Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 446 Cleaning the House
"Help! Run! The Ming army's demons are coming!"

"Don't crowd together, don't block the way! The Ming cavalry are right behind us!"

"Where can we go? There's the sea right in front of us!"

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

Silla Kingdom, outside of Geumseong.

The remnants of the Japanese army crowded onto the cramped beach, some panicked, some bewildered, and some numb.

This place is the southeasternmost point of the Korean Peninsula, and is closest to the Japanese mainland, separated only by the narrow Korea Strait.

The last sphere of influence of the Japanese army on the Eurasian continent was this small, narrow stretch of beach.

Behind them, the iron hooves of the Ming army pressed in.

Ahead lies the deep, dark sea.

No way to escape!
This last remaining Japanese army on the Eurasian continent was completely surrounded!
"No...don't be afraid! Don't panic! Don't push!"
"His Majesty the Emperor has dispatched an invincible navy to welcome us home!"

The Japanese officers desperately tried to maintain the morale and order of their troops, while gazing longingly at the azure sea.

His words were not entirely empty promises to his subordinates.

The Japanese did send their navy, and it was indeed arranged in advance to pick them up and bring them back to the main island.

Although the Japanese emperor said that the people of Japan are a herbivorous people and can eat grass on the spot in the occupied areas, there is no need to transport supplies by ship.

However, there were still ships that transported the "Japanese" themselves ashore.

And there are quite a few.

After all, before launching this war, the Japanese had often come to the peninsula by boat to plunder.

These invading ships initially anchored on the shore of the peninsula, but after the Japanese army encountered the iron fist of the Ming army, fearing that they would be wiped out, they moved overnight to Tsushima Island (now known as "Tsushima Island").

Tsushima Island is located in the central shipping lane of the strait. There is a lord named Tatsuno on it who swore allegiance to Emperor Kōtoku and served as a bridgehead for the Japanese army to advance on the mainland.

The hellish thing is that because the Japanese army that landed was almost completely wiped out, there were enough ships hidden on Tsushima Island to pick up all the soldiers there.

The premise is that they are all slaughtered before the Ming army's swords are used to kill them.

"How could things have turned out like this..."

The Japanese army, from top to bottom, was completely demoralized, some hoping and others staring blankly at the sea.

Several months ago, when they set sail from the main island to launch a full-scale invasion of the peninsula, they landed here.

Where dreams begin.

In just a few months, the Japanese army swept through the lands of Shincheono and Baekyanghan with unstoppable momentum.

Its rise was swift and rapid.

They even once set their sights on the other side of the Paesui River, seriously planning to conquer Pyongyang and seize control of China.

As it turned out, this was nothing more than a fantasy before being crushed to death.

The turning point occurred at the very point where the Japanese army had reached the pinnacle of their ambitions—

Outside Pyongyang, on the south bank of the river.

The Ming Dynasty has fallen.

It felt like only a blink of an eye.

The Japanese army, which had reached the border of the Ming Dynasty, was forced back to where their dream began.

Saying it was "forced back" is not actually accurate.

Because the fierce Ming army did not give them a chance to escape.

Every battle involved high-speed cavalry maneuvers, and every battle was a complete annihilation war.

Tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers, assembled with the full strength of the nation, vanished like a dream in just a few days.

If it weren't for the fact that this Japanese army was the slowest to advance and always lagged behind...

They had already been surrounded and annihilated.

"Heavenly soldiers are coming!"

I don't know who shouted.

The remaining Japanese troops, like startled birds, immediately fell into chaos.

"Don't panic, don't panic!"

The leader muttered unconsciously as he climbed to a high point and looked north.

Smoke and dust billowed, and a murderous aura filled the air.

The Ming Dynasty's cavalry is charging in!
"Ah? The heavenly soldiers have really come!" He felt weak all over and almost fell off his horse.

From "Ming Dynasty Army" to "Ming Army", and now to "Heavenly Soldiers".

The evolution of the name reflects the change in the Japanese people's attitude towards this army.

