Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 255
Only Noblemtl
#255. The Brave Answer (1)
“Therefore, you must ensure the safety of the rear while our proud Imperial Army of the Empire of Japan is at the front to save this country from the imperialist clutches of the white people.”
Commander Hasegawa of the Imperial Army was furious as he looked at the newly appointed Korean government personnel in Gyeongseong, especially at Gyeongungung Palace, which had long been used by the Korean emperor.
They are nothing more than a group of rebels and traitors who forcibly kidnapped the Emperor of Korea by the Hamheung War Cabinet, and the government of the legitimate Korean Empire was created under the ‘justice’ of the Japanese Empire.
Of course, in reality, it was nothing more than a subcontractor and a collection of local assistants who took over the administrative administration of the occupied territories, and other countries looked at it in a similar way.
However, under the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Imperial General Headquarters that such harsh gazes could be tolerated during the exhibition, we had no choice but to do our best to put on a show that no one would be fooled by.
In addition, from the perspective of the Japanese army that entered Joseon, the situation on the front line was more urgent, so an army composed of local collaborators was also necessary. That way, useful troops could be concentrated on the front line.
“So how can we help you, Commander?”
When Lee Wan-yong, who had been personally ‘appointed’ by His Majesty the Emperor as the Prime Minister of the pro-Japanese puppet government, asked cautiously, Hasegawa heard the words from an interpreter.
Hasegawa smiled brightly as he watched Lee Wan-yong in that relaxed state.
Of course, behind the smile there was always a foul odor hidden inside.
“Hahaha! Your story is very well-considered, Prime Minister. I hope you will assemble the army and security forces to control not only the traitors in Hamheung, but also every corner of the province that our imperial army cannot reach.”
“How can we gather them when almost all the troops have gone north following the rebels, and the troops in the south have also disappeared without refusing to join us?”
A loud noise was heard.
Indeed, when it comes to the Joseon army, almost all of them went to the battlefield pledging allegiance to the original royal family and cabinet.
Although some troops remained in the Samnam region, they soon hid in the mountains and cut off all contact. Most of the 10,000 police officers deployed nationwide were in the same situation.
Half of them ran away, and the other half did not hesitate to show their uneasiness.
Even though I’m still writing them off with tears in my eyes, I can’t live with a bomb in my arms.
However, although they had to be replaced at some point, it was difficult to implement that right away for many reasons.
“Isn’t there a Iljinhoe? Oh my, is it the Progressive Party now? Anyway, if we mobilize these people, who are said to be 100,000 people, we will be able to procure troops immediately.”
Someone spoke next to me. It was Song Byeong-jun, who had been called Noda Heijiro and had been working as an army interpreter for the 12th Division until a month ago.
Lee Wan-yong couldn’t help but feel astonished at the sight of such a shallow person sticking his head into the cabinet and taking a position, but he held it in.
“How can we make them into an army?”
“That is the job of our cabinet, Prime Minister. Since Mr. Kwon Joong-hyun is newly in charge of the military, wouldn’t he be able to do that if he has enough weapons and ammunition?”
When he raised his voice in an unpleasant manner, being called by a derogatory term, not a derogatory term, “Lord Noda,” Kwon Joong-hyun, who had been appointed as the new military minister, opened his mouth with a displeased expression.
“No, it’s not as easy as the ball says. It takes a lot of time to turn the ragtag militia into elite soldiers like privates. If Japan provides the supplies properly, it’s not hard to create an army, but…”
“but?”
“There is a serious shortage of officers to take charge of the core of the military. Why… During the last coup, didn’t both Ahn Gyeong-su and Woo Beom-seon get arrested after coming in early?”
They say that, except for An Gyeong-su, who actively cooperated, they were all executed in Hamheung on charges of treason.
The reason they came in early was to quickly take control of the army, but the problem was that they were all arrested and returned to their original positions.
“All the cadets who studied at the Japanese Military Academy there fled north, saying they would fight and die for their country. Who will lead the newly formed army?”
“Well, your cabinet will decide whether to select new officers from among them or to bring in retired ones. For now, we will provide you with the weapons we collected from Jemulpo.”
Hasegawa responded as if he was annoyed and stood up from his seat.
I thought that if we just brought the hundreds of rifles and ammunition captured from the previous battles here, they would take care of it.
Anyway, this was his mission up to this point, and from now on, the little things and the cursing will be done by them.
And from now on, he just had to focus on his main job.
Protect the rear of the 1st Army, defend major supply bases and large cities, and enforce military rule over the occupied Korean Empire territories.
If only this could be done properly, there would be nothing to fear from Roske.
By the way, didn’t you say that you would be assigning yourself a considerable number of reinforcements, including the 2nd Reserve Infantry Division, around January next year?
He was relieved of his worries thanks to the order from the Imperial General Headquarters to organize the Korean Army’s six battalions into a division and further increase them to the level of a field army.
He smiled bitterly at the thought that if he waited just a little longer, the puppet government would also organize its own army and gather them all together to take control of the major cities in the Samnam region, especially the agricultural areas that would serve as supply bases.
“In any case, the headquarters hopes to have all the troops organized before the end of the year.”
“No, this year is only about a month away. Are you planning to give us weapons and not provide any help?”
“If it’s really difficult, I’ll send a few officers from the Army Headquarters. However, we’re also in the midst of fierce battles, so we’re always short on troops and can’t provide much help. Please understand.”
Anyway, that army isn’t a proper regular army, so it would be fine if it were just a militia.
He shrugged, glanced at the elements of this puppet government, and went out.
