Chapter 155: Siege

The seventh year of Hongwu, the third day of the fifth month.

Ten li outside Kyoto City, the Military Camp.

Li Wenzhong stood on the high ground outside the camp gate, gazing at the distant Kyoto city walls, his expression calm.

Kyoto City was not large; its walls were three Zhang high, with a circumference of about twenty li, which among the cities the Ming army had seen could only be considered medium-sized.

But this city was special: within its walls were numerous temples and aristocratic mansions, its streets narrow and winding, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

"Cousin, this city looks small, but it's not easy to take," Zhu Yong said, standing aside.

He had just returned after leading a scouting party around the city once, gaining a rough understanding of its defenses.

Li Wenzhong nodded and said, "The Wa have managed Kyoto for several hundred years; although its fortifications are not high, the layout is complex, and there are three hundred thousand civilians inside. If we launch a direct assault, casualties will not be small."

"Then what shall we do?" Zhu Yong asked.

"Besiege without attacking… cut off their grain routes and water supply; the three hundred thousand inside cannot survive more than a month," Li Wenzhong said calmly.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "A month is too long; elsewhere in Wa Country there are still troops, and if reinforcements arrive…"

"Reinforcements? From where? Wa Country has sixty‑six states; we have fought our way here, destroying thirty, subjugating twenty, the rest are watching. Who would dare to come to the rescue?"

Li Wenzhong sneered.

He pointed at Kyoto City and said, "Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is now a lone city under siege; the nobles inside, accustomed to a life of luxury, will, after a few days of hunger, open the gates and surrender on their own."

Zhu Yong laughed and replied, "Cousin is right; then we'll surround them and wait for them to starve."

Li Wenzhong, however, shook his head and said, "Waiting is necessary, but we cannot just wait idly. Send a messenger: build earthen mounds outside the city, mount cannons, bombard the walls daily, to pressure Ashikaga Yoshimitsu."

"Yes!" the messenger soldier responded and left.

……

Inside Kyoto City, the Muromachi Imperial Palace.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sat on the Main Seat, below him were the last ministers of the Northern Court.

These people were mostly court nobles, who usually discussed poetry and painting; now, with disaster looming, each wore a pallid complexion.

"General, the Great Ming army has built earthen mounds outside the city; it looks like a long‑term siege…" an elderly minister said tremblingly.

"How long can the city's food last?" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu asked.

The official in charge of Grain and Fodder frowned and said, "At the current consumption rate, at most… twenty days."

A murmur rose within the hall.

"Twenty days? Then what shall we do?"

"The Great Ming army is besieging without attacking; they intend to starve us to death!"

"General, perhaps… perhaps we should surrender…"

"Surrender… the Great Ming army has marched here killing all the way; when have they ever accepted surrender? At Isonokami Castle, at Dazaifu, the surrendering samurai were all executed!"

The crowd argued incessantly.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's head throbbed as if splitting.

He knew the Great Ming army truly did not accept surrender, at least not the surrender of samurai.

Those surrendering samurai were either executed on the spot or sent to mine, a fate worse than death.

But what of the nobles?

The Great Ming army seemed somewhat lenient toward the aristocracy; as long as they handed over their property, they could survive.

"Enough!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu shouted.

Silence fell in the hall.

He surveyed everyone and slowly said, "Send a messenger: from today onward, the whole city will implement a rationing system, all food to be centrally allocated. Able‑bodied young men are to be drafted into the city‑defense unit, women to handle transport of supplies. Those who disobey will be beheaded!"

"General…" someone began to say.

"Anyone who mentions surrender again will be treated as a traitor!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu said coldly.

The crowd fell silent as if chilled.

……

The fifth day of the fifth month, the Great Ming earthen mounds were completed.

Ten earthen mounds, each five Zhang high, level with Kyoto's walls.

One hundred cannons were mounted on the mounds, their barrels aimed at the walls.

At dawn, Li Wenzhong ascended the main earthen mound and looked out over Kyoto City.

"Cousin, shall we fire the cannons?" Zhu Yong asked.

"Wait a bit longer… first send someone to urge surrender," Li Wenzhong said.

"Urge surrender—will the Wa surrender?"

"They won't, but this is protocol: first courtesy, then force," Li Wenzhong said calmly.

He waved his hand and ordered, "Send an envoy into the city."

A squad of Ming Cavalry escorted a translator to the foot of Kyoto City.

The translator shouted in Wa language: "The Great Ming summons the Wa Grand General Li Wenzhong with a decree, you have one hour to open the city and surrender, and the lives of the civilians inside will be spared."

"If you stubbornly resist, on the day the city falls, not a chicken nor a dog will be left!"

On the wall, the defending commanders' faces turned ashen.

He dared not decide, so he sent someone sprinting to consult Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Half an hour later, the envoy returned with a command: "The General orders: hold Kyoto to the death, never surrender!"

The translator reported back.

Li Wenzhong nodded, as if he had anticipated this.

"Since they won't surrender, it's no one's fault but mine."

He raised his hand, brought it down heavily and said, "Fire the cannons!"

"Boom—boom—boom…"

One hundred cannons roared in unison.

The cannonballs whistled toward the Kyoto city wall.

The first volley struck the wall, scattering shards of stone.

The second round, the third round…

Cracks began to appear in the wall.

The garrison inside the city returned fire, but their arrows could not reach the earth mound, and the few old cannons lacked range, their shells falling mid‑air.

It was a wholly one‑sided bombardment.

The bombardment lasted for one hour.

Much of the Kyoto city wall was damaged, especially the South Gate, which was hammered continuously; half of its gate tower collapsed.

"Cease fire," Li Wenzhong ordered.

The cannon fire stopped, and smoke filled the air.

The city of Kyoto fell into dead silence.

Li Wenzhong said to Zhu Yong, "Yong Er, take three thousand men and probe the South Gate."

"Yes!" Zhu Yong replied, descending the earth mound.

He mustered three thousand infantry, hoisted a Ladder, and charged toward the southern city.

The defenders on the wall saw the Ming army rush forward and hurriedly loosed arrows.

Arrows fell like rain, but the Ming troops raised shields and kept advancing.

Zhu Yong surged ahead without even raising a shield; arrows struck his body, clanging, unable to pierce his plate armor.

He reached the base of the wall, looked up at the damaged rampart, and grinned.

"Set up the Ladder!"

The Ladder was erected, and the Ming army began to climb.

The defenders frantically hurled Rolling Logs and Boulders downward, pouring boiling oil.

The Ming troops' casualties began to rise.

Seeing this, Zhu Yong grew impatient; he abandoned the Ladder, kicked off the wall with both feet, leapt a Three Zhang height, grabbed the breach with both hands, and vaulted up.

"Ghost King has entered the city!" the Japanese troops shouted in terror.

Zhu Yong landed, Double Hammers in hand, swung them and struck.

The surrounding Japanese troops fell like wheat being reaped.

He held the breach; the Ming army kept pouring up the Ladder.

The South Gate defenders began to rout.

But at that moment, reinforcements from within the city arrived.

They were monk soldiers.

A thousand monk soldiers, brandishing prayer swords, silently charged forward.

They feared no death, using their bodies to block the Ming advance.

Zhu Yong's Double Hammers smashed a swath, but the monk soldiers kept coming.

The Ming troops were blocked on the wall, unable to expand their gains.

Li Wenzhong, atop the earth mound, saw the scene and ordered the sounding of metal to recall the troops.

Zhu Yong heard the gong, and though reluctant, still led the Ming army down from the wall.

The first probing attack saw the Ming army seize a section of the South Gate wall, but they failed to breach the city and withdrew.

……