There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 78

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Yi Seong-gye led his troops north to Gyeongwon without rest that very day.

He even brushed aside my request for a brief respite.

“Speed is paramount in military matters. Now that we’ve decided to mobilize the army, how can we afford to delay even a single day? Run, instead of complaining!”

I distinctly remember him dragging his feet terribly during the Liaodong conquest.

In any case, our current pace was comparable to the rapid retreat from Wihwa Island to Gaegyeong.

Back then, they stormed in after about ten days, right?

“The Grand King has arrived?”

Gyeongwon was thrown into chaos upon the Grand King’s arrival with hundreds of soldiers.

The magistrate, officials, and soldiers within the castle walls were all compelled to come out and greet him.

Baek Dal-won, who oversaw the market affairs, was no exception.

“Please, enter Gyeongwon Castle.”

But Yi Seong-gye simply stated firmly:

“There’s no need for elaborate formalities. I will set up camp and remain outside.

Instead, dispatch messengers to the Jurchen tribes in all directions to announce my arrival.”

Who would dare to disobey his command?

Even more surprising was the Jurchens’ reaction.

As soon as the magistrate relayed the message, the tribal chiefs began to arrive in person, disregarding the considerable distances.

The number reached as many as 27.

“The wild men of Samsan, Dongno-ol, Tomun, and Hyeomjin, from the northern border, have all come to pay their respects to you, Elder.”

Several chieftains bowed to Yi Seong-gye.

The title used was not Grand King but Elder, suggesting a long-standing acquaintance.

“Have you all been well?”

Yi Seong-gye seemed to understand Jurchen, as he inquired heartily without waiting for a translation.

The Jurchens bowed their heads in response.

“Thanks to your concern, Elder.”

“Yes, yes. When the market opens this time, you will all prosper even more. This is a reward for your faithful service as border people of Joseon.”

“We are deeply grateful for your grace, Elder.”

The chieftains then exchanged glances, assessing the situation.

Their concern likely revolved around the items and quantities to be traded at the market.

Just as one of them was about to speak up,

“Actually, I wanted to discuss that matter with you…”

“Wait, before that.”

Yi Seong-gye raised his hand, halting the chieftain’s words.

“Why isn’t Mongke Temur present?”

“…”

Their expressions briefly stiffened, and they fell silent.

I, who was seated next to him and receiving the Jurchen greetings, whispered to Yi Seong-gye.

“Mongke Temur?”

“He’s referring to Maengga Cheopmok-a. In Mongolian, it’s Mongke Temur, and among the Jurchens, they call him Meonteomu.”

Yi Seong-gye explained.

He was the individual the court was concerned about potentially defecting due to the Ming’s [Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1368 to 1644] persuasion.

“Ah, perhaps he is unaware of your arrival, Elder?”

When someone suggested this, Yi Seong-gye called out,

“Lee Boo-ka!”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The person kneeling in the front row quickly stepped forward.

“Your Highness, what Highness. Call me Uncle, as usual.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Yi Seong-gye turned to me and introduced Lee Boo-ka.

“This fellow is the second son of my brother Yi Ji-ran. Ji-ran naturalized to Joseon, but this fellow is in charge of the Samsan chiliarch [military unit of approximately 1,000 soldiers], governing the tribe that Yi Ji-ran used to lead.

Among the Jurchens in this northeast region, he is one of the two most powerful men.”

This Lee Boo-ka, in Hanja [Chinese characters used in Korean], is Lee Yeok-ri Bul-hwa.

He said his Joseon name was Lee Hwa-young.

“This is my grandson. Greet him.”

“I am Gwang-yeong, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Samsan chiliarch.”

We exchanged greetings in Joseon language.

Then Yi Seong-gye declared,

“Hey, don’t you know that Ji-ran and I have sworn brotherhood? We are practically one family, so there’s no need to be so formal with the titles.

Lee Boo-ka, you should treat this child like your own nephew, and the Crown Prince should treat him like a close uncle.”

“Yes, I understand. Should I call you Uncle?”

“Please do. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Nephew.”

Somehow, after this adjustment of titles, the atmosphere seemed considerably warmer.

Was this Yi Seong-gye’s intention all along?

