Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 84

There had been plenty of unpleasant incidents, such as the fire disaster in Hanyang and its recovery, Kim Doryeon’s rigged lawsuit, and bribery case, but the daily affairs and good things continued without interruption.

Among these ongoing matters, Princess Jeonghye’s search for her husband, which had been suspended, resumed as well.

In the palace room where the queen resided, Sejong and Queen Soheon were conversing with tea cups between them.

“How is your body?”

“It’s still alright.”

“The childbirth is near, according to the doctor. I’ve told my doctors, and you must be cautious too, Your Majesty.”

“I’m sorry.”

As the birth of the prince was approaching, Sejong had been focusing on Queen Soheon’s care, instructing his doctors to pay close attention.

The conversation about the child soon to be born naturally turned to Princess Jeonghye’s wedding.

“She won’t throw a tantrum again, will she?”

“She’s not a child anymore, is she? Rather, she seemed to be looking forward to it.”

“Indeed… I feel both relieved and disappointed…”

At Queen Soheon’s reply, Sejong spoke with an expression of mixed feelings.

Seeing this, Queen Soheon smiled and said, “Sending children off when the time comes is the natural course of things, isn’t it?”

“That’s true, but… Sigh~.”

Sejong, letting out a small sigh, changed the subject.

“After sending Jeonghye off, we must prepare for the Crown Prince’s wedding too, right?”

“That’s true. It’s going to be busy.”

“Things just turned out this way.”

Sejong briefly replied and then prayed with a sincere expression.

“I hope that only good things continue to happen from now on.”

“If His Majesty wishes so earnestly, it will surely be so.”

* * *

Near the Amnok River¹.

A group of Joseon cavalry, dressed in new armor covered with green fabric, was moving quickly.

They were heading north, where black smoke had been rising for some time.

“Could it be the work of the Jurchens?”

“Isn’t it too late in the season to start a fire?”

To his subordinate’s question, Training First Officer Lim Gyeong-seok answered in a firm voice.

“I agree with you. Is this good luck or bad luck?”

“I feel the same.”

At the grumbling of his subordinate, Lim Gyeong-seok nodded.

With the supply of new weapons created in Area 51 and the reform of the military system, the Training Academy was expanded and reorganized.

Their task was to develop tactics to make the best use of newly developed weapons, and to train soldiers.

The talented ones, not only in strength but also in intelligence, were assigned to the Training Academy from both central and local armies.

Even ordinary soldiers and armorers were the same. Talented individuals from the army across the country, including the 12 divisions defending the capital, were selected and gathered in the Training Academy.

Their straightforward mission was simple but not easy, leading to significant rewards for those who completed it.

They all received nation-sponsored equipment and wages, and those above the rank of armorer were promised at least a one-grade promotion.

Thanks to these tangible incentives, the officers and soldiers assigned to the Training Academy were highly motivated in their training and education.

Some continued their previous duties at the academy, while others were dispatched to other units for training.

Now, the cavalry led by Lim Gyeong-seok were part of those dispatched for real-world evaluation.

That’s why they were saying that they weren’t sure whether they had encountered luck or misfortune.

If the ones who caused the smoke were the Jurchens, and their scale was moderate, it would be a good opportunity to earn honor.

Conversely, if the scale was large, they could either be killed in an attack or find themselves in a crisis where they had to run away with their tails between their legs.

* * *

“The Jurchens are here!”

“Damn it! What’s the scale?”

Upon hearing the report from the scout cavalry who had previously gone out for reconnaissance, Lim Gyeong-seok spat out a curse.

Lim Gyeong-seok immediately asked the scout soldier.

“It appears to be about 40 horsemen!”

“40 horsemen? How many civilian houses were attacked?”

“About 10 households!”

“Hmm…”

Upon hearing the report from the scout soldier, Lim Gyeong-seok stroked his beard and pondered. Calculating this and that gain and loss, he asked a subordinate standing next to him.

“Should we engage?”

“It doesn’t seem like we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

“Is there anyone opposed?”

