1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 7
Only Noblemtl
(07)
The hero rises and the scribe falls
The steep peaks blocked the afternoon sun.
It was a shady slope with the wind blowing between the interlocking ridges.
Dozens of ropes were strung between the sparse trees, and cotton cloth was spread over them.
The cotton coat dried in the cold, dry wind.
“Amitabha, welcome.”
An old monk with a dark and wrinkled face greeted me with his hands clasped together.
Jiwoo, who had been bowing his head, suddenly started talking about business.
“How is the production speed?”
“On clear days, apply one layer every half day, so you’ll apply four layers a day.”
Even as the two were talking, work was being done on one side to add anonymity along with Paul Chill.
Jiwoo nodded and started walking.
His eyes scanned the dryness and adhesion of the face shield.
“I want to know the average for the past month.”
“It used to be about 50 in ten days, but we are increasing the number of workstations and personnel……”
“Shouldn’t we also take into account the rainy season in autumn?”
The old monk was delighted when I pointed out the chaos in the work.
“Yes. There is a gap of time, from as short as six days to as long as fifteen days.”
“The lord’s side will want a shield, and General Jeong’s side will want something additional to wear in the form of a robe.”
The old monk paused for a moment and then opened his eyes wide.
“Ah. Thank you for your kind words.”
“Good job. Bye.”
“Amitabha.”
When Jiwoo lowered his head, the old monk put his hands together and bowed deeply.
Jiwoo turned around without any hesitation.
I’ve given you some advice on how to use the upcoming typhoon season to your advantage.
Whew.
It was a steep slope covered in the shade of a mountain. The wind blowing from the Gaema Plateau was cold and dry enough to be described as chilly.
As I walked along the side road connecting the slopes, a dense forest and a logging camp appeared.
Crack, crack.
“It passes.”
Chomp chomp chomp chomp, bang!
Dozens of men felled the tree, cut off the branches and rolled them down. Then they chose the next tree and began chopping it down.
On the other side, sawing was in full swing. Timber cut to an appropriate size was piled on one side to dry.
“Welcome, Daejung.”
“Is there anything inconvenient about working?”
Daemok laughed out loud at Jiwoo who got straight to the point.
“No. Even if it was difficult, could it be compared to fighting while risking one’s life?”
”……“
“However, it is unfortunate that we could not meet the quantity on time.”
“It is up to heaven to decide.”
Daemok nodded at Jiwoo’s words.
“Besides, a typhoon is coming soon. It takes three or four times more effort to cut down a tree that has been soaked in water.”
“Stop logging and focus on processing the spearheads.”
Jiwoo glanced at the piled up wood.
“There are a lot. Since we don’t have enough time, please make the window frame square instead of round.”
“A stick?”
“The number of volunteers is increasing, but their weapons are insufficient. We desperately need weapons that can be used for one battle, not weapons that can be used for a thousand years.”
“……!”
The part where he seemed to be thinking for a moment made him nod his head.
“Okay, I understand. I will do as the King instructs.”
“I’ll tell Seongju and General Jeong. Okay, that’s all for now.”
“Hahaha. I won’t go far. Take a look.”
The part where the workload was reduced and the person felt relieved was greeted with hearty laughter.
He hurried his steps after confirming that the sun had set in the west.
In front of the castle gate, people entering and leaving were being inspected by soldiers.
“Choo-woong! You’re here.”
It was an excessive example for a mere military officer. This spoke volumes about Jiwoo’s position in Gyeongseong.
The last place he visited was the blacksmith shop.
Thud, thud. Thud, thud.
A brazier, into which firewood was continuously added, radiated heat, while shirtless bulky figures were forging metal next to it.
A bearded man approached me, wiping his sweat away, and bowed his head.
“I want to see the late Grand Prince.”
“I came because I was curious about the work.”
Jiwoo bowed his head in front of her.
In Joseon, being a blacksmith was by no means a lowly occupation, especially during times of war.
The military officer who wrote the legend of undefeated warfare and the craftsman who spent his life melting iron naturally respected each other.
“Come here. I will guide you.”
“……”
The warehouse they arrived at had whips neatly lined up.
“The ones erected on the wall were hung on the spears of the guards, and these here are the ones made for the cavalry.”
“Good.”
