Emperor Ming's grandson

Chapter 305 "Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain"

In Yoshino Castle, in a brightly lit Japanese-style banquet hall.

The emperor and his ministers of the Southern Dynasty and several generals of the Ming Dynasty gathered together to celebrate the victory, and the atmosphere was quite warm.

However, after a break in the laughter, Li Jinglong and Chang Mao looked at each other.

Chang Mao nodded slightly, and his beard trembled.

Li Jinglong slowly put down the wine glass in his hand, his expression became solemn, he looked around, and finally turned his gaze to Emperor Go-Kameyama.

"Your Majesty, the King of Japan, our Emperor expresses deep sympathy for your country's plight and has sent us all the way to provide assistance."

Li Jinglong changed the subject and said, "However, assistance is not free, and our Ming Dynasty also needs to consider the long-term interests."

Obviously, with the arrival of direct support from the Ming army, part of the conditions agreed upon previously need to be fulfilled.

After all, the status of both parties is unequal now.

If there had been no support from the Ming Dynasty, with the peace agreement between the Southern and Northern Dynasties torn up, it would only be a matter of time before the Southern Dynasty was destroyed by the Northern Dynasty. Even if Kameyama and his group had fled to Shikoku Island or Kyushu Island, there would have been no essential difference.

So in other words, the Ming Dynasty is now the grandfather, and the Southern Dynasty of Japan is the grandson. It is the Southern Dynasty of Japan that is seeking the protection of the Ming Dynasty in order to survive.

Emperor Go-Kameyama was unhappy when he heard this, but due to the current situation, he could only force a smile and asked, "I have already known the conditions proposed by the Ming Dynasty. Do you have any further comments, General?"

Li Jinglong nodded slightly and said seriously: "Now the prince will stay in Ming to study. I heard that Prince Liangtai has a good reputation. Please ask the king to send him as an envoy to Ming."

Sending envoys to Ming Dynasty is naturally the same as sending envoys to Tang Dynasty.

However, Li Jinglong had obviously done his homework in advance. The "Prince Liangtai" he mentioned made everyone in the Southern Dynasty freeze.

Ryoyasu was Gokameyama's third son and the legitimate son born to Gokameyama's consort, Kitabatake Nobuko.

Kitabatake Nobuko was the daughter of Kitabatake Akinobu. The Kitabatake clan, whose territory was in Ise Province south of Yoshino, had been the biggest supporter of the Southern Court on Honshu Island since the beginning of the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. As a member of the court, the Kitabatake clan was the biggest supporter of the Southern Court on Honshu Island.

Why did Kitabatake Mangiya, the head of the Kitabatake clan of this generation, still defend Takatori Castle and refuse to surrender even though he was in a desperate situation? Because after so many years of fighting, the Kitabatake clan and the Ashikaga clan's shogunate had long been a blood feud.

At that time, the first shogun of the Ashikaga clan, Ashikaga Takauji, confronted Kitabatake Chikafusa of the Kitabatake clan in the Nara area when the war between the Northern and Southern Dynasties was still evenly matched. Then Kitabatake Chikafusa's son, Kitabatake Akiie, known as the "Flower Shogun", was responsible for harassing the headquarters and rear base of the Ashikaga clan of the shogunate, that is, Kamakura in Kanto.

The person in charge of guarding Kamakura on the Northern Court side was Ashikaga Takauji's third son, Ashikaga Yoshiakira, who was eight years old at the time and was also the first Kanto Kanrei of the Kamakura Shogunate. Facing the aggressive Kitabatake army, the Northern Court generals stationed in Kamakura all suggested protecting Ashikaga Yoshiakira and avoiding Kitabatake Akiie, giving up Kamakura, and going to Kazusa Province and Awa Province to rest the army before fighting again. After all, the bravery of the "Flower General" Kitabatake Akiie should not be underestimated.

As an additional note, Kitabatake Hideie liked to read "The Art of War", so when he was fighting against Ashikaga Takauji, he used the "Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain" battle flag, two hundred years earlier than Takeda Shingen.