There were no cavalrymen who raised their hands in response to Lim Gyeong-seok’s words. Rather, the fighting spirit of the cavalrymen was growing stronger.

Seeing the demeanor of these cavalrymen, Lim Gyeong-seok chuckled.

“Typical of you guys…”

The cavalrymen before his eyes were those boasting of experienced veteran status, having gone through many battles.

Furthermore, they were in a situation where they had received weapons that were very much to their liking from the training center.

The men before Lim Gyeong-seok’s eyes were not the sort to back down in a situation like this.

“I was getting restless myself; let’s let off some steam!”

“Yes!”

At Lim Gyeong-seok’s command, the cavalrymen responded vigorously.

“Charge with spears first! Then follow up with horseback gun tactics and wipe out the enemies!”

“Will you not use the musket gun tactics?”

“Didn’t you say it’s only about 40 horsemen? If we use muskets, they’ll run away. Draw them in as much as possible and sweep them all away! Don’t let a single one escape!”

“Understood!”

Hearing the response of the cavalrymen, Lim Gyeong-seok began to prepare for battle in earnest.

“Don’t forget the protective goggles and face cloths!”

“Yes!”

At Lim Gyeong-seok’s command, the cavalrymen tightly tied the protective goggles they had loosely hung around their necks over their eyes, and then covered their mouth and nose with the towels they had also been loosely wearing around their necks.

The goggles and towels were also items that had come along with the newly distributed weapons.

The goggles were made to allow the charging cavalrymen to maintain a clear line of sight. Thinly cut crystal fitted into a thin metal frame, cushioned with leather, protected the eyes from harsh dust storms.

The face cloth made of cotton fabric served as a handy item to protect the respiratory system from the smoke created by burning gunpowder.

Quickly putting on the goggles and face cloth, and tightly tying the reins of his steed, Lim Gyeong-seok swung his arm wide.

“Let’s go!”

* * *

“Shit! It’s the Joseon army!”

The Jurchens tribe chieftain, who was surveying the battlefield, spat out a curse.

“So soon the Joseon army is here! Damn!²”

Cursing at the unexpectedly early appearance of the Joseon army, the chieftain was in a dire situation.

This raid had been an unavoidable choice for him.

The years of continuous famine had brought his tribe to the brink of survival.

Moreover, as the merchants who had been trading with Joseon and Ming began to disappear, the crisis for his tribe deepened.

And as the tribes from Manchu in the north expanded southward, his tribe was gradually cornered.

He asked for help from other related tribes, but even that had reached its limit.

With the disappearance of merchants, and even the grains for seeds consumed, the chieftain had no other choice.

“We cross the river!”

According to his decision, leaving behind only a minimum for tribe defense, he formed a squad and crossed the Amnok River.

After crossing the river, the chieftain immediately attacked a suitable village.

“Leave only the grains for seeds and children to be sold as slaves, and kill the rest!”

“Uwaaa!”

Not long after the battle began, the Joseon army appeared.

* * *

The Jurchens chieftain assessed the approaching Joseon cavalry, who were kicking up a cloud of dust from afar.

“The number of Joseon cavalry is about 20… Considering the Joseon army likes fivefold numbers, 25 must be the most accurate. Hmm… Were they patrolling nearby and rushed over after seeing the smoke? Then they must be all that there is?”

The chieftain who had summarized the situation called the warriors.

“Gather around! Kill the Joseon army!”

“We’re not retreating?”

“They must be cavalrymen patrolling nearby! Then it’s an easy kill! We’ll take them all down! The quality of the Joseon army’s weapons is good, so they’ll be useful to us!”

The most experienced warrior agreed with the chieftain’s words.

“That’s true.”

“Isn’t it?”

In response to the chieftain’s question, the warrior flashed a fierce smile.

“It seems we’re very lucky today.”

“It’s a lucky day. Everyone, move! The Joseon army is only half our number! Kill them all!”

“Uwaaa!”

“Shoot the arrows!”

At the chieftain’s command, the Jurchens warriors pulled bows from their saddles and drew the strings.

Whoosh!

“Arrows!”

