Ryu Songmin
Navy general
played by xianzhou in ilhwa
Table of Contents
pg. 3
pg. 4
pg. 10
pg. 13
pg. 17
BASIC INFO
- FULL NAME: Ryu Songmin
- AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 30 & February 14th, 1840
- CLASS: Yangban
- TITLE: Marquess, Daejang Ryu
- OCCUPATION: Navy General
- SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bi-Curious
- BIRTHPLACE: Gwangju, Kingdom of Joseon
- CURRENT RESIDENCE: Ryu Estate in Hanseong
- R/S STATUS: Taken & Engaged
- LOVER: Hwang Miryeong
BACKGROUND
시작: HOW IT ALL BEGAN.
TW: mentions of parental abuse, blood, suicide.
FAMILY LIFE
O
n February 14th, 1840, a seed was planted in the backyard of the Ryu Manor, blossoming into a willow tree, one of the very few of
its existence. Simultaneously, an infant’s cries were heard throughout the mansion. Originating from Gwangju, the little sapling quickly grew into a tall tree in its short duration of life.
Although the willow tree is quick to age, nothing was more fitting as a symbol for the Ryu family than a tree that braves adversity in complete sturdiness.
The very first tree represented none other than Ryu Songmin. He was the first son of the Ryu clan, thus making him the next in line for head of the clan and granted him the “golden child” title at birth. Though, at times, it felt more like a curse than a gift. Sometimes he wished he were to take on the more arboreal form, yearning to grow wildly and be held together by its unruly roots.
Like his younger siblings, he was showered in opulence, wealth, lavish items, and enough leisure time for play and study. Yet none of these saved the Ryus from the prying eyes on them from the ton, and the scandals and tribulations that plagued the family. He not only learned that with whispers that followed him when he went to school and lived his life in military camps; he witnessed the vitriol that increased when the truth about his sister Yeonhwa was unveiled, alongside his mother,
duchess Ryu, caught in a crossfire, for simply not abandoning her due to her “impure” lineage. (Not only their mothers were different, she was a courtesan and one of his father’s concubines.) Although it changed and affirmed people’s negative reception of the family, the family bond remained unbroken.
He and his siblings attended the same royal academies (seowons), studied banal and long winded Confucianist classics that did not hold a candle to what he learned in his real life experience. He did well and received high marks, but only to placate his strict father, assuming that’s the case for all his siblings as well.
Especially with him being inseparable from his siblings during his childhood (even with his youngest sister being bedridden), well, until Minho was separated from them in 1853. When news of Minho’s being kidnapped spread like wildfire through the manor, the maids, siblings, and caretakers were in panic. But when Songmin ran out of the door in search for him, his elders adeptly dragged him back into the household, while the whereabouts for Minho were unknown during the time being.
Then the day after, Duke Ryu (his father but later on he downright wanted to not call him that) brought him into his office just to chastise him for not being a good enough “protector” and telling him he should have kept him in his line
of sight at all times. And proceeded with disrobing his dallryung to lash out on his body through whipping. He held back his tears and his screams out of hurt, and mustered the ability to hide them with stoicism, while blood continually dripped from his open wounds and dried blood remained on his uniform, just from being whipped. The walls of their estate were enough to block out his whimpers from his siblings.
Out of prying eyes, his mother would console him with soothing words, but it was only a mere bandage over his open wounds.
Over the years, he viewed them as battle scars. Suffering in silence became a pastime of his. Going to the well, to soothe himself of his healing scars, and contemplating the worth of his life. The detached heads of frayed dummies gathered into a pile as Songmin slashed through them with his practice swords and spears listlessly, and he practiced alone to prevent his little brother from asking him questions for the meantime.
But he eventually had enough of the routine. In the summer of 1855, he ran away from his suffocating home and strolled by a reservoir, about to plunge his frail body into the water – until a pigeon holding a letter in its beak, dropped it on the ground. Initially, he thought it to contain an omen, his father finally found him and was about to take charge of his fate, or even worse, this will be the last time his siblings see him, and he cannot spare a final breath or his final blessings in the upcoming stages of their lives.
Once he opened the letter, and gingerly took it out of the envelope, he was pleasantly surprised by the kind words. And even words of admiration. There was no name attached to the sender section, but he didn’t care to speculate at the time. The person helped him save his own life, and sent him genuinely kind words unrelated to frivolous achievements.
武科 / MILITARY LIFE
Early on, he had to study military principle classics and train exhaustively starting at the meager age of 4. Even though the studies have been arduous and Joseon’s military forces were only a fraction of its power centuries ago, he always had the potential and drive regardless of the complications that were ahead of him.