Jiwoo held it with one hand and felt its weight.
The cavalry’s halberd was in the shape of a nunchaku (double-edged stick) with one end slightly longer.
“There is no difficulty in producing it. The problem is that well-dried birch trees are rare, so it is difficult to increase the quantity.”
“It looks like there are about 100 each for infantry and cavalry use.”
“Yes. As Your Majesty knows, how important is a sturdy weapon on the battlefield……”
“Sometimes you need 1000 mediocre weapons instead of 100 strong ones.”
“……!”
“When a battle breaks out, even rocks on the ground can become excellent weapons. The situation is that urgent now. It would be good to let the soldiers fix most things themselves.”
The blacksmith nodded with a look of realization on his face.
Jiwoo pointed to Pyeon-gon’s striking weapon, Ja-pyeon (子鞭).
“Now is the time. Make the head part separate from the other side and keep it as a spare so that you can replace it yourself whenever you want.”
“That’s good, since you can’t always have a blacksmith following you into battle.”
“Yes. The same goes for the infantry-type slingshot. In the future, please make it out of other woods or less-dried woods.”
“For example, you want to make a lot of things quickly.”
“Yes, from now on, wooden spears will be introduced.”
“If it’s an angled shape, it’ll be easier to make than a round one.”
“I will make sure to tell the lord and General Jeong to avoid any trouble.”
“Then it’s easy. I will do as you instruct.”
“Okay. Good work.”
Jiwoo, who had just finished speaking, turned around without any hesitation.
The whip (鞭棍) was a weapon that greatly helped the peasant volunteers in their activities. The cotton armor (綿甲) was a bulletproof material produced in the late 19th century. All of these were pieces of equipment that could easily be produced in present-day Joseon.
‘If used well, it is a new weapon that can completely change the course of war.’
Knowing that tens or even hundreds of millions of people would die in the future, it was fate that something had to be done. But the end would be death as a consumable.
Jiwoo sighed briefly.
The guilt of running away has subsided a little.
Now all that was needed was a proper excuse, and that excuse was surprisingly easy to find.
He headed towards his lodgings, his collar open against the cold wind.
As he was walking down the street, a beast came up next to him and matched his pace.
“At dawn, Jeong Hyeon-ryong, the magistrate of Jongseong, joined General Jeong with 20 cavalrymen and 60 infantrymen.”
“Heroes are gathering.”
It seemed like both admiration and sarcasm.
It was out of the blue, but the ox didn’t react in any particular way. He thought it was foolish to add his thoughts to his words. Since he owed him his life, he always made it his top priority to carry out his will.
Go Ji-woo always thought carefully and was always right.
What his friend and lord needed was someone who could act on his will.
“General Jeong has requested a seat.”
“It’s rough, but I can’t disobey orders. Let’s go.”
He walked towards the Gyeongseong government office.
The Jeongmunbu, which was in charge of training the volunteer army, used the inner room of the government office as a dormitory. Depending on the perspective, it could be seen as taking control of Gyeongseong, but this also served to partially cover up the Jeongmunbu’s corruption of relying on rebel forces.
It was like that now. The newly joined command was raising its voice.
“Why on earth are you letting those rebels go?”
“You are not by any chance planning to unite with them, are you?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Jiwoo quietly entered the room and sat down in the empty seat at the end.
“Let’s strike it down with one stroke. If we can reduce the number of victims, why not now?”
“Yes. The inside must be strong first.”
The main office did not come out to respond, but had a serious expression on its face.
‘The deputy minister is of the third rank, and the Bukpyeong minister is of the sixth rank. Furthermore, both are from the civil service.’
Jiwoo glanced at the main gate and spoke.
“Hundreds of thousands of Japanese pirates are now turning this country into ruins. Fighting with the rebels benefits the Japanese pirates. I think it would be a good idea to use them to fight against the Japanese pirates.”
Everyone’s attention was focused on the unexpected remark.
“Who are you?”
“This is Daejeong Go Ji-woo.”
“Team Correction?”
The person asking the question frowned.
“Where would a military officer come forward to lead a few soldiers?”
The one who had been scolding Jiwoo with a rather majestic look snorted and turned his head to stare at the main gate.
“General, this is an important meeting. I think you should organize the people present.”
