66
As major events such as the purging of Ryu Jeong-hyeon and the death of Emperor Yongle unfolded one after another, the busy days of Joseon gradually quieted down as autumn gave way to winter.
However, perhaps this stability did not sit well with some, as a mounted messenger rushed into the palace, clutching an urgent report.
"Urgent report!" Before the words could fully leave his mouth, the cavalryman leaped down and handed the document to the official in charge.
The report he brought was immediately delivered to King Sejong.
Upon reading it, Sejong quickly issued an order to the Chief State Councilor.
"All officials of rank Sang Sang-gwan and above, come to the main hall at once!"
"Understood!" The officials, who were busy with state affairs in the government office and the State Council, hurried to the main hall.
Those working in District 51 were no exception.
Riding on horseback, Choi Hae-san, Lee Cheon, and Hyang raced toward Gwanghwamun.
Upon arriving at the palace, Hyang headed toward the main hall and asked the inner court official a question.
"What is the matter?"
"I'm not sure, but I heard that an urgent report has come from the north."
"From the north?" Hyang looked back at Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon.
Both of them appeared unusually tense. 'Where is that smell of blood coming from...?' Hyang felt as if the scent of blood was wafting around them.
As he searched for the source of the smell, he became increasingly nervous, realizing it was emanating from Choi Hae-san and Lee Cheon. 'Is this the killing intent of soldiers who have experienced the slaughterhouse?'
Entering the main hall, he found that the summoned officials had already gathered.
"I apologize for being late."
"No, it is fine, Your Highness."
The ministers responded kindly to Hyang's apology for his late arrival.
"Your Majesty!" Shortly after Hyang took his seat, an attendant announced King Sejong's entrance.
As Hyang and the ministers bowed respectfully, Sejong, who had taken his place at the head of the hall, spoke.
"It seems this will take a while, so everyone please take a seat."
"Yes, Your Majesty." 'Is this one of the advantages of not having ondol (underfloor heating) yet? Having chairs is nice.' Hyang, lost in thought as he sat down on the chair brought by the attendants, shook his head slightly to refocus.
Once the small commotion caused by the attendants bringing in chairs settled down, Sejong got to the point.
"A moment ago, we received an urgent report from the north. Chief State Councilor, please relay the contents of the report."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Chief State Councilor, after bowing, addressed the ministers.
"You are all aware that there has been unrest among the Jianzhou Jurchens since last year. Although the turmoil is within the Jurchen tribes, due to their nature, we in Joseon cannot afford to ignore it, so we have been tracing the source of the unrest. Recently, our scouts discovered the reason and have sent an urgent report."
The ministers listened intently, their expressions serious.
The Chief State Councilor's voice echoed in the quiet main hall.
"The unrest among the Jianzhou Jurchens was caused by a major tribe from the north moving south."
Hwang Hee spoke up.
"What was the reason for their migration south?"
"They were pressured by the Daldan (Kitan) and came down south."
"What is their scale?"
"It is said to be around ten thousand households."
"This is... a serious matter."
Upon hearing the scale of the migrating tribe, the ministers sighed in dismay.
Unlike Joseon and Ming, who counted five family members as one household, the Jurchens typically counted fifteen per household.
"That means they have at least ten to thirty thousand cavalry."
"Indeed. And the number of medium cavalry is estimated to be at least three to ten thousand."
This was the part that made Joseon extremely tense.
Due to their semi-agricultural, semi-nomadic lifestyle, the Jurchen cavalry was not to be underestimated.
Looking back at history, the Jurchens were never a force to be taken lightly.
Although they had been ruled by the Liao dynasty established by the Khitan, once they united, they toppled the Liao and established the Jin dynasty.
The Jin dynasty inflicted significant wounds on the Song and Goryeo.
After the Yuan invaded and destroyed the Jin, the Jurchens were divided into tribes, and this division continued to this day.
This division among the Jurchens was a result of interference from Joseon and Ming.
The Jurchen tribes, sharing similar languages and customs, could have formed a powerful nation if someone managed to unify them.
This was something neither Joseon nor Ming desired.
"Who is the leader of the tribe?"
"It is said to be Imanjoo."
