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

Chapter 287 Slaughtering Heian-kyo, Determining Merit by Taking Heads!

Heian-kyo was the capital of Japan, built 500 years ago by Emperor Kanmu of Japan, modeled after Chang'an and Luoyang of the Tang Dynasty.

However, it differs from Chang'an and Luoyang in two very obvious ways.

Firstly, Heian-kyo was about ten li long from north to south and five li long from east to west, with a circumference of thirty li. Its area was only one-fifth the size of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, and one-third the size of Luoyang.

Secondly, there were no city walls.

Initially, when the Japanese court was building Heian-kyo, it lacked sufficient funds and the overall political situation was stable, so it only built one main south gate, Rashomon.

Later, with the rise of the shogunate, there was even less interest in building a stronghold for the emperor.

The Rashomon Gate was never rebuilt after it collapsed more than two hundred years ago, which means that this largest city in Japan had no walls to defend against foreign enemies.

Of course, now that Zhao Shuo's army is pressing in, all the Japanese in Heian-kyo have been mobilized and hastily built an earthen wall that is said to be two zhang high and five chi wide.

But they didn't even have catapults as long-range weapons, so this earthen wall was barely better than nothing.

However, the Japanese still have a high opinion of themselves.

Heian-kyo, on the earthen wall.

"More white rice! How wonderful! Thank you for the Emperor's blessing! Being a Japanese is truly a blessing!"

Mi-chan received her dinner for the day, her face beaming with gratitude.

He was a villager from near Koijo (Hiroshima), Japan, and was forty-two years old. Of course, he didn't have a surname; ordinary people in Japan at that time were not entitled to surnames.

His father named him Mizuki because his mother was quite beautiful and caught the eye of the manor's samurai lord, who took her to stay at his home for a few days.

When Shuijing went to pick up the man, the samurai seemed to be in a good mood and rewarded him with a bowl of white rice with a little soy sauce.

Rice is a rare delicacy for ordinary Japanese people, let alone soy sauce, which they have never seen before.
That delicious taste was something Shui Jing would never forget.

So, after the child was born, Shuijing named him "Mijiang" (meaning "rice sauce"). He hoped that one day he too would be able to eat rice with soy sauce.

Unfortunately, the name is very appealing, but the reality is quite different.

Mi Jiang is over forty years old and has barely eaten rice, let alone soy sauce.

Later, the evil "Tang people" landed in Japan.

According to the samurai lord, they intend to seize the land of the Fusang people, abduct their wives and daughters, and ensure that they will never be able to eat rice again, and even their coarse grains will be reduced by half!
How can that work?
Rice-chan was furious. She used all her savings to buy a sword and began practicing slashing like a samurai, determined to fight for her rice and grains! More importantly, to protect Japan and the great Emperor!

Unfortunately, the samurai was too cowardly and fled to Heian-kyo a few days later. Subsequently, the imperial court issued a scorched-earth order.

Even though Mi-chan wanted to protect Fusang, she knew that she probably couldn't defeat the Tang army on her own.

He traveled to Heian-kyo with his father, mother, wife, son, two daughters, and two bags of grain from his home.

By the time they arrived at their destination, only one of the two bags of mixed grains remained.

Most importantly, Heian-kyo, which originally had only 200,000 permanent residents, suddenly saw more than a million people flood in, causing extreme chaos.

Theft, brawls, robbery, rape, kidnapping, and other heinous crimes occurred frequently. Soon, Mi-chan's youngest daughter disappeared without a trace.

However, the Japanese court was great, and quickly issued a "Great Search Order" to restore order.

Firstly, all able-bodied men in Japan were gathered together as soldiers, and the government provided them with rations.

Secondly, all Japanese people were searched, and each household was only allowed to store three months' worth of food; the rest was confiscated.

As a result, Mi-chan became a glorious Japanese soldier.

From then on, he was ordered to work with others to cut down mountains for timber and build walls for Heian-kyo.

Although the work is tiring, being able to eat two meals of white rice every day makes Mi Jiang feel very happy, and she works very hard.

However, things gradually started to go wrong.

First of all, although the imperial court had issued an edict to keep three months' worth of grain reserves, how could that possibly be implemented in practice?

He only left half a bag of his family's grains, which will soon be empty.

His wife had no choice but to work as a prostitute to support the family. However, she was getting old, and given the current state of Heian-kyo, she couldn't earn a good price for her services.

Soon, his mother starved to death.

Later, the situation worsened, and a great plague swept through the entire Heian-kyo (Kyoto). Countless people contracted "impetigo," which first manifested as fever, followed by the appearance of pustules. Those who were unlucky would die. Among the survivors, about 30% were disfigured, resembling vengeful ghosts.

His son, Fantuan, also died of impetigo.

However, Mi-chan wasn't particularly sad.

