I Became a Fallen Noble of Goguryeo Chapter 44 : Three Will Come (3)

Chapter 44: Three Will Co (3)

Ti passed, and it was early winter.

“I was thinking that in just one month we’d have a bunch of fresh new recruits coming in…!” I said.

Before I knew it, a year had already passed since I enrolled.

In just one month we would shed our Yellow-cloaks status and, as second-year Blue-cloaks, beco the real power in Taehak.

And at that ti, he asked, “…Are you Ondal?”

“I am, but… what brings you here?” I answered.

“Oh. You already know who I am, huh? Still, introductions are in order. I’m Seungbu-Widu-Daehyeong Go San.”

Go San had co to find .

He was the son of the Northern Division Leader and a heavyweight of the Dostic Fortress Faction.

Among my friends there was Maeng Sap, the son of the Western Division Leader, but within the Dostic Fortress Faction the north was overwhelmingly dominant compared to the west.

The western parts of Liaodong had only co under Goguryeo during King Gwanggaeto’s ti, and the region had never been densely populated.

But the north, even if it could not match Pyeongyang, had reasonably good farmland, held symbolic aning as Goguryeo’s origin, and—more importantly—unlike the west it still had hereditary village allotnts, the so-called tax villages.

“When the west was annexed, they had pretty much stopped granting tax villages anyway.”

You could tell from the fact that Maeng Sap, the eldest son of the Western Division Leader, had co to Taehak; eldest sons from the north typically remained at their family hos to inherit the tax-village households and did not bother coming all the way to Taehak.

But Maeng Sap from the west had no tax-village household to inherit, so he had to co to Taehak to make his fortune, which showed how enormous the right to a tax village really was—literally like inheriting a small country.

And Go San, who had co to see now, was the head of those northern nobles, the Northern Division Leader and the chair of the Dostic Fortress Faction, roughly the opposition party leader in twenty-first-century terms.

“Even though he was Northern Division Leader, he had turned his back on his hotown to work for the Dostic Fortress Faction in Pyeongyang.”

Despite that massive background, the man I t in person, Go San, was surprisingly unpretentious.

“How long did you wait?” I asked.

“Long enough for two or three cups of tea, roughly.” he said.

My head was already throbbing.

We moved to a private reception room.

“First, there’s a matter between us to settle, right? About the princess.” he began.

“That’s right.” I replied.

“To be blunt, I have no particular feelings about it.” he said.

That part was a relief; Go San had originally been Boknyeo’s fiancé.

I had worried that Go San might resent for taking Boknyeo from him.

But that was my needless anxiety; surprisingly, Go San did not mind much.

“Thanks to your marriage I could press down Wang Godeok quite hard… and you’re from the Dostic Fortress Faction too, right? Of course it’s a bit awkward that you beca the most famous tea-drinker in Pyeongyang, but that’s about it.” he smiled.

That was unquestionably good news.

Go San smiled and then asked, “By the way, Ondal, I heard you were close with kids from the West and South. Is that true?”

“Yes, they were good friends.” I answered.

“I like that, I really do.” he said.

This was sowhat odd.

“I heard that you dislike the Pyeongyang Faction, Lord Go San. If you’re of the Dostic Fortress Faction I could understand disliking the Westerners, but wouldn’t it be uncomfortable that I’m friends with the South’s heir, who is of the Pyeongyang Faction?” I asked.

“Well, if we’re asking whether I like them, then no, I didn’t like them.” he admitted. “But I don’t think they should be killed; rember that our Dostic Fortress was nearly destroyed by the last civil war?”

Go San leaned back in his chair.

“If soone here were hoping for another civil war, they’d be unfit to have a head on their shoulders. The problem was that my uncles—who had clashed blades with the Pyeongyang Faction in the past—harbored very strong feelings against them, unlike .”

By “uncles,” he ant the hardliners in the north who supported him.

“And I also had to show the uncles, as Northern Division Leader, that I could be the kind of leader they wanted; I had to give them reasons to follow .”

I roughly understood what he ant; Go San did not desire another civil war either.

However, because Go San’s support base consisted of uncles who held grudges against the Pyeongyang Faction, he had to display a politically tough deanor.

That was the subtlety of politics; the followers inevitably influenced the leader, and the leader influenced the followers.

