Peace on Goryeo's Terms
After the war, in Gaegyeong, the capital of Goryeo, the Mongol Minister of the Central Secretariat, Yalu Choeje, arrived. On his way to Gaegyeong, he had passed through many fortresses, but he was especially stunned by the throngs of foreigners he saw upon entering the city. A nation where commerce flourished and the economy pulsed with life like this—it was impossible to deny that they possessed the military might to stand against the Mongols.
"It is an honor to meet the emperor of Goryeo. I am Yalu Choeje, Minister of the Central Secretariat of the Great Mongol Empire."
"Welcome. But what brings the Mongol prime minister here?"
"Our two nations have fought due to deep misunderstandings in the past, but as neighboring states, shouldn't we now seek harmony with each other?"
Yalu Choeje closed his eyes briefly before bowing his head. For the Mongols, this was a profound humiliation. To have suffered such a defeat at the hands of Goryeo, whom they had so thoroughly dismissed—how bitter it must taste.
"Ha! You conveniently omit your defeat."
Choi U sneered at Yalu Choeje's words. How hypocritical could they be? They glossed right over their own loss.
"Your Excellency, we Mongols acknowledge Goryeo's strength and sincerely wish to join hands with you."
"What more do you Mongols demand in the name of 'brotherly alliance' this time?"
Didn't they demand excessive tribute under the guise of brotherhood? Didn't their envoys run rampant? How could anyone trust these Mongols? Goryeo already held the upper hand in their relations. They must know it, so they'd come with proper proposals.
"Demand? Perish the thought. We Mongols admit that we have underestimated Goryeo and that our envoys have been rude. I, the prime minister myself, have come to apologize in person. Not as brothers, but as equal nations, we offer peace—and as a gift, a portion of the vast spoils we took from the Jin."
"Continue."
"This is a state letter from our Great Khan to Goryeo."
Right. Let's see how they phrased it this time.
1. The emperor of Goryeo and the Great Khan of the Mongols hold equal status; Goryeo and the Mongols are friendly nations. Equal trade shall commence, and no further tribute is required.
2. The two wars arose from mutual misunderstandings. If Goryeo graciously overlooks them, eternal peace shall follow.
3. The Jin are the Mongols' blood enemies. If Goryeo severs its alliance with the Jin—which could lead to misunderstandings—the Great Mongol Empire recognizes Goryeo's possession of Liaodong.
4. Goryeo and the Mongols shall establish trade posts along their borders to freely increase exchanges.
5. If Goryeo releases our soldiers taken prisoner in the recent war, the Mongols shall cede half of all future spoils from the Jin to Goryeo.
Having reviewed the Mongol state letter, Choi U let out a blatant sneer. The Mongols were coming in quite low, but there was no genuine apology for the recent war. They'd schemed an invasion, lost, and now sought forgiveness without a hint of contrition. In essence, they just wanted to save face.
"So, you want us to let you save face."
"Yes, Your Excellency. Please understand the Mongols' intentions."
Right. Yalu Choeje, was it? As Minister of the Central Secretariat, he ranked as prime minister. Yeon had done her part in Liaodong; now it was time to handle diplomacy well here.
"We'll discuss this at length. The envoy may withdraw for now."
Once Yalu Choeje had left, Gojong grinned excitedly at Choi U. "What do you think, Prime Minister? It seems favorable to me."
"It's not bad, but we cannot accept all their proposals outright. We'll negotiate adjustments, so please withhold your approval, Your Majesty."
They couldn't just accept everything because the Mongols were groveling.
Choi U promptly convened a meeting of key retainers in the grand audience hall.
"What do you all think?"
"Prime Minister, it would be best to accept. For their prime minister to meet the emperor in person is as good as admitting Goryeo's victory. If they fulfill their neighborly duties, we have no reason to spurn the foundation of peace we've laid."
Chamjijeongsa Yuseungdan advocated accepting the proposal as is, but General Jusuk countered immediately.
"It's far better than the old 'brotherly pact,' but this is their best effort to save face for their empire. Still, adjustments are needed."
"Then what do you and Munhasilangpyeongjangsang Yi Gyubo suggest? I believe we should demand an apology."
Choi U sought opinions not just from his trusted general Jusuk but also from the brilliant scholar Yi Gyubo.
"That's precisely why their prime minister came himself—to block that. We've gained enough already."
"General Jusuk's view is sound. We've repelled their invasion, secured Liaodong, and rallied the Jurchens under Goryeo. Their prime minister delivering the letter is their way of pleading for leniency on the apology. If we seek peace, there's no need to demand one."
True enough. Those brutes had at least refrained from forcing a vassal-lord relationship between the Jin and Goryeo allies, preserving Goryeo's dignity in their own way. The old Mongols never would have.
"Then what more should we demand?"
Right. Time to negotiate for additional gains.
"Hahaha. Why not demand more Jin territory while we're at it?"
Choi U frowned at Daejipseong's flippant remark, then turned to Yi Gyubo and Jusuk.
"Ancient Goguryeo traded with western lands via the steppe routes. Now that we, their descendants, have reclaimed Liaodong, we must inherit those trade paths. We should secure privileges for our merchants to cross the steppes and trade with the West."
