The sky was dark, the stars shifting. A large number of Japanese troops had already divided into multiple small units, arriving at Wangjing from Wangjing at different times, and then dispersing outwards from Wangjing. From several directions on the map, advancing by land and water, they attacked Kaesong.
"I didn't expect the Commander-in-Chief to have such strategic depth."
Shimazu Tadatsune, clad in samurai armor, was on campaign as a guard for Uesugi Kagekatsu, and was currently conversing with him.
When they left, the arrogant and overbearing attitude of Kobayakawa Hideaki had cast a shadow over many legion commanders, leading many to wonder if the operational plan devised by this good-for-nothing could truly effectively capture Kaesong.
Of course, at the beginning, although Uesugi Kagekatsu had agreed to send troops, he had not intended for this good-for-nothing to command. He only needed to sit in Wangjing and be a mascot Commander-in-Chief. However, after Kobayakawa Hideaki's elaborate analysis and deployment on the map, the legion commanders, and even Uesugi Kagekatsu himself, were somewhat surprised.
It wasn't the usual mindless frontal assault, nor was it to use the demons summoned by wishes as cannon fodder for the initial charges. Instead, it was to disperse large forces into small units, focusing not on overwhelming force, but on harassing and exhausting the enemy.
The main force of the Ming army had already arrived at Kaesong. Their logistics would have recovered over the past ten days, so a direct assault would result in extremely heavy casualties, even carrying the risk of failure. This depended on whether that immortal was present, but even if not, the Ming Dynasty should have several Divine General positions placed in Kaesong. The two pseudo-immortals would not act rashly. Their sole target was that Ming immortal, so they were excluded from the attacking forces.
After all, capturing the city would be useless if the true immortal returned and their pseudo-immortals could not act, which would be equivalent to feeding lives to the opponent.
"Yes, continuously harassing and disturbing the enemy, exhausting them before continuing the attack. After multiple small unit harassments, a large force would press forward, making the Ming army believe their main force had joined the battle. Then, this group would deliberately lose, and if they lured the enemy out of the city to fight, they would immediately enter the pre-arranged location for an ambush..."
"If they didn't come out, they would split into several units to attack their supply lines, cutting off their food and supplies. Their main forces would be defending Kaesong and unable to turn back to rescue. If they went out to rescue, they would surely lose."
"Continuous attacks, maintaining high morale, while they gradually weaken..."
Since ancient times, in siege warfare, direct assault was ultimately a method of last resort, as the saying goes, "There are cities that must be attacked, and cities that must not be attacked."
Moreover, Uesugi Kagekatsu was also satisfied with this small unit combat method.
The weakness of Japanese generals lay in their inability to command large-scale battles, as they had never led so many troops before. Small unit operations could maximize the command advantages of each legion commander.
With troop numbers ranging from a few hundred to under ten thousand, the inherent strengths of each legion commander could be maximized.
In fact, since ancient times, if the military strength exceeded a certain limit, it became difficult to command. This was because once morale collapsed, the defeat would be like a mountain collapsing, and it could not be saved. Not everyone possessed Han Xin's ability to benefit from more troops.
However, in the current era, although the country could still fight vigorously with strategy, this tactic seemed somewhat ineffective against the Ming army, which possessed cannons.
The opposing Ming Dynasty had abandoned subtlety and could blast your head to pieces simply by relying on cannons, excelling in brute force.
However, it must be said that some strategies, even cannons could not blast away, such as cutting off supplies and supply lines. Regardless of how the war situation changed, cutting off supply lines had always been a very effective surprise tactic.
The soldiers responsible for escorting supplies would not be too numerous, and the militia lacked high morale and combat effectiveness. In this era of matchlock and flintlock guns, no one could produce machine guns for logistical support. Therefore, as long as they attacked, victory was assured!
Victory!
...
Katagiri Katsumoto, Kasuya Takenori, Ikoma Chikamasa, Nabeshima Naoshige.
These were the four legion commanders dispatched to intercept the supply lines, with a total force of seventeen thousand. They left the earliest, setting out almost immediately upon receiving the mission. Among them, Nabeshima Naoshige's eyes were bloodshot, as if possessed, and he loudly proclaimed his desire for revenge for Kato Kiyomasa.
Everyone knew that he had previously been Kato Kiyomasa's副将 (fùjiàng - second-in-command), and he never expected that the latter would be directly killed in Haizhou City, without even a chance to escape.
The mission to intercept the Ming army's supplies this time was one he had actively requested from Kobayakawa Hideaki.
At that time, he was extremely excited, his shadow even shaking.
Katagiri Katsumoto and Kasuya Takenori were also among the "Seven Spears of Shizugatake" like Kato Kiyomasa. They also felt a sense of shared misfortune at Kato Kiyomasa's death. This time, going to intercept the Ming army's supply lines, they were also driven by the desire to restore the prestige of the "Seven Spears." Their主动请战 (zhǔdòng qǐngzhàn - proactive request to fight) made Kobayakawa Hideaki extremely pleased.
