Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 163

163. Purge (3)

The clash between the Joseon government forces and the rebel forces of the local gentry in Cheonan was inevitable.

The rebel forces in the Chungcheong region, who had risen up around Goesan, Jeungpyeong, and Jincheon, aimed for Chungju-mok to expand their power and seize weapons. However, they met fierce resistance in Chungju-mok, forcing them to reroute.

The leaders of the Chungcheong rebellion spread out a map and engaged in a heated debate.

“We can’t waste time like this! Let’s head north immediately! There’s a road, isn’t there?” A hardliner exclaimed.

The hardliners, eager to advance north immediately, raised their voices, but many opposed them.

“If we go north like this, we’ll be face-to-face with the Gyeonggi garrison! We must wait for reinforcements from the south!”

“Have you forgotten that it’s harvest season? We must conclude this quickly and return to our harvests!”

Amidst the fierce debate, they reached a compromise.

-If we head directly north, we’ll clash with the Gyeonggi garrison. So, we’ll bypass Cheonan and head towards Hanseong [modern-day Seoul]. While bypassing and heading north, we’ll gather as many sympathetic forces as possible to bolster our numbers.

It was a plan that dissatisfied both the hardliners and the cautious, but for now, it was the only viable option.

“Damn it! Because of those lazy southerners!”

It was ironic that the people of Chungcheong, often considered relaxed and leisurely, were criticizing others for being slow.

With the decision to bypass Cheonan and head north, the rebel forces changed their route and began moving towards Cheonan.

However, since most of the 12,000 troops were infantry, their progress was slow.

This allowed the Chungcheong garrison to prepare quickly based on the information from their scouts.

“Fools. If you wanted to start something, you should have done it before the reforms began,” Yang Jong-cheol, the Chungcheong Provincial Military Commander, scoffed at the rebels’ actions after confirming the scouts’ reports.

* * *

As Sejong’s reforms progressed, the Joseon army also underwent a major transformation.

According to the military register (兵籍, *byeongjeok*, a record of military personnel) created in the early Joseon period, the Joseon army had about 330,000 troops. However, the main force was the regular army (正軍, *jeonggun*) conscripted through mandatory service. The expenses for this regular army were covered by supporting families (保人, *boin*).

However, this system had been showing weaknesses since the reign of Taejong [Sejong’s father].

Therefore, Sejong had to implement military reforms alongside his other reforms.

Hyang made a significant contribution in this area. The mass-produced plate armor and cannons, and finally, the Bigeokjincheonle [a type of cannon], a unique weapon of mass destruction, facilitated the transformation of the Joseon army.

-One cannon is better than a hundred spears!

-Horses are faster than people!

In line with these slogans, the Joseon army reduced its size, which was only large in numbers, and became faster and stronger.

And the Joseon army, having undergone this transformation, was now facing a practical evaluation against the rebel forces.

* * *

Yang Jong-cheol looked at the commanders of each level attending the meeting and continued, “The rebel bastards are expected to pass through Cheonan. Therefore, we will annihilate them there. Any other opinions?”

“No!”

“Then, the composition of the units participating in the operation is…”

According to Yang Jong-cheol’s plan, the Chungcheong garrison left the Haemi garrison, leaving only a minimal force to defend it.

* * *

The Joseon army of Chungcheong Province, commanded by Yang Jong-cheol, moved while closely monitoring the rebel forces’ movements.

Since the main force was cavalry and artillery, the Joseon army was able to arrive in Cheonan ahead of the rebels and set up camp.

“His Highness the Crown Prince’s other creations are amazing, but the idea of putting cannons on carts is truly admirable. Isn’t that right, Commander Jo (中軍, *junggun*)?” Yang Jong-cheol asked Lee Jae-hyun, the Commander beside him, while observing the soldiers’ movements. Lee Jae-hyun nodded.

“That’s right. Thanks to that, the cannons can move as fast as the cavalry.”

