Onseong's Chilling Dawn
The dawn air in Onseong was frigid.
"Shields up! Maintain three cheok spacing on both flanks!"
The movements of the three hundred border troops were worlds apart from the standard Joseon army. The training regimen Yi Si-woo had designed didn't rely on individual bravery or flashy swordplay. It was collective tactics grounded in rigidly defined standards and perfectly synchronized formations.
The shields they wielded were special steel plates forged in Onseong's water-powered smithy—lighter than wooden ones yet tough enough to deflect even musket balls.
Watching from the platform, Inspector Kang Seok-hu could scarcely hide his astonishment.
"This... this is truly the border defense force of a remote outpost? Their technique may lack polish, but that flawless discipline is like a living fortress wall on the march. To forge such a force in the harsh north in so short a time... truly remarkable."
Yi Si-woo indifferently tapped the edge of his bronze ruler against the platform.
"If individuals can't become demigods, the only path to victory is minimizing the gaps that arise when they unite."
Soon, Choi Du-sik—bound in ropes at the edge of the training ground—was loaded onto a cart. The once-mighty lord of Onseong's local clan cut a pathetic figure.
Kang Seok-hu mounted his horse and bowed solemnly toward Yi Si-woo.
"My lord magistrate, now I see why His Majesty entrusted you with this vital northern stronghold, granting you the bronze ruler and full authority. With the steel shields you've forged and that ironclad army, no northern gale will shake Onseong. I shall escort this Choi Du-sik safely and report every one of your fortress-like achievements here to His Majesty without omission."
Yi Si-woo called out to Kang Seok-hu at the head of the departing escort column.
"Lord Kang, to the Noron faction, Choi Du-sik isn't just a captured criminal—he's a weakness they must erase utterly, root and stem. The easiest way to eliminate a weakness isn't forgery; it's ripping it out entirely. To cover their shame, they'll have assassins lurking at every pass, swords reeking of blood."
Yi Si-woo pointed his bronze ruler at the cart bearing Choi Du-sik.
"The moment that man's neck snaps, all these merits vanish like smoke, and even you won't escape blame. The road ahead will be darker and longer than Onseong's dawn. Heed this well: the enemy isn't just in the woods—it could lurk among the very government troops you trust. Until you set foot in Hanyang's gates, suspect everyone, even your own shadow, and never let go of your sword hilt."
Kang Seok-hu swallowed Yi Si-woo's grave warning, gripping his reins tighter.
"Your caution pierces to the bone, my lord. Even if my head rolls, this evidence will not vanish. Let us meet again in Hanyang."
No sooner had Kang Seok-hu departed than the office door flew open with a bang. Gasping for breath was Im Chi-gwon, the manager who had scoured Hamgyong Province.
His sleeve bulged with thick stacks of contracts from local merchant houses.
"My lord! My lord! Great tidings!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Im Chi-gwon dumped the papers onto the desk.
"Onseong-brand tools have upended not just the Hamgyong governor's office but even the Pyeongan border! Word of steel picks that never dull against rock has farmers from Gilju and Myeongcheon—half a month away—flocking here with bundles on their backs!"
Yi Si-woo impassively examined one contract.
"Such a strong response?"
"Strong? It's a frenzy, my lord! Old plows that snapped in half a year now last twelve months with Onseong steel—rumors call it 'Onseong True Iron' among the peasants. Even Hanyang merchants are clamoring to wholesale it. Onseong's no longer some northern backwater; it's a treasure trove now!!"
Im Chi-gwon gulped dryly and presented a bulging pouch of silver.
"Advances alone total thousands of nyang, and as you ordered, we've secured distribution rights across Hamgyong. The incoming thirty percent cut will beggar imagination. Onseong's warehouses will overflow with silver—enough to rebuild the walls twice over!"
But Yi Si-woo's expression remained calm. Amassing wealth also meant a bigger target.
"As profits swell, so do the beasts baring their fangs."
At Yi Si-woo's words, the grin faded from Im Chi-gwon's face. He glanced around, then whispered his report.
"Your foresight is profound, my lord. Where money flows, bloodhounds follow. Trading with Qing merchants, I heard dire rumors. The trade roads beyond the Tumen River, near Jilin, are stained with blood."
Yi Si-woo's brow twitched.
"Stained with blood?"
"A bandit gang of three hundred strong, calling themselves the Black Scales. Their leader wears black-scaled armor and wields ghostly swordsmanship. They've already butchered a major Jilin caravan and smaller ones. They don't just rob silver—they slaughter entire escort guards."
