1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 323
Only Krnovel
1592 The Empire Everyone Dreamed of (323)
Battle of Pratas (2)
As Admiral Walter thought, the only way to win was to surround the enemy’s vanguard with more cannons.
The boat moved forward, repeatedly tilting forward and rising as if riding a wave.
Clang, thud.
The speed competition was fierce as each team tried to block the other’s advance.
In the process, both sides ended up opening their side ports. A feast of artillery fire followed by a gallop unfolded.
“Fire.”
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Ttang, ttang, ttadadang.
Phew, that’s annoying.
The results of the continued bombardment began to appear one by one.
Kkukkung, gurgling.
“Ah! The Enfield is sinking.”
“The Oxted is leaving the formation. The steering gear is broken or… … .”
Or maybe the sailors were killed.
“Keep going. Speed will determine the outcome.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
But there was one thing he missed: unlike the Eastern Fleet, which was becoming incapacitated one by one, the enemy’s numbers were not decreasing at all.
Boom, boom, boom.
Land, ttadang, ttadadang. Land, land.
The first to notice something strange was Adjutant Danny Gerrard.
“Admiral, something is strange. It seems like… … .”
“Yes, it’s the sound of iron striking.”
“Well, then. No way?”
“Should I say the hull is lined with iron? It’s embarrassing.”
A battleship made of iron and with three-tiered cannons. It was a moment when all my knowledge of physics shattered.
“That can’t be. How is that possible?”
“I want to ask, too.”
Even at that moment, Admiral Walter coldly waited for his opportunity.
Choaak.
The waves that Galleon had cut through crashed down on the deck.
The admiral’s seat was no exception, and both of them were soaked to the bone.
Quagmire.
Crunch.
A shot from behind hit the mast directly. The main mast could withstand the fist-sized shot, but it looked like it would soon break under the force of the wind.
As the giant ship cut through the waves and closed the distance, it felt as if it was about to be eaten.
Adjutant Danny Gerrard’s face fell into despair.
“Devil! That is the devil. Holy Father, Holy Mother, Holy Son, do not lead us into temptation… … .”
“Wake up.”
puck.
As Danny Gerrard collapsed on the deck, Admiral Walter drew his sword and aimed it at his throat.
“As an officer of the British Empire, do not show yourself ugly.”
“… … .”
“Don’t be afraid of death. What difference does it make?”
Admiral Walter put away his sword and shook the moisture from his coat.
Kwakwang.
One side of the ship was blown away along with the flames.
Blood flowed down his cheek where the shrapnel had grazed him, but the admiral didn’t even blink.
He shouted loudly.
“If you are afraid first, you will lose. If you are alive, open your eyes wide and look at the enemy. Soldiers, carry the shells. Wrap the gunpowder with the corpse. Then the victory will be ours.”
“Wow, victory! Victory!”
The soldiers, inspired by the admiral’s zeal, cheered.
“If you survived and held on, give back as much as you received, Fire!”
A soldier picked up a spark from the corpse’s hand and lit the wick.
Crackling.
Kwakwakwang, bang, bang.
The Eastern Fleet soldiers were brave. They overcame their fears and fought in the face of the deaths of their comrades.
But in a close-quarters firefight, the 36-gun salvo was terrifying. Moreover, one side was able to block most of the shells, while the other side was not. One by one, more ships were sinking or stopping.
The flagship was still alive and galloping, but the center of the formation had already been breached.
“Everyone, hold your positions. Stay close behind the flagship.”
Thud.
The ropes securing the taut sails came loose.
“The rope is loose over there.”
“What are you doing? Everyone, run! Hold on and hold on somehow.”
Choaak.
“Hey, Matthew. Take my hand. Ugh.”
“Ugh.”
The moment a wave as big as a house came crashing down on the deck, the ship went over the swell. But no one was left on the deck where the water had drained.
The battle was heading towards its end.
* * *
“Good. It doesn’t seem to be lagging at all in terms of speed.”
Yi Sun-sin remained glued to the bow of the ship and did not let go of his telescope.
“General, it’s dangerous.”
“What’s the danger? Where is safe on the battlefield?”
Yi Sun-sin took the telescope away from his eyes.
Thanks to the telescopes provided to the captains, they were able to take a wider view of the battlefield. As you can see, the result was an overwhelming victory, but he did not relax.
“Slow down.”
“Yes? The enemy flagship is ahead. It could decide the game in an instant, so why?”
Yi Sun-sin’s gaze turned to the enemy ships’ ranks that were cut off in the middle.
