Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 172

172. Feedback (1)

With the suppression of the ‘Giyu Rebellion’ concluded and the punishment of those involved executed, the court and military moved into the post-processing phase.

“Although it’s called post-processing… to be precise, it should be seen as identifying and refining the areas where we fell short during the rebellion’s suppression,” the Vice Minister of War, who was leading the meeting, stated.

Sejong, Hyang, and the other ministers nodded in agreement.

The Vice Minister of War continued, “Looking at the escape plan drafted just before the last palace invasion, it was designed to immediately escort His Majesty and key figures to Changdeok Palace should a crisis occur. Of course, no one attempted to escape during that unfortunate incident…”

“Ahem!”

“Cough!”

Sejong and Hyang cleared their throats and looked away, feeling the pointedness of the Vice Minister’s remark.

They had both endured Soheon Wanghu’s [the Queen Consort] nagging for quite some time after that day.

* * *

When Grand Prince Yangnyeong’s rebel army attempted to invade the palace, the Geumgun [royal guards] guarding the Junggungjeon (Queen’s Residence) tried to escort Soheon Wanghu, the concubines, and the princes to Changdeok Palace, as per the plan.

“Has His Majesty already escaped?” Soheon Wanghu asked, concerned about Sejong’s location. She scolded the Geumgun officer who was trying to take her away when she learned that Sejong was still holding his ground in Geunjeongjeon [the main throne hall].

“You scoundrel! His Majesty is in danger, and you’re standing here doing this!”

The Geumgun officer replied with a troubled expression, “This is according to the established plan and procedure…”

“Shut up! Court Lady Jang!”

At Soheon Wanghu’s summons, a court lady rushed to her side.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Bring me my bow immediately!”

“Your Majesty…” The court lady hesitated at the order, so Soheon Wanghu grabbed her skirt and went back into her room to retrieve her bow herself.

“I’m going to Geunjeongjeon! Soldiers, follow me!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Silence! Just follow me!”

The commanding officer of the Junggungjeon Geumgun gave up arguing with the Queen and commanded his subordinates, “The 1st and 2nd squads follow me, and the rest escort the concubines, princes, and princesses to Changdeok Palace. Move out!”

“Yes!”

* * *

Soheon Wanghu, who had led the soldiers to Geunjeongjeon, collapsed as the tension left her body once the situation was resolved.

Afterward, Sejong and Hyang had to repeatedly beg Soheon Wanghu for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry,” Sejong said sincerely, sitting in front of Soheon Wanghu, who was lying down with a headache. Hyang, sitting next to him, echoed his apology.

“Mother, please forgive us.”

“Ugh…”

Soheon Wanghu, groaning, sat up and rebuked Sejong, “Your Majesty… you are the supreme ruler of this country. How could you put yourself in such a dangerous place?”

“Well, there were guards and…”

“Your Majesty! No matter how many guards there were, what kind of place was that! It was a dangerous place where arrows and even iron bullets were flying everywhere!”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“And the Crown Prince is just as bad! How can the heir to this country go running around on the battlefield! Do you have any sense!”

“I was wrong!”

“Ugh!” Soheon Wanghu groaned and lay back down, turning away from them.

“Oh dear…” Sejong, realizing how angry Soheon Wanghu was, looked back at the royal physician sitting nearby. When the royal physician quietly shook his head, Sejong let out a long sigh.

“Hoo~.”

In the end, Sejong and Hyang had to visit Soheon Wanghu every chance they got for three days, begging for her forgiveness.

* * *

Hearing Sejong and Hyang clearing their throats, the Vice Minister of War continued the meeting.

“After the situation ended, the Joseon Army General Staff re-examined the plan. As a result, we concluded that the plan established and executed this time was significantly incomplete.”

“Incomplete?” Sejong asked, showing interest. The Vice Minister of War nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. If the scale of a future rebellion is large, it will be difficult to ensure His Majesty’s safety by simply moving between palaces.”

