Chapter 203: Let's Go All the Way (2)
It was not common for the highest-ranking military and civil officials to meet in private.
Although Yang Yeon-jeong held the same rank, she had been appointed as the Prefect of Hanzhong and was currently stationed there.
Pouring tea for Jin Yoo-so, So-mu asked, “I am curious. What is this matter of such grave importance that the Advisor herself has come to ask for a favor?”
Grasping her cup with elegant poise, Jin Yoo-so replied, “It concerns the State of Po. While you were away, General, we sent envoys to them several times, but the negotiations did not go well.”
The State of Po, established when Military Governor Won Gyu declared himself emperor, possessed a vast territory but lacked strong military power.
In terms of troop numbers, they had more than the State of So, but their quality and combat experience were severely lacking. This was due to the long peace that had prevailed south of the Yangtze River.
Since military strength translates directly into diplomatic leverage, the State of So had expected them to accept their proposals. However, it was a miscalculation.
“That is unexpected. Did they actually reject our proposal?”
“The officials in power wouldn’t even meet our envoys.”
It was baffling. One had to wonder what they were thinking.
“We stopped the Song Dynasty from launching a joint attack on them, and yet they show no gratitude.”
Jin Yoo-so nodded in agreement.
“In any case, we must mobilize all our forces to capture Luoyang. The military support of the State of Po is absolutely essential for this.”
“I agree. But since they are completely avoiding diplomacy, it is quite frustrating.”
“Indeed. They likely understand our intentions. They do not wish to do anything that would result in a loss for them.”
Understanding her purpose in coming, So-mu got straight to the point.
“To push the negotiations forward, we must send someone of high status whom they cannot afford to ignore.”
A smile finally appeared on Jin Yoo-so’s face.
“Precisely. That is why I have come to you, General.”
However, one question remained.
Since So-mu disliked beating around the bush, he asked directly, “But why does the Advisor want the Bureau of Military Affairs to handle this instead of going yourself?”
“Looking at the records of the previous envoys, it is not an easy situation. Even if I go, a proper meeting might not materialize. But if you go, General, you might be able to approach this in a way that I cannot.”
If the State of Po wanted to avoid them, they would simply have to find a way to make them listen. Moreover, So-mu was curious about the current state of Po. He thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see it for himself.
He decided to accept the Advisor’s request, but in any negotiation, there was a give-and-take.
“I would like to help you. However, I have a mountain of administrative work piled up, and I do not know if I can find the time.”
Jin Yoo-so looked in the direction of his gaze.
A massive stack of paperwork sat on his desk. It was easy to see the immense mental burden he felt, being a military man forced to hold a brush instead of a sword.
“If that is what concerns you, I can help you with it.”
She was a highly capable administrative talent whom Jang-yang trusted implicitly. Having the state’s top civil official offer to help with his administrative duties was a welcome relief.
Suppressing his delight, So-mu replied casually, “Well, if you would be willing to help…”
“A stack of this size should take me no more than two hours.”
So-mu stared at her, dumbfounded. To think that she could finish in two hours what would take him a full week.
Before he knew it, she had cleared the tea cups, pulled the stack of documents toward herself, and rolled up her sleeves. With brush in hand, she began working at a blistering pace.
“Have you heard the news? Min-gong has been sleeping six hours a day lately.”
She spoke casually, as if making a light joke. But So-mu’s face brightened as he understood the underlying meaning.
Previously, Jang-yang had spent his nights buried in work, barely sleeping four hours a day. So-mu had been worried that such a grueling routine would shorten his life.
The fact that Jang-yang could now sleep for six hours meant that Jin Yoo-so was shoulder-ing a massive portion of the workload on his behalf.
“In that case, I must definitely go—if only to ensure Min-gong gets his proper rest.”
“Hoho. I suppose you could look at it that way. I hear festivals are held every day in the capital of Po, so there will be plenty to see. Think of it as a vacation and enjoy your trip.”
Even while speaking, Jin Yoo-so scanned the documents rapidly, sorting them to the left and right.
She spent less than a single breath reviewing each page.
Moving her eyes and hands simultaneously, her ability to grasp the core of each document was on a completely different level from ordinary people.
By the time So-mu finished a single page, she had already sailed through more than ten.
“Having your help is a great relief, Advisor. I can depart with peace of mind.”
Perhaps because they had both achieved their goals, the conversation became much warmer.
“We fellow officials must help each other, after all. By the way, when you leave for Sichuan, why not take Vice Commander Seol Pung with you?”
Seol Pung had been a direct subordinate of Won Gyu, the Emperor of Po, back when Won Gyu was still a military governor.
For some reason, Seol Pung had abandoned his post there and returned to Chang’an, passing the civil service exam to join the military. Taking him along would undoubtedly be a great help.
“Thank you for the advice. I will do that.”
While they conversed, the towering stack of documents was cleared away.
It had taken less than an hour—far less than the two hours she had estimated.
Dusting off her hands, Jin Yoo-so stood up with a bright smile.
“Thank you for the tea. I will host you next time.”
“Haha. I won’t decline.”
***
Returning home, So-mu shared a rare dinner with his family.
Yeon Seo-hwa placed a piece of meat on his rice bowl and asked, “I hear you’re going to Sichuan?”
