bookbashuk Chapter 49 Preparing for the Battle
Chapter 49 Preparing for the Battle
Shen Weijing had already picked up his teacup, intending to moisten his throat.
Hearing Mo Qin's words, he gasped.
He immediately put the teacup down.
The speed was so fast that the bottom of the cup made a crisp sound when it hit the table.
He immediately put on a professional smile.
"Lord Konishi, let's talk about withdrawing the troops."
Konishi looked at him, his smile still lingering.
It's just a little colder.
"Is Envoy Shen in a hurry?"
Shen Weijing shook his head.
"It's not that I'm in a hurry."
He raised his hand and slowly pushed the teacup back to the center of the table.
"It's because the commander-in-chief doesn't like to wait."
President Konishi did not respond immediately.
Mo Qin stood half a step behind Shen Weijing, with his white wax spear held upright beside him.
He saw what appeared to be someone behind the screen on his left.
There was also a shadow pressing down under the beam on the right.
Mochin tapped his finger on the gun barrel, pondering to himself:
"Since we're already doing this, let's go all the way! Let's just kill Xiaoxi right here!"
Just as they were considering, a person walked out from behind the screen.
He wore a dark fur coat, had gentle features, and a sword at his waist.
It was Yinzhen.
Behind him, Ginji Kito also came out.
Konishi Yukinaga glanced at the two of them.
They didn't introduce them, but they also didn't let them leave.
He simply raised his hand.
"sit."
Yinzhen didn't sit, and neither did Guitou.
The atmosphere in the hall was rather awkward.
Shen Weijing saw Yinti, but his smile remained unchanged.
"Is this person also here to hear about the retreat?"
Yinzhen smiled.
"I've long wanted to see what kind of words Envoy Shen has to say."
Shen Weijing said:
"Then you're late."
"I only recently managed to save my mouth from a pile of corpses."
Yinzhen said:
"Since you've been rescued, you should cherish your life."
Shen Weijing nodded.
"I have always valued my life, and I hope everyone else does too."
"That's why I advised Lord Konishi to withdraw his troops."
Konishi Yukinaga took a sip of tea and slowly said:
"Envoy Shen is still as eloquent as ever."
Shen Weijing turned around and looked at Xiao west.
"Lord Konishi, you're still as good at procrastinating as ever."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Japanese soldiers in the hall changed slightly.
One player's hand was already on the hilt of the knife.
Mo Qin glared angrily, causing the Japanese soldier to freeze in place.
Shen Weijing would pretend to be confused, as if he hadn't seen anything.
He continued:
"Pyongyang is a big city."
"Grain, granaries, streets, walls, and gates—everything is valuable."
"Lord Konishi doesn't want to lose it."
"I understand."
Konishi Yukinaga slowly said:
"The Ming army has come from afar, and their supply lines are not yet secure."
"If Pyongyang is attacked head-on, the losses will be heavy."
"If a retreat can be discussed, it would be a good thing for both armies."
At this moment, Shen Weijing picked up his teacup again.
He held it in his hand, blew on it, but didn't drink it.
"It's not like Li Shuai is unapproachable."
Xiao west's eyes flickered.
"Will Li Rusong listen to Envoy Shen?"
Shen Weijing smiled.
"Li Shuai won't listen to me."
"But he still has to listen to the imperial court."
"But the imperial court always needs someone to deliver messages."
Xiao west looked at him.
"Is Envoy Shen willing to deliver a message?"
"Pass it on."
Shen Weijing nodded.
"This is what I do."
"As long as the mouth is still there and the legs aren't completely broken, it can still be delivered."
Yinzhen suddenly spoke.
"Shen Weijing, are you delivering this message for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, or for your own?"
The hall was quiet.
With a gentle expression, Konishi Yukinaga glanced at Yinti.
"Even though you are an ally, please be careful with your words."
Yinzhen looked at Shen Weijing, his face still gentle and refined.
"I'm just asking a question."
Shen Weijing laughed.
"Good question."
"Sometimes Shen's mouth is for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, and sometimes it's for his own sake."
He put down his teacup.
"But today..."
He looked at Konishi Yukinaga.
"Today is for the adults."
Konishi said:
"For me?"
Shen Weijing smiled and said:
"To help you live a little longer."
No one spoke in the hall, and Gui Tou paused for a moment as he turned the chips.
Yinzhen raised an eyebrow slightly.
Xiao Xi's expression was quite amusing.
"Envoy Shen, are you truly not afraid of dying here?"
"Afraid."
Shen Weijing answered quickly.
"I'm afraid of dying."
"So I know that Lady Konishi is also afraid."
