Di Ming

Chapter 376 "Sun Chengzong, a junior scholar from Baoding Prefecture, bows respectfully."

"Water-transported cannons!"

The generals couldn't help but applaud, exclaiming, "What a brilliant plan! Experience truly makes one wiser!"

Yizhou Weir is an artificial lake that connects to the Yalu River. Yizhou Weir is located at the foot of Heduo Mountain, near the northwest pass of Heduo Mountain.

From the northwest pass to the southeast pass, there is a winding and rugged valley. The valley is not wide, and the terrain in the northwest is high while the terrain in the southeast is low, making it perfectly suitable as a waterway.

By simply digging a short irrigation canal and excavating the Yizhou Weir, water could be channeled into the mountains. The floodwaters would pour in from the northwest mountain pass and cascade down, forming a temporary mountain waterway.

Ships carrying cannons could enter Yizhou Weir from the Yalu River, then enter Heduo Mountain through the gap in the Yizhou Weir, and drift along the temporary waterway to the south of West Peak.

Then, the boat floated on the foothills, anchored and not moved. Next, the breach in the Yizhou Weir was sealed to cut off the water supply, the water level in the temporary waterway dropped, and the boat ran aground on the steep valley wall.

Unloading the cannons on the valley wall and then moving them along the gentle southern slope would make it easy to transport them to the top of the western peak, where they could bombard the Japanese camp from a high vantage point.

This method is very labor-saving; it only requires a few dozen boats, a few hundred people, and a hundred mules and horses, and can be done in a day.

Moreover, this method was difficult for the Japanese army to detect and could be carried out at night.

Qi Jiguang laughed and said, "This is a strategy that my strategist and I have decided on. It will make the best use of our artillery to bombard the Japanese camp day and night. In just a few days, the Japanese will either have to move their camp or suffer a great loss of morale."

"They number 60,000, right under the noses of my 90,000 troops. How can they move their camp? Once they move, their defenses will be at their weakest. Our army will hold them firmly and seize the opportunity for a decisive battle."

"Mao Wenlong!"

"Your humble servant is here!" Mao Wenlong stood up. "Please give your instructions, General!"

Qi Jiguang drew out a command arrow and threw it down, "I'm allocating eight 2,000-jin heavy cannons and twenty 1,000-jin heavy cannons to you. Get boats from the riverbank and, according to my method, transport the cannons to the West Peak before dawn tomorrow."

"Your three thousand men will hold the West Peak. Remember, under no circumstances should the Japanese army capture the West Peak and the cannons!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Mao Wenlong stepped forward, holding up the command arrow, and immediately went out of the tent to mobilize troops.

Qi Jiguang added, "Our main force will leave the city and form ranks at noon, advancing on the Japanese army's main camp with a dignified and upright army. We do not expect them to initiate a decisive battle, but only to cover Mao Wenlong's actions."

"A battle involving hundreds of thousands of people cannot be rushed, but it also cannot be dragged out for too long. We must strive to force the Japanese army out of their camp for a decisive battle within five days!"

After speaking, the white-haired old general looked at the young strategist and said, "Today, we'll see what trump card you have in your hand, strategist."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "At noon today, on the front lines, our army will present King Shujin of Japan, Nene, Hideyoshi's wife, and the captured Shimazu Yoshihiro. Let the Japanese army see with their own eyes that their so-called Emperor and Taiko's wife are in our hands. We will also let them know that the Japanese court is dead and Japan is in pieces..."

Upon hearing this, all the generals were greatly encouraged. Generals such as Dong Yiyuan and Liu Ting, who had never fought against Zhu Yin before, also held him in high esteem.

After several months in Korea, under the command of Hao Jie and Gao Huai, who were known for their military expertise, and Yang Shaoxun, who was hailed as a renowned general, they suffered a crushing defeat in their first battle. Their morale plummeted, and they suffered repeated defeats, retreating from Pyongyang to Uiju on the banks of the Yalu River, losing tens of thousands of men. Meanwhile, the arrogant Japanese army, with its indomitable spirit, completely disregarded them.

How depressed, frustrated, and resentful they were during those months.

