Joseon Military Officer, Establishing Balhae - Chapter 335



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Episode 335

Jeong In-hong’s Journey (3)

Dancheon Guesthouse is a luxury accommodation facility located in Dancheon-si, Donghae-bu.

Jeong In-hong and his party, who were guided to the front of this five-story building, did not go in right away, but stood in front of the entrance and looked up at the building for a long time.

“Oh my god! How can objectivity be so high?”

Jeong In-hong lowered his head and let out a gasp.

“It’s not just this place, is it? I haven’t been inside, but I’ve seen it in Wonsanpo, and there’s one in Nambukcheong Station too.”

“Are all the guest houses of Balhae this big and tall?”

Jeong In-hong asked Kang Gyeong-woo.

“No, it depends on the level.”

In the case of Joseon, government-run lodging facilities were named yeokwon, yeokcham, gaeksa, yeok, and won. Their types and sizes also varied. In addition, private facilities were called inns, gaekju, and taverns.

However, Balhae did not distinguish between government and private, but divided the levels, and called the high-class facilities equivalent to future hotels “guesthouses,” and the next-level facilities “inns.” Of course, there were facilities of lower levels, but they were not necessarily given different names. That is why inns and taverns still existed in the countryside. In that sense, inns and inns were facilities that existed only in the city.

“When did Dancheon change like this? Isn’t it like a world of difference?”

Among the performers, those who had been to Dancheon shared their impressions of the city.

“There is nothing here. If you go deeper, there are many amazing facilities.”

Kang Kyung-woo answered with a smile.

As Taegeon predicted, Dancheon has now grown into one of the major cities representing Balhae. In terms of population size alone, it has surpassed Hamheung and Bukcheong to become the largest city in the former Hamgyeong-do region. Naturally, the reason Dancheon became such a densely populated area was due to the industrial facilities located in the middle and upper reaches of the Namdaecheon and Bokdaecheon rivers. In addition, numerous mines were located in the mountainous areas in the north and northwest, and mining villages were formed around them. Of course, the Joseon envoys stayed near the coast, so they could not know the circumstances of such places.

At night, the delegation gathered at Jeong In-hong’s room. They asked the Balhae escort team to prepare a special banquet.

Even though there were only Joseon delegations in the room without any Balhae officials, there was silence for a moment. The delegation members drank their drinks in silence for a while.

“Didn’t you say that when the King of Balhae went to Gyeongheung-bu as the deputy governor, it was one year before the outbreak of the Imjin War?”

Jeong In-hong spoke first.

“Yes. From that time, we can say that the history of Balhae actually began. For a while, he settled in Gyeongheung and worked hard to manage the local affairs, but then suddenly he appeared like a comet, took control of the Yukjin garrison, and began to defeat the Japanese army under the control of Gadeungcheongjeong.”

Lee Ee-cheom answered.

“So, you built such a huge empire in just over 20 years?”

“Wasn’t that possible because of the benefits of Joseon? The hearts of the people of Hamgyeong-do instantly turned to the Balhae king, and it was successful thanks to their support.”

“That doesn’t mean we can underestimate his abilities. Then what happened to our Joseon?”

When Jeong In-hong brought up Joseon, Lee I-cheom simply shook his head.

“Even if I were to add up all the surprises I have felt in my entire life, they would not surpass the shock I received on this trip.”

Everyone nodded their heads at Kijaheon’s remarks.

“Whew! It was just amazing.”

Ryu Young-kyung even let out a sigh.

They passed through Sangbangsa Village in Gosanhyeon and reached Sambang Station in Sambangjeom, where they could not help but be astonished. The train that would take them was waiting right there.

The delegation that got on the train at Sambang Station was able to quickly arrive at Dancheon. They couldn’t help but be captivated by the scenery that passed by outside the train window. Not only the powerful engine sound of the steam locomotive, but also the regular vibrations from the tracks added to the mystique.