Initially, they were still basking in the afterglow of their victories against the Koreans.

Their dominance over weaker opponents has given them a false sense of security, making them believe they are invincible.

Yamato people, Yamato souls, Yamato are all people superior to others.

The South Korean army is no match for them, so what if the Ming army comes?
He's just my next defeated opponent...

This dream continued until they encountered their true adversary on this journey.

On the south bank of the Pae River, the island nation's army encountered the Ming army for the first time, and was slapped back to reality.

Let them know what a real army is like—

They were tall and strong, obeyed orders without question, were well-trained and well-fed, and had excellent equipment.

In comparison, the Japanese army was like a bunch of monkeys playing with sticks.

Three arrows shattered the Yamato spirit; Lord Ming, I am a Japanese slave.

After the Ming Dynasty joined the war, the effect was immediate, and the situation was reversed instantly.

The Japanese expansion came to an abrupt halt, and they immediately retreated, their military strength utterly defeated.

The peninsula, which was previously left to run rampant by the Japanese, has now become a one-sided slaughterhouse for them.

The Ming army was the butcher, and the Japanese army was the fish.

The Japanese realized they were wrong; they had become arrogant and underestimated the strength of the Ming army.

Unfortunately, it's too late!
Based on what they did in the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty!
How could we possibly let them escape unscathed!

“'Qing' guy…where does he get his intelligence from?”

"They say that the Ming Dynasty has suffered a severe blow from the floods and is internally dissatisfied with the Emperor's perverse policies. Not only is it unable to take care of the vassal states of the two Koreas, but it can't even protect itself. They say that our army can act freely on the mainland..."

"Judging from the posture of the Ming army, do they look like they are tormented by internal and external troubles and have no time to look eastward?!"

The Japanese army leader screamed and scratched inwardly.

Da da da……

The thunderous hoofbeats of the Ming army struck the hearts of the Japanese like the footsteps of death.

Closer, closer.

The Japanese soldiers, huddled in a corner of the beach, could even see the sunlight reflecting off the Ming soldiers' armor, making them dizzy.

Behind the fully armed Ming cavalry were Ming infantrymen armed to the teeth.

The cavalry were responsible for dividing and encircling the enemy, while the infantry were responsible for eliminating the divided enemy forces.

Simple, efficient, and unparalleled.

The true strength of this army far exceeds even the wildest imaginations of the island nation.

Does the Ming Dynasty, capable of producing such a powerful army, look like it was torn apart by natural disasters and man-made calamities?
Is it really like a dilapidated house that will collapse with a single kick?
The Japanese man really kicked him, and then his leg broke.

"Damn it, Tsushima isn't far from here! Why hasn't the ship arrived yet?"

"What are those online trolls doing?!"

"It's Tsushima! It's that bastard Tatsuno who's behind this! That beast, I'll never forgive him!"

The Japanese were plunged into deep despair, and many, in their panic, jumped into the sea.

Compared to the ironclad Ming army, the ferocious sea seemed gentle and approachable.

Da da da……

The Ming army's iron cavalry advanced relentlessly, unstoppable like a tsunami.

It seems they are just one sprint away from the main Japanese army camp.

The galloping of ten thousand horses stirred up billowing dust that blotted out the sky.

The Japanese even suspected that the number of armored cavalrymen deployed by the Ming army this time was greater than the total number of Japanese soldiers; and that the number of heavy crossbows was greater than the number of fire sticks they had.

"Has the Ming Dynasty really just experienced an unprecedented flood?"

"Or is all this intelligence false? Did Fujiwara never breach the river's dam?"

The Japanese leader strongly suspected that he had been deceived.

If he himself were not a member of the imperial family, and not a cousin of Emperor Kōtoku, but a close relative among close relatives...

If he hadn't known, the Emperor's own elite troops would have been wiped out in their first encounter with the Ming army.

He might think that this was a grand scheme by Emperor Kōtoku, a conspiracy to lure the armed forces of various tribes to the mainland to their deaths in order to eliminate dissidents within the country!

