As Prophet - Chapter 185



Only Noblemtl

Episode 185. Water Battle

Meanwhile, the Nohoraha special forces, who had been chased away without a care, had less than 500 of the 2,000 cavalry left. They returned the way they came and waited for the main force to arrive from behind.

“Oh my, what is this? I was taken by surprise.”

Eun-myeon comforted Noh-ho-ra-ha-teuk-ah.

“Victory and defeat are common occurrences in the military.”

“Who said what? It was a mistake to rush to the advance party because I wanted to see you quickly.”

“It was because of me.”

“I really wanted to see who he was. I never thought that in the shrunken and dwarfed Joseon there would be someone with such a broad vision.”

“Thank you for your compliment. But I’m curious to know what you talked about last night when you said you met him. If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me?”

Nohoraha Special Forces narrowed his eyes. He was curious about what he was wondering. He was also worried that if he told them that he had been threatened by him, they would think he was a joke.

“It’s nothing.”

“I know it’s hard to talk about. I’ve been attacked by that guy many times. He sneaked in and rushed at me, and I almost lost my life. I prepared a dark room protected by iron plates to prepare for an ambush, but if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be standing here now.”

“That’s not why I came. They told me to turn back, and threatened that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to return alive.”

“Ahahaha! Will the Khan of the world yield to threats?”

“He is no ordinary man. His martial arts skills are beyond the sky. I will not yield to threats, but from now on, I must devote all my efforts to saving my life.”

“I agree. What kind of unmanned man can cut off a dozen waists with just one swing of his sword?”

“You see. He’s a scary guy. Now, I guess that’s not what you came here to say.”

“I was worried that you might decide to withdraw your troops.”

As the two cunning men faced each other, the sound of heads rolling could be heard.

“What were you going to do if that happened?”

“I had to stop it. I was thinking of persuading Khan even if it meant mixing in sweet lies.”

Noh Ho-ra-ha-teuk-ah smiled brightly.

“Tell me about that sweet thing.”

“What the Jurchen need is iron. They need farming tools and weapons, but the most important thing is technology. Even though there are iron mines in Liaodong, it is difficult to make them, so it takes time to establish a clan.”

“exactly.”

“I plan to send a group of technicians. If we develop the iron mountains of this world, we will have no shortage of weapons, armor, and even farming tools for the entire army.”

“Ahem, that makes sense. Again.”

“And in order to raise a race, agriculture must be good. We must provide for future generations to live, not just for immediate survival. Agriculture must be emphasized. Books on agriculture, seeds that grow well in Liaodong, and cattle for farming must be systematically supported. This is more important than hundreds of sacks of rice.

If you reclaim land and feed the tribe with it, the next generation will naturally prosper. This is possible only when people, technology, and tools are integrated. I heard that several tribes that were merged were relocated. There may be a shortage of farmland. The land is large, but there is no farmland. In Joseon, reclamation is encouraged. There is a law that exempts taxes for a certain period of time for reclaimed land, and later even recognizes ownership.”

“I envy you.”

“We will send the talents who systematically support this to Liaodong.”

“also?”

Are you never satisfied?

“We are suffering from a shortage of people. The land is vast, but there are no people. Joseon also promoted migration to the north, but many people are unable to adapt and return. More than half of them return.

“Fill in the shortage in Liaodong with the labor force of Hanyang Joseon. The most important thing in building a country is people. A country exists only when there are people. Once Hanyang is restored, I will select and send people who will work in an organized manner.”

“Isn’t that something we can do even if it’s not you?”

“Ahem. Would you like to finish it in one go?”

Nohoraha’s eyes sparkled.

“Are you saying you will send it regularly?”

“Send one group at the beginning of the busy farming season. They are the labor force. After the fall harvest, send the family. They are the people who will settle down. They must be cleared for the winter.”

“Can you maintain politics here by sending the people away like that?”

“Of course it won’t be easy, but it is for the Khan’s empire. How could I refuse it just because it is difficult?”

He speaks so well. Every word he says catches the ear.

“The third is military cooperation. How can you face the mighty Ming Empire alone? If you request, I will train and send strong iron weapons. If you send them right after the autumn harvest, we will be able to accompany you when the military moves. Our army may not be as good as the Khan’s army, but I am proud to say that we are superior in bows and siege weapons. We will send an organized expeditionary force to help the Khan in his conquest.”

“We’ve prepared a lot.”

“Lastly. Our country is currently cut off from trade with Wa due to the Imjin War. We plan to complete the supply chain connecting Jurchen, Joseon, and Wa. We plan to open a market in Waegwan and a permanent market where ships go up the estuary of the Amnok River and the lower reaches of the Duman River. Ships will regularly travel between the three places and pick up merchants. Rather than providing specific support, allowing people to buy and sell freely through the market will greatly help revitalize the local economy.”

“Your eyes are truly high. How can you know our poverty and speak so well? … … . Now, please write it down and give it to me.”

He furrowed his brow, which was covered with a silver mask. It is one thing to say something and another to leave a token of your promise. I can see your intention to make it clear.

“Of course. This is not a grand plan that I just talk about. I will prepare and upload it as soon as I move.”

Nohora Ha-teuk nodded happily. Eun-myeon asked cautiously.

“You haven’t answered yet.”

“what?”

“You must tell them that you will not withdraw.”

“Hahaha. Let’s talk after seeing the evidence of the promise. Honestly, I’m also afraid of that guy.”

“It’s just an unmanned vehicle.”

Noh Ho-ra-ha-teuk-ah smiled brightly.

