Chapter 209 — The Ministry of War: The Resignation Rejected
When he arrived at the Ministry of War, he was told that his resignation had been rejected.
It was what he had expected.
He was also told that an envoy from Jin had arrived.
Goryeo's Ministry of War was a central office that administratively managed military affairs.
It did not directly command the army.
Military personnel management.
Administration related to military service and mobilization.
Records and management of weapons and supplies.
The documentation and transmission of orders.
The Jungbang held real military authority as the council of Sangjanggun and Daejanggun.
The Eungyang Army and Yongho Army were the palace-centered forces, while the Juhyeon troops defended the provinces.
Military decisions were made in the Jungbang, and the Ministry of War handled administration.
As an administrative system centered on civil officials, its function lay mainly in records and management.
In a word, the Ministry of War was not a place that "moved the army," but a place that "managed and recorded" it.
The Panbyeongbusa was the highest official in charge.
The Byeongbu Sangseo oversaw practical affairs, and the Byeongbu Sirang assisted and handled administration.
That was why Yeongu's resignation had been processed by the Ministry of War.
Rejected.
The order stated that after giving a face-to-face report on the war situation, he was to return immediately to his original unit.
Byeongbu Sirang Lee Jun-hui explained diligently.
"Not every resignation is accepted simply because it is submitted. Above all, this is an extremely important duty, and no one else can perform it. It is also a matter that will become a very important standard for Goryeo's diplomacy. If this matter goes wrong, it may lead to catastrophe. Supporting Jin and securing peace through that support is something Jungnangjang began. His Majesty hopes that Jungnangjang Lee will bring it to completion. As for the matters you requested, we are moving toward accepting as many of them as possible."
Lee Jun-hui held out a sheet of paper.
On it, the matters Yeongu had rambled about in disorder had been written down in a clear and organized way, and beneath each item were plans for handling them.
The countless things he had said in a scattered manner had all been written down.
Unlike Yeongu's way of speaking, they had been divided elegantly in highly refined language.
Establishment and implementation of a cavalry transformation planPlan to expand horse ranches for securing warhorsesPlan to expand the importation of northern horsesCavalry training
Comparative study between states for the modernization of armor
Comparison of the defensive power of various types of armorImprovement of armor forms to reduce manufacturing difficultyComparison of cost-effectiveness
Measures to maximize firepower through controlled shooting
Diversification of shooting weapons, including bows and crossbowsTraining plans and the effects of concentrated firePlans to improve offensive weapons for changes in siege warfare
Analysis of problems in the military personnel system and promotion of improvement measures
Establishment of personnel system improvement measures and feasibility analysisMeasures to remove misguided lust for power among commandersReview of changes to ability evaluation methodsPrevention of interest-group formation through rotational service
Practical plans to resolve the lack of combat experience among military commanders, and so on
Establishment of an overseas dispatch systemMeasures to expand the scale of military advisory missionsEducation for strategic understanding of the military classics
A wordless number of things had been written down without end.
As Yeongu read through them one by one, the man glanced at him.
There were quite a few men who pretended to read though they could not read at all.
Some even held the paper upside down.
Yet the man Lee Jun-hui had thought to be completely illiterate was reading smoothly through documents that contained difficult characters.
"But who will do all this?"
"That is our work."
Yeongu stabbed him sharply.
"Sir Lee Jun-hui, you are doing all of this alone, are you not?"
It was more than a stab.
He had dug into a very painful place.
"For now, it is only a proposal, but the same document has been sent up to His Majesty and also passed on to the Jungbang."
"His Majesty does not know practical affairs well. He only scolds and shouts. In front of him, people will pretend to do something at once, but nothing will change. As for the Jungbang, half of them cannot even read this writing. What kind of war is fought only with a commander's strength and martial valor?"
Lee Jun-hui was a very positive person.
A person usually wants first to say no, but he did not do that at all.
He was a wise man who first acknowledged the other person's words.
"That is a precise point. The detailed problems and plans for each item have also been sent up. These are matters our Ministry of War has long been aware of. We have now reached a difficult point at which improvement is unavoidable."
