I Became a Fallen Noble of Goguryeo

Chapter 33: Admission to Taehak

Puuuu-!

With the sound of a horn trumpet, the second wedding of Grand King Go Yangseong was held. I watched the scene from afar.

That meant I was watching as nothing more than a low-ranked Attendant Official, not as a royal son-in-law.

‘I’m still just an unofficial royal son-in-law.’

Yangseong seemed to have acknowledged me personally, but he had yet to recognize me politically.

Of course, I was the only one stuck in this situation. Boknyeo was not some unofficial princess. Unlike me, watching from below, she was sitting proudly on the stage with the others.

‘Looks busy….’

I found myself paying more attention to Boknyeo sitting there than to the King’s wedding itself.

She was scanning the surroundings.

Probably thinking about how her father’s remarriage might affect our future as a couple.

Then Boknyeo’s eyes met mine.

Her lips moved.

‘Found you!’

So much for politics.

Turns out, she was just looking for me.

After spending some time playing eye-contact games with her, someone beside her poked her in the side.

Boknyeo’s expression instantly shifted into a demonic glare, one I had never once seen from her in all the time we lived together.

It wasn’t hard to guess who she would make such a face at.

‘Go Daewon.’

Boknyeo’s younger brother.

The current Crown Prince, the future King Yeongyang, and my brother-in-law.

My precious ticket to success.

One day, when I whisper into his ear, ‘I may only be a pitiful 7th-rank Elder without even the right to attend council meetings… but still, would you trust me and attack Silla?’, King Yeongyang will reply, ‘Of course, brother-in-law!’ and hand me the vanguard position.

But while he was my ticket to success, to Boknyeo, he was nothing more than her younger brother. And the world rarely produces siblings who get along well.

Boknyeo glared at Daewon, but when she remembered that I was watching, she looked back at me with an awkward smile.

‘Haha.’

I smiled back at her.

Even as I did, my eyes turned to Daewon.

‘Whoa… what a build.’

At fifteen years old, my brother-in-law was already tall, broad-shouldered, and imposing. No surprise there—the Go royal family was born with strong physiques.

Which royal family in the Korean Peninsula didn’t have generals among their ancestors? But the Go clan was especially famous for its kings’ long lifespans and sturdy frames.

Look at him, just biting his lower lip to endure after being pinched by Boknyeo. If it were me, I’d have already screamed in pain.

I suppose that’s the kind of resilience needed to become king.

Then, my eyes shifted to the one who would soon become Yangseong’s new wife.

‘The daughter of the Western Division Leader. Surname Maeng.’

The so-called Lady Maeng.

I had heard she was a descendant of the great general Maeng Gwang, who had rendered great service during King Jangsu’s reign.

When Goguryeo’s ally Northern Yan was attacked by Northern Wei, Maeng Gwang was dispatched alongside Galo to assist.

The two failed to save Northern Yan—by the time they arrived, the gates of Hualong Fortress were already wide open.

Their judgment was swift. If they couldn’t save their ally, then at least they would save the ally’s treasures. This wasn’t plundering from greed, but rescuing what they could of their ally.

Along the way, they also happened to rescue the Northern Yan emperor, Feng Hong, whose imperial title was “Heavenly King.” The problem was—Feng Hong had quite the foul temper.

At the time, King Jangsu treated Feng Hong as a mere king, two rungs below his imperial title. For Feng Hong, a fallen ruler, this was intolerable. He dared to scold King Jangsu, shouting, ‘Galo! How dare a mere king treat the Emperor like this!’

The result? His slaves were seized, and he was cast into exile in some remote backwater.

Later, he secretly begged the Liu Song dynasty to rescue him, but when Jangsu caught him in the act, his head was lopped off.

Because of Feng Hong, King Jangsu became a unique monarch in history, one who had personally taken the heads of both an emperor (Feng Hong) and a king (King Gaero of Baekje). Meanwhile, Northern Yan’s treasures were neatly laundered into the royal family’s wealth. Feng Hong, in the end, was like a tree that gave and gave.

