Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 290 Snowy Night
In the Busan Port, the Ming army soldiers also breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had defended the port today, the future battles would probably still be difficult if they wanted to continue moving north.

Of course, with the protection of the powerful firepower of these two sailing battleships, there would be no problem for these thousands of Ming troops to hide in the port.

However, the Five Military Commanderies or the emperor would probably not allow them to do so.

After all, the offensive on the northern front basically came to a standstill with the arrival of winter.

Busan, where they were located, was at the southern tip of the peninsula, with a relatively low latitude, so there was still some time left to carry out combat.

If they fail to fully utilize the attraction and instead allow the Goryeo army to trap them in Busan and then withdraw some of their troops, it will put great pressure on the Ming army on the northern front.

Chang Mao was covered in blood, with blood stains all over his two layers of armor. Standing on the city wall, looking at the Goryeo army gradually moving away in the distance, blood was still dripping from the armor leaves, falling to the ground along the skirt armor, and finally merging with the sand and dust.

The fleet commanders also landed at Busan Port at this time.

"Eunuch Ma, today's battle is thanks to your timely support." Chang Mao turned around and expressed his gratitude to Ma Sanbao who had just landed.

Ma Sanbao smiled slightly, bowed and said, "Duke Zheng, you are too polite. We are comrades in arms and should support each other. However, judging from today's battle, Lee Bang-won is no ordinary man. We need to be more cautious in the next battle."

Chang Mao nodded, and he turned to the deputy general beside him and ordered: "Immediately count the casualties, repair the city defenses, and strengthen the vigilance to prevent the Goryeo army from attacking at night."

The deputy general took the order and left, while Chang Mao continued to stay on the city wall and asked about the details of Ma Sanbao's support this time.

Chang Mao already knew that support would be sent from the country.

But he didn't know how powerful the support fleet was.

At the beginning of the 25th year of Hongwu, the main ocean-going fleet of the Ming Dynasty had a serious conflict with the Chen Zuyi pirate group and the Majapahit Empire in the Temasek Port and Old Port areas in Southeast Asia. Although it destroyed all these maritime forces in Southeast Asia, it also suffered considerable damage.

Except for those that sank in the battle, the others basically had to return to the shipyards in Fujian or even Nanzhili for repairs.

Because neither the Old Port, Temasek Port, nor Thanh Hoa Port had the ability to repair treasure ships of more than 1,500 tons, let alone sailing battleships.

The result was that the warships of the ocean-going fleet dragged their battered bodies and traveled thousands of miles back to the country.

During this long-distance voyage, the damage to many ships increased further.

In addition, a certain amount of fleet strength must be left behind in several ports in Southeast Asia, so there are no ships that can be put into battle again immediately after returning to the country. Not even half a ship can be squeezed out. They either need major repairs or lie in the shipyard for a year or two.

Fortunately, the war against Goryeo took place in the autumn, and now it is almost winter. If it had happened earlier, it would have been impossible for such a large enough support fleet to appear.

And in this support fleet, the two main sailing battleships were just launched by the Longjiang Shipyard in Beijing after two and a half years of construction. They were rushed to support even before sea trials. This is a very dangerous behavior. Unless it is absolutely necessary, no ship, especially such a large ship, dares to do this. Not meeting the combat effectiveness standards is a small matter. The only thing to worry about is that the ship will sink or fall apart while sailing.

After all, due to its design, a sailing battleship does not have as many watertight compartments as a treasure ship.

This time, the support fleet was led by two sailing battleships, two treasure ships of 2,000 tons, and three treasure ships of 1,500 tons. These five treasure ships had just been repaired and were not completely repaired. They barely met the standards for sailing, so they set sail in a hurry.

In addition to the fleet itself, they also brought 3,000 soldiers via troop transports.

So, although this fleet looks majestic and intimidating on the surface, in fact, all of its ships have potential safety hazards. In addition, this season is a time when storms are severe in this sea area. I don’t know if it was the blessing of Mazu or for some other reason, but the support fleet was really lucky and did not encounter any major storms along the way, let alone capsize.

However, they don't dare to go back now. Not to mention going back to China, they don't even dare to go back to Jeju Island which is not far away.

After all, this time it was because of the emperor's direct order that they took such a big risk to make this trip. The emperor did not ask them to go back, so they might as well stay here. There were fresh water wells in Busan Port anyway, and the food shipped from Jeju Island was enough. It was just that there was a lack of fruits and vegetables, which they could get by with patience.

