1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 318



Only Krnovel

1592 The Empire Everyone Dreamed of (318)

federation

It was the 15th day of March (April in the solar calendar) that Yi Sun-sin’s fleet appeared in Taiwan.

Since the relocation of refugees from the Satsuma clan in 1596, Taidong Port has developed into a city center with a population of 50,000 and nearby small and medium-sized cities with a population of 100,000.

The fleet’s flagship attempted to dock on the long scaffolding.

thud.

Rattling.

As the platform of the battleship that had collided lightly with the scaffolding came down, Yi Sun-sin and the admiral disembarked.

Taiwan’s command center lined up at the port square to welcome him.

“Third deck? How many cannons are there?”

“Wow, what a big ship that is. Oh my, I’m meeting the general.”

Jan quickly wiped his spit and greeted him.

“Hello, Master. Welcome.”

“General… … .”

Yi Sun-sin, who had seen Yan, Song Hui-rip, and Im Ji-ryong in turn, stopped in front of the National Library.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, General.”

The weather in the South was reminiscent of early summer.

Yi Sun-sin took off his helmet and handed it over to his adjutant.

“It’s hot. First, I think we should provide a place for the soldiers to rest.”

At the dock, naval soldiers were disembarking to maintain order.

“I’m sorry. We have hastily prepared about 1,000 tents and cooking facilities outside the port.”

“Good.”

It was a burdensome task to empty the houses for thousands of soldiers. In a warm environment, tents and water supplies were sufficient.

He glanced at Yan as if he was reminded of Yi Sun-sin.

“By the way, I don’t see Governor Park?”

Park Ki-yoon had been receiving attention from Yi Sun-sin, who valued talented people.

Ian gave a vague answer.

“That’s why I was transferred to a good place.”

“A good place?”

Yi Sun-sin chuckled. His expression seemed to indicate that he was guessing something.

“I came down without delay when I heard that the Nanman fleet was advancing east. What is the current situation?”

“It seems that the other side has a firm will to go to war, but for now, we have proposed talks.”

“okay?”

Those who arrived at the official residence unpacked under the sunshade in the garden.

The maids put down the cold palm sap and disappeared.

Gulp gulp.

“Whew, I guess I’ll live a little. When is the meeting?”

“Macau in two weeks.”

“Macau?”

Im Ji-ryong gestured to his adjutant and brought out a map.

“This is it. It is a Portuguese colony, ten days away from Daedong Port here and six days away from Haenam Island over there.”

“Portugal? In the home of traitors?”

“That’s a bit complicated. It’s about staying out of the power struggle and being a witness to this war… … .”

“Aren’t you saying that you’re going to see the liver in the end?”

Yi Sun-sin, who was feeling faint, drank the remaining palm sap.

“Seeing as it doesn’t stick to that side, I think the odds of winning are 50/50.”

“They probably thought that since there would be damage either way, it wouldn’t hurt to conserve their power. This is typical behavior of small-minded people. After Yeonggili, they’ll attack Portugal.”

“yes?”

The audience was astonished.

It was surprising to see such an aggressive attitude from Yi Sun-sin, who was generally known to be cautious.

“This time, we mobilized 12 large ships. They are large ships with 36 cannons on each side. We also brought about 80 panokseons.”

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing saliva was particularly loud.

“Since we have mobilized all of the naval forces, we need to clearly establish who is the master of this sea.”

“That, that kind of thing.”

There is no good will, only profit, so only a clear superiority of power can guarantee peace. This was the thought of the old general who had devoted his life to protecting the border.

Yi Sun-sin’s gaze darkened.

‘This will be my last battle.’

He is also 61 years old, and he celebrated his 60th birthday last year. The age of the generals is also similar, so this battle will be an opportunity for the veteran generals to retire and the new recruits to gain experience.

Meanwhile, Yan and Im Ji-ryong’s heads quickly turned.

‘Can Holland alone take on Spain?’

Ian shook his head inwardly.

‘Portugal would not have kept their contract anyway.’

‘The thief is right. It is better not to fight, but if you fight, it is better to cut off the grass and root it.’

Yan and Im Ji-ryong exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

“I will have to punish you for breaking the contract. I will comply.”

“I will follow the general’s command.”

Yi Sun-sin’s gaze turned to Im Ji-ryong.

“The Korean language has improved a lot. Let me tell you about the power of Taiwan.”

“Taiwan has 15 galleons and 20 barques.”

