8. The Monkey and the Tiger
"Small boats are easy to construct," Shen Gang inquired, "where can one find rapid-fire small cannons?"
Murakami Yoshitaka divided his army into four units: on the left, he stationed 300 cavalry under Shibata Hidekuma; on the right, 300 cavalry under Ozawa Mitsunori; in the rear, 1,000 cavalry under Kishi Genhachi; and he himself led 400 cavalry at the front. He said to Hidekuma and the others, "The enemy's forces are several times greater than ours, yet Masu has deployed a long snake formation that is advantageous for defense but disadvantageous for attack, which surely indicates his fear. This battle is destined for our victory"
He hurriedly tucked the official document away carefully, then stripped the clothes off the dead man and dressed himself up, putting on the dead man's sword. Finally, he tied his hair up in a topknot. "Jin Tairang, oh Jin Tairang, it seems you are destined for good fortune," he muttered to himself, "not only has the dream of becoming a warrior come true, but perhaps there is even a chance to become the lord of a city!"
The following month, news of victory reached Yonezawa, and Uesugi Nobuhiro greatly praised it, immediately bestowing a surname. From that moment on, the fame of the Uesugi family's two spears—Hoshi Nobujun and Murakami Yoshihiro—spread throughout the land
"Your Highness, I sincerely hope that my mission will be successful, allowing me to become a vassal of the Ida family, dedicating my humble self to serve Your Highness."
"Is that true?" Yuanruo Maru raised the head high.
Please provide the text you would like to have translated from Traditional Chinese to English.
I am acquainted with a southern merchant who is willing to transport one hundred doors for trade from Manila
Hahaha, the self-proclaimed beauty akin to Amakusa is actually the otherworldly KING who has finally made his appearance. All friends who have seen KING cannot help but applaud my depiction of his image, as it is truly remarkable!
Is the "Turtle Stream" derived from General Li's turtle ship
"That is hard to say," Huji deliberately provoked him, "I say, he must have made a mistake and been demoted to a position of lesser power—hey, how about I trade you three heads of the enemy for it?"
"Hi!" Huji slapped his thigh, "I remember now, this guy is the leader of a certain group from the academy, I think his surname is something like Xiaotian or Gang. I saw him two years ago when he accompanied the lord to Edo to pay respects to the shogun."
Yasuke, too lazy to say much to him, drew his sword and said, "Get out of the way!" He struck down with the blade towards the man's head.
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Yilong wielded the plain spear, leading four hundred cavalry like fierce tigers charging towards the waist of the long snake. The snake's head and tail rushed to assist, but were blocked by Xiu Xiong and others. The troops, already anxious and fearful, began to waver under the thunderous and fiery assault of the Uesugi cavalry
As the battle commenced, the Uesugi forces launched their attacks on both the left and right flanks, while the opposing army firmly held their defensive positions. Although Hidetaka and others momentarily retreated, Jirocho did not issue orders to pursue.
That person struck a pose as if to appear dignified, but suddenly realized that such a stance could not block the edge of the blade from Yasu. He reacted quickly, performing a somersault in the midst of his haste, rolling forward.
Taro Tokiyoshi was assigned to the front guard, and he continued to wield his black lacquered cross-shaped weapon. Wherever he went, the enemy forces were thrown into disarray. The shogunate troops had already been defeated, and the Uesugi army shouted in pursuit. Tokiyoshi charged forward for several miles, and upon seeing that the main road was sparsely populated with defeated soldiers, he finally turned back his horse.
Is it not very bad
Indeed
Shizuke seized the opportunity to urge his horse forward. The man, still lying on the ground, swung his sword, striking the horse's left hind leg. The steed let out a mournful whinny and collapsed to the left, catching Shizuke off guard and pinning him beneath the horse's belly
I seek nothing more than to fight under your esteemed command," Jin Tairō said sincerely. "Your Highness Uesugi, your brilliance illuminates the world, and I hope to become a member of the Uesugi family.
"Your insight is truly remarkable," said Jintaro, with a look of deep gratitude and tears in his eyes, "it is indeed my... father... it is indeed my ancestor."
"The monopoly of the Southern barbarian trade is in the hands of the Shimazu," Shen Gang fixed his gaze on Dong Ming, "Do you have a solution?"
"Pah, look at what you have become!" Huji laughed mockingly, "You truly bring shame to the Uesugi family"
Shen Gang said with a shiver, "Please speak."
Hujie laughed while listening to him stammering his defense. Suddenly, he reined in his smile and leaned forward, saying, "Oh, I've seen this guy before..."
Nonsense. It must be a low-ranking soldier, or else it was picked up from a pile of corpses
The person was furious: "How dare you insult the soul of a warrior!" With a swift motion, he drew his long sword: "Let me show you the true techniques of the Itō Ittō-ryū!"
