I Became a Fallen Noble of Goguryeo

Chapter 31: Father-in-law (1)

The moment he saw the ginseng and the book.

Go Yangseong’s eyes changed.

“…This is!”

The excitement vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only the authority of a Grand King. The first thing he reached for was the ginseng.

“…I have long heard that you grow ginseng in the fields. Is this the result of it?”

“Yes, it is so.”

Go Yangseong touched and turned the ginseng this way and that like a CEO being briefed on a new product. He even tore off a root and chewed it.

“It is truly ginseng! Ginseng grown in the fields. How is this possible? There have been attempts to plant ginseng in fields before, but this is the first I have seen succeed.”

“There are a few tricks. I have written them down in detail in the book.”

Go Yangseong shifted his gaze to the book and, upon seeing the title, gave a slight smile.

“‘Nongsa Gwangbeop (농사광법, Bright Method of Farming).’ A bright teaching that spreads the knowledge of farming… A good name indeed.”

Originally, I intended to name the farming book Nongsa Jikseol (농사직설, Straightforward Farming). The legendary agricultural text compiled during King Sejong’s era.

The one who opposed this was Boknyeo.

“Father prefers Buddhism over Confucianism. The word Jik (직直) is often used in Confucian texts.”

It wasn’t that Buddhism never used it… but it was similar to how Christianity particularly liked to use the word ‘sin.’ And Go Yangseong preferred Buddhism over Confucianism.

‘In this era, those who studied Confucianism were almost all nobles.’

The intellectuals of this time were either nobles educated in Confucianism or monks studying at temples.

Among them, the power of nobles was hereditary, while the power of monks carried no risk of inheritance. From the kings’ perspective, supporting Buddhism was naturally more advantageous to strengthening royal authority.

When Queen Seondeok was crushed by King Uija of Baekje and swiftly erected a stone pagoda afterward, it surely wasn’t because she truly believed Avalokiteśvara would be summoned to smite Baekje.

‘Rather, it was closer to an attempt to draw the Buddhist community to her side in order to somehow grasp the free-falling royal authority.’

Thus, I gave up on using the Confucian word Jik (직直). It wouldn’t have caused great trouble, but… what was my real aim with this farming manual?

Propagation of farming? Strengthening Goguryeo’s power?

That too, of course, but if that was all, I could have just given it to Yeon Jayu.

Instead, I purposely presented it to Go Yangseong. To win the favor of the King.

‘After all, even the Ondal of history was the ultimate product of kinship politics.’

During the reign of King Yeongyang, Go Daewon, son of Go Yangseong.

Ondal, who was only of the 7th rank Elder without even a ticket into the Jeja Council, pleaded with his brother-in-law, King Yeongyang, and started a war against Silla, even serving as vanguard.

The important thing was, even though Ondal’s actions were clearly overstepping his rank, the Jeja Council couldn’t stop him.

What did that mean?

‘Now, the King still has to watch the nobles’ mood… but by then, royal authority was running wild.’

Had I been born 50 years later, I might have aligned myself with the Yeon Clan. For then Yeon Gaesomun was the unrivaled leader.

But in the present, Goguryeo’s strongest power was not Yeon Gaesomun but the Go royal family, through King Pyeongwon – King Yeongyang. That was why I directly presented this farming manual to the King. After all, when giving a gift, isn’t it best to have perfect packaging?

Thus, the farming book’s name became Nongsa Gwangbeop instead of Nongsa Jikseol, and this seemed to be the right choice.

“Nongsa Gwangbeop, hm. A truly good name. And the content is even better than the name. So much useful information organized into grids, it is very easy to read. And its name?”

“I called it a ‘Table (표, 表).’”

“Table… A good name indeed.”

In this era, Pyo (표, 表) usually meant ‘a document submitted to the Emperor.’ A King would use Jeon (전, 箋), not Pyo.

But Goguryeo placed itself equal to an Emperor, as a Grand Kingdom, so there was no issue. This too seemed to please Go Yangseong.

“And what do you call these bars and circles used to express the results of farming?”

“They are called ‘Charts (도표, 圖表).’”

