Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 304 Yoshino
At this time, the Southern Dynasty's emperor and ministers in Yoshino Castle were also anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Ming fleet.

With the successive fall of Yoshinoguchi and Tsubosakaguchi, the battle situation has become increasingly intense. Kitabatake Manmasa's contact with Yoshino has been completely cut off. Now he can only be trapped in the Ninomaru of Takatori Castle, which is a veritable tiny place. Even if Kitabatake Manmasa can hold on, if he does not receive effective support, he will eventually fall due to running out of ammunition and food.

And the worst thing was that the army of the Northern Muromachi shogunate had already passed through Yoshinoguchi and Tsubosakaguchi and began to advance towards Yoshino in an endless stream.

Because there were not many reserve forces left, the Southern Dynasty could only rely on the local garrison troops to offer a weak resistance.

But this kind of resistance, facing the fierce Northern Dynasty army, can only be described as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

However, good news soon came.

Rokujo Tokihiro hurried into the meeting room and reported the victory of the naval battle to Emperor Go-Kameyama: "Your Majesty, the Ming fleet has defeated the shogunate fleet at sea and is heading towards Yoshino!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Go-Kameyama's eyes sparkled, and he was so excited that he almost stood up: "God bless our dynasty! The Ming fleet is finally here!"

The atmosphere in Yoshino Castle instantly became lively. The soldiers cheered and the people were waiting for the arrival of reinforcements with hope. They all knew that the arrival of the Ming fleet would be the key to turning the tide of the battle.

In a solemn and quaint hall in Yoshino Castle, sunlight shines through the exquisite window lattices, casting patches of light on the ground.

In the center of the hall, a long table was spread out, on which were placed exquisite tea sets, and the aroma of tea wafted in the air.

Emperor Go-Kameyama and the Southern Dynasty's ministers humbly awaited the arrival of the Ming army generals.

With the sound of heavy footsteps, Chang Mao, wearing a helmet and armor, walked into the hall.

He was wearing the Ming Guang armor worn by high-ranking military generals of the Ming Dynasty. His face was dark red, his hand was on the sword at his waist, and his brows revealed an aura of majesty without even being angry.

Emperor Go-Kameyama greeted the heroic Tsuneshige with Japanese etiquette, holding a fan in his hand. He bowed deeply and said in a respectful voice: "General, you have come from afar to help our dynasty out of difficulties. Please accept my greetings to express my gratitude."

Chang Mao did not step forward to support the emperor as he was about to salute, but accepted it calmly and casually.

Inside the hall, as Chang Mao calmly accepted the gift, the atmosphere seemed a little subtle for a moment, but soon, this subtlety was covered up by a few laughs.

"It is only natural that peace can be maintained in the country and chaos can be quelled."

Chang Mao also laughed. He just wanted to give these Japanese in the Southern Dynasty a warning and let them know that they had to be obedient dogs for the Ming Dynasty.

"Moreover, this assistance is in accordance with the will of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."

With this step, Emperor Go-Kameyama hurriedly said: "General, we are deeply grateful for the kindness of the Ming Dynasty. Our dynasty is in danger, and fortunately the Ming Dynasty has extended a helping hand, which has given us a glimmer of hope. On behalf of the people of our dynasty, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ming Dynasty and the general."

Afterwards, Gongye Shiwei clapped his hands and started the banquet.

Although the Northern Dynasty’s army is now approaching the city, there is no need to panic since the Ming Dynasty’s reinforcements have arrived.

The banquet began, with melodious music, delicious food filling the table, and the atmosphere gradually becoming warmer.

During the banquet, Chang Mao and important officials of the Southern Dynasty raised their glasses frequently.

"General Chang's visit not only helped to lift the siege of Yoshino, but also brought hope to our dynasty." Aye Shiwei raised his glass to pay tribute to Chang Mao, "Please rest assured, General, our dynasty will go all out to cooperate with the Ming army to jointly resist foreign enemies and revive the country."

Chang Mao smiled heroically upon hearing this. He put down his wine glass and looked at me with a sharp gaze: "That is absolutely true. This assistance is not for temporary gain, but for long-term peace. As long as we work together, why worry about not being able to defeat the enemy?"

As the banquet progressed, the atmosphere became more and more heated, and the gap between the Southern Dynasty's rulers and ministers and the Ming Dynasty seemed to disappear at this moment.