However, they were merely regional commanders, not strategists or generals. They had no decision-making power, and even their suggestions were often ignored by the "three giants," who instead went their own way.

But things are different now. As soon as Zhu Jinglue and Marshal Qi entered the court, they immediately felt a sense of triumph and triumph.

The strategist and marshal were good at recognizing and employing talent, and their military tactics were swift and brilliant. Taking advantage of the Japanese army's arrogance and carelessness, they struck first and captured key locations such as Shuozhou, Anzhou, and Guicheng in just a few days with thunderous force, annihilating more than 16,000 Japanese soldiers and turning the tide of the battle.

Not only did they achieve their first major victory since entering Korea, greatly boosting morale, but they also completed the encirclement of Uiju, cutting off the Japanese army's retreat, seizing the initiative on the battlefield, and changing the balance of power.

In just a few days, the morale of the first batch of Ming troops entering Korea, which had been low due to repeated defeats, was greatly boosted.

What makes a great general? This is a great general!

Today, the military commissioner is also going to introduce the wife of Japanese King Hira Hideyoshi, which will surely be a huge blow to the morale of the Japanese army. With this shift in power, the Ming Dynasty is poised for victory.

The generals looked at the sixteen-year-old young strategist and sighed with emotion.

Indeed, he is a peerless genius reincarnated from a star deity! Mr. Zhihu's fame is renowned throughout the land; there is truly no room for luck. No wonder the common people erected a shrine in his honor, calling him an auspicious omen for the Ming Dynasty. What else could this be but an auspicious omen?
Suddenly, King Seonjo of Joseon stood up and said respectfully, "General, I have a request, I wonder if it would be convenient for you?"

Qi Jiguang cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is too kind. Please tell me."

The eyes of all the Ming generals immediately turned to Li Yeon, many of them showing disdain. In particular, the Jurchen generals such as Nurhaci and Buzhai made no attempt to conceal their contempt for Li Yeon.

Li Yeon sensed the Jurchens' gazes, feeling both hatred and anger, but he couldn't lash out on the spot. He could only pretend not to see them and say:

"Commander-in-Chief, General, Shimazu Yoshihiro has repeatedly massacred cities in Korea, and countless people have died under his sword. This villain is an irreconcilable enemy of Korea, and everyone has the right to kill him."

Zhu Yin took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Your Highness, there's no need to beat around the bush. Just say what you have to say."

Yi Yeon-do said, "I humbly request that Shimazu Yoshihiro be handed over to me for disposal. I wish to have that heinous Shimazu Yoshihiro torn to pieces and skinned alive in front of thousands of Korean people, to console the countless victims."

At this point, she couldn't help but wipe away tears, her expression filled with sorrow and desolation.

Zhu Yin's expression grew increasingly indifferent. "Your Highness's request is difficult for both me and the General to grant. Shimazu Yoshihiro is a major general of the Japanese pirates and an important war criminal. Naturally, he should be escorted back to the capital, presented as a prisoner to the Emperor at the Meridian Gate, and then executed by slow slicing."

"How can such an important prisoner be handed over to His Highness for disposal?"

Zhu Yin was well aware of Li Yeon's ulterior motives, and he was determined not to let him succeed.
The prestige of the Joseon king, along with the entire royal family and court, has plummeted in the eyes of the Joseon people. In their view, it is precisely because of the incompetence of the royal court and the king that eight million Joseon people have been massacred, enslaved, humiliated, oppressed, and starved to death, leaving them with broken homes and displaced.

What use is such a king and royal court?

Historically, if it weren't for the support of the Ming Dynasty, the Joseon Dynasty would have ended there. Even if it hadn't been destroyed by the Japanese army, it would have been overthrown by the Koreans themselves.

As the ruler, Yi Yeon was well aware of this. He feared not only the Japanese army but also the suffering Korean people. Therefore, he wanted to restore his prestige and win back the hearts of the people.

The best way is to severely punish the Japanese prisoners of war, whom the Koreans deeply hate, in front of the Korean people, under the guise of avenging the Koreans, and win over the hearts and minds of the people.

What a beautiful dream! I captured Shimazu Yoshihiro. In the Battle of Shuozhou, my sworn brother, Wild Boar Skin, lost four thousand precious Jianzhou warriors!

