Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 336 Haizhou City

The seventh day of the twelfth month of the ninth year of Chongzhen (January 3, 1637).

Under a clear blue sky, the area outside Haizhou City was covered in a blanket of white snow.

Orgiute, the chieftain of the Plain White Banner of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty, reined in his warhorse and stopped it on a hill. He shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed intently at the small town in the distance, the veins on his bronze wrist guards throbbing slightly.

"Noyan (a traditional Mongolian honorific for a leader, also generally referring to a Niru Ejen in the Eight Banners of Mongolia), that's the small town!" A burly Fendebushku (team leader) spurred his horse forward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Five days ago, we suffered a great loss near the pine forest outside the town, losing seven brothers."

"Snapped!"

"what!……"

Orgit suddenly swung his horsewhip and lashed it hard across the left forehead of the bastard, leaving a bloody welt. The bastard covered his face and cried out in pain.

His warhorse was startled and reared up, almost throwing its master to the ground.

"Uenqi, if you dare to howl again, believe me, I'll chop off your head!" Orgit shouted sternly, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

A gust of cold wind blew by, ruffling the messy braids on either side of Unqi's forehead, revealing a scarlet bloodstain on her left forehead, a shocking sight.

“Noyan…” Wu Enqi stopped talking abruptly, enduring the excruciating pain, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down with difficulty, looking over with a wronged expression.

“Fool!... Tell me what happened again.” Orgit’s hand left the hilt of his sword and gently stroked the mane on the horse’s neck.

"..." Uenqi swallowed hard, glanced at him with some fear, and said in a low voice, "...That day, I led a squad of about thirty armored cavalry on patrol here and discovered a Korean army of about a thousand men, dragging several cannons. So, we followed them at a distance to see if we could break them apart and seize their cannons..."

"You dog slave, do you think this is like chasing rabbits on the Khorchin grassland? You dare to charge an army of a thousand with just a few dozen armored cavalry!" Erjit retorted angrily, "Outside Shenyang, didn't you see Tong Yangxing's Han army artillery drills? If the enemy fires a volley of artillery, wouldn't many warriors be lost for nothing?"

"Noyan, the Koreans are weak and feeble. From Uiju to Anju, Pyongyang, and then through Gaegyeong, we drove the Korean army like sheep, making them flee in terror, never daring to turn back to fight." Uenqi licked his lips, a hint of disdain on his face. "Along this journey, my Mongol warriors, with only a few dozen men, have broken through Korean armies of a thousand men before..."

He suddenly fell silent, watching in horror as Orgit drew his Mongolian scimitar from his waist, the blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Orgit slammed the back of his knife heavily onto Uenchi's shoulder: "Continue!"

"...I watched as that Korean army seemed to be about to enter the small town, but for some reason they were blocked by the garrison and all stopped at the foot of the city. I thought to myself, this Korean army is not large, and the troops are scattered like a flock of sheep blown by the wind. Perhaps when our armored cavalry charges into their ranks, they will collapse immediately like the previous Korean armies."

"So I led thirty armored cavalrymen past their lines, hurling arrows in an attempt to scatter them and eventually crush them. But to my surprise, the Joseon army reacted very quickly, forming ranks and firing muskets at us."

“Noyan, you may not know this. Their muskets reload extremely quickly. Before we could even fire our arrows, we were hit by a volley of fire.” Wu Enqi recalled the events of that day and immediately showed a lingering fear. “As soon as the first volley of shots fell, the soldiers in the back rushed up to fire follow-up shots.”

"Our cavalry had barely charged within a hundred paces when four or five riders were felled. Seeing the situation was dire, we immediately spurred our horses and fled, leaving behind two or three more riders..."

After listening, Erjit remained silent, his eyes fixed on the direction of the small town in the distance.

Several dark figures suddenly appeared on the snowfield. Two scouts from the Korean army seemed to have discovered their presence and were galloping towards Haizhou City.

"Are you sure it's the North Korean army?" Orgit exhaled a breath of stale air and asked in a cold voice.

"Noyan, if the army that appeared here isn't Korean, then who else could it be?" Uenqi stared at him in astonishment.

“If it really is the Chao army, then that’s rather strange,” Orgit said, urging his horse to gallop down the slope toward his men.

"Strange?" Uenzi scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Pass down the order." Reaching the front of the ranks, Orgit abruptly turned his horse around and shouted, "...The entire army will form a wedge formation. Sukhbaatar, take fifty armored cavalrymen and circle around to the east of the city, and kill any Koreans you see."

"Tumen Taiji, take twenty armored cavalrymen and keep watch on the main road leading to the east. Report back immediately if there is any disturbance."

His gaze swept over his two hundred or so fully armed cavalrymen, who were ready for battle. He drew his scimitar and roared, "My men, let us break into that small town and plunder its wealth and women! The Eternal Heaven will protect us! ...Kill!"

"Alas!"

More than two hundred Mongol cavalrymen shouted and followed behind Orgit, charging towards the distant city of Haizhou.