"In the last war, we captured over ten thousand horses, weapons, and thousands of prisoners. We can't release all the prisoners—spoils of victory. Why not return just Salitai and Subutai's heads instead?"
Both points were valid. If they truly sought peace, these were reasonable.
"We can't stay at war with the Mongols forever."
Goryeo's losses weren't severe, but their grain reserves had been depleted. They could fight more, but avoidable wars should be avoided.
But then, a letter arrived from Liaodong.
In negotiation terms, demand recognition under the Great Khan's name of all territories currently secured by Goryeo.
— Choi Yeon, Liaodong —
"Demanding recognition of all territories Goryeo has secured under the Khan's name?"
"What is it?"
"Yeon seems to be reorganizing the army and sending cavalry everywhere to fix the borderlines. She's aiming to lock it in for good this time."
Seizing the opportunity to solidify was smart. Yalu Choeje probably didn't know yet. If they'd pushed right after capturing Subutai, the Mongols would have hardened their stance. But now, they were handing Goryeo the chance.
Based on his daughter's letter, Choi U presented new terms to Yalu Choeje.
Receiving Goryeo's response, Yalu Choeje sighed. 'Acceptable terms, but Goryeo gains all the benefits.'
By this time, the Mongols called Goryeo "the Empire's Graveyard." They'd crippled the Liao army, stunted Jin growth by stirring the Jurchens before their founding—preventing Jin invasions of Song—and not only blocked two Mongol invasions but annihilated their forces, shattering Mongol might. No more warriors could be buried in that grave.
They couldn't refuse Goryeo's special demands.
"Choi Yeon, was it? Marrying her to the Khan would bring great glory to the Mongol Empire."
Regrettable, but the Mongols were in no position for such demands now. Even if they could turn back time, the Khan wouldn't accept her anyway.
And then. "Hmm, time to use what Yeon gave me."
Whoosh—Boom! Boom!
After finalizing peace with Goryeo and settling into the envoy quarters they provided, Yalu Choeje gazed at the fireballs bursting in Gaegyeong's sky and sighed. Another of Goryeo's inventions, no doubt.
International affairs churned onward. With the Mongols stalled by their war with Goryeo, the Jin bought time to regroup. By then, their defeat at Sambong Mountain had sealed Jin's doom, but in this timeline, Wan An Hap-dal and Wan An Jin-hwa-sang—who should have died—survived. The ripples of the first Goryeo-Mongol War had reached them.
The Battle of Sambong Mountain ended in Mongol victory as in history, but tactical differences meant only Iralpoa was captured and killed. Wan An Hap-dal and Wan An Jin-hwa-sang rallied the remnants and withdrew. Thanks to that, Kaifeng remained Jin's capital, and the second war halted Mongol advances south.
The Southern Song stayed neutral. In this situation, Wan An Hap-dal and Wan An Jin-hwa-sang reassembled scattered forces and even counterattacked the Mongols. That explained why the Mongols needed to clear the Goryeo front.
The twenty thousand cavalry we'd sent spread out, securing as much land as possible.
"We've secured the Yoseo region, reaching nearly the extent of ancient Goguryeo, with substantial northern territories as well."
I nodded at Kim Gyeongson's report. What mattered was what stuck with us. True to the military regime, we'd shown the Mongols our warriors' might. We'd made clear we weren't a nation to trifle with—and proven our capacity to hold territory.
"And the Mongol forces?"
"Few remained in the Yoseo fortresses."
Good. That locked it in. Once peace was signed, the borders would be set. Like modern wars where fighting continued during negotiations to fix lines. Even our maximum gains, the Mongols couldn't contest.
"A pity we didn't reach the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan Yun."
I clicked my tongue softly. We'd have to settle for this. Taking all sixteen had limits anyway—millions of Han to absorb, chaos ensuing. And if Jin survived longer, border issues would arise.
"The concern is we've expanded too far. The occupied lands have submitted to Goryeo's victory, but..."
Land was always better the more you had. We hadn't invaded the Central Plains or the steppes.
"Peace with the Mongols will buy time. We'll stabilize what we've secured and build forward bases."
Yodong to Manchuria and Yoseo had to be locked down, at least. Around then, negotiations with Yalu Choeje concluded successfully—of course, on favorable terms. On his way out, I gave him maximum honors at Yoyang Fortress. He was a prime minister, after all. For Goryeo-Mongol amity, it was necessary.
"Goryeo will be the only nation the Mongols treat as an equal from now on."
The only nation treated as equal by the Mongols. Arrogant, before even conquering Jin. But they'd repelled a European coalition at the Kalka River and smashed everywhere they went, so perhaps justified.
"Fortunate indeed. If our nations cooperate, it'll echo through world history. Good that the Mongols didn't delay their choice longer."
In other words, deny your defeat and invade again, and the Mongols truly couldn't rebuild.
"If we hadn't attacked you, we'd have crushed Jin by now. What can we do?"
Right. Regret now—how fortunate. If they wanted friendship, we could accept their current borders.
"With Jin counterattacking, can you hold?"
If you crumble to Jin, it'll be a hassle. Best for us if Jin weakened appropriately, keeping Mongols in check. But that might be impossible.