As Prophet - Chapter 194



Only Noblemtl

Episode 194. The Great Battle

Khan was injured while facing the enemy. Someone else had to lead the army. It was close to Eunmyeon’s instinct to think of needs before people. When he looked around, he saw that the soldiers, startled by the loud noise and the destructive power, had run away about a hundred yards in all directions.

The cavalrymen who had fled far away just glanced at them, not thinking of coming to help. They should have been treating the wounded and dragging out the dead, but they stood back a hundred yards away, as if they were afraid that something unseen and scary might be attached to them, and just watched their comrades die.

Eun-myeon called his subordinates, the ones who were behind him and safe.

“Drag out the corpse and pull out the living so they can be treated.”

“Loyalty!”

“Ly them down in a line to one side and call the congressman.”

“Loyalty!”

Dozens of people rushed in like flying birds and picked out the living ones first. They put their hands under the shoulders and pulled them out, but there were some who had no bottom. They were dead.

Those who had injured limbs were bleeding but still alive. We dragged them out, laid them down, and called in the doctor. All we could do was stop the bleeding, spray medicine, and wrap them in cloth. But when they saw what was happening, the Yeojin army came running to help.

Because there were many soldiers in front of the main camp and they were crowded together, the damage was great. While picking out the wounded, Eun-myeon watched the gate. The end of the gun barrel that had caused this situation was poking its face out through the gun barrel and preparing to fire again. If that happens, this place will really be scorched earth.

“We must hand over the army!”

It was the shout of an unrelated person. No one listened. He returned to the main camp where the silver surface was shattered and picked up the baton of the special forces of Nohoraha.

“All troops! Retreat a hundred steps back! Retreat!”

The generals who rushed to treat Nohoraha Special looked at each other. Although it was the Khan’s baton, the boy did not take command. However, Nohoraha Special was in a state of severe gastrointestinal distress and could die at any moment.

“If you don’t retreat, we’ll all die! Retreat quickly!”

One of the Nohoraha special forces’ generals ordered a retreat.

“Retreat! All troops, retreat! All troops, retreat a hundred strides back!”

As the gong sounded and the order was given, the Jurchen cavalry quickly retreated. Those who had been engaging in a firefight on the left and right wings also retreated.

* * *

The Yejin army was rushing forward like an angry wave, but when they retreated at once, Dalcheon smiled happily.

“Hehehehe.”

The commander-in-chief opened his mouth.

“What kind of laughter is that? It’s awkward.”

“Hehe, hehe.”

“It’s much better, but it doesn’t look like a military command post.”

“Heh heh.”

Looking at the two of them, Yoo Seok-do felt that they were like close grandsons. They were able to be together because he acknowledged his role as a military commander, but he was also dependent on him in many ways.

“Should the operation proceed as planned?”

Dalcheon nodded. The commander explained the reason for his concern.

“If we can defend it, wouldn’t it be better to defend it? If we can defeat the enemy here, is there any need to use the strategy of emptying the castle? If we empty the castle and they invade, the damage to the people’s property will be too great. They have all escaped safely, and they may have taken or hidden valuables, but the houses, household goods, and daily necessities remain intact. If they take them, it will definitely not be less than what they get from trade. We can’t burn down Hanyang like a scorched earth, and we hope they come in and just escape, but that won’t happen.”

Dalcheon let out a deep breath at the mention of the people’s suffering. My goal is to reduce their military power to less than a quarter. If those who mobilize 20,000 men will have difficulty fighting even 5,000 men, the North will be at peace for a long time.

“If we try to defend Hanyangseong, many soldiers will be killed or injured. Our forces are less than a tenth of theirs. We have gathered various types of troops, but in reality, they are peasant soldiers. It is not only difficult to defeat them… … .”

“I hope we can protect Hanyang.”

“I know that the basic strategy is to defend and then retreat. Emptying the town walls and retreating to the mountain fortresses, then coming down and starting over after defeating them, is a daily life in the North. It’s like a natural disaster. If you can save your life, you can do everything else if you try hard. Also, if you go north and live in the North, you won’t starve to death at least. Even if you lose everything, they’ll somehow provide you with food.

The reason I spoke of life in the North was because I thought that maybe we should do the same. If we have to accept the sacrifice of many soldiers because we are concerned about our property and household goods, and if we say that it is for the people, I would like to tell you that those soldiers are also people.

As the firefight continues, the enemy gets hurt, but we also get hurt. Of course, if two enemies get hurt, we only get one, so you might think that we can just fight by leaning against the wall, but the difference in forces is so great that we will eventually end up with no soldiers left. Right now, there are shooters at every ridge of the wall, but will that be the case tomorrow?”

Dalcheon’s explanation is obvious, but since they were happy with the current situation, leaning on the wall, everyone wanted to maintain the current situation. It was a kind of inertia. It was not a habit or a measured behavior pattern. It was just an instinctive desire to maintain the current situation.

“We have a new weapon. They haven’t even tasted the new weapon yet.”

Dalcheon blinked. He turned his head and saw the weapons waiting in a row on the road leading to Unjongga behind the castle gate.

“Oh! What is its range?”

The commander raised his hand toward one of the officers as if he had been waiting. He said, “I want you to explain.”

“The machine gun that fires one shot at a time has a range of 900 shots.”

“Huh? Nine hundred sheets?”

Dalcheon was surprised. The commander-in-chief approached the back of the gatehouse and stood holding onto the railing, hoping that explaining the weapon might turn the current strategy around.

