While Sejong’s funeral was ending and the mainland was slowly returning to normalcy, preparations for a final battle were underway in southern New Frontier.
“To be precise, it won’t be the final battle. Since they have some semblance of a nation, we’ll just cut off the head and break their back. So don’t think it’s the end. Complacency is forbidden.”
At a meeting of commanders, Lee Jing-ok rallied his officers as their tension began to ease.
However, Lee Jing-ok was also inwardly expecting victory.
‘The only difference is whether it’ll be an easy victory or a hard-fought one.’
Lee Jing-ok and the expedition commanders had good reasons for their confidence in victory.
***
Having achieved a great victory in the battle at the jungle entrance, the expeditionary forces pursued the retreating—no, fleeing—Mexica warriors.
Since the expeditionary forces were relatively and absolutely heavier, a considerable distance opened between them and the fleeing Mexica warriors.
However, Lee Jing-ok ordered his subordinates to be prudent.
“They say ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ Right now, it’s more important to tend to our wounded soldiers and maintain secure supply lines than to chase fleeing enemies and expand our victories.”
At Lee Jing-ok’s words, one of his subordinate commanders raised an objection.
“The best way to expand victories is pursuing fleeing enemies—that’s standard practice. If we let them be now, we’re giving them time to regain their strength. Not only that, we’re also giving them time to plan strategies against us.”
“So you’re saying we should continue pursuit immediately?”
“Exactly. We have a very useful tool—wagons. If we use them well, we can maintain our full strength while chasing the enemy to slaughter them.”
“Then what about treating the soldiers wounded in previous battles?”
“We can leave an appropriate number of medics and corpsmen. The rest of the medics and corpsmen can follow along to treat casualties from subsequent battles.”
“Hmm…”
Listening to his subordinate’s words, Lee Jing-ok nodded. Seeing Lee Jing-ok’s seemingly positive reaction, the speaker looked confident.
“Tsk!”
Lee Jing-ok clicked his tongue with displeasure while staring at his subordinate’s confident expression.
When Lee Jing-ok clicked his tongue, the speaker’s previously confident expression vanished and he turned pale.
Since the reorganization and adoption of imperial titles, there existed an unwritten rule among imperial officials:
—If a superior sighs, it’s a warning; if they click their tongue, it’s an alert.
This unwritten rule applied to the military as well, so the speaker turned pale at Lee Jing-ok’s tongue-clicking.
Looking thoroughly displeased, Lee Jing-ok continued questioning.
“Fighting will continue ahead, and there will be casualties each time. If we leave medics and corpsmen behind each time, by the time we reach their capital, we’ll be severely short of medics and corpsmen. What will you do then?”
“Then we can mobilize the medics and corpsmen left here…”
“Where will you get the wagons to transport them? No, let’s say there are wagons. Then are you saying we abandon the wounded left here?”
“If we use the reinforcements coming later…”
“What if the supply lines are a mess? You know well what kind of place this jungle is. Even when we cut trees and brush to make roads, if we don’t maintain them, the roads disappear in just a few days.”
“If we leave an appropriate number of troops…”
“How many? You mentioned reinforcements earlier, but most of the expeditionary force consists of volunteers, and at best only a few hundred more will come. Whatever else happens, the enemy will fight most fiercely where their capital is right before their eyes. Even with all our forces it might not be enough, and you want to divide our strength?”
“…”
“And you’re from the northwest, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but why?”
“You know well that before the Venerable Emperor announced the Northwest Prohibition, those from northwest regions were banned from taking office?”
“…Yes.”
“Most of the soldiers receiving treatment out there will be tasked with civilizing the natives here after the war ends. What do you think will happen if we treat such important people negligently? Do you think they’ll remain loyal to His Imperial Majesty and the empire?”
“…”
At Lee Jing-ok’s critique, the problematic speaker fell silent. Despite racking his brains for an answer, unable to find a suitable response, he had no choice but to surrender.
“My thinking was short-sighted.”
“Think once more before speaking next time.”
“I’ll engrave this in my heart.”
“You all remember this too.”
Lee Jing-ok looked around at the commanders attending the meeting and continued.
“Some of you here experienced the war in Liaodong. Our advance then was very fast. But despite that speed, we never neglected treating wounded soldiers. As our forces advanced, even more medics and corpsmen rushed forward from the rear. What about the Military Academy? It’s starting to branch into three groups—army, navy, and military medicine. Why do you think that is? Do you think His Imperial Majesty’s merciful decision is the only reason? It’s because the soldiers out there are the foundation that maintains the empire. When they know the emperor and empire value them, they too will value the empire and His Majesty. Remember that loyalty isn’t something achieved through mere coercion.”
“We’ll engrave this in our hearts, General!”
Despite hearing his subordinates’ response, Lee Jing-ok continued his lecture.
