Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 579

579. Shattered Dreams (2)

Long before Jukijin began his work in Liaodong, Joseon had been anticipating potential armed conflicts with Ming and formulating various strategies, only to discard them.

In that process, an operation to sabotage the Grand Canal of Jinghang [a major artificial waterway in China] caught everyone’s attention.

“After looking into the situation, if we could somehow cut off Ming’s canal, it would sever Ming’s lifeline.”

“That is correct. Looking at Ming building railways now, the canal is the main artery, and the railway is secondary.”

“Let’s examine it further.”

The Joseon General Staff conducted further investigations into the Grand Canal.

The conclusion after various investigations was clear:

-If an armed conflict with Ming occurs, disrupting the Grand Canal is essential!

Based on this conclusion, they began searching for the optimal location to carry out the sabotage.

And the place that emerged as the best candidate was Jinan.

The point at which Jinan was decided as a candidate was before Sejong left for Shinji. After hearing the General Staff’s plan, Sejong first reconfirmed the reason.

“Why Jinan?”

To Sejong’s question, the General Staff explained as follows:

-Jinan is the optimal point to cut off the Grand Canal and inflict damage on Ming. Further north is closer to Beijing, and further south is closer to Nanjing.

-Beijing and Nanjing are the administrative centers of Ming’s north and south. This means that large-scale manpower can be mobilized for rapid restoration.

-Jinan is where the waterway connecting the Yellow River to the canal is located. Although relatively inland, it can be easily reached by going up the Yellow River.

-If an armed conflict with Ming occurs, most of the ground forces must be deployed to Liaodong. This means that there will be a shortage of troops to deploy for inland invasion. Therefore, Jinan, where existing naval forces can be utilized to the fullest, is the optimal location.

“It’s good that it’s right in the middle, as the generals say…”

Seeing Sejong trailing off while looking at the map, the staff officers of the General Staff tensed up.

‘Did we miss something?’

‘I think we did it right…’

‘Every time His Majesty is like that, I feel like I’m aging 10 years!’

As the generals of the General Staff were on edge, Sejong asked again.

“Is that the only reason for choosing Jinan?”

“Yes?”

“Are you really choosing Jinan for that reason alone?”

The staff officers of the General Staff, unable to find an answer to Sejong’s question, looked dismayed.

Seeing the staff’s dismayed expressions, Hyang joined the conversation.

‘This is also a cliché in some ways! But I can’t help it!’

“Father, are you perhaps thinking of the ‘Jingnan Campaign’ [a civil war in the early Ming Dynasty]?”

Sejong nodded silently to Hyang’s question. Hearing the unspoken answer, Hyang immediately continued the question.

“Isn’t that part closer to political strategy than military strategy? And wouldn’t the probability of it happening be too low?”

“Wouldn’t it come out if Ming became paralyzed? Whether it’s real or a self-proclaimed one.”

“Of course, that’s possible, but is it likely? No, would there be any followers?”

To Hyang’s point, Sejong replied with an indifferent expression.

“Why should we worry about their success or failure? We just need to make sure Ming can’t move properly.”

“Ah…”

Hyang, nodding at Sejong’s words, continued with a face full of regret.

“Now that I think about it, it’s a shame. If we could properly ruin that middle part, it would be properly ruined, but we can’t openly step in…”

“That part will also require a lot of consideration.”

“I’ll think about it.”

While Sejong and Hyang were talking, the staff officers, who had suddenly become mere bystanders, grumbled inwardly.

‘Again! It started again! A father and son’s Zen-like Q&A!’

‘Ah, damn it! They say you feel self-conscious just by watching, and I know why now!’

‘Is this a temple? Why suddenly a Zen-like Q&A!’

In the end, Sejong rejected the plan submitted by the General Staff.

“It’s a very good plan, but it still feels a bit lacking. Please revise it further.”

“We obey your command.”

At Sejong’s command, the staff officers of the General Staff bowed their heads in unison and answered.

Meanwhile, the historian who was recording all of this added a comment.

-…Thus, the King deemed it lacking and rejected it, and the staff all wept and withdrew.

The historian says:

I will not comment on the General Staff’s internal affairs regarding military strategy.

However, it is truly painful to listen to and record the conversations between the King and the Crown Prince.

The ancient sages said to value the ‘inner meaning’ rather than the ‘appearance,’ and this is undoubtedly true.

But sometimes, shouldn’t there be an ‘appearance’ so that we know what the ‘inner meaning’ means?

This is definitely not a complaint because I cannot understand the conversation between the King and the Crown Prince.

* * *

The staff, who were in a similar position to the historian, soon put their heads together.

“What exactly is lacking?”

“I don’t know… I really don’t…”

The staff, unable to come to a satisfactory conclusion even after putting their heads together, soon found an alternative.

“Let’s go to the Crown Prince!”

In the end, Hyang began a special lecture for the staff.

“What comes to mind when you think of the ‘Jingnan Campaign’?”

“Isn’t it the event where Emperor Yongle drove out Emperor Jianwen and ascended to the throne?”

“That’s right.”

“What does that have to do with Jinan?”

“Against the Jingnan army, which had been winning consecutively against Li Jinglong and was at the height of its power, where was the place that defended to the end?”

“Jinan… Ah!”

The staff, who were unconsciously answering, all had expressions as if they had been hit hard.