“It has a long range, but its accuracy is low. That’s why it is used for medium- to long-range suppression.”

“What are the downsides?”

“We use too much gunpowder. It holds more than three times as much as the Tianzi gun. We import most of the sulfur and saltpeter from Ming, so it’s a huge burden. It was really lucky that we were able to hit their main camp with the Jincheonroe a little while ago.”

When Dalcheon nodded, the military officer continued to explain.

“In the case of the medium-sized machine gun, the range is about 200 shots. However, unlike the small-sized machine gun, it flies and explodes. It is most effective when it explodes over their heads.”

“Oh, two hundred sheets!”

Dalcheon measured the distance between the men who had retreated.

“Lastly, the Soshingijeon is similar to a bow. It has 150 pieces. It is a single arrow that flies, but to supplement the attack power, several are tied together in a bundle. It is called a bundled fire battle. It is placed at the very back to shoot when the enemies charge.”

“Thank you for the explanation.”

“We have produced and deployed about 700 of them nationwide. They are expensive weapons, but they are definitely effective when used against barbarians.”

Dalcheon shrugged his shoulders at the word ‘expensive’. Since I live without any lack and take my lack for granted, the word ‘expensive’ is in line with the word ‘impossible’. It is also obvious that you should not do expensive things in the mountains.

“Then they would know about this weapon.”

“I know the enemies who invaded our borders. Just pulling out a freight car would scare them.”

“It’s definitely effective, but the accuracy is low and it’s expensive… … . Ahem. I can’t think of anything yet, but if I were to use it now, what would be good to use where?”

The officer glanced at the commander-in-chief. He was a low-ranking officer who would normally not even be given a chance to speak in a situation like this. He was in a position where he would be cursed at no matter how well he did, and he would be cursed at no matter how badly he did, so he was careful about every word he said.

The commander nodded in agreement. It is a world where even speaking requires approval. This is because the hierarchy is strict. Dalcheon, who has no hierarchy, lowered his head and made a face as if he was uncomfortable, but there are things that can be changed and things that cannot. This is not because of one person’s uncomfortable personality, but because it is a kind of culture within the military.

The officer straightened his shoulders and explained.

“In my opinion, I think it would be a good idea to fire a few rounds of the Daeshinki at the same time at those who have retreated far away. It will sweep away the area where it fell. It may not be as effective as the Jincheonroe, but it will definitely be effective. Even the Yeojin army that was charging forward will be terrified and run away after one or two of those.”

When Dalcheon nodded, the commander-in-chief gave an order without delay.

“Fire five rounds of the Great God Machine towards the enemy’s base!”

“Loyalty!”

What are they hoping for? Perhaps they are praying in their hearts that this will make them run away in panic.

* * *

“What a great new device. You must have wanted to shoot that.”

Is it the commander’s illusion that even when he speaks in a flat tone without changing his tone, it feels like he is mocking me?

“It’s not a toy. You have to see it. You have to see how they are treated and what happens to them afterward.”

“Yes, I am looking forward to it. I saw the effects of the Soshinkijeon yesterday.”

“Just wait and see.”

The marksman adjusted his direction precisely. A total of five large-caliber guns aimed in the same direction. There was no view beyond the road behind the wall. The flag bearer on the wall gave directions from a distance.

Dalcheon looked into the distance to make sure it was a straight line, then closed his eyes and gauged the strength of the wind. The south wind was blowing, and it was stronger on the high mound.

“If my opinion can be reflected, it would be better to make a slight adjustment to the right as there is a south wind.”

The commander-in-chief, who was watching the preparations for the battle, spoke briefly.

“Do so!”

The officer waved his flag to stop firing, then ran down, past the group of guns behind the gate, and relayed the camp’s opinion to the gunner.

I feel bad when someone interferes with what I’m doing. As expected, I heard, “Do it yourself,” and “At least pretend to do it.” When I heard, “You’re beating the drum and janggu and doing it all by yourself,” the catcher raised his stick high.

“If you don’t want to do it, just leave it. Why are you taking up space and squatting, not listening to orders, and making a fuss! If you don’t want to do it, then get out now!”

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t even fire the Shinkijeon myself, but I just got upset because of all this.”

“I feel bad too. But isn’t it an order? A soldier lives and dies by the order. Isn’t it an order that seeks personal gain? And look! You guys, when you were aiming, did you take the wind strength into account or not?”

“… … .”

The five shooters lowered their heads like mutes who had eaten honey.

“No matter how strong the flying power is, it is only natural that the wind must be taken into account. Who are the guys who complained that the accuracy is low depending on who made it? Did you take everything into account to ensure that it flies accurately? The wind! Did you take it into account, you brats!”

At the general’s shout, the military officers stepped forward and ended the situation.

“We made a mistake. We apologize. We will adjust it slightly to the right, taking into account the wind strength.”

“Do it! Do it!”

After a while, the adjustment was completed. A large red flag drew a circle toward the sky. A red flag was raised from the gate tower, ordering fire.

“firing!”

At the general’s shout, the fuse was lit. The wick crackled and the gunpowder ignited. A pure white flash followed, and white smoke rose like a cloud. After a while, five large-caliber rockets shot up into the sky in a diagonal line with a whistle. Almost simultaneously, five wisps of smoke cut through the air. The soldiers watching let out exclamations of ‘Wow!’