‘When I first met Boknyeo, the royal treasures she carried in her arms must have been among those… rescued assets from Northern Yan.’

Naturally, both Galo and Maeng Gwang, who achieved such feats, were heavily rewarded. Maeng Gwang’s descendants prospered, eventually rising to the position of Western Division Leader.

Lady Maeng was a descendant of that line.

‘Of course—she’s the mother of Go Geonmu.’

Such lineage was only to be expected. In the distance, I spotted Lady Maeng standing beside Yeon Jayu.

Suddenly, a future vision struck me.

The image of Yeon Jayu’s grandson raising a sword against Lady Maeng’s son, and Yeon Jayu’s great-grandson flinging open the gates of the Domestic Fortress, overlapped in my mind.

‘Yes. Such a thing must never come to pass.’

No—I would make sure it never happened.

I shook off the thought and focused straight ahead again.

And there she was once more—Boknyeo, smiling faintly at me with a secretive, ‘Found you.’

‘Yes. I’ve found you too.’

I smiled back.

* * *

And so, time passed, until the tenth month of the lunar year 572.

In solar terms, between November and December, Goguryeo held the Dongmaeng Rite, a harvest thanksgiving festival.

This Dongmaeng, along with the Samjinnal on March 3rd, was considered one of Goguryeo’s greatest festivals. During this time, the Grand King went to a large cave known as Sushin to offer rites, and the entire nation danced in celebration.

But here, one might wonder.

The tenth lunar month corresponded to December in the solar calendar.

That was well into winter, long after the harvest. Wasn’t it too late to be a harvest festival? Everything had already been gathered.

Even Silla’s harvest festival, Gabae, the forerunner of today’s Chuseok, was held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month.

So why was Goguryeo’s celebration a month and a half later?

The reason was simple. Early Goguryeo harvested twice.

‘They harvested crops once, and then with swords in hand, went raiding Dongye or Okjeo for a “second harvest.”

Who said double cropping was impossible on the Korean Peninsula? Goguryeo did it. And only after all that ended did they hold their harvest festival—hence the one or two months’ delay compared to Silla.

Of course, nowadays there were no more Dongye or Okjeo to plunder, but the tradition remained.

It was regarded as a day full of Goguryeo spirit, and since the farming season had ended, the entrance to Taehak was also set around this time.

And so, I prepared to become a new Taehak student.

‘If we lined up all the new students of Taehak by age, I’d be in the top three.’

Some Taehak Scholars even looked to be about my age.

But that didn’t matter. There was no set time for learning.

Instead, my chest throbbed with anticipation.

What kind of place was Taehak?

It was the institution that King Sosurim had brought from Former Qin along with Buddhism and Confucianism, the very first educational institution in Korean history.

I heard that the basic period of study at Taehak was three years, after which students would be granted official ranks like 11th-rank Middle Elder or 10th-rank Junior Elder based on their grades.

That meant commoner sons had to sweat blood earning military merits to climb to Middle Elder, while nobles could simply graduate Taehak and jump straight to Elder rank.

‘Three years—nice and clean.’

It was said that Silla’s youth training institution, Hwarangdo, which King Jinheung was establishing around this time, also used three years as the basic period. Apparently, three years was thought to be the most fitting length of education in this era.

‘That’s a relief. If it had been nine years like the Gukjagam, or unlimited until passing exams like Sungkyunkwan, it would have been a nightmare. But three years—perfect.’

As of now, I had married Boknyeo and passed the Entrance Examination, so my life’s path to success was nearly identical to Ondal’s in the original history.

And just as in history, I had yet to be acknowledged by Grand King Go Yangseong as a royal son-in-law. Then when was Ondal recognized as such?

‘About five years from now, at the Battle of Baesan against Northern Zhou.’

