1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 9
Only Noblemtl
(09)
War and Storm
The sky and the sea were pitch black.
The place where the lightning struck was the sky, and it was the sea that lifted the ship. The rough wind blew the sailor away.
“Eww.”
“Yuto!”
His fellow sailor cried out in sorrow, but the sailor was swallowed up in darkness and was never seen again.
The storm was accompanied by a great noise. The torrential rain, the thunder, and the terrible waves, like tidal waves, were all accompanied by a noise that seemed to rip the ears.
“Put down the sails.”
Captain Katsumori Hayato gave a screaming order, but the answer was hopeless.
“The rope is tangled. It won’t pull.”
“Whoever climbs the mast, tear the sail.”
At his command, the brave men climbed up the mast.
The waves crashed down on the sailor as he ascended. Fortunately, he held on well and did not fall.
“Water is filling the hold.”
The captain shouted.
“Ignore it and start rowing. Show the slaves a taste of the whip.”
“The waves are coming again.”
A sailor warned in a hoarse voice. Then everyone’s eyes turned to the starboard side of the ship.
The huge waves that came crashing down from the pitch-black darkness with white foam looked like deep-sea monsters from legends.
“Everyone, grab anything.”
The sailor who was going up gathered his strength again and hugged the mast.
The waves crashed over the men, and soon the swell lifted the boat.
“The boat is listing. Everyone, stick to the right.”
“Eww.”
As the ship tilted, a sailor slipped. The captain reached out and grabbed his head.
“Come and take my hand”
Then a scream was heard again from above.
“Eww.”
He was a brave sailor who went up to tear the sail.
“Ugh, Kento.”
Captain Kayato shouted sadly. Kento was his nephew.
“Those damn Osaka guys.”
Piracy was a family business. They risked their lives for a single sword and plundered from as far away as China to as close as nearby Joseon.
However, under the pretext of conquering the Ming, troops and ships were suddenly mobilized. The family was given the task of transporting supplies because they knew the coast well.
If he disobeyed the order, he would die. His younger brother, who had warned him of the danger of the typhoon, had his right arm cut off on the spot. In order to survive, he dragged his younger brother’s boat to Tsushima. And thus, he became the last of the clan’s men.
A flash of light flashed before Hayato Katsumori, and waves surged forward again. They were so huge that it was appropriate to describe them as a mountain. Despair filled the faces of the veterans who had spent their entire lives at sea.
He muttered softly.
“Fuck.”
It was a short will for a last will.
* * *
The Gyeongseong area was a vast plain bordering the sea.
Considering the rugged terrain of Hamgyeong-do, it was truly a blessed environment. This was the reason why Gyeongseong-eupseong existed as a food production area and a transportation hub.
It rained on the wide open fields. It was a peaceful scene.
But as the rain that had been falling since dawn grew heavier and showed no sign of stopping, the gates finally opened and people began to pour out.
It seemed like all the men in the castle had come out.
“Come on, come on.”
“You, 50 people to Bamnamu Valley. And you too, let’s go to Naerincheon.”
Guk Se-pil personally commanded the people.
“Mr. Park, you and Mu-ryang will look after each other. If you see anything lacking, take immediate action.”
He called the slaves who were leading the group, gave them detailed instructions one by one, and then sent them off.
“Keep in mind. Check the waterway first. If you have the time, widen the ditch.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Hundreds of people dispersed in droves at his command.
Rainwater flowed down the face of Guk Se-pil, who was standing in front of the city gate. He ran out without even having time to change his clothes and shouted to gather the people. At least, there was no one in Gyeongseong town who would ignore his words, so that was the fastest way.
He sighed briefly and looked in the direction where the people had disappeared.
“I feel relieved for now.”
“What could happen now that the men have come out?”
An old man with gray hair stepped forward from beside me.
“I just hope this heavy rain isn’t the autumn monsoon.”
“Trust in Schonne’s knees. The rain will pass soon.”
“I hope what you say is true……”
I wiped my face with my hand, but it was no use. I looked up at the sky anxiously, but all I saw were dark, stormy clouds.
War was not the only thing that the people feared. It was common for a village to be wiped out by floods. Flood control was always the top priority for the governor.
