Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 210: The fall of Kaesong and the destruction of Goryeo!

Of course, no matter how elite or brutal the Goryeo cavalry was, it was impossible for them to kill all the Goryeo people who had surrendered to the Mongols.

Ögedei Khan, Tolui, and Zhao Shuo would not stand idly by.

The grassland warriors were not only hardworking and skilled in hunting, but also experts in pursuing and chasing away fugitives!
They dispatched steppe warriors, who also broke into smaller groups to pursue, ambush, raid, and annihilate the 15,000 elite Goryeo cavalry.

Those Goryeo people who had submitted to the Mongols quickly switched sides under the brutal massacre by these Goryeo cavalry.

Originally, the Mongols attacked Goryeo following the Khwarazmian model: after capturing a city, they would conscript all the able-bodied men in that city into the army, and after capturing another city, they would release them back to their homeland.

Under the threat of death, these conscripts certainly possessed some fighting ability, but their enthusiasm was clearly low.

But now that the Goryeo court has made such a blunder, the Goryeo soldiers who have been conscripted into the army are actively attacking other Goryeo cities. No one wants to wipe the Goryeo court off the peninsula as soon as possible.

The young and strong men of Goryeo who returned to their homeland actively informed the Mongols.

In the blink of an eye, ten months had passed, and the entire peninsula, except for Kaesong, had been captured by the Mongol-Han allied forces.

Of the original 15,000 elite cavalry, only a little over 7,000 remained, making it impossible for them to establish a foothold outside Gaegyeong. They fled towards Gaegyeong, only to be intercepted and brutally slaughtered again by the Mongol vassal army led by Liu Heima. No more than 6,000 managed to enter Gaegyeong.

Meanwhile, the Mongol army that entered Goryeo became unprecedentedly powerful.

In addition to their original troops, they also had 100,000 Goryeo conscripts. The nearly 300,000-strong army besieged Gaegyeong, making the city completely impenetrable.

In addition, there were more than 300,000 Korean laborers who maintained their logistics.

This is the remains of all Goryeo men outside Kaesong after the successive massacres by Zhao Shuo, Ögedei, Tolui, and the Goryeo court.

Thanks to the wealth-accumulating abilities of the Goryeo nobles and monks, although the poor in Goryeo suffered greatly and the Goryeo court was not wealthy, these nobles' homes and temples had accumulated a large amount of wealth and food.

Now that all the nobles and monks outside Kaesong have been beheaded, these supplies are enough to support the Mongol army's logistics.

It was clear to everyone that the fall of Goryeo was imminent.

However, at this time, the capital city was gripped by a strange and inexplicable frenzy.

The King of Goryeo, accompanied by his ten-year-old son Wang Jeon, frequently appeared in the streets of Gaegyeong, declaring that he would live and die with the city.

More than 90,000 monks from the 107 Buddhist temples in Gaegyeong, Goryeo, went into the homes of ordinary people to preach the great truth of reincarnation and that loyalty to Goryeo would lead to rebirth into a wealthy family in the next life.

If Zhao Shuo saw this, he would definitely scoff.

How many people did Kaesong have in total? The permanent population was at most five or six hundred thousand. Yet there were nearly one hundred thousand monks who did not engage in production. It would be an injustice if such a country did not perish.

However, the Koreans had long been accustomed to it.

When King Taejo of Goryeo founded the country, there were already more than 70 temples and more than 80,000 monks in Gaegyeong.

Before the Mongols invaded Goryeo, there were over three thousand temples throughout Goryeo. Even the two sons of the powerful minister Choi Woo became monks.

The presence of so many monks indicates the flourishing of Buddhism in Goryeo, which is a good thing!
Their emotions were even completely stirred up by the monks' eloquent words.

"Let's perish together! Let's perish together!"

"I would rather die standing than live on my knees!"

"If you serve your country faithfully in this life, you will be reborn into a wealthy family in the next!"

"Those who perform great deeds will be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!"

……

Cheers echoed continuously throughout the capital city of Kaijing.

"Hmph, I don't know whether to live or die."

Inside the Mongol army's central tent, Ögedei's illness seemed to have worsened. He used to be able to recline on his couch, but now he could only lie completely on it, discussing matters with Tolui and Zhao Shuo.

