure the enemy into pursuit, and its essence is speed and suddenness. It can continuously attack the enemy from a long distance and not give the enemy a chance to fight back. Under this kind of attack, no matter how strong the enemy's spirit is, as long as you keep chasing him, it is only a matter of time before he completely collapses.

The core of this tactic, or the prerequisite for its success, requires several points.

First, the Mongolian horses’ speed and endurance were greater than those of their enemies.

Second, the Mongols were able to pull strong bows and aim at the enemy, and they were able to do such difficult maneuvers as turning around and shooting.

Third, the Mongols were able to maintain a high level of tenacity when fighting in small groups or even individually.

The Tatars and Oirat people on the grasslands are now unable to do these things.

In fact, they were not as good as the elite troops of the northern border of the Ming Dynasty when they used the Mangudai tactics.

These Mongols on Jeju Island would not be able to compete with the elite cavalry of the Ming army in the north, but they were more than capable of outwitting the Koreans and flying their kites.

To put it bluntly, although the Koreans had a lot of war horses and cavalry at that time, they did not understand how to use cavalry at all because their country lacked large areas of plains and grasslands. They did not have the innate conditions.

Therefore, many of their cavalry were mounted infantry, and when fighting, they had to dismount and fight on foot just like the Jurchens. They were not a nomadic nation that started out with riding and archery.

A small number of well-trained cavalrymen can indeed fight normally on horseback.

But the problem is that these cavalrymen could not compare with the Mongols in terms of archery, horse control, and endurance.

Therefore, the Goryeo army soon found itself in a dilemma. If they continued to advance, these Mongols, who did not need unified command at all, would fight on their own and frantically harass the Goryeo army's marching troops. Once they sent out their own cavalry, it would not only disperse their forces but also have little effect.

The Goryeo army's formation therefore suffered a considerable impact. Although a large number of heavy armored infantry were as solid as a mountain, they inevitably seemed a bit clumsy under the flexible attacks of the Mongolian cavalry. Facing such a fast-moving target, the archers' hit rate of their rain of arrows was greatly reduced.

Seeing this, Lee Bang-won frowned and quickly adjusted his tactics. He ordered some light cavalry to abandon the direct charge and instead adopt a small team mode to establish a mobile defense line outside the marching column of the army, like a wall, to flexibly deal with the harassment of the Mongolian cavalry, and at the same time strengthen the protection of the rear to ensure the safety of the supply line and retreat route.

Bater was a skilled and courageous man. When he saw the Goryeo army changing its formation, he led his own 100-man team and rushed towards Li Fangyuan's central army, trying to disrupt the enemy's formation.

A cold light flashed in Li Fangyuan's eyes. He knew Bater's intention very well, but he also admired his courage.

"The mantis' arm is like a chariot."

He was not panicked, but instead a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, as if everything was under control.

"Pass the order down. The central army continues to move forward, and the light cavalry on both sides speed up and make a detour. We must cut off the Mongolian cavalry." Li Fangyuan's order was quickly conveyed to the entire army through the messenger.

At the same time, Lee Bang-won personally led the cavalry guards, accelerated suddenly like a flash of lightning, and outflanked the Mongolian cavalry.

The sound of their horses' hooves echoed across the not-so-wide plain between the hills, stirring up clouds of dust and making their momentum as powerful as a rainbow.

Seeing this, Bater frowned, realizing that the Goryeo army was no ordinary force.

But as the saying goes, "the arrow is on the string and must be shot", he could only bite the bullet and continue to lead his troops towards the central army, trying to use the advantages of Mongolian cavalry archery to divert some of the attention of the Goryeo cavalry.

"Boys, follow me!" Bater shouted loudly, pulling the longbow in his hand to its full length, and shot an arrow straight towards where Li Fangyuan was.

The arrow pierced the sky with a sharp sound of wind, and instantly killed a Goryeo cavalryman.

At this moment, several groups of Goryeo light cavalry on both sides, including Li Fangyuan's personal cavalry, were approaching. They quickly formed an encirclement and surrounded the Mongolian cavalry.

Bater and his men wanted to withdraw from the battle by cutting off an angle, but to his surprise, the Goryeo army's horses were so fast that the two sides drew a circle and actually managed to trap them!
The Mongols were good at guerrilla warfare but not good at frontal combat. At this moment, they were outnumbered by the Goryeo army and were immediately caught in a tough battle.

While commanding the cavalry to break out, Bater was looking for Lee Bang-won. He knew very well that as long as he could kill the enemy's main general, he would be able to completely crush the morale of the Goryeo army. However, the Goryeo army's personal cavalry were all wearing exactly the same armor, and their identities could only be distinguished by their waist badges. He couldn't find which Lee Bang-won was at all. The Goryeo army's main general seemed to have disappeared in the fog of the battlefield, making it impossible for him to find him.

