Chapter 229 — Division of Roles
Agolta sank into deep thought.
"It is sound. But who can do such a thing?"
O Geol-mae raised his hand.
He had young nephews, but he thought he himself should step forward for difficult work.
"No. You are too well known. Spies should be handled by spies. And I intend to entrust the negotiations with Goryeo to you. Gaining their cooperation is extremely important. If pressure comes from both sides, the Liao court will lose its senses. If they even merely send troops, as Jungnangjang Lee said, it will be most fitting."
O Geol-mae accepted it.
His expression hardened with the knowledge that he had to do that work and with the weight of the task.
"Goryeo will not send troops."
Even at O Geol-mae's negative words, Agolta did not withdraw his position.
"Even making the gesture will help."
"The timing must also be matched. Since their summons order has gone out, a large army will gather before long."
"Then hurry. You will go first, and second, the matter of inviting and meeting His Majesty the King of Goryeo must be accomplished in an instant."
"What do we give them? Diplomacy is giving and receiving."
"I am thinking about that, so you hurry toward Goryeo."
"Loyalty."
Though he was his younger brother, he bowed more deeply.
He stepped back from the chair, knelt on one knee on the floor, and lowered his head.
The Great Khan quickly rose and lifted him up.
The Great Khan seated O Geol-mae, then spoke first of the next matter.
"Who will go to Song? They say the Goryeo envoy is already waiting, so the envoy must go to Goryeo and accompany him."
Zongwang and Zonghan raised their hands at the same time.
Zonghan only raised his hand, but Zongwang spoke as well.
"Loyalty. This humble general will go."
It was plain that he was not claiming he could do it well, but intending to prevent Zonghan from going.
Zonghan looked sideways with an incredulous face, and Yeongu kept faintly chuckling.
Agolta asked,
"Why does Jungnangjang Lee keep laughing?"
"Your Majesty, General Zongwang is worried that General Zonghan will go as envoy and ruin the matter. He likely thinks that because General Zonghan is strong in temperament and aggressive, if he goes into diplomacy with only hard pressure, failure will be easy."
"I think you are not so different."
Those seated chuckled.
The atmosphere of this meeting in a newborn state just beginning was not bad.
It was not oppressive, nor bureaucratic.
It was an atmosphere where free expression of opinions was possible.
Most of the warriors were comrades who had fought several battles together, so there was good fellowship among them.
Yeongu accepted it.
"That is so, Your Majesty. I am bad because I do not know any other path. My head is poor, so only one path comes to mind. What can I do? That is why I seem to go forward only with hard pressure."
Agolta smiled faintly.
A person who knew and accepted his own shortcomings was pleasing for that reason.
Agolta turned toward Zongwang.
"Kaifeng is a long road. Our vanguard commander would have to go and return… I do not know if the time will fit."
Yeongu answered,
"It is dangerous, but there is a way by sea."
"By sea, hm."
Zongwang stepped forward.
"I will find a way. And I will return in time. I will change horses and ride as fast as possible. Three days to Noksu, three days to Gaegyeong, reaching Gaegyeong in five or six days, and then by ship, fifteen days to Kaifeng. On the return, if I come by ship to Noksu and ride from there, I should arrive within the time."
Words from a person with a plan were easier to hear.
"Good. You must be able to persuade them."
Zongwang answered in a slow tone.
"The Song I know has enough will to fight, but it will take time for them to put it into action. We may send troops, but there is a high possibility they will fail to match the timing."
"Hm. That is likely. What do we give and what do we receive?"
"We will give them the fall of Liao and turn the annual payments they used to give Liao toward our Jin."
"And the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun?"
"That is what they want. The reason they wish to meet our country is the recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun."
"That is right. You have seen well."
At that moment, Zonghan raised his hand.
"If we destroy Liao, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun should become ours."
Zongwang's face became troubled.
"Brother, that is difficult for now. Then what reason would they have to cooperate with us?"
"If we fight and win, then Liao land is our land. Naturally."
"They will have no reason to cooperate. If the enormous annual payments they give Liao are only changed into payments to our Jin, would they form an alliance?"
Zonghan let out a long deep breath.
"Your words are right, but are we not giving land seized with our blood to someone else?"
As expected, he was all hard pressure.
A person sees matters according to his temperament.
That is why the same matter changes according to the person.
Seeing the two oppose one another, O Geol-mae looked troubled.
Agolta mediated.
"There is reason in both of your words. But the reason we are dispatching an envoy now is to disperse Liao's great army. We must give them what they will gain. Fortunately, they are the ones who asked for this, not we, so there is more to obtain. The most urgent matter is to lead the coming great decisive battle to victory. Judging by each person's attitude now, it is right for Zongwang to go as envoy. Zonghan, you will devote yourself to forming the strategy that will bring victory in the great decisive battle."
Zongwang and Zonghan lowered their heads.
"Loyalty."
"Loyalty."
"Zongwang, depart immediately. And return quickly, our vanguard commander."
"Loyalty."
Two matters were settled.
But there was still no person to take charge of the operation to incite internal rebellion.
Agolta asked,
"You said that was General Park Geun-su's opinion?"
Yeongu lowered his head.
"That is so, Your Majesty."
"Was there anything else? Anything about the person? Who would be suitable to take charge of that work?"
Yeongu could not answer for a moment.
Park Geun-su was capable and had some ingenious ideas, but he did not know the inner circumstances of the Jurchen well.
Only then did Yeongu realize that there were not many people within the Jurchen who could take on such work.
The Jurchen were quick at advancing with blades in hand, relentless in avenging insult, and accustomed to gathering strength and striking all at once.
But they were poor at making a small crack inside another person's heart, nurturing that crack for days and months, and finally making it split apart by itself.
That was not a question of force.
It was a question of culture.
Jurchen generals mostly knew how to strike the enemy, but they were not used to making the enemy suspect his own side by his own hand.
Planting rumors, leaking documents, borrowing the mouths of surrendered men to speak different words, and gathering the low voices of relay stations, markets, and military tents in one direction was a completely different kind of fight.
For a moment, Yeongu thought perhaps he himself should do it.
But he immediately shook his head.
He was not a person for that sort of work.
He had no confidence in going somewhere, sowing discord between people, swelling another man's fear, and driving him down the desired road with skill.
Before even beginning, his stomach would twist, and he would ruin the operation itself.
Agolta's gaze turned toward Wanyan Xiyin.
Xiyin stood among the generals, but he was a man closer to words and writing than to the blade.
He knew how to distinguish a prisoner's origin by his speech, wrote down the kinship ties of those who surrendered, and could observe which names still held power inside the Liao military tents.
More than a simple battle general, he suited work involving Liao's internal words, documents, envoys, surrendered men, and rumors.
If Jin were to wage psychological warfare as a state, there were not many people fit to take charge of it.
Xiyin was almost the only one.
There were many generals who could take up blades and break down fortress gates, but few could make those inside the gates suspect one another.
Seeing where the Great Khan's gaze had gone, Yeongu slowly nodded.
Agolta said,
"Will you try it?"
Wanyan Xiyin stepped forward and offered courtesy.
"I will do my utmost."
Agolta looked at him for a long while.
"It is all right if rebellion does not break out.
Swell the problems within.
Make Tianzuo suspect his generals, make the generals fear the court, and make the name of an imperial clansman rise and fall in every military tent.
Before they come to strike us, make them first look at one another."
Xiyin lowered his head with an uncertain expression.
"Loyalty."
Agolta soon divided the work among the three men.