Chapter 9 [Using the Enemy to Defeat the Enemy]
"Long live Balhae! Long, long live!"
"Long live Balhae! Long, long live!"
The journey back to Sanggyung was light and cheerful.
As Dae In-seon entered Sanggyung, the citizens—both Goguryeo descendants and the Sokmal Malgal—cheered loudly, shouting "long live" in unison. Although Balhae adhered to the Tang's Sinocentric order, it was a fully independent kingdom with its own era name, so the cheers were entirely justified.
"Hahaha! I never imagined my nephew would conquer the Heuksu Malgal! So young, yet you have decisively uprooted the source of trouble that has long tormented us! Surely, Your Highness is the reincarnation of Dongmyeongseong of Goguryeo and the late king of Balhae!"
"Uncle, your praise overwhelms me; I hardly know how to respond."
Dae Wi-hae personally came out to welcome Dae In-seon's triumphant return, and inside the palace, Dae Hyun-seok gathered the ministers to congratulate the crown prince and commend his achievements.
Even the ministers who had frowned at the crown prince's previous antics were pleased. One of Balhae's opposing Malgal tribes had been crushed, which meant that the Heuksu Malgal would lose influence in disputes with other Malgal factions.
Furthermore, with the crown prince fully integrating the Malgal into Balhae, exhausted nobles and Malgal-born aristocrats smiled quietly, seeing hope for stability.
"Your Highness has vanquished the Heuksu, a source of great worry for Balhae. This is truly a cause for celebration! Surely, it is thanks to King Go, our founder, who has guided us. And now, you have fully incorporated the six Malgal tribes as Balhae citizens. Though young, you show no weakness in governance. Ministers, take your orders from me and ensure the crown prince can govern without hindrance!"
Dae Hyun-seok emphatically supported Crown Prince Dae In-seon once more.
In truth, this was partly to prevent Dae In-seon from idling away his time. He noticed it and let out a small sigh.
By now, Dae Hyun-seok had effectively delegated authority to Dae In-seon, not just the throne. Even the ministers had no grounds to oppose him, and none dared defy the king's decree.
Given the regency authority granted by the king, Dae In-seon now faced the challenges of administration within the crown prince's palace.
'Normally, there should be at least one minister opposing this! Damn it, are they planning to hand me the throne already? But it's too smooth… and that worries me.'
Things were unusually smooth. Normally, one or two ministers would have objected. However, the ministers had no justification to resist Dae Hyun-seok's orders, especially since the crown prince was still young and perhaps easy to influence.
Dae In-seon's mind swirled with unease. Why was power falling into his lap so easily? Was he unknowingly following the historical path that led a ruler to ruin? The only differences were that he had defeated the Heuksu Malgal and that Dae Wi-hae would not ascend the throne.
Perhaps history could change, allowing Yelü Abaoji to unify the Khitans earlier and challenge Balhae.
'If that's the case, I must ascend the throne quickly. Then I can mobilize troops and reduce the Khitans to the state the Heuksu Malgal were in.'
Looking objectively, the Later Three Kingdoms posed another problem. The country was fragmented, formerly part of Unified Silla, and the population would still exceed three million. Balhae's current strength might suffice to subdue the Khitans, but the troops deployed would leave little force to demonstrate dominance over the Later Three Kingdoms.
Moreover, the question of Goguryeo's succession weighed heavily on Dae In-seon. He retained Choi In-seon's memories and understood the historical significance of Goguryeo. A sense of inferiority had begun to emerge: Balhae was often dismissed as a Malgal state by Tang or Silla. The population itself included many Malgal people, and the country could not openly claim the name Goryeo, which had been used to revive the legacy of Goguryeo, thanks to Tang and Silla.
Even King Go of Balhae, Dae Jo-yeong, originated from the Sokmal tribe. Although recorded as a variant of Goryeo, he was ethnically close to Goguryeo. Sanggyung also had a significant Sokmal Malgal population.
Thus, compared to Wang Geon's Goryeo, which rose later from the Samhan, Balhae would naturally feel inferior in terms of succession. If it remained a Malgal state, even conquering the Later Three Kingdoms would only create a Malgal-dominated empire.
Balhae needed to restore its claim to succession, and Dae In-seon recognized that changing the kingdom's name to Goryeo would help.
'Then I must rename the country Goryeo as soon as possible. Tang is falling, the Later Three Kingdoms will emerge, and no one will dare call themselves Later Goguryeo. If I survive Balhae's decline, the Goryeo I establish will be the only one in Korean history.'
Dae In-seon quietly resolved that instead of fleeing, he would transform Balhae into the true Goryeo.
The first task was dealing with the Khitans.
If he committed troops to the Khitans, the Later Three Kingdoms could rise unchecked. Thus, his primary target would be the Later Three Kingdoms, not the Khitans.
'Should I involve Tang? I could split the Khitans' eight tribes, but the goal is to crush them completely. For that, I need justification.'
Unlike the Khitans, the Malgal had been loyal until Goguryeo's fall. From the time they were fully subjugated, they supported Goguryeo militarily, except for the Heuksu Malgal. Khitans, however, betrayed repeatedly and became Tang's puppet. Therefore, it was better to annihilate them completely, just as with the Heuksu Malgal. Yet, finding justification or allocating forces was difficult.
