Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 291: Decisive Battle at the Taedong River

Inside Pyongyang, the night is as dark as ink.

It can't even be called dimly lit because there is a strict blackout in the city.

Lan Yu stood on the city wall, looking at the night sky in the distance that was illuminated red by the bonfire, thinking about the upcoming decisive battle.

"Commander Lan, we have made all preparations and are just waiting for the battle tomorrow." Zhu Xiongying's voice appeared behind him, interrupting Lan Yu's thoughts.

During this period, as Lan Yu's right-hand man, he always maintained a very good state. During the long winter, he trained the troops, enforced military discipline, coordinated food and wages, and did a lot of work.

Lan Yu was not a general who was good at handling miscellaneous affairs, or rather, he was not interested in that.

But the army is a strict organization after all, and most of the time, people are marching, eating, and sleeping. They are not fighting all the time, and fighting only takes up a very small part of their time.

Therefore, although fighting is the most tense and intense in the army, it is when there is no fighting that the ability of managers is truly tested.

As the commander-in-chief, Lan Yu also had to devote part of his energy to the daily management of the army.

Lan Yu nodded slightly, turned around, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "I always trust you to do things, but I'm afraid this battle will not be so easy."

"Are you worried about Lee Seong-gye?"

Although Lee Seong-gye was not as good as Lan Ok, he was also the most capable general in the entire Goryeo. He had been in the army for more than 30 years, and all the opponents he had fought against were not ordinary people.

Lan Yu sighed softly, his eyes once again piercing the night, as if he could see into the enemy camp in the distance. "It's not just Lee Seong-gye. He is cunning and experienced, but what worries me more is the battlefield environment. The severe winter cold is over, but now on the plains, it is easy to end up in a mess. There is frozen soil and residual snow everywhere outside the city. Once it is trampled and melted, it will become mud after being trampled several times. War horses can easily get stuck and sprain their ankles, and infantry can hardly move."

"Can't we just defend the city?" Zhu Xiongying asked.

"Delay brings change."

Lan Yu simply said: "The Jurchens' harassment, the local forces in northern Goryeo's restlessness, and... our supply lines are too fragile."

Zhu Xiongying couldn't help but be silent.

The expedition to Goryeo was actually somewhat reluctant in all aspects.

But then again, how many battles can be fought only when we are fully prepared?
It can be said that there are very few.

Because the enemy will not allow you to achieve this ideal state.

For the Ming army, the most critical issue is actually the supply problem, or the manpower problem.

To transport supplies from such a long distance, the Bohai Bay is now frozen and we can only go by land.

Winter is already cold and hard to travel, and spring is coming soon. Don't the common people do spring ploughing? Or do the military households not need spring ploughing?
A year's plan begins in spring. If we miss the spring ploughing season, I don't know how many people will die.

As for Beijing, it was only responsible for transportation to Shanhaiguan.

In the entire Liaodong, almost all the military households, every household, contributed to the expedition against Goryeo, providing men to fight in the war and able-bodied men to transport food. If the process continues unabated and food cannot be transported by sea, then the entire Liaodong will be dragged down this year.

By that time, such a large area could not be self-sufficient in food and needed assistance from the imperial court.

But how could the imperial court have so much stored grain?

The military grain reserves in Peking have basically been used up by now. If the battle continues, the entire north will have to provide food.

In the Ming Dynasty, the North was inferior to the South in terms of population, economy and even cultivated land area. No one would believe it, how could the cultivated land area of ​​such a large North China Plain and Central Plains Plain be inferior to that of the South? But in fact, it was the case. Frequent floods in the Central Plains and the sparse population in North China led to the agricultural economy never returning to a prosperous state, and even far behind that of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Therefore, although Lee Seong-gye could not afford the waste, from another perspective, the Ming Dynasty could not afford it either.

Of course, the price each party has to pay is different.

If Lee Seong-gye continued to waste his time, his country would be destroyed and he would die. If the Ming Dynasty continued to waste its time, it would only make the next few years a little more difficult, but it would not be to the point of being seriously damaged.

