Human Trafficking
“Krahhh!”
“Kyaaak! Help! Somebody save us!”
“Mommy!”
As always, anyone larger than a cartwheel or armed was slaughtered by the Mongol army. The bloodthirsty Mongols, driven by vengeance and terror, descended even more ruthlessly on the Bulgars. Women were openly raped by Mongol soldiers right in the streets of Bilär, in full view of their Bulgar menfolk. King Ilham Khan of Bilär and his officials had their throats slit.
The population, originally nearing 1.5 to 2 million, plummeted to a million due to the dead and captives. Massacres and looting repeated for days until the Bulgars lost all will to resist. Only then did the Mongols halt the killing, station troops to extract tribute, and begin exploitation. Tens of thousands of Bulgar women and elites were shipped off to Karakorum.
“Finally, revenge for Subutai!”
Ögedei was so thrilled he blurted out something stupid without thinking. And why not? If revenge was the goal, it made more sense against Goryeo, which had routed their army and killed Subutai and his son, than these Bulgars.
Around this time, Goryeo's trade envoy had been closely watching the Mongol wars. When word came of tens of thousands of captives heading to Karakorum, his eyes gleamed.
“Great Khan, how about Goryeo aids your western campaign?”
“What scheme are you plotting now?”
“We'll supply your army with grain and iron. In return, could you sell us the populations you've captured from conquered lands?”
For Goryeo, desperate for labor in Manchuria, this was a plausible exchange. The Mongols, while needing women as spoils, could fill their bellies with Goryeo grain and arm themselves with weapons. Not a bad deal.
My country, Goryeo, had grown mighty and proud beyond measure.
With flawless timing, we'd reclaimed Liaodong in one rush, and during the second invasion, we'd laid mines only after Subutai reached Yoyang—like fixing the barn after losing the ox—but that very delay let us capture him and his brat. We'd forged an uneasy peace with the Mongols, secured a trade office, and gained Silk Road privileges. I'd exploited that by putting my hired Song merchant to work on the Silk Road.
“I did leave the trade office entirely in your hands, sure. But supplying the Mongols with grain to buy people? Do we have grain to spare?”
I glared at the groveling Song merchant before me. He'd bought people using grain shipments to the Mongols. Even if we weren't enslaving them, word would spread that Goryeo bought humans. And not even defeated Jurchens or Han captives we could conscript into the army. No—these were exotic-looking women.
“Ahem. This benefits Goryeo too. And we can buy rice from Song, right? We've made plenty selling weapons.”
He averted his eyes, knowing he'd erred. We had profited handsomely. But much of it flowed back to Song for resources. Still, I had no desire for pointless antics.
Surprisingly, the Mongols had sold us spoils they'd normally give their soldiers. Even amid war losses needing population growth. Fine, whatever. But...
“How exactly does this benefit us? You only bought women.”
Nothing but women. They had Eastern features originally, but mixed with East Slavs, many now looked distinctly European—some outright so. Bringing them here? What madness!
Of course, Goryeo's productivity had exploded; we could handle it and feed the Mongols too.
“There are some technicians mixed in. I didn't buy them just for the women. They have a different flavor from our refined Goryeo ladies, clean and fair though they are.”
“What? You bastard.”
No wonder he paraded concubines sometimes—all Goryeo women? Should I beat him? Nah, he'd done good work so far.
“Just a figure of speech. Anyway, settle them in Liaodong, make them Goryeo subjects. Problem solved?”
“Let's hear it. Why'd they hand over their women?”
Even for trade, would they yield females to foes who'd ground down nearly 80,000 troops?
“Plenty of spoils left after arming their men. And with steel from us, why not?”
Ah, so they traded women for something more valuable. They could pass our supplies as their own spoils too. But still—did the trade office handle iron now?
“Did the trade office deal in iron?”
“No, that's why I'm seeking permission now.”
“You admit it so casually.”
Supplying steel. Fine, possible. In original history, Mongols weren't that impressive without Yuan-level resources. They had Liaodong's iron then; now we held it. Our steel wouldn't change much. With their population down, I figured they'd breed via spoils. But weapons mattered more, apparently.
