1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 10
Only Noblemtl
(10)
Right is not right
Samsik returned after completing his reconnaissance.
“There are nine in total. Two and one each on the boat, and six on the sandy beach. Those on the boat lie still.”
“Was there no movement while you were watching?”
“It didn’t move for about 15 minutes.”
Han Chang-geun thought for a moment and then asked again.
“What is your opinion?”
“The people on deck are either seriously injured or dead. Those on the beach also look exhausted.”
Han Chang-geun fiddled with his bowstring for a moment and then glanced at the men.
“There are six of us, including me, and they are six too. As you can see, we’ve been shipwrecked in a storm. And we look very tired.”
“What should I do? Give me instructions.”
The men’s eyes sparkled. The northern man’s rough fighting spirit could be felt.
But Han Chang-geun’s eyes were cold and sunken.
“I want to attack, but if even one of you objects, the scouts will return to their original mission and report back.”
“The choice of the five internal organs has never been wrong. Let’s do it.”
“When will we report and when will we gather again to attack them? Dae-Jeong is right. After departure, the five generals are the leaders.”
When everyone’s will was in agreement, Han Chang-geun nodded.
“There, lie down secretly until the end of the sandy beach. Then, stand up and charge a hundred paces ahead, or the moment you are discovered by the enemy.”
“let’s go.”
“It’s been fun, kids.”
“See you in hell.”
“Stop. Shut your mouth now. Let’s go.”
The plain clothes rubbed against the gravel became tattered. The sound of the grass rustling was lost in the waves.
The six men shook off their tension and advanced stealthily.
Clink clink.
A seagull flew overhead.
“Ominously.”
The sailor who was sitting down picked up a pebble and threw it.
“If you have the strength, go and get something to eat.”
The sailors murmured at Captain Katsumori Hayato’s instructions.
“I don’t like it, ma’am.”
The ship’s hold would be filled with the corpses of slaves, their feet bound in iron chains. But there had to be something to eat.
“Shintaro, you go pick up some sticks from the forest.”
“high.”
“The rest are guarded on all sides……”
Katsumori Hayato looked down and saw the arrow that had pierced his stomach. Then he sat down as if all the strength had left his body.
Han Chang-geun, who was running, pulled back the bowstring. The arrow flew and struck the forehead of the Japanese pirate who was standing up with his sword in hand.
“Ugh.”
Crunch.
“Whoaaaa.”
The Japanese pirate, whose stomach had been cut open with a single stroke of a sword, sobbed while holding his spilling intestines.
“surrender.”
“I surrender. Please spare my life.”
When the scouts reached the beach, there were only two people left, some wounded by arrows and others kneeling and bowing their heads.
“Huff, huff. There’s nothing to do, right?”
“Whew, Whew. That’s right.”
“Oh Jang caught three by himself. As expected, everything is different.”
The man who was tearing the corpse’s clothes and cleaning his sword snickered.
“Are you the person who was full of complaints until yesterday?”
“Oh, if someone heard it, they would think it was true. It was just an opinion, an opinion.”
“Phehe, well, the five intestines always ask for opinions.”
“Good job everyone.”
“Thank you for your effort.”
“Thank you for your hard work, General.”
As Han Chang-geun walked over to congratulate him, the men bowed their heads as if they were lining up. Leadership comes from ability. This was a battlefield, and the scholar from the countryside seemed to have discovered a new talent.
Han Chang-geun did not release the bow.
“But not yet. It looks like there are about 40 of them. I need to search inside.”
“Huh, you can tell just by looking at it that the stairs are narrow. It seems dangerous.”
He gestured to the kneeling soldier.
“Let them go first.”
He placed the obedient Japanese soldiers in front of him as he was told. They seemed to be saying something, but there was no one here who could speak Japanese.
“What are you saying?”
“Aren’t the kids scheming? Give it to them.”
The soldier who had been kicked by the foot got on board first. After a while, they reached down. The man who ignored them stepped on the protruding timber and climbed up with the strength of his arms.
The dwarf, overwhelmed by the man’s bulging forearms and large hands, often retreated at a slow pace.
“To these guys……”
The man with the bald head, Jong-gil Oh, spat on the floor.
They were quite agile when they held their swords, and they were full of life force, but that was all. They were not even as strong as children in their twenties. It was pitiful that they had to give up half of their country to these weaklings.
