Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: The Coiling Serpent and Dragon (1)
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If you drew a straight line from Liaodong Bay to Shenyang and then bent it like a bow toward Joseon, the arrowhead protruding far ahead on its own would be Phoenix City, which had just fallen.
And along that curved 'bow body' stretched nearly ten garrisons of the Shengjing Eight Banners.
The easiest way to picture it was as a defensive line running northeast along the Liao River.
From the southwest coast at Gaizhou and Xiong'yue, through 'the capital of Liaodong' Liaoyang, past the Manchu megacity of Shenyang, all the way to the remote northeastern inland fortress of Kaiyuan—they had seized every strategic point.
To reach Jinzhou far behind, you'd have to snap this bowstring first. And even beyond that lay Yongning Fortress, soaked in Nurhaci's resentment.
Shanhai Pass, the Unsleeping Fortress, lay after that. It wasn't excessive optimism for the garrison commander at Shanhai Pass to refuse to despair against the Joseon army.
Shengjing General Mingfu had taken most of his forces to Tianjin, so the Shengjing garrisons were far thinner than usual.
However, the Shengjing Eight Banners never had that many troops to begin with. The key to this bow-shaped Liao River defensive line wasn't numbers—it was position.
The Liao River was the boundary between Liaodong and the western regions. In other words, it protected both at once. Every military expert knew this without debate.
Of course, Joseon army commander-in-chief Kim Unhaeng was no military expert. He had boldly declared before the king:
"Had it not been for traitors like Choi Young back then, Your Majesty would not have retreated from the Wihwa Retreat—this land of Liaodong has finally returned to Your Highness's domain."
On the map, with Phoenix City fallen, there seemed no decent defense left in western Liaodong to stop a Joseon takeover.
But to Kim Seong-eung and Sin Heup sitting beside him, Kim Unhaeng's words sounded like pure pie-in-the-sky fantasy.
As long as the Liao River line held, Liaodong wasn't empty for the taking—like saying Pyongan was the Joseon king's land while the Amnok was Qing territory.
They understood the urge to flatter the king eager to race across the Manchurian plains, but the approach was wrong. The generals poked each other, urging someone to quote the classic Three Kingdoms line: "No wild boasts in the camp."
Yet Kim Unhaeng's rhetoric made rebuttal tricky. Twist his Wihwa Retreat spin too hard, and it blurred whether you were cursing him or King Taejo.
And for King Yi Hwon? He'd rage at Taejo insults, but far more at slights against Kim Unhaeng.
The Joseon generals shut their mouths. Refraining from gambling already made them brilliant commanders.
Fortunately for the rank and file, Yi Hwon had common sense too.
He pondered briefly, then glanced aside.
There sat Hong Daeyong—not just a staff officer now, but qualified to attend thanks to managing Russian armed drones from the Naysen Incident experience.
Not that Hong's position was high; it was more "Kim Unhaeng won't sabotage his brother-in-law." Suddenly thrust into the hero role, Hong cautiously countered:
"The forts along the Liao are like the serpent of Mount Shang: strike the head and the tail lunges, the tail and the head strikes back, the midsection and both ends attack. Without slaying the serpent, Liaodong can't be called our land. No ambiguity in military affairs—best have Kim Unhaeng explain in detail."
In short, Hong reframed Kim's bluster as a declarative goal and steered discussion to methods.
But Kim Unhaeng kicked away his brother-in-law's kindness.
"No flat land means no hills" isn't a refusal to climb. "Your Highness has embraced the wild barbarian to swim the Yellow River"—how could a subject hold back?
'Isn't that the T'ai hexagram from the Book of Changes!'
Everyone knew the campaign reference. But only Hong grasped the intent.
The I Ching, fascinating even European scholars like Freud, was advanced Confucian study. Not hard for Joseon literati—but for Kim Unhaeng, it was.
So Kim had prepped this exchange.
And as far as Hong knew, Kim never planned and failed.
Hong swiftly aligned: "Indeed. That serpent pales against the paper dragon Kim Unhaeng unleashed in Shandong."
Subtly plugging his expedition memoir. Comparing Qing to serpent, Joseon to dragon, it injected rhetorical confidence as a bonus.
Thus Yi Hwon listened to Kim with great anticipation.
Though the mood had shifted that way, Qing's goal wasn't defending Shanhai Pass.
On the contrary: push east of Shanhai Pass, smash the Joseon army, and escort the emperor home.
First silence Joseon with a thrashing, then—like Hong Taiji conquering Nikans from Manchuria—proceed from there.
Regroup strength, then reclaim the continent.
Qianlong had never considered yielding mastery of humanity.
No champion facing a ranker's rematch starts with title loss—especially not to a 'lower ranker' they'd crushed before.