If we have to rush back at this critical moment, anyone with a little sailing experience knows that if we encounter a storm, there is a high probability that the ship will be destroyed and people will die, and the watertight compartments will not work properly.

Ma Sanbao also explained the situation of the support fleet to Chang Mao, who looked like a bloody man. When Chang Mao heard that the support fleet was taking such a big risk to help him, he was also very moved.

In other words, the emperor was very moved.

For the sake of his father, Old Zhu didn't really treat him as an abandoned child.

Of course, although this battle was fought a little roughly from the commander's perspective, from another perspective, if Chang Mao had not desperately blocked the offensive of the Goryeo army's light infantry on the left wing, the battle might have ended before Ma Sanbao arrived.

If the Ming army was driven into the port and could not maintain its front line, not only would the fleet be unable to enter the port to transport infantry, but it would also have difficulty even firing. If a large-scale chaotic battle broke out between the two sides, it would be impossible to distinguish between friend and foe.

Chang Mao was deeply moved when he heard Ma Sanbao's narration.

"Eunuch Ma, since His Majesty values ​​this battle so much, we must go all out and live up to His Majesty's grace. Although today's battle was full of dangers, we finally managed to hold on. Next, we must not only defend Busan Port, but also take the initiative to attack, let the Koreans know how powerful we are, and make Lee Bang-won have no time to look north."

Upon hearing this, Ma Sanbao's eyes flashed with worry. He hoped that this Black Tai Sui would not get too excited.

"Duke Zheng is right. However, before we launch an offensive, we still need to make detailed plans to ensure that every step is foolproof. After all, although Busan Port seems safe, the Goryeo army will never give up and will definitely look for opportunities to counterattack. Therefore, strengthening the fortifications and preparing the materials and troops needed for the counterattack are both urgent tasks."

Chang Mao nodded in agreement, then changed the subject, his tone more worried: "Indeed, the Goryeo army is cunning and changeable, and we must guard against it. However, our current manpower is limited, and the warships are in poor condition. If we attack rashly, I am afraid it will be difficult to achieve the expected results. I wonder if Eunuch Ma has any good ideas?"

Ma Sanbao pondered for a moment and said slowly: "I dare not say what the best strategy is, but there is a plan that may be worth a try. We can use the cover of night to send an elite team on small boats to sail along the coast to harass and destroy the supply lines of the Goryeo army. In this way, we can not only consume the resources of the Goryeo army, but also dampen their morale, creating favorable conditions for the future northward march."

Chang Mao's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he clapped his hands, saying, "This is a brilliant plan! It can not only create trouble for the enemy without deploying the main force, but also gradually weaken their combat effectiveness."

Afterwards, the two talked about specific tactical arrangements, personnel deployment and other issues.

Just like this, Chang Mao, who was covered in blood, insisted on wearing the heavy armor. He waited until the sweat on his body dried up before taking it off. Then, in the sealed tent, he used a dry cotton towel to wipe his body. He didn't even dare to take a shower. His father Chang Yuchun died from the armor-removing wind, and he remembered this lesson firmly.

Lee Seong-gye in Kaesong, on the other hand, looked even more solemn when he learned that Lee Bang-won had suffered a setback in Busan.

The palace was soon filled with Lee Seong-gye's trusted generals and think tank members.

Li Chenggui looked around at everyone and spoke slowly: "I called you all here today to discuss how to deal with the current war situation. Lao Wu's defeat in Busan has put the southern front in a passive position."

The civil servant under his command said: "After all, the Ming army is an outsider. They have no roots in our country. As long as the court can mobilize the people to resist spontaneously, they will be able to repel the Ming army."

Well, that's a good idea.

But the actual situation is that, like the Ming Dynasty, the people of Goryeo at that time were also unenlightened. At the same time, for the common people, the contradictions had not been seriously intensified, or they did not need to revolt to survive. No matter whether it was the Wang family or the Li family, whoever was the king of Goryeo, they would have food to eat.

Therefore, the people actually have no attitude towards the current situation, and the ones who can mobilize the people are the local landlords and literati.

The vast majority of these classes who actually controlled the local and domestic discourse power in Goryeo were opposed to Lee Seong-gye.

Lee Seong-gye relied on soldiers from the grassroots, military merit groups, and a small number of emerging literati.

Relying on these classes, he was able to intimidate all directions with military force and suppress the old aristocrats in Kaifeng, but he was unable to truly penetrate into the local areas.

Therefore, if local governments are really allowed to mobilize the people, it will most likely have the opposite effect.

