Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Pyongyang, Bloody Battle

On the eighth day of the first lunar month in the 21st year of Wanli (1593), the Ming army went out of camp. Li Rusong stood at the front of the team as usual, looking at the fortified city in front of him, he knew that a great battle was about to begin. Li Rusong, exceptionally talented, resolute and brave in battle, well-versed in military tactics, in April of the twenty-sixth year of Wanli (1598), local barbarians invaded Liaodong.Lead the light cavalry to go out to smash the nest, lead the soldiers, lie down, and die in battle. At this time, there are still five years before his death.

Li Rusong's life is not long, but God treats him favorably, because his incomparably dazzling talent and talent will bloom at this glorious moment. At dawn, the Ming army began to attack. At this time, Chief Xiaoxi was supervising the battle in Xicheng, and as he expected, the main attack direction of the Ming army was here.Facing a large number of Ming troops under the city, he did not panic. The reason why he is so confident is not only that he has been prepared, but also because he has obtained a very reliable information. Before the start of the war, Japan tried to investigate the firearms and equipment of the Ming army, but due to poor information, it was impossible to obtain first-hand information. After many detours, it was learned that the Ming army also had many muskets, but their lethality was higher than that of Japan. Small, not to mention advanced.

Although the muskets used in Japan are all single-shot, and it takes a long time to reload the bullets, with a range of 150 to 200 paces, it is too easy to use against the Ming army with outdated weapons. In addition, in the attack two days ago, the Ming army did not use firearms on a large scale, which also verified the thoughts of Chief Konishi. Therefore, Chief Konishi decided that in front of the city of Pyongyang, which was guarded by a large number of musketeers and had high walls and deep ditches, the primitive Ming army, which only used bows and low-end firearms, could only look at the city and sigh.

According to the "Ming Hui Dian" and "Wu Bei Zhi", since the Longqing period, the firearms used by the Ming army, one of the excerpts is as follows: Name of the firearm: Wuthor machine, used in the early years of Longqing. It has five barrels, each one foot and five inches long, and weighs five catties. Between, can launch in turn. From this point of view, this thing is roughly equivalent to today's revolver, and it is still fired in bursts. The above is only pediatrics. According to historical records, there are more than 20 types of muskets equipped by the Ming army, and most of them are multi-barreled firearms.

Mr. Lu Xun once said: After the invention of gunpowder, Westerners used it to load bullets, and Chinese used it to set off firecrackers. I can say that, at least in the Ming Dynasty, this sentence is very unreliable. With the level of knowledge of President Xiaoxi, it is really commendable that he can be so confident. However, it is funny that from a certain point of view, Konishi's judgment is correct, because according to historical records, although the firearms of the Ming Dynasty were quite advanced at that time, the Ming army that aided the dynasty did not use them on a large scale.

Of course, there is a reason for this. Soon, President Xiaonishi will fully understand the reason. At the hour of Chen, the cannon sounded, and the attack officially began. Xicheng first attack. Standing in Xicheng, Xingchang Xiaoxi waited for the Ming army's assault, but to his surprise, the Ming army neither ran nor set up a ladder, but formed a group of two and stood on the spot. Set up a device that is more than two meters long and seems very strange. Just when he couldn't figure it out, he heard the earth-shattering thunder—the sky thunder. Accompanied by deafening bangs, thousands of cannons fired from the Ming army's position, and countless stones and lead fell from the sky and smashed on the top of the west city.

The Japanese army was not on guard, and was immediately killed and injured many people, and Konishi himself was also injured. Before he was helped down to bandage him, he yelled out the name of this terrible weapon: "Big tube!" In Japanese, muskets are called iron cannons, and those called daikan are cannons. The answer to the mystery was thus revealed. The reason why the Ming army did not use muskets was because they used artillery. After traveling hundreds of miles, it is natural to entertain guests with the best presents, hiding them, which is unethical. But to be precise, the thing that the Ming army just used cannot be called a cannon. According to today's military classification, it should be regarded as a hand cannon or a rocket launcher. Its real name is the Franji.

In the early years of Jiajing, Wang Hung, the deputy envoy of Haidao, defeated his enemy, the Portuguese fleet, in a sea encounter. Demonstration, he found that this thing is very powerful and worthy of promotion, so he decided to submit this thing to the central government and suggested imitation. This is a turning point in the history of firearms development in the Ming Dynasty. Since in the Ming Dynasty, people from foreign countries were collectively referred to as Frangji people, so all firearms that came in from foreign countries, whether smuggled, stolen, or robbed, were all called Flangji people.

