Chapter 156: The Fall of Fukuoka Castle

Seeing the chaos on top of the city, five hundred gunmen from the Shuntian Battalion of the Keelung Army who were tasked with supervising the battle immediately rushed to the city and selected a broken wall that had just been broken open by mortar shells.

"Ba! Ba! Ba!"

Indiscriminately, a volley of fire cannons was fired into the wall.

Dense lead projectiles, propelled by gunpowder, flew into the city at a speed of 200 yards per second, causing scattered bricks and sparks to fly from the broken walls.

After five or six hundred projectiles were fired, the repair project that had dozens of people stationed just now disappeared immediately, and the corpses lying everywhere showed the intensity of the firepower.

"Vanguard! Charge!"

"kill!"

The three hundred vanguards were formed by recruiting samurai, town samurai and Hatamoto samurai from the daimyo territories in Kitakyushu. They were waving tachi and spears in their hands, and each one of them was madly moving towards the army as if they were obsessed with it. After being hit by artillery fire, thousands of people were killed. The scarred Toyooka Castle pounced.

At this time, Toyooka Castle was like a young woman who had taken off her clothes. She had no ability to resist at all and could only allow them to invade in every possible way.

"Come on! Capture the city, everything is ready!"

Following the Hatamoto samurai were more than a thousand Ashigaru. They had no weapons in their hands and only carried a huge straw bag on their backs.

They have to overcome Fukuoka Castle's last line of defense - the moat - for the Hatamoto Samurai in front of them.

Although the ashigaru are the most ineffective unit on the battlefield and no daimyo would choose to train them, the ashigaru's cannon fodder and regeneration abilities are obvious to all.

When all the ashigaru blocked a small section of the moat in front of Fukuoka Castle, three hundred banner warriors immediately crossed over and charged into the city.

Under the crazy attack of the vanguard, Keelung's military flag and the crest of the Saga family soon appeared on the city top.

If you shoot a man, shoot the horse first; if you capture a city, put up a flag first!

The Tokugawa troops at the top of the city faced the vanguard's frantic charge. The defenders, who had already suffered heavy losses, could hardly form effective resistance. They were beheaded by tachi in threes, threes and fives, and they scattered like straw in autumn. Next, blood flowed down the steps of the city wall, soaking the city walls and moat red.

Facing the vanguard's crazy killing spree, the Tokugawa army's Hatamoto samurai became furious.

The few hundred warriors in the city shouted loudly and rushed to the top of the city: "Today is the day I wait to die! Kill!"

Wearing black armor and holding sophisticated swords, the encounter between samurai was a tit-for-tat confrontation. The two sides were entangled with each other. However, as time went by, the Tokugawa samurai gradually fell into a disadvantage.

On the one hand, their number was too small, and on the other hand, due to the explosive shells just fired, although they were hiding behind the formation, they still inhaled a lot of gas, and their eyes were distracted.

He could withstand it for a while with his warm blood, but unfortunately it couldn't last long.

After burning the incense, Takashi Asai laughed wildly and mentioned a Tokugawa samurai, and then cut off his head with a tachi. It seemed that he enjoyed this process very much, so the whole process was presented in front of two parties.

madman!

This is what the Saga samurai said about him.

This general who was driven out of the state has completely turned into an emotionless murderous demon. Any Tokugawa samurai who dares to appear in front of him will be killed by him.

Of course, this has to be attributed to his superb martial arts!

"Run away!" The desperate Tokugawa samurai could not overcome the fear in their hearts. They abandoned their troops and armor and retreated one after another.

"Don't retreat! Don't retreat! If anyone retreats, I will kill his whole family!"

Fukuoka coach Tomoko Yamashita led her team to the city wall at the last moment, stepping on corpses.

"Do you want to throw away the glory of the samurai?!" The samurai and generals beside Tomoko Yamashita shouted.

Following this shouting, the Tokugawa family's flag was planted on the top of Fukuoka City by Tomoko Yamashita.

"kill!"

Under the dual encouragement of the Tokugawa flag and the rescue force, the fighting soldiers around them regained their confidence, picked up their weapons on the ground again, and began to fight.

Yamashita Tomoko's aide-general, who was also his two younger brothers, as shoguns and lords of the Shikoku lords, Yamashita Takatake and Yamashita Sangoi, were like two ferocious wolves, leading the vassal soldiers to rush forward and fight to the death. Bite the Saga Vanguard in front of you.

After a quick fight, a barrier was created between the soldiers at the foot of the mountain and the vanguard.

At this time, the vanguard was already exhausted, and it was already impossible for the remaining 200 people to rush and kill the vassal soldiers on the opposite side who were several times their size and better equipped.

"Go back if you're afraid of death?!" Takashi Asai took a mouthful of blood from his sword and rushed towards Tomoko Yamashita.

"Don't be afraid!"

The Hatamoto samurai followed up one after another, guarding Asai Takashi, and used the tachi in their hands to tear open gaps one after another.

