Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 84
Episode 84 Aftershocks (1)
The Great Hanseong Fire and His Recovery There were many bad things like Kim Do-yeon’s fabrication lawsuit and the bribery case, but there were also good things in everyday life that continued unabated.
Among the events that followed was the search for Princess Jeonghye’s sire, which was stopped and then restarted.
In the room where the royal palace dwells, King Sejong and Queen Soheon were talking over a teacup.
“How are you feeling?”
“It’s still okay.”
“The doctor said that the birth is near. “I told my doctors, but be careful with heavy warfare.”
“I am so sorry.”
As Prince Geumseong’s birth was approaching, King Sejong was focusing his attention on the management of Queen Soheon by improving his royal family.
The story about the soon-to-be-born child eventually led to Princess Jeonghye’s marriage.
“You won’t make a fuss again, right?”
“Hasn’t he aged too? Rather, it seemed like he was looking forward to it.”
“Well… it seems refreshing, but also sad…”
King Sejong trailed off with an expression of refreshing and regret at Queen Soheon’s answer.
Queen Soheon, seeing King Sejong like that, smiled and spoke.
“Isn’t it natural to let your children go out into the world when the time comes?”
“That’s right… haha.”
Sejong let out a small sigh and turned his back on talking.
“After sending off Jeonghye, we have to prepare for the crown prince’s wedding, right?”
“I guess so. “I must be very busy.”
“I guess it happened that way.”
King Sejong answered briefly and prayed with an earnest expression.
“I hope only good things continue to happen in the future.”
“It will happen because you earnestly desire it.”
* * *
Near the Yalu River.
A group of Joseon army cavalry wearing new armor covered with green cotton cloth was moving at a trot.
The direction the cavalry was heading was north. Black smoke had been rising there for some time.
“Could this be the work of the Jurchen tribe?”
“Isn’t it too late in the season to cultivate slash-and-burn fields?”
Lim Gyeong-seok, the first officer of the training center, answered in a stern voice a question from a subordinate riding a horse next to him.
The subordinate nodded in response to Lim Gyeong-seok’s answer.
“That is true. Is this lucky or bad?…”
“I agree.”
Lim Gyeong-seok nodded at his subordinate’s complaint.
As new weapons made in Area 51 of the township were distributed and the military system was reformed, the Training Dogam was expanded and reorganized into a training center.
The mission of the training center was to develop tactics and train soldiers to make the best use of newly developed weapons.
Due to the nature of the mission, those who were reputed to have good intelligence as well as military strength in the central and local forces were assigned to the training center.
The same was true for ordinary soldiers and soldiers. In addition to the 12 companies in charge of defending the capital, we selected talented and intelligent people from all over the country and gathered them at the training center.
The mission given to those gathered like this was simple.
– Accurately learn how to use new weapons that have begun full-scale production, and refine and improve the tactics developed accordingly.
-Once a certain level of perfection has been reached, the unit is dispatched to other units as an instructor to teach them how to use new weapons and their tactics.
– Form an organization of at least 100 people (approximately 100 people) to identify and improve problems in actual combat dispatched to border areas.
As it was not an easy task at first glance, great rewards were promised to those who passed the process.
Even the lowest-ranking soldiers were provided with all equipment and salaries from the government, and professional soldiers above Gapsa were promised promotions of at least one rank.
Thanks to the delicious carrots in front of their eyes, the military officers and soldiers assigned to the training center did their best to receive training and education.
Some of the prepared personnel were selected to continue their existing duties at the training center, while others were dispatched to other units to receive training.
And now, the cavalry led by Lim Gyeong-seok were some of those dispatched for the final mission: inspection through actual combat.
That’s why they said they weren’t sure whether they had luck or bad luck.
If the people who made that smoke were from the Jurchen tribe and the scale was appropriate, it would have been a good opportunity to make a merit.
On the other hand, if the scale was large, they would be in danger of being attacked and dying or having to run away with their tails pulled out.
* * *
“It’s an aftershock!”
“shit! “What is the scale?”
Upon hearing the report from the cavalryman who had previously scouted, Lim Gyeong-seok started swearing.
The scout immediately answered Lim Gyeong-seok’s question.
“It looks like about 40 horses!”
“About 40? How many homes were attacked?”
“About 10 issues!”
