Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 117
Only Noblemtl
#117. The earth collapses, the mountains are cut down (1)
“Korean training?”
“Well, that’s true. I guess the numbers weren’t that great at first.”
The information on the border area that Chief Jo Dong-yoon obtained by mobilizing the 5th Division of the Records Investigation Office was quite up-to-date and contained many interesting parts.
“The area around the Korea-Manchu border is centered around these Joseon cadets, and the defense forces are organized around them. The gap between the progressives and the progressives seems quite tight, but since the number of troops is less than 100, if you make up your mind to make a breakthrough, you will be an easy opponent.”
“If we go on the offensive···.”
“The offensive will continue in both Hambuk and Pyeongbuk. Our goal is to protect the Korean villages across the border and to preserve the border from attacks by bandits and Boxers.”
“Hmm.”
“And the Korean trainees have been quite unstable lately.”
I had heard a little about the Korean training camps.
Immediately after the Sino-Japanese War, the Qing Dynasty, whose military power in the border region collapsed, began to mobilize a large number of Koreans who had already established themselves in the region to form a militia organization similar to a guerrilla army or artillery force in our terms.
However, up until now, Koreans, rather than Chinese, made up the majority of the population in the region.
Because of this, most of the troops, excluding the Qing commanders, were filled with these people.
“It seems that the rumor has spread that the Boxers will not be spared because they are fellow Orientals, and that they will not be spared because they are also brutally murdering the Japanese.”
“You didn’t spread it?”
He laughed heartily at Min Yeong-hwan’s sharp question.
“I don’t think so. I just asked the question, what is their identity?”
“······.”
It seemed like Jo Dong-yoon had been plotting something.
Min Yeong-hwan felt that he had to be wary of him, as he was young but quite dangerous.
If he has control of all the information within the military, he will be able to do more than just dangerous things.
“If we go on the offensive, there will be a response. Some units have already crossed the border and are linking up with them.”
“Are those the records investigation office troops?”
“No, they don’t have the resources. Most of them are assisting the expeditionary force, and the rest are busy gathering information in places like Manchuria and Japan.”
“no way···.”
“We have mobilized a large number of units under the 6th Brigade. If the Central Army is dispatched, the border will collapse in an instant along with them.”
“warlord!”
bang!
Lee Gyu-tae stood up, hitting the chair hard with his fist.
“Why did the general, the director of the Records Bureau, move troops without consulting with the Military Affairs Bureau of the Marshal’s Office?”
“It was His Majesty’s order, Brigadier General. His Majesty has already made up his mind.”
“What?!”
He was angry.
One reason was the fact that they had moved the military without their knowledge, and another was the fact that they were doing things arbitrarily without even asking the military’s intentions in such an important matter.
Lee Gyu-tae did not want his men to bleed and die in a meaningless war, and he had no intention of doing so in the future.
“Truly, Brigadier General. And the Records Director, is that true?”
“Why would you lie? We are already prepared. We are ready to stab those vile Qing bastards in the back. Soon, His Majesty will appoint you, Lieutenant General Lee Gyu-tae, as the commander of the mixed brigade. We will become the generation that will truly expand the territory of our country and spread its fame far and wide, going beyond the four armies and six garrisons that King Sejong the Great established. Only now can we finally stand up.”
“You’re crazy, you’re really crazy. Have you forgotten why our former dynasty, Goryeo, failed to maintain Yun Gwan’s nine northeastern castles and collapsed?!”
Lee Gyu-tae rebuked Chief Jo Dong-yoon, who was almost in a state of ecstasy.
“Do you think the reason our ancestors said that borders should be made by rivers, not mountains, was just because they came out like that? It was because Goryeo failed by making mountains its borders!”
“They didn’t have the Maxim guns, the seagoing steamers, and the fine artillery that we had!”
“They had 170,000 cavalry and infantry. Even with that huge army, they failed to rule the nine provinces. Do you think it is possible with the 10,000 or so troops we will mobilize? No, the attack will succeed. Even if it sheds the precious blood of my subordinates! But what next? What will we do next?”
“The people there will be able to defend themselves. Now that Russia is moving, it is the only way for us to recover our territory, General.”
At his words, Lee Gyu-tae shivered for a moment.
I thought that going forward without thinking about the next thing and only thinking about the present was no different from a flock of moths flying to a flame.
