Ch.249Pacification (4)

The Mongol army was staying in Ulju County, facilitating cultural exchange between the Ulus and Goryeo.

One such exchange was the popularity of the beef head soup I had created in Ulju County.

“I never expected it to become this popular.”

This isn’t my original soup!

I had made the broth using a recipe that incorporated modern knowledge.

However, even with that knowledge, the ingredients available were severely lacking compared to modern times.

So I couldn’t perfectly recreate the modern flavor.

As a result, what I ended up with was essentially just a meat broth commonly found in this era.

But the rice made the difference in texture.

When the sensation on the tongue changes while eating, even similar dishes can become special.

“And with the addition of white kimchi, dongchimi, and soju. Perfect.”

As mentioned in many historical records, our ancestors had been making kimchi since the Three Kingdoms period.

So I could easily find modern-day staples like dongchimi and white kimchi.

Objectively speaking, pickled vegetables had existed all over the world for a long time.

However, unlike other pickled vegetables, kimchi was unique because the vegetables were first pickled and then seasoned, creating a distinctive flavor.

“If I explain too much, it gets too…”

I wrapped up my kimchi explanation there.

Then I savored the kimchi alongside the beef head soup I had made.

“Mmm… this is it…”

I couldn’t help feeling moved.

It was just rice in meat broth without salt, but it tasted good.

Upon careful consideration, the reason was actually the problematic Mongol diet.

Currently, Mongols were getting most of their calories from meat.

They supplemented missing nutrients with cow’s milk or horse milk.

This seemed sufficient, but they lacked a crucial source of carbohydrates.

To fill this carbohydrate gap, they had been importing large quantities of rice from the Song Dynasty.

However, due to the threat of the Mongol Pirates, obtaining rice from Song had become difficult.

“We have enough for military rations, but it’s far from enough to feed the entire Ulus.”

Through its vast territories, the Ulus had acquired several granary regions.

Most of these regions produced wheat, but wheat wasn’t an efficient crop for feeding large populations.

So as a ruler who should care for his people, securing rice was preferable.

The targets chosen for this were Goryeo and the Liaodong State.

Liaodong was governed by my son, so it was essentially under the Ulus’s influence.

But since it was officially a vassal state of Goryeo, Goryeo’s approval was necessary.

For this reason, I planned to obtain rice from Goryeo through trade.

“Once we get rice, we need to promote rice consumption, so spreading the soup seems like the best approach.”

I felt embarrassed even as I said it.

The truth was, from the people’s perspective, they would need to eat rice when hungry, soup or not.

So this was nothing more than an excuse for making the soup.

“I need some excuse like this so my wives won’t nag me…”

I had to claim I made the soup for the people here.

That was the only way I could convince my wives waiting for me in the Great Capital.

* * *

“Mongol people are tall and strong.”

“Indeed. They can easily do the work of two or three men!”

The Goryeo people showed interest in the Mongols with such remarks.

In response, the Mongols looked at the Solongos people with equal interest.

“The Solongos people living in these mountains and grasslands all look healthy.”

“That’s right. Unlike those Central Plains fellows, they look kind and friendly.”

The Mongols and Goryeo people maintained friendly relations with such comments.

The reason for this amicable relationship was simple: there was no friction between Mongolia and Goryeo.

First, the two countries did not share a border.

Of course, the Liaodong State, a vassal state of Goryeo, shared a border with Mongolia, but it didn’t directly touch Goryeo’s territory.

So with no reason to encounter each other, the Mongols had no reason to raid Goryeo.

Consequently, the Goryeo people had no significant grievances against Mongolia.

Additionally, both Goryeo and Mongolia held rather unfavorable feelings toward the Song Dynasty.

Having a common enemy naturally made Mongolia and Goryeo get along well.

“By the way, I heard that Gurkhan or someone made soup recently.”

“Oh, you mean the Soup King?”

In Ulju County, Yesugei had already become known as the Soup King.

This was because the ruler of a vast empire had suddenly appeared and created a soup for common people.

Within a week of its creation, the soup spread rapidly throughout Ulju County, becoming a dish everyone enjoyed.

Naturally, interest in Gurkhan who created this food grew, and people began calling Yesugei the Soup King.

This was essentially a term of endearment, expressing gratitude to Yesugei for creating delicious food.

The Goryeo people were that friendly toward Yesugei and the Mongols.

“I heard that Soup King is actually an incredible person.”

“Really?”

“Yes! They say he’s the one who crushed those detestable Jin people, and he’s also the one who stopped the Song people from acting up.”