After paying such a high price, you expect me to hand over Shimazu Yoshihiro to you as a grand prize to win back public support? You're dreaming.

Besides, I'd love for you to lose the hearts and minds of the North Korean people and lose your legitimacy to rule, so that I'll have a chance to annex North Korea in the future.

Qi Jiguang knew his adopted son's thoughts, and couldn't help but smile slightly, saying:

"Yes, Your Highness. A Japanese chieftain like Shimazu Yoshihiro, who has committed heinous crimes, should of course be presented as a prisoner at the Meridian Gate and executed in a public manner. It is not appropriate for Your Highness to handle such a case on your own."

Li Yin cursed Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang inwardly for not giving him face, but smiled awkwardly on the surface and said, "It was my mistake. He should be escorted to Beijing and let the Emperor deal with him."

Nurhaci sneered. "I captured Shimazu Yoshihiro. What right do you have to punish a foolish ruler like you who almost brought about the downfall of your country? If you hadn't been incompetent, would the Japanese pirate army have been able to reach the Yalu River and nearly invade Jianzhou?"
When Joseon Chief Eunuch Ryu Seong-ryong saw that his king had been refused, he quickly stood up to defuse the awkward situation and said, "Grand Chancellor, General, I also have a request, and I hope you will grant it."

Even Qi Jiguang's expression turned indifferent.

Zhu Yin said in a somewhat cold tone, "Mr. Liu, please tell me."

Ryu Seong-ryong said, "Crown Prince Gwanghae is of noble status, and there is great concern that he might lose control of the city of Sukju. I humbly request that General Kim Chung-tae, the Imperial Guard commander by His Highness's side, be sent to Sukju to relieve Gwanghae in his place..."

"Absolutely not!" Qi Jiguang interrupted him before he could finish speaking. "As far as I know, your country's Crown Prince Guanghai has been acting as regent for nearly a year. He is the most capable prince in resisting the Japanese pirates and is highly trusted by his soldiers. How can you replace him?"

"The safety of Shuozhou is of paramount importance. If replacing Prince Guanghai leads to the loss of Shuozhou and affects the overall situation, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

Qi Jiguang never expected that even at this point, the Joseon king and his ministers would still be interested in vying for military power with Gwanghaegun.

Both the emperor and his ministers are heartless scoundrels!
Liu Chenglong was shocked to find that both his and the King's requests had been rejected by the Ming people, and his face flushed red. How could he possibly have the face to argue any further?
The emperor and his minister could only sit back down, feeling rather disgruntled.

Qi Jiguang then redistributed the battle tasks, issued orders to each general, and concluded the military meeting. The generals then withdrew to prepare.

Zhu Yin arrived at the backyard of the shogunate but did not see Ning Qingchen. He asked Feng Menglong, "Where is Qingchen?"

Feng Menglong said, "Second Madam has gone to the state school where the prisoners are being held."

Although the Ming army captured very few Japanese soldiers, there were still more than a hundred, most of whom were captured by Li Rusong. They were all imprisoned in the state school under strict guard, making it difficult for them to even commit suicide.

These hundred-plus prisoners naturally became Ning Qingchen's test subjects. As soon as the prisoners arrived, she began testing various new drugs she had developed over the past few years, collecting firsthand data.

Zhu Yin left the shogunate and went to the nearby heavily guarded state academy. He immediately heard Ning Qingchen's childish voice coming from a dormitory:
"Look, I'm about to give him an injection; he might get better. If he gets better, his wound won't fester..."

Zhu Yin pushed open the door and saw four beds in the dormitory, with four wounded Japanese pirates lying there, their hands and feet bound and their mouths stuffed with cloth. Ning Qingchen, dressed in white, wearing a black hat and a mask, was surrounded by a group of medical students and stood in front of one of the wounded Japanese pirates.

A group of medical students observing the clinical practice were all dressed in white coats and black hats, wearing masks, and each of them held a small calligraphy brush and a notebook, ready to take notes.

Ning Qingchen said, "Before administering the medicine, observe the patient's condition, including body temperature, heart rate, tongue coating, and pulse, and record everything."

