As Prophet - Chapter 203



Only Noblemtl

Episode 203. The Jurchen Enter the Castle

After a while, the signal fire went up. The soldiers in Hanyangseong moved to Sungnyemun and started to move toward Hangangjin as prepared in advance. They were told not to make any noise, and left the military flags and torches where they were. The night watchman quickly made contact while circling around.

The troops guarding Hanyang Castle passed through Sungnyemun Gate. When a signal was given to Songpa Ferry in the distance, the waiting ships formed a line and raced toward Hangangjin.

Some went to Ganghwado Island, and most headed to Songpa Ferry. The ships carrying the soldiers returned several times, and the retreat that started at midnight continued until only the morning star remained. They had even practiced emptying Hanyangseong in an instant.

When the last boat departed, Yuseokdo pulled Dalcheon.

“Aren’t you going? It’s the last boat.”

“I will stay.”

“Oh, you’re alone again?”

“I have some things to find out, and I want to explore the truth and the false.”

“Are you trying to kill him?”

“I plan to do so when I get the chance. It’s better to catch him inside Hanyang.”

“His Majesty will be worried.”

“Please make sure of the date and prepare the royal troops at Songpa Ferry. There must be no troops that cannot arrive on the appointed date.”

“It’s difficult. It will take more than ten days just to get the troops from Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces. It could take two weeks. They are all armored.”

“Are you going to list the reasons why it won’t work, again?”

Yuseokdo made a grunting sound.

“I will consult with the Commander-in-Chief.”

Mentioning another name is an attempt to evade responsibility. Dalcheon snickered.

“Your Majesty, you are no different from other officials. You weren’t like that before… … .”

“Don’t bring up old stories. Even now, I feel embarrassed when I think about it.”

“Kill, kill, kill.”

Dalcheon just laughed.

“There is something that must be done. We cannot delay the date. If we fail to meet the date, there is no reason to risk the destruction of Hanyangseong, which we worked so hard to build.”

“I will do my best.”

“Isn’t that what you’re saying, even if you try hard, it might not work out?”

“Do you really have to turn the truth and fiction of language upside down like that to feel better?”

“Please.”

Dalcheon waved his hand, and Yoo Seok-do jumped on board before the boatman pushed the last boat away from the shore and got away.

* * *

Early in the morning, the Donuimun Gate opened silently. The Jurchen cavalry, who had been waiting for them from a long distance, galloped up the hill. The Jurchen army, who had passed through the gate, shouted and ran into the castle. The scouts went in first, and the 20 men in front were armed with heavy armor and held spears or clubs, while the 30 men in the back wore light armor and held bows and arrows. ** A company consisted of 50 men. From the 『Khitan Chronicles』.

As one company slipped in without a fight, the next company followed suit. As promised, the gates opened silently, and the Jurchen army quickly entered under the cover of dawn. But there was no sound of swords clashing. There was no sound of arrows flying.

“doesn’t exist.”

“There is nothing.”

When he heard the unexpected news, the commander of the guard, Langkun, hurriedly went up and checked inside, and was at a loss. The streets were empty, and there was not a single soldier guarding them. He stopped his horse at Donuimun and looked into the wide courtyard behind the gate, and a dozen or so guards crawled out from the guard posts. They were slow and had no hostility.

“The enemy!”

Someone was about to shout and shoot an arrow, but Rankkun stopped him.

“Stop!”

As Langkun stepped forward, several large groups surrounded him. They were free to move in and out.

“Who are you?”

“I opened the gate as promised. I am the subordinate of Grand Master Chucheong who decided to open the gate.”

“Well done. But why is there no one here? Why aren’t there any North Korean soldiers?”

“They all ran away last night.”

“moore?”

“I escaped through Sungnyemun last night. I don’t know what’s left in Hangangjin.”

“You guys?”

“I was hiding in the chaos caused by the retreat.”

The gate was opened, but everyone had already left. Langkun, who was shaking his head in another embarrassment, gave the order.

“One unit, run to Heunginjimun and open the door!”

“Loyalty!”

“2nd unit, run to Sungnyemun, open the gate, and chase to Hangangjin!”

“Loyalty!”

“The three generations will go to the rear and tell the men to hurry and enter the castle, as it is empty. There is no need to attack the walls. Tell them quickly.”

“Loyalty!”

The Yejin army that had entered through Donuimun scattered in all directions. Langkun slowly moved his horse and entered the new road. There was not a single dog left on the road that was still dark at dawn.

“Haha. You fought so hard, but it was all for nothing.”

“There is nothing.”

After passing the new road, I turned onto Gwancheong Street at Jonggak.

“You check the castle! Make sure there’s nothing left!”

The fourth sprinted toward the palace. The sound of horse hooves was loud on the dawn road, but no one looked out. The army that had rushed through Donuimun lined up in front of Gwancheong-daero. They searched for the enemy in many places, but there was nothing to do because they couldn’t find even a single rat.

There were strict orders against looting, but some people wandered through the alleys. They went into empty houses and broke down doors for no reason, but it was boring because there was no response at all.

Langkun, standing on the stone pedestal in front of Gwanghwamun where the king used to stand, waited for his superiors to arrive. When Donuimun Gate opened, the soldiers who entered looked like they were in shambles. It seemed that they had fallen for the countless traps hidden everywhere. When he saw the Khan’s main force arrive, he opened the road. The main force entered while the soldiers who had been waiting were widening their gaps on both sides of the road. Langkun ran and jumped in front of them, and reported what he had confirmed and what measures had been taken.

“Good job.”

“We are searching everywhere, but there are no enemy soldiers. The only ones left are the civil and military officials who agreed to cooperate.”