At this moment, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from afar. Li Fangyuan's personal cavalry accelerated again. These tall horses burst out at an astonishing speed in a short distance, like divine soldiers sent from heaven, rushing straight towards the Mongolian cavalry.

When Battelle saw this, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes. He knew that he had underestimated the enemy. There was no way to retreat today. He could only fight to the death to see if he could break through.

He squeezed the horse's belly hard, and the horse neighed loudly, and rushed towards Lee Bang-won's personal cavalry in front of him like an arrow.

The two armies clashed with bows and arrows, and the air was filled with a thick smell of blood.

Lee Bang-won did not lead the troops, but was in the middle of the formation. His black horse was like black lightning on the battlefield, with an astonishing speed.

His eyes were cold and firm, as if he could see through every subtle change on the battlefield. He led his guards like sharp blades, cutting through the Mongolian cavalry's defense line.

Seeing this, Battelle's fighting spirit was completely ignited.

He shouted loudly, inspiring every soldier around him and making them feel his indomitable will. Under his leadership, the Mongolian cavalry burst out with amazing fighting power. Although they were outnumbered, they relied on their agility and precise archery to constantly create trouble for Lee Bang-won's personal cavalry.

On the battlefield, arrows fell like raindrops.

There is only this round of rain of arrows, and there is only this round of opportunity.

Next, because this Mongolian 100-man team was blocked by Lee Bang-won from the side, they had to break through Lee Bang-won's blockade in order to escape.

Thus, a head-on bloody battle began.

The sunlight gradually dispelled the mist, illuminating the battlefield brightly, and the air was filled with the solemn atmosphere of iron and blood.

The Goryeo Royal Guards Cavalry, wearing heavy armor and holding sharp spears, had strict formations and advanced and retreated in an orderly manner, demonstrating a high degree of discipline and the ability to coordinate operations. Although their endurance and archery were not good, they had a large number of people. Therefore, they were like a fisherman's big net to catch fish. Whenever Mongolian cavalry tried to break into the formation, they would be quickly surrounded by their tight defense network.

On the other hand, although the Mongolian cavalry did not have the advantage in numbers, they relied on their agility and superb riding and archery skills to move around the battlefield like ghosts, constantly looking for the flaws of the Goryeo army.

With no chance to shoot arrows, they drew their sabers without hesitation and engaged the enemy in close combat.

Where the two armies clashed, the flashes of swords and the shadows of sabers intertwined, the sounds of horse hooves and shouts of killing rose and fell, as if to tear the entire battlefield apart.

As time went on, the fighting became more intense.

Some Mongolian cavalry broke through this blocking line, but many could not break out and fought hard inside.

Relying on their advantages in numbers and equipment, the Goryeo Royal Guard Cavalry gradually compressed the Mongolian cavalry into a small space.

However, the Mongolian cavalry did not give up resistance. They continued to struggle desperately under the leadership of Bater, trying to find a glimmer of hope.

However, as the battle progressed, the disadvantages of the Mongolian cavalry became increasingly obvious, and their physical strength began to be overdrawn. Under the powerful offensive of the Royal Guards Cavalry, they were finally unable to hold on.

Finally, after a fierce confrontation, Lee Bang-won found the right moment and pierced Bater's armor with a shot, and the blood instantly dyed his clothes red.

Battelle's body trembled, and then fell down weakly. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and his career as a soldier came to an end.

With the fall of Bater, the morale of the Mongolian cavalry plummeted. The Goryeo army took the opportunity to launch a siege and completely defeated the remaining dozens of Mongolian cavalry.

The battlefield was filled with cheers of victory, and Lee Bang-won stood in the center of the battlefield, like a descending god of war.

Next, although the Goryeo army's march was still harassed by the Mongolian cavalry, it was much smoother than at the beginning. At least the cavalry established a protective line on both sides, so the infantry could be protected from the rain of arrows and march normally.

Soon, the Goryeo army arrived at the fort outside Busan Port and began to attack. The heavy armored infantry took the brunt of the attack. They walked steadily, with their shields tightly connected, forming a moving iron wall. The Ming army's arrows flew like raindrops, but most of them were blocked by the solid shields. Occasionally, an arrow penetrated the gap and landed on the Goryeo soldiers' armor, making a crisp sound, but failed to cause substantial damage.

The archers began to compete with their physical strength. They did not need to adjust the shooting angle, they only needed to throw at a 45-degree angle.

With waves of "whoosh" sounds, some Mongolian soldiers who lacked armor were shot and killed.