As a form of solace, isolated in his little room, he perused through novels about the lives of various generals, and even biographical diaries that were transcribed and translated by historians. But none had caught his attention like Yi Sun Shin, whose gallant spirit can be felt through his broad strokes written across the parchment. He was a man not just of fancy titles and achievements plastered over placards on museum artifacts; he was a man of principle and a stable rock withstanding the worst of tsunamis.
He also wondered if his back would be ridden of its lashing marks, if he were to be as gifted from the beginning.
The military life may seem within an arm’s reach to someone of his status and his connections (his maternal grandfather being the former Minister of Defense), but the physical ardor and the hard headed mentality he needed to adopt was more than he anticipated.
After his seven years spent in a seogwa, he eventually took the military service exam at the age of 16, around the same time his little brother conscripted himself in the army. He planned to take it when he turns 21, but he had the premonition that something bad will happen to his family if he didn’t enlist soon. He felt the weight on his shoulders, the eyes on him as he obliged through his speech examinations, and even more so on the cavalry portion, when he almost fell off his horse. He felt that he was awfully young, but Minho was 14. Well, that certainly expedited his military journey, as he found Minho a couple months later when he was promoted to being a second lieutenant, from being a mere corporal soldier.
He remembered seeing a young face among the other soldiers he led in his first assignment, feeling the need to keep not only himself out of trouble, but the young boy as well.
But when he was assigned to his first post in Daegu as a second lieutenant officer, it wasn’t just overseeing the beautiful mountains while in cavalry. Soldiers, even himself, who endured starvation, sought death (of their opponents) just to live. And as he rose ranks over the years, he became directly responsible for not only his life, but their lives as well.
He traversed around the rocky mountains of Joseon, as well as the lush plains, assigned to posts in different cities, such as Iksan, Jeonju, Gongju, and Sangju (Gyeongsang province). And even in the outskirts of Hanseong, where he fought marauders terrorizing innocent families in the villages, out of the guise of quelling peasant rebellions.
Even though all of the bigger conflicts between Joseon and the foreigners mostly preceded a couple centuries before his birth, he still needed to “clean up” conflicts at the borders, notably between the Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces.
In fact, those conflicts were the most severe, especially the naval battle that took place in Jeju. At the age of 24, he not only fought one of his first battles as a general of the Central Army but commanded the fleet, standing tall on the kobukson (turtle ship) as he surrounded the enemy fleet, some of his ships going through the narrow strait. Minho accompanied him as one of the captains of their forces.
But as confident as he was in the victory, he also let his brotherly instincts take over him as he shielded his little brother from an incoming bullet, saving him from a chest wound but giving himself a shoulder injury.
첫사랑 / ROMANCE
Rumors were made in passing about Songmin being a rake and his constant visits to the gisaeng house alone, especially scandalous during his military service. He was grateful he wasn’t born a woman and that he didn’t need a chaperone following his every move. He disregarded them as gossip made out of ennui, it’s not like others had much to do in their boring lives.
The common dream for a yangban man is to be betrothed to a beautiful woman (or women) of high status, attaining a high-ranking position, military exploits, and constant accumulation of wealth.
He always doubted the actual validity behind “true love”. Infatuation, while ephemeral, was more tangible and in line with his reality compared to the abstract nature of “love at first sight”. The only semblance of it in his eyes was the letter he received from an anonymous person, when a messenger pigeon flew to the river he frequented. And he felt the marriages between the clans were always as a means of acquiring power, and not out of genuine interest.
However, after many relationships and flings, it became clear to him he didn’t know what he wanted out of a partner, or out of love in general. Love is an enigma and a battle he had to fight all the same, except not just with his partners but within himself.
The distance he carved between his persona and his real self grew the more relationships he had been in, repelling the urge to fully show his true self and maintain the palatable image of the typical charming and confident man. But one person has managed to come close.
At the age of 21, he was betrothed with the only daughter of the Lee clan, who he met when he was only eight years old, in a social event both of them attended with their respective clans. To him, it just reaffirmed was clearly motivated by power and status, he witnessed snippets of conversations about the future engagement between Yeonhwa and the eldest son of the Shin clan while passing by adult conversations when he was a child, occurring months later in the same year. So he figured that is how these supposed marriages go.
During the duration of the engagement, he couldn’t help but think she was such a find. She was beautiful, smart, and even mildly capable with combat. In their brief relationship, they would go horse riding in the marshes and even watch in awe of the mountain peaks Hanseong had to offer.
But two years later, there were love letters he obtained that stuck too much out of military journals and books. And it was unfortunate the young lady came across them, and subsequently their engagement ended there.
PERSONALITY
중앙:HOW DOES HE ACT? FEEL?
