Prime Minister Bizen

Chapter 626 Imjin Japanese Invasion (15) The First Battle of Pyongyang (5.2K)

By the end of June, the Ming Dynasty had sent only 6 troops to North Korea. Such a small number of people could not compete with the Japanese pirates in the eyes of North Korean monarchs and ministers. However, at this moment, the Ming Dynasty was determined to drag it on. Ambiguous replies.

However, Zu Chengxun, the deputy general of Liaoyang, didn't think so. He was brave, so he had been fighting against the tall and powerful Mongolian and Jurchen tribes in the past, so he looked down on the Japanese soldiers who were thin and thin like monkeys.

Zu Chengxun’s background was not good. In the fifth year of Xuande (1430), when Ningyuan City (now Xingcheng, Liaoning) was built, Zu Qing, a soldier who was originally from Chuzhou in Nanzhili, led his family to live because he could not survive in Huaixi. Xiao moved here, and the ancestral family began to multiply in Liaodong.

Because of his background, Zu Chengxun was very superstitious. Before he joined Li Chengliang to fight Jurchen again, a fortune teller said that he would be rich this time, but Zu Chengxun didn't think so.

Zu Chengxun was born in Li Chengliang's family. Although he had a reputation for bravery, he was not very conspicuous in the Liaodong Army where everyone was brave.

However, in this battle, he beheaded a brave Hu general whose generals were helpless. He was also valued by Li Chengliang because of his courage and bravery.

After returning, he took the fortune teller to his side and treated him with courtesy, and he also kept him by his side this time when he went to North Korea.

According to his calculation, the seventh day of July is a good day for a big victory, and Zu Chengxun firmly believes in this.However, it was the rainy season in North Korea at that time, and North Korea had been raining for several days, and the roads were slippery and muddy, which was not suitable for cavalry combat.

Liu Chenglong, the inspector of the North Korean capital, and Jin Mingyuan, the marshal of the Korean capital, both persuaded him not to enter the army, but Zu Chengxun disagreed, and even said, "3 Liaodong cavalry are enough to break 10 Tartars. My 3000 soldiers and horses Could it be that even 2 Japanese pirates can’t be dealt with?”

At that time, Ming was indeed qualified to be confident, but he did not expect that the slogan "3 Liaodong cavalry defeated 10 Tartars" would be used by the Qing in reverse 50 years later, shouting "Jurchen is full of invincible" propaganda , which in turn frightened the Ming army.

Just at this time, North Korean officials began to commit suicide again.

Huang Yuan, governor of Sunan County, Pyongan Province, North Korea, sent news that more than half of the Japanese troops in Pyongyang had been transferred southward.

Throughout the two Wanli Korean Wars, you will find that the upper-level officials in North Korea are always afraid that their country will not die completely, and they will fool the upper-level people on major military affairs without blinking their eyes.

You must know that Shun'an County is next to Pyongyang, which is a satellite city of Pyongyang. Logically speaking, the information they obtained should be the most accurate, but at this time they provided wrong information to Li Yan. The reason is really hard to understand. understand.

In fact, Konishi's First Army is currently the most prominent part of the Japanese army. Behind it, Kuroda Nagamasa's Third Army has not yet cleared the world.

Because Kobayakawa Longjing and Fengsuga's family were trapped in Jinju, Fukushima Masanori, who was originally responsible for sweeping Chungcheong-do and could go north, had to undertake the task of cleaning Jeolla-do, and could not go north in time to fill the vacancy in Gyeonggi-do.

However, Toyotomi Hideji, who is the general general, and Toyotomi Hidekatsu, the general general of the Ninth Army, have not yet gone north to Gyeonggi-do because of the Jinju problem.In other words, there is not a single organized Japanese army in Gyeonggi-do.

This directly led to a power vacuum for the Japanese army in Gyeonggi-do, which led to an explosive growth of rebels in Gyeonggi-do.

Omura Kizen's 1000 people are currently in charge of guarding Wang Jing, and they have no spare power to manage the surrounding cities.Faced with such a situation, Governor Konishi negotiated with Matsuura Shinnobu and asked Arima Harunobu and Goto Jungen to lead 3000 troops to the south to support the isolated city of Hanyang.

This may be the source of the information that Huang Yuan reported that a large number of Japanese troops went south. As for the fact that no Japanese troops were seen at the top of the city, it was because of the heavy rain in the past few days, and most of the Japanese troops did not go to the city to garrison. Such a big oolong.

Due to the interruption of the grain road in the rear, Kuroda Nagamasa and Konishi Governor's offensive on Ping'an Road and Huanghai Road have slowed down. If it weren't for the Fengchun family's fleet to send supplies to Hamgyong Road by sea, I am afraid that even Masayuki Hanabou and Kato Qingzheng has to go hungry.

