Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 531 The Great Victory in Liaodong
"In less than half a month after the start of the war, all eleven cities, including Liaonan and Pyongyang, were lost."

"Although I was prepared, I never imagined that the city would be lost so quickly."

"Furthermore, why didn't the people of Pyongyang and other places relocate elsewhere, but instead stayed to aid and abet the evildoers?"

Inside the Longquan Hall in the capital, Da Xuanxi questioned the assembled officials. Gao Jingming, seeing this, stepped forward and explained:

"Your Majesty, the cities of Pyongyang and others were originally occupied by people from Goguryeo and other places who came to serve after the Andong Protectorate moved westward. Therefore, the court has not exercised much control over them."

"When the troops retreated north, they stayed behind closed doors and held their ground, never expecting that they would want to serve the Han Dynasty."

The Bohai region was rife with internal conflicts, the most prominent of which was the conflict between the Mohe people and the Goguryeo people.

The remnants of Goguryeo voluntarily pledged allegiance, which led to the westward relocation of the Andong Protectorate and the rapid fall of Liaodong to the hands of Balhae.

They could treat Bohai like that back then, so they can certainly treat the Han Dynasty like that now.

Although Dae Hyeon-seok knew this, he was still angry. After all, Bohai had given these Goguryeo remnants a lot of resources, which had now all gone to waste.

"Your Majesty, Li Juzheng's plan was well-thought-out. Of the more than 200,000 people in Liaodong, except for tens of thousands of rebels, the rest were relocated to Changling Prefecture."

"Now that Li Juzheng has relied on the mountain fortresses of Gaimou, Liaodong, Baiyan, Hengshan, and Xincheng to defend the area, even if the Han army is skilled, it will be difficult to quickly break through these mountain fortresses."

Gao Jingming tried his best to describe the situation in Liaodong in a positive light, but the royal family members of Bohai couldn't help but mock him:
"What's the use of holding onto a few cities when Liaodong is almost lost?"

"When Li Juzheng came to the Central Plains to study, he probably already had his heart set on the Central Plains..."

"If we lose most of Liaodong in half a month, and then put Li Juzheng in charge of Liaodong, I'm afraid we'll lose the entire territory in less than half a month, right?"

The royal family's words were extremely harsh, making Dae Hyeon-seok incredibly irritated.

Da Hongsi noticed his agitation and inwardly cursed the imperial clansmen for stirring up trouble without considering the timing.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Li Juzheng's move is to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. Moreover, the Han army is coming with great force, and only in this way can we stop their advance."

When Ōhiroshi took the initiative to speak, many members of the royal family and ministers shut their mouths, realizing that their actions had offended Ōhiroshi.

Seeing their behavior, Da Hongsi felt even more helpless and cursed their stupidity in his heart.

The situation in Liaodong is currently in a state of disarray. If Your Majesty follows the advice of these imperial clan ministers and drives Li Juzheng away, Your Majesty will inevitably have to have the imperial clan select a minister to replace Li Juzheng.

The Han army was coming in with overwhelming force. Even a renowned veteran like Li Juzheng could only hold his ground, let alone the imperial clansmen who had climbed to high positions entirely through blood ties.

In the current situation, no matter how bad the fighting becomes, Li Juzheng must not be touched. We must wait until Liaodong is completely lost from Li Juzheng's hands before the imperial clan can impeach him and suggest making peace with the Han Dynasty.

If the peace negotiations succeed, even if the imperial clan members have not made any great contributions, they will still have put in the effort, and they will not be left without any credit.

As he was thinking this, Dae Hyeon-seok, after careful consideration, turned his gaze to the silent Bae Ting.

"Minister Pei has personally witnessed the might of the Han army. What are your thoughts, Minister Pei?"

Only after Dae Hyeon-seok reminded them did the courtiers belatedly realize what was happening.

Everything that is happening now seems to be exactly what Pei Ting had warned them about long ago, but they didn't believe him, which led to the Han army's unimpeded advance.

Facing the gazes of the assembled officials, Pei Ting did not harbor resentment in his heart, but instead spoke directly:

"In my opinion, given the Han army's strength, the only solution is to cede Liaodong and end the war as soon as possible."

Pei Ting spoke, and the hall erupted in commotion, but no one criticized him; instead, they wanted to see how he would continue.

Even the resentful members of the imperial family could only keep quiet because of Ōhiro's previous statement.

“I have traveled to Fuyu, Tieli, Dongping and other prefectures, and I have also been to Nanjing and the front line at Jiaoshan.”

"Whether it is the Khitan, Silla, or the border troops of this dynasty, none of them are comparable to the Han army."

"Both Liaodong and the Western Regions are the arms of the Han Dynasty and should not be lost. However, although Liaodong plays a significant role for the court, it cannot influence the overall situation."

