Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 206: Destroy the country in three days!

The royal capital of Korea, Seoul.

"Where are the Ming court's troops now?" King Yi Jong of Joseon asked the civil and military officials kneeling in the court.

"Your Majesty, we landed yesterday and have occupied Incheon City." The clerk looked at the Manchus and replied immediately.

Prime Minister Jin Xianzhong took a step forward and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, at this moment, we should ask Lord Suo to write a letter to the Qing Dynasty and ask them to come to support us."

"That's right. What we have to do now is to hold on a little longer, wait for the Eight Banners troops of the Qing Dynasty to arrive, and cut off the Ming court's retreat." The Minister of Personnel Jin Yunshi knelt on the ground and said loudly.

"The Ming court is coming by boat, so there must not be too many people. We should be able to hold out for a long time."

"Moreover, we are about to enter the freezing period. The fingers of our soldiers defending the city are frozen stiff and they cannot pick up their spears. They keep stamping their feet. The Ming army will not be able to hold out for long in the ice and snow and will retreat." The military minister stepped forward and replied.

Jin Liu Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Inspector, frowned. "The Ming court is coming with great force. How long we can hold out will determine who will win or lose. We can't just pin our hopes on the weather. This year's frost came later than in previous years. Please write to the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty as soon as possible."

"please!"

"please……"

All the civil and military officials in the Korean court saluted to Suo Xunchen of the Eight Banners of the Manchus.

"My Great Qing will certainly send troops, but before that, you still have to do your best to resist the Ming court's troops. As long as you can hold on for ten days, my Great Qing cavalry will arrive." Hesheli Suoxiuchen looked at the King of Korea and his ministers with disdain.

"Lord Suo, please!" Prime Minister Kim Hyun-joong hurried forward to grind the rice for Suo Xunchen, his expression full of flattery.

However, before he finished writing his handwritten letter, he heard hurried footsteps outside again.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

An eunuch ran in, "Urgent report, the Ming army disguised as merchants has just captured Fuchuan. After entering Fuchuan, the Ming army rushed all the way, and our army was unable to resist."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the court was shocked.

Prime Minister Kim Hyun Joong was stunned, "How could it be... so fast?"

Upon hearing this, Suo Xunchen, a member of the Eight Banners of the Manchus, also wrote quickly, no longer caring about showing off. Korea was in danger now. If it fell into the hands of the Ming court, not only would it be difficult to preserve the gold, silver and jewelry he had looted in Korea, but even his own life would be in danger.

The veins on the forehead of Joseon King Li Jong also bulged and jumped, "Waste, waste, in just one day, the Ming court broke through two cities in a row."

He held his forehead, his back tensed, and pointed at Jin Liu Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Inspector, and said, "Quickly, organize the troops and try to block the Ming army in Fushan."

"I obey!"

Just as the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Inspector General Jin Liu Song Dezhi was about to step out of the court, he saw a red-feathered messenger running and shouting, "Urgent news, urgent news... The Ming court's troops have crossed the Nenggu Mountain and the Meifeng Mountain and are heading straight for the Han River."

"What?" Jin Liu Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Chief Inspector, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

There was silence throughout the court.

Fast, too fast!
"Quick, lead the troops to resist, we must not let the Bingzi Rebellion happen again!" King Li Jong of Joseon was stunned for a long time, and finally reacted, saying in a trembling voice, "Help, save the emperor..."

The body feels like it is being sieved like chaff and it is difficult to support oneself.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!" Two eunuchs hurried forward to support him.

The faces of the ministers were also extremely ugly. Their king had been suffering from this kind of insanity since the Bingzi Rebellion last year. Every night he dreamed that the Qing cavalry would once again besiege him in the mountain city of South Korea and finally behead him in public.

Later, I felt uneasy not only at night but also during the day.

Now a year has passed and the situation has finally improved. However, the Ming court has even attacked the western suburbs of Seoul. How could their king not be terrified?
Jin Liu Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Inspector General of the Capital, took a deep breath and walked quickly out of the court. More than 10,000 defense troops near Kyoto continued to be led by him to resist the Ming court's troops.

……

On the Ming soldiers' side, the first thousand vanguards disguised themselves as merchants. After quickly breaking through Buchuan, they realized that there was no need for disguise at all, so they simply took off all their clothes and put on Ming armor and cotton clothes.

The soldiers and horses in the cities along the way fortified their defenses and cleared the fields, not daring to stop them.

Li Banghua's strategy for these small towns was very simple. Those where there were no Tartars and soldiers who had not participated in the attack on Dengzhou of the Ming Dynasty were skipped, and the army marched quickly towards the royal city of Korea.

They marched straight ahead and in just over a day, they arrived west of Seoul, separated from the royal capital of Korea by only the Han River.