After finishing his answer, Im Ji-ryong’s gaze turned to Yan.

“Holland has 26 galleons.”

“I was on a mission driving 20 panokseons.”

The power report was concluded with Song Hee-rip.

Yi Sun-sin nodded his head and became lost in thought.

“12 ships of the line, 41 galleons, 100 panokseons, and 20 barques.”

“The Ryukyu Kingdom has informed us that they will provide 20 Sekibune and 40 Kobayabune, and the Satsuma Merchant Alliance has informed us that they will provide 10 Sekibune and 70 Kobayabune.”

“It is truly wonderful.”

Jan, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

‘Where in the world is there such a thing as a free lunch?’

There is no goodwill without a price, and profit is always accompanied by goodwill.

The success of the Macau blockade led to a large amount of compensation paid by Portugal to the merchants who were in charge of supplying the goods. The precedent was thus set for a full-scale participation in the war.

“What is England’s power?”

“England was known for her eighty galleons.”

“That’s a lot. Is that all?”

“There is additional force at the Indian port of Goa, but it is expected that each ship will have its own mission, so no further reinforcements are expected.”

“So you’re saying that the battle is a done deal?”

“Yes, the talks will probably end in failure anyway.”

Yi Sun-sin’s gaze scanned the generals and stopped on Yi Eon-ryang.

“Then let’s assume a battle and plan a strategy. Hey, Chungmin, would you like to come up with a plan?”

“It is an honor. Then the director will submit the proposal.”

Su-gun Man-ho Lee Eon-ryang and several young generals stood up together.

Late, Namhae-do’s chief of staff, Lee Wan, stood up with his white hair shaking.

“I will help you, sir.”

Yi Sun-sin nodded his head.

“I need to take a look too, so don’t interfere too much.”

“Hehehe, I’ll just give you advice if you ask.”

As Yi Wan turned around and waved his hand and disappeared, Yi Sun-sin left his seat.

“You’ve come a long way, and it was hard work. Have a quick meal and rest.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

“Let me get up first, General.”

“I have assigned you accommodations, so I will send soldiers to you.”

“Thank you.”

The commanding officers rose from their seats one by one and disappeared, guided by the soldiers.

“What should we do, General? Should we take you to your quarters?”

“I will make sure to take care of it separately.”

Yan nodded at Gukmin Seo’s answer and left. Then Im Ji-ryong bowed.

“Then, the commander will inspect the garrison.”

“Please.”

Finally, only Yi Sun-sin and Guk Min-seo were left in the garden.

“I’ll bring you more drinks.”

“I’ve had enough sweets, so if you don’t mind, I’d like a cup of tea.”

“Yes. I’ll bring it out right away. Listen.”

In this way, Yi Sun-sin found time to organize his thoughts, and Guk Min-seo gained time to make excuses.

A cool breeze blew under the canopy, creating a peaceful scenery.

Slurp.

Even though war was imminent, the old man was relaxed.

“It’s a peaceful scene. It’s heartbreaking to think that someone had to shed blood to protect it.”

“Please unite under the general’s command.”

“I heard you took over Beijing.”

“… … .”

The South Sea Naval Command is the leader of the Joseon navy. All situations in East Asian waters cannot escape his sight, and the Ming Dynasty was no exception.

There was anger in Yi Sun-sin’s tone.

“You’ve been thoroughly fooled. You’ve captured the Emperor Ming, right?”

‘There is no honorific title when addressing the emperor.’

For a split second, a strange light appeared in Gukmin Seo’s eyes.

‘Didn’t you say that generals don’t follow orders? Then is that anger a betrayal of trust?’

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

The old man’s voice was cold and the atmosphere became even more gloomy.

“You’re deceiving me like that, aren’t you? What do you want to gain by supporting me? Tell me.”

“My lord used to say, ‘If you look at a person’s past and present, it is not difficult to predict their future.’”

“Past and present?”

Yi Sun-sin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You brought refugees to the North to found a new company and won against the Central Plains. I look forward to a bright future ahead.”

“Do you really think that was the plan?”

“If it wasn’t a plan, then what was it? Are you trying to say that it just happened by accident?”

“I may be presumptuous, but is it true that things happen just because you plan them?”

Yi Sun-sin was momentarily speechless.

In the past, he became the Left Secretary through an unprecedented personnel change of six steps, but preparing for war was a difficult task. Even with the king’s strong support, the process was sluggish.

“What can a few hundred refugees and a single military officer do in this frigid land?”

