Water Buffaloes
“We need to start building ships soon. Copper plating will keep the barnacles off the hulls.”
I'll have to scrape them off regularly anyway. And use that bitumen we import from Arabia. I've already got the blueprints figured out. Even if I can't spark an industrial revolution in my lifetime, I'll make damn sure we stop being frogs in a well.
“Ships, you say?”
“We can't keep relying on merchants from the great granary kingdom coming only to us forever.”
Byeokrando might be an international trade port, but we never sail there ourselves. Arabian traders come straight to us, that's all. So we need to advance our shipbuilding, venture out farther. Right?
“Indeed. You're right—we should see it for ourselves.”
People need to widen their eyes. The grassland route is just a land path that could slam shut any day, controlled by our potential enemies, the Mongols.
“But what about the grassland path?”
“It's different. Land routes aren't bad, but if the Mongols throw a fit, they can seal it off. And if we just sit here with our mouths open, when will our ships ever improve?”
Goryeo sits at the edge of Asia. We can't count on the Silk Road forever, and conquering the steppes doesn't exactly thrill me. If it were our own backyard, maybe. But marching into the steppes to beat the Mongols head-on? No real win there. We'd bleed fighting them, and controlling them would force us to shift our capital toward China. That just Han-izes us further. No—the path for this country to survive with its Far Eastern identity is mastering the seas.
Make Song utterly dependent—“We can't survive without Goryeo weapons!”—and nudge Jin along their short leash just enough. Then we can leisurely claim the oceans. Central Plains checks? Mongols are just horse-riding morons dreaming of riding to world's end. Goguryeo and Tang tore each other apart, sure, but Jin prays we don't stab them in the back. Song, armed with our weapons bought with their cash, has no reason to pick a fight. Perfect.
Time to gear up for sea expansion.
“So, Governor, you're planning to develop ships yourself?”
I nodded at Yi Jang-yong's question. If not now, when? Time to usher in Goryeo's Age of Discovery.
And to the Ho clan, who've been dying raising those water buffaloes—hey, want in on merchant life? Hurt their pride with “merchant” talk? Just show 'em the trading company I run. I'm basically the majority shareholder and boss of Goryeo's merchants. How many are under me? The ruling house directly overseeing merchants—does that make me lowborn? Hell no.
“The world holds countless nations we know nothing about. Many have fallen to the Mongols, and they're out conquering more we haven't even heard of. We need better ships to reach farther.”
That's the world for you. Master the seas to grasp its truths. Land's fine, but the ocean broadens the mind. Plus, way in the future, the sea's the key to global dominance. How'd the British Empire become the empire where the sun never sets? Navy power. And for a powerhouse navy, we need keel ships for long expeditions, not just flat-bottomed coasters. Strong navy means trade edge too.
Can't live as frogs in a well. Don't be like stupid Joseon in the Opium War—rumors flying that Qing's a joke, but “No way, not our Qing!” till they get smacked. Don't end up like Joseon, scorning barbarians while fixated on Qing order till it eats them alive. We need old Goguryeo's martial spirit.
“Developing ships... so Dobang's naval rebuild falls to me, does it?”
Of course—what's with the offense?
“Why the long face, Tax Inspector? You're the one who divvies up the fleet budget. No one's sharper for this in the court.”
Yi Jang-yong looked like he might clutch his neck—hallucination? Anyway, the man's a wizard. Yodong's Beijing Governorate—Yodong Inspectorate—runs smooth thanks to him. I stabilized it with fusion policies, but economy's the engine. He fixed that, and just fleeced Song.
Skills like that? Versatile everywhere.
“Fair enough. Prepping now lets us see a wider world.”
Yi Jang-yong nodded, resigned. He's seen plenty in Yodong.
Goryeo, during the Sambyeolcho revolt, saw rebels muster a thousand ships nationwide. Later, as Mongol pawns invading Japan, even with depleted strength, they built nine hundred warships. Varied types—large, supply, water carriers—not quite later Joseon's panokseon, but mobilization's no joke.
Issue: Goryeo ships inevitably lagged Joseon's. Rushed nine hundred in months—no proper shipyards.
But Goryeo keel ships? How many could we build? Prep now. Learn the sea's vastness.
Defense first, of course. Said it was tough before, but current forces could eye the Mongol steppes. Jurchen and Goryeo cavalry alone: fifty thousand. Charge Karakorum, Mongols stake their fate.
But killing them? Less gain than the trickle we get leaving 'em be. Especially with our merchant fleets holding “Goryeo Passes” straight from Mongols—guaranteed caravans trading afar. Huge hauls from Arabia, Mongol-held Middle East.
Could wipe Mongols and trade direct, sure. But why not milk the barbarians? They eat the hate; our companies pocket the economy.
Still, prep for invasion. Mongols horsemen? Goryeo sea-men.
Assumes cannon-armed ships. We're there now.
“Hmm. Barbed wire doable?”
Not impossible. Matchlock barrels took insane purity efforts. Barbed wire? Draw wire through animal grease, lacquer against rust. Link 'em up. Stops Mongol horse dead. Lure 'em to our turf for the win.
Hope no more Mongol wars, but they're Mongols. Crush the West, then us? Or anyway, one more round inevitable.
History: Goryeo outlasted regular army's fall via mountains. Peaks neuter cavalry.
But with Yodong secured? Different. Subutai lucked out once. Next? No guarantees.
Systematic future-proofing: anti-Mongol defenses.
First, wrap Gaegyeong tasks. Hangul spreading slower than Yodong? Can't let peninsula and mainland drift. Unify script, language—or nothing sticks.
Anti-Han Jin gov rebellion? Jurchens worship me as Abka Heuka, so Hangul's “our god's tongue.” Solves it. They justify Goryeo rule that way.
Now, Hangul push.
“Father. Hangul status?”
I asked Father, handling promulgation.
Hangul's key now. Or later Jurchens go “Hangul's Abka Heuka's gift to us Jurchens!” high on script pride.
“Everyone in Gaegyeong knows it now. Royals grumble, though.”
Royals promulgating adds legitimacy. Ironically, they shun unified script for commoners; we crave it. Weird.
“With Pil there, it'll be tough.”
Sent Manjong as Pil—royal marriage seals it. Royals surrendered, blood-mingled via him.
Any royal power left? Danger. Now? Just names.
“We build and staff hyanggyo ourselves. Yodong locals set theirs too.”
“Ramp it up?”
“Yeah. Smooths integration.”
Hangul's scientific genius. Yodong's blending via script already.
“Sigh. Trouble: Ho clan's griping, blocking hyanggyo. Military crackdown? Too many eyes.”
Figured. Father gets public mood now. Hold force back.
Modern equiv: locals forming committees against redevelopment. Ho clan's throwing fits. All they've got left: “prestigious family” tag. Hyanggyo threatens that.
Great idea hit: Squeeze Ho clan via hyanggyo push? Need fleet investors anyway. Keel squadrons scale with their backing.
“Round up the Ho clan?”
“Doable, but you? Takes time.”
Kim Gyeongson, Ugaha hold Yodong; locals manage inspectorate. Fine.
“Sure. But local prep first.”
Yi Jang-yong grimaced at keel budget talk. Ho dragging too.
Earnings cushion it, but dedicated fund? Better. Future Goryeo boss steps up. Keels? We got this.
Ho clan done raising buffaloes. Time they became ones.