Joseon Military Officer, Establishing Balhae - Chapter 347



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Episode 347

Return (3)

The general stood like a statue, looking at the crowd that filled the square. He was already seventy years old. His white beard and gray hair at the back of his ears swayed in the autumn breeze. His face was covered with traces of time due to the aftereffects of torture, but his posture was straight. Standing tall with his legs shoulder-width apart, he naturally exuded the air of a hero.

The people looked at him with blank expressions as if they had been hit hard by something. The general’s eyes, looking around at them, were filled with complex emotions such as regret, longing, regret, and joy. He tried to suppress the emotions rising inside him and slowly closed his eyes.

Dongmun Station Square seemed as if time had stopped. If it weren’t for the colorful flags fluttering in the wind, I would have mistaken it that way.

Now the people began to stir a little. Now everyone knew who he was. The Taewangbu chief, unable to bear this lukewarm response following his opponent, stepped forward again.

“I am the former commander of the three naval forces of Joseon and the current King Yongmu of Balhae. Be polite!”

There was a sense of bewilderment in the director’s voice. He had not anticipated this kind of reaction from the people. He had thought that everyone would warmly welcome General Yi Sun-sin as soon as he came out. Of course, he was mistaken. He had not been able to fathom the depth of the people’s emotions.

As he intended, his words became a signal flare. Suddenly, a cheer so loud that the ground shook erupted.

“Wow!”

“Wow! Controller inspiration~”

“Come in, General!”

“Hahaha! You’re alive.”

The people were jumping for joy. Their cries of joy were almost like screams.

During his time as a commander, the people living along the southern coast reacted like this whenever they saw him. After a long time, the rumor about the general spread throughout Joseon. So everyone attributed their survival without being defeated by the Japanese to General Yi Sun-sin. They came to hold him up as a national hero, in contrast to the incompetent king who fled to the north.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin bowed deeply to the cheering people. The people bowed so much that they fell to the ground. This deep bow was contagious, creating a scene similar to a sack of straw falling down one after another.

In this way, everyone paid their respects from the bottom of their hearts to Yi Sun-sin, who was now crowned king of Balhae. The people sincerely welcomed the general who had returned after a long time after going through all sorts of twists and turns. Furthermore, the fact that he, who they thought had died a heroic death, had returned alive amplified their emotions even more. Before they knew it, tears were falling from the people’s cheeks.

Tae-Gun, who was watching the scene, gestured to the secretary again, and he introduced other guests.

“These are the people who served Admiral Yi Sun-sin at the time. They are the naval officers including Admiral Song Hui-rip, commander of the 34th Squadron of the 3rd Fleet of the Balhae Navy, and Vice Admiral Yi Wan Jeong-ryeong.”

On the last day of the Imjin War, all those who had been on the captain’s ship came out and stood next to the general and greeted the people. Then, once again, a cheer that seemed to shake the square erupted.

Ryu Mong-in quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve, afraid that Lee I-cheom would see him.

“The controller’s inspiration is alive. It’s truly amazing.”

“There were some who guessed that he might be alive. They said that the Balhae fleet might have rescued him. But I didn’t know that he would suddenly appear here today.”

“What’s even more surprising is the attitude of the people. Everyone knows who saved Joseon from the Imjin War. Isn’t that why they can’t forget that favor and are so moved?”

“No one denies that. Except for the former king and some high-ranking officials of the court.”

Lee I-cheom also had no choice but to agree with Ryu Mong-in’s opinion. He was a close associate of Gwanghaegun at the time, and he also did not have good feelings toward the previous king, King Seonjo.

“Whew! Today seems to be the day when we say goodbye to Joseon forever. This Dongmun Station square is a shamanistic ritual. Look at the tears of those people. Don’t you think that they are saying goodbye to the dead after releasing all their regrets at the end of the cleansing ritual? It seems that His Majesty has the same thoughts as I do.”

Yi I-cheom turned his head and looked at the King of Joseon. He was lost in thought with his head down. Although his face could not be seen, his extremely timid posture gave off a sense of deep despair.

“The existence of the commander-in-chief is a shame and a disgrace to Joseon. He was a great man who saved the country. He was someone who had earned the absolute trust of the people. They framed him with ridiculous accusations. And he was so selfish that his life was in danger, and he was even almost executed. This behavior could be attributed to the former king’s fault, blinded by jealousy, but the current king is his son, so that can’t be done. We can’t deny his roots.”

Ryu Mong-in’s criticism was so sharp and so painful. However, Lee I-cheom was unable to refute even a single word of it.

“On the other hand, Balhae saved him from the brink of death and took good care of him. They also gave him a gift that Joseon could not even dream of, something that could be considered an empire. They made the commander Yeonggwang a king. As a result, the people became more proud of Balhae, which could make him a king, than Joseon, which was subservient to the Ming. Now, the people’s hearts cannot be turned back even an inch. Whenever the Imjin War is mentioned, commander Yi Sun-sin will be mentioned, and naturally, words of disparagement of the Joseon government will follow.”