The so-called vanguard is the death squad, and they knew it long before they came.

Birds die for food, and people die for wealth. Thinking about the benefits that can be obtained after death, fighting spirit suddenly broke out. Someone in the team shouted loudly, "Let me die here today! Kill!"

The vanguard, who wanted to die for the one hundred stones of white rice and thirty taels of silver dollars as a pension, unleashed a fighting power that was far beyond what these feudal soldiers could match.

In fact, neither party is afraid of death, and both believe that death is a destination.

However, compared with the Yamashita soldiers who are not afraid of death but do not want to die, the Hatamoto samurai in the vanguard only wants to die!

Only by dying can their families live a better life. This is the baptism of Saga Asaichi's thoughts on them.

As long as he wins, Saga is doing the right thing. If he loses, everything is in vain.

In history, we have never seen a winner overturn the verdict of the loser, saying that he had taken the world by conspiracy.

For the winner, we often praise and reward, and for the loser, we feel pity and endless ridicule.

The winners and losers often change constantly, but this law is eternal and unchanging.

Facing the long spears stabbing like a forest, several Saga warriors even dropped their long swords, exposed their chests, and rushed forward, letting the sharp long spears pierce their bodies, while holding the long spears tightly to prevent the soldiers at the foot of the mountain from pulling them out, and blood spurted out along the long spears.

^.^,

The soldiers at the foot of the mountain were frightened by this crazy behavior and were a little at a loss. When they were holding the long spears and were surprised, someone in the vanguard suddenly jumped out and swung a knife to cut off the arms of these soldiers.

In a blink of an eye, the soldiers who were still killing just now suddenly became people holding a broken hand and crying and groaning.

"Let's die here!" The Saga samurai's offensive continued.

People kept shouting slogans and rushing into the ranks of the personal soldiers. The swords in their hands were like holy weapons. They chopped fiercely, which made the enemy unbearable, or let the opponent's spear pierce their bodies as a sacrifice.

Yamashita Takatake and Yamashita Sanbugyo, two generals, were stunned. They couldn't imagine that a small Kyushu Saga family could cultivate such a fearless hatamoto samurai.

Respectable, hateful!

Even so, they had enough confidence to destroy all these hatamoto samurai on the top of Fukuoka City.

Unlike the confidence of her two younger brothers, looking at the fight in front of her, Yamashita Tomoko fell into endless grief.

Should I not come here?

Can the rescue of Tokugawa Daiden come to rescue?

Can I defend Fukuoka Castle?

In fact, without anyone telling her, Yamashita Tomoko knew that the answer was no.

In fact, before the enemy's artillery attack, he and his two younger brothers were still chatting and laughing. Fukuoka Castle had nearly 10,000 defenders.

If the ratio of three attackers and one defender was followed, the enemy would need at least 30,000 dead to conquer it.

Although they didn't know Keelung's strength, 30,000 people were definitely not something they could accept. The battle-hardened Yamashita Tomoko still had this vision.

"Takatake, Sanbugyo!" Yamashita Tomoko called back her two younger brothers who were killing the enemy in front of the battle.

After calling them to her side, Yamashita Takatake, whose face was stained with blood, seemed a little dissatisfied with him.

Before he could complain, Yamashita Tomoko issued a military order to them as a general: "You take a team to protect Matsudaira Nobutsuna back to Edo and tell the general about Keelung's combat power."

Yamashita Takatake obviously didn't understand the situation and wanted to refute it, but Yamashita Sanbugyo saw the decline in Yamashita Tomoko's eyes.

At this point, what can we do!

"The enemy army cannot block the entire sea. You may be able to retreat and leave some seeds for the Yamashita family." Yamashita Tomoko's idea is actually very simple, that is, she wants to leave some useful talents for the family.

Although her two younger brothers are not the material for commanding troops, their tempers are much better than hers, especially Yamashita Sanbugyo, who is still very appreciated by Tokugawa Daiden.

It seems that only when people are dying can they figure everything out and face it calmly.

Yamashita Tomoko's era of commanding troops should be over, but before the end, he still has to experience the combat power of the Keelung Army for Tokugawa Daiden.

"Messenger! Go and report to the general, saying that our army has achieved initial combat power and requesting support. Please transfer the navy's artillery!"

Looking at Asai Takashi who was knocked down by the Tokugawa army, Saga Fengzhong knew that the hatamoto samurai on the top of the city was already in danger, and it was time to ask for help.

The message for help was sent to Qin Hao and soon sent to the navy warship.

Taking advantage of the air strike of the Keelung Navy transporting artillery, several small boats on the sea paddled quickly and headed out. The lookouts attracted by the battle of Fukuoka Castle did not notice these small boats.

At the same time, Yamashita Tomoko on the top of Fukuoka Castle also took advantage of this gap to gather soldiers and arrange the war.

