1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 11
Only Noblemtl
(11)
On the brink
The hot sun warmed the white sand beach.
The supplies retrieved from the wrecked ship were spread out on the sandy beach to dry.
Crackle, crackle.
Those who wiped the iron plate with a rag were the men who had been locked in the hold and rowing. They were washing and drying the supplies.
A Korean glanced at the pile of armor. It had a grayish salty taste.
“If you check later and it shows saltiness, there’s no dinner.”
“high.”
The slaves followed along without much resistance.
Under the direction of the Koreans, they buried about a hundred bodies, cleaned the shipyard, and dried 80 seok of rice in the sun.
On one side, breakfast and lunch were being prepared. Rice porridge was bubbling in an upside-down iron hat.
“If you want to eat on time, quickly fill your quota. Those who don’t fill their quota will starve.”
The slaves’ movements became faster due to the savory smell.
Jiwoo stared blankly at what they were doing.
“You’re good at it.”
“I think I learned it firsthand through my life as a slave.”
Han Chang-geun said, looking at the Koreans who were skillfully handling slaves.
“General Han handled it well. Thank you for your hard work.”
“I knew you would say that.”
Jiwoo glanced at Hanchanggeun, who was smiling awkwardly, and had a satisfied expression on his face.
He arrived after riding a horse all night, looked around the scene, and shouted in delight.
The ships that ran aground were fairly large even among Sekibune, each with 40 oars. Most of the crew members were dead, but the ships themselves appeared to be intact despite having been wrecked by a typhoon.
‘Well, it survived the typhoon because it was that big.’
The materials that were salvaged were of the highest quality and ready for immediate use. Food and weapons were the very conditions for survival.
“General Han, you will have to take charge of this place for a while.”
“Well, if we can appease the Koreans a little, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“I see, there were Koreans.”
Jiwoo looked at the Koreans distributing rice porridge to the slaves.
“I’ll help you with the Han Ojang. Gather them after the meal.”
“……?”
Among the 12 Koreans, 29 Japanese slaves, and 1 Westerner, Jiwoo walked up to the Koreans first.
“As you all know, Joseon is currently in a state of war. Hundreds and thousands of people are dying every day.”
“Oh my, was it really a war?”
“Why weren’t there a few hundred people plundering?”
“The old man who worked hard to survive brought food and clothing to the Japanese.”
The Korean people were in an uproar. What some quick-witted people had thought was a lie had turned out to be true.
“Choose from three options. First, sacrifice your life for His Majesty the King. Second, hide alone somewhere. Third, save your own life first and then kill the Japanese as much as you can.”
“……”
“The one who chose the first will go to Gyeongseong and rely on General Jeongmunbu. The one who chose the second will quietly disappear. Finally, the one who chose the third will join us.”
After finishing speaking, Jiwoo walked up to the slaves without hesitation. He turned his head towards the Koreans.
“Anyone, come and speak.”
“I will do it.”
It was Park Moo-ryang. He walked out quietly and stood next to Ji-woo.
“I’ll make it short. If you do whatever I tell you to do for just one year, I’ll give you your freedom. I promise this here in front of my subordinates, on my honor. You have no choice. That’s it.”
Park Moo-ryang, who had been blinking with a bewildered expression, came to his senses and began to interpret.
The Japanese soldiers unexpectedly seemed to cheer. Some of them even prostrated themselves toward Jiwoo.
‘It gave a choice to the confused, and hope to the despairing.’
Park Moo-ryang followed Ji-woo with a meaningful look in his eyes, but flinched when their eyes met. Ji-woo waved at him with a cheerful expression.
“That’s good. I have something else to tell you.”
It was a breeze. The two soon found themselves in the shade of a pine tree. A little way away, the ox was interrogating the dying captain, Hayato Katsumori.
Park Mu-ryang heard a voice pleading, “I’ve told you everything I know, so please kill me quickly.”
“How many slaves died according to the author’s mood?”
“Now that I think about it, you must have feelings. Are you going to send it yourself?”
“You look as good as dead already. I have no thoughts.”
“Yes, that aside. I heard from my general that he hopes to return home with the Japanese.”
