Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Great King Namsaeng
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“Is it only the crown prince?”
Yeon Jeong-du swallowed hard, his face as if he’d taken another hit.
“Even Arah? That’s ridiculous.”
“Whether the Chief of Central Administration believes it or not doesn’t matter. What’s certain is that we nearly botched the negotiations because of faulty information.”
“Botched the negotiations?”
“If I’d been punished, Baekje would have taken it as a sign that we had no intention of allying with them.”
Yeon Jeong-du started to say something but clamped his mouth shut. Seeing that, I added,
“And that would mean the alliance goes up in smoke.”
Yeon Jeong-du shook his head, unable to accept the achievements I’d pulled off.
“There’s no guarantee the Crown Prince Uija will become the next Arah.”
“There was no guarantee that the Sa-taek clan’s candidate, Prince Gogi, would become king either. But who did Arah entrust this crucial alliance matter to?”
Once again, Yeon Jeong-du had no reply.
“I’ve told you several times that staying at Geumma Temple doesn’t mean he’s out of Arah’s favor—it’s just speculation.”
“Fine, fine, I get it. So tell me about the secret pact we made to seal the alliance.”
“No.”
I cut him off flatly, and Yeon Jeong-du’s eyes bulged wide.
“What? Have you forgotten who I am?”
“You’re the Chief of Central Administration. And the one who nearly wrecked this whole negotiation.”
“Watch your tongue.”
“Am I wrong? If I hadn’t come with Crown Prince Uija, you wouldn’t have believed a word I said. And if you’d sent someone else to haggle back and forth, Baekje would naturally see it as stalling tactics. Meanwhile, all our info would’ve leaked straight to Silla.”
It wasn’t wrong, so Yeon Jeong-du couldn’t refute it outright and nitpicked instead.
“So you’re saying I leaked info to Silla?”
“Of course not. But there’s definitely someone among your close aides. Otherwise, why would I get attacked by assassins in Silla?”
“There’s no proof our side leaked anything.”
“I crossed the border in disguise, quietly. Countless people slip across like that, but my group was the only one ambushed. And you still think no info leaked?”
I turned the question back on him, and Yeon Jeong-du fell silent.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Then I’ll wait for the results. Tell me who it was and how they colluded with Silla.”
I was curious how he’d cover it up. Yeon Jeong-du let out a long sigh, looking like his chest might burst. Taking it as a sign there was nothing more to say, I finished my tea and stood slowly.
“Arrange my audience with the Great King soon. He’s got a shorter fuse than he looks.”
“Friends with Baekje’s crown prince? What kind of trick did you pull?”
“Trick? I just showed him my sincerity. Explained the benefits of allying with us, and he bought it.”
“How do you plan to take Danghangpo? That place isn’t easy to crack.”
“I’ve got that covered too. Let me know once you’ve rooted out the spy.”
I stood with a relaxed smile. Then I walked to the door, where Deputy Chief Bu-sang waited. I held out my hand, and the dazed deputy chief hurriedly handed over Jumong’s spearhead.
“Thanks.”
“You gave your permission, so nothing weird should happen, right?”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
I brushed it off with a light laugh and stepped out of the annex. The sun was setting, casting thick shadows from the annex across the ground. Soldiers on patrol with spears marched over them.
Back at the residence, my wife waited, the baby swaddled against her.
“It’s still chilly out—why are you here?”
I fussed, and the old nursemaid and maids beside her covered their mouths, giggling.
“He seemed to miss his father’s face.”
At her words, I looked at our son again. Back in my previous modern life before possessing this body, I hadn’t even dreamed of dating, let alone marriage. Yet here I was, a father. It was unbelievable—I wanted to pinch my cheek, but my son reached out and tugged my face. His mother scolded him, startled, but I was delighted.
“He’s got a good grip.”
“Must take after his father.”
I grinned like an idiot. I wanted to stay longer, but my men and Crown Prince Uija were waiting. Reading my face, my wife spoke first.
“Go talk with them. I’ll be here with the baby.”
“Thank you, dear.”
After chatting with her, I headed straight to Binyeon Pavilion. Geom Mojam, waiting at the door, greeted me.
“You’re back? His Highness the crown prince is waiting.”
“Let’s go in.”
The air was still crisp, sending a chill into my bones. Even inside Binyeon Pavilion, several braziers glowed. Crown Prince Uija, sitting beside Buyeo Seung as he talked with my men, turned at the sound of the door.
“Didn’t know you had a son. He looks just like you.”
“They say he’s strong like me too, Your Highness.”
