The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 331 Blessings from Ping Liaohou
"I was just worried about not being able to swim, so I couldn't hit them, and they came up here looking for death!"

"Build the trenches and breastworks, and set up the field guns!"

Asakawa Port, Tsushima Island.

Zhu He, known for his sweet words, rode a tall Mongolian horse and patrolled back and forth along the mountainside defense line.

Chen Su, the Seventh Army Training Instructor, looked at the hot-tempered chief officer with a gloomy face.

Instructor Chen was thin and walked unsteadily, looking just like a monkey.

When the Seventh Army was first established two years ago, it lacked a training officer. Few refugees could read, so they reluctantly found Chen Su to make up the number.

This seventeen-year-old young man was a former student from Fengyang. He was well literate and liked to beat the county magistrate. He could not stay in his hometown and fled to Liaodong.

Seeing that he was brave and courageous, Sen Ti appointed him as the chief instructor and also the representative of the combat troops.

As the organizational structure of the military system becomes increasingly perfect, the power held by training officers and combat soldier representatives of each army and battalion is gradually increasing.

The daily duties of the instructors and combat representatives, besides boosting morale and instilling hatred for the enemy, also included assessing soldiers' combat achievements and grading them for promotions. Their authority was second only to that of the army and battalion commanders. On the battlefield, if a commander was killed or wounded and could no longer lead the troops, the instructors and combat representatives would take over and lead the troops into battle.

The instructors and combat representatives cooperated with and checked each other, and were directly responsible to the Marquis of Ping Liao.

Of course, not all instructors are powerful.

At least in the Seventh Army, Chen Su did not demonstrate the authority he should have.

It may also be that Zhu He’s personality is too strong.

"Get rid of the stone!"

Zhu He reined in his horse and stopped in front of a trench, pointing at a pile of small pebbles on the edge of the ditch and roaring loudly at the soldiers around him.

Five or six auxiliary soldiers in the deepening trench shrank their necks and quickly climbed up using their hands and feet. Each of them took off his helmet, picked up stones and threw them into the distance.

"I've told you so many times, don't leave stones near the trenches. When artillery shells come, stones are more powerful than arrows! That sharpshooter from the Second Army, Yang Tong, had his arm broken by an insignificant stone in Hetuala! Such a handsome young man, but now he can't even find a wife!"

The soldiers burst into laughter. Zhu He turned around, took the whip from the horse's back, and pretended to go up and hit someone.

Chen Su hurried forward to stop him.

"Old Zhu, that's enough!"

Zhu He raised the coconut ladle and gulped down two mouthfuls, then raised his binoculars to look towards the sea.

On the beach three miles away, densely packed flat-bottomed boats lay motionless on the shallows like turtles at low tide.

Teams of red-haired barbarians armed with spears and muskets and wearing full armor jumped out of the turtle's belly. Occasionally, small cannons like tiger squat cannons could be seen.

"Damn, there are quite a lot of people, it looks like there are two or three thousand people, Xiao Chen, take a look!"

Zhu He handed the telescope to Chen Su as he spoke.

The young instructor took the telescope and looked at it for a while, and his acne-covered face flushed with blood.

He clenched his fingers around the gong-belt dagger, his breathing becoming rapid, as if he was about to rush up and chop someone down in the next second.

"Old Zhu, why don't Wang Changzhi and the others fire their cannons?"

Chen Su looked at the red-haired foreigners crowded on the beach, and kept imagining the scene of the Type 22 heavy artillery smashing into the middle of the red-haired foreigners, with blood and flesh flying all around.

Zhu He let the guard take the reins, and he and the instructor walked to inspect the defense line.

"No, the artillery can't reach it."

Just as Zhu He said, the coastal artillery deployed around Tsushima Highland was targeting the Red-haired Foreign Fleet four miles away.

The area around the foothills and coast is a blind spot for these cannons.

