Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 289 The Arrival of the Support Fleet

Lee Bang-won's orders were delivered to various parts of the Goryeo army as messengers ran around.

The Goryeo army that marched south this time consisted of five guards: Yingyang, Jinwu, Zuoyou, Shenhu, and Xingwei.

The combat effectiveness of these five guards is also different.

Among them, Yingyang, Jinwu and Shenhu guards have relatively strong combat effectiveness, while Zuoyou and Xingwei guards are relatively weak.

But the current situation is here. No matter how strong our combat capability is, we have to go ahead with it.

Officers at all levels of the Goryeo Army were also very clear about the current situation, and their fatigue seemed to be swept away by this sudden sense of urgency.

Everyone knows that there is no way out at this moment, and the only way to have a chance of survival is to try one's best.

"rush!"

The heavy infantry generals of the Goryeo army gave orders one after another.

On the battlefield, time is life. Every second of delay may cause the situation to take a turn for the worse, or even result in the loss of one's life.

The infantry formation kept moving forward in small steps amid the deafening sound of war drums, and each step felt heavy.

Despite the continuous artillery fire, no one was scared to retreat. Of course, this was not only because there was a supervision team behind them, but also because in such a crowded battlefield, if they retreated, they would most likely be trampled to death on the spot.

Although the Goryeo army had no artillery, the archers were not willing to fall behind. They quickly moved forward and covered the top of the city with a denser rain of arrows, trying to suppress the Ming army's firepower output.

Arrows cut through the sky and shot straight towards the Ming army on the city wall.

However, the Ming army's resistance was equally tenacious.

On the city wall, musketeers and crossbowmen fired at different positions, forming a dense firepower network. Goryeo soldiers kept falling, but more people continued to charge forward, stepping on the blood of their companions.

Outside the city, the battle was stalemate and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and indomitable will.

Lee Bang-won stood on a high place at the back.

"Pass the order down. Yingyang Guard will make a detour from the left wing. Jinwu Guard will attack head-on. Divine Tiger Guard should be ready to support the breakthrough at any time!" Li Fangyuan conveyed the order to the commanders of each guard again through the messenger.

As the order was given, the light infantry of the Eagle Guard began to maneuver on a large scale to the left wing and even to the beach, trying to find loopholes in the Ming army's defense system. Since the Ming army had defenses around Busan Port, but Busan Port had no internal defense system before, basically except for the existing city walls, all other defense lines were newly built, which meant that there would definitely be weak points in the defense, and the Goryeo army had to find out exactly where the weak points were.

On the front battlefield, the heavy-armored infantry of the Jinwu Guard advanced forward with overwhelming force. Their armor shone with a cold light in the sun, and every step seemed to shake the earth. The front-row soldiers holding large shields were closely arranged. When they were close enough to the city wall, they suddenly accelerated and began to approach the base of the wall with earth-shaking shouts.

The infantrymen mixed in the queue, carrying ladders on their shoulders, raised the ladders and used the end with iron hooks to smash them hard on the Busan Port City. Then they pulled them back and leaned against the parapet.

However, a ladder is not the same as a siege ladder after all. A siege ladder has its own weight and is stronger, so it is basically impossible to be pushed down or chopped off by a knife or an axe if you lean on it.

But this is not the case with ladders. If the defenders work together and have great strength, it is possible to overturn the ladders.

As for the Divine Tiger Guards, they are on high alert as soon as there is a turning point in the front battlefield. They will be the sharpest blades, piercing the enemy's heart.

On the city wall, the Ming army's musketeers kept firing their guns and replacing ammunition.

"Oh!"

A Jinwu Guard infantryman had just climbed to the top of the city wall when a stray bullet hit him and knocked him into the air.

Then with a loud "bang", he fell to the ground, and was then stepped on by countless of his own soldiers. He died without making a sound.

War is so cruel. Those soldiers may not want to step on him, but they cannot stop because stopping means falling, and falling on this crowded battlefield means death.

The other infantrymen reacted quickly. After they climbed up to the top of the city wall, they rolled to the battlements to take shelter.