Thus Hwasin prepared not defense but invasion from Shanhai Pass.
Hwasin was Manchu, but like most Manchu elites of the era—and even Joseon's Kim Unhaeng—he lacked military experience.
Hwasin focused on politics and administration.
"Peasants have long sneaked over Shanhai Pass to farm empty Forbidden Lands. Join this Joseon punitive force—how could they not earn fertile fields?"
Beyond urgent recruitment, two considerations here.
If Qing reclaimed Manchuria as base, it needed population.
Manchuria's current populace? Barely two million, even inflated. Leaving it sealed as Forbidden Land stifled national power.
Bonus for Hwasin personally too.
In this crisis, he could seize even Manchu nobles' lands as military rewards. Nobles desperate to protect theirs bribed him amid the chaos.
No matter how ravaged, Qing's Zhili alone outshone Joseon—like California's GDP topping Korea's.
Thus dangling Manchurian land made recruiting easy. Hwasin's zeal blazed accordingly.
Not just fear of death.
If Hong Taiji's era repeated, couldn't he become a Dorgon?
Alas, the couriers reaching Hwasin were merciless as shells on Nurhaci at Yongning.
Phoenix fallen, and executing General Sakrak of Fengcheng under some ancient "no mercy for besieged surrenders" law? Shocking, but manageable.
Up to there, Hwasin confirmed rumors: Joseon's king led personally—only he could decide that.
But what followed defied physics.
"Xiuyan Garrison surrendered to Joseon troops bearing Fengcheng General's head!"
Xiuyan deputy Eunbi—major client in Kim Unhaeng's figurine trade—had cursed Mingfu for abandoning him with just 200-300 men and surrendered.
"Even if Xiuyan's next after Phoenix, Joseon troops already at Xiuyan?!"
Before Hwasin could fully react, another courier burst in.
"Joseon army sighted before Liaoyang!"
"Impossible! What's U'jang between Xiuyan and Liaoyang doing?!"
As Hwasin frantically messaged U'jang, another arrived.
"Group of Arasai hammering boulders below Onnyeo Fortress with picks!"
"Arasai? They cross the Amur?!"
Hwasin abandoned futile countermeasures, brain racing.
Joseon allied with Arasai wasn't climbing northwest from Phoenix but north via Onnyeo Fortress, then west to Liaoyang? Seemed right.
But why take the needless Xiuyan route? Feint? Hwasin agonized over the real thrust.
Then it multiplied.
"Village near Gaizhou southwest raided by Joseon troops! People and livestock all taken!"
"Joseon already past Shengjing far north! Shengjing troops clearly saw the king's dragon banner!"
Hwasin suspected Kim Unhaeng drugged couriers with opium en masse. No other explanation.
Maneuvers confused foes in this era, but attempting such complex long-range marches deep in enemy territory just for confusion? Insanity. Ming's massive armies failed simpler split marches against far weaker Joseon.
'Are you mad, Kim Unhaeng?!'
At this rate, one deputy with 5,000 swift cavalry could smash them piecemeal. Joseon HQ probably didn't even know their own positions.
Hwasin half-rose—then froze.
Was Kim Unhaeng truly that foolish?
Could such a fool deceive humanity's master and plan this invasion?
Hwasin decided to report first to someone who knew Kim far better.
He slipped from expendable Shanhai Pass, returning to Beijing.
As Hong Daeyong said, the Mount Shang serpent lunges wherever struck.
But strike everywhere—no room to lunge.
Versus the Liao line's mere head-mid-tail triad, my paper dragon (people call it that, what can you do) showed cubed variability.
Deception yes—but total war, even the king mobilizing ironclads (no more complaints seemed risky, so I sent him joyriding safest route).
Me? Stayed put in Phoenix City. I'm precious.
Winking one eye, I tapped missionary maps, issuing orders.
"Sin Heup's returning from Liaoyang and the baggage train likely crossed paths. Halt baggage there; have Sin Heup backtrack 40 li.
The cavalry escorting His Majesty's flank march wide around Shenyang from north—have Jangyongying Commander Kim Seong-eung lead personally, with grain. By horse and cart paths, they'll meet ~100 li southeast Shenyang."
Kim Seong-eung gaped, nodding. Go already?
"Arasai'll handle themselves—leave 'em. And Yoon Pil-deok's southern fork isn't at Gaizhou but north near Xiong'yue—why send couriers there ignoring my word? Gaizhou-bound instead.
Scattering here... terrain suggests they hit some rich village. Gallop courier: convey commander's order. Plunder later to hearts' content. Defy amid obedience? Decapitate."
I machine-gunned directives. Only as courier hordes vanished like spent rounds could I breathe.