"It is regrettable to abandon Liaodong, but maintaining the foundation of the country is the key."

"If the Khitan, Xi tribe and Silla learn that the court is weak and has suffered setbacks at the hands of the Han, they will surely turn their troops against our weakened country."

"The foundation of our nation is far more important than Liaodong..."

Pei Ting's words were somewhat evasive, after all, Liaodong was extremely important to the territory, economy, and people's livelihood of the Bohai Kingdom.

Even though some rebellious people in Liaodong surrendered to the Han Dynasty, there were still more than 100,000 people of various ethnic groups remaining.

If Liaodong is lost, not to mention the millions of acres of arable land in Liaodong, the influx of more than 100,000 people of various ethnic groups will inevitably exacerbate the contradictions in the core area of ​​Bohai.

The courtiers all knew this, but they had to admit that Pei Ting was right.

Anyway, most of Liaodong has been lost, and what's left are either mountain fortresses or narrow passes, so there's not much output at all.

It would be better to use these ten or so mountain passes to exchange for favorable conditions for Bohai, which would at least alleviate the current conflict.

If the struggle with the Han Dynasty continues, countries like Silla will definitely take the opportunity to divide up Balhae, and the Sumo, Tieli, and Yulou tribes within Balhae will also take the opportunity to express their discontent in exchange for more resources and support.

Resources don't grow out of thin air. If the various tribes want resources, the royal family and nobles will have to give up their own resources, which is something they are unwilling to see.

Anyway, the land in Liaodong was mainly in the hands of the remnants of Goguryeo, so losing it was no big deal.

However, if we lose control of the core regions, it could threaten the very foundation of the nation.

Thinking this through, the ministers of the Bohai Kingdom all looked at Dae Heonseok and expressed their opinions one after another.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Supervisor Pei's words are reasonable."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

Nearly a hundred ministers expressed their opinions, while the remaining fifty-odd ministers neither expressed their opinions nor stopped the situation.

Seeing this, Da Xuanxi couldn't help but feel angry and said, "Our country is strong because of its mountain fortresses. We have only lost a few small cities. How can you be so fearful? How can you face our late king?"

In his view, the Han army did come with great force, but they only occupied small towns and did not capture any mountain cities.

Furthermore, the casualties reported in the frontline military reports were still within a controllable range, so he was unwilling to give up Liaodong in this way.

"His Majesty……"

"This matter is not open to discussion. I will await the border troops' report of victory!"

Da Xuanxi stood up angrily, which made Gao Jingming, Pei Ting, Da Hongsi and others look ugly.

Before they could stop him, Da Xuanxi had already left Longquan Palace, leaving the ministers looking at each other in bewilderment.

Seeing this, Gao Jingming took the initiative to find Da Hongsi and said, "His Majesty is just upset. He will understand the situation after a few days of rest."

"Given the current situation, we absolutely cannot allow our 30,000 border troops in Liaodong to suffer losses."

"If the border troops are wounded, the country will surely be shaken."

Even though the two didn't get along normally, they both knew that the only way to maintain their current power was to continue to preserve the Bohai Kingdom.

Therefore, in response to Gao Jingming's remarks, Da Hongsi nodded slightly: "The court only has ten sets of belongings, and three of them are currently in Liaodong."

"Liaoning can be lost, but our assets cannot. This matter can only be left to Li Juzheng to handle as he sees fit."

Gao Jingming nodded in agreement, marking the first time in over a decade of conflict between the two that they had reached a consensus.

Following their statements, a messenger was dispatched shortly afterward to travel south.

However, as messengers continued to travel south, more and more people fled north along the official roads, and many tribes even joined in, clearly having heard about what was happening in the south.

Seven days later, as he walked along the mountain path from the east of Liaodong City into Liaodong City, the battle outside Liaodong City had already lasted for nine days.

The already small city was filled with constant wailing, many houses collapsed, and a foul smell permeated the air.

Half an hour later, the messenger was led to the city wall of Liaodong City, where he could clearly see the scenery outside the city through the parapet.

"Boom!"

"Squat down! Squat down!!"

The original multi-layered defensive fortifications, which stretched for two miles, had all been reduced to ruins. Only the camp opposite the stone bridge over the moat and the moats on the left and right of the camp remained, with soldiers still holding out.

The Han army's cannons were firing continuously. The messenger was stunned by the sound of the cannons and the shockwaves from the shells hitting the city wall. Fortunately, a general next to him pulled him up and helped him hide behind the parapet.

The shelling lasted for several breaths. After the shelling stopped, the general led him to the dilapidated city gate tower, where he met Li Juzheng, who was defending Liaodong City.