After catching his breath, Ögedei continued, "If the army besieges the city for another year, starving them to the point of cannibalism, let's see if they can still act so arrogantly. But... but I'm afraid my body won't last much longer."

Tolui said, "Then let's just attack the city. First, use conscripted soldiers to attack, and when they're almost wiped out, then use elite troops. I refuse to believe we can't take Kaesong!"

"What did my brother-in-law say?"

"Let's attack the city," Zhao Shuo said without hesitation.

He still felt that there were too many men left in Goryeo, with only over 400,000 remaining.

Of these 400,000-plus men, the 100,000 most valiant have already been conscripted and will be used as the main force for attacking the city.

Even if they all died, he wouldn't feel sorry for them.

Of course, it's unlikely they'll all die. To motivate these Korean conscripts, a way out will still be provided.

Zhao Shuo announced that the heads of three Goryeo people would be cut off, and they would be elevated to Han status and incorporated into the Han Eight Banners. After becoming noble Han people, why would they still want to remain lowly Goryeo people?

Ögedei and Torez promised that any Goryeo soldiers who cut off three heads could join their vassal army.

As for the Goryeo men who were not conscripted into the army, they forgot their history and origins, and only by working hard and paying taxes could they survive.

Boom boom boom!
After completing the siege equipment, the conscripted troops began their attack on Kaesong.
Now, the Thunderclap Bombs are all used up, and we can only use Stone Projectiles.

But stone projectiles are no joke either!

In particular, Zhao Shuo's counterweight catapults were nearly as powerful as the Xiangyang cannons, and under the operation of Wang Alu's artillery troops, they launched a fierce bombardment towards Kaijing.

"Charge! Kill! Cut off three heads and join the Heavenly Army of the Supreme Kingdom!"

"Destroy the damned Goryeo regime!"

"Those who reach the top first will have their flag raised immediately!"

"Kill all the lackeys of the puppet dynasty!"

……

Many of the Goryeo conscripts were former regular soldiers, special forces, or private soldiers of nobles, and their fighting strength was considerable. Under the cover of ranged weapons, they carried ladders and pushed siege engines, charging towards Gaegyeong (Goryeo) with reckless abandon.

"Kill all the traitors and protect Kaesong!"

"You lackeys of the Tartars, die!"

"For Korea, we'll fight!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! If we serve our country faithfully in this life, we will enjoy endless blessings in the next!"

……

The Goryeo defenders were in high spirits and fought back desperately.

The war that led to the fall of Goryeo and the destruction of the Goryeo kingdom began with a bloody battle among the Goryeo people themselves.

They fought a bloody battle for a whole month, and more than 60,000 of the 100,000 conscripts died.

Nearly 20,000 people were injured and unable to continue fighting.

However, the Goryeo conscripts who were still able to fight saw a turning point in their fate, with more than 7,000 men joining the vassal armies of Ögedei and Tolui.

More than 4,000 people were added to the Han Army's Eight Banners.

At this time, the resistance on the Goryeo city walls was becoming increasingly weak.

It's a simple truth: it's easy to die a heroic death, but difficult to face it with composure. After a month of fierce fighting filled with corpses and bloodshed, the soldiers and civilians of Gaegyeong had long since recovered from their initial intense emotions. The protracted war had also depleted countless of their elite troops and valiant warriors.

almost.

The time for the final assault has come!
Zhao Shuo, Ögedei, and Tolui had agreed that Zhao Shuo's main force would attack the eastern wall of Kaijing, Ögedei would lead half of the Mongol army to attack the western wall of Goryeo, and Tolui would lead the remaining half of the Mongol army to attack the northern wall.

Boom~~
Zhao Shuo's decisive siege weapon, the siege towers, was finally deployed—a full fifty siege towers—pushing towards the eastern wall of Goryeo. Shi Tianxiang, the commander of the Plain Yellow Banner, personally climbed one of the siege towers.

"As long as we achieve the feat of being the first to breach the city of Kaifeng, my brother should be able to be promoted to the rank of the Plain Yellow Banner Commander, right?" Shi Tianxiang thought to himself.