“A picture chart, hm. Quite fitting indeed.”

Go Yangseong kept humming as he looked at my hand-drawn Excel tables, bar graphs, and pie charts. In the 21st century, even elementary students used them in PowerPoints, but in this era, they were quite revolutionary.

‘Now if only I could add Hangul and Arabic numerals.’

But that was difficult for now.

Tables and graphs were enhancements of existing methods, so they were acceptable. But changing the very writing system itself was an entirely different matter.

Couldn’t I just ask Go Yangseong?

Not so easy.

‘Promulgating a new script meant stealing the livelihood of the literati who lived off Chinese characters.’

Even King Sejong, son of Yi Bang-won, who clicked his ‘mace,’ the finest mouse of Joseon, to control his officials, struggled when he tried to spread Hunminjeongeum.

And who was Go Yangseong’s father?

King Yangwon Go Pyeongseong, who had spent his entire reign swayed by the nobles instead of controlling them.

If King Sejong’s authority had been a perfect 100, then Go Yangseong’s authority barely reached 20.

Already, people were grumbling about his appointment of the Domestic Fortress Faction. To also ask him to spread a new script? Impossible.

‘So Hangul is off the table, for now.’

The opportunity would come later.

Even without Hangul, just tables and charts were more than enough. Seeing Go Yangseong’s amazement as he read Nongsa Gwangbeop proved it.

“Wood vinegar, fertilizers, ginseng, shading, charts, and Ondal… If you are considered dull, then all the clever men of Goryeo must be Buddhas. Otherwise, Goryeo would already have conquered the West.”

Ahh, the intoxication of being a man from the future.

* * *

Go Yangseong had been reading Nongsa Gwangbeop with satisfaction, but the moment he reached a certain section, his expression hardened. It was the part concerning the cultivation sites of ginseng.

“You have distinguished between ginseng and wild ginseng.”

“Yes. For convenience, I called those gathered from the mountains wild ginseng, and those grown in the fields ginseng.”

“Indeed. And among the good lands for growing ginseng, the first is Jukryeong…”

For the first, I had written my hometown, Punggi. Jukryeong divided Punggi and Danyang. Reading that part, Go Yangseong furrowed his brows.

“…During my father’s reign, this land was taken by Silla through the Silla–Baekje Alliance.”

“That is correct.”

“How did you know ginseng grows well there? Surely you could not have gone to Silla yourself.”

“I heard it from monks who wandered throughout the land, and wrote it down.”

In this era, monks, regardless of nationality, could move rather freely across borders.

Silla’s Geochilbu once disguised himself as a monk in his youth and infiltrated Goguryeo to steal information this way.

“I recall, you are close to Uiyeon.”

“You know Monk Uiyeon?”

“How could I not know the most famous young monk in the Buddhist world? In any case, the second place is Beollyeokcheon.”

That was present-day Hongcheon in Gangwon Province.

The largest producer of six-year ginseng in Korea.

Go Yangseong’s expression darkened twice over.

“This too is land lost to Silla. Are you perhaps reproaching me?”

“Never, Your Majesty. I only wrote down what I know. Please continue reading.”

And only on the next page did a faint smile appear on his face.

“Songak! The land gained when King Jangsu slew King Gaero, that madman addicted to baduk, janggi, and ssangnyuk!”

As if King Gaero were some petty Egyptian spirit cut down for losing at card games.

But in truth, he had squandered the nation with his obsession with board games and indulgence, so it was not entirely wrong.

‘It was the Goguryeo monk Dorim during King Jangsu’s reign who introduced board games to King Gaero…’

During King Jangsu’s time, King Gaero of Baekje had been a wise ruler. He had built fortresses around Songak to launch a preemptive strike on southern Goguryeo, and although it failed, he even sought to form an alliance with Northern Wei to attack Goguryeo on two fronts.

Feeling threatened, King Jangsu used the monk Dorim.

Dorim pretended to commit a crime in Goguryeo and defected to Baekje. Claiming he would share Goguryeo’s secrets, he gained King Gaero’s trust, and then taught him baduk and all manner of board games, along with drink and women.

