You have truly caused me great suffering!

At this time, the powerful figures in Guandong also abandoned their previous grudges.

They were very satisfied with Hatakeyama Yoshi's courage.

Seeing him angrily smash the Great Jing Emperor's proclamation, Chiba Takeyuki was immediately invigorated and shouted, "That's right, the Great Jing has strong ships and powerful cannons, but we have a will as firm as a mountain!"

"As long as we unite, Buddha will protect us!"

“Jing Bing is also made of flesh and blood. I just saw it; some of them fell from their horses. They are not invincible!”

Shintoism was completely destroyed at this point, and the emperor, who had been a single line of emperors for thousands of generations, did not even have a son to carry on the line.

Therefore, Buddhism became the only religion in Japan.

There were several eminent monks here, leading a total of more than 5,000 monk soldiers to participate in the battle.

Fujiwara no Yoshishige of Mutsu Province said, “The commoners are not to be trusted; they will be the first to run away. We should send them to the front first, and execute anyone who retreats on the spot to enforce military discipline.”

"good idea!"

No one trusted the subdued mob; they had witnessed their madness and brutality firsthand when they were defending the emperor in Heian-kyo.

Hatakeyama Yoshi was highly respected at this time, and he was very satisfied with his position as the leader of the alliance.

The Emperor is dead, and the Regent's family has been wiped out. If I lead them to victory in this battle, then Japan will be mine in the future.

However, considering the strength of the Jing army, he still felt some fear and said in a deep voice, "We should not fight the Jing people on flat ground. We should either defend our fortifications or stick to the mountains so that their cavalry cannot charge!"

This move shows that he really knows his stuff; Jing Jun's infantry combat ability is indeed inferior to his cavalry combat ability.

The Jurchen and Song soldiers were relatively strong in infantry combat.

However, Jingjun had Hengshan Ranch from the very beginning, and at that time the climate in the Northwest was mild, which was a good time for raising horses.

Later, Qilian Mountain Ranch and Xizhou Ranch were established.

Therefore, the Jing army was somewhat similar to the grassland troops, mainly composed of cavalry.

Fujiwara Yoshishige said, "The Kei people are arrogant and their warships are charging around recklessly. We can hide our ships in places like river mouths, fill them with oil and firewood, and be ready to attack their eastward-bound naval warships at any time."

Everyone thought what he said made some sense, so they all nodded slightly.

Compared to the relatively prosperous Kinai and Kansai regions, the powerful clans in Kanto were more pragmatic because their territories still had many "barbarians" and were located in remote areas.

When they get together, they can actually come up with solutions, and for the time being, there's no backstabbing or infighting among them.

Therefore, in history, they later established the shogunate system, ushering in an era of military rule.
-
Waves crashed onto the beach one after another, washing away the pebbles, broken fish bones, and seashells on the sand.

This area belongs to the Tokaido region, which was an important shipping route in Japan. There were decent docks nearby, and the navy could transport supplies from here.

At this time, the sea was filled with fleets transporting supplies, the coast was bustling with activity, and all kinds of supplies and items were scattered everywhere. The places where military camps, moats, and fortifications were being built were also filled with dust.

The military fortifications built here are not temporary, but intended for long-term use.

Therefore, they put in extra care.

After all, this occupation is a real occupation, and they will not withdraw in the future.

General Li Yanqi disembarked from the ship, feeling a little dizzy. He rubbed his temples while looking at a map in his hand.

He admired Qu Duan even more. Back then, Qu Duan had forcibly suppressed his dizziness in order to cross the sea. You don't know how difficult it is until you try it yourself.

"Is this map drawn correctly?" Li Yanqi asked without looking up.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sui cautiously said, "They should be about the same. They were all drawn by monks from the Buddhist Academy. They are quite skilled."

Li Yanqi nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, and continued to study the drawing with great interest.

Buddhist Academy?
The maps they drew were even better than those drawn by the military officers, which made one wonder if they had learned to chant scriptures in the Buddhist temple.

Just then, Deputy General Liu Mao arrived. Beside him was another military officer, whom he didn't recognize, talking and pointing at the scene on the construction site.

As the group drew closer, Liu Mao said, "Immediately send out scouts to scout the surrounding terrain and military situation, especially their hideouts, to see if there are any ambushes."

The Japanese were right. The Jing army was indeed arrogant and conceited, but they were also elite troops who had just experienced the Battle of Dingnan and had fought for ten years without removing their armor.

Reconnaissance, espionage, intelligence—these words are ingrained in our very being, and it's impossible not to do them during wartime.

