Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 816

816. Battle for Tenochtitlan (2)

The Conquistadors’ advance toward Tenochtitlan was fierce and relentless.

The Conquistadors’ fervor stemmed not so much from confidence in victory, but from their deep-seated animosity toward the Mexica people.

This animosity was fueled by witnessing firsthand the horrific acts of cannibalism.

For the volunteer soldiers who made up the majority of the Conquistadors, as well as the professional soldiers who commanded them, cannibalism was a thing of the ‘distant past’.

* * *

Records of cannibalism existed in the Empire [Korea] as well.

From the Gojoseon era, through the ancient Three Kingdoms period, the North-South States period of Unified Silla and Balhae, the Later Three Kingdoms period, and Goryeo, up to the chaotic times at the end of the Goryeo and the beginning of the Joseon dynasties.

Those who could not farm due to famine, epidemics, civil wars, or foreign invasions resorted to cannibalism as a last resort.

And those who recorded these events mostly added sentences like this at the end of their records.

-Parents eat their children, and children eat their parents; I cannot help but feel miserable.

Cannibalism was a method chosen only as the very last resort for survival, and those who engaged in it knew it was a great sin, so they could not help but feel miserable.

However, for the generation that underwent the reforms and the generations after that, famine and foreign invasions were relegated to the history books.

Through extensive water management projects, dams and reservoirs were properly built throughout the country. Dredging projects were carried out in large and small rivers, deepening the water level and reducing flood damage.

As water resources were systematically managed, the supply of waterways and waterwheels, which had been unthinkable before, greatly increased.

With sufficient water supplied through waterways and waterwheels, rice transplanting became widespread, and rice production greatly increased.

This was not the end.

In the early years of King Sejong’s reign, famines were frequent. However, with the active intervention of the Hyang [local gentry], the court’s response was different from the past.

Envoys were sent to Ming [China] to seek understanding, and then a large amount of grain was purchased from the Jiangnan region of Ming.

And the grain purchased in this way was not simply distributed.

Only those whose names were registered in the government’s census were eligible to receive relief rice.

This was to prevent the occurrence of displaced people.

Even those who were registered in the census did not simply receive it. They had to participate in various civil engineering projects carried out by the state and receive it as compensation.

In this way, the court was able to quickly carry out water management projects that required a lot of manpower.

Through this method, a stable food supply became possible, and ‘cannibalism’ became something that only existed in records for the people of the Empire.

* * *

The Conquistadors, united by animosity toward the Mexica people, who were ‘not even human, or rather, should not be treated as humans,’ headed relentlessly toward Tenochtitlan.

They were in a mood to crush everything that stood in their way, but there were some unexpected complications.

The cause was the conflict with the native tribes they encountered on the way to Tenochtitlan.

Seeing the large army of the Conquistadors advancing, the native tribes chose one of two options.

Flee or fight.

To the natives who had suffered under the Mexica people, the Conquistadors they saw for the first time were regarded as just another group of Mexica people.

“Those guys will eat us too!”

The native tribes who misjudged in this way fled or rushed at the Conquistadors.

To avoid unexpected clashes, Yi Jing-ok mobilized native defectors to persuade them.

However, not many native tribes trusted the words of the Conquistadors.

The natives, full of distrust, rushed at the Conquistadors, and the Conquistadors mercilessly suppressed them.

In the face of the Conquistadors’ overwhelming firepower, the native warriors died meaninglessly, and the surviving natives scattered and fled in all directions.

And through these fleeing people, the fear of the Conquistadors spread in all directions.

Through the rumors that spread in this way, more and more tribes, especially those with some size and the leaders of tribal alliances, fell into deep 고민 [worry; dilemma].

-Resistance or surrender.

If the rumors were true, resistance was meaningless. But if they surrendered, they would have to suffer from other cannibals besides the Mexica people.

“What should we do…”

While the tribal leaders were 고민 [worrying], the envoys sent by Yi Jing-ok visited with native defectors.

“What is their business?”

In response to the leaders’ questions, the defectors answered on behalf of the envoys.

“It is to punish the Mexica people together with the Empire.”

“Is that all?”

“No. All human sacrifices must be stopped, and cannibalism must also be prohibited. Also, you must follow the laws and systems of the Empire.”

“Stop human sacrifice and cannibalism?”

“Yes. Under no circumstances is human sacrifice and cannibalism allowed.”

“Hmm…”

The leaders’ faces became troubled at the defectors’ answer.

They, who believed in the same gods as the Mexica people, could not escape human sacrifice either.

The only difference was that they did not sacrifice people on a large scale and practice cannibalism like the Mexica people.

Knowing the leaders’ 고민 [worries], the defector conveyed the envoy’s words.

“The Emperor of the Empire said, ‘How can a god who accepts people as sacrifices and tolerates people eating people be a good god?'”

“Hmm…”

“Also, the Retired Emperor, the father of His Majesty the Emperor, also said this. ‘The Mexica people said that the sun rises the next day thanks to the people they sacrificed, but the Empire does not believe in such gods, and the sun still rises well.'”

“The sun still rises well…”

Listening to Wan’s words conveyed by the defector, the leaders became even more 시름 [grief-stricken].

“How long do we have to give an answer?”

“I will wait three days.”

“I understand.”

