Balgi looked around.
Among his subordinates, who were called the strongest unit in the Oyeol Hall, only 30 survived.
Hundreds died in the fighting in the city.
He was also hurt.
An arrow was lodged in his shoulder, and although the shaft was broken, the point could not be removed.
But it didn't hurt.
This is because he kept his mouth shut the whole time, filled with anger and a desire for revenge for having his throne stolen.
Until you reach the western garrison's territory and meet the messenger (official title) Hae-on.
"Pepper...."
"Hae-won, bring me some alcohol."
"We need to remove the arrowhead stuck in the shoulder first."
"stop!"
The erection refused treatment.
At the beckoning of Hae-on, the strategist of the Oyeol Hall garrison, two soldiers brought a large poison while groaning.
He got off his horse, held the jug upside down with both hands, and drank.
Slurp! Slurp! Slurp-!
A white liquid poured down from head to toe like a waterfall. Only when the bottle was empty did he finally throw it away.
Clang!
The pottery shattered into pieces and scattered in all directions.
"What happened?"
"Yeonwoo stole my throne and my golden crown."
"yes?"
"The two bastards summoned me to the palace, claiming it was the King's will. They went there, believing my eldest brother was nearing death and would be handing over the throne to me. But then..."
Under the feet of the erector, a piece of pottery was trampled and turned to dust.
The soldiers who dismounted after him erupted in anger.
"At the palace, a hundred seated soldiers of the Yan Nabu, armed with sharp swords, were waiting."
"I was planning to use assassins to kill you, Balgi."
"The brothers of Oyeolhol opened the way with a human assault and saved Gochuga, but...."
Soldiers talking incoherently.
Hae-on frowned and endured.
To listen and understand what the soldiers and their relatives are saying.
A long time later.
"The incident began when the queen came to see me in the middle of the night and refused to meet me."
"The fox didn't return to the palace, but went to find Yeonwoo. The two of them conspired, and they held the coronation ceremony without telling me. They used the will as an excuse."
"ah!"
Hae-on sat down on the ground.
And that's not all.
The faces of the officials from Biryu Nabu turned pale.
"Even so, what if they set fire to the city and kill people?"
"...."
"If you had informed the people of Biryu Nabu and asked them to make it public, you could have made an ally."
"I wanted to regain the throne of the king that was taken away by my own power."
"We had to gather together those among the five major families and the minor families who were dissatisfied with the actions of the queen and the royal family."
"Enough! I will return to the capital, kill those two bastards, and behead Uso, the master of the Yeonnabu clan who sought my life."
"Only the troops stationed at Oyeol Hall?"
Hae-on sighed.
The same was true of the Biryu Nabu who was in charge of administrative affairs at the Oyeol Hall Garrison.
"Before us is the Liaodong Army, behind us are the Yan'an and our own forces. Where will we get our provisions and supplies?"
"There is a way."
"yes?"
The erection stretched the fingertips toward the west.
Yangpyeong County across the Yohwa River.
A castle where the headquarters of the Liaodong Army is located, and where the owner is the so-called Oyeol Hall's oguri.
"What the...what the heck! Is this nonsense?"
"I will borrow troops from the governor of Liaodong to attack those two bastards."
"He's a man who's fought against our country many times. He's plotting to cross the Yellow River and take over the entirety of Oyeol Hall without fail..."
"conflict!"
The erection erupted into a roar.
He must have been tired from running nonstop for hundreds of miles from his hometown, but his fighting spirit still radiated from his body.
"As of today, I will cease the war with Gongsun Tak. I will also hand over the rights to Oyeolhol. In return, I will obtain troops and reclaim the throne of the Great King that was taken away."
"...."
"Come on! You prepare for negotiations. We need 10,000 additional soldiers to deal with the domestic faction and the two bastards."
He opened his eyes wide and his whole body rallied with energy. He expressed his determination to reclaim the throne, even if it meant losing the Oyeol Hall.
"Pepper! Are you planning to gamble your life away?"
