Kampaku by David Klason

Author:David Klason
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2024-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

#

Hanseong: Korea

A thick pall of black smoke hung over the Korean capital of Hanseong. It was only last night that a daring raid by Korean guerrillas set fire to two of the city storehouses, destroying what was left of the garrison’s meagre provisions. It was food that the Japanese garrison had recently looted from nearby villages.

“This has got to stop,” said Mitsunari, slamming his hand on the dark walnut soban table in front of him and scattering the pile of military reports onto the floor. He had summoned division leaders Ukita Hideie, Kato Kiyomasa, Konishi Yukinaga, Kanbei and Kobayakawa Takakage to a war council in response to the latest night attack.

“We barely have enough food to feed ourselves, let alone the city inhabitants,” said Mitsunari. He looked at the glum faces around the room and noticed an absence.

“Where is Kiyomasa?” Mitsunari asked.

“He has just arrived from the daily foraging expedition,” offered Hideie. Mitsunari stood up and went outside, stepping out onto the veranda in time to see Kiyomasa astride his chestnut mare, waving his trademark tiger spear, the jumonji-yari. So vigorous was his waving that the head of the peasant he had impaled on its point fell off and rolled on the muddy ground, coming to rest just in front of Mitsunari.

“Kiyomasa,” Mitsunari shouted. “Did you bring any supplies?”

“No luck this time,” said a grinning Kiyomasa. “But we brought back four hundred heads.” Mitsunari stormed back inside and confronted Hideie.

“We send our forces to forage for vital food and this fool returns with nothing but heads. This cannot go on Hideie?” said Mitsunari.

“Kiyomasa is headstrong and inclined to do foolish things, but he is a great warrior and also the Taiko’s cousin,” said Hideie. The subtlety of Hideie’s warning was not lost on Mitsunari, who sighed, knowing that with Kiyomasa, his hands were tied.

“We know from one of the wounded attackers we captured last night that these were Kwon Yul’s men,” continued Hideie. “I fear these raids will continue unless we destroy their nest.”

“Do we know where that is?” Asked Mitsunari.

“Our spies report he still holed up in Haengju,” said Hideie.

The next day, on the fourteenth day of the third month, Ukita Hideie, accompanied by Kiyomasa, Yukinaga, Takakage and Mitsunari, set out with a force of thirty thousand for the nearby enemy fortress of Haengju on the north bank of the Han River. And before the dawn of the next day, the Mitsunari launched an attack on the west gate of the fortress. Despite nine successive assaults, Haengju’s garrison of only twenty-three hundred repelled each one. The enemy, having the advantage of higher ground, could fire down upon the attacking Japanese with ease and the hwacha-fire carts they used, with their rocket-propelled arrows decimated Mitsunari’s forces. Despite their superiority in numbers, Mitsunari realised the futility of the assault and finally ordered a retreat to Hanseong to curtail the mounting Japanese losses.

Dwindling rations, together with disease and famine, soon took their toll on the Hanseong garrison. By the fifth month, news reached Mitsunari that Li Rusong and the Ming army were once again on the move and headed for them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.