Chapter 59
**CHAPTER 59: The Public Complex and the Firepower Military Academy**
With a lighter body and mind than ever before, Yi Yeon pored over the list of successful applicants for the Hwaryeok Military Academy.
A warm smile spread across his face.
“Finally, I’ll get to meet them all.”
Among the overwhelming displays of military prowess—such as Hong Mungyeong or Jeong Gye-rip—only Hwang Jin and Kim Yang-bo stood out clearly.
“They’re still so young…”
He couldn’t be certain.
No one had recorded their ages, and no one had looked them up.
Besides, this era didn’t award offices based on age.
“That’s why General Yi Sun-sin was able to become Commander-in-Chief of the Three Provinces Fleets.”
The thought of what King Seonjo had done well according to the scholar Kim surfaced.
Regardless, many capable individuals appeared: Gwon Yul, Yun Heung-shin, and Jo Gyeong.
Even the name of Yu Geuk-ryang, the former slave freed by the Honorable Minister Hong Seom, was listed.
That brought Yi Yeon even more joy.
The era of martial prowess was drawing to a close.
The age when a Yeopo—even without a gun—could be unbeatable was upon them.
No, they were creating it.
Therefore, one could not appoint as commander someone whose martial arts were outstanding.
“Just because someone is good at soccer doesn’t make him a good coach.”
That was precisely why he had Shin Rip beside him.
Shin Rip was the legendary military commander recruited early on. Yi Yeon trusted only martial strength, and if he messed up, the entire plan would collapse.
Hence, he had instructed that physical skill be excluded from the ranking.
They were entering an era where intellect would outweigh brute force.
That was why the Hwaryeok Military Academy had been founded.
And the capable men Yi Yeon sought appeared exactly as expected.
He was still a little disappointed.
He had wanted to witness the magnificent side of warriors at least once.
Instead, an unexpected name had topped the list.
“I knew he was skilled with history…”
He had wanted to meet him, so he asked Yi I.
Yi I answered with clear regret.
The man was brilliant but far too critical of the world.
“Was that why you sent him to the military exam? To prevent him from pursuing politics?”
It seemed so.
Yi I clearly cherished Jeong Yeo-lip.
Yi Yeon examined the answers Jeong Yeo-lip had written.
“What is this?”
It had clearly changed.
First place and second place.
“Damn it! Should I have been the one to grade it?”
Yi Sun-sin had said to lead the army while ignoring me, but Jeong Yeo-lip had first dispatched a subordinate and safely withdrawn the friendly forces.
“Such a man deserves to be beheaded at the neck!”
Yi Yeon clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Who exactly graded this?”
If he had taken part, the ministers would have done the same.
So he had provided only the questions and model answers, with no involvement in grading.
Yet he had heard that for this particular problem, not a single desired answer had been produced.
It was impossible to execute a superior in this era.
The closest answer had been the one written by Yi Sun-sin.
Though not correct, it was the nearest.
“Damn it!”
In the end, Yi Sun-sin had not received first place.
The test administrators must have shown favoritism.
Or perhaps they had misunderstood the model answer.
He had wanted to change it.
Such men belonged in an era where the neck was cut without mercy.
Historically, too many commanders who had saved only themselves had ruined everything.
In films and dramas, those characters had represented the villain that sparked all conflict.
“The harsher they were to their subordinates, the worse it became.”
Won Gyun had been the prime example.
Fortunately, his name did not appear on the list.
“Luck is on my side.”
If his name had been there, Yi Yeon would have driven him so hard that only menial tasks would remain.
Only if he committed corruption would he be beheaded.
But then…
“What? Who is this guy?”
The name of Yi Gap, who had fled the enemy camp in the battle at Dongrae Fortress, occupied a full slot.
“How did such a scoundrel…”
A murderous intent surged within him.
The problems had been created because of his actions, yet he had passed.
The absurdity produced an involuntary grin.
He didn’t know what would become of him in the future, but right now, he didn’t even want to look at the man’s face.
“Should I eliminate him?”
That would be the simplest and cleanest solution.
But if one of the successful applicants vanished, pandemonium would erupt.
“Hmph…”
Sim Tong-won was different.
He only pursued power out of greed for wealth and had neither betrayed nor backed down from a dangerous task.