She took the only mercury thermometer from later generations from under the armpit of a wounded Japanese pirate, looked at it, and said:

"Thirty-nine degrees Celsius, a rather high fever. This is due to the invasion of evil toxins, while his own power to suppress the evil is working against it. The two sides are resisting each other, which is why he has a fever."

"Look closely, he's still shivering. This means his vital energy is being depleted. If his vital energy is depleted too much, and the evil-suppressing power still fails to suppress the toxins, his condition will worsen, and his wounds will fester rapidly... Remember all of this?"

The medical students nodded in unison: "We understand."

Ning Qingchen also saw Zhu Yin at this moment, and glanced at Zhu Yin with her black gem-like eyes, her eyes full of smiles.

The medical students immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, General!"

Zhu Yin waved his hand, "No need for formalities, don't worry about me, the medical experiment is important."

After saying that, he stood aside quietly and watched.

He also hoped that Ning Qingchen's new drug, developed under the new TCM system, could successfully pass clinical trials and benefit the general public.

At this moment, Ning Qingchen put away the thermometer and took out the syringe.

Her syringe needle was made of a gold-silver alloy and housed in a specially made glass tube from Daishan. The sealing ring was made of sheep intestine casing, a natural sealing material.

Although it was rather primitive, it was very similar to the syringes of later generations.

The little girl asked the student to take out a small porcelain bottle, shook it a few times, and then removed the beeswax stopper.

Ning Qingchen used a refractometer to draw up the liquid, and the glass tube immediately filled with a suspicious light brown liquid.

Zhu Yin felt a chill run down his spine; the medicine looked rather frightening. What would happen if something unproven, existing only in theory, were injected into a human body?
The wounded Japanese pirate on the bed looked at the strange syringe and couldn't help but show fear. Although he was a samurai who killed people like chickens, he was actually afraid at this moment.

Seeing that the person holding the syringe was a young girl made him feel even more uneasy and frightened.

"Don't be afraid," Ning Qingchen comforted her. "It'll only hurt for a moment, it'll be over soon."

She gave the samurai a gentle smile and instructed the student:
"Turn him over and hold him down. Watch carefully how I give the injection. Medicine is divided into principles and techniques. This syringe is the technique. Technique is used to apply principles."

After speaking, he skillfully inserted the needle into the samurai's gluteal muscle. The reason for using intramuscular injection was, of course, because the needle was too thick and the sterilization technique was poor; if it were injected intravenously, it would cause a medical accident.

"Whoosh—" The samurai felt the needle pierce him, and he was so frightened that his eyes widened.

He didn't care about the pain at all. But he was afraid. He wasn't afraid of real combat, but he was afraid of this.

What kind of evil magic is this? Will my soul, as a samurai, become unclean?
After the injection, Ning Qingchen said, "From now on, observe his various reactions and changes, and record them all."

"He may be getting better. We need to record when he gets better and when his fever goes down."

A student asked, "Teacher, what if he dies?"

Ning Qingchen said, "So what if they died? The Japanese pirates only lost a life, but we lost a medicine."

“His death was not without value. But how he died, when he died, and what the manner of his death should all be recorded.”

"Yes!" All the students respectfully accepted the order.

Ning Qingchen said solemnly in her clear, childlike voice, "One who is not close to the Buddha cannot be a doctor. We doctors are dedicated to saving lives and healing the wounded, so of course we value life and are based on benevolence. As the saying goes, a great doctor must be virtuous."

"However, a doctor's benevolence and compassion must be tailored to the individual and to the nature of the enemy or friend, good or evil. One cannot be indiscriminate in showing kindness. This is the meaning of the saying 'the courage to kill, the heart of a bodhisattva.'"

"Therefore, even though they are all human beings, we doctors see them very differently. Take this person for example—"

She pointed at the Japanese pirate, "This man is a Japanese samurai, vicious and ruthless, who knows how many people he has killed. To truly save his life would be to aid and abet a tyrant, to help the evildoer. Where is the benevolence of a healer?"

"For these innocent and wicked people who died, even if we save them now, it's not a real saving. It's just for testing new drugs. That's their last value. Let's just consider it as atonement."

