Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 292 Big victory!

The dust and remaining snow whipped up by the strong wind were like a thick curtain, instantly covering the battlefield, and chaos was everywhere in sight.

Soldiers from both sides had to stop temporarily in this sudden bad weather, squinting their eyes not to try to find targets in the chaos, but to make sure they could stay close to their comrades.

"Keep the formation and don't move without permission!" The voices of the Ming army's grassroots flag officers and the general flag officers were shouting at the top of their lungs through the wind and sand.

Although encountering strong winds and sandstorms on the battlefield is rare, it is not absolutely impossible. In addition, it is early spring now, so strong winds are even more common.

Moreover, this situation is actually more beneficial to the Ming army.

Because many soldiers in the Ming army had participated in battles outside the border, sandstorms often occurred in the northern desert, and of course, they encountered them more often during marches.

Therefore, under such circumstances, the Ming army maintained more calmness and a more stable order than the Goryeo army.

On the Goryeo army side, Lee Seong-gye also frowned. Such a weather change was completely beyond his expectations. He quickly ordered all troops to shrink their formation to prevent the Ming army from taking the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Of course, it is difficult to say how much of this command can be conveyed.

In the current situation, more reliance is placed on the organizational capabilities of the grassroots.

In the wind and sand, soldiers on both sides relied on their weak vision and hearing to maintain their formation with difficulty.

Although the Ming army's musketeers could no longer fire effectively, they all had their musketeers drawn and were now gripping their weapons tightly, ready for close combat at any time.

Unfortunately, because the new muskets had to be rubbed by hand, the production of them was always limited, and priority was given to the Twelve Guards in the capital and the Ming army that needed to fight at sea. Therefore, only a small number of these northern border troops were equipped with new muskets, and the vast majority still used old muskets.

However, even just a small number of the new-style muskets played a crucial role in this war.

Judging from the formations on both wings, the large-scale and concentrated use of the Ming army's musket formations effectively offset the numerical advantage of the opposing infantry. Even though the firepower density was not that high, it still played the role of a battlefield harvester. Whenever the sound of the Ming army's muskets frying beans was rang out, the Goryeo army on the opposite side would fall down in large numbers.

At this moment, the sound of muffled horse hooves could be heard faintly in the wind and sand, becoming clearer and clearer as it got closer and closer. The cavalry of the Left Guard of Yanshan used the sudden storm as a cover, took a long detour, and quietly approached the position of the Goryeo army's center on the right wing.

"Charge!" Zhu Di's voice rang out in the wind and sand. Although it was not loud, it was full of courage.

The cavalry of Yanshan Zuowei were like evil spirits rushing out of the underworld, breaking through the Goryeo army's defense line in an instant. The spears and scimitars in their hands drew bloody shadows in the storm.

The Goryeo army was caught off guard by this sudden attack and their formation was in chaos. Many soldiers were dispersed before they could even react.

Because they were not far away, Lee Seong-gye was horrified when he saw this and hurriedly mobilized more troops to try to stop this iron torrent.

"Zhilan, go stop them."

"Yes!"

Li Zhilan picked up his gun and mounted his horse. Having returned from the battle defeated, he was already filled with resentment and was determined to prove himself. Now that he saw Zhu Di's royal flag, all new and old grudges surged into his heart.

But who could have imagined that Zhu Di was so decisive and so daring to gamble?

You know, if he rushed forward like this and was surrounded by the Goryeo army again, he would never be able to come back.

Zhu Di was able to execute this difficult tactic thanks to his elite cavalry that had experienced many battles.

Well, there were many such exaggerated operations in the Jingnan Campaign. One can only say that Zhu Di was born to be a god of war.

However, the battle in the storm was far more brutal and chaotic than expected.

With limited vision, soldiers on both sides could only fight based on instinct and the rules of training. Every confrontation was accompanied by splattering blood and loss of life.

