The Tale of the Patriotic Woman
by Jang Ji-yeon · 2026-08-25
The people of Arian Castle held a feast for three days for the sake of the general and allowed the troops to rest.
At that time, the general spoke.
“Our great king has not yet been crowned.”
“I must cross the river, sweep away the British forces, and reclaim Limok Castle to hold the king's coronation.”
Then he immediately led tens of thousands of soldiers across the Laaro River towards Limok Castle.
It was around the full moon in July.
The autumn wind was cool, and the path was densely overgrown with reed flowers.
Upon reaching one place, thousands of men, women, and children lay beneath the bushes, wailing.
The sound was very sorrowful.
When the general asked the reason, they all wept and replied.
“We are people who lived in a certain town.”
“The governor surrendered to the British, allowed British troops into the city, seized the people's food, and violated the women.”
“Our path to survival is completely blocked, so we all carried our burdens and set out to find our own way to Arian Castle.”
“However, along the way, hunger and thirst became so severe that we collapsed and lay here.”
The general, hearing this, took pity and distributed food to relieve their hunger.
He then ordered the troops to escort them to Arian Castle.
That night, at midnight, the general charged into the British camp.
Leading the charge himself, he broke through, causing the British forces to suffer a great defeat and scatter in all directions.
The general pursued them closely, defeating them greatly and capturing the British commander, Daebak.
He entered the castle to comfort and soothe the people, and he hanged the surrendered officials at the city gate as a display.
The next day, he advanced again, breaking Limok Castle and killing countless British soldiers.
The might of the troops was so great that there was no one to oppose them wherever they went.
As the British troops were completely driven out, those who heard the news from all directions returned and surrendered in droves.
Having regained the lost castle and taken back the surrendered towns, almost all the territory was restored.
Thus, the commander decided to hold the coronation ceremony with the king at Rimok.
The date was set for the eighth day of October that year.
The commander sent letters to each province, each army, and each castle to inform them of the king's coronation ceremony.
Until that time, the local officials and people only knew of the British presence and followed their orders, unaware that the French king was present.
Now that the official documents spread, they finally realized that the king was there.
Moreover, fearing the commander's authority, they rushed to pay their respects.
From that time, the nearby castles began to follow the French orders, and the way was finally cleared.
The king held the coronation ceremony and ascended to the throne.
He then ennobled Yak-an as a duke, placing him in the position of prime minister and elevating him to the ranks of the nobility.
As Yak-an stood solemnly by the king's side in military uniform, holding a flag,
every French person who saw him shed tears and spoke of the joyous occasion to one another.
One day, Yak-an thought of his parents and requested to take leave from the king to return to his hometown.
“I am originally a poor woman from the countryside, who set out to repay the deep enmity of the country and to save the people from disaster.”
“However, my elderly parents have no other children, only me.”
“There is no one to care for them, and I am sure they are longing day and night for their humble daughter, so how can I not feel desperate?”
“Now, fortunately, with heaven's help and your majesty's great grace, I have rescued the castle of Arian.”
“I have regained more than half of the lost territory and driven out countless British soldiers, washing away some of my shame.”
“Having reclaimed the Rimok Castle, Your Majesty ascended to the throne and held the coronation ceremony, so my long-held wish has been somewhat fulfilled.”
“Today, I wish to return to my hometown and serve my parents, so please look upon me favorably.”
As he spoke, tears quietly flowed and soaked his sleeves.
The king earnestly tried to dissuade him.
“If it were not for you, how could I have this day?”
“Your grace is as vast as the sea, but without you, the enemy will invade again and plunder.”
“Moreover, we have not yet reclaimed the Paris Castle.”
“I earnestly request that you stay a little longer for my sake and help reclaim the Paris Castle before returning.”
The king pleaded two or three times.
Yang-an was originally a loyal person, and unable to refuse the king's plea, he reluctantly agreed.
And he wrote to his parents to explain the situation.
Though a great name may shine in one era,
it is a difficult task to fully fulfill both loyalty and filial piety.