Currently, no banner lord has been appointed among the Han Chinese Eight Banners. However, the Plain Yellow Banner, as the most capable banner among the Han Chinese Eight Banners, has accumulated countless military achievements, and Shi Tianni is only one step away from becoming the banner lord.

One radish, one hole. After Shi Tianni is promoted to banner chief, the Shi family will have one more ten thousand households and one more thousand households.

Its significance to historians cannot be overstated.

With less than forty steps to the east city wall, Shi Tianxiang, wearing two layers of armor, led his personal guards to the platform at the top of the tower, full of fighting spirit, waiting for the moment when the siege tower would approach the city wall.

Whoosh whoosh!
Countless arrows and crossbow bolts rained down on Shi Tianxiang and his men.

However, these arrows posed little threat to them, who were clad in heavy armor and wielding shields. This was because the Jin dynasty had been highly defensive towards Goryeo, imposing a technological blockade, and the Goryeo people lacked powerful crossbows. As historical records state, Goryeo "had no strong crossbows or large swords."

Unless they are archers from Goryeo or Dongjin, they simply cannot break through their defenses!
boom!
As the suspension bridge descended, Shi Tianxiang led ten personal guards across it and rushed towards the battlements.

"Go to hell!"

Three long spears attacked Shi Tianxiang almost simultaneously, their angles tricky and their movements as swift as lightning!

when!
Shi Tianxiang swung his iron spear horizontally, easily deflecting the three long spears.

"Hmph, vulnerable!"

Shi Tianxiang understood that these three Goryeo soldiers were quite skilled in martial arts. Normally, it would have taken him a lot of effort to defeat them.

However, the prolonged battle had exhausted their strength, and they no longer posed any problem for him.
Puff puff!
Shi Tianxiang brandished his iron spear, blood splattering everywhere, and killed three Goryeo soldiers in succession. He had already climbed onto the Goryeo city wall.

"Stop him!"

The surrounding Goryeo and Dongjin soldiers shouted wildly and blocked Shi Tianxiang's path.

Kill kill kill!

The two sides clashed in close combat, quickly escalating into a fierce battle. Both the Goryeo and Han armies attempted to maintain their own orderly ranks and break through the enemy's lines, but neither succeeded in the short term. The lines went from being clearly defined to becoming intertwined, with shouts of battle filling the air.

Whoosh!
Suddenly, a heavy, armor-piercing arrow, accompanied by a loud whooshing sound, pierced through the gaps and viciously attacked Shi Tianxiang's neck.

"not good!"

Shi Tianxiang could no longer dodge and could only try his best to turn his head. He knew that the arrow was so heavy that even with two layers of armor protecting him, he would probably suffer a serious injury!
However, at this moment—

Snapped!
With a loud bang, the arrow was smashed to the ground by a spear.

"Zhu Lie, well done!"

Shi Tianxiang recognized the man as a newly recruited Goryeo soldier in the Han Chinese Eight Banners. His original surname was Cui, and his given name was Cui Lie. However, after joining the Han Chinese Eight Banners, he disliked the surname Cui, which he felt had too strong a Goryeo flavor, and changed it to Zhu.

Seeing his great strength and courage, Shi Tianxiang made him his personal guard. Unexpectedly, he actually came in handy today.

"Hey!"

The arrow that shot at Shi Tianxiang was fired by Lan Ge, a fierce general from Dongzhen, who let out a regretful cry.

He certainly didn't know that the person who saved Shi Tianxiang was a Korean who had been elevated to the Manchu banner; otherwise, he would probably have felt even more regret. Of course, on this jagged city wall, such regret was meaningless.

"kill him!"

Before Shi Tianxiang could give the order, the dozen or so Han soldiers closest to Lan Ge had already charged toward Lan Ge.

"You are seeking death!"

Holding an iron spear, Lan Ge led a dozen or so guards, advancing instead of retreating.

Blades clashed, blood flowed freely, corpses fell to the ground, and chaos reigned!
Boom!
Lan Ge stabbed down two Han soldiers in succession, and when he stabbed another Han soldier in the abdomen, he found that the tip of the spear had become dull and could not pierce the Han soldier's iron armor.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Han soldier twisted his body and slammed an iron mace into his helmet!

