As Prophet - Chapter 173



Only Noblemtl

Episode 173. Heunginjimun

“His Majesty wishes to continue the meeting over lunch.”

Dalcheon was told to eat with him, but he refused.

“I’ll take care of it quickly as I go. I’ll add it to the meal as we go.”

“I will send you an army.”

“Hiyu.”

Yuseokdo knows Dalcheon well. In his old memories, he was a strong boy who was free in the mountains and fields. He was like the wind, moving quickly and lightly through the forests and valleys as if he were at home. He could not be comfortable within the walls of the palace and the buildings of the city.

A military officer followed Dalcheon and handed him the reins at the entrance of Geonchunmun. Twenty-five cavalrymen followed behind. Dalcheon looked behind him with an uncomfortable expression, and the Daejeong (the commander of the unit) explained.

“Think of me as a contact person in times of emergency.”

“Okay. Let’s go to Heunginjimun.”

The party ran along the government road. A call to gather the people was posted, and dozens of barracks were set up in the middle of the road to enforce conscription. Naturally, those who paid their military service protested that they had fulfilled their duty, and the explanation followed that conscription was done in times of emergency. When they stopped someone on the road, they said they were noblemen. When the military officer explained that there was no distinction between superiors and inferiors, the soldiers forcefully arrested someone who shouted at the top of their voices that it was impertinent.

On one side of the noisy cityscape, a procession of refugees was visible. A group of people dressed in white were carrying food and blankets on their backs. Some were holding the wrists of children, while others were carrying adults who had difficulty moving on their backs. Many were heading south because it was safer to cross the river. Soldiers were stationed throughout the procession to help. They helped up those who had fallen and comforted parents who had lost their children. It was fortunate that they had moved early. I thought it would be fortunate if I could avoid a situation where I would have to get out with nothing, but they did a better job than I expected. The night watchmen were mobilized and went from house to house to encourage refuge and conscription.

At Jonggak, they turned east. Someone must have taken care of it in advance, because the center of the road was left empty. It was a passage for the soldiers. Many people flowed like white waves, but the center was left empty. There were no soldiers guarding it, so almost no one crossed it without permission. They were good people. That’s why the government might be swinging their weight around. They are not the kind of people who would rise up if they didn’t like something. They try to be patient and understanding. That’s why I thought they might be making more noise.

Running along the wide Unjong-ga, I soon reached Heunginjimun. I climbed up the gate tower to see that the construction was progressing as instructed. It was a bit low to be used as a command post. Someone’s explanation that they didn’t build it high because they wanted to see the palace was annoying.

The judge of the Seongonggam (繕工監) in charge of the wall defense work came running. He was holding a large piece of paper with the work objectives written on it in his hand. He unrolled it and bowed deeply. Considering the culture here, there was no reason for him, who was over forty, to bow so much, but it turned out that way. He probably thought he should show courtesy to Dalcheon, who had made great contributions to the abdication and suppression of the rebellion.

“Are you here?”

“Take it easy. You’re only sixteen.”

“What does age have to do with a true person? The government says that a true person is a master of the art of half-life and half-death. How can we treat him lightly?”

I can’t guess what someone said. I don’t know when, but the attitude of the officials changed. Those who looked down on and looked down on them kept their distance, as if they were worried that something dirty might get on them. A few days ago, they changed to extremely polite and respectful manners. It could be because of the king’s trust, or it could be because of the martial arts that they occasionally showed that were shocking.

“I came to see the process of building the fortress wall defense facilities. I wanted to see it for myself.”

When the judge unfolded the paper, the person who said, “This is Heo In Bongsa,” held one side, and the person named Lee Su, who was a junior officer, held the other side and unfolded it. After unfolding the large paper, the judge in front bowed once more.

Due to the nature of the government, each person was appointed for a permanent term, and those with technical skills in civil engineering and shipbuilding were appointed, but even so, the judge was a high-ranking official of the third rank. I thought he was being overly humble. This must be because it was a world where civil servants were favored. He seemed to think that his position was due to his technical skills and had nothing to do with the level of the relationship.

“Heunginjimun was built by piling up stones on top of the weak Naksan Mountain and building a wall on top of them. There is a water outlet because it is where water flows out. There is a water outlet made when the castle was first built, and later, when the ground got wet and the wall collapsed, more water outlets were installed. The earthen wall was replaced with a stone wall. That is why it is a more solid wall. First, to prevent those who invade through the water outlet, a wooden fence was installed at the bottom.”

Dalcheon nodded as the judge pointed to two places in the picture.

“We are building more fortifications on the wall because there are some collapsed places.”

His hand pointed toward the wall.

“That stone is placed up high, so you can throw it down when you need to.”

“Of course.”

I tried to explain it to him because he seemed to not know much about siege warfare, but since Dalcheon answered right away, the quick-witted judge did not explain further.

“They dig a pit under the wall. Starting about ten jang in front of the wall, they dig a circle three or four jang deep, more than a person’s height, and then they fill the bottom with sharply cut wood chips. They cover the top with a thin layer of dirt, disguising it as the ground.”

“How many are you going to make? And how many?”

“This side is easy to sell because the ground is soft. I heard that they start shooting about a hundred chapters away. I plan to sell as much as I can before then.”

“There is a private house.”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

The judge’s face twisted in pain. Dal-cheon nodded. It can’t be helped, but if it’s someone he doesn’t want to do, it’s okay.

“Since they are cavalry, it would be good if there were more hammerheads.”