Some simply curled up their bodies and held their shields in front of their chests, covering their upper bodies and heads and faces.

It looks funny, but in fact, this is a way to have a higher survival rate on the battlefield. If you climb up first, you have to survive to get the reward, right? The reason why climbing up first is so important in the army is not because no one can be the first to climb up. Climbing up is not extremely difficult. What is extremely difficult is to climb up and survive the long battle that follows.

Being a coward is a good way to survive.

Because heavily armored infantrymen basically have no weaknesses except for their armpits and inner knees, and their shields protect their vital parts, so they will be fine even if they are facing spears or knife attacks.

Of course, if you are really unlucky and get hit by a sledgehammer, you can only admit that you have bad luck.

There were indeed quite a few cowards who survived and tried to join the battle next.

But at the same time, the Ming army was not unprepared. They had prepared a large number of soldiers armed with axes, hammers and other blunt weapons on the city walls, who could also cause casualties to the Goryeo army's heavy infantry who dared to fight.

Moreover, unlike the Goryeo army, the Ming army's muskets could cause damage to heavily armored infantry at close range.

"Bang~bang~bang~bang~bang~"

Gunshots rang out one after another, and dozens of Jinwu Guards fell one after another.

However, as the battle went on, the number of Ming troops did not decrease much, but instead increased.

Moreover, the Ming army also placed a number of tiger squat cannons under the city.

This thing can be designed to cross the city wall if the city is not that tall and the elevation angle is sufficient. It does not need to be placed on the top of the city wall at all. Although the Tiger Crouching Cannon is not as terrifying as the Red Cannon that is blown into the sky and can "destroy dozens of miles", its lethality to infantry is still very amazing.

——All beings are equal in front of shotgun.

If a shotgun explodes at close range, no matter if they are ordinary soldiers or officers, few will survive in such intensive firefights.

Moreover, with such a high density of battlefield, there is no need to aim at all, and you can just let it shoot indiscriminately.

"Boom~Boom~Boom~"

The Goryeo army also placed catapults in front of the city wall, and huge stones were thrown at the wall, causing bricks to fly everywhere.

However, the Goryeo army's offensive still had no obvious effect.

Because the Ming army's artillery had been bombarding continuously, the entire Busan Port was shrouded in smoke and flames.

Of course, the Ming army’s artillery could not be used indefinitely. Sometimes, they would be forced to stop and cool the gun barrel by pouring cold water on it.

The good news is that the Ming army is very close to the sea and has plenty of cold water. The bad news is that once the high-frequency support of artillery fire is lost, the thousands of genuine Ming troops responsible for defense will be under tremendous pressure.

The Mongols were of little help. Although the Mongols sent out to harass had achieved some results and most of them had returned to the port, judging from their performance in the outer forts, their infantry combat capabilities were questionable. In other words, their attitude was questionable.

Of course, this is also expected.

There are pros and cons. Although these mercenaries can be easily bribed with money and are quite useful, when it comes to large-scale sacrifices, you cannot rely on them.

It is still the real Ming army that has to shoulder this important task.

Duke Zheng Chang Mao was under a lot of pressure. He was not a good-tempered person and at this time he wanted to go into battle himself.

However, Fangcun was not panicked, and all necessary arrangements were in place.

Even in the face of such a major setback, the Goryeo army clearly had no intention of giving up.

As time went on, the Ming army on the front line finally couldn't hold on anymore and signs of instability appeared on the city walls.

Seeing this scene, the Goryeo troops outside the city all breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon after, the second-line Ming army launched a counterattack.

However, Lee Bang-won still received good news.

Li Fangyuan's eyes were fixed on the left. The light infantry of Yingyangwei had launched an attack and achieved results. The area defended by the Mongols was not that difficult to break.

Presumably, that was the weakest point in the entire Ming army's defense line from a defensive perspective.

I don’t know how much time has passed since the war started. I just felt like in a blink of an eye, the sun was almost at its zenith, and the Goryeo army finally got hope.

Li Fangyuan couldn't help but feel excited.

"Send reinforcements to the Eagle Guard! Fight hard and seize Busan Port today."