The belated thrill of indulgence proved fatal—King Gaero squandered the treasury building halls for playing baduk and neglected state affairs.

Seizing this opportunity, King Jangsu marched with thirty thousand troops and captured Wiryeseong in just seven days.

Thus, after 500 years since its founding, Baekje lost its capital Wiryeseong and was forced to move south to Ungjin (today’s Gongju).

And King Gaero, the board-game demon, was betrayed by his own general, Go I-Mannyeon, while fleeing, and was captured and beheaded at Achasan Fortress by King Jangsu.

Songak—what is now Gaeseong—was land gained in that war.

‘Even in the 21st century, Gaeseong is famous for its ginseng.’

Its location was in southern Goguryeo, just below Hanseong, one of Goguryeo’s Three Capitals. Go Yangseong pointed this out.

“Songak is certainly our land. Even when we lost the Han River, we kept Songak. But now it lies on the border with Silla, making large-scale cultivation difficult. If ginseng artisans were captured by Silla while cultivating there, it would be disastrous.”

Go Yangseong continued reading.

“And the last, Domestic Fortress?”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Gaeseong was the representative ginseng region of the North.

Punggi and Hongcheon were the representative ginseng regions of the South.

And the Baekdu Mountain–Jilin area, where Domestic Fortress was located, was China’s representative ginseng region in the 21st century.

In modern times, China produced 70% of the world’s ginseng, most of it from that very area.

‘Even the lousy ginseng that ruined my life came from there.’

But the problem wasn’t the land itself. It was the method of cultivation.

Korean ginseng aimed for natural growth, while Chinese ginseng was saturated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Thus, they usually harvested after only four years instead of six, which naturally lowered the quality.

Add China’s notoriously opaque distribution, processing, and storage systems, and of course the result was inferior ginseng.

Even if it were grown on the Korean Peninsula, farming like that would only yield poor-quality ginseng.

‘The land itself is actually good for growing ginseng.’

Though not as ideal as the Korean Peninsula. Even in this era, Silla and Baekje ginseng was more expensive than Goryeo ginseng.

Still, it was not so poor as to be dismissed entirely. When cultivated properly without shortcuts, the ginseng of Manchuria was of decent quality.

‘At least better than Pyeongyang.’

Though I lived in Pyeongyang and grew ginseng there, the land wasn’t particularly good for it. Cultivating in Domestic Fortress was certainly better.

“Of the places you named—Jukryeong, Beollyeokcheon, Songak, and Domestic Fortress—the only practical one now is Domestic Fortress. After all, ginseng is modeled after wild ginseng, and Domestic Fortress has always had abundant wild ginseng, so it is only natural. Even the nobles of Domestic Fortress gain the respect of the surrounding tribes through their wild ginseng and iron.”

“That is true.”

“Moreover, this fertilizer too would be more effective in Domestic Fortress than in Pyeongyang, would it not?”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. Fertilizer works better on poor soil than on good. Thus, if you spread ginseng cultivation centered on Domestic Fortress, you could reap a great abundance of ginseng and crops.”

“Yet this too is something to ponder. I cannot be certain it is the right path.”

Go Yangseong let out a heavy sigh.

“The nobles of Pyeongyang live off hereditary allotments granted in exchange for office. But the Domestic Fortress Faction lives off tax villages passed down through their clans.

Even King Jangsu could not revoke the sikeup they received from earlier kings. Sometimes I feel that Domestic Fortress itself is practically a separate kingdom. This has long been my headache. I fear the overly powerful Domestic Fortress Faction might again slip from my grasp.”

It was understandable. The Domestic Fortress Faction had risen in rebellion no less than twice.

Though they had once willingly accepted them out of necessity, granting them even greater power than now was an entirely different matter.

“Yet this is like a tree refusing to spread its branches out of fear of lightning. Which path, then, should I choose here?”

Suddenly, the genre shifted from farming to politics.

Unfortunately, politics was my weak field. In farming, I was the future genius Ondal, but in politics, I was the fool Ondal.

But one does not need to be perfect.