“So in the end I need soone like you, Ondal—soone a bit soft. Speaking of which, son-in-law, when you graduate, are you planning to co to the Dostic Fortress?” he asked.

“Not to the Dostic Fortress specifically, but I was thinking about the Western Division, which is also part of the Dostic Fortress Faction.” I replied.

“The West? Because of the war?” he asked, tilting his head with interest.

“I heard you were talking about war with Seoto; that you planned to march straight to Seoto and set Yanqing (Beijing) ablaze?” he said.

What? When had I said that?

I quickly waved my hand.

“That was a severe misrepresentation. I only said that if the Northern Zhou destroyed the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou might invade Goryeo.” I explained.

“Hmm, Northern Zhou rather than a southern advance—well, I’ll give you one piece of advice: talk lightly about wars at your peril.” Go San said.

“War is ultimately a human affair. If enough people think a war will happen, then even a war that wouldn’t have occurred can co about.”

From the Dostic Fortress Faction’s perspective there was no reason to desire war.

If war broke out with Seoto, the front would inevitably be in the West and North, the territories of the Dostic Fortress Faction.

Unlike the Pyeongyang Faction, which lived based on hereditary villages called Nok-eup, the Dostic Fortress Faction lived based on tax villages inherited over generations, which gave them a strong attachnt to their hotowns.

They surely would not want to see their own tax villages turned into wastelands because of war.

But was that all? In war, heroes inevitably erged.

It would be good if such a hero belonged to the Dostic Fortress Faction, but what if he were from the Pyeongyang Faction?

That would tarnish the most valuable identity of the Dostic Fortress Faction—the title of “descendants of war heroes.”

This was why the Northern Division trembled at the thought of war.

‘As expected… I cannot go under Go San.’

This was probably the general thought of the Dostic Fortress Faction’s central sect that followed Go San.

Whether they won or lost, they had nothing to gain, which led them to develop an extre tendency to avoid war.

It was quite ironic, considering their status as descendants of war heroes.

And this stood in direct opposition to my own thoughts.

It was not because I was so war maniac, but because I knew the future.

When Go Geonmu bowed his head to Tang, what did Tang do?

They destroyed war monunts and landscapes to break Goguryeo’s will, sent spies to draw maps of Goguryeo, and collected military secrets.

And then did they simply stay still afterward? Well, I did not think so.

—“Now that I have seen Goguryeo, if we attack by both land and sea simultaneously, it will be easily conquered. Once the disturbances in Shandong are settled, we shall carry this out.”

That was what Emperor Taizong of Tang had said when Goguryeo had bowed deeply.

Regardless of Goguryeo’s response, his will to strike was already overflowing.

In other words… the future war was sothing we had to prepare for as a certainty, not sothing that could ever be avoided.

I spoke to Go San.

“For now, I am nothing more than a lowly student of the National Academy. How could I possibly set the tone of Goryeo? Moreover, I too do not wish for war. I simply believe it will happen.”

“Truly, will you persist in saying that to the end?”

Such talk of predicting the future could grow endlessly long if dragged out.

Both sides had reasons and convictions.

It was an area where persuasion was impossible from the start.

Thus, I did not bother trying to persuade him.

What was needed in such a ti was not persuasion, but negotiation.

“Since war is inevitable anyway, minimizing the damage is also our duty. That is why I requested to go to the Western Division. I have talent in farming. If I spread it there and secure provisions in advance, will that not be of great help in the coming war?”

I subtly brought up the subject of provisions.

At those words, Go San’s gaze shifted.

‘The reason Go San tried to win over was not only because I was the Princess’s Royal Son-in-law… but also because of farming thods.’

My agricultural thods must have already spread northward through letters from my Dostic Fortress Faction friends.

Naturally, they would want to spread them quickly to their own tax villages.

‘On top of that, word about ginseng must have been slipping in as well.’

The Dostic Fortress Faction must have been thirsty for new agricultural thods, so to spread them into their own territories, they sought to win over, the founder of the Agricultural Light Law.

At that, Go San’s expression stiffened sowhat.

“Hmm, wouldn’t Dostic Fortress be better than the Western Division? Dostic Fortress is closer to the West, and the land is far better.”

Even within the Dostic Fortress Faction, the Western and Northern Divisions had a delicate relationship.

Especially now that Madam Maeng of the West had married the Grand King, it was even more so.

