Mōri Terumoto, standing on the city walls, his face changed dramatically upon seeing the flags that belonged exclusively to the Japanese army.
"Impossible, it must be a trick by the Ming! They captured these flags, put on our armor, to create a false scene of local commanders rebelling and attacking the city, with the aim of shaking our morale!"
"Everyone, do not be deceived by the Ming's schemes!"
"Calm down, do not panic!"
Mōri Terumoto immediately issued orders to stabilize his subordinates and bolster the army's morale the moment he saw those flags! At this moment, no matter what flags appeared in front, whether enemy or friendly, no matter who appeared, they were all Ming people in disguise, a Ming army trick!
"Whoever comes from the front, regardless of who they are, they are all the enemy!"
"Do not waver, firmly block them here!"
If morale wavered at this time, even a sure victory could turn into a defeat. Being able to fight a thousand enemies alone, or defeat a larger force with a smaller one, these things were not uncommon throughout history. The necessary conditions, besides the fighting strength and quality of the army itself, were morale.
Of course, it was impossible to say that they were not shocked!
It was just that Mōri Terumoto was unwilling to believe that the generals of his own faction would suddenly rebel and join the Ming.
However...
"Will they really not rebel? Or, have they already rebelled?"
Kuroda Nagamasa's voice sounded beside Mōri Terumoto, making him turn his head with a shiver.
"Isn't that right? We had the Shimazu and Kobayakawa incidents before. The generals on the eastern and western fronts rebelled simultaneously, and other generals, Date and Uesugi, were said to be captured... but in reality, we haven't seen the Ming army bring them to the front lines to humiliate us. Perhaps they have already been imprisoned in Pyongyang, or perhaps..."
"They also have their own ambitions."
Kuroda Nagamasa analyzed coldly, "To be honest, accusing Ieyasu earlier was my impulsive act, but now that I think about it carefully, Ieyasu would not be a traitor. If he wanted to rebel, he wouldn't have left only one army to the Ming, and he also spoke of cooperation with us. There's no need to put on this act for a partner, unless he doesn't trust us."
"But is trust something that can be given upon first meeting? Naturally, it requires a process."
"So I'm wondering, does Lord Hideyoshi appointing Ieyasu, the commander of the eastern lands, as the new overall commander mean that a large number of western armies have become disloyal and have long been involved in shady dealings with the Ming?"
"Up to now, the only two immortals we know for sure were killed are the Immortal Jingang Dazang and the Immortal Gu Sen Tuojushi. These two were sent by Emperor Jinmu and absolutely could not betray us. Also, the Onmyōji Yukikuni Tokuukei, his Onmyō soul lamp has been extinguished, indicating he is truly dead."
"The Sword Saint Yagyū Munenori, his many swords fell into enemy hands, and he also died. The demonic energy of the two great yokai, Kyokai and Takishirō, has also dissipated, indicating they were also killed. Finally, there are Katō Kiyomasa and Tachibana Muneshige, who are explicitly the first and second generals killed. The deaths of these two are confirmed."
"As for the others, are they really dead? Apart from Shimazu and Hideaki, many legion commanders are missing. Although they were reported as dead, the Ming army's message was 'captured'..."
Kuroda Nagamasa's doubts grew larger, and Mōri Terumoto's face also showed a look of horror.
"Meaning, these people were actually waiting for an opportunity?"
This time, the attack on Ulsan was not a desperate resistance leading to defection, but rather opening the gates to welcome the royal army long ago?
Seeing Mōri Terumoto's horrified expression, Kuroda Nagamasa suddenly sighed, "In fact, I had a premonition that this day would come, but I never expected them to openly defect to the Ming and turn against us."
"Have they completely abandoned their relatives and families in their homeland? Such firm defection, if it were one or two generals, I wouldn't find it strange, but now there's a large-scale defection of generals. Who is the ringleader? Is it really the Shimazu and Kobayakawa families?"
"This war that the Regent initiated against Joseon and the Ming has now entered its sixth year! We are still in Joseon, and we can't even stabilize half the territory. Many people are already resentful and don't want to fight anymore."
"Therefore, as long as someone with a strong position calls out, a large number of generals defecting to the other side on the spot is entirely possible."
"Ieyasu just arrived here, so it couldn't be him."
"Brother Mōri, don't you think it was Uesugi Kagekatsu who defected, leading to this large-scale defection?"
Mōri Terumoto was greatly surprised and quickly said, "How is that possible! Uesugi Kagekatsu is one of the Five Elders with me, and he possesses the Heavenly Deer Bow and Heavenly Feather Arrows bestowed by Emperor Jinmu. Are you saying that he is not controlled by Emperor Jinmu, killed the two accompanying immortals, and then defected to the Ming?"
