Finest Servant

Lin Wanrong was overjoyed beyond measure, hastily climbing up the lookout tower. At the horizon where sea and sky converged, a tiny black dot faintly emerged. Although it appeared blurry and distant, the outline of land was discernible. Judging by the direction and distance traveled, it was undoubtedly Goryeo.

His mood uplifted, he joyfully took the Eldest Miss's delicate hand and leaped down from the tower, excitedly exclaiming, "Brother Shi, ahead lies the Gwangju Prefecture of Goryeo. Command the brothers to give their all; we'll make landfall tonight!"

The news electrified the naval soldiers. Adjusting their sails, they rowed vigorously. Gradually, the land became clearer – high mountains, flowing rivers, forests, and trees slowly came into view. Dozens of simple rafts bustled about, fishing on the sea.

"We've finally arrived!" The Eldest Miss clapped her hands in delight. But before her words faded, a thunderous boom echoed from the distant sea. A few hundred yards ahead, a column of water shot skyward, leaping six feet (~1.8 meters) high.

Shi Changsheng, seasoned in naval warfare, instantly changed his expression. He swiftly moved in front of Lin Wanrong, waving a small flag in his hand and shouted, "All units prepare, on my command, ready to fire—"

These naval soldiers, personally selected by Xu Zhiqing, were equipped with Great Hua's finest fast ships and cannons. They were well-disciplined and highly trained. Hearing their commander's order, thousands of soldiers quickly manned their stations. The rudder turned, and dozens of cannons aimed at the Goryeo waters ahead.

Lin Wanrong's face darkened, his joy of nearing landfall swept away. The Goryeo people dared to fire at the Great Hua navy! Although the two armies were far apart and the shot was more of a probe, it was a blatant provocation.

"Brother Shi, load the cannons!" he ordered coldly.

Waves crashed against the hull, scattering sparkling droplets like celestial flowers. A deadly silence prevailed over the sea's surface; no one dared to speak.

No one had anticipated that what should have been a pleasant journey to Goryeo would begin with a thunderous barrage of cannons. Xiao Yuruo nestled close to him, gripping his hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Wait, please wait—"

In the midst of this standoff, a ship suddenly approached from the distant sea. Its bow was shaped like a turtle's head, spewing out billows of yellow smoke, spreading like mist over the sea.

This turtle ship, about thirty-three meters (~110 feet) long and ten meters (~33 feet) wide, was sheathed in iron armor over its wooden hull, smaller than the warships of Shandong's navy. Ten oars on each side, a tall sail, and the iron armor bristled with a dense array of knife nets and cone-shaped iron spikes.

A Goryeo commander in his forties stood on the bow. With a long face and thick eyebrows, he shouted loudly in rough Chinese.

"It's a Goryeo turtle ship!" Recognizing it, Shi Changsheng quickly informed Lin Wanrong, "This is a Goryeo invention. They clad their wooden warships in iron armor, offering both defensive strength and agility. The knife nets and spikes on the armor can tear through enemy ships, exceedingly sharp. The yellow smoke from the turtle's mouth is poisonous, causing dizziness and even unconsciousness. In the recent fights against the Dongyin invasion, these turtle ships were first deployed and achieved splendid victories."

"A fine turtle ship indeed!" Lin Wanrong sneered as he observed the thick yellow smoke billowing from the ship's bow. "Brother Shi, connect the water dragon!" he ordered.

As the turtle ship drew nearer, closing the distance to merely sixteen or twenty meters (fifty or sixty feet) from their ship, the Longing, the Goryeo commander stood proudly on the bow and arrogantly inquired, "Are you the Great Hua navy?"

The warships of Shandong's navy were adorned with bright golden dragon flags, a clear symbol of their identity. The Goryeo man's brazenly feigned ignorance was an extreme impertinence. Shi Changsheng was about to retort angrily when Lin Wanrong waved him off, responding with a slight smile, yet firmly, "Indeed, we are the Great Hua navy! And who might you be, General?"

"I am Yi Sun-sin, the Maritime Commissioner of Jeolla Left Province of Goryeo," the Goryeo commander bellowed. "You are the Great Hua navy, yet you trespass into Goryeo's waters unannounced. What is your intent?"

"Trespassing into Goryeo's waters?" Lin Wanrong repeated with a dark tone before bursting into laughter. "What an accusation! General Yi Sun-sin, are you prepared to stand by every word you've just uttered?"