Won Gyun was also different.
Because his behavior was so wretched, he would have been caught immediately.
Yet Yi Gap was one Yi Yeon could not trust.
No, he was sinister.
On the surface he acted brave, but inside he was a coward who lied as naturally as breathing.
Even King Seonjo, who had pardoned Won Gyun and Kim Seong-il, would have beheaded Yi Gap without hesitation.
“I cannot place such a man in command of the Hwaryeokgun.”
After deep deliberation, Yi Yeon summoned Shin Rip.
If Yi Gap’s actions were any indication, he looked like the ultimate source of all evil.
He would betray at a critical moment and might turn Joseon into another Mu Tachiku Rennha, slaughtering the friendly forces.
Yi Yeon simply could not allow it.
He might regret it later.
Histories were filled with cases where such men had caused the downfall of nations.
And besides…
“I don’t want to live worrying about men like that!”
Therefore, he issued the decree.
“Cleanse him completely.”
* * *
Receiving the royal order, Shin Rip used the services of the Tor-gye-won to locate Yi Gap.
The man was carousing lewdly near the Heung-in Gate.
Tomorrow was Hangeul, the greatest national holiday.
Shin Rip, disguised in commoner clothes, nodded.
The royal guard officers accompanying him entered the brothel and, after some time, dragged out Yi Gap.
Fortunately, the thick clouds hid the moon, making visibility poor.
“Ugh, just one more drink—”
“Why drag me out?”
“Friend, there’s an even better place over there.”
“Really?”
The guards, celebrating his success with drinks, had loosened his tongue and eyes completely.
“Whether it’s real or not, snap out of it and hurry up.”
“Wait a moment… I need to… uh…”
The guards exchanged glances and smirked.
A better plan than originally thought had occurred to them.
They helped the drunken Yi Gap support himself and led him toward the sluice gate on Cheonggyecheon.
“Quick, get down.”
“Uh, uh. I know. I know…”
Yi Gap was of sturdy build and could drink like a whale.
But he staggered.
To prove that, even though there was a champion for alcohol, there was none when drinking hastily.
He tugged at his trousers, staggered, and toppled straight into Cheonggyecheon.
—Splash!
The water was deep right beside the iron bars of the sluice, and the splash was quite loud.
Yet not a single person paid attention.
Several men of status lined the embankment relieving themselves in groups.
“Ugh… it’s refreshing!”
“Go drink another one.”
“Yep.”
The guards finished their business and prepared to leave.
A groan came from below the embankment.
Then another splash.
The guards looked at each other and smirked.
Shin Rip joined them.
The clean Tor-gye-won members slipped away from Cheonggyecheon and headed elsewhere.
At that moment, a large round moon peeked out from behind the clouds.
Yi Yeon ordered Kim Yang-bo to establish an intelligence organization.
He was the most trusted subordinate and always at his side.
Even so, it seemed too much power concentrated in one person.
That was why he had assigned Shin Rip as well.
Since Shin Rip thought and acted in straight lines, he would cut off a neck without hesitation.
Kim Yang-bo would use the Rok-gye-won to gather information, while Shin Rip, together with the royal guards, would handle the operations.
It was like dividing white and black agents.
But in practice they worked together frequently, so the distinction was not sharp.
Yi Yeon had structured the organization this way because he did not wish to waste even a single life as consumables.
“Those who shout about serving the country will always appear.”
He did not want to see agents pushed to the slaughter simply because their personal ambition and greed were disguised as loyalty to the nation.
“Those plotting schemes from safe places will definitely cause chaos.”
If they called the “Wall of Remembrance” at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, or the “Unnamed Star” in front of the National Intelligence Service acts of heroism and courtesy toward the dead, Yi Yeon found the practice cowardly.
Those who had given their lives for the country hid their names.
He could not understand it.
Through the Witness Protection Program their families could be protected.
There might be other reasons, but he did not want to live so cowardly as to require such measures.
Moreover, this was not an era where one threw away one’s life like a piece of straw just to leave one’s name and surname.
Therefore, Yi Yeon had told the agents of the Suhoguk, which he had named, that they should always act with dignity.
“I will take care of the aftermath!”
Of course, he did not want them to follow blindly.
