1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 4
Only Noblemtl
(04)
Give back what you received
The powerful figures gathered at the Gyeongseong government office.
In the main hall, Guk Se-pil, who calls himself the lord of the castle, his son Guk-saeng, and Jeong Mun-bu, who has entrusted himself to him, and his subordinates Kang Mun-woo, Go Ji-woo, and Chuk-saeng face each other in front of the table.
“Let’s get started.”
Cavalry Captain Kang Mun-woo stood in front of the map hanging in front.
“The guys who went out to scout returned leading the refugees two hours ago.”
Kang Moon-woo pointed to a place on the map, below the Gaema Plateau.
“It is said that the enemy attacked the village near Gapsan, killed the people, and plundered them.”
“Why? The people would not rebel against an armed army.”
“They say he resisted.”
“……?”
“The looting was excessive. They say they took away food, blankets made of metal, and even the clothes we were wearing.”
“Ugh.”
“Hmm.”
There was no such thing as a limit to plunder. But asking people to endure the coming season naked was no different from asking them to die. It was understandable why the people resisted with their bare bodies.
“What a bunch of beasts. How can we be human?”
“Those guys I’m going to kill.”
Those gathered were furious. Even Kang Moon-woo, who was as cold-blooded as he was, was chewing his lips to suppress his anger.
Only one person stared at the map with cold eyes.
“How large was the force?”
Kang Moon-woo glanced at Ji-woo for a moment and spoke toward the lower part of the hall.
“Chief of Gaemigol, come up here.”
After a while, the old man came up to the main hall and prostrated himself.
“Ask him directly, Your Majesty.”
It could have been misunderstood as, ‘I won’t report to the likes of you,’ but Jiwoo thought it was a wise decision.
“How many Japanese were there?”
“At first, about fifteen people went from house to house, stealing bedding and clothes. Those who resisted were cut down. Then the village men stoned them to death.”
The village elder hit the porch with his head as if he was angry.
Thud, thud.
“Before the villagers could escape, other Japanese came rushing in. And they killed everyone. My son and daughter-in-law were also killed. I barely managed to escape with my young grandson in my arms.”
“Oh my, tsk tsk tsk.”
“Huh, how can you do that while wearing a mask? You really are evil spirits.”
“How many Japanese are there in total?”
“There were many. More than the number of villagers.”
Jiwoo continued to ask questions calmly to get the answers he wanted.
“How many lakes are there in the village?”
“It’s a little under twenty.”
Jiwoo nodded and remained silent after getting the answer he wanted.
‘There are about 100 people. It’s about the same size as the ones we destroyed the day before yesterday. There might be a separate main force.’
“It seems that there is a shortage of supplies to the point where they are even looting clothes.”
“If you see that they are weak to the cold, then they are from a warm place.”
When Jeong Moon-bu made a sharp point, Guk Se-pil added his own opinion.
“In a month, we will see frost every morning. Time is on our side.”
“The number of volunteers for the volunteer army continues to increase. Training is going well. In two months, we will be able to launch a large-scale counterattack.”
“Two months is enough time to get those bulletproof vests.”
They all had the full awareness that ’emotions are emotions and reality is reality’. It was not a bad attitude for a leader.
Jiwoo sneered.
It seemed that he was not the only one who was indifferent to the suffering of others. Those who rose up for the people and those who pledged to be loyal to their lord were missing something.
Jiwoo pretended to be earnest and gave a rebuke.
“The people are the foundation of the country and the reason we fight. If we are unable to protect them due to difficult circumstances, we must take revenge.”
Although his voice was not loud, it silenced the crowd.
“We must take revenge. We must let the people know that we are alive. We must teach the enemy a lesson that what they have done to us will be done to them. That is how we must buy time. To simply wait is to make the people give up.”
“Is there a solution? The reality is that both our troops and weapons are inferior to theirs.”
It was a valid point, even though it was Kang Moon-woo’s fault.
The fact that he was a bum who enjoyed horseback riding and archery meant that he was preparing for the military service examination. It seemed clear that he had read military books, and his knowledge of battle was also high.
The heroes who appeared out of nowhere during the Imjin War were all worthy of such a title.
Jiwoo glanced at Kang Moonwoo with an expressionless expression.
“I guess you forgot. Don’t you have a new weapon?”
