Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Great King Namsaeng
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I closed my eyes and placed my hand on my wife's belly. Just as she had described, I could feel it wriggling.
According to the original history, this child was destined to die at the hands of its uncle. Even if that wasn't the case, it might have to witness the fall of Goguryeo.
'I have to protect them somehow. Me, my wife, and the child.'
My wife stroked my head and asked,
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about names for our son."
"How do you know it's a son and not a daughter?"
I chuckled at her gentle scolding and replied,
"I have my ways of knowing."
Of course, I didn't tell her how I knew.
A few days later, the day finally arrived for the army to march out and attack Niha Fortress. Traditionally, armies departing from the capital would be inspected by the Great King in front of the royal palace. But the Great King had notified everyone that he wouldn't hold the inspection, citing illness. My father, Yeon Gaesomun, grumbled that it was petty, but I didn't mind.
"We can do it by the Paekgang River instead, can't we? I'll stand in for Father and inspect the troops."
Normally, no one but the Great King could conduct the inspection. But since the Great King had refused, there was no issue with proceeding.
Father thought for a moment, then his expression brightened.
"That's a good idea."
The departure ceremony was held along the banks of the Paekgang River, which is today's Daedong River. The gravel-strewn riverbank couldn't be used for farming or building, so it was often the site of grand events like this.
From morning, crowds of spectators gathered in huge numbers. Father Yeon Gaesomun had summoned all the performers and entertainers from Zhang'an Fortress and the surrounding areas to liven things up. The soldiers, preparing for the ceremony, buzzed with excitement.
'No wonder they go to all this trouble despite the hassle.'
The biggest reason was the families. To see their departing fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons off, the families prepared to watch the parade. And with the Great King absent, there was no need for complicated protocols.
"Man, even the folks from Zhang'an Fortress know how to have fun when they want to."
Yang Manchun muttered with an amused grin. The surprisingly stylish man had bought a white steed and even hired a groom to tend to it.
The ceremony began as the soldiers assembled along the Paekgang riverbank. A cool river breeze tempered the lingering summer heat, drawing spectators who in turn attracted performers and merchants eyeing their pockets. But just before it started, an unexpected situation arose. Yi Maengjin suddenly appeared and whispered something to Father Yeon Gaesomun.
Father tried to keep his expression neutral, but irritation seeped through. I approached, clad in the armor Ham-a had made for me, and asked,
"What is it, Father?"
"The Crown Prince is coming in the Great King's place."
The mention of the Crown Prince immediately brought Hwan-gwon to mind. He appears for the first and last time in the history books in 641, when King Yeongnyu sent him to the Tang Dynasty. But just because the records mention him only then didn't mean he lacked presence in this era.
The Crown Prince's entourage crossed the Okryu Bridge connected to the inner city. In the meantime, the platform was hurriedly rearranged with chairs, causing a flurry of activity. At the lead came a dozen or so armored cavalrymen bearing flags, riding horses clad in barding.
The Crown Prince appeared wearing a purple hat atop a white robe. A gold-embellished belt cinched his waist, and he sported a pearl necklace and earrings that stood out from afar. As the tall, pale-faced Crown Prince Hwan-gwon drew near, Father Yeon Gaesomun went out personally to greet him.
The guard soldiers knelt, interlocking their hands to form a step for Crown Prince Hwan-gwon's foot. Once he dismounted, Father Yeon Gaesomun knelt on one knee in greeting, but the young prince—seemingly not yet twenty—nodded perfunctorily. His rude demeanor irked me.
"What the hell?"
I muttered, and Go Jeong-ui quickly replied,
"The Crown Prince is infamous for that sort of thing."
"For being rude?"
"Yes."
"Power trips are a problem in every era, huh."
"What's a power trip?"
"It's a thing."
"Tell me."
"Acting like the Crown Prince—that's called a power trip."
"What do you call acting like you, Master?"
"Do you know what we call asking questions like that?"
When Go Jeong-ui shook his head, I told him.
"Boomer."
"Are you calling me a boomer?"
"No, asking stuff like that makes you a boomer. Boomer! Boomer! Booo-mer~."
Part of me wondered if I should be messing with a kid like this. But teasing Go Jeong-ui was always fun, no matter what. By then, Crown Prince Hwan-gwon had reached the platform. I knelt on one knee in greeting, even as Go Jeong-ui and I bickered. As he passed, the Crown Prince tossed out a single word.
"Begin."
Experiencing a power trip firsthand brought back vivid memories from my modern life.
'Just like that damn editor-in-chief.'
Grumbling, I straightened up, mounted the horse Geom Mojam had brought, and positioned myself before the troops lined up since morning. I was supposed to deliver a rousing prepared speech, but I had no desire to do it in front of the Crown Prince.
I drew the sword from my belt and slung it over my shoulder. Then, slowly, I shouted,
"Begin!"