Bang!

Lan Ge suddenly felt dizzy and weak all over, and his spear fell to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, another heavy axe came crashing down, striking his helmet again and splitting open his skull!
Blood splattered everywhere, brains gushed out, and ten thousand peach blossoms bloomed!

Lan Ge's body fell heavily to the ground!
"kill!"

The Han army rallied their remaining strength and continued their charge, with reinforcements constantly arriving from behind!
After all, they had been conserving their strength for a long time, and their armor was strong and their weapons were sharp. After another quarter of an hour, they gained a clear advantage, and the number of Han soldiers on the city wall increased.

An hour later, Chongren Gate was opened!

Kaijing has fallen!

What followed was brutal street fighting.

However, at the same time, inside Yanqing Palace.

"Lord Cui, why are you here so early? And with so many people?"

Choi Woo, accompanied by two thousand Ye Bie Chao and over a hundred family members, entered Yeongyeong Palace, only to find the King of Goryeo blocking the entrance to Hanguang Hall with dozens of armored soldiers. He then asked a question.

The secret passage is located inside the Hanguang Hall, a place Cui Yu must pass through.

As agreed beforehand, on the day the capital city fell, Wang Ke would lead 500 men to retreat, Cui Yu would lead 1,200 men, and Pu Xianwannu would lead 800 men.

Clearly, the number of followers Cui Yu brought far exceeded the original plan.

Moreover, Cui Yu arrived at least half an hour earlier than the planned escape time!

As long as the palace is set on fire and the fire blocks the roads, the Goryeo people and Dong Jinren will have enough time to escape. Even if the city falls, they can organize half an hour of street fighting to boost the morale of the Goryeo people and inflict sufficient casualties on the Mongol army before leaving.

Now, Cui Yu is early!
Choi Woo sneered, "Your Majesty, now that things have come to this, do you still consider yourself the King of Goryeo? Goryeo is finished! What use would it be for me to take you to Japan?"

"So, you're not willing to wait for Master Dong either?"

"That's for sure. Once we get to Fusang, everything else is fake, except for these elite soldiers and the valuables in the boxes! I've already sent assassins to stop Pu Xianwannu, and today only the Cui family can escape alive!"

"Fine, fine, fine!" Wang Weiwei gritted her teeth and said, "Cui Yu, you've got a good plan! But you underestimate me and Pu Xianwannu too much."

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
As he clapped his hands three times, countless armored soldiers surged out of the Cold Light Palace and blocked the king's path.

They're all Master Dong!
The leader of the army was none other than Puxian Wannu!
Cui Yu flew into a rage and said, "Your Majesty, what exactly are you trying to do by colluding with Dong Zhenren? Dong Zhenren has his own emperor, what use are you to him? Besides, don't forget, the navy is in my hands!"

Pu Xianwannu shook his head and said, "Then you're mistaken. We Dongzhen and Fusang have no prior relationship. If it weren't for the King of Goryeo, it's hard to say whether the Fusang people would have accepted us."

Wang continued, "As for the naval forces, aren't they in the hands of your good son-in-law, Jin Ruoxian? Your daughter is utterly promiscuous and has already cuckolded him countless times. Do you really think he's so loyal to you?"

This is true.

Historical records indicate that Jin Ruoxian's wife, who was also Cui Yu's daughter, repeatedly had affairs with household servants.

After the plot was exposed, Cui Yu's daughter falsely accused Jin Ruoxian of treason to Cui Yu. As a result, Cui Yu gave an order and Jin Ruoxian was beheaded.

Zhao Shuo's butterfly effect changed history. Jin Ruoxian not only discovered his wife's scandal in advance, but also kept it a secret, directly pledging allegiance to the King of Goryeo and joining forces with Dong Jinren.

He wanted the entire Cui family to die in Kaijing!

"I see!"

Although Cui Yu did not know whether his daughter's story was true or false, things had already come to this point, and there was really nothing more to say.

He realized that the king had long been in cahoots with Puxian Wannu. If he hadn't arrived in time, they would not only have escaped through the secret passage, but they would have also set fire to the palace to prevent his escape.

Cui Yu waved his hand and said, "Kill!"

(End of this chapter)