"They're only talking to me because they're afraid."
"Fear is what causes procrastination."
"It's out of fear that I was allowed to come in and have this cup of tea even though I knew there was a large army pressing in from outside the city."
Xiaoxi's smile finally crumbled.
Yinzhen said calmly:
"You think too highly of yourself."
"You can deliver a message, but it depends on whether you can actually get it out alive."
"The snow is heavy, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel."
"Some words, once spoken, are cut off halfway through."
Shen Weijing turned to look at him.
"The conversation will end."
"The army will not be cut off."
Yinzhen smiled.
"Envoy Shen does trust Li Rusong."
Shen Weijing said:
"If I don't trust the commander-in-chief, why should I trust you?"
Liu Gao stood behind, his face already turning a deep purplish-red.
But he still managed to keep quiet.
Konishi Yukinaga raised his hand.
That's enough.
He looked at Shen Weijing.
"Envoy Shen has come today to discuss withdrawing the troops, not to engage in verbal sparring."
Shen Weijing stopped laughing.
"Then let's discuss it."
Konishi said:
"I'm willing to discuss this further."
"If the Ming army slows down its attack, I can send someone out of the city to discuss withdrawing the troops."
Shen Weijing asked:
"When to retreat?"
Konishi said:
"We need to see the sincerity of the Ming army."
Shen Weijing asked:
"Where to retreat to?"
Konishi said:
"This is open for discussion."
Shen Weijing asked:
"How much did the Korean residents in the city pay?"
Konishi said:
"Can be done in batches."
Shen Weijing asked:
"Burning villages, looting grain, killing civilians, and throwing them into wells—how should these be accounted for?"
Xiao west's expression remained unchanged.
"Chaos in the military is inevitable."
Upon hearing this, and recalling the tragedies along the way, Mo Qin's eyebrows furrowed.
Liu Gao's chest heaved slightly.
Lin Jun and Yan Qi also had unfriendly expressions as they glanced at the Japanese soldiers behind Xiao west.
Shen Weijing stared at Xiao west for a few moments, then smiled slightly.
"it is good."
"I understand."
Xiaoxi asked:
"Understand what?"
Shen Weijing said:
"Lord Konishi does not want to withdraw."
Before Xiao west could speak, Shen Weijing continued:
"At least not now."
"You want the Ming army to delay their attack."
"We want the imperial court to send a message."
"They want to keep Pyongyang under wraps for a few more days."
"It would be best to hold back until the Ming army's supply lines are strained and morale wavers."
"My lord, your plan is brilliant."
President Konishi did not deny it.
"War is all about calculation."
Shen Weijing shook his head.
Even the abacus can make mistakes sometimes.
Konishi said:
"Does Envoy Shen think I'm wrong?"
Shen Weijing raised his hand and pointed in the direction outside the city.
"General Li is just outside the city; he doesn't have much patience."
"Furthermore, when it comes to arithmetic, we Han Chinese are the ancestors!"
These words were quite domineering, and Gui Tou looked up in surprise.
Konishi Yukinaga's finger tapped lightly on the edge of the desk.
Meanwhile, Yinzhen was re-evaluating Shen Weijing.
Although he was a Qing dynasty person, he still frequently read Han dynasty historical books.
The historical Shen Weijing did not possess such courage and boldness.
It seems that this dog with the injured leg isn't as bad as the book describes.
The talks continued.
Xiao west's complexion grew increasingly worse.
Shen Weijing's smile grew increasingly steady.
Mo Qin stood behind, listening to the exchange between the two, and got a sense of what was going on.
It's impossible for Kosei to simply hand over Pyongyang.
Shen Weijing was also pretending to be ignorant even though he knew the truth.
Outside the hall, the public chat screen was still being refreshed.
[Anonymous: Shen Weijing really knows how to talk.]
[Anonymous: Xiaoxi won't back down, don't even dream about it.]
[Anonymous: The Fourteenth Prince interrupted just now, and Xiao west is very unhappy.]
[Osaka Takeru Satoh: Talks in progress! Both sides are secretly testing their mettle!]
[Anonymous: Screw your bravado, shut up.]
[Anonymous: Captain Ghost Head has been watching that woman for a long time.]
As the message was sent, Gui Tou suddenly looked up, and Lin Jun also glanced over.
The two looked at each other from a distance.
The corner of Gui Tou's mouth twitched.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Konishi Yukinaga stood up.
"Envoy Shen, please take this message back with you."
"If the Ming army is willing to slow down its attack, I am willing to discuss withdrawing my troops again."
Mo Qin rolled his eyes: "Good grief, after all that, we didn't achieve anything!"