Lee Bang-won inspired the generals around him.

The soldiers of the Divine Tiger Guard had been the reserve force and had not participated in the battle. Now that they were finally about to be dispatched, their morale suddenly rose.

"Kill!"

The leader of the Divine Tiger Guards shouted loudly, drew his sword, jumped on his horse, and rushed to the front.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers of the Divine Tiger Guard roared, waved their weapons and rushed towards the Ming army's defense line from the left wing.

As the center of gravity of the battlefield shifted, the battlefield became extremely chaotic in an instant.

"kill!"

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the narrow area of ​​the city wall. Soldiers kept falling down, and broken limbs flew everywhere. The scene was extremely cruel and bloody.

It gradually became difficult for the Mongols stationed here to resist, after all, their numbers were too small.

Li Fangyuan's eyes never left that position for a moment. If he could really break in, he would definitely lead his personal guards to attack the city without hesitation.

"kill!"

The Goryeo army took advantage of the Mongols' chaos and climbed the city walls on a large scale.

"Puff~puff~puff..."

"Uh!"

Mongolian soldiers were constantly being killed.

But soon, Chang Mao handed over the command to his deputy general and led his team here to block the gap himself.

"Kill!"

People kept falling down and Ming troops kept coming up to replenish them. The two sides fought to the death and the corpses of both sides piled up like mountains.

After paying a huge price, the Goryeo army finally reached the city wall.

When Li Fangyuan learned about this, his face was slightly delighted, and he loudly ordered: "Whoever enters the port first will be rewarded with 100 taels of gold and promoted three levels!"

The moment they learned of the reward, the Goryeo army became full of fighting spirit again and rushed forward bravely, rushing into the city.

"Kill!"

"Oh!"

Just as the Goryeo army climbed up the city wall in large numbers, a large number of cans suddenly smashed down, directly pouring out the kerosene inside, which instantly spread all over the ground, making it sticky.

The Goryeo army was also affected by this and had to slow down.

Then, artillery shells came.

"Wow~"

A raging fire broke out, and the Goryeo soldiers were set on fire, rolling in pain in the sea of ​​fire.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of burning and wailing, and the Goryeo army's offensive seemed to be curbed by the sudden sea of ​​fire at this moment.

The experienced Goryeo soldiers at the back took out the water bags or wet cloths they carried with them, covered their mouths and noses with them, and were carefully watching out for the thick smoke and wind blowing towards them. So for them, the fire was not actually fatal, but the smoke was very deadly.

Of course, there are also young people who know nothing and still rush up into the thick smoke. But usually, either they are not smart enough and are choked back after taking a few steps, or they are smart enough and fall down headfirst and enjoy a baby-like sleep.

As for covering your nose with your hands or pinching your nose, that is useless.

There is no opportunity to walk slowly on the battlefield. Once people start running, the oxygen they need is not just the little bit that comes out of the nose. A large amount of oxygen is needed. The consequence of holding your breath is that you will inhale a large amount of thick smoke in one breath.

However, the light infantry of the Eagle Guard achieved remarkable results in the breakthrough on the left wing. They joined forces with the reinforcements of the Divine Tiger Guard on a large scale to form an unstoppable offensive. The defense line of the Mongolian defenders was completely torn apart and began to crumble.

On the city wall, the elite troops led by Chang Mao himself fought a desperate battle with the Goryeo army. Chang Mao's figure was like an iron tower, wielding the axe in his hand, and every swing was accompanied by the fall of the enemy.

He chopped down the Goryeo soldiers one after another. After he chopped down one, he would immediately pounce on another enemy.

Chang Mao and his Tiece Army had gone completely crazy with killing.

He is more suitable to be a vanguard charging into battle rather than a commander strategizing in the center of the army.

Chang Mao's eyes never left the enemy, because the denser the enemy, the greater his chance of killing them.

At this moment, the only thing in his mind was the enemy.

——It’s a very wonderful feeling.

Chang Mao was like a wild beast looking for food crazily. He followed the traces of his prey and chased it continuously.

"puff!"

