Chapter 714

Episode 714: The Second Battle of the Yellow Sea (12)

The day of Daeseol (12/7-8) in the 9th year of the Imperial Calendar (1457) .

The imperial fleet arrived in Nantong. The Ming Dynasty soldiers were just about to have breakfast.

Clink ding ding!

Deeng~ Deeng!

Puuu~ Puuu~.

“The Koreans have invaded!”

“The Koreans have invaded!”

“Send gunpowder and shot to the battery!”

While bells and trumpets announcing an emergency were ringing loudly from all directions, the soldiers threw down their dishes and ran hurriedly to their positions.

“Damn it! “Of course, while eating!”

“They don’t even eat!”

The Ming Dynasty soldiers hurriedly reached into their rice bowls and shoved the rice they had grabbed into their mouths while swearing at the imperial navy.

“No matter how much of a war there is, there has to be at least some morals!”

* * *

Meanwhile, a similar conversation was taking place on a ship of the Imperial Navy that had arrived at the mouth of the Yangtze River and was facing the Ming fleet and coastal defense batteries stationed in Nantong.

“They say they don’t even touch the dog while they’re eating, so it looks like we came in a little early.”

The manager, who was examining the situation on the front lines and the coast through a telescope, reported to the captain with a wry smile.

The captain responded to the manager’s words with a voice that said it was no big deal.

“I heard something from my boss a while ago. I heard His Majesty said this. ‘Dogs are bitten, so don’t touch them.’ I say so. And it’s easier to deal with people who are low on energy than to deal with people who are well-fed and full of energy. “Don’t you know how heavy a bullet is?”

The manager nodded at the captain’s words.

This was something he himself experienced. After a full-blown battle, regardless of rank, people felt extreme hunger. Once the soldiers managed to clean up the wounded, it was their daily routine to immediately boil water and eat the dry food first.

At the beginning of his tenure, the manager thought that their hunger was a psychological problem. However, after a few battles, I realized that it was actually because I was hungry.

The weight of the bullets and gunpowder used in the artillery mounted on the front line was considerable, and if you carried as few as 10 or as many as 20 or more rounds of them, you would quickly run out of stamina.

The manager, who was nodding as he recalled his experience, suddenly thought of another thought.

‘But isn’t it a headache to deal with people who get so angry just because they kicked the bowl while eating?’

“We’re at the intersection!”

“Then fire!”

The commander came to his senses after hearing the captain’s order to fire, put the telescope to his eyes and focused on the battlefield again.

* * *

Boom! Quack!

Starting with the bombardment of the assault ships at the forefront, the Imperial Navy’s bombardment began.

The imperial navy’s bombardment, which was now beyond skill and reaching new heights, instantly made the defense line of the Ming Dynasty fleet full of holes.

As a crack appeared in the Ming fleet’s defense line, the assault ships split to the left and right and began attacking the remaining front lines of the Ming fleet from the center outward.

The challenger-class front lines that pushed into the space secured in this way concentrated artillery fire on Songmyeong Island (崇明島, present-day Chongming Island) and the coastal batteries located in the opposite estuary – the current Shanghai area.

In particular, the coastal batteries located on Sungmyeong Island were subjected to intensive artillery fire. The reason they were under heavy bombardment was for strategic reasons, but the name also played a role.

This was because the name, which could be interpreted as ‘Sungmyeong (崇明)’ or ‘elevating the reputation,’ got on the nerves of the imperial navy.

As the coastal batteries were suppressed through persistent bombardment from the challenger-class fronts, the landing panok ships waiting behind them began to move up the Yangtze River.

The destination of the panok ships was the shipyard in Nantong, located on the lower Yangtze River.

* * *

“The Koreans are coming!”

“Run away!”

“Run away!”

Nantong was in chaos due to rumors that the imperial navy was coming. Reinforcement troops to support the Ming army defending the Nantong military port and refugees trying to flee Nantong became entangled on the road, creating a huge traffic jam.

“Move! Move!”

“Get out of the way or I’ll cut your throat!”