On the flanks, Goryeo cavalry kept falling on the battlefield, and cavalry from the Yanshan Left Guard also kept falling off their horses.

This sudden storm caused heavy losses to both sides.

Just in the attempt to kill the general and seize the flag, the Yanshan Left Guard lost more than 500 soldiers, including those who were entangled and unable to get out, as well as those who fell behind.

After all, with this kind of visibility, it is still too exaggerated to organize the army to maneuver long distances while getting rid of the enemy.

The Goryeo cavalry that had previously fought against them had lost more than a thousand men. Corpses were piled up on the battlefield and the smell of blood filled the air.

Such terrible weather made the cavalry on both sides feel afraid.

The Goryeo cavalry feared the weather, and the Yanshan Left Guard was afraid of such uncontrollable factors. They were not robots, and the deeper they went, the greater the probability that they would not be able to come back.

Moreover, it is still okay as their speed is still there, but once their speed slows down, they will be doomed.

Zhu Di pursed his lips tightly and said nothing. His body was covered in blood, like a Shura walking out of purgatory. His handsome face was covered with frost and his dark eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light. He seemed to have forgotten the pain of his wound long ago. The spear in his hand whistled in the wind and sand, and blood splattered wherever it went.

The wind and sand became stronger and stronger, the sky was dark and the vision was blurred.

Zhu Di brandished a spear and galloped with the cavalry of Yanshan Zuowei. He was so bloodthirsty that he didn't care how many arrows were stuck in his double-layer armor. Even though he was like a hedgehog, he still charged towards the enemy regardless of everything.

At the moment when his vision was slightly restored, Li Zhilan, who led the cavalry, watched Zhu Di charging in the wind, with a ferocious look on his face, and shouted sternly: "Stop him, don't let him get away!"

The soldiers of the Yanshan cavalry fought hard, but there were too many soldiers of the Goryeo army. Even though the Yanshan Left Guard fought desperately, it was still of no avail.

Zhu Di's body was full of arrows and he looked shaky and was about to fall. At this moment, a sharp wolf-tooth arrow whizzed towards him and went straight into Zhu Di's eyes!

The officers of Yanshan Zuowei were shocked when they saw this scene. They drew their swords and tried to rescue him, but the distance was too far and the arrow was too fast, so they were simply too late.

Just when everyone was worried, Zhu Di suddenly turned his head and avoided the fatal blow!
"Your Highness!" The generals of Yanshan Left Guard shouted in unison. They had never imagined that at this critical moment, such a deadly arrow would be shot at King Yan. Fortunately, King Yan was lucky enough to escape the dangerous situation of certain death.

Li Zhilan put down the iron bow on the horse's back and observed the scene indifferently, with a cold smile on the corner of her mouth.

He raised his right arm and commanded the troops to continue attacking Yanshan Zuowei.

At this moment, another cavalry emerged from the wind and sand. They were running very fast and were galloping towards the Goryeo army's camp. The knights on horseback were fully equipped with sophisticated armor, and the swords worn on the cavalry's waists were also shining with a cold light.

Zhu Di and his generals were unaware of the existence of reinforcements. They only knew that they were isolated and helpless and in a desperate situation.

Zhu Di gritted his teeth and persisted, the spear in his hand kept shuttling among the enemies, his eyes were full of murderous intent. Once he encountered the enemy, he swung the spear without hesitation. The surroundings were filled with enemy corpses, and blood formed streams and flowed slowly.

When the soldiers of Yanshan Zuowei saw Zhu Di's brave performance, their morale became even stronger. They shouted and followed the Prince of Yan to charge into the enemy ranks.

In the wind and sand, the sudden reinforcements came like a divine force descending from the sky, and their appearance instantly broke the deadlock on the battlefield.

The leading general was wearing silver armor, with a determined light flashing in his eyes. He was Xu Huizu, the son of Xu Da. He led the elite cavalry and charged into the Goryeo army's formation with the force of thunder. Wherever he went, the Goryeo soldiers fled and their morale plummeted.