But Ashikaga Yoshiakira did not retreat, or rather, the retainers who assisted him did not retreat. Generals Kazuuji Hosokawa, Norinaki Uesugi, Takashige Shige and others went to the Tone River to block the Oshu army. It was the rainy season at the time and the river was turbulent, but the Kitabata army forced their way across the river. The shogunate army tried to attack them halfway across the river, but were hit head-on by Kitabata Akiie's troops. The shogunate army was defeated, Takashige Shige died in the battle, and Kazuuji Hosokawa and Norinaki Uesugi fled back to Kamakura.

This was also an important turning point in the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Japan. At that time, Kitabatake Akiie had two options. The first was to go north and join forces with the samurai Nitta Yoshisada to defeat the Northern Dynasty army in Hokuriku, and then march into Kyoto from the northwest to fight a decisive battle with Ashikaga Takauji. The second was to leave some troops to monitor the defeated Southern Dynasty army in Kamakura in Kanto, and then the main force would go west to meet with his father Kitabatake Chikafusa, and attack Kyoto from the southwest together.

The "Flower Shogun" Kitabatake Akiie chose the second option and continued to march quickly towards Kyoto with the allied forces such as Tokujumaru, Hojo Tokiyuki, and Yuki Munehiro. Ashikaga Takauji sent Momoi Naotsugu, Toki Yorito, Uesugi Norinaki and others to block the Kitabatake army. The two armies fought at Aonohara, and the Kitabatake shogunate army was defeated. Momoi Naotsugu retreated to Kyoto, while Toki Yorito retreated to Nagamori Castle.

At this time, Ashikaga Takauji listened to the advice of his two generals, the brothers Takauji and Takauji Yasu, who believed that "Kyoto has been easy to attack but difficult to defend since ancient times, and those who defended Kyoto were often defeated." Ashikaga Takauji gave up his aversion to defending Kyoto and sent his direct military generals such as Takauji Yasu, Hosokawa Yoriyuki, and Sasaki Takauji to lead the army to Mino Province, and set up a battle array between the Kurochi River and the Fuji River to block the Kitabatake army.

The two sides fought a decisive battle at Aonohara, and Kitabatake was defeated. However, the Kitabatake army, which had been exhausted after fighting all the way, could not catch up and had to retreat to Nara to rest. Later, the Kitabatake army gathered, and the two sides fought again at Shidaiouji. This time the Kitabatake army was defeated, and Kitabatake Akiie broke through, while Kitabatake Akiie's younger brother Kitabatake Akinobu gathered the defeated soldiers and defended Otoyama Castle. Kitabatake besieged the city and attacked for reinforcements. In order to save his brother, Kitabatake Akiie had to gather his troops to reinforce Otoyama Castle, where he was defeated again and died in battle.

Kitabatake Akinobu is the father of Kitabatake Nobuko, the current Empress of Emperor Go-Kameyama.

It was also because during the decades of war, most of the male members of the Kitabata clan died in the battles with the Northern Court. In addition, the Ise Province occupied by the Kitabata clan was the only province of the Southern Court on the island of Honshu (Yoshino and other counties were only the southern half of the Yamato Province), so the relationship between the Kitabata clan and the Southern Court emperor could be said to be one of life and death.

Therefore, the only son of Go-Kameyama and Kitabata Nobuko, the future emperor of the Southern Dynasty, was sent to study abroad in Ming Dynasty, which firmly controlled the Southern Dynasty.

As for other sons, such as the eldest son Tsunetsu and the second son Motoyasu, they were insignificant because they were not legitimate sons. In the Southern Dynasty of Japan, they could not hold this position firmly without the support of the Kitabatake clan.

Without waiting for Hou Guishan to speak, Li Jinglong continued.

