Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 292
Episode 292: Savior. (5)
After receiving the report from his subordinate, Mochiyo immediately got up from his seat and headed toward Yunotsu.
“What’s going on?”
When Ahn Sang-taek, who received a visit from Mochiyo, asked about the reason for his visit, Mochiyo got straight to the point.
“I heard an interesting story. “I heard that a school has been built to teach children.”
“school? “Are you talking about the Social Democratic Institute?”
“exactly. “I heard that you teach people regardless of their status. Is this true?”
“That’s right.”
“Is that okay?”
When Mochiyo asked worriedly, Ahn Sang-taek asked back with a look of incomprehension.
“What do you mean?”
“Is it possible for lowly idiots to learn to read? “Why, even if you learn how to read, you won’t rebel or complain even if you receive orders?”
Ahn Sang-taek answered Mochiyo’s question by scratching his sideburns.
“I don’t think so…”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking to myself. I can confidently say that that part is just unfounded worry. “This is because it is an issue that famous ministers and His Majesty the Prime Minister looked into before establishing the Social Democratic Institute.”
“….”
‘The king of Joseon thought everything through and decided.’ Mochiyo’s mouth closed at those words.
To be honest, the point made just now was closer to a point made for the sake of pointing out.
Looking at Mochiyo like that, Ahn Sang-taek answered in more detail.
“If the people acquire a certain degree of knowledge, the benefits will be greater than the losses. Orders issued by the country can be understood and executed more quickly, and the hardships of local areas that the central government is unaware of can be more easily reported, thereby reducing the country’s worries. And most importantly, we can find talented people who are like gems buried in the dirt.”
‘This last part is the most important.’
Ahn Sang-taek muttered to himself. The biggest problem of Joseon, which was expanding in both quality and quantity, was the lack of talent.
This was the same for the military. Because of this, the following joke circulated among military executives.
“The people who most passionately want peace in Joseon are military officers. because? “I’m still busy with work, but I don’t have the energy to start a war.”
This was the complaint of military officers who made an ‘equivalent exchange between success and overwork’ by giving preferential treatment to military officers with literary knowledge after King Sejong came to the throne.
“’You can find talent.’ “La….”
Mochiyo, who was pondering Ahn Sang-taek’s words, stood up.
“Thank you for the good explanation. “I will never forget your grateful teachings.”
“This is too much praise.”
After meeting Ahn Sang-taek, Mochiyo immediately got ready and headed to Suo, where Morimi was located.
* * *
Mochiyo, who met Morimi at Suo’s feudal lord’s castle, reported about the Socialist School.
“It’s a school…”
Mochiyo continued as Morimi mumbled while stroking her chin.
“My lord has already shown his intention to gather talented people from his territory and send them to study in Joseon. However, sending someone to study abroad like that costs a lot of money.”
“It’s for the future of the territory, so isn’t it worth a thousand dollars?”
“Of course what you say is right, my lord. However, even if they want to study abroad, few people know the Korean language and few have even mastered the most basic academic knowledge.”
“That’s right…”
As Morimi nodded, Mochiyo added strength to her voice.
“So, please ask Joseon to support the establishment of an academy. “Like Joseon, we teach without discrimination and discover hidden talents!”
“Hmm…”
Morimi was lost in thought for a while. Mochiyo and the other retainers looked at Morimi with very nervous faces.
After thinking for a while, Morimi made up her mind and opened her mouth.
“I think what Mochiyo said is reasonable. But now, the great work is just around the corner, so let’s solve this first and then think about it.”
Mochiyo hurriedly opened her mouth at Morimi’s words.
“My lord! “If you call it a great cause, is it finally beginning?”
“Preparations are finally complete. “I will punish Shoni and Otomo.”
Hearing Morimi’s words, Mochiyo quickly walked to her knees and bowed her head.
“My lord! “Even small people want to participate in the war!”
“You must protect Iwami.”