After arriving here, the Ming army quickly captured Xianyou Island, which was only 500 meters away from the opposite side.

Tens of thousands of soldiers in Seoul were armed with bows and arrows, but they were no match for the Ming Dynasty's artillery and muskets.

The vanguard army was quickly broken through by the Ming army and reached the other side of the river, but the only problem was that the artillery could not cross the river. Under Li Banghua's order, they did not directly attack Seoul, but prepared to rest in place.

……

The news reached Seoul again.

"Haven't the troops from all over the country arrived yet?" King Yi Jong of Joseon was in a trance.

"Your Majesty, the decree was issued just one day ago. It will take time for them to come here."

"Time? The Ming court's troops arrived at the capital in one day, but it took them several days to come to the king's defense?"

"..." No one dared to say a word.

Li Zong was furious and asked again: "Why can't we, with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, drive back the more than one thousand vanguard troops of the Ming court?"

"Your Majesty, the Ming court's artillery is too powerful. Compared with the jackals, tigers and leopards of the Eight Banners, they are even more ferocious. Our bows and arrows can't even reach the enemy and have been scattered."

Li Jong gritted his teeth and said, "So you're just going to sit here and wait for the royal city to collapse?"

Prime Minister Jin Xianzhong's eyebrows were twisted into the shape of a "chuan" character. "Your Majesty, the news that the Ming court's strong ships and powerful artillery will arrive at our royal city in one day has spread. I am worried that the loyal troops from various places will hesitate after hearing this... and slow down their marching speed and do not want to participate in the battle."

"Didn't I tell you to send out the manifesto long ago? Do they still dare to pretend to obey but secretly disobey?"

"The manifesto has already been issued, but..." Prime Minister Kim Hyun Joong stopped talking halfway.

During the Bingzi Rebellion last year, the troops that came to support the emperor suffered heavy casualties, and these troops clearly had a more favorable impression of the Ming court than the Qing court.

"Your Majesty, after the Ming army arrived at the western suburbs of the royal city, they did not all cross the river, but stopped. Are they trying to force us to negotiate?"

"Peace talks?" Li Zong and all the civil and military officials in the court were stunned. "Is that what you mean?"

"Your Majesty, why don't we give it a try?"

"Who do you think is suitable to send?"

Everyone fell silent again. In fact, the most suitable person to send the Minister of Rites Cui Peidong was the most suitable one, because he had longed for the Ming Dynasty and had done the most in-depth research on it. Unfortunately... he was chopped off by the King of Joseon, Yi Jong.

Just as they were discussing who to send, the messenger brought back another piece of news that made their scalps tingle.

The Ming court's warships entered the Han River.

Only then did the people of Korea realize that the Ming court had no intention of negotiating with Korea at all, but was waiting for the intervention of warships.

……

The Ming navy returned from Incheon and went non-stop back to Weihaiwei. After two days and one night, they returned again. This time they did not land in Incheon, but entered from Ganghwa Island and went straight to Seoul.

Zheng Hongkui became famous after the two battles, and the emperor officially promoted him to the admiral of the Denglai Navy.

North Korea's ace warships, the turtle ships, have all been silenced. Occasionally there is a tower ship, but with the powerful firepower, the North Korean navy is no match for them.

They crushed the enemy all the way to Xianyou Island. Li Banghua ordered his soldiers to load all the artillery onto the ships, along with the horses, and transport them to the other side.

Only then can it be considered as a true siege.

……

The Korean royal court,

"Report! Our soldiers led by Lord Song were badly defeated... More than 6,000 casualties, the Ming court has now broken through to the city mountain."

……

"Report! The troops that came to defend the king were defeated by the Ming court, with more than 5,000 casualties..."

……

"Report... the Ming court's troops have arrived at the foot of the royal city."

……

One piece of bad news after another fell like raindrops on the court of North Korea. The ministers were all panicked and didn't know what to do.
"Lord Suo, when will the Qing army arrive?"

"Lord Suo?"

"Ah?" Suo Xunchen woke up suddenly, his face full of panic. He never expected that the Ming court's troops were so powerful that they had already attacked the royal city in just two days.

What he was worried about right now was not the fate of the Joseon Dynasty, but his own fate.

As a Manchu, he planned the Dengzhou massacre, and the Ming court would certainly not let him go. "We will definitely fight. You are afraid of the Ming court, but are you not afraid of the Qing Dynasty?"

"The only way is to fight. If we win, both the upper and lower classes will be safe. If we lose, both the upper and lower classes will be destroyed. Besides, I have already written a letter to the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. If we can hold out until reinforcements from all directions and our Qing Dynasty cavalry surround and destroy them, we will surely be able to win the battle."