“Hmm…”
Lim Gyeong-seok stroked his beard and pondered upon the scout’s report. Lim Gyeong-seok, who was calculating various gains and losses, asked the subordinate next to him.
“Shall we join together?”
“I don’t think we will fall behind.”
“Is there anyone who is against it?”
None of the cavalrymen raised their hands in response to Lim Gyeong-seok’s words. On the contrary, the cavalrymen’s survival was becoming stronger.
Lim Gyeong-seok chuckled at the sight of those cavalrymen.
“They were like this…”
The cavalrymen in front of him were cavalrymen who boasted of having experienced all kinds of hardships.
In addition, I had even received weapons that I really liked at the training center.
The guys in front of Lim Gyeong-seok were guys who would never back down in a situation like this.
“I’ve been itching too, so let’s give it a try!”
“ancient!”
The cavalrymen responded vigorously to Lim Gyeong-seok’s command.
“Charge with the first gear! Afterwards, we will annihilate the enemies with horseback guns and cavalry swords!”
“Are you not going to use Gapsikjangchongtong?”
“I heard there are only about 40 of them? If you use a long gun, they will run away first. Bring in as much as you can and sweep it away! “Don’t miss a single one!”
“All right!”
As he listened to the cavalrymen’s answers, Lim Gyeong-seok began to prepare for battle.
“Don’t forget to protect yourself and meet your face!”
“yep!”
At Lim Gyeong-seok’s order, the cavalrymen loosened the protective goggles that were loosely worn around their necks, tied them tightly, and then covered their mouths and noses with towels that were also loosely tied around their necks.
Protective glasses and towels also came with the newly deployed weapons.
The village created protective glasses so that the charging cavalry could easily secure their visibility. The goggles were made by inserting a thin, flat-cut crystal into a thin iron frame and covering it with leather to protect the eyes from harsh earthy winds.
Cotton towels made of cotton cloth were useful items that protected the respiratory system from the smoke created when gunpowder burned.
Lim Gyeong-seok, wearing protective glasses and a face towel with quick movements and tying the dream strap tightly, waved his arms widely.
“let’s go!”
* * *
“Han! “It’s the Joseon Army!”
The Jurchen tribe leader, who was examining the situation on the battlefield, swore.
“The Joseon army is already here! shit!”
It was a tribal leader who swore at the faster-than-expected appearance of the Joseon army.
This plunder was an inevitable choice for him.
The poor harvests over the past few years have brought a survival crisis to the tribe he leads.
In addition, merchant merchants who had been engaged in smuggling between Joseon and Ming began to gradually disappear, aggravating the shortage crisis.
In addition, as Lee Man-ju’s tribes who moved south from the north expanded their influence, his tribe was increasingly driven into a corner.
They asked for help from other tribes they were related to by blood, but that too reached its limit.
When the upper part of the tribe disappeared and even the grain to be used as seeds was consumed, the tribal leader had to make a choice.
There was only one choice he could make, not only for the survival of his tribe (Booigon), but also because if he made a mistake, a rebellion would occur or his head would be lost due to an attack by another tribe.
“Cross the river!”
According to his decision, he formed a platoon (Tatan), leaving only the bare minimum to defend the tribe, and crossed the Yalu River.
The tribal leader who had crossed the river found a suitable village and immediately launched an attack.
“Kill everyone except the grain to be used as seeds and the children to be sold as slaves!”
“Wow!”
The battle that took place had not lasted long before the Joseon army appeared.
* * *
The tribal leader summarized the situation while observing the size of the green Korean cavalry running in the distance, kicking up dust.
“The number of Joseon cavalry is approximately 20… Since the Joseon army likes multiples of 5, 25 would be the most accurate number. Hmm… Did you come running when you saw the smoke while on patrol? “Then I guess we can say they are all of them?”
After sorting out the situation, the tribal leader called the warriors.
“Gather together! “Kill the Joseon army!”
“Aren’t you retreating?”
“They are probably cavalry patrolling nearby! Then you’re saying it’s them! They eat them all too! “The Joseon military’s weapons are of good quality, so they will be helpful to us too!”
The most experienced warrior responded to the tribal leader’s words.
“I will.”
“yes?”
At the tribe leader’s question, the warrior smiled fiercely.
“I feel very lucky today.”