- MBTI: INTJ — The Architect
- ENNEAGRAM: 3w2 —
- TEMPERAMENT: melancholic-choleric
- ASTROLOGY: aquarius sun, cancer moon, pisces rising
- MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
a man that is expected to keep up with many roles: a dutiful son, protective brother, the brave and ambitious general, understanding mentor and a “marriageable” man. on the outside he appears to be charismatic and content with what he had, perhaps that can be due to his privilege. but at times he feels he had lost touch with who he truly is, and fatigued by playing roles he has outgrown.
overall a high achieving man on his own accord, his achievements on both land and sea speak for themselves. but he always struggled with being vulnerable with others, very careful with how much he can let others in.
TIDBITS
TRIVIA
- LIKES: teasing his siblings, tea, forbidden literature, instruction manual illustrations, deep conversation, nature, Impressionist art, politics
- DISLIKES: etiquette rules (though he had to enforce them), beliefs in superstition (finds shamans to be ineffective), diffusing awkward situations, doing more than what’s necessary, avoidance, sycophants, charlatans
- HOBBIES: playing the geomungo, janggu, and puk (double-headed barrel drum), writing and reading poetry, tea making, horse riding, playing janggi, calligraphy, attending concerts of pansori / traditional theatre, exploring through mystery archives in libraries within the palace, drinking
- Songmin is ambidextrous, proved to be advantageous for both his literary studies and technical military field.
- His ears turn red whenever he gets nervous.
- As a method of coping, he counted his bruises and lashings meticulously.
- Motto: “principle is one but its manifestations are many.”
- SKILLS: sword fighting, commanding naval fleets, drawing realistic paintings, historical knowledge, memorizing military protocol and principles by heart, archery, sneaking out in restrictive entrances, woodwork, spearheading, telling palatable lies, handling weaponry.
CONNECTIONS
가족: DOES BLOOD TRULY RUN THICKER THAN WATER?
FAMILY SEAL
HOUSE OF THE WILLOW TREE, RYU
- CLASS: Yangban
famously known as a military family with generations of lineage that previously served in the royal army as high-ranking military officers and ministers in the monarch's assembly. head of the house is duke ryu, current minister of war under the queen's rule..
Older waxed seal, used before 1860
Latest waxed seal used since 1861
DUCHESS RYU
DUKE RYU
RYU MINHO
Biological mother
Biological father
Biological brother
RYU YEONHWA
RYU AERA
RYU JUYEON
Biological Half-sister
Biological sister
First cousin (on father’s side)
FRIENDS
HWANG MIRYEONG
RELATION: Courtship
STATUS: Positive
TIME: 2 years
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SEO MIN
RELATION: Ex, Close friends
STATUS: Positive, tense
TIME: 9 Years
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IM SEOHYANG
RELATION: Acquaintance
STATUS: Neutral
TIME: 2 Years
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YOO HYUNSIK
RELATION: Friend, sparring partner
STATUS: Positive
TIME: 8 Years
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HWANG MIJOO
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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SONG JIHOO
RELATION: (Future) in-law, friends
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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OH JIYONG
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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JEON GYUNWOO
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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SONG JINYE
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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JEON DAHEE
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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GO MIRO
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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NAME HERE
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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MOON HANSOL
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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HONG YEOREUM
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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NAME HERE
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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PARK YEONGHAN
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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OH SEJIN
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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NAME HERE
RELATION: Lorem ipsum
STATUS: Lorem ipsum
TIME: 999 Years
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MISCELLANEOUS
끝: SOMETIMES, THE EXTRAS ARE NECESSARY.
BATTLES
SS GENERAL JOYNER INCIDENT
DURATION: august 1 — 28, 1862 (4 weeks)
UNITS INVOLVED: 1 turtle ship, 10 schooners
CASUALTIES: 39 dead, 200 injured (total)
OUTCOME: joseon victory, american retreat
ss general joyner was an american merchant ship that sailed in the taedong river. initially trading with the qing empire, the american crew sailed to their isolationist neighbors to find trading partners in the kingdom of joseon during spring of 1862. the mariner of the ss general joyner purchased a hefty amount of textiles, cotton, and ceramic ware (kaolin and petuntse) prior to their excursion to the taedong river.
once the joseon state offices took notice of the vessel, government officials told the captain of the crew they are not interested in signing the treaty for trade. failing to heed the instructions, he instead captured a senior government official from the ministry of works in a foraging dinghy. the deputy minister (named park gyeongsu) was then held hostage, which caused alarm within the state council and six ministries. in the royal assembly held, the ministers and the uigeumbu came to the verdict that they were a ship sent by a british trading company based in tientsin to beguile them into weakening their borders and steal various artifacts from pyongyang. consequently, the minister of the ministry of defense took action and immediately dispatched a battalion over to the river.
