Chapter 97 – Questions and Answers
Watching the disorderly movement, Yeongu let out a short breath.
As he turned to leave as well, Zonghan stopped him.
"They are looking for you, Nangjang."
"Who would be looking for me. There is no one here who knows me."
"Kim Busik's main household."
Who was Kim Busik, and what was meant by the main household.
When Yeongu remained silent, Zonghan explained further.
"He is the one who played the greatest role in this matter. He also requested that the Goryeo advisers remain with us."
Yeongu laughed.
"If you had said that in front of those men, you would have been beaten."
Zonghan laughed as well.
"That may be so."
While Yeongu hesitated to enter, Kim Busik and his brothers came outside.
Seeing them as high officials of the court, Yeongu straightened his posture.
"Attention. Nangjang Lee Yeongu of Seonchun Ridge. I have returned from the Jurchen front. I am to report back shortly."
Kim Busik smiled gently.
"This is not a military camp. You may be at ease. We simply wished to see you."
There was a clear difference in rank, yet his tone remained respectful.
"Please, come inside. We were curious about you."
Yeongu did not move immediately.
Names such as Park Cheolgu, Seo Uitaek, Yi Heesong, and Kim Baeksu came to mind—
men who embodied political maneuvering within the military.
He felt as though this place stood at the end of that same line.
Kim Busik continued,
"There is no cause for concern. I am Kim Busik, currently serving as Vice Chancellor. You are sixth rank—there is not as much distance as you might think."
Yeongu replied,
"My rank has been raised, but in truth I am no different from a junior officer."
"In distant assignments, circumstances often prevent proper appointments."
Yeongu lowered his head.
Seonchun Ridge was already far beyond the frontier.
It was farther than crossing the entire breadth of Goryeo.
Kim Busik led him inside.
He wished to observe the man more closely in the light.
When Yeongu hesitated, Kim Busik gently took his sleeve.
"Please, come in. We would like to hear of distant lands, and of the situation at the front."
Inside, the Kim brothers were seated around a round table.
Yeongu recognized them—
a Silla-descended noble family long favored since the founding of Goryeo.
A seat was offered, but he did not sit.
He had been taught caution.
There were those who offered courtesy only to judge how it was received.
"It is more comfortable to stand."
He rested his arm lightly against his belt, still carrying the fatigue of travel.
"A true soldier."
One of the brothers spoke.
"I am not."
"We have many questions."
"I will answer what I can, within the limits of military matters."
At the mention of military matters, Kim Busik smiled faintly.
It was the smile of one who believed he had the right to hear such things.
"First, allow me to thank you for your service. I speak as one of the people."
Yeongu straightened his posture.
"It was my duty."
Kim Busik continued,
"We hear your rise has been rapid—from soldier to junior officer, and then to nangjang."
Yeongu understood what was being asked.
The years he had served since his mid-teens were not being considered.
Even then, there had been debate.
Many believed he should have advanced through the proper ranks.
But the circumstances of his assignment to the Jurchens had changed that.
He had been elevated quickly to the rank of nangjang.
Even so, his command remained small—only twenty-five men.
The scale was no different from that of a junior officer.
His own sense of position remained close to that level.
His tendency to stay close to those below him reinforced it.
"We have many questions."
"Please ask. As I said earlier, I will answer anything that does not fall under military secrecy."
Kim Busik glanced briefly at Zonghan, then asked Yeongu,
"How many troops do the Jurchens have?"
Yeongu refused immediately.
"That is a military secret."
Kim Bucheol gripped the table.
It looked as though he might overturn it.
There are those who believe that when a superior asks, anything must be answered.
There is no reason beyond the fact that they are in a higher position.
"I am Kim Bucheol of the Hanlim Office."
"Regardless of your post, my answer remains the same. I will answer what I can."
"You must answer every question."
"If I return and am punished a hundredfold for a single answer, should I still speak?"
"That is loyalty."
Yeongu replied,
"I do not give loyalty to a person."
"What?"
"That is a soldier's code."
The atmosphere shifted.
Kim Busik lowered the tone of the exchange.
"What of your casualties?"
That was the question that should have come first.
"Our armor held. There were no serious injuries—only minor abrasions."
"Your armor is that good?"
"We wear it in layers—two, even three—to improve survivability."
He did not mention the new armor.
Nor did he speak of iron cavalry or numbers.
Such details would stir not only enemies, but other states as well.
Kim Busik continued,
"Where will you report now? The Three Armies have been disbanded."