Yi I-cheom continued to listen. Eventually, the King of Joseon was also trembling. He could feel his trembling even from afar. He thought that the King was not angry, but crying.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin now turned around, greeted Taegeon politely, and sat down right next to him. He was the highest-ranking person besides Taegeon and his wife. He was even higher-ranking than Lee Ha-ryun and the King of Joseon.

And Yi Sun-sin simply gave a quick nod to the current King of Joseon, revealing that he was no longer a subject of Joseon.

* * *

Taegeon, King Joseon, and Yi Ha-ryun walked around the ruins of Gyeongbokgung Palace. After the fire during the Japanese invasion, all the debris had been cleared away, and grass was already growing in the place. Now, Gyeongbokgung Palace was no different from an empty lot.

The King of Joseon asked Yi Ha-ryun.

“When did I get the Samdosugun Tongjesa?”

The king called him by his official title in Joseon instead of King Yongmu. It was his last remaining pride.

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Lee Ha-ryun didn’t care at all and answered naturally.

“He was saved during the last naval battle. I heard from our naval officers who were there that he was in a very dangerous situation, but when he insisted on protecting the flagship, his subordinate officers suddenly grabbed him and jumped into the sea.”

“I see.”

“You would have thrown away your life like a blade of grass to protect your subordinate general and his family?”

Lee Ha-ryun asked, but the King of Joseon did not answer and just walked forward silently. At that time, Gwanghaegun was also one of the many victims who suffered under the previous king. Even he, as a son, had to feel his life threatened. So he could understand the feelings of the commander at that time.

“Then did you go on a mission to Balhae after that?”

“I advised him many times, but he said he just wanted to be known to the world as a general who died fighting on the battlefield.”

“I see.”

“He had refused the title for a long time, but after Balhae and Joseon became one, he finally changed his mind. That happened a few days ago.”

There was no need to ask about what happened next.

This time, Tae-Geon asked directly.

“Are you surprised?”

“Yes, a little.”

There was a rather resentful look on the King of Joseon’s face.

“Think of it as a kind of surprise gift. If it had been known in advance, the touching scene we saw today would not have been produced.”

Lee Ha-ryun said after hearing Tae-geon’s words.

“That’s why it’s a gift. Did you see how happy the people were? Even King Yongmu was touched. And what about his subordinate generals? Didn’t those old gentlemen cry like little children?”

Unlike King Yongmu, who tried not to show his emotional ups and downs as much as possible, Song Hui-rip and the other generals were so deeply moved that they shed tears. This was because they were infected by the tears of the people. They were also moved by the fact that General Yi Sun-sin, whom they served, was finally receiving recognition for his achievements.

Lee Ha-ryun continued speaking without considering the King of Joseon’s feelings.

“That’s why Balhae is different from Joseon. We have newspapers and magazines, so we have to hold surprise events like this to convey the purpose of the event well. That way, reporters who come to cover the story can convey the atmosphere of the scene with vivid writing, and painters can choose scenes that really catch the eye and record them in drawings.”

“Because of the newspaper?”

The King of Joseon glanced at Yi Ha-ryun.

He had been displeased with Yi Ha-ryun from the beginning. He hated the fact that he was a king of the same rank as himself. Whenever he remembered that he was only a man of the highest rank when he left for Gyeongheung, such feelings arose.

“Well, it’ll take some time to understand.”

Lee Ha-ryun paid no attention to the King of Joseon’s reaction and just said what he wanted to say.

“What do you want to do most right now?”

Taegeon asked the King of Joseon.

“What I want to do and what I have to do are slightly different. What I have to do is to normalize Hanseongbu right away. The political system has finally been established, but the urgent task is to devise measures to hold on to the people who are leaving. And what I want to do is rebuild Gyeongbokgung Palace. Every time I see the site of Geunjeongjeon, where only the stone altar stands, my heart aches.”

As the story of the palace came up, the King of Joseon became more talkative. His gaze was soon drawn to the site of Geunjeongjeon, where grass was sprouting between the cracks in the rocks.

“Then, both of you go ahead. I will pay for the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace with the royal treasury of the Taewangbu.”

“Excuse me?”

The King of Joseon was surprised by Taegeon’s words and asked.

“Hanyang Doseong is a precious cultural heritage of our people. So please restore and manage Hanseongbu well. Then, if we treat the tourists well, the people of Hanseongbu will be able to eat and live well.”

Lee Ha-ryun also got involved.

“Also, let the people build guest houses and open many restaurants. In our Seoul, the number of people specializing in the accommodation and food service industry has increased significantly, and many have become wealthy through this business. Of course, this will also raise a lot of taxes.”

“Are there that many tourists?”

“You saw it yourself. How many foreigners come and go.”

“Well, yes. There was a lot to see.”

When he heard Lee Ha-ryun’s words, the king’s face became lively.

He was fortunate to have secured his succession to the throne and to be able to perform ancestral rites at the Jongmyo Shrine, but the fact that he had actually lost his country remained unchanged. Because of this, he had always been depressed, but now he had something to do. In particular, since he considered the reconstruction of the palace to be his calling, Taegeon’s proposal was a source of hope.

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