Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 100

Jjangra

Hello, Bomb!

100. Hwang Hee, a Close Call! (1)

As they headed towards Hanseong [present-day Seoul], the tension among the Jurchen tribal chiefs grew increasingly palpable.

The source of their anxiety was the Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897] cavalry escorting them.

“Are those the Green Armor Devils (綠鉀鬼) I’ve heard so much about?”

The chiefs muttered quietly, observing the green-armored cavalry moving alongside them.

Until recently, the Joseon cavalry they were accustomed to seeing lacked uniformity in their attire. While the number of Dujeong armor [a type of Korean lamellar armor] had been increasing, the cavalry as a whole wore a mix of armor types, leading to them being mistaken for Jurchens if not for their military bearing.

However, recently, units had begun to uniformly wear new green armor, and now most of the Joseon soldiers in the border regions were clad in green armor.

The initial reaction of the Jurchens in the Tumen River area to this unification of Joseon armor was lukewarm.

“The armor has changed? Did the new king loosen the purse strings a bit?”

“Looks decent. Maybe we should raid them sometime?”

The reaction of the wild Jurchens, who saw them as either uninteresting or potential prey, changed drastically when rumors of the bloody storm that swept through the Jianzhou region reached them.

“Green Armor Devils?”

“Yes, that’s what the idiots in Jianzhou call them.”

“Isn’t that just an exaggeration from those Jianzhou fools?”

The tribal chiefs of the wild Jurchens initially dismissed the rumors as hyperbole.

* * *

To gain control over the Jurchens, both the Ming [Chinese dynasty from 1368 to 1644] and Joseon employed similar tactics.

They diligently worked to win them over while also using force to crush any resistance.

However, their most significant effort was directed at dividing the Jurchens to prevent them from uniting.

As a result, the Jurchens denigrated each other based on their region of residence, constantly bickering.

The Jurchens were caught in a situation where they couldn’t stand each other, calling each other ‘Jianzhou idiots,’ ‘wild beggar bastards,’ and ‘Hese mongrels.’

* * *

“Joseon might be stronger, but… the Jianzhou fools are just stupid.”

When they first heard the rumors of the Green Armor Devils, the reactions of the wild Jurchen chiefs were similar.

However, as more detailed information came in from Jianzhou, the faces of the wild Jurchen chiefs grew serious.

“Twelve Booi gongs [Jurchen tribal units] wiped out? And those were Booi gongs with over 200 households?”

“With only 500 men?”

The total number of Joseon troops deployed in the operation to subjugate the Jianzhou Jurchens was approximately 3,000.

At the time, the Joseon army divided them into six groups, each consisting of 400 cavalry and 100 artillerymen, and swept away the 12 Booi gongs.

This was the part that made the wild Jurchen chiefs nervous.

A Booi gong with over 200 households was a force that 500 traditional Joseon cavalrymen could not easily handle. A Booi gong of 200 households could mobilize 600 to 700 cavalrymen in a real crisis.

Given the capabilities of Jurchen cavalry, 500, or even 400, Joseon cavalrymen would have suffered severe losses, at least half their force, and been forced to retreat. For the Ming, it would have been near annihilation.

But if the rumors were true, the opposite had happened.

“Don’t just bring rumors, bring proper information!”

“Yes, Khan!”

“And tell the hunting parties not to touch the Joseon people and soldiers in the border region for the time being!”

“Yes, Khan!”

Through time and effort, the wild Jurchen chiefs obtained information that made them realize a real crisis had arrived.

“Twelve tribes destroyed, with almost no survivors? And the Joseon army suffered almost no losses?”

“They gained the power of the Fire Dragon? What nonsense is this?”

The wild Jurchen chiefs focused on the word ‘Fire Dragon.’

“The Joseon army used a large number of cannons? So, they call it Fire Dragon? Stupid Jianzhou fools! Living right next to the Ming fools and never seeing cannons?”

Knowing that ‘Fire Dragon’ meant cannons, the wild Jurchen chiefs initially laughed at the Jianzhou Jurchens, but they soon learned the truth.

The Joseon army had begun to deploy and use cannons on a large scale, even more so than the Ming army.

* * *

The wild Jurchen chiefs had no choice but to increase their vigilance as the military power of the Joseon army grew alarmingly strong.

