The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Sigh, they're all on the same side, so they can't very well refuse to lend it to us. The main problem is that the hand-cranked telegraph machine is unreliable. Most of the communication between them and the Kyushu Island caravans is limited, and they can only contact the sea occasionally. Because of the distance limitation, if they want to contact the mainland, they have to borrow the imperial court's large telegraph machine.

They were in a relationship of mutual help, and since Kuang Ping had personally asked, they couldn't very well refuse.

So Kuangping set off with the official letter and a hand-cranked telegraph machine. If anything went wrong, the large radio station in Dasen Township would receive their message and then transmit it back to the capital.

Just as Kuang Ping and his men arrived in Heian-kyung, Pan Yu's vanguard recaptured three cities in Heian-do. Ouchi Hisaichi discovered that the Ming reinforcements had not only not fallen for their trap, but had also turned the tables on them. He had no choice but to redeploy his forces, continuing his northward advance to attack Kaesong while simultaneously rebuilding the defensive line that Pan Yu had breached and reclaiming the lost cities.

He was certain that Pan Yu's army would not be able to return to Kaesong, so he personally led his army to make a detour and approach Kaesong, intending to surround it.

Of course, before the siege could begin, all the cities that stood in the way had to be leveled.

When he learned that the ronin in several cities had been captured or even killed, he was instantly enraged. Those people could have served as their spies and informants, but now they were all gone.

The defeat on the battlefield fueled his anger, so during his pre-battle mobilization, he promised his soldiers that as long as they captured a city, no matter which one, they could take any beautiful women and treasures they wanted, and the army would celebrate for three days.

These words ignited a fighting spirit, for they were tantamount to issuing an order to massacre the city.

The last time they massacred Seoul, it was under the same order, and they did indeed frolic in the city for three whole days.

This pre-battle mobilization also spread rapidly from the military camps, reaching the Korean countryside before the main army.

After the defeat in Korea, the Japanese army had many prisoners, as well as surrendered officials and military officers.

They surrendered to the Japanese for fame, fortune, and safety, but that doesn't mean they would just watch the Japanese massacre the city.

The princes and ministers captured in Seoul felt as if the sky had fallen when they heard the news, and they fled at all costs to spread the word.

In the end, many people died. Two talented people escaped, two of the three captured princes died, and two princesses died. Only the two youngest princesses and princes survived because they were protected in the middle, but they were unable to escape.

Two minor officials escaped under the cover of the crowd, shouting to everyone they saw along the way, "The Japanese pirates are going to massacre the city! The Japanese pirates are going to massacre the city!"

When the news reached the scouts who had come out to investigate, it took them quite a bit of effort to catch up with the two.

Once the message was confirmed, it was immediately transmitted back via telegraph.

At this time, Li Song arrived at Gaeseong with his central army. Upon hearing the news, he immediately ordered Li Dao to give a pre-battle mobilization speech and instructed his troops to inform the whole country, especially the city that had not yet fallen into enemy hands.

"The Japanese pirates came to plunder. They have no worries about their families, so they loot and slaughter! We have parents, wives, children, brothers, and sisters behind us. Once they enter the city, they will all die!"

"They have no worries about their rear, but they also have no reinforcements! The more we kill, the greater our chances of saving our homeland and families! We have worries about our rear, but our worries are also our motivation! Your king is here, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are here, His Majesty the Emperor is with you, and the Grand Preceptor of the Ming Dynasty will pray for you and protect Korea. You, will you fight or not!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The order was given to deliver the declaration of war to every city, especially those cities blocking the Japanese army's inevitable route.

Li Song ordered all the people living in the countryside to hide in the city, implementing a scorched earth policy.

The will to resist the Japanese invaders surged throughout Korea, greatly slowing down the pace of the Japanese offensive.

Li Song personally led a large army to meet Ouchi Hisaichi in battle. Before they even met, they were already fighting each other from a distance. Li Song divided his troops into two groups: one defended from the front, while the other circled around to the rear, cutting off Ouchi Hisaichi's army in two and almost severing his retreat.

Ouchi Hisaichi was afraid of being surrounded, so he had to temporarily suspend his offensive and defend himself. He wanted to form an encirclement with the rear guard, but the rear guard did not have this understanding with him.

Meanwhile, Li Song had already led his army through the defenses from west to east, outflanked the other side, and called Pan Yu by telegram.

Pan Yu led two thousand cavalry to reinforce, disrupting the rear army's formation and preventing them from regrouping. Only then could Li Song, along with another large army, encircle Ouchi Hisaichi's vanguard.

The Japanese army suffered a major defeat and had no choice but to scatter and flee, eventually joining the main force inside the defensive line.

Li Song ordered scouts to penetrate deep into the rear. With the help of radio transmitters, their routes and troop strength were almost transparent to the Ming army.

The local people deeply hated the Japanese army, especially after news spread that they were going to massacre the city. Almost everyone avoided the Japanese army.

But avoiding it doesn't mean they're doing nothing.

In the occupied areas, the declarations of war by the Korean king and Yi Song were equally resounding. They would empty their homes of food before the Japanese army arrived, then hide in the mountains. After the Japanese army left, they would gather what they had seen and tell the village elders, who would then pass the information on to the scouts sent by the Ming Dynasty.

Most Koreans do not speak Chinese, but the village elders are literate and can speak Chinese, so they can communicate with Ming Dynasty scouts without any problems.

It took the Japanese army nineteen days to reach the walls of Kaesong, while the Ming Dynasty's reinforcements recovered Korea in just half a month.

The North Korean military and civilians played a crucial role, particularly the people in the occupied territories in the later stages.

Because of their scorched-earth policy, the defending Japanese troops could not find enough food. In addition, there were rioters in every city who fought back. Even if they massacred the cities, they could never find anyone. On the contrary, their soldiers were always ambushed when they walked on the streets.

Ouchi Hisaichi went missing during the battle, and they suffered several defeats in a row. The cities they had easily captured before were also easily taken away by the Ming army, which caused their morale to plummet and most of the soldiers could not muster the will to resist.

Under such circumstances, the Ming army seemed to have divine assistance, driving the Japanese pirates towards the Busan coast like pigs, killing them as they went. Some of the fleeing soldiers couldn't keep up with the main force and had to hide in the mountains.

If they hid in the mountains and remained undetected, they could gather together and become bandits. However, once discovered by the local people, they were often killed before they could gain any real power.

The local people took their heads directly to the government office to claim their reward.

Because Li Tao had just issued an order that anyone who captured a fleeing Japanese soldier would receive a reward of ten taels of silver if the soldier was alive, and five taels if the soldier was dead.

But the people felt that the Japanese pirates were too difficult to capture, and they also deeply hated the Japanese pirates, so they killed them as soon as they were discovered and cut off their heads to exchange for money.

The collapse of an army is more terrible than a flood; it truly is a rout that stretches for miles.

Li Song drove them all the way to the Busan seaside and then stopped.

Pan Yu, eager to end the battle, asked, "They have lost their will to fight, why not press our advantage?"

"Be careful, they might fight a desperate battle. Although they are routed soldiers, if they put up a fierce resistance, we will suffer heavy losses." (End of Chapter)