He took a deep breath and quietly recited a poem.
“The earth collapsed, the mountains were cut away, and the warriors finally died, and after them the sky bridge and the stone steps formed a chain.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It is the time of the Shu Han Rebellion. What we are trying to do now is the same as setting up a ditch in that dangerous Shu Han. Countless soldiers and citizens will have to shed blood for a long time to come.”
Lee Gyu-tae recited a poem full of sarcasm, with determination.
That land might be a blessing in the short term, but in the long term it would become a place that would destroy countless goods and lives.
This will be even more so without any serious measures.
“That is the reality of today. The blood they shed will unite the people, and the land they fell on will be the foundation for Korea to prosper.”
“What is the meaning of an empire on skeletons, and the blood shed for hatred that is not ours? I participated in the coup and willingly offered my sword for the Emperor’s ascension to the throne because I wanted this country to be free from chaos and the people to be free from the pain of war. It was not meant to go this way!”
“Do you intend to disobey His Majesty the Emperor’s orders, General?”
The two glared at each other.
“Stop it. Both sides have a point. However, His Majesty’s orders cannot be disobeyed, so General Lee, please step aside.”
“How can we disobey Your Majesty’s order? However, if we head across the border without a clear plan, only death awaits us. There will be countless conflicts and battles for a long time.”
“That is also something that Korea must be prepared for, so the general should lead the mixed brigade and advance north.”
“Chief Cho. Let’s leave it at that. I also find this matter extremely unpleasant.”
“I apologize for moving the field army without permission.”
He let out a sinister laugh. Min Yeong-hwan wished that the Director of Military Affairs was here.
If he had been there, Chief Jo Dong-yoon would not have been able to move so recklessly.
No, if it had been him from the beginning, it would have been clear that he would have prevented this absurd opening of the Qing Dynasty.
However, he was not here, but in a foreign land far away in North China, and he would not be able to return for a while.
***
About three weeks after the fall of the Dagu Battery, preparations were made for a full-scale attack on Tianjin on July 13.
Originally, the Allied forces in Tianjin should have been commanded by Admiral Seymour, but he was transferred to Shanghai, so the second-highest commander, Rear Admiral Alekseev of the Russian Navy, took control of all forces.
Initially, Russia appeared to be trying to avoid combat as much as possible in order to improve relations with the Qing Dynasty, but when the Eastern Qing Railway was directly attacked and the Russian Horde Army outposts stationed there were destroyed, forcing the withdrawal of troops to Harbin, its attitude changed abruptly.
After the Qing’s declaration of war was issued, contact with Beijing was completely cut off, and when Britain, which was unable to cope with the urgent situation, requested that Japan send troops, Russia also began to respond.
On June 24, after the Russian army was defeated by the Qing army and the Boxer Rebellion and withdrew, the Russian army in the Far East began to move the following day. Along with this, a large number of troops, at least 150,000 ground troops, began to move southward simultaneously toward all of Manchuria.
And the Allied forces here were also taking the final steps to conquer Tianjin.
However, this last step seemed not to be taken properly due to each other’s pride and arrogance.
“The South Gate of Tianjin is too dangerous, gentlemen. Please reconsider.”
“What are those Chinese guys so afraid of?”
“Don’t try to teach us lessons just because you fought once. You and your army may have had a lucky victory once, but we have fought in bigger and more intense battles.”
“I respect your experience and tactics, but their appearance in the field and on the water is completely different. They will rely on the castle to defend, and fighting at the open field in the south gate will result in unnecessary casualties.”
I was trying to convince the Allied commanders.
Even though they were heading to places they shouldn’t have gone, they were completely ignoring their enemies. Just because they were attacking a pre-modern fortress, it didn’t mean the troops inside would be the same.
“The fact that the US Marines and Russian troops failed to enter Tianjin on the 21st is also related to this problem. Moreover, their commander, Xie Shicheng, is an experienced man. If we underestimate him, we will suffer.”
“I have so many worries.”
General Yasumasa Fukushima, who commanded the Japanese military, ignored my words.
“I fought against them in the last war. This guy named Seop Sa Seong is not that great of a person. Why are you so afraid of the general who lost the Battle of Asan?”
