BES: Chapter 14

General Chang Wen's Plan for the capture of the pair of Dondae Forts on the other end of Seodo Island was somewhat conventional. He planned to use the Army to besiege them and the Fleet to blockade them, reducing the fortifications by way of cannon fire from our improved cannons. He planned to bombard the forts for up to a week, depending on how long it took to breach the fortifications, before sending in assaults. It was a fairly conventional plan, but conventional plans were conventional for a reason. They usually worked.

Of course, he graciously gave me the honor of leading the assault on the tip of Seodo nearest to Achado Island, while he led the assault on the fort nearest to Boreumdo Island. If we could secure these forts, we could move on to the villages of Achado-Ri and Boreumdo-Ri, which would give us the three Southwesternmost Islands in the Archipelago. Of course, Boreumdo was the larger prize, but Achado provided a Jumping-off point toward Samsan Island, which was the third-largest Island in the Archipelago, after Gwangmu and Goyodong Islands. I knew this was not a snub, but that it was a measure of General Chang Wen's trust in me to secure the smaller, but more tactically important, Island out of the Southwestern Three.

He still questioned me on whether or not I was going to protest during the War Council, though. I couldn't really blame him for that, though. Most people my age didn't have the level of maturity that it would take to see past the General taking the larger Island for himself. I was not most people, though. My mind was a lot more mature than my body would suggest, after all, even if there was some level of mental regression inherent in my transmigration. It certainly wasn't enough to make me a still-immature young teenager mentally.

"You do not object to this plan, Prince Dalai?" Questioned General Chang Wen.

"I do not. Should I?" I queried.

"No. I simply thought you might, given how Boreumdo Island is the larger prize of the two continuation thrusts." Pointed out General Chang Wen.

"Yet Achado island is the more tactically important of the two. I am not as callow as my appearance would suggest, General. I understand the trust you are placing in me to take the more tactically valuable target." I responded.

"True. I simply did not expect you to agree without putting up some teenage protest." Nodded General Chang Wen.

"I am not most teenagers." I smirked.

"Clearly not. You understand that once you take Achado-Ri, you will be attacking Samsan Island while I move on to Seoquam and Meobop Islands, yes?" Asked General Chang Wen.

"So I gathered." I confirmed.

"You will be fighting alone for some time. I will be moving on to Gyodong Island afterward. We will not meet up until we attack Gwangmu Island Proper." Pressed General Chang Wen.

"I understand, General. Dividing our Forces is risky, but necessary for a speedy conclusion to the war." I agreed.

"That being so, if there is any boon you wish to ask of me for your attack force, ask it now." Intoned General Chang Wen.

"I would like the Arrow Carts from your half of the fleet to go with my prong, along with their allotted powder and ammunition." I answered.

"I see. That is easily done. I very much doubt that the fleet will need them. Not after the Admiral decimated the Goryeo Fleet so easily." Confirmed General Chang Wen.

"In that case, I think we are done here." I opined.

"We are." Affirmed General Chang Wen.

"May Tengri smile upon your attacks, General." I wished.

"And may Duōwén Tiānwáng watch over your own efforts, My Prince." Returned General Chang Wen.

"Duōwén Tiānwáng? One of the Four Heavenly Guardians? I didn't take you for a Buddhist, General." I grinned.

"Because I started as a common soldier?" Questioned General Chang Wen.

"Because you're from Shantung. I would have thought you a Confucian or Taoist, given the religious makeup of that area." I answered.

"Would it surprise you to learn that my family has been Buddhist since the time of the Liao?" Queried General Chang Wen.

"That is interesting, General. I suppose we will be learning a lot more about one another before this is all said and done." I mused.

"I suppose we will." Agreed General Chang Wen.

And with that, the meeting broke up, and I headed off to brief my Lieutenants. Outside of the small house in Jumundo-Ri Village that General Chang Wen had taken for his Command Post, Yi Hwŏn and Suike of the Jiagu Clan were waiting for me. My Korean and my Manchu Lieutenants nodded at me as I exited the House, and I returned the nod before Suike spoke up, asking a question.

"What's the Plan?" Asked Suike.

"We're heading to the Fort nearest to Achado. From there, we're to attack Achado Island, seize Achado-ri Village, and move onto Samsan Island." I informed.

"On our own?" Questioned Yi Hwŏn.

"Yes. We're taking half the fleet and half the Army with us. We won't be meeting up with the other half and General Chang Wen again until the time comes to attack Gwangmu Proper." I nodded.

