Ch.139Origin Point (3)

Yi Uibang’s heart was heavy after sending his daughter to a barbarian.

He planned to ask his daughter what the barbarian had done to her as soon as she returned.

If anything strange had happened, he intended to kill him immediately.

With these thoughts, he paced around his house.

In the midst of this, servants entered, followed by his daughter, Princess Hwasun.

“Father!”

The princess waved her hand with a vibrant smile.

Seeing her usual self, Yi Uibang breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he quickly composed himself and coughed.

“You must maintain your dignity, Princess.”

“Oh come on. This isn’t the palace, so why be so formal? Father.”

“A-ahem.”

The princess playfully poked her father Yi Uibang in the side as she spoke.

Seeing this, even the servants covered their mouths and giggled.

“What are you servants doing! Go rest now that you’ve arrived!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Miss! Stay strong!”

The servants disappeared with these words.

The princess waved to them as they left.

“Even though you’re a married woman…”

“Now you finally call me ‘you’? Father?”

“A-ahem.”

“Hehe. I take after you, Father. Goryeo’s greatest warrior! The commander of the Dragon Guard who protects the Emperor directly!”

The princess struck a pose as she said this.

Yi Uibang responded by lightly bonking his unruly daughter on the head.

“Calm down a bit.”

“Hitting the princess on the head is high treason, Father.”

“All talk. Anyway, come in. Your mother has been waiting anxiously for you.”

At those words, the princess followed Yi Uibang with a broad smile.

When they entered the room, the princess’s mother immediately approached her.

“Are you alright? My daughter?”

“I’m fine, Mother. I am Yi Uibang’s daughter after all!”

“…I thought marriage would have cured your tomboy ways…”

She looked at Yi Uibang as she said this.

Yi Uibang cleared his throat at his wife’s gaze.

It was no wonder, as the princess’s rambunctious behavior was the spitting image of Yi Uibang in his youth.

“A-ahem… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just observing how the father and daughter are not just similar, but identical.”

Yi Uibang tried to retort, but his wife simply shook her head dismissively.

Then she turned to examine the princess’s condition.

“That barbarian didn’t do anything strange to you, did he?”

“Barbarian? He’s my husband.”

“…So he did do something strange! I knew it!”

“That barbarian, I’ll immediately—!”

Yi Uibang and his wife were furious, ready to rush out at any moment.

The princess waved her hands frantically at their reaction.

“N-no, he didn’t do anything strange. Besides, do I look like someone who would let that happen?”

“…”

“…”

They couldn’t deny the princess’s words.

Not only did the princess resemble Yi Uibang in his youth, but she also inherited his martial arts and archery skills.

She was so skilled that even the lower-ranked warriors of the Dragon Guard couldn’t defeat her.

While this might partly be because she was the daughter of the Dragon Guard commander, she was nonetheless capable of easily subduing an adult warrior.

It was inconceivable that such a person couldn’t handle a barbarian trying to violate her.

“And you’re misunderstanding. My husband is kind, considerate, and looks innocent. Except for the language barrier, he’s a perfect husband.”

“Oh my goodness. Raising a daughter was all for nothing! Looking at your expression, you’re just like Princess Pyeonggang who fell for the fool Ondal!”

Her mother clicked her tongue and slapped the princess’s back.

The story of the fool Ondal and Princess Pyeonggang was a famous tale in Goryeo.

This was because Goryeo was the successor state to Goguryeo.

Of course, Ondal, who was a vagrant, and Belgutei, a Mongol prince, came from completely different backgrounds.

But in the eyes of Goryeo people, Ondal and Belgutei were similar enough.

“If my husband is like Ondal, then he too will become a great general who leaves his name in history, right? And I’ll be remembered as the one who made such a husband.”

“Oh my…”

The princess’s mother nearly fainted at her unstoppable daughter’s words.

Finally, Yi Uibang had to step in.

“What nonsense are you speaking in front of your mother?”

“Nonsense? It was a marriage I couldn’t decide on in the first place.”

“A-ahem…”

Yi Uibang couldn’t say anything in response to his daughter’s cutting words.

While it wasn’t Yi Uibang’s fault but rather the court officials’, that didn’t mean Yi Uibang was free from responsibility.

“If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it! That’s what you always told me, Father.”

At the princess’s words, Yi Uibang could only clear his throat and step back.

“It was an unfortunate situation, but after meeting him, I found him to be a good man, which makes me like him even more. So please, both of you, accept my husband.”

At the princess’s firm words, Yi Uibang’s wife was about to wail.

Yi Uibang looked at his wife and spoke in a serious voice.

“It’s our daughter’s decision.”

“Are you really going to leave it like this?”