The First Army of Chief Konishi had always been the main force of the Japanese army in the war against North Korea. Although they won the Battle of Chungju, they were facing the most elite 8000 imperial troops in North Korea, and the losses were not small.

In the subsequent battles of the Imjin River and the Daedong River, there were certain injuries. Although the troops in Pyongyang are not as exaggerated as only a thousand, they are no longer in the tens of thousands.

However, there are 3500 North Korean servants gathered by President Konishi in the city of Pyongyang. These people may not be able to fight tough battles, but they should still be able to fight with the wind.

However, Zu Chengxun didn't know about all this, and Huang Yuan's information made him feel that the words of the immortal were justified, so he immediately decided to go out from Yizhou against all opinions.

People will send out troops tomorrow, how could North Korea, as its subordinate, have the nerve to let people go by themselves, Jin Mingyuan had no choice but to organize an army of 3000 people to go south with Zu Chengxun.

However, when Zu Chengxun rushed to Jiashan in the northwest of Shun'an, he encountered some Koreans who had fled from the south to the north.

When he heard that they escaped from Pyongyang, he asked them about the situation in the south, mainly the situation in Pyongyang.

The visitor replied, "There is not enough food in the city. The Japanese army confiscated our food and fodder, and drove out all the untouchables like us."

The North Korean fugitive's reply undoubtedly gave Zu Chengxun a shot in the arm. In his opinion, this was a sign that the Japanese army's retreat was blocked and the army food could not be delivered, which further strengthened his decision to surprise Pyongyang.

But when he arrived in Shun'an, he got information from his own spies that there were at least ten thousand thieves in the city, not the less than a thousand as reported by Huang Yuan, the governor of Shun'an County.

Logically speaking, there are only 3000 Ming troops at the moment. Although they are all cavalry, there are more than [-] Japanese soldiers in the city, twice the number of Ming troops.

Moreover, the Japanese army is sitting on a favorable location in Pyongyang. Even if there is a difference in physical fitness, can closing the door still stop your Ming Dynasty's offensive?
Therefore, all the subordinates who heard this information persuaded him to give up his plan to attack Pyongyang, thinking that the cavalry attacking the city was a waste of money.Our task is to delay the pace of the Japanese army going north as much as possible. In this case, it is better to stick to Shun'an first, and then look for opportunities to make achievements in the field.

This was a very good proposal. The Japanese cavalry was insufficient, and coupled with the absolute difference in size, the Liaodong elite cavalry could attack the Japanese infantry with certainty, but this proposal was rejected by Zu Chengxun.

From Zu Chengxun's point of view, the fact that the Japanese army had more than [-] troops but did not go north, and did not even pull out the nearby Shun'an, just proved that they were already lacking combat effectiveness due to hunger.

Right now, there are less than ten thousand Japanese pirates in Pyongyang, but more than ten thousand military merit certificates. As long as you rush into the city by yourself, you can make immortal achievements.

Before starting the battle, he deliberately asked the master who was with him again, and after getting the answer from [Daji], he ordered the Ming army to start attacking the city at dawn the next day, and eat breakfast after breaking through Pyongyang.

On the night of July 7, the weather was not as clear as it was on the 6th and 4th, and it started to rain again in Pyongyang.Faced with this situation, Guo Mengzheng and others from thousands of households under his command once again persuaded Zu Chengxun to give up the plan.

However, Zu Chengxun, who had already been limped by the master, coupled with the intelligence that the Japanese army was short of food, made him firmly believe in the victory of this battle, so he forced the generals to prepare for the battle.

The weather was still not clear on the morning of the 7th. Due to the rain, some fog formed in the valleys around Pyongyang, which became an excellent cover for the Ming army.

There are some differences in the description of this period of history in history. North Korea’s official dietary therapy "Records of King Sunjo Sokyung" believes that the defeat of Zu Chengxun was caused by an ambush in Pyongyang because the Japanese army had found out the information in advance.

However, Zhuge Yuansheng’s "Two Dynasties Ping Lu" believes that the continuous rain damaged the horseshoes of the Ming army cavalry, and when the Japanese army took the initiative to attack the Ming army camped out, everyone wore [ghost-headed lion mask] masks. , The horses all wore [Dragon], [Elephant], and [Tiger] masks to frighten the soldiers of the Ming army, which led to the defeat.

The North Korean inspection officer Liu Chenglong clearly recorded in his "Punishment Records" that according to the reports of the defeated soldiers in the front, the Japanese army was initially prepared for the Ming army's surprise attack on Pyongyang.

