Chapter 380
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 380
Chapter Title: Deceive Jo Yun (1)
Two days later, in Songzi of Hubei Province.
Yi Hwan headed straight to the spot where the mineral vein had been discovered. Upon arrival, he confirmed it was indeed in a highly problematic location.
Yi Hwan asked the person who had first found the vein.
"Can you estimate the reserves?"
"We'd need to excavate to know for sure, but based on my experience, I can confidently say this will become an enormous mine, Great Prince."
"How does it compare to other mines?"
"Even compared to the largest mine currently in our Yeon Kingdom, it would be at least three or four times bigger."
If true, it was an astronomical amount.
It was only natural to feel greedy. It could become a turning point for bolstering their military strength.
"Can I trust you and start operations?"
"If you ensure the safety of those working here, I will take responsibility and turn this into the finest mine."
He was referring to the issue with Qin Kingdom.
Who could dare speak so boldly in front of Yi Hwan?
That alone was enough for Yi Hwan to place his trust in the man.
"Very well. I'll handle that problem definitively, so begin developing the mine."
"Understood!"
Yi Hwan headed to a temporary building that had been set up.
There, he held a meeting with his close aides. Go Mi unrolled a map she had prepared in advance.
"This is Yeon Kingdom territory, and from here onward is the neutral zone. According to the information, about seventy percent of the vein is estimated to lie in the neutral zone."
Ju Tae muttered.
"Qin Kingdom already handed over a massive amount of iron to us this time, so they won't sit idly by."
"Can't we just negotiate? If we give them a little share, they have no reason to object, right? They're short on it themselves anyway."
At Hwa Ryeong's words, Yi Hwan subtly furrowed his brow.
"If Qin Kingdom cooperates, there won't be a problem, but if they get overly greedy, things could get complicated. We'll need to think it over."
Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong stood up.
"We're going to the nearest city to buy some daily necessities. We need alcohol for you to drink, Great Prince."
"Buy plenty while you're at it!"
"Lots of alcohol!"
"You're excited, aren't you? Then why don't the two of you go together? You're not expecting to carry it all back yourselves, are you?"
Yi Hwan stepped in.
"All of you go together. Have a drink while you're out."
"Thank you!"
"Yes, sir!"
Moments later, left alone, Yi Hwan pondered the best course of action. Unexpectedly, he found a solution quite quickly.
'I'll have to seek Jo Yun's help.'
* * *
Dusk.
Go Mi and the others returned. They had bought so much that the cart was overflowing.
Yi Hwan sat down across from Go Mi right away.
"I'm planning to move Zhao Kingdom. For that, I absolutely need the help of Moon Pavilion operating in Zhao Kingdom."
"......Pardon?"
"If we make Zhao Kingdom move in a way that forces Qin Kingdom to seek our aid again, we can claim this place entirely for ourselves."
"How exactly?"
"Listen carefully to what I say from now on."
"Understood."
Yi Hwan explained the plan to Go Mi.
As the explanation continued, Go Mi's eyes flickered with changing emotions. When it ended, she smiled.
"Did you come up with this in that short time?"
"Zhao Kingdom is such a brutish opponent that it wasn't as hard as I thought."
"Understood. I'll move immediately."
"By the way, how do you make contact with your friends operating in Zhao Kingdom?"
"Classified."
"......"
Go Mi smiled again.
"I'll tell you separately next time."
* * *
Zhao Kingdom Imperial Palace.
After Northern Yeon seized the neutral zone Zhao Kingdom had held and set up camp, many expected Jo Yun to launch a counterattack immediately.
However, contrary to expectations, Jo Yun had made no response thus far.
If they attacked Northern Yeon rashly, Yeon Kingdom might join, forcing Zhao to fight two nations at once.
Considering they had just waged a fierce war with Qin Kingdom in Guizhou until recently, they couldn't ignore the possibility of Qin's intervention.
Thus, Jo Yun had no choice but to hold back.
Zhao Kingdom's forces hadn't yet reached the level he desired, which was another reason.
Thud!
Jo Yun set down his teacup rather roughly.
"Has the Qin Emperor's status been confirmed?"
Sitting across from Jo Yun was Woo Mun-sul, who had returned not long ago.
"We haven't grasped it definitively yet. The Qin imperial family is tightly controlling related information, so we need a bit more time."
"You should have sent more people from the start."
"......My apologies."
Jo Yun's gaze upon Woo Mun-sul was icy and piercing.
"Still no word on those guys?"
"We confirmed Elder Sa Ma-hun's death, but Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang's fates are unknown. We've sent more children, so please wait just a little longer."
Bang!
"What the hell is 'handling it properly' supposed to mean! And you call yourself a strategist?"
"......"
Woo Mun-sul merely bowed his head. Speaking up in defense here might only incite greater wrath.
On the other hand, he was curious.
'Is he blaming me for the operation's failure? Or for failing to silence Do Geom and Dong Ja-ryang?'
Just then, a middle-aged man entered. He glanced at the bowed Woo Mun-sul, then prostrated himself.
"What is it?"
"There's a strange rumor circulating in the markets."
Twitch.
"You came to me for some rumor?!"
"It's a rumor related to Yeon and Qin Kingdoms, and Great Prince Yi Hwan of the alliance......"
"What?"
At that, Woo Mun-sul turned to the middle-aged man and urged him.
"Spit out what the rumor is."