Kuroda Nagamasa stated firmly, "It is not impossible!"
"It is precisely because he holds divine artifacts that he possesses the ability to kill immortals, and may even threaten the Regent! You don't know how powerful these two divine artifacts are, do you? These are weapons specifically for killing immortals and gods!"
"If these two divine artifacts are exchanged, and Uesugi Kagekatsu defects to that Ming immortal, and in return, he is promised the assassination of Emperor Jinmu, do you think that Ming immortal will help him?"
"And you might not know... that Uesugi fellow is no longer human."
Kuroda Nagamasa revealed something Mōri Terumoto did not know. Mōri Terumoto listened with a look of surprise, his face full of disbelief, and then his expression turned extremely grim.
"How could such a thing happen... Is this our ultimate fate?"
"To actually refine a person into such a vengeful spirit monster! To abandon the flesh and blood body of a human, isn't this even more bizarre than a demon!"
"This will affect future generations, won't it!"
Mōri Terumoto's expression twisted, filled with extreme anger. His gaze towards Kuroda Nagamasa was now a mixture of emotions, "It seems that when you knew about this matter, you already harbored rebellious thoughts? Did you lead this Ming army here?"
Kuroda Nagamasa chuckled, "I only had the thought! I didn't do anything! You know me, if I were to facilitate the entry of these Ming troops, more than just one army would have entered!"
"You can't slander my reputation out of thin air."
Mōri Terumoto thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the immortals in the Central Plains are not like the false immortals here! They are real immortals who have truly reached the Heavenly Realm and fallen back down. If Uesugi Kagekatsu has betrayed us, he must want to ask them for help in restoring his human form."
"There are still some, aren't there! Didn't Emperor Jinmu inform us that several true immortals have appeared in the Central Plains in recent years!"
With a grander goal, one would naturally not focus on petty gains.
Kuroda Nagamasa nodded in affirmation.
After this analysis, Mōri Terumoto's heart was filled with great worry.
The two retreated from the city walls. Mōri Terumoto said in a low voice,
"This war initiated by the Regent has indeed lasted too long. Without obtaining the destiny of Joseon, it is impossible to complete this matter as long as the Ming interferes."
"If we continue to fight, our country will truly have no men left. A world without subjects, even if ruled, would be meaningless. If there is no production, no labor, no hunting, no trade, and when all of this is gone, the scholarly class will also be an empty shell, losing its practical meaning."
"Are we to live in a world full of demons?"
"It would be better to rebel against him!"
Kuroda Nagamasa's spirit was lifted, and he probed, "Do you mean, we should directly rebel and defect to the Ming Dynasty?"
Mōri Terumoto's anger surged in his heart, but after his expression changed several times, the ruddy anger subsided, his face turned pale. After a few breaths of silence, he shook his head bitterly, "No... rebellion is necessary, but we can't be so blatant about it."
"I don't have the courage of those people to openly rebel. I just mean, we can... retreat."
"My family's legacy is vast, and the territory I control is the largest among all the daimyo in the country. If I abandon it like this, my family members in the homeland will be implicated, and my descendants will also be affected."
"Even if we want to rebel against the Regent and defect to the Ming, we should at least migrate our family members overseas... and if we surrender now, we probably won't get much benefit. Isn't there a saying that it's easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow?"
Kuroda Nagamasa said, "Surrendering now may not be adding flowers to the brocade. There are 100,000 troops here. These Ming troops, plus those rebels, it won't be easy to capture Ulsan Castle. To capture it, many people will inevitably die. If we surrender, such losses can be avoided."
"But you are right, there are still so many family members, and so many businesses, we can't easily give them up. Although great men are not bound by trivialities, the matter at hand is too significant this time. This is not assassinating or rebelling against a single daimyo, but truly making an exchange of interests between nations. The cost of such an exchange is enormous..."
A pledge of allegiance is not easily given.
"If this is to be done, it must be done secretly. I don't want my descendants to become vengeful spirit monsters like Uesugi! And perhaps, the Regent himself is no longer human! He wants to turn us into non-human beings too!"
Mōri Terumoto gritted his teeth, then mentioned an incident from the previous year.
"Do you remember the period when the Regent 'resurrected'? Although many people said they saw incorrectly, I think it might have truly been him transforming into some monster. Looking at it now, perhaps he has become a vengeful spirit monster like Uesugi."
"It's similar to Emperor Sutoku and others in ancient times!"