Now he has not admitted defeat yet. With the idea of ​​biting off a piece of meat from the Keelung Army even if he dies, he quickly gathered 800 soldiers of various types who can fight. Even the soldiers who made fire and cooked were pulled up to the top of the city by him for the final desperate show.

Looking at the soldiers with fear on their faces, Yamashita Tomoko didn't know what words to use to inspire courage at this time.

It can be said that this is a decisive battle that must be fought to the death.

However, the wounded soldiers lying behind the formation may be able to escape. The poisonous mist of the shrapnel bomb is a weapon that Yamashita Tomoko has never seen before. This item alone has reduced his number by nearly 5,000 people, which shows its power.

"Follow me!" Yamashita Tomoko drew out the sword given to her by Tokugawa Ieyasu from her waist, and led a group of soldiers to charge towards the artillery array that was gathering outside the city.

At this time, they were deeply impressed by the power of Keelung's cannons. They knew that once these big guys were loaded, there would be no room for everyone to survive on the top of the city!

"Protect the artillery! Protect the artillery!"

Many of Yamashita's soldiers knew how to shoot bows. They stood on the top of the city, pulling the bowstrings and releasing them continuously to cover Yamashita Tomoko. From time to time, Keelung army gunners were shot by those iron-framed bows.

Compared with ordinary bamboo bows, these iron-framed bows with a duplex structure have a longer range, and Yamashita's soldiers occupy the high ground, which greatly helps the range of arrows.

"Fire gunners! Fire on the city!"

Faced with the invasion of bows and arrows, a stern voice in the team gave an order, and immediately more than a hundred musketeers jumped out, guarding the front of the artillery team and firing fiercely at the top of the city.

Dozens of Yamashita's personal soldiers were hit by the dense rain of bullets, and they went to see God without even a groan.

More were shot and flew out, turning into a pile of rotten meat and blood.

The only thing left to deal with was the upcoming Yamashita Tomoko.

For the Keelung army with muskets, this was easy to solve.

Yamashita Tomoko led the army to shout loudly and rushed straight to the Keelung army formation.

So, the deafening sound of muskets rang out again in front of the city wall, with occasional sounds of metal clashing, the muffled sound of weapons piercing, and the shrill wailing and screaming of soldiers before they died.

After just a few minutes, the smoke dissipated, and there was no living creature standing in front of the entire Fukuoka City except the Keelung soldiers.

The musketeers in the front row had more or less knife wounds on their bodies, which was the enemy's last effort.

After a round of lead bullets, the musketeers consciously loaded the bayonets on their waists. They were infected by the spirit of the samurai in front of them. Even if they were enemies, they had to fight uprightly.

^.^,

Although such behavior was strictly prohibited in the army, everyone was tacit at that moment.

After strict and cruel training, they were confident and proud and would not lose to any team.

.........

"Kneel down and surrender to my Keelung Army, and you will be spared!"

When the 500 musketeers rushed into the city, shouting slogans for surrender everywhere, they saw Tokugawa sick people everywhere, most of whom were injured by shrapnel shells, and a few were injured by mortar shell fragments.

They casually threw the captured property to the Saga soldiers and ordered them to collect the prisoners in the city and escort them out of the city to the Keelung Army's cavalry for custody.

According to the rules, all seriously injured people except those from the Keelung Army were sent away directly. This is the cruelty of war. Without surgeons, it is difficult to treat such seriously injured people. Even if they recover, they are useless. Qin Hao, as an enemy, cannot use them at all.

Although it is ruthless, this is reality, and reality is often cruel.

"Your Highness, there is a big harvest!"

Qin Hao jumped into the gate of Fukuoka Castle, and a cheer came from the corner outside the city. A bloody man was escorted out by Saga Asaichi and handed in front of him.

"Your Highness, this is Yamashita Tomoko, the general of the Tokugawa family." Saga Asaichi was now extremely excited, "Your Highness, please make a decision!"

"You are Qin Hao, the general of the Keelung Army?!"

Yamashita Tomoko raised her thin face and glanced at Qin Hao. She was very surprised at his youth, just as surprised that he was not killed by a musket.

"Hahahaha, I lost today, not to your army, but to your big gun! If it weren't for your big gun, this place would be filled with corpses! You will also be killed by me!" Yamashita Tomoko was still very presumptuous when she was about to die. No wonder Tokugawa Iemitsu didn't like him.

"Are you done?" Qin Hao's voice suddenly became cold.

"Lord Saga, send him to see his God!"

A samurai swung his long sword and cut off Yamashita Tomoko's head, and raised it high with a long spear. Along with him, dozens of seriously injured Tokugawa foot soldiers were beheaded.

In Fukuoka Castle, as Yamashita Tomoko's head fell to the ground, thousands of Tokugawa soldiers became prisoners of the Keelung Army.

The Shimabara Peninsula also fell into the hands of the Keelung Army.

The war in Kitakyushu came to an end.