1592 The Empire We All Dreamed of - Chapter 343



Only Krnovel

1592 The Empire Everyone Dreamed of (343)

stumbling block (2)

About 20 peddlers walked along the riverside.

These people, carrying dried fish, fish meat, dried meat, porcelain, etc. on their Mongolian horses and heading inland, were peddlers who traveled around the country in search of markets.

Spring flowers were blooming along the riverside. The yellow ones were forsythia, and the red ones were azaleas.

“The cherry blossoms must be in full bloom in the south.”

“My wife is going to have an affair in the spring breeze. Let’s go.”

Hehehee.

The Mongolian horse was smiling with its teeth exposed.

“Hahaha, look at this guy. He understands human speech.”

“Hehe, hehe, you definitely seem smarter than that youngest one over there.”

“Sir, what did I do?”

“Hahaha.”

There was loud laughter here and there.

The driving force that allowed them to endure the difficult journey was their companions, and raising their voices in a noisy manner also meant chasing away any wild beasts that might arise.

“Pungyang (Namyangju) is right in front of you. It only takes 15 days from Sokcho.”

“I wasted too much time at Sambat Market.”

“Just because some unseen or unheard-of guys are controlling the water supply.”

“It’s okay. There’s still room.”

It was a distance of about 400 ri (160 km), but considering that it was a winding inland road, it was a decent speed.

“If you want to get there before dark, hurry up.”

“The thought of a bowl of hot soup comes to mind.”

“Oh my, are you planning to eat again? You bastard, all the money you earn will go into your stomach.”

“Kill, kill, kill.”

“Huh, aren’t you going to eat it all anyway?”

“Hehehe, that’s not wrong.”

“Right? Look, even the Master says that what I said is right.”

“Hahaha, so you won. If you want to get there before the inn closes, then follow me.”

The group entered a steep mountain pass.

Eeheehee, purr.

“Hey, you haven’t even eaten beef porridge? What are you dreaming about?”

“Ugh. Are you talking to me? Hold on tight.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t like holding hands with men.”

“ha ha ha.”

“Kikki kikki.”

Those who arrived at Pungyang after it got dark found an inn.

“Oh my, it’s a sack.”

“Okay. Mom, do you have anything? Mom!”

“Oh my, what a mess this is. Come in quickly.”

As she was about to finish her business for the day, the owner of the restaurant, who had received about 20 customers, greeted them barefoot.

“Do you have a room?”

“There are three large rooms and five small rooms for ten people to sleep in. How can I clean them up quickly?”

“Two large rooms, one small room, meals for 21 people.”

“Please wait a moment.”

The hostess lit the fire, drew water, and shook the kettle.

It was just soybean paste stew with radish sprouts, but when you roll it in grains and put it in your mouth with just one spoonful, it was like a whole mountain and sea delicacy.

Thud thud, gulp gulp.

“Oh, good.”

Those who ate noodles while blowing hot steam went into the room and fell asleep.

“Honey, is the gangster in this neighborhood still in its sixth form?”

While the hostess was clearing the table, Haengsu asked quietly.

“What the heck? It’s already been over half a year since I was caught and locked up in the coffin.”

“Then who manages the market these days?”

“The news is so late.”

A man who had been groaning and trimming himself intervened from the side.

The hostess was about to open her mouth to say something, but then realized that the dishes had to be washed first, so she closed her mouth and left the table.

“Would you like to receive it?”

Haengsu glanced at the glass he offered and shook his head.

“Do you know anything about the person who manages the market?”

“A gentleman.”

“If you’re a merchant of Gyeonggang, aren’t you the ones who transport grain? I heard they’re a union of boatmen. Is that true?”

The man nodded.

“From the Han River to the Namhan River and the Bukhangang River, the places where there is a waterway are tightly controlled by Gyeonggang merchants.”

“I understand that the merchant cleared out the trouble… … Ah!”

The incident at Chuncheon Sambat Market came to mind.

Gulp gulp.

The man, who had just finished a refreshing glass of takju, wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

“Well, that’s probably it. He built up his connections by carrying rice and stabbing people here and there. The government arrested him as a way to clean up the black market.”

“So now I don’t have to deal with those nerds anymore?”

The man snorted.

“Hmm, the seat fee is the same as that of the Waltz pack. Except.”

“only?”

“Sometimes they do things that are hard to understand. For example, they don’t sell things like beef jerky or fish jerky because they are considered Yeojin products.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Rather than regulating overlapping items, banning specific products is something that cannot be done by a single top-level company.