"If a tribe of this scale has moved south, it is quite a problem. Did Ming just let it happen?"
"It is said that Ming allowed it."
"What?!"
"This is outrageous!" The ministers were taken aback by the Chief State Councilor's response.
Hwang Hee, with a serious expression, presented his opinion to Sejong.
"Your Majesty, this could be a scheme by Ming."
Sejong nodded at Hwang Hee's statement.
"I think so too."
As the Chief State Councilor reported on the Jurchens, Hyang recalled memories from the 21st century.
While wandering aimlessly on the internet for entertainment, he had come across a post titled "The Presence of Yi Seong-gye."
"What is this?" Clicking on the blog post, he found it was based on records from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.
The post marked the Jurchen tribes that had surrendered to the founder of Joseon, Yi Seong-gye, and their naturalization status on a map.
Upon seeing the map, Hyang's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Wow..."
The direct influence of Yi Seong-gye extended beyond Goryeo's northeastern borders all the way to the Jilin region, while his indirect influence reached as far north as the southern part of Heilongjiang Province.
"This must be a joke. Is this information reliable?" The post had left a strong impression on Hyang.
After his reincarnation, he had gathered bits of information about the relationship between the Jurchens and Joseon.
For him, it was a form of cross-verification.
As he reviewed the collected materials, Hyang couldn't help but chuckle.
"This reminds me of a scene from a gangster movie."
What he referred to was the confrontation between Taejong and Yongle.
"Hey! Chairman Joo!
This can't be happening! No matter how much our Joseon faction has come under the Ming faction, this is unacceptable! The Ming faction's people are wandering around the Jurchen territory!
This is the area that the late Chairman Joo claimed was ours! Do you have no sense of propriety? This is unacceptable!
What?
The Jurchen territory is also under the Ming faction? Are you out of your mind? Should we have a go at it?
Our Joseon faction might get hurt, but do you think the Ming faction will come out unscathed?
Huh? Huh?
Should we have a go at it?"
After a heated exchange regarding the Jurchen territory, Taejong had managed to extract a concession from Yongle by bringing up "Zhu Yuanzhang's assurance."
Since then, the Jurchen territory had become a battleground for the three nations.
Joseon and Ming were stealthily expanding their influence while eyeing each other's backs in Jianzhou and the wild Jurchens, while the Northern Yuan awaited its chance to make a comeback.
Given this complicated situation, both the ministers and even Sejong were suspicious of Ming's intentions.
"The situation is urgent, so you all should think of good countermeasures."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As the ministers began to discuss their ideas, Hyang continued to sift through his memories. - The presence and influence of Yi Seong-gye among the Jurchens were indeed strong. - However, as it descended to Taejong and Sejong, this influence was gradually diminishing.
The reason for this was that, unlike Yi Seong-gye, who had direct contact, the current kings stayed in the palace, reducing the frequency and intensity of direct interactions. - Although this influence was waning, the impact of Yi Seong-gye and his descendants was 'still' present.
The problem was that the entity exerting this influence was 'the descendants of Yi Seong-gye,' not 'Joseon.'
'Let’s see...
Wasn't the time when it became a purely profit-driven transactional relationship from Sejo's reign? I think I read somewhere that influential Jurchen tribal leaders were involved in the restoration movement for Danjong and ended up getting killed, which led to a complete rift with the Jurchens...
This is a problem! My habit of half-remembering things when I lose interest is causing issues here.' Hyang grumbled inwardly as he continued to ponder for a good solution.
However, after much contemplation, the only answers that came to mind were conventional ones. 'Damn it! Is this the best I can do?' Frustrated at the lack of a brilliant idea, Hyang finally spoke with a resigned expression.
"Your Majesty, in the current situation, unconventional tactics may not be very useful, and I believe we must proceed with conventional methods."
"Conventional methods?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe we should strengthen Joseon's capabilities, reform the military system, and then gradually subjugate the Jurchens."
Sejong stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Is that really the best option?"
"Given the current situation, this is the best we can do."
'Reality is a swamp!'
"If I think of your usual cleverness, it seems..."
"I must reiterate, the current situation in Joseon makes it difficult to employ unconventional tactics. After all, unconventional tactics are merely lucky strikes that cannot overcome conventional methods."