At that time, they thought it was an acknowledgment of their abilities that he smiled so broadly.
Since that was the case, they would not fail their lord's trust...
Kobayakawa Hideaki was a figure like a second-generation rich kid. Before the Korean War, the two of them had served as Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attendants. They were already accustomed to obeying Kobayakawa's rude commands. They just didn't expect that this time Kobayakawa Hideaki would display extremely high military acumen, even leaving Date Masamune, who had always been at odds with him, speechless.
Perhaps war could transform people. Even without being on the front lines, some people could strategize and win battles from afar by analyzing the situation from the rear.
After all, he was Hideyoshi-sama's adopted son, possessing some special talents and abilities. This should be the normal development, not like a skinny otaku slumped on the throne of the King of Joseon in Wangjing, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
This is how he should be, looking like a Commander-in-Chief!
Advancing by land and water, Katagiri Katsumoto and Kasuya Takenori traveled by water, docking their ships at a cliffside shore extending from a mountain range where there was no port.
Then, they concealed their ships, preventing them from being washed away by the sea, and led seven thousand troops to cross mountains and ridges, entering the mountains. They moved through the wilderness, and Katagiri Katsumoto further divided his troops, turning one unit into three. In this way, gradually, the entire mountain range was filled with Japanese troops.
They were all too familiar with the route the Ming army used to escort supplies. After all, Kaesong had changed hands between the two sides only a few days ago due to their fierce battles. If they couldn't figure out the logistical routes, their scouts' efforts over the past few days would have been in vain.
"Date Masamune's intelligence is accurate. Look, the Ming army has appeared."
Katagiri Katsumoto and Kasuya Takenori commanded the central army, while the other two routes were handed over to their副将 (fùjiàng - second-in-command), who were dispersed in the wilderness.
Soon, according to the intelligence provided by the scouts, the Ming army's banners appeared in the distance.
This was a necessary route from Haizhou City to Kaesong. The surrounding mountains provided cover, making it normally difficult to infiltrate. However, Katagiri Katsumoto possessed the divine position of "Amenouzume-no-Mikoto," who specialized in opening paths in places with no roads in the world.
Thus, they entered this mountainous region without encountering much resistance. Places without roads beneath the sky would open paths for them.
However, extensive use of divine power would inevitably be detected by mages on the opposing side. It was impossible to do so silently; that was the skill possessed by Marici, but unfortunately, that person was already dead.
Therefore, after opening a section of the road, he stopped using his divine power.
They waited at the predetermined location for the Ming army and observed. The Ming army's movement speed was not fast, but it was very orderly. Soldiers were at the front, followed by supply wagons, with many militia escorting a large amount of supplies.
"Should we act now?"
Kasuya Takenori asked. Katagiri Katsumoto shook his head, "Let him pass. When the wagons are halfway through, the other two units will move. One unit of fifteen hundred men will block his vanguard, and another unit of fifteen hundred men will cut off his rear. We, with four thousand elite soldiers, will then attack from the middle, boosting our momentum and morale, and cutting off his center, making it impossible for him to attend to both ends."
"Look, they are transporting supplies day and night. The Ming army is indeed preparing for a major push. Unfortunately, it's fortunate that Mr. Uesugi advised us to take the initiative. Otherwise, if we kept delaying, we might not be able to hold Wangjing."
Katagiri Katsumoto sighed heavily, his hand gripping his katana tightening unconsciously.
The Ming army's typical brute force approach. Now, their stockpiling of supplies was preparation to annihilate them. Therefore, not giving the opponent a chance to prepare was the correct course of action.
Even with a numerical advantage, and setting aside their respective immortals and their own two immortals, the combat between the soldiers and generals below, in terms of national prestige, even after absorbing the national prestige of Joseon, Japan still did not possess a significant advantage.
And on the other side, there were a large number of firearms.
"Wait, what is that weapon?"
As Katagiri Katsumoto was observing the Ming army, he suddenly saw several huge weapons being transported. Although they were covered with cloth and their details were not visible, their outlines indicated that such large weapons were something they had never seen before.
This surprised him, and then gradually filled him with dread.
Those... should be cannons, right?
No, the Frankish cannons and the Ming army's own cannons were not this large. These were almost three or four times larger, and at least ten feet long!
The gun carriages carrying these heavy weapons were twice their length!
"This is a new type of cannon!"
As for its power, just by looking, one could tell it was far superior to the Frankish cannons!
Seize it, we must seize it!
A voice in Katagiri Katsumoto's mind shouted loudly! This time, it was not just about intercepting supplies. As long as they could seize these new cannons, the Ming army would not only lose an important weapon of resistance, but the Japanese army's strength would also increase exponentially!
Not only that, but alongside these cannons, other weapons covered with cloth were also being transported! Whether these were supplies or military equipment, they would undoubtedly be very important materials for Kaesong, which was about to be fiercely harassed!
He was extremely excited and issued orders to his副将 (fùjiàng - second-in-command):
"The opportunity to achieve great deeds is today!"
Victory!