Di Ming

Chapter 364 The Barbarian Tribe's Ceremony: Bloodbath in Shuozhou!
After this incident, the Jurchen army's hatred of the Japanese burned even brighter.

The entire army swore an oath with their faces etched in blood, vowing to annihilate the Japanese pirates.

Zhu Yin immediately ordered that the horses be fed with some bean cakes and other feed that had been brought with the army, and that their hooves be wrapped with cotton pads that had been prepared beforehand, and that they be gagged in their mouths.

Then, following the route on the map, we arrived at Huishan, and then along the Tulu River, the largest tributary of the Yalu River, we entered the Tulu River Canyon.

Although the riverbank road in the Tulu River Gorge is narrow, it is relatively flat and not difficult to travel. Moreover, it is the only route for cavalry from the Yalu River to Shuozhou, which is only a few dozen miles away.

Logically, the Japanese army should have fortified this area. However, after occupying Shuozhou City, although the Japanese army wiped out the Korean garrison at the beacon tower in the Tulu River Gorge, they did not station any troops there.

Firstly, the Japanese army was arrogant and overconfident, not believing that the Ming army would dare to launch a proactive attack. Secondly, some members of Shimazu Yoshihiro's retainers suggested abandoning these beacon towers to avoid wasting troops and increasing the burden on transportation.

Therefore, Shimazu Yoshihiro did not assign any troops to garrison these beacon towers, and simply kept the entire army in Shuozhou City. Shimazu Yoshihiro was unaware of the history of Northeast China, and did not know that the Tang army, the Khitan army, and the Mongol army had all used cavalry to launch surprise attacks on Shuozhou along the Tulu River Gorge when they attacked Goguryeo, or when they attacked Goryeo.

To this day, traces left by the Tang, Khitan, and Mongol armies can still be found in the Tulu River Gorge.

If Yoshihiro Shimazu had known this history, he would never have been so arrogant and careless.

...

A crescent moon hung in the sky, coldly overlooking the earth. The Jurchen army marched swiftly along the narrow riverbank, aided by the light from their lanterns and the reflection of the river water.

Zhu Yin noticed that the Jurchen cavalry's speed wasn't much slower than during the day, and couldn't help but secretly give them a thumbs up.

Putting aside their positions, the Jurchen warriors at this time were truly formidable.

The Jurchens were a fishing and hunting people. Hunting and fishing at night were essential survival skills for them. Coupled with their different diet, they not only did not suffer from night blindness, but also had unparalleled night vision. As long as there was starlight or moonlight, they could hunt and roam the mountains at night without torches or lamps.

Few Han Chinese could match this skill. It was also superior to the Eight Banners soldiers during the reign of Huang Taiji. During Huang Taiji's time, the Manchu soldiers were almost all minor slave-owning nobles. With Han Chinese slaves serving them, their lives became comfortable, and their skills in nighttime fishing and hunting had become neglected.

The Jurchen soldiers before the establishment of the Later Jin dynasty were actually the most valiant and skilled in battle, because conditions were most difficult at that time.

When the army arrived at Langlinzui, Zhu Yin took out a small bell made in Daishan and saw that it was already 3:45 PM.

“Brother Wild Boar Skin,” Zhu Yin said, “We are only a dozen miles away from Shuozhou. With so many warhorses, even if they are gagged and their hooves are covered with cotton, we will definitely alert the Japanese army if we go any further.”

Wild Boar Skin looked up at the terrain of Wolf Forest Mouth and nodded, saying:
“This place is perfect. Let’s dismount and walk here. Little Tiger, you are the commander-in-chief and cannot go to the battlefield in person. Stay here and guard the warhorses. I will personally lead the team to launch a night raid on Shuozhou and try to take it before sunset tomorrow.”

A key characteristic of the Jurchen cavalry was their habit of fighting on foot. Unlike the Mongols, Jurchen soldiers were not only skilled in mounted archery and horsemanship, but they could also fight on foot, possessing strong foot combat skills.

This is something the Mongol cavalry couldn't match. The Mongol cavalry were better at mounted archery than the Jurchen cavalry, but once they were off their horses, the Mongols' fighting strength was quite weak.

Therefore, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang's plan was to use a configuration of one person and three horses for rapid marching and maneuvering, and then use them as infantry to dismount and attack the city when they reached Shuozhou.

That's why a night raid is necessary.

"No," Zhu Yin shook his head. "I'm not comfortable letting you attack the city alone!"