At that time, North Korean foreign relatives, Li Yan's brother-in-law and daughter's in-laws, Korean soldier Cao Zuorang Park Dongliang recorded in "Jizhai History Grass" which recorded the Imjin Japanese Invasion, and even recorded that the Ming army bombed the Pyongyang city gate with cannons and launched an attack.

This point is mutually corroborated by the Japanese historical materials "New History of Expeditions to Foreign Countries" and "Dainippon Chronicle".The only question is, how did the Ming army fire the cannons on a rainy day?
In "New History of Feng Taige Expeditions" and "Nippon Chronicles", there are Japanese troops who were unprepared for the Ming army's attack, and even the Japanese army had no time to put on their armor. Matsuura Zhenxin and his son fought with the Ming army. Records of arrows being rescued and healed.

After comparison, you will find out which side should prevail for the contradictions in the historical records of the three parties.

In fact, if the Japanese army really wore ghost faces and horses wore masks as recorded in "The Two Dynasties", it was obviously influenced by word-of-mouth comments, or it was for the Ming army. It's nothing more than a forced defeat.

In many later literary works and game works (Total War Shogunate), many references were made here to the portrayal of the missions of the Japanese elite during the Warring States period, but the Japanese military equipment at that time was not so rich.

If you want to say that the one in Pyongyang is the banner of Hideyoshi, or the banner of Hideyoshi, there may be such equipment as cheeks, but you have to say that Konishi and the Kyushu mud legs of Matsuura Zhenxin are equipped with such flashy things. , it is a bit unfair to others.

As for the horse cheeks, it was not until Edo that they became the main props of the daimyo guards when they were handsome.

However, after all, "The Records of the Pingyang of the Two Dynasties" was written by the Ming people, and it somewhat had the idea of ​​​​respecting the defeat of the Ming army in Pyongyang.If it is really recorded truthfully, the raid on Pyongyang was defeated and returned, how can it highlight the heroic image of the Ming army?
Moreover, people at that time were more willing to believe that the Ming army that repelled the Japanese pirates was a complete victory, and the defeat in Pyongyang must have come from a surprise attack by the despicable Japanese pirates. only?

The situation of Konishi’s First Army in this life is even worse than in history. There is a power vacuum in Gyeonggi-do, and the route of military food transfer is directly cut off. If it weren’t for Konishi to collect food around Pyongyang, the Japanese army may have fallen into a crisis of food shortage.

However, he said that the rain on the morning of the 7th did provide excellent cover for the Ming army. The Japanese army was unwilling to go to the city to garrison, and the Korean servants who were photographed also hid in the tower to avoid the rain.

The sound of rain falling on the ground became a good cover for the sound of horseshoes, and the surrounding fog well covered the figure. It was not until the Ming army arrived at the city and began to line up that the Japanese army knew about it.

Following Zu Chengxun's order, the Ming army's blasters used explosives to blow up the Pyongyang Seven Star Gate, and the cavalry rushed into the city of Pyongyang with lightning speed, causing the Japanese army to be in chaos.

(The author can't understand why the cannon can be fired in rainy days, and can only be replaced by the plot of breaking the door with explosives)
The Korean servants stationed here had no time to escape and were trampled under the feet of the Ming army's war horses. Under the command of Zu Chengxun, thousands of cavalry households scattered and killed all over Pyongyang City.

The North Korean army lost so many games, and it was rare that there was a seemingly victorious game. They all mustered up the courage to follow the Ming army and kill the Japanese army in the city.

In fact, when they saw the Ming army outside the city, the Japanese army had already reacted. As Shinnobu Matsuura, who was stationed at Qixingtai, had just sent someone to notify Governor Konishi, he himself led people to block the door. Many soldiers even had too much armor to wear. Put it on in a hurry and go out to fight.

Although Pyongyang in North Korea is called the accompanying capital, the city interface is very dirty and messy. The ground outside the city is covered with mud. Coupled with days of rainy days, the city is like a quagmire, which actually hindered the march of the Ming cavalry to a certain extent. The speed gave the Japanese army time to react.

It has been said more than once before that the main combat weapon of the Japanese army is the gun, not the samurai sword in later literature, film and television works.

The spear is precisely the natural enemy of the cavalry, especially in such a narrow and muddy street, the cavalry who lost the speed of their horses turned from an advantage to a disadvantage.

Surrounded by thousands of Japanese regiments, the 3000 Ming army still showed no signs of fear.Since the horses were not enough, the soldiers dismounted from the horses and fought the Japanese army on foot with guns.