Besides Li Juzheng, there were more than ten other generals in the building who were covered in dust and dirt.

They should have been full of vigor, but now they all hung their heads and looked dejected.

Even a renowned military figure like Li Juzheng looked exhausted and aged more than ten years.

Facing Li Juzheng, who looked more than ten years older, the messenger presented the imperial edict. Li Juzheng barely managed to muster his energy and looked at it wearily.

After he finished reading the imperial edict, the messenger official spoke first:
"The Left and Right Chancellors have instructed that His Majesty has only ten sets of belongings, three of which are to be occupied in Liaodong. We must not lose them."

"If things become unfavorable, we can retreat to Changling Prefecture, rely on the mountain city to hold out, and wait for the imperial court to negotiate peace with the Han Dynasty."

After the messenger finished speaking, the generals inside the city gate tower breathed a sigh of relief and turned their gazes toward Li Juzheng.

Faced with two completely different orders, Li Juzheng felt utterly exhausted and thought that after this battle, he would go home to live out his days in peace and no longer participate in the power struggles of the court.

He understood the Emperor's expectations of him in the imperial edict: to thwart the Han army's advance and ensure that the casualties of the three armies were minimal.

Given the situation in Liaodong City, Li Juzheng could certainly have done the same if he were facing an army with similar equipment.

The problem is that the methods used by the Han army outside the city are completely illogical.

On the third day of the battle, the Han army's artillery destroyed all the barricades and sheep-horse walls, causing the first camp of the Bohai Navy to be attacked.

Less than ten days after the start of the war, Li Juzheng's Bohai Army had already suffered more than two thousand casualties before even engaging the Han army in close combat, which was close to one-tenth of the troops in Liaodong City.

Now that he had received instructions from Gao Jingming and Da Hongsi, he could naturally abandon Liaodong and retreat to Baiyanshan City and Momishan City.

But if he really does that, will Gao Jingming and Da Hongsi really protect him afterwards?
Upon realizing this, Gao Jingming knew that obeying Da Xuanxi's orders was his only way out.

At least Dae Hyeonseok is the king of Balhae, so even if he is frustrated by his orders, he will only be dismissed from his post.

However, if they were to retreat without authorization following Gao Jingming and Da Hongsi's advice, and were accused of forming cliques and retreating out of fear of battle, then the crime would be much greater.

Moreover, he has already devised a plan for close combat outside the city. He only needs to wait for the Han army to take the bait to easily achieve victory.

After making a gain, he can also save face. Even if he offends Gao Jingming and Da Hongsi, he can still enjoy his old age under the protection of Da Xuanxi.

After clearing his mind, Li Juzheng presented the imperial edict with both hands and addressed the messenger:

"Please inform the two ministers that although I intend to retreat, I cannot disobey the imperial decree and can only continue to hold my ground."

"This..." The messenger official had just witnessed the power of the Han army's artillery and felt his legs go weak.

Seeing that Li Juzheng was still not retreating despite orders, they looked at him as if he were a madman.

Li Juzheng remained unaffected, and simply looked at the generals and said, "Let this colleague rest."

"Yes!" The generals sighed, but they understood why Li Juzheng did this.

Under Li Juzheng's watchful eye, they escorted the man away from the city gate tower. Li Juzheng then got up and walked out of the city gate tower, gazing at the ravaged battlefield and pondering to himself.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Order all units to continue holding their ground and await the moment of close combat!"

"Yes……"

The generals on both sides readily agreed, and Li Juzheng then returned to the city gate tower to continue resting.

While he waited, in the Han army camp outside the west of the city, Geng Ming was also listening to Song Wentong's report and planning the battlefield.

He didn't care what tricks Li Juzheng had up his sleeve, because the Han army had enough strength to crush them.

In response, Song Wentong bowed and said after reporting, "Commander-in-Chief, I believe that what Li Juzheng is waiting for is nothing more than an opportunity to engage our army in close combat."

"Since he wants this opportunity, why don't we give him it?"

"The training manuals bestowed by His Majesty have yet to demonstrate their might on the battlefield..."

Song Wentong slowed his tone, and Geng Ming was moved upon hearing this. Wang Chongrong, who was standing next to him, also bowed and said, "This humble general is willing to lead the vanguard to test the enemy's strength!"

"Damn it!" Song Wentong cursed inwardly as he watched Wang Chongrong steal the credit.

Fortunately, Geng Ming could distinguish right from wrong. He looked at Song Wentong and said, "Since this matter was proposed by Commandant Song, then Commandant Song should lead the vanguard to test the waters."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Wang Chongrong and said, "Commander Wang can lead the remaining cavalry in the army to cover for Commander Song, in order to prevent the enemy cavalry from attacking our army from the flank."

