There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 222

< War Game >

“When did I say it would be soon? Maybe in a few decades…”

Lee Seong-gye scratched his age spots as he spoke.

With the Yongle Emperor [Zhu Di, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty] showing off his majesty as a true Son of Heaven and sending troops everywhere, Lee Seong-gye seemed to be changing his tune.

‘A few decades from now, even if he’s wrong, no one can argue with him, right?’

I sighed as I watched Lee Seong-gye, who kept repeating like a parrot that the Ming Dynasty coin would crash someday.

“Then, are you confident you can win if the Ming army fights with one arm tied behind their back?”

At my question, Lee Seong-gye gave a confident smile.

“Of course. Wasn’t my original intention to advance into Liaodong [a northeastern province of China] by taking advantage of the Ming Dynasty’s divisions?”

Lee Seong-gye thumped his chest confidently, but I shook my head.

“Then, would you like to make a bet?”

“Good. But in what way? It’s not like we can fight the Ming Dynasty right now.”

“Do you think I’d do something that would ruin the country? Of course, it’s a mock battle.”

Have you ever heard of a war game?

===

The Supreme Military Council.

It’s an organization that oversees all military affairs in early Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897], easily thought of as the Joint Chiefs of Staff of this era.

Therefore, the people gathered here are all influential figures in the military.

Somehow, familiar faces caught my eye.

‘The biggest problem for Father is control over the military.’

Lee Seong-gye, who was a legendary martial artist himself since the Goryeo Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 918 to 1392], held a position where the military had no choice but to obey even if he just cleared his throat. However, for Lee Bang-won, who ousted him and ascended to the throne, the cooperation of other martial groups was essential.

‘So, he had no choice but to bring in the royal relatives.’

The royal relatives, who were founding contributors, each had their own private soldiers, and prestigious families that had continued since the Goryeo Dynasty also had a foot in the military.

Lee Bang-won granted them privileges while gradually filling the military with his own close aides through the abolition of private soldiers and personnel reforms.

The most representative example was Jo Young-mu, the training commander who came from Gabyeolcho [elite military unit] and swore allegiance to Lee Bang-won.

And Ma Cheon-mok, a rising martial artist who sided with Lee Bang-won during the Princes’ Rebellion.

By having these rising martial artists, who could only rely on the king’s favor, seize real power in the military, he aimed to stabilize the regime.

‘It’s not good to think like this, but the two of them don’t have much of a background.’

Ma Cheon-mok was a case of rising to prominence through meritorious service as a local martial artist, and Jo Young-mu’s family was not very distinguished either.

Therefore, Lee Bang-won found it easy to use them to suppress the existing forces appropriately.

In any case, since Lee Bang-won’s close aides held real power in the Supreme Military Council, they listened to my words as the Crown Prince.

“So…”

“You’re saying we should move these pieces and have a mock war?”

“That’s right.”

What I created was a board war game.

I remember playing a war game in a similar format when I went to a board game cafe in the past.

Of course, it’s a much simpler and scaled-down version for the sake of gameplay, but wouldn’t this be enough for the current era?

“Oh ho. You’ve made it quite detailed.”

“Since His Highness has created a game where we can directly discuss military strategies, I can guess how knowledgeable you are in military tactics.”

“Jo Kuo [Zhao Kuo, a general of Zhao during the Warring States period of China] was also knowledgeable in military tactics on paper.”

Lee Seong-gye snorted and naturally put me down.

“But weren’t you defeated by me during Jo Sa-ui’s Rebellion?”

Who was it that was captured and brought to the capital without even lifting a finger?

“Y-you…! I was sick back then…”

“Yes, yes. I heard your excuse.”

“Let’s see how well you do in this damn game!”

I’m not afraid of people who say ‘we’ll see’.

===

Even if I am a once-in-a-lifetime genius who is good at everything, I can’t compete with the veteran Lee Seong-gye in military strategy.

‘My insight is limited to the squad leader level.’

Therefore, naturally, I had no choice but to recruit an experienced veteran to assist me.