This is why Daejung’s words, “Let’s protect our families first,” really resonate.
“Nigimi, some people fight with their lives on the line, while others run away.”
He grumbled and picked up the rope from the floor.
As the rope was tied around the mast and hung, the rest of the men came up. They looked around at the slightly tilted side of the ship due to being stranded on the white sand and said something.
“Even if it’s this big, it could still fit 50 people inside, right?”
“If I force it, I can put in 100 people.”
“Shh, be quiet.”
Han Chang-geun closed his eyes and put his hand on his ear. The men who saw him quietly shut their mouths.
“Can’t you hear something?”
“Are they groaning? Are they injured?”
“Let them in quickly.”
When Oh Jong-gil grabbed the soldier’s neck with his hand, he couldn’t move. He just went down the stairs.
And nothing much happened. It was just quiet.
After a while, he came up and spread his hands left and right.
“There are about 50 or 60 bodies and survivors tangled together. They seem to be slaves, judging by the chains around their ankles. And there is still water on the slanted corner, but it looks like it is slowly draining away.”
“It’ll take some effort, right? Do I really need to get it?”
“……”
Everyone looked at Han Ching-geun.
“Even though he is a slave, he is the enemy of our enemy and is on our side. Save him.”
Once the order was given, there was no sound.
“Keys! Where are the keys?”
“Kaggi, kaggi.”
The soldier noticed this and pointed to the white sand beach with his hand.
Oh Jong-gil gestured for them to bring it, and the soldiers got off the ship and ran toward the captain.
After falling down several times, he finally managed to snatch the bundle of keys from the captain’s waistband and returned. Oh Jong-gil led the panting man down to the hold. The rest of the men soon followed.
The other ship was no different. The corpses were brought up one by one and piled on the bow.
“It seems like I’m half dead and half alive.”
“You’ll find out soon enough. But……”
Han Chang-geun glanced at the survivor lying in the corner.
“I need to feed you something first.”
“I see. I’ll look for something like a pot.”
Oh Jong-gil was harassing Waebyeong again.
“Iron hat? Don’t you have anything else besides this?”
The soldiers bowed and made sad faces. They made a gesture of putting their index and middle fingers together like chopsticks and repeatedly putting them in their mouths, expressing that they were using them to cook food.
Dozens of bonfires were lit on the white sand beach.
Something was bubbling in the iron hat that was fixed upside down.
“It’s a shame to have to eat precious white rice like this.”
“Rice soaked in seawater? This is my first time.”
“The two sacks together are 80 seok of white rice. Moreover, they are half the size of Joseon’s rice sacks.”
“First, I need to take them all out and dry them in the sun.”
Oh Jong-gil let out a growl.
“Are you saying that? Wouldn’t it be difficult for us to do it alone?”
“It might be difficult for us alone. But I see people working over there.”
Han Chang-geun turned his gaze. There were people with pale faces looking at something boiling.
“Only the one holding the iron hat, come forward. The rest of you, go and get chopsticks.”
“One hat for four people. Those who do not follow orders will be punished.”
Among the slaves, there were quite a few from Joseon. Some of them spoke Japanese, so communication was possible.
Those who had finished their meal sprawled out on the white sand beach.
The warm afternoon sun seemed to celebrate their survival.
“There are 42 in total. Twelve of them are Koreans. Twenty-nine are Japanese slaves, and one is a Westerner. And.”
Oh Jong-gil stared intently at a wooden board the size of his palm.
“Thank you for your hard work. Just give it to me.”
Han Chang-geun, who had received the wooden board, recited the numbers written in charcoal one by one.
“80 seoks of white rice, 100 muskets, 120 geun of gunpowder, 30 suits of armor, 100 swords, 300 long spears. 900 pieces of fur of various kinds, 800 sets of clothing.”
“There were also a few things that could be called blankets and a pack of poisonous powder with a pungent smell, but I don’t know if they could be dried and reused.
“The final decision will be made by the Supreme Court.”
Han Chang-geun handed the wooden tablet to Sam-sik.
“If it were Daejeong, he would have said this. It’s okay if it takes time to recover. Above all, be careful about safety.”
“Yes. Five internal organs.”
Samsik, who had lowered his head, disappeared the way he had come.
He said, as if he suddenly remembered Oh Jong-gil.
“Oh, one of the Koreans asked to see you.”
“……?”