Gyeongseong was a place with its own charm. Except for one thing that he could see right now.
“Tsk tsk, there won’t be much time left before that flag flies.”
He clicked his tongue as he looked at the Japanese flag and Taegeukgi fluttering at the intersection of each gate, saying that they were symbols of Japan-Korea friendship.
Kim Hong-ryuk, the mayor of Hanseong, who had been watching them from the beginning, touched his beard once, looked around, and then hurriedly walked off somewhere.
***
“The traitors of Hanseong are finally making their move. They plan to form an army with the Iljinhoe and the traitors and subdue the entire 13 provinces!”
“The Emperor of Hamheung is waiting for us to rise up, so are you just going to waste time like this?!”
“There are still many soldiers swarming around. If we raise an army now, we will all die!”
“There are still loyal troops in the Honam region who are loyal to His Majesty the Emperor. They have gone into hiding to fight, so if we fight together, we will be able to drive them out. Even if we fail, we can say that we died for our country.”
“Even the elite Jinwi troops avoided confrontation with the Japanese soldiers and hid. What are you talking about now?”
In Jeongeup, Jeolla Province, a group of Confucian scholars gathered at a house to discuss current affairs.
They were of all kinds, from older men wearing hats and topknots to young men with short hair and neatly styled hair, saying they would follow the king’s orders, but they had gathered for one reason.
“···Everyone, pay attention. A secret letter from His Majesty has just arrived.”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty?”
“Inspiration, then···.”
“Yes. He wants all the loyalists across the country to rise up.”
The one sitting at the very top spoke quietly.
And the letter he handed over had the emperor’s seal clearly stamped on it, indicating that it had been sent by the emperor.
It was clear that it had definitely come from the Hamheung court.
“They are saying they will appoint me as the commander of the Jeolla Province military forces.”
“This must mean that the inspiration is calling for an uprising.”
“But how can we possibly do that when we are short on soldiers and weapons? The number we can mobilize, including the nearby towns, is only a few hundred. We also lack guns and bullets, so how can we confront those ferocious Japanese soldiers head-on?”
“Don’t worry about that, gentlemen.”
Behind the Confucian scholars who were hesitating despite the Emperor’s secret order, a neatly dressed man broke the silence and spoke.
Although he had been here for a long time, everyone looked surprised as if no one had noticed him.
“Why, aren’t you the liver of the disease?”
One of the students tried to pull out the sword he had on his waist, but a hand immediately stopped him.
“Stop it. The author is a guest sent here by His Majesty.”
“Haha, I didn’t expect such a grand welcome. Unfortunately, I cannot introduce myself in detail due to security reasons. Please understand.”
The man said, closing his outer garment. Inside were leather magazines and a pistol holster, which had been worn more than once or twice and gleamed even in the dark.
“Just know that these are personnel dispatched directly from the Records Investigation Office of the Supreme Command. Anyway, back to the main point, the number of troops is more than enough if you include the neighboring areas… The problem is the weapons.”
“What sharp numbers do you have?”
“Of course. The Marshal’s Office has secretly stockpiled weapons and ammunition all over the country in preparation for something like this. They are stockpiled not far from here.”
He spoke with a hint of laughter, as if he could see a smile even in the darkness.
What was available at both the Confucian school and the temple were weapons and ammunition.
This was the Minbo (民堡) that Joseon talked about in the past, which made it possible to easily mobilize troops from the provinces whenever there were people, and it was the basis of the guerrilla warfare that Korea talks about today.
“Market day is coming soon, my lords. The peddlers with all sorts of goods will come with their heavy loads, so gather the people then.”
“But why are the soldiers-”
“They will leave Honam… no, most of the three southern provinces between today and tomorrow. They will leave some troops only in ports and towns like Gunsanpo, Jeonju, and Gwangju. I believe you understand what that means.”
He stood up from his seat and said, leaving the astonished students behind.
“The winter before spring is the coldest, so I hope you will help Your Majesty overcome the cold winter. My lord, I will now go back.”
“Okay, then let’s meet on market day.”
“I will bring my friends with me then. Oh, by the way, Master Choi Ik-hyeon, the master of inspiration, is traveling around the West and North Gando regions to gather loyalists. Then, I will see you on market day. Commander of the Jinmu, Master Im Byeong-chan.”
He greeted me politely and left the room immediately, disappearing into the darkness as he left just as he had come.
Looking at his back, the stubborn-looking scholar picked up the sword hanging behind him with his wrinkled hands.
With hands that have only held a brush throughout their lives, they picked up an ugly weapon even in the year of Eulmi.
If it was for the sake of my country, I would gladly do it again this time.
“Then, I will take it as you have decided to raise an army.”
“Should we also ask the Jeongeup County Governor for his support?”
“Arthur. He has long since become a puppet of the rebels and the enemy.”
He read the secret letter from the Emperor once again.
At the end of the article, he felt heartbroken at the question of who would give updates for the mountains and rivers in crisis.
After everyone left, he quietly wrote his answer alone.
It might be the last will and testament he leaves to the world.
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···The bravest of them answer Your Majesty. From the ministers of Seoul to the Confucian scholars in the countryside, who have revered the country and served countless monarchs for the past 500 years, when the military and the country were in danger, they willingly took up the sword with one hand and the other.
A scholar is someone who puts actions before words, fights for righteousness, and dies with loyalty. If only our corpses could block the guns of the vicious Japanese pirates heading toward the place where Your Majesty resides… we will gladly rise up and block their path.
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