Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 650

650. Diaspora (1)

While the European bumpkins were marveling at the novelties in Seoul, in the Northern Lands, the remnants of the Ming dynasty were astonished by the Empire’s resolute actions.

* * *

Around the time of last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival [a traditional harvest festival celebrated in East Asia], proclamations containing the Emperor’s orders were posted throughout the Northern Lands.

– To all those residing in the Northern Lands! By the winter solstice [the day with the shortest period of daylight, typically around December 21st], register your household and land with the Imperial authorities!

This is the decree of the Imperial Emperor!

Refusal will result in immediate expulsion! Resistance will be met with force!

Following the Emperor’s firm decision, all residents of the Liaodong region, known as the Northern Lands, were required to register their households and land.

“By the winter solstice! Those who fail to register by then will be expelled without exception!”

The Empire’s officials dispatched to the Northern Lands traveled throughout the region, shouting themselves hoarse.

The targets of their warnings were the Ming loyalists in the Liaodong area and the Jurchen people who had become Sinicized [influenced by Chinese culture], all of whom were still engaged in movements of disobedience.

Upon seeing the official notices and hearing the officials’ pronouncements, these discontented factions reacted in two ways.

“Is this the end? Hmph! Nothing can be done!”

“It seems the Emperor in Beijing has indeed abandoned us.”

Some acknowledged the changing times and visited the authorities to register their households and land, but many others refused to the very end.

“Hmph! Let them shout all they want!”

“Those who shout the loudest are often the least frightening!”

“Who do they think they are, telling me to register my land!”

“Are they going to kill us all? Let them try! If we hold out, we win!”

As they stubbornly resisted, relying on their numbers, the winter solstice passed, and Imperial soldiers and officials stormed into the villages of the Northern Lands.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Everyone out!”

“Come out of your houses immediately!”

The soldiers went from house to house, banging on doors and shouting. However, the villagers were slow to respond. Seeing that many houses remained silent despite the shouting, the Imperial army commander ordered his men:

“Break them down!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Imperial soldiers, following orders, smashed down the gates with axes, and the Ming and Jurchen people inside the houses scurried out.

Once the villagers were gathered in the village square, the official raised his voice.

“We will conduct a household inspection! Present your identity plaques!”

With fully armed Imperial soldiers exuding menace behind him, the official’s command prompted some of the villagers to present their identity plaques.

The Imperial army commander watched as the official in charge of household registration compared the registration records with the identity plaques, muttering as he observed those gathered to one side, warily watching the situation.

“I can roughly see what’s going on….”

Those presenting their identity plaques were the ones who had come out immediately upon hearing the soldiers’ shouts. On the other hand, those gathered separately, only cautiously observing, were the ones who had come out only after their doors were smashed down.

“The comparison is complete. All those registered in this village are accounted for.”

“Then is it our turn?”

At the commander’s question, the official paused to assess the situation before answering.

“Wait a little longer.”

Having halted the Imperial army’s movements, the official issued an order to the village chief through an interpreter.

“I will give you one *shichen* [approximately 2 hours]. Those who have not complied with the Imperial decree must immediately prepare to move, having settled their affairs.”

“Oh, sir!”

The village chief cried out upon hearing the order, but the official remained unmoved.

“These are people who have not followed the Imperial decree despite repeated urging! Did they think they could continue living in this Empire while defying the Emperor’s orders! Tell those fools!”

At the official’s roar, the village chief conveyed the official’s command to the gathered residents.

However, the residents responded with harsh curses and roars of anger.

“Advance the troops!”

At that moment, with the Imperial army commander’s order, the Imperial soldiers standing behind him simultaneously gripped their rifles and stepped forward. The residents, seeing the menacing faces of the Imperial soldiers gripping rifles with gleaming bayonets attached, finally realized the gravity of the situation.

“*幫我! (Bāng wǒ!)* [Help me!]”

“*請救救我的命! (Qǐng jiù jiù wǒ de mìng!)* [Please save my life!]”

The residents, who had maintained an insolent attitude until then, immediately knelt on the ground, waving their clasped hands high and pitifully begging for mercy.

“Troops, halt.”

At the commander’s order, the Imperial army stopped, and the official once again ordered the village chief.

“Tell them to prepare to leave, having settled their affairs within one *shichen*.”

This time, the village chief’s command was met not with roars of anger, but with wails of sorrow.

“To tell us to leave when winter has already arrived is to tell us to die. Please, allow us to stay through the winter before we leave.”

After listening to the village chief and residents’ pleas through the interpreter, the official pondered for a long time before turning to the commander with a troubled expression.

“This has become quite awkward. Winter has certainly arrived early this year. If they leave now, many, if not all, will freeze to death on the way.”

“We cannot disobey the Imperial decree.”

“I am well aware of that, but dealing with frozen corpses is also a task.”

At the official’s words, the commander also wore a troubled expression.

Digging into the frozen ground to bury the corpses was a considerable hardship. Moreover, if left unattended, wolves and other wild animals would certainly be attracted. Even if they were fortunate enough to avoid attracting wild animals, the corpses frozen throughout the winter could become a source of epidemics when they began to thaw in the spring.

“Hmm…”

After pondering for a moment, the commander chose the easiest method.

“Let’s inquire with the higher-ups.”

* * *

Such situations occurred in various parts of the Northern Lands, and letters requesting countermeasures flooded into Seoul.

“Didn’t we anticipate this situation when we set the deadline as the winter solstice?”

Hwang Hui, seeing the Emperor’s puzzled expression, bowed his head and replied.