“If you fall in, you die. And this is under the castle wall. We’ll install a mess of antler trees to block their approach. I told you to cut down a lot of thorn trees. We’ll cut down thick trees and set them up at sharp angles. We’ll set them up in several layers in the shape of a straight line to make it difficult for them to approach.”

“What is this?”

Dalcheon pointed to a wall below that was slightly shorter than a person’s height.

“Build a barricade on the ground. Archers can shoot from behind it. Harass them until they reach the walls, then return.”

“Hmm, good.”

Fortunately, the judge of the preemptive strike was well versed in siege warfare. He explained systematically what was being prepared, and he provided detailed information on the personnel and equipment being deployed, without any shortcomings. The only difficulty was that time was running out.

Dalcheon thought that they were very capable again. It was qualitatively different from the unskilled soldiers who were swarming around and doing things. The way they carried out the work was systematic and technically complete. The explanations were also perfect. He could truly understand why the technicians were promoted to the third rank.

Dalcheon explained the movement method of the Jurchen cavalry. He said that they approached in a scattered manner without a fixed formation, then at some point they would shoot arrows, and then suddenly climb up the castle walls, surprising the enemy with irregular methods. He showed them how they would plant arrows on the ground. He showed them how they calculated the steps of the horse and planted arrows here and there as another piece of paper came up.

“They’re going to pick it.”

“At that time, you have to throw it from this side. Throw it right before the charge. It will fall as soon as it runs.”

“I hope we can make as many as possible.”

“The ones made of iron are good, but there is a limit to the quantity. I will try to make a lot of wooden ones.”

“great.”

Dalcheon realized right away that it was not good to keep the judge for a long time. It is the biggest mistake of a commander to make a good person into a good person by looking at a good person. A good person should only check the direction and provide the necessary manpower and resources for the work.

“I can’t hold on to this for too long. Please proceed as planned and tell me later what doesn’t work.”

“thank you.”

What do you mean by thank you? Was he worried that the report would take up too much time? The judge asked as Dalcheon stretched out.

“I heard that we can’t stop them anyway. How long are we going to keep them here?”

He was clearly not a man who knew anything about war. But he was a man who could estimate how long the walls could hold out with his own abilities.

“They are an army without a fixed formation. I will quickly find a weak point in the castle. My primary goal is to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy. The second is to give the people and soldiers in the castle enough time to retreat safely. I hope I can hold out for two days.”

His eyes were sharply focused. The judge in his forties had the strength in his eyes of a young man in his twenties.

“We can’t win anyway. We’ll make sure to hold out for three days.”

“thank you.”

Dalcheon bowed deeply and let the judge go. The judge immediately ran to where he was working. The two people holding the paper followed him closely, as if they were hanging on by the end.

I walked along the wall of Heunginjimun, which had been turned into a construction site, carefully examining the defenses of the wall. I returned and saw the white-clothed waves filling the street leading to Unjongga. They are the people. The people, who are said to be the most important, are the first to suffer when times are tough. The waves heading toward Bukhansanseong* continued long to Sungshinbang outside the castle.

* Bukhansanseong Fortress: A mountain fortress built by connecting Baekundae, Bohyeonbong, Munsubong, Nawolbong, Uisangbong, and Wonhyobong on Bukhansan Mountain. It is 12.7km long and has an internal area of ​​approximately 6.2㎢, which is larger than Yeouido (4.5㎢, 1.36 million pyeong). Construction was completed in the 37th year of King Sukjong’s reign, but it is said to have existed at that time as well.

Dalcheon sent two men from Heunginjimun to the palace and instructed them to form an interception force to slow down the enemy’s advance. The expressions of the two men receiving the order hardened into a serious expression.

“Is this an exit attack?”

“Yes. We can’t just let them run wild on our land, can we?”

“Of course.”

“Tell them to create two thousand swift cavalry.”

The messenger who had to deliver the order bowed his head. Where would 2,000 cavalrymen come from now? Even if they were stripped bare, 2,000 cavalrymen would not be possible. However, this man is not completely thoughtless. There must be some reason.

“Who should I tell?”

“Please tell Mr. Yoo Seok-do and the Commander-in-Chief.”

“debriefing!”

The two men planted flags on their backs and ran down behind the gate, then ran like the wind. Even if it was an absurd order, it had to be delivered. That was the role of a messenger. Two thousand cavalrymen would not be able to be made even if they were dead and alive. The Ming Dynasty, which was concerned about Joseon’s cavalry, demanded horses from the beginning of its founding, and offered many horses under the pretext of tribute several times. They were needed for the several expeditions to the northernmost part, but their real purpose was to weaken Joseon’s cavalry. They had pastures in various places and were raising horses, but they were barely able to maintain their current status. I have many thoughts, but it’s none of my business.

When I entered the Geonchunmun Gate and asked where the commander-in-chief and the general were, I was told that they were in the front yard of the Pyeonjeon. I jumped off my horse and ran, and those coming and going from the castle quickly made way for me. Fortunately, the two were together.

“Loyalty! This is a message from Jinin who went to Heunginjimun.”

“Oh, what else didn’t you like?”

When I think of Jin-in, many things come to mind. Everything about the Joseon military that is not functioning properly is clearly revealed.

“No. He inspected the construction site of Heunginjimun Gate and then suddenly ordered us to intercept the enemy. He said to prepare at least 2,000 cavalry.”

Yoo Seok-do opened his mouth wide and the governor licked his lips. It seemed as if the young boy, who was ignorant of the ways of the world, had been lying.