In Goguryeo, the best way to rise was by military merit. Only after earning distinction there did Ondal finally gain recognition as a royal son-in-law.

‘If I graduate from Taehak quickly and head north, I should be able to join the Battle of Baesan.’

Someone might ask, why risk it when my brother-in-law King Yeongyang would back me anyway?

But think about it. Even if a coin’s value jumps twenty-fold, if your seed money is only ten thousand won, it’s gone after a single beef meal. To truly make use of King Yeongyang’s support, I at least needed to reach Elder rank, like in the original history.

‘Graduate Taehak as fast as possible, then head north.’

And with such lofty dreams, I entered Taehak.

“Welcome to Taehak. It’s been thirty years since we’ve had students come from the north. Anyway, do well, and don’t cause trouble.”

With that, Supreme Chancellor Go Heul, who was currently in charge of Taehak, ended his short entrance speech.

To put it in modern terms, it was like having the Prime Minister personally oversee the Military Academy. A surprising thing, but not entirely unheard of.

In Former Qin, the original model for Taehak, the emperor himself had visited once a month to ask the students, ‘So, how goes your studies?’ Compared to that, having the Supreme Chancellor was hardly shocking.

‘Besides, he was a fitting choice for the position.’

The Hwasong Go clan, Go Heul’s family, had loyally followed the royal family when King Jangsu moved the capital to Pyeongyang Fortress, firmly aligning with the Pyeongyang Faction.

At the same time, they had repelled the invading Turks in the north and saved the Domestic Fortress, earning deep respect from both factions.

He was the perfect person to oversee Taehak now that Domestic Fortress students had been admitted for the first time in thirty years—a bridge between the two factions.

‘A bridge. That was the role Yeon Jayu hoped I would play.’

Originally, Yeon Jayu must have intended to take that bridge position himself. But unfortunately, he had been caught up in a scandal about King Chumo’s birthplace, leaving his reputation in tatters among the Domestic Fortress Faction.

That was why his eyes turned to me—a Domestic Fortress man by origin, a Pyeongyang native by birth, and a royal son-in-law. And Taehak, full of noble sons, was the starting point.

‘Connections and factions always begin with friendships.’

So my first goal: become a Taehak insider.

That, I was confident about.

Back in the countryside, I had gotten along well with elderly men.

I had hung out with foreign workers at my father’s factory.

Even in the army, the supply officer once told me, ‘Hey, don’t discharge, just make a career out of this. Seriously, I mean it.’ (Though to supply officers, farming always looked better than Seoul National University physics.)

In short, I was good at networking.

Of course, such a skill wouldn’t work so well on sly old nobles. But Taehak was different.

Me entering at over twenty was unusual—most entered at fifteen. Everyone here was just around that age. (Now that I thought about it, the Domestic Fortress boys I befriended during the Entrance Examination were about fifteen or sixteen too.)

A returnee’s advantage wasn’t only knowing the future. Experience mattered too.

If I, with memories of a past life, couldn’t even win over middle school–aged brats, what right did I have to call myself a returnee?

‘Now then, it begins!’

With that thought, I stepped into Taehak.

My thoughts changed a little.

“You yellow bastards, nice to meet you!”

The moment Go Heul’s entrance speech ended, the seniors who had enrolled a year earlier called us over and shouted like that.

Yellow bastards? What, you think you’re white men?

But the meaning of “yellow” was a little different here.

“You’re on the same level as Baekje soldiers. Got it?”

Because Baekje’s military standard bore a yellow flag.

That was the level of a freshman.

It was also an insult, showing that Baekje was viewed as something as worthless as a dog’s genitals, and there was another reason.

‘Because Goguryeo absolutely hated Baekje. In some ways, even more than Silla or the Western States.’

Baekje was occasionally misunderstood as an ally of Goguryeo because they were united for about fifteen years near the end of the Three Kingdoms period… but aside from those years, they had always been enemies.

