Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 261

261. The tree wants to stop… (4)

Ten days later, Manpojin near Jasung.

In the center of Manpojin Fortress, atop the tallest communication tower, a group of soldiers and officers were enjoying a leisurely day.

“Keep a close watch with the telescope! Don’t end up like those guys who got dragged away for neglecting their duties while ogling the Jurchen girls bathing last time!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers responded loudly to the officer’s words.

* * *

The large binocular telescope installed on the communication tower—officially designated the Class A Large Telescope—was impressively sized.

Because of this, the soldiers nicknamed it the ‘General Scope,’ comparing it to a powerful cannon.

Thanks to its massive size, the soldiers could quickly and accurately confirm routine and emergency communications. However, there were also drawbacks.

To match its enormous size, the lenses inside were also huge, causing significant eye strain for the soldiers.

Therefore, the soldiers had to rotate telescope duty every two *gak* [approximately 30 minutes].

* * *

“Huh?”

One of the soldiers, while keeping watch as instructed, noticed something unusual.

“Sir! A group of cavalry is heading towards the village at full speed!”

“What? How many?”

“Three!”

The officer who received the report looked serious.

When only two or three people traveled on horseback, they were usually messengers or hunters. And those people rarely sprinted at full speed.

The fact that they were doing so now suggested something was wrong, which made the officer very tense.

At that moment, a soldier monitoring communications from the east shouted.

“Urgent report from the east! The number is….”

The soldier called out the numbers while looking at the flashing signals from the communication tower in the east.

The officer wrote down the numbers and urgently gasped as he checked the message.

“Hah! ‘Jasung attacked. Enemy force of 3,000 or more.’ Hey! Send a communication to the south immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldier who received the paper with the numbers from the officer began operating the flashing signal device towards the south in a hurry.

Just then, the soldier observing the village shouted.

“Sir! Cavalry is coming here from the village! One rider!”

“Blow the emergency horn!”

At the officer’s command, one of the soldiers put a horn installed on one side of the communication tower to his mouth and began to blow.

Boo-ooo.

It was the horn signaling the start of war.

* * *

Two *shijin* [4 hours] later, soldiers burst into the communication officer’s room at the General Staff Headquarters.

“Urgent report! Jasung attacked! Enemy force of 3,000 or more!”

“Urgent report! Muchang attacked! Enemy force of 1,000 or more!”

“What? Issue an alert!”

“Yes!”

The officer who gave the order grabbed the papers the signalmen had brought and ran to his superiors.

One *gak* [approximately 15 minutes] later, high-ranking commanders and staff members from the General Staff Headquarters, along with Choi Yun-deok, gathered in the conference room.

“Report the situation.”

“Yes, General.”

At Choi Yun-deok’s command, one of the officers briefed the commanders.

“Two *shijin* ago, the Jurchen launched a surprise attack in the north. They attacked two locations: Jasung and Muchang. The force attacking Jasung numbers approximately 3,000, and the force attacking Muchang is confirmed to be about 1,000.”

“The identity of the attacking Jurchen tribe?”

“Still under confirmation.”

Choi Yun-deok sighed as he listened to the officer’s answer.

“Haa~. Of all times, this happens after I return….”

Choi Yun-deok, expressing regret and disappointment, looked around at the commanders and staff members gathered in the conference room.

“What is the plan?”

“First, we will move the soldiers according to the previously established defense plan. Here is the operation plan.”

Choi Yun-deok sighed as he reviewed the operation plan handed over by the staff member.

“All of Joseon’s land defense forces are being mobilized.”

“It can’t be helped. We still don’t have enough soldiers.”

“That’s the problem…. Haa~.”

Choi Yun-deok answered briefly and sighed again.

* * *

Ideally, the Joseon army, operating under the military system established at the founding of Joseon, should have maintained about 300,000 soldiers.

However, the system was already showing signs of strain, even though only 30 years had passed since its inception.

Five *boin* [保人, providers] were assigned to each soldier to cover their maintenance costs. However, as soldiers began to treat the *boin* like slaves, many people abandoned their homes and became vagrants.

As a result, the soldiers had to bear the burden that the *boin* should have taken on, and some soldiers even deserted their military service to become vagrants or bandits.

This led to a shortage of troops. During the conquest of Tsushima Island in the first year of King Sejong’s reign, to compensate for the insufficient number of soldiers, all residents of the three southern provinces, regardless of noble or common status, who knew how to sail or fight, were mobilized.

Therefore, with the start of *Gyeongjang*, a major reform of the military system was implemented.

The cost of operating and maintaining the military was entirely covered by government finances.

In other words, the *boin* system was abolished.

The court funded the military with taxes paid by the people and gold and silver mined from the mines.

The court provided the soldiers with their uniforms, equipment, and food, and the stipends the soldiers received were paid accurately every month.

As a result, the Joseon army, which had been reduced to 70,000 soldiers in total for the army and navy, gradually increased in size while focusing on internal stability. By this year (the 13th year of King Sejong, *Sinhye* year, 1431), the goal was to train 100,000 soldiers.

But now war had broken out. To repel the invading Jurchens and maintain the northern border, the land and naval forces throughout Joseon left their garrisons, leaving only a minimal number of troops, and began to mobilize.