“Civil and military officials?”

“After entering Donuimun, they started coming out one by one. They did not accompany us in leaving.”

“I see. Good.”

Khan ran toward Gwanghwamun and passed through the central gate where the king passed. He nodded his head as if he was lost in emotion after seeing Heungryemun and rode in on horseback. He passed Geunjeongmun and went up to Jeongjeon, and when he turned around, the soldiers who had followed him were standing in line in front of the stone tablet and paying their respects.

The soldiers stopped Eun-myeon and his party, who had arrived late, from climbing up to the platform.

“Why are you stopping it?”

“The Khan is here.”

Eun-myeon was furious when he was blocked from moving forward by a lower-ranking soldier.

“That’s my seat!”

“Anyway, not now.”

When the soldiers brought chairs and Khan sat down, the entire army dismounted.

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

“Loyalty!”

It was not without damage, but it was a bloodless entry. I was suspicious and felt something was stuck in my throat, but I stood in the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace of Joseon. It felt like the forced march of the past few days had been rewarded. The Khan waved his hand to stop the cheering soldiers.

“It was hard to get here. There were many sacrifices, but it was heaven’s help that we entered without bloodshed. It would have been good if we had punished the past when we made the Joseon king kneel and were arrogant, but everyone has run away and there is no one left, which is a shame.

“I want to comfort you for all your fatigue. I will close the gates, strengthen the defenses, and then hold a feast.”

“Loyalty!”

“The matter of establishing a new king for Joseon should be done after consulting with the civil officials.”

“Loyalty!”

The Khan had the generals come up and consoled each of them for their hard work. The leaders of the various tribes were moved by the Khan’s consolation. I never dreamed that we would capture Hanyang so easily. I was worried that it would take a few days at the shortest, and if things went wrong, it would take tens of days, but it came in so easily. Those who desperately try to defend the castle are scary, and those who abandon the castle and run away are not to be worried about. The leaders of each unit came out to the side, swore allegiance, and congratulated the victory, and the Khan was satisfied.

* * *

It feels like I’m the only one left out of the banquet. No, I was deliberately excluded. It’s our banquet. We share the joy of conquering Joseon among ourselves, and we’re not even given a chance to celebrate. If this continues, won’t the promise of letting me ascend to the throne be blown? Even when I try to ascend when I have the chance, my subordinates block me. If they hadn’t been instructed in advance, there’s no way that would happen. I could have approached the Khan’s side and exchanged opinions at any time. I thought it wasn’t just a necessity, but also a recognition of my own position. But now, he doesn’t even look at me. They say the time you go and the time you come are different… .

He comforted his men and declared that the first step toward building an empire had been successfully completed. His face was distorted with worry. He had no interest in their celebratory games. Because I was not included in them. If they had left a little space for my butt to stick in, I wouldn’t have felt this way. Were promises really just old shoes? It was his own mistake to be close to someone who did not value trust. In the process of building a country, human loyalty is really worse than a doll made of straw. Aren’t they people who are prepared to sacrifice anything for a greater cause? The same goes for him.

Eun-myeon lowered his head and turned his body. If he is someone who will not give, if there is nothing to expect, then we should not have cooperated in the first place. We lost hundreds of unmanned soldiers in this battle of Hanyang. It may not seem like a lot to us, but it is a limited resource for us. The sacrifice was too great.

Disappointed, Eun-myeon turned to leave through the side door. The warriors who had accompanied him followed behind him with stern faces. After walking quite a bit and reaching the corridor, he heard Khan calling from behind him.

“Where are you going, Your Majesty?”

Eun-myeon turned around and clasped her hands together.

“Congratulations on your victory.”

Khan walked slowly to the end of the porch and stood there.

“Today let us celebrate our victory, and tomorrow let us crown you King of Joseon.”

Eun-myeon bowed her back.

“Thank you for your consideration. And congratulations again on your victory.”

“Thank you. I know it might be unpleasant to see us feasting amongst ourselves.”

“No.”

“Let’s meet at the side hall at the end of the hour of the snake.”

“I will do so.”

Eun-myeon turned around. Although her feelings of resentment eased a little after hearing him say that, it didn’t change the fact that she had to rethink everything. She thought that she would rather be recognized for cutting off the head of the barbarian leader. The gaze she turned to look at as she left the door was fierce.

It must be a formal recognition. We worked together to achieve something, but the most important thing is that I have to have power. I have to have influence. It was a mistake to infiltrate their military camp as if I was running away after completely looting their headquarters. How foolish it must have seemed. Since I only escaped with my body after eating it, I must have judged that there was nothing more to be gained from an alliance.

“Ugh.”

Eun-myeon whetted his appetite. A horse was prepared near the outer wall of Geunjeongjeon. He once saw the crown prince he had wanted and was filled with regret. At that time, he had to do something. He had to do everything he could when discussing who should be the national head. It would be fine. It was a regret of a thousand years that he waited as long as possible. Somehow, the former king was made the national head, and after that, many things became difficult.

I have prepared for decades. I have gathered military equipment, trained military personnel, and persuaded many people. There is hardly an official who has not taken my money, and there is no one who has not cooperated in some way.

Where did it go wrong? When Prince Lee Yeong left Hanyang and wandered the world, it was a mistake to think that it was over. His departure was the beginning of things. He made Jin-in his own man, and his power was a force that could turn the heavens upside down.

Although he succeeded in persuading Baek Sa-ban later, his relationship with Jin-in was not very solid. Baek Sa-ban thought that he was entrusting me with the work because he was good.

Above all, it was a mistake to think that the true man’s power was just one of the masters. It was a power that transcended the world and could turn the heavens upside down.