Episode 590: Hwangnyongrak (黃龍落) (5)
The Joseon Army’s cavalry was used toy ground food, but Choi Yun-deokid another ground food there.
“General! General!”
The advance unit of the Ming army’s vanguard.
Conductor Jang Ik-deok stepped forward in response to an urgent voice looking for him.
“What’s going on?”
“The scouts have brought you an urgent report!”
“Urgent report?”
Jang Ik-deok, who heard the word ‘urgent news’, drove his horse forward.
“okay. It’s urgent. Something?”
In response to Ikdeok’s question, the cavalryman who had gone out to scout answered by raising his hand and pointing to a distant ce.
“We have discovered the Joseon army 20 ri ahead!”
Hearing the scout’s report, Ik-deok became very nervous and asked urgently.
“okay? How many are there and what are they doing? “Are you preparing for a defensive battle?”
“The number appears to be around 1,000, and they were loading supplies on carts!”
“You were loading supplies onto a cart?”
“yes! “It looks like they were preparing for ast-minute withdrawal!”
“Hmm…”
Ik-deok thought for a moment about the scout’s report and asked the question again.
“You said the Joseon army numbered 1,000. How many infantry and how many cavalry were there?”
“There was hardly any infantry to be seen and it was all cavalry.”
“Hmm…”
I analyzed the situation based on the scout’s report.
‘Could it be a trap? No, it’s too visible to be a trap…’
Ikdeok took out the map he was carrying in his arms and pointed out the location of the problem.
‘It’s in the middle of a t area. Ambushes are hard. Were the Joseon army cavalry receiving supplies? I guess it’s usible since cavalry also needs supplies, right? Let’s see… I have 2,000 cavalry that I canmand right now. It’s a little scary…’
“Hmm… How much supplies were there?”
“There are so many!”
After hearing the answer, Ikdeok made a decision right away.
“Gather all the cavalry! And have the soldiers take off their armor and only carry helmets and spears!”
“General?”
“Move as quickly as possible and take away the supplies from the Joseon army! If you’re lucky, you’ll even be able to get information about the Joseon military! “Move now!”
“yes!”
Following Ik-deok’s decision, his subordinate officers began to move busily.
Ikdeok continued to give orders without stopping.
“Choose those with outstanding bravery among the soldiers who have taken off their armor and ride them on the cavalry’s horses! And a messenger!”
“Yes General!”
“Tell this to the headquarters! “It seems like we’ve caught the Joseon military’s tail!”
“Yes General!”
Ik-deok, who even sent a messenger, urged his subordinates.
“Are you ready?”
“It will be over soon!”
“Hurry! If you do it wrong, you will miss the Joseon army! “This is a good opportunity to take care of supplies for the Joseon army!”
“yes!”
Ik-deok, who urged his subordinates, forcibly pulled down the corners of his mouth that kept rising.
‘The Joseon army’s supplies are famous for their high quality. And if you take something from the enemy properly, the enemy’s losses will be doubled!’
As Ik-deok said, the supplies of the Joseon army were famous for their good quality. The most famous one was the health of the Joseon army. If you dissolve an appropriate amount in water and boil it, you can make a hearty meal. Because of this, even Ming Dynasty merchants had to look for dry goods made in Joseon when they went on long journeys.
* * *
After half a march (about an hour), the Ming Dynasty cavalry led by Ik-deok rushed forward.
“Don’t forget to look around!”
“Never act rashly!”
Under themand of Ik-deok, the Ming cavalry rode at a trot.
“Herees the Joseon army!”
As the scouts said, the Ming Dynasty cavalry, which ran for about 20 ri, was able to spot the Joseon soldiers. Likewise, the Joseon army cavalry that discovered the Ming cavalry was struggling to get on their horses.
‘The number has decreased even further! Around 400 to 500! good night!’
Ik-deok, delighted, drew his sword and shouted.
“Hit!”
“charge!”
“Wow!”
Ikdeok’s cavalry, seeing the Joseon cavalry that was much smaller in number than themselves, ran out shouting.
The battle ended abruptly. The Joseon Army cavalry, seeing the charge of the Ming cavalry, threw away their supplies and marched until their tails fell.
“ha ha ha! “They’re such cowards!”
“There’s no such thing as a ragtag group of people!”
Ik-deok’s cavalry,ughing at the sight of the Joseon cavalry disappearing into the distance, dismounted from its horse along with the soldiers it was carrying.
The ce they headed was the supplies left behind by the Joseon army.
“It was urgent.”
The soldiers, who were looking at the scene where half-loaded carts and various supplies were rolling around, soon began searching through the boxes.
“Hey! “It’s healthy!”
“This is alcohol? “It would be nice to drink it with water!”
While the excited soldiers were searching for items, Ikdeok, who arrived one stepte, shouted.
“Just take care of itter and do a proper search first!”
“Yes yes!”
At Ik-deok’smand, the soldiers packed them into their arms and began to search the surrounding area.
That evening, Ikdeok presented a half-burned map to the vanguard.
“I obtained this from the Joseon military supply depot upied today. Looking at it, it appears to be a supply base for the Joseon military.”
In response to Ikdeok’s report, the vanguardpared the locations of the dots on the captured map with his own map.
After examining the location for a moment, the leader nodded.
“Right. It is a good location because it has a supply base. “We will pursue the Joseon army along this route.”
“ancient!”
After hearing Ik-deok’s answer, the vanguard looked back at the othermanders.
“I need to pick up the pace a little more. Looking at the situation today, it seems like the Joseon army is in a hurry to retreat. “It’s a good opportunity, and if you do well, you might be able to have luck like today again.”
“That’s right!”