As Haengsu raised his voice, the man scratched his face with an embarrassed look.

“How would you understand?”

“Okay. Where should I go to meet them?”

“It’s easy to find. In front of the market… … .”

The next morning, the messenger left the inn early and visited the Gyeongsang store.

“I want to set up shop in the market, but I need permission from the city.”

“Oh, please sit over there.”

A man who appeared to be an employee handed me a brush and paper.

“Just write down the name, item, and quantity. We will review it and then charge you a spot fee.”

“Here it is.”

“Please wait a moment while you drink your tea.”

But there was no response until I finished drinking the tea.

‘Oh, so what he said was true.’

Haengsu looked down at his empty glass with a defeated expression.

Before I knew it, I could hear the sounds of merchants soliciting customers and bargaining outside.

“One sack of cotton, one bushel of rice, five pennies.”

“A hoe costs one nyang. If you give me the broken hoe, I’ll give it to you for half price.”

“This is a bamboo basket from Damyang.”

Most of the transactions were barter, but in some places coins were also circulated naturally.

On one side of the marketplace, there were piles of peddlers gathered together.

“Why haven’t we heard from Haengsu yet?”

“What is going on here?”

“Hey, I’m not a gangster, so how could something happen?”

The Pungyang Market was a fairly large market for five days. The crowds that had been bustling since morning did not diminish even after noon.

In the corner of the sea of ​​people, a peddler was standing there, unable to find a seat.

“There’s the old man over there.”

“Where? Oh, but your expression is not good.”

Haengsu, whose face looked noticeably older, shook his head.

“There was no response. The servant just told me to wait.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

“What are you doing now, Haengsu?”

“This is tyranny. Shouldn’t we report this to the authorities?”

As everyone’s eyes turned to Haengsu, he closed his eyes and sighed. What was important now was the safety of the members.

“There’s no need to make a fuss. Let’s go. Fill your stomach before that.”

“… … .”

The surrounding area was bustling with customers and bargaining. As Haengsu said, there were many markets in all of Joseon’s eight provinces, even if not here. However, the minds of the merchants who had not even been able to set up a table could not be at ease.

The dispirited men returned to the inn and packed their bags.

Before I knew it, the afternoon sun was at its zenith.

Those who continued their journey again set up camp at the Gujimyeon (Guri) market the next day and crossed the Jungnangcheon River two days later.

“It is true that they are expanding their power centered around the Han River.”

“It is certain that the market was free of interference.”

“Maybe Mapo Narudo?”

“Even if they are bastards, how can they do anything to the city? There are only one or two ships going to and from Mapo.”

“It’ll be Mapo-il soon. You’ll know when you check.”

The peddler, who had been walking diligently, was able to arrive at the Solbin Sangdae Mapo branch that evening.

Joseon’s Hanyang was an unusual city in the world, with a huge river 3 ri (1.2 km) wide that served as a natural moat.

After Yi Sun-sin conquered the seas, 16 docks were operated on the Han River, including Mapo, Gwangnaru, Noryangjin, and Yeongdeungpo. Around these docks, guest houses, taverns, and shops lit up late into the night.

The Mapo branch manager was talking to a passenger.

“Ah, Mr. Park Haeng-su, come quickly. You arrived earlier than scheduled.”

“That’s what happened. But what about this person?”

Judging from the yellow band around his neck, he was a peddler. There couldn’t be any peddler he didn’t know, having worked hard as a peddler since before Solbin’s time.

“Then I will get up first.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll make sure to take care of things after myself.”

As the man who had left without a second thought came out, someone came up next to him.

“Everyone is ready and waiting.”

“First, let’s make sure they go to bed by the end of the day (1:00 to 3:00 AM).”

The man handed me a piece of paper. It was a map covering the area from Nammun Gate of Hanseong to Namsan.

“This is the Seongjeosipni area. Thank you for saving me the trouble.”

“We must not let our guard down just because we are outside the Four Great Gates. That moment will be our last.”

There were no watchmen or patrolling constables. However, it was impossible for merchants traveling through this harsh world to be without a means of self-rescue.

The man, Park Myeong-guk, the 2nd captain of the Solbin Scout Unit, stared at his adjutant with expressionless eyes.

“Remember, we have no easy missions.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.”

“Or else, that’s fine. Go and rest.”

“yes.”

Park Myeong-guk, carrying a backpack, looked up at the sky.

“It’s cloudy.”

It was a pitch-black night, with even the crescent moon obscured by clouds.