"I was so stupid, really."

"I only know that the Ming people are preoccupied with their own problems and the Koreans are no match for them. This is the perfect opportunity for our army to land on the mainland and unite with Korea for mutual prosperity..."

"If I had known, I wouldn't have gone ashore." He was filled with regret, but it was too late.

Faced with the Ming army, which was as surging as a tide and as fierce as tigers and wolves, he completely gave up resistance and commanding his troops, foolishly staying in place to wait for death.

Just then, a soldier let out a surprised scream, breaking the silence.

"Look! A ship is coming from the sea!"

what? !

The Japanese soldiers, who had already resigned themselves to their fate, were suddenly invigorated and looked towards the sea.

Several black dots suddenly appeared on the azure sea.

It's a boat!

The Japanese became excited, and many stepped into the water, while the ships shouted wildly.

"Hey! We're here! Hurry up! Haha!"

"The Ming soldiers are about to drive us into the sea! Please, save us!"

"What are you doing? Why did you take so long to arrive?!"

For a time, some laughed, some cried, and some cursed; the Japanese people staged a frenzied spectacle on the beach.

"Make way! Let the general pass first!"

The Japanese leader rode his horse and desperately pushed his way through the crowded throng.

"what!"

A soldier, oblivious to his surroundings, blocked his way and was mercilessly knocked down, falling into a muddy sand pit.

Like a crushed grasshopper, its intestines spilled out onto the ground, leaving only its two legs twitching.

This calmed the soldiers down a bit, and they obediently made way for the general.

"It's too late. The Ming army is about to arrive, and there definitely won't be enough time for all the troops to board the ships."

"At least, at least let me get on the ship and escape this cursed peninsula..."

He pushed his way forward with all his might.

Soon, soon!
Although there wasn't enough time to get everyone on board, he himself was sure he could leave!

After all, there were so many human shields behind him to protect him. Even if there were tens of thousands of pigs, the Ming army couldn't possibly swallow them all in one go!

As if in response to his expectations, the ship was riding the rising tide and speeding toward the shore.

The speed seems a bit too fast.

"Huh? That's...our ship?"

When the ships drew near and fully revealed their forms, the Japanese were dumbfounded.

A sturdy hull, a high freeboard, and an imposing catapult.

There's also a strangely shaped hull with a sharp, blade-like cut.

This this……

Is this our ship?

The Japanese were dumbfounded.

Is it because of the beauty filter on Lifeline?
The ship that brought them ashore, in their memory, seemed like a dilapidated sampan in comparison...

Under the questioning gaze of the Japanese, the large ships lined up at the entrance of the bay and anchored simultaneously.

The fleet consisted of enormous ships, and their sheer number was astonishing.

They were connected end to end, forming an unbreakable maritime blockade.

An impenetrable wall was thus erected on the sea right in front of the Japanese, literally "blocking" the waterway leading to the sea.

After the formation was set up, the giant ships launched even more small boats, which, like a swarm of wasps, rowed towards the shore.

At the same time, the Ming cavalry had also arrived, easily cutting through the Japanese army's formation like a sharp blade slicing through fatty meat.

Limbs flew everywhere, and screams filled the air.

The short Japanese were like mud, trampled underfoot by the tall Ming cavalry, their blood and grease lubricating their hooves, utterly powerless to fight back.

As for the Japanese troops who were separated, all that awaited them was the fate of being devoured piece by piece by the infantry.

The Ming army's infantry have arrived on the battlefield.

This is the true killing move of an army.

They were also clad in sturdy armor, completely immune to the crude weapons of the Japanese army, truly invulnerable to swords and spears.

Its terror was in no way inferior to that of heavy cavalry.

"Spare me, don't kill me... Ah!"

The screams from behind rose and fell, getting closer and closer to the sea.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!"

The Japanese chieftain was already desperate, waving frantically at the small boat, not caring about the other party's true identity or how different the giant ship he was on was from a real Japanese vessel.

