When Nao Nabeshima was about to order a retreat, Matsuura Sanbanro did not let Nao Nabeshima down. He spoke up and gave Nao Nabeshima a way to retreat, saving Nao Nabeshima's face.
"General, the Ming reinforcements are here. Looking at their flags, we can see the words 'Zhu' and 'Zhe' on them. 'Zhu' is the surname of the Ming people. This army is holding a big flag with the word 'Zhu', so it is very likely that the Ming royal family will lead the army. If the royal family leads the army, then this army must be the elite of the Ming army. In addition, this reinforcement also holds a big flag with the word 'Zhe', so it must be from Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the Ming Dynasty. Since we landed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, we have fought for more than a thousand miles in the inland of the Ming Dynasty. I compared the combat effectiveness of the armies from all over the Ming Dynasty and found that the combat effectiveness of the Zhejiang army is the strongest among them. The combat effectiveness of this elite royal army from Jiangsu and Zhejiang is definitely not comparable to that of ordinary Ming troops. With this reinforcement hindering us, it will be difficult for us to break through the huge city of Yingtian, and there is also the danger of being attacked from top to bottom, inside and outside by the Ming army. Please consider your highness's important task and let go of the huge city of the Ming people's secondary capital for the time being and order a withdrawal."
Matsuura Sanbanrou made a perceptive analysis and suggested to Nao Nabeshima that they withdraw the troops.
"I beg the general to order a withdrawal."
After saying this, Matsuura Sanbanrou closed his legs, bowed solemnly at 45 degrees, and formally made a request to Naoko Nabeshima.
Hearing Matsuura Sanbanrou's sincere request for withdrawal, Naoko Nabeshima couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Hey, Sanbanrou, you're so outstanding. I was right about you.
Of course, Matsuura Sanbanlang was happy in his heart, but he still pretended to be indifferent to life and death. He said angrily, "Sanbanlang, what if the reinforcements are here? What if they are led by royal relatives? What if they are the elite Ming army? Why should we boost the morale of the Ming people and destroy our own prestige? Humph, the Ming reinforcements are here just in time. We will defeat this elite royal army in front of the defenders on the city and scare them to death!"
"General, we are not weak in field battles, but it is not wise to fight the Ming people in the city. We are prone to being attacked from both inside and outside the city. For the sake of your highness's important mission, please order the withdrawal of the troops. If we evacuate Yingtian City and this royal reinforcement army pursues us recklessly, I will be the vanguard to defeat this reinforcement army for you, capture the Ming royal family alive, and present them to you."
Matsuura Sanbanrou said with confidence.
“This…” Nabeshima Masao was reserved again.
Seeing this, Matsuura Sanbanro pointed at Zhu Ping'an and his Zhejiang troops who were charging over with great fanfare, bowed to Nabeshima Masao again, and urged, "The Ming reinforcements are getting closer and closer. General, please put the overall situation first and make a decision as soon as possible."
"well... ... "
Nabeshima Masao put on an expression of unwillingness but the greater good, grinned and sighed, raised his head and glared fiercely at the top of Yingtian City, then turned his head and glared fiercely at the Zhejiang Army that was getting closer and closer, and finally said reluctantly: "Forget it, for the sake of your highness's important mission, then I will do as you say and let this city go for now!"
now!
The Zhejiang army led by Zhu Ping'an was less than 300 meters away from the Japanese pirates, and both sides could see each other clearly.
This was the first time that the Zhejiang Army went to the battlefield. Looking at the Japanese pirates' weird topknots, ferocious-looking Japanese armor, hideous faces, their bloody Japanese swords, and the two carts full of Ming army heads who died with their eyes open, some soldiers couldn't help but feel a little timid.
"Didn't the lord say that the Japanese pirates would run away once we showed up? Why haven't they run away yet?"!
"Oh my god, this is the first time I see Japanese pirates. They look so scary."
"See? There are two trucks full of heads of people in front of the Japanese pirates. The Japanese pirates are too brutal."
Some soldiers of the Zhejiang Army could not help but grumble timidly, and their steps became somewhat chaotic.
They used to be mountain bandits who occupied the mountains and became kings, robbing passing merchants and civilians. When merchants and civilians saw them, they kowtowed and begged for mercy, and there were very few resistances. Even when the government soldiers surrounded and suppressed them, most of them were the old, weak and sick. It was the first time for them to face off against such grinning and murderous Japanese pirates.
There are quite a few people in the Zhejiang Army who have the bad habit of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Once on the battlefield, many people were exposed.
The Zhejiang Army's formation also gradually became disorganized due to the chaotic footsteps of these cowardly soldiers.
Zhu Ping'an noticed this keenly and frowned, but he also knew in his heart that the Zhejiang Army was reorganized from mountain bandits and had not been trained for a long time, so it was a reality that these problems had arisen.
Fortunately, Zhu Ping'an had made adequate preparations long ago. He modified fifty horse-drawn carriages before leaving. Except for the pusher direction, thickened wooden boards were installed in the other three directions as mobile barriers. He also selected brave men to push them and protect the formation at all times to avoid being defeated by the Japanese pirates.
"Chariots move forward, protect the formation, everyone must advance and not retreat. Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"
When Zhu Ping'an discovered that the Zhejiang army was showing signs of disarray, he immediately ordered the chariots to move forward to protect the formation.
With the wooden cart in front, the soldiers felt more secure and their formation was no longer in disarray.
"Now, regardless of the accuracy or distance, everyone just needs to shoot arrows and fire muskets forward."
Zhu Ping'an then gave the order directly.
The Zhejiang Army's training for more than a month was not in vain. At Zhu Ping'an's command, they subconsciously raised their bows and muskets and shot arrows forward. Of course, this place was out of range, and the Zhejiang Army's shooting skills were not high, so they could not count on their range and accuracy. The Zhejiang Army was as fierce as a tiger, and feather arrows and bullets flew forward in an overwhelming manner, but they either fell halfway or deviated, and the deviation was not light, not to mention 108,000 miles, but at least 17 or 18 meters.
However, in the eyes of the people on the city, the Zhejiang Army was extremely brave, jumping out of the woods like a tiger and rushing straight towards the Japanese pirates. The flatbed trucks with thick wooden boards installed on the way were like a moving barrier. When they were about to engage in battle, the Zhejiang Army soldiers began to shoot... ...
The morale of the people watching from the city was greatly boosted, and the soldiers and civilians cheered.
Of course, there were people who did not think so, such as Shi Pengfei, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. They thought they knew everything about military affairs, and while looking at the situation outside the city, they shook their heads and sighed.
"Where did this reinforcement come from? Do they know how to fight? They are just like reckless men, they didn't even set up a cone formation, fish scale formation, crescent moon formation, etc. They just charged in directly, just like reckless men, there are loopholes everywhere...
"Zhejiang Army? Oh, I remember now. This is the newly established militia of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Criminal Investigation Department. It seems to be led by the Lord Zhu Ping'an who warned us earlier. It is said that the total strength is only more than 800 people."
"Nonsense! Censor Hu led more than a thousand elite soldiers, but he was still no match for the Japanese pirates. A small militia with less than a thousand people has not yet established a firm foothold, yet they dare to charge recklessly. Now it is evening, the sky is dark, and they don't even bother to set up camp and wait until tomorrow to select elite soldiers in the city to attack from both inside and outside. They rush out hastily before they have established a firm foothold. Isn't this just giving the Japanese pirates their heads?"
"If we are defeated by the Japanese pirates in front of the entire city, the morale of the defenders will be ruined..."
In their view, the Zhejiang army would be defeated by the Japanese pirates in the blink of an eye.