"Splitting our forces like that is risky." Pointed out Suike.

"It's suicide if the Forces from Ganghwado Fort decide to sally against us is what it is." Scowled Yi Hwŏn.

"I have a plan in place for that." I insisted.

"One that will help us against two-to-one numbers?" Queried Yi Hwŏn.

"If it works, then yes. I'm going to go over it when we gather everyone up." I confirmed.

"Must be some plan then." Remarked Suike.

"Agreed. Even with that, I have to wonder if the General is trying to kill you." Huffed Yi Hwŏn.

"Trust me. I've gotten us this far, haven't I?" I asked.

"You have." Acknowledged Suike.

"Then trust in my plan." I intoned.

"Very well. I still don't like it, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice." Grumbled Yi Hwŏn.

Soon enough, we were in the Tavern in Jumundo-Ri Village that I had commandeered for the use of my troops and command staff. Inside, Jing Dan and Eje of the Uya Clan sat with bottles of local Makgeolli Rice Wine in front of them. Nearby, a Hokkien Chinese Naval Captain and a Khitan Infantry Qianhu sat with bottles of their own. I nodded at Eje and Jing Dan first before regarding the new arrivals, as I entered the tavern alongside Yi Hwŏn and Suike. Jing Dan and Eje nodded back at me, Eje raising his bottle of Makgeolli to me in salute while a young Barmaid handed me a bottle of my own. I thanked her and passed off a few coins before turning to regard the Hokkien Chinese Naval Captain and Khitan Infantry Qianhu.

"I am Dalai, son of Kublai Khan and Great-Grandson of the Great Chinggis, Prince of Yan and Commander of these men. Who might you be?" I questioned the New Arrivals.

The Khitan spoke first. He was a twenty-something Man with a goatee and a padded silk soldier's tunic dyed in red and yellow, the collar of which was peeking out from the lamellar armor he wore. Across his back was slung one of the Great Daos that had been used to great effect by the more elite infantry troops of the Liao Dynasty, before they had been conquered by the Jin, which themselves had been conquered by my Great Uncle, Ogodei Khan.

"I am Xiao Namur, Commander of some two Minghan of Khitan Infantry Troops. I am to subordinate my men to your command for the remainder of this campaign." Introduced the Khitan, Xiao Namur.

"What is the makeup of these troops?" I queried.

"One Minghan of them are Spearmen. One Minghan of them utilize the Great Dao." Answered Xiao Namur.

"I see. What of yourself?" I asked the Hokkien Naval Captain.

The Hokkien Naval Captain was clean-shaven, and not just without a beard. His head had been shaved as well, though he clearly was no monk, judging by the drinking he was doing. The Hokkien Captain wore a Blue and Black Shanku and a red silk sash, and carried a pair of Short, Hudie Dao, or Butterfly Swords, sheathed at his waist.

"I am Captain Liau Tsi-Sing of the Shine Ongot Hong Bo. Twenty-seven other ships have come with me and the Hong Bo, including five other Shine Ongots, to be the naval contingent of your attacking force." Bowed the Hokkien Naval Captain, Liau Tsi-Sing.

"Is that so?" I questioned.

"Indeed it is, My Prince." Nodded Liau Tsi-Sing.

"That's not all. Not by a long shot." Smirked Eje.

"Oh?" I queried.

"Indeed, My Prince. We have also obtained four thousand more infantry. Two Minghan, each of Chinese and Korean Troops." Informed Jing Dan.

"Along with One Minghan of Jurchen Cavalry, One Minghan of Manchu Cavalry, and Two Minghan of Mongol Cavalry." Added Eje.

"I knew that I was to be getting a full Tumen of troops, but I wasn't sure what they would be. I suppose this calls for promotions, then?" I asked.

"It seems that way, My Prince." Confirmed Suike.

"Indeed." Agreed Yi Hwŏn.

Before I could say anything else, however, a runner came by with a message from General Chang Wen. He handed it off to me, and reading the message, it bore my official promotion to the rank of Tümen-ü Noyan, or Commander of a Tumen. It was now official, I was moving up in the world militarily. Immediately, I invested Suike, Eje, Jing Dan, and Yi Hwŏn with the official ranks of Qianhu, giving them the official authority to control the Minghan of Jurchen, Manchu, Chinese, and Korean Troops that had arrived as our reinforcements. Then I let them in on the plan I had to use the extra Hwacha to help negate any possible numerical disadvantage we might face, along with naval support. That seemed to placate my newly minted Qianhu enough to move on to the next part of the evening, the celebration for our promotions.