Emperor Go-Kameyama nodded, his eyes revealing determination: "General, what you said is very true. Although the Southern Dynasty is small, it also has an unyielding will. We are willing to work together with the Ming Dynasty to resist the shogunate. I wonder what the general thinks about the upcoming war situation?"

Chang Mao pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Although the current battle situation is tense, it is not invincible. Our Ming fleet has formed an effective deterrent in the surrounding waters, and the offensive of the shogunate army has slowed down. However, to completely reverse the situation, we need to attack from both inside and outside, a two-pronged approach."

However, just as the two sides were talking, a general hurried into the hall with a serious expression.

"Your Majesty, the enemy is approaching the city fifty miles away!"

The laughter and joy in the hall came to an abrupt end, and everyone's eyes instantly focused on Chang Mao.

Upon hearing this, Chang Mao put down the leg meat, wiped the oil off his hands, and stood up.

"Don't worry, I will drive the enemy away."

Afterwards, Chang Mao strode out, followed into the city by his three hundred Iron Book soldiers, who were all wearing armor and ready for battle.

"General, do we have to wait for the firearms troops to arrive?"

These elite cavalrymen, led by Chang Mao, arrived at Yoshino first, while the large fleet transport force was still following behind.

"No need!"

Chang Mao just smiled and said, "Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken?"

Then, everyone got on their horses.

"drive!"

The horses galloped and the dust flew. Soon, Chang Mao led the Tiece Army to the outside of the city to fight against the vanguard of the shogunate army.

Outside the city, the vanguard of the shogunate army surged in like a tide, with the sound of iron hooves roaring, dust covering the sky, and a fierce momentum.

Among the vanguard, a burly and stern-looking warrior was particularly eye-catching. He was wearing black armor decorated with ghost patterns and holding a gleaming sword with intricate patterns engraved on the blade.

This man was named Onimaru Ichinosuna. He was famous in the shogunate army for his martial arts and arrogant personality. He had turned the tide of battle on small-scale battlefields many times by himself.

Onimaru Ichinosuna stood in front of the formation on horseback, glancing at the slowly approaching Ming army on the opposite side, a sneer of disdain appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"You, a mere Ming people, dare to interfere in the affairs of Yamato? Today, I will let you see the true power of our Yamato warriors!" He roared loudly, his voice was like thunder, shaking the air around him.

Seeing this, Chang Mao frowned slightly, picked his ears, and then rode forward.

"How dare you speak so arrogantly?"

Before he could finish his words, Chang Mao had already taken the lead in attacking. His warhorse groaned, and the spear in his hand was like a spirit snake emerging from a cave, piercing straight at Guiwan Ikatsuna with a whistling sound.

Onimaru Ichinosuna snorted coldly, steed his horse to the side, and easily avoided the fierce attack. At the same time, he swung his sword, bringing up a flash of light and going straight for Chang Mao's vitals.

The battle between the two armies instantly became intense.

Chang Mao's Tiece Army and the vanguard of the Shogunate Army engaged in a fierce battle, with swords and sabers flashing and shouts of killing shaking the earth.

The duel between Chang Mao and Onimaru Ikatsuna attracted everyone's attention.

However, after only a few moves, Onimaru Ichitsugu found that not only was he unable to gain the upper hand, but even his hands were numb!
Chang Mao's spear skills were superb, and his attacks were powerful and forceful, which was completely beyond his ability to resist. Of course, the fact that the sword was not convenient for horseback combat was part of the reason, but the gap in strength between the two sides was indeed huge.

"This is impossible!" Onimaru Ichinosaur roared in his heart. He couldn't accept that he would be defeated by a foreign general.

"Hey!"

He roared, concentrated all his strength on the sword, and launched a final fierce attack. The sword light cut through the sky like a silk thread and came straight towards Chang Mao.

Chang Mao's eyes focused, and his spear drew an arc in the air, accurately blocking Onimaru Ikatsuna's fatal blow.

At the same time, he used the recoil force to suddenly leap up from his horse, and stabbed at the weak spot of Onimaru Ikatsuna with his spear like lightning.

"It's over!" Chang Mao shouted softly, and the spear pierced through Onimaru Ikko's armor and nailed him firmly to the ground.

There was complete silence on the battlefield for a moment.

Chang Mao stood on the battlefield, his spear still inserted into Onimaru Ikko's armor. His figure was elongated in the sunlight, looking particularly majestic.

