Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Sowing Discord in the South
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“Fine, do as you wish. But you’d better be careful.”
“Thank you.”
Having received my father Yeon Gaesomun’s approval, I turned to Deputy Supreme Central Administrator Bu Sang.
“Instruct Captain Yeok-sal of Buyeo Fortress to help set up a base for the Lost Wolves in the northern valley of Black Rock. And have the Maemul Merchant Guild assist with the food supplies we promised them.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t overlook even the tiniest details of Silla’s internal affairs. If we make them crumble from within, they’ll never trouble us again. If you make contact with Alcheon or Bidam, pass along my message.”
“What message?”
“That we won’t cross Jukryeong or Gyeryong Passes if they don’t come north over them. And that we’ll help block Baekje’s invasions too.”
Bu Sang was startled by that last part.
“Baekje, you say?”
“That’s right. It’ll be easier for us if the south splits in two, won’t it? Leave just one standing, and they’ll start eyeing our lands for sure.”
Bu Sang stared at Yeon Gaesomun in astonishment, but my father replied as if it were no big deal.
“We killed Baekje’s King Gero once, and Baekje assassinated our Great King. We’re sworn enemies with a grudge as deep as blood and bone, but as Silla grew stronger, we joined hands. When Silla and Baekje teamed up against us, we sided with Silla. Baekje expanded its territory and secured its royal succession thanks to us. All debts are settled now. If my son doesn’t want to stay cozy forever, he’s no son of mine.”
He grinned at me as he said it. Of course, I’d keep up the personal rapport with Crown Prince Uija, but the truth was, some distance was necessary given how his story ended. He’d pushed too hard to consolidate royal power, inviting invasions from Silla and Tang that tore him apart from the inside. Fleeing to Ungjin Fortress, King Uija was captured by none other than Northern Defense Commander Ye Sik-jin—the fortress lord there—and handed over to Tang. No matter the reasons, it had crumbled internally, and that was squarely on Uija’s shoulders.
Meeting him in person, he struck me as wise and benevolent—easy to like.
But reality was ruthless, especially in the brutal 7th-century struggle of the Three Kingdoms, where personal feelings were best set aside. Uija ascending to Arah’s throne especially—who knew how he’d change? Lost in such thoughts, I heard Bu Sang ask:
“Do you think Alcheon or Bidam will accept that proposal?”
“If they’d been on a roll, expanding territory and taking prisoners, maybe not. But they’ve taken nothing but losses these past few years. Heavy casualties, land ceded away.”
“Monk Dukchang reported that Silla’s capital has been restless because of it.”
“Truebone nobles can’t profit big from conquests anymore. The new lands all go to the queen, and the glory’s Kim Yu-sin’s and Kim Chun-chu’s.”
“So, we drive a wedge into that gap.”
“Exactly. The mood’s ripe—time to hammer it home.”
Bu Sang nodded as if he got it. Seon Do-hae, who’d been listening quietly, pulled out a wooden message slip. When I glanced his way, he cleared his throat to get my attention and spoke up.
“This came from our agent in Silla yesterday. Kim Chun-chu’s son-in-law, Kim Pum-seok, has been appointed governor of Daeya Fortress and set off.”
I nearly whooped in excitement. The spark for the 642 Battle of Daeya had been Kim Pum-seok’s appointment. Kim Seo-hyeon dying early and the momentum of Kim Yu-sin and Kim Chun-chu faltering had me worried, but history was back on track—Kim Pum-seok headed to Daeya as planned. Bu Sang eyed me curiously at my glee.
“Is that man helpful to us somehow?”
“He’s arrogant to a fault, blindly trusting his father-in-law. Mistreats those beneath him too.”
Seon Do-hae chimed in after me.
“It’s true. Even as a Hwarang, he’s infamous for his brutality toward his retainers.”
I jumped right in after Seon finished.
“He might get away with it in Silla proper, but in a remote place like Daeya? He’ll stir up trouble for sure.”
Bu Sang shook his head at my words.
“Daeya of all places—that could be a real mess.”
“An opportunity for us.”
The fortress had actually fallen in 642, but time had been accelerating slightly since I possessed Yeon Namsaeng. I gathered my thoughts for a moment and looked to Seon Do-hae. Quick on the uptake, he said:
“Your orders?”
“Contact Baekje—tell them to keep an eye on Daeya. But don’t move yet; bide their time.”
“I’ll relay it.”
“Mo-cheok and Geom-il could be useful assets, so watch them closely. No contact for now, though.”
“Understood. I’ll tell them to focus on Mo-cheok and Geom-il. May I share my thoughts?”
“Go ahead.”
As if he’d rehearsed it long in advance, Seon Do-hae cleared his throat carefully and spoke.
“What if you went south yourself and met Crown Prince Uija or his close aides in person?”
“You mean hold talks?”
“Yes. Word is Baekje’s Arah is growing sicker by the day. Uija will take the throne soon enough, and we can’t predict how he’ll treat us then.”