"Yes."
As he answered, he pulled the arrow shaft embedded in his shoulder. Blood spurted from the wound, and pieces of dead blood and flesh dangled from it.
"Listen up, everyone! I will offer those who follow my lead the opportunity for advancement and social advancement. Warriors of Oyeolhol, who fear not death! In the name of the tenth Great King and sole successor to the late King Nammu, I command you to go and strike down the traitors of our country!"
The man spread his arms wide and let out a loud shout.
The crowd watching the group arriving from the east began to stir.
Residents and soldiers of the borderlands, deprived of the protection of the king and nobles residing in the capital, cheered for the Gochuga Balgi, who had protected them from the Liaodong army's offensive.
"Waaaaaaaaa-!"
"Let us assist our king!"
"Let's kill the two traitors who stole the golden crown of the Balgi and set our country right!"
The eastern garrison of Oyeol Hall became noisy.
In Goguryeo, where strength was the highest virtue, there was no general who could surpass Balgi.
The garrison's lower ranks and soldiers began to swear allegiance to the man known as the Universalist.
※※※※※
The cheers grew louder and louder.
Even excluding the hundreds of soldiers who had lost their erections, the 2,500 garrison soldiers became one.
Hae-on took advantage of the excitement among the people and went to the military camp.
"This can't be! This can't be! Our Biryu family's century-long grudge has been ruined. To think they spared no expense in investing in someone who only cared about power, without regard for consequences."
Hae-on was shocked to see the actions of Bal-gi, who had returned to the capital as the death of Nam-mu (King Gogukcheon) was imminent.
"The Yeonnabu supported the queen, the Gyerubu supported the royal family, and our Nabu also supported Balgi, all in an attempt to restore the old order. However, Balgi, as always, made enemies whenever he opened his eyes and even fought against other Nabu."
Hae-on sighs as if the sky is falling.
A meal like that passed.
"Mr. Hae-on...."
A familiar voice is heard outside the tent.
He was a messenger secretly sent from Biryu Nabu.
"you?"
"I ran from the capital city day and night without rest."
"I've heard a bit about the domestic disaster."
The collusion between Queen Woo and Yeonwoo.
The usurpation of the throne and assassination.
After Balgi escaped from the palace, he set fire to the castle and massacred Yeon Na-bu and Yeon Woo's gang, etc.
"That's not all."
"Even if there is more, it won't be worse than it is now, right?"
"that is...."
The messenger looked around, only after confirming there was no sign of life around the tent.
"While mediating the dispute between the two men, Balgi and Taewang, Gyesu was seriously injured."
"what!"
"During the catastrophe of the domestic city, someone stabbed him, and Yeonun took refuge in the inner palace of Winaam Castle."
"You're crazy. You're crazy! Of all people, you're him."
Hae-on's face turned as white as a sheet of paper.
The fame of Gyesu was second only to that of King Gogukcheon in Goguryeo and the North.
The reason is that he was the first to give up the succession to the throne.
"There's another incident. Ambassador Anryu's youngest son has been murdered, and the murderer is one of Balgi's subordinates."
"My goodness! Even if you put Gyesu aside, you've turned even the fair and just Anryu into an enemy. If this continues, we'll be in a position where we can't even get help from the reformists."
[Reformists]
King Gogukcheon checked the tyranny of the five noble families and expanded the recruitment of non-mainstream nobles and outsiders.
A representative figure was Eulpaso, who was appointed as the Prime Minister and implemented the Jindae Law and royal-led reform policies. He formed a faction called the Reform Party.
"Also, the shopping streets of the country and the mansions of the five nobles were burned down, and many of the nobles hold grudges."
"There's no such thing as a remote mountain! What did Biryu Nabu and Father say?"
"The master also told me not to expect any help."
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Hae-on sighed.
Not only was he unable to get help from Biryu Nabu, but he also turned his back on the reformists and even the ministers of the Jo Party.
"Do we really need to borrow troops from the Liaodong Army just to survive?"
