Di Ming

Chapter 379 "Wenlong is truly a military talent!"

Before the Japanese generals could react in shock, an even louder explosion rang out.

"Boom! Boom!"

The terrifying explosion caused even the lanterns in the central army formation to tremble.

"Nani?!"

"The gunpowder magazine has exploded! Baka! The Ming army's cannons have hit the gunpowder magazine at the pit!"

Exclamations erupted. Kato Kiyomasa and the other generals, as if bitten by a venomous snake, all jumped up with drastically changed expressions. They rushed out of the tent and were immediately petrified.

Nani? !
Sinai!

The largest and most concealed gunpowder warehouse in the camp was hit and blown up by Ming army cannonballs!
Accompanied by terrifying explosions and the screams of Japanese soldiers, flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire camp.

The hearts of Kato Kiyomasa and the others sank into an ice cellar.

Most of the army's gunpowder was stored there. Now, it's all gone.

Fortunately, the gunpowder depot at Kanwei had the largest stockpile, and for safety reasons, it was surrounded by a water channel, preventing the fire from spreading throughout the camp.

But with most of their gunpowder lost, how difficult will the next battle be? Can they hold out until reinforcements arrive?
At this moment, even the most steadfast samurai were beginning to waver in their resolve.

"How could the Ming army's cannonballs have hit Kanwei exactly?" Kato Kiyomasa said, trembling. "Kanwei's gunpowder depot was just built. Why were we so unlucky?"

"My lord!" A Japanese general rushed in, "Not only is the Kanwei gunpowder depot destroyed, but over four hundred brave soldiers have also been killed..."

Kato Kiyomasa closed his eyes in anguish. "Pass on my orders: be on high alert against Ming artillery fire, defend the main camp, and guard against any opportunity for the Ming army to attack the camp."

"Hai!"

Kato Kiyomasa looked at his retainer Kiyama Shotaku, "Shaotaku!"

"My lord, please grant my request!" Kiyama Shōtaku stepped forward.

Kato Kiyomasa said, "Please, Mr. Kiyama, lead three thousand brave climbers to scale the West Peak tonight and attempt to recapture the West Peak and the Ming army's fortifications. I beg you!"

"Yes, sir!" Kiyama Shōtaku accepted the order. "Rest assured, my lord, we will succeed or die trying!"

Kobayakawa Kagetaka looked at the raging fire at the Kan position, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Ever since Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang became the new commanders of the Ming army, the military fortunes of the Divine Kingdom's army seem to have come to an end.

Was this fate? Or were Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang truly renowned generals of their time?
He turned to look in the direction of West Peak, his fists clenched, his expression ashen!

Such a powerful cannon must have been very heavy. How did the Ming army manage to transport it up to Xifeng without anyone noticing?

.........

At dusk, Mao Wenlong finally led his troops to transport dozens of heavy cannons to the western peak of Heduo Mountain, overlooking the Japanese army camp below.

In the afternoon, taking advantage of the fierce battle between the two armies, he led dozens of boats from the Yalu River into the Yizhou Weir, and then ordered the breaching of the dike adjacent to Heduo Mountain in the Yizhou Weir, diverting water from the northwest mountain pass into the valley.

The raging torrent of water swept down, instantly transforming the narrow, rugged valley into a mountain river two zhang deep and two zhang wide. Dozens of ships carrying cannons and ammunition swiftly sailed down the valley, reaching the southern foot of the western peak in no time.

Mao Wenlong ordered his men to tie the boat to a large tree with ropes, stopping it from drifting any further. Then, a dam was built upstream to cut off the water supply, lowering the water level in the valley, and the boat indeed ran aground on a rocky cliff two zhang high at the foot of the mountain.

At this time, the Japanese army outside the mountain was engaged in fierce fighting with the Ming army, completely unaware that a river had suddenly appeared in the Heduo Mountain, and cannons were being transported in the river.

Under this cover, Mao Wenlong personally led two thousand men up the mountain, first occupying the summit of the west peak to hastily repair the stone walls and artillery positions. Then he ordered the remaining one thousand soldiers to transport the heavy artillery piece by piece up the gentle southern slope, using horses and men to carry it.