“Could be.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to gauge his intentions firsthand. Plus, though we recently divided territory along the Ari-su, there’ve been minor incidents.”
“What kind?”
“Baekje troops occasionally cross the Ari-su. No full clashes yet, but we don’t know if it’s accidental or orders from above.”
“Uija wouldn’t do it on purpose. It’d just put us on guard.”
“I suspect conflict between Baekje’s royals and nobles, much like Silla. Baekje’s eight great clans wield as much power as Silla’s truebones, don’t they? Even with Uija’s position secure, the Satak clan will seek any chance to flip the board.”
“By picking a fight with us?”
“Difficult, yes—but the most practical option.”
It sounded like something Seon Do-hae had prepared thoroughly. It wasn’t wrong, and even Father Yeon Gaesomun nodded along.
“Seon Do-hae’s got a point. Once Uija takes Arah’s throne, meeting him directly will be harder. Better to talk now.”
The decision was all but made, but I couldn’t ignore the Central Administration Bureau, so I looked to Bu Sang. Straightening up, he said:
“I agree—it’s not a bad idea. We’ve had reports of those border skirmishes too.”
“All right, then. Come autumn or winter, I’ll meet Uija along the Ari-su basin. Tell him I’ll cross into Baekje territory if needed. And...”
I glanced at Seon Do-hae before addressing Bu Sang.
“Seon Do-hae’s agents are spread across every kingdom.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Separate from the bureau’s spies, but quite useful. Put the Central Administration in charge from now on. Appoint Seon Do-hae as a bureau administrator too.”
“Understood. I’ll make him Junior Central Administrator and put him in charge of the agents.”
Seon Do-hae’s face lit up with gratitude at my words.
“Thank you, Master.”
“It means work harder. Build the network with the bureau. Expand the agents if needed, and share your reports with Bu Sang and the high officials.”
“As you command.”
I glanced at Seon Do-hae, who was struggling to hide his grin, then turned to Father Yeon Gaesomun.
“I’ll leave domestic affairs to you, Father.”
“Got it. Get along with the leaders.”
Knowing what Yeon Gaesomun got up to in real history brought a wry smile to my face.
“You’ll handle it fine. Yield ground if problems arise.”
“Will do.”
“Don’t slack on watching the Great King either. Who knows what he’ll scheme next.”
“I’ll poach more of his inner servants. Any who refuse get the boot.”
Leaving the Great King unchecked gnawed at me, but touching him now without cause could backfire badly. We needed pretext, and we didn’t have it yet. As we wrapped up with more discussion and rose to leave, Seon Do-hae spoke up with a “right, almost forgot” look.
“Word from Wa—Gaseo-il has returned. He wants to stay in Jang-an Fortress. What should we do?”
“Gaseo-il?”
I blanked for a second before remembering: the man who’d taken out Prince Go Bok-deok in Wa.
“Find him a suitable position.”
“Yes, sir.”
As we talked, something else I’d forgotten popped into my head. In the modern day, I’d just note it on my phone, but without that...
Bu Sang paused when I looked his way.
“Any more orders?”
“Among the Malgal tribes under Buyeo’s management, there’s a man named Geokgeok Jung-sang. Bring him here.”
“As a close retainer?”
“Outstanding archer and sharp mind. He’s originally Goguryeo stock who drifted to the Malgal. Worth taking in. We lost dozens of guards killed or wounded anyway—need replacements.”
“I’ll contact Buyeo and have Geokgeok Jung-sang and his men moved to Jang-an.”
“Appreciate it.”
“Also, support Gerheong—daughter of Haeryang-a tribe chief Go Mak-hae—so she can seize leadership.”
“Didn’t the Haeryang-a rebel recently? Their chief killed?”
“Right. Tang’s scheming. Arm Gerheong and Asilbul with weapons and horses; they’ll handle the rest. She’s with the Lost Wolves at Nak-sang Pass now.”
“I’ll see to it.”
“Once Gerheong’s back in place, she’ll likely join forces with Nak-sang.”
“Through marriage?”
“Probably. They need each other.”
“Long-term, that might not be great for us.”
“Focus on Tang for now.”
“Understood.”
“We back their union and growth, turn them into allies. They’ll be handy blocking Tujue raiders alongside Tang later. And...”
Thoughts flowed like yanking up sweet potato vines.
“What’s the situation with Seoyeont’a?”
Caught off guard, Bu Sang hesitated before answering.
“Jinju Gahan rules there.”
“How do they stand with us?”
“They allied with the Tang Emperor to wipe out East Tujue. Why would they look our way?”
“Jinju Gahan, sure—but his successor might think differently. Tang recognized Seoyeont’a to check Tujue. Now that East Tujue’s subdued, they’ll probably crush Seoyeont’a next, just like them.”
“Which successor?”
“Jinju Gahan’s son, Baljak.”
After Jinju Gahan’s death, a successor with the absurdly long title “Hilligurisilsalda Migahan” took over—but not for long. Tang attacked, he fell in defeat, and Seoyeont’a vanished from history.