"This subordinate obeys!" Although Wang Chongrong was somewhat regretful that he hadn't gotten the initiative, he was still quite pleased to have earned some merit.

"Go!" Geng Ming took out the fish-shaped talisman, broke it in two, and handed it to the two men.

The two men accepted the fish tally and then stepped out of their tent to mobilize their troops in preparation for the attack.

The changes in the Han army were observed by the soldiers on the city gate tower. Li Juzheng, who had just rested, learned of this and hurriedly went out of the city gate tower to look at the Han army that was being mobilized.

The Han army began to break up its artillery positions, and then laborers began to push the cannons forward.

At the same time, Han troops began to line up on both sides of the artillery positions. According to Li Juzheng, there were about four or five thousand men on each side.

"The Han army is preparing to launch a strong attack on the camp. Order all troops in the camp to obey the command and attack!"

"Yes!"

Li Juzheng instructed his deputy general, and only after the general accepted the order and left did he clench his fist in excitement.

"After nine long days of waiting, this opportunity has finally arrived!"

Under his orders, fast horses crisscrossed the Bohai Navy positions. The Bohai Navy soldiers, whose morale had been low, began to grip their weapons tightly, waiting for the command to be given.

"The vanguard shall advance two hundred paces, halt at the sound of the whistle, and retreat at the sound of the gong!"

"Boom...boom...boom..."

On the drum cart, Song Wentong kept giving orders, and the artillery position, composed of three thousand artillerymen and five thousand civilian laborers and auxiliary soldiers, began to move forward. The eight thousand vanguard infantrymen on the left and right sides also covered the advance of the artillerymen and auxiliary soldiers.

The vanguard infantry was flanked by over a thousand cavalry on each side, and this large-scale attack put immense pressure on the Bohai Navy's soldiers.

To the sound of drums, the Han soldiers advanced continuously, with the vanguard armed with swords, shields, and spears, the middle ranks of the musketeers wielding matchlock guns, and the rear guards carrying long-handled swords.

Standing on the slowly moving drum cart, Song Wentong could see the four thousand arquebusiers in the army standing ready for battle.

Although they had been training in Qingzhou for more than half a year, today was the real battlefield.

The nearly 20,000-strong main and auxiliary troops pressed forward in formation, and the oppressive feeling made the Bohai Navy soldiers who were crouching behind the dilapidated sheep and horse wall break out in a cold sweat.

The distance between the two sides began to close steadily, from two li to one li, from four hundred paces to two hundred paces. The generals behind Li Juzheng could no longer contain themselves.

"General, use the ballistae and catapults!"

"That's right, General!"

The generals made suggestions, but Li Juzheng did not approve them, because seven or eight of their crossbows and catapults had already been destroyed by the Han army's artillery fire.

Using these weapons wouldn't kill many Han soldiers; he preferred to have 20,000 men outside the city form a battle formation and fight the Han army inside the camp.

Thinking this, Li Juzheng raised his command flag and said, "Form ranks!"

As the command flag was raised, the flag bearers and cavalry quickly relayed the order throughout the battlefield. The Bohai Navy troops, hidden in the ruins and camps, began to emerge from their camps and form ranks outside the camps according to the rehearsed tactics.

Li Juzheng conducted drills outside Liaodong City for three months in order to defeat the Han army in close combat.

The Han army's artillery was indeed formidable, but Li Juzheng did not believe that the Han army would continue to bombard them regardless of casualties while the two armies were locked in combat.

The 20,000 troops were quickly arrayed. Li Juzheng had already dispatched 3,000 soldiers to take over Baiyanshan City, and deployed another 5,000 soldiers in the camps and city to support the 20,000-strong army, in order to prevent the army from suffering heavy losses.

Under his watchful eye, the Han army's cannons stopped two hundred paces away, while the auxiliary soldiers who had been pushing the cannons took their tools and began to march to the front lines, clearing away the ruins of the sheep and horse wall with their shields and pushing them into the trenches, thus creating a road for the Han army to directly attack Liaodong City.

These auxiliary soldiers mostly wore only breastplates and carried only weapons such as spears and swords.

Seeing this, Li Juzheng did not miss the opportunity to demoralize the enemy. He waved his command flag and directed the newly formed 20,000-strong army to advance a hundred paces ahead, with arrows harassing the auxiliary troops of the Han army.

"Beep--"

As the whistle blew, the five thousand vanguard of the Bohai Army began to advance, drawing their bows and nocking arrows at a distance of a hundred paces from the auxiliary troops of the Han Army.

"Supporting soldiers move to the left and right, artillery ready, use cluster munitions!"

Song Wentong calmly gave orders, and the flag bearers beside him quickly waved their flags. The messenger cavalrymen next to the drum cart also hurriedly rode to the artillery position and ordered the artillery to attack with cluster munitions.