"We must fight quickly and decisively, not only to reduce casualties among the soldiers, but also for the sake of Ming Dynasty."

The two looked at each other, no words needed.

Many things depend on the results.

Future generations will only infer decisions based on results, but at least from the current perspective, the Ming Dynasty’s decision was not wrong.

The conquest of Goryeo was a prerequisite for the conquest of Japan.

Having an obedient and capable Goryeo as a vassal state is much better for the Ming Dynasty than having an unruly Goryeo that is trying to preserve its strength.

The reason is obvious. If there is no Goryeo, how can the Ming Dynasty guarantee that it will do better than Kublai Khan? You know, Kublai Khan had the full support of Goryeo during his two expeditions to Japan.

Lan Yu turned around and looked at Zhu Xiongying with deep eyes. He did not call him by his military name, but said: "Ying'er, you know that the real battlefield is not limited to the front line of the confrontation between the two armies, it is everywhere. Up to now, every step we take may become the key to determine the victory or defeat. How Li Chenggui will use these unfavorable factors, we still don't know. Therefore, in addition to the front battlefield, we must also be prepared to deal with various emergencies."

Zhu Xiongying nodded solemnly upon hearing this. "I have ordered people to strengthen patrols of the supply lines and coordinate with local authorities to ensure that troops from the rear can be quickly mobilized to support them in the event of any changes. As for the Jurchens, although they act in a secretive manner, the Beiping Army has also sent elite scouts deep into the mountains and forests to try to detect their movements in advance, especially the Wuliangha tribe of the Nurgandusi."

Lan Yu nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved.

In the upcoming decisive battle, bravery alone is not enough, strategy is equally important, and Zhu Xiongying's meticulous arrangements undoubtedly increase the chances of winning this tough battle.

"Very good, Ying'er."

Lan Yu patted his shoulder.

"Remember, war is not only a contest of force, but also a game of wisdom. We must let the enemy know that the Ming army is not only brave and good at fighting, but also knows how to plan ahead and take precautions."

Lan Yu walked down the city wall.

Zhu Xiongying silently said in his heart: "God bless the Ming Dynasty. I hope we can win at the lowest cost."

It was late at night and Pyongyang was completely silent, with only the occasional sounds of patrols breaking the tranquility.

Soon, it was the darkest time of the night before dawn.

At this time, both parties started to cook.

Puffs of smoke began to rise, and then dissipated with the cold wind.

After dinner, in the Goryeo military camp, Lee Seong-gye was also carrying out the final pre-war mobilization.

The Goryeo army had 100,000 combat soldiers alone, so Lee Seong-gye certainly couldn't mobilize them all. Even if he hurt his voice by shouting, the people behind him wouldn't be able to hear him.

However, he gathered together the Yixing Army and the chief officers of several other guards, while his deputies stayed in the scattered camps to manage their soldiers.

"."

After speaking for a long time, Lee Seong-gye stood on the high platform, took a breath, looked at the crowd of officers below, and said in a loud voice: "Everyone, today's battle will determine the fate of Goryeo. Only by fighting with your life can you have a chance of survival!"

The officers were inspired by Lee Seong-gye and shouted, "We will follow the king till death!"

Finally, the sky began to turn pale and the day of the decisive battle arrived.

Outside the city of Pyongyang, across the Taedong River, the two armies faced each other, with drums beating and trumpets blasting.

However, the Taedong River could not provide any defensive protection to either army as usual.

Because the surface of the Taedong River was frozen solid at that time.

With one blow of the axe, not even a small hole could be made.

The thick ice layer that is visible to the naked eye allows war horses and heavy equipment to pass through smoothly.

The two armies also had a tacit understanding. The Ming army did not plan to defend the city. Lee Seong-gye was not stupid. He knew that it was impossible for him to attack while the Ming army was defending the city. And if he did not attack, the Ming army would not attack either, so the war became a war of attrition.