“That’s a good question, but you’ll have to find the answer yourself. Captain, turn the ship to port. That will cut the enemy formation in half.”
“Yes, General.”
Captain Cho Gyu-sun turned the rudder to the left.
The accelerated battleship made a sharp turn, but showed stability by slightly tilting, maintaining balance. The stern battleship followed the trajectory of the wave cut by the flagship.
The ships of the line opened fire to block the English fleet that was following them.
“Fire!”
Chijijik.
Kwakwakwakwang, Kwakwang.
Crunch, crunch. Crunch.
At that moment, the opposite side of the battleship was exposed as unarmored, but the enemy targeting that area was moving away.
“firing!”
Kwakwakwang, bang.
Unlike Yi Sun-sin’s fleet, which had exposed the ports on its sides, the English fleet, which had failed to break the bow, was helplessly exposed to artillery fire. Then, the stern was surrounded by panokseons.
After a while, Admiral Walter realized the situation and went on a rampage.
“Turn around. We must save the fleet quickly.”
“Admiral, please calm down first.”
visor.
Admiral Walter Haines drew his sword.
“Adjutant, this is an order. Players must be… … immediately.”
“sorry.”
puck.
Admiral Walter Haines, who had been hit in the back of the neck, was carried to the admiral’s chair by his adjutant as he collapsed.
Adjutant Danny Gerrard glanced at the captain.
“This is an emergency. The Admiral has lost consciousness and the fleet is in danger of being destroyed. I must save even 30 ships. Do you agree?”
“I agree to carry out the Admiral’s wishes.”
“thank you.”
Acting Admiral Danny Gerrard turned around in relief and shouted loudly.
“Full speed ahead. Return to Fort Valant.”
“Is there anything I can do if I go back to the fortress? Wouldn’t it be better to just go back to work?”
“I plan to service the coastal batteries while the Admiral recovers.”
The captain felt relieved at the confirmation of the acting admiral’s loyalty.
“That’s not bad either. I can see your sincerity.”
Clang, thud.
The 40 or so ships that survived sailed westward, breaking through the water’s surface.
This sight was also observed in Yi Sun-sin’s fleet.
The observer took his eyes off the telescope.
“The enemy fleet is advancing west. There are about 30 ships.”
“Are you going back to Haenam Island?”
“I don’t even have half the power left, so I might just head to Goa Port.”
“Is that the land of Heaven? If you are wise, then it could be so.”
Yi Sun-sin nodded his head.
“But then, that would mean giving up my life as a general.”
In Joseon, a defeated general would be beheaded. It is unlikely that the West would show leniency to a defeated general.
“General, white flags are being raised from the surrounded ships.”
“We won.”
When I turned my head, I saw a white flag fluttering on an enemy ship surrounded by panokseons and galleons. The gunfire had already stopped.
Yi Sun-sin took a short breath and straightened his back.
“Thank you for your hard work. We will stop fighting.”
“Congratulations on your victory.”
“Cease fighting. We have won.”
“Wow!”
“Wow, I won.”
Starting with Yi Sun-sin’s flagship, a cheer arose. The cheer spread from the battleships to the galleons, and then to the panokseons.
“Congratulations on your victory.”
“Your grace, General.”
The generals who came over one by one to the flagship gathered around Yi Sun-sin.
“We sunk 18 enemy ships and captured 32.”
“The prisoner is still being accounted for.”
“General. We must keep this momentum going.”
“Yes. Please order the commander to pursue.”
“We’ve used up more than half of our gunpowder and ammunition. Wouldn’t it be better to wait for supplies?”
At that moment, a messenger came running up to the boat and prostrated himself.
“Contact from the scout ship. A supply ship has just arrived.”
“It’s just the right time.”
A supply fleet arrived shortly after, supplied gunpowder and shells, and under the direction of the council members, provided emergency treatment to the wounded and then transported them.
Yi Sun-sin personally met with Satsuma officials and congratulated them.
“You came yourself.”
“Vanguard Shokyo meets the thief.”
“It is truly reassuring that you have come forward like this.”
“That is not the case. I am simply carrying out the duties of my position.”
Yi Sun-sin was not unaware of the intentions of the upper class, who expected a reward for their participation in the war. However, as a fleet commander, he was willing to raise his hand for the same goal.
“Let’s finish this by the end of the day and chase after them tomorrow.”
“I will obey your orders.”
“General, the meal is ready.”
After a fierce battle, I felt hungry. I turned my head and saw steam rising from the table on the deck.
“The soldiers?”