It was in this situation that Sejong [the fourth king of Joseon] sent out ‘invitations.’

In the end, the wild Jurchen chiefs had to head to Gapsan with only a small number of escorts, as written in the invitation.

* * *

As they headed towards Hanseong, the wild Jurchen chiefs grumbled.

“I don’t know if they’re escorting us or transporting prisoners….”

The target of their complaints was the Joseon cavalry, who were ‘escorting’ them by surrounding them on all sides.

The Joseon cavalry, all armed with green armor, exuded tremendous pressure with their uniformity alone.

The new Joseon armor they saw for the first time upon arriving in Gapsan looked incredibly sturdy even to the chiefs. Unlike the existing Dujeong armor and other armors, it protected the entire body while also allowing for comfortable movement.

“How can they make such armor?”

“The armor is a problem, but it’s even more frightening that they mass-produced and distributed such armor. The current King of Joseon seems to be no ordinary man.”

The wild Jurchen chiefs, who had gathered in their temporarily designated lodgings, exchanged opinions with serious faces.

The older chiefs among them looked even more grave.

“I can’t judge the King of Joseon yet since I haven’t seen him, but the real problem is that the spirit of the Joseon soldiers has become fiercer.”

“That’s right. Before, they were just an unpleasant opponent to meet, but now, based on what I’ve felt, I don’t want to meet them as enemies.”

The Joseon soldiers they met on their way to Gapsan had a different spirit than before.

Previously, only the cavalrymen felt unpleasant, but now even the soldiers guarding the outposts and forts were showing them a fierce spirit.

No, it wasn’t just a fierce spirit, but even a fighting spirit that seemed to say, ‘Let’s fight!’

“I haven’t felt this way since the Great Elder passed away… Haa~.”

The chiefs, who had almost forgotten the powerful presence that Yi Seong-gye [King Taejo, founder of Joseon] possessed, sighed as they felt it again.

The chiefs felt even more burdened as they moved towards Hanseong.

The Joseon cavalry in charge of ‘escorting’ them maintained a distance of at least 10 jangs (approximately 30 meters) from the chiefs’ procession at all times. It was a distance that could be closed instantly if they decided to turn their horses and charge, but it was also a distance that skilled cavalrymen could use to prepare for a response.

And when a wide plain appeared, other cavalrymen would appear as if from nowhere, forming another layer of defense.

As they crossed valleys or hills, where the road narrowed, the Joseon cavalry moved to the front and rear of the procession.

The chiefs, sandwiched in the middle, sighed as they saw the green armor sparsely visible between the trees.

“Haa~. This is just a way of saying, ‘Go to Hanseong without thinking.’”

“I envy Chief Nagutai. He was lucky.”

The chiefs, who had been sighing, turned their envious gazes towards a chief who was wearing a relaxed expression on one side.

In the area where the Nagutai tribe was located, there were large Hamgeos (檻車, carts for transporting criminals).

Inside those Hamgeos, there were men and women in disarray, dressed in a mix of Joseon and Jurchen clothing.

The men and women filling the Hamgeos were Hwacheoks (禾尺) and Hwajeoks (火賊) who were being pursued by the Joseon army.

* * *

While promoting reform, Sejong issued a royal decree regarding the Hwacheok groups to the local magistrates throughout the country, and the magistrates posted the decree on the walls of the Dongheon (東軒) [government office].

-All Hwacheoks in the eight provinces of Joseon must appear directly at the government office by the end of the year to register in the census. Hwacheoks who register will be given the means of livelihood after training, and they will become proud citizens of Joseon.

However, Hwacheoks who do not appear by the end of the year will be regarded as internal enemies (內賊) and will be severely punished.

Those who saw the notice containing Sejong’s decree informed the Hwacheoks they were connected to.

The Hwacheoks had to make a decision.

A significant number of Hwacheoks led their families down from the mountains and voluntarily reported to register in the census. They were moved to Neobeol Island to receive training in animal husbandry and prepared to be deployed to the livestock farms being prepared throughout the country.

“I want to try something other than animal husbandry.”

Those who wanted to do other work had their wishes reflected as much as possible and went to work under merchants or artisans who were beginning to experience labor shortages.

