The battle between the native allied forces and the Mexica warriors gradually moved toward the center of Tenochtitlan.
Finally, when the battlefield shifted to where Tenochtitlan’s Great Temple and palace were located, the high priests and nobles of the Mexica revealed themselves.
“At last, it’s time for us to step forward.”
As Montezuma and the Mexica leadership appeared, the conquest force that had been watching from behind began to move.
***
“They’ve finally appeared!”
“Kill them!”
As Montezuma and the Mexica leadership revealed themselves, the native allied forces began driving the Mexica warriors even more ferociously.
“The time for revenge has come!”
“Let’s split open their chests and tear out their hearts!”
As the revenge-driven native allied forces pressed forward, the Mexica warriors also desperately tried to hold them back.
“Protect the Tlatoani!”
The last remaining Cuauhchique—Mexica elite forces—and Pipiltin—Mexica nobility—fought with all their might to protect Montezuma and the high priests, engaging in a desperate struggle with the natives.
However, already weakened from the prolonged siege and outnumbered, more and more Mexica warriors lost their lives and collapsed on the steps of the Great Temple.
On the steps of the Great Temple where normally the blood of sacrificial victims would have flowed, the blood of Mexica warriors now began to stream down.
***
Bang bang bang!
When the Cuauhchique and Pipiltin had almost all died and only Montezuma and a handful of high-ranking officials remained, the conquest force intervened.
As the native warriors hesitated at the gunfire shot into the air, the conquest force soldiers separated the Mexica from the natives.
“They will be punished through the Empire’s trial!”
“Boooo!”
The native warriors who heard the conquest force commander’s words through an interpreter jeered fiercely and resisted.
However, when the conquest force soldiers immediately raised their guns and aimed, they had to forcibly swallow their anger.
“This matter has been agreed upon by your chieftains and leaders! They will have their crimes clearly recorded and be punished through the Empire’s trial!”
Some high-ranking native warriors who had been carefully considering what the conquest force commander meant asked him:
“Even if that’s the case for them, what will you do with the others?”
“Those who surrender will be spared.”
The high-ranking warriors who heard the commander’s words snickered, then turned and shouted something to their tribal warriors.
“Wooooh~”
The native warriors who heard the high-ranking warriors’ words raised their blood-soaked macuahuitls high, let out war cries, and scattered in all directions.
Shortly after, screams began to echo across all of Tenochtitlan.
Hearing the screams emanating from all directions, the commander said to the subordinate officer standing beside him:
“This reminds me of the phrase ‘Digging up a grave and whipping up a corpse.'”
During the Spring and Autumn period, Wu Zixu, who had lost his father and brothers to King Ping of Chu, later led Wu’s army to attack Chu.
After successfully conquering Chu, Wu Zixu dug up the already-dead King Ping’s tomb, took out his corpse, and whipped it with a bronze whip.
He whipped it so much that when Wu Zixu finally stopped, they say the corpse could no longer be properly identified.
The subordinate officer who understood the meaning of the idiom his commander mentioned carefully raised an objection.
“Even so, this is too excessive.”
“That’s why it’s called Digging up a grave and whipping up a corpse, isn’t it?”
“The survivors might harbor resentment.”
“That’s why we stepped back with our hands behind our backs, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Battle is our responsibility, but what comes next is politics. Our job is done.”
After making this meaningful comment to his subordinate, the commander turned and ordered:
“Bind those prisoners well and take them away. The General will be busy from now on.”
“Yes, sir.”
The officer who received the order commanded his subordinates to tightly bind and drag away Montezuma and the other high-ranking Mexica officials.
***
Once the battlefield was somewhat cleared, Lee Jing-ok entered Tenochtitlan.
Looking at the ruins of Tenochtitlan with an indifferent expression, Lee Jing-ok headed toward the conquest force commanders waiting for him.
“Well done. You’ve truly done well.”
“You praise us too highly.”
After commending the commanders, Lee Jing-ok headed to where Montezuma and the Mexica leadership were being held.
Looking at the bound prisoners kneeling on the ground, Lee Jing-ok turned his head and ordered the commanders:
“Lock them up properly somewhere. The judges from the Court of Justice will arrive soon.”
At Lee Jing-ok’s words, one commander stepped forward and offered his opinion.
“Understood. However, the natives’ grudge runs deep. Thinking of the future, wouldn’t it be better to hand them over to the natives?”
At the commander’s suggestion, Lee Jing-ok shook his head slightly.
“In a way, that could be a good method. However, the Empire has its own laws. And we, the Imperial Army, must follow the Empire’s military law, the Empire’s laws, and His Majesty the Emperor’s orders. The military law, the laws, and His Majesty’s orders all state that we must hand them over to the Court of Justice.”
“Understood.”
“And if we kill them all now without question, it might feel satisfying. But in the distant future, someone will claim they were innocent victims and we were the villains.”
“Surely not…”
“When people become desperate to enhance their fame and profit, they’ll do all sorts of things. That’s why we need the Court of Justice’s verdict. And…”
After catching his breath, Lee Jing-ok continued his orders:
“To prevent such people’s foolishness, we need the Court of Justice’s verdict, and to receive a proper verdict, we need solid evidence. Find soldiers who are good at drawing and have them clearly document in pictures what these bastards did.”
“Yes, sir!”
***
Following Lee Jing-ok’s orders, the conquest force selected soldiers and began thoroughly documenting everything in Tenochtitlan, especially the buildings and traces related to human sacrifice and cannibalism.