AFTERMATH:
the ship was destroyed. in the hanseong daily tribune and in the royal assembly meetings after the battle, the trespassers were dubbed as “illegal pirates”. with queen min and her cabinet’s firm hand, the attempts to open up borders (until the borders opened up again during autumn of 1868) were quelled and have not been mentioned since.
ROLE:
songmin, an experienced commander at the time (in the position for a year and a half), helped his hundreds of troops navigate through the rivers with his enlistment of senior cartographers. he was one of the first, along with duke ryu, to notice suspicious activity by the river and the passageways the boats took. he also played a heavy role in strategizing by building a makeshift bridge near the taedong river beforehand, impeding the american crew’s path at the time of battle with a naval blockade, while undercover. this shaped the outcome of other naval based conflicts in the upcoming years.
BATTLE OF THE WEEPING WILLOW
DURATION: february 18th – june 6th, 1864 (3 months, 2 weeks, 3 days)
UNITS INVOLVED: 1 turtle ship, 16 boats
CASUALTIES: 67 dead, 345 injured
OUTCOME: joseon victory, increased restrictions towards foreigners
alternatively called, battle of three abundances. took place along the korean strait, the opponents threatening not only the few willow trees but attempting to claim tanma for themselves, with no avail. since it was an endangered species at the time and an emblem of the ryu clan, the ryus were entrusted in being the guardians of the species. over the span of twenty years, the family cultivated a small forest in the island. five years prior, there was an uprising that erupted on the island due to the prevention of humanitarian aid by its local government. tanma at the time transformed into a prison, rife with squalor, making it difficult for anyone to enter except those in exile. willow trees, slow to growth as they tend to be, managed to brave through the winters and lack of arable land during the event.
suspicion rose within the ministries of justice and defense in hanseong, its officials believing those who perpetuated the false news of the rebellion were also involved in igniting the battle. to truly investigate the motives, the royal investigation bureau (rib) were sent on the risky voyage initially. their findings included burnt kindle identified as part of the willow trees, branches completely broken off, as well as footsteps trespassing the borders set by the small forest.
however, the perpetrators turned out to be connected to japan (right before the meiji restoration era), thus positioning the conflict as an island border war with soldiers acting under the tokugawa shogunate nearing its end.
AFTERMATH:
the island’s pristine shores were stained from blood of both the foreign marauders and the joseon’s own forces. the joseon royal army successfully fended them off, resulting in increased restrictions enforced by the state council.
ROLE:
this battle solidified his position as the navy daejang (general), having displayed tremendous strength from his and his army’s valiant efforts. with the help of songmin’s fluency in multiple languages, they were able to understand the ominous messages sent by the japanese pirates and control key waterways that they’ve taken.
BATTLE OF IKSAN
DURATION: april 15 – may 16, 1865 (1 month, 1 day)
UNITS INVOLVED: 18 heavy cavalry, 10 cannon artillery, 200+ infantry soldiers
CASUALTIES: 18 dead, 56 injured
OUTCOME: joseon victory, reclamation of the mireuksanseong fortress
the mireuksanseong fortress withstood many years of erosion by the mountains of iksan, a beacon of protection ever since the existence of the baekje kingdom. as soon as spring unfolded however, it was briefly captured by undercover qing soldiers acting in lieu of their superiors. conflict arose as the soldiers dispatched asserted themselves in defense of the territory, only to be overwhelmed by their opponents’ strategic guerilla tactics. during the first two weeks, the situation surrounding the fortress resembled a siege as they camped in the area.
a missive sent from a qing government official demanded the ministry of defense withdrawal of its units. however, instead of reading the writing in full, an assembly led by the queen was called to further evaluate the situation.
to suppress their presence by the national landmark, cavalry and infantry units were dispatched and arrived at the fortress at 7:00 pm on the 15th of april.
AFTERMATH:
amidst gun explosions were the exhaustion wearing down the men’s bodies, as well as shortages of men, food, and supplies due to the frequency of battles in the past two years. however, the joseon royal army prevailed and powered through, though not without losses. the underground qing forces surrendered, six of them wounded.
ROLE:
despite land-based battles not in his forte, he cooperated with the land daejangs to configure the route for cavalier units to iksan. encirclement, attrition warfare, were amongst the strategies utilized in the battle of iksan, as well as leading his army to flank the enemies.
PLAYLIST
OUT OF CHARACTER
- USERNAME: xianzhou
- HOW TO ADDRESS ME: my character name + username
- WRITING STYLE: 3rd POV, para
- AGE: 21+
ONE Sporadic replies, no poking. Fastest I’ll reply is within 1-2 days and slowest maybe to a month. TWO I usually mirror but not always if thread does not warrant it. THREE Please do not get upset if I reply to someone else before you or if I’m active in chat before getting to replies. FOUR I prefer plotting, though I do not mind winging if we know our characters and their dynamic enough.
