Zhu Mo's original orders were to defend Pinghu, scout the movements of the Japanese pirates, and attack from the flank if they assaulted Huating.
Having experienced the battle of Xuan-Da last time, he knew that flintlock guns were fully capable of countering cavalry charges. As the Japanese pirates were all infantry, setting up fortifications below the city walls would be sufficient to create a buffer zone. Once inside the city and firing from the ramparts, it would be difficult to form crossfire. Therefore, he ordered the arquebusiers to position themselves over 300 meters below the city, using carts as cover to form a zigzagging defensive line. Thirty-five cannons were placed more than 100 meters behind, covering an area up to a kilometer ahead.
Zheng Qin had already dispatched three squads on horseback to scout in three directions.
In the interim, he again pulled Liu Cunyi into the central army tent for a lengthy discussion, asking many questions about the reforms. Liu Cunyi was highly talented, had a very gentle disposition, and was well-versed in engineering and castle construction.
Zhu Mo, thinking of the future Tunken Guards, realized that besides figures like Ouyang Bijing, civil officials would also be needed. He spoke directly:
"Lord Liu, as you heard earlier, I intend to establish Tunken Guards along the coast of the East Sea. We will need to build some housing, construct water conservancy projects, and desalinize some hard ground. This will all require capable personnel… Uh, if you are willing, I sincerely invite you today to oversee this grand undertaking. How about it?"
Liu Cunyi was nearly fifty years old, his lifelong ambitions unfulfilled. Today, he didn't know what fortune had befallen him. First, he saw so many spirited enslaved people, then the strange and sharp flintlock camp, and now this legendary youth. He momentarily felt as if he were in another world, with only one thought burning intensely in his heart:
The Great Ming has hope again…
This young man, able to speak so calmly and with such ease during a great battle, demonstrated that this perilous reform had honed him into a great talent. Moreover, a figure as prominent as Zhang Juzheng was willing to be his subordinate. What reason did he have to refuse? He immediately rose and bowed, saying:
"Scholar Zhu, Liu Cunyi is willing to serve the resurgence of the Great Ming as a loyal dog or horse."
Good!
Zhu Mo patted his shoulder and laughed, "Old Liu, after the battle, go walk along the seaside at Jinshanwei. See which lands can be reclaimed, which lands can be softened with water, and also, your old trade, see which places are suitable for building houses and how to construct them, and so on."
"I will not disgrace my mission. Scholar Zhu can rest assured."
Liu Cunyi's usually gentle face turned solemn, with a hint of noble resolve. Zhu Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of lament, thinking that the Yan family had gone too far, never utilizing talent. But then again, it was perhaps because these people had not been caught in the vortex that they had retained their pure character. Any higher-ranking officials would be unusable.
…
After discussing defense for a while,
One of Zheng Qin's scouts returned and reported, "Reporting to Scholar Zhu, we have scouted that the Japanese pirates did not attack Huating, but have established a camp outside Huating city, and have now besieged Huating. Some pirates are also roving towards Qingpu and Pinghu!"
Zhu Mo had gained some experience. On the battlefield, information was limited and time-sensitive; beyond a certain point, it became useless. Of this military intelligence, two points were reliable: one was the siege, which required significant manpower and resources and could not be a feint; the other was the roving forces to the north and south, pointing towards Pinghu and Qingpu respectively, indicating that the Japanese pirates were also aware of their deployment.
This arrangement naturally revealed some of the pirates' intentions:
The siege and the battle for reinforcements were likely to be carried out simultaneously.
If the Ming army came to reinforce from Qingpu and Pinghu, their two roving teams would use the camp as a base to encircle and annihilate them. They dared to make such a plan because they had ascertained that the Pinghu direction was not the main force, and could likely be routed with a single blow. After that, they would combine forces to envelop Qi Jiguang.
Although the defending forces and militia within Huating city were numerous, it was now impossible for them to break out and engage in battle, as the camp had already surrounded the city. For the Huating defenders to rescue their external allies, they would first have to breach the camp's defensive line. This would constitute a reverse siege, where the Japanese pirates, relying on the camp, would only need a small number of troops to hold off for several hours. Within those hours, Qi Jiguang would have already been annihilated. This also indicated that the pirates' main objective was indeed to annihilate Qi Jiguang's unit.
If the Ming forces from Pinghu and Qingpu did not come to Huating's rescue, the pirates would attack the city. If they captured the city, they would then become the defenders, relying on the city's defenses and employing mobile warfare outside the city, ensuring victory with no defeats.
However, there was still one question:
The Japanese pirates had experienced the power of the arquebusiers in the battle of Taizhou last time. Had they completely disregarded it this time? Or had they already devised a method to defeat it? What exactly was the situation? Intelligence of this caliber was clearly beyond the ability of ordinary scouts to discern.
Zhu Mo hesitated for a moment, then looked at the sky. Dawn had arrived, and the mist had yet to dissipate. He thought that they might have to change their battle plan.
Returning to the tent, he summoned Zheng Qin, Liu Cunyi, and Yin Xiaohu. The four of them deliberated together, and after much deduction, the situation gradually became clearer:
From Pinghu northward lay Jinshanwei City to the east and Fengjing to the west. North of Fengjing was Huating, but if one did not go directly north, but instead detoured northwest, it led to the area of Dianshan Lake, which was behind Huating. This was a large open area, but close to the lake, it became muddy wetlands.
Zhu Mo was concerned that the Japanese pirates would most likely encircle and annihilate Qi Jiguang's reinforcements in the open land west of Huating. This was because it was the shortest route for reinforcements coming from Qingpu. If they detoured from the east, there was still the possibility of being sandwiched by the pirates' landing point defenders. Qi Jiguang actually had no choice.
This, indirectly, showed that the Japanese pirates were well-prepared and had formulated a very detailed plan.
This battle,
According to Zhu Mo's original consideration, it would naturally be a surprise attack during movement, breaking through the siege gap, and then Qi Jiguang's unit, the Huating defenders, and the Pinghu defenders would all surge forward. But at this moment, he suddenly had another consideration:
The Japanese pirates were engaged in psychological warfare and political warfare, aiming to annihilate the psychological pillar of the Ming populace, Qi Jiguang's unit, through brutal and swift means, thereby creating a chain reaction to cooperate with Yan Song in establishing his hegemony.
To break through this intent, one had to respond tit-for-tat, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and crush them with a head-on, overwhelming force. Knock out their fangs, punish the Japanese pirates with unprecedented violence and irrefutable strength, and instill fear in them.
Therefore,
He wanted to change the battle tactic, not bothering with clever maneuvers at all, but directly engaging them head-on, starting from Pinghu and moving north, engaging them one by one as they were encountered. However, to be cautious, it was still necessary to ascertain the method the Japanese pirates had to deal with the flintlock camp.
Thinking this,
He spurred his horse and rapidly galloped towards Fengjing.
If his guess was correct, the Japanese pirates were likely to ambush the flintlock camp here. Because Qi Jiguang would likely reinforce Huating from the direction of Dianshan Lake, and would then be trapped and surrounded, the flintlock camp would also inevitably move north from Pinghu to rescue them. Fengjing was a necessary route.