“Even if you mobilize all the dozens of unmanned people you trust, you won’t be able to touch even one of his fingers. You said you blocked it with iron plates earlier, right? That’s not why you turned back. You probably gave up and left because you didn’t want to kill many people other than you. The situation is different from what you said. I’ll be honest with you. If there was a true man, you wouldn’t have even set off. Go back. Go prepare and come back. We’ll talk again then.”

Noh Ho-ra-ha raised his hand and told Eun-myeon to return. Military cooperation and economic cooperation, none of them are small. Negotiations are valid only when there are specific descriptions of how much it is and when it will be possible.

Eun-myeon grabbed the tip of Myeon-gu’s chin. Feeling a foreign object in a sudden manner, he immediately let go, but he could not hide his embarrassment. Who said he was a barbarian? He is a more experienced Khan than the politicians of Hanyang. He will not give his consent easily. There is such a thing as inertia in things. So, I wonder if he will easily withdraw, but it is right that he considered withdrawing.

After waiting another day, the main force arrived. A force of 20,000 men filled the wide plains along the river. From a military perspective, it was not a good location. There were mountains all around, and a river on one side. They had not intended to build a drainage garrison, but that was the result. Only after receiving the report of their arrival could they finally come to terms with the pain they had inflicted.

The meeting began. He sent his army forward to replace the defeated vanguard. He warned them to be careful of surprise attacks, and especially to set up a vanguard at each junction to guard them well since they were coming bypassing the mountains. Three thousand cavalrymen advanced westward.

* * *

It was evening. At the time when the noise of the garrison was at its loudest, a fleet of ships came up the river. There were large and small boats mixed together, but what they had in common was that they were surrounded by large shields on both sides. As the sound of the oars grew louder, the sentry opened his eyes wide.

“What is that?”

“There are pears! There are so many pears!”

“Report!”

The three sides were heavily fortified, but the riverside was not defended at all. The dunes on the riverbank were packed with tents, and soldiers who thought they were inside were loosely spread out, resting their fatigue from the long journey.

“The enemy!”

When I first shouted, news came one after another. My heart, once burned, would startle even at the sound of a similar sound. Noh Ho-ra-ha, who was holding a report and a meeting, jumped up from his seat.

“Who! Where! Check!”

Soon after, a bayara (captain level) of the central army came running, accompanied by several soldiers.

“It’s the navy! They’re approaching in dozens of ships.”

“What, Navy?”

For a moment, the crowd paused. If the enemy came from a certain direction and in a certain number, who would have to go out and tell them to repel them? But no one could think of what to do.

“You’re on a boat?”

“Yes. There are dozens of ships, large and small. Each ship has dozens of people on board, so we should assume there are thousands on board.”

Nohoraha Special Forces left the tent. He rode the horse tied next to him and ran, and the generals who had been meeting got up and followed him. Four Maerukjanggyeong followed closely behind Nohoraha Special Forces. When they reached a slightly elevated place used for display, they saw that the Joseon army, riding dozens of ships, was approaching as reported.

The Jurchen soldiers, not knowing what was going on, just looked at the progress with blank eyes and did not respond.

“The enemy! Archers, prepare!”

At the command of Nohoraha, an order was given down the hill. Several Nirujanggin (colonel level, leading about 200 men) hurriedly ran and led their soldiers to the riverbank. Although the Jurchen cavalry was nimble, they were not free to move in the densely packed army formation. There were many obstacles, so it took a long time to get out.

The boat that had calmly approached stopped in a straight line. No, it rowed along the river and stopped about a hundred yards away. It dropped anchor in the slow, shallow part of the sand dunes and stood on the side of the cavalry.

Beep beep!

Starting with the whistle signal, hundreds of arrows flew toward the Yejin army camp. Occasionally, fire was mixed in, setting the tents on fire. The infantry shot by the officers directly hit the commander.

The military camp, which had been watching to see what was happening, suddenly became a scene of chaos. Screams, shouts, and the sound of arrows cutting through the wind were all mixed together.

“The enemy! Get out of here!”

Only then did the guys realize the identity of the ship and rush to escape to the inner part of the land.

“The enemy! Get out of here!”

The cavalry that was running to intercept could not advance because of the soldiers who were scattering. The battle line was in disarray. It was no use shouting to get out of the way. The arrows fired by the Joseon army, which had thick armor plates on its sides, flew very far. The small ones were elastic and flew very far.

Nohoraha Special Forces, who was watching from the hill, rolled his feet. He could have responded by firing, but the riverbank became a mess as he tried to dodge in surprise and got tangled up.

A group of cavalry turned around and rode along the riverbank. They were the soldiers of Commander-in-Chief Langkun.

“Respond!”

The brave soldiers who ran forward fired back. Hundreds of arrows flew through the air.

“Respond!”

I couldn’t get any closer because of the water, but I managed to start a fight. However, the flying bullets pierced the wooden boards on the side of the ship. Since they were hiding behind the boards, it was completely ineffective.

Commander-in-Chief Langkun led his troops forward.

“Go forward! It’s not deep. Take aim and fire!”

As the order was given, the soldiers who had run to the end of the water cautiously advanced. Hundreds of arrows flew, trampling upon the horses and men.

“Respond!”

A group of men entered the water and fired. As I got closer and shot, I saw several of them fall down after being hit by arrows.

“Shoot! Take aim!”

A firefight between the two armies began. The soldiers who arrived late shot arrows at high angles from behind. While they were fighting back, Nohoraha Special Forces retreated the army far from the river.