Chapter 85: Jurchen (2)
After the battle ended, Im Gyeong-seok and his subordinates loaded the few surviving villagers, livestock, Jurchen corpses, and spoils of war onto carts, preparing to move to the rear. Watching the survivors board the carts, one subordinate with a sorrowful expression spoke to Im Gyeong-seok.
"They're all just children."
"Because children are the only ones worth money."
The faces of Im Gyeong-seok and the cavalrymen grew dark as they conversed.
Jurchen raids were essentially hit-and-run affairs.
To strike frontier settlements or small villages near the border, loot, and quickly escape, adults were simply in the way.
Furthermore, Ming merchants who purchased the captured Koreans also preferred children.
Children were easier to handle since they couldn't easily resist, and some Ming subjects preferred young boys and girls over adult women.
"Burial work is complete."
"Is that so?"
Im Gyeong-seok looked at two grave mounds rising softly among the houses that had been burned to ash. These were graves where the Koreans killed by the Jurchen were buried, separated by gender.
Im Gyeong-seok bowed his head toward the mounds for a brief moment of silence, then mounted his horse.
"We return!"
"We return!"
Im Gyeong-seok's unit, now enlarged to include the horses the Jurchen had ridden, began slowly moving toward their garrison.
* * *
"Your Majesty, a memorial has come from Pyeongan Province."
"A memorial?"
"It reports a Jurchen raid."
At the Chief State Councillor's brief report, Sejong hastily reached out to take the memorial and untied its knot.
"Oh my... This cannot be."
Reading the memorial's contents with trembling hands, Sejong held it out to the Chief State Councillor.
"Please read it."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After the Chief State Councillor, the other ministers also took turns reading the memorial.
Once all ministers had read it, Sejong spoke.
"Though those who suffered this tragedy were squatters who擅自 opened swidden fields without permission, they are certainly subjects of our Joseon. The garrison commander dispatched to that region has requested punitive action, and the Pyeongan Province Military Commander is also asking for permission. What do you ministers think?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hwang Hui posed a question to the Minister of War, Kim Yeo-ji.
"Which tribe did the Jurchen who attacked the village belong to?"
"Based on the decorations on the dead ones' saddles and their hair ornaments, they have been identified as a branch of the Donggwa tribe."
"Isn't the Donggwa tribe quite large? Can it be done with the currently deployed forces?"
At Hwang Hui's question, Kim Yeo-ji answered briefly.
"We're not facing the entire Donggwa tribe, and given the difference in military strength shown in this battle, it is certainly possible."
"Hmm..."
"If we delay further, the rainy season will begin, making punitive expeditions difficult."
The Minister of War came forward supporting immediate punitive action. However, Sejong could not easily make a decision.
"Since ancient times, it is said that when one obtains a good sword, one wishes to wield it. Might we be committing the folly of alerting the enemy by acting rashly?"
At Sejong's point, Kim Yeo-ji answered immediately.
"The Jurchen are like old foxes. If we do not respond properly, they look down on us and keep attacking, but if we show strength, they bow their heads and request trade. Showing them proper force is a good strategy for the future as well."
Stroking his beard while pondering the Minister of War's answer, Sejong made his decision.
"Very well. Inform the Pyeongan Province Military Commander that permission is granted. However, the current forces seem somewhat weak, so order the General Staff Headquarters to select and merge appropriate units from the Military Training Directorate and each garrison in Pyeongan Province that have received the new chongtongs and cannons. Also, convey that staying more than one month after crossing the Yalu River is not permitted."
At Sejong's command, the Minister of War answered while bowing deeply.
"I shall obey the command!"
After issuing orders to the Ministry of War, Sejong turned his gaze to the ministers.
"Ministers, hear me."
"We shall listen with reverence!"
"While we are demanding accountability from the Jurchen, the fact remains that we are crossing the border. Ming may use this to criticize us, so prepare an appropriate response and send an envoy to the Ming Empire."
"We shall obey the command!"
Thus, Operation 'Revenge' was launched.
Upon hearing that forces were being assembled to punish the Jurchen, many military officers at the Military Training Directorate competed to volunteer.
"Please send me!"
