Why does it always turn out like this?! (5)
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
Hwangbo Ung closed his eyes at the familiar sound.
The sound of over a thousand men marching in step. At first, it might not seem like anything remarkable, but there were only a few groups in the entire world who could produce such a sound.
A sound that could only be achieved through strict discipline, rigorous training, and a shared purpose.
Hwangbo Ung had listened to that very sound all his life.
Opening his eyes, he turned his head slightly.
The soldiers who had been by his side his entire life. This was no mere figure of speech. Standing there were battle-hardened veterans who had first joined the army as rosy-cheeked youths, only to now have heads full of graying hair.
The men he trusted most, who could understand him with a single glance.
If anything was different from usual, it was that his army, which had always marched beyond the border, was now treading the soil of the Central Plains. That seemingly small yet profound difference left Hwangbo Ung with somewhat complicated feelings.
‘No, this is wrong.’
Deep furrows were etched across Hwangbo Ung’s forehead.
He must not hesitate. It was precisely because he had hesitated until now that the country had fallen into such a state.
Patience was a soldier’s virtue. His belief in that remained unchanged. But Hwangbo Ung also knew something else. Sometimes, refusing to make a choice was the greatest act of cowardice.
‘I must do it. If someone must make the choice, it must be me.’
Otherwise, others would pay the price in his stead. Hwangbo Ung was not so irresponsible that he could turn a blind eye to that fact.
He had lived on the country’s pay all his life. Now it was time to repay that debt.
“Grand General.”
“Mm.”
Hwangbo Ung turned his gaze at the sound of his adjutant’s voice beside him.
“Word has arrived from the men we sent to infiltrate their ranks. It seems those you ordered us to watch have yet to make a move. They apparently haven’t anticipated that we would act now.”
“I see.”
Hwangbo Ung nodded slowly.
‘They could never have anticipated it.’
Anyone who could have foreseen this would deserve to be called a divine being [신인(神人)] rather than a human. After all, even Hwangbo Ung himself had never thought it would be possible.
‘Chief Eunuch Do Hyeon.’
Had he not approached Hwangbo Ung in secret… Hwangbo Ung’s decision would have been delayed by at least several more years. By then, he might have missed his chance altogether and met his death full of regret.
– Grand General, do you have the courage to risk your life for the sake of the realm?
Hwangbo Ung’s lips twisted.
‘Insolent bastard.’
To think he had dared provoke Hwangbo Ung with such words. Yet those words had ultimately spurred him into action, so it would be no exaggeration to say that everything had gone exactly as Do Hyeon intended.
And Do Hyeon was a man of more than mere words.
“It certainly seems the Chief Eunuch has handled the intelligence operations well. There must have been more than a few people watching the north, and deceiving every last one of them could hardly have been easy. I believe we must attribute this to the Eastern Depot putting its full resources to work.”
“Precisely.”
The frontier armies possessed the strength to rise against the Emperor at any moment, while the Eastern Depot was charged with watching them to safeguard his power. By their very nature, the two were like oil and water.
Yet Do Hyeon had made that impossible alliance possible. All through the simple words ‘greater cause [대의(大義) – big righteousness]’ alone.
Because those who could never have worked together had joined forces… they had been able to do what no one had anticipated. Their unimpeded march from the north to the Imperial Capital was also a result of that alliance.
“A remarkable man.”
As Hwangbo Ung readily praised Do Hyeon, his adjutants frowned slightly.
“Grand General. You are the truly remarkable one, not the Chief Eunuch. However fine a plan he may have brought you, an ordinary man would never have dared even consider hearing him out. Who in this world could readily accept a proposal from the head of the Eastern Depot? When our first concern had to be whether this was all a trap he had laid, surely it is thanks to you alone that we have come this far?”
“Foolish talk.”
“But…….”
“Enough.”
Hwangbo Ung narrowed his eyes.
“Even if that is true, it does not change the fact that the Chief Eunuch is a remarkable man. Even if, as you say, this plan only came to fruition because I risked my life, is that any reason to belittle the abilities of the man who set it in motion?”
“There is… there is no reason. You are right, Grand General.”
“Do not let personal feelings cloud your judgment. A commander must be able to assess the situation objectively at all times. Nothing is further removed from the art of war than emotion. Forget that, and one day you will lead your men straight into hell.”
“I will remember that, Grand General.”
As the adjutants bowed their heads, their faces pale, Hwangbo Ung nodded silently. They were astute men, so that should have been enough for them to understand.
“Our progress?”
“At this rate, we will reach the Imperial Capital within two days.”
“Mm.”
Hwangbo Ung nodded with a grave expression.
‘It cannot possibly be that easy.’
When everything was going well, one had to be all the more cautious. Did Hwangbo Ung not know better than anyone that the world was no easy place to navigate.
They were shaking the very foundations of a nation. There was no telling what unforeseen complication might arise, or when. They could not afford to lower their guard until everything was over.
“Hm?”
Just then, something strange caught Hwangbo Ung’s eye.
“Halt.”
“All troops! Halt!”
No sooner had the order been given than the entire marching force came to a halt at once.
“Grand General, that…”
“Mm.”
Hwangbo Ung’s eyes narrowed instinctively.
A dense forest stretched across the end of their path.
Above it, pale dust was billowing up like a cloud. An enormous cloud of dust, so vast that it dwarfed the one their own troops had kicked up when they came to an abrupt halt.
“The enemy?”
“Th-That is impossible. No army has moved into this area. Have we not already confirmed that?”
“And who confirmed it?”
“That was…….”
The adjutant faltered under his gaze. The information had come from the Eastern Depot, and from Chief Eunuch Do Hyeon.
