Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 795

Episode 795: Bloody fight in the jungle (1)

Imperial Year 19 (1466).

As the year turned, the conquering army finally finished preparing to leave for the south.

“If things had gone according to plan, we could have set off in late fall last year, but…”

At the ceremony to send off the fully prepared conquest army, Hyang muttered softly in a voice full of regret.

* * *

After the efforts of the Imperial Navy transport fleet, it was around early fall when the last troops of the conquering army arrived.

And the troops who arrived in the second half were so well trained that they did not need separate finishing training.

This was because Lee Jing-ok, who was angry at the condition of the first vanguard unit and the second line troops that followed, issued an order for improvement.

The words were orders, but the content was a bloody threat.

-If you’re going to train your soldiers in this mess, I’ll strip you of your skin and send you to be eaten by those crazy native bastards!

In summary, the training instructors at our headquarters who saw these orders desperately trained their soldiers.

They were also the ones who would participate in the conquest along with the current conquest army.

Lee Jing-ok was famous for being a person who always kept his word. If he didn’t like the soldiers’ training in the slightest, he was ready to strip them and throw them away.

In addition, the size of the Imperial Navy’s transport fleet was gradually expanded under Wan’s orders.

The reason Wan issued this order was at the request of Kim Jong-seo and the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

-The longer you stay at your home base, the more you will spend more than necessary! It’s best to send it away as quickly as possible!

-The cost of increasing the transport fleet is cheaper!

Since it seemed like a reasonable opinion to Wan, he ordered the Navy to increase the size of the transport fleet.

The Navy, which received the order, was reluctant at first, but soon found an answer.

In any case, the conquering forces heading to Shinji were boarding the ship with only military uniforms and personal equipment – ammunition bags and backpacks. This was because all items made of metal, such as long guns, logging, military daggers, and canteens, were to be supplied by Area 52.

As a result, our training instructors, who had no time to spare, had to increase the intensity of their training once again.

It was to avoid Lee Jing-ok’s reprimand.

Because of these various reasons, the training status of the soldiers who came to the rear gradually improved. The training was at a level where I could go straight into combat once I got over my travel fatigue.

However, it was concluded that the implementation of the operation would begin later this year in the spring.

This was because the winter in Shinji, especially in the northern part of Shinji, where the Shinji Temporary Palace and the Conquest Army Training Center were located, was as harsh as the winter in the mainland.

“The cold is not a big problem, but the problem is that there are luggage that needlessly takes up space.”

All subordinate generals nodded at Lee Jing-ok’s point.

What Lee Jing-ok pointed out were the winter supplies used by the conquering army.

According to reports and explanations prepared by the Navy stationed in Shinji, the southern area where the war was to be fought was a hot area, with warm temperatures all year round.

If we were to go out now, we would have to throw away our winter gear as soon as we arrived at the beachhead.

However, if I were to go on a mission after this winter, there was no need to bring unnecessary winter gear. The winter supplies used by the conquering army could be used by other soldiers or sold to new local residents to generate additional income.

This was because the items used by the imperial army were popular among residents because they were sturdy and had excellent functionality.

Of course, it was possible to load winter supplies back onto the transport ship that carried the conquering army. But it cost more and had other problems.

-It is better to load more gunpowder, ammunition, and medicine into the space for cold weather supplies! Especially medicine! Bad medicine!

* * *

As the exploration of the navy stationed in Shinji went further south, more people fell ill with malaria.

Not only in the south, but also in the northern area of Shinji, there were quite a few people suffering from the disease in the summer, so the doctors assigned to Shinji searched medical books or sought the help of native shamans to find medicinal herbs used for treatment and turned them into pills.

In particular, medicine for ailments became very important as many of the soldiers returning from the previous battle with the Aztecs suffered from ailments.

“It’s not something that happens accidentally; it has to be seen as something that happens for sure!”

According to the decision of the upper class, including Hyang and Lee Jing-ok, a large amount of poison pills were added to the list of supplies for the conquering army.

In addition, another order was added to the defecting natives, including ‘Seong’.

-Find and secure herbs and trees used to treat ailments!

It was not an order that the Aztecs or the surrounding natives were immune to, and the tribe’s shamans were confident that they would have relevant knowledge due to a tradition that had continued for thousands of years.

This was not just a guess based on confidence, but because there were people with experience.

“I have suffered from a disease similar to the one you mentioned. At that time, I boiled the tree bark that the shaman gave me and ate it and was cured. Taste? “I wrote it ignorantly.”

‘Kinine is extremely bitter, right? This is it!’

The incense was an order added to the reports posted by ‘Seung’ and other natives.

* * *

Lee Jing-ok smiled slightly in response to Hyang’s grumbling.

“Isn’t something good happening? First of all, the soldiers were less likely to get injured because their bodies were warmed up, and secondly, we received quite a few light vehicles.”

“I’m sorry it’s only 200 tablets.”

Lee Jing-ok showed an expression of disbelief at Hyang’s apology.

“Oh no! Even though it was a sudden request, didn’t you make 200 tablets? The generals and generals of the conquest army are sincerely grateful to Your Majesty and the craftsmen. “I especially know how hard the craftsmen worked, so it would be wrong to blame them for their shortcomings.”

