Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 262

The reason Sejong ordered the Minister of Foreign Affairs to hold out as long as possible in Ming was to prevent Ming’s interference.

Although their value had diminished to almost nothing, Manchu and Mentemu held high-ranking positions in Ming.

Moreover, they were figures that could be immediately mobilized whenever trouble arose between the Ming people and the Jurchens.

Therefore, it was certain that Ming would definitely attempt to intervene and mediate at an appropriate point.

In the end, Sejong, the ministers, and the military, who were well aware of the entire situation, had all reached the same conclusion.

-Finish the job before Ming interferes!

-If that is impossible, kill as many as possible before withdrawing! However, Manchu, Mentemu, and their families must be eliminated!

-If they are left in a state beyond recovery, the nearby Jurchen tribes will take care of the aftermath themselves, as they have always done.

Sejong instructed Choi Yoon-deok.

“No matter what happens, this incident was orchestrated under Manchu’s leadership. Even if those who have invaded our Joseon territory belong to other tribes, it was instigated by Manchu!”

At Sejong’s words, Choi Yoon-deok promptly replied.

“Indeed, that is certainly the case. Jurchens who are aware of Joseon’s situation would never commit such an atrocious act! There is only one possibility for such an incident to occur! It is only possible with Manchu’s instigation!”

Following Choi Yoon-deok’s statement, Maeng Sa-seong continued.

“Hwang Hui, the governor of Hamgil Province, reported that the Jurchen tribes who have surrendered remain loyal to Joseon.

Moreover, even the Jurchen tribes beyond our borders wish to establish friendly relations with Joseon and have no intention of provoking us.

There are foolish ones who only prioritize plundering and have invaded our territory, but they have all been annihilated by our Joseon army.

The same holds true for Pyeongan Province.

However, the fact that there are those who dare to invade Joseon’s territory is impossible without someone’s instigation! And the only one capable of such instigation is Manchu!”

“Absolutely right!”

“Manchu is the only mastermind behind this incident.”

“We must subjugate Manchu’s forces!”

As soon as Maeng Sa-seong finished speaking, other ministers stepped forward and argued for punishing Manchu.

Sejong, who had been quietly listening to the ministers’ discussions, spoke.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

“I await your command, Your Majesty!”

Sejong summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and immediately gave an order.

“Search through all the records in the Archive and report to the Ming Emperor about all the conflicts instigated by Manchu’s Huligai tribe. And earlier, I told you to depart immediately, but…”

Pausing for a moment, Sejong turned to Choi Yoon-deok.

“How long will it take for the soldiers of Hamgil Province and Pyeongan Province to cross the border?”

“The main forces can cross the Amnok and Tumen Rivers within three days, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed, Minister of Foreign Affairs. I will give you three days. Ah! And if by any chance the Ming Emperor asks when we received the intelligence, tell him that we knew immediately through the beacon system and learned the detailed information two days after the incident occurred. I trust he will understand the reason.”

“It is to avoid revealing our light communication network! I, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Maeng-gyun, stake my life on fulfilling Your Majesty’s will and returning!”

“I trust you!”

Having shown his trust in Lee Maeng-gyun, Sejong turned to the ministers.

“That Manchu’s actions since moving south have been a thorn in our side! As that atrocious man has drawn his sword against us first, we must eliminate him decisively and firmly imprint the terror of Joseon in the minds of all Jurchen tribes who have not surrendered! Pour all of Joseon’s capabilities into this great undertaking!”

“We obey your command!”

The ministers responded in unison to Sejong’s order.

Joseon’s total war against Manchu and Mentemu was about to unfold.

The court historian who recorded all of this wrote the following:

-His Majesty commanded to exert utmost effort, and all the subjects responded in agreement.

The court historian comments.

Whether Manchu is indeed the mastermind behind this incident is still unknown to anyone. However, it is true that Manchu poses the greatest threat.

Meanwhile, Hyang, who had been observing the entire situation from beneath the palace hall, muttered to himself.

