BES: Chapter 13

The initial landings were brutal. King Gojong and the Ch'oe Regents were insistent on fighting for every scrap of ground, and the smaller, coastal bastions on Seodo Island weren't helping matters any. There was scarcely any good cavalry ground here, and what cavalry ground there was seemed sewn with caltrops. Fortunately, I had expected that sort of ploy and came ashore with the infantry first, under the auspices of naval bombardment to clear the way. As the New Style Cannons from the Shine Ongots, or New Ships, that I had helped design, bombarded the shore forts, I clambered aboard a smaller landing craft.

I was going in with the first wave of mixed Han Chinese Infantry and Korean Archers. After all, I could hardly demand these men perform tasks I wasn't willing to conduct myself. I didn't have nearly the command cachet to be capable of such things yet. Besides, it would stiffen morale among the troops, even if Jing Dan had practically jumped out of his armor as I climbed aboard, shocked that I would so willingly take the risk. I laid out my argument for doing so as cogently as I could under the circumstances, and by the end of explaining about the morale benefits, Jing Dan's face pursed into a frown that was somewhat at odds with the image of the refined Han Swordsman and Engineer that I had come to know.

"I don't know if I agree with your assessment, respectfully. We cannot afford to lose you to a lucky shot from some Goryeo Archer's bow, My Prince." Frowned Jing Dan.

"I'll keep my head down while we're on approach. I promise." I opined.

"You think it will be that simple?" Questioned Jing Dan.

"No. Nothing is ever that simple. You must know that by now. However, I may have loaded the Shagai Dice somewhat." I smirked.

"How so?" Queried Jing Dan.

"You know my Arrow Carts are mobile, yes?" I asked with a grin.

As I said that, one of the smaller boats of the flotilla swung alongside our transport. It was a converted barge that had a pair of my Hwacha mounted on it. It wasn't alone, either. As our transports formed up, so too did these Hwacha Gunboats. It was a strategy that I had put together at the last minute, and I was honestly banking a lot on having freedom of the seas in order to ensure that the remaining barges, which I had overloaded the supplies that these now-converted gunboats had been carrying onto remained unsunk, but we had handily mopped the floor with the Goryeo Fleet, thanks to my designs of ships and armaments and Admiral Sak Kong Tee's ability at naval command.

As we finally got underway and began to approach the shore of Seodo Island, I could honestly say that if it was a gamble, it was a damned calculated one. Jing Dan, realizing this and understanding that I would likely not be moved in any case, had no other choice. He had to acquiesce to my demands to land with the first wave. I tried not to be too smug about it, as he was clearly uncomfortable. However, we began to lurch forward, and there really was no time left to reflect on things. The moment to make me disembark back onto the Warships had well and truly passed by now.

As we approached, the fading sunlight and back and forth bombardment between the forts and fleet cast flickering shadows across the waves. Fires like sinister embers lit in the sky, as if the three-legged crows of Xihe had somehow returned to flit about and scorch the earth, back in the days before the coming of Yi the Archer, to shoot down all but one. It may have been a fanciful imagining, and I may be indulging my poetic nature a bit to distract me from the churning in my gut as the shore, and thus the enemy, drew ever nearer. It wouldn't do for the Prince to puke from nerves going into his first real battle, after all. What kind of morale precedent would that set?

As we neared, however, a streak of rocketry from a tower along the shore bloomed into the darkening sky. Jing Dan grimaced as he watched some of the rockets reach out and strike a pair of our Shine Ongots, the New-Model Ships catching aflame as the rockets impacted. Other rockets, in fact, most of them, fell short, splashing into the waves here and there, throwing up massive plumes of seawater as they impacted. One such rocket streaked out toward the side of the landing craft we were on, exploding in a spray of water that rocked the boat and splashed into my chest from over the side. I steadied myself on the rail with a grimace and an effort of will to keep my gorge from rising further.

"Near miss! That's lucky! It proves that Tengri, Guandi, and all the other Gods smile on our endeavor! They're ensuring we will reach the shore alive, no matter how much the Goryeo Rockets try!" I announced.

That seemed to stiffen the resolve of the men in the boat, and as the Arrows came streaking in, Jing Dan called out for them to raise shields. As one, in a practiced maneuver, dozens of rattan shields were raised, locked over the open top of the landing craft like the shell of a tortoise. As the incoming volley spent itself against the shields, I noticed arrows punched through in places, wounding some of the men, though not badly enough that they couldn't continue. In any event, no sooner had the deadly rain of arrows stopped than I heard the telltale sounds of my Hwacha Firing. The roar of the arrow carts was followed by screaming as Goryeo Archers and the row of spearmen lined up on the beach to protect them were scythed down by the rocket-propelled arrows of my Hwacha. Then the shield wall broke.

"We're coming up on shore! Make ready!" Called out Jing Dan.

"Over the side and at them quick as we can once we land! With speed and shock, we'll have these traitors on the run in no time!" I added.

As I said this, another volley of rockets from the shore tower lanced out, two falling to either side of our boat, sending us rocking upward on a plume of water. I braced as it seemed we would be coming in hard against the shoreline. Everyone else in the boat did so as well, as our landing craft crunched into the shoreline with a noise like cracking wood, jolting myself, Jing Dan, and our men, and bowling some over. We hadn't suffered any slain on approach, just a dozen or so wounded. Some of the other boats couldn't say the same. I noticed one of the landing craft had capsized on approach, while others had dead troops. One of our Hwacha Gunboats was burning to the waterline as I looked back to see that we had clearly suffered casualties.