Because the great Emperor said that this was a manifestation of Amaterasu, and also a necessary sacrifice for the victory of the war.

This massive plague will become a powerful weapon against evil enemies.

The warriors in the army were even more excited.

A samurai named Shimazu Mitsuo tells Mikoto and the others that if they can survive this ordeal and defeat the Han army using the plague, they can learn their technology. Then, the great Japanese will launch a counterattack on the mainland!
By then, each of them will be able to own a manor on Han Chinese land, become a happy samurai, and serve His Majesty the Emperor.

All-you-can-eat white rice, plus soy sauce!

It's fine if I eat one bowl and throw the rest away.

And the Han Chinese women, who are much taller and more beautiful than the women of Japan, will all become their female slaves!
Ride however you want!
After hearing the samurai's description, Mijang's mouth watered.

He felt an even stronger urge to fight bravely and serve the Emperor!

However, the situation in Heian-kyo continued to deteriorate day by day.

In Mi-chan's group, people kept getting infected with the plague and dying. Mi-chan also contracted the plague, and although she was lucky enough to survive, her face was now covered in pimple scars, making her look like a vengeful ghost.

To boost morale, his wife, who had been working in the sex trade, was recruited by the Japanese court into the women's camp to comfort the soldiers.

His only surviving daughter, Keiko, was not drafted.

The reason is quite simple: Keiko contracted smallpox and was also quite attractive.

On the very day she developed a fever, she received an order from the Japanese government to leave the city with many other beautiful women infected with the plague.

They had a special mission: to seduce the Han soldiers, serve them, and infect them with the plague, thus reducing their fighting capacity.

Miko is incredibly proud that her daughter, Keiko, can contribute to Japan.

Although now, in Heian City, Mi-chan is left with only his wife and father, and his wife has joined the women's camp.

My father has also started to have a fever, and I don't know if he will make it through.

But don't we still have white rice to eat? Don't we still have the hope of defeating the Han army, becoming warriors, and conquering the continent?

Mi Jiang remained in high spirits, devouring the rare rice on the city wall.

"Coming! Coming!"

"What's coming?"

Upon hearing a gasp, Mi-chan put down her rice bowl and stood up to look out of the city.

But in the distance, billowing dust could be seen, as if a large cavalry force was approaching.

The smoke and dust grew closer, and soon countless brightly colored flags, tall and magnificent warhorses, and Han army knights fully armed to the teeth in iron armor could be seen!
Rumble!
Rumble!
The sound of horses' hooves thundered!
Caravans of knights sped in from afar, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"This... so much?"

"They're all armored!"

"It seems the Sixth Demon King himself has come!" "What about the plague? They seem unaffected by it? Could it be that they look down on our beautiful women? Many of them haven't even served a man yet, what a pity!"

……

Exclamations of surprise rang out from the Japanese soldiers on the city wall.

"Impossible! The Han army could not possibly be unaffected by the plague!"

Mi Jiang absolutely refused to accept that her beautiful daughter would be worthlessly played with by the Han army.

He also refused to accept that the Emperor's far-sighted and brilliant plan was actually a completely terrible idea.

That's the Emperor, whose lineage is "unbroken for ten thousand generations." He's not human, but a god. How could he be wrong?

Mi-chan shouted, "The Han army is definitely bluffing! Yes! That must be it! They suffered huge losses from the plague, so they sent their most elite troops as the vanguard, hoping to scare us into surrendering. As long as we're not intimidated, victory will surely belong to our Fusang!"

"Yes, yes, yes! The Han army must be bluffing; in reality, they have suffered very heavy losses!"

"Are you kidding me? The Han army can't possibly fight off a plague? Wouldn't that make them divine soldiers and generals?"

"Furthermore, how many of our women did they sleep with in Kyushu and Shikoku? How could they possibly have changed their ways now?"

"We Japanese are not easily intimidated; they are simply daydreaming!"

……

Many Japanese soldiers echoed this sentiment.

The commander of their hundred-man squad, Shimazu Mitsuo, stepped forward and patted Mikoto's shoulder heavily, saying, "Well said! I didn't expect an ordinary soldier like you to have such insight. By the way, what's your name, Mikoto?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

When the esteemed samurai patted her on the shoulder, Miko felt her bones lighten a bit and said, "My father hoped that I would eat rice with soy sauce in the future, so he gave me this name."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I've only ever eaten rice, but I've never tasted delicious soy sauce."

"Alright then, tonight, I'll add soy sauce to your rice. Also, I'll reward you with a leather armor. When they attack the city, kill a few more Han Chinese for me!"

"Thank you, Lord Shimazu! I am willing to die for the Emperor!"

Boom boom boom!
Mi Jiang kowtowed three times.

