The operation to help the obese soldiers lose weight, officially called “Operation Weight Reduction,” was personally commanded by Lee Jing-ok. He checked the results daily, adjusting areas that needed improvement and strengthening successful methods to enhance performance.
“Interesting…”
Lee Jing-ok smiled slightly as he assessed the muscular strength of the obese soldiers.
Perhaps it was because they had to maintain heavier bodies? The obese soldiers’ strength was considerable. However, while considerable, it wasn’t enough to earn them the title of “strongmen.” They could simply lift slightly heavier loads than others. Their ability to carry those loads over distances or to walk or run for extended periods was inferior to that of soldiers with average builds.
After examining the reports several times, Lee Jing-ok muttered quietly.
“Let me think… His Majesty once said something related to this. What was it? Hmm… hmm… Ah, yes! Agility, endurance, and survival muscles!”
***
To ensure the success of the “Healthy Pig Project” for King Sejong, Hyang had carefully observed the king’s habits.
“This is when being the Crown Prince is really convenient.”
At that time, Hyang was 8 years old, having just been invested as Crown Prince. To create a proper plan, Hyang stayed close to Sejong, observing his every move.
“Why does the Crown Prince keep following me around? Is this not an age when you should be focusing on your studies?”
To Sejong’s question, Hyang bowed his head and replied.
“Your wisdom is acknowledged and praised by all officials and subjects, Father. I, your son, must eventually succeed you and continue to lead Joseon. What better study could there be than observing and learning from everything you do?”
“Hahaha! You rascal! Your silver tongue is unmatched in the world!”
Sejong laughed heartily at Hyang’s answer. However, he didn’t forget to add a warning.
“The Crown Prince’s words are truly pleasing to hear. But the thing a monarch must be most careful of is keeping close those who only speak pleasant words. The Crown Prince must remember this.”
“I will engrave it in my bones and heart!”
“This child…”
Looking at Hyang bowing respectfully, Sejong couldn’t hide his smile. Although he had issued a stern warning, no one dislikes it when their adorable child shows respect and a desire to learn from them.
And Sejong certainly wasn’t going to object when the Crown Prince, who was judged more capable than most royal tutors, wanted to observe and learn from him.
After following and observing Sejong, Hyang reached a conclusion.
“As expected, endurance and fat are the issues…”
The clearest example was when Sejong drew a bow at the archery range.
Like the royal guards, Sejong could draw a combat composite bow well. The problem was that after about 3 rounds, or 15 shots, his arms would start to tremble. Considering that royal guards and military officials typically shot at least 10 rounds, or 50 shots, per day, endurance was clearly the issue.
However, when enjoying his favorite martial arts, Sejong didn’t tire easily.
“Walking seems fine? His leg muscles appear to be in good condition…”
While analyzing Sejong’s condition, Hyang suddenly looked into the distance.
“What was it that guy said? ‘Survival muscles’…”
***
In the 21st century, when Hyang was a college student, one of his geek friends was severely obese. He looked so much like a stereotypical otaku that anyone would think, “Oh, that person must be an otaku!” He was the spitting image of the “Level 10 Otaku” meme that circulated on the internet.
Being somewhat aware that his obesity was a problem, the friend had made various efforts to address it.
One day, seeing his friend appear with a strange expression, Hyang asked with concern.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, I went to the health center yesterday for a consultation…”
His friend’s story went like this:
At the health center, a doctor had discussed his body fat test results with him.
“You’re definitely severely obese, but your muscle mass is also considerable. Especially in your lower body.”
The sectional muscle mass results showed “standard” for arms and upper body, and “excess” for the lower body.
“…So if I lose fat like this, will I become a muscular guy like a bodybuilder?”
To his friend’s question, the doctor smiled wryly and answered.
“No, you’d need separate training for that. Your current muscle mass is for survival.”
“Ah…”
After relating yesterday’s events, his friend concluded with the same strange expression.
“…So basically, my body said ‘I can’t survive like this! I need muscle!’ and increased muscle mass. Especially in my lower body, which was saying ‘If I can’t support this weight, I’ll die!'”
At his friend’s words, Hyang patted him on the shoulder.
“Hang in there, buddy…”
***
In any case, Hyang’s “Healthy Pig Project” had produced successful results.
Instead of being obese, Sejong maintained a “slightly stout” condition, and metabolic diseases like diabetes remained quite mild.
Though initially irritated by Hyang’s persistent interference, as time passed and Sejong saw his condition maintained at a good level, he actively followed Hyang’s advice.
The royal physicians took note of this change in Sejong. Their primary duty was to protect the king’s health. For these physicians, who would even taste the king’s excrement, such changes in Sejong couldn’t be overlooked.
Eventually, the physicians had no choice but to seek out Hyang. Having already established achievements in medicine, including smallpox inoculation, Hyang gained strong influence in the medical field through this opportunity.