I approached and clasped his hand firmly.
“I’m so grateful—and satisfied—today.”
“Having to deal with a superior like that... I can imagine your headaches, truly.”
“My men and friends make it bearable.”
Yang Manchun burst out laughing at that.
“You always know what to say. Growing a beard’s made your voice deeper too.”
Crown Prince Uija laughed heartily in reply.
“He’s charmed plenty in Baekje with that silver tongue—even me and Father.”
As the laughter died down, I took a seat by the brazier. Exhaustion from the day’s events hit hard, but I had to stay sharp. I took a deep breath and looked at Yang Manchun and my men. Recalling how trustworthy they all were eased my tension.
“I went to Baekje this time and brought back His Highness. In a few days, he’ll meet the Great King and formally seal the alliance between Baekje and Goguryeo.”
Yang Manchun chimed in.
“Finally, we team up with Baekje and beat the Silla bastards black and blue?”
“Exactly. We’ll join forces and strike where it hurts most.”
I outlined the plans I’d hashed out with Crown Prince Uija and King Mu in Baekje. They listened with grave expressions, and Ham-a spoke first.
“We’ll need shipbuilders.”
“Yeah, know anyone good?”
“My old crew made cart wheels and such—nothing to do with ships.”
“Guess we’ll call on the Maemul Merchant Guild again. Seon Do-hae.”
Seon Do-hae, now joining our meetings, barked a response loud enough for all to hear.
“Yes, sir!”
“Send word to the guild—get shipwrights here.”
“Right away.”
“And Ham-a.”
“Yes.”
“Cover the ship’s roof with iron plates. Can you do it?”
“Nail sheets to the decking. Easy.”
“Make sure nails stick out on the outside. So enemies can’t board.”
“Got it.”
“How’s Goguryeo Fire coming?”
“Mixed it with black oil from near Ansi Fortress—burns even hotter. Tweaking the bone meal ratio.”
“Plenty of time—test thoroughly.”
“Yes.”
“I want it in long tubes, pumped with air to spew flames.”
“Village smithy used bellows on furnace flues. Could adapt that to shoot from tubes.”
“Build it together. And for the box crossbow—we’ll load it too, but coat the bolts with Goguryeo Fire.”
“Dip tips and fire?”
“Need more volume. What if we hang a canister on the shaft?”
“Shortens range.”
Ham-a glanced at Go Jeong-ui, who grabbed a brush from the table, ready to sketch.
“Attach a round cloth or wood pouch right behind the tip, fill with Goguryeo Fire?”
“Hits something, breaks, and splatters fire?”
“Yes. Impact on walls or trees shatters it.”
“Good. Test it—experiment, I mean. One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Box crossbows take forever to reload.”
“True. Pulling the claw’s tough.”
“Tie a rope and heavy stone to the bowstring, drop it down?”
It was an idea from a novel I’d written before.
“Too much tension snaps the string, but dialed right... yeah.”
“Ships’ll have space below deck anyway. Drop the stone there—way faster than the claw.”
“I’ll experiment.”
“Good. Priority’s finding shipbuilders first.”
“What’re we naming this ship anyway?”
I wanted to say “turtle ship” at Yang Manchun’s question but held back.
Can’t steal that name too.
Racking my brain with no name in mind, Go Yeon-mu spoke up.
“It breathes fire and looks like a turtle overall—how about Flame Ghost Ship?”
Sensing the tension, Go Jeong-ui jumped in.
“You said dragon head, so Flame Dragon Ship.”
“Turtle, not dragon.”
“Turtles look slow and cowardly. Dragon sounds fierce.”
Their bickering amused the weary group. I raised a hand to stop it.
“Enough. We’ll call it Flame Ghost Ship.”
“Flame Ghost Ship?”
As Go Jeong-ui huffed in protest, Go Yeon-mu pounced.
“Great name.”
Go Jeong-ui’s glare at him was priceless. I cleared my throat lightly and moved on.
“Ita-in, Go Dol-bal.”
They looked my way.
“That flail Adokbang carries.”
Adokbang stood and showed it off.
“Could cavalry use these effectively?”
They eyed each other, then Ita-in spoke first.
“Swords and spears need slashes or thrusts, but flails just swing. Perfect for less-trained riders.”
Go Dol-bal agreed.
“Swinging from horseback amps the power. Helmets and armor won’t block the shock fully.”
I turned back to Ham-a.
“For mounted use, make it lighter and shorter than Adokbang’s. One-handed swingable.”
Ham-a took Adokbang’s flail, examined it closely, then nodded curtly, ideas forming.