* * *
As the 50 cavalrymen lined up in a row, Kang Moon-woo saluted.
“Ready to go.”
“egg plant.”
Jeong Moon-bu nodded and got on his horse.
Kang Moon-woo, who was following behind, looked back and frowned.
About 100 soldiers were lined up and being inspected by Go Ji-woo. Guk Saeng, the son of Guk Se-pil, was standing right next to them, like a chick following its mother hen.
‘Even though he served in the army, he’s an insolent bastard.’
As the cavalry advanced in two lines toward the gate, the surrounding people gathered and shouted.
“Wow.”
“Everyone, come back alive.”
“Long live the Joseon army.”
“Long live General Jeongmunbu.”
It was a big deal to shout “Manse”, but this was a land of rebellion anyway.
“Come on, let’s go.”
As Jeong Moon-bu hurriedly urged him on, seemingly startled by the cheers, Kang Moon-woo spurred him on and ran beside him.
“Run without stopping until you reach Houchi Ridge.”
“Okay! Understood!”
From Houchiryeong to Gapsan is a day’s walk away. The plan is to remain quiet, lie in ambush near Gapsan, scout, and wait for the guards.
It was a consistent tactic to sweep away the command center while the infantry was engaged in a full-scale battle, but it was also a stable operation. Furthermore, there was confidence that the enemy would be confused by the bulletproof shields.
The cavalrymen began to speed up. At first glance, they looked disorganized, but in fact, unless they were in a combat situation, it was right to ride at a sufficient distance.
Before the main gatekeeper stepped forward, he glanced back. The guards were coming out of the gate in two lines.
His eyes followed Jiwoo.
Jiwoo bowed his head toward Jeongmunbu. Although he could not acknowledge his command authority, he had respect for the hero who would save Hamgyeongdo. Soon, Jeongmunbu turned his horse and joined the cavalry.
“Come and get ready. You never know when you might run into enemies.”
The cavalryman shouted to control the troops. The soldiers seemed to be forming a line, but then they fell into disarray again due to irregular road conditions.
Jiwoo gave some subtle advice.
“Two days. Let us go during that time. We need to look like a rabble.”
He pointed to the cart.
“Think of it as your last meal, and don’t skimp on food.”
“I will do that.”
The ox followed with a somewhat relaxed expression.
That night, they camped in front of the fork in the road between Dancheon and Myeongcheon.
After eating near a drying stream in anticipation of the dry season, we all went to bed.
The command reviewed the operation in the warmth of the campfire, something they had to review and familiarize themselves with every night.
“I don’t trust the cavalry. Do you trust the cavalry?”
The bearded man grumbled. He was a veteran leading a dozen soldiers.
Jiwoo understood their concerns.
“I too. I just believe in a common enemy. The number of the Japanese is large, and we are small.”
“That’s right. It wouldn’t be good for them if we died either.”
The bastard intervened.
The veteran soldiers nodded and went into bed.
Only one person remains.
“As soon as the sun rises, I will go into Myeongcheon and meet Jinmalsu.”
“The lives of the soldiers are more important than the success of the work. Think of Yunchan and be very careful.”
“If I may borrow the words of the commander, it is in his interest for me to survive. So don’t worry.”
A middle-aged man with a gray beard smiled faintly.
He served as a local official in Myeongcheon, just like Jeongmalsu. Jeongmalsu gathered the slaves and rose up in arms, while Jeon Su-gil himself simply took a step back and joined the volunteer army.
No one knows what kind of butterfly effect it will have to convey information through the face of an old colleague. I just hope that it will reduce the damage to the people of Myeongcheon.
The frost that fell at dawn dried up before daybreak.
I thought I was asleep, but when I opened my eyes, it was morning.
The soldier shook his head as if trying to shake off the sleep and sighed.
“Haa, I can already feel the breath coming out.”
“Everyone, wake up. If you sleep any longer, you’ll catch a cold. Let’s eat quickly and go.”
The local soldiers, grouped in groups of three or five, prepared a meal by rekindling the dying fire and fetching water.
Gapsan (甲山) is called Samsu Gapsan (三水甲山) because it is connected to the nearby Samsu County. As expected from a highland area with many mountains, it is dry and cold.
The wind coming down from the Gaema Plateau was harsh. Although it was only August (September in the solar calendar), it felt like early winter.
