Chapter 111 — At Hoegyeong Hall (會慶殿)
In Hoegyeong Hall, he reported on the situation at the front.
The grand hall was filled with officials, and Yeong-u stood at the very end of the line, like a child picked up off the street.
An unfamiliar ritual proceeded, and then the council began.
They spoke of the Jurchens and the northern front, yet he could not grasp a single word.
The sounds reached his ears, but their meaning never translated inside his mind.
Everything became a dull, droning noise.
It was their discussion.
It did not reach him.
Even the council at the Central Military Chamber had not felt this distant.
He waited for his turn.
Or rather, he hoped his turn would never come.
At some point, Park Geun-su stepped forward, bringing Yeong-u with him.
Across from them stood the civil officials, watching him.
Their gazes held no emotion—faces stripped of preference, judgment, or any human warmth.
Gray, lifeless expressions that would not have seemed out of place in a grave.
Far ahead, he spotted the Kim Bu-sik brothers.
Opposite them stood Yi Hee-song.
The old man from the Privy Council was there as well.
When Yeong-u remained silent, Park Geun-su spoke.
"Speak. Tell them what the Jurchens will do."
Without knowing the full context, Yeong-u opened his mouth.
He drew out a few prepared words.
He could barely hear himself.
Only Park Geun-su's earlier words lingered clearly.
"I am a minor nangjang stationed in the countryside, yet I have been summoned to report in the royal hall of Gaegyeong. I consider this a great honor for my family. I will answer all questions as honestly as I can. However, if anything I say touches on military secrets, I ask those present to correct me."
He said everything he knew—
what they had fought, what they had won,
the gratitude of the Jurchens,
their refusal to invade Goryeo.
He went on to claim that the Liao would fall within a few years and that the Jurchens would devote all their strength to that end.
His words ran long and tangled.
There were too many people.
His thoughts scattered.
He was already prone to rambling—now it worsened.
Meanwhile, Yi Hee-song watched anxiously, afraid he might say something reckless.
The king listened.
No one else spoke.
At intervals, the king posed sharp questions.
"How do the Jurchens view the return of Guseong?"
"What must we do to preserve peace?"
"The Liao envoy has asked for aid—what is your view?"
"Why has the Jurchen military grown so strong so suddenly?"
"They speak of founding a state—is that true?"
"What course should Goryeo take?"
Cold sweat ran down Yeong-u's back.
He wanted nothing more than to sit and rest.
"The Jurchens will not betray Goryeo. Even if Guseong had not been returned, they would not have done so. I have seen how they treat other peoples—it is entirely different from how they treat us.
With Goryeo, they shoot a few arrows and withdraw. They say there is nothing to gain.
With Liao, they slaughter. They strip people, drag them away, enslave them, and eventually kill them.
When I asked why, they said Goryeo is a brother nation. Not only their leaders, but even their common warriors think this way.
While we were among them, they treated us with hospitality beyond words.
Wherever we passed, they gave us food, clothing, hides, and herbs.
When we asked why, they said it was only natural.
'Are you not Goryeo people?' they said, as if our question were strange.
They remember the past.
They will not attack or betray us."
"There are several reasons for their rise in strength.
First, they have secured large numbers of horses. Mobility is decisive on the Liaodong plains.
They wear layered armor and carry thicker shields to strengthen defense.
All of them are skilled archers.
After a series of victories, many tribes have submitted to them.
These tribes are no longer loose alliances—they are organized as a military.
They are structured into units of tens, hundreds, and thousands.
This is no longer a band of raiders.
It is an army capable of war.
They distribute spoils fairly.
That is why they fight with their lives."
"Their next objective will likely be the Liao heartland—Buyeo Prefecture.
If that falls, Liao will struggle to endure.
The surrounding tribes are aligning themselves with the Jurchens."
"The Liao's request for reinforcements shows their desperation.
Their army no longer possesses its former strength.
In the last battle, both tribal forces and elite units fled.
They did not fight to the death.
They will collapse before long."
"If we seek peace, we must strengthen our army.
Only military strength preserves a nation."
"Are you saying we are not strong?"
"Our soldiers are always ready to fight. Remove the constraints that hinder them, and their strength will rise."
At that moment, someone cut in.
"Enough of this. Speak of the enemy's strengths and weaknesses."
Yeong-u replied,
"I was asked to speak of our own weaknesses, but it seems unwelcome here. I apologize to Your Majesty, but it appears no one wishes to hear my words."
The king frowned.
"Was what I asked meaningless?"
"I beg forgiveness."
"Is speaking what I wish to hear considered meaningless?"
Then the king said,
"Speak. What is wrong with our army?"
Yeong-u answered.
"Last night, I was ambushed by assassins on my way home. There were five of them. I detected them and turned back, shot them down, and discovered the one who hired them. I spared them after learning the truth."
The king's eyes widened.
"Who ordered it?"
"Yi Hee-song."
The king's expression hardened.
"Why?"
"Because I did not obey. Because I would not act as he wished. So he tried to eliminate me."
Yeong-u continued.
"So I responded in kind. I went to Seocheon and commissioned an assassin. I gave all the money I had. It was not enough. They demanded ten times more upon success. Now I pray they fail—I have no money."
Some laughed quietly. Others flushed with anger.
The king laughed.
"And how will you take revenge?"
"A man's revenge may wait ten years."
The king laughed again.
"So that is the army's problem?"
"A man like that holds command."
"And what is the problem?"
"Their aim is simple—promotion, power, and personal gain. They act only for those ends."
His voice grew sharper.
"Those who have tasted power do not stop.
Even when their own men fall bleeding, they shout 'advance.'
Because they themselves stand behind the lines."
The king said,
"Your words are harsh."
"I beg forgiveness."
Yeong-u dropped to his knees and struck his forehead against the floor.
Park Geun-su rushed forward to stop him.
"There is no need for that."
Yeong-u already knew.
They did not want truth.
They wanted interpretations that favored themselves.
The king spoke again.
"Continue."
"Yes, Your Majesty."