“For now, we’ve provided jerky and dried rice cakes, and we’ll probably be able to cook and eat warm rice in the evening.”
“Ahem.”
Yi Sun-sin’s eyebrows furrowed.
On the battlefield, there was no discrimination in the food between generals and soldiers. Whoever thought of the food distribution would have to be held accountable later on.
The general slowly looked at him.
“General, please take a seat.”
“We’ll eat quickly and clean up.”
After finishing their meal, the Allied forces sorted out 19 relatively intact ships out of the 32 they had captured and drafted some sailors from the Allied galleons. They also recruited troops from the panokseons.
“The number of galleons has increased to 60.”
“Will the newly deployed soldiers adapt well?”
“The artillerymen will do their part as they have shot before, and since they have experience riding on battleships, they will do their part.”
“Well, there is no better training than actual combat.”
Yi Sun-sin, shaken off his worries, began to ponder the next battle.
The next day, the 13 damaged galleons, two panokseons, and prisoners were taken to Taiwan by a supply fleet.
Following this, Yi Sun-sin’s fleet, which had grown to a total of 189 ships, including 12 battleships, 60 galleons, and 98 panokseons, headed toward Haenam Island, following Im Ji-ryong’s 19 ships as scouts.
It was a situation that was truly unstoppable.
* * *
Slurp.
The scent of tea spread softly through Jiwoo’s command tent.
Former Cabinet University Scholar George Go paid a respectful bow.
“First, we established the six ministries of Ijo (吏曹), Hojo (戶曹), Yejo (禮曹), Byeongjo (兵曹), Hyeongjo (刑曹), and Gongjo (工曹). Then, we divided the area around Gungnaeseong into six counties, each managed by a county magistrate.”
Jiwoo nodded at Achun’s interpretation.
“Get rid of the Ministry of War. I will personally take charge of the military power.”
George glanced at Jiwoo’s expression.
“I understand that you have ordered the security of the country to be managed by the magistrate system. What about the police officers at the county office?”
“I will draft the necessary personnel from the military camp.”
“I obey your orders.”
The Ming Dynasty also separated the administration and military administration early on, so it was easy to understand.
“The palace has not been completed yet, so this place is Daejeon.”
Jiwoo stood up from his seat.
“I appoint Jo Ji-go as the Prime Minister of the Interior.”
“Your kindness is truly infinite.”
George took a step back and prostrated himself.
“Sim Il-gwan is appointed as the Minister of Personnel, Sa Geum-dal as the Minister of Taxation, Yu Ja-gyeom as the Minister of Rites, and Seok Seong as the Minister of Justice.”
“I am embarrassed.”
“I am so grateful.”
The four men also stepped back and prostrated themselves.
“Lastly, Minister of Construction Oh Jong-gil, who is in charge of the construction of the city wall, will concurrently hold the position of Minister of Public Works.”
“I will humbly obey your command.”
George let out a small sigh and looked around again.
‘Tsk tsk, you must have suffered a lot under the Wanli Emperor.’
Jiwoo was secretly trembling.
“Don’t hesitate, just say it. What do you need?”
“There is a shortage of people. Even if we draft people from each household as needed, it is only a stopgap measure.”
“yes.”
Jiwoo took a quick look at the interpreter.
“Young talents from the north who have completed basic mathematics and the Four Books will arrive soon. Use them as lower-level officials. The authority to appoint personnel will be delegated to the prime minister.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
“I will delegate the authority to appoint personnel to each department. Of course, I will hold them accountable.”
“Your kindness is truly infinite.”
The right to appoint personnel was tantamount to absolute authority, so everyone was moved by the boundless trust placed in the King of Goryeo. Of course, there were many problems.
“This is Seok Seong, the Minister of Justice. I am ashamed to report this, but I am not familiar with the language of the North.”
“Yes, God. Please understand.”
“I believe… … .”
“It’s nice to see everyone facing the issues at hand.”
Jiwoo glanced at his adjutant, Kim Myeongseop.
“According to what the messenger told me yesterday, they left Seomseong a month ago.”
“How many people did you send?”
“They said there are 60 people.”
“I bet Lee Yeo-baek has a lot of complaints?”
“There are about 100 people in total. Since you don’t need an interpreter, it’s not that many people if you count all your strength.”
“That’s true too.”
As Jiwoo nodded, Achun interpreted the content.
“Oh.”
“Your kindness is truly infinite.”
“I look forward to the world you will create.”
By doing so, the extremely difficult task of erasing was passed on to the nobles of the ruined country, and the safety of their families was guaranteed.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