It wasn't until nightfall that dozens of cannons were transported to the mountaintop and immediately aimed at the Japanese camp.

Even at this point, the Japanese army still did not realize that the Ming army had actually transported cannons to the steep West Peak and hung them over their own camp.

This is understandable given the Japanese army's carelessness. The West Peak is surrounded by steep slopes on three sides, making it difficult to climb. Although the south side appears to be a gentle slope, there are rock walls and valleys at the foot of the mountain, making it equally difficult to ascend.

Little did they expect that the Ming army would use the Yalu River to turn the rocky cliffs and valleys into a temporary river.
Mao Wenlong deployed all three thousand soldiers on the mountaintop and the southern slope to cut down trees and move stones to build defensive fortifications.

Because once the Japanese army's main camp is bombarded, the Japanese army will inevitably send troops to seize Xifeng, and there will definitely be a tough battle to fight.

At the beginning of Hai hour, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang's military order finally arrived: bombard the enemy camp!
Looking down at the Japanese army camp, its lights shone like stars in the sky, at the dozens of cannons ready to fire, and at his three thousand strong and vigorous men, Mao Wenlong felt a surge of pride and excitement.

He wanted nothing more than to roar to the heavens!

A few years ago, he was a disillusioned young man whose family had fallen on hard times and was heavily in debt. He relied on boasting about his family's wealth and getting engaged to the Tang family to make a living in Nanjing. He didn't even have enough money to send gifts to the Tang family or return to his hometown.

At that time, he had no hope of passing the imperial examinations. Although he liked martial arts and military strategy, he had no way to advance his career and his future was bleak.

But when he met Zhu Yin, his luck turned around.

In just a few years, he rose from a centurion to a guerrilla general, wielding power and wealth with ease. Now, he leads three thousand soldiers, fighting for the country and battling the Japanese pirates on the battlefield.

Having fulfilled my ambition as a young man and lived up to the expectations of a heroic youth, I have given an explanation to Tang Rong and to my family. How fortunate I am, Mao Wenlong!
All of this is a gift from my lord, and I can only repay him with the utmost loyalty and devotion.

I, Mao Wenlong, am willing to follow my lord in conquering all directions, eliminating disloyal subjects, immediately achieving fame and glory, bestowing titles and honors upon my wife and children, and having my name recorded in history, thus fulfilling my lifelong ambition.

Mao Wenlong's spirited face was full of determination.

He knew that his lord's heart was set on making the world more transparent, more just, and more prosperous.

He didn't know how high his lord's ambitions were; he only wished to follow in his lord's footsteps.

"General," a centurion interrupted Mao Wenlong's thoughts, "the ammunition is all loaded. Shall we begin bombarding the Japanese camp?"

Mao Wenlong said, "No rush. We need to find the approximate location of the gunpowder depot in the Japanese camp first, and then bombard it. Every shot we fire should be as effective and powerful as possible."

"This round of bombardment, in particular, has a remarkable effect in attacking, so it is even more important and cannot be wasted."

"A gunpowder depot?" The captain frowned. "The general is absolutely right, but the Japanese camp is so large, how can we pinpoint the location of the gunpowder depot?"

Mao Wenlong smiled in the darkness and pointed to the Japanese camp. "Liu Jiong, I'm going to test you. Take a close look at the lights in the Japanese camp. Do you see anything interesting about them? There's something quite intriguing about them."

Liu Jiong carefully looked down at the Japanese army camp. The camp was neither square nor round, covering an area of ​​about three miles. The camp was very well built, and the lights in the camp looked strangely mysterious.

After observing for a long time, he could only discern that the Japanese camp was well-organized and impregnable, but he couldn't see anything more intricate about it. Liu Jiong was somewhat embarrassed and said with an awkward smile, "This subordinate is dull-witted and can't see much in it. I only know that this camp is quite unusual. Please enlighten me, General, so that I may broaden my horizons."

The other subordinates also quickly perked up their ears.

Mao Wenlong's smile faded. "It's the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation Camp. This is an ancient Chinese camp system from ancient books. This kind of camp system is no longer used in the Central Plains. Nowadays, only General Qi still knows how to use it. I didn't expect that Japan is still using it."