The cannon fire outside gradually weakened. A soldier retreated from the city walls and informed Mōri Terumoto and the other that the offensive outside had stopped, and those troops were retreating. The siege equipment set up by the Ming army had also been completely destroyed!
"Good, good, good! We have a chance to breathe! The momentum of this Ming army has been blocked. Once a force is checked, it will decline; twice, it will be weakened; thrice, it will be exhausted. Their next offensive will surely not be as fierce as this one! Tell everyone to rest well, follow orders, and no one is allowed to leave their post without permission! Those who disobey will be beheaded!"
After Mōri Terumoto conveyed the order, he immediately went with Kuroda Nagamasa to report to Tokugawa Ieyasu. On the way, they were still discussing how to secretly defect. Kuroda Nagamasa believed that it was rumored that the Ming had stationed the Imperial Guard in Japan, which had been discovered during the initial stage of the war in the twenty-first year of Wanli. Therefore, there were definitely spies within the country now. As long as they could establish contact with them, they could obtain a certain unofficial status and continuously transmit intelligence on Hideyoshi, which would also bring immense benefits to the Ming.
This was merit.
Great merit that could be obtained without paying the price of one's life.
As for assassinating Hideyoshi, according to their assumptions, if Hideyoshi was no longer human, conventional assassination methods would be useless against him, so it was better not to think about such things, and thus avoid revealing any flaws.
"In any case, we must return to our country from the Korean battlefield, in any form... If all else fails, we can cripple our legs ourselves..."
The two, having lost their will to fight, arrived at Tokugawa Ieyasu's room, only to find the guards outside had been knocked down. The two were immediately greatly alarmed and rushed into the room. Seeing Tokugawa Ieyasu leaning against a screen, his breath faint and the ground covered in blood, their faces immediately turned ashen!
"Lord Ieyasu!"
"Commander-in-Chief! Did an assassin infiltrate?"
This was simply a joke. With Ieyasu's divine power, how could he be so seriously injured by ordinary assassins! Moreover, there was no sound of fighting emanating from here just now!
Tokugawa Ieyasu's face was pale. He grabbed the two who rushed over and first inquired about the battle situation. Upon learning that the Ming army had retreated, a "gratified" smile appeared on his face. Then, he coughed and said,
"The one who assassinated me was Hideaki! This fellow used my shadow warrior as a guide and had long infiltrated this city. He possesses the divine position of Ninigi-no-Mikoto, and can summon the counterfeit Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi! I was injured by Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi."
"However, it's not serious, I won't die for the time being. I have a secret technique, it only burns some vital blood, and does not harm my life. But after the secret technique ends, I will need some time to recover."
"If you two wish to kill me now, do it immediately."
Mōri Terumoto was startled, but his face showed anxiety, "What are you saying, Lord Ieyasu? We are not spies! Do not test us at such a moment of life and death!"
Kuroda Nagamasa echoed the sentiment, saying that his previous accusations were just angry words, and now seeing Lord Ieyasu lying in a pool of blood, he realized that Lord Ieyasu was truly a loyal and patriotic person!
"Damn Hideaki! Isn't he afraid that his family in Japan will be exterminated! Is he doing this for his own glory and wealth! This coward actually dared to risk it and infiltrate personally!"
Tokugawa Ieyasu wiped the blood from his mouth and said weakly, "If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cub? Hideaki dared to assassinate me, so he has grown. It is a pity that he betrayed Regent-sama, it is truly a sin."
"The shadow warrior told me some information. Tonight, after the Ming army launches an attack, we will begin to transfer. We will erect many flags and torches on the city walls, and place straw figures in armor on the ramparts. No one else is allowed to make a sound. We will slowly withdraw our troops and head to Sacheon."
Mōri Terumoto and the other two were worried about how to escape, and Tokugawa Ieyasu's command at this moment felt like timely rain. However, they still had to ask:
"Lord Ieyasu, our army's morale is high, having just repelled the Ming army and those rebels. How can we leave at this time?"
"Reinforcements will arrive in two days, and Ulsan Castle is impregnable. How can we fear..."
Tokugawa Ieyasu sighed, "Alas! The heavenly sword has arrived! I tell you two, the immortal sent by the Emperor has been defeated! The Ming immortal will arrive soon. If we stay here, do we want to stubbornly resist the heavenly sword?"
"Although I have treasures to resist the heavenly sword, which can reverse the nature of national prestige, in my current state, I am truly unable to face that Ming immortal, nor can I activate the power of the treasures. Therefore, we can only retreat to Sacheon and make plans after I recover!"