1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 12
Only Noblemtl
(12)
Who is the enemy?
The governor of Gyeongwon joined with a group of troops. There were about 60 of them, all of whom were regular soldiers receiving salaries, and their strength was greater than their numbers.
The main office grabbed Oh Eung-tae’s hands.
“Welcome. Welcome.”
“Amidst the news of defeat, only the general’s reputation shines brightly. I wish I could help, even if it’s just a little.”
“Welcome. Please say hello to the government official here.”
Oh Woong-tae and Jeong Hyeon-ryong bowed their heads respectfully to each other.
“You two, could you please wait a moment? Listen, I’ll bring out the tea.”
The main office approached Go Ji-woo, who was standing next to the door.
“I heard you had an urgent sortie last night. What happened?”
“It was a group of Japanese who appeared to have been shipwrecked by a typhoon, along with dozens of corpses. We captured one piece of armor and two swords, and took the head of the Japanese leader.”
Jiwoo turned his head and shouted outside the door.
“Give it to me.”
Soon the door opened and the beast came in, put down the general’s armor, and went out.
“Are you giving it to me again?”
“We’ll connect the armors and hang them on the spears. Dozens of armors will sway in the air as the army advances, causing the soldiers to become unsettled.”
Jeong Moon-bu, who had been silent for a moment, nodded his head.
“I see, since you’ve emphasized it so many times already, I guess it has meaning to the soldiers.”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
“Okay. Thanks for your hard work.”
Jiwoo lowered his head and turned around.
‘I just pay tribute to your dedication. I hope that the history of being accused of treason and killed will not be repeated.’
Kang Moon-woo caught a glimpse of him as he left the room.
Perhaps because they had become close, the expression on their faces as they greeted each other was much softer.
‘Have you cleared up your doubts? By passing the major? Anyway, he’s a complicated character.’
Jiwoo, who came out of the government office, turned his head from side to side and stretched.
“I will prepare the cart.”
“Oh, okay. As requested by Mr. Han, I’ll start by getting some side dishes and loading them up.”
“All right.”
As I watched the bastard turn around with a smile on his face, I soon realized that I had been rambling for no reason.
He nodded and headed towards his residence.
Tick tock tock.
“Okay, pull.”
As he walked, he heard the sound of barracks being built next to him, in the direction of the training grounds.
Jiwoo searched his memories.
‘There are about 20 cavalrymen and 40 infantrymen.’
His judgment was almost correct.
“I brought 20 cavalry, 45 infantry, and 40 seok of military rations.”
At the words of Gyeongwon Busa (府使) Oh Eung-tae, Jeong Mun-bu put down his teacup.
“Gyeongheung Deputy Commander Na Jeong-eon and Goryeong Deputy Commander Yu Gyeong-cheon have also notified us that they will join.”
“Oh, we will soon be able to drive out the Japanese from Hamgyeong Province.”
Jeong Hyeon-ryong was delighted, and Jeong Mun-bu nodded and continued speaking.
“That’s right. Currently, 300 cotton shields and 50 vests have been prepared. With this, we can say that the arming of the soldiers and generals who will stand in the vanguard is complete.”
“Oh, that’s good news. Yes.”
“Also, 300 cavalry cavalry cavalry and 1,500 infantry cavalry cavalry have been prepared. Soon, we will be able to arm the entire force.”
Oh Woong-tae, who was listening to the conversation between the two, couldn’t hold it in any longer and asked.
“Myeon-gap? You mean the cloth armor? And the pyong-gon?”
“This is a new weapon to defeat the Japanese.”
“When the sun rises, the vice-minister will be able to see the demonstration.”
Oh Woong-tae looked regretful at the two people’s words.
“It’s a new weapon, so I have to wait until tomorrow. I’m really curious about this.”
“Just take a look. Hey, Captain, is there anything?”
“Yes, General.”
Kang Moon-woo, who had been called by the main gate, opened the door and answered.
“You happen to be wearing a helmet. What about the face shield?”
“It’s light so I always wear it.”
He said that he had been wearing it inside and that he was patted on the chest.
“Good. Since the Vice Minister is curious, I will explain it to you.”
“Yes, General.”
First, Jeongmunbu, who had accepted the favor, blinked.
“It seems like the shape has changed?”
“They say that they saved time by making it in an angular shape instead of a circle, and people say that it feels stable when held in the hand.”
