Ch.333Northern Expedition (4)

While I was racking my brain over the foundation stone issue, a letter arrived.

It was from none other than my uncle, Batur Khan.

“What’s with this guy suddenly sending a letter?”

Is this how it feels when a relative you’ve never heard from suddenly calls?

I thought this as I opened the letter.

It began with “To my beloved nephew…”

The inclusion of the word “beloved” strongly suggested he wanted to meet.

I was calculating whether this person could be of any help to me.

Just then, Eunuch Jang entered the room with my breakfast tray.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

“Perfect timing, Eunuch Jang.”

“Do you have a task for me, Your Majesty?”

“Can you gather information about my homeland?”

The probability that Eunuch Jang, a Goryeo official, would know internal Mongol information was low.

But since he was currently the only person under my command who handled information, I asked on the off chance.

As if my expectations had reached him, Eunuch Jang immediately nodded.

“I can answer to the best of my knowledge.”

“Then I’d like to know if you have any information about Batur Khan.”

Eunuch Jang silently bowed his head for a moment.

He appeared to be searching for information about him in his mind.

After some time, Eunuch Jang addressed me.

“He’s currently the most prominent figure in the War of Princes. Even the brother of Khan Mongke is jealous of him.”

My father’s brother.

It would be appropriate to consider him my uncle.

“With support from the Kerait tribe, he has built a significant power base in the Shandong region.”

I couldn’t help but brighten at the mention of the Kerait tribe.

After all, the Kerait tribe was the tribe of my anda, Toghrul Khan.

It was also the family of my son Temujin’s wife.

I became curious about what had happened to the Kerait tribe led by Toghrul after my death.

“Tell me more about the Kerait tribe.”

“The Kerait tribe…”

After me, the founding emperor, Temujin became the second emperor.

Naturally, his in-laws’ power grew stronger as well.

Thanks to this, the Kerait tribe was granted the relatively wealthy Shandong region as their domain, escaping the harsh Mongolian steppes.

The Shandong region had long been famous as a hub for trade between the Korean peninsula and the islands.

It was a prosperous area, being close to the sea made it easy to obtain salt, and it had abundant marine resources from the Bohai Bay.

Toghrul had achieved many military accomplishments, from the unification of the Khamag Mongol and the Mongolian steppes to the Western Xia expedition.

Additionally, he had participated in the Western Liao expedition and the Crusade expedition following Temujin, so it was only natural that he received one of the wealthiest regions in China.

Anyway, I was glad to hear that Toghrul’s descendants were doing well.

“For these reasons, the Kerait tribal chief, as the Khan of the Jinan Kingdom, supports Batur Khan.”

The Shandong region was traditionally known as the Qi region.

Despite this history, there was a reason it was called the Jinan Kingdom.

It was because the kingdom founded by Toghrul’s descendants belonged to a lower-ranked royal family.

When I ruled the Yeke Mongol Ulus as Yesugei, I restricted who could establish royal houses.

In my generation, I appointed only four kings: the King of Western Xia, Bekhter; the Prince of Liaodong, Belgutei; the King of Jochi (the Mongolian pronunciation of Georgia), Muqali; and the King of Japan, Khasar.

As evident from their titles, they were all second-rank kings.

This was partly because I wanted all royal titles to revert to Temujin, but there was another reason as well.

It was to create guidelines for establishing royal houses when Temujin might struggle with imperial administration.

Only the imperial successor or those of equivalent status could become first-rank kings, while others would be second-rank kings.

In other words, I had established a distinction between imperial princes and commandery princes.

This followed the system of the Yuan Dynasty from the original history, serving as a safeguard to resolve succession issues in later generations.

Anyway, for this reason, even Toghrul’s descendants, who were of the golden lineage, became second-rank kings like my sons.

Being second-rank kings, they became the Kings of Jinan rather than Kings of Qi.

“The King of Jinan supports Batur Khan…”

I said this while calculating in my mind.

As I was thinking, something suddenly flashed in my mind.

“Wait… in Shandong…”

Foundation stones.

Shandong had exactly what I needed right now.

With this realization, I immediately stood up.

Surprised, Eunuch Jang looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Eunuch Jang. Prepare my formal attire immediately. I need to meet Batur Khan.”

* * *

In modern times, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from the Shandong Peninsula to Incheon.

By ship, it would take about 24 hours, but with pre-modern sailing vessels rather than modern passenger ships, it would take roughly two days.

Since the regions were so close, Batur Khan arrived earlier than expected.

As soon as I heard that Batur had arrived at Byeokrando in Gaegyeong, I headed there.

