A wisp of cold wind blew, and Ye Qingyun instinctively tightened his clothes.
Days ago, a cold current swept in from the north, and Goryeo seemed to enter winter overnight.
“Army Commander Ye, Li Cheng-jae’s progress is smooth. They have now controlled twenty-seven cities in southern Goryeo. Only Busan City remains.”
“Busan City?” Ye Qingyun looked at the sand table on the desk. It had just been created by someone dispatched from the General Staff Department.
From this sand table, he could survey the entire island of Goryeo.
Qu Dong nodded, “Behind Busan City is a basin-shaped mountain. The city is named after it. In addition, according to the General Staff Department’s order, we are to build a dual-use military and civilian port in Busan. This way, the navy can directly go to Japan from Busan City, thereby controlling Japan’s maritime borders.”
Ye Qingyun nodded, “His Majesty once said this place is very suitable for building a deep-water port. So, is Li Cheng-jae encountering any difficulties in taking Busan now?”
“Like Suwon City, Japan attaches great importance to Busan City. And compared to Suwon City, Japan has managed Busan City for a longer time. There are a large number of Japanese soldiers in the city, and it can be said to be a city with strong defenses and powerful artillery,” Qu Dong said.
Winter was fast approaching. For Ye Qingyun, he did not want to continue fighting in winter. He said, “Busan City is now Japan’s only stronghold in Goryeo. Once we eliminate this place, Japan will be completely driven out of Goryeo. To protect this place, Japan will surely exert its full strength.”
After a pause, he continued, “It will probably be difficult for Li Cheng-jae to take this city alone. Since His Majesty wants this city, we will directly dispatch troops to Busan City. This way, we can end the war before winter arrives, and also naturally occupy this city.”
“Yes, Army Commander Ye.” Qu Dong agreed with Ye Qingyun’s approach. The cold winter was a test for both soldiers and equipment.
Moreover, due to the extreme cold, the winter port would sometimes freeze, which would definitely be a disaster for soldiers far away in Goryeo, as it would mean difficulties in resupply.
Having issued the order, Ye Qingyun continued to look at the sand table. He then planted a dragon flag on Busan City.
On November 27th, after eight days of marching, Ye Qingyun led eight thousand soldiers to Busan City and rendezvoused with Li Cheng-jae’s army.
“Army Commander Ye, the number of Japanese soldiers in Busan City is no less than… and there is also a mercenary army composed of Westerners. They fight fiercely, and their firearms are more advanced than Japan’s.”
Upon seeing Ye Qingyun, Li Cheng-jae scurried to him, pouring out his grievances.
“Mercenaries!” Ye Qingyun frowned. He understood that Li Cheng-jae was very worried. The defeat in battle made him lose face.
However, this excuse still annoyed him somewhat. “Japan has never had any Western mercenaries.”
“Not before, but now they do,” a voice suddenly came.
Ye Qingyun looked in the direction the voice came from and saw Wang Xuan walking towards him.
“You, the head of the secret guards, have appeared here. It seems Li Cheng-jae didn’t lie.” Ye Qingyun’s frown deepened. “Didn’t the navy blockade Goryeo’s coast? How could there still be ships coming?”
Wang Xuan glanced at Busan City not far away. This city was built against a mountain, facing the sea. Only two sides were suitable for siege warfare.
He said, “A warship is merely a seed falling into a river in the vast ocean. Such a large sea area cannot be without flaws. Moreover, Japan is mobilizing its navy to counterattack. Yue Yun can only concentrate his forces on eliminating them first.”
Ye Qingyun spread his hands. “Then let’s talk about these mercenaries. What exactly is going on with them?”
“Edo Ichiaki’s body has already returned to Japan. This incident greatly shook all the Japanese daimyo, especially Yamada. He must be on the verge of going mad now, because the daimyo themselves already have many conflicts,” Wang Xuan said. “In fact, Yamada is not a daimyo from a long-standing lineage in Japan. He comes from humble origins; he was a farmer before. Later, he followed the Fujiwara family of Japan on campaigns south and north. He gradually gained the Fujiwara family’s favor, and finally, relying on the Fujiwara family’s power, he achieved his current status. However, the Japanese daimyo still look down on him from the bottom of their hearts. Precisely because of this, Yamada’s actions are so extreme.”
Ye Qingyun said lazily, “I don’t care about his past. Now he is our enemy. Whether he is a daimyo or a farmer, he must pay the price now.”
Wang Xuan shook his head. “As the saying goes, ‘know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.’ You are still a brute. Defeating Japan in Goryeo is one thing, but attacking the Japanese mainland is another. Utilizing the conflicts among the daimyo is the fundamental way to dismember Japan. Once Yamada Nobunaga loses prestige, then the Japanese daimyo will probably continue to fight among themselves. At that time, opening up the Japanese market will be much easier.”
Ye Qingyun rubbed his head painfully. He was very familiar with Wang Xuan now. This secret guard commander was becoming increasingly narcissistic, always lecturing others.
He immediately changed the subject, “Let’s talk about the situation in Busan City. What exactly is going on with this mercenary army?”
“They were recommended to Yamada by the British man who was with him. Edo Ichiaki’s death greatly damaged his reputation. If Busan were also lost, it would mean the complete failure of his plan to send troops to Goryeo. So now, he wants to defend Busan City at all costs. This mercenary force, numbering only two thousand men, entered Japan at this time. From what we understand, Western countries extensively use mercenaries during colonization; it’s much more cost-effective than sacrificing their own soldiers.”
“Two thousand men?” Ye Qingyun’s expression relaxed. “I might worry if it were twenty thousand, but two thousand is truly insignificant.”
As Ye Qingyun and his group were speaking, a tall, red-haired Swede on the Busan city wall was observing the army outside the city through his telescope.
After learning about the Great Yu Empire soldiers’ equipment, he cursed, “This is not a simple army.”
Beside him was a shorter, golden-haired British man. A short-barreled firearm hung at his waist, and a longsword was on his right side.
Taking the telescope from the tall man, he carefully observed and said, “Our purpose this time is not to help Japan defend the city, but to test the strength of the Great Yu Empire army. Now, to deal with the threat of this country, all of Europe is very nervous.”
“Those damned nobles should be nervous! Never has a yellow-skinned nation possessed such aggression! Goryeo has already been taken by them. Japan is probably their next target to devour, and after that, it will probably be Europe’s colonies.”
The novel has already been fully translated up to the final chapter. You can access it on my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair
Check another translation project: Title: Trench, Gun, and Magic. The webnovel blend magic, firearm, war and mecha with the bacground of WW1