“Hmm…” Sejong stroked his beard, looking dubious. Hyang interjected.

“I think it’s a valid point. Although the palaces are separate, they aren’t far apart. A large-scale rebellion could involve simultaneous attacks.”

“Will there be another rebellion?” Sejong asked. Hyang immediately responded.

“It shouldn’t happen again during your reign, Father, but one never knows. And something similar might happen in later generations.”

Sejong nodded. “The Crown Prince is right. Yes. So, what’s the alternative?”

The Vice Minister of War answered immediately, “It is to build mountain fortresses to the south and north of Hanseong [the capital city, modern-day Seoul].”

Heo Jo immediately retorted, “Build fortresses? Isn’t that excessive?”

“It’s not excessive. The purpose of building fortresses isn’t solely to prepare for palace invasions. In the event of a foreign invasion, our Joseon army will, of course, block and repel them with unwavering resolve. However, if our capabilities are insufficient and the capital becomes endangered, the fortresses would also serve to protect His Majesty and allow us to fight back.”

Heo Jo retorted again, “Will foreign enemies really push into the capital? Is that even possible?”

The Vice Minister of War briefly questioned Heo Jo, “Have you forgotten what happened in the previous dynasty?”

“Ah…”

Heo Jo fell silent. During the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo, remnants of the Red Turbans invaded Goryeo and even captured Gaeseong [the capital of Goryeo]. King Gongmin was forced to seek refuge in Andong at that time.

And it wasn’t just the Red Turbans.

In the first year of King Gongmin’s reign, Japanese pirates invaded and devastated Ganghwa Island, posing a threat to Gaegyeong itself.

The opposing faction’s mouths were firmly shut by the Vice Minister of War’s reminder of events from just two generations prior.

The Vice Minister of War, having silenced the opposition, continued, “The mountain fortresses to the south and north aren’t just for His Majesty’s evacuation. While reorganizing troops within these fortresses and defending against the enemy, we can gather the Joseon army stationed in other areas and strike the enemy’s rear. In basic tactics, the ‘hammer and anvil’ tactic, these mountain fortresses become the anvil.”

Sejong asked, “What if the invading enemies ignore these mountain fortresses and pass through the capital to the south or north?”

Hyang answered instead, “The enemies will never bypass these mountain fortresses.”

“Why…? Ah!” Sejong stopped speaking and nodded, understanding dawning on him.

“That’s right. This is where the King of Joseon is, so they will never simply pass by. It’s obvious.”

Sejong, nodding in understanding, looked back at Hyang. “Is this your doing?”

“I just added a spoon [contributed a little bit].”

Sejong chuckled. “You just added a spoon? You must have set the whole table. What kind of guy are you?”

‘Of course! That’s right!’

‘The Crown Prince is full of snakes in his belly! How many times have I been deceived by that face!’

The ministers nodded vigorously at Sejong’s words, each thinking the same thing.

However, this was somewhat unfair to Hyang. Even in the history before Hyang’s intervention, Munjong, a well-known military enthusiast, had advocated for the reconstruction of Bukhansanseong [a mountain fortress north of Seoul] when he was Crown Prince. The problem was that Bukhansanseong was actually built much later, during the reign of King Sukjong.

All Hyang did was add Namhansanseong [a mountain fortress south of Seoul] in addition to Bukhansanseong.

* * *

“The one who started the game should explain it in more detail,” Sejong commanded.

“Yes, Father.” At Sejong’s command, Hyang rose from his seat. As Hyang stepped forward, the Vice Minister of War quickly handed him the pointer and returned to his seat.

He felt overwhelmed by the barrage of questions from Sejong and the ministers. It wasn’t the difficulty of the questions, but the pressure from the ‘higher-ups.’ The Vice Minister of War was one of them, but those lined up before him were far more powerful.

As Hyang stood in front, the ministers began to ask questions.