As arrows poured down like locusts, cracks began to appear in the outer defense line, which was a mixture of mostly Mongolian soldiers and a small number of Ming troops.

The heavy armored infantry took the opportunity to launch a fierce charge.

The Ming army's stronghold was on the verge of collapse under the impact of the heavy armored infantry. Although the defenders put up a tenacious resistance, they seemed powerless in the face of the Goryeo army's overwhelming offensive.

After all, these strongholds were built here to attract firepower and consume the enemy's morale, so it is unlikely that they will get any decent support.

The battle to clear and capture the outer fort was extremely fierce from the beginning, and soldiers on both sides tried their best.

Relying on its numerical advantage, the Goryeo army gradually gained the upper hand. The infantry defense line composed mainly of Mongols began to collapse, and the soldiers retreated one after another, trying to escape from this land of death.

However, the Goryeo army did not give them this opportunity. The heavy infantry continued to attack the fort, and the light cavalry pursued them relentlessly, leaving the Mongols no chance to breathe.

After all, these Mongols on Jeju Island are dragons on horseback, but when they dismount and fight on foot, they are at most bugs.

Li Fangyuan stood in the center of the battlefield, commanding the entire army to carry out continuous attacks and breakthroughs.

The battle was long.

The Ming army put a lot of thought into the outer forts. Although there was not much manpower involved and the Mongols were the main defensive force, the design was still very thoughtful.

Therefore, even though the Mongols were not that strong in combat, were not equipped with so much armor, and lacked sufficient long-range fire support, the Goryeo army still paid a considerable price just to defeat them one by one.

The price of this kind, apart from the loss of soldiers' lives, is more the loss of their fighting spirit.

Many people are already tired of it.

There are forts one after another scattered around the outskirts of Busan Port. Even if a battle is not that difficult, it will still take time and cost lives.

After spending two days, Lee Bang-won finally arrived at the port city of Busan.

The reason why they attacked so fiercely without caring about casualties was because Lee Bang-won knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Ming army. There were only a few thousand real Ming troops, and the rest were Mongols. The Mongols' combat effectiveness was not that strong. As long as they could force their way through the harassment and wait for the real infantry combat, these Mongols on Jeju Island would be quite weak.

Moreover, whether from a tactical or strategic perspective, Goryeo cannot afford to delay.

From a tactical perspective, the Ming army had a fairly large ocean-going squadron deployed on Jeju Island. In addition, a lot of supplies were stockpiled on Jeju Island, and Goryeo did not have any decent navy. If it had a navy, it would not have been so badly beaten by the Japanese pirates.

In short, the Ming army could always obtain supplies through the fleet, so they were not afraid of long-term siege or confrontation.

Moreover, as time went on, the Ming army could obtain a steady supply of reinforcements from the country. The Ming Dynasty had an army of more than two million. Although most of them were farming households similar to farmers, there were also hundreds of thousands of regular combat soldiers. Just dispatching some of them from the country would be enough to give Goryeo a hard time.

Well, the ratio of population to military is "30:1" which is actually a universal ratio.

Goryeo had a population of more than six million and an army of more than 200,000.

The Ming Dynasty had a population of more than 60 million and an army of more than 2 million.

As for neighboring Japan, it has a population of more than 10 million. Due to the long-term war, the Northern and Southern Dynasties combined had a total of 400,000 troops.

In many people's impressions, there is a saying that "10 farmers support one soldier", but this can only be maintained under the extreme state of war. For example, when Zhuge Liang went north to fight, the Han Dynasty had a total population of more than one million, and it was only able to gather 100,000 troops. These 100,000 troops were the foundation of the country, and Zhuge Liang did not dare to lose them. Therefore, there was the story of Qiu Feng Wuzhangyuan. Why did they farm in Wuzhangyuan? To put it bluntly, this place is the exit of the mountain road. Even if they cannot defeat the Wei army, they can take all the soldiers back.

For a normal country, it is already very good if one soldier is sent out of thirty people.

Moreover, these soldiers are most likely to farm or do some logistical and baggage transportation work. If we only consider the ratio of population to combat soldiers, it may be several dozen to one, or even a hundred to one, which is very normal.

From a strategic perspective, Goryeo was facing attacks from both the north and the south.

Although Lee Bang-won was unaware of the terrible war situation in the north at this moment, he did not have a radio after all.

But the problem was that he knew very well that he had a huge advantage in military strength, and the opponent did not have a very capable force, only a small number of Ming troops, and the rest were Mongols.

So, he must win.

And it must be defeated quickly.

Only in this way could he lead his troops north to help his father.

And if Lee Bang-won fails to capture Busan for a long time, the strategic situation of the entire Goryeo will become very bad.