Batur was waiting for me at the Bukgyeonggwan, where Mongol envoys stayed.

He exuded an atmosphere more of a seasoned politician than a warrior.

“I pay my respects to my uncle.”

I greeted him with Mongolian etiquette.

Batur nodded with a satisfied smile.

“I’m glad to see my nephew.”

Batur deliberately used the word “nephew” instead of “sister’s son,” showing familiarity.

There was certainly a reason for this display of closeness, but it wasn’t a bad situation for me either, so I responded with a bow.

After a brief exchange of greetings, we took our seats.

When the conversation had warmed up somewhat, Batur broached the subject.

“It’s been almost nine years since you started living in Goryeo, brother. Have you been well?”

“Yes, I have.”

When I agreed, Batur examined my attire.

Looking at me with my hair in a Goryeo-style topknot instead of the Mongolian queue, and wearing Goryeo-style clothing, he asked:

“You’ve become completely Goryeo, haven’t you?”

I neither confirmed nor denied this.

“When the second emperor conquered Western Liao, he followed Western Liao culture, and during the Crusade expedition, he followed Arab culture. The fact that you are of the golden lineage, inheriting the blood of your ancestors, remains unchanged.”

Batur seemed to be a pragmatist.

After all, he himself wasn’t wearing the Mongolian queue but rather attire that mixed Mongol, Khitan, and Han cultures.

Despite how much I had persecuted Han culture, seeing it survive in clothing like this made me think that culture is inevitable.

“But enough about me. Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

“I’d like to know why you personally came to Goryeo, uncle.”

“I came to see my nephew. What other reason would I need?”

Batur smoothly evaded the question.

I couldn’t understand why all my descendants seemed to harbor a snake in their hearts.

“Uncle, you are currently the most influential figure in the War of Princes. It’s suspicious that such an important person would come to Goryeo with only minimal guards.”

At this, Batur raised one corner of his mouth.

His expression seemed to say “look at this guy,” and I inwardly clicked my tongue.

Was everyone, from the emperor to Batur, so desperate to test me?

These words almost rose to my throat, but I managed to hold back and smile.

“Do you think there’s a reason I came to find you?”

Playing twenty questions, are we?

Such impudence.

I didn’t hold back and directly mentioned why Batur had come.

“Isn’t it because I suppressed the wild Jurchens?”

Batur gave me a look of surprise.

But as if it wasn’t yet time to reveal his true intentions, he calmly continued.

“It’s true that I came to congratulate you on suppressing the wild Jurchens. They were a significant threat to both the Ulus and Goryeo.”

“And it was also part of your plan, wasn’t it, uncle?”

My words seemed to strike like a dagger, as cracks began to appear on Batur’s face.

Looking at him, I pressed harder, as if telling him to stop testing me.

“I discovered many things while suppressing the wild Jurchens.”

Batur’s eyes changed.

From a composed politician to a fierce beast.

“Do you think that will be a threat to me?”

Reacting immediately to this one statement.

He was still an inferior descendant compared to the emperor.

“Didn’t you come here in person?”

Just as my uncle was about to speak.

I stepped in first and cut off his words.

“Don’t worry. I’m the only one who knows this fact.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Batur smiled as if nothing had happened.

Then he murmured to me quietly:

“If you suddenly disappeared, everything would be as if it never happened.”

Stand down, descendant.

Such threats don’t work on me, who has dealt with Emperor Jin Shizong and Emperor Song Xiaozong.

“If you are as wise as I believe, uncle, you should know that I have become the Samguk Daejanggun of Goryeo.”

“…Do you think the emperor will protect you?”

“Isn’t that the role of an elder of the golden lineage?”

I responded with a smile.

Batur also responded with a smile.

“Very well. I won’t test you any further.”

My uncle reined in his momentum.

Then, with the face of a composed politician again, he addressed me.

“Instead, you must help me in place of the wild Jurchens.”

If I weren’t the Samguk Daejanggun, this would have been difficult to refuse.

Especially since it was a request from Batur, who was of the same generation as my father.

“I am the Samguk Daejanggun of Goryeo. There is no reason for me to become your sword.”

“You don’t need to be my sword. This proposal benefits everyone.”

“Benefits everyone…?”

“You said you know what I was trying to do through the Chahars and wild Jurchens.”

I nodded at this.

It was to create an artificial threat to receive more support from the King of Jinan.

To increase the troops under his command.

“What you know is the first reason.”

“That means there’s a second reason.”

Batur confirmed this with a nod.

Then he revealed his other plan to me.

“I plan to push out Taisun Khan in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.”