Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 713
Episode 713: Second Battle of the Yellow Sea (11)
Hyang, who had evaluated Jin Yu and Ham Deok-pung favorably, who had surrendered to the empire, asked Wan.
“Jinwi and Ham Deokpung asked us to save their families. “How would you like to resolve this?”
In response to Hyang’s question, Wan kept his mouth shut and thought for a while.
Wan, who had been pondering for a while with a serious face, told Hyang what he had thought of.
“Now, the Inland Sea Fleet, Yeosun Fleet, and parts of the South Sea Fleet have joined forces and begun a retaliatory operation. One of their operations is to destroy Ming’s major military ports. How about stealing their families through this operation?”
Hyang shook his head at Wan’s suggestion.
“There are so many things needed to do that. We need several people who know in detail all the alleys of Nantong (now Nantong) where their families live, and people who know Ming’s Gangnam dialect well. Not only that, but in order to properly rescue and steal away, there must be smooth communication between the rescued troops and the landed troops, but there is no way to do that.”
“Wouldn’t it be okay to use a bhikkhu for communication issues?”
Wan suggested an alternative, but Hyang shook his head again.
“It is very difficult to meet the first two conditions. “That operation is impossible.”
Wan had no choice but to bow his head at Hyang’s words.
“I apologize. “I have troubled Your Majesty due to my lack of ability.”
“no. It’s just that an unexpected variable popped up. “There is no need for the prince to blame himself.”
After comforting Wan like that, Hyang looked back at the ministers.
“If there is a better way, please tell me.”
“….”
Hyang’s command was given, but none of the ministers opened their mouths right away.
As Hyang said, this incident was an unexpected event. Therefore, there was no way there was a pre-planned method.
After a long period of silence, Kim Jong-seo came forward.
“Your Majesty, once this retaliatory operation is over, the Ming will have to negotiate whether they like it or not. “During the negotiation process, we use appropriate methods to get things done.”
After Kim Jong-seo finished speaking, Hyang received his words with shining eyes.
“Please explain in more detail.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After hearing Kim Jong-seo’s plan, Hyang added or subtracted a few more things from it, and through that process, a pretty good outline of the operation was created.
“Hmm… it’s okay.”
Hyang nodded as he looked at the paper on which he had written the rough outline created during the conversation between himself and Kim Jong-seo and gave an order to Wan.
“Please discuss this with the Navy and refine it more properly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Wan answered while bowing his head and accepted the paper handed to him by Hyang through the inner tube.
Two days later, Wan submitted an operation plan to Hyang.
After reading the plan, Hyang nodded and stamped the seal.
“Feel so good. “Let’s try it.”
“yes. “I will do my best.”
* * *
Meanwhile, the imperial navy’s retaliatory operation was steadily progressing.
The Ming fleet, which was keeping the empire’s Lushun fleet in check, began retreating immediately upon hearing the news of defeat.
“The Koreans will definitely attack our military ports! “It must be stopped at all costs!”
The Ming front lines that retreated quickly encamped at the entrance to their home ports to protect them.
Of course, there were others who said otherwise.
“If we split up like this, we will all be destroyed individually! “It would be better to have a decisive battle with the imperial fleet!”
However, this principle theory had to immediately face strong opposition.
“It is suicidal to attack the Joseon bastards’ challenger-level battle line with a large double ship! “It would be much better to defend by joining forces with the home port defense unit!”
“that’s right! “In a military port, there is a chance of survival even if you fall into the sea, but you can’t expect such luck in the middle of the Yellow Sea!”
Saying that, the Ming fleet retreated and split into pieces and returned to their home port.
Just as they were returning to their home port, an order from Emperor Gyeongtae arrived.
-The fleet must return immediately and defend its home port! Unnecessary naval battles are prohibited!
* * *
Thanks to Jin Yu’s activities, a considerable number of Deng Shulin’s fleets were able to safely return to their home port.
The reports from the captains of the front lines who returned to their home ports were immediately sent to Emperor Gyeongtae.
“You lost!”
After reading the precepts, King Gyeongtae sat down helplessly in his chair.
“Defeat? “Defeat?”
Gyeong Tae-je, who had been muttering the word ‘defeat’ over and over again, suddenly screamed.
“Deng Su-lin! “How on earth did this person lead so that he lost all the two-headed flame dragons!”
Emperor Jing, who had raised his voice and cursed Deng Shulin, looked tired and looked back at his subjects.
“Since our attack failed, it is obvious that the Koreans will move. “What should I do now?”
The left governor came forward and answered Gyeongtaeje’s question.
“As your Majesty said, the Koreans will try to attack us. However, the naval port is still safe. Since the last war, the defense facilities of the military port have been greatly strengthened, and there are many surviving ships, so I think it would be a good idea to use them to enter the defensive battle. Since the Koreans won again this time, there is a high possibility that they will let down their guard, so if we take advantage of this in reverse, it could cause a big blow to the Koreans.”
“Is that really the case?”
Emperor Gyeongtae was skeptical, but the left governor gave more weight to his opinion.
“It is a shame that we lost the two-headed flame dragon, which was our pride, in vain, but it is certain that the Koreans will look down on us through this.”
“I think your conviction also makes sense.”
When the left-wing governor’s opinion was supported by the cabinet secretary, the Gyeongtae Emperor nodded with a brighter complexion.
“I guess so. If so, deliver the order to the surviving front lines and the armored fleet. “Return to your respective home ports immediately and strengthen your defenses.”
“I follow your orders!”
After making that decision, Gyeong Tae-je looked at the Cabinet Secretary and asked.
