Two Years to Defy Fate
"You? Even so, how could a woman possibly?"
"What if this girl establishes merits for the nation, for the Ubong Choi family? If I achieve feats that upend the world?"
Choi U adored his daughter greatly. If she hated marriage that much, he was willing to accommodate her a bit, delay it, or even arrange ways for her to enjoy herself fully before then.
Fine. Let's hear what she has to say.
"Do you have a way to do that?"
"This girl had a restless night last night, Father. Do you know what dream I had?"
"Tell me."
"In the dream, Chunsim and I were climbing a mountain when the mountain spirit appeared and told me that the wolves of the plains would invade Goryeo in a dozen years or so. Then it taught me about weapons to stand against them, so I'll make those."
"Mongols? Mountain spirit? They're not on good terms lately, sure. But war? Even if it comes to that, we can build fortresses and defend."
You're underestimating the Mongols too much. No wonder you treated the Khitan refugees' invasions like a fire across the river.
"I want to prove it. Just give me two years of support, Father. I'll make it happen."
What’s the biggest problem in alternate history tales? You scramble to change tragic history, only to get blocked first by the high and mighty.
But I'm in the position of that high and mighty one's daughter. Choi U, who grips all of Goryeo, is at the peak of the Choi regime. What can't I do under him? Even during the anti-Mongol resistance, when his son Choi Hang nearly ruined the country, the military government held steady. In Choi U's time, he truly crushed the royal authority, surpassing even a dictatorship where birds couldn't fly over. No matter how reckless the endeavor, that immense power could boost it.
"Hahaha. Fine. Give it a try. I'll support you. But if it's useless after two years, obey your father quietly then."
"Would I ever fail?"
With what I wanted secured, I ended the conversation and withdrew from the hall.
Even as I left, the Byeolcho Army guarding the hall showed full courtesy to Choi U's daughter. Power truly was formidable.
On the flip side, this position of military regent in Goryeo was established by pressuring royal authority. The moment the military regime weakened, the king could rise again. To them, the military regime was nothing but traitors.
And Choi Yeon was the daughter of such a power holder. If she'd been born into the Wang royal family, descendants of the Dragon King of the West Sea, it might be different. But born as the daughter of the Choi power minister, she had to protect the Choi regime somehow. Sometimes, even reshape the military regime into something like a shogunate.
As long as it turned out better than original history, right? Bluntly, the royal family had scorned the soldiers, breeding resentment that sparked the military coup. The later royal restoration only happened with Mongol backing. Even the Sambyeolcho rebellion required new levies from the south; Goryeo couldn't suppress it alone.
The point was, inevitably born as Choi U's daughter, she had a duty to package it nicely somehow.
Just thinking of myself moments ago, fawning cutely on Choi U, gave me chills.
"Fuck. I can't even do woman stuff right. 'This girl, this girl.' Ugh."
I hugged my arms around myself, shuddering.
Living as this damn woman just never felt natural. Especially in a place where women's rights were far below modern standards? Sure, Goryeo had higher women's rights than Joseon, but still, this was too much.
"Miss. What the hell is 'fuck'?"
"'Fuck' is a word that pops out when something really pisses you off."
She could use it forever if she learned it.
"But didn't it go well, Miss? His Excellency said he'd make you successor if you succeed, right?"
I pitied Chunsim at her nonsense as she massaged my legs draped over the chair.
Did that seem easy? Choi U obviously thought I'd fail, drawing a line so his pretty daughter wouldn't hate him or badmouth him later. A refreshingly decisive choice befitting a power holder who shoved royal authority into the gutter—and he saw me as cornered.
"He probably doesn't truly believe I'll succeed. Think about it. If I become successor, he'd expect me to bear children eventually. But I'm saying no marriage—that's contradictory, isn't it?"
Maybe even if I succeeded, he'd think I still had to marry. But he answered casually without deep thought, so he just gave two years to his whining daughter.
Bluntly, if a woman became successor, what about her officials? Goryeo society wouldn't stay calm. This damn father knew it all and was just playing good dad.
I ground my teeth thinking that.
"Then, if you become successor, what'll you do? You'd still need to produce an heir."
"First, climb up and see. Worst case, adopt one. Or..."