The military officers commanding the reinforcements drew their swords and issued warnings, but the refugees who had lost their senses continued to flock in.

In the end, Mao Taek-il, the commander of the reinforcement unit, gave an order to the military officers.

“Those who block the movement of troops are collaborators with the enemy! Cut off his head!”

“yes?”

“Are you telling me the truth?”

This was because not only the fence but also the troops suffered great damage due to the artillery bombardment that began with Hwasangsingijeon.

Thanks to this, effective multiple firing was impossible, and the Ming army’s defenses collapsed due to the charge of the Jurchen cavalry, which took advantage of the opportunity to reload.

* * *

After breaking through the defense line, the Yeojin cavalry continued the charge along the main road.

The orders they received were simple.

-Take control of the gates of the castle that defends Nantong.

-If control is impossible, block the gates and tie up reinforcements.

The Jurchen cavalry, who were running along the highway to fulfill the order, encountered reinforcements commanded by Mao Ze-il along the way.

The Jurchen cavalrymen, who saw Mao Ze-il’s reinforcements, did not hesitate to take out their spears, put them in their sides, and spurred on.

Hee hee hee!

Doo doo doo doo!

The Jurchen cavalry mounted on their horses, which increased their speed even more, charged directly at the front of Mao Ze-il’s troops.

Kwasik!

“evil! “Ahh!”

The Ming soldiers who were at the head of Mao Ze-il’s unit were stabbed to death by spears or were seriously injured by being trampled by horses’ hooves.

The Jurchen cavalrymen, who lost their speed due to the collision, immediately pulled out their curved swords and cut down the surrounding Ming troops, quickly falling back.

When the leader of the Jurchen cavalry, who had successfully charged, left the position, his place was filled by imperial cavalrymen holding military-style rifles.

Ta-ta-tang!

In an instant, the imperial cavalrymen who fired the five preloaded shots fell to the side, and other imperial cavalrymen took their place.

Soon after, imperial infantry units arrived and participated in the battle.

Mao Ze-il’s unit collapsed helplessly under the constant gunfire of the imperial army.

Mao Ze-il urgently ordered his subordinates.

“San dog! “It’s a street fight!”

“Sangae!”

Following Mao Ze-il’s orders, the Ming army began to disperse into the alleys of Nantong. Seeing this, the imperial army’s infantrymen also dispersed in groups (about 25 men) and began to chase after the Ming soldiers.

It was the beginning of the Nantong street fighting.

* * *

The street fighting was fierce.

Having secured the best bridgehead, the military port of Nantong, the imperial army began to steadily deploy troops.

This was different from the battles that had previously taken place at other military ports.

In the previous battle, the imperial army retreated immediately after destroying the military port, its attached facilities, and nearby areas.

However, in Nantong, they were gradually taking control of Nantong by deploying additional troops.

In the process, a significant number of civilians were caught up in the fighting and lost their lives, were maimed, and lost their property.

It was only after messengers arrived from Nanjing that the street fighting in Nantong stopped.

“I want to negotiate!”

When the gunfire stopped in Nantong, a sea emergency ship of the imperial army was crossing the West Sea and returning to Seosan.

It was a ship carrying Jinwi and Ham Pung-deok’s family.

Unlike his family, who were looking all around with faces full of anxiety and worry, Wang Deok-gu was bouncing the abacus with an excited face.

“Let’s see... the market price of Haigu God these days...”

Author’s words.

hello?

This is Gukppong, who writes ‘Black Enterprise Chosun’.

This is because the series has been delayed for the past few days, so I would like to apologize.

Since last week, my condition has worsened significantly due to persistent headaches.

At first, I was able to relieve the headache with headache medication, but today it did not go away even with the headache medication, so I had to visit the hospital.

The hospital said it appears to be a stress issue at the moment. There were no abnormal signs in a blood test recently.

However, if the headache continues to not subside in the future, I was advised to go to a large hospital and get a thorough examination.

I hope it doesn’t go that far, and I’ll do my best to publish the series without being late or making typos as much as possible.

Once again, we apologize for the frequent delays in serialization.

I will do my best.

Posted with Gukbbong