Chapter 182: The Benevolent Have No Enemies (2)
Jigaekjeon . This was where foreign guests visiting the palace stay.
The original grand Jigaekjeon was converted into a teahouse and used as a resting place for the people, and the small hall that used to be a library was now being used as the Jigaekjeon instead. It was simple and unsightly in scale.
This was not strange since Jang Yang emphasized that everyone was equal. He was never given special treatment because he was an envoy from another country.
Those involved who did not know this were perplexed.
“The Prime Minister came in person, but he was treated so poorly. Is there any country that treats its envoys like this?”
A high-ranking official from the Song Dynasty folded her hands like a eunuch and continued to express his anger.
In front of him, Jinhoe was sitting on a small wooden chair, clutching a teacup.
“There is nothing to worry about. It would have been the same even if His Majesty had come in person.”
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“It’s just that they don’t have any ideas. They’re only using the useful palaces as a doctor’s office or a orphanage for orphans. It seems like Jang Yang is really crazy.”
At that time, the door to the guesthouse slid open. It was a strange sight, with the door moving by itself even though no one was there.
Jinhoe uttered a single word without changing his expression as if he knew the English sentence.
“Bangmyoya.”
At that moment, black smoke gathered in front of Jin Hui’s street and transformed into a human figure.
A person whose entire body was wrapped in bandages. It was his bodyguard, Amyeongchuhon .
“Yes, old man.”
“What did you think when you scouted the palace?”
Fang Myo hesitated for a moment and then spoke slowly.
“It’s a little strange. Everywhere I go, there are civilians and government officials mixed together, making me wonder if this is where the leader of a country lives.”
“It’s a sight I’ve never even imagined. How do you view this situation?”
“Everyone… was smiling.”
Jinhoe snorted and said.
“What you see is not everything. I guess this country won’t last long.”
“…Why?”
“What would happen if a dog and its owner ate together at the same table?”
“……?”
“A vicious dog tamed with a stick will not show its teeth even if it starves. However, a dog that is not properly trained will bite its owner when it is hungry.”
“But… there wasn’t a single hungry person like us in the Song Dynasty here.”
Jin Hui’s eyebrows narrowed slightly and then returned to their original state. He spoke after taking a sip of tea, as if trying to calm his mind.
“What do you know? After ten years, see how this place has changed and judge again. If this Jinhoe’s judgment is wrong, I will grant you one wish.”
“……Yes, old man.”
Jinhoe nodded once and asked.
“Did you also check the military camp?”
“Even the lowest-ranking soldiers are well-trained enough to surpass our golden army.”
The Geumgun was an elite unit directly under the imperial family that trained martial arts. A lowly soldier surpasses them? Jinhoe could not hide his surprise.
“You mean that much…?”
“Yes. This is definitely a strong group the likes of which we have never seen before.”
Jinhoe stroked his goatee and organized his thoughts.
“Well, if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to hold out until now. What about your troops?”
“I couldn’t figure it out. A person who appeared to be a general was patrolling the military camp, so I couldn’t go any deeper.”
“Is he someone you need to be that careful about?”
Who was Amyoung Chuhon? He was a legendary assassin who was raised as a guard by the Jin family and achieved great success. He was such a burdensome person to even approach. I couldn’t help but be curious.
“I don’t know. I just couldn’t guess the state. It was like….”
“like?”
“I felt similar to when I encountered General Han Se-chung.”
Jinhoe put down the teacup with a stern expression.
Han Se-chung, the most powerful general in the history of the Song Dynasty. Now he was a powerful figure in the military who even he could not wield as he pleased.
Anyway, I feel similar to that person who was an expert in Hyeon-gyeong. The assassin’s intuition had a very high hit rate and could not be ignored.
‘Until now, Fang Myo’s intuition has never been wrong. I heard that there was a great master in the So Dynasty. Could it be that he was a person who reached the level of a wise man?’
I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t help but prepare.
It was good news for now since it was a tacit ally. However, since it was a relationship that could one day become an enemy again, the situation and the game plan had to be recalculated.
