"In any case, this is no time for pointless talk. We must turn back now. If we go any farther, we will be entering Khitan territory. If the Crown Prince were to be captured by those bands of thieves, how could I ever face Lord Gadeokbu again?"
Isn't this guy being far too rude to the Crown Prince?
That thought briefly crossed Dae Inseon's mind, and he paused to整理 his thoughts.
The man speaking so bluntly to the Crown Prince was, according to his memories, a Malgal tribesman from the Heuksu Tribe. His name was Eulbu.
During the martial tournament held in the capital, he had been selected as Dae Inseon's personal bodyguard.
I've heard that records of Balhae's later years are extremely scarce… so I'm the unfortunate protagonist buried in history, huh.
Digging deeper into his memories, Dae Inseon recalled his current situation. He had grown tired of studying at the National Academy and had left the capital, passing through the Central Capital and the Western Capital, traveling far beyond Buyeo Prefecture.
No—calling it a journey would be generous.
It was escapism, plain and simple.
Studying had never suited Dae Inseon in the first place. Especially not recently, when disputes had broken out at the National Academy between nobles of Malgal origin and noble youths of Balhae descent. A noisy place like that was unbearable.
More than that, he found it fundamentally absurd that a Crown Prince should be forced to sit and study alongside such people at the National Academy.
Wait… am I completely screwed right now?
There were many theories about Balhae's fall, but the Khitan invasion was the primary cause. In the end, like Goguryeo before it, the nation would fall through war.
Thirty-four years from now, the Khitans will invade and Balhae will perish. If it's doomed anyway, wouldn't it be better to just enjoy myself? When the Khitans invade, I could quickly flee to Goryeo with Crown Prince Daegwanghyeon, father and son hand in hand. That wouldn't be a bad plan.
"Since we've come this far, wouldn't it be fine to take a look at Khitan territory as well?"
"Do you wish to see my head roll, Your Highness? I'm not even from the Sokmal or Baeksan tribes, so the royal court already looks down on me!"
Eulbu shook his head dramatically, completely at odds with his rugged appearance. Indeed, this was a place where losing one's life would not be surprising in the slightest. Tensions were already rising between Balhae and the Malgal tribes that had been subjugated during the previous king's reign. If they pushed any further, it was obvious that this could spark infighting among the ruling elite.
Still, Dae Inseon had no desire to go down in history as a ruler who merely fled after the fall of his country.
More than anything, he carried memories from living in twenty-first-century South Korea. He knew all too well the painful trajectory of Korean history.
Because of that, the thought of losing Balhae felt unbearably bitter.
I need to see just how strong the Khitans have become. There's still several decades left, but I can't prepare without understanding the enemy. Maybe… just maybe, I can prevent the fall.
Whether this resolve stemmed from belated patriotism or the inherited memories of Dae Inseon himself, one thing was certain: if he could prevent the collapse, he could lay the foundation for a strong and prosperous state.
Both the present and the future looked bleak, but what had already happened could not be undone. And once something had happened, he found himself thinking that he might as well enjoy it.
"I know we won't die. So let's just take a look at Khitan territory. Once we've seen enough, we'll head back to the capital. I'll talk to that old man—no, I mean, Lord Gadeokbu—for you."
"…Fine. Do whatever you want, Your Highness."
"That's my bodyguard!"
Since he had already chosen to indulge in his escape, Dae Inseon decided to spy on the tribe that would destroy Balhae decades later. He ordered Eulbu to guide him into Khitan territory via the tribute route.
Dae Inseon crossed the border into Khitan lands one month after fully awakening to the memories of Choi Inseon, his former life in South Korea.
Originally, they would have left earlier, but unexpectedly, forces were dispatched from the capital to retrieve him.
"I mean, he's the Crown Prince of the country. Isn't that only natural? Hah!"
Every time Eulbu complained once, he received ten complaints in return.
He had already risked his life several times to shake off the pursuing troops, narrowly escaping danger again and again.
Though his speech was rough, befitting a man from the Heuksu Tribe, his loyalty was undeniable given how he had protected Dae Inseon thus far.