“That capital city itself is like that. It was really a tunnel. As I felt this huge train passing through the capital city, I was just amazed at how people could create such a thing.”

“It only took four and a half hours from that Sambangjeom to Dancheon here. How can we possibly win against Balhae? People and goods are moving back and forth so quickly.”

4:30 is 9 hours. The distance from Sambang to Dancheon is about 360km, but I was able to cover it because I kept running at 40 to 45km/h.

“It takes almost two months to get to Balhae’s capital, but you’re saying that it only takes two days? And didn’t you say that the two days were extended because of the overnight stay like tonight?”

“Haha! Does that make sense? You’re saying you can travel a distance that would take two months in two days?”

As soon as they started talking, they all started to freely share what they felt that day.

“I didn’t believe it when I read the Balhae newspaper, thinking it was so absurd, but today I found out that it was true.”

Jeong In-hong also added a word.

“You said that train goes all the way to Hanyang?”

Lee Ee-cheom asked.

“Yes. I heard it clearly with my own ears.”

Reporter Ki-Heon answered.

“Then in the end, Joseon people will become even more enthusiastic about Balhae culture.”

Lee I-cheom clearly recognized the ripple effect of this new civilization.

* * *

When Taegeon heard that a delegation had departed from Joseon, he called a meeting on his behalf. First, he relayed the message that Prince Gyeongchin Taewon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, had received from Joseon.

“The message is simple. He will send a messenger, and until then, he asks that no military action be taken. He even asks for food aid.”

At Taewon’s introductory report, Lee Ha-ryun smiled.

“Haha! When did we take military action and get scared? Anyway, it’s simple. It seems like we’re planning to submit to Balhae.”

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“Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs think the same?”

Tae-geon asked Tae-won.

“Yes, Geometry.”

Minister of Military Affairs Hwang Jin and Minister of Education Heo Seong also nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, the Joseon Dynasty’s affairs, which are barely hanging on, can be resolved through talks, so today let’s talk about how to reorganize the administrative districts of the newly acquired Joseon lands.”

Taegeon finally brought up the actual agenda for today’s meeting.

“Minister of the Interior. Please release the plan prepared internally to the various ministers.”

“Yes, geometry.”

Minister of the Interior Hyun Yang-geon came out and began to explain the plan established internally.

“Let me start with Yeominbu and Donghaebu. Since the population of Donghaebu is so large and the land is quite large, we decided to separate Hyesan and Dancheon and attach them to Yeominbu, and instead change Anbyeon, located at the southern end, to the newly established Gwandongbu.”

Gwandongbu is a term that was not an official administrative district of Joseon, but was used to refer to the east coast of Gangwon-do. Balhae decided to establish Gwandongbu.

“Including Anbyeon, the areas of Icheon, Pyeonggang, Gosan, Hoeyang, Geumseong, and Geumgangsan to the southwest, and along the east coast to Uljin, are all part of Gwandongbu.”

Because the northern part of Gangwon-do and the east coast region were combined to form the Gwandong-bu, the land of the Gwandong-bu took on a shape similar to the letter ‘Giyeok’.

“And Chungcheong-do becomes Chungcheong-bu, Gyeongsang-do becomes Gyeongsang-bu, and Jeolla-do becomes Jeolla-bu.”

“Haha! Then Gyeonggi-do is the problem?”

Heo Seong joined in with a smile.

“That’s right. Hanyang is no longer Seoul.”

“I’m really curious.”

As the ministers spoke one by one, Hyun Yang-geon smiled and immediately gave an answer.

“This is the Han River.”

“Huh! Han River? The governor-general’s office was named after the river, not the county?”

Hwang Jin-i asked in surprise.

“Then what about Joseon’s capital, Hanyang?”

The Minister of Justice, Jeong Moon-bu, asked.

“Hanyang will become Hanseongbu as it is. As it has a large population and was the former capital of Joseon, we plan to recognize Hanseongbu as a special prefecture, just like Seoul Byeolbu.”