“My lord!”
When Mochiyo raised her voice, Morimi stood up and walked towards Mochiyo. Morimi, who was crouching in front of Mochiyo, lightly patted Mochiyo on the shoulder and opened her mouth.
“Iwami is the front, not the back. That too at the forefront. So I leave it to you.”
Mochiyo, moved by Morimi’s words, suddenly fell to the floor and shouted.
“I will protect you with my life!”
“Okay, please take care of me.”
After finishing his conversation with Mochiyo, Morimi stood tall and looked back at his retainers.
“Preparations are complete! Tell this to Shibukawa in Hakata! “Let’s go!”
“hot!”
* * *
Three days later, Ouchi’s army led by Morimi crossed the sea and headed toward Northern Kyushu.
At the center of the fleet transporting the Ouchi family’s troops was a large ship carrying Morimi.
On the ship’s stern deck, Morimi and his retainers were sitting on chairs, looking at a map and exchanging opinions.
Morimi, who sat at the head of the table, had a very unique attire. The helmet was that of a traditional Japanese general, but the armor underneath it was not O-Yoroi (大鎧), but two-piece armor.
* * *
It was Hyang’s work that made Morimi wear the two-jeongap.
“I heard that Oda Nobunaga wore a Nanmangap (南蠻鉀)?”
Hyang, recalling the memory of Deokjil in the 21st century, immediately gave orders to the artisans in Area 51.
“Shall we make a dujeong-gap? Why all of a sudden?”
“To give it to someone as a gift. ah! You know that Japanese people are smaller than us, right? “Keep that in mind.”
“yes? yes.”
“I’m giving it to a high-ranking person in the Japanese country, so please take care.”
“yes.”
The dujeonggap made in this way was delivered to Morimi through the hands of Kim Jong-seo, who was dispatched as an emissary.
“Oh oh! “What an honor!”
Morimi, who received the two tablets delivered by Kim Jong-seo, was overcome with emotion.
The Joseon Dynasty’s Dujeongap was famous for its excellent protective power.
In addition, the two-pack that Morimi received as a gift was a luxury item made with even more care.
While Morimi could not hide her joy at the unexpected gift, Kim Jong-seo relayed King Sejong’s words.
“Your Majesty said. ‘The Daenae clan is a family originally rooted in Samhan. If you look closely, they are like brothers from Joseon. Therefore, I hope that the head of the Daenae family will lead the family well and that our country and Joseon will have a long and mutually beneficial life.’ “He said.”
After hearing what Kim Jong-seo said, Morimi responded right away.
“Please tell this to His Majesty the Lord. “Our Ouchi family will continue to maintain good neighborly relations with Joseon!”
After that, Morimi started wearing two coats of arms. However, it wasn’t long before Morimi learned of one of Dujeong-gap’s problems.
“It’s very hot.”
Knowing the climate of Japan, the dujeonggap given to Morimi was a piece that had undergone some repairs. The neck and front cuffs were made of cloth rather than fur, but it was still hot. This was a problem with the structure of the parietal shell itself. Cotton was added to the back of the thick, tough outer material, and the lining was made of silk or the highest quality cotton cloth. And lastly, the dujeonggap was made by fixing layers of iron pieces together.
In the end, Morimi ended up wearing the traditional family helmet and a bijungap underneath. This was because Joseon’s helmet, which tightly closed the left and right Dreams, was too tight.
Morimi, who liked the two-headed suit, gathered craftsmen to make the two-headed suit for his vassals as well.
But the craftsmen all shook their heads.
“It is impossible to make armor of the same quality as Joseon’s Dujeongap.”
“What is the reason?”
“There is so much iron that it can be used to make famous swords.”
Following the artisans’ answers, the vassal in charge of finance continued.
“There is too much of it, not only iron, but also cotton cloth, silk, and copper.”
“I see…”
In the end, only Morimi could wear the two-pack.