Seeing that, Hyang smiled and continued.

“Could that have been possible with the ability of Tie铉 alone? Wasn’t it possible because all the people of Jinan were united in heart?”

The staff, nodding at Hyang’s words, soon continued with bright faces.

“Now I understand what His Majesty was saying! When Luoyang fell, the bodies of Emperor Jianwen and the Crown Prince were not found! If a chaotic situation arises in Ming, there will be those who come out in their names, whether real or fake!”

“Looking at the history of the Central Plains, such things have happened more than once or twice! It’s definitely possible!”

“There must still be many people in Jinan who hold grudges! If we use this part, it’s definitely possible!”

The staff, understanding Sejong’s intentions, immediately began to revise the plan.

While doing this revision, the staff could also understand the part that Hyang regretted and Sejong’s response to it.

“If we properly shake up this area right here in Jinan, between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, Ming will just collapse.”

“Right? Originally, the Chinese are more accustomed to living scattered than united.”

“Shall we recruit more troops and deploy them?”

“It’s impossible… There’s a shortage of transportation. Logistics will also be a problem.”

“That’s true, but there’s also the risk of uniting in animosity towards us.”

In the end, the newly revised plan was approved by Sejong. However, the part that Hyang expressed regret for remained unfinished.

And this part was resolved after Hyang used Han Myung-hoi to bring in the Waegu [Japanese pirates].

* * *

Upon hearing the news that the Joseon army and Ouchi’s allied forces were near, the soldiers and residents of Jinan City firmly closed the city gates and prepared for battle.

“Tell them to come! Who do they think we are!”

“Jinan is a place that even the Jingnan army couldn’t break through!”

As the military and civilians of Jinan were preparing for battle, the Joseon army and Ouchi’s allied forces arrived.

* * *

The Joseon-Ouchi allied forces, having arrived right in front of Jinan City, continued to take unexpected actions.

They did not touch Jinan City.

Perhaps building a base to defend against attacks from the Ming army stationed in Jinan City was the entirety of the military action against Jinan.

After that, everything the Joseon army did was related to destroying the canal.

“Explode! Explode! Explode!”

Bang! Kwabang!

Every time the engineers in charge of the explosions shouted, facilities related to the canal were blown away one by one.

The waterway that supplied water to the canal from the Yellow River and the Jishui River was cut off in the middle, and the water leaking from the waterway spread to the nearby fields.

Next, the sluice gates installed in the middle of the canal burst open. As the sluice gates were destroyed, the function of maintaining the water level of the canal was ruined.

Finally, all the waterwheels that supplied water to the waterway from the Jishui River and the Yellow River were destroyed.

As all the canal facilities around Jinan were blown away, the canal connecting Dezhou in the north to Beijing began to stop.

* * *

The Joseon army and Ouchi’s allied forces, having completed all the sabotage operations, turned their ships around and went down the Yellow River again.

The residents of Jinan City, who had been nervous about when the enormous firepower they had seen in the Joseon army’s daily sabotage operations would be directed at them, sighed in relief.

“Hoo! They really left, right?”

“They really left!”

“Thank goodness, thank goodness!”

The residents of Jinan City, delighted that the Joseon army had returned without doing anything other than destroying the canal, offered all kinds of tributes to the temples and Taoist temples in the city.

The residents of Jinan City, who were happy to have safely escaped the crisis, soon began to wonder.

“Why did they just leave?”

“Our city isn’t that poor, is it?”

As the residents of Jinan were wondering why the Joseon army had quietly retreated, strange rumors soon began to circulate.

-The Joseon army held a memorial service before returning!

-And that memorial service was for Emperor Jianwen!

-The reason Joseon didn’t touch our Jinan was because we resisted the Jingnan army!

-It was because of the loyalty shown to the legitimate Emperor Jianwen!

The rumors related to Emperor Jianwen soon began to spread within Jinan City and the surrounding areas.

And among the residents of Jinan City who heard the rumors, all those over 50 years old stared into the distance and muttered.

“That’s what happened back then…”

“It was really fierce…”

* * *

“This is a big problem!”

The Jinan Provincial Inspector, who received a report that rumors were circulating among the people, turned pale.

The current emperor, Emperor Xuande, was the grandson of Emperor Yongle. In such a situation, the circulation of rumors mentioning ‘Emperor Jianwen’s legitimate lineage’ was an act of treason.

“If I’m not careful, my head will fly off!”

The Jinan Provincial Inspector, terrified, urgently issued an order.

“Immediately arrest and imprison anyone who spreads false rumors!”

The Inspector issued an arrest warrant to stop the rumors and urgently wrote a memorial to be sent to Beijing.

However, this memorial did not reach Beijing.

The canal was blocked, and the Waegu who landed on the Shandong Peninsula were causing chaos between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.

* * *

Meanwhile, news of the Waegu’s landing was also conveyed to Beijing.

“Cough! Cough!”

Emperor Xuande, who received the report, coughed up blood as his vital energy surged.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“It’s, it’s okay! Don’t make a fuss!”

Emperor Xuande, calming the commotion of those gathered in the main hall, confirmed the situation.

“So, how many Waegu are currently invading Shandong?”

“At least 100,000.”

“At least! Cough! Cough!”

Emperor Xuande, surprised by the number 100,000, coughed up blood again and finally lost consciousness.

“Your Majesty! Summon the royal physician!”