"Secondly, in order to transport military supplies, the Southern Dynasty needs to open more ports for the free movement of Ming warships and merchant ships. The Ming will send special officials to assist in management and ensure the order of trade. For this assistance, the Southern Dynasty needs to provide necessary military and logistical support, including ships that can unload and transfer goods to the docks, necessary supplies, and guides familiar with the terrain to ensure the smooth operation of our army. If the Southern Dynasty negotiates with the shogunate after the war, it must ensure that the interests of the Ming are not harmed, and any agreement must be agreed to by the Ming in advance."

These are all the contents of the agreement, but what Li Jinglong said later was not what was discussed before.

For example, the establishment of an Angel's House in Yoshino, and the local authorities had no jurisdiction over any incident involving the people or soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.
Li Jinglong's words were powerful and the emperor and his ministers of the Southern Dynasty looked at each other in bewilderment, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Ayeshi asked, "General, these conditions are reasonable, but our country is weak and I am afraid we cannot bear such a heavy burden."

Seeing that the Japanese Southern Dynasty still wanted to bargain, Li Jinglong became a little impatient: "The assistance from my Ming Dynasty is not a small favor, but a matter of life and death for the Southern Dynasty. Don't you understand this?"

Then, Li Jinglong paused, and his tone became more resolute: "Besides, our Ming Dynasty is not the kind of person who takes advantage of others' misfortunes. The conditions we put forward are all based on realistic considerations. If the Southern Dynasty cannot afford it, our Ming Dynasty can also consider implementing it in stages to gradually reduce the burden on the Southern Dynasty. However, these matters are the cornerstone of the friendship between the two countries and there is absolutely no room for negotiation."

Emperor Go-Kameyama was helpless. He was at the mercy of others. What else could he say?

"General, you are right. We will always remember the kindness of the Ming Dynasty."

Li Jinglong felt relieved when he saw this, so he picked up the wine glass and gestured to everyone present: "In this case, we will wait for good news. Come, drink this glass!"

However, unlike the revelry in Yoshino, Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsuru were in a rather disgraced state when they retreated to the siege camp of Takatori Castle.

In the main tent of the shogunate camp outside Takatori Castle, Akamatsu Yoshinori and Hosokawa Mitsurumoto sat opposite each other.

Surrounded by broken tents and embers that had not yet been completely extinguished, there was a sense of dejection in the air.

"We underestimated the strength of the Ming army, especially their firearms." Akamatsu Yoshinori said in a deep voice.

Mitsuru Hosokawa tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and every tap seemed to hit Yoshinori Akamatsu's heart, making him very annoyed.

"Stop knocking!"

Hosokawa Mitsuru stopped and nodded before speaking: "Indeed, but we cannot just give up. Takatori Castle is already at the end of its strength. As long as we can gather our forces again, storm Takatori Castle, and then use it as a base to build a defense line, we may be able to turn the tide."

"You mean, we should use Takatori Castle and other passes along the way such as Yoshinoguchi to engage in a protracted war with the Ming army?" Akamatsu Yoshinori repeated thoughtfully, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"That's right." Hosokawa Mitsuru stood up, walked to the map, and used charcoal to draw a few strokes on Takatori Castle and its surrounding Yoshinoguchi, Tsubosakaguchi and other important passes. "Takatori Castle is in a strategic location, easy to defend but difficult to attack. If we can hold on here and use these passes to deploy heavy troops, we can greatly weaken the Ming army's firearms advantage. Although their firearms are powerful, the problem is that their troops are limited. They can neither completely surround us nor attack the mountains."

Akamatsu Yoshinori walked up to Hosokawa Mitsuru, stared at the map, and said slowly: "This plan is feasible, but we must act quickly. Now that the Ming army has intervened, the Southern Dynasty's will to resist will surely increase greatly. We must launch another fierce attack and capture Takatori Castle before they can reinforce."

"Well, gather the troops immediately and ask the general for reinforcements."

Hosokawa Mitsurugi made a decisive decision and turned to order the messenger, "Pass the order down, prepare to attack Takatori Castle again tomorrow!"

At this time, Kitabatake Mangiya, who was trapped in the Ninomaru of Takatori Castle, was not sleeping either. He was making defensive deployments under the banner of the "Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain" formation.

