The novel has already been fully translated up to the final chapter. You can access it on my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/caleredhair
“Hahaha…”
A burst of laughter erupted in the tent, and a hint of a smile appeared on Dolgor’s face.
Now, their westward path was blocked by the Ottoman Empire, and their plan for recuperation became impossible due to the increasingly cold climate.
Now, they had only one path left: southward. This was not just a war of ancient enmity between the Golden Tent Khanate and the Great Yu Empire; it was also a war for the Golden Tent Khanate’s survival.
If this war, fought with the strength of the entire tribe, was lost, the Golden Tent Khanate would henceforth be defeated by cold and scarcity of food, disappearing into the long river of history.
If they won, he would become the second nomadic people to rule the Great Yu Empire.
Therefore, now they had no retreat. Attacking the Great Yu Empire became the only choice for every citizen of the Golden Tent Khanate.
Beishan and Wuzhugu were laughing, while Ryu Shi-gyeong trembled. These beast-like people actually intended to use Goryeo people as human shields.
Although he thought this, Ryu Shi-gyeong dared not show it at all. Now, the Golden Tent Khanate was Goryeo’s suzerain, and even held the power of life and death over the King of Goryeo. What was he, a mere envoy, worth?
“If that is the case, who among you is willing to lead the troops into battle this time?” Dolgor looked at his sons.
He had lost count of how many sons he had throughout his life, but those who had survived to this point must be the most excellent generals, for this was the rule of the Golden Tent Khanate: only the strongest princes were qualified to inherit the position of Khan.
“Father Khan, this time, let me lead the troops,” Bodo said loudly.
Beishan frowned. “This Goryeo is within my jurisdiction, Bodo. When is it your turn to interfere?”
Bodo showed no fear and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Second Brother fought in Goryeo and Japan for a year, and in the end, he ceded half of Goryeo to Japan. Isn’t that shameful enough?”
Beshan’s face was very grim. He said, “Foolish! Do you think I truly couldn’t defeat Japan in that war? All I truly wanted was Japan’s firearm technology.”
“Bodo, Beishan is right. Although he ceded half of Goryeo this time, he obtained firearm manufacturing technology from Japan. Now we already have a contingent of slave musketeers,” Dolgor defended Beshan, though for him, this price was indeed somewhat heavy.
However, Goryeo was merely Goryeo after all. The lost territory was ultimately not the Golden Tent Khanate’s.
Wuzhugu then said, “Bodo has always been stationed in the Western Regions, so it’s understandable that he doesn’t understand the situation here.”
Dolgor nodded upon hearing this. “You are my most excellent sons. Now, the Golden Tent Khanate is at a critical juncture of life and death. You must unite.”
“Yes, Father Khan,” Beishan and the others said.
After a satisfied scan of his sons, Dolgor directly said, “This time, let Beishan go. At the same time, we shall test the power of these firearms.”
Beishan was also eager. The Golden Tent Khanate was not an ordinary nomadic tribe, but a state with a complete system.
In this country, there were many officials who were well-versed in literature, so the Golden Tent Khanate was not rigid or unyielding. They were willing to imitate both cannons and firearms.
Their only purpose was to defeat their enemies with these weapons.
“Thank you, Father Khan,” Beishan said excitedly. The humiliation of the Battle of Jizhou still lingered in his mind. Every time he went to sleep, he would kill the Great Yu Empire’s prince hundreds of times in his dreams.
Having settled this matter, Dolgor said to Ryu Shi-gyeong, “This time, the Khanate will dispatch fifty thousand men to Haigucheng to help you retake it in one fell swoop.”
Ryu Shi-gyeong immediately knelt deeply before Dolgor. The next day, he advanced towards Goryeo with Beishan.
Five days later, they arrived in Goryeo, and the large army prepared to advance towards Haigucheng.
At the same time, while Beishan was deploying troops, Haigucheng also became busy. When the barbarian army moved out, the secret guards quickly conveyed the news to Yue Yun.
In occupying Haigucheng this time, he had already taken into account the possibility of barbarian intervention, so both he and Liu Chen were mentally prepared.
“General, the barbarian army has reached Ryukyo City. They have now joined with Goryeo’s army and are heading towards Haigucheng.”
Liu Chen breathlessly relayed the newly acquired intelligence to Yue Yun.
“Who is the general leading the troops this time?” Yue Yun asked.
“Beishan.”
Yue Yun frowned, “Is that the Beishanwho was defeated in Jizhou?”
“That’s right. This time, he is coming with resentment, and it is said he also brought his own cannons and firearms,” Liu Chen said seriously.
“Firearms? Since when did the barbarians have firearms?” Yue Yun’s heart jolted.
Liu Chen said, “Matchlock gun technology is no longer a secret. Whether it’s Prince Zhao, Prince Yan, or others, they have all mastered firearm craftsmanship. It’s not strange for the barbarians to have it, especially since they suffered from a lack of firearms when fighting Japan.”
“Fortunately, all we brought this time are rifled muskets, with a range four or five times that of matchlock guns.” Yue Yun felt a surge of relief. Otherwise, if they had only ordinary flintlock guns, they would have suffered greatly.
“Even so, I’m afraid this battle won’t be easy. This time, he brought a full fifty thousand men. Coupled with Goryeo’s army, we might not be able to hold out,” Liu Chen said worriedly.
As the two were speaking, Li Cheng-jae suddenly appeared before them. Upon approaching, Li Cheng-jae said, “General, the barbarians are attacking!”
Li Cheng-jae’s face at this moment clearly showed worry. Now, he had no way back. If Haigucheng was breached, his fate would be death; the King of Goryeo and those officials would not spare him.
So now, he could only ally with Yue Yun and the others, for only then could his life have some guarantee.
“I am already aware of this. How are the trenches outside the city dug now?” Yue Yun asked.
Upon receiving the news, he had Li Cheng-jae dig trenches outside the city gate. These trenches would act as a moat, slowing down the enemy’s advance.
He was not at all panicked by this barbarian attack, because the Great Yu Empire’s current strategy was to bring the war to Goryeo.
Simply put, their purpose was to fight the barbarians on Goryeo’s territory, exhausting the barbarians’ strength. If the barbarians lost this battle, it would mean they had withdrawn from Goryeo’s sphere of influence, and Goryeo would henceforth live under the shadow of the Great Yu Empire.
“Replying to the General, the trenches have been completed and are ready for use at any time,” Li Cheng-jae truthfully told Yue Yun about the situation outside the city.
Nodding, Yue Yun had Li Cheng-jae return first. He then said to Liu Chen, “Haigucheng is not our ultimate objective. Bisa Castle is the barbarian’s flank. While the barbarians and Goryeo are launching a major attack, you lead a portion of the warships to seize Bisa Castle.”
“General, what about here then?” Liu Chen asked worriedly.
Yue Yun said confidently, “Reinforcements will arrive soon.”