The batch of Franglers (i.e., ship cannons) captured by Wang Hung was relatively advanced artillery in the world at that time. The imperial court attached great importance to it and immediately sent people to study it. You know, the Chinese have always been good at research. Whenever a new thing is created in the world, no matter whether it is developed by yourself or not, it can be used for research and research, and a similar one can be made in a few days. Not to mention imitation, the quality is often better than the original. Even better. This is the case with the Francophone. It was unloaded from the Portuguese ship, loaded with ammunition and fired two rounds. Not to mention, it was really easy to use. use.The big ones that were originally used on ships have become smaller and smaller in size and more diverse in variety.

In the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing (1547), the Ming Dynasty Frang machine successfully achieved localization, completely using domestic materials, independent research and development, filling the gap in the country, and mass production, reaching the international advanced level in the 16th century. The military workers of the Ming Dynasty also proved with practical actions that the quality of domestic products is guaranteed. For example, the large-scale Frang machine equipped by the Ming army is only two meters long, with a front sight for aiming, and the gun body can rotate left and right.Has extremely powerful lethality.

The two-meter cannon can be used by one or two people. It is said that it is almost the same, but the Chinese people's reform spirit is really strong. Soon, the Ming Dynasty developed the small Flang machine. The small Frang machine is only 90 centimeters in length, with a steel ring attached to the gun body, which can be carried around, and can be carried by one person when fighting. , more than a rocket launcher. This thing is still there now. The real thing is stored in the Beijing Military Museum. I have seen it before. It is really not big. I guess I can carry it around. If you are interested, you can also go and see it. In addition to these infantry cannons, the Ming Dynasty also invented the cavalry cannon - the Frang machine on the horse. This kind of artillery is smaller than the small Frang machine, only 70 centimeters long, and can be fired with the cavalry in fast movement. Strong deterrent. All in all, the Flang machine of the Ming Dynasty was very easy to carry and easy to operate. It was really the only choice for attacking cities and villages, killing people and smashing walls. With this thing, it is really a ghost with a musket.So tens of thousands of Ming troops carried these terrible guys to the city of Pyongyang, and let the Japanese army have a solid addiction. But President Xiaonishi is worthy of battle. He quickly calmed down and went into battle with wounds. He summoned the bewildered Japanese soldiers and told them not to be afraid, because the Ming Army artillery had to be reloaded after firing. Reorganize the team and strengthen the defense. According to Captain Xiaonishi's experience, cannons are different from muskets. After each firing, it takes a long time to reload before they can shoot again. Therefore, he boldly assembled troops and prepared for defense. This statement seems to be correct, but in fact, it is wrong. Just as the Japanese army had just regained their senses and was about to take the lead again on the top of the city, they were immediately hit by a second round of shelling!Stones and artillery shells fell from the sky, and the Japanese army was hit straight and suffered heavy losses. The Japanese army was puzzled, but before anyone could recover, the third round of shelling came again, and they were beaten up again, then the fourth round, and the fifth round... President Xiaoxi was completely confused: The beating has not stopped. Could it be that your cannons are firing continuously? ! That's right, the cannons of the Ming army did fire continuously. It should be said that President Xiaonishi’s point of view is correct, because the cannons of the Ming Dynasty did not use the later gunpowder shells, which exploded one piece at a time, but first stuffed iron sand, stones, and then pressed lead. And charge (gunpowder) to ignite and launch, its function is similar to modern steel ball bombs (steel balls are stuffed into shells, when the bombs explode, the steel balls will shoot out, basically it will be finished when they touch it, it is a forbidden weapon), it has a very wide range of damage, and it is impossible to die. If it is seriously injured, it will become pockmarked if it is not serious. Of course, comparatively speaking, the shortcomings are also obvious. You have to stuff so many miscellaneous things into the barrel, and you have to ignite and charge the gun. With such a large set of procedures, when you are ready, everyone will probably be off work. But there were no ready-made shells back then, so it was really powerless to think fast, but history tells us that the ancients were quite smart. After research, the military