After a while, Oh Jong-gil brought in a middle-aged man dressed in scantily clad clothing.
“It’s interest. It seems like he’s the leader of the Koreans.”
“I just learned some Japanese, so I was able to use the Japanese to my advantage.”
“I’m Han Chang-geun. I’m leading five volunteer soldiers. Let’s get this straight. What are you curious about?”
“I’m Park Mu-ryang. Since we can communicate, this must be Joseon. Since there’s a volunteer army, there must be a war. Your curiosity has been satisfied.”
In a word, a righteous army can deduce the desired facts. He is a smart person. In Joseon of today, people like this were needed more than scholars with deep knowledge.
A strange light appeared in Han Chang-geun’s eyes.
“You seem to be a nobleman, but you must have had a hard time. I will make things a little easier for you….”
“I want to become a volunteer soldier too.”
“……”
“I endured the humiliation and held the oar only to find a place to die. I held on with the hope that if I did well, I could save the life of one of the Japanese generals.”
Han Chang-geun listened silently.
“I thought the sky would bring a storm and I would die together with the Japanese, but since I have lived like this, I must find a place to die again. I have been training my body, so if I can find my strength, I will be able to do the work of one person.”
Park Moo-ryang stared at him silently as if he had said everything he wanted to say.
“I am also a nobleman, but we do not have any rules for class.”
“The law is too much for someone who can’t even protect his country.”
Han Chang-geun smiled.
“Okay. Let me recommend you.”
“Thank you. I will try my best not to disappoint you.”
“First, divide the Koreans into two groups and provide them with weapons. Then, use the Japanese to unload supplies.”
Park Mu-ryang looked at the sun and nodded.
“I’ll start with the iron. It rusts easily in seawater.”
“Do so. Hey Jong-gil, this guy is called Park Mu-ryang. Give him someone to protect him for the time being.”
“Yes. Hey Junseok. You’re coming.”
As the Koreans regained their strength, they stood up one by one, took up swords, and commanded the Japanese slaves.
The sun was still at its zenith.
* * *
“It’s the cavalry. The cavalry is returning.”
At the sentry’s shout, the tightly shut gate opened.
Yeah, yeah.
Then, about 80 cavalry slowed down and passed through the gate.
Doo doo doo doo.
The people watching from afar raised their hands and welcomed them.
“The Joseon army is 100 years old.”
“Oh my, what is that? Are those all the heads of Japanese people?”
“Hey, everyone’s got one or two. You caught a lot.”
“As expected, General Jeong’s cavalry fought well.”
Warm, warm.
Cavalry Captain Kang Mun-woo slowly crossed the street in a show of dignity. The blood on the officers tied to the saddles seemed to have not yet cooled, and long bloodstains were left in the wake of the horse’s passage.
“Everyone, get out of here. Rest until tomorrow.”
After arriving at the government office and disbanding the cavalry, he headed to the training ground.
“one.”
“Ugh.”
“two.”
“Ugh.”
“Then why would the Japanese be afraid? Hold the spear straight and go again.”
Kang Moon-woo walked to the front gate, leaving behind the military officers’ orders, and saluted.
“Chung! I have completed my mission and returned.”
“What was the result?”
“We have taken 102 enemy heads.”
Jeong Moon-bu opened his eyes wide. He belatedly scanned Kang Moon-woo’s body, which was covered in blood.
“You are a great man. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“The scouts from the local troops were effective. They were able to grasp the enemy’s location, situation, and even their course. Thanks to this, they were able to make an optimal charge.”
Joseon’s cavalry was mainly lightly armed cavalry, such as cavalry archers. However, they did not completely avoid charging. The choice was up to the commander.
“I thought you meant you were going to slowly withdraw when you told me you were only going to do reconnaissance.”
“The experienced scout was a great scout. This time, his judgment was right.”
“What’s right isn’t always right.”
“……”
“But he’s been right so far. This time he’s showing us how to link up the infantry and cavalry.”
He turned his head and stared at the training of the volunteer soldiers.
Their training was clearly visible from the castle walls.
Jiwoo was leaning against the stairs and leisurely watching the training.
“Your Majesty, it’s urgent.”
The ox approached and held out a wooden tablet. Next to him, Samsik was panting.
Jiwoo opened his eyes wide as he read the wooden tablet. He turned his head to the ox.
“Is there a squad waiting right now?”