Yi Si-woo unfurled the Hamgyong map on the wall. The shortest path from Jilin across the Tumen led straight to Onseong, brimming with ironware and silver.
"Three hundred cavalry. Not mere bandits—a proper army structure."
"Precisely, my lord. Their target is obvious: our smithy's iron and the warehouse silver. Eyewitnesses near the border report black-armored fiends scouting the far bank. If unchecked, they'll cross soon."
Yi Si-woo's finger traced the Tumen line on the map. Probabilities and timelines for the Black Scales' incursion flashed through his mind.
"Manager Im, they haven't crossed yet—no need to alarm the people. But roofs must be mended before the storm."
Yi Si-woo set down his bronze ruler and issued orders.
"Go to the training ground now. Tell the border troops' captain: cancel all leave, double night watches starting today. Ramp up drills, inspect formations for mountainous terrain. Bandits strike from forests, not fields."
"Yes, my lord. I'll relay it."
"And quietly inform the smithy: cut farm tool production to thirty percent. Use the spare forges to mass-produce steel arrowheads and crossbow parts from my blueprints, day and night. We don't wait for them—we set traps so none return."
Im Chi-gwon swallowed hard and bowed deeply.
"Yes! My lord! We'll prepare silently, without flaw!"
As Im Chi-gwon withdrew, silence settled in the office. Yi Si-woo took up his brush under the candlelight.
'I can't control when they cross, but I control what they face.'
Yi Si-woo dashed off the official report in one go.
Your Majesty, your servant, Onseong Magistrate Yi Si-woo, reports. A large bandit gang calling themselves the Black Scales has appeared near Jilin beyond the Tumen River, threatening our merchants and people. Their ferocity is unmatched; I have reformed the border troops, strengthened defenses, and prepared for contingencies. Pray, Your Majesty, safeguard the north's security...
Yi Si-woo sealed the report with cold eyes.
'Now the justification is set.'
Days later, in Hanyang's Gyeonghuigung Palace.
King Jeongjo read and reread Yi Si-woo's report. At his side stood Right Deputy Prime Minister Chae Je-gong, face grim.
"Onseong Magistrate Yi Si-woo... He startles Us again."
Jeongjo set the report down.
"While capturing the rotten root Choi Du-sik entrenched in Onseong soil, he's already foreseen and prepared for the next northern threat. Note the timing—he mobilized troops the instant he learned of the bandits. A lesser official would beg for aid first, scrambling to save his own skin."
Chae Je-gong spoke cautiously.
"Your Majesty, this magistrate's boldness rivals a general's. Yet the Noron hardliners, led by Kim Gwi-ju, grumble that a local official moves troops without court approval. It risks accusations of private armies."
"Private armies?"
"Defending the people from border-crossing bandits—and they call it private armies? Those who prioritize gain over the realm's safety. See this report: Yi Si-woo hides nothing, lays bare his actions. If disloyal, he'd conceal his forces, not flaunt them in a memorial. This is no private force—it's Our army guarding the north in Our stead."
Jeongjo took up his brush and penned a personal reply beneath the report.
We have read Onseong Magistrate Yi Si-woo's memorial. Foreseeing border perils and fortifying defenses, your insight is a court treasure. Thus, We grant you full authority to safeguard northern Hamgyong. If the bandits so much as soil Our soil, annihilate them regardless of rank. No restraints on protecting Our people—secure victory and prove the north's peace.
Jeongjo folded and sealed the reply with care, then called out sternly.
"Summon the Minister of Personnel!"
The door opened; Hong Guk-yeong rushed in and prostrated himself.
Jeongjo handed him the sealed missive.
"Send this by fastest courier. Inform the Ministry of War and Hamgyong governor: all military actions by Onseong Magistrate are under Our sanction. None shall question his authority or hinder troop movements. Violators face military law."
The minister swallowed dryly amid Jeongjo's intensity, receiving the letter.
"Your Majesty, Noron scholars already prepare petitions outside the palace, decrying private armies. Granting such power may inflame them further."
"Let them petition. Those who averted eyes from slaughtered people now cry treason over one magistrate raising shields? Silencing them is Our duty. See this reaches the north intact."
"I shall, Your Majesty!"
As the minister withdrew, silence returned. Hanyang's night deepened, but Jeongjo's eyes burned brighter than ever, expectant of northern winds sweeping away the court's stale dust.
'Winds must blow to clear dust. Now their hidden rotten desires shall bare their faces.'