“……”
“I have a different offer for you than the Koreans over there. Rely on me. I can give you more heads of Japanese generals.”
“It’s a bit sudden.”
Jiwoo nodded his head as if he understood Park Mu-ryang’s bewildered appearance.
He found a flat rock nearby and sat down with a thud.
“It means to be with the ignorant people who are swept here and there and the scholars who call them traitors and try to kill them……”
“That’s what happens when the enemy is right in front of you.”
Park Moo-ryang frowned and clicked his tongue as if he had imagined it.
There was a time when I was dominated by the thought that without the teachings of Confucius, I would be no different from an animal.
He raised his head and closed his eyes.
“The world must realize that power comes first.”
Jiwoo was delighted at those words.
“You are a scholar, yet you are not immersed in books. You show the ability to rule thousands. But you are exchanging your life for a mere Japanese general? That is a loss.”
“……”
Jiwoo, who had been chatting with Park Moo-ryang for a while, finished talking.
“Please take your time and make a careful decision. Whatever decision you make, I will respect your judgment.”
“For the time being, I will help you with the work of one of the five chapters.”
A slightly different path was shown to Park Mu-ryang, who was about to throw away his life by joining the volunteer army.
Jiwoo waved his hand and sent him back to the group.
“Go and have the Westerners come here.”
After a while, a blond Western man walked over, walking timidly.
Jiwoo, who had been looking up at him for a moment, spoke with a somewhat awkward accent.
“Do you speak English?”
The Westerner’s blue eyes opened wide.
“Ha, I can do it. Oh, this is possible. Thank you, God.”
The mood suddenly changed when the person who had been gloomy with sunken eyes due to lack of nutrition started acting cheerful with a bright expression.
Jiwoo, who had been staring at the shape for a moment, spoke coldly.
“Stop, just because you can talk doesn’t mean I’ll let you live.”
“ah……”
Jiwoo pointed to the ground.
“Sit down.”
Jan quickly knelt down.
“Okay. Sit comfortably. I’m going to have a long talk now.”
The Westerner, who had been watching closely, straightened his knees and put his butt on the ground.
“From now on, honest answers are important. If it turns out to be a lie later, there will be no forgiveness. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I will be honest.”
“name.”
“This is Jan Belzeb.”
“Okay, Jan. Okay. How old are you?”
“Oh, I’m 32, but that’s not exact.”
Judging from the wrinkles around his eyes, he looked about ten years older, but Jiwoo ignored them and continued asking questions.
“What crime did you commit to become a slave?”
At that question, Jan closed his eyes once and then opened them again.
“I will tell you the truth in the name of the Lord. It was the last voyage of my employment contract as a navigator. I was looking for business partners with the plan to run an independent trading company with the money I had saved, and I was investigated for breach of contract.”
“He deserved to be sold into slavery.”
Since it was said that he had overlooked his employer’s business partners, in a way, he might have had nothing to say even if he had been sold into slavery.
“Oh Lord, how could you say such things? This was too harsh.”
“So, you dream of an independent fleet?”
“It’s true that it was once a dream. But now my goal is to live each day. Please have mercy.”
Jan knelt on one knee, placing his right hand on his chest.
Jiwoo, who was staring blankly at the sight, casually asked a question.
“I have two ships over there, but they have no captains or merchants to conduct the trade.”
“Thank you, God. Will you really give me a chance?”
Jiwoo spread out his index finger and shook it from side to side.
“Not yet. It seems like it will take time to secure capital and goods.”
“I can wait as long as I want. No, leave it to me. I will repair the ship and plunder Nippon’s merchant ships……”
There is a saying that there are no friends in the sea. It was a self-portrait of this era. The ships you meet in the sea are your enemies.
“Interesting.”
“I will serve you as my master. I will do whatever I can.”
Jiwoo looked at Yan, who was chatting excitedly, as if he found it amusing.
Jan’s attitude was more than just aggressive; he was experiencing polar opposites: from being destined to die rowing his entire life to being able to rise to the position of leading a fleet.
“I’m sure you know the sea route of the foreign country well.”
“I have traveled the sea route from India to Nagasaki all my life.”