‘It’s been a while since I remembered the random stories of Teacher Samcheonpo.’

-The conquest of the Four Commanderies and Six Garrisons by Sejong is covered in textbooks, right? But there’s a part that’s not mentioned afterward, which is the thrashing of Manchu and the assassination attempt on Mentemu, the ancestor of Nurhaci.

-Why did Sejong try to eliminate Manchu? It is said that Mentemu dug his own grave by going back and forth between Ming and Joseon, but still. Ah! Mentemu’s actions can be considered pragmatic diplomacy by today’s standards, but even now, behaving like that would likely result in being abandoned.

Sejong’s attempt to eliminate Manchu was not solely because Manchu’s father, Aruktai, had abandoned Yi Seong-gye and joined hands with Ming. It was the result of bloody international politics.

***

In the history before Hyang’s intervention, in the 15th year of Sejong’s reign (1433), two years from now, Sejong had ordered Choi Yoon-deok to subjugate Manchu’s Huligai tribe.

The incident’s origin could be traced back to the previous year, the 14th year of Sejong’s reign (1432).

December of the 14th year of Sejong’s reign. Approximately 400 Jurchen cavalry attacked the Yeoyeon region.

Upon receiving the report, Sejong expressed his intention to establish defense measures against the Jurchens and simultaneously carry out a large-scale subjugation campaign.

Moving into the new year, January of the 15th year of Sejong’s reign (1433). Manchu returned 64 Joseon prisoners. During this process, Manchu claimed that the perpetrators of this incident were the Uriankhai and had nothing to do with him.

Meanwhile, Joseon sent a report to Ming regarding this matter, characterizing the Jurchen forces in the Pazhu River region and other areas. The problem was that according to the information gathered until then, the perpetrators were the Hulan Uriankhai. However, Joseon insisted that they were Jurchens from the Pazhu River region—more precisely, Manchu.

Until then, the Joseon court had been engaged in a fierce debate over the subjugation of the Jurchens—specifically, Manchu.

However, following Sejong’s strong will, the subjugation was carried out, and an envoy was sent to Ming.

The issue was the date the envoy was sent. Sejong dispatched the envoy to Ming one week before the Joseon army set out. It was a timing chosen when Ming would have difficulty intervening even if they knew.

The Joseon army, with Choi Yoon-deok as the commander, achieved great military success in the subsequent subjugation campaign.

The reason Joseon, or rather Sejong, was relentlessly targeting Manchu’s elimination was due to Manchu’s position.

-Manchu’s tribe was the core tribe of the Jurchens in Geonju. If Manchu’s influence grew further, it was certain that Joseon’s influence over the Jurchens would gradually diminish.

-Manchu was pro-Ming. He had received a high-ranking position from Ming and greatly emphasized this fact. Joseon did not want Ming to expand its influence through him.

-In connection with the above reason, Manchu did not acknowledge Joseon as a superior state. If this were left unchecked, it was evident that Joseon would lose its initiative and dominance in the Amnok River region.(Note 1)

Therefore, Joseon relentlessly targeted Manchu until the reign of King Sejo, ultimately killing him.

***

‘No matter how you look at it, Manchu was destined to die. International politics…’

Recalling the random stories of Teacher Samcheonpo, Hyang, who had been slightly smacking his lips, suddenly remembered one fact and was startled.

‘But within three days, the main forces of Hamgil Province and Pyeongan Province will cross the Duman River and Amnok River? Even if I have used my abilities, isn’t this too much?’

If it was the full strength of one division, that would be at least 15,625 men. With two divisions, it easily exceeded 31,000 men. Even if it was only a portion, if it was called the main force, it meant a minimum of 6,000 to 7,000 men per division.

Simply put, even if the soldiers scattered throughout Hamgil Province and Pyeongan Province were gathered and mobilized immediately, three days was an absolutely impossible timeframe.

‘This would be unreasonable even for the South Korean military in the 21st century! Unless preparations are made in advance…’

Having thought that far, Hyang looked at Choi Yoon-deok.

“Crown Prince, why are you looking at the Chief of Staff like that?”