“It’s a good thing I prepared a fur vest.”
“Those who were already complaining about the inconvenience have now shut their mouths.”
“Any contact with General Jeong?”
“We have settled down at the foot of Cheonbongsan Mountain. We have informed you of the size of the enemy here.”
The bastard handed over a small folded piece of paper.
“No cavalry, only 300 infantry? That’s more than I thought.”
“In this case, we will have to rely on the cavalry.”
In battle, the exchange rate for cavalry is usually 10 times that of infantry.
Jiwoo nodded.
“When was that not the case? The elite of Joseon were the cavalry of Hamgyeong Province.”
He looked at the shields the soldiers carried on their backs.
A student who had been listening to their conversation from the side intervened.
“Are we going to hold out and attract attention?”
“The general’s role in this battle is important. The enemy will rush to target the general.”
“I put my face shield on the inside of the armor. What is there to be afraid of? It’s just a matter of guarding your position, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”
Guk-saeng stared at Ji-woo, tapping his chest.
“I have learned a lot from you, Your Majesty. I will do my best to show you a good example.”
‘Learn? How funny.’
I have never taught it and I have no intention of doing so. But I was happy to do my job faithfully.
Jiwoo nodded and looked at the soldiers. The soldiers who had finished breakfast were looking for a sunny spot to rest.
“Check your equipment, form your ranks, and advance.”
“Okay! Understood!”
About 100 soldiers marched forward as if they were honored, even carrying wagons.
They stood in two long lines without any scouts, looking like a group of ignorant rebels.
After spending another night that evening, the next day, we were just about to see Cheonbongsan Mountain in front of us.
The tragedy of the fire-stricken village was revealed to their eyes.
The corpses of men, women, and children were strewn along the roadside, rotting.
“What the fuck.”
“Are there really such murderous people in the world?”
The traces of some corpse defiling were so horrible that I couldn’t bear to look at them.
Jiwoo and Chukseng calmed down the excited soldiers.
“Everyone calm down.”
“To get excited before a battle is to be defeated from the start.”
Jiwoo looked back at Guksaeng and nodded. Guksaeng took it as a sign to calm the soldiers down and willingly raised his voice.
“Let’s get revenge! Let’s take out the Japanese’s intestines and spread them on the street.”
Guk-saeng showed talent for agitation even better than his father.
“To do that, calm down. Everyone, be cold and angry.”
The soldiers quickly regained their composure. The procession that had stopped resumed its march.
Jiwoo gave instructions to the bastard.
“Transform into battle formation.”
“Now, let’s line up. Put your shields down! Get in line two!”
The troops, who had suppressed their anger, marched again. The place they arrived at after walking the path of corpses was Gaecheon (開川) at the end of Cheonbongsan Mountain.
The enemy’s camp was visible in the distance.
The battlefield they chose was an open area about 10 feet (about 15 meters) wide, on a hillside below a mountainside, covered in sand, gravel, and weeds.
At first glance, there appeared to be over 300 people, and it seemed that they were planning to attack with confidence in their superiority in manpower and firepower.
The two camps faced each other, one ri (about 400 m) apart.
Jiwoo glanced at the ridge where the sun was hanging.
There must be about 50 cavalrymen lying in ambush in the forest somewhere over there.
‘The battle will end when the cavalry comes. We must concentrate only on surviving.’
“Sort it out!”
“Quickly, match the combination. Left foot! Left foot!”
The Joseon army was lined up in ten rows, with the red-clad Guksaeng standing out in the center.
It was the simplest and most effective formation, suitable for both offense and defense. In other words, it was a formation that was easy to surround and fall to a barrage of musketry.
In response, the Japanese army sent about 60 musketeers forward.
As the Joseon army lined up with their shields in front, the Japanese musketeers lined up in three rows prepared to fire.
Jiwoo looked back at Guksaeng and nodded slightly.
“From now on, we will pay them back for what they have done. No prisoners. Let’s show those thieves what hell is.”
“Wow.”
“Everyone, shields up! Left foot! Left foot!”
The Joseon army advanced step by step, carrying their shields in front. The soldiers following them were carrying long spears called pyongon.
“Sign the call within 50 steps.”
“It’s not something to get excited about. Everyone, trust in your shield and stay calm.”
Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck.
There were a few crows circling in the sky.