Takatori Castle is a solid fortress standing in steep terrain. Its defense measures are complex. The city walls are made of huge stones, thick and strong enough to withstand attacks including artillery and gunpowder. There are arrow towers on the city walls. These arrow towers not only provide a good shooting platform for the defenders, but also can effectively observe the enemy situation and command operations. The city walls are covered with shooting holes, allowing the defenders to shoot at the enemy from multiple angles, forming a cross-fire network.

In order to enhance the defensive capability, Kitabatake Manmasa also took advantage of the terrain to dig deep trenches and set up spike traps on the outside of the Ninomaru's walls to further hinder the enemy's approach.

In addition, the city was stockpiled with sufficient water and food to ensure the survival needs of the defenders even during a long siege.

Kitabatake Manmasa personally patrolled the city walls at night, checking every defensive facility to ensure that there were no mistakes. When he saw the foot soldiers on patrol, he would stop and talk to boost their morale and encourage them to fight bravely.

In addition, during this period, at the most intense moments of the battle, Kitabatake Manmasa always led the way and rushed to the front line, so the thousands of Southern Dynasty troops trapped here were still determined.

Anyway, Kitabatake Manmasa still had a good mentality. Although the troops in the rear retreated quickly and left them here, it was also his arrangement before the war. Kitabatake Manmasa never expected to rely on the Takatori Castle defense line to stop the enemy, so once the battle was unfavorable and they could not counterattack, the tens of thousands of troops in the back would withdraw to Yoshino for defense.

Even when the situation was most critical, Kitabatake Manmasa never gave up hope. Now that the Ming army reinforcements were sure to arrive, he was even less panicked.

In the early morning, Akamatsu Yoshinori of the shogunate army began to mobilize.

"All troops, listen up! Today, we are going to capture Gaoqu City in one fell swoop!"

Looking at Takatori Castle with only the next two city walls left in front of them, the shogunate foot soldiers responded in unison, their morale high, as if they had forgotten the disastrous defeat of the previous day.

With an order, the shogunate army rushed towards Takatori Castle like a tide.

They carried ladders, and some of them carried battering rams on their shoulders in an attempt to break through the city defenses in one fell swoop.

Kitabatake Manmasa stood on the wall of Ninomaru, under the banner of "Furinzan", looking at the dark mass of enemy troops outside the city, and gave orders in an orderly manner. The foot soldiers in the city moved upon hearing the orders, the foot soldiers with muskets quickly loaded ammunition and prepared to fire, and the remaining samurai held their long swords tightly, ready to serve as the main force of the counterattack and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy.

As the shogunate army approached the city wall, arrows and lead bullets intertwined in the air to form a web of death. Foot soldiers on both sides kept falling down. The foot soldiers of the shogunate army attacked the walls of Takatori Castle wave after wave like a tide. They waved their weapons and issued deafening shouts, trying to overwhelm the defenders with their numerical advantage. Ladders were erected one after another, and the foot soldiers of the shogunate army climbed bravely, but what greeted them was hot oil and rolling stones pouring down from the city wall. Every time the ladders approached the city wall, it would be accompanied by a fierce fight, and the two sides fought a desperate battle in the narrow space.

Yoshinori Akamatsu commanded elite warriors in heavy armor to try to break through the weak points in the city's defenses. They climbed to the top of the city walls by climbing ladders.

However, Kitabatake Mangiya had already anticipated this move. He quickly mobilized the remaining elite samurai to counterattack the offensive of the shogunate army's elite squad of samurai.

On the city wall, the Southern Dynasty samurai and the Shogunate samurai engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand fight. Amid the flashing of swords and the shadow of sabers, life seemed as fragile as grass.

Under the "Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain" formation, Kitabatake Mangiya carried a spear and a bow, ready to go into battle and kill the enemy himself. His bravery like that of his fathers and ancestors inspired the foot soldiers around him to fight harder.