The core feature of the Han army's cluster munitions is that multiple submunitions are encased in a mother shell, which can achieve area damage or secondary detonation after firing, similar to the prototype of modern shrapnel or cluster munitions.

As soon as the order was given, the artillerymen, who had already dug a ditch behind the artillery wheels and buried wedges in it, immediately began loading.

Cluster bombs are expensive to manufacture and can be detonated, so they need to be stored in wooden boxes to protect them from open flames.

After firing the cluster bomb, the artilleryman immediately opened the bamboo tube on his body and filled the powdery substance inside the tube into the fuse of the cluster bomb.

As the powder was filled in, the artillerymen placed propellant into the breech, then put in the wooden feeding tray and lit the fuse of the cluster munition with a tinderbox.

After the cluster munition's fuse was lit and it was placed into the gun barrel, the artilleryman immediately lit the fuse of the propellant charge.

"Beep--"

"Boom!"

In an instant, smoke billowed as cluster munitions were fired at an upward angle toward the Bohai Navy.

Before the Bohai Navy soldiers were prepared, the cluster bombs fell from the sky and exploded just before they hit the ground.

"boom!!"

"Um..."

Dozens of mother bombs exploded in the air, sending countless iron pellets flying, killing and wounding many of the unprepared Bohai Navy soldiers.

Before they could react, the mother bombs that hadn't exploded in the air also detonated shortly after landing. In an instant, smoke filled the Bohai Navy's position, and the once tight formation became loose.

"Enter!"

Song Wentong drew his sword and cleaved through the air, aiming straight at Liaodong City.

Under his orders, the auxiliary troops began to speed up the filling of the trenches, while the Han army began to advance with the auxiliary troops after the artillery fire.

"Such methods, yet they were hidden until now..."

Li Juzheng gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm; he truly hadn't expected Geng Ming to have a backup plan.

But seeing that the Han army had begun to advance with the auxiliary troops, he could only endure it, constantly waving his command flag to lead the wounded soldiers to the rear and regroup.

While they were regrouping, the eight thousand Han soldiers began to advance with the help of five thousand auxiliary soldiers.

The trench, which stretched for over a hundred paces, was filled in over time, and the Bohai Navy was repositioned on the same spot.

The cluster bombs did disrupt the formation, but they did not cause many casualties.

The deaths and injuries of several hundred people are just the tip of the iceberg compared to the battle of nearly 20,000.

"After the auxiliary troops fill the trenches, they will retreat. The vanguard will prepare to cover the musketeers. When they are twenty paces away from the enemy, the musketeers will cross the vanguard and attack upon hearing the whistle!"

As the time for his musketeers to shine drew ever closer, Song Wentong's voice trembled involuntarily.

At this moment, Li Juzheng was unaware of what he was about to face. He calmly commanded his troops, watching the approaching Han army's advance, and a smile gradually appeared on his lips.

Half an hour later, the trench was completely filled in, leaving only the ruins of the sheep and horse wall and broken barricades blocking the way for the Han army.

The auxiliary troops began to retreat, and the eight thousand Han soldiers formed a straight line and began to advance in three layers.

The swordsmen of the vanguard team provided cover for the pikemen's advance, while the musketeers had already loaded their ammunition.

As the vanguard team continued to advance, the two sides closed to within a hundred paces.

"Fire arrows!"

The vanguard of both armies simultaneously began to draw their bows and nock their arrows, and countless arrows flew in, disrupting the enemy's speed and hoping that the enemy's units would break apart and cause their formation to falter.

However, the Han army's formation remained as solid as a mountain, which gave Li Juzheng a bad feeling.

Eighty steps, sixty steps, forty steps...

As the distance between the two sides continued to close, the power of the arrows increased, and many Han soldiers were hit by arrows, while even more Bohai soldiers were hit.

Even with the availability of matchlock muskets, the Han army did not slacken their efforts in frontal assault techniques.

For the Han army, where every soldier had a bow, everyone was an archer. Even if they couldn't compare to master archers, their accuracy was far superior to that of the poorly trained Bohai navy...

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

When the vanguard of the Bohai Navy saw the Han army within forty paces, the spearmen immediately took firm footing, formed a spear formation, and prepared to clash with the Han army.

In this situation, the Han army's spearmen halted their advance, while the shield and blademen began to move forward.

"Use swordsmen to break the formation?"

Li Juzheng chuckled, but his laughter soon faded as he saw thousands of Han soldiers armed with short weapons following behind the Han soldiers with swords and shields.

The swordsmen advanced to a distance of twenty paces, and the four thousand matchlock gunners followed suit, forming eight ranks in front and behind, and three hundred paces to the left and right.

