PDLP Chapter 360 The Japanese Army Attacks Goryeo
Chapter 360 The Japanese Army Attacks Goryeo
At the remote and treacherous southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, the Tsushima Strait, like a deep blue ribbon, sways gently on the waves. At this moment, hundreds of Japanese warships cut through the waves, like a flock of giant black birds, spreading their wings as if to soar towards the Goryeo Kingdom at the edge of the sky. Leading them was none other than Minister Inoue Nobuyuki, who had recently returned from the prosperous Song Dynasty; his eyes gleamed with both longing and determination for the unknown journey ahead.
The sea breeze, carrying a hint of saltiness, gently brushed across the deck. A soldier clad in Japanese armor walked steadily toward Nobuyuki in the well, his face resolute, his eyes gleaming with unwavering faith in victory.
"General Jingxia,"
The soldier's voice was deep and powerful, seemingly able to pierce through the roar of the waves.
"Based on the estimated voyage distance, we will be able to set foot on the land of Goryeo in another half hour and begin a new journey."
Upon hearing this, Inoue Nobuyuki nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the land soon to be ravaged by war. His heart was filled with both trepidation about the unknown challenges and boundless anticipation of victory. He knew that this battle was not only about the glory and future of Japan, but also a major turning point in his own destiny. On this sea, sculpted by the winds of history, an epic saga was quietly unfolding.
Hearing the soldier's report, Inoshita Nobuyuki, beaming with pride, shouted, "Yosh! Pass on my order: all samurai, prepare to land! Follow me and slaughter those Korean bastards!"
Half an hour later, a soft thud echoed as the ship's gunwale struck the sand, like a whisper from the sea to the land. Immediately afterward, a group of Japanese samurai, their leader wielding a gleaming katana, leaped from the ship's gunwale with a beastly howl, like wolves slithering through the night. They trod through the shallows, each step splashing water with fury and killing intent, their target the innocent Korean fishermen watching on the shore.
The fishermen, immersed in their daily tranquility, were completely caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, their faces instantly filled with terror and bewilderment. Meanwhile, the Japanese soldiers, their eyes burning with bloodlust, charged recklessly into the crowd, each swing of their blades a ruthless trampling of peaceful life. This scene unfolded like a tragic painting in the afterglow of the setting sun, casting a poignant and tragic hue over the peaceful coastline.
When Park Man-in, the garrison general of Changwon Castle in Gyeongsangnam-do, Goryeo, received news of the invasion by the Japanese army, three villages near the sea had already been slaughtered. Park Man-in hurriedly ordered the alarm bell on the bell tower to be rung and immediately organized the garrison soldiers in the castle to assemble.
The distant sound emanating from the bell tower initially startled the people of Goryeo, but then their awareness, like the first rays of dawn, suddenly awakened them—this was an urgent signal of an impending invasion by foreign enemies.
They dropped their tools, a sense of unprecedented urgency surging within them, and rushed towards the city. They knew that once the alarm bells rang, the gates of Changyuan Ancient City would slam shut in an instant, like the floodgates of history, shutting those outside the city from peace. Once left behind those heavy doors, the journey home would become unreachable, and the warmth and tranquility of home would be forever out of reach.
Thus, the sounds of footsteps and panting, intertwined with the yearning for peace in their hearts, formed a picture of a hasty yet resolute escape.
As he ran, a Korean man asked the others around him, "Damn it! Could it be that the Jurchens have invaded? This is the southernmost point of the Korean Kingdom!"
Another person, panting, said, "Stop talking, let's hurry and run into the city, or we won't be able to get in."
Park Man-in, clad in heavy armor, stood atop the city wall, his gaze piercing through the chaos to fall upon the people who were hastily fleeing the Goryeo city and running towards distant places.
He turned his head and asked a solemn-looking civil official beside him in a low and firm voice: "Has the letter requesting aid to Daegu been sent safely? You should know that the garrison in our city is only three thousand strong, while according to the soldiers at the front, the enemy from Japan has come out in full force, numbering more than twenty thousand."
The civil official replied nervously, "General, rest assured, I have dispatched three soldiers. I believe Daegu will receive our message soon."
At that very moment, atop the city wall, a Goryeo soldier's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's. Suddenly, his voice pierced the silence, carrying a hint of urgency and tension: "The Fusang people! They're here! The Fusang cavalry is closing in!"
Upon hearing this, Park Man-in immediately looked in the direction the soldier had pointed, his gaze piercing through layers of rooftops and banners, extending to a mile away. There, a black dragon seemed to leap from the horizon—the cavalry of Fusang, charging towards the city with unstoppable force. Though the sound of hooves had not yet arrived, the sheer momentum of their approach was enough to awe everyone.
Behind the cavalry, dust billowed, like a sudden small sandstorm, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth. The yellow dust blotted out the sun, merging with the distant, hazy sky, adding a touch of tragic grandeur and desolation to the impending confrontation.
"Close the city gates! Immediately, the city gates must be closed!"
As this urgent command resounded through the sky, the two ancient and heavy city gates, pushed together by the combined efforts of the crowd, creaked slowly and resolutely as they closed, like the gates of history, ruthlessly shutting out the Goryeo people who had rushed over but failed to enter the city in time from the cold city walls.
A mile is but a fleeting moment for cavalry. Wielding various sharp blades, they swept across the city like a whirlwind, dragging innocent Goryeo civilians into a merciless massacre. Spears, like a forest, pierced the sky; arrows, fired in unison, tore through the air. Each arrow, each spear, accurately embedded itself in the chests of Goryeo civilians, blood gushing forth like a poignant red ribbon, quickly spreading across the yellowish-brown earth, staining it with an ominous crimson.
On the city walls, the Goryeo soldiers witnessed this scene, filled with grief and indignation. They drew their bows and arrows, vowing to defend their homeland. However, whether due to insufficient arrow power or the heavy armor protecting the Fusang cavalry, the Goryeo defenders' rain of arrows, though dense, failed to leave many wounds on the Fusang cavalry. Only the whistling of arrows echoed in the air, along with their unwilling roars.
Inoshita Nobuyuki rode his warhorse slowly to the foot of Changwon Castle. He glanced at the city wall, which was only five or six meters high, and said with a sneer, "Surround all four city gates. I want to play with these Goryeo people slowly."
Following their commander's meticulous plan, 25,000 elite Japanese soldiers swiftly deployed around Changyuan City, establishing a tight blockade. In less than half a day, thousands of tents sprang up like mushrooms after rain, strategically placed across the vast land. Simultaneously, the Japanese soldiers toiled, felling trees and skillfully constructing sturdy palisade walls around the camp's perimeter, serving both as defense and a demonstration of their presence and strength.
On the open fields outside the city, squads of soldiers, armed with specially made Japanese cross-shaped spears and clad in gleaming armor, patrolled back and forth with steady steps. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, constantly alert to the movements of the Goryeo army within the city. Although they knew that the traditionally cautious and timid Goryeo people were unlikely to launch a surprise attack, their vigilance never wavered. In this tense yet silent atmosphere, every echo of footsteps seemed to speak of the unknown and challenges to come.