And, after some time, as cattle and pigs were shipped from the livestock farms, the ‘Slaughter Prohibition Order’ was completely abolished, and as ‘Gyejak’ [Korean traditional wrestling] became popular, some people began to enter the butchery and restaurant industries and accumulate wealth.

Of course, this is a story for the future, and the number of Hwacheoks who voluntarily reported to register in the census by the end of the year was not as high as expected.

To be precise, the Hwacheoks who registered were those who lived close to the Joseon people and had almost adapted, and most of the others were still acting as criminals.

In other words, the Hwacheoks openly refused Sejong’s order.

“To refuse my order! No, not only did they refuse, but they also wielded their swords against the people? Mobilize the soldiers and annihilate them!”

“I obey your command!”

As Sejong’s order fell, a nationwide Hwacheok extermination campaign began.

The Hwacheoks, who were descendants of the Khitans or other nomadic peoples, were skilled at riding horses and had strong combat power, making them a troublesome presence. However, as Joseon resolutely began an organized and thorough extermination campaign, they had to die.

Later, it was an extermination campaign that would cause historians from the East and West who studied Joseon history, especially the Sejong and Munjong periods, to engage in fierce debates over whether it was ‘genocide (集團虐殺).’

In the end, the Hwacheoks, unable to withstand the pursuit of the government forces, had to move north and further north. As they fled from the pursuit of the government forces, the direction they moved in was northeast.

As they fled, new people joined their group.

They were the Hwajeoks (火賊) [arsonists].

The Hwajeoks were also being chased by the government forces for the same reason.

The reason the Hwajeoks were being chased was because of the Hanseong Great Fire. Those who enjoyed stealing property by taking advantage of the fire that broke out in the Hanseong Great Fire formed groups and continued to attempt arson.

In the end, Sejong, angered by their criminal acts, issued an arrest warrant.

“If you can’t capture them alive, you can behead them on the spot!”

In the end, these Hwajeoks also had to flee to the northeast to escape the relentless pursuit of the government forces.

And most of these Hwajeoks and Hwacheoks who fled were captured by Jurchens such as the Nagutai tribe.

The fate of these captured Hwacheoks and Hwajeoks was not very good. The Hwacheoks and Hwajeoks, who had been robbed of everything they had, were beheaded on the spot. Women and children were spared death but became slaves of the Jurchens or were trafficked to the Ming Dynasty.

However, those captured by the Nagutai tribe now were not lucky either.

As soon as they were handed over in Hanseong, most of them were destined for execution.

* * *

As they arrived 10 li (approximately 4 kilometers) away from Hanseong, the Jurchen tribal chiefs became even more tense.

On both sides of the road to Hanseong, soldiers wearing green armor and holding large swords like canes stood upright at regular intervals, waiting for them.

And behind the soldiers standing like signposts, the people flocked out to watch them.

“Heo~. Has the real Great Elder come back to life?”

The old chiefs sighed as they saw the spirit of the soldiers.

The power exuded by the soldiers standing by the road was as strong as the spirit of the soldiers Yi Seong-gye commanded at the height of his power.

As the Jurchen chiefs entered Honghwamun (弘化門, Dongsomun, present-day Hyehwamun) [one of the Eight Gates of Seoul Fortress Wall], the armor worn by the soldiers changed from green to dark navy blue. They were the Geumgun (禁軍) [Royal Guards] guarding Hanseong.

However, the Jurchen chiefs were greatly surprised by another aspect.

“What kind of road is this….”

The gray avenue leading to the palace was something they had never seen before.

The smooth avenue, with no stones or dirt visible, seemed to be a symbol of the changed Joseon.

* * *

Upon arriving at Gwanghwamun [the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace], all the chiefs had to dismount and walk.

On both sides of the road leading to Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace], Naegeumwi (內禁衛) [Inner Guard] wearing black armor were also standing with large swords, and the chiefs gave up everything and relaxed.

Upon arriving in the courtyard of Geunjeongjeon, the chiefs looked up at Geunjeongjeon.

There, Sejong was sitting on the throne, looking at them.

Seeing Sejong’s appearance, the chiefs immediately knelt down.

“We greet Your Majesty!”