“What an impressive person. If he can make both Jin and Song powerless…”

“That’s not all. I heard the land he rules reaches all the way to India and the Western Regions.”

The man waved his hands dismissively, showing disbelief.

“Come on! I may be a country bumpkin, but I won’t believe such exaggeration!”

“It’s true! I became friends with one of the Mongol soldiers, and he showed me something he brought from the Western Regions.”

As the man insisted, the other man looked dubious.

“I can’t show it to you right now… Ah! There’s Bata passing by! Bata! Over here!”

The man waved, and seeing this, a Mongol soldier approached with his arban.

Though there was an intimidating pressure as ten burly men approached, the man stood his ground upon hearing they were friends.

“Haha, don’t worry. Bata is my friend. And he speaks our language well.”

“Really?”

The Goryeo man greeted Bata demonstratively.

“How have you been, friend?”

“I’ve been well, friend. How about you?”

“Haha, I’ve been well too.”

They patted each other’s shoulders and smiled.

Seeing this, the other man looked surprised and asked his friend.

“How did you become close?”

“It’s nothing special. We just drank a lot of alcohol and became friends.”

“Ah, are you talking about that arahan liquor you mentioned before?”

“That’s right! Not rice wine, but a clear liquor like water… just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”

“Friend, do you need more alcohol?”

At Bata’s words, the man shook his head.

“No, it’s fine, friend. But could you show my friend something you brought from the Western Regions?”

Bata then took out a rare item from the Western Regions.

Seeing this, the man couldn’t take his eyes off the exotic item he’d never seen before.

“How fascinating. I’ve never seen such splendid silk.”

“Indeed. They say it’s silk dyed with pigments produced in the Western Regions.”

“I have many more. But I left them at home.”

“How much more do you have, friend?”

Bata counted with his fingers before answering.

“Enough to fill about four gers.”

“What’s a ger?”

“A home about that size.”

Bata pointed to a Goryeo person’s house.

Seeing this, the men couldn’t help but drop their jaws in surprise.

“You’re rich!”

“Not rich. I just had the honor of participating in Gurkhan’s great expedition and received compensation for it.”

Bata answered modestly.

But the Goryeo people couldn’t be so modest.

“I envy you. Mongols can travel the wide world.”

“Hearing your story makes Goryeo feel small.”

“Among our mingat, there’s an arban led by someone from Goryeo.”

“Someone from Goryeo?”

“My goodness…”

“Mongolia, Goryeo, Western Liao, Western Xia, Song Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, Persia, India, and the Great Jin—regardless of origin, anyone with ability can succeed and achieve merit.”

Bata explained Mongolia’s meritocratic society.

The Goryeo people couldn’t help but be shocked.

“So in Mongolia, those with ability can work in the wider world.”

The Goryeo people were greatly impressed by their conversation with Bata.

And they weren’t the only ones affected.

The Solongos people began to realize through Mongolia that there was a wider world out there.

* * *

“…When did you make that?”

Before heading to Goryeo’s capital, Gaegyeong.

Munglig suddenly called me over and showed me something.

I couldn’t help but be surprised when confronted with a familiar statue.

“A statue must always exist where my brother stays.”

“…”

What stood before me was none other than a statue of myself in the pose of opening a kurultai.

Next to it stood Munglig in the back double biceps pose, or what he called the “Steppe’s Raging Fury” pose.

“And this time, I added my statue too, Khagan.”

Elunka pointed to his own statue with a broad smile.

His statue was showing off his magnificent(?) quadriceps with a smile.

“My ‘Wind Running Across the Land’ pose still makes my heart swell with pride.”

“Nonsense. The ‘Steppe’s Raging Fury’ pose is more beautiful, Lord Elunka.”

“Don’t you know that anyone can see the legs are more impressive, Lord Munglig?”

And so the two were once again arguing about muscles.

But their argument didn’t even register with me.

That’s because my statue, in the pose of opening a kurultai between these two men, looked somewhat… off.

I couldn’t help feeling strange standing between these rugged male statues.

While I was thinking this and looking at the statues, several Goryeo people approached and stood in front of my statue.

Then they suddenly placed soup before it and began muttering something.

“Great Soup King, please grant me a son.”

“Almighty one, please grant me a wise son like yourself.”

My statue had suddenly become a folk religion statue that granted male children.

“Do you know what they’re saying?”

“I saw them muttering something.”

“…Let’s just hurry to Gaegyeong.”

Elunka and Munglig, who didn’t understand the Goryeo language, didn’t know what they were saying.

This was… better left unknown.