Goddess of Fortune - 2
At this, General Lee Changhae, who was standing to the left of General Jingilyeong, a gaunt man with white hair and a long beard, glared coldly at the room before speaking.
"The main force of the punitive army will consist of 200,000 troops from the Central Marshal's Office. In addition, 150,000 will be mobilized from the Northeastern Marshal's Office."
Hearing this, Grand General Marong's face flushed red as he protested.
"But that's only 350,000! And if we remove 150,000 from the Northeastern Marshal's Office, who will defend the northeast? Are you telling us to defend everything with only 50,000 troops and some undertrained local forces?"
"No. Once the campaign begins, we will notify the royal houses to select 50,000 of their most skilled troops from the local forces. This will give us an additional 250,000. Of these, 150,000 will join the campaign, while the remaining 100,000 will be stationed as defensive forces at key locations."
"But even with that, it's still only 500,000. Right now, Yo has 800,000 troops at the border, and they have another 500,000 ready in reserve. That's a total of 1.3 million. If we attack with just 500,000, it will be like smashing an egg against a rock."
"That's not true. Song will mobilize 500,000 troops, and in addition, Jing An will contribute 30,000, Goryeo will send 200,000, and the chiefs of the Jurchen tribes have promised military support. Altogether, the Jurchen forces alone will add 300,000, bringing our total to 1.03 million."
Grand General Marong responded with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"That's a massive army, but it won't be easy to manage. And how do you plan to handle the supply lines?"
"Each group will manage its own supplies. Of the Jurchen forces, 80,000 will advance from the north, 150,000 from the center, and the remaining 70,000 will move south in coordination with the Goryeo forces. Jing An's 30,000 troops will join forces with our main army."
Everyone nodded as they listened to General Lee Changhae's explanation, but Grand General Marong sighed deeply, his voice tinged with regret.
"Even with a total force of 1.03 million, I still have concerns. Yo's strength is overwhelming right now, and we have serious problems with Mongolia. In hindsight, we should have cut down Yo's power before they became this strong. While the Imperial Black Wind Brigade was recovering, we didn't pay enough attention to the border, and it gave the barbarians the perfect opportunity to unite. What's worse is that Yo has only grown stronger. If we had sent mercenary forces from the Central Marshal's Office earlier to deal with them properly, things wouldn't have escalated to this point."
General Jingilyeong nodded in agreement.
"What good will regrets do now? The real issue is that we've relied too heavily on the Black Wind Brigade for border conflicts, and our regular troops lack battlefield experience. If this war drags on, it won't just be the treasury that suffers—the real concern is whether Mongolia, a powerful cavalry nation, will unify. The best course of action would be to nip Mongolia in the bud before they grow any stronger."
Grand General Okyeongjin nodded in agreement with this sentiment.
"You're right. The Mongols, despite growing up in a harsh climate and on barren land, will be a formidable force once they unify. The biggest headache right now is a man named Cheoljintian, who was recently proclaimed Khan in the northwest. He started as a small tribal leader, but by the time he reached his forties, he had unified the surrounding tribes, building a powerful force. He's revered as the Gray Wolf, a courageous figure, and the most dangerous man we face."
Grand General Marong looked toward General Jingilyeong, seeking agreement.
"How about we just assassinate him?"
But General Jingilyeong shook his head.
"We've tried several times, but the terrain is too harsh, and we can't even confirm whether the assassins reached him."
Grand General Okyeongjin asked Jingilyeong, "What does His Majesty think about this preemptive strike against Yo? In the past, he would consult with us on major decisions, but these days…"
"That wretched schemer Eomseung has been meddling, which is why no decision has been made yet. As you know, for reasons unknown—perhaps he's been bribed by Yo—Eomseung has been advocating for peace with them. He whispers sweet words into His Majesty's ear, and what can we do when the emperor listens to that?"
Grand General Marong joined in the frustration.
"It's outrageous that someone like Eomseung, the mere brother of a concubine, is involving himself not only in state affairs but in military matters as well."
General Lee Changhae clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Tsk, tsk. His Majesty wasn't like this before, but ever since he became enamored with Consort Eom, he's been neglecting his duties. He's getting old. It's time for him to pass the throne to the crown prince…"
But General Jingilyeong cut him off, "Watch your words! Talking like that could get you accused of treason if it's taken out of context."
Lee Changhae bristled at the warning. "Isn't it the truth? Eomseung is already working behind the scenes to replace the head of the Imperial Guards with one of his relatives."