“So, Mongke Temur, or rather, Meonteomu, why hasn’t he shown his face?”

Yi Seong-gye asked Lee Boo-ka.

“I suspect he’s acting suspiciously.”

“Suspicious?”

“He often mentions that when he was young and unemployed, he received the Grand King’s grace and came to lead a group, but the Ming’s persuasion is so persistent that he seems to be wavering.

While you are here, he will remain quiet, but…”

“Once this old man dies, his loyalty will vanish, and there will be nothing to hold him back, so he might just defect.”

Yi Seong-gye concluded.

Lee Boo-ka nodded.

“If I betray Joseon, I will have no face to face my father in the underworld, but others may not feel the same.”

The shoulders of the Jurchen chieftains gathered here flinched at Lee Boo-ka’s words.

Were these people harboring similar thoughts?

“Good, I’m glad I came here.”

Yi Seong-gye slammed the table and said.

He turned to me and whispered,

“See? Your idea of resolving things peacefully is right, but it’s also important to demonstrate some authority from time to time.”

Yi Seong-gye continued.

“Let’s go hunting for the first time in a while.”

===

Ta-ta-tang!

The sound of arquebuses [early type of portable gun] firing tore through the cold air like thunder.

The smoke billowed up, and as soon as the gunshots ceased, the relieving soldiers fired their arquebuses again.

Several dozen beasts that were charging fiercely towards them were reduced to minced meat by the bullets.

The beasts that barely survived and bared their teeth were halted by the spearmen who orderly presented their long spears.

It resembled a well-rehearsed military drill.

The Jurchens, who had scoured the forest and driven a large number of prey towards this location, were awestruck by the spectacle.

Hunting was a daily activity for the Jurchens, but they had never witnessed such a display before.

Once the sound of thunder echoed, only death remained in that place.

“Could you charge forward against those Joseon soldiers?”

“I don’t think I could.”

The Jurchens were filled with amazement.

They had heard rumors about the existence of large cannons, but it was the first time they had seen such individual firearms.

This was the sentiment expressed by those who had seen and heard much, or who possessed logical reasoning, and many Jurchens muttered this while observing the arquebuses.

“The Elder is wielding lightning!”

“If we fight with the Joseon army, our tribe will face utter ruin.”

Even if they somehow managed to breach the firing line, it would not be easy to defeat the Joseon army.

They were witnessing the spearmen repelling the wildly rampaging boars without a single tremor.

“The Joseon army in Gyeongwon must also be armed like that.”

“Since the market is also opening, we should simply accept the rice cakes they offer us instead of harboring other thoughts and suffering severe consequences.”

Lee Je dismissed it as a devaluation, but Yi Seong-gye’s show of force proved to be the most effective means of influencing the Jurchens.

And this held true even for Meonteomu, who had not responded to Yi Seong-gye’s summons.

===

“W-what is this?”

Meonteomu stammered in embarrassment.

The Grand King had traveled all the way to his base in Hoeryeong and was conducting such a grand hunt, so it was impossible for him to be unaware.

Moreover, he had arrived with elite soldiers who seemed to have descended from the heavens.

He was currently out here under the guise of hunting, but if Yi Seong-gye were to immediately lead his soldiers and the Jurchens to attack this place, he would be defenseless.

He doubted that Yi Seong-gye would go to such lengths.

He was so anxious that he couldn’t even sleep.

“Brother, wouldn’t it have been better to respond to the Elder’s summons?”

At his younger brother Beomchal’s words, Meonteomu sighed deeply.

“If it were the old days, I would have done so. But we must consider the future.”

“Do you still harbor the same intentions?”

“How long will the Elder live? Our Jurchens have no connection with his descendants, so we should naturally align ourselves with the Ming.”

No matter how he analyzed the situation, siding with the Ming, considering the prevailing trends, seemed like the right decision.

That’s why Joseon was attempting to appease them by opening the market.

But who could have foreseen that hesitating while worrying about the future would lead to such a predicament?

“Should I go now, even at this late hour?”

“Yes. Don’t mention anything about the Ming and simply apologize for being late due to poor health.”

“Yes, that would be wise. And bring some gifts as an apology.”