——For their own interests, the landlords and literati will certainly publicize that the Ming army is here to help their king restore his country.

Although the actual situation is indeed so.

But no matter what, it is absolutely bad news for Lee Seong-gye.

Therefore, a military solution is still necessary.

But if the solution is a military one, Lee Seong-gye no longer has many mobile forces.

He learned the details of what happened at Busan Port on the southern line.

Two monsters appeared in the Ming army fleet!

Yes, in the eyes of the Koreans, sailing battleships are pure monsters!

The tall ship was countless times larger than the small, broken ships of the Goryeo Navy, and it was equipped with hundreds of heavy artillery.

What does it mean to have hundreds of heavy artillery pieces? That means a mobile artillery platform.

As long as they are within four or five miles of this battleship, all living things will be destroyed instantly.

Therefore, as long as Busan Port is protected by these two monsters, it is impossible for it to fall.

In fact, the Ming army was already in an invincible position.

Unless, the Goryeo army intends to use human lives to test whether the Ming army's ammunition reserves are sufficient, but the Goryeo army obviously does not dare to gamble.

After all, there are so many ships in the Ming army fleet, and no one can say for sure which ships are specifically used to carry cannonballs and gunpowder.

After the unreliable ones finished speaking, the reliable Zheng Daochuan spoke first. He frowned and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the current situation is indeed serious. The Ming army is well-equipped and has powerful firearms. A head-on fight may not be the best strategy. I think we should adopt a strategy of division and disintegration, and at the same time seek the support of the Wuliangha tribe in diplomacy to form a strategic encirclement of the Ming army."

After hearing this, Nan Xi shook his head slightly and retorted: "Although Lord Zheng's strategy is good, it is extremely difficult to implement and takes a long time. After all, the Wuliangha tribe is used to playing both sides. The current Ming army is pressing forward step by step. We can't wait. I still think that we should concentrate our superior forces and inflict heavy damage on the Ming army at key locations, such as using the terrain we are familiar with to launch a surprise attack. On the other hand, we should also seek the possibility of peace talks with the Ming army, strive to relieve pressure through diplomatic means, and buy time for counterattack."

Zhao Jun spoke next, and he seemed more cautious: "You two adults have different opinions, but I think we need to consider a more realistic problem. We don't have that many resources."

"In addition to the military, we are about to face winter, and food is starting to become scarce. The burden on the farmers is huge, and we must ensure that every resource is used to the best effect. We must support the battles on the front line and maintain stability in the rear, otherwise the base camp will not be very stable. Now many people in Kaijing have no firewood, and their food is running out. If conditions permit, we should still start some trade with the guardian daimyo of Kyushu Island in Japan. It doesn't matter if the Ming fleet is stuck between Jeju Island and Busan Port. We can take a longer route to trade from the east coast, since the Japanese have ships anyway."

Zheng Daochuan listened to the words and nodded to indicate his agreement with some of the views: "Lord Zhao's reminder is extremely important. Logistical support is indeed the key to victory in this battle. However, I think that while strengthening internal affairs, we cannot ignore the importance of intelligence. In the past few battles, we still don't know enough about the Ming army. Since the Ming army has penetrated deep into the north, spies in various places should be buried." "These are important and unimportant." Nan Yan added: "But the core still lies in effective military counterattacks. Only when the Ming army feels a real threat will they consider the possibility of peace talks. The success of the peace talks can also buy us precious recovery time. At that time, we can cooperate with all parties to truly stabilize it."

As Lee Seong-gye listened to everyone's suggestions, his brows gradually relaxed.

He was able to stand up now, and said with a firm look, "Everyone's suggestions are good, but I must lead the army myself."

Li Chenggui's words were like a heavy hammer hitting the ground, and the atmosphere in the entire palace froze instantly.

At this moment, there was only one thought in the minds of counselors and generals: Can Lee Seong-gye's body hold on?

After all, that sudden fall from a horse did make the usually strong Lee Seong-gye's health worse than before.

He slowly stood up and walked steadily to the center of the hall, his eyes sweeping over every general and counselor present.

"The Ming army on the southern front is just a minor problem. Although Lao Wu failed to capture Busan in this battle, he also hurt the Ming army. Next, we only need to leave 20,000 people to confront the Ming army in Busan, and the rest can be withdrawn."

"Adding the soldiers mobilized from across the country during this period, there will be more than 100,000 people by then."

"This battle concerns the future of Goryeo. We must not sit back and wait for death, nor can we place the fate of our country at the mercy of others. Only by taking the initiative can we break the Ming army's pincer attack from the north and south."