The Makgeolli truly flowed that evening, and come the morning, I was thankful that it would take a couple of days to sort everything out in terms of supplies, equipment, and troop allocations for the upcoming two pronged attack on the pair of Dondae Forts and the rest of the Islands beyond, because I had a massive hangover that seemed like the Demons of Erlik Khan were wrestling Tengri inside my skull. By the time we were ready to go, it had been four days, with the first day largely spent recovering from my Hangover and doing paperwork. The last day had me surveying my new troops, and the two days in between were spent drilling and getting everything in order.

By the time we moved toward our assigned Dondae Fort, we had everything in order. The men were supplied, equipped, and freshly drilled. The ships were supplied, armed with the extra Hwacha, and in good condition. All in all, we were ready to go. As it happened, we needn't have been so worried.

The Dondae Fort we were assigned to bombard was more than willing to surrender once a breach had been made in the walls. It turned out, it was manned by troops of the Noh Clan, whose head was captured in the initial landings, many of whom had family members in the Village of Jumundo-Ri. They were, consequently, low on morale and eager to reunite with their families. It only took a further three days to force a breach and offer rather lenient terms of surrender, which they gladly took. Once the Dondae Fort's Garrison had agreed to the surrender, we boarded the transports to move onto Achado Island.

It would wind up turning into the second battle I had fought during this entire campaign. . .

XXXX

The Enemy had mustered a small force of four and a half Minghan outside Achado-Ri Village. They flew an unfamiliar banner that wasn't any of the Goryeo Banners I was used to seeing. A five-petalled flower with a starburst in the middle. I turned to Yi Hwŏn, who seemed to recognize the Banner, judging from the look on his face. He was scowling at the banners.

"What banner is that?" I questioned.

"That's the Banner of the Yi Clan of Inju. They're distant cousins of mine from a branch of the clan who stayed to continue trying to curry favor with the new rulers. It worked for them, at the cost of their pride, unfortunately. They're related to the Royal Goryeo House of Yang by marriage, but are supposed to have fallen into disfavor. The Current Head's Grandfather was exiled as punishment for a possible Treasonous Plot, and that part of the Clan hasn't recovered its fortunes. The wages of being loyal to the wrong people. Serves them right." Answered Yi Hwŏn with a scoff.

"Who's their current head? Is there any way we can win their loyalty?" I queried.

"Their current Clan Head is named Yi Ju-Won. He's a middling swordsman and archer, more fond of poetry than military matters. It's possible we might win their allegiance by having me duel him for it, like in one of his poems. I don't know why you'd want the loyalty of such fools, though." Scowled Yi Hwŏn.

"And you can beat him?" I asked.

"I could beat Ju-Won in a duel hungover if I had to." Sneered Yi Hwŏn.

"Do this, and I shall make you head of the Yi Clan of Inju. When we win, you will be the primary Korean Clan under the rule of the Khans, I swear it." I promised.

"Very well, My Prince. I suppose it couldn't hurt to have extra swords, even if they are from a branch of the Clan that deluded themselves into staying." Agreed Yi Hwŏn.

The duel was surprisingly easy to arrange, all things considered, and the reason why soon became clear. Yi Ju-Won was massive, and he bore a two-handed blade that looked to be more akin to the Liao Great Dao than the more understated Geom that most of the Goryeo Forces utilized. Still, I was not deterred, and Yi Hwŏn seemed confident enough of victory even after commenting on his cousin's growth spurt. The same view clearly wasn't shared by Eje, however.

"Two sukhe says Yi Hwŏn gets beaten. That lad is at least half a head taller than Yi Hwŏn." Smirked Eja.

"Have you no faith in our comrade?" Questioned Jing Dan.

"The question is, do you have enough faith in Yi Hwŏn to take his bet?" Queried Suike.

"You aren't betting?" Asked Xiao Namur.

"Suike doesn't gamble. I, however, do. I will see your two sukhe and raise you a further three that Yi Hwŏn defeats his distant cousin within two minutes of the start of the duel." I spoke up.

"Agreed." Huffed Eja.

"I'll take that action as well. I have faith that Yi Hwŏn will prevail." Added Jing Dan.