Everyone bowed in unison, saying, "We will remember your teachings, teacher!"

Just before they were speaking, the Japanese pirate suddenly began to tremble violently. His face turned blue, his eyes turned bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He looked to be in great pain, and there was already foam at the corner of his mouth.

“Teacher, this…” a student said.

Ning Qingchen narrowed his eyes. "Record all reactions promptly! Observe carefully, and touch them!"

She bent down, lifted the "patient's" eyelids, touched his forehead, and frowned as if talking to herself, "So, it's still a dosage issue? Maybe the dosage was too high. What if we give him another injection of saponin now?"

He then ordered, "Give them another injection of saponin..."

Soon, a student received an injection of saponin as instructed by her.

Afterwards, Ning Qingchen instructed the students to observe the patient's reactions. He also said that if the patient did not die, another injection of penicillin should be given in five hours. He further instructed the students to observe the "patient's" temperature, heartbeat, stool, and urine. If the patient died, the signs of death should be recorded.

At this moment, the samurai's eyes were lifeless, as if his soul had been taken away, but he was not dead yet.

"Let's go," Ning Qingchen said to Zhu Yin. "What did you want to see me about?"

As the two walked out of the state school where more than a hundred Japanese prisoners were being held, Zhu Yin said:
"Your field medical battalion should do its best to treat the seriously wounded soldiers. Not only the Han soldiers, but also the Jurchens should be treated as much as possible. Don't try to be clever when you shouldn't. The Jurchens are not stupid."

"Alright." Ning Qingchen yawned. "Little Tiger, your sister-in-law is only seven years old, and this morning she performed two surgeries herself, opening her abdomen to remove lead bullets and removing her shattered eyeballs. Don't you feel sorry for her? You treat a young girl like a beast of burden..."

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Once your students have gained experience, you'll be free. Go back and get some sleep; the big battle is coming soon."

Ning Qingchen shook her head. "This humble Taoist priest has no time to rest, but I want to eat something good. The food in the army is really bad; it's so bland..."

Zhu Yin said, "Alright, I've heard that the sweetfish from the Yalu River are very delicious and are a tribute to the Korean royal family. I'll have Murong Gou Dan and the others catch a few pounds and braise them for you."

“Yesterday, Nurhaci and his men happened to hunt a black bear, and the bear paw has already been taken and sent to me. Have someone start stewing it today, and you can eat it tomorrow night.”

Ning Qingchen couldn't help but laugh and said, "Little Tiger, I want you to make braised sweetfish for me yourself. I know you're a very good cook."

Zhu Yin laughed too, "You want the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, the Korean Commissioner, the Governor-General of Ji and Liao, the Prince of Xin's teacher, and the Marquis of Jiangning to cook fragrant fish for you? You have more influence than the Jin Emperor."

"Oh, right." Ning Qingchen suddenly slapped his forehead. "We're seriously short of Japanese prisoners of war, only a little over a hundred. We need at least one or two thousand, the more the better. Tell the officers to capture as many prisoners as possible. I know Japanese prisoners are hard to capture, but we can't have too few."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "Don't worry. After the Battle of Yizhou, we'll have captured at least a thousand Japanese prisoners. And there will be a steady stream of prisoners in the future. Enough to go around!"

As the two were chatting and laughing, Kangxi suddenly walked over and said, "My lord, two scholars from the Central Plains have come to the outside of the headquarters. They say they want to pay their respects to you and are willing to serve as your staff and scribes."

"These are the two people's visiting cards."

After speaking, he presented two visiting cards.

Zhu Yin was taken aback when he saw the visiting card.

Sun Chengzong, Gao Panlong?
The visiting card read: "Sun Chengzong, a scholar from Baoding Prefecture, respectfully bows."

Zhu Yin immediately ordered, "Please let them in!"

He not only agreed with the opinion, but also used the word "please".

Zhu Yin had never liked receiving Confucian scholars, but he did consider who they were; he was the type to treat people differently based on their social standing. These two, however, were people he absolutely had to meet!

...

Note: A major battle will break out in the next chapter, so please be patient. Thank you, goodnight, and please vote with your monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)