You know, when the "Flower General" Kitabatake Hideie was born, he already had a bow in his hand. It is said that the bow and arrow represent the power of gods and Buddhas, and there is a saying that "the bow will lead to victory".

Kitabatake Mangiya was also proficient in bows and spears.

At this moment, a shogunate samurai took advantage of the ladder and jumped with all his might, trying to climb to the top of the city wall.

Kitabatake Manya curled up the corner of his mouth in a sneer. He did not rush forward, but slowly pulled the longbow and aimed at the warrior's throat. The arrow shone coldly in the sunlight.

"Go!" With a low shout from Kitabatake Mangiya, the arrow shot out like an arrow from a bow, cutting through the sky and piercing the samurai's throat accurately.

The warrior's body trembled violently, and then fell weakly to the ground below the city, splashing up a cloud of dust.

The surrounding shogunate troops couldn't help but gasp when they saw this. Kitabatake Mangiya's archery skills were so superb that they were breathtaking.

However, the fighting did not stop.

More and more shogunate warriors rushed to the top of the city one after another. This was a life-and-death battle, and only by trying their best could there be a chance of survival.

Kitabatake Mangiya was possessed by the god of war. Under his leadership, the morale of the Southern Dynasty's samurai was greatly boosted, and they engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the shogunate's samurai.

At this moment, a shogunate samurai killed two people in a row. With a long sword in hand, his figure looked particularly tall in the morning light.

His name was Musashi Takazumi, a famous samurai in the shogunate army, known for his martial arts skills. There was no trace of retreat in Musashi Takazumi's eyes when he looked at Kitabatake Mangiya.

"Kitabata Manga, your archery skills are indeed admirable, but a true samurai speaks with his sword on the battlefield! Musashi Takazumi, please teach me!" Musashi Takazumi's roar penetrated the noise of the battlefield and reached Kitabata Manga's ears.

Upon hearing this, Kitabatake Mangama looked at Musashi Ryujun with a deep gaze.

"Musashi Ryujun, I have heard of your reputation for a long time. Today, let us determine the truth on the battlefield!" After saying this, Kitabatake Mangiya straightened his back, and the spear in his hand shone coldly in the sun.

The surrounding foot soldiers all stepped back to make room for the two top samurai to avoid being affected and killed.

Musashi Ryujun put the katana back into the scabbard and prepared to fight the enemy with the sword-drawing technique.

Then, he suddenly jumped up, accelerated and rushed straight towards Kitabatake Manya.

In a flash, he drew the katana from his waist, and the blade light cut through the air like a silk thread, heading straight for Kitabatake Mangaka.

Seeing this, Kitabatake Mangiya did not retreat but advanced. He swung the spear in his hand and engaged in fierce combat with Musashi Ryujun's sword in the air.

After a few moves, Kitabatake Mangiya cleverly used the flexibility of his spear to bypass Musashi Ryujun's sword and stabbed directly into his ribs.

Musashi Ryujun was shocked. He didn't expect Kitabatake Manmasa to be so cunning.

He tried his best to dodge, but it was too late.

The tip of the spear instantly pierced his armor, and blood stained his clothes red.

"You lose." Kitabatake Manya said coldly, and he retracted his spear.

When masters fight, life and death depend on a hair's breadth.

Musashi Ryujun staggered back a few steps, his face as pale as paper. He looked at the wound on his chest, blood gushing out, and there was no hope of saving him.

He looked at Kitabatake Mangiya's face again and finally lowered his head.

"I lost," he muttered to himself, his voice full of unwillingness.

With a loud bang, Musashi Ryujun's body fell down.

Kitabatake Manmasa's bravery greatly inspired the Southern Dynasty defenders.

However, as time went on, the shogunate forces gradually gained the upper hand.

Relying on their numerical advantage and fierce offensive, they gradually gained a foothold on part of the wall of Ninomaru. Seeing this, Kitabatake Manmasa became extremely anxious. He knew very well that if Ninomaru could not be defended, the destruction of Honmaru would only be a matter of time.