researchers of the Ming Dynasty came up with an ingenious method - mother-child blunderbuss. The principle of the so-called mother and child blunderbuss is roughly similar to that of a rocket launcher. The mother blunderbuss is the barrel of the cannon, and the child blunderbuss is the shell, and its caliber is smaller than that of the mother blunderbuss. ,Take away. When the place is about to be fired, put the child gun into the mother gun. With a little gunpowder, it can be blasted out immediately. The howitzer. Therefore, the Flang machine of the Ming army, that is, if it does not sing, it will stop. In order to maintain continuous firepower, the ordinary Flang machine has four sub-guns, which can be fired in a few minutes, which is enough to hit the opponent. don't start. In this battle into North Korea, in order to adapt to the international environment, the Ming army also specially equipped with a new product - a hundred out of Flang machine, and its characteristics are also obvious - ten sub-guns. Under the attack of several rounds of artillery by the Ming army, the Japanese army suffered great losses. The city was covered with black smoke, fires broke out everywhere, and corpses were everywhere. At this time, the large-scale bombardment of the Ming army had stopped, and the three armies in the west began to regroup and advance towards their respective targets.In this brief moment, the noisy battlefield is as quiet as death. With the sound of another cannon, the peace was broken again. Under the leadership of Yang Yuan, Zhang Shijue, and Li Rubai, the three Ming armies launched fierce attacks on Xiaoximen, Qixingmen, and Daximen respectively. Cannonballs can fly, but people can't. If you want to break through the city, you have to climb the wall honestly. The soldiers of the Ming army began to set up ladders to attack the city.At this time, there was no large group of Japanese troops at the top of the city, and the next thing seemed to be logical: the Japanese troops who had been hit hard lost their ability to resist and fled in all directions. As long as they climbed to the top of the city, they could capture Pyongyang! However, just as the Ming army was approaching the final victory, there was a sudden sound of killing at the top of the city. The Japanese army appeared again and fired muskets at the Ming army below the city, overturning the ladder. After being bombarded continuously by the Ming army, although the Japanese army suffered heavy casualties, they did not retreat. After a short period of panic, the Japanese army gradually restored order. Under the unified deployment of Governor Konishi, they began to re-arrange with strong discipline. The famous anti-Japanese general Li Zongren once commented: The Japanese army's training and combat effectiveness are rare in the world.When deploying troops in formation, they all fight according to the principles of tactical combat, without any chaos, and they can be down-to-earth and meticulous in everything they do. It should be said that this is a very objective evaluation, because the biggest characteristic of the Japanese is that they are single-minded, and they are still a little bit stubborn. For special purposes, ordinary people are not qualified for this.It is no exaggeration to say that he is a desperado. In the Battle of Pyongyang, the spirit of the second pole was brought to the extreme. After repelling the attack of the Ming army, the morale of the Japanese army was greatly boosted. Shoot the Ming army. Faced with the tenacious resistance of the Japanese army, with the double encouragement of professional ethics (patriotic sentiment) and material rewards (five thousand taels), the Ming army still fought bravely to take the lead and climbed the ladder to attack the city. However, the Japanese army's will to fight was very firm. The Ming army's attacks were repeatedly frustrated, and all those who climbed up were quickly hacked to death by the Japanese army. The battle fell into a stalemate. The situation at Qixingmen was the most serious. The stubbornness of the Japanese army exceeded many people's imagination. Seeing that the five thousand taels was not easy to earn, and they might lose their lives, some people began to turn around and retreat, and the Ming army began to waver. .The commander of the right army, Zhang Shijue, saw that the situation was not good, so he cursed anxiously, but in the chaos, it was useless. Just when the right army was about to retreat, Li Rusong arrived. After the battle started, Li Rusong put on his armor and went into battle, leading two hundred cavalry to patrol the city. Seeing that Zhang Shijue couldn't hold back the battle, he rushed over. But he ignored Zhang Shijue, and went directly to the city, stopped a retreating Ming army, and swung his saber. When the hand is lifted and the knife falls, the head also falls. The retreating soldiers watched this horrible scene in horror, looked at this man wielding a bloody saber, and heard him utter every word: "Those who retreat, shoot and kill!" The retreating Ming army stopped. Amidst the roaring guns and chaotic