“Yes. We depart as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
He had only just returned, yet he was leaving again.
So-so pouted like a duck, her mood sinking. She hated the thought of being separated from her father again.
Finding her reaction adorable, So-mu smiled and patted his squirrel-like daughter’s back.
“I was thinking of taking So-so with me this time. It isn’t a dangerous mission, and it would be a good opportunity for her to gain some experience.”
So-so’s large eyes widened in surprise. Then, her face lit up, and she threw her arms around her father’s waist.
“Really? I’m so happy I get to go with you, Dad!”
It was an unexpected treat, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
As So-mu stroked his daughter’s bowl-cut head, a sudden chill tickled his senses.
He looked up to see Yeon Seo-hwa’s expression, which was anything but pleasant.
“I guess I’ll be left behind all by myself to watch the house, then.”
From her tone, she was clearly sulking.
Before the situation could escalate, So-mu quickly said in a gentle voice, “Let’s go together, Seo-hwa. Sichuan has many sights to see, so it would be wonderful for the three of us to go as a family.”
Just then, a low whine sounded from the yard.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the garden. There, a massive tiger was curled up flat against the ground, its eyes sparkling as if begging to be taken along as well.
Watching the beast, Yeon Seo-hwa let out a sigh.
“Don’t worry about me and just go, you two. We can’t leave our Darong to starve.”
They could hardly bring the Mountain Lord into the capital of a foreign state. Yet, leaving him behind unsupervised was far too dangerous.
“We’ll be back soon… Next time, we’ll leave him with the neighbors and all go together.”
Yeon Seo-hwa silently glanced over the wall into the neighboring yard. Her younger sister, Cho-hee, was sitting on the wooden veranda, brushing Yeong-yeong’s hair.
By the front gate, a large man in official robes was hesitating, unable to bring himself to enter. He was clutching something in his hands.
Seeing his hesitation, Yeon Seo-hwa sighed again.
“How could we trust our Darong to him? The man is as big as a mountain, yet he is so painfully shy.”
“Well, his pure heart is endearing to watch.”
“My sister is going to grow old and die while you babble about his pure heart.”
Suddenly, Yeon Seo-hwa thrust her left hand forward. A thread of Heavenly Silk shot out from her sleeve like a spider’s web.
Swish!
The thin thread crossed over the wall and embedded itself into the neighbor’s gate.
Thud!
Sensing the disturbance, Il-gwang flinched. But without paying him any mind, she flicked her finger.
The taut silk thread yanked the gate wide open.
Creak!
Sitting on the veranda, Cho-hee and Yeong-yeong turned toward the gate in confusion.
What was all the commotion?
There stood Il-gwang, his face beet-red, blinking his eyes.
“Mr. Il-gwang…?”
“Th-That… it wasn’t me…”
Faced with his embarrassment, Yeong-yeong was the first to run over and greet him.
“Hello, Uncle! I missed you.”
Il-gwang quickly handed a paper-wrapped bundle to the child.
“Y-Yeah. I was just passing by and brought this for you to eat.”
“Thank you!”
Judging by the smell and size, it was charcoal-grilled pork trotters. Yeong-yeong held the massive trotter—which was larger than her own face—and looked back and forth between the adults.
Today, Cho-hee’s expression was slightly unusual. Her gaze only flustered Il-gwang further.
“D-Did I do something wrong…?”
“I didn’t know you had such a forceful side to you, Mr. Il-gwang. A-Ah, what am I saying… Since you’ve come all this way, why don’t you join us?”
“S-Should I?”
Fidgeting awkwardly, the two walked inside with Yeong-yeong between them.
Watching the scene from over the wall, So-mu’s family burst into laughter.
Since they had set up a barrier of qi around themselves beforehand, their laughter did not carry over to the neighbors.
***
The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Vice Commander Seol Pung arrived.
“I have come to escort you, General.”
So-so had already woken up early and finished all her preparations.
Having been playing with Darong, she quickly ran over and opened the gate.
“Hello, Uncle!”
“It’s been a while, So-so. I hear you are coming with us?”
“Yes! Hehe.”
Having bonded during the military examination, the two were quite close.
Seol Pung patted the child’s head and looked inside the yard.
By the door, Yeon Seo-hwa was smoothing out So-mu’s official robes.
“Thank you, Seo-hwa. I won’t be gone for long.”
“You had better not be. If you wander off somewhere else, you’ll answer to me.”
“Haha, there’s no way I would do that.”
Yeon Seo-hwa nodded and called out to her daughter.
“My sweet daughter, make sure to listen to your father, alright?”
So-so ran over and threw her arms around her waist.
“Take care, Mom. I’ll miss you. Sniff.”
“Have fun, see the sights, and eat lots of delicious food.”
“Yes… next time, we must go together, promise?”
Yeon Seo-hwa nodded, pulled something from her sleeve, and handed it to her.
It was a small money pouch embroidered with snowflakes.
“We will. Use this whenever you need to buy something. Don’t be stingy.”
It felt heavy, indicating it was filled with silver coins.
A broad grin spread across So-so’s face.
“Hehe! Thank you, Mom! I’ll be sure to buy you a present!”