Grand General Okyeongjin shook his head but didn't fully deny it, muttering, "Surely not. Commander Jang Dae-yeong is a widely respected loyalist. There's no way he would be ousted…"
"No one can predict the future. If it happens, Eomseung will control all the court's information, and even one wrong word could cost you your life."
"..."
"It's a sad state of affairs. His Majesty was once called a wise king, but now, in his later years, he's making such grave mistakes…"
Because of Eomseung's interference, despite all the preparations being in place, the order to attack Yo had yet to come. The campaign had been delayed repeatedly. The defense of the northeast had already been handed over to the local forces, and the reserve troops were gathered outside Beijing, preparing for war with Yo.
At that moment, urgent news arrived at the military headquarters. As soon as it was received, the order was given for all high-ranking generals to gather.
A large map lay spread out on the table, and the many figurines representing Yo's forces had disappeared. This symbolized the disappearance of nearly 500,000 troops. The joy on the faces of the generals who confirmed this was unmistakable.
General Jingilyeong, the head of the military council, smiled as he spoke.
"Good news has arrived from Goryeo. Before engaging Song, the 500,000-strong army that Yo sent to conquer Goryeo has been utterly destroyed by the fierce Goryeo general, Gang Gamchan. Only a few thousand survived."
Grand General Marong asked in disbelief, "What kind of strategy could have reduced 500,000 troops to just a few thousand?"
"It seems it was a meticulously planned operation," responded Jingilyeong.
"What kind of operation?"
"They evacuated all the villages along the anticipated invasion routes to prevent the Yo forces from securing food supplies. Then, they waited for the enemy to advance deeper and ambushed their supply lines, cutting off their provisions. Naturally, morale plummeted after that."
"A brilliant strategy."
While Grand General Marong nodded in agreement, General Lee Changhae seemed unimpressed, saying, "That's not such a brilliant strategy. It's straight out of The Three Kingdoms. It's the same tactic that was planned to be used by Shu against Liu Bei. To think the barbarians fell for such an old trick…"
Jingilyeong, however, pointed out the flaw in his reasoning.
"That's not entirely true. While everyone knows of that tactic, actually implementing it is extremely difficult. It requires the nerve to uproot all the civilians in the area and demolish their homes. In The Three Kingdoms, even Liu Zhang couldn't bring himself to execute such a plan because of his concern for the people. In contrast, this general, Gang Gamchan, must be quite extraordinary."
"It's certainly ruthless," said Lee Changhae. "He must not have cared for the well-being of the civilians, choosing the harshest form of warfare…"
"Don't speak too harshly. It was a war for the survival of his nation. After cutting off their supplies, Gang Gamchan launched fire attacks and ambushes at various points to exhaust the enemy. Finally, he destroyed the dikes along their path, dealing a crippling blow. But with such a large army, breaking a dam wouldn't be enough to cause such devastation. Despite everything, the commander of the Yo army, Sobaiap, continued his march south. However, the lack of supplies and constant ambushes eventually shattered their morale, forcing a retreat. Gang Gamchan's relentless pursuit of the retreating army resulted in only a few thousand surviving out of the original 500,000."
The gathered generals all nodded in admiration.
"Goryeo has now repelled Yo's large-scale invasions three times. For such a small nation to fend off Yo's forces with relatively few losses is nothing short of miraculous. This victory is a gift from the heavens, and we must not squander this opportunity. With Yo temporarily weakened, we should adjust our plans and eliminate the rising threat of Cheoljintian in Mongolia. If we send in about 300,000 to 400,000 troops, we'll resolve the issue quickly. Afterward, we can redirect our forces to crush Yo. The Jurchen chieftains have already pledged their support for our war against Yo, and while Goryeo may be weary of conflict, they won't be able to refuse our call to arms."
After Jingilyeong's explanation, General Lim Cheong, a vice-commander in the Central General Staff, cautiously raised a concern.
"Yo is a powerful nation, and we don't know how long this war might last. The Khitan are a nomadic people, and nearly all of their men are capable soldiers. Even though they've lost 500,000 troops, they could rally new forces for a long, drawn-out war. If the conflict drags on too long, the people's morale will falter, and that could become a serious issue."
"It's not a big issue if the people's sentiments waver a bit."
"Still, continuing to wage war is risky."
General Imcheong agreed with General Maryong's opinion.
"That's right. All of our military forces are focused on Liao. If a rebellion were to break out, it would be difficult to suppress. Even the mighty Han dynasty collapsed because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. There's no guarantee that the Song dynasty won't face a similar situation."
General Gongsangji, who had come to the capital from the Northern Command to discuss strategy, had been listening quietly until now and spoke up.