“I understand why we need mountain fortresses. Are there suitable locations?”

“Yes, there are. Eunuch, bring the map of Hanseong and the surrounding area.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” At Hyang’s command, the eunuch brought a mounted map.

As the Gyeongjang (reforms) progressed, several items were always kept in Geunjeongjeon, and the map was one of them.

Setting up the map, Hyang pointed to a spot with the pointer. “The mountain fortress to be installed north of Hanseong will expand Jungheungsanseong [an existing fortress]. For the south, we are strongly considering the site of the old Jujangseong (晝長城) [a historical fortress] from the Samhan era [ancient Korean kingdoms] in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.”

“Why did you choose that place as the fortress site?”

“The location is ideal, as evidenced by the fortress that has stood there since the Samhan era. Also, the distance from Hanseong is appropriate, allowing for rapid deployment. Finally, we can effectively utilize the most important geographical defense: the Hansu (漢水, Han River).”

The ministers nodded.

If attacked from the south, they could use the Han River as the first line of defense and prepare for resistance in Bukhansanseong. Conversely, if attacked from the north, they could use the Han River as the first line of defense and prepare for defense in Namhansanseong.

As the ministers showed understanding, Hyang pointed to another place. “To prepare for attacks coming up the Han River from the sea, we will build a mountain fortress in Haengju. This location is also a strategic point with the site of an old fortress from the Samhan era.”

Hyang connected these three fortresses and continued, “The mountain fortresses being built to the south and north aren’t just wartime capitals. If these three fortresses are properly linked, the defense of Hanseong will be significantly strengthened.”

“Hmm…” Sejong and the ministers weighed the effectiveness of the plan.

“Not bad…” The ministers nodded. Building mountain fortresses in those locations, as Hyang suggested, would be very advantageous for the defense of Hanseong. They were militarily strategic locations, as evidenced by the ancient fortress sites from the Samhan era.

But there was a problem.

Kim Jeom, who had been quietly organizing his thoughts, spoke up. “I acknowledge the necessity, but building mountain fortresses is no easy task. I have never been to the southern fortress site, but since Bukhansan and Inwangsan are visible from the northern fortress site, I can attest to the ruggedness of the mountains. Building mountain fortresses in such terrain will require a great deal of public labor and be incredibly costly.”

“That’s right. Building mountain fortresses requires a lot of stone, and transporting the stone to those high and rugged mountains is no ordinary feat of public labor.”

Starting with Kim Jeom, the ministers pointed out the architectural challenges posed by the geography.

At these criticisms, Hyang and the people from the Ministry of War and the military smiled knowingly. The ministers, in particular, began to sweat when they saw Hyang’s smile.

‘What is it? What! What did I miss?’

As the ministers pondered, Hyang spoke. “Have you forgotten? We have Cheoliphwaeseok (鐵入灰石, reinforced concrete).”

“Ah…” The ministers looked as if they had been struck. The reinforced concrete that Hyang had first used to pave the roads had an official name, ‘Cheoliphwaeseok.’ The ministers were well aware of its usefulness. With well-made formwork, Cheoliphwaeseok could be used to build structures with shapes that were previously unimaginable with wood or stone.

“I forgot about that.”

“Of course, transporting aggregates, reinforcing bars, and Hweseokpo (灰石浦, lime mortar) to the mountain fortress sites won’t be easy either. However, it will require less public labor than quarrying, trimming, and transporting stone.”

The ministers had no choice but to nod in agreement.

In the end, Sejong made a decision. “I will approve the Ministry of War’s plan. The Ministry of Taxation should calculate the necessary budget, and the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Personnel should devise a plan to supply the personnel needed for construction.”

“We obey your command!” The ministers of the relevant departments, including Kim Jeom, answered with gloomy faces.

On the other hand, Hyang and the officials of the Ministry of War, along with the military officers, bowed their heads and shouted loudly.

“Your grace is boundless!”