Lee Suk-beon, who was hastily summoned, asked with a bewildered expression.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I need to win against the King Father in war, and I called you because I need your help.”

“…”

Lee Suk-beon looked at me as if he had heard some kind of treasonous plot, but he calmed down only after hearing the explanation.

“So, it’s like the game that Sun Tzu [ancient Chinese general and strategist] used to play, called Myosan [temple name]?”

“That’s right.”

It seems there were rudimentary war games in the past as well.

‘I can trust Lee Suk-beon, right?’

I called him because he has no choice but to come and go as I please, but he is also a surprisingly talented person in the military.

Even though his personality is terrible, he has talent in both literary and military affairs, and he played a role during the Princes’ Rebellion and later had a successful career in the military, so he is suitable to be used as a strategist.

“Your Highness, you must not divide your forces and advance.”

But this old man doesn’t know anything.

Because my war game takes into account supply issues, I can’t just push 100,000 troops down one road.

Since we were in charge of the Ming army, we divided into four groups in the east, west, south, and north and advanced towards the Joseon army.

And after a while.

“Enemy appearance in the front!”

“What…?”

I had advanced to attack Lee Seong-gye, who was building a fortress in the Gyebun area, leaving troops in the rear, but the enemy had taken us from behind.

At Noh Bun’s cry, who ran in from the next room, Lee Suk-beon placed the enemy’s piece on the board.

“The enemy has read our movements.”

“Then how should we respond?”

“First of all, we have no choice but to fight back. Considering the remaining action power, if we hold out until the next two turns, the main force can retreat and join us.”

“Hmm.”

As I delivered the order through Noh Bun, he ran back into the next room, and after a while, he came out with the results.

“Hee hee, this is the battle result from the Supreme Military Council.”

The movements of us and the opponent are only clearly read by the officials of the Supreme Military Council in the central room.

The method was to deliver orders from both sides to the central room, and the Supreme Military Council would move them and roll the dice to determine the damage.

“How did it go?”

“The enemy has taken the side of the Seogun [Western Army]! Our army is devastated! Annihilated!”

“Huh.”

How did the dice roll to destroy the Seogun in one shot?

One of the four armies was annihilated without even using its strength properly.

‘Is this right?’

I glared at Lee Suk-beon.

Lee Suk-beon said, sweating profusely.

“Ah, the Samnogun [Northern Army] is still left, Your Highness.”

“Damn it, this game sucks.”

I muttered like that.

Still, our forces are more dominant than the enemy’s.

I could clearly see Lee Seong-gye smiling in the next room, but I quickly shook my head and moved the pieces.

All we have in front of us are our pieces and some of the opponent’s pieces that we have already discovered.

The rest was dark as if covered in fog.

I need a map hack.

“No, where did these forces come from again?”

This time, I carefully moved the Buknogun [Northern Army], but while confronting the Jurchen army [nomadic people inhabiting the region northeast of China], the Joseon army that had crushed the Seogun pushed in and crushed the Buknogun as well.

“No, aren’t you giving too much credit to the Joseon army?”

The answer from the Supreme Military Council when I protested.

“Our army has matchlocks [early type of firearm], so the Supreme Military Council has determined that it can give that much impact in the early battles.”

As the developer of matchlocks, I can’t refute this.

Also, it is true that Joseon was shocked once during the Japanese Invasion of Korea, so I have nothing to say.

However, seeing Lee Suk-beon, who was stunned to see half of his forces disappear in an instant, I rubbed my forehead.

‘I shouldn’t have trusted someone like Lee Suk-beon.’

Because I unfolded the Saro Byeongjin [strategy] for nothing, half of my forces were lost, and the rest were being defeated one by one.

In the end, the entire Liaodong region was won by the Joseon army led by Lee Seong-gye.

The Ming army, which mobilized as many as 100,000 troops, was defeated in Liaodong, but the Joseon army’s damage was truly a great victory that was not even 10%.

I heard my grandfather’s cheers from the next room.

