Jeo Go-yeo Assassination Incident
“Injun, how come you're so smart for a slave?”
“Common sense, miss. If you want to survive under you, you have to be smart. Do you know how many times I nearly died from those gunpowder incidents?”
That was true. There had been several fire accidents when I handed over the gunpowder management of the Firearms Arsenal to Injun. Of course, they happened because it was his first time handling it.
Because of that, Injun had dark circles under his eyes for more than a day or two.
“Don't worry. I'll free you later.”
“Free me? You'll probably just keep me under you anyway.”
Probably. Even if it weren't me, you'd get freed anyway. If Father forgave you even after you hooked up with one of his concubines, that means you're someone the martial regime desperately needed.
“Hey now, you should be grateful to work under a lady like me. Isn't that right? Come up with some clever ideas.”
“Ahem. Honestly, just the cannons alone are plenty sufficient, but deploying them in a fortress would give us the edge in sieges, right? For big field battles against cavalry, even the wagon fort formation that the traitorous Kang Jo used during King Hyeonjong's reign.”
Huh? What did he just say?
Wagon fort formation?
That wasn't a bad idea at all.
The weakness of the wagon fort was that it couldn't easily overcome obstacles, but that could be fixed by modifying the wagons to cover the wheels too.
“Wagon fort. Yes, that's it! The wagons hold the front line, and we shoot through holes in them at the enemy. It blocks the cavalry while startling the horses at the same time! The so-called Iron Cannon Wagon Fort Formation! A fortress on the field! Injun! Let's work this out!”
“Miss.”
“Yeah?”
“I'll just stick to the warehouse.”
“No way.”
Line up the wagons in a straight line from the front, but ideally form a square defensive position. The wagons themselves had spears attached, but place spear infantry behind them here and there, in case the wagons get pushed back.
Next came the matchlock gunners behind them. Modify the wagons to accommodate gun barrels, shove the muzzles through, and shoot at the Mongol cavalry.
Run a quick mental simulation based on the square formation.
Counter the charging Mongol cavalry with the wagon fort square. The wagon fort troops hold firm under the pressure, maintaining the square. The rear spear infantry step forward, extending spear tips over the wagons for a porcupine defense against the Mongols. Then the reloaded matchlock men fire through the wagon ports at the cavalry.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-bang!
The matchlock men fall back, reload in 30 seconds, and repeat, mowing down the Mongol cavalry.
“Hm, but this feels like something I've seen before.”
It was just wagon forts with extra protection. The Iron Cannon Wagon Fort Formation ended up looking a lot like a tercio. The square formation itself was an anti-cavalry tactic, so it was a natural evolution.
“Once it's complete, we can face Mongol cavalry even in open fields.”
“Exactly. The Mongol cavalry is just a prototype of the Khitan cavalry anyway.”
“Prototype?”
“Never mind. Just nonsense.”
We needed matchlocks for this to work. For now, use the small amount of cast iron we had.
The materials for producing matchlocks were the issue.
Boom!
“Miss, this one's not right either.”
We made a small cylinder to mimic the shape and tried using it like a portable firearm with gunpowder, but it blew up soon after.
Cast iron worked for cannons but not for guns. It was just a test, but clearly unsuitable for matchlocks.
We'd need trial and error to get it right, but better to do it properly from the start.
I was missing something.
Ah.
“Ah, why did I overlook this? We need wrought iron.”
Use the Choe regime's power for perfect resource mobilization. Miners for ore, furnace operators, assistants for the smiths—roughly dozens. At least 40 people?
With them, produce wrought iron. Mine iron ore, smelt for raw iron, then forge and heat-treat into wrought iron.
The smiths took days for forging and heat treatment, but we could produce 5-10kg per day. Enough for 2-5 barrels.
Shape the wrought iron into plates, form cylinders, weld, machine interiors, heat-treat.
This era's tech had limits, but it wasn't impossible future tech. We'd laid the groundwork making cannon barrels, so gun barrels were just a few days of tweaks. My lingering knowledge helped too.
“Alright, carpenters, make these stock models. This'll be the gunstock.”
“You're the lady of the house, but we have our own work...”
The carpenters I first gathered tried to refuse, unhappy at being dragged away from their tasks. Fair enough.
Forcing them with threats would just yield shoddy work.
But there was a method that worked in any era.
“Soap.”
“!!”
“I'll provide plenty of grain and whatever else you need.”
Yes, financial therapy. As I said, this era ran on soap. It was expensive and sold out fast—no one could get it easily.
But hand it out directly? Who could resist?
The carpenters caved to the Choe soap offensive and switched attitudes.
“We're mere carpenters, but ever loyal to the house. If the lady asks, we must make it.”
Thus, we pulled in people to craft matchlock mechanisms and bullets for the stocks.
The resulting matchlocks. As a first-time weapon, it took over a week of trial and error, but resources and manpower were no issue for the Choe regime.
“It looks unusual. Can this really be a weapon?”