The quantity that Ik-deok’s troops obtained was considerable. Even excluding the amount stolen by the soldiers who arrived first, all of the soldiers in the vanguard were able to eat a full meal. The eyes of the soldiers andmanders who had unexpected good fortune were full of greed.
* * *
“Are they really going toe over?”
In response to Lee Jing-ok’s question, Choi Yun-deok nodded confidently.
“It will definitelye over. You know it well, right? Soldiers are those who are hungry no matter how much they eat.”
Lee Jing-ok nodded at Choi Yun-deok’s words. It was the same when I was ying on the front line. Whenever we were dispatched, the first and most important thing to take care of was dry goods and ammunition.
Choi Yun-deok continued.
“Isn’t there a saying, ‘Suju Dae-to (守株待兎)’? “Now that we have tasted rabbit meat, we have no choice but to follow the path we have set for ourselves.”
Choi Yun-deok mentioned the story of a foolish farmer who hit a tree stump and found a dead rabbit, then sat down next to the tree stump and waited for his luck to repeat itself.
“They must look down on our Joseon army because they kept running away, throwing away precious supplies and openly running away. And the fact that they are great soldiers will also hold them back. It is not easy to change a course once the military moves, and this bes more difficult therger the scale. “Since they have already started to turn and move their feet, they have no choice but toe to the ce we want through the route we want.”
Lee Jing-ok and other subordinatemanders nodded in response to the words of Choi Yun-deok, an veteran of reversal, that fully reflected his experience.
And the Ming army fell into that trap.
‘Joseon army discovered!’
After receiving the urgent news, Ikdeok immediately examined the situation.
Ikdeok looked at the Joseon army’s camp in the distance, opened the map, checked his location, and smiled bitterly.
“Was it something you were dragged into?”
* * *
“You were dragged in.”
As soon as Ik-deok’s report was received, the vanguard checked the map and smiled bitterly, just like Ik-deok.
The current location of the Joseon military was at the eastern end of Gwangnyeong (廣寧). In history before Hyang intervened, the Joseon army was encamped and waiting in the eastern part of Panjin City.
The reason why both Ik-deok and the vanguard said they were ‘pulled in’ was because of the location where the Joseon army was encamped.
The Twin Princes River (双太子河) flowed to the north of the in facing where the Joseon army was currently encamped, and the Daeryo River (大遼河) flowed to the south.
And now, not only the vanguard but also part of the main force of the Ming army had entered this ce.
In other words, if they could not break through the Joseon army blocking the exit, they would not be able to enter Liaodong Province and Joseon.
* * *
“It’s a head-to-head match with all odds… Isn’t this an opportunity for genius!”
Commander-in-Chief Han Il-shin, who received the worry-filled report from the vanguard unit, was rather pleased with it.
“A head-to-head match is what we wanted! “The location where the Joseon army is encamped is a dangerous ce, but considering our military power, it can never be a deadly ce!”
Han Il-shin raised his voice and raised his fist to the sky.
“Although the Joseon army’s firepower may be stronger than ours, there will be limits! “Push in your troops and break the Joseon army’s defenses, just as the constantly pushing waves break the embankment!”
Hanilshin’s orders were immediately delivered to the vanguard troops.
The vanguard, who received the order, looked aloof and called his subordinatemanders.
“We became the vanguard of the assault. “Send wine and meat to the soldiers.”
“yes.”
* * *
The battle,ter called the Battle of Gwangnyeong, continued fiercely.
In order to break through the sixyer barbed wire mesh wall of the Joseon army, the Ming army reced its troops, and the Joseon army consumed a huge amount of ammunition to prevent this.
During a war of attrition that would go down in history, both sides constantly replenished their exhausted supplies and manpower.
“How about pulling back some of the soldiers and bypassing the twin princes?”
Tired of the war of attrition that hadsted for almost fifteen days, the Ming armymanders proposed a diversionary operation to Hanilshin.
“That would be fine.”
ording to the decision of Hanilshin, who epted the proposal, about 20,000 infantry were selected and bypassed Crown Prince Xia. However, the troops who bypassed this way were caught by the waiting Joseon cavalry and destroyed.
“Holy shit! “What happened to the reinforcements?”
Upon hearing the report of the ‘detachment’s destruction,’ Hanilshin was furious and looked for reinforcements.
Han Il-shin, who had heard that troops would be added when he passed Shanhaiguan and entered the Liaoxi Corridor, was confident of an easy victory.
“I said more is better! “If reinforcements continue, the game is already decided!”
However, the battle that was taking ce was forcing a huge expenditure of men and materials.
“We need reinforcements! If you stop here, it’s just pointless waste!”
* * *
While Han Il-shin was anxiously waiting for reinforcements, Choi Yun-deok also had a face full of impatience.
“I’m holding on somehow, but I’m almost at my limit. “What on earth is the navy doing?”
What Choi Yun-deok was waiting for was news from the naval forces in charge of ‘attacking Sanhaegwan’.
“If Shanhaiguan falls, victory will definitely be ours…”
Day 20 of the battle.
“General! “It’s a waste of time!”
Lee Jing-ok, who was full of joy, handed out amunication to Choi Yun-deok.
“The navy has finally done it!”
“Oh oh!”
Choi Yun-deok’s face brightened at Lee Jing-ok’s words, and he quickly received themunication.
The content of themunication delivered through the luminous signals was concise.
-Copse of the Shanhaiguan. Seeded in cutting off the Ming supply route.
As the Joseon navy destroyed Shanhaiguan, the supply of supplies to the Ming army was cut off.
After checking the contents of themunication, Choi Yun-deok clenched his fists without realizing it.
“it’s okay! “Now the victory is in our hands!”