Five days later, Joseon reinforcements arrived at Liaodong Fortress.
At headquarters in the inner fortress, Choi Yoon-deok warmly welcomed the commander who led the reinforcements.
“Thank you for your hard work getting here.”
“Not at all. The real hard work is being done by you, sir, commanding the battlefield with your elderly body past seventy.”
“I’m truly grateful for your kind words.”
After starting with this cordial exchange, the two quickly moved to the main topic.
“Here is the organization chart of the forces I’ve brought.”
“Let’s see…”
Receiving the documents, Choi Yoon-deok first looked at the troop allocation section and frowned.
“You’re saying that out of the 150,000 additional troops, only 50,000 are being assigned to me?”
“That’s correct for now. As you can see from the chart, I’m only commanding 30,000 myself. The rest are all under the Logistics Command.”
“Hnng…”
Hearing the answer, Choi Yoon-deok could only groan.
“As the military texts say, supplies determine victory and defeat…”
***
As Choi Yoon-deok said, the importance of logistics in warfare had been emphasized since ancient times.
Even Choi Yoon-deok himself would say this when training young officers:
“Proper supplies don’t guarantee 100% victory. But lack of proper supplies guarantees 100% defeat.”
And with the Joseon army’s proper use of gunpowder weapons, the importance of logistics became even more emphasized.
In the past, soldiers could fight with spears and swords hastily made in temporary field forges, but this was impossible with guns, cannons, and gunpowder.
Therefore, the Joseon army had to rebuild everything from scratch for proper logistics.
A Logistics Command was created under the General Staff, handling all supply-related matters.
This became the ideal posting for ambitious officers with ability, as being a new department meant faster promotion than other branches if one performed well.
As ambitious individuals flocked there, the Logistics Command quickly established its structure.
Of course, Hyang didn’t miss adding his input either.
And this newly created Logistics Command proved its worth thoroughly in this war.
They made full use of the giant horses imported from the Western Regions and bred in large numbers, along with the towing vehicles Hyang created.
They established supply points at key locations from the Yalu River to Liaodong, with towing vehicles transporting supplies between these points.
Between the final supply points and frontline units, large wagons pulled by giant horses transported supplies.
This was where Hyang had added his input.
“The depot system would be optimal.”
Though quite primitive, by applying 21st century logistics systems, the Joseon army reduced their supply concerns.
However, the resources consumed by the supply line itself increased significantly to maintain smooth logistics.
The consumption of beans and mixed grains to feed the transport division’s horses increased greatly, and coal consumption for the towing vehicles skyrocketed.
As a result, the Joseon army had to capture nearby Muxun while attacking Liaodong Fortress.
Initially planned to appease the Ministry of Finance, the coal fields in Muxun became necessary for the military as well.
Securing coal from Muxun would solve the fuel supply issue for the towing vehicles.
The General Staff and Logistics Command in Hanseong began revising related standards based on consumption rates reported from the battlefield.
Hearing these reports, Hyang showed a positive response.
Plans and reality are always different. That’s why field testing is necessary. Anyway, we’re getting actual measured data through this war, so upgrades will follow.
***
Though initially frowning at receiving fewer additional troops than expected, Choi Yoon-deok soon relaxed his expression.
“It’s a bit disappointing, but if supplies are properly managed, we’ll have to accept it. With proper supplies, our soldiers are each worth a hundred enemy troops.”
Though trying to console himself thus, Choi Yoon-deok still clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“Tsk! I’ll have to look forward to the next time.”
Setting aside his disappointment, Choi Yoon-deok moved on to the next topic.
“Speaking of supplies, did you bring enough water purifiers?”
“Yes. We brought 100 units, and another 100 will be added soon.”
Hearing the answer, Choi Yoon-deok nodded with a bright expression.
“That’s truly fortunate! Finding clean water has been harder than finding good wine!”
Securing drinking water became the biggest problem when the Joseon army crossed into Liaodong.
Unlike Joseon, Liaodong had more turbid water than clear water.
Though there were rivers and wells suitable for drinking water, they were insufficient for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and war horses.
Of course, the Joseon army had prepared water purifiers, knowing this through their cavalry that had been roaming near Liaodong’s borders.
The water purifiers Hyang created in early Reformation to prevent waterborne diseases shone again in this war.
Unless the water was completely putrid, the purifiers turned turbid water clear. Frontline units boiled the filtered water under medical officers’ supervision before distributing it to soldiers. Through these measures, the Joseon army minimized losses from disease.
***
Two days later, after completing the handover, Choi Yoon-deok led his well-rested soldiers toward the Daling River.
