The prince is more stable

Chapter 770 The Landing Battle
Five thousand Song soldiers were divided into eight large ships.

At that time, the shipbuilding technology of the Song Dynasty was already the best in the world, and by a huge margin, meaning that the second place was far behind and could not be caught up at all.

As early as the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the Song Dynasty had already built two official ships with a capacity of 10,000 bushels each, named "Lingxu Zhiyuan Anji Shenzhou" and "Lingfei Shunji Shenzhou". The longer the ship's name, the more impressive it was.

The name "Shenzhou" for the spacecraft launched a thousand years later comes from this.

The ships Zhang Rong hired today were certainly not this large; they were rented from merchants from Jiangnan who sailed out to sea. There were eight of them in total, and they were also large ships with a capacity of several thousand bushels.

In comparison, the small fishing boat sent by the Japanese side to inquire seemed really insignificant, like a mayfly looking at the blue sky, or a small grasshopper hopping around at the feet of a giant.

Japan is now in the late Heian period. The emperor's power has been gradually undermined, and old nobles such as the Fujiwara clan have gradually declined. The Taira and Minamoto clans, descendants of the imperial family, have become new nobles and are gradually emerging. The future Kamakura Shogunate era is already taking shape.

The Japanese government was also divided into various feudal lords, and the feudal lords currently located on Kyushu Island are still subordinate to the Fujiwara clan.

At that moment, the small Japanese fishing boat was moored below Zhang Rong's flagship. A man with a bald head was muttering something in English. On the large ship, Song soldiers were jeering and spitting at the small Japanese fishing boat.

Most of the Song soldiers were illiterate and few were of high quality. Seeing the strange hairstyles and clothes of the Japanese, and considering themselves to be the teachers of the Celestial Empire, they looked down on these noisy Japanese from the bottom of their hearts.

Zhang Rong watched all this with a cold eye, not saying a word to stop it, but instead a smile appeared on his lips.

He was eager for Japan to initiate a war, so he would have an excuse to start a conflict and take advantage of the situation to occupy Kyushu Island. With the Song army's fighting strength and firearms, these so-called Japanese troops would be no match for them.

The two sides talked back and forth, but couldn't understand each other for a long time, so the Japanese fishing boat turned around and left.

Looking at the angry expression on the face of the man at the head of the fishing boat, Zhang Rong calmly ordered, "Order the entire army to prepare for battle."

The order was quickly relayed to the other seven large ships via flag signals and drumbeats, and the masts of the ships were raised with banners, which still bore the banner of the Prince of Hejian of the Great Song Dynasty.

On another ship, carrying women including Madam Feng and Di Ying, the women came out of their cabins and gazed into the distance as they listened to the drumbeats from Zhang Rong's flagship.

"Mother, what happened up ahead? This drumming sound is unusual..." Di Ying asked, frowning.

Surrounded by a group of women, Madam Feng beamed with joy as she looked at the beautiful women around her.

Her son was exceptionally capable and had a good eye for women. She was very satisfied with all these women, even the Japanese sisters who were usually trembling in her presence and would often prostrate themselves before her. Madam Feng liked them from the bottom of her heart.

At this moment, Madam Feng was holding her grandson Zhao Hao in her arms. The grandson had already turned one month old, but unfortunately, due to the chaotic situation at the time, there was no time to hold a full-month celebration banquet for him, which became Madam Feng's biggest regret.

After leaving Bianjing and arriving in Mizhou, Madam Feng finally saw her beloved, chubby grandson. She was so overjoyed at first sight that she burst into tears. From then on, it became very difficult for Niaoniao, her biological mother, to hold her son.

Feng held her grandson tightly every day, only taking him to his mother's side when feeding him. Otherwise, Feng took care of him herself, changing diapers and putting him to sleep, never asking anyone else to do it.

Listening to the rapid drumbeats from the distant flagship, Madam Feng tugged at her grandson's chubby chin with one finger, saying casually, "The faster the drumbeats in the army, the more it means the general is preparing for battle. Perhaps there was some conflict with the Japanese just before we landed."

The women all paled and huddled together in fear.

Di Ying, however, remained fearless, standing side by side with Madam Feng at the bow of the ship, and said, "Let's start a war then. Our purpose in landing in Japan this time was to occupy a piece of territory. Starting a war now will save us a lot of trouble."

Madam Feng gave her an approving look. As expected of the woman Qian'er had chosen, she truly possessed the demeanor of the head wife of the Zhao family.

"We are women, but we cannot interfere with whether the army is fighting or making peace. Just because we are Qian'er's wives and concubines does not mean we can interfere with General Zhang Rong's decisions. We should just listen to General Zhang's arrangements," Madam Feng said calmly.

The women all agreed.

Feng then summoned the two sisters, Ping and Yuan.

The two sisters were too polite, perhaps because of their different education in Japan. Every time they spoke to Mrs. Feng, they would first prostrate themselves on the ground to reply, which always made Mrs. Feng feel a little embarrassed.

The same thing happened this time. The two sisters walked up to Madam Feng, their knees buckled, and they were about to prostrate themselves when Madam Feng decisively stopped them.

“There’s no need for such formalities among family. Now that you’ve married into the Song Dynasty, everything should be done according to Song Dynasty etiquette. Just stand up and talk,” said Madam Feng.

The two sisters hesitated for a moment, but decided to obey.

Holding her grandson in one arm and pointing to the distant land with the other, Madam Feng asked, "Is Kyushu Island the territory of your two vassal states?"

