Ch.330Northern Expedition (1)

Under the guidance of the Jikjehak, I was able to bring the wild Jurchen under my command.

With the advent of firearms, cavalry had weakened considerably. However, nomadic cavalry still remained useful.

“For now, we can use them as reconnaissance troops and then convert them to mounted gunners.”

Mounted gunners.

This referred to cavalry who carried carbines and fired while on horseback.

Carbines were lighter and had shorter barrels than infantry firearms, making them easier to carry and fire.

However, we still lacked the technology to produce the carbines needed here.

After all, carbines weren’t developed until the 20th century.

So converting the wild Jurchen cavalry into mounted gunners immediately was difficult.

Since we couldn’t make carbines, we’d have to give them the pistols we’d been using, but these were extremely expensive items.

“I’m not planning to make the wild Jurchen cavalry our main force anyway, so we can convert them gradually.”

The core firepower of my unit was the infantry.

I meant the musket formation that mixed pikemen with musketeers.

Of course, this wasn’t perfect yet, so I had deployed sword-and-shield infantry as auxiliary forces.

But now that the wild Jurchen cavalry had joined, I could convert all the sword-and-shield infantry into pikemen.

“We’ll use the cavalry as auxiliary forces to protect our flanks.”

I was essentially transferring the role of the sword-and-shield infantry to the more mobile cavalry.

This would naturally strengthen the pikemen formation with its increased numbers.

Additionally, this created advantages in formation changes.

The existing formation changes had been somewhat complicated.

First, the pikemen would step forward to block enemy cavalry charges.

Then, the musketeers waiting behind would move forward to project firepower.

This would be repeated, and when the enemy switched to close combat, the sword-and-shield infantry would step in.

With the sword-and-shield infantry gone from this complex structure, only pikemen and musketeers would rotate to change formations.

In other words, the tactics were simplified, allowing for more effective responses.

“Anyway…”

I said this while adjusting my uniform.

Now I had to meet that emperor again, who emanated such an ominous atmosphere.

Though he was my descendant, meeting him made me uncomfortable, as if he had hundreds of snakes inside him.

“I wonder who he takes after… sigh…”

Saying this, I headed to the royal palace.

When I arrived, the emperor was looking at me as if he had been waiting.

Beside him stood Grand General Nurhachi and Dragon Marshal Im Kkeokjeong.

“As you said, you’ve subjugated the wild Jurchen.”

No greeting.

He went straight to the point.

In this aspect, anyone could see he resembled Belgutei.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I bowed respectfully.

The emperor then rose and approached me.

I thought he might grab my collar again.

Contrary to my expectation, the emperor made no such move.

Instead, he looked at me with a smile.

“You’ve passed the test.”

“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Is there anything you desire?”

Then the emperor’s smile disappeared.

He looked down at me with cold eyes.

His expression suggested that there should be something.

In the end, I had no choice but to say what my descendant wanted to hear.

“I have brought the wild Jurchen under my command. Please allow me to keep them as my troops.”

“You’ve brought the wild Jurchen under your command, you say.”

It was clear that Go Yoon had already reported everything, so he already knew.

Yet he was pretending not to know, like a cunning snake.

“What was your intention in doing this?”

“Their customs differ from Goryeo’s. That’s why they refused to submit to Goryeo.”

As I said this, I looked at Nurhachi.

Nurhachi, who was from the Jianzhou Jurchen, nodded in understanding.

Even to the Jianzhou Jurchen, the wild Jurchen were clearly barbarians.

So it was difficult for them to submit to Goryeo, whose customs were completely different.

In contrast, I was of Mongol origin.

Moreover, I was from the Golden Clan, so I had sufficient legitimacy.

“So you took them in?”

“Yes.”

The emperor nodded.

His expression showed he understood this far.

“Very well. I permit you to keep the wild Jurchen under your command. However.”

But his next words shocked me.

“I will return the infantry who participated in this expedition to their original units.”

These were soldiers I had carefully trained for four years.

It was absurd that he would forcibly take them away.

Originally, the soldiers under my command belonged to Prince Anchang.

That meant they were under the emperor’s command.

So they would return to their original positions following the emperor’s orders.

“It took four years to train them.”

I looked at the emperor while suppressing my emotions as much as possible.

The emperor calmly met my gaze.

The justification was on the emperor’s side.

So I couldn’t refuse his order.

“They are brave soldiers of Goryeo. What’s wrong with them returning to their original positions?”

“But the tactics I taught them came from me.”

I knew well why the emperor was taking my soldiers.

He wanted to absorb them to acquire the musket formation tactics I had taught.

From the emperor’s perspective, this was natural.