The Ming army was unwilling to do so, so both sides tacitly left the camp/city together and prepared for the final decisive battle on the plain.

Since ancient times, all famous generals have settled troubled times through field battles. I have never heard of anyone bringing peace to the world by defending a city.

As the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist, the spectacular scene of the two armies facing each other in battle array on the land outside Pyongyang gradually became clear.

The Ming army's formation was neat and orderly, their armor gleaming in the sun, their spears like a forest, their shields like a mountain, and the musketeers deployed in square formations on both wings were focused, checking their equipment to make sure it wouldn't go awry.

The cavalry units were located on both wings, with their horses neighing and their hooves stamping, ready to charge and tear through the enemy lines at any time.

The Goryeo army on the opposite side was equally unwilling to be outdone.

Lee Seong-gye was dressed in military uniform and had a determined look in his eyes.

The Yixing Army and other elite troops under his command were arranged in strict formation. Although their equipment was not as sophisticated as that of the Ming Army, their morale was high. Every soldier held his weapon tightly, and they were all very courageous in such a huge army.

Between the two armies, the ice surface on the Taedong River glowed with a faint blue light in the morning light, as if a giant silver dragon was lying there, witnessing this historic showdown.

Zhu Xiongying took a deep breath, raised his sword high, and shouted loudly: "The Ming army will win!"

"Ming army will win!"

"Ming army will win!"

Following Lan Yu's order, the soldiers of the Ming army shouted in unison, like a tsunami, shaking the sky. They marched in neat steps and slowly advanced forward.

"Hey~"

The birds were startled and flew up. Looking from the sky, it looked like two floods of different colors collided with each other on the ground.

"Bang bang bang!"

Relying on the advantage of artillery, the Ming army took the lead in launching an attack. Amid the roar, shells fell on the Goryeo army's formation like raindrops, causing dust to fly and smoke to fill the air.

The shells whizzed and flew past our heads like meteors with long tails.

Cao Baozhu, an ordinary flag bearer of the Ming army, stood in the front square, watching the meteor showers hit the opposing army formation, feeling the shock and cruelty of the battlefield from a first-person perspective.

His eyes pierced through the thick smoke and were fixed on the black sea of ​​Goryeo soldiers in front of him.

"Get ready! Archers, first round of volleys!" Cao Baozhu heard the order from the phalanx of archers beside him. The archers quickly adjusted their breathing and pulled the taut bowstrings to the full moon. The sharp arrows flashed coldly in the sunlight of the rising sun.

Cao Baozhu tightly grasped the spear in his hand, his heart beating like a drum, and glanced at his colleague next to him out of the corner of his eye.

"Fire!" With the order, thousands of arrows were fired, cutting through the sky and rushing towards the Goryeo army's position like a black storm.

Arrows rained down like rain, carrying the whistles of death, instantly causing chaos in the enemy camp.

However, the Goryeo army was no ordinary force. They had already organized a shield formation in the front army formation and used solid large shields to block the impact of the first round of arrow rain.

Where Cao Baozhu couldn't hear, the generals of the Goryeo army were also shouting at the top of their lungs, using their own language.

"Trebuckle, fire!"

Immediately afterwards, the catapults behind the Goryeo army were half a beat slower than the Ming army's artillery and joined the battle. Huge stones flew across the sky with a roar and landed accurately in the dense formation of the Ming army, blasting open bloody areas.

As the distance shortened, the front infantry of both sides "collided" with each other, and the battle gradually entered a white-hot stage.

Cao Baozhu could clearly hear the shouts and clashes of weapons and the painful groans of wounded soldiers coming from the front.

He knew that it would be his turn to engage in the next brutal hand-to-hand combat.

However, no one was afraid, including Cao Baozhu.

"May the Ming army win forever!" Cao Baozhu shouted loudly and led his soldiers to rush towards the enemy camp.

With spears like a forest, they tried to tear through the Goryeo army's defenses.

The enemy and our side quickly became entangled with each other, and amid the flashes of swords and guns, life seemed as fragile as grass.