***
“Hmm… What did His Majesty do back then…”
Lee Jing-ok sought out not only military physicians but also royal physicians to learn the methods Hyang had employed, and applied them to Operation Weight Reduction.
During this process, the greatest resistance from the obese soldiers came against the dietary regimen.
“General! Are we cattle or horses? Why must we eat only grass every day!”
“Don’t you get meat once a day?”
“How can chicken and fish be considered meat!”
“If you don’t want to eat it, starve.”
“General!”
“Do you think you’ll eat well on the battlefield? Especially since we’re going to a place where supplies won’t be easy to come by! Do you think you’ll be able to eat meat at every meal in such a place?”
“…”
At Lee Jing-ok’s sharp rebuke, the complaining soldiers fell silent. But Lee Jing-ok’s criticism continued.
“What did the ancient sages repeatedly emphasize? Moderation and temperance! You who claim to follow the sages, learning and establishing principles—are you complaining because you can’t overcome mere appetite? And you still call yourselves nobles!”
“…”
“We apologize. We have shown shameful behavior.”
At Lee Jing-ok’s reprimand, the soldiers apologized for their mistake and silently picked up their spoons.
Whenever soldiers complained about the food afterward, Lee Jing-ok would scold them by bringing up “supplies” and “nobility,” and the soldiers had no choice but to keep quiet.
This didn’t mean that Lee Jing-ok only used the stick, however.
“Didn’t His Majesty say, ‘After scolding, soothe’?”
Lee Jing-ok faithfully followed Hyang’s teachings.
Like officials, the imperial army conducted performance evaluations. Promotions were determined by combining these evaluation scores with physical fitness tests and branch-specific functional assessments.
This applied to both officers and ordinary soldiers. For ordinary soldiers, these scores created pay differentials and determined promotions to corporal. With more points accumulated, they could be promoted to junior officers such as pacification commissioners.
Following Hyang’s teachings, Lee Jing-ok offered carrots to the obese soldiers.
First, he awarded bonus points to obese soldiers who diligently lost weight.
It wasn’t just for the obese soldiers. It was impossible for the commanding officers to manage each obese soldier individually. Therefore, soldiers with standard builds were paired with obese soldiers to move together. When obese soldiers earned bonus points, their paired soldiers also received bonus points.
“And when these accumulated points reach a certain level, there will be great benefits for those involved. Those who wish to work at New Frontier’s civil education hall will receive priority in assignments, and those who want land in New Frontier will receive larger plots in locations of their choice!”
After proclaiming this to the soldiers, Lee Jing-ok immediately held up a document.
“This is not just my word. It has been approved by His Majesty!”
At Lee Jing-ok’s announcement, the soldiers’ eyes began to sparkle.
Using carrot and stick appropriately, Operation Weight Reduction progressed successfully.
Finally, when the departure date for the first division was set, Lee Jing-ok nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Now they’re worth considering as soldiers! At first, I was worried they would only serve to feed those madmen!”
However, after completing the nearly two-month voyage and arriving at Chosi, Lee Jing-ok exploded with anger.
“These fools! You’ve done nothing but eat on the ship!”
A considerable number of the soldiers who had lost weight had regained their plump figures.
Confined to the cramped space of the ship, hardly moving while eating regular meals, they had experienced the yo-yo effect.
“Half of the points you’ve accumulated will be deducted! We will conduct special training until we reach the temporary palace! Your scores will be reassigned based on the results of that training!”
At Lee Jing-ok’s decision, the soldiers gritted their teeth. But since it was their own fault, they couldn’t raise complaints.
Therefore, the soldiers had to do their best in the special training that followed.
The problem was that the intensity of the training was considerable.
With exercises like “Running alongside a slow-moving iron horse for 10 li,” the soldiers were able to quickly lose weight.
However, it became a memory that made their teeth grind just thinking about it.
***
“…That’s why I immediately sent an order to the mainland as soon as we arrived at Chosi. Soldiers in the later divisions must train even while on the ship, and their food intake will be restricted.”
“I-I see…”
At Lee Jing-ok’s explanation, Hyang showed a slightly awkward expression, letting his words trail off.
‘He’s really tough, as expected!’
Whether aware of Hyang’s inner thoughts or not, Lee Jing-ok continued.
“Still, thanks to the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty’s attention to Area 52, our burden has been significantly reduced. If we had to bring all the weapons, incendiary shells, and gunpowder for the expedition force, it would have been several times more difficult.”
To Lee Jing-ok’s words, Hyang responded with a confident expression.
“Don’t worry about the weapons. They’re no worse than those on the mainland. How is the soldiers’ training going?”
To Hyang’s question, Lee Jing-ok replied with equal confidence.
“Once we receive the weapons, we can set out on the expedition immediately!”
“Is that so? Reliable! Then let’s review everything again, starting with the transport plan!”
“Yes, sir!”
With this, the Empire’s invasion of the Aztecs began to get on track in earnest.