Yeongu answered,
"With the Three Armies dissolved, I report to the Divine Tiger Guard."
"Your superiors have all lost their posts."
"I will report to Bak Geunsu."
"The structure has changed."
Yeongu paused, then said,
"You mean he now serves as a Jungnangjang?"
Kim Busik nodded.
"You have been away a long time."
Yeongu let that explanation stand.
Kim Busik smiled faintly.
"Do you believe the Jurchens can defeat Liao?"
"I do not know the Liao army in depth. But if battles continue as the last one did, I believe they can win."
Kim Buil asked,
"After living under such oppression, can they truly rise so quickly?"
"With the return of the Nine Fortresses, they regained their base. Their economic position has improved. Their soldiers are strong and loyal, and they are becoming organized. This is not the same force as before."
"What do you mean by 'organized'?"
"They now have structured formations and a clear chain of command. They are equipped, trained, and battle-tested. Of all the armies I have seen, they are the strongest."
"You will not answer specifics, I assume."
"I will answer what may aid political judgment."
Kim Bui asked,
"Then what course should Goryeo take in its diplomacy?"
"They are a brother state. If they hold to loyalty, they will not be endangered."
"Loyalty without condition. That could place them under the hooves of an empire."
Yeongu thought for a moment.
"I do not know diplomacy. But Liao is clearly on the defensive. Two defeats have unsettled them. They have realized their current system cannot withstand the Jurchens. The actions of Song and Goryeo will matter. Song and Liao are enemies, and Song continues to pay heavy tribute."
Kim Bui said,
"It makes no difference whether tribute goes to Liao or to the Jurchens."
"I have heard Song seeks to recover its territories."
"Territories?"
"Yanjing, in particular."
Kim Busik remarked,
"You have taken the side of the Jurchens."
"I was sent for that purpose."
"Or perhaps you were meant to become a spy."
"I received no such order. I was told to assist them to the best of my ability."
Kim Bui shifted the subject.
"Your rapid promotion is of interest."
Yeongu answered plainly,
"Merit in battle leads to advancement."
"Merit."
"That is how it was judged."
"And your own view?"
"I fought to survive. That is all."
Kim Buil asked,
"And your martial skill?"
"I am skilled with the bow. But it is nothing exceptional. Most Goryeo soldiers are."
"And beyond that?"
"I have learned basic sword techniques. That as well is common."
"The national sword methods?"
"Yes."
He did not mention Baek In-gyeom.
Kim Buil asked,
"Were you perhaps a lay monk?"
"No. I was an archer."
Kim Buil said,
"You do not seem particularly favorable toward us."
Yeongu pressed his lips together.
"I serve on the front line. Whenever politics wavers, the front shakes. A single word can send many to their deaths. That is why I am cautious.
Questions can become the first step toward such outcomes. Once words are used to justify decisions, the front is overturned.
We hope for no change. Even maintaining the present is difficult. If one thread breaks, everything collapses. We endure to hold it together."
His words grew long and uneven.
Kim Buil frowned, but Kim Busik nodded.
"I understand. We ask out of duty to the state. That may burden the front, but we have our role as well."
Yeongu replied,
"I understand that also. Sending troops far away and waiting for the outcome is no easy matter."
Then he continued,
"But there are those who exploit that situation. They exaggerate threats to secure greater support. They turn reports into achievements for their own advancement."
"Such things have happened?"
"Information becomes distorted. Diplomacy is built upon it."
Kim Busik said,
"You speak at length today."
"To avoid speaking of what matters most."
Yeongu pressed his lips again.
He knew his tone had grown too sharp.
"My apologies."
Kim Buil asked,
"You say all this and then apologize?"
"I meant no offense."
Kim Bui laughed lightly.
"We understand. Those involved have already fallen."
"I have heard. Still, the unease remains."
Kim Busik smiled.
"Strange words for a general who has defeated Liao."
"Many lives depend on such matters. If a single word of mine can change things, I must be careful. This place must not be used for personal gain."
"It has been a long time since we have seen a true soldier."
It was praise.
Yeongu understood its weight.
"I am not suited to high rank. I belong closer to the soldiers. I see their thoughts and their hardships more clearly. For now, I only wish for this to end."
He was young, and without experience in such matters.
Words alone could not resolve everything.
Kim Busik concluded,
"There is no reason to detain a soldier returned from the field. We should send him off with due respect."
Yeongu rose slowly.
"If you need anything, you may ask. I hope your leave is restful."
"Thank you."
Yeongu stepped away.
The others seemed relieved that the tension had passed.