It was as if soone who had been beneath them suddenly surged upward.

Go San seed to want to keep not in the West, but in Dostic Fortress, his own turf, to handle at will.

But I had no such intention.

“Sunzi said: The farther the provisions travel, the more soldiers starve. If the Western Land invades, the battlefield will surely be in the West. So would it not be best to spread the farming thod in the Western Division to prepare against the invasion?”

“And if you are not allowed to go to the West?”

“Then I plan to remain in Pyeongyang and join the Royal Army.”

“Hmm…”

I struck a deal: “If you don’t send West, you get no farming thod.”

Would they keep in Pyeongyang Fortress, or send to the Western Division, even if it was still within Dostic Fortress Faction’s sphere?

The answer was practically predetermined.

“Very well. If the opportunity arises, I shall recomnd you to the Grand King for the West.”

“With the recomndation of you, the leader of the Dostic Fortress Faction, none would oppose it.”

“Good, then…”

At that point, Go San tapped lightly on the table.

“That ga you call Goryeo Myosan, I want to try it. Could you show ?”

“I shall fetch the soldiers.”

At first glance, it seed as though Go San had given in to very easily.

This was odd.

For before being a Dostic Fortress Faction man, I was a Royal Son-in-law.

To Go San, I was a fellow Dostic Fortress man, but also a rival contender for leadership within the faction.

Moreover, while I was in the National Academy, I was close with Pyeongyang Faction n like Yeon Taejo and Go Jaemu, and also with Maeng Sap of the Western Division, Go San’s rival.

No matter how one looked at it, my actions could only be called political.

Yet Go San knew all this, and still let himself be led along by my words.

Was it because Go San was stupid?

By no ans.

It was no different than starting the conversation after already having been stabbed once.

The proof was Go Jaemu, who was approaching with a stern expression from afar.

“Ondal. May I ask what you were discussing with Senior Elder Go San for so long?”

Damn, I knew this would happen.

No one in the National Academy was unaware that I was part of the Dostic Fortress Faction.

Yet despite that, I had gotten along quite well with the Pyeongyang Faction, including Go Jaemu.

I had tried not to reveal any partisan leanings, thanks in part to the unique environnt of the National Academy.

But what about now?

I had just spent a long ti in conversation with Go San, the head of the Dostic Fortress Faction.

For soone like Go Jaemu of the Pyeongyang Faction, this must have suddenly brought reality crashing down.

He could not help but wonder: “We’ve been friendly until now, but can I still stay close with him in the future?”

‘This is troubleso.’

Originally, what I had aid for was to use my ambiguous position as both Royal Son-in-law and Dostic Fortress Faction mber to gain leverage on both sides, Pyeongyang and Dostic Fortress alike.

To achieve this, I had recruited minor figures from the Western and Southern Divisions.

The Western Division belonged to the Dostic Fortress Faction, but since they had no tax villages and lacked rit, they were sowhat easier to talk to… and the Southern Division also shared a certain common ground with them as Goguryeo’s front line.

On top of that, students from the Northern Division in the National Academy were also recruitnt targets.

Most of them were second sons or younger who had no inheritance rights to tax villages, so they harbored quite an ambition for success.

Thus, by gathering the Western Division, the Southern Division, and even the second sons and younger from the Northern Division, I aid to create a middle-ground pro-royal big tent that looked like the Dostic Fortress Faction yet not quite, declaring myself “the young leader Ondal,” and thereby forming my own faction.

For that purpose, the ti at the National Academy, where future officials clustered together but it was not yet true politics, could truly be called a golden ti.

But Go San noticed this and threw a check pitch.

With just one eting, he had pressed down hard on my greatest weapon, which was expansion.

‘So he acknowledges my usefulness, but does not want to grow too large…?’

It was a simple yet effective stratagem.

Go San had not taken the head seat of the Dostic Fortress Faction rely on bloodline.

I said to Go Jaemu.

“…He asked if I wanted sothing, so I said to send to the Western Division. Then he asked to teach him Goryeo Myosan, so I brought the foot soldiers. That’s all.”

“I see, I understand.”

Go Jaemu looked at and said.

“You’re quite good at lying when it cos to Goryeo Myosan.”

“Well, that’s…”

So he didn’t believe after all?

Just as I thought that, Go Jaemu grinned.

