Seeds of the Traitors
The Choi U, Goryeo's supreme powerbroker and de facto ruler, was spearheading reforms through the western trade routes. Even the civil officials who despised the era of military dictators had no choice but to join in. In that case, the Chancellor's daughter had to show something impressive too.
"Fine. If you procure the scents needed to make this soap, I'll specially let your merchant caravan handle the shipments to Song along the way."
"Thank you!"
Goryeo celadon and lacquerware were already high-value trade goods. Selling this much was no big deal. The real problem was that if they got stripped bare in a war with the Mongols, even this would be just a fleeting glory.
"The Second Army's Sixth Division is training five thousand troops."
"Is that so? Good, that's working out well."
The Second Army's Sixth Division originally had a total force of forty-four thousand. Even Joseon's Training Command didn't reach half that number. Of course, five thousand was still woefully short right now, but they could build up a decent army before the war with the Mongols.
On top of that, they were recruiting Khitans and Jurchens to raise cavalry units. There were already cavalry, but numbers were short, so it made sense to draw in the Manchurian barbarians while building new ones. Unthinkable in the Joseon era. But our Choi regime in Goryeo would do anything to hold onto power! Of course, who knew what the Mongols would say if they found out—but they still had time.
"I never imagined a single one of those weapons would upend the Goryeo world."
I nodded at Kim Jun's words. "No helping it. That's just how it is when you toss a stone into a lake and watch the ripples spread."
I put it nicely, but as a powerbroker from a notorious villainous clan, with the royal house fully aware, I knew we had no choice but to lead these reforms.
And there was news from the provinces too.
"Why the hell is raising these damn cows so hard?"
"They drop dead with a thud at the drop of a hat."
The Ho clans in the south were pouring their family fortunes into raising water buffalo. They'd taken it lightly at first and suffered for it. Even the dispatched royal farm officials had to focus on breeding them. I'd given them a heads-up—these beasts hate the cold, so be careful—so after trial and error, they were finally starting to manage.
"All our household wealth is going into these damn cows! If they croak, at least we'll eat 'em!"
That raised one inevitable question: if they ate these wretched beasts, how would they do it? Goryeo had shied away from meat thanks to thriving Buddhism. They didn't avoid it entirely, but reduced consumption meant almost no slaughtering expertise. Even foreigners called it abysmal—they'd drop animals from heights or beat them to death before eating. Naturally, meat from such methods was awful. Not just poor quality; guts would burst, letting excrement seep in, ruining the taste completely.
"So how do we even eat it?"
"Heard the Jurchens and Khitans are good at slaughtering. Let's hire those bastards."
In the end, the southern Ho clans brought in despised Jurchens and Khitans who'd flowed into Goryeo, putting them to work on butchering.
"What kind of meat is this?"
"Think we can catch 'em?"
"These guys raise water buffalo well too?"
"Goryeans can't even handle something this simple? No choice then."
Though settled in Goryeo, these marginalized groups—shunned and slow to assimilate—gained new respect for their skills in raising buffalo, farming, and slaughtering. They naturally integrated into Goryeo society. In other words, Goryeo was entering a new era in a different sense.
Developing soap led to exports to Song, building fame until foreigners flooded in to buy it. Even Middle Eastern soap-makers of the time took interest in Eastern soap, with Arab merchants coming directly to request trade.
As soap trade boomed, Japan reacted too. Trade between Goryeo and Japan had been limited. Japan had rejected Goryeo's state letters for using emperor-style terms. But from King Hyeonjong's reign, after Goryeo rescued Japanese captured by Jurchen pirates and sent them back, trade activated around Dazaifu. Currently, Goryeo was extracting massive gold from Japan via the Firearms Bureau deals. Originally, Goryeo granted offices to Iki Island and Kyushu local officials in exchange for maritime protection for Goryeans.
Thus, soap reached Kyushu officials through trade ports as a gift.
"What the hell is this thing for?"
At first, Kyushu officials grumbled about the bizarre gift, but when women in their households started using it, they mobilized merchants. Japanese traders bought up Goryeo soap, so our house hired many beyond Kano for production. The so-called soap economy boom.
Water buffalo raised in the south for bow-making were also used in farming, devouring Ho clan fortunes bit by bit. Recruiting Khitans and Jurchens for buffalo and slaughtering truly ushered in an unintended revolutionary age.
The problem was the Mongols' attitude.
The Mongols must have heard something somewhere. With envoys coming constantly, it'd be weirder if they hadn't.
"Your Majesty. Our Great Khan desires Goryeo's soap."
This Mongol envoy apparently wanted soap. Genghis Khan must want to wash up for once.
"What? Your Khan wants our soap?"
Even Gojong was stunned.
"Yes. We request you prepare it."
The Mongols added soap to their tribute demands but reduced other quantities. As soap rose as a major trade good, even the Mongols couldn't ignore it. Priced high as a luxury, they wanted to tout receiving it as tribute from a great power. Little did they know soap would be commonplace everywhere in the future. Right now, we sold mainly to nobles and were debating low-cost versions.
It wasn't impossible for Mongols to want soap. Not back-breaking yet, but them coveting even soap was worrisome. We hid the firearms every time envoys came. If they found out, we'd be forced to explain—and we couldn't fight until war prep was ready.