"That's true. And if we attack Mongolia from our homeland, the emperor of Liao is no fool. He'll realize we're preparing to attack him next and clean up on his side. If they launch a preemptive strike, our losses will be even greater.
Why don't we attack both Mongolia and Liao simultaneously? Liao has suffered massive damage already, so it would be difficult for them to reorganize their forces quickly. If we seize the momentum early, we can easily sway the smaller nomadic tribes nearby to join our cause. By deploying them in battle, we can minimize our own losses.
Starting both battles at the same time will also shorten the war period compared to finishing with Mongolia and then turning to Liao."
Hearing General Gongsangji's suggestion, Commander Jingilyeong sighed.
"It's a good idea. But we don't have enough forces to dispatch even to Mongolia."
At that moment, General Okyeongjin stepped forward.
"I will take responsibility for Mongolia. Just give me 10,000 soldiers. All I need is 200 crossbows and some infantry. The Black Wind Brigade is a cavalry unit, but with crossbow support, the damage will be minimized. Since we'll mobilize 20,000 soldiers, we won't need much additional grain. I believe the provisions stored near the Mongolian border will be enough, so we can focus our full forces on the Liao front."
As General Okyeongjin finished speaking, Commander Jingilyeong asked General Imcheong,
"Would it be possible to spare 10,000 soldiers from the Northern Command?"
"Yes, we can send not just 10,000 but even 50,000 if necessary."
"Understood, General Im. Thank you, General Ok. Take 10,000 from the Northern Command's troops. The remaining 190,000 will be reserved as backup forces, so feel free to request more if needed. Can you finish the Mongolian expedition quickly if possible?"
"Do you have a separate plan for using the Black Wind Brigade?" Commander Jingilyeong looked slightly troubled.
"Actually, there's a secret operation I've planned with Marshal Ichanghae."
"Is it also secret from us?"
Marshal Ichanghae burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, no. My plan is to conquer not only Liao but also Jurchen. It will take a lot of time to complete all the conquests. In the meantime, I'd like General Ok to block the movements of the outer tribes."
"Even Jurchen?"
"The Jurchen are also forming significant tribes now. We'll pressure their leaders to send forces for the war against Liao, depleting their strength. Once the war with Liao is over, we'll turn to conquer the Jurchen as well. During the Mongolian expedition, don't hold back. Crush them so that they'll never think of invading Central Plains again."
"Understood. But how do you plan to overcome Eom Seung's opposition?"
Commander Jingilyeong answered,
"I plan to give him an important task and send him to Jeongryeong Mountain for about seven days."
"Jeongryeong Mountain?"
"Yes, it's where we perform national rituals during critical times. Since Goryeo fortunately annihilated the Liao army, our nation is at peace for the time being. I'll suggest to the emperor that we offer thanks to the heavens and our ancestors. I'll recommend Eom Seung as the most suitable person for the ritual. Being the head priest of such an important ceremony is a great honor. The emperor, who holds Eom Seung in high regard, will likely agree."
All the generals admired the idea.
"It's a brilliant plan."
"The ritual will take three days, and the round trip to Jeongryeong Mountain will take four, giving us seven days. During that time, if we continuously petition the emperor, we'll get approval. If anyone has a better idea or additional points to suggest, please speak up."
General Maryong suddenly remembered something.
"Ah! Eom's family estate is near Euiyang Fortress, not far from Jeongryeong Mountain. It would be a good idea to suggest to the emperor that some fine gifts be sent to Eom's family estate. We can also suggest that Eom Seung deliver the gifts on his way to perform the ritual. That way, he won't be able to refuse."
"That's a great plan. Let's use both ideas."
Goddess of Fortune - 3
Okyeongjin, upon returning home, called for Gukgwang and Okhang. He led them to his study. As always, the study was modestly furnished, with various weapons and armor arranged around. In one corner were a few newly placed items: two sets of armor with accompanying accessories and a few new weapons. Okyeongjin guided them toward the equipment.
"Soon, a war with Mongolia will break out. When that happens, I intend to take both of you with me. Since it'll be your first time on a battlefield... I've prepared a few things. Choose whatever you like."
Okhang couldn't suppress his excitement as he carefully touched the black armor in front of him. Seeing this, Okyeongjin shook his head.
"That armor is for Gukgwang. Yours is over there."
The armor Okyeongjin pointed to was made of much thicker steel than Gukgwang's. Okhang, after touching it lightly, protested.
"This is way too heavy. How am I supposed to fight wearing this?"
"I already asked Gukgwang, and he didn't need anything like this since his martial prowess is high enough that he doesn't need armor. But you're different. Without this, it'll be hard to survive the hail of arrows on the battlefield."