The Rising Sun & The Morning Calm Ch. 08

Noboru felt nothing but admiration for the man who sat in front of him with such quiet determination. He could see why people from all over the country traveled great distances just to be near him. His concern for the welfare of his countrymen and his upright character gave hope to the beleaguered peasants of Chosun. "Why do you do it, Admiral?" Noboru asked. "You have sacrificed so many things, endured so much, and for what? To be plotted against and decried by those envious of you, to be separated from your family, to barely have enough food to fill your own belly while the King and his officials drink and dance without a care in his palace. Why?"

The Admiral gave him a lopsided smile and answered, "Nagamori-sama, you know just as well as I do the high price that comes with a life of honor and service. I would happily give my life for my people."

Noboru felt a strange kinship with the Chosun admiral. "I consider it one of the great fortunes of my life to have had the opportunity to know you, Admiral."

"As do I, Nagamori-sama."

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As what little remained of Toyotomi's invasion fleet raced home for Japan, a fierce battle raged as the Admiral's navy surged forward to destroy the last remnants of what had once been a powerful armada. Dressed in the battle armor of a Chosun naval commander, Noboru was attempting to save the Ming admiral, Chen Lien from yet another self-induced blunder as his flagship was surrounded by enemy vessels. Raising his sword, he shouted, "Save the Ming Admiral!" and with a loud cry, the soldiers of Chosun jumped onto the Japanese ships and began fighting hand to hand with the enemy.

Fighting his way through Japanese soldiers armed mostly with muskets, he slashed his way towards Admiral Chen and dragged him to safety as he screamed bloody murder in Mandarin. "[Uruseh!] Noboru roared, effectively shutting him up. He was in no mood to deal with his nonsense right then.

As his ship attempted to regroup with the others, shouts of victory began erupting all over the fleet as only a few ships had escaped unscathed with enough stamina to return to Japan. Rowing his [paneukson] alongside Admiral Yi's flagship, he and Chen Lien boarded the ship, as the jubilant cries of the Chosun navy filled the air. "[Manseh! Chosun soogwon manseh! Yi Soon Shin jang goon manseh!]"

"Where is the Admiral?" he demanded, not seeing him at his usual prominent post. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his nephew Won and his son Hoe emerge from below deck, their eyes red with tears. "Hoe, Won-ah, what is it? What happened?"

Dropping to his knees, he covered his face with his hands. "My uncle -- my uncle is dead!"

"[Sonnah]..." Noboru's sword slipped from his fingers.

"He was slain by a stray bullet," he sobbed.

"He ordered us not to tell anyone of his death, but to continue beating the war drum and sounding the horns until all the enemy were defeated." His son's heartbroken cries tore through the silence that had suddenly fallen over the navy and as the news of his death spread, one by one, the crew of each ship began wailing in grief at the loss of their beloved Admiral. "The Admiral is dead!" they cried in anguish.

"[Tong Jae Sah] Yi Soon Shin!" Chen Lien fell to his knees and wept bitterly. "Even in death, you have saved me," he sobbed.

Noboru removed his helmet and looked around at what should have been a celebration of the end to the Imjin war. Instead, the soldiers fell to their knees, grief-stricken at the loss of the man who had held their nation together for seven bloody years. "You did it, my friend," he whispered. "Your people are safe."

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uruseh: shut up (imperative, Japanese)

paneukson: flat bottomed wooden ship used by the Chosun navy

manseh: literally ten thousand years, a victory cheer (Korean)

soogwon: navy (Korean)

jang goon: admiral / general (Korean)

sonnah: it can't be (Japanese)

tong jae sah: title of supreme naval commander (Korean)

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The nation was plunged into mourning, suddenly bereft of their greatest hero, who had been slain on the eve of his greatest triumph. Noboru stood at one of the Left Cholla naval station's lookout points and stared across the sea that had been the battleground between the two nations for seven long years.

"Am I disturbing you, Nagamori?" a serene voice asked.

Noboru turned to see Kwon Jun, one of the Admiral's sub commanders and closest friends standing next to him. "No, not at all." They watched the water in silence together for a while. Finally Noboru spoke up. "Thanks to your Admiral, Chosun is safe."

Kwon Jun's eyes continued to sweep the horizon, unaffected by the statement. "For now."

He raised an eyebrow at his cryptic answer. "What do you mean?"

"The Admiral was a remarkable man." He gave a small laugh. "Admiral Chen Lien used to wonder if he was really Chosun and not Ming because of how extraordinary he was." High praise, considering how arrogant and stubborn the Ming admiral was.

