Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Selling Ice Water to a Burning House (7)

19th century, going through the notorious sedo politics period the Joseon army was perfectly finished.

Yi Hwan first imported a military advisory group from Britain to rebuild the Joseon army. Actually if chose an advisory group from a country other than Britain Britain would have sent not a military advisory group but just troops and burned Changdeokgung this time for sure.

Anyway since imprinted fear at the DNA level on Joseon people and finally even opened the country’s door perhaps these can be called the best one-shot tutors.

“British-style doctrine seems not matching us.”

“Isn’t the Chosen army elite even importing British-style doctrine?”

“The East India Company army is a bit different. But they are ultimately not a country but a company. Seems not a target we consider.”

However ultimately Britain’s true power was concentrated on the navy, and the British army was mere <​shells the navy shoots to land>.

But clear that if trying to raise even the navy would become a sparrow with crotch torn, so the military officers of the new country Joseon had to struggle how to raise the Joseon army holding writings written in hard-to-read curly languages.

But then a comet-like France that likes anything if eating British taffy appeared.

“Oh, why are you Joseon army trying to follow a rich country army that eats raw with terrain advantage like Britain? You must model after our France.”

“What secret does the French army have?”

“Well of course a huge army armed with intense patriotism and loyalty. Rapid mobility and powerful firepower, and the offensive spirit coming from patriotism precisely guarantees victory!”

The French people’s military doctrine perfectly matched the Joseon army’s taste.

Of course ‘patriotism for the republic’ was a bit uncomfortable, but just then the country of traitors French Second Republic shut down and the empire was born. Now really perfect.

“According to what subjects know, the French Empire army is firmly armed with loyalty to the emperor and even if a forest of guns and spears is spread jumps in with bare body without hesitation and slaughters the enemies.”

“We are not an island country and adjacent to the continent so can say the situation similar to France. I will speak well to the British minister so you receive military strategy from the descendants of Napoleon the Great.”

But the more learning from the French military advisory group, seemed not this either.

The military generals who gradually recovered stamina through Yi Hwan’s army-centered policy - in other elegant words military-first politics finally reached reviving the old Joseon army’s traditions forgotten for a long time one by one.

“Ultimately our main enemy is the Qing army, and the essence of the Qing army is those powerful Eight Banners and endless Green Standard soldiers. In this situation cannot handle cavalry like those European armies. We need a powerful cavalry.”

“Due to our country’s characteristics in war must assume confronting the many with the few. If not gathering to the last one and confronting China will definitely be swept by the Chinese wave.”

“Ministers’ words truly correct.”

Make Joseon army’s unique doctrine utilizing only the advantages of Britain and France!

...The dream was firm but if this possible no way Joseon army. The Joseon army was still a patient waking from a vegetative state after 60 years and rehabilitating.

However unlike patients, the organization called army surprisingly has elasticity so becoming crippled is instant but recovering is also instant.

The Joseon army grinding sufficient money and time, and people developed day by day.

Near Yamazaki in front of Kyoto.

Right after Oda Nobunaga died, the battlefield where Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide collided over the seat of the world’s master.

The Joseon army was showcasing the achievements so far here.

“Guys jumping in front of the fire net are all enemies! Don’t leave even one alive!”

“Shoot!!”

The method of cultivating excellent soldiers in the 19th century is the same whether British army or French army.

Beat.

Beat again.

Trim with violence and discipline to make into a program that obeys only orders scraping even human autonomy and survival instinct to the extreme.

Joseon also quickly acquired this mysterious wisdom. As expected the vibe of learned people does not distinguish East and West ancient and modern confirmed. How make people sparing the whip?

Joseon’s soldiers also became people like that.

Sons of pre-modern farmers who woke when the sun rose and slept when the sun set were reborn as modern people through persistent violence in training camps and barracks.

Definitely until a few hours ago heard those were allies, but they with one order from the commander indifferently... no, hesitating still raised guns. Thoughts were many but the body moved separately from thoughts.

Tatatang!! Tatang!!

Volley fire.

Sequential fire.

And even Gatling fire deployed on the most side rear.

The Joseon army’s operational doctrine mainly assumed cases where the opponent is more than allies.

And in this original dealer race’s hemoglobin the longing for gunpowder and explosion is also contained.

Right.

Explosion always knows the answer.

The Joseon army that put joran hwan in cheonja chongtong and shot even in the Imjin War of course loved grape shot and canister shot too much even entering the 19th century.

The baptism of overwhelming bullets and cannonballs struck the fleeing shogunate army remnants.

“Eu, euaaaa!”

“Shooting! Joseon bastards are shooting!”

“We are allies! Not enemies!!”

Those who could even scream were happy.

Because the guys in front all got shot and were screaming in pain or else bid farewell to the world as is.

“To the side! Must escape to the side!!”

“Don’t dawdle in the Joseon army’s fire net!!”

“If don’t want to die jump to the side you idiots!!”

This heartless decision was not wrong.

Some of the anti-shogunate army that was running holding the rear of the remnants charged, but bullets also equally made them into corpses.