The North Star, which should have been illuminating the night path, was nowhere to be seen, and the Milky Way, which seemed to pour down, was nowhere to be found. The darkness continued until dawn.

Early in the morning, five men woke up and left the guest house.

“The goal is 10 ri (4 km) from Yeseo. Let’s finish quickly.”

“… … .”

For those who trained across the mountain ranges of Primorsky Krai, ten li on flat ground was just a step.

Soon five men ran into the shadows of the wall and the grass.

The western side of Namsan forms a gentle hill and continues through the wetlands to the south to the Han River. The area between the wetlands and the foot of this mountain is called Dutubbawigol (Huam-dong) because there is a large rock there.

See you.

The moon appeared for a moment. The wavy barley ears and the leisurely flowing Han River beyond them were a spectacular sight.

The scouts galloped as if they were part of nature.

As the moon that had appeared for a moment disappeared into the clouds, they too disappeared into the darkness again.

In the darkness, only the faint sound of waves remained.

* * *

The bastard turned around and shouted.

“Attention, all units! Report from the right!”

“The 1st Battalion Rifle Battalion is ready for inspection.”

“1st Artillery Battalion, ready for inspection.”

“2nd Artillery Battalion… … .”

The inspection began with Jiwoo taking a step forward.

“As you ordered, the artillery consists of 180 cannons and 60 cannons. Of these, 40% are decorated soldiers from the Battle of Beijing.”

“4 artillery battalions, 1,200 men?”

“A total of 1,831 people, including the rifle battalion and frontline commanders.”

Jiwoo stopped walking when he saw a familiar soldier. Judging by the Solvin gun with a telescopic sight attached to his shoulder, he was from the sniper platoon.

“Why are you still a soldier?”

“I like playing on the front lines.”

The soldier, who looked well over 30 years old, was a decorated soldier who had fought at Shanhaiguan and the Beijing Fortress.

“Then go to the scout corps. Give me your orders right now.”

“I hate scouting because it’s tough.”

“Ugh, that’s right.”

Jiwoo nodded and patted the soldier on the shoulder.

“Please take good care of the new soldiers.”

“Yes. I will do my best to follow your orders and manage the new soldiers.”

Jiwoo started walking again.

“The Iwami mine was the mine that financed the Imjin War. So, the opposition from Hideyori’s side will not be small.”

“There is no army that can withstand 120 rounds of Jincheon-roe at once. After that, grapeshot from 60 Bulrangi guns awaits. Finally, 1,200 rounds of shot from a twin-barreled matchlock gun.”

“Yes, as was sufficiently proven in the last Battle of Beijing.”

400,000 local troops from Henan, Hubei, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces were annihilated by the firepower of the Solbin Mobile Force.

“There is no problem since the army has not yet fully deployed the cannons.”

“Maybe I should just be careful with the Oozutsu (large-caliber rifle).”

“We have a sniper platoon. They won’t miss a target within 500 paces (250 meters).”

Jiwoo nodded and stopped walking.

“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s disband now.”

“Yes. Everyone, attention!”

The turned bastard saluted.

“Chung, Iwami Expeditionary Force. Review complete.”

“Good job.”

Jiwoo got on the horse he had been waiting for.

“Let’s go to the port. Okay.”

At Solbin Port, the National Assembly’s fleet was preparing to depart.

While the national secretary was recruiting sailors, he saw Jiwoo and bowed to him.

“Your Majesty, I greet you.”

“How is it, are you ready?”

“The fleet carrying 1,200 Han Chinese will head to Akita right away. I will depart for Nankai.”

“One month. Let’s make sure there are no problems recruiting mercenaries.”

The citizen nodded vigorously.

“I will go to Satsuma as soon as I have visited the Nankai patriarch.”

“Is it possible to persuade him?”

“The Southern Sea guerrillas are not easy opponents, but there is no disagreement about breaking Wa’s power. I will convey that point clearly.”

The southern sea of ​​Honshu, where the Iwami mine is located, is close to the South Sea naval base. In order to occupy this place, more than anything, Yi Sun-sin’s permission or tacit approval was necessary.

“We will inform you of the results promptly.”

“Okay. Just wait.”

At that moment, the last ship bound for Akita left the dock. Kookminseo made a gesture of putting his fist to his chest.

“Okay, then I’ll go now.”

When Jiwoo nodded silently, Gukmin Seo turned around.

It was war again. This was no different from the invasions Hideyoshi had carried out. The only difference was that it was a war of occupation using a relatively small number of troops and a full-scale firepower war.

Jiwoo stared blankly at his old adjutant as he walked away.