“Let’s go together. Let Anfiyangu stay here to guard the warhorses. He’s missing an arm, so we shouldn’t let him charge into battle anymore.”

“I love you, Prince!” Anfiyangu, who only had one arm, stepped forward. “I know you feel sorry for your servant, but even if I only have one arm, I can still fight the enemy! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to Korea after receiving so many rewards from you, Prince! You are the commander of the army and cannot afford any mistakes. Please stay here and watch the horses. It’s not too late to go at dawn.”

Eidu also said, "That's what I think too. I love that the prince must not be harmed. If anything happens to him, the morale of the army will be ruined, and the warriors will have a hard time continuing the fight."

He Heli also advised, "Guchu Ama, please stay and watch the horses. If you go into battle, the Jianzhou warriors will be less at ease. It's not too late to go after dawn."

Nurhaci said, "Little Tiger, you stay here and oversee the battle. Your few hundred servants who know how to operate firearms can go. Once our army has gained the initiative, you can go to Shuozhou City."

Zhu Yin chuckled inwardly, but sighed aloud, "Alright, Brother Wild Boar Skin, I'll do as you say. I'll take a thousand cavalry and stay here to watch the horses..."

"But I have a condition."

Nurhaci laughed and said, "Go ahead."

Zhu Yin solemnly said, "Come back alive. Not only Brother Wild Boar Skin, but also Eidu, Heheli, and Anfeiyanggu, you all must come back alive."

"If Shuozhou City is really too difficult to conquer, then we won't conquer it. Although Shuozhou City is important, we can't sacrifice too many Jurchen men for the sake of one city."

Nurhaci and the others were deeply moved and nodded in unison, saying, "Don't worry, with Lord Cuohazhan protecting us, we will come back alive."

Everyone knew that this attack was dangerous. The army had no supply lines, only three days' worth of rations carried with them, and the best feed for their horses could only last two days.

If Shuozhou is not captured and supplies are not obtained within two days, the army will be in danger of running out of food.

However, this was commonplace for Nurhaci and his men. Since Nurhaci raised his army, he often carried only a few days' worth of rations and never received any logistical support. The Jurchen tribes did not have a concept of securing supply lines during wars.

Then, at Zhu Yin's command, the army halted at Langlinzui, a high vantage point, and rested for an hour. They prepared to continue their march at 11:45 AM, and before 1:45 AM, suddenly burst out of the mountains and launch a night attack on Shuozhou!

As for the tactics for attacking Shuozhou, they had already been decided long ago. Nurhaci simply needed to execute them according to plan.

On either side of Wolf Forest Mouth were large pine forests, the forests not steep. The warhorses were led into the forests on either side, their reins tied to the pine trees.

After tying up their horses, the Jurchen warriors began to drink water and eat their dry rations. Nowadays, because the Ningyin Trading Company had contracted some logistics projects for the Ming army, their marching rations were much better than before.

The Jurchen warriors tore open paper boxes the size of inkstones and took out the biscuits inside to eat.

The rations of the Ming army in Korea were already semi-standardized, and they mainly purchased "marching biscuits" from Ningyin Trading Company. These biscuits were made of salted minced meat, glutinous rice flour, oil flour, tea powder, and white sugar, and they also underwent primitive compression processing, making them the world's first generation of compressed biscuits.

Each serving of these marching rations weighs half a pound, making them easy to carry. Ning Caiwei tested them and found that their calories were equivalent to a pound of rice, enough to fill an adult male's stomach. Moreover, they not only replenish salt but also sugar. Importantly, they have a shelf life of over six months in cooler weather.

In Zhu Yin's opinion, the biscuit was hard and sticky, sweet and salty, and the taste and texture were really not good.

However, for the Ming soldiers who had never eaten biscuits before, especially the Jurchen warriors who were like barbarians, this exquisitely packaged marching ration was a rare delicacy, even more delicious than meat.

These biscuits weren't readily available in the army. They were only given to soldiers when rations were scarce, perhaps during rapid marches or before battle, by order of the commanders. They were a life-saving ration in critical moments, and the Ministry of War didn't procure much of them.

During this raid on Shuozhou, which covered 200 li, each Jurchen warrior was given ten portions, enough to last for three days.

Of course, without Zhu Yin's authority, even the best military biscuits wouldn't have been enough for the Ministry of War to purchase them. In reality, Ning Caiwei sold military rations to the Ministry of War not to make money, but simply to improve the Ming army's combat effectiveness.