It was a time of silence and silence. A shout of popularity was heard outside.
“I came to see you, Prime Minister.”
It seemed that Jang Yang had finished preparing for the interview.
As Fang Myo disappeared into the darkness, Jin Hui stood up. The civil servant assisting him opened the door and found about a dozen officials waiting.
Officials from the Song Dynasty had also come out and joined them in advance.
“What about the carriage?”
“You must walk. The use of carriages is prohibited within the castle except for the sick.”
Jinhoe’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Even though I didn’t know when I came and couldn’t prepare, I couldn’t understand this treatment now.
“What?”
“There is nothing we can do because it is the law. It is because of the risk of accidents to pedestrians.”
As expected, the Prime Minister himself was no exception. He was about to say something, but soon gave up and started walking with his back turned.
It was impossible to disassemble it. They had come to get help,
“Hurry and guide me.”
They did not say a word until they arrived at their destination.
In a cold atmosphere, the place we arrived after the solar eclipse was Hamgyangjeon. Of course, it only had a grandiose name and was an unattractive building.
It wasn’t surprising anymore.
Jin Hui walked alone, leaving behind the officials of the Song Dynasty. This was because it seemed like it would be cramped if everyone entered.
“I have enough on my own, so everyone wait here.”
Jin Hui gestured toward the sky and had Bang Myo wait outside. This was because if there was a person they were thinking of inside, their existence could be exposed.
But Jinhoe didn’t know. So-mu already knew who his bodyguard was.
Inside, two people had already arrived and were waiting. It wasn’t much different from Jinhoe’s expectations.
Jang Yang, who claimed to be a communist. And it was General So-mu, who was in charge of the military department of the So Dynasty. The military gas station was not present as it was away on some kind of mission.
“Thank you for your hard work coming a long way.”
“This is General So-mu.”
Jin Hoe also handed over the gun and spoke politely.
“Nothing much to say. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Jinhoe controlled his expression and said something he had no intention of saying.
Contrary to the words coming out of their mouths, the way they looked at each other was not kind.
From Jin Hui’s perspective, Jang Yang was like the leader of a rebel army. It was only because the central army was not a force that could handle it that the Qing Dynasty was neglected.
And wasn’t it also the treacherous traitor Jinhoe that created the situation where they had no choice but to bow down? It was no different from meeting enemies.
After a few brief words of greeting were exchanged, Jang Yang got to the point.
“What is the reason why the Prime Minister himself came here?”
“I have an urgent favor to ask you.”
It was as expected. And the fact that he moved it himself meant that there was a high possibility that there was some urgent problem.
“Tell me something.”
“Currently, in our Song Dynasty, there are many hungry people and children are suffering from starvation due to the aftermath of the continuous war. On the other hand, I think that the situation in the Song Dynasty is better than ours due to the abundant harvest. As a neighboring country that fights together against the Hui Dynasty, I would like to ask for the support of Bijimi.”
So-mu turned away from him and looked somewhere else. This was because the sight of Jinhoe pretending to be for the people was so disgusting that it was difficult to look at him.
I already figured it out. What was needed was supply of troops, and there was a high probability that not even a single grain of rice would be returned to the people.
“The reason we are more prosperous than the Song Dynasty is not only because of the good harvest.”
“I know. Haven’t we been steadily cultivating the land and operating the military farm? Unfortunately, we just haven’t been able to make those preparations.”
Jang Yang sighed and said with regret.
“That’s not true either. Now, the Song Dynasty is not only conscripting soldiers in excessive numbers, but is also mobilizing countless people for labor to build a wall around the capital. As a result, there is no one to farm, so what do the people fill their bellies with, and how do they procure food for the military?”
“Even the imperial family could not have predicted that things would turn out this way.”
Jang Yang was enraged by Jin Hui speaking irresponsibly.
“How can you predict how the country is going when the imperial family, which is supposed to look after the people’s livelihood, continues to enjoy extravagant luxury even in the midst of war?”
Jin Hui’s hands, hidden under the table, were trembling.