All around, the soldiers of the Tiece Army cheered loudly.

Chang Mao was like a wise king descending to the earth, and he directly pierced and killed the vanguard officer of the shogunate army. This scene full of power and beauty was so shocking.

Seeing this, the morale of the shogunate army's vanguard troops was greatly reduced and they retreated in panic.

Chang Mao led the Tiece Army to pursue the victory and defeated the vanguard of the shogunate army in one fell swoop.

Chang Mao immediately ordered the troops to be assembled and prepared to meet the possible larger-scale attack. Although the initial battle was a victory, the main force of the shogunate army had not yet appeared, and the real battle had just begun.

At the same time, Emperor Go-Kameyama and the Southern Court officials in Yoshino Castle also received the news of the great victory outside the city, and cheers broke out in the hall again.

"General Chang is truly a god!" Emperor Go-Kameyama exclaimed. "I heard that his father was known as 'the man who dominated the world'. He is indeed a son of a general! With such a general to help him, how can we not win?"

Rokujo Tokihiro and others also echoed that this victory was not only a blow to the shogunate army, but also brought unprecedented confidence to the Southern Dynasty soldiers and civilians in Yoshino in this declining situation.

However, just as the Ming army was about to arrive in Yoshino, the Muromachi shogunate was not idle.

After learning of the defeat in the naval battle, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was furious but also realized the severity of the situation. He immediately summoned his trusted generals to discuss countermeasures.

"The Ming army's vanguard is about to arrive, and we must capture Yoshino before that!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's voice was already quite impatient, and he didn't mind killing people if he couldn't achieve his goal.

Soon, the front line of Takatori Castle received the order. They kept a part of the troops, about 20,000 people, to continue to besiege Takatori Castle, and the remaining 30,000 troops rushed towards Yoshino.

The Southern Dynasty army was not stupid either. When they saw the pressure of the siege suddenly decreased, they knew that support from the Ming Dynasty might have arrived, and their morale was greatly boosted.

Kitabatake Manmasa personally supervised the battle and commanded the soldiers to attack out of the city from time to time. The two sides launched a fierce battle under Takatori Castle.

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurugi led the 30,000 troops of the shogunate and marched towards Yoshino.

In fact, the army controlled by the shogunate, not counting the local garrison troops, numbered more than 100,000. However, because Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had to deal with the Kamakura Shogunate in Kanto and intimidate other shugo daimyo who had rebellious intentions at the same time, he could not go all out. This time, he only dispatched 60,000 troops to destroy the Southern Dynasty.

The Ming fleet, after completely gaining control of the sea in the waters south of Honshu Island not long ago, dropped off 5,000 Ming troops from Jeju Island on a transport ship. This Ming army, led by Li Jinglong, took the narrow and flat road of Wakayama-Kinokawa-Hashimoto. Unlike the Southern Dynasty's envoys who had to cross mountains and ridges to the south to enter Kii Province and then board the ship, their advance was extremely fast.

Li Jinglong's rapid advance undoubtedly gave the Southern Dynasty a shot in the arm. Emperor Kameyama personally ordered all available troops in the city to be ready to cooperate with the upcoming Ming army to resist the attack of the shogunate army.

At the same time, Chang Mao was not idle outside the city. He knew very well that the shogunate army would not give up, so he ordered the Ming cavalry that followed closely to strengthen their vigilance. At the same time, he sent scouts to spy on the enemy and ensure that he was fully aware of the movements of the shogunate army.

As night fell, outside Yoshino Castle, the shogunate army's camp was brightly lit. Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were urgently discussing the next battle plan. They knew very well that with the addition of the Ming army, the situation had become more complicated, and every minute and every second was particularly precious.

"We must fight quickly and decisively, otherwise when the Ming army is fully deployed, we will be in a more passive situation." Akamatsu Yoshinori frowned.

Hosokawa Mitsuru nodded in agreement, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes: "Early tomorrow morning, the entire army will attack. We must capture Yoshino Castle at all costs and give the general an explanation."

However, they did not realize that a carefully planned night attack was quietly approaching them.

Chang Mao took advantage of the cover of night and personally led an elite team to sneak into the camp of the shogunate army quietly. A sudden melee broke out in the night.

The Ming army had a total of 800 cavalry, including 300 Iron Cavalry and 500 elite light cavalry.