However, the shogunate army's offensive became increasingly fierce. They attacked the city walls at all costs, attempting to break through the city in one fell swoop.

At the same time, the craftsmen and laborers in the city were also busy. The craftsmen reinforced the city walls, repaired the damaged defense facilities, and ensured that the defenders could hold out to the end. The laborers were responsible for carrying supplies to provide the defenders with necessary supplies and support. The entire Gaoqu City seemed to have turned into a huge war machine, and every component was operating tensely and orderly.

The battle gradually entered a white-hot stage. The offensive of the shogunate army became more and more fierce, and the defenders of Takatori Castle showed amazing resilience under the leadership of Kitabatake Mangiya. Relying on their solid city walls and tenacious fighting spirit, they repelled the attacks of the shogunate army time and time again.

The two sides fought fiercely for most of the day, and just as dusk was approaching in the afternoon, Mitsuru Hosokawa received bad news.

Facing Yoshino's defense line, the shogunate army scouts responsible for collecting intelligence discovered the arrival of the Ming cavalry. A team of Ming cavalry appeared on the battlefield like divine soldiers descended from the sky. They held long spears and wore heavy armor. They rushed towards the shogunate army scouts with the force of thunder and wiped out most of them.

There is no doubt that this was to clear the way for the infantry behind the Ming army. After all, cavalry could not climb the mountain, but infantry could.

Hosokawa Mitsurumoto's face suddenly turned gloomy. He knew very well that the Ming army's firearms were extremely powerful. Once they were allowed to approach the battlefield, the shogunate army's offensive would be difficult to sustain.

He quickly looked around and saw that although the shogunate army's attack was fierce, the resistance of the Southern Dynasty defenders was also extremely tenacious, and the two sides were in a stalemate.

We may be able to capture Ninomaru today, but it will definitely not be easy to capture Honmaru.

"Pass the order down, all blocking troops immediately retreat to the mountain road outside Takatori Castle, and be sure to stop the Ming army's firearms troops there!" Hosokawa Mitsurumoto gave the order decisively.

Upon hearing this, the generals of the shogunate army conveyed their orders one after another.

Soon, the Ming army's firearms unit led by Li Jinglong finally arrived at the outskirts of Gaoqu City.

Li Jinglong stood on a high place, gazing at the winding mountain road ahead, knowing that this was the best place for the shogunate army to stop them, but it was also their burial place.

"Pass the order down, musketeers, get ready, open fire immediately once the shogunate army is within range!" Li Jinglong's voice was very calm, he was personally commanding this upcoming decisive battle.

The Ming army soldiers quickly formed up according to orders, and the musketeers loaded ammunition in an orderly manner.

At this time, the Shogunate army had occupied the advantageous terrain and was ready to block the Ming army. However, they did not know what kind of horror they were about to face.

"Open fire!" With Li Jinglong's order, the Ming army's artillery began to cover the enemies on the peaks on both sides with fire.

In order not to destroy the mountain road in the middle, the Ming army musketeers began to advance in a line.

The musketeers in the first row pulled the trigger almost at the same time.

Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire, and fire and smoke filled the entire mountain road.

Rows of bullets poured down like a rainstorm, tearing the shogunate army's formation into pieces.

The foot soldiers of the shogunate army, who had prepared "large shields and wet quilts", screamed in fear. They had never seen such fierce firepower.

Many people were hit by dense bullets and fell in a pool of blood before they even had time to react.

But except for the first row, the shields at the back can still withstand it.

In particular, they specially found a lot of oars and shields covered with tanned cowhide, and wrapped them with wet quilts, which could temporarily withstand the impact of bullets.

Therefore, the shogunate army did not collapse.

Under the command of their generals, they quickly adjusted their tactics and used the terrain to conceal themselves and counterattack.

The archers on the mountain hid in the bushes, and the artillery could not completely destroy them. After all, the artillery carried by the Ming army was restricted by road conditions and its firepower was limited. They also began to shoot arrows, trying to suppress the Ming army's firepower.