Sejong, who noticed Hyang’s gaze, immediately questioned him. Hyang promptly answered Sejong’s question.

“I was surprised by the fact that the main forces can cross the Amnok andTumen Rivers in just three days.”

At Hyang’s remark, Choi Yoon-deok responded with a slight smile.

“We were fortunate.”

“Pardon?”

As Hyang did not fully understand, Choi Yoon-deok provided a more detailed explanation.

“Originally, every spring famine season, Pyeongan Province and Hamgil Province deploy their soldiers forward in anticipation of Jurchen invasions.”

“I remember. I received a report and approved it last February.”

Sejong interjected, pretending to know, at Choi Yoon-deok’s explanation. Choi Yoon-deok immediately continued.

“That’s correct, Your Majesty. And after the beginning of spring, as the number of Jurchens surrendering from the Odoli tribe increased, we were paying attention to the unsettled atmosphere within the Odoli tribe when this incident occurred.”

“I see. It was a situation befitting the saying, ‘In times of peace, prepare for war.’ The general’s contribution is truly immense.”

“The credit goes to the General Staff Headquarters. It is the result of continuous research in anticipation of such times.”

Seeing Choi Yoon-deok attributing the credit to the General Staff Headquarters, Hyang muttered to himself.

‘Is this the limit of praising virtue?’

Although Hyang had brought about many changes in the military aspect, they were mainly focused on equipment and small-scale tactics.

Large-scale strategies and tactics were the responsibility of the General Staff Headquarters. And this was where Sejong’s choice shone.

As Sejong unfolded the framework of the General Staff Headquarters, the generals who had gained experience in the battlefield spread their wings.

This was an area where Hyang had limitations.

***

The next day, a communication officer from the General Staff Headquarters urgently sought out Choi Yoon-deok.

“Urgent news from the north.”

“Let me see!”

Choi Yoon-deok snatched the paper and examined its contents before sighing.

“Haa~.”

“General, what’s the matter?”

As the nearby commanders hurriedly approached and questioned him, Choi Yoon-deok handed over the paper.

“The identities of those responsible for this incident have been confirmed. Manchu and Mentemu.”

“Ah…”

At Choi Yoon-deok’s words, the commanders all expressed relief. Representing their sentiments, Choi Yoon-deok muttered.

“Fortunately, there’s no need for complicated schemes…”

Choi Yoon-deok retrieved the paper and rose from his seat.

“I must go to Geunjeongjeon! Contact the units in Pyeongan Province and Hamgil Province and tell them to cross the river as soon as possible! For an incident of this scale, the tribes must have emptied their hideouts! We must capture them before they escape our grasp and before Ming finds out!”

“Yes, sir!”

After issuing orders to the commanders, Choi Yoon-deok mounted his horse and immediately rode to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

***

Once the identities of those responsible for the incident were confirmed, all information was swiftly delivered to Hanseong.

The Jurchen scouts dispatched by Joseon quickly tracked the traces of Mentemu and Manchu.

The scouts who discovered the traces immediately rushed to the nearby Joseon military camps and garrisons to relay the information. And the garrisons and camps that received the information sent it to Hanseong using the light communication devices.

It took time for the Jurchen scouts to reach the garrisons and camps, but after that, it took only about 2 si-jin (4 hours) for the information to be delivered to Hanseong.

Based on this information, not only the General Staff Headquarters but also Sejong and the ministers could receive updates on where Manchu and Mentemu were moving almost in real-time—according to the communication speed of that time.

Observing the discussions between the General Staff Headquarters, Sejong, and the ministers, Hyang muttered to himself.

‘Didn’t Teacher Samcheonpo say that Joseon’s attitude toward the Jurchens during this period was almost paranoid? That’s a fitting statement.’

In the case of invasions by the Japanese, only the term “Waegu” had a designated number code, but for the Jurchens, over 100 codes were assigned for all the large and small tribes combined.

***

Note 1: Reading Joseon through Wars. Compiled by the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies. Geulhanggari.