Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Commanders Chosen and Fatherhood Awaits
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While looking over the list, a question popped into my head.
"On what basis did you select them?"
"We considered those with plenty of experience and a solid reputation for prowess in battle. Plus, being from the provinces meant they had few ties to the nobles of Jang'an Fortress."
After hearing Go Jeong-ui's explanation, I finally understood why these names had made the cut.
'It was because of Yeon Gaesomun.'
After the coup, Yeon Gaesomun had purged the old guard and filled the ranks with his own people. Men like On Sa-mun, So Bu-son, and An Go must have been among them.
For now, I decided to summon all three.
"Bring in On Sa-mun, So Bu-son, and An Go."
Go Jeong-ui looked startled.
"All three of them?"
"Who's the oldest among them?"
"On Sa-mun from Buyeo Fortress."
"Then make him the overall commander, and have the other two serve as division heads like me."
"Understood."
And while I was at it, I mentioned one more name that piqued my curiosity.
"And there's no Go Dol-bal from Ogol Fortress on the list?"
"Only commanders above the rank of cavalry captain are listed here. He might have been excluded for other reasons, or perhaps he doesn't hold that rank."
"Summon Go Dol-bal too."
I was also curious about Du Bang-ro, the general who had fought the Tang forces at Jeokbongjin. But the Battle of Jeokbongjin had taken place in 658, so he might still be too young.
'Come to think of it, what year is it now?'
I'd gotten a rough idea from Seon Do-hae, but nothing precise. I couldn't very well ask for the Gregorian calendar, so as I pondered, a clue came to mind.
"What's Silla's current reign era name?"
It was a sudden question, but true to his genius, Go Jeong-ui recalled it instantly.
"They changed it to Inpyeong at the start of this year."
'634 AD, then.'
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief at the realization we still had time.
The topic shifted back to the number of troops for the expedition.
"Niha Fortress itself isn't large, so the garrison is probably around five hundred. But once they learn we're coming, the lord of Dalhol Province will surely send reinforcements. We'll need to prepare to face at least fifteen hundred defenders."
Go Jeong-ui, having laid out the details, added,
"So we'll need at least five thousand infantry, and a minimum of a thousand cavalry besides."
"Didn't you say earlier we wouldn't need cavalry?"
"They're essential for blocking enemy reinforcements or cutting off retreat routes. There are roads, after all."
"We should get a precise grasp of the terrain and routes."
"I'll send scouts to confirm."
"That'll take time. Contact the Maemul Merchant Guild instead and have them send merchants or cart drivers familiar with the area."
"Now that's a good idea."
"And next time, have a model of the terrain around Niha Fortress ready. Not just on paper—use sand, hills, ponds, that sort of thing."
"Ah, you really look clever in moments like this."
Go Jeong-ui openly admired me, and chuckles rippled through the room.
Seeing their smiling faces eased the weight on my shoulders.
'With these people by my side, I can change history and save Goguryeo.'
I was lost in that hopeful vision when the door to Bin Yeon Pavilion burst open with a clatter of footsteps.
In rushed my younger sister, Yeon Suyeong.
"What's going on?"
"Sis—sis—!"
She was too out of breath to continue. But that was enough.
"Wh-what happened?"
I hurried over and grabbed her arm. Amid her panting, Yeon Suyeong flashed a grin.
It was the kind of smile that could have made her a star actress in the modern world.
"What is it?"
"Sis, you're pregnant!"
She threw her arms up triumphantly.
"With big bro's child!"
In the modern day, that news would have meant headaches over prenatal costs and years of child-rearing expenses. But as the son of Eastern Division Leader Yeon Gaesomun, money was no issue.
I couldn't help but throw my own hands up and shout.
"Whoa! I'm gonna be a dad!"
It was a life upgrade from eternal bachelor to father. Dignity be damned.
"Wh-where's the wife?"
"Getting her pulse checked right now."
"What? How can she get examined without her husband there?"
Excited, I yelled, and Yeon Suyeong laughed as if it were the funniest thing.
"Lead the way—hurry!"
"Got it."
Yeon Suyeong hiked up her skirt slightly and dashed out.
As I followed, I glanced back. Go Jeong-ui and the others called out,
"Congratulations, Master!"
In the year 17 of King Yeongnyu, or 634 AD by the solar calendar—about two years after I, Yeon Taehwan, had possessed Yeon Namsaeng—I was set to become a father.
* * *
On my way into the room where the physician was checking her pulse, I tripped over the threshold and sprawled awkwardly.
My startled wife looked at me.
"Are you all right?"
"Of course, I'm fine. Sorry to scare you."
Beside her sat an elderly physician with the stern expression I remembered from historical dramas.
He gathered his wooden box of tools and bowed to me as he stood.
"Congratulations. Your wife has conceived. From the pulse, it's undoubtedly a son..."
"Is the mother healthy?"
Interrupting him, the physician replied,
"Perfectly healthy."
"That's what matters. Boy or girl, as long as the mother's well."