noise, without exception, they heard Li Rusong's low volume but extremely clear voice.At that moment, his eyes were full of determination and passion: "Kill all the Japanese slaves, only today!" While fighting fiercely in the west city, the Ming army in the north city launched an attack. Beicheng is the highest place in Pyongyang. The Japanese army is entrenched on the Mudanfeng highland, condescending, and has set up a large number of muskets and bows, waiting for the attack of the Ming army. Two days ago, when Wu Weizhong saw Beicheng for the first time, he decided that it was basically impossible to conquer this place. Having fought wars for decades, Wu Weizhong can still be sure of this military judgment. But one day later, Li Rusong told him that your mission is to attack Beicheng, and your total strength is 3,000 people. Wu Weizhong knew very well that this was an impossible task. Li Rusong's real intention was to have him contain the Japanese army. The so-called sacrificing the ego to fulfill the ego, in common sense, was to be cannon fodder. Yet he replied: Follow orders. Without the slightest hesitation. So what he was facing now was the superior Japanese army, densely packed muzzles and solid defenses, and the Japanese fortress that had to be looked up to see. Wu Weizhong turned his head, looked at the soldiers under him, and completed all the mobilization with just one sentence: "Woven pirates, right there!" For these soldiers who were born and raised in Zhejiang, the word Japanese pirates is no different from a stimulant, and it is not a matter of their parents being killed or their family being robbed. The traditional education they have heard and seen since childhood is enough for them Hate it to the bone.Therefore, there is basically no need to mobilize to fight this battle. What's more, they are the Qi family army! Forty years ago, Qi Jiguang formed this special army in Yiwu. Since then, they have been closely associated with this glorious name, and have fought under his light for more than ten years. Drive out those shameless robbers. Now, they are facing the same enemy in different places and in different eras.So, they just need the same move. So, under the personal leadership of Wu Weizhong, three thousand Qi's army launched a charge to the Mudantai Highland in the northern city. Facts have proved that Wu Weizhong's judgment is correct. Beicheng is easy to defend and difficult to attack. To be honest, it is impossible to attack at all. The terrain is dangerous, and the Japanese army keeps firing muskets downward. Although Qi's army has rich combat experience, it is more flexible and good at concealment. Dodging, the casualties were not large, but the two attacks, just halfway through the charge, were beaten back. Wu Weizhong did not give up. He knew that the more violent his attack was, the more concentrated the enemy's attention would be, and the easier it would be to be held back. The real breakthrough would begin at that time. The third charge began. This time, Wu Weizhong stood at the forefront of the team, swung his knife, and rushed towards the impossible target. This was too violent a move, and soon, a bullet hit his chest (the lead wounded his chest), and he was bleeding immediately. But Wu Weizhong did not stop. He still brandished his saber and directed the soldiers to continue charging, because in his opinion, his mission had not yet been fulfilled. It was not until the capture of Pyongyang that the Japanese fled and Beicheng was captured. But after the war, everyone believed that the soldiers who attacked Beicheng had successfully completed their mission. In the long river of history, Wu Weizhong was an extremely inconspicuous name. In the subsequent Korean historical materials, this general rarely appeared on the scene, whether he was withdrawn to the country or whether he was recuperating in North Korea, no one seemed to care.This is normal, in this big drama, compared with Li Rusong, he is just a walk-on. A Kuomintang general lamented after the defeat: The reason why the Kuomintang was defeated was because everyone wanted to eat meat, and the reason why Mao Zedong’s army won was because some people were willing to chew bones. Wu Weizhong is the one who gnaws bones. So in history, he was a walk-on, but a great walk-on. While the west city and the north city were fighting in full swing, the defenders in the south city were dozing off. Nancheng, that is, the line from Zhengyangmen to Hantanmen in Pyongyang, has a flat and wide terrain, which is not conducive to the concealment and surprise attack of troops, and it is difficult to find the focus of attack. Therefore, the Japanese army boldly handed it over to 5,000 North Korean troops. Speaking of which, the word rape is really not a patent, and the awareness of some North Koreans is really not high. It has only been a few months since Pyongyang fell, and it is not easy to form such a large force of rape. Of course, the Japanese army did not count on the fighting power of these 5,000 men: a person who does not even defend his own country, what else can he be expected to