After encountering the first few artillery attacks, the landing craft quickly drove to the blind spot of the shore artillery fire, which allowed them to land and seize the beach calmly.

"The artillery camp is out of reach, and we have artillery, don't we? Are we just going to sit there and wait for them to come ashore?"

Chen Su was indignant and looked at the autocratic officer with suspicion, as if he was looking at a traitor.

Zhu He certainly wanted to attack the red-haired barbarians when they were halfway across the river, and launch a wave of attacks while they were landing on the beach to drive their opponents into the sea.

However, the experienced officer quickly rejected his crazy idea.

Excluding the soldiers on the top of the mountain who were too busy to leave, he only had 560 heads under his command.

Among them, there are more than 300 auxiliary soldiers, and only less than 200 of them can actually charge into battle.

It would be impossible to expect these two hundred people to rush to the beach and fight in the field to attack the red-haired barbarians who are ten times their number and fully armed, unless each of them is a god.

At this time, the scouting horse in front gave a quick whistle. Zhu He was too lazy to talk to this private school teacher who hadn't even grown all his hair yet, so he said impatiently:
"Chen Su, our battalion's mission is to stop the enemy and protect the mountaintop artillery to bombard the enemy fleet, not to go out and fight the enemy! General Liu always teaches us about the main contradictions and the secondary contradictions, and you've heard it all."

The instructor was provoked by his words, and his blood immediately surged. He took out his flintlock pistol and began to load it with ammunition:

"If you're scared, I'll lead the charge myself. We'll lose the battle, but you're just afraid of the enemy and won't move forward!"

After saying that, the instructor picked up his flintlock rifle and waved to the surrounding soldiers to rush towards the beach.

Zhu He was almost mad at this foolish young man, so he grabbed Chen Su and said to him:
"Okay! Okay! I'll take people with me."

Zhu He roared, and all the soldiers and auxiliary soldiers who were busy around stopped.

"First and second flags, go out and kill the enemy. Third flag, stay and reinforce the position. Two small cannons go together. Ears pricked up, move!"

Zhu He jumped on his horse and led two teams of soldiers towards the landing site. The instructor wanted to follow, but was stopped by Zhu He.