A Goryeo soldier screamed and fell to the ground, blood splattering on Chang Mao's face, but he was so crazy that he didn't notice it at all.

"Puff puff!"

The long axe flipped, and endless blood gushed out, dyeing Chang Mao's whole body red, but Chang Mao still maintained his original speed and rhythm.

"puff!"

Another head shot up into the sky. This was the seventh enemy body that Chang Mao had killed in a short period of time.

"call out--!"

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed towards him.

Chang Mao quickly turned sideways, but in an instant, he still felt severe pain, and his arm seemed to lose consciousness. "General, are you okay?" Tie Cejun asked.

Chang Mao shook his neck and said fiercely: "I'm fine! Keep fighting!"

Chang Mao knew that he was only slightly injured and it was not serious, but at this critical moment, he could not afford to be negligent.

"Kill! Kill!"

Chang Mao and others continued to charge, they kept harvesting lives, and the Goryeo army's offensive was broken again and again.

"Bang~bang~bang~"

There was a huge explosion on the other side; it was the gunpowder under the city wall that was detonated.

Well, not only the Goryeo army on the northern front used this trick, but the Ming army did too.

Moreover, considering that the city wall might not be able to be defended and could easily be lost, they simply treated the city wall as a huge explosive device.

Chang Mao no longer cared about what was happening on the front battlefield, as other Ming army generals were in charge of the command there.

Now, he just needs to return to his role as a fighter.

Kill!
"Hahaha~!"

Chang Mao laughed heartily towards the sky.

"Brothers, follow me and charge! Kill!"

"kill!!"

Chang Mao led his elite men and rushed into the Goryeo army like a ferocious beast.

Because among the five guards led by Lee Bang-won, except for the Jinwu Guard, the armor-wearing rates of the other ones were not high, and the number of heavy armor units in each guard was not large, so Lee Bang-won concentrated all of them on the Jinwu Guard in the front.

Therefore, those responsible for the attack on this side are the light infantry of the Eagle Guard on the front line.

Chang Mao brought with him several hundred elite Tiece soldiers, all of whom were dressed in iron-can equipment from head to toe, and with axes in their hands, they could chop people down like chopping melons and vegetables.

They fought their way into the enemy's hinterland as if they were in an empty land. The Goryeo troops along the way fled in all directions upon seeing this. However, they had been in the smoke for a long time and their reactions had become slow.

Well, the tailwind is also a very important reason. The thick smoke just now choked the Goryeo army, but the Ming army was basically unaffected.

"Kill!"

"Shua~!"

The sound of the axe blade cutting through flesh was heard, blood splattered, and enemy soldiers continued to fall in a pool of blood.

They galloped through the enemy's territory, leaving scarlet blood trails wherever they passed.

Chang Mao's troops here are as fierce as wolves and tigers!

Although the Goryeo people were numerous, they were not as elite and fearless as Chang Mao's soldiers. So after their morale dropped on the battlefield, the Goryeo army was defeated in just a moment.

Outside the city, the commander of the Goryeo army looked at the scene in front of him with a heavy heart. He never expected that the opposite side would be so tenacious and forcefully broke through a gap from the side.

But he had no worries at all, because his troops had already been prepared and they would be able to join the battle soon.

Everything is under control, so he is not panicking.

At this moment, shouts of killing suddenly rang out in the distance.

"Kill!"

Amidst a burst of shouts and cries, a group of Mongolian cavalry lying in ambush outside Busan Port suddenly galloped on their horses, surging like a flood, and rushed towards the Goryeo army.

"Damn it, the Mongols are coming from behind."

"No matter what, charge forward and kill the enemy!"

The Goryeo soldiers roared and raised their weapons to fight back.

The Mongolian cavalry rushed into the battlefield, they quickly organized their formations while galloping, and then launched an attack on the enemy.

Instead of attacking head-on, harassing from behind is their favorite tactic because they are better at using bows and arrows.

One by one, the Goryeo soldiers fell, and the ground was stained red with blood.

The Mongolian cavalry were like ferocious wild dogs, constantly biting the Goryeo soldiers.