Meonteomu also harbored his own ambitions.

However, he dared not oppose Joseon.

At least not while Yi Seong-gye remained healthy.

Meonteomu reluctantly began to move.

===

Hunting.

Yi Seong-gye often went hunting when he was in Hanyang [old name of Seoul, the capital of Korea], but I was too preoccupied with work to accompany him on many occasions.

I didn’t find it particularly enjoyable either.

But participating in it on such an overwhelming scale, mobilizing the Training Command, the Joseon army of Gyeongwon, and even the Jurchens, was undeniably exhilarating.

Catching prey driven by hundreds of beaters in the field was a source of great satisfaction.

“Your Highness, the prey is approaching from that direction!”

“Good!”

I aimed my arquebus at the prey and fired.

The rabbit that leaped up was struck by the shot and collapsed.

“I don’t usually target such young ones.”

I remarked, as I received the arquebus loaded by the soldier next to me.

“You are still too young to hunt the larger beasts.”

“Don’t I have an arquebus?”

“Even if a wild beast is hit by a bullet, it will only become more agitated. Then you will have to confront it with spears and swords, which is far too dangerous.”

Well, regardless of the extent of my special training, my physical stature is still relatively small, making it challenging to engage in strength-based combat.

Just as I was about to turn my horse and move to another location,

I spotted some prey and charged ahead.

My horsemanship was quite proficient, so if I charged out like this, even the escort would struggle to keep up.

At that moment, someone shouted from far behind.

“Y-Your Highness!”

Simultaneously, a subtle chill ran down the back of my neck.

When I turned my head towards the intense gaze, I saw two sharp eyes staring at me from the forest.

“Retreat, Your Highness!”

The owner of those eyes was a bloodied tiger.

Whether it had been driven from another location and sought refuge here, its entire body was covered in wounds.

“Damn it!”

I attempted to turn the horse’s head by pulling on the reins.

– Hihing!

But no matter how much I tugged on the reins, the horse remained unresponsive.

‘Damn it!’

It must have been so terrified by those eyes that it was unable to move, its legs firmly planted on the ground.

I bit my lip.

Should I dismount and flee?

But it was clear that the tiger would quickly overtake me.

“…”

The beast and I faced each other.

The escorts were running hard from behind, but it was uncertain whether the beast would remain still until they arrived.

I slowly grasped the arquebus I had received earlier.

Fortunately, the matchlock was already lit, so all I had to do was pull the trigger.

I mustn’t miss.

As the escort had warned, a wild beast would not die from a single bullet.

Aim carefully, and time it perfectly…

– Grrr!

‘Shit, I’m screwed.’

No, it’s not fair to charge while I’m preparing to shoot.

But the tiger charged towards me regardless.

I quickly aimed at the beast, but no matter how I calculated it, the beast was faster.

It was at that moment.

– Thud

Whether it was due to a previous ankle injury, the tiger’s body momentarily tilted to one side as it ran.

As a result, its speed noticeably decreased for a moment.

I was not one to let that opportunity pass.

“Now!”

– Bang!

The bullet pierced between the tiger’s eyebrows.

The tiger, which had been rushing towards me, rolled its eyes in all directions at that instant, but it was unable to overcome its momentum.

In a fleeting moment, the tiger, whose brain must have been dead, lunged at me and the horse.

The tiger’s heavy weight crushed me.

“Keuk!”

“Your Highness!”

The startled escorts ran from behind and seized the tiger’s corpse.

“Keuk, qu-quickly, get it, off…”

The world turned yellow due to my shortness of breath.

Fortunately, the escorts managed to remove the tiger before I was crushed to death.

‘A dead tiger covered a living Crown Prince.’

I almost died for a truly absurd reason.

That was a testament to the tiger’s unwavering determination.

It was truly a formidable adversary.

‘But I won.’

Wait, this is not the time for such thoughts.

I could see Joseon soldiers and Jurchens running from all directions, having heard the news of my peril.

I hastily drew my sword from my waist and plunged it into the tiger’s nape.

And then I shouted triumphantly.

“I caught the tiger!”

It was a fluke, though.

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ⓒ Pitkong