At this time, the Qing army was besieging Seoul, the capital of Joseon. They were just waiting for the cannons of the Han army's Ujin Hachao to arrive before they would break into the city and occupy this most central and prosperous city in Joseon.

Meanwhile, another Qing vanguard force was pursuing the fleeing Korean king, advancing towards Namhansanseong Fortress, preparing to capture the Korean central government in one fell swoop.

In order to distract the Korean army, Huang Taiji ordered the Han and Mongol banners to launch large-scale attacks on various places with small forces of several hundred or a thousand men to block the Korean army that came to the aid of the emperor.

Of course, this move also carries the meaning of rewarding and bestowing gifts.

The most prosperous area around Seoul was the site of massacres and plunder by the Manchu Eight Banners, so these auxiliary troops could only target some less profitable local counties.

Just a few days ago, they enjoyed an extremely lavish feast in Kaesong (present-day Kaesong), and everyone's pockets were bulging.

Unexpectedly, his subordinates reported that they had encountered a fairly capable Korean army in Haizhou City, located by the sea, and that six or seven of their scouting Mongol cavalrymen had been killed.

Orgid, the chieftain of the Niru, immediately mustered his soldiers and followed Wuenqi to attack.

It should be noted that Haizhou is located southwest of Kaijing, only about 140 li away. If Haizhou were to launch a surprise attack from the rear while the main force of our Qing Dynasty was rushing to Hanzhou, or sneak towards Pingzhou (now Pingshan County) to harass our Qing Dynasty's logistics supply routes, it would be a real headache.

Therefore, whether it was to avenge the six or seven subordinates who had perished there, or to eliminate the threat on their flank, Orgit needed to come and take a look.
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In the western part of Haizhou City, inside the Protectorate's treasury, an old Korean official nervously handed over the treasury's account books.

Chen Dingyuan flipped through a few pages, smiled, then casually tossed them on the ground and said indifferently, "These are not enough. We need the actual treasury data of the Protectorate."

The old official, sweat beading on his forehead, said, "Sir, the situation in the city is indeed..."

“I know you’ve been hiding.” Chen Dingyuan’s right hand touched his waist knife, and he said softly, “Don’t try to fool us. Just because we haven’t killed anyone these past few days doesn’t mean we’ve all been in a good mood.”

"My lord..." The old official knelt down with a thud, banging his head on the ground.

"Alright, alright!" Chen Dingyuan said impatiently, "Find out the real treasure for me, and I'll guarantee your whole family's lives. Once this is over, you can come with us to the New Continent to enjoy a life of luxury, instead of staying in Korea to suffer."

"..." The old official raised his head, his eyes filled with fear and hesitation, not knowing what to do.

These imperial troops, who called themselves the Ming Dynasty's Dongjiang Town, quickly took control of the situation after being welcomed into Anzhou City by a group of officials from the Protectorate General five days ago.

As soon as they entered the city, they immediately disarmed the Korean troops inside, a swift and decisive action.

Subsequently, they swiftly occupied key locations, as if it had been planned in advance.

Ignoring the desperate pleas and obstructions of the Protectorate officials, they packed up all the grain, cloth, iron, bronze, gold, silver, and other supplies stored in the treasury, and then conscripted Korean laborers and carts to transport them day and night to the seaside docks. After the Protectorate's treasury was emptied, they turned their attention to the wealthy merchants in the city, ordering those with "minor assets" to donate provisions and wages to help the Celestial Empire's army resist the invading Jurchens.

Armed with gleaming bayonets, they knocked open the gates of luxurious mansions and mansions, stipulating the amount of grain and gold and silver each household should "donate."

However, if anything was missing, these ravenous "Celestial Empire soldiers" would ruthlessly enter the house to search it, leaving the entire mansion in a mess and looting it clean.

Fortunately, the "Celestial Empire's army" did not attack the ordinary people in the city.

Instead, they distributed large quantities of grain and cloth confiscated from the Protectorate's treasury and the mansions of wealthy merchants in the city to poor families, which won them the support of the entire city's population.

The "Celestial Empire's official army" also hired some scholars to write notices, which were posted throughout the city to recruit craftsmen, doctors, and artists.

Anyone with a skill can apply, and their wages and benefits will be doubled.

Even courtesans singing in Anzhou, street performers, carpenters repairing carts, and old farmers planting rice were all included in the conscription list.

Everyone was crammed onto a large ship at the seaside, and their final destination remains unknown.

Many people have realized that this force is not the official army of the Celestial Empire, but comes from other forces.

Their arrival in Anzhou City didn't seem to be to resist the Jurchen invasion, but rather to take advantage of the chaos.

After overcoming their initial fear and apprehension, some merchants and wealthy individuals who had previously engaged in smuggling with Baengnyeong Island also recognized their identities.

People from Xinzhou!
The soldiers wore shaved heads, carried red flags, carried muskets with swords, and wore the soldiers' signature gray cloth uniforms and peaked caps.

Isn't this a Xinzhou native who has extremely close ties with the Dongjiang Military Town of the Ming Dynasty?