Starting with me and Yang Manchun on his white horse, the soldiers marched past Father Yeon Gaesomun and Crown Prince Hwan-gwon on the platform.
'It's just like a modern military parade.'
As the soldiers passed the platform, their families cheered wildly. The Malgal tribesmen led by Iri stood out in particular. Dressed in leather garb and caps, with composite bows slung over their shoulders, they rode proudly with squared shoulders—even matching their horses' steps perfectly.
The soldiers continued south after passing the platform, followed by families' cries wishing them a safe return. I lingered until the end, then rode up to the platform. I could feel the armored cavalry guarding the Crown Prince tense up. I gave a nonchalant salute to the bored-looking prince and turned to leave. Father Yeon Gaesomun, who had remained seated until then, finally stood.
"Come back safe."
His voice carried a rare tenderness instead of his usual coolness, nearly making me smile. Though we would become enemies later, I recalled how anxious he had been when I enlisted before.
I turned and waved. On one side of the riverbank, my wife waited inside a pavilion tent, an elderly nursemaid at her side. In her hand was the wooden doll I had brought from the capital.
I shouted to her,
"I'll be back before our son is born!"
It felt just like Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, vowing to return before the enemy general's wine cooled.
'Guan Yu made it back before the wine cooled. Can I do the same?'
The march route took us down to Sugok Fortress, then over the mountains to Niha Fortress. We avoided the longer coastal path along the East Sea. Instead, merchant ships from the Maemul Guild would bring supplies around the time we arrived at Niha.
The unpaved road was relatively flat, and riding a horse made it manageable. Along the way, I got a chance to examine the Goguryeo army's organization.
'In movies and dramas, they just swarm like a mob, but that can't be right.'
I had heard about it from Go Jeong-ui and toured fortresses in Liaodong before, but this was my first time with an assault force. The basic unit was the dang, around a thousand men, led by a dangju. They were more often called malgaek, or sometimes maryak or gundu. High-ranking military officers were appointed to these roles.
Above the malgaek was the daemodae, also known as daedangju—"great dangju"—held by officers of the rank of joeuidaehaeng. Local fortresses were typically commanded by a malgaek and daemodae. Yoksal and Cheoryeogeun issued orders to them. In hereditary cases like Ansi Fortress, such distinctions were meaningless.
For forces under a thousand, garadal and nucho took command. The records only mentioned them handling local administration, which puzzled me at first. But in the Three Kingdoms era, administrative and military authority weren't clearly separated.
'They're local officials in peacetime, but when war breaks out, they grab their swords and lead their men.'
A garadal commanded roughly five hundred, a nucho about a hundred. The Malgal tribes ignored such structures, with chiefs or their sons leading regardless of numbers.
'More complex than I thought.'
There were clear manuals even for marching and movement. The supply system was solid enough for long expeditions. Go Jeong-ui told me this structure had taken shape around the time of King Gwanggaeto the Great.
'No wonder they hit their peak after that.'
But Goguryeo now was a step down from that zenith. Silla and Baekje had seized what is now Seoul, northern Gyeonggi, and Gangwon regions. The unification dynasty in China added mounting pressure.
'So much to do.'
As we marched, intelligence on our target, Niha Fortress, trickled in. Silla couldn't have missed our months of preparation from the capital Zhang'an Fortress. Yet there was no notable movement. So when we reached Sugok Fortress, we held a council of war.
On Sa-mun, who had come to my tent, listened and shared his guess.
"They're luring us into a trap."
"A trap?"
"They'll wait until we attack Niha. Then, when we're worn out, their relief force shows up, seizes our rear, and forces us to choose."
"Choose how?"
On Sa-mun thought briefly before speaking.
"Regret makes you hesitate. You've taken losses sieging the fortress, but you think one more push might breach it."
"That's when the relief army hits our back."
"Exactly. Break the siege to face them, or hold and fight on two fronts—neither is easy. You'd have the fortress at your back."
An-go picked up,
"Both options are disadvantageous. Fighting with the fortress behind you means watching for sorties at any moment. Split your forces half-and-half, and if you lose, you retreat and abandon the siege. Plus..."
He sighed.
"Everyone knows we're heading to Niha."
"No word yet on reinforcements bolstering Niha."
"They're waiting."
"For what?"
"Us to come to them. They'll snap shut when we get close. Their fangs are venomous—they hurt like hell."
I crossed my arms, deep in thought at An-go's words. In movies and dramas, our side always won, but reality was brutally different. Even these battle-hardened veterans were worried. But we couldn't end the meeting like this.
Uncrossing my arms, I looked firmly at the generals, Yang Manchun, and Go Jeong-ui.
"Then we grab their jaws and yank out their fangs. Right?"
The mood lightened a bit. Just then, Geom Mojam's voice came from outside the command tent where the meeting was held.
"Come in."