The Sea is Also Water - 3
The joint pirate suppression operation by the Dong-gu Wang Household and Gu Gang Wang Household was decided. Regular armies—especially naval forces operating warships—aren't groups that can mobilize instantly, but Gu Gangwang is the kind of man who roams the Yangtze at will. He might have finished preparations to set sail even before arriving in Hangju. So perhaps in a few weeks, we'd see the Daesong fleet filling the seas, but honestly, that had nothing to do with me.
Time to head somewhere else. I'm just an inspector touring the Central Plains regions. I don't need to oversee the navy crushing pirates at sea. Getting caught in a battle at Jiayu Pass was the unusual part—who expects an inspector to fight in combat? Any inspector who does that might as well be a general in disguise.
So as soon as Dong-gu Wang and Gu Gangwang finished talking, I tried to slip out naturally. But then,
"Ah, Han Un, are you planning to leave Hangju too? Then why don't you go to Gu Gang with Yeo."
"Pardon?"
I got unexpectedly roped in by Gu Gangwang. Wait, you're a Hwagyeong master. You could zip back to Gu Gang alone in a flash—why tag along with me?
"You'll have to stop by Gu Gang anyway while touring the south. Since you're coming, supervise the fleet with Yeo. There's nothing particular to inspect in Jiangnan anyway."
I racked my brain for a polite way to refuse, but his follow-up came faster than any excuse I could muster. At least it was good news that Jiangnan was quiet. Gu Gangwang was always sending out the navy on campaigns, so it'd be weirder if things were noisy—but still, good news was good news. The catch? Supervising troops alongside the king?
This'll just be standing around awkwardly till it's over. Of course, he wasn't seriously expecting me to oversee the troops. It was probably just to have me by his side, showing that the central government firmly controlled the provinces. Gu Gangwang was a provincial king and one of the greatest founding merits of Daesong, so he valued imperial authority.
Even that would draw tense stares from the generals, though. Considering the veteran commanders in the Gu Gangwang Household had been fighting since before the founding war, it was a heavy burden. Hell, it'd be easier to smack down a few murim sects.
"Your Highness, everyone in the capital—from high officials to nobles—knows the Gu Gangwang Household's soldiers are fiercely loyal and battle-hardened. How could I presume to oversee Your Highness's troops?"
That's why I barely managed to voice my refusal. No need for me to show my face; the central government already knew their loyalty and elite status well. The Emperor had no reason to doubt Gu Gangwang.
"Han Un, exceptions must never exist under any circumstances. If the Gu Gangwang Household becomes an exception, then all the wang households will, and if all wang households are exceptions, won't the dukes demand the same next?"
But Gu Gangwang shook his head with a rare serious and resolute expression. It made sense, but it felt a bit unfair. The man preaching no exceptions was the one venturing from rivers to seas? A king stepping out of his own backyard wasn't an exception?
Damn it... Pathetically, saying that aloud would just get a comeback like, "This is the Gu Gangwang Household's first sea voyage, so it needs extra inspection!" A mere third-grade official like me could only nod obediently.
The journey from Hangju to Gu Gang was relatively leisurely. If Gu Gangwang went alone, he'd fly like the wind, but traveling with us meant matching the pace of Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i. Even as spirit beasts, the two deer couldn't keep up with a Hwagyeong master's full sprint.
Just go ahead. With a bittersweet pang, I glanced at Gu Gangwang walking alongside Kki-ing-i. It was supreme consideration for a king to match others, but not exactly welcome. He'd have caught up fine if he went first. Still, when an elder wants to chat with the young folk en route, you can't say, "Pardon the rudeness, but we'll go alone—please go ahead."
My Confucian sensibilities might be faint, but I knew the bare minimum of propriety.
"It's a pleasure seeing you away from the Akwangjeo, Yeo. Ak Wang must have reluctantly let you go."
"I'm sorry for making Grandfather worry by being so stubborn."
Anyway, as we strolled leisurely, Gu Gangwang spoke up, and Ak I-yeon replied with a soft smile.
"Worry? He might've grumbled, but he was thrilled to see you out in the world. He can't keep his granddaughter in his arms forever, and now his frail one has spread her wings again."
Gu Gangwang burst into laughter, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly.
"Besides, Ak Wang is secretly soft on affections. Even if it truly troubled him, a few more pleas and he'd have relented."