“Let’s reorganize the ranks! The Joseon army hard to pierce at once!”

“What sound! Even seeing that firepower that sound! No way to win if not advancing using shogunate bastards as meat shields!”

The chronic problem of the anti-shogunate army command authority caught the ankle right here.

Since those who voluntarily drew swords to collapse the shogunate gathered morale might have been high, but not easy for anyone to neatly risk life on upper line orders.

This golden time.

The Joseon army cavalry charged in.

***

Joseon was always crazy about cavalry. Even in those days the country became a mess at least cared about cavalry.

Even now in 1863 when the country’s great reform occurred that fact unchanged. The era of firearms and line infantry came, but Joseon preparing for collision with 100,000 Eight Banners on the wide Manchurian plains cannot look down on cavalry.

As horse racing became a popular leisure ranches to supply good horses competed to import Western thoroughbreds and carefully managed the bloodline.

Joseon cavalry who desperately polished horseback archery to pass the military exam now received proper salary and were reborn as elite special forces or fell into the path of professional entertainers. If a well-going yangban house had to hold one horseback archery performance on feast days.

Of course the Joseon army cavalry did not grow much materially.

Joseon was still a desperately poor country, and just providing soldiers’ guns and clothing seemed the waist would break.

However now the Joseon army had pride.

Puuu---

“Advance north destroy Jin!!”

“Advance north destroy Jin!!!”

“Who are we!!”

“Descendants of Gabyeolcho!!”

“Charge! Sweep without leaving even one!!”

The Western military advisory group once more awakened how important a factor pride is to soldiers, and the new Joseon army benchmarked the cases of France’s <​Imperial Guard> or various traditional units in the British army.

As a result the Joseon cavalry became descendants of Gabyeolcho who founded Joseon together with Taejo Yi Seonggye, and received the admiration of all as the place only the best Joseon men go.

From some moment almost none chose discharge even though can earn much more money performing outside. The shocking change of the Joseon army that even carried fake swords and did vegetable peddling on off days.

The cavalry that risked life only on self-esteem and manliness charged through the battlefield at once and bit the side of the anti-shogunate army.

These cavalry crazy about face and turned on pride mostly private equipment.

Some drew pistols and sprayed. After shooting a few immediately threw the empty gun and drew new-style cavalry swords.

Others drew a flail that looked quite aged and struck the Japanese head, and others swung old swords or Japanese swords bought in Edo. Some soldiers whose inflated ego even collapsed the fear of the battlefield showed knife work front back left right without hesitation holding dual swords.

“Eu, euaak!!”

“Joseon bastards!! Get out of this land!!”

“Chatter in Joseon language, arrogant traitor bastards!”

In front of the cavalry advancing the path of slaughter Japanese finally became equal.

Even the samurai’s sword refined by expensive swordsmiths, even bamboo spears not even 1 yen all meaningless.

The sword strike carrying the soul of ronin Jiro who became a wandering samurai after polishing study and martial arts training all life born.

The spear thrust clumsily thrust by farmer Yaske who tore and killed Joseon merchants because rice prices rose too much and joined the anti-shogunate army.

No matter what weapon hit ultimately what comes to them is only death.

They could not dare approach those polished with war techniques the West polished dying and killing for hundreds of years, cavalry riding expensive military horses whose bloodline was managed with the power of capitalism. What killed them was 19th century modernity and capitalism.

“Turn greatly like this! Dig into the enemies’ rear!!”

“The precious person is too out front! Even now-”

“The traitors have no anti-cavalry power! Right here is the safest place on the battlefield! Blow the horn!!”

Lee Wonbeom confirmed the cavalry completely destroyed the side of the anti-shogunate army and instead of withdrawing back and reorganizing devoted even more to breakthrough. From the beginning the anti-shogunate army without meaningful numbers of cavalry had no suitable means to block them.

“The Joseon bastards’ cavalry!”

“Th, those guys are not stopping!”

“What are our gun soldiers doing! Immediately form ranks and show those guys the taste of bullets!!”

“Turn the gun muzzles to the cavalry here now? Are you sane!”

Step.

Step, step, step.

Military boot sounds as if shaking the earth axis.

Advance sounds repeating left foot, left foot, left foot matching drum and trumpet sounds.

The Joseon army infantry that completely cleaned the front were advancing.

“...Up to here.”

They realized the end had arrived.

Only the choice left whether to show the Yamato people’s spirit to foreigners who trampled the divine land drawing swords magnificently, or run beyond the horizon promising to come again.

“Those cruel bastards killing even allies without hesitation... Shogunate you bastards what monster did you bring in! Truly intending to sell the divine land to barbarians!”

“Let’s go! Show the spirit of Choshu men!!”

Before the sun set, everything was decided.

The anti-shogunate army collapsed.

The majority of those who fled could not avoid the persistent remnant hunting.

Nevertheless the damage to the Joseon army and shogunate army was extremely minimal.

The corpses strewn on the field were all those resisting the shogunate.

Kyoto’s gate opened wide.

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Author’s note

Thank you for the sponsorship of Mr. Armin Führer!!