Some soldiers no longer have cavalry guns in their hands. They only have weapons such as sabers and meteor hammers. These weapons are suitable for close combat. After dismounting, they will be targeted by the Japanese cavalry. Therefore, those who cannot dismount can only ride on the horse to the left to block the right branch.

The 3000 Ming army that Zu Chengxun was in were all elites selected from Liaodong. All of them had at least one piece of leather armor, and the rate of armor covered by iron sheets and cloth exceeded 30%.

Relying on the advantages of armor and personal bravery, the Ming army barely fought the Japanese army in the city.

Gradually, Matsuura Zhenxin couldn't hold on anymore. Zongyizhi led the Zongjia army to support him. Zongyizhi's territory was very small, and many of the troops he mobilized were composed of Japanese ronin.

For these idle ronin, battle formation may not work, but chaotic fighting in the streets is what he is good at.But even so, the Japanese army still couldn't take down the Ming army.

But at this moment, the rain gradually stopped, and Konishi Yukio led his ashigaru along the outer city wall of Pyongyang, and stood on the city wall and fired iron cannons at the Ming army inside the city.

In the face of iron cannon shooting, the Ming army wearing cloth face armor can still save their lives, but many Liaodong cavalry only wear iron-inlaid leather armor that is common outside the customs. The iron bullet at the seam broke a hole in the leather armor, taking the Ming soldier's life.

Even the armored Ming army was like this, let alone the Korean army who didn't mention the armor rate. The Japanese army didn't even bother to shoot iron cannons at them, and their own bowmen poured arrow feathers at them.

Although the Ming army was extremely brave and the guerrilla Shi Ru bravely supervised the battle, Qianhu Zhang Guozhong, Ma Shilong and others all beheaded more than ten Japanese soldiers, but none of them could escape the fate of being beaten to death by iron cannons.

Of course Zu Chengxun saw the Japanese pirates shooting at his sergeants with firearms on the city wall. Even though the feathered soldiers raised their shields to protect them, he still wanted to let people rush to the top of the city to defeat these criminals.

However, the Japanese army guarded the city and sent people to block the stairs to climb the city, and sent people to guard here. They threw stones at the Ming army who wanted to climb over the obstacle, and the Ming army couldn't get up for a while.

The two sides fought from dawn to noon, and the Ming army finally couldn't support it. Zu Chengxun retreated out of the city under the protection of his family members. As for the Korean army that followed the Ming army into the city, it was defeated long ago.

The battle of Pyongyang ended with the defeat of the Ming army, but the Japanese army in the city was also uncomfortable. The Ming army was extremely brave, and it often took 1 to 2 Japanese soldiers to claim their lives for one Ming army.

According to statistics after the war, the Japanese army killed more than 1200 people and injured more than 1600 people. Among them, there were more than 400 Hiroshi and Ronin, mainly the samurai of the Matsuura family. The Matsuura family broke the backbone of their own army after this battle.

Konishi Xingchang who refused to guard the tower and shoot was also uncomfortable. Hundreds of iron cannons were fired, and in order to help Matsuura Shinnobu and Zongyizhi block the Ming army, he also took hundreds of people into it.

In addition, the important warriors of each family, such as Ono Mataroku, the younger brother of Onogi Gongxiang, who was sent by Hideyoshi to the first army, died in battle, and 50 of the 22 people guarding Toyotomi Banner died in battle.

President Konishi killed a younger brother and a younger brother, Harusuke Hibina, the grandson of Sakai Port wealthy businessman Hibiniya Ryoko, who was sent to the First Corps through connections in order to achieve class leapfrogging, also died in battle.

As for the servant army, more than 530 people died in battle alone, and more than 200 people were injured. You must know that the entire Pyongyang servant army has only 3500 people. It can be said that the servant army near Qixingmen was almost wiped out.

And the Ming army was also uncomfortable. The officers alone killed a general, 2 thousand households, and a guerrilla. After the war, it was found that the Ming army killed more than 700 people and injured more than 300 people. For only 3000 Ming troops For the Zu Chengxun army, it has already been hurt.

As for the Korean army with an equal number, the Ming army did not have the energy to care about it. However, according to North Korea’s own report later, more than 1300 people died in battle or escaped, and more than 1500 people were recruited in total.

Seeing the Japanese army fleeing from the city, Chief Konishi sent some Japanese troops to pursue the Ming army and expand the results of the battle, but the Ming army counterattacked instead. The Japanese army never expected that the escaped Ming army could still fight back, leaving more than 200 heads behind. Desperately fled back to Pyongyang.

In the Battle of Pyongyang, 6000 Ming and Korean allied forces fought against 12000 Japanese and Korean servants. The two sides fought for half a day, and finally ended in a tragic victory for the Japanese.

(End of this chapter)