Yasuke observed the person closely; they appeared to be around twenty years old, with no hair bun, their shoulder-length hair cascading down. They wore a bizarre and tattered kimono adorned with colorful patterns. A large nose occupied one-third of their face, above which were malicious eyes, and below, a smug smile.
Shen Gang listened quietly. Qin Dongming closed his eyes, as if immersed in cruel memories: "It was truly a hell on earth... I am not afraid of your Highness laughing at me; I was so scared back then that I wet my pants. Haha, later I was captured by the enemy and forced into labor in their navy, escaping only in the second year of the Qingchang era— that November, there was another devastating defeat on the waters of Luoliang..."
"Ha ha ha," the other party emitted a strange laugh: "What an arrogant little brat. Can't you tell from these twin blades that a warrior stands before you?" As he spoke, he crossed his arms and deliberately puffed out his chest, as if inviting Shizhu to take a good look at the twin blades sheathed at his waist.
"The winds and waves at sea are unpredictable," Dongming shrank back slightly, "Should there be any misstep, I shall return to Your Highness's door to commit seppuku as an apology"
Yasuke grew angrier: "It is clearly you who are blocking my path! Who are you? State your name!"
Yilong clearly sensed that the enemy in front was retreating while fighting. He promptly raised his white spear high, and the thousand cavalrymen immediately joined the battle. The center of the army had already been shattered, and the left and right flanks were unable to provide assistance, instead falling into disarray. Jiro swung his sword and struck down two enemy soldiers, but the morale had already collapsed, the outcome was decided, and there was fundamentally no strength left to halt the retreating momentum.
In Uwajima Castle, Date Shinkage received the ronin and martial artist Qin Dongming
However, small boats are agile and easy to evade projectiles, thus the chance of being hit is reduced by half, to 25%. Therefore, the defense of small boats surpasses that of large ships. Naval artillery does not need to be excessively powerful; it suffices to be capable of penetrating the enemy ship's armor. The focus should be on accuracy in shooting, rapid firing, and a rain of shells, making it difficult for the enemy to withstand. Moreover, the construction cost of small boats is significantly lower than that of large ships, requiring fewer resources. The cost of building one large ship could fund several small boats, allowing for numerical superiority and organized tactics, ensuring victory.
"https://m.hetushu.com.com Thank you, my lord... ah, no, Your Highness." Jin Tairang was overjoyed.
"I shot it dead," Yuanruowan replied, raising his head in a daze.
"Hmm, who are you, Hayato Batan and Kanemasa?" Kanemasa is a key minister under Hideyoshi, one of the "Seven Stars of Osaka"
To the east lies the vast expanse of the Sakuragawa domain, with a yield of 60,000 koku, followed by the sea. The lord of the Sakuragawa domain, Matsudaira Nyūdō Yoshitune, has been bedridden for over a year due to illness, and his sons are embroiled in a fierce succession dispute, making it utterly impossible to mobilize troops. However, to the west of Chiba, through the abandoned battlefield of Kōfudai Castle, lies Edo!
Man Jiao looked down at the young man lying in front of him and asked, "What is your name?"
"Hey, Yuan Ruo," Hu Ji shouted loudly, "where is your warhorse?"
"No need," Shen Gang replied with a smile, "If anything happens, you can come and serve as my vassal to atone for your sins"
In the first year of the Bunroku era, in July, I was fourteen years old and participated as an infantryman in the Battle of Hansando. On that day, the cannon fire filled the sky, and the waves surged like walls. The ironclad giants of Kuki and Kamei were set ablaze and sank one after another under the assault of Yi Sun-sin's turtle ships. The sea was filled with the bodies of our soldiers, and a thick layer of blood and foam floated on the surface of the water
The official document from the elder of Xixiang was delivered to the hands of the great samurai Uesugi Mankyo at noon on that day
It has been taken down
On the day of the Long and Arrow Assistance, they set off at the end of the fourth hour, and by the second quarter of the fifth hour, they were approaching the National Government Platform. As they were galloping swiftly on horseback, suddenly, with a "whoosh," a person sprang out from the grass by the roadside.
Too big
Dongming smiled and said: "In the Battle of Doryang, the Ming ships were larger than ours, and the Korean turtle ships were smaller than ours, yet it was the small turtle ships that dealt a heavy blow to our navy"
"Yes," Dongming lowered his head, "Your Highness, are you not afraid that I am a fraud who would run away with the gold?"
Then, Man Jiao asked, "What reward do you desire?"
The horse neighed incessantly, blood covering the ground. The man sat on the ground, panting for a moment, then sheathed his knife and crawled over to drag the corpse out from under the horse's belly. After groping around for a while, he first pulled out a money pouch, tying it to his belt with satisfaction
In the Yilong Liutong Clan Village, Shangyan Qing and the eight hundred Matsudaira surrendered troops guarded Chiba, and quelled the various rebellions within the territory. He personally led his original force of two thousand cavalry, racing towards the national government platform. On April 11th, at the hour of the rabbit, a new battle commenced in that renowned ruin.