Hyang, who created the Bigeokjincheonle and the new cannons to fire them, also designed a new gun carriage to mount the cannons. The new gun carriage, resembling Western-style gun carriages used until the late 19th century or early World War I, provided unprecedented mobility to Joseon’s cannons.

Yang Jong-cheol, satisfied with the soldiers’ movements, tapped his palm with his baton.

“Good, good. Now, all that’s left is to sweep away those rebel bastards.”

“That’s right.”

It wasn’t just the high-ranking officials who were burning with fighting spirit. Even the ordinary soldiers were eager for battle.

“How far away are the rebel bastards?”

“Well… I heard they’re about a day away?”

“Damn bastards, are they crawling?”

“Are they coming while enjoying the scenery?”

“Enjoying the scenery? Hahahaha!”

Sharing jokes, the soldiers looked at the cannons they would operate. Their eyes were full of trust as they gazed at the bronze-colored cannons.

“If we have this…”

The soldiers recalled the power of the Bigeokjincheonle they had heard about from the north and waited for their turn to use it.

* * *

“The government soldiers are gathered in Cheonan!”

“How many are there?”

“About 6,000!”

At the news that the government forces had set up camp in Cheonan, the rebel leaders gathered to discuss their options.

“Where are they from?”

“It must be the Chungcheong garrison.”

“Should we bypass them?”

When some of the gentry suggested bypassing Cheonan, Ahn Jin-sa, who had read some military books, shook his head.

“If we bypass them, we’ll have to face the Gyeonggi garrison, who will have prepared thoroughly during the time we’re bypassing Cheonan. They say there are 6,000 troops in Cheonan, so it seems they moved in a hurry without proper preparation. I think it’s better to deal with them here.”

“Ahn Jin-sa’s words seem right.”

“But, the fact that they moved in a hurry means their main force is cavalry.”

Ahn Jin-sa acknowledged their concern but pointed out their weaknesses.

“Even if we bypass them, will the Chungcheong garrison’s cavalry stay put? They’ll chase us immediately. Most of the forces we brought are slaves; do you think they’ll be able to respond properly?”

“Ah…”

Ahn Jin-sa concluded, “The only way to make the slaves fight properly is to face them head-on. Fortunately, Cheonan has no fortress, and we are numerically superior, so we have a chance of winning.”

In the end, the rebel leaders decided to confront them head-on. Even those who knew little about military strategy thought it was the only option since their main force was slaves.

But that was the extent of their planning. The rebel leaders knew nothing about the government forces’ firepower and made no effort to find out.

“Anyway, both sides are armed with spears and swords! In that case, we, who are numerically superior, have the advantage!”

It was the result of ignoring the world outside their hometowns and focusing only on their own perceived advantages.

* * *

Finally, the next morning, the government forces and the rebel forces met in the eastern region of Cheonan.

The rebel forces were aware of the government forces’ presence and were making their own preparations.

“Did you feed the slaves well this morning?”

“I already fed them well. They won’t run out of energy in the middle.”

Feeding the slaves early in the morning was the extent of the rebel forces’ preparation.

“Then let’s begin.”

“Let’s do it!”

“I wish you good fortune!”

“Good fortune!”

The gentry exchanged good wishes and headed to the slaves they led.

Soon after, the slaves at the head of the rebel forces shouted and ran forward.

“Uwaaaaa!”

Most of the slaves had only a single bamboo spear, but they were motivated by the sight of so many comrades around them.

“The rebels are starting to move!”

“I’m watching… Hmm…”

Yang Jong-cheol, observing the rebel forces’ movements with the single-tube telescope personally given to him by Sejong, gave an order.

“As expected, hardly any of them are properly armed. And most of them seem to be slaves. And… bamboo spears? Huh!”

Yang Jong-cheol, looking at the rebel forces rushing towards him, then focused on the rebel command in the rear.

“Donkeys? Do they think war is like going out for a stroll?”

Yang Jong-cheol, seeing that only a few were riding horses and most were riding donkeys, burst out laughing and ordered his subordinates, “When the enemy’s main force comes within 200 paces, fire the Bigeokjincheonle!”