The sun was already high in the sky, the weather was fine, and the air looked very clear.

Apart from the boundless sea, the terrain in other directions is flat; only on the distant horizon can one faintly see the hazy silhouettes of mountains.

However, from a battlefield perspective, this land still seemed shrouded in mist for the Jing army, which had only recently arrived.

After all, the central army needs to understand the military situation; it cannot rely solely on observing what is nearby.

Fortunately, he had a map.

Six years ago, when the Great Jing Dynasty was first established, His Majesty sent about a hundred monks to wander around Japan under the guise of Buddhist exchange, drawing maps.

The more Li Yanqi thought about it, the more he felt that His Majesty was truly unfathomable.

When the Great Jing was first established, we didn't even know where Japan was. His Majesty was from the Western Army and his family had been farming and fighting in the Northwest for generations. How did he know everything?

It can only be said that the idea of ​​divine connection that those people with big headscarves mutter about all day long is not unfounded.

The Kwantung Allied Forces waited in the mountains for a long time, only to see the Jing Army build ports and fortresses on the spot after occupying the Tokaido.

This is not good news.

They hoped that Jingjun would rely on his strength, underestimate the enemy, and advance recklessly, so that they would have a slight chance.

After all, there is a huge disparity in strength between them, and if they want to win, they have to wait for their opponents to make mistakes.

But their enemies, while they underestimated them, were not reckless at all.

They would have been better off not underestimating their opponent; at least they would feel better about themselves.

Finally, half a month later, Li Yanqi led his troops eastward. In addition to auxiliary troops from the three Japanese kingdoms, merchants also accompanied them, ready to cash in their spoils at any time.

Caravans accompanying the army were one of the most popular innovations in Jingjun, as fighting was like making money.

The scouts had already thoroughly explored the area, and a considerable number of scout squads were hidden in the mountains and forests.

On the first day of the march, from morning to afternoon, the central army received reports from scouts about the terrain, rivers, and other information. The cavalry also crossed two small rivers.

Just then, two riders galloped up from the front, shouting from afar, "Enemy troops! Commander, we've spotted the enemy..."

Li Yanqi raised his arm, signaling the soldiers behind him to stop advancing.

Two scouts rushed over, dismounted, and one of them said urgently, "General, five miles to the southeast, we saw a large number of enemy troops in a river valley."

Everyone immediately became excited.

"Calm down," Li Yanqi said. "Tell me in detail how many infantry and cavalry you have, and whether you are marching or in formation."

The scout said, "There are no four thousand, at least two or three thousand, mostly infantry. They are hiding in the valley, seemingly planning an ambush, but it's not very well laid out. Some people are even making a fire to roast fish."

Several officers immediately burst into laughter.

In the Dingnan Army, the scouts were the most dangerous but also the easiest to be promoted, so many military officers had served as scouts.

They naturally scoffed at this unprofessional behavior.

The soldiers around him whispered amongst themselves, thinking how shameless these Japanese soldiers were to be lying in ambush.

The scout drew an arrow from his quiver and drew a line on the ground. "There's a small river about a mile ahead, I don't know its name, it flows north to south. There's a wooden bridge over it, and most of the Japanese cavalry have already crossed. The infantry haven't crossed, they're lying in ambush in the valley on the east bank; only a few are on the west bank. I've been watching for a while, and there are some hills and small groves on the west bank, they must be their scouts. There's a small village near the bridge, just a few mud houses, they must be hiding there. Should we eliminate them?"

"No need, just let them keep an eye on things there," Li Yanqi said with a smile. "You guys look for shallow waters to wade through in the northeast. Once you find one, send someone back to report immediately. Then the rest of you cross the river and venture deeper into the mountains on the east bank to continue scouting the terrain."

"Understood!" The two scouts clasped their hands in greeting, then mounted their horses and rode off to continue their reconnaissance.

Li Yanqi raised his arm and said to the personal guard beside him, "Order Zhao Sui to lead his troops and the Japanese auxiliary troops to continue marching from the southeast, pretending to be the main force."

"We'll go around from the north and launch a surprise attack on these Japanese soldiers lying in ambush."

The soldiers joined in the shouts, and the atmosphere in the army became lively. They were very excited that they would be fighting soon after landing.

"Giddy up!" Li Yanqi shouted, kicking his horse forward.

The cavalry quickly headed north. Li Yanqi was known for his swift and surprise attacks when he was in the Western Army.

Even today, the military still relies on rapid attacks as its core skill.