When Dae Inseon reached the Liao River basin, an immense expanse of land spread out before his eyes.
"…Eulbu."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"This was once the territory of Goguryeo, wasn't it?"
Beyond the Liao River lay Khitan land.
Long ago, armies numbering in the millions from Sui and Tang had crossed this very region repeatedly. Now, in Balhae's time, it had become the borderland between Balhae and the Khitans.
Compared to a unified China, Goguryeo had been smaller in scale, yet it dominated the north and ruled over many tribes.
The Khitans themselves had once been subjugated during the reign of King Gwanggaeto, prospering under Goguryeo's heavens. Yet during the Goguryeo–Tang War, they betrayed Goguryeo and joined Tang in the invasion.
Even now, under Balhae, they continued to betray that old allegiance, standing in opposition across the Liao River.
At first, Inseon had considered fleeing as an option. But gazing upon this vast land, Dae Inseon felt his chest burn with heat.
"That is correct. This was the domain of Goguryeo, the predecessor of Balhae. The Khitans were also subjugated and were used as mercenaries in wars against the Central Plains."
"And now they stand against us. Even though we are the successors of Great Goguryeo."
"…Do you consider the Khitans a threat, Your Highness?"
Dae Inseon nodded lightly in response.
In a little over thirty years, the Khitans would be unified under Yelü Abaoji and rapidly expand their power.
If possible, he wanted to sow discord among them before that happened and fracture their unity.
"King Seonseong greatly expanded our territory, but can he compare to Goguryeo, which ruled over all surrounding tribes? I want to subjugate them once more."
"You wish to subjugate the Khitans and stand against the Central Plains again?"
Eulbu spoke with a baffled expression. Dae Inseon gazed somewhere far beyond the Liao River and spoke calmly.
"No. I wish to conquer the world. Balhae descends from Great Goguryeo, from the sons of heaven themselves. How long must we acknowledge and submit to the so-called Sinocentric order of the Tang remnants? I will subjugate the Khitans, then all tribes north of the Great Wall, reclaim Goguryeo's former glory, and ride past the Great Wall itself."
To be precise, he simply did not want to become the ruler of a fallen nation.
Even if he surrendered to Yelü Abaoji or fled to Goryeo, he would still be treated with respect as a former monarch. But in history, the name Dae Inseon would be remembered only as that of a defeated ruler.
The more he thought about it, the less acceptable exile became. Even in Goryeo, he would live cautiously, always reading the room.
So in the end… do I have to fight the Khitans? What is Balhae's military situation like right now? Depending on how things stand, I might even be remembered as a sage king.
At the very least, Dae Inseon wanted to rid himself of the title of "the king who lost his country."
Unaware of these thoughts, Eulbu stood stunned for a long while before shaking his head and twisting his mouth into a crooked smile.
"I seem to have ended up serving a truly outrageous lord. Do you honestly believe this is possible, Your Highness?"
"What's impossible about it? King Mu attacked the Tang remnants with the military strength of a newborn Balhae and recovered most of Goguryeo's former territory."
King Mu, the second king of Balhae and holder of the title Gadeokbu, subjugated neighboring peoples with Balhae's modest forces. He even supported the Khitans and Göktürks to repel the Tang remnants. Furthermore, he sent General Jang Mun-hyu to attack Dengzhou, killing its governor and striking fear into Tang's heartland.
That glory was clearly recorded in Balhae's history. Dae Inseon could not bear to watch Balhae collapse after such achievements.
And in about ten years, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period will truly begin. If anything, that's a chance for Balhae's resurgence.
From the perspective of someone who carried Choi Inseon's memories, simply running away was never the best option.
He knew the future of the Khitans and the Central Plains. Even without being a history major, anyone who had not completely ignored history would know of the Five Dynasties period and Yelü Abaoji.
No matter how ignorant I was, there's no way I'd miss that era. Of course, I need to deal with the Khitans first.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period—the era following the fall of the Tang, when the imperial throne was contested amid fragmentation. China's cyclical nature of division and reunification made it the perfect opportunity for Balhae's revival, or so Dae Inseon believed.