Li Juzheng had already sensed something was wrong, but at that moment the Han army's swordsmen and shield bearers all squatted down.

They exposed the Han soldiers holding "short weapons" to the Bohai Navy vanguard. Before the Bohai Navy archers could begin their attack, the Han soldiers pulled the triggers as their squad leaders waved their command flags.

The trigger, along with the matchlock clip, struck the powder chamber, followed by the sound of firecrackers and the smoke of gunpowder.

"Crack, crackle, crackle..."

"Uh... Hmph..."

In an instant, countless projectiles were fired at the unprepared Bohai Vanguard Team. Countless soldiers felt their bodies go weak and fell straight down on the battlefield.

"Fix it! Fix it!!"

"Crack, crackle, crackle..."

Before the Mohe noble sons who served as generals could even react, they saw their own lines breached, while the Han army, like puppets, uniformly began firing and retreating.

Li Juzheng, standing on the city wall, only saw thick smoke rising, and then saw his own soldiers falling one after another, which made him feel a sense of crisis.

"Sound the retreat! The central army will become the vanguard, and the rearguard will become the central army, covering the vanguard's retreat to the left and right."

Li Juzheng immediately realized that he had to retreat before he could understand the Han army's tactics.

Otherwise, if the soldiers in the battle formation continue to sacrifice themselves, the Han army will find it easy to break through their lines.

His reaction wasn't slow, but it couldn't outpace the Han army's volley of gunfire.

"Clang... clang... clang..."

"Fall back!"

"Retreat! Retreat..."

As the Bohai Navy sounded the gong, the Han army musketeers' eight-volley volley had ended.

Just a few breaths ago, the Bohai Vanguard Team was as steady as Mount Tai; now, they had turned into corpses and fallen on the battlefield.

Upon hearing the gong, the noble generals of the Mohe began to command a retreat. The central and rear armies, however, had no idea what had happened to the vanguard and, in accordance with military orders, formed ranks to support the vanguard's retreat.

The soldiers of the vanguard fled from the central and rear armies as if fleeing.

"Monster! Sorcery!!"

"Sorcery! The Han army possesses sorcery!"

"witchcraft……"

The Han army's eight-fold volley of muskets directly routed the five thousand vanguard soldiers of the Bohai Navy, who fled to the rear like routed troops.

"Retreat to the left or right; anyone who dares to charge will be executed on the spot!"

The captains of the various squads in the central army hurriedly shouted, but many fleeing soldiers still chose to charge in the enemy lines in a panic, and were killed on the spot.

As more and more routed soldiers were killed, the vanguard soldiers who had regained their composure began to retreat to the rear, while the Han army advanced while reloading their ammunition.

"What kind of magic is this? Is it really sorcery?!"

On the city wall, watching nearly half of the 5,000 vanguard troops die before even engaging in battle, Li Juzheng and the generals behind him broke out in a cold sweat.

The routed soldiers retreated back into the city via the stone bridge behind the camp, while the central army encountered the Han army's line musketeers.

"Woooooooo..."

"Crack, crackle -"

As the bugle sounded, the line soldiers in the Han army began to advance with volleys of gunfire, and the unprepared front-line soldiers of the central army fell one after another.

"What's this?!"

Compared to arrows, which are still detectable, slingshots, barely an inch long, are impossible to defend against. All they could see was the Han army advancing relentlessly, raising their short weapons and pointing them at them, while their comrades fell to the ground amidst the thick smoke of gunpowder.

"The rear guard will cover the central army, the central army will retreat, and after the central army retreats, the rear guard vehicles will be used to retaliate with crossbows!"

Seeing that the battle was spiraling out of his control, Li Juzheng quickly ordered the remaining two armies to retreat in turn.

Upon receiving the order, the central army soldiers began to retreat continuously, chanting sorcery as if they were madmen.

The pressure on the soldiers in the rear army increased dramatically under these circumstances, while the Han army seemed like monsters emerging from the smoke of battle, advancing relentlessly despite the arrows from the rear army.

As soon as they raise their short weapons, soldiers fall to the ground, which is no different from so-called sorcery.

"Withdraw! Withdraw!"

The more than four thousand fleeing soldiers of the central army disrupted the rear army's formation. Before the rear army could even begin to kill the fleeing soldiers, they were constantly being shot down by the Han army's volleys of gunfire and were on the verge of collapse.

"The cavalry will attack the Han army from both flanks!"

Li Juzheng's eyes were bloodshot. He never expected that the close combat he had anticipated would end like this, let alone that his own soldiers would be so incompetent.

At his command, the elite Mohe cavalry on the left and right flanks, who had witnessed the entire process, stopped and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What are you all doing? Why aren't you attacking the Han army?!"