Many soldiers skilled in drawing and artillery soldiers were mobilized for this task.
The artillery soldiers were mobilized because accurate measurements of the buildings and facilities where human sacrifices took place were needed.
For heavy cannons to properly demonstrate their power, well-constructed gun emplacements were necessary, and thanks to this, many artillery soldiers were masters of fortification and surveying.
The problem was that those mobilized for this documentation work began to complain of severe mental fatigue.
“This is not something humans should do…”
The clearest example was the structure recorded as the ‘Skull Altar.’
- -The Skull Altar is a building with a length of approximately 12 jang (about 36m), width of approximately 5 jang (about 15m), and height of 2 jang (about 6m).
- -The altar consists of two levels, with skull towers and skull walls made of skulls located on the second level.
- -The skull tower is a tower made by stacking skulls in a circular pattern to create a well shape. Both height and width are approximately 6 cheok (about 1.8m).
- -Behind the skull tower is the skull wall. This skull wall, called Tzompantli in their language, has the appearance of the previously recorded skull tower being half-buried.
- -The skull wall is made of display racks made of skulls stacked in layers. The front-to-back spacing of these display racks is slightly less than 3 cheok (about 0.9m)… (omitted)
While transferring various decorations made from human skulls into drawings and keeping records, those in charge of documentation complained of mental anguish.
In the end, Lee Jing-ok had no choice but to divide the soldiers and have them alternate between rest and work.
After receiving the reports they had painstakingly prepared and reading the contents, Lee Jing-ok repeated deep breaths to calm his rising anger.
“Haaah! Hooo~”
After several deep breaths barely managing to calm his anger, Lee Jing-ok ordered his subordinates:
“Give the captured prisoners only enough food to keep them from dying. Make them completely unable to even commit suicide.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Put them in shackles and chains too!”
***
The battle reports written by Lee Jing-ok and the reports on human sacrifice prepared by the conquest force arrived at New Frontier Palace using the fastest communication route.
Hyang, who had safely completed Sejong’s funeral and returned, checked the reports and immediately ordered:
“Send the judges from the Court of Justice as quickly as possible!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“And make copies of these reports on human sacrifice and cannibalism and send them immediately to the mainland! They will be important reference materials when the Emperor makes his judgment!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
After giving the orders, Hyang muttered with a bitter expression:
“If I had my way, I’d order them all killed, but there are laws and justifications…”
Not just in Joseon but in the Empire as well, deciding on capital punishment—no, determining sentences for serious crimes—was the monarch’s responsibility.
While sentencing and prosecution for most crimes were handled through the Court of Justice established during the reforms, capital punishment had to be decided by the Emperor.
If Hyang ordered executions, it would be a serious overreach of authority.
“But there are other things I can do…”
Hyang began writing a letter to send to Wan.
The letter Hyang wrote headed to the mainland along with the reports, and he was able to receive Wan’s reply on the next regular dispatch.
-Do as the Emperor Emeritus sees fit.
After receiving Wan’s answer, Hyang began drafting orders. After checking the contents of the completed orders, Hyang muttered with a complicated expression:
“In the future, the number of people who will curse me will increase again… What do I care?”
***
After checking the orders Hyang sent, Lee Jing-ok gathered the commanders.
“What are the judges doing now?”
“They’re verifying whether what’s written in the reports is true.”
“Their reaction?”
“There seems to be no disagreement that they’re guilty.”
“Hmm… I see. His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has given orders.”
As soon as ‘Emperor Emeritus’ was mentioned, the commanders immediately straightened their postures and looked at Lee Jing-ok. Lee Jing-ok conveyed Hyang’s orders to the commanders.
- -All Mexica people captured as prisoners, except those awaiting trial at the Court of Justice, and all Mexica people, are to be made government slaves.
- -The Mexica people who become government slaves will be put to work on road construction.
- -The roads they will work on are the sections from the bridgehead to Tenochtitlan and roads connecting to nearby cities.
- -Using them, complete the section currently being built by the engineer corps connecting the bridgehead and Tenochtitlan to a level that can be permanently maintained.
- -Cut off all connecting routes to Tenochtitlan and make it uninhabitable for people in the future.
- -The Mexica people who become government slaves must be forced to live in separate residential areas, not in Tenochtitlan or their original places of residence.
- -The supervision of the Mexica people who become government slaves will be entrusted to the natives who cooperated with the conquest force.
- -The work performance of the government slaves will be thoroughly supervised.
After confirming up to this point, Lee Jing-ok and the commanders all had the same thought.
‘This is killing with a borrowed knife.’
These were natives who, like the Tlaxcaltec, had suffered much at the hands of the Mexica.
If they were given supervisory authority and rewards and punishments based on performance, they would certainly treat the Mexica harshly.
And Lee Jing-ok and the commanders’ expectations proved exactly right.
The Mexica people who became government slaves and were mobilized for harsh construction sites had to work under the supervision of native overseers.
The native overseers, driven by deep-rooted hostility and aiming for rewards, treated the Mexica harshly, and at some point, the number of Mexica began to gradually decrease.
Thanks to this, in the distant future, the Mexica became a minority ethnic group living in this region.
This was the opposite of the situation in history before Hyang’s intervention, where they were still the dominant ethnic group in the Mexico region.
And because of this cruelty, it became the most famous of ‘Hyang’s few mistakes.’
However, politicians and historians from native tribes who had suffered under the Mexica strongly objected to this.
“If the First Emperor had not acted this way, the Mexica would still be oppressing us today! That decision was the best decision for us who were oppressed!”