The Old Man's Gift
Actually, drawing out wires is extremely difficult, you know. The way they're hyping me up as a genius makes it obvious they're trying to use me like a slave.
"Looks like you're enjoying that body quite a bit."
Setting aside whether I'm enjoying it—this era, do you have any idea how massive a penalty a single gender change is? If I hadn't suffered so much, do you think I could've become the successor? I'd be stuck with the ending where I inevitably marry Kim Yakseon.
More than anything, this era doesn't even have proper undergarments to bind the chest, so I have to layer on multiple garments and wrap wide bands around it—do you know how uncomfortable that is? It forces a demure gait into your body whether you like it or not. Even riding horses and hunting, I had to bind my chest as tightly as possible. In the end, my frustration had to burst out.
"Enjoying it or not, do you know how uncomfortable this body is? My chest makes it hard to run freely, and this world is so short on food!"
Do you know how uncomfortable this body is? Well, no, I've gotten used to it. Having been reborn into this world and grown up as Choi Yeon, adapting to a woman's body is no big deal. But food is another matter—what am I supposed to do about that?
"From the look of it, you seem to want staple crops."
"Yeah, but if we keep sending out expeditions, someone will eventually reach America, right? Sending over the Jurchens and Mongol prisoners who've been plaguing Goryeo could be one way."
The Mongols keep demanding their prisoners back, but we've brushed it off saying they're dead. What can they do if we say we don't have them? By shoving expedition after expedition out there like stepping stones, we can bridge across eventually.
"Not a bad idea, but it'll take quite a while."
"We'd need at least a decade or so."
That's the minimum. Secure bases and something for the expeditions to resupply from.
"We'll do the explorations as planned. But what if we could obtain sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and such?"
"Is that even possible?"
Does that make any sense? Unless by some wild coincidence seeds from South America make their way here to Goryeo on their own, it's impossible. Thinking about the currents, coming from South America to Goryeo would be the easier route, sure.
"Who knows. The butterfly effect is a scary thing. Well then, see you next time."
"Wait, where are you going now? Stop before you ruin Goryeo for real!"
Ignoring me, the old man vanished again. So what was this gift he was talking about anyway?
In the Chimor Kingdom of South America, a group of young people was fleeing from soldiers armed with stone axes.
"What did we do wrong to deserve this? We just didn't want to die!"
These youths were escaping human sacrifice in the Chimor Kingdom. Among them, Amaru—a young man in his late teens, the de facto leader—was fleeing with his younger sister, who was to be sacrificed, and a helper.
"Catch those bastards! Don't let them escape!"
Soldiers were everywhere. They had only one option left. Amaru turned his eyes toward the sea.
"Quilla, no choice! Let's head to the sea!"
"Can we survive if we go to the sea?"
"We can go anywhere, right? Chalwa, is it possible?"
"This is insane."
Chalwa, a former fisherman, shook his head, but there were no other answers.
"Still better than getting caught here!"
In the end, the three launched a raft into the sea blindly and managed to shake off the soldiers.
"Just you wait. We'll come back and get revenge!"
The problem was that the trio, having reached the sea, unluckily caught the South Equatorial Current and crossed the Pacific. Influenced by the Kuroshio Current, they veered north—straight toward Tamra. That they had brought sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and all sorts of seeds might have been a divine miracle granted to them.
This was Manchuria—precisely the area of the old domestic capital, where the Stele of Emperor Gwanggaeto stood. The stele erected by Gwanggaeto the Great. Goguryeo's monument inscribed with his achievements.
Before it stood the Goryeo imperial family, high and low officials, and nobles and administrators of the Jurchen tribes—descendants of the Malgal—from Liaodong, all in solemn atmosphere.
"Goryeo's Emperor Wang Jeon hereby informs Emperor Yeongnak (Gwanggaeto the Great) that he has finally reclaimed the lands of our ancestors. Though not of the Go clan, we have restored the territories of old Buyeo and Goguryeo, reviving their glory. Please watch over your descendants so that they may continue Goguryeo's glory henceforth."
The Goryeo imperial family claimed descent from the Tang imperial house, which destroyed Goguryeo. It was comically ironic for descendants of the Tang emperors who felled Goguryeo to now claim to revive its glory, but what could be done? We had to humor them this much to keep the royals from sulking.
The long, boring ceremony dragged on. We'd given the emperor the chance to visit after discovering the stele and report the reclamation of old Goguryeo lands to appease him. Who knew he'd turn it into such sentimental pandering? The reclamation was all thanks to the Choi clan anyway. Emperors sure had it good. Still, we needed to indulge him now. Pushing the emperor too hard wasn't wise.
This ceremony served to report past glories to the ancestors and put a capstone on unifying Jurchens and Koreans once more. Before the Jin claimed Manchuria as their homeland and asserted rights over it later, we'd pushed the legitimacy of Goguryeo—which had subjugated the Malgal ancestors of the Jurchens as subjects. That made it hard for the Jin to do much. Not that their short-lived empire would last anyway.
With that in mind, I decided to proceed more slyly.
"Your Majesty. We have now reclaimed the old Goguryeo territories, washing away the grudges of Goguryeo and Balhae. Yet lands remain unrestored."