Caught off guard, Yi Sun-sin's face changed color as if realizing something, he hastily retorted, "Great Hua and Goryeo are one entity, but your unannounced entry into our waters—"

"Unannounced?" Lin Wanrong's face turned icy. "According to the treaty signed between the Goryeo King and Great Hua, we are united. The defense of Goryeo is to be managed by our Loyal and Brave Army. The Great Hua navy, bearing our flags, enters our own domain. Whom should we notify? By law, Goryeo should only retain its Bandit Suppression Bureau and the Bureau of Righteous Bans to maintain law and order, relinquishing all other military responsibilities. Yet, here you are, General Yi, not only defying the law and assembling troops but also brazenly obstructing the Great Hua navy with your turtle ship and firing upon us first! You've got quite the nerve, General!"

His tone was chilling, punctuated by cold laughter, and his barrage of questions left Yi Sun-sin defenseless. The Goryeo general's face reddened, his voice raised in protest, "This is an unfair treaty! Why should Great Hua meddle in Goryeo's affairs? It's too much!"

"Unfair?" Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, his voice echoing mightily across the vast sea, resonating in Yi Sun-sin's ears.

"What are you laughing at?" Yi Sun-sin demanded.

Lin Wanrong's voice suddenly turned cold. "So, General Yi still understands the concept of fairness. Very well, if you seek fairness from me, then first return to me the fairness owed!"

"What fairness do I owe you?" the General questioned, puzzled.

"What fairness?" Lin Wanrong slammed the table furiously. "When your borders were in crisis, the people of Great Hua, disregarding their safety, sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fight on Goryeo soil, with tens of thousands laying down their lives here. They were not your kin, yet their blood and bones remain. Did you ever grant them fairness? When you were trembling in fear, fearing the loss of your nation, and sought our help, did you talk of fairness then? Now, after the situation has changed, you enjoy the fruits of victory won with the blood and lives of the Loyal and Brave Army's soldiers, while crying out for fairness—accustomed to reaping without sowing. Do you think Great Hua is here to serve selflessly? Fairness? Do you even deserve to speak those words to me?"

His scathing rebuke left General Yi's face alternating between red and white, his cheeks trembling, unable to muster a rebuttal.

Lin Wanrong's ire grew as he gazed upon the smoke-spewing turtle ship, his annoyance palpable as he waved his hand dismissively. "What's all this spraying about? Acting like some kind of ninja turtle? Brother Shi, bring out the water dragon!"

Shi Changsheng, who found immense satisfaction in General Lin's reprimand of the Goryeo people, laughed heartily upon hearing this. He personally took charge of the water dragon, directing a fierce spray at the turtle ship.

The yellow smoke billowing from the turtle's mouth, though intimidating, was merely burning sulfur and saltpeter, dissolving upon contact with water. As the water dragon doused it, the yellow fog instantly dispersed, and the turtle ship's bravado faded.

Yet, Shi Changsheng was unrelenting. He kept the water dragon spraying indiscriminately, drenching the Goryeo soldiers on board who could not evade in time.

"What are you doing?" Yi Sun-sin leaped aside, shouting angrily.

Shi Changsheng retorted coldly, "General Yi dared to fire upon the Great Hua navy. I'm merely giving you a bath in return. What's wrong with that?"

Yi Sun-sin, at a loss for words before Lin Wanrong's cold demeanor, hastily explained, "It was a misfire due to the distance; I couldn't see clearly."

The Great Hua warships, with their prominently displayed dragon flags atop the masts, were unmistakable. Even if they were not clearly visible, maritime custom dictated hailing before firing. General Yi's actions were clearly a deliberate show of force.

"A misfire?" Lin Wanrong said coolly. "Very well, Brother Shi, let's have a misfire of our own. We have too much ammunition and gunpowder on board; it's quite heavy. Order everyone to fire together, accurately and loudly!"

The Goryeo commander stood aghast. With dozens of Great Hua navy ships, each armed with numerous cannons, a simultaneous barrage would rival a grand sea battle. To Yi Sun-sin, the casual suggestion seemed like child's play to Lin Wanrong.

Overjoyed, Shi Changsheng raised the command flag. The entire Great Hua navy fell silent, their dark cannon muzzles gleaming ominously, silently aiming at the sea.

"Fire!" The naval commander bellowed, and the command flag dropped.