The Jurchen soldiers finished their "big biscuit" with relish and then began inspecting their bows, arrows, swords, and spears. Zhu Yin's servants, on the other hand, inspected the tiger-squatting cannons on the carriages.

The archers checked the warriors of their respective regiments and called up their troops again.

After resting until 11:45 AM, the Jurchen soldiers who had been lying in ambush in the forest regrouped. Nine thousand of them became infantry and followed Nurhaci in the night raid. The remaining one thousand Jurchen cavalry stayed behind and would attack later.

Under the cover of night, nine thousand Jurchen soldiers, led by Nurhaci, charged straight at Shuozhou City, which was more than ten miles away, like a huge herd of beasts!
Zhu Yin watched Nurhaci lead the charge, a chilling smile playing on his lips in the night. His smile was colder than a blade.

Hehe. Brother Wild Boar Skin, Yoshihiro Shimazu's Satsuma Army, is a tough nut to crack.

Do it yourself.

Tonight, the two barbarian tribes will fight a bloody battle in Shuozhou, a battle that will surely be recorded in history.

Zhu Yin looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with a leaden gray!
……

Shuozhou is a fan-shaped river valley plain formed by the Tulu River after it emerges from the gorge. It was an important town in northern Korea and originally had tens of thousands of people.

However, the Japanese army perpetrated the Shuozhou Massacre, nearly wiping out all the Koreans in Shuozhou.

The Satsuma soldiers were known for their brutality even within the Japanese army. After capturing Shuozhou, in order to conserve food, Shimazu Yoshihiro ordered a massacre of the city. Young women were deliberately spared and forced to serve as concubines in the Japanese army, a truly tragic fate.

As a result, although tens of thousands fewer mouths to feed were saved, saving a lot of food, the city also lost its labor force, so the Satsuma army had no laborers to reinforce the city walls and fortifications.

However, the Satsuma army, from top to bottom, did not care about defense.

Having won consecutive victories on land and actively pursuing territories, the Japanese army had little interest in defensive warfare and did not take defense seriously. This was also a characteristic of the Satsuma army: they disliked defense and specialized in offense!

Yoshihiro Shimazu was known as "Oni Shimazu" because he was ruthless and bold in his military tactics, and he liked to attack in various ways even when he was at a disadvantage.

Since entering Korea, his advance has been unstoppable, achieving victory after victory, and he has brought Shimazu Yoshihiro's offensive prowess to its fullest extent. The long run of victories has also made him subconsciously overlook the necessity of defensive warfare.

But that was just Shimazu Yoshihiro's character. If he had valued defense, he wouldn't have brought the most elite troops of the Satsuma Domain to Korea, leaving his hometown in Kyushu poorly defended, which resulted in Yan Shaoting (Hattori Shunju) capturing Kagoshima Castle.

However, Shimazu Yoshihiro was, after all, a veteran general and a famous daimyo in Japan. Even if he was careless, he would not fail to send people to patrol outside the city at night.

At this moment, the Japanese soldiers in the city were sleeping soundly and deeply. Shuozhou City was now a demonic lair where evil spirits slumbered. On the not-so-tall city walls, lanterns hung like will-o'-the-wisps, illuminating the severed heads of prisoners below.

Around the city walls, a number of samurai patrolled like night gods. However, there were not many samurai on patrol, only a few dozen in total, and they were not very vigilant.

After all, nothing has happened for so many days.

“Bang bang bang bang-bang bang bang…” The fourth watch of the night sounded, making the city of Shuozhou, surrounded by mountains and forests, seem even more silent.

The city lay dark and gloomy in the valley surrounded by mountains. The city walls were high, and the steep mountain walls on three sides were natural barriers, with only the east gate facing a narrow valley.

The night wind howled as it swept through the mountain valley. On the city wall, dim lanterns swayed gently.

"Shh-shh-shh—" A sound like the tide came from the north, growing louder and louder.

Immediately, swarms of ghostly figures emerged from the canyon, the sound of armor rustling clearly audible. Nine thousand Jianzhou Jurchen warriors had finally launched a surprise attack outside Shuozhou City!

The hillside and dense winter forest concealed their movements as they slid down the steep slope along the ridge and landed in the deepest shadows at the foot of the city wall.

Within the shadows, the chilling glint of a blade flashed incessantly.

"Eidu, attack the north gate first! Charge!" Nurhaci's voice was low and hoarse.

"Yes, sir!" The fierce general Eidu drew his sword and charged forward, followed by a large group of Jurchen warriors.

Now that we're here, there's no need to sneak around anymore.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The night patrol warrior finally spotted the enemy and shouted loudly.