“We did anticipate it, but this winter arrived earlier than expected. Moreover, the winter in the Northern Lands has become harsher than before….”

“So, this is the chaos that has ensued?”

“We are sorry…. We, your subjects, are incompetent….”

“Hmph….”

The Emperor, unable to hide his frustration, sighed and began to analyze the situation.

‘Even in the 21st century, with all the talk about global warming, I almost froze to death at the Gangwon Province border. In the 15th century, in the Northern Lands, which are even further north than Gangwon Province, the situation is obvious….’

“The disobedience of these people is a problem, but the hardship of our soldiers is also a concern, wouldn’t you agree?”

At the Emperor’s question, Hwang Hui immediately bowed his head.

“That is correct. The labor of our Imperial soldiers will be greater than expected.”

“Hmm….”

Listening to Hwang Hui’s words, the Emperor once again analyzed the situation.

‘It would be easier to expel them after the weather warms up. However, if we do that, the damned Northerners in the Northern Lands are likely to misjudge the situation…. No, it’s not just likely, they will definitely misjudge it.’

Thinking that far, the Emperor growled at Hwang Hui.

“Whatever conclusion I reach, how does the Prime Minister think it will be a bad move for me?”

At the Emperor’s words, Hwang Hui bowed his head again and replied.

“That depends on how we phrase it, does it not? If we say, ‘Even though they are ungrateful people who rebel against the Empire and the Emperor, we cannot drive them to their deaths in this harsh winter, so we have shown mercy,’ it will rather praise Your Majesty. Also, the people of this land have always favored the number three. Including this time, it will be the third time, so no one will blame Your Majesty for making a wrong decision.”

The Emperor carefully considered Hwang Hui’s answer and concluded with a smile.

“Hahaha! Indeed! If the former Emperor Gaozu of Han had Zhang Liang, I have the Prime Minister! Because I have the Prime Minister, I am at ease, so let us continue to work together for the peace of the Empire!”

“… Your benevolence is boundless.”

After the meeting, Hwang Hui, looking at the sky full of dark clouds, muttered to himself.

“Damn it…. The sky and my life are both gloomy…. I tried to play a trick, but I’ve been outsmarted again…. Another resignation letter will just be a waste of paper.”

* * *

-Even though they are people who have disobeyed the Empire, it is not right to expel them in this harsh time, so we will postpone their expulsion until the vernal equinox [the day when day and night are of equal length, typically around March 20th] next year. Therefore, we urge them one last time to register their households and land before the vernal equinox!

Do not forget that goodwill is sufficient with three times!

The Emperor’s proclamation was posted throughout the Empire. The Imperial citizens from the mainland all nodded their heads upon seeing it.

“That’s right. Since ancient times, it has been said that three times is enough, so it’s okay to give them a break three times.”

“Our Emperor is truly generous!”

However, those who were holding out in the Northern Lands thought differently.

-We just need to hold out! If we hold out a little longer, they will give up!

It was a decisive misjudgment.

* * *

As the year passed, and the mainland was busy preparing to deal with the European bumpkins, the Imperial army was moving in full force in the Northern Lands.

In addition to the units already stationed in the Northern Lands, units stationed in the mainland moved to the Northern Lands using iron horses [trains] and ships.

As the Jurchen tribes of the Wild Jurchens, the Haixi Jurchens, and the Jianzhou Jurchens watched the Imperial army preparing step by step, they began to shrink back and observe the situation.

They sensed the faint scent of blood emanating from the increasingly powerful Imperial army.

“Another bloodbath is about to begin….”

“I’m glad I finished registering my household and land in advance.”

“I won’t be able to move around as freely as before, but I’ve gained safety, so is it fortunate?”

They quietly sighed in relief and quietly observed the unfolding situation.

-If we do well, we can seize a great opportunity in the future!

They instinctively knew that a great opportunity had come.

* * *

Five days after the vernal equinox, the Imperial army once again visited the villages of the malcontents.

The Imperial official, having summoned the villagers, separated those with identity plaques from those without.

Once the classification was complete, the official ordered those without identity plaques.

“I will give you one *shichen*! Prepare to leave, having settled all your affairs!”

At the official’s command, those without identity plaques once again knelt down, waving their clasped hands and raising their voices.

“We have already finished sowing! We cannot leave! We will leave immediately after the harvest!”

“Please, allow us to stay until the harvest!”

The unregistered residents pleaded earnestly, but the official did not back down.

“The order will not change! Go inside and settle your affairs immediately!”

At the official’s firm answer, the residents who had been pleading until just now rose from their seats and began to shout.

“Advance the troops!”

At that sight, the Imperial army, which had been waiting, stepped forward, but the resistance of the disobedient residents grew even stronger. The farmers who were leading this effort raised their voices to their neighbors.

“Do not be afraid! No matter how much of an Imperial army they are, they will not be able to use force recklessly!”

“That’s right! Remember the Imperial army’s actions so far! It’s just bluster!”

“Let’s hold out! We must hold out to protect our land! If we leave here now and return to Hebei, we will only become tenant farmers! We must hold out here!”

Ta-ta-ta-tang!

At that moment, the Imperial soldiers simultaneously pulled the trigger. With that one volley of fire, those who had been raising their voices in the front fell to the ground, covered in blood.

With that one volley of fire, the disobedient residents who had been shouting froze on the spot. The Imperial official, with an indifferent expression, ordered those farmers.

“I will give you one *shichen*. Go inside and settle your affairs.”