Seeing that the elite cavalry of the main force had stopped and were not advancing, the General of the Left Cavalry angrily rebuked the group of arrogant Mohe noble sons who had been so proud before the battle.

It was thought that entrusting such an important task of elite cavalry to the noble sons of the Mohe people would inspire the ordinary Mohe and Shiwei soldiers.

Now, these Mohe warriors stood still, watching helplessly as their army was slaughtered by the Han army.

Thinking of this, the general raised his spear and killed one of the elite cavalrymen beside him: "Anyone who dares not advance shall die!!"

Under his coercion, the three thousand elite cavalry on the left wing began to urge their horses on and launch an attack on the right wing of the Han army's vanguard.

Upon seeing the elite cavalry on the left wing begin to move, the elite cavalry on the right wing, who had been dawdling, immediately followed suit and launched an attack on the left wing of the Han army.

"kill!!"

"Buzzing, rumbling..."

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves filled the air. Upon seeing this, Song Wentong immediately began to command the vanguard to advance, while the musketeers stood still, preparing to form a protective formation.

At the same time, Wang Chongrong in the rear also saw the Mohe elite cavalry launching their charge. Without the slightest hesitation, he commanded his cavalry to meet them, even though the enemy outnumbered them three to one.

"kill--"

"Hissing..."

"boom!"

"Humph……"

In an instant, two thousand cavalrymen clashed head-on with six thousand elite cavalrymen, and the two sides clashed with their spears.

Countless cavalrymen were knocked off their horses in the chaos, and most of them were trampled to death by their comrades who caught up with them.

During the Great Martial Arts period, the elite Mohe cavalry were indeed skilled in archery and horsemanship, and proficient in both long and short weapons.

However, more than 150 years have passed since the Great Martial Arts Era. They have long been accustomed to engaging in mounted archery chases with hundreds or thousands of Khitans on the flat grasslands of Fuyu Prefecture, and rarely have the experience of close combat with thousands or tens of thousands of people.

Now, as they engaged in close combat with the Han army, many Mohe nobles who witnessed the tragic deaths of their comrades deserted the battlefield.

With six thousand against two thousand, this should have been a one-sided battle, but due to the hesitation and withdrawal of countless Mohe cavalry, the fighting became evenly matched.

"Asshole! Asshole!!"

Seeing the poor performance of these noble sons of the Mohe people who occupied the best resources, Li Juzheng was furious and could only urge the army to retreat back into the city, hoping that these noble sons could hold out longer.

"Divide your forces and launch an encirclement attack!"

Seeing that six thousand elite Mohe cavalry could only fight to a standstill against his own two thousand elite cavalry, Song Wentong felt the pressure vanish instantly.

Instead of choosing to engage the thousands of Bohai infantrymen who were still fleeing ahead, he opted to divide his forces and coordinate with the cavalry to encircle and annihilate the six thousand elite Mohe cavalry.

The vanguard of over 7,000 men began to split in two, while a formation of nearly 10,000 men appeared in the direction of the Han army camp at some unknown time.

When Geng Ming, who was closely monitoring the battlefield, saw that 30,000 Mohe border troops had been defeated in less than an hour, even he, who was well prepared, couldn't help but feel that it was too exaggerated.

"Enter!"

Apart from the thousand or so troops left behind to provide support, the rest of the troops were all dispatched by Geng Ming in formation.

Upon seeing this, Li Juzheng, atop the city gate tower, swayed unsteadily and could only bitterly raise his hand: "Withdraw the troops..."

"Clang... clang... clang..."

At the sound of the retreating gong, the already demoralized Mohe cavalry began to retreat, and hundreds of Mohe noblemen were captured by the Han cavalry on the way back.

Li Juzheng was too ashamed to watch the outcome unfold, for the battlefield was already littered with the corpses of Mohe soldiers.

Standing atop Lü Gong's chariot, taking in the entire battle, Geng Ming, after a moment of daze, couldn't help but let a slight smile appear on his lips.

"Clean up the battlefield, and we can report the victory to His Majesty!"

"Woooooooo..."

The bugle calls of the Han army echoed outside Liaodong City, and the corpses of thousands of Bohai soldiers became spoils of war for the Han army.

Li Juzheng watched helplessly as the bodies of his own soldiers were "ravaged" by the Han army. He staggered, turned around, and fell straight down.

"General!!"

The surrounding generals were shocked and quickly caught the fallen Li Juzheng, carrying him on their backs towards the government office in the city.

At the same time, the messenger official who was originally assigned to deliver the imperial edict also learned of the outcome of the battle. Without taking a break, he hurriedly rushed to the capital.

After he left, the Han army moved its artillery positions forward and began to bombard Liaodong City continuously.