"The Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation for camping?" Liu Jiong and the others were stunned, somewhat bewildered. They had never heard of it before.

Mao Wenlong was not just a talented general, he was a brilliant strategist. After climbing West Peak and looking down, he immediately realized that the Japanese army camp was actually a type of ancient Chinese camp: the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Camp.

This was a very complex, yet formidable, type of military camp. He studied ancient military texts and discovered that this type of camp still existed in the Song Dynasty, but had almost disappeared after the Yuan Dynasty. Qi Jiguang was the only person who still knew how to use this method to build camps.

Mao Wenlong explained, “These camps are usually built on high plateaus, with the central army plus eight other camps set up separately. Each camp gate is marked with a divination flag to determine good or bad fortune. The central army tent is moved daily to avoid inauspicious locations, creating a dynamic atmosphere within stillness. If you read the ‘Complete Essentials of Military Classics,’ you will be able to glimpse its intricacies.”

"General Qi Jiguang mentioned this kind of camp in his book 'New Book of Military Tactics: The Chapter on Setting Up Camps'. I don't know how to set it up yet, but I can recognize it."

"Famous generals such as Zhuge Liang of the Han Dynasty and Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty were skilled at setting up this type of camp. This camp is both offensive and defensive, and it is easy for the commander-in-chief to direct and command, and it is also conducive to the coordination of various units. The troops can quickly form ranks when leaving the camp and quickly return to camp. Even if the enemy army attacks the camp, it will be difficult to collapse."

"In my opinion, the Kan position might be the powder keg."

"Look, that direction is the Kan position. Isn't it the darkest with the fewest lights, like an abyss? That position is the Kan position. The Book of Changes says that Kan means abyss. Because gunpowder depots are forbidden from fire, they need water to suppress them. If the Japanese are stubborn, then the Kan position is the location of the gunpowder depot."

Mao Wenlong paused here and asked, "Do you understand everything?"

Liu Jiong and the others were very impressed. Someone asked, "General, since this camp is so well-equipped, why is it that only Commander Qi of the Ming Dynasty knows how to set it up?"

Mao Wenlong replied speechlessly, "It's very simple, because the military officers of our Ming Dynasty... are not well-educated. But Commander Qi is the most well-educated military officer in the Ming Dynasty, at least with the qualifications of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), or even a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)."

Everyone immediately understood.

Military generals of the Ming Dynasty didn't like reading!

Martial arts training requires reading "Sun Tzu's Art of War," but the exams are merely a formality; anyone can pass by paying a bribe, and it's completely unimportant. Although the garrison has elementary schools, the enrollment rate is only 10%.

Mao Wenlong knew that there were quite a few generals who were crude and uneducated, not to mention those below the rank of general. Many commanders, deputy generals, and brigadier generals had never read "The Art of War," and some couldn't even recognize all the surnames in the "Hundred Family Surnames." There were also many military officers who couldn't write their own names.

Take Li Chengliang, for example. He was already considered educated, having served as the top general of the Ming Dynasty and been granted the title of Earl. Yet, the military orders he personally wrote were ridiculed for their numerous typos, making him a laughingstock among scholars.

The general Liu Ting, who is currently serving in the Yizhou army, is completely illiterate and needs literate staff to read official documents to him.

As for junior officers and soldiers, most of them are illiterate!
The lord once jokingly said that the literacy rate of Ming Dynasty military officers was lower than that of courtesans.

Mao Wenlong continued, "Few soldiers were literate, which forced General Qi to set up a night school camp to force his subordinates to learn to read and write. Classes were held from 7 pm to 9 pm, and soldiers who could not write their names were beaten with military sticks. This made Qi Family Army the army with the highest literacy rate. Unfortunately, General Qi was later impeached and dismissed from office."

"Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that only General Qi would know how to set up such an ancient camp."

At this point, Mao Wenlong's admiration for Qi Jiguang grew even stronger.

Liu Jiong asked, "May I ask, General, why did the Japanese army set up this Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams camp?"