“Yeah, that would be efficient.”
When Jeong Moon-bu, who was reminded of someone who always had the word efficiency in his name, glanced at Kang Moon-woo, he nodded slightly.
Jeong Moon-bu nodded as if he agreed and pulled the chair back so that the backrest was in front of him.
“Let’s call this chair back a Japanese shield. Behind the shield, give me the Japanese general’s helmet.”
After he placed his helmet on the chair and struck the back of the chair with his whip, the whip attached to the chain struck the helmet.
puck.
“Hmm.”
Oh Woong-tae thought for a moment and then hit his palm with his fist.
“It works on the same principle as a hoe. Farmers can also handle it skillfully.”
He was amazed when he realized the value of Pyeon-Gon, which could transform peasants into elite soldiers in a short period of time.
“Wow, that’s amazing. That’s really amazing. General, how could you think of such a thing?”
The head of the department opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then stopped.
‘Please leave out my name. Everything came from the minds of the general and his subordinate generals. What Joseon needs now is a hero that everyone can rely on. All the achievements should be concentrated on one person.’
“Just look at the shape. Put it down here.”
As Kang Moon-woo put down his vest, he pointed to the thickness of the armor.
“It’s a consent to block the gunfire. If you look, you can see that it’s made of 10 layers of cotton and 10 layers of paper.”
“Hey, is this really what’s meant by stopping a rifle?”
The head of the department nodded.
“Yes. It has already been proven through combat.”
“I have demonstrated that it can stop bullets from 20 paces away.”
When Jeong Hyeon-ryong confirmed it, Oh Eung-tae received the consent to wear the mask, touched it, and observed everything with his own eyes.
Looking at his eyes, it seemed like he was thinking of the soldiers who had died from bullets.
“Blocking guns? Will this be enough to defeat the Japanese?”
“How can we claim victory with just a few items like this? From His Majesty the King to the people below, only the strong will to sacrifice one’s life can drive out the Japanese.”
The room was filled with silence. Although they were defeated, they knew right from wrong. They also felt sorry for the soldiers and people who had died.
“Good words.”
“I will keep your words in mind, General.”
Jeong Moon-bu nodded and spread out a map of the area on the table.
“Before you go to bed, take a look at what you learned today.”
“Let’s do that. I will think of a plan even in my dreams.”
Here, those who had suffered defeat in the early days of the war showed their determination.
With preparations complete and all that remained to do was defeat the enemies, it was only natural that everyone would gather their strength.
But some did not.
The soldiers were unable to control their forces and their lower-ranking commanders were unable to control them.
puck.
A mess.
The man who had fallen on the floor got up as if nothing had happened and dusted himself off.
He held his chin with his hand and moved it back and forth.
“It’s spicy. I wish you had beaten that Japanese guy with those hands first.”
“This son of a traitor.”
“Hehehe, traitor? My parents were killed by the Jurchen and my sister was killed by the Japanese. The king is nowhere to be seen and the princes are causing trouble by saying that we are not being treated well. What should we do?”
“This… guy who is dead but has no mouth.”
Both the angry and the protesting voices were raised.
“Yes, those who have lost their families are not alive. Then, you, are you alive? Is that why you fled to Gyeongseong to save your life?”
puck.
The man, who had collapsed again without strength, did not get up this time. He simply placed his arms over his eyes and shook his body.
It seemed like it would end as a minor quarrel, thanks to the man’s lack of resistance. However, a few additional words made things worse.
“Because of you guys, Hamgyeong-do has once again been branded as a land of treason. What’s the use of fighting the Japanese with your life?”
“Stop it. You’re not the only one in the world who’s right.”
“We fought too. And we won. What are you guys? You were defeated and chased away.”
“What kind of guy is he?”
Chae-Ang.
The man drew his sword.
“Hey, you’re too drunk.”
After a seemingly colleague intervened, things started to calm down again, but the overheated atmosphere ended up causing a tragedy.
“Can’t we stop now? You think of us as enemies. Shouldn’t we kill our enemies?”
The two people who realized the situation belatedly were at a loss.
“Oh, what the heck……”
There were men with clubs surrounding them on all sides.
“If you don’t kill them, we will die. Hit them all!”
“Wow.”
The clashes that started that night in a back alley tavern in Gyeongseong continued until dawn.