I brushed the dust off my clothes as I got up.
My wife, hearing this, teared up. I went to her, patted her knee.
"Your health comes first. Tell me if you need anything at all."
"I need you."
Yeon Suyeong, who had followed me in, made a face at that.
"Eww, seriously."
I nodded and shooed Yeon Suyeong away as I stood.
"Kids, out."
"Hey, I ran all the way here—do you know how tiring that was?"
"Thanks for that."
I pushed her toward the door and turned to the maids in the corner.
"You lot too—out, now!"
The maids filed out, hands over their faces.
I shut the door myself. Sitting beside her, she spoke cautiously.
"Actually, I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"There was a nursemaid who cared for me when I was little."
"From the capital?"
"Yes. I'd like to have her by my side."
"I'll bring her here right away."
I clenched my fist emphatically, but my wife looked flustered instead.
"After her family was wiped out, we lost track of her."
"Don't worry about that."
"Is there a way?"
"With the Confidential Bureau—or rather, the Gold Division—on it."
She gave me a puzzled look. But in my mind's eye, I was already racing to Father to demand he track her down immediately.
Those next few days were a whirlwind because of my pregnant wife.
'Being a first-time dad is no joke.'
Fortunately, Father—Yeon Gaesomun—had ordered the Gold Division to find her nursemaid.
A few days later, back at Bin Yeon Pavilion, the model of Niha Fortress I'd requested was ready. Go Jeong-ui was deep in conversation with merchants from the Maemul Guild.
The merchants, in black hoods and yellow jackets, gestured animatedly as they spoke.
"The road from Suhok Fortress to Niha is incredibly rugged. Wagons are out of the question, and even horses struggle if the handler's no good."
They each chimed in, but the common thread was the treacherous paths.
Hearing that two or three routes were all equally rough, I approached the model of Niha Fortress.
'Nicely detailed with sand, gravel, and wood.'
Niha Fortress nestled against the foothills backing onto the East Sea. The ridgeline stretched along the coast, twisting and rising at intervals, each peak crowned with fortresses large and small.
Goguryeo held up to just north of Niha; south of it, Silla's forts lined up.
Coastlines and open fields offered little defensive value.
"Once you take one, there's another right behind it. Not easy."
But this time, we were only targeting Niha, so it didn't matter.
The key was how many reinforcements the Dalhol lord would send and how quickly. We had one advantage, though.
"The southern approach won't be easy for them either."
The route from the south for Silla's relief forces was just as rugged and winding. They had the coastal edge, true.
But seize a few high points overlooking it, and we could watch their every move.
'Advantages and disadvantages in equal measure.'
First things first: logistics. I approached Go Jeong-ui, still chatting with the merchants, and gestured for paper. With it, I sketched something better than my last effort.
Go Jeong-ui, weary of merchant talk, perked up.
"What's this?"
"A one-wheeled cart. You push or pull it yourself."
To be precise, it was the mok-u, the wooden ox from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, credited to Zhuge Liang.
He'd supposedly invented it alongside the yu-ma, a four-wheeled cart: mok-u with one wheel, yu-ma with four.
Designed for Shu's rough terrain, perfect for hauling supplies.
I'd never seen a yu-ma, but I'd glimpsed photos of mok-u relics. Mine resembled the modern construction-site wheelbarrow.
"Ideal for narrow mountain paths. Single wheel for tight spots, handles for pushing or pulling."
"You get it right away. Smart as always."
"You're the genius who came up with it on the spot, Master."
"Got a good name for it?"
"Goguryeo Cart, naturally."
"That's right—it's Goguryeo style. So what name?"
"Goguryeo Cart."
Go Jeong-ui stubbornly insisted, and I nearly swatted him in frustration.
"I get it—name it properly!"
He picked up the brush and wrote the character for "cart" (車). Embarrassed, I lowered my raised fist.
"Someone like me might confuse it, so think of another."
"No one would. But for you, Master, how about Goguryeo One-Wheel Cart? And while we're at it, let's make a Two-Wheel version too."
"Two-Wheel Cart?"
"Yes. Wheels front and back, lengthen it, handles fore and aft—you could load way more."
Go Jeong-ui sketched the two-wheeler as he explained. Seeing it sparked an idea for bicycles down the line.
Meanwhile, the merchants scratched their heads, eavesdropping.
"Man, smart folks move fast. Real fast."
"One- or two-wheelers would haul plenty even on mountains."
"Tell Lady Ariyeong to make some?"
"Better than a shoulder pole, right?"
As chatter filled the air, Go Jeong-ui looked at me.
"Things are getting more interesting by the minute."
"Hasn't been anything but since the start."
I played it cool, but he just grinned, unperturbed.
The merchants tilted their heads at our exchange. Seizing the moment, I asked them,
"Anyone here been inside Niha Fortress?"
They exchanged glances, and one Maemul merchant tentatively raised a hand.
His nose was huge—I mentally nicknamed him Pug Nose.
"I-I have."