Jiwoo, who had been questioning Yan with various questions, finally finished the interrogation.
“Go back to your seat. I will be called upon soon.”
“Yes, Master. I will wait.”
The steps of those filled with hope were light.
‘It’s a good selection, but can I really trust the author?’
Jiwoo shook his head to shake off his distracting thoughts, concluding that it would be enough to just put up a watchdog.
A beast approached him.
“There is nothing special about it. It seems that he was just a Japanese pirate who was drafted into a transport fleet. This is consistent with the testimonies of others.”
“What is the atmosphere like in Kyushu?”
“The author says that the pressure is severe. Small lords are even giving up their hoarded assets.”
“I guess so.”
The supply of supplies continued to be blocked by the Joseon navy and was forced to go into the sea together with the transport fleet.
Despite the chronic shortage of materials and the high tax rate of 50%, the farmers were running around blindly, and the Japanese army was slowly falling into the hell that was Joseon.
“It would be nice if someone would take the blame at times like this.”
“yes?”
“No. Let’s start sorting things out. I’ll leave this to General Han.”
Jiwoo stationed five men from one battalion that he had brought here.
Han Chang-geun was worried about him, who was trying to return alone with Chuksang.
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry. After all, life is one step away from death.”
As everyone laughed, Jiwoo pulled the reins and turned around.
“I will send you other equipment such as axes and hammers as soon as I return.”
“The mix comes first. You don’t need any equipment.”
“Hahaha. I see. I see.”
After surviving on boiled rice for a few days, I came across a refreshing sour taste. I didn’t need anything else.
If you don’t have a weapon, you can just find a sharp stone. However, if you don’t eat properly, you won’t be able to fight, and you won’t be able to survive long before you die. The biggest problem was the food.
“By the way, people and objects alike must first avoid the night dew.”
He ran his hands through the fur drying in the sun.
“Twenty huts should be enough. I should build a hut to double as a warehouse before the sun sets.”
People were eating and lying down to rest here and there.
“General Kwon, come here. Seonbi Park, come here too.”
* * *
The city walls of Gyeongseong became busy as the sun set.
A group of troops gathered in a disorderly manner in front of the castle. As it was still before sunset, one could clearly see that they were wearing typical Joseon clothing.
But now it was an exhibition.
“Who are you? State your affiliation.”
“This person is the magistrate of Gyeongwon. Open the gate quickly.”
For a moment, the walls seemed quiet, and then a military officer wearing armor appeared.
“Please forgive my rudeness as this is an exhibition situation. I will first greet the Vice Minister.”
“Ugh, this is……”
On the one hand, I understood, but it was an unfamiliar situation for a high-ranking official of the third rank. Although he was honored with the title of Yeonggam, it was nothing more than a false title.
The soldier guarding him seemed to understand the situation and urged him on.
“Please eat first.”
“I can’t help it.”
It was the moment when Gyeongwon Deputy Commissioner Oh Eung-tae led his horse forward.
Doo doo doo doo.
A cloud of dust rose from the east coast, and the two horses gradually slowed down.
It was Jiwoo and Chukseng who rode horses without stopping.
“You?”
The military officer who was escorting Oh Eung-tae recognized Ji-woo and approached him. Ji-woo’s eyes lit up when he saw him.
“Vice Minister Nari, it’s been a while.”
“This guy is alive.”
Jiwoo looked at his old boss who was welcoming him and thought, ‘We were this close.’
“I guess this is a verification procedure. I will take care of it.”
Jiwoo passed by Oh Eungtae and saluted him.
Oh Woong-tae, who had been absentmindedly nodding his head, suddenly frowned at the strong smell that wafted from him.
The blood-stained armor of a Japanese soldier was placed on Jiwoo’s saddle, and the head of a Japanese soldier was hanging from the saddle of the cavalryman following him.
Jiwoo rode his horse and approached the castle gate.
“I, Go Ji-woo, have returned. Open the door.”
Yeah, yeah.
The gate opened slowly.
Jiwoo stepped aside and looked back at his old superior.
“Please follow the elders first.”
“Thank you.”
Jiwoo called the sentry and ordered the troops to enter the government office training grounds.
And the day ended.