Intelligence, enemy assessment, countermeasures, feint attack, luring, containment, surprise attack.
The tactical deployment was completed almost instantly; this is the quality of a general who has never dismounted in ten years.

This also reflects the true value of the initial heroes who helped establish the empire.

When the Japanese soldiers stormed into the valley from the northeast bank, they were waiting to ambush those coming from the southeast. Instead, they were instantly caught in a pincer movement and trapped in the valley. Upon reaching their destination, Li Yanqi slowed his horse to a trot while observing the situation for a while.

After seeing the Japanese ambush setup clearly, which looked somewhat crude, he still waited until the Japanese auxiliary troops entered the valley and blocked the enemy's retreat before giving the order.

"kill!"

"Kill! Kill..."

With a roar from Li Yanqi, the soldiers cheered and followed him swiftly towards the enemy ambush point.

This place is indeed unsuitable for mounted combat; by the time they got closer, almost everyone had already dismounted.

The soldiers around him rallied, repeating the military order and shouting in unison, "Charge!"

As the Jing army attacked, they gradually split into multiple columns, occupying various roads and charging forward with shields on their backs and weapons in hand.

A horse shield is a piece of armor used to protect oneself while on horseback. In theory, it is not very effective against arrows, but this is a battlefield in Japan, not a battlefield between the Song and Jin dynasties.

So this horse shield is sufficient.

The Japanese soldiers were not too panicked. They had already prepared themselves mentally, as they were well aware of the strength of the Jing army.

This is a fight to the death.

Upon learning of the surprise attack from behind, they immediately turned around and densely arrayed several layers of spears, clearly terrified of the Jing army's charge.

This is because it's in a valley; otherwise, if the cavalry charged, they would have no way to resist.

This is why Qu Duan and Guo Hao's two actions were like gods descending to earth.

The battlefield was too flat at the time, and the Jing army's heavy cavalry was like tanks attacking infantry.

Soon, the samurai in the Japanese army camp roared and began to hurl longbows and arrows.

They were considered the elite of the Japanese soldiers, and were naturally brave and fierce.

The Jing army's charging formation was sparse, and the randomly thrown arrows could not stop them at all.

Soldiers who protect vital organs may occasionally suffer arrow wounds to their arms or legs. In such cases, rolling stones are the most appropriate tool.

However, in such a rush, it would be difficult to move all the rolling stones they had set up in the southeast.

As they were carrying the load, Jing Jun suddenly attacked.

A few loose stones falling from the ground have only moderate impact.

Jingjun's captain, Chen Jun, crawled silently for a while. Then, peeking out from behind the horse shield, he estimated that the horse was within firing range and immediately shouted, "Fire!"

Moments later, the string twanged like popping beans, and the crossbow bolts flew into the Japanese soldiers' ranks like locusts.

Most of the soldiers in the Japanese allied forces did not wear iron armor, and the spearmen did not carry shields. The bamboo strips on their bodies were no match for the crossbow bolts fired from more than ten paces away.

Immediately, screams erupted from the ranks, echoing through the valley and creating a truly chilling atmosphere.

When Jing Jun realized how much damage the arrows were causing, he stopped rushing into the enemy lines. The warriors who were prepared to fight to the death watched as the enemy did not come up at such a short distance, but only shot.

They were instantly enraged, but there was nothing they could do. Many warriors had already jumped out of their fortifications and were shot dead on the battlefield.

Arrows fired by both sides flew through the air, whistling incessantly in the valley wind, creating a terrifying scene.

Such a frustrating battle made them extremely irritable. The Jing army on the other side was clearly tall and strong, but they just wouldn't engage in close combat.

Suddenly, a warrior in armor in the formation brandished a long sword and began shouting.

Many Japanese soldiers, as if injected with adrenaline, leaped out of their fortifications and charged downhill.

Li Yanqi was slightly taken aback when he saw the impatient enemy, and then he smiled sneer.

In his view, this so-called bravery was worthless and only showed that the army was poorly disciplined and the commander was incompetent.

This is tantamount to voluntarily giving up the geographical advantage that one relies on.

"The courage of a common man."

At this point, there's no need to keep countering each move and pushing forward step by step; the other side has already lost their composure.

After firing the last volley, and seeing the Japanese soldiers almost upon them, the Jing army began hand-to-hand combat.

Chen Jun, who was at the forefront, held an iron spear in one hand and thrust it forward as the Japanese soldiers approached.

