From the Imjin War to the Qing Invasion

so I should wait until his training was over.

It’s not because I was scared.

As I watched his swordsmanship for a while, our eyes met.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Was he really asking me?

There was no one else around the sarangchae besides me.

“Yes? How did you know I was watching?”

“Ahahaha! How could I not know when you’ve been staring at me for almost half an hour?”

What? I’ve been stalking him for nearly an hour? No wonder my legs were sore!

“I thought I was hiding well.”

“Even though I’m away from the battlefield now, I’ve been a warrior swinging a sword for over ten years.
How could I not know? Anyway, what do you want to say?”

As expected of a warrior.
His words were refreshing.

It’s great that he was so direct!

“Is there anything happening in Hanyang?”

“…Why are you curious?”

Please, do not glare at me like that.
I feel like my fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae will separate if I say anything wrong.

“To my knowledge, it is extremely rare for Sanggammama[5] to issue an order.”

“Ah, that’s right.
If Sanggammama sends out orders too often, it can cause confusion on the front line.
So, unless there’s a rebellion or something special, there’s no need to see the order.
By the way, how old are you?”

Ajeossi!

Please don’t even mention rebellion!

Just hearing about it made me feel like shrinking!

“I’m eleven this year.”

“Ho, it’s really amazing! I knew nothing about the world when I was eleven and just played.
Do you know about Hamgyeong Province?”

“I only know that it is located at the northernmost part of Joseon.”

“There’s a rebellion happening over there.
From what I’ve heard, it’s causing quite a commotion.
The court must need some good news to appease the people’s sentiments.
Ah, is this too difficult for you to understand? Hahaha!”

Please don’t underestimate me, ajeossi.

Even though I may look like this, I’d been using my brain to live.

Have you ever been troubled by jerks like the cyberstalkers or boring car chasers?

Well, it was not like I didn’t have angelic readers who supported my writing.

Anyway, one of my questions was answered.

Why did I forget this fact?

I had almost forgotten this while preparing for various things, but in 1583, the slack Joseon army faced the Nitanggae rebellion!

At the time of Taejo’s founding of Joseon, the Joseon army was very strong.

During the reign of Sejong, it was only half successful, but the power was strong enough to conquer Daemado[6].

However, 200 years after Taejo founded the country, the once-strong military power of Joseon had disappeared without a trace.

In this situation, the invasion of more than 30,000 northern tribesmen was enough to shake Joseon.

“If there was a big disturbance in the north, it wouldn’t be bad to give hope that there will be a lot of crops next year to capture the people’s hearts.”

Indeed, King Seonjo was strong in a crisis.

The most dangerous moment during Seonjo’s reign was not when the Imjin War broke out.

Rather, Seonjo, who felt uneasy about his position after the Imjin War ended and King Gwanghae became a war hero, tested his son’s and subjects’ loyalty by performing a fake abdication.

It must have been terrible for those on the receiving end.

Still, even in a situation where some public sentiment had left, the fact that he performed a fake abdication with his position at stake showed how much of a jerk but strong in a crisis Seonjo was.

Knowing that if the king were to abdicate when the power structure was not unstable like in the early Joseon Dynasty, Confucian-minded subjects and Prince Gwanghae did not easily accept the throne.

Some used sophisticated political machinations to make Gwanghae himself acknowledge Seonjo’s position.

Was it always that cheap to buy off people?

Buying people’s hearts with just two horses and silk clothes?

Did he think he was Stalin with a mustache but was actually Goebbels?[7]

“Hmm, even if the fertilizer wasn’t developed, I would have attracted the people’s attention by choosing beautiful women from all over the country.”

“…How old are you this year?”

Ha, did this old man already have a problem with his eardrums?

So, how were you going to fight well nine years later?

Ah, of course, you would fight well.

“I’m eleven.”

“Hehe! If my son resembled you, I would have no wishes.”

Could this be an opportunity?

I seemed to leave a good impression on him, so I should tell him about the importance of records!

“My father always said that records are important.
Did you know that we had to undergo tremendous trial and error in making the fertilizer?”

“Hmm, I didn’t know that.
Kim Hyeonmyeong didn’t disclose the story of making fertilizer, did he?”

“My father has organized dozens of combinations and fermentation processes to make fertilizer.
As a result, we could earn an additional income of up to 10 stones in a sixth-grade field.
My father always told me to record and think.”

“Indeed, ‘There is no good son under a good father.’ Is it? The old sayings are never wrong.
I need to teach my son about the importance of records on this occasion.
If you resemble half of your father, you can leave your name in history.”

I really wished he would realize the importance of records more than his son.

The next day, after my short conversation with Singak, he went straight to Hanyang.

Several times, I wanted to emphasize the importance of reports and records, but Singak was surprisingly stubborn and single-minded.

“…He’s leaving without looking back.”

“Hehe, are you going to miss him?”

Grandfather patted my head as if I was cute.

“I do.”

In a way, I met a “person who appears in history” for the first time, but our conversation was only a few words.

If there had been a little more time and I had been a little older, maybe I could have left a stronger impression on him.

However, I could not tell my grandfather the story within me.

“But there’s no time to be sorry.”

Tomorrow, it would be time for Park Jongil to buy the anonymous rice paddies left in the country.

I must turn this into a field again.

And as soon as the ground melted, I had to make the fertilizer once again.

By the way, I made enough fertilizer to spread all over the village’s rice paddies for a year.

But this alone was not enough.

We couldn’t be lazy about improving fertilizer if we wanted to supply it all over Ulsan.

I have to sow the seeds, harvest diligently, and at least struggle in the face of the upcoming crisis!

“Then, Grandpa, I’ll go to the fertilizer field.”

“Alright.”

Hehe, I don’t know what’s so urgent for this kid.

[1] 1510

[2] Yi I’s pen name, meaning “chestnut valley.”

[3] Pen name of Ryu Seong-ryong (1542-1607)

[4] A traditional Korean living room

[5] Literally “Supreme Crowned King”

[6] Modern-day Tsushima Island

[7] I’m not even going to try to explain this one…