Chapter 218 — Revealing Everything at the Morning Audience 2
The Minister of Rites bowed his head.
There was no need to say more.
If it was not the Vice Minister of Rites, then the Minister of Rites himself would have to go.
"Ah, and as for Sirang Lee Jun-hui of the Ministry of War…"
The king stopped speaking for a moment.
Lee Jun-hui bent at the waist and stepped forward.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You will go with them this time."
"I shall obey Your command, Your Majesty."
The king marked the second matter with his finger.
"The Ministry of Rites will also send an envoy to Song. However, this time, take along the Jin person whom Song requested before. It would be good for one of the Wanyan generals to go. They say Wanyan Zonghan is effectively the commander-in-chief, but he is too radical. By contrast, Zongwang is a brave warrior, something like the vanguard commander, and they say he has the trust of his comrades and generals. It would be good if it were one of those two. It must be someone who can smoothly guide peace talks with Song. It is right that someone from the Great Khan's bloodline should go."
The Minister of Rites stepped forward.
"Your Majesty. This is a matter that requires prior consultation with Jin…"
The Minister of Rites could not finish his sentence.
"Then make that prior consultation happen quickly. Our military support mission is already there. What difficulty can there be? Dispatch the fastest courier today and push for him to accompany the mission."
"Your Majesty!"
The king struck the table with his hand.
"If you mean to say it cannot be done, then give up your post! To someone who can do it!"
The mood suddenly sank.
Give up your post was the phrase officials feared most.
The Minister of Rites hunched his shoulders and said, "I shall do as commanded, Your Majesty. However…"
"However what? Do not catch at the tail of words, and do not grab the hind legs of people trying to work."
It sounded almost as if he were defending Park Geun-su.
Park Geun-su's influence was great in decisions of this kind.
And those who could know had already known that Park Geun-su had met the king first that morning in the bedchamber and discussed matters with him.
The Minister of Rites asked, "Whom would it be best to send to Song? Since the matter is of such weight, a person of standing should go…"
"The person who heard those words before was Lee Ja-ryang. Emperor Huizong of Song treated Lee Ja-ryang with special regard and secretly requested, 'When you come next time, please bring a Jin envoy with you.'"
At that moment, Kim Bu-sik stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, that is the traditional strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians. As I understand it, Lord Lee Ja-ryang refused it on the spot."
Lee Ja-ryang came forward.
"At that time, I said, 'The Jurchen have human faces but beastly hearts, and are not suitable for alliance,' and refused. I thought that because one cannot know when and how they may change, carelessly forming ties with them would be even more dangerous."
Lee Ja-ryang was a civil official in silk robes, but he was a man who knew both the dust of the borderlands and the fragrance of the Song court.
Lee Ja-ryang was a man of the Inju Lee clan, the younger brother of Lee Ja-gyeom. Though he had risen through the power of his lineage and his status as a royal in-law, he was difficult to see as merely a palace aristocrat. During the reign of Yejong, he had followed Yun Gwan in the campaign against the Jurchen and, for his merit, rose to the post of censor. Later, he held positions such as Minister of Justice, Chumilwon Jijusa, Susa-gong, and Jungseo Sirang Pyeongjangsa.
Lee Ja-ryang was a man who had risen to high office on the back of his house, yet he was also a practical aristocrat who had experienced both the battlefield and diplomacy.
He possessed literary talent enough to compose a poem on the spot at the Song court and receive praise from Emperor Huizong, and on the Jurchen question he showed strong vigilance in protecting Goryeo's interests.
Yet because of the shadow of Lee Ja-gyeom and his status as an in-law of the royal house, his ability could never be read apart from the power of his clan.
The king asked, "Why did you do so?"
"I judged that it was not good for other countries to communicate with one another apart from our country. I believed it was better for other countries to fight one another."
The king nodded.
"The direction of diplomacy must now change. The situation in the north has changed. Go with the Wanyan man of the Jurchen, introduce him, and promote amity, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries. Tell them that our country mediates this peaceful negotiation and pursues lasting peace in the world. For that, the destruction of Liao is necessary."
Lee Ja-ryang bent deeply at the waist.
"Your Majesty, it shall be done according to Your command."
Perhaps because he was a man seasoned in diplomacy, he understood immediately.
He separated the task from his personal dislike of the Jurchen.
The king looked at the Minister of Rites.
"Prepare the state letter."
"I receive the command."
The king turned toward Choe Yang-hak, the new Banju and head of the Jungbang.
"How many swift cavalry can we mobilize at most?"
Choe Yang-hak's eyebrow twitched.
On paper, the forces of the Two Armies and Six Guards numbered forty-five thousand.
But not all of them were always stationed inside Gaegyeong.
Some guarded the palace and capital, some entered service by rotation, and some were tied to defense duty in the provinces and borderlands.
The number of troops the king could immediately hold in his hand was far smaller than the number written in the registers.
"Your Majesty, in the records there are twelve thousand elite soldiers. Of course, that is the number in the registers. Those who have horses, armor, and bows and can leave the city gates immediately are fewer than that."
What the king could trust was not the characters written in the registers, but the number of horses that could be saddled in the stables that very morning.
On paper, the Two Armies and Six Guards numbered forty-five thousand. Among them, the mounted elite troops numbered roughly twelve thousand.
The Boseung troops, mainly infantry, numbered about twenty thousand, and the remaining Yeongnyeong, Sangnyeong, Haeryeong, Gammunwi troops, and others numbered about thirteen thousand.
However, this too was only the number in the registers.
In actual war, the number of cavalry who could immediately march out with horses and equipment was likely smaller.
The king's forehead stiffened.
His eyes narrowed greatly.
"If we actually mobilize them, how many are possible?"
"We have not tried it, but if all are mobilized, I believe ten thousand riders may be possible. Of course, since we have never conducted mobilization training, we would only know once we try."
"Why have we not tried it?"
"When operating the army, the greatest concern is military rebellion. Large-scale gathering and mobilization inside the capital have been avoided to the utmost."
At the word rebellion, the king's expression hardened.
"That is so. That is why Taejo the Great also said to value Seogyeong. It is the throat that protects Gaegyeong, but in another sense, it is also the place where troops are gathered."
"Your Majesty, carelessly gathering troops can invite danger."
The king acknowledged Banju Choe Yang-hak's concern.
"Yes, it is dangerous. If we mobilize the provincial troops, it would take time?"
"That is so, Your Majesty. Mobilizing one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand is possible only when all those provincial troops are mobilized as well."
"The Jungbang will begin planning on maps for gathering cavalry at Seogyeong."
"Your Majesty."
"Prepare for a sortie if necessary."
Choe Yang-hak opposed him.
"When dispatching an army, supply is absolutely vital. Our army must carry all of its own supplies. Whether on backs or on horses, the amount of supplies we can carry is the limit of how far our army can go."
"Prepare a supply line at Boju, present-day Uiju. Establish a supply plan to extend our range of movement as much as possible and report it. By tomorrow. Report the broad outline first, and I will grant five days for the detailed plan."
"Your Majesty, many other things are needed. Cavalry alone cannot move."
"Carry it out as ordered."
"I receive the command."
Banju Choe Yang-hak bowed his head.
Anxious imaginings swept through the minds of the officials.
Envoys sent to both countries.
Military mobilization.
A meeting between the king and the Great Khan.
Suddenly, the winds of war had risen in the Goryeo court.
No one spoke it aloud, but their faces darkened.
Because the king had suppressed Han Yun-bo's habitual opposition at the beginning of the meeting, no one could object.