"Commander Chen, don't go. Go up the mountain to find the artillery camp and ask Wang Congzhi to send troops to support him. Tell him that artillerymen can also be used as combat troops!"

~~~~~~~
Before the outbreak of the Battle of Tsushima, the island had always been used as a transit point for supplies. No large troops were stationed on it, and no complete defensive fortifications were built.

Because the Eastern Expedition was so successful, just when the people of Kaiyuan regarded this beautiful island as their own backyard, the Europeans suddenly arrived.

The defense of Tsushima Island fell into an extremely passive position.

After Tsushima Island was blockaded, Zhu He acted decisively and began to build fortifications at the foot of the mountain.

By the time the enemy began to land on the island, the Kaiyuan army at least had a line of defense.

Two four-pound field guns were bombarding fiercely, with shells hitting the landing craft two miles away at a rate of one round per minute.

The light gun is mounted on wheels and can be pushed by two people. Apart from the Tiger Crouching Cannon, it is the most maneuverable artillery on the battlefield in Kaiyuan.

The four-pound gun had limited power, and several shots hit the landing craft but failed to destroy the ship.

After several failed attempts, the gunners turned their attention to the red-haired barbarians lined up on the shore and bombarded them.

At this time, the Red Haired Barbarians' spearmen and heavy arquebusiers began to march in formation on the beach.

Some light artillery that Zhu He had never seen before appeared on the flanks of the phalanx, a bit like tiger squat cannons.

"Hit! Hit where there are a lot of people!!"

After a dull roar, Zhu He raised the telescope with anticipation.

A four-pound iron ball burst out with orange-red flames and flew two miles away at a speed that was difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.

Just when Zhu He thought that the iron ball was going to plow a blood groove, it finally passed lightly over the red-haired barbarian formation and slammed heavily into the water. A moment later, the sea water turned blood red, and a tuna with a broken tail struggled and rolled in the bloody water.

"You zebra, you've got water in your head! I told you to hit people, not fish!"

Zhu He stood next to the gunner and slapped him in the face, but didn't really hit him.

"Keep fighting!"

The range of the Kaiyuan infantry field gun is longer than that of the Tiger Crouching Gun, and ordinary falconet guns cannot compare with it.

The red-haired barbarians did not transport the heavy artillery ashore and had no cavalry. The fleet was caught in a pincer attack from the coastal artillery and the Kaiyuan navy, and was unable to take care of itself.

It was precisely because he saw these three points clearly that Zhu He dared to be so arrogant and bombard an infantry phalanx of more than 2,000 people with two small cannons.

As the gunners adjusted their fire, the next few shots all hit the target. Although the four-pounder didn't have the reputation of being the "barber of the phalanx" like its brother, the ten-pounder, as long as the iron ball hit the crowd, it could take the lives of at least five or six red-haired barbarians and cause a commotion in the phalanx.

Zhu He yelled at the gunner to keep firing until the barrel became hot and they had to stop.

He proudly raised his telescope and began to count the results of the bombardment.

"One, two, three... Fifty-five, fifty-six."

Zhu He's expression suddenly became solemn. The arquebus phalanx left behind fifty-six corpses, but the formation did not collapse, and there was not even serious chaos.

The red-haired barbarian seemed to be calmly waiting for death, carrying a heavy matchlock gun and walking towards Zhuhe step by step to the sound of a strange flute.

Looking at the huge formation in front of him that is ten times larger than his own, looking at their indomitable momentum.

Zhu He hesitated.

He decided to quit while he was ahead and withdraw quickly.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion sounded in the distance.

He quickly raised his telescope.

A mile away, the red-haired barbarians fixed that strange light artillery on the ground.

The muzzle of the gun was slightly raised and aimed at himself.

"It happened!"

He quickly ordered his soldiers to disperse their formation.

But it was too late.

A shell whizzed down from the sky.

The shotgun shells bursting from all directions splashed a bloody mist among the crowd.

Zhu He's ears felt like they were cut by a knife, and they were burning with pain.

Looking around, four soldiers from the first flag were lying in a pool of blood.

"Oh shit!"

Zhu He cursed and raised the telescope tremblingly.

A mile away, more artillery pieces were erected on both wings of the phalanx.

"Quick! Retreat! Back to the foot of the mountain!"

His heart was bleeding. If the gunners had retreated immediately after firing, there would not have been such casualties.

If you encounter an opponent with sharp firearms, strong fighting spirit, and far more troops than your own, fighting in the field is tantamount to seeking death.

The auxiliary soldiers quickly carried the body and retreated with the others.

Zhu He personally led thirty musketeers to the rear. They fought and retreated, firing with Type 22 flintlock rifles.

The soldiers around him fell one after another, and the terrifying roar of mortars rang in his ears.

Zhu He, who had never admitted defeat, felt deep despair for the first time.

~~~~~~
boom! boom!
The last burning galleon was finally torn into pieces under the siege of the Kaiyuan Navy, and the keel made a terrifying creaking sound, as if a dying giant beast was slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea.

The white fog and smoke that filled the Tsushima Strait finally began to dissipate.

Broken hulls and dead bodies floated up and down, stretching for dozens of miles.

The setting sun broke through the clouds and spread out on the devastated sea. The last few surviving flat-armored warships were illuminated by the setting sun, as if they were covered with a layer of red battle robes.

Turtle ships, red seal ships, and pirate ships huddled cautiously around the flat-armored ships, like a pack of wolves fearfully welcoming the return of their leader.

Liu Zhaosun sat on the deck of the Feilong, surrounded by a group of Kaiyuan generals.

