Chapter 469

Episode 469: Liaodong (5)

Immediately after organizing her thoughts, Hyang opened her mouth to Sejong.

“Can I say something to you, Abama?”

“I allow it.”

“As we saw in the Battle of Gamoksabo and as also shown in military records, the value of a commander is very great. If we can take out these commanders with just one bullet....”

“That’s it. “I understand what you want to say.”

Sejong, who interrupted Hyang’s words, looked back at Jo Mal-saeng.

“Immediately have soldiers and executives from all over Joseon compete against each other on their shooting skills with long guns. Both the land and naval forces.”

“You mean both the Army and Navy?”

When Jo Mal-saeng checked again, King Sejong looked like he did not understand and asked Jo Mal-saeng back.

“Isn’t the presence or absence of a commander more important in the navy?”

“That is true. “I will make sure that the naval forces also practice competition.”

However, Sejong had an expression that did not suit him at all.

“If God made any mistake...”

Jo Mal-saeng, who saw Sejong’s expression, muttered with a white face, and Sejong turned his head and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk! “Let’s talk again after the inauguration ceremony!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Although he was a student who bowed his head urgently, he was cursing inside.

‘no! Suddenly giving an order and telling me what to do! A king is everything! Ah-oh! That damn tongue-clicking sound!’

Meanwhile, the ministers who were watching the scene from the side all looked pitiful and muttered to themselves.

‘What a sight! Do you still not know His Majesty’s true nature? Even if I didn’t know, I should have waited! If you just rest for one beat there, Your Majesty and the Crown Prince will tell you everything!’

‘That damn tongue! ‘I heard they said he had a cap planted on his head!’

‘For being so stupid, he is called the Jangseung of Geunjeongjeon!’

‘Wow! That tongue clicking sound! I hadn’t listened to it in a while so it was fine!’

Perhaps knowing the feelings of the ministers, Hyang reported this to King Sejong.

“If you simply ask us to check your skills, it is not easy to evaluate because there are no exact standards.”

“ah! That’s right! “You forgot that part!”

Acknowledging his mistake, Sejong looked at Jo Mal-saeng. King Sejong’s eyes as he looked at Jo Mal-saeng seemed to say this.

‘That’s what it means to be intelligent. ‘It’s intelligent to do this!’

Sejong, who was glaring at Jo Mal-saeng like that, turned his head to Hyang. Sejong’s eyes as he looked at the incense were full of pride.

‘Wow, my baby is doing well!’

“Then what should I do?”

Hyang immediately answered King Sejong’s question.

“yes. “If you set up a target and compete like an archery contest, the outcome will not be easy.”

King Sejong and the ministers all nodded at Hyang’s words.

“That’s right...”

Everyone in neighboring countries knew that Koreans shoot arrows like ghosts. Even in history before Hyang intervened, there was a record of an archery bet taking place between Joseon military officers who escorted envoys from the Qing Dynasty, and it was not an easy match.

When King Sejong and the ministers all agreed, Hyang continued speaking.

“We make a target that imitates the size and shape of a long tablet. Then, set targets by dividing the distance into 50 cards (about 150m), 70 cards (about 210m), and 100 cards (about 300m) and then compete. ah! “We mark the critical points on the target so that if you hit the critical point, you get a higher score.”

“It’s okay.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s suggestion. Looking at Sejong like that, Hyang continued speaking.

“Based on the results of this competition, those who recorded excellent scores in Chapter 70 and Chapter 100 will be selected separately and a unit specializing in sniping will be formed.”

“Hehe.”

After receiving permission from King Sejong, Hyang asked Manbok a question.

“He has extraordinary shooting skills, but I don’t think it’s possible with talent alone. “Have you learned anything else?”

“My father taught me archery and taught me how to breathe and a few other things.”

“Like what?”

“There are many things like reading the wind, aiming properly, killing a tiger without being noticed, and so on.”

Hyang’s eyes sparkled at Manbok’s answer.

‘This is totally a special forces unit!’

After hearing Manbok’s answer, Hyang did not delay and reported it to King Sejong.

“What Manbok learned from his father is truly valuable. “If you teach to those selected after passing the competition decided by Abama, you will become even more competent!”

“To agree. “Have soldier Hong Man-bok ride as Jinmu (鎭撫) and use him to select personnel and be a training instructor.”

“I follow your orders!”

“What a wise decision!”

While the ministers were answering in unison, Kim Jeom opened his mouth.

“No matter how rigorous your training is, it can be useless if you don’t know how to fight. So, how about mobilizing these selected people to hunt wild animals?”

“huh?”

Sejong, who paused for a moment at Kim Jeom’s words, soon nodded.

In Joseon, there were still many fatal accidents caused by wild animals such as tigers, leopards and bears. A significant number of cases occurred when people entered the territory of wild beasts, but it was also common for wild beasts that were old and had lost their hunting ability to attack people.

“That would be great. I already felt that it was not enough to just be a Chakho Gapsa, but now that I can properly embody what I have learned, it is truly the best of both worlds. Let’s do that.”

“I am truly devastated that you have accepted me.”

When King Sejong made his decision willingly, Kim Jeom bowed his head with a bright smile on his face. Hyang, who saw this scene from the side, muttered to herself.

‘As expected, Kim Jeom is the leader! Even at this moment, I can’t believe I’m thinking of a way to make up for my expenses! Exclusive poison indeed!’

As his notoriety with regard to the budget grew, a new disease developed for Kim Jeom: ‘dondog’ – to put it in a classy way, he was addicted to it.

* * *

In this way, Manbok became the hope of the soldiers. Not only did he receive medals and awards, but the king himself even gave him a castle. That alone was enough to envy me, but in addition to being promoted to an executive level, I was also given the official position of instructor.

Eventually, at some point, not only executives but also soldiers began to pour out purified water and pray every night.

“Binaida Binaida. “Please just let me get it right.”

In this way, with King Sejong’s full decision and support, a professional sniper unit was born.

‘Chakho Musketeers’.

As is known, it was a unit tasked with hunting tigers and other wild animals that harmed the people. In fact, they hunted wild beasts not only in the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range but also in the plains of Liaodong and the forests north of Dongbing Port.

In this process, soldiers specialized in covert maneuver, ambush sniping, etc. were trained.

This was the birth of a unit called ‘Tiger Hunters’, ‘Tigerjäger’, and ‘Tigris venandi’, which gained notoriety as ‘the scoundrels of the sea are musketeers in the land of challengers.’

* * *

Meanwhile, the report written by Jo Taenam reached Emperor Xiande in Beijing through a certain route.

“Hmm...”

While Emperor Seondeok read Jo Taenam’s instructions, the ministers present swallowed dry saliva.

‘If anything, the ending...’

‘If anything...’

The reason the subjects were nervous was because the ending of this subjugation was not very good. It was a Ming Dynasty army that was raised as an elite during the reign of Emperor Seondeok. And in this subjugation, the situation was continuing to live up to that evaluation. However, Ayutawa crossed the border to Joseon and was wiped out, so he was unable to conquer the dragon.

The emperor had already become very weak these days and his nerves had become sharper, so it was difficult to know what kind of unpleasant decree would be issued.

In the past, he could have tried his hand at Janggye, but under Emperor Seondeok’s reign, such a thing was unthinkable. This was because it was certain that if he did something wrong, he would be punished for the crime of ‘covering the emperor’s eyes.’

Thanks to this, when Emperor Seondeok’s subjects received reports from the field, they did not even organize them and immediately submitted them to the emperor. This was because it was better to be severely scolded or have one or two people’s heads cut off than to die in droves.