“Good question.” Mao Wenlong smiled. “The Grand Coordinator said that Japan has been learning from China since ancient times and is in fact a disciple of China. They have learned a lot and have preserved it to this day. However, China lost many things because of the Mongol invasion. Japan learned from China, but turned around and wanted to betray its teacher and ancestors. It is truly a petty country. No wonder it is called the Wokou. It seems that not only are they small in stature, but they are also petty in mind.”

"However, the Grand Coordinator also said that the Japanese pirates should not be underestimated. Most of the Japanese samurai can read Chinese characters, and many of the high-ranking samurai can not only read Chinese characters, but also play the zither and write calligraphy, much like the aristocratic scholars of the Tang Dynasty who were both literate and martial."

Mao Wenlong said in a generous tone: "The Grand Marshal told me that more than 80% of Japanese military officers would carry their family's military books when they went into battle. Their laws stipulate that 'all sons of aristocratic families should study literature at the age of ten and martial arts at the age of twelve, and those who neglect either literature or martial arts should be punished by their fathers.' Their aristocratic families are the same as samurai. It can be seen that samurai began to study both literature and martial arts at the age of ten."

"Based on this point alone, our Ming Dynasty's military generals are far inferior."

Liu Jiong said somewhat unconvinced, "That's not necessarily true. Our job as military officers is to lead troops into battle. What's the point of studying literature? Military strategy and tactics are for the learned gentlemen to handle."

Mao Wenlong gave a bitter smile, "Forget it, you don't understand, you don't understand."

He felt he was talking past his subordinates. Too lazy to change their minds for the time being, he gave the order:
"Adjust the cannons, all cannons, bombard the position!"

"Understood!" Liu Jiong and the others immediately took the order and began operations.

Soon, dozens of cannons were adjusted, their positions calculated, and their fuses were lit together.

"Sizzle—" Dozens of fire ropes burned in the darkness, like fireworks, but the sound was chilling.

Suddenly, a dazzling flash of fire appeared, and the surrounding Ming soldiers covered their ears and shouted "Ha!" almost simultaneously. The ground trembled violently, followed by a deafening roar.

"Rumble--"

Dozens of shells whistled through the sky and rained down on the Japanese camp below the mountain. Many of them landed precisely on the embankment!
A deafening roar erupted from the Japanese camp, accompanied by screams and cries of terror.

Immediately afterwards, more explosions rang out, and a huge cloud of fire burst forth from the location of the Japanese army's main camp, followed by a massive fire.

Mao Wenlong's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but shout, "What huge fireworks! It really is a gunpowder depot! Well done!"

"Cheers!" Three thousand Ming soldiers cheered in unison, their voices shaking the night sky.

Liu Jiong laughed and said, "General, tonight's bombardment of the enemy's gunpowder depot has already been a great achievement. The Grand Coordinator will surely reward you handsomely. You're guaranteed to be promoted to the rank of Assistant General!"

Mao Wenlong's expression suddenly turned serious, and he shouted, "Pass on my order: artillerymen, continue bombarding the enemy camp; everyone else, prepare for night battle! I suspect the Japanese will seize West Peak under cover of night! Our army must hold this position firmly!"

Three thousand Ming soldiers immediately began to prepare, intending to give the Japanese army, which was launching a night raid on the mountain, a head-on blow.

.........

Ten miles away, on the city wall of Yizhou, Zhu Yin, Qi Jiguang, Li Rusong, Nurhaci and other Ming generals stood together, watching the firelight coming from the direction of the Japanese camp and listening to the muffled thunderous sounds.

“This isn’t just the sound of artillery fire,” Qi Jiguang said with certainty. “There are also gunpowder explosions, and the two sounds are different. It seems that a Japanese gunpowder depot has exploded.”

The old general laughed so hard his beard stood on end.

“That’s right!” Zhu Yin couldn’t help but laugh. “They hit the Japanese army’s gunpowder depot, and the depot exploded.”

"Wenlong is truly a talented general!"

P.S.: I'm too busy today, and I still have work to finish tonight, so I'll stop here. Tomorrow is the 1st, so please give me some monthly votes to help me climb the rankings. Thank you, and goodnight!

(End of this chapter)