‘Their very first official meeting had been a war.’

Three hundred years ago, during King Micheon’s reign, when Goguryeo attacked Daebang Commandery to expel the Han Commanderies, Baekje allied itself with the Daebang Governor through marriage ties and blocked Goguryeo.

And that wasn’t all.

King Geunchogo had marched all the way to Pyeongyang Fortress and killed King Gogukwon.

Later, King Jangsu avenged that humiliation by sending the monk Dorim to corrupt King Gaero, eventually beheading Gaero and seizing the Han River basin.

So yes—the first meeting was war.

Each side killed the other’s king in turn. And when national identity came into it, the arguments got even messier.

Didn’t Baekje’s founders, Biryu and Onjo, descend from Jumong? That makes Baekje like Goguryeo’s son, doesn’t it? See, they’re similar.

What? Don’t you know our royal capital is Buyeo? Baekje’s father is Buyeo, not Goguryeo!

Well, since King Chumo was Buyeo royalty, his son, your king, would be Buyeo royalty too….

Silence! I will destroy Goguryeo to avenge Buyeo, which Goguryeo destroyed!

What nonsense is this? I’m your father, I said!

No! It’s not true!

…With arguments like this, how could they possibly get along?

Even now, when Goguryeo no longer shared a border with Baekje thanks to Silla’s northward expansion, the anti-Baekje sentiment within Goguryeo remained as strong as ever.

That was how deeply Goguryeo hated Baekje. And when you hate someone, you naturally look down on them.

So first-years were branded with the disgraceful nickname of “yellow bastards,” Baekje’s symbol.

The ones hazing us now were “blue bastards,” the second-year students. Blue was Silla’s color, so perhaps it was considered slightly better than yellow.

“You yellow bastards! Bring pork and silk! It’s time for the heroic seniors to teach their juniors!”

These blue seniors immediately started extorting us.

For a moment, I wondered if this was some kind of reenactment of Silla snatching away Baekje’s Han River basin. But no—this was just “tradition” in Goguryeo.

‘Well, plundering is a Goguryeo tradition, sure,’ I thought, almost ready to accept it—until one senior added an absurd explanation.

“When Gungugyeom once invaded, soldiers gave their clothes to the stronger Gaema Cavalry so they could win the war. It is only natural that juniors give clothes to their stronger seniors!”

Just call it plundering as tradition. What kind of nonsense was that?

‘Anyway… where’s Go Daewon?’

Among this year’s yellow freshmen was none other than the Crown Prince, Go Daewon, the future King Yeongyang.

Just as the true-bone aristocrats of Silla studied at Hwarangdo, and Joseon princes studied at Sungkyunkwan, it was natural for Goguryeo princes to attend Taehak, building networks, fame, and learning.

One of the seniors pointed at him.

“Go Daewon, right?”

“Yes!”

I wondered if maybe, as Crown Prince, he’d be spared.

“Good, good. Where’s your silk? Your blue robe? Your wine? Your pork? You’re not a yellow bastard too?”

Of course not.

“You didn’t bring anything?”

They bullied him even more. Staring at Daewon, the seniors jeered:

“Once you enter Taehak, rank means nothing! Above are seniors, below are juniors—nothing else!”

Normally, those were the words the Crown Prince should be saying.

In academy tales, the prince would declare, ‘Outside, I am Crown Prince, but here, I am just another student,’ and the others would reply, ‘Such benevolence!’ showering him with praise.

But in Goguryeo, it was the seniors who said it, and the Crown Prince who had to listen. And they meant it—these bastards didn’t go easy on him.

“Bring pork! You’re rich, aren’t you? No, bring beef instead!”

“Blue robes too! Don’t you see the holes in mine?”

“Ah, this wine tastes awful. What a disaster.”

“If the wine is bad, we must at least liven things up. Yellow bastards, prepare to dive!”