The reason why there were few cavalry was that it was inconvenient for ships to carry war horses.

The remaining Ming troops were still at the rear, and they were all infantry led by Li Jinglong.

Eight hundred cavalrymen, wearing armor and holding their guns, shuttled through the night like ghosts. The sound of horse hooves was deliberately suppressed, and only the occasional slight collision sound seemed particularly harsh in the silent night.

Chang Mao led the way, and under the cover of night, he quietly approached the camp of the shogunate army. The camp of the shogunate army was brightly lit, but the guards seemed lax, as if they had not expected such a bold night attack.

Chang Mao curled up the corner of his mouth in a sneer, holding the spear tightly in his hand. He might not be a good general in his life, but he has his own strengths. This battle will be another great military achievement for him.

"kill!"

With a low shout from Chang Mao, eight hundred cavalrymen rushed into the camp of the shogunate army like a storm, with the Tiece Army in the front and the elite light cavalry behind. They quickly dispersed and launched a full-scale harassment on the camp of the shogunate army.

The shogunate army was immediately thrown into chaos. They hastily picked up their weapons and tried to resist this sudden attack. However, Chang Mao's cavalry was like a sharp blade, quickly cutting through their defense line, and the enemies fell down wherever they passed.

Flames shot up into the sky, and the sounds of shouting, killing, and weapons clashing were intertwined.

Chang Mao led the troops, wielding his spear and invincible. His figure was like a black lightning in the night, and the enemies were terrified wherever he passed.

The generals of the shogunate army were awakened from their sleep and seemed a little panicked. They tried to organize an effective resistance, but all their efforts seemed so pale and powerless in the face of Tsunemori's fast and mobile cavalry.

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were even more livid. They had never expected that the Ming army would be so bold as to use cavalry to attack their camp at night.

However, Chang Mao's cavalry came like a tide, unstoppable.

They quickly shuttled through the shogunate army's camp, looking for enemy generals and command centers. Once they found the target, they launched a fierce attack without mercy.

In this night attack, the elite cavalry of the Ming army under Chang Mao's command demonstrated amazing combat effectiveness and tacit cooperation. They fought alone or in groups. No matter what kind of enemy they faced, they could quickly find the opponent's flaws and deliver a fatal blow.

The melee under the cover of night lasted for half an hour. As the raging fire spread, the shogunate army's camp was eventually turned into a mess by Chang Mao's cavalry.

It took a lot of effort for Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurugi to recover the shogunate army from the chaos. When the early morning sun shone on the camp covered in ashes, the generals of the shogunate army had to face a crueler reality - their advantages were disappearing bit by bit.

In Yoshino Castle, Emperor Go-Kameyama and the ministers of the Southern Dynasty were waiting expectantly for the reunion with Li Jinglong's troops.

Soon, the Ming army's vanguard infantry arrived at the west side of Yoshino Castle, but they were blocked by the shogunate army.

Li Jinglong was not in a hurry when he saw this situation. After all, Yoshino was the capital of the Southern Dynasty. Even if it was surrounded, it could hold out for a long time.

So, he began to wait for the arrival of follow-up troops.

With the arrival of the Ming army's follow-up infantry, the battle situation on the west side of Yoshino Castle suddenly became stalemate.

Li Jinglong was very calm and composed, and he excelled at "building a strong camp and fighting a stupid battle". Anyway, the Ming army was equipped with a large number of firearms, so as long as the decisive battle took place on the plains, there was nothing to be afraid of even if they had fewer people than the enemy. Besides, impatience would only lead to defeat.

So he ordered his troops to stay on the spot and build camps. At the same time, he sent out scouts to closely monitor the movements of the shogunate army to ensure that nothing could go wrong.

At the same time, Yoshino Castle was also a busy scene. Emperor Go-Kameyama personally supervised the battle and mobilized all available soldiers in the city to make final preparations for the war. The people were also organized to help transport supplies and strengthen the city walls. The entire Yoshino Castle was united in preparing for the upcoming decisive battle.

Finally, as everyone expected, the Ming army's large force of 5,000 infantrymen arrived.

These 5,000 infantrymen were basically pure firearms troops, which was also an important attempt at the Ming Dynasty's military reform.

As night fell, Yoshino Castle was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of horses neighing and weapons clashing, foreshadowing the coming battle.