“They may look ugly, but they too can learn from their defeats and learn on their own. Besides, this is their land, and it is the area they know best. Please reconsider your plan to attack the South Gate.”
But my words were plainly ignored.
They may have just seen me as another yellow-haired man in their eyes, but they acted as if they had no combat experience and didn’t need advice from those who had only fought once in Langfang.
Of course, Admiral Seymour, who had fought them at Langfang before us, had given us strong instructions, but he was not here at the moment.
Since I was transferred to Shanghai, I had no one to support my opinions.
Even if that were true, I don’t know if they would listen.
It was fortunate that no one sneered at the stupid British admiral for not being able to command properly and instead making excuses.
“Then you and your army will just chase after the Russians and watch us win.”
“Koreans and Chinese are similar.”
When such sarcastic remarks were made, Lieutenant Colonel Park Seung-hwan and Lieutenant Colonel Posch, who were nearby, grimaced.
I protested that it was too harsh, but all I got in return were insults like, “Where is your home country?”
Colonel Puchata was nagging me to move with his own troops, saying there was nothing more to hear, while the other Allied commanders were already talking among themselves about their victory, as if they had no interest in me any longer.
To be honest, the words, “those guys are really sinister,” just came out naturally.
“Arrogant Europeans. You will definitely see blood.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate them···.”
Actually, I was more worried than angry.
If they suffered unexpected casualties here, the Allied forces would have hesitated to attack Beijing and would have been very likely to sit out until more troops could be called in.
It was obvious that the situation would become more complicated, and furthermore, the expansion of Japan’s influence over Qing would become a problem.
Japan, which was closest, had the means to pressure the Qing by sending a large army.
The longer we waited, the more nothing good came of it for us.
Moreover, if the stationing time is long, the burden of war expenses will also increase considerably.
“Admiral Alexeev.”
“There’s no need to talk to them.”
He immediately said this to me. He was a hardliner with no diplomatic sense and a quick-witted, hasty reaction, so I was cautious with him at first, but after listening to my story, he started to treat me kindly and our relationship improved.
“They say they will attack the South Gate starting July 13th, so we will attack the East Gate. Your troops will join us.”
“Well, we have no other choice either···.”
I shrugged.
Actually, the East Gate is much more accessible than the South Gate.
Knowing this, the German and Austro-Hungarian armies, which were small in number, also joined the Russian army with about 600 troops.
Overall, the troops were divided into two groups: attacking the South Gate and the East Gate.
At the South Gate, there were about 7,000 troops including British, French, American, and Japanese troops.
The Dongmun Gate was to be occupied by about 9,000 troops, including Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and our own troops.
And the number of Qing troops and Boxers defending the castle was at least 20,000, so they had no choice but to break through the East Gate as quickly as possible and minimize the damage to the Allied forces in the South Gate area. However, the East Gate was not an easy place to attack, although it was less than the South Gate.
“They know this place very well, and they will know where to approach. The East Gate, where there is a railroad, is a place where we can disperse our firepower, but the South Gate is a wasteland.”
“That’s right. There are farmlands and swamps scattered throughout, and the length of the canals and embankments is a whopping 2km. It would be suicidal to break through there without any cover. If there were a proper army defending it, the attacking force would not be able to avoid a devastating blow.”
“They can do it too. And even if they get close to the walls, it’s a problem. The walls are quite high.”
The walls could not be destroyed by artillery fire.
The fortress walls were 6 meters high and 5 meters thick, so the 16 field guns that the Russian army brought to Tianjin were no match for them.
What was needed now was to either attack the castle gate directly or climb up the walls and drive out the Qing army.
And such a method would inevitably result in mass casualties.
It was a problem even if they were armed with pre-modern equipment, but the situation was even more dire when the Seopsa Seong’s unarmed army was heavily armed with Mauser, Winchester, and Mannlicher rifles.
“If we had naval support, we could easily destroy a castle like that···.”
Captain Khmelev said with a regretful tone.
Well, it would be a lot easier if the naval gunfire was added.
But this was impossible because it was about 50km from the coast.
I was looking at the map intently, thinking, and then I felt like something was being solved.
“It’s not like there’s no way at all.”
As I straightened my shoulders confidently, Admiral Alexieff and other Russian officers, advisers and even our officers focused their attention on me.
“We may be able to break through Tianjin Province before the other Allied forces.”