“I leave the rear to you.”
“Don’t worry. I pray for your military fortune.”
“Thank you.”
Expressing brief thanks, Choi Yoon-deok mounted his horse.
Soon after, the long column of Joseon forces began moving west out of Liaodong Fortress.
Jurchen watching the procession nearby couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“What a magnificent sight!”
“Indeed it is!”
However, Jurchen with military knowledge fell into fear.
“Most soldiers carry guns, and there’s artillery everywhere!”
“Even the mighty Ming army had more spearmen than gunners!”
“How is this possible?”
***
In the process of realizing the “Eastward Expansion” and preparing for this war, King Sejong and Hyang firmly established a total war system.
“We must firmly establish mass production systems, not just talk about total war!”
Hyang immediately reported to Sejong.
“To prepare for war and improve people’s lives, the first necessity is establishing standards!”
“Establishing standards?”
“Yes! First, we must unify weights and measures!”
Thus, the system was established with the construction ruler as the standard length unit, and standards were set for other measurements.
As the Reformation reforms progressed and large ironworks were established starting in Anju, Hyang set standards for iron grades and quality.
Through this process, grades for cast iron, wrought iron, and steel were created, and quality standards were established.
And through strict management and supervision, maintaining these became second nature.
As a result, regardless of which Joseon ironworks produced it, the quality remained nearly identical for the same grade.
Of course, the craftsmen of the 51st District suffered greatly in this process.
And the long preparation bore fruit through this war.
The most representative example was the rifles the soldiers carried.
Only the barrel parts requiring rifling were mass-produced at the 51st District’s Arsenal, while other parts were produced in blacksmith shops and woodworking shops throughout Joseon.
Parts meeting predetermined measurements and quality standards were purchased immediately, and the Arsenal only needed to assemble these parts with their barrels to create finished products.
Of course, theory and practice differed, so initially there were high defect rates and low productivity.
However, with Joseon people’s renowned manual dexterity and craftsmen who had tasted the money from military contracts, defect rates quickly dropped and productivity rose accordingly.
The same applied to other military equipment like heart-protecting armor and helmets.
As Hyang evaluated, this was achieved by Joseon’s industrial capacity reaching “early Industrial Revolution level” – or in some areas, even exceeding it – making neighboring countries consider it “miraculous.”
***
The Joseon forces departing Liaodong Fortress moved west as quickly as possible.
“We must reach the Daling River quickly and prepare!”
Though the Joseon forces hurried to arrive as soon as possible, this was no easy task.
Since ancient times, the Liaoxi region was known for its many marshes and wetlands, called Liaozhe.
Therefore, they had to choose the driest possible routes, naturally reducing their speed.
“We’re not the only ones facing these adverse conditions…”
Though Choi Yoon-deok tried to think positively that the Ming forces coming from the west would face similar situations, he couldn’t hide his concern.
“Order the cavalry to scout as far as possible!”
“Yes, sir!”
“And launch more flying vessels, even if it’s difficult!”
“Yes, sir!”
After this struggle, the Joseon forces arrived at the Daling River two days ahead of when they expected the Ming forces to arrive.
“Well done. Thank you for responding to my urging.”
“N-no, sir.”
“No, I will certainly report the hard work of the officers and soldiers to our superiors.”
After dangling the carrot, Choi Yoon-deok wielded the stick.
“Though it’s difficult, we must begin work immediately. According to their documents and our calculations, we expect to meet them in two days, but they might arrive tomorrow contrary to expectations. Don’t forget that completing the trench lines and wire entanglements quickly will reduce casualties among our troops.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And don’t forget that cavalry and flying vessels must not neglect reconnaissance.”
“Yes, sir!”
Following Choi Yoon-deok’s orders, the Joseon forces began establishing defensive lines.
However, even after the expected two days passed, the Ming forces were nowhere to be seen. Thanks to this, Joseon cavalry pushed their reconnaissance even further.
Only a week after the Ming forces’ expected arrival date did Joseon cavalry finally discover Ming’s vanguard.
Hidden on hills along Ming’s advance route, Joseon cavalry carefully observed the Ming forces.
Observing Ming’s column through his telescope, the cavalry commander tilted his head.
“Why do they look like that?”
From the soldiers walking at the very front to the standard bearers and mounted officers, everyone showed obvious signs of exhaustion at a glance.
After examining the Ming forces through his telescope again, the cavalry commander shook his head and muttered.
“Are those soldiers or sick people?”
Shaking his head at the Ming forces’ terrible condition, the cavalry commander soon smiled slyly.
“If the rest are all like this too, this battle will be very easy.”