The commanders of each force were running around, but it was not enough, as if they were out of control. The people kept their doors shut and held their breath.
As day broke, the tragedy of the previous night was revealed. Men were bleeding and groaning on the main road and in the alleys.
The cold-eyed creature reported.
“We haven’t confirmed any deaths yet, but the number of injured people left on the street is worrisome.”
“……”
Last night, Jiwoo was banned from going out. The reason was that using knives to stop the club-wielding mob would only make the situation worse.
“Are all the troops gathered?”
“Excluding the five on duty, 42 people from seven companies have gathered.”
“egg plant.”
As he stood up, the animals followed him like chaperones. In front of the residence, fully armed soldiers were lined up in four rows and followed behind them.
Thud thud.
As we arrived at the mansion of the national treasurer, a group of soldiers stopped us.
‘Considering the perimeter of the mansion, the number of surrounding troops is approximately 300.’
After a while, a general wearing a double-armored helmet came forward.
“Where do you belong?”
“I’ll take that back to you. Who gave you the orders to surround the house?”
“What? You are such a brat… You guys are definitely in league with the rebels.”
Jiwoo sighed briefly, lifted his head, and glanced over Jangsu’s shoulder.
“Vice-Minister Nari, you know I won’t say anything, so please answer. Whose orders are these?”
‘Reconciliation was impossible in the first place. But what a conflict between the victims.’
His old superior stepped forward, his armor clanking.
“As you know, it happened in an instant. It was something that could not have been prevented. However, we are currently in the process of preventing a bigger disaster.”
“You mean, with a sword in your hand and the house surrounded?”
‘About 300 people responded at the dangerous moment, and including the wounded, it was about 600? It was the sum of the volunteer soldiers trained by the main gate and the newly joined troops.’
The balance had already been broken. All that was left for Guksepil were about 100 people, including his household slaves. In addition, the scattered officials and soldiers were joining Jeongmunbu one after another.
“It’s to prevent collisions. There’s no other intention.”
The deputy chief of staff recalled the content he had researched in his head.
‘The people follow Guk-ssi, and the volunteers follow General Jeong. However, the veterans unanimously respect Go Ji-woo. They say that Dae-jeong was the first to win and shared the credit.’
On the one hand, I was pleased to see my old subordinate’s consistent appearance, but on the other hand, I felt ashamed.
‘Was I really a respected superior?’
“Please, disband your troops. They have no more troops to fight back.”
It was true. It was a large house, but at most there would be about 100 family members and servants. However, the decision of the higher-ups had not yet been made. And he was just a loyal servant who followed the interests of fame and fortune.
Hanmun-geuk looked straight into Jiwoo’s eyes.
“I understand your concerns. However, in order to prevent any more unfortunate events, the current standoff is the best option.”
Jiwoo glared at his old superior.
‘A person who is good at dealing with the world and opens his own path to success. A person who is corrupt but has moderate ability and has not lost his basic human qualities.’
“You won’t have to worry as long as I’m here.”
“Bu-sa-jeong! What on earth is the interest that makes you do that? I will arrest you immediately.”
There were people like this everywhere. Hanmun Geuk touched his forehead.
“Shut up.”
“Father, father, sir.”
The adjutant hesitated at Hanmun Geuk’s rebuke.
“He is the man who protected Hamgyeong-do with his whole body while we were rubbing our palms against the upper echelons. Do not be rude to him again.”
‘No matter how much of a country it is, it’s still painful.’
Jiwoo’s head was filled with thoughts of how to get out of this hell as soon as possible. He then laughed to himself.
“It seems like the person in charge is somewhere else.”
Jiwoo, who had seen his old superior who could not answer, bowed his head instead of saluting.
“Then I will trust you and step back.”
“wait for a sec.”
Hanmun-geuk called out to Jiwoo, who had turned around. He took a few steps closer.
“I’m embarrassed to ask this, but what was I to you?”
“He was a very kind person to whom I owed a lot of debt.”
Jiwoo had no hesitation. In fact, Hanmun Geuk’s sense of balance and worldliness helped Jiwoo a lot in adapting to the times.
Jiwoo shouted again, leaving his old superior behind.
“I’m going to the government office. I need to see General Jeong.”
The troops following Jiwoo disappeared, displaying sword-like rituals that were out of date with the times.
Those who remained looked in awe at the traces they had left behind.