Li Jinglong and Chang Mao communicated frequently through messengers and worked out a strategy of attacking from both inside and outside, intending to break the siege of the shogunate army and reverse the situation in one fell swoop.

As for the shogunate army, Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurugi became more cautious after the night attack. They strengthened the vigilance of the camp and also discussed how to deal with the possible offensive launched by the Ming army. However, no matter how they prepared, they could not predict that what was coming would be an unprecedented feast of firearms.

As the first ray of morning light penetrates the clouds and shines on Yoshino Castle, a battle that will determine the fate of the Southern Dynasty is about to begin.

In the morning light, the outline of Yoshino Castle is faintly visible in the mist.

The 5,000 Ming army infantry led by Li Jinglong were ready for battle. The Ming army's firearms units were particularly eye-catching. Those black gun muzzles seemed like cracks in the gates of the underworld, ready to devour any enemy that stood in their way.

The smell of gunpowder permeated the air, intertwining with the coolness of the early morning to create a palpitating atmosphere.

The camp of the shogunate army was also a busy and tense scene. Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were shuttling back and forth between the camps, their faces full of anxiety. This battle was not only about personal honor and disgrace, but also about the future of the entire shogunate, so they had to win.

As the sun gradually rose higher, the shogunate army soon assembled and began to advance.

Afterwards, Li Jinglong also gave the order to open fire.

The Ming army's artillery units opened fire first.

The sound of the cannon was like thunder, deafening!
The roar of gunpowder was like the roar of a giant spirit, shaking the earth, and the shogunate army's formation instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Under the artillery fire, both the sturdy oars and shields and the thin bamboo armor were reduced to ashes.

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru looked solemn. Although they had expected that the Ming army had powerful firearms, they had never imagined that their power would be so great.

In other words, their concept of the Ming army's firepower is still stuck in the war with Goryeo five years ago.

At that time, the Ming army's firearms were very powerful, but not to the point of destroying the world.

You know, there are only five thousand people on the other side!
Faced with this sudden baptism of fire, the morale of the shogunate army instantly plummeted to the bottom, and many soldiers wanted to retreat before they even had a chance to fight.

"No one is allowed to retreat!" Akamatsu Yoshinori roared, his voice full of anxiety.

He knew very well that if the Ming army's firearms were allowed to continue to wreak havoc, the shogunate army would have no chance of winning.

Therefore, Akamatsu Yoshinori urgently ordered the remaining troops to change tactics, disperse, try to use the terrain cover, and launch surprise attacks on the Ming army from multiple directions in order to break this deadly fire network.

However, Li Jinglong had already anticipated that the shogunate army would take such a move.

He sneered and ordered the artillery units to adjust the firing angles and bombard the main directions.

The shogunate army suffered heavy losses, while the Ming army, relying on advanced firearms, firmly grasped the initiative on the battlefield.

Li Jinglong stood on a high place and looked at the situation on the battlefield. He knew in his heart that the Ming army had already won more than half of the battle.

At the same time, there was jubilation in Yoshino Castle.

Emperor Go-Kameyama and his Southern Court officials stood on the city wall and witnessed with their own eyes the power of the Ming army's firearms, their hearts filled with gratitude.

They understood that this battle was not only a military victory, but also the dawn of the Southern Dynasty's revival.

As the shogunate army's offensive gradually weakened, Li Jinglong decided to launch a final general offensive.

He ordered the musket troops to be ready for battle. At the same time, Chang Mao also led elite cavalry out of the city, went around to the flank of the shogunate army, and prepared to launch a pincer attack.

After everything was ready, Li Jinglong raised the flag in his hand and shouted loudly: "All troops, attack!"

Five thousand Ming army musketeers poured out like a tide, their steps in unison and their morale high.

The array of musketeers was like a fire dragon, spewing out blazing flames, and pounced towards the shogunate army's position.

"Bang bang bang!"

The musketeers quickly reloaded and pulled the triggers. A series of deafening explosions followed, and tongues of flames spewed out, mixed with thick smoke and hot air waves, sweeping towards the shogunate army's positions.

Every roar of the musket was accompanied by the fall of the shogunate soldiers. Their armor seemed so fragile under the powerful force of the musket that it was easily pierced through like paper.

The shogunate army's defense line began to collapse under the heavy bombardment of muskets. The soldiers either fled in panic or were blown to pieces. The battlefield was littered with incomplete limbs and desperate wails.