Lee Seong-gye's voice restored everyone's confidence.

He paused for a moment and continued, "What you said is not without reason."

At this point, Lee Seong-gye's eyes became more determined: "I have decided to prepare for war from now on. When the troops on the southern front come back and have a little rest, I will personally lead the army north in the spring to fight a decisive battle with the Ming army. At the same time, I will order the garrisons in various places to strengthen defense, ensure the stability of the rear, and provide supplies for our front line. In addition, I will immediately send envoys to the Wuliangha tribe to seek their support to form a pincer attack on the Ming army."

Upon hearing this, all the generals and counselors were excited and stood up to accept the order.

Zheng Daochuan was the first to express his opinion: "Your Majesty is wise. We will do our best to assist Your Majesty in defeating the enemy and reviving Goryeo!"

Nan Yin and Zhao Jun followed closely and expressed the same determination.

Following Lee Seong-gye's order, the entire Goryeo began an unprecedented military mobilization. From Kaesong to counties and prefectures, from soldiers to civilians, everyone was involved in this war. Although the people in remote areas did not have to serve as laborers to transport supplies like the people around Kaesong, they also had to hand over their food.

After all, once the army moves, the amount of food consumed is completely different from if it stays still.

Lee Seong-gye himself set an example by frequently reviewing the troops in person to boost morale and make final preparations for the upcoming decisive battle.

Lee Seong-gye's appearance also directly shattered all the rumors about his physical condition.

Two months later, the harshest winter in the entire Korean Peninsula gradually began to pass.

As the tail of the cold winter quietly fades away, the warm spring sun begins to intermittently and gently shine on the land of the Korean Peninsula, and all things show signs of revival.

However, the atmosphere in this land did not become more relaxed with the changing of seasons. Instead, it became more solemn because of the upcoming decisive battle.

Outside the city of Kaesong, a huge army was gathering. More than a hundred thousand soldiers were not arranged in a neat and uniform manner, but their swords, spears, and halberds were shining with terrifying cold light in the sun. War horses were neighing and dust was flying, making the not-so-rigorous formation look extremely shocking.

After all, when there are tens of thousands of people, from a personal perspective on flat ground, the visual effect is boundless.

This is the army that Lee Seong-gye has assembled with all the strength of the entire country. They are about to embark on a journey north to fight a decisive battle with the Ming army.

These included the Left Guard of the Yixing Imperial Army, which was rebuilt with more than 10,000 veterans, the Right Guard of the Yixing Imperial Army, which had 30,000 complete soldiers, the Qianniu Guard with stronger combat effectiveness, and the Zuoyou, Shenhu and Xingwei Guards that returned from the southern front.

Well, among them, the Zuoyou and Xingwei guards were not Lee Seong-gye's direct subordinates, but were incorporated and had low combat effectiveness. Therefore, in the battle of Busan, except for the heavy infantry in the guards, they did not suffer any major losses. They were always deployed on the right wing.

Unlike the bloody battle on the left wing and the bitter fight of the Jinwu Guard in the middle, the Zuoyou and Xingwei Guards on the right wing had been slacking off against the Mongols. Both sides were just slacking off, and they fought tacitly. How much military pay did Lee Seong-gye give? It was just to make a living, so they didn't have to fight hard.

The Jinwu Guard and Yingyang Guard, which suffered heavy losses, decided to temporarily give up completely defeating the Ming army on the southern front and stayed under the leadership of Lee Bang-won to engage in a long-term confrontation with the Ming army in Busan.

Lee Seong-gye stood on the high platform, looking over the army that he was about to lead towards an unknown fate.

"Let's go!"

The soldiers of Yixing's imperial army straightened their chests and shouted in unison: "We will follow the king until death!"

The Qianniu Guards and the Shenhu Guards were still quite energetic when they shouted, but the Zuoyou and Xingwei Guards were a little listless.

But no matter what, Yixing's personal army of 60,000, plus the 40,000 people of Qianniu Guard, Shenhu Guard, Zuoyou Guard, and Xingwei Guard, a total of 100,000 people, which is already the full might of Goryeo.

Together with 50,000 auxiliary troops and an equal or even greater number of civilian laborers, the actual army numbered as many as 200,000, and they set out on the expedition from Kaifeng.

They headed north toward Pyongyang along winding hilly roads, through fertile fields.

The people along the way came out of their homes one after another, not voluntarily but under coercion, and offered their food rations. Then those who were still strong were captured and forced to serve as laborers.