defend? However, to the comfort of this batch of imperial troops, the beating of the west city and the north city was loud, but there was no movement here. But soon, the North Korean army found that they were not destined to be lonely, and an army was quietly approaching the city. The North Korean army was very nervous, but after a while, when they saw each other's clothes clearly, they were relieved and elated. Because those uninvited guests were wearing North Korean military uniforms. Facts have proved that the troops with the reputation of adultery have the following common characteristics: they have no combat effectiveness, no courage, and they especially like to despise their compatriots. The same is true for this gang of traitorous troops. When they saw the North Korean army coming, they smiled happily, because they knew that the North Korean army's will to fight was very weak, and they would collapse if they were beaten-they were like that back then. The siege troop of the imperial army seemed to be just as they had expected. They approached the city leisurely and unhurriedly. Judging by the posture, it was slower than slow motion. But when these fellow brothers carried out the ladder and started to ascend the city, the traitors realized that something was wrong. The actions of the Korean compatriots under the city suddenly became extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, dozens of people had already climbed to the top of the undefended city. Before the traitors could calm down, the gang started to change their clothes again, which is understandable, as the North Korean military uniform outside is really uncomfortable. Soon, the screams of the Korean army spread all over the city: "Ming army, the Ming army is attacking!" Frankly speaking, if they are considered to be attacking, I really don't see it. Last night, after everyone had dispersed, Li Rusong gave Zu Chengxun a task: to change the soldiers of the Ming army into the uniforms of the imperial army, without any mistakes. Naturally, Zu Chengxun didn't dare to be negligent, and just like that, the next day, the imperial army on the top of the city saw his compatriots. It was the elite main force of the Ming army that attacked Nancheng, including the first part of the Qi family army led by Luo Shangzhi and the Liaodong cavalry led by Zu Chengxun. Of course, these rough men would not be polite, and they would slash people with knives when they went up.The treacherous troops can also bully and bully the common people, and they are beaten to pieces as soon as they fight, and flee in despair. President Xiaoxi's mobile unit is quite capable. When they saw the North Korean army fleeing, they rushed over to make up for it, but it was too late.The Ming army swarmed up like wolves and tigers, and completely captured the Hantan Gate. The process of the battle is roughly like this. Compared with the west gate and the north gate, it is really not very exciting. Of course, there are still some casualties, but it is a bit funny: because the progress is too smooth, and no one shoots arrows or guns, basically one person can climb up. At the top of the city, more than 10,000 people squeezed forward desperately, working harder than charging. But this is also normal, five thousand taels of silver is effortless, and you can get a share if you squeeze it, and everyone has to fight for it. The southern city was not the focus of defense. The city defense was not strong in the first place, and everyone was very excited. This crowding actually collapsed the city wall. It just so happened that Luo Shangzhi had been hit by this, and he was hit and injured. Of course, there are also some historical materials that say he was injured in battle, and the specific circumstances are unclear, so let’s leave it at that. In any case, it was finally fought, the flag of the Ming army was planted on the top of the city of Pyongyang, and the southern city was destroyed. But this doesn't really mean much to the Xicheng attacking troops. The reason why Nancheng is easy to fight is because the west city is difficult to fight. The Japanese army resisted tenaciously at the top of the city, shooting guns, throwing stones, and pouring boiling water, causing many casualties for the Ming army. Fight again, those who fell down and survived continued to climb up, and those who climbed up raised their knives to fight the Japanese army to the death. Although the southern city was destroyed, Pyongyang is not a small city. It is not a matter of time to go around from the western city to the southern city. Moreover, for the Ming army, which gate is no longer important. Hack and kill the gangsters in front of you! But the Japanese devils really have two skills. They are very powerful in combat and are not afraid of death. They are not afraid of the onslaught of the Ming army. No one escapes. They occupy the top of the city and shoot the Ming army with muskets. , would rather die than surrender.As far as fighting will is concerned, it is indeed not a coward. Due to the tenacious resistance of the Japanese army, the Ming army was unable