However, the Ming army's advantage in firearms was too obvious, and the shogunate army's counterattack seemed pale and powerless.

The musketeers continued to reload ammunition, shoot, reload, and shoot again, forming an insurmountable wall of death.

After the battle lasted for a while, the shogunate army finally could not bear such huge losses and began to retreat.

They were forced to abandon their blocking positions on the mountain road and retreat to a farther place.

Upon seeing this, Li Jinglong immediately ordered the vanguard to launch a pursuit, while the main force followed closely behind, ready to defeat the shogunate army's blocking force in one fell swoop.

The shogunate army's blocking plan completely failed, and they had to face a more serious situation.

Kitabatake Manmasa in Takatori Castle had retreated to the Honmaru at dusk. The Southern Dynasty army under his command suffered heavy losses, and only about a thousand people were left.

As night fell, the main castle of Takatori Castle fell into deathly silence. Only the occasional groans of the wounded and the muffled crackling of torches broke the suffocating silence.

The remnants of the defeated army of the Southern Dynasty were either sitting or lying down, with exhaustion and despair written on everyone's face.

Kitabatake Manmasa stood on the wall of Honmaru, under the "Furin, Kazan, and Huoshan" flag, and looked around. He knew that although the arrival of the Ming army brought a glimmer of hope to the Southern Dynasty, their predicament was still severe when it came to Takatori Castle.

Kitabatake Manmasa had no idea when the Ming army's reinforcements would arrive at Takatori Castle, because he was surrounded and had no way of getting any news from the outside world.

He took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound firm and powerful: "My fellow soldiers, I know you are exhausted both physically and mentally, but please remember what we are fighting for!"

Kitabatake Mangiya's words gradually awakened the soldiers. They began to look up and hope rekindled in their eyes.

Some people were whispering, some were holding their weapons tightly, and the atmosphere in the entire Honmaru changed quietly.

"The general is right, we can't give up!" a young warrior shouted loudly. Although his voice was a little trembling, it was extremely firm.

"Yes, we can't let the general and the brothers of the Ming army sacrifice in vain!" Others echoed, and morale was boosted unprecedentedly at this moment.

At this moment, a messenger came running in, breathlessly reporting: "General, the shogunate army. The shogunate army actually launched an attack at night!"

You have to know that in Japan at that time, many people were night blind, especially the lower-class foot soldiers who had poor nutritional intake.

Therefore, night battles are very rare unless in extremely urgent situations.

As soon as these words were spoken, the Honmaru fell into a brief panic again.

But Kitabatake Manya quickly calmed down. He said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, everyone should immediately prepare for battle. The shogunate army chose to attack at night, which means they have nowhere else to go. This is our chance! The support of the Ming army must have arrived!"

The foot soldiers sprang into action, and though exhausted, their movements were unusually swift and orderly.

Torches were lit, illuminating every corner of the city wall, and the musketeers in the arrow tower quickly took their positions, ready for the upcoming battle.

Kitabatake Mangiya personally climbed up the city wall and looked at the shogunate army slowly approaching in the distance.

In the dim firelight, the figures of the Shogunate army appeared extremely strange and ferocious, but they did not seem to expect that the Southern Dynasty defenders would react so quickly, and they seemed a little panicked for a moment.

"Fire!" Kitabatake Mangiya gave the order, and the musketeers on the city wall pulled the triggers at the same time.

Fire and smoke spread again, and rows of lead bullets cut through the night sky, hitting the vanguard of the Shogunate army. The Shogunate army's foot soldiers fell one after another, and screams rang out one after another.

However, the shogunate army did not retreat. They took advantage of the cover of night and launched a more fierce attack on the walls of Honmaru.

The battle lasted all night and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

However, Kitabatake Mangiya and his army successfully defended Takatori Castle with their firm belief.

When the first ray of morning light penetrated the clouds and shone on Honmaru, the attack of the shogunate army finally stopped. They looked at the "Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain" flag on the standing Honmaru wall and chose to retreat helplessly.

(End of this chapter)