The common people had to survive natural disasters just as much as they had to survive war. Leading them in this way was the virtue of a monarch. But now the monarch of Joseon was trying to cross the border.
It was the right decision strategically, since if the king was captured, the kingdom would fall. However, even though I understood it in my head, I could not accept it in my heart.
“Tsk tsk.”
Guk Se-pil frowned and shook his head.
“The raindrops are cold. Let’s go in.”
The old man in the village urged Guk Se-pil to hurry, but he was worried about the old man instead.
“Kim Cheomji, why did you come out like this? Tsk tsk. Please think about your age.”
“Shonne, I have served you all my life. Please let me stay by your side for the rest of my days.”
“Well, you’re not the type of person to listen to anyone.”
The old man was smiling with his eyes curved like crescent moons.
Guk Se-pil, who had been nodding his head, turned his gaze toward the castle wall. His eyes stopped at one place.
Below the walls, hundreds of men were digging, seemingly creating a moat or widening an existing ditch.
Jiwoo asked the stonemason he had called in.
“Is there a drain at the bottom of the wall?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
Jiwoo grabbed the stonemason’s shoulder, who was bowing down as if he had committed a crime, and helped him up.
“Find out now. We need a way to connect the waterways in the castle to this ditch.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The mason inspected the foundation of the wall with his group.
Jiwoo raised his head and looked at the southern sky. Dark clouds continued to roll in. Thunder and lightning could be heard in the distance.
‘It’s not the autumn monsoon. It’s a typhoon. There will be difficulties, but we can stop it.’
According to his knowledge, typhoons weaken as they move towards the northern hemisphere. And this is Hamgyeong-do, where cold winds begin to blow.
He felt Guk Se-pil’s gaze from afar and nodded his head as a courtesy.
Thud, thud.
“Whew, whoosh.”
The sound of rain, the sound of pickaxes striking, and the men’s heavy breathing mixed together.
The rain kept getting heavier and lighter. Steam rose from the glasses of the shirtless men.
“You guys, let’s take a change.”
“Oh, is that so?”
The man who had handed the pickaxe over to Jiwoo took a deep breath and walked over to a pile of dirt on one side. He watched the people moving the dirt with shovel and planks for a moment, then began to pick out the rocks that had been mixed in and sort them to one side.
Suddenly.
Jiwoo, who put down the pickaxe for a moment due to the heavy impact on his hand, pulled out a rock the size of a person’s head. After looking around for a moment, he walked towards the place where the rocks were piled up.
The rain was still falling without stopping. However, the dark clouds in the distant southern sky were beginning to thin out.
Guk Se-pil turned his gaze away from Ji-woo and started walking.
“Kim Cheomji, come on. If you keep doing this and get caught by a horn, how will I face your son?”
“Hehe, hehe, I will take you. Where will you be going?”
“I should see you preparing lunch. It’s enough for a thousand people, so the women must be quite busy.”
“Are you ignoring the women of Gyeongseong? Put your worries aside, take your time, and watch your step here.”
Kim Cheomji practiced his craft as diligently as he did when Guksepil was a young master.
Suddenly, I noticed the hunched back of Kim Cheomji walking ahead.
‘Looking back, it was an eventful life.’
He was never a man who regretted his choices. He only wished for the comfort of the innocent.
Guk Se-pil raised his head and looked at the sky. Fortunately, the dark clouds were gradually moving north.
‘Thank you, heavens.’
He moved with a much lighter step.
The sky was visible from the Gyeongseong government office.
There were people who enjoyed the scent of tea while looking at the water dripping down the tiles.
“The dark clouds are moving north.”
“Thank goodness there won’t be any major damage.”
Jeong Moon-bu, who had his teacup close to his lips, stared blankly at Jeong Hyeon-ryong.
“That doesn’t sound like something the person who suggested striking down those people first would say.”
“Ahem.”
Former Jongseong Vice Minister Jeong Hyeon-ryong stuck out his mouth.
“I didn’t know the general was so obsessed with a single thing.”
“Hoo hoo hoo.”
Jeongmunbu, who had savored the scent of the tea, put down his teacup.
