novelnext Chapter 63 Conquest of Pyongyang
Chapter 63 Conquest of Pyongyang
The torches at the East Gate began to move.
The snow is still falling, not heavily, but very densely.
Mo Qin stood behind the broken wall, watching, thinking to himself, "What a perfect day to drink milk tea."
The firelight formed a line, stretching eastward from the city.
Lin Jun, standing to the side, whispered:
"It seems Konishi has given the order."
Mochin remained silent.
Yan Qi squatted by the wall, first nocking an arrow, then putting it down.
In the distance, towards the east gate, Japanese officers were wielding swords to maintain formation.
The distance isn't close, but it's not like there's no chance either.
Normally, Yan Qi would wait a moment until the person exposed their neck before sending an arrow at them.
But this time, he just watched.
The strip of cloth on his right wrist was soaked with blood.
With just a little pressure, the wound feels like it's on fire.
He aimed the arrow at the distance, then slowly lowered it.
Feng the Scout stood behind him.
"Can't shoot?"
Yan Qi looked at the firelight at the east gate.
"Can shoot."
"Then why don't you ejaculate?"
Yan Qi paused for a moment.
"This arrow wasn't worth it."
Feng the Scout nodded.
"That sounds like something a scout would say."
Yan Qi did not respond.
He put the arrows back into the quiver.
Han Shouyi hurried over from behind, his face covered in ash and his voice hoarse.
"Commander Li, military order!"
Everyone looked at him.
Han Shouyi roared:
"North wall, middle street, all teams are not allowed to disperse and pursue. Guard the street entrance, and press the inner line of the east gate. Anyone who dares to pursue and disperse for personal gain will be dealt with by military law!"
Liu Gao was taken aback.
"Watch them run away, and don't chase them?"
Han Shouyi kicked him.
"You don't know anything!"
Liu Gao quickly secured the rattan shield.
Lin Jun looked towards the east gate.
"Li Shuai won't let us go on the ice."
Han Shouyi said coldly:
"The ice is for the cavalry and artillery. If you infantrymen go up there, you'll slip and fall. The Japanese soldiers won't kill you, but the river will swallow you up first."
Mochin took a step forward.
Han Shouyi stared at him.
"Especially you."
Mochin stopped.
Han Shouyi walked to his side and lowered his voice:
"You've rinsed enough today. Rinsing any more would be stupid."
Mo Qin looked towards the east gate.
"Can I just take a look at the ice?"
Han Shouyi glanced at him.
"You can go to the edge of the ice. You can stay on the ice."
Mochin nodded.
"middle."
Upon hearing this word, Liu Gao couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"Brother Qin is mimicking my speech."
Lin Jun glanced at him.
"Shut up."
At the street corner inside the East Gate, there was still one last group of rear guard muskets.
These people are not rebels.
They were the veterans left behind by Konishi Yukinaga to cover the rear.
Wooden shields blocked the street corner, while three rows of musketeers behind them fired in rotation.
The short spearmen guarded the flanks, while the Japanese swordsmen waited for the Ming soldiers to get close from behind a hidden door.
Some Japanese players were mixed in, their faces pale, but they were also forced to take up their guns.
They do not seek to hold Pyongyang.
They just want to delay.
They dragged it out until Xiaoxi led the main force out of the east gate.
The teams that had been dragged onto the ice of the Daedong River spread out.
As night fell, the Ming army was unable to pursue with full force.
Han Shouyi understood.
"Firearms down on the roof! Rattan shields forward! Long spears, don't go too far out, guard against the hidden door!"
Mochin did not rush out alone again.
This time, he moved between the rattan shield and the spear.
Liu Gao is positioned on the left.
Nan Hyo-teng, the card player, is positioned on the right side.
Mochin's gun was passed between the two rattan shields.
The first round of musket fire.
The rattan shield vibrated.
Liu Gao slipped, but remembering what the Southern soldiers had taught him, he didn't stubbornly resist.
He took half a step back, tilted the shield, and the lead bullet hit the top edge of the rattan shield, bouncing into the wall.
Minami Hyoto, the card player, cursed:
"This time it's right!"
Liu Gao didn't have time to be happy.
The second round of musket fire began.
Mo Qin took a step forward while the smoke was rising, and pointed his white wax spear at the gap in the wooden shield.