Sejong made a sound of agreement.
Seeing this, Hyang added, "Unconventional tactics are most valuable when there is room to maneuver. No matter how clever a tactic may be, a mere soldier cannot defeat Xiang Yu."
'What? If the spear soldiers were armed with machine guns instead of spears, it might be a different story...'
Hearing Hyang's words, Sejong nodded.
"That is true. It is truly unfortunate! Listen, everyone!"
"We are listening, Your Majesty!"
"Come up with a plan to reform the military system. This is necessary for the military as well. Had this incident not occurred, I would have planned to create and implement it a little later, but the situation has changed rapidly, so we need a swift response."
"Understood!" Although Sejong issued the order to the ministers, he did not appear satisfied.
"I feel like there should be a more effective solution..."
Sejong's words were filled with disappointment, and the ministers began to sweat nervously as they racked their brains.
If they went a little further, they would soon be in a situation where they would have to shout 'I am deeply sorry!' at the top of their lungs.
'Think, think!' As the ministers desperately brainstormed, Hyang suggested to Sejong, "Your Majesty, how about calling the tribal leaders of the wild Jurchens to the palace to comfort them as a preliminary measure?"
"Call the tribal leaders to the palace?"
"Yes. There is a saying in the marketplace that 'when the body is far away, the heart is also distant.' This is not limited to relationships between men and women, is it? If you call the tribal leaders to comfort them, they will be moved by Your Majesty's kindness."
"I see."
Sejong nodded at Hyang's words.
Encouraged by Sejong's positive reaction, Hyang's voice grew stronger.
"As the capabilities of Joseon strengthen, those tribal leaders who come will have to make a choice: whether to accept the gifts in one hand or the club in the other."
"That sounds excellent! Then we will need a very sturdy club, won't we?"
"Indeed."
Sejong nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I like this idea very much."
Five days later, the ministers presented their plans for military reform to Sejong.
"Let’s see..."
As Sejong read through the proposals submitted by the ministers, he looked up and glared at them.
"Is this the best you could come up with?"
"We are deeply sorry!"
"Tsk! Did you even look at the military reform plan I created?"
"We are deeply sorry!"
While they repeatedly bowed their heads, Hwang Hee stepped forward.
"Given the current situation in Joseon, I believe this is the best option..."
"Hey, Vice Prime Minister! Just changing the name of the position is not reform! How is that the best option?"
"We are deeply sorry!"
"Ugh! Fine, I’ll just do it myself!"
"Please grant us mercy!"
"Do you really want me to do that?"
"We are deeply sorry!"
In the end, Sejong began to create the military reform plan himself, just as he had said.
"First, based on the expansion of the government's finances..."
Using the military reform plan he had drafted as a reference, Sejong created a basic proposal and handed it over to the Hall of Worthies.
"Review it and find any points for improvement."
"Understood!" After passing through the Hall of Worthies, Sejong held the proposal in his hands and began to review it again.
After examining the proposal several times, Sejong frowned.
"This just doesn't sit right..."
As he pondered, Sejong sought out Hyang.
"This is the plan I created after much thought; what do you think?"
"It is a masterpiece created by Your Majesty after much deliberation, so it must be the best, right?"
"Flattery won't increase the research budget."
Ultimately, Hyang and Sejong worked together to come up with improvements.
"Completely separating the military positions and filling them with military officials? Won't the civil officials rise up? If we're not careful, there will be those who talk about 'military dictatorship.'"
"That's why the authority over budget and personnel matters was entrusted to the Minister of Military Affairs and the Vice Minister, and they are both civil officials, aren't they?"
"Since we are completely separating it, wouldn't it be better for me to take charge of everything?"
"Then the military officials would completely disregard the civil officials and dominate. That would lead to the 'resurgence of military dictatorship.'"
"Even with me around?"
"You would become the justification for that dominance."
"Is that so?"
"It will definitely turn out that way."
Hyang answered firmly.
'There actually was such an organization.
The Imperial Japanese Army!'
After much debate, the military reform began.
It was symbolized by the 'General Staff Headquarters of the Joseon Army' and the 'Training Institute.'