The Chief Eunuch would hardly have spoken without grounds.
But was he someone they could trust completely?
What if Chief Eunuch Do Hyeon had truly planned all of this to lure them into a trap?
‘Then a thousand inadequately armed men will have walked straight into a tiger’s den.’
And in their midst would be Grand General Hwangbo Ung, a man they could never afford to lose.
The adjutants’ thoughts began to race.
“….Should we not investigate?”
“At this distance, any rash movement will lead straight to battle.”
“But we cannot simply retreat either.”
“Hmm…”
As the adjutants argued back and forth, Hwangbo Ung’s gaze grew somber as he stared at the dust.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Run harder!”
“Uuuuuugh.”
“Pull like oxen! No, like horses! Like horses! If the dust settles, we’re all dead meat! Got it?”
“….Seriously, what are the ghosts doing?“
“Why haven’t they dragged that damned bastard off yet?!”
The disciples of Hwasan gritted their teeth and ran with all their might.
More than a dozen thick ropes were tied around their shoulders, and large tree branches were fastened one after another along the lengths of those ropes. The disciples of Hwasan were running like dogs with the ropes trailing behind them, kicking up enormous clouds of dust.
“Why the hell do we have to do this?!”
“No! This is an excellent tactic!”
“Huh?”
Jwa Gohak’s eyes widened, gleaming with excitement.
“This is the method Zhang Fei [장비(張飛)] used to deceive Cao Cao’s [조조(曹操)] massive army at Changban [장판파(長坂坡)]. He tied branches behind horses to stir up dust, making it seem as though he had a great army. It is practically a textbook example of bluffing with a show of strength, but I never imagined we would put it to use here! Brilliant!”
“Brilliant, my foot!”
Baek Cheon roared, furiously pointing his finger.
“You damned bookworm, those were horses pulling the branches! How does it make any sense to have people do this?!”
“….Doesn’t that make it even more impressive?”
“Huh?”
Baek Cheon’s head tilted to one side. Well… that was true, but…
“You said General Hwangbo Ung was an incredibly accomplished commander! There’s no way such a sloppy trick would work on a man like that!”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“Even Cao Cao fell for it.”
“…”
Baek Cheon’s face went blank. Hearing that, he found himself at a loss for words.
“So quit complaining and run! Our chances of success depend on how much dust you kick up!”
“…”
Jwa Gohak seemed to support the plan wholeheartedly, but Baek Cheon still could not shake his doubts.
“Hey, Chung Myung!”
“Yeah, yeah. Talk while you run.”
“Will this really work? Would General Hwangbo Ung really fall for such a pathetic trick?”
“Why even ask. Of course he won’t.”
“Exactly, that’s what I’m… Huh?”
Baek Cheon stopped running and whipped his head around.
“What did you just… Aaaack!”
A rock came flying out of nowhere, struck Baek Cheon on the forehead, and bounced into the air.
“I told you to talk while you run!”
“…You son of a…!”
Did that mean he had to throw a rock at his Sasuk… There had to be a limit to his disregard for seniority.
“What do you mean he won’t fall for it?”
“Exactly what I said. The man is no fool, so why would he fall for a trick like this?”
“…”
“From what I’ve heard, he made quite a name for himself up north. He’ll probably be able to tell at a glance whether this is a trick or not.”
Baek Cheon blinked.
“Then why are we doing this?”
“So he’ll know we’re here.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”
The more he listened, the less sense any of it made, and Baek Cheon practically tore his hair out in frustration. Watching him, Chung Myung let out a small chuckle and opened his mouth.
“Sasuk.”
“Huh?”
“Let me enlighten you about the world of ‘intelligent people’ – a realm far beyond your own comprehension.”
At those words, Baek Cheon immediately turned to Jo Geol and asked.
“Was that an insult?”
“…Do you really need to ask?”
Before Jo Geol could even finish giving him a look of utter disbelief, Chung Myung’s voice continued.
“Tactics like this aren’t really meant to fool anyone.”
“……Then?”
“They’re meant to make the enemy trip over their own feet.”
“Huh?”
“What does it mean to be a great commander? It means he’s clever, and he takes account of every little detail an ordinary person would overlook.”
“I suppose…. so?”
“Which makes him all the less likely to act without thinking things through.”
“Huh?”
“Just watch. All we need to do is buy some time.”
Chung Myung grinned and turned his gaze beyond the forest.
❀ ❀ ❀
“What should we do, Grand General.”
The adjutants looked at Hwangbo Ung anxiously. Under ordinary circumstances, they were men whose composure would have earned ample praise, but the gravity of their objective was robbing them of that composure.
“Give the order. It does not matter how many enemies there are. We will crush them all and clear a path.”
“What are you saying?! Can you not see that dust cloud? One wrong move could mean a crushing defeat.”
“Then what? You would have us retreat after coming this far?”
“I am saying we should be cautious.”
“Cautious! Do you not realize that every moment counts? Why can you not understand that the longer we take, the greater the danger.”
“But!”
“Enough.”
Just as the adjutants were about to launch into a heated argument, Hwangbo Ung’s deep voice cut through their exchange.
“There is no great army. It is nothing more than a bluff – an empty show of strength.”
“Grand General!”
The adjutants’ eyes lit up.
Hwangbo Ung’s keen insight was far beyond anything they could hope to match. If he said it was so, then it was.
“Then at once…”
“Wait.”
“Pardon?”
Hwangbo Ung’s gaze grew darker.
“…This has become troublesome.”
A faint trace of anger seeped into Hwangbo Ung’s voice.
________
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