Infantry had defeated the wild Jurchen cavalry.

This meant that if these tactics were taught to all troops, they could face not only the Chahar but also the Mongol cavalry from the homeland.

So he couldn’t help but be greedy.

“I appreciate Tolui Khan’s efforts. That’s why I want to make a proposal.”

“A proposal… you say?”

“Having passed this test, you have become the guardian of the crown prince.”

I nodded at this.

The subjugation of the wild Jurchen was a test to confirm whether I had the ability to protect the crown prince from Prince Anchang.

Of course, that wasn’t the only purpose, but from the emperor’s perspective, this was most important.

Prince Anchang might reverse his promise after the emperor’s death and threaten the crown prince’s safety.

“I wish to bestow upon you the position of Samguk Daejanggun.”

Samguk Daejanggun.

As far as I knew, it was a rank higher than Grand General.

It was a position higher than Yi Uibang, who was the actual ruler of Goryeo during Yesugei’s time.

In other words, it was a position higher than Nurhachi, who stood before me.

Despite this unexpected situation, Nurhachi and Im Kkeokjeong remained calm.

They must have already discussed this.

“If you become Samguk Daejanggun, you can control the military.”

“But I am from the Golden Clan, a person from the homeland.”

At that time, it was common for royalty from one country to become high nobility in another.

But I expressed my refusal.

I was implying that I might mobilize Goryeo’s military power to gain the Mongol throne.

“I too am of the Golden Clan. And at the same time, I am a person of Goryeo.”

“…”

“I heard from the Panyun. I heard you used a Goryeo-style name, Park Su-hyeon, and primarily spoke the Goryeo language.”

It seemed Go Yoon had told the emperor everything.

That I used the Goryeo name Park Su-hyeon and mainly conversed in the Goryeo language.

“You speak the Goryeo language, use a Goryeo name, and follow Goryeo customs.”

The emperor showed a slightly moved expression.

Using the Goryeo language and name was groundwork to get close to Go Yoon, who had Munglig’s soul.

However, it seemed there was a slight misunderstanding.

He thought I had been influenced by Goryeo culture.

“Therefore, you are more than qualified.”

With the emperor saying this, I was left speechless.

Until just now, I was upset about him taking away my soldiers, but after hearing his explanation, I had no reason to be angry.

If I became Samguk Daejanggun, those soldiers would be under my command again.

No, the entire Goryeo military would be under my command.

There was obviously no reason to refuse.

“I accept Your Majesty’s command.”

* * *

“Now I’ve really become Park Su-hyeon with no way out.”

The emperor immediately announced this matter to his officials.

The officials, as if they had already coordinated with the emperor, immediately recognized me as Samguk Daejanggun.

Samguk Daejanggun at 16 years old.

It was an unbelievable rise in status, but it was possible because I was from the Golden Clan.

The noble Golden Clan was the imperial family of the Yeke Mongol Ulus and also the imperial family of various kingdoms that were once vassal states.

Being such a revered existence, they inevitably overwhelmed other families in terms of legitimacy.

In this situation, the officials had no grounds to refuse.

No, they actually welcomed it.

This was because as long as someone from the Golden Clan held the position of Samguk Daejanggun, there was less chance of the homeland interfering in Goryeo’s internal affairs.

For now, Mongolia was in turmoil due to the princes’ rebellion.

But once this rebellion ended, they would certainly conduct internal consolidation.

During this internal consolidation, Mongolia would certainly find fault with Goryeo and demand loyalty.

But with someone from the Golden Clan, especially one with blood from the main family, serving as Samguk Daejanggun, such interference couldn’t happen.

“Besides, most of the actual power lies with the Grand General, so there’s no reason to oppose.”

Since the Goryeo period, the actual power had been with the Grand General.

Samguk Daejanggun was a kind of honorary position.

Of course, if I exerted my power, I could mobilize the entire Goryeo army, but I needed the Grand General’s approval.

A general mobilization order within Goryeo required the approval of both, making it difficult to act alone.

“Looking at this, I can really see whose descendant he is… sigh…”

I said this, cursing the emperor.

Though he was my descendant, he was truly cunning.

He kept the real power while taking everything advantageous for himself.

Now that I had become Samguk Daejanggun, I was fully qualified as the crown prince’s guardian.

Additionally, as the nominal commander-in-chief of the military, I became a check against the civil officials led by Prince Anchang.

In other words, he had politically divided Prince Anchang and me.

Even if Prince Anchang and I were personally close, we could never join hands politically.

“I’ll let it slide this time because it benefits me too.”

I said this with a sigh.

Again, I was someone without even a base of power.

In such a situation, gaining a solid foundation like Goryeo was beneficial to me as well.