"A blacksmith can make three in half a day, and the cost of one is less than two taels of silver. The princess's Four Tigers Subdue the World can cut down masts and sweep decks, but a single Subduing Fire Thunder cannot do that."
"But ten of them can blow a ship to smithereens."
Two thousand of them could send a fleet to the bottom of the sea.
He pushed the detonator back to the corner of the table.
"Does the princess still intend to defend the mountain pass with infantry?"
Kim Seon-a clasped her fingers around her knees, the curve of her knuckles sticking out through the fabric of her skirt.
She had no more chips left.
That wooden shelf was gone the moment it was placed on the table.
Kim Seon-a's original confidence vanished in an instant.
Its spine held firm, like a withered tree stake nailed to the edge of a cliff, refusing to fall forward.
The Great Yan has actually developed such a powerful weapon.
Four guns were mounted on one ship, and the fighting began fifty feet away.
Before the vanguard of the Wa wooden boats could even get close, their hulls had already been overturned.
Her years of planning for ambushes in the mountains and traps at the valley entrances proved utterly worthless in the face of overwhelming power.
Great Yan truly possessed such a devastating weapon, how could it guarantee that it wouldn't station troops in Goryeo after the war?
She dared not gamble.
But she had no other choice.
Zhen Meili and Murong Xue were still bickering outside the curtain, their voices muffled through the bamboo blinds, one shouting and the other yelling, constantly vying for credit.
"Your Highness, do you truly mean what you say?"
Kim Seon-a steadied herself and asked again to confirm.
" Incheon Port will be used as a transit route, but no troops will be stationed there, no administrative offices will be established, and operations will be suspended after the war."
"Right."
"Command authority is valid during wartime and will be returned after the recapture of Busanpo."
"Right."
Kim Seon-a pursed her lips, pausing for a few breaths.
I want it in writing.
Gu Moran his chin towards the corner of the table.
There was a roll of blank silk cloth lying there, with an inkstone pressed down beside it.
It's all ready; I don't know how long it's been prepared.
Kim Seon-a's gaze fell on the roll of silk.
She stood up and walked over.
I unfolded the silk cloth and looked at it twice from beginning to end.
The terms are clean, with no vague wording that could be used to make a fuss.
She put the silk cloth back.
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out the seal.
The seal is placed face down, suspended above the silk surface.
Her wrist paused for a moment.
Then press it.
The vermilion stain seeped onto the silk, with neat, clean edges.
The print was pulled back to the cuff.
The silk cloth was pushed forward.
Gu Moran picked it up, glanced at it, folded it twice, and handed it to Lin Qingdai behind him.
" Qingdai, keep this safe and give it to Moli."
"Hmph, you dare order me around? You're dead tonight."
Lin Qingdai stormed out.
Shen Ling'er covered the soup bowl and got up.
As he passed the corner of the table, he casually pushed another soup bowl in front of Kim Seon-a.
"To calm the mind."
These three simple words were spoken as casually as if they were spoken to a close friend.
Kim Seon-a's eyes flickered, and she quickly lowered her head.
A layer of water vapor floated on the outside of the soup bowl.
Shen Ling'er had already left; the curtain swayed, letting in a wisp of cool breeze.
Kim Seon-a reached out and touched the soup bowl.
The fingertip retracted half an inch as soon as it touched the wall...
It's still hot.
She reached out again, this time without pulling back, her palm pressed against the porcelain wall, the heat penetrating her skin through the glaze.
I picked it up and took a small sip.
Gu Moran didn't look up; she had already unfolded another map in her hand, her fingertips tracing the blue line along the coast of Goryeo.
Outside the gate, a horse in the stable snorted, and the distant footsteps of patrolling footsteps echoed across the gravel road.
Gu Moran rolled up the map and casually said something.
"Since things have come to this, let's have dinner first."
Kim Seon-a stood up and thanked her.
She thought the so-called banquet was nothing more than coarse food typical of the army: wheat cakes with pickled vegetables, and a bowl of hot soup would be considered decent.
Even when a delegation visited Goryeo, the hospitality was no more than this.
But when she was led by the servants to the banquet hall in the side courtyard, she froze at the doorway.
There were three tables in the hall.
The main table was in the center, its surface wide enough to lay a map flat, and Gu Moran and a group of women sat around it.
Two side tables were in the corner, about 30 feet away from the main table. The tabletops were smaller, and she and Park Roejang sat at opposite ends of the table.
The attendant explained in a low voice, "The princess is bound by certain restrictions and cannot be near people, so this table has been set up separately."
Kim Seon-a remained silent.
She sat down at the side table, her back ramrod straight, her gaze fixed on the main table.
The dishes are being served.
One dish after another, they were placed on the main table like a flowing stream.
Steamed sea bass, its body snow-white, is drizzled with piping hot scallion oil, and its aroma is irresistible.
Braised pork knuckle, with crispy skin and tender meat, glistening with oil; a piece of meat can easily fall off with a poke of chopsticks.
The squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, fried until golden brown and drizzled with sweet and sour sauce, has its tail curled up, making it look like a live fish.
Honey-glazed char siu, thinly sliced and arranged on a celadon plate, each slice glistening with honey.
There was also a clay pot, steaming hot, which the servant brought out carefully, as if afraid of spilling it.
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" (a type of soup).
The waiter announced the name of the dish, lifted the lid, and the aroma instantly filled the entire hall with its rich, savory fragrance.
Park Roejang's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had spent some time in Great Yan, but he had never seen such a lavish banquet.
He stared at the clay pot, his Adam's apple bobbing, and lowered his voice to ask Kim Seon-a, "Your Highness, what... what does 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' mean?"
Kim Seon-a did not answer.
Because she didn't know either.
Her gaze fell on the casserole dish, where she saw abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, and a few pieces of shark fin as thin as cicada wings floating inside.
These items were only used by the royal family in Goryeo when they offered sacrifices to Heaven.
Normally, you can't even see the royal kitchen in the palace.
Dishes were also started being served on the side table.
Each dish is served in two portions, but the portions are small, just enough for one person.
Park Roejang picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and tasted it. The flavor was bland and not very oily.
He then looked at the main table.
Lin Qingdai picked up a piece of braised pork knuckle and stuffed it into her mouth, saying indistinctly, "This chef's skills are even better than the one at the Prince's mansion."
Zhen Meili reached out with her chopsticks to snatch the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, but Shen Ling'er slapped her hand away.
Wash your hands first.
Zhen Meili chuckled, wiped her hands on her clothes, and then reached out again.
Murong Xue gnawed on a large bone, her mouth greasy, and occasionally served food to Gu Moran, her movements as natural as if she had done it a thousand times.
Gu Moli sat next to her brother, maintaining a proper demeanor, holding her chopsticks neatly, though all she wanted to do was eat with him.
However, with foreigners present, she still knew how to behave appropriately.
Yun Shuyue held a stew pot and drank the soup, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she sipped it slowly, like a cat stealing fish.
Meng Jiuning buried her head in her food, her chopsticks never stopping. She looked a little tired, but a satisfied smile played on her lips.