"Enemy attack—!" The shouts of the Japanese pirates on the city wall erupted. Immediately afterward, more than a dozen blinding orange-red flames burst forth from the crenellations of the city wall!
"Bang! Bang!" The Japanese army's arquebuses also roared, waking the sleeping city.

A series of exclamations suddenly rang out from within the city, along with the faint screams of women.

In the central government office of the city, Shimazu Yoshihiro, awakened from his sleep, kicked aside the young Korean girl beside him, jumped off the heated floor wearing only a six-foot-long undergarment, and rushed onto the magnificent suit of armor hanging in the corner of the wall.

Several personal attendants rushed into the room and hurriedly helped him put on his armor.

"The enemy is coming from the north!" Shimazu Yoshihiro shouted. "Pass on my order: defend the north gate first!"

"Hai!"

Immediately, a mournful "whoosh whoosh" sound rang out from the conch shell.

The samurai, long accustomed to responding to enemy attacks in the middle of the night, reacted with extreme speed. Even if startled awake, they could don their armor, assemble, form ranks, and launch an attack in the blink of an eye!
The Jurchen army had just reached the city walls when well-dressed warriors rushed out of their barracks.

"Victory is certain for our divine kingdom!" the warriors who were the first to rush out of the barracks shouted in unison. "We will live to serve our country!"

However, because the incident happened suddenly and in the middle of the night, many more Japanese soldiers were still putting on their armor.

"May the Lord of Chuhazhan protect us! Kill!" The first group of Jurchen warriors who reached the city gate bit their short knives and used both hands and feet to climb the drawbridge, cut the ropes, and lower the drawbridge.

The city walls of Shuozhou were not high, less than two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters). A group of Jurchen warriors threw out grappling hooks and nimbly climbed up the walls.

"Koulou Sai!" The few Japanese arquebusiers on the city wall showed little panic. Under the command of the samurai wielding katanas, they fired at the Ming soldiers at the front.

"Kill the chicken!"

With a dull thud, the scorching lead pellets, accompanied by a deathly whistle, slammed into the group of people climbing below. A Jurchen warrior had just reached the top of the rampart when a cloud of blood burst open on his face, and without uttering a sound, he fell headfirst onto the ice.

Another Jurchen warrior was hit on the shoulder armor by a lead pellet. The impact caused him to lean back, lose his grip, and fall from a height of more than ten feet.

At such close range, the Jurchen armor was no match for the cannon fire. In an instant, more than a dozen Jurchen warriors were either killed or wounded.

But at the same time, a terrifying rain of arrows from the Jurchens tore through the night sky.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—" The Jurchen hunter's strong bow shot with great accuracy, hitting only the face and piercing the brain with a single arrow.

"idiot!"

"Oh!"

One by one, the Japanese arquebusiers were hit in the face by arrows, screamed in agony, dropped their matchlock guns, and fell backward.

With just one volley of arrows, dozens of Japanese arquebusiers on the north gate, along with a dozen or so samurai responsible for defending the city, were all shot dead. The Japanese soldiers who were preparing to ignite the cannons on the city wall were also killed by the fierce arrows.

Then, at that very moment, the fastest group of samurai to arrive finally came. The Shimazu clan's Maru-cross battle flag flew high.

The samurai brandished their katanas and roared furiously.

"Seven lives for the country! Kill a chicken for—"

The great samurai waved his folding fan, and the sound of cannons exploding like popping beans, "Bang bang bang bang—"

The entire city wall was shrouded in smoke. The bombardment of muskets, accompanied by shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the clatter of bowstrings, created a scene of carnage.

"Press forward! Take the city!" E'yidu roared at the foot of the city wall, personally drawing his bow and shooting an arrow. As soon as the bowstring twanged, a magnificent and extravagantly armored warrior covered his eyes and fell backward.

"Kill!" Thousands of Jurchen warriors charged to the base of the wall. The Jurchens at the front threw out grappling hooks with ropes, hooked onto the wall's battlements, and climbed up fearlessly.

This is a unique siege tactic of the Jurchens, called "wall-climbing siege," suitable for attacking cities with low walls. These climbing hooks were also a tool they used when hunting and gathering ginseng. When hunting or gathering ginseng, they often encountered rock walls and cliffs blocking their path. In such situations, they could use the climbing hooks to scale the walls and overcome obstacles.

Because the walls of the Jurchen tribes were all low, unlike the high walls and deep moats of the Ming Dynasty, this tactic was quite effective.