"Hahaha! If you truly do that, how about appointing me as King of the Heuksu Tribe? From this moment on, I'll devote my body and soul to serving you, even unto death!"
"Look at you. Are you flattering me now? Fine. If you lead the Heuksu Tribe, Balhae would certainly benefit."
Though he spoke half in jest, Eulbu seemed to take it quite seriously. For a brief moment, reverence and loyalty flickered in his eyes.
Unaware of this, Dae Inseon changed his clothes the moment they crossed the Liao River, concealing his identity before entering a Khitan marketplace.
"Honestly, these people really do look best herding sheep on the steppe. Just look at that hair."
"Aren't the Malgal people similar?"
"Well… I suppose. In any case, where are we going now?"
"Should we head back?"
"…What? We just got here."
Eulbu blinked rapidly, suppressing the urge to ask why they had crossed over in the first place.
Dae Inseon had his reasons. Now that he had actually come, the Khitans—supposed destroyers of Balhae—looked rather unimpressive.
More than that, unlike in historical dramas, seeing their strange bowl-cut hairstyles from above was not just ridiculous, but alien.
Come to think of it, before Yelü Abaoji appears, they're just a people subordinate to the Uyghurs. Maybe this trip was pointless. Their standard of living isn't great either. If I ascend the throne a bit earlier, I might be able to deal with them easily.
"Let go of me! Spit!"
"Huh?"
"How dare you drag me along and spit at me, you wench? Fine, so you don't want to go quietly?"
As Dae Inseon pondered this, rough voices rose behind him.
Turning around, he saw a young girl being dragged away by several burly men.
At a glance, she looked terrified. The men pulling her along appeared to be guards, perhaps belonging to someone of status.
When Dae Inseon cast a silent, questioning look at Eulbu, Eulbu observed the scene and spoke cautiously.
"Slave traders. They look like Tang merchants. The child being taken is likely a girl from a fairly prominent Khitan or Uyghur family."
"…She looks a lot like Jihye. If this were her childhood, she'd look just like that."
"What?"
He recalled the woman he had loved in his former life as Choi Inseon.
They hadn't been together for long, but he had cared for her deeply.
As her face surfaced in his mind, Dae Inseon found himself wanting to help the girl.
However, the opponents were Tang merchants with armed escorts. No matter how skilled Eulbu was, there was no way he could take on all of them.
In that case, a peaceful solution was the better option.
Fortunately, they were carrying a substantial amount of money. After all, he was no ordinary man—he was the Crown Prince. The bundle Eulbu carried was filled with wealth.
"Eulbu. Do we have money?"
"You stripped the National Academy bare before we left, didn't you? Wait… you're not planning to buy that slave girl, are you?"
"I am."
Eulbu's unnecessary perceptiveness made Dae Inseon frown, though he acknowledged inwardly that his servant understood him well.
"If Lord Gadeokbu finds out, there'll be chaos! Wouldn't it be better to form marriage ties with noble families instead? Many of them have young daughters."
Does he think I'm some kind of pedophile?
From Eulbu's perspective, it was natural to assume that Dae Inseon might take interest in a girl close to his own age. But Dae Inseon himself felt bitter.
Inside, he was already a man in his twenties.
Taking interest in a child would make him nothing more than a pervert.
Still… he's not entirely wrong. I did become interested.
"That's enough. Just save the girl first."
"…I never imagined my lord would be this reckless."
What had happened while he was resting for his master to change so drastically? Though puzzled, Eulbu ultimately convinced himself that his lord had always been like this and decided to take out the hidden money.
Whatever. We've come this far. His Highness will handle the rest.
"I should've known the moment we left the capital. Hah."
"Understood. We should have enough emergency funds to buy the girl."
He had never imagined that money would be spent in a place like this. But since they had not indulged in luxuries while traveling through Balhae, their funds were ample. Eulbu believed it would be more than enough to secure the girl's freedom.