He just wanted to escape this nightmarish beach as soon as possible, return to the island, and never come to this hellish abyss of the mainland again!
Fortunately, as he wished, the Ming army managed to launch a surprise attack before they could overrun him.

A small boat took the lead and arrived in front of him just in time.

At the bow of the ship, a tall, imposing man with a face as black as charcoal stood tall against the wind.

Before reaching the shore, the man casually tossed a bundle in front of the Japanese.

A round thing rolled out and landed face up next to the Japanese chieftain's horse's hooves.

"This, this is..."

He only glanced at it, and was immediately terrified.

It was a human head, its expression twisted with fear.

But he could barely recognize it.

That was the head of the Lord of Tsushima!

"what!"

The Japanese chieftain clutched his chest, let out a shrill cry, and fell off his horse.

The dark-skinned man leaped off the bow of the boat in one swift step, stood in front of him, looked down at him, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.

…………

"Duke of E, you're being too reckless. You're jumping ashore before the boat has even come to a complete stop."

"If your grandson, Chief Steward Yuchi Xunyu, finds out, he will surely reprimand me..."

Beside the warship, Pei Xingjian, the commander-in-chief of the Pyongyang Road Army, looked troubled and whispered to the burly old man with dark skin—who was also Yuchi Xunyu's grandfather, Duke Yuchi Jingde of E—not to be too radical.

This place was just a battlefield where the Ming army fought a major battle against the Japanese pirates—or rather, where they massacred the Japanese.

However, the battle did not last long; the Ming army had not yet exerted its full strength before the Japanese fell.

Cleaning up the battlefield, on the contrary, takes more time and effort.

There was no other way; we had to clean it up. Otherwise, with blood everywhere and fragments of Japanese pirates scattered all over the place, what if it scared the Korean children?

"Haha! I know, I know, I'll be more careful next time."

Yuchi Jingde laughed heartily.

Under Emperor Li Ming's patronage of talent, this retired employee was rehired to serve as the naval commander for the expedition against the Japanese pirates, and his enthusiasm was off the charts.

If he hadn't been so popular, he wouldn't have had to stand on a small sampan and lead the charge as a high-ranking official.

"I remember that during the Ming-Tang civil war, the Duke of E refused to participate in the war, citing seasickness as the reason. Now he's the naval admiral, hmm hmm hmm..."

Pei Xingjian had a lot of complaints in his heart, but he couldn't get them out.

Because his own identity is already quite worthy of criticism—

How did I, a newspaper editor in Chang'an, end up in Pyongyang, commanding a large army?
Because I had previously served as an envoy of the Tang Dynasty to Silla, and was captured by the Baekje army led by the Ming Dynasty, I had some connections with both Koreas.

"You've done a great job wiping out the Japanese pirates on the peninsula. I'll put in a good word for you with His Majesty, hahaha!"

Yuchi Jingde is a man of few words, just like his great-grandson.

"Hehe, thank you." Xiao Pei responded with that.

Since Pei Xingjian was a scholar leading the army, it was impossible to put him under heavy pressure from the very beginning.

His task was merely to assist the main force.

Specifically, even if he led a detachment to clear out the Japanese troops stranded on the peninsula, thus removing obstacles for the main force to cross the sea and launch an expedition to the Japanese mainland.

Incidentally, it also saved the two vassal states of Silla and Baekje, which were on the verge of being destroyed.

However, the generational gap between the Ming Dynasty and Japan was simply too great. A mere rookie general leading a small force defeated the Japanese so badly that they mistook him for a god descending to earth.

"You have accomplished a great feat of annihilating tens of thousands of enemies, but you should not be arrogant or complacent."

"The main event is about to begin."

Yuchi Jingde became serious again.

"Where did I get the pride?" Pei Xingjian thought to himself.

However, he understood the old general's unspoken meaning.

Defeating tens of thousands of barbarians at our doorstep is nothing.

The true test of a nation's comprehensive logistical capabilities in war is the ability to conquer a country across oceans.

(End of this chapter)