However, so had Goryeo, as the combined naval and Hwacha bombardments had softened up the enemy forces. Struggling to my feet, I hopped over the side, drawing my Dao, Jing Dan doing similarly with his Jian. Our combat-capable troops from our landing craft formed up behind us, and with a shouted battle cry, we charged at the still reorganizing line of Goryeo troops. They'd been hit badly by the Hwacha Gunboats, now it was time to strike them while the iron was hot. We might just be able to break a hole in the first line of enemy troops this way and clear a path toward the Coastal Tower that kept firing those rockets.

As I charged at the head of eighty-eight mixed Korean and Han Chinese Infantry and Archers, I lashed out with my Dao, cutting an arrow out of the air fired from a Goryeo Officer who had stepped forth to try and rally his flagging men. I would have never been able to do something like that in my Old Life, of course. It just goes to show what the right training at the correct time could do for you. I couldn't think about that now, though, as the Officer pulled his own blade and parried my whirling Dao cut as I brought my blade back around at his neck. A brief exchange ensued, as I ducked his riposte before sweeping his legs out from under him with a textbook Hòu Sǎo Tuǐ leg sweep. My spinning leg sweep put the Goryeo officer on the ground, knocking his helmet off, and allowing me to bury my Dao in his skull with a follow-up cut.

Almost immediately, I had to avoid a thrust from a Goryeo Spearman with a Dangpa Trident Spear, sidestepping the thrusting spearhead and grabbing hold of the shaft with my left hand. I tugged hard on the shaft, unbalancing the Spearman and sending him stumbling into my next cut, which slashed into his neck, killing him in a spray of arterial blood. Next to me, I watched as Jing Dan punched his Jian through the armpit of another Spearman's Lamellar Armor, even as he brought his elbow into the throat of a charging Swordsman, crushing the man's windpipe. I barely had time to take in the battlefield before I was forced to cut down a third Goryeo Soldier coming at me with a Sword, praying the incoming thrust of the straight-bladed weapon before cleaving the Man's sword-hand off at the wrist.

All around me, my troops fought, some going down, but many more carving a bloody swathe through the enemy. And as we fought on here, other troops were beginning to form up to back us up. It seemed my gambit had paid off, and between the Hwacha Gunboats I had improvised and the shock of our charge, it wouldn't be long now before the enemy broke. Indeed, as I parried a strike from another Officer, I realized that we had a decent shot at winning this just based on that alone.

Unfortunately, as I moved to cut back at the new Officer, my riposte was, unfortunately, ducked, and the Officer tried to sweep my leg out from under me, only for me to engage him in a brief bout of Chi Geuk techniques, parrying with kicks and attempting to pin his own leg to the ground to give me an opening to strike. The exchange lasted for a few moments, as we grappled and kicked, all the while our swords flashed out in a deadly dance of cut, thrust, and parry. Fortunately, I managed to pull something from my bag of future tricks that took the Officer off guard. As he cut out for my neck, I ducked before whirling about and smashing my back and shoulders into his front. Tie Shan Kao, Iron Mountain Leaning, was something you typically only saw in Drunken Boxing, a style that had yet to materialize. It certainly managed to throw off my opponent, and as I moved through, I cut out at his stumbling form, severing the tendons in his right leg at the knee and causing him to fall.

"I surrender!" Spat the Officer, down on one knee, tossing his sword to the ground at my feet, even as Jing Dan led the men in driving off the remnants of the Enemy Shore Force.

"I accept your surrender." I agreed.

"I'll be honest. I had not expected to face Mongol Royalty this evening. In any event, I am getting too old for the battlefield at this stage in my life." Sighed the Officer, removing his plumed helmet to reveal the face of a fifty-something old man.

"You seem to have the advantage of me." I intoned.

"I am Noh Yong-Chan, Head of the Noh Clan who live in these Isles. That was my levy you just bested." Introduced the Officer.

"Dalai, Son of Kublai Khan, Prince of Yan, and Great-Grandson of the Great Chinggis Khan." I responded.

And with that, the battle for the shore had ended. Jing Dan led the remaining troops to capture the Shore Tower, which surrendered after he threatened to burn them out of the stone and wood fort. I had secured a valuable prisoner in the head of a Noble Clan while also gaining a foothold on Seodo Island, all in the two hours before night well and truly fell. We would sweep the area for caltrops in the morning and find several fields laced with them, clearing them away before bringing in our cavalry and supplies. By the afternoon of the second day of the landings, we had the area secure, occupying the Coastal Tower and running cavalry patrols around the area. The small town of Seodo-Myeon was taken the next evening, after I promised the Town that the inhabitants could retain their property if they surrendered instead of forcing us to assault the town.

That effectively secured us a beachhead on the Islands. Only after that did General Chang Wen land with the main force. Thankfully, he agreed not to hog too much of the credit, likely because he knew doing so would not make my father well-disposed to him. In any event, we still had the pair of Dondae Forts on the other end of the Island to take before we could consider Seodo Island secured. And that would be an effort that General Chang Wen wanted to lead personally. I was gracious enough not to contest that. After all, he hadn't brought up that I had thrown up once the adrenaline of that first night and the rush of battle had worn off.

With that in mind, it was the least I could do. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Dalai manages to cover himself in glory and secure a landing area in the Islands around Gwangmu and the Royal Palace. He even managed to capture a valuable prisoner in the process. Thankfully, he's got the more reasonable commanders in the strike force. He doesn't have to deal with Tenzin Lhundup or General Girgen, both of whom are with Uriyangkidai's larger force marching into the Peninsula the long way around.

At any rate, the next chapter will be an interlude with Uriyangkidai and said larger force as they break into the Korean Peninsula from the landward side. Then we'll be back with Dalai to finish the Battle of Seodo Island.

Stay tuned. . .