The two sisters shook their heads. Taira said, "Reporting to Mother, there are five warlords who have been fighting and seizing territory in Kyushu for many years, but they all belong to the Fujiwara clan's power."

Feng then asked, "What is the relationship between the Fujiwara clan and your Taira and Minamoto clans?"

Taira lowered her head and said, "We are both enemies and friends. Some relationships are maintained by interests, while others are based on conflicting interests. However, in recent years, the Fujiwara clan has begun to increase their pressure on our two families. Perhaps they have seen our rise to power, and as old nobles, they cannot tolerate being replaced." Genji, who was standing beside her, also said, "This is also the reason why my sister and I were sent to the Song Dynasty. Our two families have been beaten so badly by the Fujiwara clan that we can hardly hold our heads high. We need to find outside help. Originally, my sister and I planned to marry into a powerful family in the Song Dynasty in order to seek the support of the Song army."

Madam Feng smiled: "It's a fortunate coincidence that we've ended up together as my son."

"So now, the Fujiwara clan and your two families should be enemies?"

"They are enemies, but there are also some inseparable interests involved, but ultimately they are the main enemies."

Madam Feng nodded and said, "Ying'er, send someone to General Zhang Rong on the flagship to relay what the two sisters just said verbatim."

“Since this is Fujiwara’s territory and the enemy of the Hirahara and Genji families, General Zhang Rong need not have any concerns. Whether to fight or make peace is up to him.”

Half an hour later, perhaps Zhang Rong had learned of what the two sisters had said, the drumbeats on the flagship became more and more rapid.

Apart from the ship carrying Ms. Feng and the other women, the other seven ships suddenly changed course and formation, approaching the port in a crescent shape and encircling it.

On the deck of the ship, five thousand soldiers stood in neat formation, flintlock muskets held level. At the command of their general, the soldiers roared and shouted battle cries that shook the hearts of the soldiers.

Upon hearing this, Lady Feng and her female relatives turned pale; even their own army sent chills down their spines.

"Qian'er's troops are truly... no wonder he was able to single-handedly build the Song Dynasty into what it is today. He truly lives up to his reputation," Madam Feng exclaimed, a look of pride on her face.

Di Ying smiled and said, "Sir, you are a skilled military commander. I have heard that the Liao people fear you like a tiger when they hear your name, and they dare not go south to graze their horses anymore."

"With these five thousand soldiers, it's enough to sweep across the four islands of Japan," Madam Feng murmured.

At this moment, with the sound of drums and the shouts of Song soldiers, countless fishing boats and sampans suddenly appeared from the direction of the Japanese port. The small fishing boats were filled with Japanese samurai, who held long swords and shouted loudly, charging towards the Song army ships with a resolute and desperate attitude.

Faced with these charging small fishing boats and Japanese samurai, Zhang Rong on the flagship was stunned for a long time before finally becoming speechless.

You guys are practically offering yourselves up for free! You're so generous, it would be a shame not to accept.

The seven ships suddenly tightened their encirclement, raised their masts and sails, and accelerated toward the port.

Upon encountering the Japanese fishing boats, the massive Song army ships did not need to change formation or course; they simply rammed into them. The small Japanese fishing boats capsized upon contact, leaving only a group of Japanese samurai struggling in the sea.

What followed was an inevitable harvest. The Song soldiers on the ships smiled and shot arrows into the sea, too lazy to waste ammunition. Arrows flew towards the Japanese samurai struggling on the surface of the sea. Some Song soldiers even made bets with their comrades on who could hit the most Japanese samurai.

The gap in strength between the two sides is as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

This resulted in one side desperately fighting while the other strolled around leisurely, the two being on completely different levels.

After their initial charge, the Japanese fishing boats had likely learned a thing or two about the power of the Song navy's ships. Instead of sending their own vessels out to sea, they instead formed ranks on land in the port.

Thousands of warriors held Japanese swords and bows and arrows. A very small number of them wore armor, while the rest had their heads wrapped in white turbans. Their angry eyes were fixed on the Song army ships that were about to dock.

Standing at the bow of the flagship, Zhang Rong looked at the Japanese samurai who were fighting desperately, and his eyes became even more contemptuous.

They are absolutely unworthy to be my enemies. Beating them up is like a burly man beating up kindergarten kids; even if I win, it's not honorable.

"Order to fire. Before we reach the shore, destroy the enemy's formation. After we land, clear out the enemy within a ten-mile radius of the port, in battalion-sized units," Zhang Rong ordered in a cold tone.

"Please ask the women on the last ship not to disembark for now. I will personally welcome the old lady and His Highness's wives after I have cleared out the remaining enemies in the port."

boom!
With a series of loud bangs, the Song soldiers on the ships finally opened fire, their target the Japanese samurai arrayed in the harbor.

As the massive ships drew ever closer to the port, the Song soldiers' volleys of fire became increasingly intense.

Before the thousands of Japanese samurai could even engage the Song army in formal combat, they were decimated by the volleys of fire and scattered in all directions.

Countless people were shot and fell to the ground, while those who fled were filled with extreme terror.

They had no idea what kind of weapons this Song army used, or why a loud explosion could shatter their formation from hundreds of paces away, killing so many people.

If this is the form of warfare of the Celestial Empire, then what about the feudal wars that Japan has been waging against each other for so many years?
Villagers fighting?

(End of this chapter)