“More than enough.”
Set up a target far away. A prepped gunner shouldered the matchlock, aimed at the distant target, and loaded a bullet.
“Ready... fire.”
Bang!
“Whoa, it actually works, miss! Hole right through the target.”
The watching smiths, carpenters, and assistants cheered.
“Cannons use bronze and cast iron, but focus on developing this iron cannon with wrought iron.”
“Yes, miss.”
With Goryeo's national power, what couldn't we produce? Mass-produce cannons with limited cast iron and bronze. Matchlocks and cannons were feasible now.
I presented one to Choi U.
“This is the new weapon the mountain spirit revealed. We can call it the iron cannon.”
“Iron cannon?”
“Named for being made of iron. Also called a matchlock. Here's how to use it.”
Choi U tested the matchlock I made himself.
Bang!
“The mountain spirit truly aids us. Can we arm the army with these?”
“It'll need a lot of support.”
“Soap's selling like hotcakes—what's the problem?”
“And this matchlock takes longer to fire than a bow per shot. Needs training, but easier than bows. Needs supporting spearmen or infantry. This is the Iron Cannon Wagon Fort Formation I drew up.”
I showed Choi U the diagram I'd sketched myself. A formation to hold even against Mongol cavalry in field battles.
We could mass-produce cavalry too, but could we beat nomads who specialized in it?
“Iron Cannon Wagon Fort Formation.”
“Great for defense. For offense, drop the wagons. In a big battle, pin the Mongols with this, and while engaged, our Byeolcho Army elite cavalry strikes their rear—victory assured, right?”
“Good. Let's do it.”
If Choi U pushed, we could ramp up iron production.
In Gaegyeong's royal palace, as the Choe clan developed soap and introduced water buffalo to manage the ho clans and reform agriculture, Emperor Gojong grew deeply uneasy. After all, praises for the Choe on Gaegyeong streets were multiplying.
The royal family was already a puppet. At this rate, the throne might vanish without a trace.
History's alteration affected Gojong too. Desperate, he did the unthinkable.
With palace surveillance lax to guard the Firearms Arsenal, Gojong secretly summoned the Mongol envoy Jeo Go-yeo.
Jeo Go-yeo was brutal and troublesome to Goryeo officials, but he couldn't ignore the king's covert call.
“Your Majesty, what do you mean?”
“Even you, envoy of the great nation, must see how this country is run by those martial scum.”
“So, that Choi U is developing new weapons to prepare war against our Great Mongol?”
Jeo Go-yeo heard crucial news from the king—vital to the Mongols.
“Yes. Great nation, send troops to aid me. The Choe seek to defy you to hold power. Save me, save Goryeo. We'll revere you as suzerain and offer that soap.”
Jeo Go-yeo frowned. Lately, court officials groveled, offering tribute shamelessly—yet training armies and expanding forces. Still, Goryeo was just a petty peninsula state under Jin as suzerain. Defying Mongols? Unthinkable.
Even if false, it gave pretext. Goryeo's king, vassal of Great Mongol, begged aid. Enough justification to intervene militarily.
Without full authority, Jeo Go-yeo secretly allied with Gojong, made excuses, and headed back to Mongolia.
“Cross the Amnok River quick. Report to the Great Khan and prepare the Goryeo expedition.”
The snag: Soap was already known in neighboring Dongjin. Jurchens there spotted Jeo Go-yeo crossing with soap and ambushed for a share.
“Kill them all!”
Jeo Go-yeo, laden with soap, was killed by Dongjin bandits crossing the Amnok, tribute seized. Thus unfolded the Jeo Go-yeo assassination incident in a new way.
To reclaim past glory, Goryeo had much work. Its western-style system differed: unlike emperors wielding real power elsewhere, the royal house became symbolic, military regime the true government. Unstable, soldier-run.
To stabilize, radical reforms were needed. The martial regime's stable Choe era brought changes, but root issues lingered.
“Goryeo's grown rich, but securing military power is the issue. Ho clan private troops have limits.”
Water buffalo checked southern ho clans, but they'd be useless in war without commitment. Northern ho clans couldn't even raise them.
Fortunately, Dobang influence reached north. Choi U, swayed by his darling daughter, prepared against Mongols—ho clans would contribute.
At least better prepared than original history.
But I saw the current situation as fine.
When Kim Hee-je captured Ugaha as Northwest Frontier Commander, he mustered 10,000 infantry and cavalry, crossed Amnok, attacked Seokseong, got the commander's surrender. Didn't meet Ugaha, but mustering 10,000—without ho help?
Ho didn't provide troops, but likely shared intel or aided the crossing. If disloyal, could 10,000 march north so boldly?
Ho and martial regime were allies, cooperative. Water buffalo tested southern loyalty, weakened them—but usually cooperative.
So no worries now. Choi U might fret more authority drawing their checks.
“The ho clans are the issue, right?”
“Yes.”
Not without a way. A surefire remedy.