Cao Baozhu thrust his spear out again and again, and retracted it again and again, with each collision accompanied by a deafening sound. Sweat and blood mixed together, dripping from the helmet onto the neck, which was somewhat warm.

The water stains evaporated quickly in the presence of a large crowd and blurred his vision, but Cao Baozhu's will was extremely firm.

He only knew one truth, a very simple truth: on the battlefield, the weaker one would die faster.

Just as Cao Baozhu was fighting hard, a Goryeo soldier suddenly pounced on him, the long axe in his hand flashing with bloodthirsty light.

Cao Baozhu quickly dodged to the side and blocked his attack with his spear.

Well, the longaxe is the second most commonly used long-pole weapon after the spear. Except for being heavier than the spear, the longaxe is just as useful as the spear - more importantly, the longaxe can cause damage to heavily armored units.

However, the hammers, which can also cause damage to heavily armored units, cannot form a densely arranged effect.

Therefore, since the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties, large infantry formations have basically been equipped with spears and axes.

Under the same circumstances, a spear is not easy to fight against an axe, because not only is the opponent also a long-handled weapon, but it is also heavier.

At this critical moment, his teammates came to help with the shooting. A soldier from the same hometown arrived in time and shot the Goryeo soldier in the shoulder.

Cao Baozhu took the opportunity to counterattack and pierced the enemy's chest with a spear.

The bright red blood splashed onto Cao Baozhu's face, making him even more indifferent. He continued to charge forward like a killing machine.

His spear thrust forward relentlessly, and Goryeo soldiers fell one after another. Cao Baozhu himself was once again in danger. This is how it is on the battlefield, danger is everywhere.

At his side, a Goryeo soldier wielded a broadsword that was quite reminiscent of the Song Dynasty style. Suddenly, he chopped off the wrist guard on his left arm. Fortunately, the wrist guard was made of iron, so his palm was not chopped off completely, but his left arm was still injured.

However, this is far from over.

Just as the man was about to remove Cao Baozhu's arm, a spear came diagonally and pierced straight through his throat.

Everything came to an abrupt end.

Cao Baozhu glanced at the wound on his left arm that was oozing blood, then looked at his companions around him. He gritted his teeth, threw away the spear that had pierced into the enemy's armor and could not be pulled out, picked up the broadsword of the Goryeo soldier, and chopped it down without hesitation.

Enemies fell one after another, and blood dyed Cao Baozhu's clothes red, making him look like a bloody god of death.

"Kill him! Come on, kill him!"

"Kill them!"

The battlefield was so cruel that after an unknown amount of time, the injured Cao Baozhu turned his head with difficulty and saw his brothers falling one after another.

In the end, he couldn't hold on and fell on his back on the ground.

At this moment, he was covered in blood and didn't even care about the wounds on his body. He looked around and found that he was surrounded by a sea of ​​blood and corpses.

Someone was pulling his legs, and he raised his right leg to kick, but unfortunately he had lost too much blood and strength, so it was useless, and his ankle was also grabbed by someone.

Cao Baozhu looked and saw that the person who grabbed his ankle was a Goryeo general wearing heavy armor. He was wearing a helmet but no visor.

"You're pretty tough, haha."

After talking to himself in Goryeo dialect, the Goryeo general swung his halberd and chopped it hard at Cao Baozhu's head.

"clang!"

An arrow shot towards us.

A dazzling spark burst out from the tip of the halberd, and the halberd deviated from the position where it was supposed to hit, and hit the tree stump next to Cao Baozhu hard.

Cao Baozhu opened his eyes wide and saw that the tree stump next to him had been cut off by the long spear, and the cross-section was smooth and neat.

The place where the halberd chopped left a mark about two inches deep.

The Goryeo general was startled and subconsciously adjusted his position to avoid being shot by a hidden arrow.