If suspicion arose, they should question.
If they judged someone a betrayer, even if they were close, the neck should be cut first.
The price of a mistaken judgment was the life.
That way one could live a regret-free life.
He had told Shin Rip and Kim Yang-bo the same.
But neither of them asked a single question.
They believed there was a royal advisor.
* * *
The day after Hangeul.
The Minister of Military Affairs, Jeong Da-nyeom, arrived at work without a break.
He wanted to process the army reform King Yi Yeon had ordered as quickly as possible.
“The budget is sufficient, but where do we house them?”
The king had said that if they did not pay taxes or perform military service, they could not participate in any future examinations or official duties.
“Should I announce the ban on issuing ho-pae as well?”
Therefore, it seemed taxes and military service would become mandatory if they wished not to oppose the country.
“Even if we recruit them, there are more than a hundred thousand…”
Finding places to house them was the greater problem than recruitment itself.
“We’ll need instructors…”
Although fifty thousand seok of grain had been budgeted, no suitable location had been found.
Not only military training, but also the first steps in Hangul and mathematics had to be taught, and other reasons.
Yi Yeon had wanted to lower the illiteracy rate.
Only then could one distinguish right from wrong.
The vagrants within Hanyang had all been removed.
Yet rumors still circulated from time to time.
Kim Yang-bo had used Suhoguk agents to locate the sources but had found nothing.
“Someone’s careless words have been distorted and are spreading.”
That was the final conclusion.
Yi Yeon, after thinking, decided to install more public announcement boards and publish a newspaper.
But one had to be able to read to see the words.
And even if one could read, one had to judge right from wrong by context.
Therefore, he had allocated an enormous fifty thousand seok of grain annually and recruited young men under the name Defense Forces to teach them.
Considering the effects, it was certainly not a waste.
Because of the accelerated chicken growth from artificial hatching technology, per-person rice consumption had already decreased.
On top of that, the introduction of double-cropping had brought bumper harvests and massive surplus rice.
Therefore, they were to brew and sell alcohol with it.
But there were no known inns.
“Where are we supposed to buy or drink?”
“When the market opens, people buy and drink there, but most drink at home.”
There were brothels, but no inns.
There were ferries, but no lodging facilities for travelers.
Consequently, as night fell, anyone could enter a random house, give the rice they brought, have rice cooked, and share the meal.
Alcohol was bought at the market or from places brewing it and drunk in groups at home.
Unless in areas with police stations and regional headquarters or large towns, most villages had no markets at all.
They had no proper place to eat, drink, or rest.
“Not even drinking establishments.”
Yi Yeon had wanted to activate this situation immediately.
Therefore, he had ordered that anyone wishing to enlist be given three hundred won—enough for one seok of rice—without questioning their identity.
That way, while spending the money, they would reach the training site.
Naturally, inns would spring up along their path, and commerce would flourish.
Because of the king’s words, Jeong Da-nyeom had no choice but to carefully select locations.
If possible, quiet places were to be chosen to promote regional development.
Therefore, he had to examine carefully.
“Where is good?”
No matter how much he studied the map, no suitable place stood out.
“Damn it! Should I just turn it into reclaimed land or new farmland?”
Like the reclaimed land he had seen in Ganghwado, push them into that, and from those who were useful, send some to the Hwaryeokgun and some to the Security Corps.
—Thump!
Jeong Da-nyeom struck his thigh with a loud sound.
“Right! That’s the way.”
Once the land was cleared and farmland created, it would qualify as regional development, as the king had said.
Furthermore, teaching technology would be a double benefit.
Jeong Da-nyeom quickly pointed to the map.
Wetlands and alluvial plains spread across the entire land.
“After reclaiming such land, if you plant cotton, rape, dandelion, sesame, soybean, and peanut, they grow well and the soil purifies quickly.”
Jeong Da-nyeom recalled the king’s words and became excited.
He remembered the vast peanut fields like the lakes he had seen in Ganghwado and the taste of chicken fried in their oil.
“Fried chicken, right.”
The taste of rice flour-coated peanuts fried in peanut oil still lingered in his mouth as he clicked his tongue.
The sound of “gurgling…”
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**CHAPTER 59: The Public Complex and the Firepower Military Academy**