The Goryeo soldiers were defeated one after another. Finally, they could not resist the Mongolian invasion and retreated to both sides.

At this time, Chang Mao also led the Tiece Army to attack.

At this time, the two sides collided again.

Chang Mao led the Tiece Army and stabbed into the enemy camp like a sharp knife, leaving corpses everywhere wherever he passed.

The Mongolian cavalry, under the command of the Tatar officials, followed closely on Chang Mao's flank and dealt the most fatal blow to the Goryeo army.

The battle between the two sides was extremely fierce. The sound of fighting echoed all around and the strong smell of blood filled the air.

"Kill!"

The Mongolian cavalry launched a corner charge, which was their favorite tactic when charging. They would charge straight ahead first, then use their superb horsemanship to cut through the enemy's formation, suppressing the enemy's morale and causing them to collapse in despair.

Chang Mao led the Tiece Army into the Goryeo people, chopping down the Goryeo soldiers one by one. They were unable to resist at all.

The Tiece Army led by Chang Mao was almost a nightmare for the Koreans.

Every time they swung their axes, someone would fall in a pool of blood.

The Koreans frantically dodged to both sides in an attempt to escape from the Tiece Army.

But how could they outrun Chang Mao?
"kill!"

Chang Mao led the Tiece Army forward. Wherever they passed, countless Goryeo soldiers fell to the ground wailing.

Many Goryeo soldiers were already frightened and they desperately ran away in an attempt to escape from the battle.

However, after repelling the light infantry of the Yingyang Guard and the Shenhu Guard, Chang Mao went back to rest temporarily. On the high platform, he clearly saw that the Goryeo army's offensive was as surging as a tide. Not only was his own military strength insufficient, but it seemed that he could not hold on from the front.

"Quickly mobilize the available troops here and make sure to defend this place!" Chang Mao shouted to the deputy general beside him.

The deputy general took the order and left, while Chang Mao continued to go to the front battlefield to put out the fire.

On the front battlefield, after a large number of people were killed by gunpowder, the heavy armored infantry of the Jinwu Guard also found a breakthrough and they advanced forward step by step.

Lee Bang-won stood high in the rear, closely watching every change on the battlefield.

He raised his sword again and shouted, "Charge!"

Following Lee Bang-won's order, all those who could move were pressed forward. The Goryeo army seemed to be injected with a new force, and the offensive became more fierce. They charged forward desperately.

On the city wall, the battle entered a white-hot stage. The roars of soldiers from both sides, the clash of weapons, and the occasional explosions intertwined.

Both sides have shown amazing perseverance, but no one can predict which side will win in the end.

But soon, Lee Bang-won's expression turned gloomy.

Because he clearly saw that on the sea, the huge fleet was slowly approaching like a steel behemoth, and its flags were fluttering in the wind.

"It's the Ming army's fleet!" The deputy general's voice was a little panicked.

Li Fangyuan's eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle. He stared at the approaching fleet and thought about countermeasures in his mind. Once this fleet docked, it would not only bring a large number of reinforcements to the Ming army, but also bring devastating artillery support, which would undoubtedly make the situation worse for the already exhausted Goryeo army.

Li Fangyuan quickly issued the corresponding orders, and at the same time prayed secretly in his heart, hoping that the other party would slow down, or that there would be some problems at the port. In short, give him some more time!
"calm!"

Li Fangyuan comforted the generals around him. He knew very well that any panic at this moment might lead to total loss.

At this time, Ma Sanbao was standing on the deck of the flagship, observing the situation on the shore with a telescope. It was obvious that the several thousand Ming troops could no longer hold out against the attack of 50,000 Goryeo troops.

"Pass the order, all warships approach the shore and let the infantry on board quickly land to provide support!" Ma Sanbao gave the order decisively.

As the order was given, the flag signal officers began to signal with flags, and the soldiers on other warships quickly took action, carrying weapons and equipment, preparing for landing operations.

At the same time, the row of artillery on several treasure ships in the fleet began to adjust their angles, with the black muzzles aimed at the Goryeo army's defense line.