Gukmin Seo continued speaking with a sorrowful expression.

“You just picked up an axe to survive, and you incited the savages to survive. And you plundered Wae. In the meantime, didn’t you also occupy Namhae-do?”

The old man remained unwavering, but continued to listen.

“If I rebelled to live as a whale, it would be considered treason and my entire family would be destroyed. That’s why I went north. I didn’t want to fight Joseon.”

“There was definitely no information that they fought against the North Korean army.”

Yi Sun-sin readily admitted it.

‘Okay.’

The people’s book made me secretly happy.

“Or should I have simply submitted to the rational being who expanded the periphery?”

“That guy used to openly reveal his ambitions toward Joseon.”

The anecdote that Lee Seong-ryang was greedy for Joseon was known to the Joseon court and caused public outrage, so Guk Min-seo’s words were not wrong.

“In order to survive, I persuaded the surroundings and plundered Honshu. And in order to survive, I stood up to Lee Seong-ryang. The result is the current situation.”

“… … .”

Yi Sun-sin, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth with difficulty.

“What should we do now?”

“This is a message from my lord. ‘Goryeo will protect the north, so I will leave the south to you, General.’ That is all.”

“Hehehe, how sweet. Is that even possible?”

Yi Sun-sin’s voice grew louder again.

“Are you telling me to believe those words full of good intentions?”

“The general will not be fooled. Of course, Joseon will not be fooled either. So I have no choice but to tell the truth. In the end, it will become clear.”

There was no falsehood in the process or the result, but there was room for interpretation as to the intention.

The National Assembly approached it from the perspective of trust.

“Would you like to hear an old story? In a certain country, there was a prince who was abandoned by his father. The prince was driven out of the palace… … .”

As the wind grew chilly, a pine fire was lit on one side of the garden.

The conversation between the two was exactly like that of a close pair of grandparents chatting happily.

Before I knew it, the sunset was setting.

* * *

Hanmun Geuk frowned.

“Will those kind words work?”

“There’s no use trying to explain it with words. You have to show it with actions.”

On the twentieth day of March (April in the solar calendar), Jiwoo finally arrived at Gungnae Castle and encountered the Joseon army waiting across the Amnok River.

The one who crossed the river under the white flag was General Han Mun-geuk.

‘I congratulate you on the founding of our nation. Our country Joseon… … .’

‘It’s okay because we didn’t violate the border. Moving the military is a matter of sovereignty, so there’s no need to apologize.’

When he apologized for his past actions, Jiwoo readily accepted it.

The relationship between the two, who were once seniors and juniors, led to a comfortable atmosphere.

Han Mun-geuk, the commander of the Northern Expeditionary Force, stood on a hill. The plains of the Yalu River and the surrounding mountain ranges were visible at a glance.

“Wow, this land is filled with Joseon people.”

“That’s how we increase the Korean population to tens of millions, hundreds of millions.”

“Wow, Your Majesty, your will is more than enough to embrace the world.”

“Hoo hoo hoo.”

Indeed, it was that Chinese play. He was a person who, when he measured the other person’s feelings on the borderline between flattery and praise, fortunately had no ill intentions inside.

“If you look closely, you can clearly see traces of the old city.”

“Yes. The place with the mountains to the north like a folding screen is the trace of a palace, and in front of it, the road leading to the Amnok River is clear. That must be the Yukjo Street.”

“With the reconstruction of this domestic city, the Goryeo Dynasty will begin.”

Their gazes swept over the prisoners who were busy with the civil engineering work.

“There are 150,000 prisoners in total, so there is enough manpower. The only problem is that there are only a handful of Koreans who have already immigrated.”

“Population is the problem, after all.”

“I want to maintain more than 50% of the Korean-speaking population. I want to assimilate the rest by filling them with Jurchen, Wa, and Han Chinese.”

“First, I will maintain order with the troops I brought.”

“Would you do that?”

Jiwoo looked at Hanmun Geuk with eyes of trust.

He was fully aware of what he had to do between Jiwoo’s ideals and Joseon’s reality.

“I was able to adapt to Joseon thanks to your help in the past.”

“Hahaha. Now that I have gained Your Majesty’s trust, won’t my path to success open up?”

“Is that so? If there’s anything you want, feel free to tell me.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Deputy Chief Inspector Nari.”

“Oh.”

On the plain below the hill, construction work was still in full swing, with digging the ground and transporting stones.

The spring breeze was warm.