In the absolute worst case, I could have a kid. Hell, born a real man, could I not handle my duties? If I had to continue the line, I'd do it like a man—no running away. Just take the seed without marriage. What could they do if I insisted?
Suddenly, childish squeaky voices came from outside.
Stepping out to the inner quarters, two boys caught my eye.
Right, Choi U's sons. From the lowborn gisaeng Seoryeonbang.
After Choi U's daughter from an affair with a slave accused and killed her husband Kim Yakseon—who was also Choi U's son-in-law—the succession got messy. Choi U eventually made Manjeon, the second son of Seoryeonbang (hardly considered for succession), the heir. This Manjeon would later inherit Choi U's power, rule tyrannically, and ruin the Choi regime's stability as Choi Hang.
True to their blood, Manjong and Manjeon caused havoc even as monks at Ssangbongsa. Still innocent before full corruption, Choi Yeon had worked on them early. If she put one up as successor later and controlled from behind...?
"Sis, play with us!"
"Sis!"
The half-brothers, shunned as bastards, clung to me.
The future monk troublemakers hugged me. The original owner of this body ended up like that after rolling with male slaves, but anyway.
"Cute little brothers. What shall we play today?"
I approached, acting the doting big sister.
"Tell us a story! That one about conquering the Central Plains after divorce!"
Right. Since they chased women and caused trouble, I read them tailor-made novels. Nothing special: a man divorces a scheming wife who slanders, cheats, even tries murder amid loveless marriage, then becomes a hero conquering the Central Plains. Along the way, beating corrupt officials mercilessly—implanting early that they mustn't grow up like that.
Early childhood education was key for a reason.
"Bro, won't His Excellency scold us?"
"It's fine! Sis will protect us!"
They'd become sis-obsessed idiots, but their state wasn't great. If they ended up sis-only... well, given their tendencies, maybe better?
"Sis. Are all women like this?"
Well, not all.
"Women differ, but the moment a man loses control to a woman's skirts, his life's ruined. See how complicated the hero's divorce was? Women don't see weaker men as men."
"You too, Sis?"
At my brother's words, Choi Yeon pondered briefly.
Well. Hypocrite much? If marrying, I'd want someone below me. No way this ex-man body would submit to a man. Previous life's memories made it impossible. Proper wife, loyal spouse—that was for natural-born women. If that old man had erased memories, I'd have become like Choi U's real daughter, devouring husbands later.
Had to phrase it differently.
"I've never married, so who knows?"
Euphemism worked; Manjeon lit up.
"I'll marry you, Sis! I'll be Goryeo's finest man! Like the hero, I'll conquer the Central Plains and offer it to you!"
Already pledging everything to sis. I sensed they'd been well gaslit—extreme, but no need to fix. For the real Choi Yeon, slave-like service from brothers or whoever was fine. Raise them like this, and I could tuck these two mutts under my skirt and control them. No way I'd marry Kim Yakseon even in death. Become successor myself, or prop one up and rule behind—either way.
But Mother didn't like my doings.
"You've been hanging with Manjeon and Manjong too much lately. Should've sent them to Ssangbongsa."
"They're my little brothers, Mother."
"Still, sons of a lowborn gisaeng. Not legitimate heirs, yet you..."
"Let lowborn roam free, and their hearts turn wicked. Better keep them close to control."
Could eliminate later, but I hated killing. Let Father handle deaths.
"Even so."
Goryeo society made it hard for lowborn to thrive. Same any era, but Manjong and Manjeon weren't legitimate.
"Wasn't Yi Uimin before Father also lowborn? Still, they're sons of Father, this nation's top power. Below Dragon Seed (Wang) but of Ubong Choi blood, above them."
Records say Choi U let the brothers live as monks, but they amassed wealth and caused trouble. When Minister Park Hwon complained, Choi U fixed it—but also exiled him to Heuksan Island at the brothers' plea, claiming he sowed father-son discord. Political reasons aside, in stable peak power times, did he really heed hated sons' whims?
"Aren't you too protective?"
"Harmony at home brings harmony to the nation."
So I can do my job. To restore Goryeo's old might, decades of effort minimum. Prep now, barely war-ready nation.