I wasn’t particularly angry. I just thought that this might give me an excuse.
‘It’s difficult to continue the meeting anyway.’
Jiwoo got up from his seat and stood up.
“Those who lost the battle are so proud!”
“Wh, what?”
“You are just volunteer soldiers who volunteered to join the army. No, before that, you should first confess that you are a sinner who lost His Majesty’s soldiers. Isn’t that right?”
“I, I. I.”
The faces of those seated turned bright red.
“Here is Gyeongseong, where even the elders of Bukpyeongsa swallow their dust and restrain themselves while preparing for battle. If you want to talk about bravery with your mouth, get out now.”
“Oh, how dare such an unprincipled person.”
“General, what is the author’s rudeness? How can such a conceited man be his subordinate?”
Those who were angry looked ready to draw their swords at any moment.
Jeongmunbu closed his eyes and remained silent, while Kangmunwoo quietly watched the beast sitting on one side.
Before he knew it, the beast’s hand was on the sword hilt.
The moment the tendons on the back of his hand stand out, the sword will be pulled out. Whose hand should he raise? He took a short sigh and stared at the main gate.
After a while, Jeong Moon-bu opened his eyes and stood up.
“Your Excellency, I apologize for any carelessness you may have taken to come from such a far away place. I think we will be able to talk properly once the accumulated fatigue has subsided.”
“Okay, general.”
“Should we fight among ourselves? Go Dae-jeong, follow me for a moment.”
Jiwoo disappeared from the room following the exit of the main gate.
Kang Moon-woo, who confirmed that the seated beast’s hand had moved away from the sword, approached Jeong Hyeon-ryong.
“I have prepared a simple table for you. First, soothe your tired body and mind.”
“Ugh, what the heck is going on.”
“Oh, right.”
As Kang Moon-woo led the deputies out, the ox that had been standing there like a stone chute drank the cold tea in one gulp, got up, and disappeared.
* * *
“I just watched their rudeness. I apologize.”
“This is not something I deserve an apology for, General.”
Jiwoo picked up his teacup, moistened his lips, and put it down. Jeongmunbu glanced at his calm demeanor and made a serious expression.
“Are you planning to join hands with the rebels after all?”
“I will never fight with the general.”
Those were not the words of someone who had broken up the meeting.
It was Jeong Moon-bu who broke the momentary silence.
“I want to know what you want.”
Jiwoo, who had been quietly savoring the scent of tea, opened his eyes.
“Commanding the volunteer army is not a matter of rank.”
“……”
“The general must lead the northern army. No one must dare to question the general’s command. And.”
Jiwoo continued speaking and Jeongmunbu waited.
“In the process, there should be no instances of the people being driven astray.”
“Are you asking me to forgive weightlifting? I don’t have that authority.”
“Shouldn’t only those who are responsible be held responsible?”
“Whew, that’s difficult.”
He groaned and lifted his teacup to moisten his dry lips.
“Let’s say you do as I say. Then you will follow my orders?”
“I will return that question to you. If you do not do as I say, I will destroy the one who won the internal strife.”
It was an extreme threat.
“Oh, you. You speak harshly.”
“They die at the hands of the Japanese, they die at the hands of the Jurchen, and they are killed by those who come to visit them claiming to be princes, because they feel bad about it. This is the reality of the people of Hamgyeong Province right now.”
“……”
“Are you saying that you will kill those who survived? How is that any different from the Jurchen bandits or the Japanese?”
“Uhm……”
I was speechless, thinking that it wasn’t too much of a leap.
“And I have already given you a lot, General.”
“……?”
“Armed with armor and a shield, the infantry will be able to overcome their gun batteries and crush the Japanese soldiers. The Joseon soldiers are far more powerful.”
The head of the department nodded. He also agreed.
“There is no need to mention the cavalry. Their cavalry is no match for the cavalry of Hamgyeong Province, who have been fighting the Jurchen all their lives. Unless the commander is extremely foolish, the cavalry will always win.”
“I have no choice but to agree.”
This was something proven by past records.
“……”
The main office closed its eyes as if lost in thought.
Jiwoo also closed his mouth.
The setting sun created a beautiful sunset. The inner courtyard was tranquil with yellow and red tones.
The hero was in agony, and the scribe remained by his side.
The red maple leaves fell silently.