The 17-foot-tall general's flag, like the flagship, was riddled with holes, but it still fluttered in the sunset sea breeze.

Ping Liaohou rubbed his red eyes and remained silent for an unknown period of time before he finally looked up at the red-haired barbarian kneeling in front of him.

He waved to several directors of the East India Company and said in a calm tone:

"Go back and tell more people about your experiences in the East, or return to Jakarta, make a comeback, and seek revenge on the Ming Dynasty.

"Rain or shine, I'll be waiting for you here."

Upon hearing this, the missionary standing behind Archbishop Nicholas raised his head slightly and looked at the pagan kneeling on the deck.

Priest Francis and his companions raised red-hot irons.

At this time, the Archbishop continued.

"From Japan in the east to Jakarta in the west, from Australia in the south to Sakhalin in the north, all will be part of the Ming territory."

The directors of the British and Dutch East India Companies had their heads held down, and representatives of the French and Spanish Chambers of Commerce were forced to kneel to listen to the Archbishop's final judgment.

Missionary Francis raised the branding iron, made the sign of the cross to Ping Liaohou, pointed at the red-haired barbarian kneeling on the ground, and pronounced the verdict in fluent English:

"Grand Master of the Ming Dynasty, Grand Secretary of the State, Grand Secretary of the Jianji Palace, Minister of War, Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong, Governor-General of Korea, Marquis of Pingliao, and Archbishop of the East, I sentence you to exile and never set foot on the Eastern territory again in your lifetime!"

After saying this, the missionary raised the red-hot iron and left a mark of repentance on the foreheads of the captives one by one.

"This is the Archbishop's blessing. I hope you will remember it and be grateful. Amen."

The red-hot branding iron was engraved on the skin of the pagans, and a burnt and smelly white mist rose around them. When the mist dissipated, a bloody and mangled "Qi" character was left on the foreheads of the victims.

Amid the colonists' heartbreaking wails, Liu Zhaosun looked up at Tsushima Island where the fierce battle was raging.

The last five surviving colonial pioneers were taken by guards onto a fast sailing ship equipped with water and food and were asked to leave Ming Dynasty immediately.

~~~~~~
Kang Yingqian said worriedly:

"The Red Barbarians have powerful ships and artillery. This time, a single merchant caravan caused significant damage to Kaiyuan. Our army was lucky to win, but the Marquis of Ping Liao humiliated us like this. Aren't you afraid they'll seek revenge later?"

"Because they're afraid, they have to be beaten so hard that it hurts."

At the end of the shogunate, British warships arrived at Satsuma Domain and demanded huge military compensation from Japan (Satsuma Domain samurai had killed British merchants for some reason).

In Kagoshima, the Shimazu family fought hard against the British army, using coastal artillery to bombard the Royal Navy, and in the end they did not lose the upper hand.

This happened before the Meiji Restoration, and the Battle of Kagoshima left a deep impression on the British.

As a result, Japan avoided the same fate as the Qing Dynasty.

"Do you think if we show them weakness, they will let us go?"

Ping Liaohou was silent for a moment and looked around at everyone.

"What are cannons used for?"

Everyone looked at each other.

The fierce roar of the thirty-pound naval gun interrupted everyone's thoughts.

People followed Ping Liaohou and looked into the night sky in the distance. The beach of Tsushima Island was like hell under the night sky. Various artillery and rockets exploded and burned above the heads of the landing mercenaries as if in a military exercise.

Two thousand mercenaries were caught in a dilemma after their own fleet was destroyed.

A stubborn enemy infantry blocked their way in front, and hundreds of enemy ships floated in from the sea like the underworld.

They were anchored a few hundred meters from the coast, bombarding mercenaries from various countries crazily on the mudflats.

Ping Liaohou turned around and said calmly, "Cannons are used to measure land."

"These are the exact words of the Prussian Prime Minister, and I agree with them. Now, I want to return them to these European robbers."

(End of this chapter)