“Father, may this girl offer a word? I have long observed farming with my husband, and I have thought of something.”

Humans were creatures who lived together. As for politics, why not leave it to Boknyeo?

Go Yangseong nodded.

“Speak.”

“First, center the cultivation of fertilizer and ginseng on Pyeongyang Fortress. Though it may be like stretching both arms only to seize a single handful, it is better than the risk of fattening a dog you cannot trust.

Furthermore, if this ginseng is then distributed to the neighboring tribes around Domestic Fortress, the prestige they have with those tribes will also flow toward Pyeongyang, weakening them in time.”

“A scheme to starve the Domestic Fortress Faction. But do you think they will sit idle?”

“They will not. But if one is to be bitten regardless, is it not better to be bitten by a hungry dog than by a great wolf?”

Go Yangseong gave a thoughtful hum.

“If there is a first, then there must also be a second. Speak it.”

“Yes. The second is to spread fertilizer and ginseng even in Domestic Fortress.”

Boknyeo spoke.

“In Pyeongyang Fortress, there is already Gomchon, where my husband Ondal and my mother-in-law, Lady Nak Geum-hwa, are spreading Nongsa Gwangbeop widely. But in the north, there is no such place.

Ginseng is of such a peculiar nature that one cannot cultivate it merely by reading a book, and fertilizer too, when wrongly spread, is worse than none at all.

In the end, someone knowledgeable in farming must be dispatched to the north. And who, then, is the most important person for this?”

She gave a sly smile and looked at me.

“Why, none other than my husband, Ondal. My husband is of the Domestic Fortress Faction as well, so it is most fitting.”

In this era, ‘technological development’ was embodied in people themselves.

To raise northern agriculture, the best choice was for me to go north.

“And besides… Ondal is also Father’s son-in-law. If my husband spreads farming in the north and gains the people’s favor, then the Domestic Fortress Faction can be brought fully into your grasp.”

This meant that my influence would extend across the entire north. If what Yeon Jayu had wanted of me was merely “to win over the Domestic Fortress Faction in the capital,” Boknyeo went further—“send Ondal himself north.”

Hearing this, Go Yangseong nodded again.

“So you called them the first and second as if to choose between them, but in truth they were in order.”

“That is so.”

Boknyeo said.

“For now, even the people of Gomchon are not yet used to fertilizer and ginseng. So for the time being, pursue the first plan.

That way, whether out of greed or survival, the Domestic Fortress Faction will inevitably turn their attention to my husband Ondal, who devised these methods. Gradually, you can move on to the second.”

“And if that fails, then one can simply continue with the first. Or else, spread fertilizer and ginseng separately, one by one.”

“Yes. The timing and method are in your hands, which is an immense advantage.”

So, this was carrot and stick. At that moment, I saw Boknyeo differently.

‘When had she thought of all this?’

When I was training, she had been groaning in thought every day—she must have been working through this. She hadn’t told me, likely out of consideration so I could focus on my training.

“All you say is correct. But there is one crucial thing missing.”

After a long pause, Go Yangseong asked:

“For the second plan, the most important thing is Ondal’s ability. Do you truly believe your husband can rally Domestic Fortress?”

“Yes. I believe in my husband.”

Boknyeo answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“And Father, so will you.”

The record of King Jangsu’s purge appears in a letter King Gaero sent to Northern Wei. His words were quite blunt: due to King Jangsu, many local nobles were slaughtered and made into “fish and meat,” urging Northern Wei to join him in punishing Goguryeo.

As explained, Northern Wei, who at the time were not on bad terms with Goguryeo, refused.

As for who was purged, the records are unclear.

But considering that the capital was moved to Pyeongyang during King Jangsu’s reign, and that the victims were described as hojok (local nobles), it was likely aimed at the old aristocracy centered in Domestic Fortress. Such purges often occurred after a capital transfer.

Indeed, around King Jangsu’s era, clans like the U and Myeongnim families, who had dominated early Goguryeo, faded from sight. Still, as seen later with the Rebellion of Chugun and Segun, even King Jangsu could not eliminate the old nobles completely.