"Boom—" The deafening sound of the cannons was like thunderclaps in a clear sky, causing the entire fleet to tremble. Yi Sun-sin's turtle ship was tossed by the waves, almost floating on the water.

nearly a kilometer (~0.5 nautical miles) away, the sea's surface erupted with boundless water columns, resembling suddenly erected towers, shooting eight meters (~26 feet) high, transforming the vast sea into a misty rain of smoke, like endless rolling clouds.

Great Hua's cannons, masterfully modified by craftsmen and incorporating Western techniques, were far superior in precision and power to those of Goryeo. The barrage created a buzzing echo across the sea and land, generating towering waves that surged in all directions.

Naturally, this thunderous cannonade alerted the garrison on Gwangju. A cavalry unit, bearing golden dragon flags with a prominent "Lin" character, rapidly approached the shore.

"General Lin, look, it's our Loyal and Brave Army brothers!" Shi Changsheng shouted excitedly.

As the mist gradually settled, the soldiers of the Loyal and Brave Army on the shore, initially stunned by the sight of the massive fleet, burst into frenzied excitement. They waved their flags vigorously, shouting in unison, "General Lin, General Lin—"

As the barrage of cannons roared, implicating the fate of Goryeo in its wake, it was clear that not just anyone would dare undertake such a bold action. Observing the man before him, whose demeanor remained nonchalant amidst his extraordinary actions – decisive, effortless, almost indifferent – it was evident his status was far from ordinary.

A chill ran down Yi Sun-sin's spine as he hastily looked up at him. "May I ask who you are—"

But upon seeing the half-smiling face, a jolt of realization struck him, his body trembling as he stammered, "You, you are Lin San—"

To think he was a celebrity even in Goryeo! Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "General Yi, your insight is commendable!"

Yi Sun-sin's face turned ashen, unable to utter a word. The reputation of Lin San was something he had only truly comprehended now, no wonder even the fierce Turks were wary of him. To be defeated by such a man was no injustice.

The Longing slowly approached the shore, where the stationed Goryeo Loyal and Brave Army soldiers swarmed the ship's bow, their excited calls echoing to the heavens.

Lin Wanrong felt a twinge of embarrassment. Although he was the nominal commander of the Loyal and Brave Army, this was his first encounter with these soldiers. Seeing their almost reverent gaze, he felt uncharacteristically shy.

They had landed at Mokpo Port, belonging to Gwangju Prefecture, which had also been one of the key landing sites during the past Dongyin invasion. In that battle, sixty percent of Goryeo's eighty thousand strong men had been lost, leaving them without the strength to fight again, and the country's military affairs were thereafter managed by the Loyal and Brave Army.

Gwangju, located at the southernmost tip of Goryeo and several days' journey from the capital Hanseong (Seoul), was now hosting Great Hua's General Lin. Hearing of his arrival, the highest local officials of Jeolla Province and Gwangju Prefecture hurried to welcome him with a grand banquet, careful not to show any negligence.

After days at sea, finally landing and enjoying a walk by the seaside with Yuruo after the banquet, Lin Wanrong felt indescribably happy.

Looking at the endless sea, the Eldest Miss playfully teased him, "This is your first overseas journey, and you had to enter by firing cannons. Wait until we tell Qiaoqiao and the others; they'll surely laugh."

"What's there to laugh about? If they knew you've been enjoying Goryeo's delicacies, they'd be green with envy!" Lin Wanrong chuckled.

Speaking of Goryeo's cuisine made the Eldest Miss smile wistfully, sharing an unspoken understanding.

As they strolled under the quiet moonlight, a shadowy figure flickered in the distance, seemingly hiding, not wanting to be seen.

"General Yi Sun-sin, why are you hiding?" Lin Wanrong called out with a laugh.

Yi Sun-sin emerged from the shadows, awkwardly apologizing, "Please forgive me, General Lin! I was ordered by the Jeolla Province Governor to ensure your safety, but I didn't mean to disturb you."

The irony was not lost on Lin Wanrong – being protected by a general with whom he had a past conflict. He shook his head in resignation.

This time, the Jeolla Governor had misjudged. Yi Sun-sin was, after all, one of Goryeo's most distinguished generals, and after the recent battle, he was one of the few capable men left.

"General Yi, the words I spoke earlier were about the situation, not the person," Lin Wanrong said, patting Yi Sun-sin's shoulder calmly. "I hope you understand, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What you gain must be earned. This is true for Goryeo, as it is for Great Hua."

Yi Sun-sin sighed, his feelings complex and indescribable.

"Let's not dwell on these dispiriting matters. General Yi, I want to talk to you about someone, a remarkable figure renowned in Goryeo!"

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