to attack for a long time, but the casualties were increasing. The leader of Xiaoximen, Yang Yuan, took the lead in attacking the city, but was wounded by the Japanese army, and his general Ding Jinglu was killed in battle.Li Rubai, the chief general of Daximen, was shot in the head by the Japanese army. Fortunately, the quality of the helmet was good and he escaped (Jin Hou was not seriously injured). Li Rusong, the chief general, did not escape either. Because he wandered around with 200 cavalrymen to supervise the battle, the target was too big, and the Japanese army aimed at him. A row of guns passed by and was overturned on the spot. At the moment Li Rusong fell to the ground, everyone present was dumbfounded. If the general was killed, how could the battle be fought. Just when everyone was at a loss, Li Rusong suddenly got up from the ground and explained the meaning of the word sturdy again. Although he was disgraced by the fall and was injured - nosebleed (nostril bleeding when exposed to poisonous fire), and his appearance was very embarrassing, Commander Li didn't care, patted the dirt, and only said four words to his subordinates: "Change horses and fight again!" The leaders are so fierce, if the soldiers don’t try their best, they can’t justify it. The morale of the Ming army is greatly boosted, and they rush to the top of the city desperately. Bushido means. The battle continued like this. Although the Ming army had already gained the upper hand, they were still unable to capture the city. The Ming army who entered the southern city was also stubbornly blocked by the Japanese army. The number of casualties increased. If it continued like this, the consequences would be disastrous. However, Li Rusong, who was standing outside the Seven Stars Gate, was not in a panic, because what happened before him was already in his expectation: "Pull that thing up!" This is Li Rusong's last trump card. The so-called thing is a kind of cannon, and the name at that time was "General Cannon". The general cannon is more than three feet long and weighs several hundred catties. It has a star in the front and a gate in the back. Because this thing is bulky and heavy, no one is willing to carry it, but Li Rusong insists on carrying it.Therefore, when going out for an expedition, the cavalry loaded it on the frame and dragged it away.Li Rusong would not have imagined that he had accidentally created a record—the world's earliest horse-drawn artillery unit. But Commander Li brought these big things to North Korea, not breaking records, but only breaking the city. But then again, although this thing is powerful, there are many problems. For example, it is easy to accidentally injure your own people, and the aim is not good. chamber (this problem has not been resolved), so it is not a last resort, it is not used. Now is the time of last resort. The artillerymen of the Ming army fired, loaded, aimed, and everything was ready. Following Li Rusong's order, the cannon roared sky-shatteringly, and hit the target accurately without exploding or accidentally injuring it. The Seven Star Gate was blasted open, and Pyongyang was blasted open. The fall of Qixingmen completely dispelled the morale of the Japanese army, and they all abandoned the city and fled. Yang Yuan and Li Rubai then broke through Xiaoximen and Daximen respectively. . Generally speaking, when the plot develops here, the next step is to chase down the remnants of the enemy and clean up the battlefield, but devils are devils, so they just don't stop. After the city gate fell, President Xiaonishi showed amazing psychological and military qualities. He gathered his troops without any disorder, occupied a dangerous position in the city, and prepared to fight in the street. This is a bit boring. If you want to defend your own territory, it doesn't matter if you fight fiercely. If you stay on other people's territory and don't leave like this, the devils can really do it. The main places where the Japanese army occupied were Lianguang Pavilion, Fengyue Tower in Pyongyang City and Peony Terrace in North City.The common feature of these three places is that they are high, which are basically the commanding heights in Pyongyang. If the Ming army goes up to attack, it will not only be difficult to capture, but it will also lose troops and lose generals. As long as their own reinforcements arrive, they may come back. This is the wishful thinking of President Konishi. Although Li Rusong didn't use an abacus, he should be very good at mental arithmetic. When he visited the city, he waved his hand, telling the soldiers to stop fighting and just do one thing - find wood. Crackling found a lot, threw them near the Japanese army stronghold, formed a circle, and then said, just one word: burn! Now the Japanese army was in trouble. They had already prepared their bows, arrows, knives and guns and were ready to commandeer, and then engaged in some hand-to-hand combat. Unexpectedly, they would not come at all, and set fires around them to roast the living.So for a while, the flames were soaring into the sky, thick smoke was