The spear tip pierced through the bottom of the wooden shield and embedded itself in the instep of the musketeer behind.
The man screamed, and the line was thrown into disarray for a moment.
Yan Qi did not shoot.
He only spoke:
"Top right".
Mochin spun the butt of his spear and swept it upwards and to the right.
Japanese soldiers were sticking out short guns from a hidden hole in the eaves.
After being struck on the wrist by the butt of the gun, the pistol fell to the ground with a muffled thud.
Lin Jun walked along the wall from the side, and cut a tripwire with his short knife.
"There's someone behind the door."
Mochin did not ask which door.
He kicked the half-closed door panel on the left side.
Just as the Japanese soldiers behind the door raised their swords, Liu Gao's rattan shield had already rammed through.
This time, he used the edge of the rattan shield to wedge his opponent's shoulder, and then thrust the short knife in from below.
The speed is faster than before; you could say it's become increasingly skilled.
Mochin glanced at him.
Liu Gao laughed, panting.
"I can turn now."
"Don't laugh."
Lin Jun said, "There's more to come."
The last rank of musketeers finally snapped.
It wasn't that they were cowardly, but that the person in charge had fallen.
After Mo Qin knocked over the wooden shield with a single shot, Han Shouyi's arquebusiers fired in unison, knocking down the two Japanese soldiers who were directing the rotation of fire.
With the musket squad losing its rotation rhythm, the short spearmen were suppressed by rattan shields and long spears.
The Ming army pressed forward.
The Japanese rearguard began to retreat.
Not a single old Japanese soldier retreated.
He stood at the entrance of Dongmen Inner Street, holding a knife in his left hand, his right wrist was broken, and his armor was covered in blood.
He glanced at the torches that had already been moved far away behind him, then suddenly sat down, leaning against the doorpost.
He did not raise the knife again.
He simply moved the tinderbox to a pile of gunpowder bags nearby.
Mo Qin's expression changed.
"Get down!"
He threw the gun.
The white wax spear pierced the old Japanese soldier's chest, pinning him to the doorpost.
The fire tumbler fell to the ground.
It was only a foot away from the gunpowder bag.
Liu Gao rushed forward and stomped out the fire extinguisher, his back drenched in sweat from fright.
"Oh my god."
Han Shouyi also broke out in a cold sweat.
"Move the gunpowder away! Quickly!"
Mo Qin walked over and drew his white wax spear.
That old Japanese soldier was already dead.
Mo Qin glanced at him, then turned and walked toward the east gate.
Outside the East Gate, the ice surface of the Daedong River was already bright and clear.
The torches moved across the ice.
Some are straight, some are crooked, and some suddenly disappear.
It was colder outside the city than inside; the temperature was below minus twenty degrees Celsius, and the wind felt like a knife cutting into your face.
The surface of the river was white to the point of being gray.
There were cracks in the ice from previous artillery fire, as well as dirty marks left by the Japanese soldiers.
The remnants of the army, the wounded, the horses, and the baggage were all mixed together, crowding towards the river from outside the east gate.
Some Japanese soldiers even tried to maintain their ranks.
Someone shouted.
Some people are criticizing it.
Someone drew a knife and cut the rope that was slowing them down.
Some people fall and are then stepped on by those behind them.
Suddenly, cannon fire rang out on the river.
boom!
The cannonballs hit the ice.
A large hole was punched in the ice, and cracks spread outwards along the ice surface.
A dozen or so Japanese soldiers didn't have time to dodge and sank in along with their horses.
The scream was only half-finished before it was swallowed by the icy water.
The second shot landed further away.
The supply wagon overturned, and grain sacks, wooden crates, muskets, and corpses slid together into the ice cave.
The Ming army's ambush troops began to move.
Torches on both sides of the riverbank suddenly lit up.
The cavalry charged out along the riverbank, specifically targeting and killing the Japanese troops who had fallen behind.
The gunners set up their guns on the shore, pressing them down on the ice, trying to turn back and fire at the rear guard.
Xiao west's path leads to the East Gate, which is also the cage door that Li Rusong left for him.
Mochin stood at the edge of the ice, not going up.
Lin Jun stood beside him.
"You don't have to chase after it to the very end every time."
"Seeing the miserable state of these beasts makes me feel a little better."
Mochin watched the Japanese soldiers struggling on the ice.
"I know."
He felt no pleasure, at least not at this moment.