"Hehe, is that so?"
"Of course. You're family—you know his temperament better than I do."
Ak I-yeon's smile deepened at that. Secretly soft on affections... I nodded unconsciously too. Ak Wang had a booming voice and fiery temper, but he'd never bullied or belittled anyone. Overflowing with warmth, really. Why else would he rush from Kaepyeong to Jiayu Pass upon hearing his prospective grandson-in-law had collapsed?
"If he were truly cold and ruthless, Giwang wouldn't have him wrapped around his finger like that."
"Hey, what's wrong with my grandfather?"
Suddenly dragged into it, I protested as his grandson.
"You're family—you know better than I do, right?"
But the same line he'd used on Ak I-yeon, twisted to different effect, shut my mouth. I knew too well. All too well, in fact. Our grandfather: hero in chaos, eccentric in peace... An oddly brag-proof figure...
"Well, words aside, those two do mesh surprisingly well in their own way. That's why you two are engaged!"
Gu Gangwang laughed again, patting Kki-ing-i's flank instead of my shoulder. And naturally, Kki-ing-i shuddered each time his hand brushed by.
Still traumatized, huh. Of course a near-death scare wouldn't fade easily, but seeing her panic at the sight of Gu Gangwang was heartbreaking.
"...By the way, Your Highness."
"Yes?"
After gazing wistfully at Kki-ing-i's hindquarters, I voiced the question nagging me.
"Didn't you say the Japanese pirates who invaded Goryeo were annihilated?"
"That's right."
"Then couldn't the Dong-gu Wang Household handle the pirates alone without the Gu Gangwang Household stepping in?"
Gu Gangwang had said now that the pirates were weakened was the perfect chance for his household to gain sea suppression experience. But if they'd regressed to mere pirate levels, there was no need for his involvement. On the contrary, training river and sea combat simultaneously might fatigue the navy or require splitting into river and sea specialists. Easier to just bolster Dong-gu Wang's fleet instead.
Voicing the doubt I hadn't considered back in Hangju, Gu Gangwang's lips curved slyly.
"Just persuade them, and it's done."
"Pardon?"
"Yeo came to Dong-gu Wang to suppress pirates. Couldn't very well say on the spot that his household could handle them alone."
I closed my eyes in dismay. Scheming relentlessly to get his way, sparing no means or methods—ruthless. Weaving lies into truth to manipulate subtly—vicious. I believed it. He was every bit the man fit to call himself emperor in original history.
Gu Gang is a city in northern Jiangnan Province. True to its name Jiujiang—"Nine Rivers"—it's where nine rivers converge, bringing prosperity through water transport since ancient times. It gets compared to superpowers like Hangju and Suzhou nearby, but Gu Gang holds its own anywhere. These days, it's one of Daesong's key naval bases alongside Nanjing's Jinling and Hangju, a strategic hub on the Yangtze and Grand Canal where a wang has rooted himself.
Hangju might dominate now, but who knows the future? Not that Gu Gang would surpass it, but the gap might narrow from overwhelming to marginal.
"Welcome to Gu Gang. It lacks Hangju's flashy variety, but it brims with the traditional charms of the Central Plains—you'll find a different kind of fun here."
Upon arrival, Gu Gangwang turned tour guide, touting the city's merits. Comparing to Hangju even then showed he secretly minded it too.
"Oh, and to the east lies Poyang Lake, a massive one rivaling Dongting Lake. That's where Yeo crushed Tatacheopmoga's navy! Want to see it?"
His follow-up nearly made me laugh. I knew Poyang Lake well. Huge, matching Dongting as he said, but infamous in original history for the Poyang Lake Battle. There, the historical Gu Gangwang lost and died. Here, it was his glorious victory site—miraculous, slaying the supreme expert Tatacheopmoga.
"I'll visit first thing after inspections. Seeing a heroic triumph site is joyful, but national duties come first."
"Haha! As expected, your patriotism is top-notch, Han Un! No wonder the Emperor favors you."
For a split second, bullshit nearly escaped my throat. If he truly favored me, he'd keep me penned in Kaepyeong, not spinning me around the provinces.
"Come, let's go. Finish work quick so you and Yeo can have some cozy time."
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."
Couldn't snub someone offering to wrap things up fast. I meekly followed Gu Gangwang to the Gu Gangwang Household.