"What a strong force!" Cao Baozhu sighed in his heart, then gritted his teeth, tightly grasped the dagger in his hand, and smashed it hard on the opponent's cheek.

bang~
The dagger hit the Goryeo general's nose bridge heavily, but unfortunately it was the handle of the knife, not the blade. However, even so, his nose was instantly crooked. Blood flowed and slowly dripped along the corners of the Goryeo general's mouth.

The Goryeo general also covered his nose and let out a scream.

Cao Baozhu suddenly pulled out the spear that was piercing his abdomen and stabbed it into the belly of the Goryeo general.

"Puchi~"

The spear penetrated into the armor.

However, Cao Baozhu's expression became more and more solemn.

Because he found that his right hand kept shaking and he couldn't hold the spear steadily.

"Fuck you!" Cao Baozhu cursed.

Only then did he realize that his wound had burst open and the blood was flowing unstoppably.

Cao Baozhu gritted his teeth, trying hard to suppress the dizziness from excessive blood loss. He staggered to his feet and prepared to continue his charge.

"Everybody, kill them all! Kill all these Korean dogs!"

Before he could finish his words, a flash of a knife appeared and his head and body were separated.

And this is just a small microcosm of the vast battlefield with a front area of ​​more than ten miles.

The battle continued, with both sides trying their best.

"Prepare!"

As the order was given, the Ming army's musketeers completed the loading quickly and orderly. They held their breath and stared, their fingers tightly on the trigger, waiting for the order to shoot the deadly lead bullets into the enemy formation.

The pungent smell of gunpowder caused by the previous firing mixed with the tense atmosphere at the moment, making the battlefield even more depressing.

"Fire!" The voice of the general flag officer fell into their ears at this time, like thunder cutting through the air.

Immediately afterwards, the muskets roared, deafeningly.

Tongues of fire gushed out from the muzzles of the guns, accompanied by the spread of smoke. Lead bullets poured down into the Goryeo army like a rainstorm, tearing through the air and taking away countless lives.

There were sudden screams and wails in the Goryeo army. Many soldiers fell down. The Goryeo generals shouted loudly, trying to stabilize the situation, while the soldiers relied tightly on their shields, resisting the offensive of the Ming army with their flesh and blood.

There are many more sacrifices like Cao Baozhu.

The fall of their comrades did not reduce the morale of the Ming army in the slightest, but instead aroused more anger.

The surrounding soldiers had red eyes, waving their weapons, and rushed towards the enemy again and again. Every collision was accompanied by the loss of life, but no one retreated.

Lan Yu stood on a high ground not far away, staring at every corner of the battlefield with a cold gaze, without even a fluctuation in his expression.

Coach, you must be ruthless!
Zhu Xiongying was not able to command a battle of this kind.

Lan Yu's brain power has been squeezed to the limit. The entire ever-changing battlefield is in his mind. He constantly adjusts the tactical layout to ensure that every bit of strength can be used to the maximum effect.

Zhu Xiongying was responsible for the coordination and command of the artillery units, ensuring that the orders could be accurately conveyed to the ears of every grassroots commander, so that the Ming army's most important weapon could play its due role.

As time went by, the situation on the battlefield gradually became clear. With its powerful firepower and strict formation, the Ming army gradually gained an advantage on the local battlefield.

Although the morale of the Goryeo army was high, cracks began to appear in their defense line under the continuous attacks of the Ming army.

However, the Goryeo army did not give up.

They kept launching counterattacks in an attempt to turn the tide of the war. The two armies were stuck in a stalemate for the umpteenth time. The entire battle line became jagged and the fight for every inch of land was extremely fierce.

Just then, a burst of hurried horse hooves broke the silence of the battlefield.

An elite cavalry unit of the Ming army led by Zhu Di rushed out from the flank like a black whirlwind. Relying on the speed and impact of their horses, they quickly tore through the defense line of the Goryeo army. The Goryeo soldiers were caught off guard by this sudden offensive and their formation was in chaos.

Lee Seong-gye stood under the big banner, also closely watching every subtle change on the battlefield.

