Early November, Imperial Year 9 (1457).
As promised to the Jingtai Emperor, the Ming fleet was able to complete preparations for deployment by the end of October.
“We’re about to set out!”
“To battle!”
Despite the increasingly cold weather, the atmosphere in the naval ports where Ming’s Yellow Sea naval forces had gathered was growing hotter.
Soldiers prepared for war, regardless of rank, visited nearby temples and Taoist shrines to offer sacrifices and pray fervently.
“Please allow me to return alive this time as well!”
Veterans who had experienced the previous war desperately prayed for their survival.
“Please allow me to achieve merit in this war and make a name for myself!”
Meanwhile, soldiers and officers who hadn’t experienced the previous war prayed to gain merit and advance their careers.
“The Joseon navy is not to be taken lightly!”
The veterans kept warning, but the newcomers lightly dismissed their opinions.
“You worry too much! We have the Twin-Headed Flame Dragons!”
The Ming navy sailors were confident as they gazed at the Twin-Headed Flame Dragons proudly anchored at one side of the port.
-As long as we have the Twin-Headed Flame Dragons, the Ming navy is invincible!
Their pride had some basis.
The Twin-Headed Flame Dragon was two large warships, bigger than the treasure ships once used by Zheng He’s fleet, connected together.
Additionally, the hull was armored with 2-inch (about 6cm) iron plating to withstand the cannon fire from Joseon forces.
Finally, there was the massive cannon mounted in the dragon head at the bow.
Though smaller than the Fire Dragon Cannon made and used by Zhu Zizhen, the dragon head contained the largest cannon among those used by the Ming navy.
Each time they saw the gaping mouth revealing the barrel of the massive cannon, with the dragon head gleaming in copper plating, the Ming navy sailors felt a surge of confidence.
“Compared to the Twin-Headed Flame Dragon, the Black Flame Dragon is just a serpent!”
***
Four days before the Beginning of Winter, Weihai (modern-day Weihai City), where the Ming Yellow Sea Fleet Command was located.
In the large courtyard attached to the fleet command, Ming naval officers and soldiers gathered to hold a grand ceremony.
Admiral Deng Shulin, the commander-in-chief for this war, read the war declaration in a loud voice, followed by a renowned Taoist priest who performed a ceremony toward the heavens.
At the same time, similar ceremonies were being conducted at other naval ports.
When the ceremonies ended, wine and meat bestowed by the Jingtai Emperor were distributed to the soldiers and officers. Gathered in small groups, they tore into the meat, emptied their cups, and laughed boisterously.
The next day, at dawn, warships simultaneously departed from all naval ports where the Yellow Sea Fleet was stationed. At the piers, families of soldiers and officers gathered to see off the departing vessels.
Once the warships left the harbor and disappeared from view, the families visited nearby Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries to pray with all their might.
***
The day after Ming’s Yellow Sea Fleet set sail, a magnetic flying balloon was slowly moving across the sky over the West Sea.
“Aow~. Damn! It’s cold enough to die in summer, but now that it’s winter, I’m freezing to death!”
The watchmen facing the cold winter wind with their entire bodies at high altitude cursed while tightening their thick, cotton-padded winter clothing.
When magnetic flying balloons became usable through improvements, the imperial military was naturally the first to adopt them.
-You can see in detail from a low height, but you can see far from a high place!
Having benefited greatly from balloons during the last war, the imperial military had introduced magnetic flying balloons and was using them effectively.
Of course, the soldiers operating the magnetic flying balloons had to suffer.
“Those damn Ming bastards! In winter like this, they should just be holed up in port drinking!”
Despite tightening the collar of his winter clothes, the watchman couldn’t escape the penetrating cold wind and continuously cursed at the Ming navy.
Intelligence had been coming in for some time that the Ming navy’s movements were suspicious, prompting the imperial navy to strengthen reconnaissance in the inner sea.
Large and small spy ships were searching throughout the inner and southern seas, and magnetic flying balloons rose into the sky, surveying in all directions.
While verbally cursing vigorously, the watchmen were diligently scanning the sea below with their telescopes.
“Hey! Smoke from the southwest!”
“Wait a moment!”
At the shout of the watchman monitoring that direction, the balloon officer rushed over, examined the sea with his telescope, and shouted into the communication tube.
“Turn toward the southwest!”
At the officer’s shout, the balloon slowly changed direction, moving toward where the smoke was rising. The officer examined the map to determine their position.
By now, the watchmen had closed their mouths and were intensely scanning the sea with their telescopes, extremely tense.
Then suddenly.
“Found them! Starboard bow direction!”
At their colleague’s shout, all watchmen fixed their gaze in that direction.
“At least 70 ships!”
“More than 50 large vessels!”
“Twin-headed serpents! No! Three Twin-Headed Flame Dragons confirmed!”
Among the imperial navy, the Twin-Headed Flame Dragons were called twin-headed serpents.
-They’re powered by waterwheels? In the middle of the sea? For a warship? Then they’re not dragons but serpents!
-Does having two heads make a serpent head into a dragon head?
Among the imperial navy, the Twin-Headed Flame Dragons were objects of mockery.
Having verified the soldiers’ report himself, the officer recorded the Ming fleet’s movement speed and position, then grabbed the signal officer.
“Return immediately! Turn around!”
At the officer’s command, the balloon slowly changed direction and began retracing its path.
“Damn! Cursed headwind!”
As the balloon’s speed was hindered by the changed wind direction due to the winter season, the officer cursed, examined the map, and ordered the watchmen:
“Prepare signal rockets! Look for any communication ships nearby!”