"Reinforcements have arrived, follow me to charge!" Xu Huizu's voice echoed in the storm, clear and inspiring.

Upon hearing the news, the morale of the soldiers of Yanshan Zuowei in a small battle group was boosted. They joined forces with the reinforcements and launched a more fierce offensive against the Goryeo army.

The two sides were once again engaged in a fierce battle, but the situation had quietly changed. With the addition of reinforcements, the Ming army gradually gained the upper hand. Lee Seong-gye's face became increasingly gloomy. He knew very well that he had to increase his strength on the right wing in order to stop these two Ming cavalry units.

As the sandstorm gradually dissipated, the battlefield regained its clear view, and the confrontation between the two sides' infantry formations became more tense.

All the infantrymen filling the line were densely packed on the battle line which was more than ten miles long.

The sunlight penetrated the clouds and sprinkled on the ground covered with blood and dust.

Soon, under the command of Lan Yu, the Ming army's infantry phalanx recovered from the chaotic formation. Looking from the air, it was arranged neatly, like a solid wall of steel, with shieldmen outside, spearmen inside, and archers standing behind the formation.

"Hold your ground and prepare to counterattack!"

The Ming army's archers began to fight back. Arrows pierced the air and shot accurately into the Goryeo army's formation. The two sides engaged in a fierce arrow rain duel.

As the distance shortened, the moment of close combat between the two sides' infantry formations arrived again.

Under the cover of shield bearers, the Ming army's spearmen advanced forward like a tide, their spears flashing cold light, pointing directly at the Goryeo army. There was a gap in the number of people on both sides, but the gap was not particularly large. In addition, the Ming army's firearms were sharp, so the battle lines quickly stuck together again, and the battle situation was quite tragic.

The Goryeo army suffered heavy losses and their formation became increasingly chaotic, while the Ming army's offensive remained fierce.

The Ming army's artillery had not opened fire before because they were unable to determine the exact location and were afraid of accidentally injuring friendly forces. At this time, the artillery began to speak again.

Explosions were heard in the Goryeo army's formation, huge flames rose up, accompanied by the pungent smell of gunpowder, and thick black smoke enveloped the battlefield.

I saw a guy who looked like a Korean general being injured by a shrapnel bomb and falling off his horse. His head was almost blown to pieces, and his intestines and internal organs were scattered all over the sky.

The same scene is constantly happening.

When Lee Seong-gye saw that the Ming army's formation was solid, he became anxious.

He urged his generals to intensify the most critical frontal offensive in an attempt to break through the Ming army's defense line.

However, the Ming army's performance was far more tenacious than the Goryeo cavalry had imagined.

At this time, the Ming army's small flag officer Fan Fengzi, waving a long sword, rushed towards the Goryeo infantry while shouting. His eyes were red, as if he was an angry beast. He could not see anything except the enemy, nor could he hear any sound. He just wanted to kill all the enemies in front of him.

Seeing the enemy coming towards them, the commander of the Goryeo army sent out two teams of light armored soldiers without hesitation to fight. The two infantry teams collided with each other, and the Goryeo army had the advantage in numbers. However, their actual situation was completely opposite to what they expected. One of the Goryeo soldiers was chopped down on the head by Crazy Fan, and the remaining soldiers dodged in panic.

Seeing this, Crazy Fan became even more excited, waving his long knife and shouting, "Kill them for me, kill them!"

Crazy Fan was weaving in and out of the Goryeo army's formation, and his armor was soon stained red, but he pretended not to notice.

A Goryeo infantryman sneaked up behind Crazy Fan and raised his knife to kill him.

However, Crazy Fan turned around and stared at the enemy with hateful eyes. The Korean soldier was frightened by Crazy Fan's eyes and stopped for a moment. At this moment, Crazy Fan's long sword swept across, and the blade was already in front of his throat. He felt a chill in his throat and looked down, and found that the long sword had cut his throat.