As arrows began to fly, Lim Gyeong-seok shouted loudly, signaling.

Upon Lim Gyeong-seok’s signal, the Joseon cavalrymen, who were running in two horizontal lines, widened the gap.

Though arrows were flying towards them, the Joseon cavalry showed no fear.

They knew very well that the newly issued armor and helmets would easily deflect such arrows.

Unlike the old armor that only protected the torso, the new armor gave them confidence by covering their arms and even legs.

“Charge!”

At Lim Gyeong-seok’s signal, the cavalrymen extended their lances, which had been hanging from the saddle, on the saddles’ hooks.

The red tassel attached to the middle of the lance fluttered wildly in the wind, and the Joseon cavalry collided head-on with the oncoming Jurchens tribe.

“Lance charge? They’re taking us too lightly!”

The Jurchens warriors, seeing the Joseon cavalry charging with lances aimed forward, scoffed.

A straightforward lance charge, which can only attack the front, was considered a novice tactic among the Jurchens tribe.

A skilled Jurchens warrior could easily dodge that lance and attack the enemy’s flank.

“This much is… Urk!”

As he prepared to dodge the approaching tip of the Joseon army’s spear, a Jurchen warrior stared in disbelief at the spear that had pierced through his body.

The Joseon army’s spear that had pierced him was much longer than the one he knew.

The Joseon army’s cavalry spear was not just longer. All kinds of tricks devised by Hyang were incorporated into the cavalry’s saddle and spear.

The newly made Joseon army’s cavalry spear was 3 cheok (approx. 1 meter) longer than before.

It was not just longer, but the spearhead was made as thin and sharp as possible, and the tassel usually attached below the spearhead was hung down lower.

This was to confuse the enemy when they measured the distance from the front.

The saddle was no different.

The length of the spear holder, where the spear was placed while moving, was maximized downwards to prevent accurate assessment of the spear’s length. Moreover, a support stand was installed on the saddle to hold the spear during a charge, reducing the burden on the cavalry.

It was Hyang who had enhanced the power of the cavalry charge through these tricks.

In the first clash between the Joseon army and the Jurchen, over ten Jurchen warriors became skewered meat in an instant, rolling on the ground.

Without slowing down, the Joseon cavalry, who had penetrated the Jurchen formation in an instant, drew a circle and charged again at the Jurchen.

“Elya! Elya!”

“Ha! Ha!”

The Joseon cavalry, moving their horses with just their legs, had strange-shaped curved blades in their right hands and unfamiliar heavy metal objects in their left hands.

“It’s hand-to-hand combat! Let’s finish this!”

“Elya!”

When the Joseon army challenged them to hand-to-hand combat, the Jurchen warriors also swung their curved blades in response.

However, the situation betrayed them again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Joseon cavalryman, who blocked the Jurchen’s blade with the curved blade in his right hand, pulled the trigger of the musket in his left hand.

“Ugh!”

The bullet, aimed and fired at close range, unerringly pierced the vital parts of the Jurchen warriors.

In just two collisions, the Jurchen who had crossed the Amnok River and pillaged the villages were annihilated.

“The situation is resolved.”

“Any dead or injured?”

“There are no such fools.”

“Any enemies escaped?”

“It appears none.”

Receiving the report from his subordinate, Lim Gyeong-seok finally exhaled a long breath.

“Phew~. We’ll live now!”

With the tension finally released, Lim Gyeong-seok issued orders to his subordinates in a much softer voice.

“Clean up the battlefield and prepare to move the survivors.”

“Understood.”

Watching his subordinates clean up the battlefield, Lim Gyeong-seok let out a small sigh.

“I’m worried about writing the report. Writing the same content in three parts…”

It was according to a maxim he had heard at the training center.

-Always write a report in three parts. One part for submission to superiors, another for unexpected occurrences, and the last for your safety.

And this battle became the beginning of the infamy of the ‘Green Demons’ among the Jurchen.

1. Or Yalu River. Currently in North Korea’s territorial borders.[↩]
2. The incorrect grammar here is intentional by the author[↩]

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