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As they headed towards Hanyang, the tension among the Jurchen tribal leaders grew stronger.
The cause of their unease was the Joseon cavalry that accompanied them under the guise of protection.
"Are those the Green Armored Ghosts we’ve heard about?" the tribal leaders murmured to themselves as they observed the cavalry clad in green armor moving alongside them.
Until recently, the Joseon cavalry they were familiar with had not even had a unified color scheme.
Although the number of two-piece armors was gradually increasing, the overall appearance was a mix of various types of armor, making them easily mistaken for Jurchens if not for their military discipline.
However, recently, the units had been unified in new green armor, and now most of the Joseon troops in the border areas were clad in green.
The initial reaction of the Jurchens in the Tumen River area to this unification of armor was lukewarm.
"They’ve changed their armor? Did the new king loosen the purse strings?" "Looks decent, maybe we should raid them later?" The indifferent or mildly interested reactions of the wild Jurchens turned 180 degrees when rumors of the bloody winds that had swept through the Gunjoo region reached them.
"Green Armored Ghosts?" "Yes, the fools of Gunjoo call them that."
"Isn’t that just an exaggeration from the Gunjoo fools?" The tribal leaders of the wild Jurchens dismissed the rumors as exaggerations at first.
To seize the Jurchens, both Ming and Joseon displayed similar movements.
On one side, they worked diligently to win them over, while on the other, they would crush any resistance with military force.
However, what they focused on even more was preventing the Jurchens from uniting and causing division among them.
As a result, the Jurchens began to insult those from other regions, growling at each other.
"The fools of Gunjoo," "the beggars of the wild," "the mixed breeds of Haeseo," they fell into a situation where they were eager to tear each other apart.
"The Joseon might be strong, but the fools of Gunjoo are just stupid."
When they first heard the rumors of the Green Armored Ghosts, the reactions of the wild Jurchen tribal leaders were similar.
However, as more detailed information came from Gunjoo, their expressions grew serious.
"Twelve units completely annihilated? And with over 200 units?" "Only with 500?" The total force of the Joseon army deployed for the campaign against the Gunjoo Jurchens was about 3,000. At that time, the Joseon army had divided them into six groups consisting of 400 cavalry and 100 artillery, sweeping away the 12 units.
It was this part that made the wild Jurchen tribal leaders tense.
If there were over 200 units, it was a scale that could not be easily matched by the traditional 500 Joseon cavalry.
In a real crisis, 200 units could mobilize 600 to 700 cavalry.
Given the capabilities of Jurchen cavalry, the 500 or even 400 Joseon cavalry would suffer serious losses, retreating with at least half of their forces gone.
If it were Ming, they would be nearly annihilated.
But if the rumors were true, the opposite situation had occurred.
"Don’t just bring rumors, bring proper information!" "Yes, Khan!" "And tell the hunters not to touch the Joseon people and troops in the border areas for the time being!" "Yes, Khan!" With the information obtained through time and effort, the wild Jurchen tribal leaders realized that a real crisis had come.
"Twelve units have been destroyed, and there are almost no survivors? The Joseon army suffered almost no losses?" "They gained the power of the Fire Dragon? What nonsense is this?" The wild Jurchen tribal leaders focused on the term "Fire Dragon."
"The Joseon army used artillery in large quantities? So they call it the Fire Dragon? Stupid fools of Gunjoo! Living right next to the idiots of Ming and never even seen artillery?" Knowing that "Fire Dragon" referred to artillery, the wild Jurchen tribal leaders soon learned the truth.
The Joseon army had begun to deploy and use artillery in greater numbers than even the Ming army.
As the military power of the Joseon army grew to a serious level, the wild Jurchen tribal leaders could not help but increase their tension.
In such a situation, Sejong sent an "invitation."
Ultimately, the wild Jurchen tribal leaders had to head to Gapsan with only a small escort, as written in the invitation.
As they traveled towards Hanyang, the wild Jurchen tribal leaders complained.
"Is this really protection, or are we being treated like prisoners?" Their complaints were directed at the Joseon cavalry surrounding them under the guise of "protection."
The cavalry, all clad in green armor, exuded an overwhelming sense of intimidation just from their uniformity.
Upon arriving at Gapsan, the new armor of the Joseon army appeared to be incredibly sturdy even to the eyes of the tribal leaders.
Unlike the previous two-piece armors or other types, this armor seemed to protect the whole body while allowing for ease of movement.
"How can they make such armor?" "The armor is one thing, but the fact that they produced and distributed such armor in large quantities is even more frightening. This current king of Joseon is no ordinary person."
The tribal leaders of the wild Jurchens, gathered in their temporary lodging, exchanged serious opinions.
The older leaders wore even more serious expressions.
"I haven’t seen the king of Joseon yet, so I can’t judge, but the real problem is that the morale of the Joseon troops has become fiercer."
"Indeed. Until now, they were a somewhat uncomfortable opponent, but just from what I felt now, I don’t want to meet them as enemies."
The Joseon soldiers they encountered on the way to Gapsan had a changed demeanor compared to before.
Previously, only the cavalry had seemed uncomfortable, but now even the soldiers guarding the camps displayed a fierce spirit.
Not only was their spirit fierce, but they also showed a fighting spirit that seemed to say, "Let’s have a go!" "I haven’t felt this way since the great elder passed away... Hoo~."
The tribal leaders sighed as they recalled the powerful presence that Lee Seong-gye had once possessed, which they had forgotten over time.