"Haha, it feels so good, it's really fucking good!" Crazy Fan laughed wildly, shouting and swinging his knife to kill.

His roar soon attracted the enemy's attention. The Goryeo soldiers looked over here and rushed forward, wanting to kill Crazy Fan. However, Crazy Fan was not afraid at all and continued to swing his sword wildly.

"Brothers, follow me and kill!" Crazy Fan shouted, waving his sword and charging at the Goryeo army.

His comrades also followed closely behind him, howling and rushing towards the Goryeo army.

At this time, the strengthened right wing temporarily repelled the Ming army's attack.

Li Zhilan led the cavalry to temporarily retreat for rest. On the chaotic battlefield, seeing that his army had suffered a heavy defeat, he immediately turned his horse's head, ready to kill this brave hero.

Li Zhilan's eyes were fixed on Crazy Fan like a hawk. His blood-stained figure was like a scarlet flag on the battlefield, extremely conspicuous.

With a sneer on his face, he rode his horse with his spear in hand, heading straight for Crazy Fan, intending to personally chop off the head of this fierce Ming general in the chaos to boost the morale of the Goryeo army. Crazy Fan was fighting cavalry with his infantry, and when he saw the Goryeo cavalry rushing towards him, he showed no fear, but became even more excited. He laughed loudly, "Come on! Let me see what you're made of!"

"Bang!"

After just one fight, Li Zhilan, with the help of horsepower, directly knocked this grassroots officer of the Ming army away.

Then, the spear pierced into the opponent's lower abdomen.

Obviously, as Lee Seong-gye's sworn brother, Lee Ji-ran was quite brave.

Of course, Crazy Fan was at a disadvantage when he used infantry against cavalry, and he consumed more physical energy, and his steps were a little weak. We cannot say that Yan Liang was no good just because Guan Yu killed him with one sword.

But that's how the battlefield is. Things happen in a flash, and there are too many interfering factors.

He was captured and brought back to the enemy camp, and tied up.

Crazy Fan, with his intestines spilling out, cursed: "You bastard, you will die a miserable death!"

Li Zhilan dismounted and said, "If you are willing to surrender, I will definitely recommend you to be a captain of a thousand men."

This sentence is said in Chinese.

As a senior officer of the Goryeo Army, he understood Chinese.

Crazy Fan sneered, "Bah! I'm a man of seven feet tall. I'd rather die than work like a slave for you."

Well, maybe working like a slave isn't appropriate, but Crazy Fan really doesn't have much culture. When he thought of this, he blurted out something.

Li Zhilan sighed, drew out the knife, raised her hand and pressed the blade against her shoulder, and asked Crazy Fan, "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?"

Crazy Fan said nothing.

Li Zhilan's knife suddenly sank, and a piercing pain surged into Crazy Fan's brain. At this time, he could no longer control his muscles and began to tremble violently.

Li Zhilan was impressed to see that the other party had not fainted yet. He knew that he was a real man, so he gave him a quick response: "I will kill you right now!"

After saying that, he cut off Crazy Fan's head with one knife.

However, at this moment, Li Zhilan suddenly saw a ball of fire rising in front of him.

Li Zhilan cried out "not good" in her heart, hurriedly pulled the reins of her warhorse and turned around.

At this moment, several artillery shells whizzed in and hit the Goryeo army.

"Boom——"

Several shrapnel bombs exploded around them, and instantly the air was filled with smoke and rubble.

Li Zhilan and his trusted soldiers were so shocked that their ears were buzzing and their heads were dizzy.

Li Zhilan shook his head and was about to speak when he found blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He was extremely sad. He thought he could achieve great things today and wash away the shame of the battle on the south bank of the Yalu River. Who would have thought that he was not seriously injured on the battlefield, but was injured by artillery instead.