billowing, the high temperature was baked and smoked, and the Japanese army complained endlessly. But Li Rusong didn't think it was hard enough, so he sent 5,000 people with a large number of muskets, rockets, and Francophones. They didn't take the initiative to attack, but just stood outside the fire, aimed at the Japanese stronghold, and shot these things out. . So rockets and artillery were flying all over the sky for a while, the stronghold was ignited, and there was a lot of fireworks. There was nowhere to fetch water to fight the fire. In view of the fact that he had just entered the city and had to rescue Pyongyang residents and treat the wounded, the affairs were complicated. After Commander Li Rusong arranged the encirclement and suppression troops, he went to other things. But what is commendable is that the troops ordered to encircle and suppress were very responsible. Although the leader was not there, they still dutifully set fire, shot arrows, and fired guns and cannons. All night, they worked overtime without rest. On the second day (the ninth day of the first lunar month), Cha Yingkui, Cha Dashou's family member, got up early and came to Mudantai, an important place in the northern city. Yesterday, it was still a stronghold of the Japanese army, but now, what unfolded in front of his eyes was a scene A real hell on earth. Mudantai and its urn city have been burnt beyond recognition. The place where gunfire continued yesterday is now silent. When he walked into the stronghold, he saw countless dead bodies with their hands and feet entangled, but none of them could identified because they had been burned to black charcoal. Zha Yingkui counted at random, and found that in the narrow urn city, there were as many as four to five hundred corpses of Japanese soldiers. Obviously, most of them were burned to death or suffocated to death. Of course, Cha Yingkui, the servant, did not lament the cruelty of the war. He just ran back happily and reported to his leader, Cha Dashou, and it was recorded and became a witness of that scene. In fact, what Cha Yingkui saw was only the tip of the iceberg. On the night of the eighth day of the eighth day, the city of Pyongyang was ablaze. The smell spread all over the city, and historical data have it: the scorched stench is soaring to the sky, and the smell is filthy for ten miles. To kill a brutal enemy, one must be more brutal than him, and in some cases, I think, this sentence is true. However, the high temperature resistance of the Japanese army is still commendable, and they just survived the night without coming out to surrender. On the second day, I couldn't stand it anymore. The enemies entrenched in the stronghold finally collapsed, not to mention being shot, bombarded, and roasted overnight, not to mention Bushido, Immortal Dao is not easy to use.Except for the thousands of people under Xiaonishi Xingchang, who were still struggling to support due to their solid stronghold and tight defenses, all the Japanese troops in the city fled. But there must be a goal for fleeing. Pyongyang is already under the control of the Ming army, so where should they flee? To say that the Japanese army was very savvy when they fled. At first glance, the west city, the south city, and the north city were all guarded, and only the east city was very lax in defense. So the Japanese army was overjoyed and fled to Dongcheng one after another. Things seemed to be going well, the defeated army fled all the way to the east, although the Ming army followed closely behind, but driven by the desire to survive, the Japanese army managed to escape from the gate of the east city. But soon they will discover that actually dying in battle is not necessarily a bad thing. When Li Rusong set up the formation, he thought that there would be a shortage of troops in the encirclement of the Art of War, so he left the east side empty.But many people may overlook such a question: why is it east? And when the Japanese army swarmed out of the Dongcheng gate, I believe they have found the answer. Outside the gate of Dongcheng, there is a big river with wide waves. Whoever chooses this place as an attacking position, I'm afraid their heads are really in the water. So the Japanese army was in trouble. They wanted to run around the city wall. They were afraid they had no head. They wanted to run back into the city. It is estimated that the Ming army would not give way. jump into the river. I remember, that day was the ninth day of the first lunar month, and the north wind was blowing... The weather in North Korea is about the same as that in Northeast China. Generally speaking, it is very cold at this time, and it is estimated that it is at least a few degrees below zero. However, the Japanese army still bravely jumped in. Although the temperature was below zero, I can be sure that the surface of the river was not frozen at that time, because there is such a sentence in Korean historical materials: there are about ten thousand drowned people. First roasted to death, then plunged into ice water to freeze.There is an old saying: There are two heavens of