“Yes. She’s not just any child, but our child. If such a child earnestly wishes for this, shouldn’t we respect her decision?”

Yi Uibang’s wife could only nod at his grave and powerful words.

She took a deep breath and composed herself.

“I’m sorry, my daughter.”

“It’s okay, Mother. I understand your concern.”

The princess’s mother nodded at her words.

Seeing this, Yi Uibang also changed his mind.

“Daughter.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Since you say so, I’d like to meet my son-in-law.”

Legally, the princess’s father was the King of Goryeo.

Separately, Yi Uibang was clearly her biological father, so his request was reasonable in a way.

“Thank you, Father.”

The princess smiled and hugged Yi Uibang.

Yi Uibang smiled and stroked his daughter’s hair in response.

* * *

“We must protest this.”

“That’s right. Goryeo has deceived the Ulus.”

The officials who accompanied Belgutei were saying these things to him.

This was because, as mentioned before, the King of Goryeo had not kept his promise.

Instead of Princess Hwasun, who was of true royal blood, he had adopted a nobleman’s daughter and married her to Belgutei.

This fact alone was tantamount to an insult to Belgutei’s face.

And not just anyone, but to Belgutei, the third son of Yesugei, the Khagan of the Ulus.

Because of this, the officials were taking the insult to Belgutei as an insult to the Ulus.

Unlike these officials, Belgutei showed little reaction.

Instead, he was trying to calm the officials who were more angry than he was.

“Calm yourselves. My reason for coming here was for an alliance with Goryeo. While it’s true the King of Goryeo deceived the Ulus, through this marriage, our two nations have formed an alliance, so our purpose has been achieved.”

“Your Highness’s words are correct. However, Goryeo, which doesn’t even keep its original promises, is very unlikely to honor the alliance.”

“That’s right. It’s clear they won’t provide military support when the Ulus and Jin Dynasty go to war.”

At the officials’ words, Belgutei raised his hand as if he already knew.

Then he slowly began to persuade the officials.

“From the beginning, the alliance between the Ulus and Goryeo was to check the Jin Dynasty. Goryeo didn’t provide military support even when the Song Dynasty was attacked in the past, so naturally, they won’t mobilize troops in a war between the Ulus and Jin Dynasty.”

The officials nodded at Belgutei’s explanation.

“However, remember that this alliance is to stabilize our rear, as the Khagan said. The mere fact that the Ulus and Goryeo have formed an alliance will force the Jin Dynasty to divide their forces in preparation for any situation.”

As mentioned repeatedly, the Ulus also didn’t consider the alliance with Goryeo a true alliance.

They just saw it as one of the cards to divert Jin Dynasty’s attention.

This was because, from the Jin Dynasty’s perspective, the mere fact that the Ulus and Goryeo had formed an alliance meant they had more to worry about.

To reiterate, the Jin Dynasty currently shared borders with the Ulus, Song Dynasty, and Goryeo.

In such a situation, if the Ulus and Jin Dynasty went to war, the Jin Dynasty would naturally have to worry about other hostile countries they shared borders with.

While there was no real possibility that the Song Dynasty or Goryeo would move their troops, it couldn’t be completely ruled out.

Because of this, the Jin Dynasty had to divide their forces to prepare for any situation.

From the Ulus’s perspective, this fact alone made the alliance with Goryeo valuable enough.

“Besides, I’m already married. So please stop discussing this further.”

At Belgutei’s words, the officials could only bow.

Once married, there was no going back.

Of course, there was a way for Belgutei to declare the marriage itself invalid and act as if it never happened.

But Belgutei didn’t make such a decision and had no reason to.

This was because Belgutei had already lost his heart to his wife.

“Anyway, you may all return for today.”

At those words, the officials had no choice but to withdraw.

Left alone, Belgutei looked around and began preparing something with a smile.

“I hope she likes the bow I brought from the Ulus…”

Belgutei smiled as he looked at the bow he was going to give to his wife.

Princess Hwasun was a tomboy who enjoyed archery.

Because of this, she showed more interest in things like bows and weapons than makeup or jewelry.

Belgutei found even this aspect of Princess Hwasun lovable.

This was because Belgutei also enjoyed archery.

It might sound like self-praise, but Belgutei was the best archer among his siblings.

He was so good that Yesugei himself praised Belgutei’s archery skills as the best in the Ulus.

Because of this, Belgutei also liked archery and had it as a hobby.

In this situation, he couldn’t help but be happy that his wife also enjoyed archery.

“I want to see my wife soon.”

With these thoughts, Belgutei wrapped the bow in cotton cloth.

Then he stepped out, eager to see his wife as soon as possible.