"No, please send me! I will stake my life on making this operation successful!"
The faces of the officers requesting assignment overflowed with confidence.
There was a reason for the officers' self-assurance. They trusted the performance of the new weapons they had grown accustomed to handling.
And the report from the Yalu River further heightened their confidence.
A single company had annihilated twice their number of Jurchen without any casualties, without artillery support and without even using long chongtongs.
For that merit, the officer who commanded the company, Junior Officer Im Gyeong-seok, was slated for promotion.
'I cannot miss this opportunity either!'
Not wanting to miss the heaven-sent opportunity, the military officers at the Military Training Directorate competed to be sent.
* * *
"Beile. We've been hit again."
"Where?"
"Aguda."
"Damn it! How many have we lost now?"
"12 boigun."
"Damn it!"
Crash!
At his subordinate's report, the Beile of the Saruta tribe overturned the table before him.
For the large and small tribes under the Donggwa tribe, this Joseon punitive expedition was like a 'club striking out of nowhere in the middle of the night.' Six Joseon military groups, each composed of about 400 cavalry and 100 artillerymen, were painting the residential areas of the Donggwa tribe and nearby tribes with blood.
Caught off guard by the sudden Joseon attack, the tribal leaders of the Donggwa tribe prepared defenses while busily moving to understand the reason.
And the reason they discovered was remarkably simple.
"A branch boigun—no, ones barely worth calling a boigun—looted some ten Korean houses, and this is retaliation?"
"...That is correct."
The Beile of the Saruta tribe wore a hollow expression.
Since the Joseon punitive expedition began, nearly a month had passed, and over 12 boigun had been exterminated. And these were 12 boigun of scale that couldn't even compare to the boigun that had caused the incident.
Almost one boigun disappeared every two days.
It was the Donggwa tribe under attack who grew desperate. For them, who lived half-farming and half-pastoral lives, this was the time when they had to stake everything on farming. If they missed this timing, they would face terrible circumstances in the coming winter.
To resolve the situation, the Beiles of the Donggwa tribe, including the Beile of the Saruta tribe, requested mediation from Ming.
However, the response from Ming was 'impossible.'
-Joseon has already sent a state letter. Since this is a justified act in response to damage suffered by Joseon, there is no grounds for intervention.
Receiving Ming's response, the Beiles of the Donggwa tribe had to grind their teeth.
"Would it not be good to form a niru even now?"
"If the men are pulled away, farming is finished."
"If we select only some..."
"Did you not see the Joseon army's military strength? If we do not commit our full forces, we will be defeated!"
The Beiles who gathered to find countermeasures offered various opinions, but they could not find a good solution and were deeply troubled.
There were three main reasons for their distress.
First, as mentioned, it was the busy farming season. No matter how much they mobilized women and slaves, proper farming was impossible without men. In such a situation, they could not spare warriors for the already destroyed boigun.
Second was the Joseon army's military strength. The Joseon army conducted operations with the aim of killing as many Jurchen as possible. As a result, there were almost no survivors where the Joseon army had swept through. Most survivors barely found were either suffering severe mental breakdowns or were so critically injured they could not speak properly.
Even so, based on information barely obtained, the Joseon army was actively utilizing cannons.
Few Beiles were willing to sacrifice their precious warriors to face the Joseon army that had become incomparably stronger than before.
The last reason was deeply connected to the second. It was because of Olanghap, who was confronting them nearby. The Donggwa tribe and Olanghap had been in constant conflict.
In this situation, if they lost military strength trying to face the Joseon army, Olanghap would not simply let it pass.
* * *
"Beile, Tunggure Khan has regained consciousness."
Unable to contain his anger, the Beile of Saruta hurriedly stepped outside.
The place the Beile of Saruta headed was the house of a Ming physician in the village.
Though he had been brought almost by kidnapping, over time he was now called 'Wang Xiansheng' and was respected.
"Wang Xiansheng, how is he?"
At the Beile's question, Wang Xiansheng, who was wiping his blood-stained hands with cloth, shook his head.
"It is difficult. I have controlled the pain with opium, but he will not last long. If there is something he wishes to say, it would be best to hear it now."