Faced with the appearance of elite cavalry led by Zhu Di, he responded quickly.

"Send an order, mobilize the Right Guard Cavalry of the Imperial Army, and make sure to intercept the Ming cavalry!"

As the order was issued, the royal cavalry serving as the reserve in the rear immediately became excited.

Teams of elite cavalrymen wearing iron armor and holding spears and scimitars quickly gathered. Their horses kept neighing and snorting, showing no fear of war at all.

These cavalrymen were the most powerful force in the Goryeo army and had made great achievements on the battlefield countless times.

Led by experienced generals, the Goryeo cavalry surged out of the formation like a tide and rushed towards Zhu Di's troops.

The two iron streams collided on the battlefield, like two giant dragons fighting fiercely, stirring up a cloud of dust that covered half the sky.

"Charge!" Zhu Di raised his spear high, his voice like a loud bell. His voice penetrated the noise of the battlefield and inspired the guards beside him.

The cavalry of the Left Guard of Yanshan squeezed their horses' bellies, accelerated their charge, and pointed their spears straight ahead, vowing to defeat the Goryeo cavalry in one fell swoop.

The cavalry of the two armies intertwined on the battlefield, and their spears and scimitars kept colliding in the air, making a harsh sound of metal collision.

The sound of horse hooves and shouts of killing intertwined into one, deafening.

Lives were being lost every moment, but the morale of both sides did not diminish as the battle became more intense, but instead became increasingly high.

Relying on his extraordinary martial arts and keen insight into the battlefield, Zhu Di constantly shuttled through the enemy camp. His spear was like the scythe of the god of death. Wherever he went, the Korean cavalry fell off their horses.

Of course, Yanshan Zuowei was not fighting alone.

The Ming army's musketeers and archers provided fire support from a distance. When the Goryeo cavalry came over, they would aim at the densely packed areas of the Goryeo cavalry and continuously fire deadly arrows and lead bullets. These long-range firepower posed a great threat to the Goryeo cavalry, causing their offensive to gradually slow down.

As time went on, casualties of the Goryeo cavalry began to increase. Although they were brave, they gradually became overwhelmed by the powerful firepower and cavalry impact of the Ming army.

Li Chenggui witnessed all this from a high place and couldn't help but feel anxious. If Zhu Di's cavalry was allowed to wreak havoc, Goryeo's defense line might collapse completely.

This principle is like a gap in a dam, which will soon cause the entire dam to collapse.

So he increased his bet.

More cavalrymen began to be sent to the battlefield by Lee Seong-gye. The battle situation here was like a small snowball that was beginning to roll into a big snowball.

At this moment, Lan Yu keenly captured the subtle changes on the battlefield.

He saw that although Zhu Di's cavalry was brave, they were gradually surrounded by the Goryeo cavalry and the situation was critical, so he quickly issued a new order, mobilizing artillery units to bombard the rear of the Goryeo cavalry, and at the same time ordered the infantry phalanx to advance forward to form a pincer attack.

With the roar of artillery, the rear of the Goryeo cavalry was suddenly engulfed in a sea of ​​fire. The sounds of exploding shells and the screams of soldiers were intertwined. The Goryeo cavalry's formation began to become chaotic, and they had to allocate part of their forces to deal with the threat from the rear.

Seeing this, Zhu Di immediately seized this rare opportunity. He shouted loudly and led his personal guards to launch a fierce attack. The cavalry of Yanshan Left Guard was like wild horses that had broken free from their reins. With the cover of artillery, they broke through the encirclement of the Goryeo cavalry in one go.

Even relying on this opportunity to split the enemy's formation, they were unstoppable and invincible, forcing the Goryeo cavalry on the right to retreat again and again.

However, just as the two sides were fighting fiercely, a sudden storm broke the balance of the battlefield.

The sky, which was originally clear, suddenly began to become gloomy.

Immediately afterwards, a strong wind blew, sand and rocks flew everywhere, which greatly affected the vision and shooting of both armies.

(End of this chapter)