"As will I. Yi Ju-Won still has the stance of a beginner with the Great Dao. An advanced beginner, but a beginner nonetheless." Mused Xiao Namur.

"This is why I don't Gamble, Eja." Smirked Suike.

"Quiet, it's starting." I intoned.

Everyone's attention was drawn toward the field between the two Armies, where Yi Hwŏn and Yi Ju-Won began to circle each other. Yi Hwŏn had the standard Geom against his Cousin's Great Dao. Even if he preferred the Bow, it was clear that Yi Hwŏn was no slouch with a blade, either, just from watching his movements. As the first clash occurred, Yi Ju-Won slashing out with his Great Dao, Yi Hwŏn dodged to the side and immediately moved to close the range, forcing his cousin to kick out with his right leg while his Great Dao was out of position. Yi Hwŏn tucked himself into a shoulder roll, tumbling off to the side and avoiding the kicking boot of his cousin, before getting up to one knee, bringing his Geom up into a parry as the Great Dao came back around and down.

Yi Hwŏn's parry managed to catch the two-handed blade, and he displaced the blade off to his side, the large weapon cutting into the turf instead of Yi Hwŏn. Yi Hwŏn immediately sprang up to attack his Cousin, forcing his Cousin to give ground and try to ward off the sudden strikes. That gave Yi Hwŏn the initiative, as he kept pushing Yi Ju-Won back with constant pressure and swift strikes, forcing his Cousin to parry frantically with his more unwieldy blade. Much like a Wolf going after weakened prey, Yi Hwŏn didn't let up and kept forcing his cousin onto the defensive, trying to force the larger Man into making a mistake that he could exploit to end this.

At the one-minute mark, that mistake happened. Yi Ju-Won, incensed at being forced on the defensive by Yi Hwŏn, who he viewed as a traitor, tried to counterattack after parrying a particularly vicious thrust. He lashed out with his Great Dao, hoping to split Yi Hwŏn in twain from shoulder to hip with a massive, sudden, diagonal slash. This time, not only did Yi Hwŏn duck aside from the cut, but as he came up, he slammed his right foot onto the back of his Cousin's Great Dao, the Steel-plated boot trapping it against the ground before Yi Hwŏn slashed out with his Geom for Yi Ju-Won's neck. The larger Man could only fall flat on his ass to avoid the deadly slash, dropping his trapped Great Dao in the process.

At one minute and ten seconds, Yi Hwŏn put his boot on his cousin's chest, trapping him against the ground, and placed his Geom against Yi Ju-Won's throat. He had won the duel, clearly more fit to lead. The Yi Clan of Inju, assembled on the field outside of the village of Achado-Ri, knelt as one mass of people to Yi Hwŏn, swearing fealty to him, and thus, to the Khan. Taking care of the specifics and logistics, along with taking control of Achado-Ri, took another day and a half, but by the end, we were four Minghan richer in terms of troop count, after leaving half a Minghan behind to garrison Achado-Ri.

We would need them, as two days after landing on Samsan Island, we would be informed that a massive army was on the way, having been shuttled over on fishing boats to the Town of Seokpo-Ri in the night. This army was being led by none other than Prince Wang Ch'ang, Second Son of King Gojong of Goryeo, and the new Crown Prince of Goryeo after the death of his Older Brother, Crown Prince Wang Sik, during the Battle of the Han River Estuary. He was bringing twenty thousand troops of the Army of Goryeo with him. It would likely wind up being the most pivotal battle of the entire War.

And with Uriyangkidai still on the Mainland, and General Chang Wen still fighting on Mibeop-Ri, it would be fought with only myself in overall command. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Things are proceeding apace rather well for the Mongols, with easy Victories on the Mainland and in the Islands. Now, though, Dalai is going to have to face an army that is larger than his by a third again his numbers. Thankfully, he has a plan involving the Hwacha to help neutralize the Numbers Disparity, but even if he wins, it's possible for some of the enemy to slip away on fishing boats in the night again. After all, if he wants to take Samsan, he can't go straight to Seokpo-Ri without also taking the small forts at Ha-Ri and Sang-Ri, or he'll face a potential attack in the rear by sallying garrisons.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve the Battle of Samsan and its aftermath, and will be followed by the beginning of operations against the Gangwhado Fortress Proper. Then we'll get an interlude showing how the conquest of the Dali Kingdom is going under Dorji, just as a point of comparison.

Stay tuned. . .