"The Mongols are demanding soap."
At Father's nonchalant remark, I kneaded his shoulders from behind and spoke. "Soap's easy enough to make. We're ramping up materials via Song merchants. Swapping tribute for soap isn't bad at all. But with the Mongols acting up, can we build our military as planned?"
"The Mongols know we're prospering from trade lately. With foreigners flooding in, we need defenses, and border unrest justifies army growth—they bought it."
The Mongols probably weren't planning to hit Goryeo right now. They'd attack someday, but current tribute made heavy pressure risky. Time to gut the golden goose? Not quite.
"Water buffalo horns are supplying steadily too, so bow production should be smooth."
Not breeding-ready yet, but horns were flowing. Thanks to Song merchants smuggling buffalo indirectly.
"Lucky. Raising archers won't be hard now."
"But that's because soap's easy to mass-produce. Otherwise, this tribute quantity is outrageous."
"True. The amount we're sending will last Mongol nobles ages."
They might resell it too. Military buildup was inevitable.
"Shouldn't we prepare for war with the Mongols?"
"Hamsinjin fortifications are underway."
Hamsinjin—who knew who was posted there now? Later, in the Kangdongseong battle, Jo Chung's son Jo Sukchang—commander allied with Mongols—surrendered defending it during the Yeo-Mong wars. Unlike his father's fame, the son was trash. Jo Chung had even earned admiration from Dongjin's Wan An Jayeon for his character. This guy at least died with Pilhyeonbo's rebellion in Seogyeong, unlike Hong Bokwon. Hard to remove Jo Sukchang if he existed, so let's axe Hong Bokwon instead.
"Above all, we must consider Ho clans siding with Mongols during invasion."
"Who do you have in mind?"
Nearest was Hong Bokwon, Inju Governor.
"Inju Governor Hong Bokwon."
"Hong Bokwon, eh? What's that scum up to?"
Father's eyes flicked to Park Songbi, sorting civil officials' agendas nearby.
"Hong Bokwon's father is former Inju Governor Hong Daesun."
"That traitorous dog who defected to the Mongols, right?"
Hong Daesun—mentioned before—abandoned family for Mongols when they entered Goryeo to help suppress Khitans. Now his son would sell land and people in war, inheriting the family trade. Best to grab and execute him now.
I pressed Father firmly. "Exactly. With a father harboring treasonous heart, how could the son be innocent? Arrest him."
"True. If war breaks out, the father leads; nothing says the son won't join."
In any war, traitors played vanguard. Hong Daesun fled to Mongols willingly—he'd guide them in.
"If we just summon him, he'll bolt to Mongols with his guilty conscience. Strike with garrison troops now."
The coward would flee if called to Gaegyeong.
"Hm, but moving without cause is..."
Tricky. Then fabricate something before war erupts.
Right then—
"My lord. Jurchen leader Ugaha, former Jin general, has crossed the Amnok River raiding Uiju, Jeongju, Inju. General Kim Heeje requests troops to suppress."
Perfect timing. Ugaha's raid around now, huh.
When Ugaha invaded, Uiju garrison commander Kim Heeje petitioned for suppression, but court ignored. Recalling Choe Chungheon ignoring Khitan raids, no surprise. Kim Heeje then led a hundred armored cavalry to raid Ugaha's camp, capturing three and seizing twenty-two transport ships. History would differ here. We'd handle Hong Bokwon en route.
In original history, ignored petition left Kim Heeje with just a hundred; here, Choi U authorized directly.
"Perfect timing. General Jusuk, I'll give you three thousand household troops. Have Kim Heeje lead Northwest Frontier forces to subdue Ugaha and execute Inju's Hong Bokwon."
"As you command, my lord."
Father dispatched three thousand household troops—Choi elite Byeolcho Army—to aid Ugaha suppression under Jusuk. Sending them showed he was dead serious.
In Uiju Garrison of Goryeo's Northwest Frontier, the army dispatched by the Chancellor. The Choi household troops—the Byeolcho Army—outclassed regular Goryeo forces in quality. With the military system collapsed, they were de facto regulars, but their loyalty to the Choi clan was absolute. Selected for strength and health, they formed the clan's perfect praetorian guard.
Now, Ugaha's forces? Once Jin troops under him, whether still under Dongjin or independent, Ugaha had aided Uiju's rebel lord before but now raided.
"Never thought Goryeo would move this fast."
Facing them, Ugaha's army was thoroughly slaughtered by Kim Heeje's Northwest Frontier forces and Jusuk's three thousand household troops.
"Kill every last Jurchen bastard!"
Even a decayed Goryeo army could handle suppressing Jurchen remnants. Gaegyeong's dispatched Byeolcho Army intercepted Ugaha's Jurchens everywhere, seizing momentum.
"Never dreamed the garrison would send three thousand. Look, General Jusuk—Ugaha's retreating."
Kim Heeje laughed heartily, watching Ugaha's routed army from afar.
"I'll lend you troops, General Kim—pursue them. We'll handle remaining Jurchens here."
"Understood. Northwest Frontier forces, follow me!"
As Kim Heeje led his army in pursuit, Jusuk turned toward Inju.
"Drag out Inju Governor Hong Bokwon and his clan."
To fulfill the Chancellor's command.