“But aside from that, you’re not very good at lying. It shows plainly all over your face.”

“…Huh?”

“Before, didn’t I promise to block at least one arrow flying your way? That still stands. Just rember that. And also…”

Go Jaemu spoke sowhat awkwardly.

“I can’t solve a math problem… could you help ?”

At those words, I felt an odd sting in the bridge of my nose.

It seed the year I had spent with them had built stronger ties than I had thought.

“What’s the problem?”

“In Hanseong of the Southern Division, each farr produces 15 mal of harvest, but in Gomchon of Pyeongyang, each farr produces 30 mal. So, how could we raise Hanseong’s yield to 30 mal? I think sending three people well-versed in the Agricultural Light Law to Hanseong might work.”

Ah.

Give back my touching mont, you bastard.

When I arrived with the foot soldiers, there was already a guest.

“Senior Elder, roll the dice. If two sixes don’t co out in a row, you don’t get an attack opportunity.”

The one speaking was Yeon Taejo.

So, the son of Yeon Jayu, the head of the Pyeongyang Faction, Yeon Taejo, was playing Goryeo Myosan with Go San, the head of the Dostic Fortress Faction, using the ga I had created.

‘What on earth is this situation?’

I asked Maeng Sap, who was watching the ga.

“…Senior, when did you arrive?”

“Just now. The mont you left, he ran right in. Said if you want Goryeo Myosan, play it with him.”

Ah, I roughly understood the situation.

Yeon Taejo must have caught on to what Go San was trying to do by eting with .

So he dragged in all the nearby fellows, sat down with Go San, and played Goryeo Myosan one-on-one, subtly shifting the atmosphere.

As if to say, “If I can play Myosan with Go San, does that make Dostic Fortress too?” to reinforce my ambiguity.

Yeon Taejo studied the board and said proudly.

“Am I completely cornered?”

“Of course, since you’ve stepped into where you shouldn’t have.”

“You’re talking about Myosan, right?”

Go San clicked his tongue and tapped the miniatures on the table.

At this, Yeon Taejo’s eyes lit up.

“Please! Don’t treat the foot soldiers I lent you like that. Do you not understand we should play Myosan joyfully while keeping rules and etiquette?”

“…Is that sothing to get so angry about?”

“Of course it is.”

I agreed with that statent.

Even the sound of clicking miniatures was annoying enough, but to think they were borrowed miniatures?

In my neighborhood, that would’ve gotten you beaten and silenced.

“…I’ll be careful. Anyway, is there even a way for to win here?”

“Roll two sixes in a row. But that won’t happen…”

“Two sixes just ca out.”

“Another crazy stroke of luck…!”

And so, with beginner’s luck, Go San won by the grace of the dice god.

“Ha, one more ga…!”

Yeon Taejo, who had been confident in Myosan, cried out with the face of a man who had lost his country, but Go San shook his head.

“It’s too late now.”

“Then make an appointnt. Let’s play again next ti.”

“Next ti?”

Without realizing it, Yeon Taejo had asked to et and play Myosan with Go San again.

Only then did he realize his slip, and coughed awkwardly.

“…Uh? Ah, no… well, hm.”

Watching Yeon Taejo flustered, Go San grinned.

“It was fun. I never thought I’d do sothing like this with you. Sure, if there’s a chance, let’s do it again.”

As soon as Go San left, Maeng Sap fussed and ran up to .

“Ondal, you! You said you’d co to my hotown after graduation, right? That’s a great idea. I always wanted to show you my hotown soday.”

Maeng Sap seed to have no thoughts about today’s events.

That was just the kind of thoughtless guy he was.

He was simply excited that his friend would be coming to his hotown.

“To be honest, Pyeongyang is nice, but it lacks masculinity.”

“Masculinity?”

“Fighting the Khitans and the Malgal who invade daily, gaining skill and rising in rank through constant clashes. Cutting the Khitans’ heads, seizing their horses, and quenching your throat with the kumis they drink… that kind of thing.”

Maeng Sap chuckled.

“So cheer up. Besides, don’t we have sothing fun coming up soon?”

“Sothing fun? What’s that?”

“What else? The Yellow-cloaks coming in soon. I can’t even sleep, just thinking about putting those juniors to work.”

Oh-ho.

That was certainly sothing to look forward to.