That evening, Mi-chan enjoyed soy sauce-mixed rice, something she had never experienced before, and even put on a somewhat tattered leather armor. She was overjoyed.

Unfortunately, joy turned to sorrow.

The Han army continued to advance, gradually surrounding the entire Heian-kyo (Kyoto) so completely that it was impenetrable.

In order to strike at the Han army and boost morale, the Fusang people organized a raid on the camp.

The main force behind the raid was Japanese men infected with smallpox, and Mizuki's father, Mizuki, was also chosen.

It was too dark for Mi-chan to know exactly what happened.

All he knew was that his father had not returned; he must have died for the Emperor.

Apart from his wife, who served the Japanese soldiers, he had no other relatives in the world.

Gradually, the number of Han troops besieging the city increased.

Three days later, a series of huge cheers rang out enthusiastically around Heian-kyo.

Mijiang heard from others that they seemed to be shouting "Long live the King!"

Zhao Shuo, the "Sixth Heavenly Demon King," has arrived!
The battle to defend Heian-kyo is about to begin!
……

……

The next day, in Zhao Shuo's central command tent.

"Has everyone seen the defenses of Heian-kyo? What are your thoughts?"

Zhao Shuo's gaze was intense as he looked at the thirty-two Han army commanders under his command.

"The walls of Heian-kyo were hastily built by piling up earth, without even tamping them down; they are utterly vulnerable!"

"According to the women who fled here, the plague and famine that broke out in Heian-kyo made it even more vulnerable!"

"Your Majesty, please issue the decree! This humble general is willing to serve as the vanguard and pacify Heian-kyo for you!"

"If Your Majesty gives me 50,000 troops, I will conquer Heian-kyo and capture that Emperor alive!"

"I only need 40,000 troops!"

"Just give me 30,000!"

……

The generals then took turns speaking.

As their voices subsided, Zhao Shuo nodded slightly and said, "Ping An City originally had no city walls, let alone a moat, so its defenses were indeed not very good. However, this city was modeled after Chang'an and Luoyang of our Great Tang Dynasty, and each ward within the city has its own walls. In addition, the palace where the Japanese emperor resides has high palace walls, so we cannot be careless."

"And most importantly, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. The closer we get to the crucial moment of victory, the less we can afford to be arrogant or complacent. Do you understand?"

All the generals bowed and said, "Understood!"

"Then, pass on my orders!"

Zhao Shuo's expression was solemn as he said, "The Han army consists of three banners: Plain Red, Plain Blue, and Plain Yellow, totaling 36,000 men. We will also assign 30,000 conscripted soldiers to attack the northern wall of Heian-kyo..."

Heian-kyo is long from north to south and short from east to west.

Therefore, three banners were set up along the north city wall. These three banners comprised a total of twelve ten-thousand-household units, with each ten-thousand-household unit having three thousand people, totaling thirty-six thousand people.

The rest of the city walls, the south wall and the north wall, are similar.

For the east and west city walls, Zhao Shuo arranged for far fewer attacking troops.

"As you command!" After Zhao Shuo finished reading the decree, all the generals responded in unison.

Zhao Shuo said, "In addition, to boost the morale of the entire army, the final merits of this attack on Heian-kyo will be determined by the number of heads taken. All heads, except for those of young women, will be counted. The head of a strong young man will be equivalent to three heads of the others. After the war, two titles will be established."

"Firstly, the one with the highest merit will be awarded the title of 'Pioneer in Pacifying the Japanese Pirates' by his own household. The spoils of war for that household will be doubled, and the head of that household will be directly promoted to flag lord! All soldiers of that household who participated in the battle will be awarded a medal for vanguard in pacifying the Japanese Pirates."

"Secondly, any commander who captures or kills the Japanese emperor will be awarded the title of 'Hero Who Suppresses the Japanese Pirates.' The spoils of war received by that commander will be doubled. The commander of that commander will be directly promoted to commander of ten thousand. All soldiers of that commander will be awarded a medal for 'Hero Who Suppresses the Japanese Pirates.'"

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty!"

After hearing this, the heads of the various households rubbed their hands together, their blood boiling with excitement.

Heian-kyo is the capital of Fusang, so there will definitely be plenty of spoils after it falls.

Most importantly, the reward offered by Zhao Shuo was extremely attractive.

From 1,000 households to 10,000 households!

Ten thousand households directly promoted to flag lord!

And then there were the medals that everyone had already heard about, but which were only awarded to the soldiers who fought in the Western Expedition.

Kill kill kill!

Chop, chop, chop!
Slaughter! ...
They couldn't wait any longer, slaughtering millions of people in Heian-kyo, using the heads and blood of the Japanese to build a ladder to heaven for them!
Bringing glory to one's ancestors and enjoying wealth and honor—all this is within reach!
(End of this chapter)