“Thank you for thinking so. To be honest, the Gap-sik light vehicle was not easy to make. Phew~.”

Hyang’s sigh was sincere.

* * *

The design of a light vehicle existed, but realizing it was not an easy task.

The most problematic area was the trachea, especially the torso.

There were no problems with the drill, gas bolt, seat spring, etc. as the craftsmen had already accumulated a lot of experience.

But my torso grabbed my ankle. The village and the craftsmen were worried over and over again.

“It was easy to use a boxcar because it was large…”

“That’s right… it’s not easy to use a boxcar.”

Because the side-by-side wagon was large, making the body was surprisingly easy.

All you had to do was cut a well-made iron plate to fit the frame, insert it into the fixing frame, and secure it firmly by driving in the crown.

Because it had to withstand the recoil of hundreds of rounds per minute, very strong steel plates and pins were used, and of course, it was heavy. However, since it uses a dedicated gun and is designed to be carried by two people, there was no major problem.

However, the problem with light vehicles was that one person had to do everything.

Of course, it had to be light, so it was certain that if it was made in the same way as the body of a side-by-side freight car, it would immediately break down.

‘That was possible in the 21st century. No, it was taken with a press and then welded. But now, both the level of steel and welding technology are far behind, so I can’t use it.’

Hyang, who was thinking about a solution, sighed.

“Whoa~. The conclusion is that we have no choice but to use the most traditional but most expensive method…”

What Hyang thought was ‘cutting’.

A solid steel ingot was put into a mold, then beaten with a steam pressure hammer to create the outer shape, and the inside was hollowed out with a cutting machine to complete the process.

By adopting this production method, Gap-sik light vehicles were able to secure durability, but they had no choice but to sacrifice manufacturing costs and production time.

In addition, the magazine to be used in the armored light vehicle was also a problem.

The semicircular magazine, which holds 30 rounds of ammunition, broke down immediately if it deviated even slightly from the values set in the blueprint. Therefore, craftsmen had to pay more attention to magazine production.

Thanks to this, full-scale production began as soon as a satisfactory level of prototype was produced in mid-summer, and even though production was conducted overtime throughout the fall and winter, only 200 were selected.

However, it was not always the case that there was only loss.

Through the process of producing Gap-sik light vehicles, the craftsmen of Area 52 standardize and standardize parts. We were able to gain significant experience in maintaining quality.

And the mass production method established through accumulated experience became the basis for serving as the ‘Arsenal of the Empire’ in several future wars.

* * *

After finishing the farewell ceremony, the soldiers of the conquering army divided into several groups and climbed onto iron horses.

The plan was to travel by iron horse to the southernmost naval base, and then travel south from there on naval lines.

“Thanks to you, only Jinpyeong was exciting….”

The main stops on the railway to Shinji were Shinji Temporary Palace, Area 52, and the Army and Navy bases.

This was for quick transportation of supplies and troops.

This was because the transportation capacity of iron horses and railroads easily surpassed that of sailing ships at this time.

“Perhaps the day when transportation capacity using sea routes will again surpass that of land routes will be when large steel transport ships come out.”

Hyang, who was watching the soldiers climbing on the iron horse, looked into the distance and muttered. However, Hyang smiled slightly and continued speaking.

“Then I’ll try spooning it again. These days, there is a lot of talk about the need for a steam armored ship that can go out to the open ocean and secure control over the seas, and it is said that the ship is moving… Don’t you think that growing sprouts need to be stepped on once for them to take root?”

* * *

Meanwhile, on the iron horse heading to the starting point, Lee Jing-ok and his subordinate generals were putting their heads together and reviewing the future work.

On the large desk in the middle of the carriage was a three-dimensional map made of wood and clay, and Lee Jing-ok and the generals were talking around the map.

“The landing point is a little further into the bay. Wouldn’t the place we used as a beachhead last time be better?”

A subordinate officer responded to Lee Jing-ok’s point.

“According to the explanation of Sung Cho-gwan and his subordinates, the current landing site has a wider beach, making it advantageous for a large number of troops to land and stay there.”

“Isn’t the problem that the distance to go to the Aztecs or the Mesicas could be longer?”

“That part is also a bit longer, but it is said to be a more comfortable route.”

“Hmm… It would be a big problem if there was a problem maintaining the supply line…”

Lee Jing-ok was worried as he stroked his chin. Lee Jing-ok, who lived and fought on the battlefield for a long time, knew very well the importance of supply.

A subordinate officer stepped forward and responded to Lee Jing-ok’s concerns.

“Because of that problem, Sheng Chuguan further recommended this route. The area around this route is inhabited by the tribes from which Seng Cho-gwan and his men came. “With their cooperation, there will be no major problems in supplying our troops.”

“In that case…”

Lee Jing-ok hid his anxiety at the words of his subordinate officer. The hatred that Seng Choguan and the natives who came with him had against the Aztecs was beyond imagination.

Because of that hatred, Seng Cho-gwan and the natives participated in training more enthusiastically than anyone else, learned the imperial language, and cooperated with the empire more enthusiastically than anyone else.