Shen Weijing also stood up.
His leg injury hasn't fully healed yet.
When she stood up, her face paled slightly.
But he was still smiling.
"I will take the message with me."
"As for whether Li Shuai will listen or not."
"I cannot guarantee that."
Konishi said:
"Envoy Shen, that is all that is needed."
Shen Weijing said:
"I'm the kind of person who always tries my best."
Konishi Yukinaga rose to see him off.
After taking three steps, he waved his right hand forward, making a gesture of invitation.
She then turned away and didn't look at him again.
As everyone left the reception room, he looked at Mochin.
Mochin was also looking at him.
Neither of them spoke.
Xiaoxi looked at it as if it were a troublesome weapon.
Mochin's gaze was more direct, like he was looking at a dying man.
Then Yinzhen and Guitou quickly walked away from the other side.
Shen Weijing limped out.
Mo Qin, Liu Gao, Lin Jun, Yan Qi, Monkey, and the instructor followed behind.
Stepping out of the hall, the wind rushed in from the end of the corridor.
Several Japanese soldiers were leading the way to see off the guests.
As they approached the city gate, Onito Ginji appeared to have been waiting there for some time, and slowly walked past them.
Judging from their direction, they seemed to be going the same way, turning the chips in their hands as they walked.
As he passed by Lin Jun, Gui Tou Chip flipped over.
A flash of light, and Lin Jun's sleeve silently ripped open.
The tear runs from the outside of the wrist bone to the edge of the sleeve.
The skin was red, but there was no blood; it was probably just a hair's breadth away from bleeding.
Lin Jun continued walking as if nothing had happened.
After taking two more steps, he raised his hand, tore off the cuff, and held it in his hand.
Witnessing all this, Mo Qin's murderous intent was immediately apparent.
The white wax spear had already spun half an inch in my palm.
Lin Jun glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
Shaking his head and snorting, Mo Qin stopped firing his gun.
Ghost Head then whispered:
"next time."
Lin Jun didn't react, as if she hadn't heard him.
Mo Qin stared at the ghost's back and called out.
"Your name is Ghost Head, right?"
Ghost Head paused in his steps.
Mo Qin said:
"You absolutely must stay alive until we meet again!"
The ghost turned its head to the side.
I will try my best.
The Japanese soldiers in front glanced back.
No one spoke; everyone knew a fight wouldn't break out today.
But the murderous aura emanating from this Ming soldier made their hair stand on end.
As they entered the city gate, the wind and snow intensified.
The torch was blown from side to side.
Shen Weijing walked slowly, so Liu Gao simply stepped forward half a step and blocked his way.
"You big liar, watch your step!"
Shen Weijing took a breath.
"Don't call me a conman, call me sir."
Liu Gao stared wide-eyed.
"I didn't realize you were like an adult at all. I can't bring myself to call you that."
Shen Weijing said:
"Then call your ancestors alive."
The monkey was baring its teeth behind them.
"This person is truly shameless."
The coach remained silent, but suddenly raised his head and whispered:
"Look up."
Yan Qi also spoke at the same moment.
It's the upper right.
Everyone looked up.
Two people stood beneath the corner tower of Pyongyang's city walls.
One had two swords hanging from his waist, and the other was tall and slender.
It was an old acquaintance, Miyamoto Musashi, Fuma Kotaro!
The monkey muttered a curse.
"Damn it, are they going to make a move here?"
Miyamoto Musashi, however, stared straight at Mo Qin.
He didn't draw his sword, and he didn't speak.
He simply raised one hand.
He pointed to Moqin, then to the snow-covered ground below the city.
Finally, he pressed his palm down.
The meaning is very clear.
The place where your body fell is right here.
Liu Gao understood.
"Brother Qin, this bastard is provoking you!"
Mochin smiled and then raised his right hand.
He made a heavy slash with his thumb across his throat.
The movements were flamboyant, yet slow.
It was as if they were afraid the two people on the city wall wouldn't be able to see clearly.
Miyamoto Musashi, being a Paradise player, naturally understood that this was called a throat-slitting ceremony. His lips twitched slightly, and he turned and walked away.
Fuma Kotaro followed them.
Just then, the sound of bowstrings came from behind the city gate.
Yan Qi's expression changed.
"arrow!"
Liu Gao raised his shield almost instinctively.
Boom!
An arrow is embedded in the edge of the lion-head shield.
The arrow penetrated half an inch, and the shield trembled.
Shen Weijing was pulled behind Liu Gao.
A second arrow came from above and to the side of the city gate.
Yan Qi had already raised his bow.
Snapped.
The torch tilted to one side.