* * *

“First, move the troops according to the plan. And quickly find out who the hell is responsible for this damn thing, even if we have to tear them to pieces.”

“Yes!”

“And prepare to report to His Majesty the King immediately.”

“I understand.”

“I will go to Geunjeongjeon Hall.”

As he spoke, Choi Yun-deok rose from his seat. When Choi Yun-deok got up, all the other commanders and staff members also rose and paid their respects.

“Execute as quickly as possible.”

“Yes!”

* * *

Half a *shijin* [1 hour] later, tension and murderous intent filled Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Intense murderous intent emanated from Sejong, who was sitting on the throne. This was only the second time Sejong had exuded such palpable rage since the last palace intrusion.

“Yes. What are the countermeasures for what happened in Jasung and Muchang?”

“First, we have issued a pursuit order to the mobile strike force stationed in the nearest area.”

“Pursuit? Not annihilation (*擊滅*, striking and destroying the enemy)?”

As Sejong questioned with a displeased expression, the officials muttered inwardly.

‘The bloodline doesn’t lie.’

‘As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree….’

Choi Yun-deok explained the reason on behalf of the officials.

“It is because we do not yet know which tribe the Jurchens who committed this act belong to. The combined force in the east and west numbers over 4,000. Of course, with this number, we could annihilate them if we mobilized all the mobile strike forces in the north. However, to prevent this from happening again, we must eradicate the root cause (*拔本塞源*, uproot the source and block the flow).”

“That’s right. Still, considering the situation in the north so far, wouldn’t there be likely suspects?”

“There are. Mentemu and Yimanjoo.”

“Those bastards! Grind them to dust!”

Even more intense murderous intent began to flow from Sejong, who was grinding his teeth.

Hyang, who was receiving the brunt of this murderous intent from below the throne, grumbled inwardly.

‘Just live a normal life! Why cause trouble! Aish!’

While Hyang was grumbling, Sejong moved on to the next topic.

“So, what are our future countermeasures?”

“We are mobilizing the land and naval forces.”

At Choi Yun-deok’s gesture, an officer who had been waiting came forward with a large map.

The officer, after paying his respects to Sejong, stood next to the map and began to explain.

“The General Staff Headquarters has prepared emergency plans in preparation for such events. According to the plan….”

The officer turned the cover of the map with a pointer.

The map that was revealed depicted all of Joseon, with numerous arrows moving in various directions.

“Currently, the mobile strike force is pursuing the Jurchens who are causing trouble. In addition, we are deploying Jurchen outposts to confirm the identity of the Jurchens who caused the incident.

And, to carry out a full-scale suppression, we will mobilize two *bu* [部, a military unit] each from Pyeongan-do and Hamgil-do to enter the operation.”

“At full strength (*定數*)?”

At Sejong’s question, the officer immediately answered.

“They are at full strength.”

“Well done.”

Sejong nodded at the answer, but Kim Jeom’s face was turning whiter and whiter.

‘Full strength? Full strength, you say? Full strength!’

The smallest unit of the Joseon army organization was the *o* (伍), consisting of five people. And, according to the principles of yin-yang and the five elements, the scale increased fivefold as it went up to the higher systems.

Of course, this was the case when filling the full strength; usually, the higher systems excluding the *o* were three times the number.

However, now the officer was reporting that two *bu* filled to full strength were entering the operation. If so, it meant that more than 30,000 soldiers would be mobilized.

Eventually, Kim Jeom intervened in the conversation.

“Isn’t the number of mobilized troops excessive?”

“If the person who caused this incident is Yimanjoo, then this much is necessary.”

“Ah….”

Kim Jeom had to shut his mouth. The Huligai tribe led by Yimanjoo had over 10,000 households.

“Then, are the other arrows filling the empty spaces?”

“Yes.”

The officer immediately answered Sejong’s question and continued the explanation with the pointer.

According to the already issued order, all the land and naval forces throughout Joseon left their garrisons, leaving only the minimum maintenance force.

The units stationed in Hwanghae-do and Gangwon-do took over the defense of Pyeongan-do and Hamgil-do, the units in Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheong-do formed reserve forces, and the units in Jeolla and Gyeongsang were in charge of defending the vicinity of Hanseong.

After listening to the continued explanation of the operation, Sejong nodded.

“Not bad. With that much, we can do the job properly. Then the problem is supply…. Are we prepared?”

“Yes, we are already drawing from the stored materials.”

“Well done.”

Sejong nodded in satisfaction as he listened to the military’s response. Kim Jeom, however, was calculating with a face that was turning yellow.

‘To fill the hole in the military funds….’

“It seems that the military aspect is sufficient for now…. Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Sejong, addressing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, immediately gave an order.

“*Gyeong* [卿, a respectful title for officials] should go to Beijing immediately. Inform them of this incident as soon as possible and argue that our conquest is justified.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And try to delay receiving the Emperor’s answer as much as possible.”

“Yes?”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs did not properly understand the unexpected order.

At the sight, Sejong explained the reason.

“What *Gyeong* has to do is simple: delay Ming’s interference as much as possible!”

At Sejong’s command, the Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately understood and answered loudly.

“I will definitely make it happen!”