"What does that mean?"
"From now on, tell your father secretly what I am about to say. Lord Balgi intends to borrow troops from the governor of Liaodong."
"Aiko! He's out of his mind. Isn't he the enemy?"
"I think so too."
"If things go wrong, the third daughter-in-law's head could be hung on a pole."
"Since I'm riding the back of the tiger called Balgi, I have no choice but to go to the Liaodong Commandery and negotiate. The capital and Queen Wu will know whose confidant I am."
"Is there no other way?"
The messenger's sorrow.
Hae-on shook his head.
"I wouldn't know if I were there, but after making enemies everywhere, there's no way to fix it."
"I have a way to overcome this crisis."
"What!"
Hae-on opened his eyes wide.
Having grown up with the messenger since childhood, I knew he was smart, so I waited for his next words.
"If your Majesty Balgi advances into the capital, the eastern part of Oyeolhol will be destroyed. The governor of Liaodong will covet it, so Your Majesty, surrender with land and people."
"I am not a traitor."
Hae-on's eyes were bloodshot.
He was determined never to betray his country.
The messenger shook his head.
"It means to falsely surrender. Then, collude with the powerful figures in the party and turn your faults into merits."
"I want to ask why."
"The forces of Oyeolhol and the Liaodong Army can never defeat Guknaeseong. Do you know why?"
The messenger sighed and took out the bronze shield from his bosom.
"The reason I arrived a day late was because I was promoted to a senior position, supervising ten members of the group. Also, if I hadn't seen the scene that day, I wouldn't know..."
The evening after the domestic disaster occurred.
He confessed that Gyesu had predicted that after Balgi fled, he would borrow troops from Gongsun Zhuo.
"I, really?"
"This is what I saw and heard myself."
"The rumor that the prince's intelligence rivaled that of the Four Gentlemen of the Warring States Period is not a lie. His words are true."
"He persuaded the King and Queen to open a court, and although I don't know what happened after I left, he must be gathering troops for the capital."
After hearing the full story, Hae-on grabbed the bottle of alcohol with trembling hands and poured it into his mouth.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
It smelled like sour milk wine.
Hae-on's actions of trying to use alcohol to help him cope with a situation that is too difficult to endure with a sober mind.
The messenger watched silently and then rose from his seat.
"It is time to return to the domestic sphere."
"Wait a minute! From today on, I'll treat you as an acquaintance. I'll call you by your original name, 'Gourou.'"
"Thank you, Third Nari."
"Don't call me Nari anymore. I will never forget the favor you gave me, saving my life and the fate of Biryu Nabu. My childhood friend, Gouru!"
Gouru bowed with a bright face and went out of the tent.
Inside the empty military tent.
Hae-on looked down at the parchment map spread out on the table. His eyes were filled with intoxication.
"Your Majesty, your army numbers approximately 2,500 men. 800 are cavalry, and the rest are infantry. To capture the fortress as quickly as possible, you need at least 15,000 troops, with 30% cavalry."
His finger moved to the eastern location of the Oyeol Hall on the map.
The destination of the slender fingers is the left circle of the Yang vein.
It was the gateway to the country and the only passage through the forest- and mountain-covered region.
"If we can break through the left flank, there's a chance for you, Balgi. As Gouru suggested, it's fine to seize the opportunity with a false surrender, but if the Liaodong Army lends us just 15,000 troops..."
Haeon, who is struggling with two options.
A sound broke his thoughts.
"Lion (official title)! Lion! Something terrible has happened."
"Tell me slowly what's going on."
"An envoy has arrived from the Liaodong Commandery. His Majesty the Gochuga has been ordered to bring him to the command tent immediately."
"Do you know the name of the messenger?"
"This is the Liaodong Commandery's Seung (the governor's aide) Liu Yi."
Hae-on felt the hangover starting to wear off.
This is because the opponent is Liu Yi, the right-hand man of the governor of Liaodong and a man renowned for his strategy.
"What on earth are you planning!"