A dark patch appeared above and to the side of the city gate.
Before the third arrow could be fired, Yan Qi's second arrow had already arrived.
The arrow sank into the shadows, and someone groaned.
His body tumbled down from the wooden frame behind the side wall of the city gate and fell onto the snow.
They weren't Japanese soldiers, they were gamers.
He probably tried to take a shortcut to gain prestige, but ended up losing more than he gained.
After the seven people quickly walked out of the city gate, Lin Jun threw the torn sleeve on the snow.
After the piece of cloth hit the ground, a faint black spot appeared on the snow.
She glanced down.
Then wipe your hands vigorously clean on the other sleeve.
Mochin saw it too.
"poison?"
Lin Jun shook his head.
"It doesn't look like it."
"It looks like there's more anesthesia."
That's a provocation from Gui Tou.
Fortunately, Lin Jun had taken precautions beforehand, so it had not yet caused any problems.
Mo Qin was so angry that he laughed instead.
"Write it all down, and I'll repay you double the amount another day."
After Shen Weijing was escorted by several people and walked a few hundred meters out of the city gate.
Liu Gao then called out.
"I'm so angry!"
He looked down and saw the arrow on the shield. He reached out, grasped the shaft, gritted his teeth, and pulled it out.
The arrow kicked up a little sawdust.
Liu Gao touched the arrow hole with his thumb, feeling sorry for it.
"Tell Wang Tou later that our shield has also been hit by Japanese arrows."
"The door panel is different from the one last time."
Yan Qi passed by.
"The door panel is a coffin."
Liu Gao was taken aback.
"What?"
Yan Qi glanced at his lion-head shield.
"The shield is a monument."
Liu Gao was stunned for a long time.
"How come you speak in a way that's even more offensive than a con artist?"
Shen Weijing, who was panting and supporting his leg, looked up and cursed upon hearing this:
"None of my business."
The monkey stretched out its arms.
"Arguing with words is more tiring than actually fighting."
The coach looked at Shen Weijing.
Do you think things will work out today?
Shen Weijing did not answer immediately.
He limped forward a few steps before exhaling.
"It's a three-way split."
Liu Gao stared wide-eyed.
"After all this negotiation, only a 30% chance?"
Shen Weijing glanced at him.
"Three points is a lot!"
Mochin asked:
Which three points?
Shen Weijing looked down and found a piece of broken wood in the snow.
He drew a line on the ground with a piece of wood.
"First, there is absolutely no way Kosei would hand over Pyongyang so easily."
He drew a second line.
"Secondly, the troops in the city show no intention of withdrawing."
He said he would withdraw his troops.
"But from what I've observed, the placement of the street corner, the material carts, the torches, and the patrolmen doesn't seem to indicate any intention to retreat."
"He talks about retreating, but in reality he's strengthening military preparedness."
Lin Jun looked up.
"And the third one?"
Shen Weijing turned the wood shards over and pressed the broken edge heavily into the snow.
Third, he has already lost.
As soon as he said that, everyone looked at him.
Shen Weijing smiled.
"If Konishi were truly confident in holding Pyongyang, he wouldn't have let me into the city."
"If he could really wipe out the Ming army in one fell swoop, there would be no need to talk about retreating."
"He's not retiring now because he can't bear to."
"He wants to delay because he's afraid."
"I'm afraid Li Shuai will attack today."
"I'm afraid Li Shuai won't go along with his plan."
The monkey scratched its head.
"You people really know how to talk in circles."
Shen Weijing said:
"Then let me be blunt."
"Xiao west will not hand over the city."
"But he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold on."
That's enough.
At this point, Shen Weijing added another sentence.
"Also, when Konishi was talking about retreating today, his eyes kept unconsciously drifting towards a certain spot on the map."
Liu Gao frowned.
"What's so strange about that? Maybe he has bad eyesight?"
Shen Weijing shook his head.
"His eyesight is excellent; he's looking at a particular spot in the picture."
"A weakness we're afraid we'll discover."
Lin Jun and Mo Qin turned to look at each other, both thinking of that mountain!
This is good news, indicating that the main historical trend has not changed!
Mo Qin, who was well-versed in the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, knew even better that this weakness was Pyongyang's Achilles' heel: Moranbong!
Pyongyang is surrounded by the Taedong River and the Potong River on its southeast, west, and north sides, making it a natural stronghold that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Only to the north, where there are no rivers to provide shelter, the entire northern defense line of the city is held up by Peony Peak.
Moranbong is the only high point north of Pyongyang, though it is not very high in altitude.