At my words, gazes from the imperial family, Goryeo officials, and Jurchen administrators turned to me. Bloodline fabrications were Nazi-level delusions, but for intimidating the Jin, nothing beat this justification.
"Military Regent. Are there still such lands?"
"The Goryeo imperial house is said to descend from the Dragon King of the West Sea, with ancestors from the Tang imperial house and Goguryeo. It is fitting now to advance into the Central Plains and seize the old Tang territories as well."
"Is that feasible?"
Nothing was impossible. Even if it was just for imperial legitimacy, Yuan scholars already claimed Goryeo's king descended from Tang Emperor Xuanzong—which made no sense since he never visited Joseon lands—so they'd settled on Emperor Xianzong for plausibility. After centuries of fabrication, they couldn't admit it was fake now. Seizing even part of the Yan Yun Sixteen Prefectures would bolster legitimacy further. Perfect for controlling the Han Chinese too.
"It might provoke the Mongols, and we must guard against Sinicization, so securing all Jin lands is impossible, but parts are feasible. Having achieved Goryeo's national policy of northern advance, is it not time to proclaim a western advance? The Bureau of Special Tasks will aid the imperial house."
I spoke with a touch of confidence. We'd fulfilled the northern policy; now push west into the plains. What would this mean? The Mongols would be displeased, but if they had any sense, they'd know we craved more expansion. With the Jin needing to devour Song, they couldn't focus on us eyeing their lands either. This much was enough. If luck struck and we even arranged a royal marriage with the Mongols someday—welcoming a Mongol princess, having her child ascend the throne—we'd gain steppe dominion legitimacy. A rule by pure legitimacy, unlike the Jin's brute force that bred Han resentment and social chaos, or their steppe meddling that divided Mongols and built grudges.
"Weakened, we've clung to northern advance, but now securing Liaodong and fully uniting with our old kin the Jurchens under Goryeo's banner, we are stronger than ever. Northern advance achieved—must we not expand westward now?"
"Indeed, that perspective holds."
Gojong smiled contentedly, craving that mental victory.
"The Bureau has already presented Your Majesty with an empire spanning 6,000 li north-south and 4,000 li east-west. Trust in the Bureau and be Goryeo's eternal symbolic imperial house."
Gojong looked pleased. "Eternal symbolic imperial house" meant relinquishing power forever, but he hadn't caught on.
After paying respects at the Stele of Gwanggaeto the Great, unification of the Three Hans and Jurchens would accelerate. And soon after,
my father summoned me from the Bureau.
"Western advance? You truly believe we can push into China?"
Looking dubious—perhaps seeing it as delusion—Father eyed me questioningly.
"Nothing is impossible, especially up to the Yan Yun Sixteen Prefectures. Holding them lets us intervene in Central Plains affairs anytime, and China can't treat us lightly for security reasons. Seizing this land secures Goryeo from Central Plains invasions."
We needed at least that much to intervene in the plains later and avoid Goguryeo's fate. Those strategic chokepoints secured, China couldn't antagonize us easily. The short-lived Jin lacked power against Song, and Song would depend on our weapons. If we took the Sixteen Prefectures in that window, done.
"Hmm, plausible, but feasible?"
"By exploiting circumstances properly, yes. Of course, timing matters—it was mostly to humor the emperor now."
If not, we'd heavily fortify the Liaodong border, but we had to take it. With the Sixteen Prefectures, stationing troops at narrow passes like Shanhai Pass or Juyong Pass would make northern defenses easy even if China advanced. Bonus: fortresses in Goryeo's mountains here would deter them. This was also preparation to protect future Goryeo against a unified China. If impossible, we'd block their tidal human waves at Liaodong again, with Great Wall plans in mind. If only Ögedei—harboring grudges against me—would die soon. That might open gaps. The Mongols weren't invading the Middle East yet. Devouring the House of Wisdom could wait; stabilize this border first. Ögedei dead, things would ease.
"It's your era from now on. Do well."
"Yes, Father."
So I'd be shuttling between Liaodong and Gaegyeong for a while. As I thought that, word arrived from Tamra.
"Strange people found in Tamra?"
"Yes, sir. Report from Tamra."
What report from Tamra? Strange people sounded like Hamel, but this wasn't Joseon era with no Dutch East India Company— no reason for Netherlanders here.
Copper-skinned children with large eyes drifted in on a log raft. Their language is unintelligible, but they possess pure gold necklaces and unknown items, possibly royalty from distant lands. The Bureau is requested to decide their disposition.
Hmm, copper skin, big eyes. If Southeast Asia, we'd know—their races from Nanyang, Siam, etc., are familiar. But these are others.
"Drifters won't be in good shape. Even without language, we can care for them. Tend to their health and send them to Gaegyeong if well."
Something clicked, so I had them rested and summoned here.
"Understood."
Before they arrived, I checked dragon keel ship construction, Ho clan investments, and fleet status meticulously. Then Tamra officials brought three copper-skinned people. Dressed in rough Goryeo garb for lack of clothes, they eyed us with clear displeasure.
"Their look screams no common language. You didn't physically abuse them or anything, right?"
"No, sir. They devoured the food ravenously, so they've come far."
Definitely from South America or such. The question was why they'd drifted here.