Because of this, even though the army had become quite tired due to continuous marching and fighting, Lee Bang-won did not hesitate at all and chose to push the troops to their physical limits.

At daybreak, the Goryeo soldiers, still sore all over after waking up, began to leave their tents to eat breakfast.

Rice balls with kimchi and a bowl of kelp soup, without any meat at all.

There is no way. Goryeo is a small country with poor people. It is good enough to have something to eat. Now most farmers are still eating black steamed buns. White rice balls are a good thing for them.

Soon, the Goryeo army, which had not had enough to eat, would face the most difficult task.

——Conquer the port city of Busan.

Unlike the previous cleaning work on the outer fortresses, the difficulty of this mission increased dramatically.

Because the garrisons here are basically all Ming troops, and there are quite a lot of heavily armored units, as well as all kinds of city defense equipment, such as rolling logs, stones, kerosene, and gold juice.

What’s even more terrible is that the Ming army has artillery.

And a lot of artillery!

In addition to the artillery on land, there were also Ming army warships cruising outside Busan Port.

The muzzles of these warships were also pointed in the direction of Busan Port City. Although they were basically at the maximum distance, they could still provide some help to the defenders once the war broke out.

After all, the Busan Port at that time was not a huge port. It might be a bit shabby to call it a small fishing village, but it was indeed just an ordinary coastal port.

Well, the hydrological conditions are still very good, suitable for berthing large fleets.

Moreover, the tides are relatively regular and there are not many reefs.

If not for this, the Ming army would definitely not choose to land at Busan Port. After all, for them, there are options closer to Jeju Island.

But no matter what, the Goryeo army had no choice but to launch the attack.

A large number of heavy-armored infantry, the strongest fighting force in the army in the absence of armored cavalry, were pushed to the front like ducks, but judging from their weak steps, they were somewhat tired.

The Ming army was not polite either.

"fire!"

Relying on the large number of artillery pieces and the pre-calibrated shooting parameters, the Goryeo army's heavy armored infantry formation was hit head-on as soon as it entered the shooting range of the Ming army's artillery group.

With a deafening roar, the Ming army's artillery seemed to open its angry mouth and spew out destructive shells.

The shrapnel cut through the sky, carrying with it the breath of death, and landed precisely in the heavily armored infantry formation of the Goryeo army, exploding instantly and raising clouds of dust.

Although the heavy infantrymen were wearing heavy armor, they were still extremely fragile under such fierce artillery fire. The impact of the shells directly blew away several soldiers. The sturdy armor was twisted and deformed in the explosion, and some were even torn apart, revealing the bloody bodies inside.

The air was filled with thick smoke and smell of blood, making people suffocate.

"Hold your ground! Keep moving forward!" Lee Bang-won's voice pierced through the gunfire.

He was well aware that in the face of the absolute advantage of firearms, any fear or retreat would only accelerate failure.

Lee Bang-won was also brave. He rode his horse forward, personally supervised the battle and boosted morale.

Seeing this scene, the other Goryeo soldiers suppressed their fear, gritted their teeth, and continued to advance.

The archers in the rear were looking for opportunities to shoot, and soon arrows rained down on the top of the city walls, trying to suppress the Ming army's firepower points.

As the Goryeo army pressed forward, some artillery pieces overheated from continuous firing and had to temporarily stop firing to cool down.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Goryeo army's infantry began to grit their teeth and continue to charge quickly.

The Ming soldiers on the city wall were not to be outdone. Relying on the solid city defenses, they continuously threw rolling logs, stones and kerosene cans down to the city, causing great trouble to the attacking Goryeo army.

"call out!"

The rockets ignited the kerosene tanks, and large patches of flames raged across the battlefield, engulfing all life.

The battle entered a white-hot stage, and both sides were fighting hard for every inch of ground.

Relying on their numerical advantage and tenacious fighting spirit, the Goryeo army gradually approached the city wall and began to climb the city like ants using ladders, while the Ming army relied on artillery and city defense fortifications to tenaciously guard this port city.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Ming army's musketeers also began to show their power, pointing their guns downwards and pulling the triggers.

Smoke rose, and then a large number of heavily armored soldiers of the Goryeo army were knocked down or killed.

After all, projectiles have great impact force at close range and can cause good armor-piercing effects.

Li Fangyuan stood at the front line, staring closely at every move on the city wall with a sharp gaze.

At this moment, a messenger hurried over and reported an important piece of information to Lee Bang-won: According to reports from coastal fishermen, a reinforcement of the Ming army was coming from the sea and was expected to arrive at the battlefield soon.

This news was like a heavy hammer. Lee Bang-won issued a new order without hesitation: "Speed ​​up the attack at all costs and capture Busan Port before the reinforcements arrive!"

(End of this chapter)