Their sense of burden grew even heavier as they moved towards Hanyang.
The Joseon cavalry assigned to "protect" them maintained a distance of at least ten paces (about 30 meters) from the tribal leaders' procession.
While they could close the distance quickly if they wanted to, a skilled cavalryman could easily prepare for a counterattack at that distance.
And as they approached a wide plain, more cavalry appeared, forming another layer of defense.
When the path narrowed as they crossed valleys or hills, the Joseon cavalry shifted positions to the front and back of the procession.
The tribal leaders, caught in the middle, sighed as they saw the green armor sporadically visible among the trees.
"Hoo~. They’re telling us to just go to Hanyang without thinking."
"By the way, I envy Nakutai. He’s lucky."
The tribal leaders, who could only sigh, cast envious glances at the leader who wore a relaxed expression.
The Nakutai tribe was accompanied by large prison carts.
Inside those carts were disheveled men and women, dressed in a mix of Joseon and wild attire.
The captives filling the carts were the Hwachuk and bandits who had been pursued by the Joseon army.
As Sejong pushed forward with the campaign, he issued an edict to local magistrates regarding the Hwachuk groups, and the magistrates posted the orders on the walls of the Dongheon. - All Hwachuk of Joseon must appear before the government by the end of the year to register for household registration.
Those who register will receive assistance after their training and will become proud citizens of Joseon.
However, those who do not appear by the end of the year will be treated as internal traitors and dealt with severely.
Those who saw the notice containing Sejong's edict informed the connected Hwachuk.
Upon hearing the news, the Hwachuk had to make a decision.
A considerable number of Hwachuk led their families down from the mountains to voluntarily register for household registration, and they moved to Neobeol Island to receive training in livestock management, preparing to be assigned to livestock farms being set up nationwide.
"I want to try something other than livestock management."
Those who wished to do something else began to seek out merchants or artisans who were starting to feel a labor shortage.
After some time, as cattle and pigs were shipped from the livestock farms, the "ban on slaughter" was completely lifted, and "gyejak" became popular, leading some to amass wealth in the slaughter and food service industries.
Of course, this is a story for the future, and by the end of the year, the number of Hwachuk who voluntarily registered for household registration was not as many as expected.
To be precise, the Hwachuk who registered were those who had lived closely with the Joseon people and had almost adapted, while most of the others remained criminals causing havoc.
In other words, the Hwachuk openly rejected Sejong's orders.
"To refuse my orders! Not only that, but to wield swords against the people? Mobilize the troops and annihilate them!" "Understood!" As Sejong's command was issued, a nationwide campaign to eliminate the Hwachuk began.
The Hwachuk, descendants of the Khitan or other nomads, were skilled horsemen and formidable fighters, making them a troublesome presence.
However, as Joseon began a determined, organized, and meticulous campaign of extermination, they had to perish.
In the future, historians from both East and West studying the history of Joseon, particularly during the reigns of Sejong and Munjong, would engage in heated debates over whether it constituted "genocide."
Ultimately, unable to withstand the pursuit of the government troops, the Hwachuk had to flee further north.
In avoiding the pursuit of the government troops, they moved in the northeastern direction.
During their escape, new members joined their group.
They were bandits.
The bandits were also in a similar situation, being chased by the government troops.
The reason the bandits were being pursued was due to the Great Fire of Hanyang.
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the fire, those who found joy in stealing wealth formed groups and continued to attempt arson.
Ultimately, enraged by their criminal acts, Sejong issued a decree.
"If you cannot capture them alive, you may kill them on the spot!" Consequently, these bandits also had to flee towards the northeastern direction to escape the relentless pursuit of the government troops.
Most of the fleeing bandits and Hwachuk were captured by Jurchen tribes like Nakutai.
The fate of the captured Hwachuk and bandits was not very good.
Stripped of everything they had, the Hwachuk and bandits were executed on the spot.
Women and children were spared from death but were either enslaved by the Jurchens or sold into human trafficking to the Ming.
However, those captured by Nakutai were not fortunate either.
As soon as they were handed over from Hanyang, most faced the fate of beheading.
Upon arriving ten li away from Hanyang, the Jurchen tribal leaders grew even more tense.
Soldiers clad in green armor, wielding large swords like staffs, stood stiffly at regular intervals on both sides of the road leading to Hanyang, waiting for them.
Behind those soldiers stood commoners who had come out to watch them.
"Hoo~. Has the great elder really returned alive?" The older tribal leaders sighed as they observed the soldiers' imposing presence.
The aura emanating from the soldiers standing by the roadside was as strong as that of the soldiers during the prime of Lee Seong-gye.
As the Jurchen tribal leaders entered Honghwa Gate, the armor worn by the soldiers changed from green to dark blue.
They were the royal guards protecting Hanyang.
However, the Jurchen tribal leaders were greatly surprised by another aspect.
"What kind of road is this..."
The gray avenue leading to the palace was something they had never seen before.
The smooth road, devoid of stones or dirt, seemed to symbolize the transformed Joseon.
Upon reaching Gwanghwamun, the tribal leaders had to dismount and walk inside.
On both sides of the path leading to Geunjeongjeon stood the black-armored guards, similarly wielding large swords.
The tribal leaders, having given up on everything, relaxed their tension.
Upon arriving at the courtyard in front of Geunjeongjeon, the tribal leaders looked up to see Sejong sitting on the throne, gazing at them.
Upon seeing the king, the tribal leaders immediately knelt.
"We greet Your Majesty!"