Without any other option, Tang had to be brought into the plan to defeat the Khitans.
"Eulbu, summon Oso-do!"
"I will obey your command!"
Dae In-seon called upon Oso-do, one of the few capable ministers whose abilities remained memorable.
Oso-do abandoned his tasks and hurried to the crown prince's palace. He had already heard of Dae In-seon's victory and congratulated him alongside Dae Hyun-seok.
Now, the crown prince had summoned him for a reason.
"Your Highness called me?"
"We must strike the Khitans."
'His manner with ministers seems to change constantly. And now, the Khitan campaign? Since the Heuksu Malgal are gone, the rear is safe…'
Oso-do was taken aback by how casually Dae In-seon spoke of war. Even more, the crown prince's tone had subtly shifted. What was he planning?
If it were a simple military campaign, he wouldn't have summoned Oso-do here—he would have gone to the military directly. This meant the purpose was more strategic.
"By Khitan campaign, you mean this is not purely military conquest?"
"No. The Khitans are a people that must be entirely eradicated. How many times have they betrayed us? Unless the name Khitan is erased, Balhae cannot pursue conquest with peace of mind."
"A conquest, Your Highness?"
In the past, Balhae's kings had punished foreign tribes and reconquered territories. Now, having completely defeated the Heuksu Malgal, Dae In-seon had a clear idea about the remaining foreign threats, except the Khitans.
"I plan to change Balhae's name to Goryeo, enter the Three Kingdoms era, and conquer under this new Goryeo banner. I will achieve what old Goryeo could not and establish an empire of the Samhan."
'Given Silla's current state, it's not impossible. Liaodong will be vulnerable while facing the Khitans. Tang cannot act against us now.'
"So you seek a way to conquer them without direct military force?"
"Yes. Tang will be used. Though collapsing, they will easily crush the Khitans they once subdued."
Oso-do closed his eyes, deep in thought. Acting against the crown prince would be disrespectful, but ignoring the strategy could risk Balhae itself. Dae In-seon had summoned him for counsel on this very point.
Oso-do felt a mixture of fear and awe. Dae In-seon, unlike any ordinary prince, observed international affairs carefully, using them to manipulate the Khitans and accelerate the fragmentation of Central China.
Moreover, with Silla collapsing and the Later Three Kingdoms rising, Dae In-seon intended to unify them. If he became Balhae's sovereign, the kingdom's scope and population would inevitably expand.
Annihilating the Khitans was harsh but justified. Goguryeo had once ruled many tribes, only to be isolated when the Khitans sided with Tang. Oso-do did not oppose their elimination.
'This man possesses ambitions Goganggaeto the Great could not achieve. If so, Balhae—or Goryeo—may one day dominate the world and even challenge Central China!'
"I will find a way to annihilate the Khitans for Your Highness!"
"This is using the enemy to defeat the enemy. I trust you. Devise a plan."
"I obey, Your Highness!"
After assigning the task, Dae In-seon finally allowed himself to rest, collapsing onto his bed with a sigh.
"Damn it… ruling is exhausting."
At first, he had planned to merely go through the motions and retreat when necessary. Yet the people would not allow such a thing.
The Heuksu Malgal campaign demonstrated this. As he advanced north, local officials and citizens had rallied to him. The popular support surprised Dae In-seon, forcing him to accept responsibility for the nation.
The other six Malgal tribes had pledged absolute loyalty, fully integrating as Balhae citizens. This eliminated internal strife entirely.
Upon his triumphant return to Sanggyung, the cheers for Dae In-seon echoed like thunder, solidifying his status as a heroic and capable ruler in the eyes of the people.
There was no room left for retreat. Any failure now would mean abandoning countless citizens.
Balhae was a nation that, even after its collapse, had maintained revival movements for 200 years. Among the people celebrating Dae In-seon's return were many who would have historically fallen to the Khitans. Even if in the future, he would save them, as crown prince, the responsibility to protect them weighed heavily on him.
Reflecting on past mistakes, he recalled the girl he had foolishly shown off to, gifting her the sword from Dae Hyun-seok. He recognized the folly of his behavior as a grown man showing off to a child, yet even now, he had to ensure his words and deeds held meaning.
This fueled his resolve: to overcome feelings of inferiority, to transform Balhae into Goryeo, and to subjugate the Later Three Kingdoms.
"I am no sage. I do not tolerate unnecessary provocations. Anyone who challenges me will die. Fear will rule my reign. I will treat my ministers and people well, but I will destroy anyone else—be it Gung Ye, Gyeon Hwon, or Silla. Silla is a mess of fallen bloodlines and opportunists. Gung Ye is a pseudo-religious ruler. Gyeon Hwon claims revenge but is merely a bandit. Only my Balhae can rightfully lead the Samhan."
The collapsing Silla and emerging Later Baekje lacked legitimacy. Gung Ye was unworthy of consideration.
Though Choi In-seon had lived in modern Korea, he now existed as Dae In-seon, crown prince of Balhae. To unify the Samhan, Balhae had to become Goryeo, rejecting the thousand-year-old Silla and Later Baekje.
The conquest of the Heuksu Malgal was merely the opening act of Dae In-seon's challenge to the world.