At this moment, hundreds of Jurchen warriors climbed the city wall, while the Jurchen soldiers behind them covered them with a rain of arrows. The sharp arrows ripped through the night sky, reaping the lives of Japanese soldiers one by one.

Within half a quarter of an hour of the battle starting, hundreds of Japanese soldiers on the city walls had been killed or wounded.

However, the Japanese arquebusiers were extremely resilient, braving the fierce rain of arrows to fire their arquebuses.

Amidst the roar of cannons, scorching lead bullets blasted Jurchen warriors to their deaths. They plummeted continuously, while their comrades surged upwards in a frenzy.

Hundreds of Jurchen warriors were also killed or wounded.

Even so, the Japanese soldiers on the city wall were terrified.

These Ming soldiers were incredibly fierce. It wasn't until they noticed the armor of the fallen Ming soldiers had come off, revealing bald heads and long, thin braids, that they realized what had happened.

"Baka! They're Dao Yi! These Ming soldiers are Dao Yi people!"

"Kill the chicken!"

On the castle walls, Satsuma arquebusiers, under the samurai's shouts, braved a hail of arrows and advanced in three columns in turn. The first column finished firing and immediately retreated, the second column quickly took their place, followed by the third.

Every time someone was shot down, they were immediately replaced by someone else. Even with corpses strewn across the city walls, the Japanese musketeer squads continued to grow stronger.

At the same time, the Japanese army's cannons also came into play.

"Boom! Bang!"

Smoke filled the air, and the acrid smell mingled with the stench of blood. Lead bullets rained down like hail on the Jurchen soldiers scaling the city walls.

"Ah—" the Jurchen warriors screamed in agony, many of them dead or wounded.

At such close range, shields were pierced, and even thick furs and iron armor could not withstand the bombardment. Jurchen warriors fell with screams, and soon a layer of corpses and groaning wounded piled up below the city.

Under the Ming army banner of the crimson sun and crimson moon, Nurhaci's tall and imposing figure stood behind the attacking force, his gaze like that of a wolf.

The casualties among the Jurchen warriors were extremely heavy. In just a short time, three or four hundred people had died or been wounded.

But right now, there's no way to retreat; we must scale the city walls and seize the city gate.

Nurhaci drew his long sword and slashed through the air, and the bugle calls and war drums of the Jurchen army suddenly rang out.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Boom boom boom——"

The Jurchen warriors below the city wall let out a chilling howl, like wolves, and began to climb the city walls even more fiercely.

Brave and not afraid of death!

Finally, the first Jurchen warrior successfully leaped onto the city wall, roaring and slashing with his sword, killing a Japanese arquebusier with a soft thud.

"Koulou Sai!" A Japanese samurai leaped forward, wielding a katana and slashing down.

The Jurchen warrior was none other than the Jurchen general Eidu. He nimbly ducked, his helmet being slashed off by a katana, revealing a rat-tail.

"Kill!" He pounced like a tiger, slashing the Japanese samurai across the neck with his blade. Hot blood splattered onto the samurai's face, making him look like a demon.

Then, with lightning speed, Eidu charged into the Japanese army and slaughtered them without exception!
Immediately afterwards, more Jurchen soldiers leaped onto the city wall. The Japanese troops on the wall fought back desperately, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with blades, resulting in blood and flesh flying everywhere in a scene of extreme carnage.

A group of Jurchen soldiers, covered in blood, finally reached the city gate and found the city gate winch.

Several Jurchen warriors, covered in blood, roared and spun around with all their might. With a sickening creak, the heavy wooden door of the north gate of Shuozhou City was finally pulled open, bit by bit!

The moment the city gates opened, the Jurchen soldiers who had been waiting outside roared and charged in with torches, long swords, spears, heavy axes and maces!
Then they will be met with an even more brutal battle.

Between the narrow streets and the low houses on both sides, Yoshihiro Shimazu's Satsuma spearmen formed a spear formation. The densely packed spears resembled a steel thicket of thorns, their tips gleaming coldly in the torchlight.

The streets on both sides were lined with densely packed arquebusiers. More Japanese troops were gathering!
Behind the spear formation, Shimazu Yoshihiro, dressed in an ornate and extravagant crescent moon suit, held his family heirloom sword, his gaze as cold as a knife!

P.S.: The Battle of Shuozhou will be covered in another chapter. The next chapter will finish the Battle of Shuozhou. You can guess the outcome of the battle. Please vote with your monthly tickets, thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)