Joseon Military Officer, Establishing Balhae - Chapter 310



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Episode 310

Southern Front (2)

The ridge of Mt. Nohosan in northern Gaeju.

Because the Balhae army did not follow closely, the Ming army was barely able to catch its breath here. This was because the Balhae army also recognized that the mountainous region north of Gaeju was fortified.

The commander of the Ming army, Du Song, listened to his adjutant’s report with a miserable expression.

“So you’re saying that you lost ten thousand troops without even seeing the enemy’s face?”

“Yes.”

Of the 30,000 troops, more than 30% had already been lost in the first battle. The 10,000 troops deployed in the east were scheduled to move together with the 1st Army of the rear, so the results only included troops in charge of the central and western fronts.

“It seems like we were defeated unilaterally without harming a single enemy soldier.”

The commander of the Gwangnyeong Byeongbi Army, Jang Jeon, answered with a gloomy expression.

“Yes. Only firearms and rifles…….”

“Is that really a musket? Our damage was too great to be called just a musket.”

“Now that I think about it, there are a lot of differences. There was almost no gunpowder smoke and the gunshots sounded different. I heard that the loading method was also different.”

They were not yet aware of the performance of the Balhae Army’s new rifles because they were watching from a distance. The information that the loading method was different was also a fact that they learned from the testimony of the cavalrymen who had narrowly escaped death after approaching the Balhae Army’s camp.

“Is there any news from the rear army yet?”

“It seems that they have safely retreated to Hodusan. However, they must have lost a similar number of troops, including our Eastern Army.”

“That must have been the case. Our eastern army suffered so much damage from the beginning.”

“Anyway, we need to hold off the enemy’s offensive here at our base before launching a counterattack. For that, we might need more troops.”

The commander of the army said this with the 30,000 soldiers of the 2nd Army in the rear in mind. Then, Du Song shook his head vigorously.

“That’s nonsense. We were dealt such a terrible blow by two corps of Balhae divisions. If there were a battle at Yeonsan-gwan, they wouldn’t be much different from us, right?”

“I see. If that gets punctured, it could be dangerous to recover.”

“So our role is important. Anyway, we have to block the Balhae army’s offensive here…….”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dosong could not continue speaking, because the Balhae army’s terrifying artillery bombardment began again.

“Eek!”

The fortress where the Allied forces headquarters were located, although small in size, had a stone wall on the outside and a roof covered with earth and branches. Having experienced the mortars of the Balhae army, they instinctively created a trench. However, not all of the Ming army’s positions were like that.

The defensive positions on Mt. Noho and Mt. Hodu were composed of sturdy wooden palisades, pits to avoid artillery fire, and several stone fortresses. Therefore, all facilities except the stone fortresses were vulnerable to Balhae’s howitzers and mortars.

However, realizing that they were safe, Dosong quickly left the command post within the fortress and ran up the wall of the stone fortress.

“It’s dangerous.”

The sergeant who had jumped up together shouted.

“It’s okay! This place is relatively close to the back.”

“Oh, I see.”

Because it was a place with a good view, the Balhae army camp was visible at a glance. The Balhae army’s cannons were lined up on the flat ground.

Even as they were surveying the situation ahead, shells continued to fly and strike the Ming army positions. Loud explosions and the shouts of the Ming soldiers could be heard from everywhere.

“Damn it! They already know where our positions are.”

Dosong watched the shelling of Balhae artillery with a very tense expression.

At the start of the bombardment, the point of impact formed in front of the Ming army’s defensive formation was gradually approaching. It was a scene that evoked the feeling of a messenger of death approaching with brisk steps. Dosong was also gradually consumed by fear. His hands began to tremble slightly.

Boom! Boom!

“omg!”

Eventually, shells began to hit the positions. Once they hit, more hits followed, and soldiers screamed and died. Those who had dug holes to avoid the shelling were not safe either.

“Uh, what should I do?”

When Gamgun Jangjeon asked for a solution, Dusong sighed as there was no good solution.

“Whew! You have to hold on. After the artillery attack, the enemy infantry will definitely come rushing in. You can pay back then.”

Dusong turned his gaze to the right front. About two li away, he saw a stone fortress that looked like a command post. There were musketeers there, and there were also firearms and cannons deployed, so Dusong trusted them.

“I, I…….”

However, the wooden palisades on both sides of the stone fortress were already in tatters, and many of the Ming soldiers crouching behind them had been killed.

“This is a really strange war. If we could just cross swords and die, then there would be no resentment. But this is just…….”

Dosong muttered to himself as if he had lost his mind.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The stone wall position on the right front that Dosong had once caught their eye was not safe either. When the most powerful shell from Balhae’s artillery hit the wall of the stone wall, the outer surface collapsed.

“please!”

The gunner unconsciously clasped his hands together. He had withstood the first shell that hit him, but he knew that if he was hit by a few more, even the stone-built fort would not be safe. However, annoyingly, the hits continued to come. At first, most of the shells missed, but as the fire concentrated, the occasional hits came out, gradually destroying the fort.

Bam!

Eventually, the wall in front of the camp collapsed, and when another bullet hit, the gunpowder stored inside the camp ignited, causing a large explosion.

When the stone fortress he had trusted was destroyed, the mouth of the commander of the army fell open. Dusong’s eyes had long since lost focus. The situation was hopeless in every way.

One by one, the stone fortresses that the Ming army had painstakingly built began to crumble. The wooden fences were already unrecognizable, and the resulting loss of troops was also enormous.