“It’s not just the soldiers out there, but also the natives in this land. If you think simply subjugating them is enough, that’s foolish thinking. We must civilize them and make them into faithful subjects of the empire. That’s the purpose of this expedition. As commanders, your first virtue should be contemplating what the purpose of the war you’re conducting is and what must be done to achieve that purpose. Remember that if you ignore this even when commanding the smallest unit, you’ll never achieve victory!”
“Yes, General!”
“Also remember that without victory, there’s no promotion.”
At Lee Jing-ok’s final words, the subordinate commanders responded with even louder voices.
“Yes, General!”
Based on the meeting’s results, the expeditionary force entered a regrouping phase.
They treated wounded soldiers, and those with worse than expected injuries received careful management from medics and corpsmen while heading to the beachhead.
The beachhead had navy ships regularly arriving to unload supplies, and proper medical facilities had been established there.
Subsequently, they began thoroughly managing supply lines by mobilizing warriors from surrendered tribes like Shuang.
It wasn’t just natives who were mobilized.
Engineers from the mainland and New Frontier arrived at the beachhead in large numbers, and road construction began from the beachhead to Tenochtitlan.
This would later become the backbone of New Frontier’s famous ‘New Frontier Highway Network.’
***
Through this regrouping, the expeditionary force soldiers’ morale rose higher and higher.
Soldiers with minor injuries returned after proper treatment, while others recovered their strength through adequate rest.
Moreover, with more wagons and livestock supplied, the expeditionary force’s mobility became even stronger.
Having been resupplied with depleted ammunition, artillery shells, and gunpowder, the expeditionary force again boarded wagons and began pursuing the fled Mexica warriors.
To be precise, they weren’t pursuing Mexica warriors but advancing toward Tenochtitlan.
“Either way, the decisive battle will be at their capital, so there’s no need to worry!”
Lee Jing-ok explained the situation to his subordinates with a confident expression.
“Advance while being careful of flanks! If any fools try to block our path, trample them!”
“Yes, General!”
***
While advancing toward Tenochtitlan, the expeditionary force encountered an unexpected situation.
They discovered piles of human bones on the way to Tenochtitlan.
The problem was the condition of these bones.
“According to Chief Shuang, they appear to have been eaten.”
Examining the piles of bones, Lee Jing-ok heavily frowned at his aide’s report and cursed.
“These fucking bastards who wouldn’t be missed if they froze to death in all three generations!”
After hurling crude profanity, Lee Jing-ok summoned Shuang to question him more thoroughly.
“Do these Mexica or whatever bastards make such acts their daily routine?”
“Not exactly. They only do this in Tenochtitlan.”
“Then why?”
“It appears to be a supply issue.”
“Supply?”
Shuang explained his speculation.
—When Mexica go to war, they operate large supply units. However, these supply units alone cannot handle all supplies.
—Therefore, Mexica send advance messengers and merchants to colonial cities along their advance routes. Merchants then prepare supplies, and Mexica purchase supplies from them.
—This case is somewhat different. First, the battle area is far from colonial cities. Supplies would have been scarce.
—The retreat wasn’t an orderly withdrawal but a chaotic rout.
Naturally, there was no time to properly secure supplies.
“…Ultimately, during their flight, they probably ate the wounded and slaves.”
“That sounds plausible.”
Nodding at Chief Shuang’s words, Lee Jing-ok unconsciously muttered.
“But to eat people… Ah! They were always that kind of people!”
Frowning while examining the bone pile, Lee Jing-ok ordered his aide.
“Show this pile to the soldiers and explain the situation. Also convey my orders. Tell them there’s no need to take these Mexica or whatever bastards as prisoners. Kill them all! These bastards worse than wild Jurchen!”
For Lee Jing-ok, who had fought Jurchen in the northeast during his youth, calling someone “worse than wild Jurchen” was the ultimate insult.
At Lee Jing-ok’s order, his aide immediately responded.
“Yes, General!”
Following Lee Jing-ok’s orders, expeditionary force soldiers who saw the bone piles felt hatred for Mexica warriors boil over.
Originally, most of these expeditionary forces had volunteered out of anger at Mexica human sacrifice and cannibalism.
However, hearing something secondhand and seeing it with one’s own eyes were completely different cases.
Even those who had volunteered for the expeditionary force looking for ‘new opportunities’ rather than ‘conquest and civilization’ developed strong hatred for Mexica warriors after seeing this atrocity.
Thanks to this, those who suffered embarrassment were Chief Shuang and other natives who had surrendered first.
“Surely you didn’t also…?”
“We didn’t!”
Whenever they received such looks, Chief Shuang and other surrendered natives desperately denied it.
“Our tribe barely has any warriors to begin with—why would we do such crazy things!”
“Rather attack smaller tribes…”
“Hunting is easier and safer!”
“Ah…”
At Shuang’s group’s explanation, expeditionary force soldiers nodded.
If both sides had similar weapons and armor, attackers could die too. Considering this, as they said, hunting was indeed easier and safer.
***