ice and fire, and I can't help feeling terrified when I think about it. In this case, if he is still alive, only Superman is left. Obviously, the Japanese army lacks such special talents. Those who escaped basically died, and they would freeze to death if they were not drowned. It was even worse for President Xiaoxi who stayed in the city. He knew very well that he was finished. city, but how to survive. At the last moment of life and death, the Japanese army exploded with astonishing combat power. Under the command of Chief Konishi, several attacks by the Ming army were repulsed. Judging by the momentum, it would not be the end of the war if the fish were killed and the net was broken. Although the Ming army had the upper hand and had a large number of people, after all, after fighting for a day and a night, even if they didn't receive overtime pay, they still needed to catch their breath. What's more, the victory was already decided, and the reward was not yet received. Being beaten to death at this juncture, It's also a bit of a loss. Although the Japanese army was few in number, they dared to fight desperately, and they would spare anything at the critical moment of life and death.In today's terms, this is called the two sides have different mental states. Then, a strange scene appeared. After a day and night of fierce fighting, there was a brief calm in the city again. Then, a very mysterious thing happened. The reason why it is said to be mysterious is that until today, this matter has not been fully understood. Regarding this incident, in historical materials, there are roughly four historical versions as follows. According to the summary report given to the emperor after the war by the Ming army supervisor and generals, the development of the matter is as follows: the remnants of the Japanese army could not withstand the attack of the Ming army, and the whole army retreated on its own initiative. escape), set an ambush, and sent troops to pursue, defeating the Japanese army. The second version is the report of the Korean minister Liu Chenglong to the king. The statement is similar. Li Rusong predicted the enemy like a god. After the Japanese army fled, he launched an attack and defeated the Japanese army. The third version is a report from the King of Korea to Emperor Shenzong of Ming Dynasty (he is regarded as a subject of Shenzong of Ming Dynasty). This thing can be used as a normative text for superiors and subordinates. The dynasty is full of heavenly soldiers, the celestial dynasty, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty is wise and powerful, and the general soldier of the Ming Dynasty descended from the sky, from the beginning to the end. After the war, the Ming army was "shattering the heavens and the earth, and the mountains and abyss were reversing"; itself (the North Korean army) was "a small country that was terrified, and dared not help"; Dare to resist the enemy."According to him, the Japanese army was defeated at the first touch because of the supernatural power of the Ming army. And the most detailed and realistic one is the fourth version. According to North Korea's "Records of the Li Dynasty", the matter is as follows: After the battle reached a stalemate, Li Rusong made an unexpected move. He sent an envoy to negotiate with President Xiaoxi. For this decision, many people do not understand, people are surrounded, so what is the negotiation? But the facts have proved that this is a very wise decision, because at this time the main force of the Japanese army has been wiped out, Pyongyang has also been conquered, and the strategic goal has been fully achieved.里面放着这么一群亡命之徒，硬攻不但耗费精力，伤亡也会很大，时间一长还可能生变，所以还是谈判最划算。 李如松的谈判条件是这样的： “以我兵力，足以一举歼灭，然不忍杀人命，姑为退却，放你生路。” 这意思是，我可以灭了你，但无奈心太软（其实是太费力），就放你们走了吧。 小西行长是这样回复的： “俺等情愿退军，请无拦截后面。” 他的意思是，我认输了，麻烦逃走的时候高抬贵手别黑我。 如此看来，也算是皆大欢喜，双方达成协议，明军撤去包围，日军在万分警戒之下，手持武器逐步退却，撤出了平壤城。 局势发展到此，看似平淡无奇，但怪也就怪在这里，既然事情圆满解决，为什么在官方报告中，却都没有提到这件事呢？ 这大致有两个原因，其一、跟敌人谈判，把敌人放走，无论出于什么目的，有什么样的结果，似乎都是不大好宣扬的。 而第二个原因，应该算是人品问题。 如果小西行长了解李如松，或者听说过半年前宁夏叛乱的经过，相信即便打死他，也绝不会和李如松谈判。 因为根据李如松的性格，以及宁夏叛军首领哱拜的最终结局，我们大致可以得出这样一个结论： 李如松，至少在这方面，是个不守信用的人。 几乎就在小西行长带领日军退出平壤的同一时刻，李如松叫来了查大受，交给他一个任务：领兵三千，赶赴江东小路埋伏。 困兽是不好斗的，但只要把它放出来，就好斗了。 于是，当小西行长带队远离平壤，终于放松所有警惕，放心大胆逃命的时候，查大受出现了。 据史料分析，此时日军的兵力，大致在五千人左右，如果敢拼命，查大受手下这三千人应该还不够打，但经过李司令员这么一忽悠，日军已经满心都是对和平的祈望，斗志全无，一见明军不用人家动手，撒腿就跑。 查大受随即命令追击，大败日军，击毙日军三百余名，但毕竟部队作战时间过长，十分疲劳，日军又跑得贼快（奔命），明军追赶不及（不及穷追），只能到此为止了。 平壤战役就此结束，明军大胜，日军大败。 此战，明军阵亡七百九十六人，伤一千四百九十二人。 而日军的伤亡数字，就有点意思了，据记载，此战中明军斩获日军一千六百四十七人，看起来似乎并不多。 应该说，这是个很准确的数字，但它并不是日军的伤亡人数，而是日军的人头数。 由于战前李如松命令不许抢人头，所以对于这一宝贵资源，明军并没有过于关注，也没有妥善保存，加上后来火攻水淹，不是烧成黑炭，就是冻成冰，要提取人头，实在有点困难。于是挑来拣去，只捞出一千来个，已经很不容易了。 至于日军的实际伤亡数，朝鲜和明朝史料都没有明确记载，只有几句“万余”、“千余”之类不靠谱的话，这就是管杀不管埋导致的恶劣后果。 说到底，还是鬼子们最实在，既然没人帮着数，就自己数。在《日本战史》中，有这样一段记载： 万历二十一年（1593）三月二十日，日军在汉城集结残兵，统计结果摘录如下：第一军小西行长部，原有人数18700人，现存6520人。 虽然入朝的日军数量共计十余万，但很多都是来自于各地的军阀，并不是丰臣秀吉的人，用今天的话说，就是杂牌军。而他真正信任的人，只有第一军小西行长和第二军加藤清正，也就是所谓的嫡系。 因此这两军，才是丰臣秀吉的精锐和主力部队，其中尤以第一军战斗力为最强，之前攻击朝鲜义军时表现十分出色，打起来毫不费力。 但在朝鲜之战时，该军几乎被全歼，具体数字大家做个减法就知道了，基本上算是被打残废了。 这还只是第一军的损失人数，第二军共损失八千人，其中相当部分战死于平壤。 以上合计起来，朝鲜之战，日军的损失，至少在两万人以上。 当然，那五千朝鲜军不在统计内，我们有理由相信，他们应该还活着，因为李如松虽然不大守信用，但还不怎么杀俘虏。