The artillery fire that had brought hell to the Ming army suddenly stopped at some point. Now, the ridge of Nohosan was covered with the sharp screams and groans of the wounded soldiers.

“warlord.”

Jangjeon hit Dosong, who still hadn’t come to his senses, with his hand.

“Ah, it’s over now.”

Dosong shook his head once to regain his senses, then gave orders to the generals standing behind him.

“The enemy infantry will be coming now. Prepare quickly!”

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“Yes, General!”

To carry out his orders, the generals rushed down the wall.

“It looks like the damage is extensive.”

“That’s true. I wonder if we can withstand the onslaught of enemy infantry.”

“There are no strongholds. Most of the stone fortresses have been destroyed…….”

puck!

Jangjeon fell backwards without saying a word.

bang!

Late in the day, gunshots were heard from a distance.

“huh?”

Dosong, who still didn’t understand what was happening, turned his head and saw Jangjeon, so shocked that his breath stopped.

“omg!”

Jangjeon was shot between the eyebrows and died.

Doosong quickly scanned the front.

“What, what is it?”

He was not safe either. The moment he saw the flash of light in front of him, he felt an excruciating pain in his forehead and his consciousness was cut off.

* * *

Changdeokgung Palace of Joseon Dynasty.

The king, who had been in bed, woke up to a loud noise outside. At the same time, the door to the room opened roughly and the night watchman rushed in.

“Your Majesty! Something has happened. You must evacuate.”

“Wh, what happened?”

The eunuch, who had not even had time to respond, glared at the eunuch who had followed him and shouted.

“What are you doing! Your Majesty, quickly!”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

The eunuch hurriedly brought the clothes and put them on. Even while he was doing this, the sound of weapons clashing and the shouts of the warriors continued to be heard outside.

“Your Majesty! This is treason. We must leave the palace quickly.”

“Me, my gold medal?”

The king tried to assess the situation while getting dressed.

“My royal guard is the one who is fighting against our Gyeomsa Bok, the henchman of the Yeokdo.”

“Oh, so that means my guards have turned around?”

“No. They were all hit by a male and female.”

“Assassination?”

There were three chiefs of the Royal Guard, and since they commanded the Royal Guard, they were naturally appointed by the King to be members of the ruling Northern faction. However, the members of the Royal Guard, who were composed of the sons of the nobles, were not like that. The Southern and Western factions had already fallen, and some of the sons of the Northern faction had joined in, so the Royal Guard eventually fell into the hands of the opposition faction.

However, the Gyeomsa Bok, who prioritized martial arts skills over social status, were different. All of the Gyeomsa Bok members, including the three Gyeomsa Bokjangs, were loyal to the king.

“Where is Woorimwi?”

Urimwi, one of the three axes that make up the royal guard along with Naegeumwi and Gyeomsabok, was a bodyguard organization comprised of commoners.

“They are also on the side of the enemy. They are moving together with my guard.”

It was a very urgent situation. No matter how great Gyeomsabok’s martial arts skills were, it was not easy to deal with both Naegeumwi and Urimwi.

The king, dressed in his clothes, hurriedly went out.

“hmm.”

The soldiers of the Royal Guard and the Urim Guard on the peninsula have not yet reached the camp. This is because the members of the Gyeomsa Bok are fighting bravely, using the complex palace buildings as obstacles.

“Abba Mama!”

Crown Prince Yi Ji and Queen Ryu immediately rushed to the bedroom. The concubines followed them.

“Your Majesty! Over there!”

The Gyeomsa-bokjang began to guide the King out of the palace. The Gyeomsa-bok soldiers split up into groups, some to block the Royal Guard and the Urim Guard, and some to escort the King and his entourage.

“Where are you going?”

“First, go to Hyehwamun.”

“Okay.”

When the king and his entourage arrived at Hyehwamun, the Northerners, including Jeong In-hong, Yi I-cheom, Gi Ja-heon, and Ryu Hui-bun, were already waiting with their horses ready.

“Your Majesty, please come up.”

The king mounted his horse without even asking where he was going. One of the knights in the ceremonial attire carried the young crown prince in front of him. The queen and the concubines were no exception. Since they could not afford a palanquin or carriage, everyone had to ride on horseback. Those who did not know how to ride had to ride behind the knights in the ceremonial attire and hang on to them. Fortunately, the sky was already getting dark, so they had no trouble traveling.

After running for a long time, the group finally reached Suyu Pass, which leads to Yangju, and was finally able to catch their breath. Only then did the king ask Left State Councillor Jeong In-hong.

“How did you know and prepare it?”

“Haven’t there been signs of treason for a long time?”

“That’s a known fact.”

“I received intelligence that they were planning to attack the capital by sending five thousand men from the Saengnyeong area, and I expected that they would set today or tomorrow as the date. That is why I prepared in advance. Since I had to prepare this in secret, I have not been able to tell Your Majesty in time.”

“Wasn’t there any way to stop the treason?”

“I am sorry to say this, but no matter how much I thought about it, I could not come up with a plan. That is why I could only prepare this hasty plan to protect the safety of the royal family.”

Jeong In-hong lowered his head with an expression of shame.

“What can we do when the tide has turned? Not only the king, but most of the nobles are on their side. So who do they want to support?”

“This is Prince Neungyang.”

“I see. Those guys are so blatant in coming and going from the gardener’s house.”

Neungyang-gun was the eldest son of Jeongwon-gun and became King Injo.

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