After hearing the leaders’ answers, the envoys and defectors returned to the Conquistadors’ main camp.

After the Conquistadors’ envoy left, the leaders had a fierce debate.

The biggest justification for those who advocated resistance to the Conquistadors was the Empire’s ‘prohibition of cannibalism, prohibition of human sacrifice’ and ‘questions about God’.

“How can those who do not properly know the gods we believe in discuss good and bad gods!”

“We have lived peacefully until now because we sacrificed people!”

What those who opposed this put forward as justification was smallpox, which they called ‘the curse’.

“We have worked so hard to offer sacrifices, but we have not been able to lift the curse! Is a god who cannot lift or prevent the curse a good god!”

“Insulting God is 불경 [blasphemy]!”

The fierce confrontation between the two sides often led to bloodshed.

And in cases where this confrontation was severe, things happened that even the Conquistadors did not expect.

“What is this…”

The Conquistadors’ envoy and defectors, who visited the tribe again on the appointed date, were 황당한 [dumbfounded].

Because the tribe’s residential area was full of corpses. Most of them were warriors, who could be said to be the core of their strength.

Most of the survivors were only young children, women, and the elderly.

The reactions of the warriors who survived the bloody struggle were twofold.

“We will accept your proposal.”

One was to accept the Conquistadors’ proposal with a tired face, and the other was.

“We will not accept your proposal. But we will not fight either!”

It was to shout this with a face full of 증오 [hatred] and lead the surviving tribesmen away.

The worst case was to promise surrender and cooperation, approach, and then ambush.

However, this ambush ended with the attackers being annihilated by the concentrated fire of the 병식 [military-style] machine guns that had been prepared just in case.

* * *

It was after the Tlaxcaltec natives contacted the Conquistadors that the native forces began to participate in the attack on Tenochtitlan in earnest.

When they first heard the rumors about the approach of foreigners, the reaction of the Tlaxcaltec leaders was similar to that of other native tribes.

“They are coming to eat us! Let’s fight!”

“Even if we just surrender, we will be eaten, and even if we lose, we will be eaten! Let’s fight and die!”

This strong reaction began to falter as new rumors about the Conquistadors were heard over time.

“They prohibit cannibalism?”

“They also prohibit human sacrifice?”

“They came to punish the Mexica놈들 [bastards]?”

The Tlaxcaltec leaders’ attention was focused on the last rumor they heard.

-They came to punish the Mexica놈들 [bastards].

The Tlaxcaltecs were the ones who had suffered the most damage from the Mexica people who had nested in Tenochtitlan. Therefore, the animosity they had toward the Mexica people was beyond imagination.

“It might be okay to join hands with the foreigners…”

“But…”

The reason why they hesitated to ally with the Conquistadors was also the issue of religion.

They were in a situation where they suffered the most from the Mexica people’s human sacrifices, but they also sacrificed people. The only difference was the scale and frequency.

While the Tlaxcaltec leaders were 고민 [worrying], the Conquistadors’ envoy visited them.

The requirements conveyed by the envoy and the defectors were much the same as what they had heard in the rumors.

The deadline presented by the Conquistadors was getting closer and closer, but the leaders could not easily come to a conclusion.

In response, the young warriors rose up.

“We must join hands with the foreigners!”

“We must not miss the opportunity to avenge the Mexica놈들 [bastards]!”

“Is there anything wrong with what they said? Is a god who cannot prevent or lift the curse a god!”

The young warriors were distrustful of the gods they had believed in until now.

This was because of the curse that had swept through the area, starting with Tenochtitlan last time.

As the curse spread, the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan sacrificed more people than ever before, but they could not stop the curse.

And many people in Tlaxcalteca, who could not avoid the curse that had spread in this way, lost their lives or were disfigured.

The young warriors who lost their families or acquaintances to this onrushing curse began to doubt the gods they believed in.

And the rumors about the Conquistadors also stimulated them.

If they joined hands with the Conquistadors, who had defeated the Mexica people, the strongest in this area, it was certain that they would be able to avenge the grudges they had suffered until now.

These factors 쌓여 [accumulated, piled up] the young warriors rose up.

The leaders, under pressure from the young warriors, eventually decided to ally with the Conquistadors.

One of the leaders who made the decision smiled bitterly and muttered.

“‘Is a god who can’t stop the curse a god?’… It’s not wrong…”

* * *

As the leaders decided to ally, about 10,000 Tlaxcaltec warriors joined the Conquistadors.

And they were the beginning.

-Tlaxcalteca has joined hands with the foreigners!

As rumors about Tlaxcalteca’s choice spread, many surrounding tribes made similar decisions.

“This is our chance for revenge!”

“Those foreigners might be able to do it!”

The tribes who sensed that the opportunity for revenge had come quickly decided to ally with the Conquistadors and sent warriors.

As the alliance of native tribes accelerated in this way, the Conquistadors grew larger and larger at an increasingly rapid pace.

After confirming the situation, Yi Jing-ok turned to the aide and joked.

“I guess that’s why they say don’t live a life of sin.”

The aide nodded at Yi Jing-ok’s words.

“That’s right.”

This was also the case for the Conquistadors’ soldiers.

“How much crazy짓 [crap; nonsense] have they done in the meantime for this to happen…”

“Well, if you look at the 꼴 [state; sight] we saw on the way…”