He struggled hard to get up, but unfortunately he was badly injured and couldn't stand up at all, and the soldiers around him were not much better off.

At this point in the fight, Lan Yu no longer hesitated.

——The opportunity for victory has appeared!

This time, not only all the cavalry of the Ming army were dispatched.

In addition, the Ming army's armored cavalry units were also dispatched.

Zhu Di, who had just withdrawn, changed his warhorse, drank a sip of cold water, and led the remaining troops of Yanshan Zuowei who had changed their warhorses to meet up with the cavalry unit brought by Xu Huizu just now. Together with Lan Yu's armored cavalry unit that had been held still, and all the cavalry of the Ming army, they launched the final charge against the Goryeo army.

At this moment, the sunlight penetrated the thin clouds and shone on the land stained with blood, adding a touch of tragic color to this brutal battle.

Following Lan Yu's order, the armored cavalry units of the Ming army roared like a steel torrent, launching a final charge towards the Goryeo army's positions.

These heavily armored cavalrymen were clad in thick armor, their armor gleaming with a cold metallic luster in the sun, each piece of armor was tightly connected, layer upon layer, and they held sharp spears in their hands. When they moved, every step of these fully armed and well-equipped war horses made the earth tremble, as if an unstoppable god of war had descended.

In the Jin Dynasty, they were called "Iron Pagodas" and in Western Xia, they were called "Iron Harriers".

Since the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, armored cavalry have been the masters of determining victory or defeat on the battlefield!
"Charge!" Zhu Di shouted again, his voice full of unshakable determination.

The entire Ming cavalry rushed towards the Goryeo army's defense line from the right wing like a flood.

The Goryeo army was horrified when they saw this; they had never seen such a shocking scene.

The seemingly indestructible infantry formation seemed so fragile at this moment.

The Goryeo soldiers tried to organize an effective resistance, but under the impact of the Ming army's heavy cavalry, all efforts seemed in vain.

The heavily armored cavalrymen were like sharp blades in the wind, ruthlessly tearing through the Goryeo army's defenses. Their spears were like the god of death's scythes, and every swing was accompanied by the fall of the enemy.

Zhu Di led the charge, riding a majestic warhorse, holding a spear, and rushing to the front. His eyes were firm and cold, and it seemed that no force could stop him. Whenever he encountered stubborn resistance, he would swing his spear without hesitation and defeat the enemies one by one.

Under his leadership, the armored cavalry units of the Ming army were unstoppable and invincible.

The Goryeo army's defense line collapsed under their attack, the soldiers fled in all directions, and were unable to organize an effective counterattack.

The shouts and cries of killing on the battlefield were earth-shaking, and the morale of the Ming army reached its peak. Everyone knew that victory was at hand!
If we hold on a little longer, we can completely destroy the Goryeo army's will to resist and win this decisive battle.

As the battle line continued to advance, the Goryeo army seemed doomed to defeat.

The officers of the Goryeo Army looked at the arrogant Ming Army's heavy cavalry in front of them with despair in their hearts. Anyway, if Lee Seong-gye did not make any backup plans, they would be completely powerless to turn the situation around and could only watch their troops being defeated one by one.

However, at this moment of despair, they suddenly saw a glimmer of hope.

In the distance, an elite force of the Goryeo army was rapidly gathering, preparing to launch a final counterattack against the Ming army.

That is their last hope and the key to the comeback.

Lee Seong-gye no longer hesitated and immediately ordered the armored cavalry unit of the Right Guard of his imperial army to attack.

It is hoped that this elite force’s attack will be able to turn the tide and change the situation on the battlefield.

The elite Goryeo armored cavalry unit quickly assembled. They were clad in heavy armor that shone with a cold metallic luster, and they held halberds and spears in their hands. They came towards the Ming army with great momentum.

Their arrival seemed to give the desperate Goryeo army a shot in the arm, and their morale instantly improved.