* * *
After crossing the sea and entering Kyushu, Morimi joined the forces of the family stationed in the Kyushu region. And soon after, Shibukawa Yoshitoshi’s troops joined.
Yoshitoshi entered the tent where Morimi was staying and raised his voice.
“It’s finally time for revenge!”
“That’s right.”
“Finally, finally!”
Yoshitoshi was shaking his fists and couldn’t hide his excitement.
Yoshitoshi, who succeeded his father as the head of the Nine Judo Temple, lost his fiefdom, Chikuzen, to an attack by the Shoni and Otomo families a few years ago.
In the history before the intervention of the township, not only Chikuzen but also Hakata was lost and entrusted to Morimi as new soldiers, but in this history with the intervention of the township, Hakata was able to be defended.
However, since he was still outgunned, Yoshitoshi had no choice but to rely on Morimi.
When Yoshitoshi lost Chikuzen, the shogunate immediately declared Chikuzen a direct territory of the shogunate and appointed Morimi as its deputy.
Morimi was delighted when he received the document sent by the shogunate.
“I got a cause!”
Thanks to the document sent by the shogunate, Morimi gained justification to project force into Kyushu in earnest.
But the shogunate also had a plan. The Shoni and Otomo families who attacked Yoshitoshi were powerful indigenous forces in the Kyushu region. And they were hostile to the shogunate. And Ouchi was gradually strengthening his power and threatening the shogunate.
In the end, the shogunate hoped that the Ouchi and Shoni Otomo alliance would fight each other and erode their power.
But Morimi also had a plan.
“Can you promise to hand it over to me if I restore Chikuzen through this conquest?”
“I promise.”
Morimi answered Yoshitoshi’s question without hesitation.
This was a secret agreement between Yoshitoshi and Morimi.
Morimi passed Chikuzen to Yoshitoshi and put Yoshitoshi under him. As a result, Yoshitoshi nominally belonged to the shogunate, but in reality he became a lord under Morimi.
Of course, Morimi did not end there. Instead of handing over Chikuzen to Yoshitoshi, he was given control of the Kitakyushu region.
If this war was won, the Ouchi family would be able to exert absolute influence over the Kyushu region.
“Now then, let’s review the strategy again.”
“That’s right!”
The warlords of the Ouchi and Shibukawa families began to review their strategy with the map in the center.
* * *
Morimi Yoshitoshi’s allied forces, having recovered from fatigue and reorganized their forces, immediately went on the attack.
The Allied forces attacked Tachibana Castle using superior power and war conditions and immediately advanced west toward Chikuzen.
Upon hearing the news that the Morimi Yoshitoshi Allied Forces were advancing, the Shoni and Otomo Allied Forces also entered into a counterattack.
“The Shawnee and Otomo are coming!”
“What is the distance?”
“We will contact you in the next two days!”
After receiving the scout’s report, Morimi looked at the map.
“Two days…”
Morimi, who was looking at the map while thinking about the time, pointed out a place on the map.
“Here we meet our enemies.”
The place Morimi pointed out was east of Chikuzen.
* * *
Three days later, a battle took place at the location chosen by Morimi.
Shoni Mitsusada (少弐満貞), who was examining the battlefield before the battle, gritted his teeth.
“It won’t be easy.”
I don’t know what the cunning Morimi did, but the wide flat area east of Chikuzen that became the battlefield was soaked with water.
And the battle went as Mitsusada expected.
Although it was not completely muddy, the water-soaked ground made it difficult for the soldiers to move.
Unlike our soldiers, who moved slowly and suffered hardships on wet ground, Morimi and Yoshitoshi’s soldiers intercepted our soldiers by relying on barriers and artillery batteries built on dry ground.
In the end, Chikuzen fell into the hands of Morimi and Yoshitoshi. The Shoni and Otomo alliance, having lost considerable power, had to retreat and seek another opportunity.
This was another inflection point different from the history before the intervention of incense.