The sound of ice cracking on the river was continuous.
Some people fell into the water, and some were dragged down by horses.
Someone was climbing on the ice, scratching their fingers until they bled, but was still stepped into a crack by the person behind them.
Liu Gao, who had followed, wanted to hurl a few more curses, but seeing this scene, he shut his mouth.
East bank of the Datong River.
Konishi Yukinaga was helped onto his horse.
His boots were soaked, and his armor was covered in ice crystals.
Looking back at Pyongyang, Koshi fell silent.
Zong Yizhi stood beside his horse and whispered:
"My lord, the remnants are still being gathered up."
Xiaoxi asked:
"How much is left?"
Zong Yizhi did not answer; no one knew the number.
The troops crossing the river were cut into several sections by artillery fire and ambushes, and people continued to fall into the water from the ice.
Xiaoxi knew perfectly well what was going on, so she didn't press him for more information.
He looked south.
"Continue the retreat south."
Zong Yizhi said:
"Open the city gates?"
"Open up the city first, then the capital."
Xiaoxi's voice sounded very tired.
"The Ming army will not stop at Pyongyang."
Zongyizhi whispered:
"In the direction of the capital, Lord Ukita should have already summoned the generals for a meeting."
Xiao west nodded.
He wasn't surprised by this.
If Pyongyang falls, the entire situation of the Japanese army in northern Korea will be shaken.
Konishi's defeat not only meant the loss of a city, but also forced the Japanese army in Wangjing to re-contract their defenses.
After a moment's hesitation, Zong Yizhi said:
"There's one more thing."
Xiao west didn't look at him.
"explain."
"Kato Kiyomasa is still heading towards Hamgyeong Province."
Upon hearing the name, Xiaoxi paused for a moment, her hand holding the reins.
After a moment, Xiao west asked:
"He's here?"
Zongyizhi lowered his head.
"no."
Kiyomasa Kato.
The mention of this name at this time was even more jarring than the sound of Ming army cannons.
They've been at odds ever since the day they crossed the sea.
They attacked Korea one step at a time, competed for credit the next, and looked down on each other the whole way.
Kato looked at Konishi Yukinaga as if he were a businessman-general who only knew how to negotiate and talk.
He viewed Kato Kiyomasa as a brute who only knew how to charge recklessly and kill.
Pyongyang has now been defeated.
He, Konishi Yukinaga, was defeated.
If Kato Kiyomasa knew this, he probably wouldn't have come to the rescue; he might even have laughed at himself.
Snow fell on his armor, he made the sign of the cross, and whispered:
"Deus, miserere nobis." (God, have mercy on us.)
Zong Yizhi, who was standing next to him, neither understood nor asked.
A defeated general has no right to criticize others for not coming to his aid.
He only asked:
"Does he think he'll come?"
Zongyi Zhi understood the meaning of these words, and he spoke the truth.
"The situation in Hamgyong Province is still being scrambled by the Korean resistance forces and remnants. It's probably too late to send reinforcements south."
Xiao west chuckled softly.
"We'll talk about it when we get to Wangjing."
Zong Yizhi said:
"Want to fight again?"
Xiaoxi did not give a direct answer.
Behind him, another cannon shot rang out from the ice.
The firelight illuminated half of his face.
Whether we can fight again is not up to us.
He said.
"According to the Ming army."
Inside Pyongyang, the sound of musket fire finally ceased.
Before dawn, the Ming army completed the rotation of guards at the city gates.
After daybreak, Li Rusong entered the city.
He rode on his newly replaced horse, with his personal guards protecting him on either side, and entered Pyongyang through the north gate with the central military flag.
The city gate was charred black, and the gate opening was filled with broken wood, broken guns, gunpowder ash, and frozen blood.
The corpses on the ground could not be collected immediately, so the Ming soldiers first covered some of them with straw mats, and the rest were dragged to the side of the street by soldiers to be separated and gathered together.
Corpses of Japanese soldiers, Ming soldiers, and Korean civilians.
At first glance, it's impossible to tell whose blood is which.
People emerged one after another from behind the broken walls on both sides of the road.
Someone crawled out of the cellar, his face covered in dust, and he was so thin he was just skin and bones.
Someone knelt by the roadside and kowtowed, their forehead hitting the frozen ground, drawing blood quickly.