“It’s a lucky day. Everyone move! The Joseon army is only half as strong as us! “Kill them all!”
“Wow!”
“Shoot your bow!”
At the command of the tribal leader, the Jurchen warriors pulled their bows from their saddles and fired
in protest.
“It’s an arrow!”
As the arrows began to fly, Lim Gyeong-seok shouted and made hand signals.
At Lim Gyeong-seok’s hand signal, the Joseon cavalry, who were running in two rows, widened the gap.
Arrows were flying, but the Joseon cavalrymen were not afraid.
This was because they knew very well that the newly made armor and helmet that were issued would easily deflect arrows like that.
Unlike the existing double armor, the armor that faithfully protected not only the arms but also the legs gave them confidence.
“charge!”
At Lim Gyeong-seok’s hand signal, the cavalrymen stretched forward, hanging their spears on hooks made on the saddle.
The Joseon cavalry collided head-on with the Jurchen people running towards them while the red water thread decoration hanging in the middle of the spear was flapping wildly in the wind.
“A spear charge? “You looked so down on us!”
The Jurchen warriors snorted when they saw the Joseon cavalry running towards them with their spears pointed forward.
The spear charge, which could only attack from the front, was a tactic used only by beginners among the Jurchen tribe.
This was because a skilled Jurchen warrior could avoid the spear and dig into the enemy’s flank.
“Something like this… Wow!”
The Jurchen warrior, who was preparing to dodge as he watched the tip of the Joseon army’s spear getting closer, looked at the spear that pierced his body with an expression of disbelief.
The Joseon army’s spear that pierced him now was much longer than the spear he had known.
The Joseon army’s cavalry was not simply longer in length. The saddles and spears of the Joseon army’s cavalry contained all kinds of tricks Hyang came up with.
The newly created Joseon army’s cavalry was three ships (approximately 1m) longer than before.
Not only was the length longer, but the spear blade was made as thin and pointed as possible, and the thread that was attached under the blade was lowered.
This was to cause confusion when the enemy facing the front was measuring the distance.
The same was true for the saddle.
The length of the window hanger that holds the window up when moving was extended as low as possible, making it difficult to properly determine the length of the window. Additionally, a stand to support the spear was installed on the saddle when charging to reduce the burden on the cavalry.
Through this trick, the power of the spear charge was strengthened.
In the first clash between the Joseon army and the Jurchen tribe, in an instant, about 10 Jurchen warriors became like fish on a skewer and were rolling around on the ground.
The Joseon cavalry, which penetrated the Jurchen formation in an instant, drew a circle without slowing down and rushed towards the Jurchen tribe again.
“Hey! Hey!”
“under! under!”
The Joseon cavalrymen, who moved their horses with only their feet in the stirrups, held an unfamiliar curved sword in their right hand and a black iron piece they had never seen before in their left hand.
“It’s a fighting battle! Let’s see the end!”
“Hey!”
As the Joseon army fought fiercely, the Jurchen warriors also responded by swinging their curved swords.
But the situation betrayed them again.
bang! Tatang! bang!
The Joseon Army cavalryman, who blocked the Jurchen’s sword with the curved sword in his right hand, pulled the trigger of the horse-drawn gun in his left hand.
“Oops!”
The bullet aimed and fired right in front of their noses undoubtedly pierced the vital points of the Jurchen warriors.
In just two clashes, the Jurchen people who had crossed the Yalu River and plundered civilian houses were annihilated.
“The situation has ended.”
“Who is dead or injured?”
“There are no such idiots.”
“Have you ever run away?”
“It looks like it doesn’t exist.”
After receiving his subordinate’s report, Lim Gyeong-seok finally took a long breath.
“Whoa~. “I can live now!”
Only then did Lim Gyeong-seok, who was relieved of his tension, give orders to his subordinates in a much softer voice.
“Clear the battlefield and prepare to find and move survivors.”
“All right.”
Lim Gyeong-seok, who saw his subordinates clearing the battlefield after receiving orders, let out a small sigh.
“I’m worried about writing the report. “You have to write three copies of the same content…”
That was based on a proverb I heard at the training center.
– Be sure to write three copies of the report. One copy is for submission to superiors, the other copy is for emergency use, and the last copy is for your safety.
And this battle was the beginning of the announcement of the evil name of the ‘Green Devils’ among the Jurchen tribe.