“Yes, sir!”
Shouting loudly at the officer’s command, the watchmen diligently scanned the sea again.
***
One of the biggest problems facing the imperial navy at this time was the absence of a fast and efficient long-distance communication method.
On land, rapid communication was possible using light signal towers, but this was impossible at sea.
After much consideration to solve this problem, they decided to deploy small vessels at regular intervals in the inner and southern seas.
These small vessels were loaded with signal kites and rockets in large numbers. Their mission was to contact other communication ships and communication towers installed on nearby islands using these means when urgent news came from other communication ships or balloons.
It was a reasonably good method, but there was a fatal problem: if the weather turned even slightly bad, the small vessels couldn’t go out to sea.
As a result, finding a solution to this problem rose to the top tier of the Challenge Record.
And whenever Hyang received criticism about the related issues, he had to place his hand on his forehead and mutter inwardly.
‘Ah! I miss electricity, and I miss rubber!’
***
Fortunately, the balloon encountered a communication ship and was able to convey approximate information using a light communication device and signal rockets.
And through the light communication network of communication ships and nearby islands, the urgent news was promptly transmitted to the Inner Sea Command at Seosan and to Seoul.
“Finally, those Ming bastards have moved.”
Cho Jin-woong, the commander of the Inland Fleet, summoned urgently called commanders to explain the situation.
“According to information we’ve received so far, the Ming bastards have mobilized about 120 warships. Among them, 100 are large vessels. And of those 120 ships, 50 have moved toward Lüshun, while 70 are heading our way.”
At Cho Jin-woong’s explanation, Nam Gi-nam, the second captain of the Maengjinho ship, asked a question.
“Where did the twin-headed serpents go?”
“Those snake heads are all three coming this way.”
At Cho Jin-woong’s answer, Nam Gi-nam’s face and that of the captain of the Assault Turtle Ship, sitting next to him, brightened.
Seeing the bright faces of the Assault Turtle Ship captains, Cho Jin-woong burst into laughter and muttered inwardly.
‘Do these guys have no fear to begin with? Well, they were raised by those fellows after all…’
***
Nam Gi-nam and his fellow Assault Turtle Ship captains were those who had learned under previous captains. And those previous captains were the first to command Challenger-class vessels across the ocean.
To put it kindly, they were “brave and daring individuals”; in Hyang’s words, they were “unparalleled lunatics.”
And having seen, learned from, and been trained by such people, it was impossible for them to be normal.
****
Coming back to his senses, Cho Jin-woong continued his explanation.
“Anyway, the only ones who can properly handle those snake heads are our dragon heads. However, the problem is that we’re outnumbered 3 to 2. The fortunate thing is that in terms of fleet size, we’re not inferior. The same goes for firepower.”
At Cho Jin-woong’s words, all the commanders nodded.
The number of warships assigned to the Inland Fleet was about 90. Subtracting the small vessels used for communication, the number of warships available for combat was 72. Two were Assault Turtle Ships, and of the remaining 70, 30 were Challenger-class vessels, with the rest being Haeeung-class vessels.
In terms of numbers, they weren’t at all inferior. Firepower? Whatever Ming might think, the imperial navy didn’t consider themselves inferior in firepower at all.
***
After the last war, the Inland Fleet had strengthened its forces.
-Ming won’t just sit still!
Hyang and the ministers had all made this judgment, and it was a decision based on that.
Following the decision of Hyang and the ministers, new Challenger-class vessels were supplied in large numbers to the Inland Fleet.
In addition, with Haeeung-class vessels taking positions as auxiliary ships, panokseon warships were set on the path to retirement, with only a small number in good condition remaining.
And those surviving panokseons were equipped with small steam engines, armed with Bigyeokjincheonrae and byeongshik hwachas, and then assigned to the fleet in the Lüshun area.
The mission of the reassigned panokseons was equivalent to landing ships in 21st-century terms.
If a conflict with Ming were to occur, the panokseons stationed at Lüshun would land troops at Tianjin to attack Beijing.
***
Cho Jin-woong continued his explanation.
“According to the previously established operational plan, if Ming were to start something, we would combine with the Northern Shore Fleet at Lüshun to attack Beijing.
However, this incident has proven that those bastards also have brains. Because of that, things have become a bit complicated for us.
We need to smash the snake heads coming this way as quickly as possible and move north. To do that…”
Cho Jin-woong explained the operational plan he had in mind.
The commanders who heard the explanation offered their opinions, and the plan was gradually modified, becoming sharper.
Checking the finalized plan, Cho Jin-woong nodded with a satisfied face.
“Good. Let’s go with this. The operation name is ‘Snake Hunt.’ How does that sound?”
“Then everyone return to your assigned ships, check the supply situation, and immediately fill any shortages. We’ll depart before dawn tomorrow!”
“Yes, sir!”
The commanders, answering vigorously, left the conference room and rushed to their ships.
Left alone in the conference room, Cho Jin-woong grumbled as he unfolded a blank paper.
“Damn… Writing official reports is the most annoying, those cursed Ming bastards…”
Even when writing reports in Jeongeum, one had to maintain proper etiquette, and that was definitely not an easy task.
“Damn! It’s much more comfortable to go out to sea and fight till your head bursts! What’s the point of promotion! And General Shin too! Why leave just me out!”
‘The situation with Ming is unstable, so you’ll have to stay behind. You know I trust you, right?’
During the last personnel transfer, Shin In-seon had said this to Cho Jin-woong and retained him. At that time, Cho Jin-woong had been happy not to have to go to New Frontier and suffer.