"When Yi Hwan led his full forces to the border near Zhongqing to aid Qin Kingdom, Qin only gave half the iron they promised in return. Because of this, rumors are spreading that Yi Hwan will never help Qin again."
"Have you traced the rumor's origin?"
"Yes. It's from Pingchang in Sichuan Province, where merchants from the Three Central Kingdoms gather. We've cross-verified with merchants from Yeon and Qin Kingdoms, so it's reliable."
"Such a thing happened?"
Woo Mun-sul spoke up.
"We need to verify the rumor's truth more accurately. If it's true, Yeon Kingdom won't intervene anymore, giving us the perfect chance to target Guizhou again, don't you think?"
Jo Yun leaned back into his throne, calming his gaze. Woo Mun-sul and the middle-aged man awaited his permission.
After a moment, Jo Yun gave his approval.
"Fine. Move immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
* * *
Golden Army Command Headquarters.
Upon returning to the imperial capital, Yi Hwan went straight to Yi So with Go Mi.
Yi So greeted him with surprised eyes.
"You're back already?"
"I have something to discuss."
"What is it?"
Yi Hwan explained his plan to Yi So in detail. When he finished, Yi So subtly furrowed his brow.
"I'm not sure if that's wise."
Though it was a war between Zhao and Qin Kingdoms, not Yeon, thinking of the rivers of blood it would spill naturally weighed heavy on his heart.
"It could become Yeon Kingdom's lifeline for the next several decades. Please set aside everything else and think only of our Yeon Kingdom's benefit."
Yi So fell silent for a moment. Yi Hwan waited patiently without pressing.
Then Go Mi cautiously spoke up.
"Qin Kingdom's Grand General Won Gae-se tried to use the Great Prince as a sacrificial pawn for operational success in the Battle of Jeok-su. I don't think we need to worry about the well-being of such people."
"What? Such a thing happened?!"
Yi So's expression changed instantly. He pressed Yi Hwan.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I didn't think it was important enough for Your Highness to concern yourself with."
"Not important! They tried to sacrifice you, who stepped up to help! Have you ever seen such insolence in the world!"
Yi So's face flushed red with anger.
Go Mi's transmission voice flowed into Yi Hwan's ear.
[But why did you tell me to mention it?]
[I thought it would be more effective coming from you than me.]
[......]
Thud!
Yi So slammed the table with his hand and continued.
"Understood. Handle everything related to this as you see fit! Just ensure it doesn't escalate afterward."
"Your Highness, I have a request."
"Anything, speak."
"Please set the tone in the next court assembly that Yeon Kingdom will no longer cooperate with Qin. If you mention what happened to me, the ministers won't object."
"Is this to deliberately let it reach Zhao Kingdom's ears?"
"We must deceive Jo Yun thoroughly."
"Got it. I'll do so. Anything else?"
"That will suffice."
Thud!
Yi So slammed the table again.
"Won Gae-se, that unparalleled scoundrel—how should we deal with him?"
"Please calm your anger. It's in the past, and he's lost much because of it."
"Lost much? What do you mean?"
"He's lost the trust of Baek Woo-kyeong and the other warriors, so he's probably stomping the ground in regret by now."
"Even so, I can't forgive him!"
Gwan Ji-baek, standing to the side, smiled faintly.
"Please compose yourself, Your Highness."
Yi Hwan smiled too.
"I skipped breakfast rushing here. It's been a while—why don't we three brothers have a meal together?"
Only then did Yi So reluctantly crack a wry smile.
"Alright, let's do that."
* * *
The incident at Seokmun spread through Yeon Kingdom's imperial capital. Of course, Go Mi had leaked it using Moon Pavilion's intelligence network.
The news spread rapidly from mouth to mouth across the capital and reached the ears of Zhao Kingdom's spies.
Two young men, one in a blue robe and one in a yellow robe, were sharing drinks at an inn run by the Song family.
"The rumors seem entirely true. The capital is buzzing with talk of it everywhere."
"Then Yeon Kingdom might truly never aid Qin again. Flipping a national agreement so easily makes them untrustworthy."
"It'll be confirmed once our superiors who went to check the court atmosphere return. By the way, can the Qin Emperor really recover?"
"Who knows. But his injuries are severe, so we can only hope he breathes his last."
"If the Qin Emperor dies, Crown Prince Yang Mu will ascend immediately. I wonder if he'll be an easier opponent than the Qin Emperor."
"What His Majesty wants is chaos in Qin. If Yang Mu, who hasn't solidified his support base yet, takes the throne, we'll achieve our goal."
"Hmm. True."
It was then. The yellow-robed man sharpened his gaze.
"He's here."
A white-robed man entered. The blue- and yellow-robed men rose and bowed their heads.
"Please, come in."
"You fools have lost your minds."
"......Pardon?"
"Renting the most expensive room in the priciest inn. Did you strike gold or something?"
"The lower floor was too crowded, so we sought somewhere quiet, and it ended up like this."
"Never mind. Pour me a drink."
"Yes."
Pour.
As the blue-robed man filled a cup, he casually asked.
"How did it go?"
"They say at today's court assembly, the Yeon Emperor declared they won't help Qin anymore."
"Really?"
"It's from a reliable source, so no doubt. Pack up and send an express report to the capital immediately."
"Understood."
The white-robed man suddenly eyed the dishes and asked.
"How much is this?"
"Two taels of silver."
"You mad......"
"But it's a good day—please let it slide just once."
"Order one for me too."
"Yes, sir!"