"Indeed. I doubt history will ever see another military leader with an undefeated battle record," Noboru predicted. He smiled when he remembered the naval battle of Uldolmok. After being wrongly stripped of his rank and imprisoned, the navy had been all but destroyed in the incompetent hands of his replacement, the malcontent Won Kyun. Desperate for survival, the contrite monarch had reinstated the Admiral who was only able to salvage twelve ships from the severely crippled navy. Against all odds, with only twelve [paneukson], he defeated an entire fleet of Japanese ships without a single loss of his own. Of the 23 battles he had led, he'd never lost even one and the victories that the Admiral had won would become the stuff of legends, Noboru was certain of that -- a fitting tribute to his bravery and sacrifice.

"True, but the greatest threat to our safety was never from your countrymen, but our own," he replied enigmatically. When Noboru appeared not to understand, he explained, "The reason Toyotomi was able to invade our land was because the corrupt, self-serving government took more interested in their petty concerns than the safety and well-being of its people. It took a man as exceptional as [Tong Jae Sah] Yi Soon Shin to save the nation from peril, but now, the Admiral is dead, and the corrupt nature of the government is no different than it was when he was alive." He leaned against one of the wooden railings with a faraway expression. "It is only a matter of time before someone else attempts to turn our weakness to their advantage."

"If what you say is true, then the Admiral died in vain!" Noboru shouted, his jaw clenched. "I refuse to believe that such a warrior threw his life away for nothing!"

"No, not in vain. He has given our people a legacy that will never be forgotten -- a story to inspire hope in the hearts of his countrymen for centuries to come." Kwon Jun looked at Noboru and smiled sadly. "The Admiral trusted you from the very beginning, and he was always proud to call himself your friend." Never easily given to displays of emotion, Kwon Jun was very much like the Japanese in that regard and his heartfelt admission touched Noboru deeply.

He fought to stem the tears that streamed from his eyes. "[Ko mabh so]. If I can ever be of assistance to you and your people, you need only ask."

Without answering him, he bowed one last time and Kwon Jun took his leave of him. Turning back to the water, Noboru wept at the loss of his friend of the last eight years. "Admiral," he prayed to the sea, "if in the heavens, you see my Ji Eun, please tell her that I did the best I could to help protect her people. I hope that your soul has finally found peace. Farewell, my friend." Lowering his topknot, he cut it with his katana and threw it into the waves before descending the steps of the station.

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ko mabh so: thank you (Korean)

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Angela awoke to find that Noboru was mumbling in his sleep. Turning over, she was surprised to see tears in his eyes and even more stunned when she realized that he was speaking an old form of Korean. "Nobu!" She shook him gently. "Nobu, wake up!"

"[Noogoo-yah]?" He sat up and saw Angela looking at him with wide eyes. "Ji Eun?" He reached for her and touched her cheek.

"Nobu, it's Angela."

Looking around the room, he finally realized that it had been a dream. "I am sorry Angela. I had a bad dream, that is all." He looked at the clock and saw that it was three in the morning.

"Nobu, you were speaking in traditional Korean." She looked into his eyes. What were you dreaming about?"

"[Nan demonai], he mumbled, giving her a kiss. "Go back to sleep."

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noogoo yah: who's there (Korean)

nan demonai: it is nothing (Japanese)

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Historical Note:

Admiral Yi Soon Shin, Kwon Jun, Yu Song Ryong, Son-jo, Chen Lien and Yi Young Nam are actual historical figures.

For those interested, the Admiral Yi Soon Shin did in fact save Korea from the first Japanese invasion and never suffered a single defeat in the 23 battles that he commanded. Like Admiral Nelson, he died in the hour of his triumph and did in fact issue the order not to announce his death until after the battle was won. His skill as a military leader and strength of character won him the admiration of Koreans and Japanese alike.

Never fully recognized until after his death due to political corruption, he was and still is undoubtedly Korea's greatest hero and his creation of the turtle boat set the precedent for the modern ironclad ship. His war diaries and memorials to court have been translated into English, and the originals are regarded as national treasures by the Korean people.

The historical portion of this chapter is dedicated to him.

Admiral Yi Soon Shin: April 28, 1545 -- December 16, 1598

Sam Do Soo Gwon Tong Jae Sah Yi Soon Shin Manseh

[Long live the Supreme Commander of the Three Provinces' Navy, Admiral Yi Soon Shin]