When they were close enough to the shore, the commander gave an order and a deafening roar of artillery fire rang out. The shells were like angry Thor's hammer, smashing into the shore with destructive force.

"Boom! Boom!"

There was continuous artillery fire and flying dust. The rear of the Goryeo army's attacking group was tottering under the bombardment of artillery fire.

Lee Bang-won stood high up in the back, looking at the scene before him.

The outcome of this battle is no longer just about personal honor and disgrace, but also about the fate of the entire Li family.

He took a deep breath, raised his long sword again, and shouted loudly: "Follow me!"

Lee Bang-won personally joined the battle.

"The shield soldiers provide cover, the spear soldiers suppress, and the rest of you follow me and charge forward." Li Fangyuan shouted loudly.

"Shu~"

Li Fangyuan waved his sword and cut off the head of the Ming army in front of him.

However, just as he cut off a head, another Ming soldier attacked and tried to ambush him.

Li Fangyuan dodged in time and narrowly escaped.

However, at this moment, a Changmao stabbed Lee Bang-won silently from the side.

Lee Bang-won's personal guards sensed the danger and hurriedly swung their swords to block.

"clang!"

The guard felt a numbness in the base of his thumb and almost dislocated it.

"Pfft!"

Immediately afterwards, a powerful and sharp arrow hit the left shoulder of the guard, and the pain quickly spread throughout his body. Ordinary arrows could not penetrate armor so quickly. It was obvious that a longbow or a powerful crossbow was used.

Not only that, several Ming soldiers seized the opportunity and stabbed Lee Bang-won with spears.

"Well!"

Li Fangyuan was stabbed and groaned. His body swayed and he almost fell down. However, his armor was not broken, but there was a large bruise on his chest.

But he still gritted his teeth and held on, enduring the severe pain and continuing to fight with the Ming army.

"Puff! Puff! Puff..."

"kill!"

Li Fangyuan was an extraordinary martial artist, and the personal guards around him were also very powerful and fresh troops. As soon as he joined the battlefield, he began to slaughter the Ming army in front of him crazily. For a time, blood splattered everywhere and screams were heard.

Just when Lee Bang-won thought he had won, another general led his men and rushed up to him, shouting, "The Ming army behind us has begun to land!"

"what?!"

Lee Bang-won was furious: "Useless!"

The general lowered his head, not daring to refute. At the same time, he was secretly complaining in his heart. He did not expect that the support of the Ming army would come so quickly.

Although Lee Bang-won was furious, he retained his rationality. He knew that he could not lose his mind, otherwise he would lose faster.

Li Fangyuan took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down.

He tried hard to continue leading the team forward.

Under the leadership of Lee Bang-won, the battle situation on the front line suddenly tilted as if the balance of a scale had been broken.

The Goryeo army, which was equipped with a large number of heavily armored units, began to advance rapidly on the front battlefield.

The Ming army had only one-eighth the number of Goryeo troops, and even on the front battlefield where the focus of defense was, it only had one-quarter of the number.

Therefore, the Ming army, having lost the city walls, began to retreat.

However, Lee Bang-won's plan to achieve his goal in one battle and completely drive the Ming army back to the sea failed.

Because this fleet, which was urgently dispatched from the country, included two sailing battleships that had just been launched.

What does it mean to have three full-length gun decks and hundreds of red cannons?
This steel storm-like firepower is much stronger than the artillery power of the Ming army in the entire Busan Port.

Well, this is thanks to the advanced steel smelting technology brought by Zhu Xiongying.

When the sailing battleship approached the coast, turned sideways and dropped anchor, the Goryeo army was unable to make any progress at all.

When the firepower is terrifying to a certain extent, no matter how strong the flesh and blood body is, no one can break through it by charging head-on, not even Ultraman can.

"boom!"

The blast created by a shrapnel bomb directly blew Lee Bang-won away.

The personal guards protected the commander, but seeing that it was impossible to capture the Busan Port even with the heavy artillery of the sailing battleships as protection, the Goryeo army, which had once fought hard but then weakened and was exhausted, had to retreat.

(End of this chapter)