Hesitant Hong Daeyong ventured: "Uh... how do you know troop positions? Does the commander's closed eyelid glimpse heaven-earth principles?"
Sharp Practical Learning scholars like you suck.
I sternly replied: "A scholar piercing mathematical principles asks me instead of pondering? I'll use stars your brother loves. Chart daily star paths and ecliptic halts—you can compute centuries ahead. Troops same."
"But troops scatter whimsically, not fixed paths like stars..."
"Ha. 'Human heart is heaven's heart'—know people, you see it. Raise one corner, not infer three? Why say more?"
Barely, just barely deflated Hong.
To block more, I dispatched him: "Not staff now, Arasai far off—discuss math with those Jesuit teachers, brother."
"Y-yes."
But interferers weren't just him. Still-unparted Kim Seong-eung: "Shaking Qing like this aims to exploit chaos for deep strike, right? When and how?"
Seeing my face, he added irrefutably: "I'll see His Majesty— he'll ask, so."
No choice. Sigh—I explained: "No stabbing."
"Pardon?"
"Forgot? Qing in Manchuria aren't just Shengjing. Too deep now risks it. Bait big, wait for their mistake first."
Having tasted heat once, Hwasin reported honestly, not hiding.
Qianlong, hearing it, grabbed a stone tool.
Zhangdong Kim clan 'genuine masterpieces' thrived in Qing since forever. Beijing's Glazing Street—Joseon envoys' must—was prime market for fake bronzes, even fossil bells as medicine.
Top authentic? Emperor's, naturally. Qianlong inscribed Neolithic pickaxe with ode to farm god Hujik.
Emperor wryly smiled. Even now, unstoppable poetic fancy flowed—born poet, surely.
But work beckoned. Turning unsmocked here: "Joseon folk never fought well. Likely fear eastern Jilin and Amur generals."
Mistake thinking Qing troops only near Beijing.
Manchu Three Great Generals intact. Shengjing's to Tianjin, smashed by Yi Hwon—funeral vibe—but Jilin and Amur unscathed.
Emperor's confidant Hwasin dared question emperor:
"Then have those two strike Joseon rear?"
Emperor shook head: "Kim Unhaeng's cunning would've foreseen that."
Fresh rage surged—ancient stone crumbled in hand. Archaeologists' souls too.
"Too burned by obvious ploys. We play hand he can't counter even knowing."
"Meaning..."
"Imperial order to both generals: See if Liaodong, Yongning, Shanhai all fall first—or that pitiful poor nation's north-south ravaged like Bingzi year first."
Qianlong set down stone. Poem better preserved than relic.
Then coldly eyed glory-blinded Hwasin:
"Cross Tumen south of Jilin straight to Gyeongseong. Joseon poured all into Amnok—Hamgyong bare."
Without imperial command, immobile Jilin General Hangnok (Henglu) and Amur General Busunga (Fusheng'a) leaped at chance.
Scoffing weakest-of-three Mingfu, they marshaled troops.
'Shengjing General fumbling? Inevitable. Mongols'll brag chasing Yeonggilli while you did zilch.'
'We figured no need for us.'
Roughly that vibe.
Paper-dragon hammering Liao, Kim Unhaeng spotted it. Returned Yi Hwon fretted:
"Feared event happened. Hamgyong has no real troops. Winter now—Tumen frozen. What blocks them?"
Yet Kim, not there, seemed unworried:
"Fear not, Your Highness here—where else barbarians aim?"
Where king is, capital. Quickest-emperor showed vs. Japanese, warlord vs. Yi Gwal—kingless Hanyang worthless even taken.
Not easy anyway. Kim deployed reassurance ace:
"I've prepared stratagem."
Author's Notes
1. Late Joseon (shorter gap Yeongjo-modern than early) rehabilitated likes of Six Martyrs 'traitors' to Sejo or Kim Jong-seo, breaking continuity—but Choi Young, tied to founding, not. Injo-era interrogations of rebels like Kwon Dae-jin reference 'likes of Choi Young' among figures.
2. Kim's huang (荒, wild) is huang-ye (荒穢, wild/lowly)—not 'barbarian,' but courtly for embracing wrongs boldly.
3. Freud commented on I Ching (rumor translation failed); pre-Freud missionary James Legge first famous version (religious); neutral later Richard Wilhelm.
4. Onnyeo Fortress aka Holsu'ngol—equated to Goguryeo's Jolbon. As depicted, atop massive rock—tough frontal conventional assault.
5. California nominal GDP world ~5th. Korea-like: New York (~9th).
6. Yonghyeongji ideological, but Qing seal economic: Han eroding Manchu inheritance led to allocating Manchu lands to bannermen, banning Han entry.
7. Hangnok, Busunga real figures holding those posts then. Jilin then far east of modern (incl. Primorsky).