What was beyond the knowledge of all the shogunate army generals was that the Ming army's muskets had an extremely long range and a very fast loading speed, which was several times faster than previous muskets!
This is simply a massacre!
You know, in the past, firearms were considered inferior to bows and arrows because of their short range and slow loading speed.

But now, the Ming army’s firearms have, by some unknown means, completely eliminated these shortcomings.

Therefore, facing the Ming army's adoption of line infantry tactics and the "line-by-line shooting" strategy, the shogunate army was basically completely helpless.

Even though there were sporadic counterattacks with arrows and killed the Ming army's musketeers, these musketeers maintained an extremely strict formation, stepped on the corpses of their companions and continued to advance, completely unmoved.

In this way, the Ming army's muskets seemed to never stop firing, continuously spitting out a rain of deadly bullets.

Moreover, an astute shogunate officer discovered that what the other side shot was not lead bullets at all!

It was something they had never seen before, as if there was no need to go through the step of loading gunpowder!
It was completely different from the Ming army's firearms they learned about from the Goryeo War!
The Ming army in this state, although small in number, was able to crush the enemy on the battlefield. This was an epoch-making technological gap.

This is a dimensionality reduction attack on an agricultural country by a country that has one foot in the industrial world!
The expressions of Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were so ugly that they could not describe it. They watched helplessly as their own troops fell in droves under the firearms of the Ming army like wheat being cut, but they were completely unable to get close to or even effectively kill the enemy. The shock and fear in their hearts were beyond words.

"Why does this musket have such terrifying power?" There was a tremor in Hosokawa Mitsuru's voice. He had never seen such a destructive weapon.

"No matter what it is, we must stop them!" Akamatsu Yoshinori gritted his teeth. He knew that if the Ming army's firearms continued to wreak havoc, the shogunate army would completely lose the will to fight.

However, just as they were trying to organize a final resistance, elite cavalry led by Tsuneshige appeared like a ghost on the flank of the shogunate army and launched a fierce charge.

Chang Mao took the lead, the spear in his hand was like a poisonous snake that chose its prey, and every swing took the life of the shogunate army.

"The general is mighty!" The soldiers of the Tiece Army cheered thunderously. They followed Chang Mao and rushed towards the positions of the Shogunate Army like a tide, completely tearing apart the enemy's defense line.

Although the shogunate army fought hard, its defense line gradually collapsed under the powerful firepower of the Ming army's firearms and the swift attack of the cavalry.

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were extremely anxious when they saw this. They knew very well that if they lost this battle, the consequences would be disastrous.

So, the two of them personally led the personal guards, trying to stabilize the situation and save the defeat.

However, at this moment, Li Jinglong ordered a new round of artillery bombardment.

Artillery fire rained down like raindrops, the shogunate army's formation was completely disrupted, the soldiers fled in all directions, and their morale was extremely low.

Although Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were extremely brave, they were unable to turn the tide under such a fierce attack.

The shogunate army fell into a complete collapse. They were completely defeated by the firepower of the Ming army and the charge of the cavalry, and their morale was extremely low.

On the battlefield, the Ming army was unstoppable. Chang Mao's Tiece Army and elite light cavalry charged back and forth in the shogunate army as if they were in an empty space, and the shogunate army was completely defeated.

Li Jinglong led the infantry troops to advance steadily, gradually squeezing the living space of the shogunate army.

As the battle progressed, the shogunate army was doomed to defeat.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurumoto had no choice but to issue the order to retreat.

Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurugi barely broke out under the cover of their personal guards, but their troops were no longer able to fight. Tens of thousands of shogunate troops fled the battlefield like stray dogs, leaving behind corpses and broken flags on the ground.

Emperor Go-Kameyama and the Southern Court officials in Yoshino Castle witnessed this scene with their own eyes. They cheered and were extremely excited.

Emperor Go-Kameyama was so excited that his eyes were filled with tears. He knew very well how important this battle was to the Southern Dynasty.

After the war, Li Jinglong and Chang Mao were warmly welcomed by the emperor and his ministers of the Southern Dynasty in Yoshino Castle.

They were regarded as the saviors of the Southern Dynasty, and Emperor Kameyama later personally hosted a banquet to entertain the two Ming generals to express the Southern Dynasty's gratitude to the Ming Dynasty.

However, the Ming army that controlled Yoshino put forward unexpected conditions to them.

(End of this chapter)