However, the terrain is very steep, and there are ancient military command posts such as Eulmidae and Seoseongdae on the mountain. Standing on the summit, one can overlook every move in the entire city of Pyongyang.
Konishi believes that as long as Moranbong is held, Pyongyang can remain stable.
But if he loses Moranbong, the north gate of Pyongyang will be wide open!!!
Even more critically, Mudan Peak was the only choke point for the Japanese pirates to retreat northward.
Once Mudan Peak is captured, we can have a commanding view, and the northern city wall will be completely exposed. At that point, the Japanese pirates will be unable to defend the city or withdraw their troops, and will be trapped and killed!
When the group returned to the Ming army camp, the lights in the central command tent were still on.
"The money has been deposited."
Li Rusong is looking at the picture.
Han Shouyi, Zhou Hu, and several officers were present.
When Shen Weijing entered the tent, his legs went weak and he almost fell down.
Liu Gao helped him up.
Just as Shen Weijing was about to speak, Li Rusong looked at his legs first.
"Can you still stand?"
Shen Weijing grinned.
"able."
"Then tell me."
Shen Weijing put away his carefree attitude.
He recounted everything he had seen in the city, especially that weakness.
Shen Weijing spoke quickly, but without making a fuss.
Li Rusong listened intently, his finger constantly pressing on the edge of the drawing.
After Shen Weijing finished speaking, he asked first:
"How sincere is Xiaoxi?"
Shen Weijing replied:
Not a single cent.
Several officers and soldiers inside the tent looked up.
Shen Weijing continued:
"All he needs is time."
Li Rusong asked:
"Then why do you say he has already lost?"
Shen Weijing nodded.
"If he weren't afraid, he wouldn't have dragged it out."
"If he wasn't lying, he wouldn't have let me into the city."
"He will never hand over Pyongyang."
"But he also knew that Li Shuai wouldn't follow his path."
Li Rusong looked at him and nodded.
"Your trip was worthwhile."
Shen Weijing breathed a sigh of relief.
"May I sit down then?"
Li Rusong ignored him.
He looked down at the map again and pointed to the north of the city.
"You just said that he cares a lot about Mudanbong?"
Zhou Hu immediately stepped forward.
"No reports were received at night, and more people were added to the mountain."
"The torches were kept very low."
"There is suspected abnormal movement of the artillery position."
Han Shouyi frowned.
"emplacement?"
Zhou Hu said:
"Not confirmed yet."
"But behind the wooden fence on the mountain, there is freshly turned soil."
"Not just one place."
Li Rusong looked at the picture.
North of Pyongyang, Moranbong Hill presses down on the city's edge.
The city walls, mountain paths, highlands, and river mouths were all circled with vermilion ink.
Li Rusong's finger traced downwards from Peony Peak.
"North of Pyongyang, the Peony Peak looms over the city."
"If the Japanese soldiers set up guns and cannons on the mountain, our army will be attacked from the flanks and rear when we attack the city."
"If our army does not take the mountain, the artillery, firearms vehicles, and siege teams under the city will all be under its watchful eye."
He pointed his finger between the mountains and the city.
"Once the mountain is taken, the area north of the city will be exposed."
"The cannon can be moved forward."
"Firearms can be used to suppress a city."
"The night watchmen can clearly see what's happening in the city."
"If the Japanese troops are thrown into chaos on the northern front, Konishi will not be able to just guard the city gates."
It was very quiet inside the tent.
Li Rusong continued:
"Xiao west has a good plan."
"Unfortunately, I wanted the mountain first, then the city!"
Han Shouyi grinned.
"clear."
Li Rusong looked at Zhou Hu.
"Exploring the mountain road again."
Report back before dawn.
Zhou Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Yes."
Li Rusong then looked at Han Shouyi.
"The flank of the forward battalion is at your disposal."
Han Shouyi clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"Yes."
Li Rusong finally looked at the map.
"Blind him first."
"Then peel it."
"Once the skin is cut open, the knife goes into the flesh."
"Tomorrow, we'll take Peony Peak first."
When Mo Qin and the others walked out of the central command tent, the wind and snow were still blowing.
On Peony Peak, the fires lay low, like a row of people who refused to look up.
Lin Jun stood next to him and also looked at the mountain.
Mo Qin said, "Tomorrow, that damned guy, Guan Ben, is 200% waiting for me on the mountain. Maybe that pretentious Fourteenth Prince will be there too."
Lin Jun said, "Then let them wait."
Mo Qin slung the white wax spear over his shoulder.
"Enough of those spoilsport! The arsenal said the supply wagons for the rear guard have arrived. I'm going to Old Qian's place and have ten bowls of meat soup rice with him first!"