Who were you? Before being the prime minister of a country, he was a powerful figure in the Song Dynasty. It was astounding to be scolded like this.
“You are talking too much.”
Jang Yang was about to say another word but quit. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore, so I changed the subject.
“What can the Song Dynasty give us if we provide food aid?”
“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give you the amount you want, whether it’s silk or gold.”
“There is no need for such luxuries.”
“Then what do you need?”
After a moment of silence, Jang Yang spoke clearly.
“Give me the people.”
Asking for the people, what kind of nonsense were you talking about? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen a single court lady here. Therefore, Jinhoe misunderstood what he meant.
“I will send you one court lady for every three seats of rice.”
The blood bristled on Jang Yang’s forehead. You’re trying to sell just one citizen for three pieces of rice. Part of me wanted to yell, but the opponent was the real power of the Song Dynasty.
Jang Yang, who had finally calmed down by taking a deep breath, spoke in a strained voice.
“Please open the border so that the people can freely travel between the Song and Su countries. If you do so, we will provide you with any remaining rice reserves as soon as the harvest season ends.”
All it did was give freedom of passage to the people of both countries. On the surface, there was nothing to lose, but I couldn’t help the feeling of discomfort. It was an unknown area where it was impossible to predict what results it would brought.
Jin Hoe was curious about Jang Yang’s intentions, but he had no choice. This was because the Song Dynasty was bound to collapse if it did not receive food support anyway.
“I will do so. I think we can discuss the details among the officials. And there is one more thing I would like to suggest.”
“Tell me.”
Jinhoe turned his head and looked at the map hanging on the wall. His gaze turned to the lower left.
“Currently, our two countries stand shoulder to shoulder against the Hui State. Most of our troops are concentrated on the front lines. If the Po Dynasty in the rear makes a surprise attack, we will not have the wherewithal to withstand it.”
The territory of the Po Dynasty, established under the title of Jedosa Won-gyu, was centered around Sacheon and extended to Yunnan and Guizhou.
Located behind the Song and Su Dynasties, they could be said to be in a safe location even from the Hui State.
“So what do you want to propose?”
“I want to eliminate all risk factors before the war with the Hwi country begins in earnest. How about our two countries join forces to clear the rear first?”
Invading a foreign country first was not Jang Yang’s way. He silently looked at So-mu once.
So-mu had already gained some understanding of the military power of the Po Dynasty.
“The State of Po currently does not have enough troops or resources to do so. There is no possibility of overrunning another country’s territory for the time being, so there is no need to worry.”
What the Po Dynasty needed now was not territorial expansion but stabilization of internal affairs. This was because Emperor Won-gyu had no legitimacy and could not even get support from officials.
However, Jinhoe immediately questioned the question.
“For the time being, it means that the situation may change in the future. There will never be another opportunity like this. If we take advantage of their confusion and attack together, we can take them down easily and quickly.”
So-mu smiled. Luoyang Castle of the State of Hui, which he had recently scouted, was in full swing preparing for an invasion. And their power was beyond imagination. I was sure that if Jinhoe had seen that place in person, he wouldn’t have thought the same way.
“You are so confident that you will start another war with the country in front of you. We are walking down the path of our own destruction.”
“Can you take responsibility for that?”
A strange current flowed between So-mu and Jinhoe. Jang Yang, who was watching, stepped forward to mediate them.
“We must calculate all the numbers, including the Po Dynasty, and we must not let our guard down even in the slightest. But we cannot allow an all-out war against them either. We will no longer stand by and watch the common people suffer from another war.”
Jinhoe sighed as if he was frustrated.
“You are making it easy. You cannot achieve peace without war and sacrifice.”
“That’s not true. We will definitely find a way to solve this problem without war.”
Jin Hui thought that Jang Yang was a delusional person. As I continued to see ways of thinking that deviated from what I knew, I felt dizzy. Because we couldn’t communicate anymore, we ended up throwing up our hands.
“I understand what Mingong means. I plan to stay for a few more days before leaving, so if you change your mind, please let me know.”