“Well, that’s a little strange. It’s not like there aren’t any cities that can represent Gyeonggi-do. There’s Suwon, of course, but also Gaeseong and Yangju. Now that I think about it, I just passed over the rest of Gangwon-do.”

Hyun Yang-geon responded with a smile to the remarks of the Minister of Justice, Jeong Moon-bu.

“Haha! You saw it correctly. Half of Gangwon-do went to Gwandong-bu, so the existing Gyeonggi-do and the rest of Gangwon-do were combined and changed to Hangang-bu. Most of the land of Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do in the western part of Baekdudaegan is mostly in the Hangang region, right? That’s why it was named Hangang-bu.”

“Well, if that’s what you mean.”

Hwang Jin showed signs of agreement.

If you include the main stream of the Han River, as well as the Bukhangang River, the Namhangang River, and the tributaries that flow into these rivers, Gyeonggi-do and the western part of Gangwon-do, that is, the Yeongseo region, can be called the Han River living area. That is why it is called the Hangang area.

As the discussion on the administrative district reorganization plan was almost over, Tae-geon stepped forward.

“Let’s not rush the transfer of civil administration to the newly acquired Joseon territory. Joseon has a large population, and there are still local forces that refuse to belong to Balhae. Also, it would be wise to delay the military until the release and relocation of slaves is completed.”

“That is a valid opinion. This is a place where local powers, deeply rooted in old Confucian ideology and accumulated corruption for hundreds of years, are still in full swing. In addition, as a backlash against these corruptions, bandits have increased and mountain fortresses exist everywhere. In order to suppress or appease them by force, it is only natural to implement military rule.”

Heo Seong actively supported Tae Geon’s opinion.

The people of Balhae named the neo-Confucianism that originated from Heo Gyu, the president of Balhae University, ‘Silhak’. It thoroughly pursued the ideology of people-centeredness, so in order to practice people-centeredness, it was natural to consider how to benefit the people. That is why it was given the nickname of Silhak. This also fit well with Balhae’s national ideology of ‘Hongik Ingan’.

Heo Seong also became a follower of Silhak and was very critical of Joseon Confucian scholars.

“The management to be sent there is also a problem. This problem was expected, so it is right for the military to manage until the appropriate management is selected, appointed, and sent to the post. Also, local officials must be screened out during the process. Those who are useful must be used, and those who are not must be kicked out.”

Lee Ha-ryun also came forward and argued for the necessity of a long-term military government. The expressions of the ministers who heard Lee Ha-ryun’s remarks darkened somewhat, unlike before.

“Now that I think about it, there’s a long way to go.”

“Considering the population of Joseon, it can’t be helped.”

The ministers also murmured quietly.

“Speaking of population, if all of Joseon is now incorporated into Balhae, Balhae’s population will reach 20 million. That means it will increase by 8 million in an instant. That means we will have a lot more work to do. It’s also a lot. So let’s not be too impatient and take it slow and follow the rules.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Lee Ha-ryun’s remarks.

The current estimated population of Balhae is 20 million, and the number of immigrants is about 2 million. More than half of these immigrants were Japanese. Next in line were the Jurchen and the Manchus of the northern Tungus lineage, followed by the Ainu living in Hokkaido and Hongjebu, and the Southeast Asian people of Formosa, the Han Chinese, and the Mongols.

According to this population estimate, the total number of Goryeo residents was 18 million, which means the population had increased considerably compared to before the Imjin War. Of course, the addition of Goryeo residents living in the Liaodong region also contributed to the population increase.

“Geometry!”

A secretary from the Taewangbu came in cautiously and reported.

“The Joseon delegation has arrived at Seoul Station. So, we plan to guide them to the Nuri Guesthouse as planned.”

Nuri Guest House was a government-run guest house located on the banks of the Nuri River and had the best facilities.

“Oh! You’re here already. Got it.”

Taegeon answered with a big smile.

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