“Ahem. Good for Goryeo, no?”
“For labor, women alone are lacking.”
What, planning to fetch men too? No—this meant regular grain to Mongols. But with urgent population needs, immigrants were welcome—white, whatever. Feed the Mongols, get real workers. Though they'd likely send only women; they recruited conquered men as meat shields anyway.
“This time only. Next will include men. Since they're here, why not take custody, Regent?”
Where to put them? Marry to Jurchens or Khitans in Manchuria? Show some as concubines to the emperor? Shocking for Goryeo society. But sending women meant massive Bulgar deaths.
“Hmm, tons of Bulgars must've died.”
“Whatever Bulgars are, they killed a third of the population.”
“Blood must've flooded the land.”
To recover from Goryeo defeats, they needed overwhelming brutality in the west. My fault? Butterfly effect. But Goryeo couldn't yield. And unintended or not, he'd bought them.
Fine. Send them to pioneer Liaodong. With benefits, they'd settle; returning home was impossible anyway.
“Alright. If you're bringing them, bring plenty.”
From our view, stalled Mongol expansion hurt. Why? Their rampages benefited us. Sure, beefed-up Mongols were risky, but we'd advance weapons and fortify defenses. If khans died on original schedule, no issue. Their withdrawals would mirror history. Supply iron to weapon-hungry warriors, gain labor. Women might even be ideal—no rebellions. Marry to nomadic bachelors.
“Speaking of, besides those Bulgar women I brought, I heard some drifted to Goryeo from afar.”
How'd he hear that? Sharp nose.
“You sniff well. From a continent far beyond the East Sea.”
“Across that vast sea? Another continent?”
“Yes. We call it the New World.”
Afterward, I communicated via drawings with officials. Confirmed South American origin; drifted on currents, refreshed on uninhabited isles. Taught them Hangul through pictures for communication. The natives accepted, knowing they'd stay in Goryeo, and began learning. The Bulgar women should too.
“Planning a fleet there?”
“No, first colonize south, then India and Arabia.”
“Pity.”
“I'll try. But their journey time means a long voyage. Thinking north along coasts.”
Build stepping stones. Trade with Ainu first, chart Hokkaido, Sakhalin, northward routes.
“Anything from the natives?”
“Lots of gold. Vast lands. Even kingdoms.”
Pre-Inca, but similar.
“Compared to Goryeo?”
Compared? Pre-Inca precursors maybe, or primitive. Incas mobilized 200,000 against Spaniards but lost to stone axes vs. trained steel. They fled inland, puppets on coast. Goryeo army—even thousands—would crush them. Armed with matchlocks, heavy cavalry from Jurchen inheritance. Transitioning to two-piece armor soon. Mid-Americans' human sacrifices? We'd wipe them. But decade for colonization, longer for south.
This merchant might die first. Still, hype investment.
“They arm with stone axes, no iron armor. Our army could conquer it easy. But... customs are wild.”
“What happened?”
“Human drums. For executing rebels or lords: flay alive, make drum from skin. Wind makes limbs beat it.”
Pre-Inca execution, but roots exist.
“Such monsters?”
Even he recoiled.
“Even bone flutes. Terrifying.”
If Spaniards lost, imagine South Americans rejecting faith, absorbing tech, invading Europe? Altars everywhere, human drums. Chilling dystopia. Who started such horrors?
“You know well.”
“Talked via drawings. Costumes match, no lies. Got crop seeds—testing in Gaegyeong, Jeolla, Liaodong.”
“Oh, good. Those...”
Too soon to share. Years till harvest.
“Earliest next-next year. Ask in three if interested. Not sure yield.”
Settle in three, spread nationwide in five, fully in ten. Diversify food. But then, sugar! Syrup and honey insufficient. Song made cane sugar powder. But cane hates peninsula soil. Import via Song merchant possible, but local production tough. Importing from Song ok, but Taiwan for cane? Invade for sugar? We'd take it anyway.