“Let’s be clear. Do you recognize the commander’s authority?”
“I admit it. I have never heard of a general who has defeated the enemy. I think General Jeong is the only one.”
Jeong Moon-bu nodded and glanced at the cavalry captain Kang Moon-woo. With this, the number of cavalrymen exceeded 100.
“Next, in terms of priorities in the battle against the rebels, the Jurchen, and the Japanese army, will you follow your wishes?”
“I will follow. Since the situation is constantly changing, I recognize the need for proactive response.”
“Lastly… about leading even the ignorant and foolish people astray.”
“I will respect the general’s judgment.”
Jeong Hyeon-ryong, who had been pouting for a moment, continued speaking.
“I will tolerate the officials of the three ministries who only talk and are very unpleasant.”
The head of the government bowed his head to Jeong Hyeon-ryong.
“Thank you. I hope you will continue to share your valuable opinions with the director in the future.”
“I am deeply moved that I can devote myself to overcoming the national crisis.”
Jeong Hyeon-ryong bowed his head in greeting.
With this, the military force surpassed the national tax force.
The front gatekeeper, who had poured tea, checked the empty cup and put it down.
‘Your Majesty, there is sufficient cause. But not yet.’
He looked at the raindrops falling from the eaves. His complicated feelings seemed to be sorted out.
Despite his high rank, Jeong Hyeon-ryong willingly acknowledged himself as the leader.
The head of the office glanced at him and then turned his gaze somewhere in the rain.
‘Now we need a justification for the people.’
Everything takes time. Many things change depending on how someone uses the same amount of time. History is no different.
It was dark, but still broad daylight. However, the sound of the rain seemed to be gradually dying down.
* * *
The rain that seemed to be submerging the whole world has stopped. The sound of the swollen stream and the chirping of birds filled the forest.
A head suddenly popped out from a cave on the mountainside.
The head looked around and then disappeared inside.
“It looks like the rain has stopped?”
“General, when are you leaving? I’m starting to feel a little dizzy.”
“Not yet, the road might get wet with rain.”
“Aren’t you worried about the cave collapsing?”
Han Chang-geun, leading the five men, added another branch to the campfire.
“I’ll rest until today and leave slowly tomorrow.”
“I haven’t been able to move for two full days. If I scout tomorrow, I’ll have used up half of my food.”
“We’ve come two days’ journey, and if we go two more days, we’ll have four days’ worth of food left, so there’s no problem returning. We won’t die from starvation for half a day.”
“Do we really have to go hungry when we are all trying to survive?”
“……”
Wing Commander Han Chang-geun looked over the men.
“Do you all remember? Daejeong said that after his departure, he would leave all decisions to the five organs. And everyone, when the safety of their families is at stake, shouldn’t they do something?”
“I will follow the instructions of the five organs.”
The thick voice of the man with the bushy hair resonated through the cave.
“I understand your feelings. But I respect the judgment of the five internal organs. Besides, he is a nobleman, so everyone should be a little more polite.”
“Ahem. What did we do?”
“I have no complaints about the instructions.”
“If not today, then when? Let’s rest while we can.”
‘Thank you.’
When Han Chang-geun gave a short nod of thanks to the man with the bushy hair, the man bowed his head and returned to his seat.
Crackle, crackle, the bonfire burned down.
The next day, those who emerged from the cave headed to the beach. They took out paper and drew the terrain with charcoal, and headed north along the coastline.
The lightly armed men scanned for danger with agile movements, and Han Chang-geun, who fired his bow, covered the men from behind.
It was about the time when the sandy beach ended and we reached a coast made entirely of black rocks.
“stop.”
When the one in front raised his hand, everyone bowed low.
“Is that a ship?”
“From now on, lower your body and slowly hide in the forest on the left.”
The scouts moved crawling away from the beach and into the grass.
Among them, the one with the best eyesight was Oh Jang Han Chang-geun.
“There are two ships. Six of them look like Japanese.”
It was not confirmed whether there were more people on board. It seemed that we would have to get closer to find out more details.
“Samsik, you should go.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
The one who was agile and always at the front of the group cut through the forest.
The rest stretched their joints and kneaded their muscles to loosen up their bodies.