After walking for several dozen steps, I suddenly saw a warrior sitting by the roadside, with a bamboo flag inserted in his back, bare-headed and covered in blood, busily tending to his foot entanglements. Huji recognized him; it was Seiyū Wakamaru, who was of a similar age to himself.
On April 8, a cavalry force of 2,000 led by Yoshitaka Murakami swiftly captured the main castle of Matsudaira Izu in Chiba, and immediately established it as a stronghold to directly assault the heart of the Tokugawa shogunate—Edo Castle
"Turtle Ship," Shen Gang pondered, "I have heard of it—how did you find my warship after seeing it yesterday?"
Upon verification after the event, it was confirmed that the head severed by Enruo Maru was that of Gang Kichisou, the leader of the fourth group of the academy's guards, while Tora Kichi presented the heads of Magoen Yobee, the leader of the sixth group, and two other guards.
At this time, there were no formidable vassals left around Yilong. To the north, there was only the Jiusui Mountain Pass domain with 30,000 koku; to the south, the provinces of Kazusa and Awa, along with the clans of Hosokawa, Tsuchiya, Matsudaira, Yashiro, Abe, and Saigo, amounted to no more than 20,000 koku. Altogether, they could muster only about 2,000 elderly, weak, sick, and disabled individuals, which was already quite considerable.
"You are the one talking nonsense!" Yuanruowan said a bit anxiously, "I personally stabbed him down and then severed his head. That guy rode a fiery red steed, donned in a colorful outfit, and wore some kind of grand armor, with a helmet adorned with bizarre family crests. He must definitely be a great general!"
Yasuke forcefully grabbed the horse's head, just about to unleash a torrent of curses, when unexpectedly the other party shouted first: "Who dares to block my way?!"
The person rose up and shouted, "Die!" as a knife plunged into Yashu's throat
"That southern barbarian merchant said that transactions must be in gold, worth a hundred doors and a thousand pieces of gold," Dongming also stared at Shengang, "Your Highness, if you pay me in gold, I will certainly procure cannons for you within a year."
After some exploration, he unexpectedly discovered the official document from the senior official of the Saigo clan. "Hahaha," the man laughed, "If we present this to Uesugi, we are sure to exchange it for an official position or two."
"Before the arrival of the Southern Barbarian cannon, naval battles were won by arrows. Large ships carried many men, allowing for dense volleys of arrows, and with the advantage of height, they were unstoppable. However, after the Southern Barbarian cannon was introduced, the situation changed," Dongming said slowly. "The heavily armored giant ships have a potential for being hit of one hundred percent, while smaller boats, being smaller targets, have a chance of being hit of only fifty percent..."
"What," said Saruwakamaru, pulling out a bloody human head from behind him, "but I have severed the general's head!"
Man Jiao nodded: "Now is indeed the time to utilize talent. Well then, let us work diligently."
Where is your helmet
Shen Gang nodded repeatedly
Shen Gang smiled and said, "Where in the world is there a con artist who is proficient in military strategy?" Suddenly, he retracted his smile and added, "Moreover, what you just said is worth two thousand gold pieces"
This figure, no matter how one looks at it, does not resemble a samurai. Yasu couldn't help but laugh: "Nowadays, many ronin and commoners also pretend to wear dual swords, parading around and deceiving others..."
Kōyū Nishikawa ordered the gathering of reinforcements led by Masanari Ōkubo to assist Jirōchō. This news was swiftly conveyed to the front lines by the chief retainer and the soldier Yabe using a fast horse.
I have gold; I will give you two thousand pieces of gold. Can you purchase two hundred cannons for me?
Yuanruo Maru chuckled, saying, "I told you it must be a great general."
Hu Ji laughed heartily, urging his warhorse forward while raising a severed head high from beneath the horse's neck: "I have one too—who wants to snatch yours away—coward!" As he shouted, he had already run quite far away
Aso Jiro took command of the situation and immediately wrote a letter requesting assistance. Upon receiving the report, the general was greatly alarmed and urgently ordered the various clans in the Kanto region to pressure Chiba. At the same time, in accordance with the customary handling of emergencies, he appointed the senior councilor Nishikata Kanyo as the chief elder, overseeing military and political affairs.
"No!" Yuanruo Wan tightly held the bloody human head in his arms, bending slightly backward as if fearing that Hujin would leap forward to snatch it away.
"I am called Kintaro Hot田," the man appeared to be quite honest, "and I am a retainer of the late Lord Toyotomi Hideyori, the former Minister of the Left... a descendant of his."
The shogunate army, led by the young elder Asao Jiro Nagatomo, consisted of approximately six thousand infantry and cavalry, primarily composed of the five groups of the Academy's guards. They were arranged in a long snake formation, where striking the head would cause the tail to move, striking the tail would cause the head to move, and striking the body would result in a pincer movement from both ends, demonstrating a highly effective defense
Why is your military strategy referred to as 'Turtle Style'