Some people stood there, staring at the Ming army flags, as if they couldn't believe that the Japanese soldiers had really left.
Some people can't cry.
My tears had dried up months ago.
Korean officials and troops followed the Ming army into the city.
An official staggered upon seeing the carnage in the city and was supported by someone nearby.
Several North Korean soldiers rushed to the side of the street and uncovered a body covered with a straw mat, as if they were looking for a relative.
After someone found the body, they knelt on the ground, their forehead pressed against the deceased's hand, their shoulders trembling.
The surroundings are chaotic.
But there seemed to be an empty space around the kneeling person.
No one urged him on, and no one helped him up.
Seeing all this, Li Rusong only gave his first order:
"First examine the grain, then the injuries, and finally the merits."
Later added:
"No killing or looting is allowed within the city. Violators will be executed."
"The gunpowder depot is sealed off, and the grain warehouses are inventoried."
"Test the well water first, do not drink it indiscriminately."
"Wounded soldiers were carried first, and civilians were resettled in designated areas."
"Japanese soldiers who have surrendered their weapons shall be tried later; no private killings are permitted."
Where is Shen Weijing?
The messenger said:
"Lord Shen is pacifying the people within the city."
Li Rusong nodded.
"Let him continue. After the North Korean officials enter the city, let them settle down and reassure the people first. Don't rush to set up ceremonial processions."
After saying that, he continued walking into the city.
Pyongyang has been restored.
Shen Weijing set up a temporary soup kitchen next to an open space.
Old Qian was there too.
A thin porridge was cooking in the pot; there wasn't much rice but a lot of water, but the heat could save lives.
Old Qian scooped as he swore:
"Line up! Everyone line up! Even if you don't understand, you still have to line up! If anyone knocks over the pot, nobody gets any food!"
A North Korean child next to him timidly stretched out his bowl.
Old Qian glanced at him, paused with his spoon, and then scooped up another half spoonful.
He even cursed:
"You're so thin, hold it steady, don't spill it."
Han Shouyi happened to be passing by and saw it.
"Old Qian!"
Old Qian's hand froze.
Han Shouyi's face was cold:
"Military rations don't fall from the sky."
Old Qian coughed.
"My hands are shaking."
Han Shouyi stared at him for a moment, then looked at the child, and finally turned and left.
Shake it less next time.
Old Qian pursed his lips.
"understood."
Mochin and his group sat down at a cleaned street corner.
Liu Gao plopped down on the broken beam, holding the rattan shield, and looked at the pit on it.
"Can this thing still be repaired?"
Nan Hyo-teng, the shield bearer, turned his head and glanced at it.
"Yes. Re-wrap the vines around the edges, and add another layer inside."
Liu Gao immediately asked:
"How do we get involved?"
Nan Hyo-teng stopped.
"You really want to learn?"
Liu Gao nodded.
"I want to. A door panel isn't as good as this."
Nan Hyoto, the card player, laughed.
"Okay. I'll teach you when we're done playing."
Liu Gao grinned.
"What time is that?"
Who knows?
Liu Gao's face fell.
Yan Qi sat against the wall, bowing his head and polishing his bow.
The cloth on my wrist had been replaced with a new one, but blood was still seeping out.
Feng the Scout threw him a small packet of medicine.
"wipe."
Yan Qi caught it.
"Thanks."
Scout Feng said:
"Don't thank me. You'll have to pay me back later."
Yan Qi glanced at him.
"How will you repay it?"
"life."
After saying that, Feng the Scout left.
Yan Qi held the medicine packet, paused for a moment, and then began to apply the medicine.
Lin Jun sat to the side and spread several items out on a cloth.
The chips left behind by the ghost head.
Poison needles collected from the alleyway entrance.
A few broken tiles, still carrying the scent of purple smoke.
She was very careful, wrapping each item one by one.
Mochin placed the white wax spear across his lap and wiped the blood off the shaft with a cloth.
The knife marks on the gun barrel were very clear.
The devil's head, Miyamoto's, and the dent of the musket lead bullet.
Liu Gao saw it and came closer.
"Brother Qin, is your gun still usable?"
Mo Qin said:
"able."
"Should we replace it?"
Mo Qin paused for a moment.
"Are you kidding? This was given to me by my master."
Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Liu Gao wisely shut his mouth.
At this moment, Shen Weijing walked over, carrying the little girl.