“Surely being spared because you’re Crown Prince would be the greater humiliation! Don’t you agree, Go Daewon?”

Oho, look at that gleam in his eyes. He didn’t think so at all. Don’t they fear the blood of King Jangsu, the purging monarch?

“Whoa, look at his glare….”

So they did notice.

But.

“Looks like we’ll have to cool those eyes. Go Daewon! Into the water!”

Instead of backing down, they seized the chance to shove the Crown Prince into the water—when else would they get to rough up the heir to the throne?

‘…What the hell is this?’

Was this even a country?

* * *

1. There are records stating that the Eastern Division Leader came from the Yeon clan, while the Northern Division Leader and Southern Division Leader came from the Go clan. However, there are no reliable records about the Western Division Leader. There is a mention that Yeon Gaesomun was a Western Division Leader, but that is usually considered a scribal error for “Eastern Division Leader.”

In fact, there are no records about the Western Division at all.

For example, the “Lord of Liaodong Fortress,” who defended against one million men for three months during the Yeosu War, and the “Lord of Ansi Fortress,” Yeon Gaesomun’s rival and hero of the Battle of Ansi, both have their names lost to history. The name “Yang Manchun” only appears in later fiction.

Therefore, in the story, the descendants of General Maeng Gwang, who once aided Northern Yan, were set as the Western Division Leaders and maternal relatives of Go Geonmu.

2. In the story, Feng Hong was briefly described as “engaging in espionage,” but the truth was more serious. He sent envoys to Liu Song (the first dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, among Song–Qi–Liang–Chen) begging them to rescue him.

In response, Liu Song dispatched an envoy, Wang Baekgu, to protest to Goguryeo. When the enraged King Jangsu executed Feng Hong, Wang Baekgu led 7,000 Northern Yan remnants in a surprise raid against Goguryeo, killing one general and capturing another.

King Jangsu, in retaliation, arrested Wang Baekgu and escorted him to Liu Song. Liu Song imprisoned him temporarily, but after the Goguryeo envoy departed, they released him. This incident clearly demonstrates Goguryeo’s stature at the time and its diplomatic relationship with the Southern Dynasties.

3. The length of Taehak’s education is not recorded anywhere.

However, based on the fact that Silla’s youth training institution, Hwarangdo, was built around a three-year cycle during the same era, it was assumed that Taehak also operated on a three-year basis.

The entrance season was set for late autumn to winter. This was because, in the premodern Northern Hemisphere, agrarian societies often arranged education schedules around the farming cycle. For example, the largest civil service exam in Joseon, which determined admission to Sungkyunkwan, was the triennial Jinsa Examination, usually held around August–September.

Even in Korea’s modern era, during the U.S. Military Government period, school entrance was in September. It later shifted to April, then June, before finally settling on March.

4. Archaeologically, it is well established that Baekje’s ruling elite were migrants from Goguryeo. Nevertheless, Baekje strongly maintained its Buyeo identity.

Not only did the royal family use the surname “Buyeo,” but during the reign of King Seong, Baekje even temporarily changed its national name to Southern Buyeo (Nambu Buyeo).

It is assumed this was because they did not want to admit descent from their contemporary enemy, Goguryeo. The ideology of “avenging Buyeo, destroyed by Goguryeo” also served as convenient justification.

Goguryeo, however, seems to have dismissed this rhetoric as nonsense. After all, Goguryeo proudly fought Buyeo, declaring, “We are Buyeo’s successors—so what?”

5. There is a theory that the supposed Goguryeo–Baekje alliance was fabricated by Kim Chun-chu of Silla to provoke Tang into intervening.

The reasoning is that hostility between Goguryeo and Baekje was far too severe, and Goguryeo showed little response when Baekje was attacked.

6. Goguryeo’s military flag was red, Baekje’s elite forces carried yellow flags, and Silla’s elite forces carried blue and red flags with crescent moon decorations.