After the Japanese samurai was pierced by his spear and left outside, Chen Jun skillfully loosened his grip slightly, allowing him to slide down a few steps, before drawing his sword and slashing at his face.

The fighting in the valley soon came to an end; their fate was sealed the moment they were surrounded.

Li Yanqi looked at the blood-soaked valley without the slightest emotional fluctuation; in his eyes, it was nothing.

After breaking through the valley, Jing Jun immediately led his horse down the mountain. After crossing the mountain, they reached the unnamed river marked by the scouts.

On the dry land across the river, chaos reigned, with galloping warhorses and disorderly crowds everywhere.

The loud noise made it seem like everyone was shouting, and the Japanese voices were very distinctive and sounded quite aggressive.

Jing Jun remounted his horse, and each time the heavy iron hooves of his warhorse struck the ground, they produced a terrifyingly loud thud.

Japanese horses are very short. At that time, they were almost completely isolated and did not communicate with the outside world. The same was true for their horses, which could not be crossbred with superior breeds.

Almost all the horses in the country were native small horses, collectively known as "He stallions". They were small in size and had great endurance, but they could not carry heavily armored cavalry.

Of course, the conditions for forming heavy cavalry were not available here.

The Japanese are actually quite similar to the 'stud' in Japanese culture, as if all the creatures on this island nation would eventually develop this kind of temperament.

The Jing army's warhorses appeared exceptionally large to them, even though most of them were actually Korean or Mongolian horses.

Among the Jing army, this was already considered a relatively small horse. The cavalrymen who led the northern expedition in the Gobi Desert had horses of much better breed.

"We can wade through the water!" A soldier from the vanguard reported to Li Yanqi after testing it.

Li Yanqi nodded. This so-called allied force had set up an ambush in the valley. These were probably the cavalry they planned to ambush and then rush out to reap the rewards.

The Japanese soldiers on the other side were mostly cavalry.

Fujiwara no Yoshishige was in charge of commanding this cavalry force. When he saw the Jing army charging out of the valley, he already knew the outcome.

He roared with dramatic intonation, raised a Japanese sword high with both hands, stared at the Jing army on the opposite bank, his eyes wide, his teeth clenched, as if he had made up his mind to die.

"Cross the river!" Li Yanqi gave the order, and more than two thousand cavalrymen began their charge across the river.

The Japanese could not believe their eyes as they watched them cross the river.

In the blink of an eye, the warhorses had crossed the river. Their horses might not have been able to cross it, but the Japanese forgot that the two armies used different breeds of horses.

A huge black shadow blocked the sky in front of him. Fujiwara Yoshishige swung his katana, but his body involuntarily dodged. When he regained his senses, the blade flashed and the downward slash was already on his head.

Inspired by him, the other warriors began to fight back fiercely. Amidst the stabbing and hacking, blood rained down, and screams of agony and terror were deafening.

At this moment, the Japanese auxiliary troops who had come from the south also arrived. They shouted loudly in Japanese, demanding that these warriors surrender.

The warriors who refused to surrender roared angrily, their eyes filled with even deeper hatred as they looked at their kin.

A huge fire broke out on the wooden bridge over the river; no one knew who had set it ablaze. Chaos erupted on the bridge, causing utter chaos and overcrowding.

Some people were pushing westward, while others saw the firelight and turned back. Crowded in the middle, people kept falling into the river or jumping into the water on their own.

A line of Jing soldiers stood on the bank, the cavalrymen constantly drawing their bows and shooting arrows into the river, as if they were shooting at targets in formation.

Many of the fleeing Japanese were riddled with arrows, and their corpses filled the water.

Amidst the chaos of battle, auxiliary soldiers continued to shout: "Those who surrender will be spared!"

Some locals also started shouting in unison in Japanese, though their pronunciation wasn't very standard; it's unclear whether the Japanese could understand them.

More often than not, it's just a commotion and an outlet for emotions.

The fighting gradually subsided, and many people surrendered, especially the infantrymen wearing pointed bamboo hats.

The cavalry resisted relatively fiercely, because those who could ride horses were mostly loyal warriors.

As for the surrendered rioters who were put at the forefront as cannon fodder, they had already been riddled with bullets and were the first to die.

Li Yanqi reined in his warhorse and began writing a battle report on horseback using a lead rod and parchment, reporting the situation in Jinling.

Strictly speaking, today's battle was the first since the troops were dispatched, and it can be considered a great victory.

However, the resistance from the Japanese was clearly more intense than he had imagined, and he needed to inform His Majesty of this. (End of Chapter)