“What do you think we should do next?”
“Negotiations with North Korea are coming. “We must enter into negotiations, claiming that this incident was done arbitrarily because Deng Shulin could not give up his belligerence.”
“I’m using Deng Su-lin in private… Will the Koreans believe me?”
“Whether they believe it or not, we have to claim it.”
Emperor Gyeongtae, who was pondering the words of the assistant cabinet secretary, soon nodded.
“There is no answer other than that. Then, please form a negotiating team.”
“I follow your orders.”
In this way, when the Ming Dynasty’s Gap Fleet, which was keeping the Lusun fleet in check, returned to its home port, an order containing Emperor Gyeongtae’s orders arrived at the military port.
However, the empire’s counterattack had already begun.
* * *
The places where the imperial navy’s counterattack first began were Shanhaiguan and Tianjin.
The Imperial Navy’s front lines anchored along the coastline of Shanhaiguan began bombarding the outer castle of Shanhaiguan.
Due to the rain of shells falling, the outer walls of Shanhaiguan were reduced to ruins, just like the previous war.
The imperial fleet, which had taken away Shanhaiguan’s coastal defense capabilities, rushed to Tianjin.
After the last war, fairly high and solid batteries were built on the left and right of Tianjin’s military port, and large-caliber artillery pieces were placed there.
And the front lines that had returned from the armored fleet were guarding the entrance to the bay where the port was located.
Two assault ships jumped into action against them.
The assault ships that rushed forward easily broke through the defense lines of the Ming Dynasty fronts and entered the interior.
The artillery bombardment continued toward the assault return ships that succeeded in breaking through, but the armor of the assault return ships withstood the bombardment.
“excuse me! Over there! Screw that big lump of copper first!”
The captains of the assault ships skillfully monitored the situation and began to gradually suppress the heavy guns placed in the battery.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the port, challenger-level battle lines were wiping out hundreds of battle lines.
When the coastal batteries and wires defending the port were finally suppressed, the Panok ships that had been waiting behind them rushed into the port.
Panok ships rushed to the port’s wharf and the nearby sandy beach and immediately began landing troops.
The bow of the Panokseon had been greatly remodeled. The bow, which was slightly above the waterline, was lowered, followed by the wooden pier, which touched the ground.
The main force of the landing force that began the landing in this way were those who attempted to land at the dock.
When the bridge reached the ground, the first to jump out were horsemen from the Jurchen tribe.
The cavalrymen, who came down from the scaffolding on horseback, immediately kicked the horse’s side and charged at it.
“Hey! Heya!”
Hee hee hee!
bang! Tatang!
As the Jurchen cavalry charged, swinging the curved swords in their hands above their heads, the Ming soldiers who had gathered in formation for defense were frightened and began to pull the triggers at random.
However, there were not many Jurchen cavalrymen who were subject to such random fire, and the Jurchen cavalrymen immediately rushed into the Ming army’s defense line.
The combination of large European war horses and Jurchen cavalry had a very powerful penetration power, and the Ming army’s second line of defense, or even the first land defense line, was immediately breached.
The imperial army, which broke through the Ming army’s defense lines here and there on the docks and sandy beaches, rushed deep into the military port.
The imperial army’s goal was the destruction of military facilities located in the military port.
Due to the imperial army’s attack to achieve its goal, the military port’s headquarters supply depot, coastal battery front, repair and construction facilities began to gradually turn into ashes.
Through two days of persistent attacks, the military port in Tianjin was rendered useless.
* * *
Cheonjin was the beginning.
The imperial navy gradually moved south, destroying Ming military ports.
And at first, the scope began to expand beyond destroying only facilities related to military ports.
As military ports and nearby areas were gradually reduced to ashes, one by one, numerous refugees began to flock to Nanjing.
“It will be the safest place since the Emperor is here!”
“Not in the North! Joseon is a problem, but there is also Bukwon! “No to the North!”
Since most of the refugees had this mindset, they inevitably flocked south to Nanjing.
This was also the case in Namtong.
It was the closest military port to Nanjing, where Emperor Gyeongtae was located, and there was also a shipyard where the Two-Headed Flame Dragon was built, so its defense facilities were very strong.
Knowing this, refugees who could not enter Nanjing flocked to Nantong, and public order became a mess. The navy of Ming and the guards of Wiso were trying hard to maintain public order, but it was not enough.
In this situation, one person was moving secretly.
It was Wang Deok-gu, a famous country merchant who maintained a good relationship with Kim Il-soo in the Joseon Dynasty office in Shandong.
* * *
“Oh my gosh… what is that damn aphrodisiac…”
Wang Deok-gu continued to grumble as he walked carefully.
-I have a favor to ask of my king Daein.
-Didn’t the Ming army and our navy have a big fight this time? It is said that quite a few generals from the Ming Dynasty were captured in that battle, and one of them was falsely accused of defeat and was aggrieved and surrendered.
-But I want Daein Wang to help me save my family.
-Instead, I will give you a generous portion of the imperial sea god and ginseng extract. How much do you want?
That was how Wang Deok-gu began his work.
“Well… it’s obvious even without looking at what happened. Is there anything like General Ae Fei? Even if I report it, I will only receive a few pennies in compensation, but if I succeed and receive a reward, I can become independent. Please also save the family of the person who was falsely accused. Good is good. cancer!”
Wang Deok-gu was a loyal subject and a great general, but he justified himself by recalling the tragic death of Queen Yue, who died unjustly after being falsely accused, and the enormous reward he would receive after his success.