As dusk deepened, the sea grew rougher, and Quan Huan’s heart became increasingly uneasy, as if something was about to happen.
At this moment, Quan Huan was seated in Yun Tianyang’s captain’s cabin, where only the two of them were present, sitting opposite each other. On the small table between them were the wine and dishes sent by Park Zhiheng.
It must be said that the Koreans’ arrangements were indeed very thorough; not only were all kinds of meat, chicken, duck, and fish provided, but they even roasted a tender lamb and sent it over.
Heaven help them, Yun Tianyang’s teeth had been aching from gnawing on dry hardtack for days, and seeing this table of good wine and dishes, his mouth immediately began to water.
However, Yun Tianyang did not eat alone. Only after ensuring all his subordinates had received ample food did he relax and begin to enjoy the delicious meal.
Watching Yun Tianyang devour his food, Quan Huan could only hold his wine cup and remain silent, trying his best to be invisible.
Quietly taking a sip from his wine cup, Quan Huan slightly raised his head to look at Yun Tianyang across from him, only to find that even sitting down, Yun Tianyang was considerably taller than him.
“He’s truly imposing,” Quan Huan muttered silently to himself.
During his long stay on Jeju Island, he had met many so-called generals of the Korean Navy, but none could compare to Yun Tianyang.
One must know that people of this era generally weren’t very tall due to malnutrition and other reasons. For instance, the so-called “famous generals” of the Japanese pirates, if they reached 1.6 meters, that was already considered tall.
Those so-called ‘tigers’ or ‘enemies of ten thousand men’ would all be defeated when facing the Ming Army’s tall horses, and ultimately could only rely on high trenches, deep fortifications, and human wave tactics to wage a war of attrition against the Ming Army who had traveled a long distance.
The situation in Korea was not much better than in Japan. For example, Quan Huan, who was before him, was probably just over 1.6 meters tall, making him look like a child in front of Yun Tianyang, who stood at a formidable 1.85 meters or more.
“Quan Zuolang, come, I’ll toast you!”
Quan Huan was lost in a jumble of thoughts when Yun Tianyang’s voice suddenly pulled him back to reality. He quickly looked up to see Yun Tianyang smilingly raising his wine cup towards him.
“Quan Zuolang, I really must thank you this time. You know, I’ve been drifting at sea for many days, and I’ve finally had a good, full meal.”
“No, no, no, it should be this humble official toasting General Yun.”
Seeing this, Quan Huan quickly straightened up, carefully picked up the wine cup in front of him, respectfully clinked it with Yun Tianyang’s, and then quite boldly drained the wine in his cup.
After emptying his cup, Quan Huan complimented him flatteringly, “General Yun, traveling thousands of miles to suppress the Japanese pirates is an unparalleled achievement that benefits both the nation and its people. Such a formidable general deserves this humble hospitality.”
Looking at the “docile” Quan Huan, Yun Tianyang nodded with satisfaction, bringing the wine cup to his lips and taking a small sip.
Although Korean wine was very light and had a strange taste, this was clearly not the time to be picky; having something to drink was already good enough.
Putting down his wine cup, Yun Tianyang poked the lamb leg in front of him with his chopsticks. He had been eyeing this fatty meat for a long time, so he simply put down his chopsticks and directly tore off a piece with his hand, then began to gnaw on it.
The Koreans’ cooking skills were certainly not great, and with no good seasonings, the gamey smell of the lamb was naturally quite strong.
However, Yun Tianyang clearly didn’t care. In no time, a small lamb leg was devoured by him.
Seeing this, Quan Huan quickly came over to pour wine for Yun Tianyang. Quan Huan poured a cup, and Yun Tianyang drank a cup. In the blink of an eye, three cups of wine were down, and only then did Yun Tianyang let out a satisfied burp and stop.
“General Yun is truly a heavy drinker!!!”
This Quan Huan truly didn’t miss any opportunity to flatter. As he spoke, he also grabbed a clean towel from a nearby shelf and handed it to Yun Tianyang.
Taking the towel, Yun Tianyang casually wiped his mouth and asked, “Quan Zuolang, there’s something I’m very curious about. I wonder if you could enlighten me?”
“General Yun, please speak freely.”
“I’m very curious, you are clearly a Zuolang of the Ministry of Rites, so how were you dispatched to a small place like Jeju Island?”