Yeongu tilted his head.
His distrust was deep.
His distrust was not only toward military officials, but also toward civil officials, all stained dark under the name of "politicking."
"Did you write only the headings just to show me?"
"No. His Majesty's will is firm."
"And the Jungbang?"
"Of course, there are difficulties, but…"
"Replace them. If it does not work, replace them immediately. If they only pretend to work, replace them again. If they do not move, tell them to go home. Only then will they finally move. If a situation comes in which they must let go of all their vested interests, they will resist. At that time, never leave them alone. Send them home. There are many capable people below them. Do not turn sound men into political soldiers stained by lust for power. Make sure you write that down. You must create a personnel reform plan to prevent soldiers from becoming political soldiers."
"I will submit a proposal."
"Have the Panbyeongbusa and the Byeongbu Sangseo agreed to this?"
"I apologize. For now, it is still a proposal."
"You said it had gone up to His Majesty. I will take this with me and mention it when I meet His Majesty face-to-face."
Lee Jun-hui pressed his lips shut like a child who would not listen.
These men were the same.
They knew something could not be done, yet their words were polished.
They said this was one way and that was another, but in the end, nothing improved.
When the rot ran from the top to the bottom, could improvement truly happen?
Not all of them were like that, but they were more sensitive to changes in salary than to the task of defending the country.
There was also the reason that they were not paid enough, but they were men who converted everything into money.
Lower commanders had lived long in corruption because they had to do things with tight means and empty households.
If they loved money so much, why had they not gone into trade? Why had they entered the military gate?
Because Yeongu had already seen many cases at the front line, he did not believe Lee Jun-hui's improvement plan at all.
"It is useless. I know it will not work. It is not Sir Sirang's fault. I also know you made this because I have been talking everywhere, and you want to quiet me down. Do you think I enjoy doing this? I am speaking because if things go on like this, the country seems likely to fall."
"The country will fall? You should be careful with such words. Even if spoken with good intentions, listeners may use them badly."
"The only person who heard those words is Sir Lee Jun-hui. If they become a problem, then Sir Lee Jun-hui used them. If not, then someone who heard them from you spread them, and in the end, the arrow will return to Sir Lee Jun-hui."
"No, what are you saying? I am saying that it is better not to say things like the country will fall."
"The one saying those words now is Sir Lee Jun-hui. I believe it will happen. Forget a hundred years. Before much time passes, this country will be trampled under the hooves of steppe cavalry corps."
He was more aggressive toward Lee Jun-hui precisely because Lee had shown him a plausible plan.
Yeongu trusted no one, but he saw the men fighting with their heads behind the stupid Sangjanggun of the great armies as the greater problem.
They were the core members of the den of demons.
"Oh, I have heard too many stories about how things cannot be done. Of the things I said when I came here before, what has actually been accomplished? I know all this is meant to pull the wool over my eyes. There is no need to persuade me. Do not try to. It is probably because you need to tell His Majesty that you persuaded me."
"That is not so. It is not like that."
"Oh, if you want to make money, go to Byeongnando and trade. Why come into the army and try to make money here?"
"That is not so. What you have just said is an insult to me."
"To tell me again that improvements will happen when nothing has changed in months is to treat this humble officer as a complete fool. That is an insult."
Lee Jun-hui straightened his body backward.
He had thought he could persuade one foolish soldier and send him off, but it was not easy.
Yeongu pressed the written paper with his fingertip, item by item, muttering that this had been said before and still had not been done.
He pressed, spoke, pressed again, and spoke again, pointing out that it only looked polished on the surface.
Yeongu folded the paper and put it inside his robe.
"I am going. I truly am going. But if you say you persuaded me with this, you will find yourself in serious trouble. I will report exactly as it is: that these are things I spoke of months ago, that not one has improved, and that it will continue that way afterward. Prepare yourself. You tried to deceive a foolish soldier."
"No. When did I ever do that? Absolutely not."
He denied it to the end.
They lie until they are caught.
If one thinks they work well because they say yes, yes in front of one's face, that is a grave mistake.
They bow in front of you, then laugh behind your back.