The helpless women watched them leave and prayed silently, hoping that their husbands or sons would return safely. Or, praying that they could live until spring.

As time went by, the army gradually approached Pyongyang.

The air was filled with tension, and everyone knew that this decisive battle would determine the fate of Goryeo and themselves.

Lee Seong-gye stood in front of the central army tent, looking at the Pyongyang city wall vaguely visible in the distance. He felt both great pride and a hint of imperceptible worry in his heart.

Twenty-eight years ago, he defeated the Red Turban Army here.

That battle was also the one that made Lee Seong-gye famous.

At the end of that year, 200,000 Red Turban Army crossed the Yalu River and invaded Goryeo, capturing the Goryeo capital of Kaesong, and King Gongmin moved south.

In the first month of the 22nd year of Zhizheng, Goryeo's Vice Prime Minister An You and nine other marshals including General Yi Fangshi led an army of 200,000 to attack Kaijing. Yi Seong-gye led 2,000 soldiers to participate in the battle, bravely attacked from Dongdaemun, was the first to enter the city, and made great contributions.

It was this battle that brought Lee Seong-gye into the vision of senior officials, and thus he came to where he is today step by step under the favorable circumstances.

So, can he replicate the miracle of that year?
Li Chenggui knew clearly that the next battle would be extremely cruel, but he believed that he could still win!
Even if the opponent is Lan Yu!
This is Lee Seong-gye's confidence as a famous general. After all, he has always been one of the top three generals in the two thousand years of history of the entire peninsula.

After a winter, although the Ming army had a good rest, the actual situation had not changed much. Their rear supply lines still could not be transported by sea due to ice along the coast.

Moreover, the Jurchens' harassment never stopped.

The Jurchens now have a deep hatred for the Ming Dynasty.

Sometimes, the Ming Dynasty's baggage train was traveling in the mountains, and the cedars beside the road would "rustle" and shoot out arrows made of bones and stones.

In addition, the areas in the northern part of the peninsula temporarily ruled by the Ming army were not so stable at the beginning. Various incidents emerged one after another, including resistance organized by Lee Seong-gye's subordinates and spontaneous resistance by rural tyrants.

The Ming army had to divide its troops and garrison them in various cities to ensure the safety of the supply lines and local stability.

Therefore, the number of Ming troops concentrated in Pyongyang at this moment did not increase much compared to before the arrival of winter.

Because they had been focusing on the fierce attack and the vast rear was extremely empty, the Peking border troops that arrived later, after crossing the river, were almost all devoted to the task of suppressing the local forces.

However, there was good news. After the resistance forces were eliminated, the Ming army, which was under the banner of helping the Goryeo royal family to restore its sovereignty, received the support of the vast majority of landlords and literati. In addition, because the military discipline was relatively strict and they did not forcibly collect food from the people like Lee Seong-gye did, the people only had an instinctive fear of the Ming army and did not have much resentment towards it. There was basically no resistance, only sporadic ones.

As night fell, the army set up camp outside Pyongyang.

The flickering bonfires illuminated the faces of the Goryeo soldiers.

Some of these soldiers are very young, only in their teens, while others are older, some in their forties. However, the Korean Peninsula is currently experiencing a period of drastic changes in its geopolitical environment, intensified internal conflicts within the dynasty, and sometimes various natural disasters, so the average life expectancy is only in its forties.

They sat together, enduring hunger, talking about their hometown and relatives, and also sharing their fears about the upcoming battle.

The reason why they had to endure hunger was that the food in the army was not enough. Goryeo was too poor and weak. Even for the Ming Dynasty, the 100,000-strong army was not a big burden. If it was mobilized, Goryeo would have to do its best.

In fact, Lee Seong-gye had no choice.

If he did not take the initiative to attack, the situation would become even more passive by the time the Ming army was ready in the spring.

Therefore, instead of being swept by the enemy, it is better to use all your strength to fight with others while you are still alive and well and still have the strength to fight.

After all, judging from the size of the two sides, there is actually not much difference. It can even be said that the Goryeo army still has an advantage in terms of numbers.

Of course, the quality is not the same. After all, some of them are rebuilt troops, and the quality of some troops is really worrying, such as those returning from the southern front.

The soldiers encouraged themselves in their own way, preparing for the life-and-death battle at dawn.

At this moment, the Ming army in Pyongyang was also making intensive preparations.

Lan Yu, Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Di were all thinking about tomorrow's war and also couldn't sleep well.

(End of this chapter)