I heard that they recruited refugees in Liaodong, Shandong and other places, and then hauled them back to the mainland of Xinzhou, boat after boat.

They also supplied Dongjiang Town with large quantities of southern rice, which greatly alleviated Dongjiang Town's extortion and plunder of Korea.

They also provided the Ming court with powerful "new barbarian cannons," which were deployed in Liaodong and key passes within the Great Wall to defend against attacks from the Jurchens and refugees.

The Koreans did not have in-depth dealings with these New Zealanders.

They would only travel from Baengnyeong Island to the coast every ten days or so to trade some daily necessities.

The people of Xinzhou were quite friendly, almost no different from ordinary Ming Dynasty merchants. They were even very generous at times, and the Xinzhou silver dollars they paid were of high quality and exquisitely designed, which were welcomed by many Korean merchants and were considered the first choice for hoarding coins.

Unexpectedly, when the Qing invaders launched a large-scale invasion, they actually impersonated the Ming Dynasty's official army and seized Haizhou City.

Just then, several cannon shots suddenly came from the direction of the city wall, causing the people in the treasury to look at each other in surprise, their faces showing fear.

A soldier rushed in and whispered a few words in Chen Dingyuan's ear.

Chen Dingyuan's expression instantly turned serious. He gave a few instructions to the Korean clerks in the storeroom and then quickly left.

On the streets of the city, squads of Xinhua armed militiamen were continuously gathering on the city walls.

Some North Korean soldiers shouted orders for all residents to return to their homes immediately and not to wander around the city.

Outside the city, hundreds of Mongol cavalrymen circled around the city, making shouts that sounded like warnings and demonstrations.

Their horses' hooves thundered across the land, and the snow they kicked up swirled and danced in the air.

Rows of muskets protruded from the crenellations of the city wall, their dark muzzles aimed at the approaching Mongol cavalry.

The two cannons had just finished firing, and plumes of smoke were rising from them, filling the entire arrow tower.

As Ergit galloped away on his horse, he secretly observed the small town, his heart filled with utter astonishment.

He hadn't expected the Korean army in the city to react so quickly and defend it so thoroughly.

What worried him even more was that cannons were deployed on the city walls.

The two cannonballs that just hit didn't hurt any of the cavalrymen, but they successfully drove them far away from the city walls.

Judging from this situation, Haizhou City seems to be even more difficult to deal with than Anzhou and Kaijing, which they conquered before!

It's probably unrealistic to think that we can use the mighty military power of our Great Qing Dynasty to frighten the enemy into surrendering the city without a fight.

After landing on the Yalu River, our more than 100,000 Qing troops were invincible. Major cities and important ports might encounter some trouble, requiring artillery support from Han Chinese soldiers like Ujen Hachao, or by attacking them piecemeal, but it would not take much effort.

As for smaller cities like Yanzhou, Xuanchuan, Huangzhou, and Pingzhou, they were basically captured in one fell swoop. The cavalry charged to the city walls and unleashed a hail of arrows, which terrified the Korean defenders on the city walls. They dropped their weapons, took off their armor, and fled in panic, leaving the entire city to our Qing soldiers.

If they were in the open fields or wilderness, the North Korean army would be even more vulnerable.

Often, a dozen or twenty cavalrymen could easily overwhelm and disperse hundreds or thousands of Korean troops, then pursue them relentlessly and reap their heads.

Unexpectedly, in this remote seaside town, they encountered such a formidable North Korean army.

When they saw our Mongol cavalry attacking, they were not flustered at all. Instead, they quickly made defensive preparations and stood ready on the city walls.

Just now, perhaps to boost their own morale and to curb the arrogance of our Mongol cavalry, they even bombarded us with artillery, which was truly astonishing.

The town was not large, and its walls were not very high, but it was not something that could be easily conquered by a few hundred Mongol cavalrymen.

Their greatest reliance was nothing more than intimidation with force and threats of massacring the city, which made the Korean defenders feel fear and despair, and then surrender the city.

But now, the enemy not only shows no signs of fear or hesitation, but their military formation appears very disciplined and their conduct quite orderly.

In addition, the enemy also had cannons and a lot of muskets. Even if they brought their entire Plain White Banner Mongol troops, let alone two or three hundred Mongol cavalry, they might not be able to take down this small town.

"Noyan, shall we retreat?" a fendeboshiku shouted. "We can't take this city. Staying any longer is just a waste of time. After we return to Gaegyeong, we should bring more troops and summon some Han artillery. Only then will we have a chance to massacre this city!"

Although Erjit was extremely unwilling, he had to admit that the team leader was absolutely right; they simply couldn't do anything to Haizhou City.

These North Korean soldiers are indeed a bit strange!
"Retreat!" Ergit brandished his scimitar, leading his cavalry to quickly change formation, circle around the city, and head back towards the main road they had come from.

Hooves pounded the thin ice, and amidst the snow curtain raised by the Mongol cavalry, a blood-red five-star flag fluttered atop Haizhou City, seemingly cheering for the defeat of the Qing army.
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(End of this chapter)