“Did you see? You said you’d give me a big nosebleed, but what happened in the end?”

Lee Seong-gye, who jumped in, shouted.

“You rascal. How can you push troops in so blindly? Even a child who has finished elementary school would catch you.”

I said with a gloomy expression.

“A large army doesn’t need tactics.”

“After Liaodong was captured, all those large armies became ghosts in the Hun River?”

“And you can’t come in already because it’s not over yet.”

Only then did Lee Seong-gye flinch at the unknown smile on my face.

“S-surely?”

I started picking up the pieces set as the Ming army and placing them on the board one by one.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty is a scam is not because these guys are good at war itself.

It’s just because they have a ridiculously large number of people and are rich.

“I will raise hundreds of thousands of troops again from Henan, Shandong, and Nanjing, and bring in the equipment that was piled up in Gangnam.”

“T-there’s no such thing.”

I replied to Lee Seong-gye’s protest.

“Isn’t this how the Ming Dynasty guys will actually fight? We have to be realistic.”

It’s not the end of the Ming Dynasty, which has gone mad, but now it’s the heyday when the Yongle Emperor is raising troops like crazy.

‘Whether the country collapses or not.’

I kept pouring hundreds of thousands of troops into Liaodong.

The Joseon army’s damage continued to accumulate, and the burden of supply became severe due to the endless war, and they had no choice but to give up all the occupied territories and retreat inside the Yalu River.

Then, while confronting the Yalu River, I sent 10,000 cavalry to completely submerge the Bukgye area.

“Y-you bastard!”

I heard Lee Seong-gye’s lament from the next room.

As the Jurchen, who was in charge of the Ming war, collapsed, the war situation completely solidified, and I launched a massive offensive.

Lee Seong-gye broke the troops trying to cross the Yalu River several times, but I continued to deploy the Ming army.

In the meantime, the Joseon army melted away like clothes getting wet in the drizzle.

As a result.

I smiled as I looked at Hanyang [old name for Seoul], where the Ming army’s horse had arrived.

“Kahaha! I finally destroyed Joseon!”

Lee Seong-gye tried to move the capital to Andong, but even the troops in the south had already melted away.

If you want to fight to the death, run away to Jeju Island over there.

Even if I chase you to the end of the land and launch a ship.

Eventually, Lee Seong-gye raised the white flag.

“As expected, there’s no way Joseon can stand up to the Ming Dynasty!”

I clenched my fist and shouted.

Then Noh Bun and Lee Suk-beon gave a lukewarm look from the side.

“…Ahem. Anyway, I won.”

I said with a dry cough.

When I think about it, it’s not a good result at all.

It means that even if a great general like Lee Seong-gye commands, he will eventually be pushed back by the amount.

‘I knew this result would come out from the beginning…’

It tastes bitter.

When I went to the Supreme Military Council in the center, officials including Ma Cheon-mok were diligently recording the progress of the war.

“You said you’d fight with one arm tied behind your back, you bastard! What kind of horses are coming out endlessly even if you kill them?”

Lee Seong-gye strode up and grabbed my shoulder and shook it.

It’s like questioning a scam map user.

It’s a problem because it’s actually a scam map.

However, I answered calmly.

“I fought with one arm tied behind my back.”

There’s no way the Ming Dynasty, which is simultaneously carrying out Zheng He’s expedition [series of voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa], the Annam conquest [Ming’s invasion of Dai Viet], and the Mongol expedition, can’t do this much.

Lee Seong-gye had nothing to say in response.

===

“There is no chance of winning by fighting country to country…”

Lee Bang-won said that after receiving the report from the Supreme Military Council.

He had heard that his son had created something ingenious again, but he didn’t know it would be such a game.

It was too shocking to dismiss it as a simple game.

“Is it credible?”

“The gods think that almost similar results will come out in reality.”

“Huh.”

Lee Bang-won said while examining the gibo [record of a board game (chess, go, etc.)].

Even at a glance, it was quite detailed for a virtual game.

So, if this can be used, it will be helpful to the military.