As mentioned before, many of Korea’s official positions were identical to those of the Ming Dynasty. The Korean Ministry of Rites was similar to the Ming Dynasty’s Ministry of Rites, responsible for ceremonies, institutions, diplomatic rhetoric, state funerals, banquets, Reception foreign guests, historians, imperial examinations, and so on. Therefore, such an official should logically remain in the central government, not on this small Jeju Island.
Speaking of this, Quan Huan showed a bitter smile on his face. He spread his hands towards Yun Tianyang, revealing the calluses on them.
“General Yun, as you can see, these hands are not something a child of a noble family would have.”
“Unlike the Ming Dynasty, where one can be a farmer in the morning and ascend to the emperor’s court in the evening, in our Korea, not being from a noble family means there will never be a day of advancement...”
“Although our dynasty also has imperial examinations, they are merely a formality for noble families to gild their resumes. Just like Park Zhiheng, simply because he was born into a prominent family, he could easily attain a general’s position that others might never achieve in their lifetime. If not for the war, he would probably have already entered the imperial court and become a high-ranking official.”
“And I am just a fisherman’s child. Although by the grace of Heaven, I managed to pass the examination and obtain this official position, yet...”
As he spoke, Quan Huan couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, grabbing the wine cup in front of him and taking a big gulp.
“I have no wealth or power and am unwilling to be a lackey for those noble families, so I was greatly ostracized in the imperial court. Three years ago, my superior found a fault in me, and then used it as an excuse to send me here.”
“Haha, they said it was to civilize the local area, but in reality, it was just a disguised exile.”
Looking at Quan Huan, who was pouring out his grievances, Yun Tianyang didn’t know how to comfort him for a moment.
He couldn’t possibly tell him that the Japanese pirates had already invaded their capital, Hanyang, and that perhaps those noble family members who had ostracized him had all been killed by the Japanese pirates.
That would be too much of a dark joke.
Yun Tianyang quickly changed the subject and asked, “Quan Zuolang, uh... are you familiar with the waters around here?”
Quan Huan rubbed his face, quickly regaining his composure. After a brief pause, he replied, “This humble official has been here for three years and is quite familiar with the local situation. May I ask what General Yun intends?”
“Oh, nothing, just asking.”
Yun Tianyang stood up and walked to the window. Looking down, he saw the workers repairing the ships. It was clear that these people were skilled laborers; their movements were very nimble, and in just a few hours, they had already nearly finished repairing the deck and sails.
Seeing this, Yun Tianyang couldn’t help but show a satisfied expression. As long as the ships were repaired, their journey ahead would be much easier.
“I’m wondering where those Japanese pirates could have gone?”
Yun Tianyang rested his hand on the windowsill and said leisurely, “The Japanese pirates’ constant harassment is vexing. We must find a way to wipe them out once and for all. I wonder if Mr. Quan could tell me about the situation in this vicinity?”
“Of course, if there’s a detailed sea chart, that would be even better.”
This reason was, of course, fabricated by Yun Tianyang. Yun Tianyang naturally wouldn’t go out of his way to find trouble with the Japanese pirates.
But then again, neither he nor his subordinates, although many were fishermen and knew how to swim, understood that shallow seas and deep seas were not the same thing.
The weather at sea changes suddenly, and strong currents surge beneath the water. A slight oversight could lead to a shipwreck and loss of life.
Furthermore, if they wanted to go to the South Seas, they couldn’t just foolishly sail straight south; they needed a professional navigator.
Even if they couldn’t find a navigator, they at least needed a sea chart.
Quan Huan thought for a moment, then frowned and said, “Sea charts are vital national assets, only held by the Jeju Island Governor’s office and the Navy General. I’m afraid...”
Quan Huan hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer and whispered, “However, this humble one can draw a simple sea chart for General Yun. Although it might be rough, it will definitely be accurate!”
“You can even draw sea charts?” Yun Tianyang turned, looking at Quan Huan with surprise. “You have this skill?”
This was truly not Yun Tianyang making a fuss; in this era, people who could draw sea charts were indeed a rare commodity.
Moreover, he was a Korean!
“Hehe, it’s just a minor skill.”
Quan Huan chuckled, saying with some self-satisfaction, “I am the son of a fisherman, and I’ve been making a living on fishing boats since I was young, so I’m quite familiar with the situation at sea.”