“Yes!”

“Make sure the shelling is concentrated in one place as trained!”

“Yes!”

“And the riflemen should crossfire! As trained!”

“Yes!”

“Tell all the soldiers! The rebels are a disorganized rabble! If you perform well as trained, you won’t have to worry about ancestral rites food [meaning they’ll be dead] next year!”

“Yes!”

The messenger, smiling slightly at the joke-like order, moved quickly to spread the word.

* * *

“200 paces!”

“Fire!”

Bang! Pow! Bang!

The artillerymen, who had finished loading in advance and were waiting, pulled the triggers as soon as the order was given.

The Chungcheong garrison mobilized 40 Bigeokjincheonle cannons this time. Except for the 10 cannons held in reserve, the 30 cannons were trained to move as three batteries of 10 cannons each.

As the Bigeokjincheonle fired as trained, three large holes were blasted in the formation of the rebel forces rushing towards the government forces. They were holes too large to be filled.

In those holes, the injured screamed amidst countless corpses.

“Ugh…”

“Save me!”

“My leg! My leg!”

Amid the screams, the rebel forces’ charge ground to a halt. The main force, the slaves, were in a state of panic.

The government forces’ commanders, observing the situation with single-tube telescopes, predicted victory and raised their voices.

“Don’t stop firing!”

“Shoot! Shoot! Keep shooting!”

Bang! Pow!

The soldiers, also anticipating victory, quickly reloaded and continued firing.

“What, what is that!”

“Cannons with such power!”

The gentry, observing the battle from the rear, shouted in surprise. Every time huge pillars of fire erupted from the rebel forces’ formation, gaping holes appeared.

“What should we do now?”

Ahn Jin-sa, unknowingly playing the role of military strategist, was flustered by the leaders’ question.

“T, that’s…”

“Ahn Jin-sa!”

“Give me some time to think! I haven’t even heard of cannons with that kind of power!”

Ahn Jin-sa shouted back at the leaders’ prodding. But he had already reached a conclusion in his mind.

‘It’s over…’

“Ahn Jin-sa! What should we do now…”

“The enemies are moving!”

“Huh?”

The leaders, who were pressuring Ahn Jin-sa, turned their heads at the news that the government forces were advancing.

Indeed, as the government forces’ shelling gradually subsided, the infantry lines began to move forward.

Ahn Jin-sa, watching the scene, cheered.

“It’s an opportunity! If the distance between them and us gets closer, they won’t be able to fire the cannons! Then we’ll have another chance! We must immediately gather our forces and reorganize our formation!”

“T, that’s right!”

At Ahn Jin-sa’s words, the leaders hurriedly sent a messenger.

Whether the messenger’s words were properly conveyed or not, the rebel forces’ formation began to be reorganized.

Ahn Jin-sa’s face was full of hope as he watched.

‘Okay! If we overcome this crisis, we will win!’

But the situation unfolded beyond his expectations.

“First row, raise guns!”

“Aim!”

The riflemen of the Chungcheong garrison, who had advanced to about 150 paces from the rebel forces, raised their Gapshik rifles [a type of rifle], ready to fire, according to the commander’s order and aimed at the rebel forces.

“Fire!”

Tatatang!

In an instant, thick smoke obscured the Joseon army’s view, and the second row, which had been waiting in the back, moved past the first row and came forward.

The commander, briefly assessing the battlefield, soon gave an order.

“Second row, raise guns!”

“Aim!”

“Fire!”

Tatatang!

By the time the first to fifth rows had rotated once, the rebel forces’ formation had completely collapsed.

Yang Jong-cheol, examining the situation, gave an order.

“Tell the cavalry to block the rebels’ escape!”

“Yes!”

In that way, the clash between the Chungcheong garrison and the Chungcheong region rebel forces was decided in less than half a day. It was an overwhelming victory for the Joseon army of the Chungcheong garrison.