Omura Sumitada sighed, feeling that the Ming Kingdom today was indeed different. Following Japanese military protocol, he bowed his head in silent prayer. After exhaling a long breath, he asked again,
"Where was Lord Mendōrō martyred? How did he die? Where is his body?"
The ronin choked back his sobs,
"Lord Mendōrō was south of Fengjing, at a mound called Sanjiaofen. He was struck by Ming artillery. All twenty of his escorts perished with him... their bodies, their bodies were unrecognizable..."
Sanjiaofen?
Twenty-one lives?
Omura Sumitada's heart gave a chill.
It was most inauspicious in warfare to have such ill-omened place names, for they often came true. This Sanjiaofen, with precisely twenty-one dead, all blown to unrecognizable forms, was this not the will of heaven?
Thinking of this, his apprehension grew, and he commanded,
"The entire army, accelerate! Retreat to Zuibai Pond!"
Hiyah!
He led the charge, galloping away.
...
At this time,
In the Hu Jiaban forest, two li from Zuibai Pond.
Zhu Mo had also received Zheng Qin's report—
The Japanese pirates at Fengjing had routed, Mendōrō fallen at Sanjiaofen.
He, who never believed in such things, took a deep breath this time: Damn it, this stuff? It's too terrifying...
"I told you Sanjiaofen was unlucky..."
If he hadn't woken up to it then, it would likely have been himself blown apart by the Portuguese cannons.
He sighed, rallied his spirits, and ordered, "The main force of the Japanese pirates has returned to Zuibai Pond. Bring out the Iron Bodhisattvas! Fire the musketeers for cover, and the volunteers ready to support!"
Just then,
Yin Xiaohu suddenly said, "Scholar Zhu, the Japanese pirates are fleeing back to Zuibai Pond. If we bombard them again, they will have nowhere to retreat and will surely fight back desperately... I believe our volunteers could set up more obstacles on the battlefield. What do you think, Scholar Zhu?"
Oh?
Truly has some talent.
Zhu Mo smiled, "Of course it's feasible. Take the volunteers and do it!"
This Yin Xiaohu was indeed a fine officer, even better than Zheng Qin.
Because,
Omura Sumitada would not easily abandon Huating. When the cannons roared, he would likely mistake it for an attack on Fengjing and concentrate his firepower in a counterattack. Digging trenches in front would be too late now, but setting up some obstacles would be enough to delay the approach of the Portuguese cannons. With enough time, at most one cartload of shells would suffice.
"Good, good. This man will surely be a fine general in the future..."
In less than an hour,
Yin Xiaohu's camp, with over five thousand volunteers, went to gather trees from various places and transport stones by cart. About a li in front of the formation, they piled up many stone heaps, and at various road intersections, they piled up much wood. In just one hour, it had taken on a respectable appearance.
Just as the volunteers retreated, a sound of rapid and orderly marching came from the front.
Yin Xiaohu's face lit up with excitement, saying,
"Scholar Zhu, the Japanese pirates have indeed returned. Shall we engage now?"
Zhu Mo smiled calmly, "No rush. When attacking across a river, one strikes at the halfway point. It's the same now. Wait until they are halfway across, then open fire."
From afar,
Although the Japanese pirates moved in haste and seemed panicked, they were not in complete disarray. This showed that Omura Sumitada was indeed worthy of his reputation, having managed to rally his defeated troops. Moreover, he possessed considerable talent as a commander, not forgetting to first deploy the three Portuguese companies on three sides of the camp before allowing his troops to enter.
Zhu Mo couldn't help but admire him—
His actions were truly foolproof. No conventional force could possibly launch a surprise attack. The three Portuguese companies were sufficient to withstand any enemy assault, and the palisades, with their solid timber frames reinforced by newly felled trees, were even capable of withstanding ordinary artillery.
But Omura never dreamed, or perhaps dared not believe, that even at a distance of two li, the Iron Bodhisattvas could lob shells into this enclosed camp. And the more robust the camp, the more it would become a living hell.
Seeing the Japanese pirates stream into the camp like a long dragon, Zhu Mo suddenly asked, "Yin Xiaohu, do you know how Omura managed to rally his defeated troops?"
Yin Xiaohu was also very puzzled and asked, "Please, Scholar Zhu, enlighten me."
"Very well!"
Zhu Mo explained slowly, "He relies on his more than a dozen main subordinate clans! These subordinate clans have been followers of the Omura family for hundreds of years, having fought in no less than eight hundred battles... It is with these clans, who would not falter even unto death, that he can stabilize his position..."
Oh,
Yin Xiaohu suddenly understood, and blurted out, "Scholar Zhu means that victory in battle depends entirely on these core members?"
Zhu Mo smiled,
"You will ponder this slowly in the future. Remember, you must cultivate a group of iron-willed core members. With just twenty such individuals, even if driven to the brink of despair, one can still make a comeback..."
He said this because he recalled a famous saying by the Chairman: "As long as there are seven or eight true proponents of truth, China's affairs will be accomplished."
Mm-hmm,
Yin Xiaohu instantly understood. These core individuals would lead ten others, who in turn would lead another ten, and only then could the troops truly be solidified. Otherwise, no matter how many people there were, they would merely be a rabble.
At this moment,
Zhu Mo checked the time and felt it was about right. He mused that after Zheng Qin finished at Fengjing, he should head north to assist Qi Jiguang, and then the two armies would join forces to relieve the besieged city. Liu Yingjie inside the city should see an opportunity and launch a major sortie, thereby breaking the enemy camp at Xiaokunshan outside the West Gate. Following this, systematically dismantling the enemy positions should not be a problem.
But the prerequisite was—
They must eliminate all of the Japanese pirates' Portuguese artillery companies.
With this thought,
He waved his hand and shouted,
"Fire!"
Whizz~~
Bang bang bang
Bang bang bang bang
In the blink of an eye, a thick white smoke billowed from the camp ahead.
"Use more explosive shells!"
Zhu Mo roughly estimated that there were at least four to five thousand men inside and outside the camp at this time. Eliminating their fighting strength was the most cost-effective approach.
...
Waaaa!
Wala-wala~
The Zuibai Pond camp was engulfed in fire and smoke. Large iron balls rolled rapidly through the camp, instantly knocking down several rows of wooden walls, then rebounding and killing three or four men! The fragments from the bursting hollow shells injured three to four times the number of men compared to normal. Each explosion felled fifty to sixty men.
"Demonic shells!"
"The demons are here again!"
"Lord Sumitada, retreat quickly!"
"..."
Omura Sumitada stood outside the main tent, stunned, gazing blankly at the entire camp, unable to utter a single word. Suddenly, he remembered something, leaped to his feet, and roared,
"Topple the palisades, the entire army disperse! Disperse!"
The Japanese pirates cut the supporting struts, and with a crash, the entire wooden stockade surrounding the camp collapsed. Three to four thousand Japanese pirates rushed out in a chaotic surge, their entire army falling into complete disarray.
Omura Sumitada discerned the direction of the artillery fire and shouted,
"To the south! Portuguese companies, move closer to the south!"
Having said that,
He truly led by example, mounting his horse and, holding a matchlock gun, charged towards Hu Jiaban. Since he could lead the charge, the other Japanese pirates, being fierce fighters, immediately roared and, whether on horseback or on foot, followed him down.