Fortunately, Li Juzheng reinforced Liaodong City, which could withstand the Han army's bombardment for a few more days; otherwise, he would have had to drag his ailing body to Baiyan City.

While the battle was being decided in Liaodong City, the messenger sent from the capital rushed back to the capital without rest.

Compared to the seven days it took him to go there, he only took five days to return to the capital.

"what?!"

When news of Li Juzheng's defeat arrived, the officials in the Longquan Hall were all horrified, and Da Xuanxi on the Golden Platform looked extremely grim.

"Tell me more carefully, how many of our soldiers were killed or wounded?"

The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel asked in disbelief, and the messenger, upon hearing this, could only bite the bullet and say:

"The number of our soldiers killed or wounded in this battle is likely no less than ten thousand..."

"Wow!!"

Upon learning of the loss of over ten thousand soldiers, more than a hundred ministers gasped in shock.

It is true that Bohai has a standing army of 100,000, but only 70,000 are skilled border troops, and the remaining 30,000 are guards maintaining the five capitals.

The loss of 70,000 border troops resulted in over 10,000 casualties, a price that no one could afford.

"Your Majesty! I believe we should make a swift decision to withdraw the troops from Liaodong to Changling and negotiate peace with the Central Plains!"

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

"Your Majesty, so many soldiers have died or been wounded, enough to shake the foundations of the nation. Our country can no longer afford any more casualties!"

"His Majesty……"

At this moment, both nobles and members of the royal family expressed their willingness to negotiate peace, a stark contrast to their behavior just over half a month ago.

Fortunately, Da Xuanxi was unaware of the performance of the Mohe elite cavalry, otherwise he would probably have been furious and berated these two-faced officials.

"Your Majesty, minister..."

Seeing the ministers' reaction, Pei Ting wanted to step forward to help Da Xuanxi out of the predicament, but Da Xuanxi stood up on his own initiative, causing the ministers to shut their mouths and look at him nervously.

Facing hundreds of gazes, Da Xuanxi did not stubbornly insist on being an enemy of the Han Dynasty. Instead, he took a deep breath and said:
"The weapons of the Han Dynasty are sharp. If our country can obtain the weapons of the Han Dynasty, it will be just around the corner to pacify the Khitan and Shiwei tribes."

“I am determined to cede Liaodong. I request that Minister Pei make another trip to the Central Plains and hope that Emperor Hongwu will allow our country to become a vassal state of the Han Dynasty. I beg you to open the border markets.”

"If the Han Dynasty permits, our country hopes to send students to study the Han Dynasty's etiquette and laws..."

Although Da Xuanxi did not see the firearms of the Han Dynasty, the outcome on the battlefield was enough to speak for itself.

If the Balhae Kingdom could acquire this item, its internal conflicts could be resolved through wars against the Khitan, Silla, and Shiwei.

Even if it takes him his entire life, he will find a way to learn such skills from the Han Dynasty.

With this in mind, he said with a firm gaze, "Establish Pei Qing as the Vice Minister of Rites and send an envoy to the Han Dynasty to sue for peace."

"An imperial edict was issued to Li Juzheng, ordering him to defend all the cities in Liaodong during the peace talks, and secondly to defend Fuyu and Changling."

"Your Majesty is wise..."

Seeing that Da Xuanxi had made a decision, the ministers all praised his wisdom, completely forgetting their previous vow to fight the Han Dynasty to the death.

A hint of disgust flashed in Dae Hyeon-seok's eyes. He had spent eight years reforming the domestic system in order to alleviate domestic conflicts.

If these nobles and members of the royal family truly cared about the Balhae Kingdom, they wouldn't have obstructed his many policies, leading to accumulated internal conflicts and problems within Balhae.

He looked at Pei Ting, who bowed in return after feeling the gaze: "Your Majesty's mission is one I will certainly fulfill."

"However, the Hongwu Emperor is powerful and might have other needs besides the Liaodong territory, Your Majesty..."

"You are permitted to act as you see fit," Dae Hyeon-seok declared, setting the tone.

He now only wants a ceasefire and to learn from the advanced systems of the Han Dynasty to resolve domestic conflicts.

If this isn't done, the Balhae Kingdom will eventually be drained dry by these parasites in the imperial court. Even if the Balhae Kingdom doesn't perish in its own hands, it will perish in the hands of its sons and grandsons.

Faced with such trust from Dae Hyeon-seok, Bae Ting was deeply moved, but also felt regretful that Dae Hyeon-seok hadn't listened to him from the beginning.

Fortunately, he finally gained Dae Hyeon-seok's trust and was finally able to end this war that should never have been fought.

With his thoughts settled, Pei Ting bowed deeply and made a firm salute in front of the assembled officials.

"Your subject will certainly not fail in your mission..."

(End of this chapter)