At Wang Xiansheng's words, the Beile hurriedly walked to the bed. The Beile took the hand of Tunggure Khan, who was breathing shallowly, and called to him in a gentle voice.
"Brother, can you hear me?"
"Oh, brother... I am glad to see you before I die."
"I will surely avenge you."
At the Beile's words, Tunggure Khan weakly shook his head.
"Do not... The Joseon ones..."
Struggling to continue speaking, Tunggure Khan passed away without finishing his words.
The Beile, who had lowered the hand he had been holding, looked back at Wang Xiansheng.
"How could this..."
"I heard the Joseon army used cannons."
"That is correct."
"It seems they used not just cannons but chongtongs as well."
At Wang Xiansheng's words, the Beile examined Tunggure Khan's bloodied body. Seeing the body full of holes, the Beile shook his head.
"Chongtongs? I have seen them. They could not even aim properly... It must have been bad luck."
"Chongtongs are not common items, so perhaps they did not expect it?"
"Haa..."
At Wang Xiansheng's answer, the Beile let out a sigh.
"Beile."
Wang Xiansheng, who stopped the Beile from turning to leave, warned in a quiet voice.
"I hear the Joseon army is returning. Do not act rashly. I have no desire to live as a slave to another tribe at this age."
"...I understand."
After leaving Wang Xiansheng's house, the Beile kicked a stone on the ground with all his might.
"Damn it! What kind of dog-like situation is this!"
Meanwhile, Wang Xiansheng, having seen the Beile out, picked up a bowl set aside and examined its contents.
Inside the bowl were many blood-stained iron balls and iron fragments.
"These are too small for projectiles used in chongtongs... And these iron fragments, what on earth..."
What made Wang Xiansheng ponder were the fragments of the Bigyeokjincheonroe.
Facing a puzzle he could not easily solve, Wang Xiansheng wore a deeply furrowed brow. In his mind lingered the words that Tunggure Khan had repeatedly shouted while in a delirious state.
"What does it mean that Joseon has obtained the power of a dragon..."
* * *
The Joseon army, having completed the operation and returned across the Yalu River, immediately wrote a memorial and sent it to Hanyang.
Sejong, having received and read the memorial, laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Our Joseon soldiers have achieved a great victory! A great victory! What a joyous occasion!"
As Sejong rejoiced, the ministers all bowed their heads and cried out.
"We offer our congratulations!"
"Thank you, truly thank you!"
Sejong lightly raised his hand in acknowledgment and summarized the situation.
"Through this punitive expedition, we have subdued 12 large and small tribes, including the insolent ones who crossed the border to loot. This should keep the Yalu River area quiet for a while, should it not?"
In response to Sejong's question, the Minister of War answered with a deep bow.
"They will not dare cross the Yalu River for some time."
"That should be the case. However, if we let our guard down, we may suffer harm at any time, so order that surveillance of the border be strengthened."
"I shall obey the command."
"And have you prepared compensation for those who achieved merit in this operation and for those who died or were injured?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Those who achieved merit will have their ranks raised according to their deeds, and those who died or were injured will be provided grain and goods monthly according to the newly established law. Additionally, among the bereaved families, those who wish to take the civil or military examinations will receive support."
Nodding at the Minister of War's answer, Sejong added.
"Not only the honors for the casualties but also pay attention to their living conditions. They became so while fighting to protect this Joseon, so we must treat them properly. Only then will others be willing to stake their lives, will they not?"
"We shall bear this firmly in mind."
Sejong, who did not forget to give final instructions, moved on to the next matter.
"The Jurchen around the Yalu River will be quiet for a while, but will the Haixi and Wild Jurchen also be so?"
In response to Sejong's question, Hwang Hui stepped forward.
"As time passes, rumors will spread there as well, so they will not move rashly either."
"If possible, I hope they are even frightened... That way, they will listen well when we call them in autumn, would they not?"
"That is so."
Sejong gave firm instructions to the ministers.
"The matter with the Jurchen has only just begun. Proceed systematically and surely so that our Joseon's 'Eastward Advance' can be carried out without hindrance. Do not forget that this is a grand plan our Joseon must surely accomplish."
"We shall bear this firmly in mind!"