“Furthermore, after I arrived on Jeju Island, by coincidence, I met an old captain. He used to be a merchant who traded at sea and knew a lot about maritime affairs.”
“After several interactions, he and I became friends, and his son later became my student.”
“I’ve been interested in maritime affairs since I was young, so in my spare time teaching his son, he taught me how to draw sea charts and how to navigate at sea.”
At this point, Quan Huan shook his head with a look of regret, spreading his hands helplessly as he said, “Unfortunately, although I learned these skills, I have had no opportunity to use them.”
This guy is a talent.
Yun Tianyang could now confirm that this guy named Quan Huan was definitely a talent.
In a place like Korea, for a fisherman’s child to pass the imperial examination and, in just three short years, learn the skill of drawing sea charts—this guy, setting aside everything else, at least had excellent learning ability.
For a moment, Yun Tianyang was already contemplating whether to just go all out and abduct this guy...
No matter when, talent is always the most valuable asset.
In terms of combat power, he and his more than 100 soldiers could be described as fierce as wolves and tigers; given some time to recuperate, they would absolutely be first-class elite soldiers of this era.
Leaving aside everything else, as long as the Mandarin Duck Formation was deployed, unless the enemy brought cannons, who would dare to face their military might???
Coupled with Yun Tianyang’s memories from later generations, he believed that as long as he was given a chance, he could definitely lead these men to develop.
But at sea, he was somewhat out of his depth.
Again, the sea and land are two different matters. He and his men were not completely ignorant of how to operate and fight at sea, but rather utterly clueless.
So he needed someone who understood these things to help him, and this Quan Huan, currently before him, seemed like a good candidate.
Born into poverty, capable, and frustrated in his career—he was practically destined to be poached.
At once, Yun Tianyang’s mind raced. He had to quickly figure out a way to get him to join them!!!
But how to do it???
No matter how frustrated this guy was, he was still an imperial official. And what about him? He was just an exile fleeing overseas. Why would someone give up a good life to go with you?
Yun Tianyang bared his teeth, racking his brains but unable to come up with a good idea. Should he just use force instead...
“General Yun, what is this???”
Looking at Yun Tianyang’s strange expression, Quan Huan asked somewhat puzzled, “Is something wrong? Should I call a doctor...”
“Boom!!!”
Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous roar instantly reverberated across the sky!!!
Yun Tianyang shot up, turning his head to look in the direction from which the loud noise came.
Just offshore, seven or eight warships suddenly appeared, heading towards the Jeju Island port!
In an instant, thousands of cannons fired simultaneously, and the port was immediately engulfed in a sea of flames.
“This... this is???”
Quan Huan was greatly alarmed, almost collapsing to the ground, while the shipwrights who were repairing the ships were even worse, each of them burying their heads and trembling on the deck.
“General Yun! General Yun!”
Bai Shugui immediately rushed in, not bothering to knock, and reported loudly to Yun Tianyang, “General Yun, they are Japanese pirate ships! The Japanese pirates launched a night raid on Jeju Island!!!”
“I didn’t expect these guys to actually show up,” Yun Tianyang frowned, his eyes fixed on the nearby port.
In the glow of the fire, the shadows of the warships flickered, and judging by their design, they were indeed Japanese pirate ships.
The sky was dark, making it impossible to discern the enemy’s numbers at once, but from the scale of the explosions and the density of the cannon fire, there were at least a dozen warships!!!
Yun Tianyang couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately, they hadn’t entered the port, otherwise, they would be the ones getting shelled right now.
Seeing this, Yun Tianyang immediately ordered, “Have everyone prepare for battle, to prevent a Japanese pirate attack!!!”
Yun Tianyang immediately turned and walked towards the deck. As soon as he exited the door, he encountered Ji Dalin, who had arrived with his subordinates.
“General Yun! The situation is probably not good. Should we retreat now?!”
“Stop with the nonsense. What exactly is the situation now?”
“Unclear, but it’s all chaos.”
Ji Dalin shook his head, anxiously telling Yun Tianyang, “It’s too dark, and the sea is rough. I only vaguely saw that the Japanese pirates seemed to be coming from the south!”
Yun Tianyang’s heart sank. Coming from the south???
This was not good at all...