"Prepare for battle!" Zhu Di's eyes were sharp and he quickly noticed this new threat. He knew very well that he must not relax at this moment, otherwise all his previous efforts would be wasted.

So he shouted orders and adjusted the formation into a sharp arrow formation to prepare for the upcoming tough battle.

The two groups of heavily armored cavalry collided on the battlefield like two steel torrents, making a deafening noise. Spears and halberds intertwined, and every collision was terrifying. The horses of both sides neighed, dust flew, and the battlefield was instantly shrouded in thick smoke.

In this battle, the Ming army gradually gained the upper hand with its tighter formation and more tacit cooperation. Although the elite troops of the Goryeo army were brave, they began to show signs of fatigue under the powerful offensive of the Ming army.

Their lines began to waver and their morale gradually declined.

Seeing this, Lee Seong-gye was extremely anxious. He knew that this was the critical moment that would decide the outcome and he had to go all out.

"All troops, listen up! Attack!"

Lee Seong-gye led a large infantry formation and launched a massive attack.

They were infected by this resolute aura and burst out with their last potential, engaging in a more intense battle with the Ming army.

However, the Ming army was already unstoppable at this time.

The Ming army's artillery fire began to extend, bombarding the rear of the Goryeo army. At the same time, the infantry and musketeers also launched a charge. The musketeers even began to draw blood with their guns, forcing the Goryeo army into a desperate situation step by step.

The armored cavalry units were like the scythe of the god of death, constantly reaping the lives of the enemies and tearing apart the Goryeo army's defense line step by step.

At this critical moment, Li Zhen, Li Chenggui's personal guard, saw the situation taking a turn for the worse and was extremely anxious. He rode his horse to Li Chenggui and shouted, "Your Majesty, our army is already losing. If we don't retreat, we may be wiped out!"

Lee Seong-gye looked at the chaotic battlefield in front of him with mixed feelings.

He knew that Li Zhen's worries were not groundless, but at this point, how heavy was the word "retreat"? For him, if he could not preserve most of his forces, retreat would be no different from destroying the country.

As for his personal life, it is just a matter of dying sooner or later.

Li Chenggui was silent for a moment, and a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, please retreat first, and I will cover your retreat!" Li Zhen said resolutely, then turned his horse around and led an elite guard team, vowing to guard Li Chenggui's retreat route to the death.

Li Chenggui looked at Li Zhen's determined back and felt a warm feeling in his heart. He knew very well what such loyalty meant. Without saying anything more, he nodded, and retreated along the preset retreat route with the remaining generals and a small number of personal guards.

Although the commander-in-chief's flag did not move, it did not mean that the Goryeo army could still hold on. Soon, even though they did not know that the commander-in-chief had fled, the entire Goryeo army fell into a final collapse.

The Ming army's offensive became increasingly fierce. The roar of artillery and the sound of musket fire intertwined to form a song of victory.

The armored cavalry units were like steel behemoths, ruthlessly crushing the remnants of the Goryeo army. Every charge was accompanied by the loss of countless lives.

"Chase! Don't leave any one alive!" Lan Yu punched Zhu Xiongying hard, and the heavy stone in his heart was finally put down.

Zhu Xiongying, who had been running around to make arrangements, also breathed a sigh of relief.

The resistance of the Goryeo army gradually weakened and eventually turned into a helpless struggle. The Ming army won a glorious victory with overwhelming advantage. On the battlefield, the flags of the Goryeo army fell one after another and were replaced by the flags of the Ming army.

When the last trace of resistance was completely wiped out, the entire battlefield fell into dead silence.

The warhorse, having lost its master, ran aimlessly on the battlefield, and finally stopped, lowered its head and snorted.

Zhu Xiongying came to the battlefield. He touched the Goryeo army's warhorse and looked at the corpses all over the ground. The excitement that seemed to have burst into his head just now seemed to fade away.

War is always so cruel.

(End of this chapter)