"But..." Li Zong was upset at this time and covered his head.

Just as the court was in turmoil, the hall suddenly shook violently.

"Help!"

"Hurry...help me..."

……

The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty fought a fierce battle with the Korean army which was several times larger than their own. Although the temporarily organized Korean army had a large number of troops, they fled in panic under the attack of the Ming Dynasty soldiers.

In less than a day, the pro-war faction in North Korea no longer made the previous threats, and no one dared to come out for a fight in the field.

There was a solemn atmosphere in Seoul, North Korea.

The showdown in the royal city began immediately.

The Ming Dynasty's artillery was the first to spew out flames, and with a shocking noise, the shells landed on the city walls and in Seoul.

Flowers bloomed everywhere, and everything was rotten.

After just one round of bombardment, the city walls of Seoul became a hell. There were screams, cries, and sounds of panic. The entire wall was shaking violently.

The city walls are collapsing and the ground under my feet is shaking.

Under the sunlight, the city wall of the West Gate tower was like tofu dregs, with bricks and stones falling down like a collapse. The pillars on the wall fell down one after another, hitting the ground and some hitting people.

The second round of artillery fire followed.

The ground stopped shaking because the entire tower had been blown apart and fell to the ground.

The western wall disappeared and became a pile of bricks and tiles.

The place was filled with misery and chaos.

The fire above was still burning, against the backdrop of the scarlet sky of the setting sun in the distance, and a huge gap had been opened in the west side of Seoul.

The Korean soldiers defending the city were terrified and trembled as they looked at the sharp gun muzzles.

……

Jin Liu and Song Dezhi, the Prime Minister and Metropolitan Inspector, saw the city gates open and led their men to retreat, preparing for street fighting.

There was a group of Korean soldiers lying in ambush in the city, but a timid musketeer got scared and fired his gun prematurely, and as a result, everyone followed suit and fired.

The range of the Korean muskets was much shorter than that of the Ming Dynasty, and they didn't hit anything, so they were just about to continue loading gunpowder.

The Ming army had already rushed in, hacking and killing indiscriminately.

Previously, the Ming Dynasty had only 8,000 soldiers who overwhelmed the Korean army, and this time, more than 7,000 soldiers from the five major camps came.

In an instant, corpses were everywhere and blood was flowing in the alley.

This time, Li Banghua ordered not to massacre the city, but only to attack the Korean soldiers and the Tartars in Seoul.

"Why didn't the commander-in-chief massacre the city?" Zhang Shize's eyes were red with anger and he couldn't help asking.

"Violent massacre is necessary, but those who can restrain their violence are stronger. We are not barbarians like the Tartars. What we need to do is to achieve your majesty's goal, not just massacre." Li Banghua looked at the generals and continued:

"Think about it, why didn't Huang Taiji massacre all the Korean soldiers when he personally led an expedition to Korea last year?"

The reason why Huang Taiji attacked Korea was because he wanted to have a decisive battle with the Ming Dynasty. Before that, it was more in his interest to sever the vassal relationship between Korea and the Ming Dynasty and leave a weak Korea.

Huang Degong, Zhang Shize, and Ma Xianglin all had bright eyes, flashing with strange light.

Think carefully about what Li Banghua said.

……

When the news of the city's fall reached the Joseon court, Lee Jong sat down on the throne, covering his neck, as if someone was strangling his throat and making it impossible for him to breathe.

Fortunately, the eunuch stepped forward in time and pinched his philtrum, and he recovered after a while.

"My Lords... please think of a solution quickly. What should we do now?"

"What should I do?"

He looked at Prime Minister Kim Hyun Joong, who had already stood there in a daze, not daring to say a word.

Li Zong then looked at the Minister of Personnel, Jin Yunshi, and asked angrily, "Minister, didn't you say that the Qing army was fierce and fierce, but it still took 47 days to reach Seoul? The Ming army was weak, can we hold them back until the Manchu Eight Banners arrive? Where are the people? Where are the people?"

"Now it seems that the only correct thing to do is to judge Cui Peidong with courtesy..."

Unfortunately, Cui Peidong, the Minister of Rites, had been killed by himself. After the Bingzi Rebellion last year, almost all the pro-Ming factions in the court were purged. Cui Peidong was the only seed left, and now he had been pulled out by himself.

In this way, the natural bridge of communication with the Ming court was destroyed by his own hands.

At the palace gate, a messenger ran in in panic, fell to the ground, then quickly got up and exclaimed:
"Report...Ming...Ming court troops have entered the palace."

"Irony, what a great irony..." King Yi Jong of Joseon cried and laughed, pointing at the civil and military officials in the court, "You have misled me, you have misled me~"

……

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(End of this chapter)