The commander's banner unfurled across the sea, cunningly deployed troops unsettled the enemy
Kim Seon-a sat in the chair, looking up at him.
Tears were still falling, but she didn't reach out to wipe them away; she just let them stream down her face.
She wanted to say something, but something was stuck in her throat, and it took her a long time to squeeze out a single word.
"Good."
The sound was so faint it was almost inaudible, and was quickly carried away by the wind outside the tent.
Gu Moran straightened up and took a step back, giving her room to stand up.
Kim Seon-a wiped her face, lowered her head and stood up, pausing for a moment as she walked to the tent entrance.
He didn't look back.
He lifted the tent flap and went outside.
The curtain fell behind her, swaying twice before stopping.
Gu Moran stood by the table, listening to her footsteps gradually fade into the distance.
He looked down at the small hole poked in the map with charcoal.
He ran his fingers along the edge of the hole twice.
I picked up a charcoal pencil and wrote two characters next to Incheon Port.
"Springboard."
The war drums began to beat before dawn.
The stone foundation of Dengzhou Wharf was lined with armored soldiers, their iron helmets gleaming coldly in the morning light. Row after row, they stretched from the wharf all the way to the end of the official road, a dark mass that seemed to stretch endlessly.
As Gu Moran ascended the command platform, the sea breeze just happened to blow the commander's flag open.
The big flag embroidered with the word "Yi" suddenly spread out behind him, and the corner of the flag swept across the sky, making a dull sound.
He was dressed in black armor, with the Sea-Calming Sword, which had been given to him by Prince An, hanging at his waist. The bronze patterns on the scabbard vibrated slightly in the sea breeze, as if this long-silent sword was urging him to set off quickly.
The entire room fell silent.
The breathing of tens of thousands of people overlapped, mingling with the muffled sound of the tide crashing against the rocks.
Gu Moran took out a roll of bright yellow silk from his bosom, removed the sealing wax, and unfolded it.
He had already read the words on the scroll three times last night, and he could recite them without having to bend down. But he still held the silk scroll up to his eyes and read it aloud, word by word.
Each word was carried by the wind, traveling from the front row to the back row, and then bouncing back from the back row.
"By the Empress Dowager's decree! Prince Yi Gu Moran been given command of the military and political affairs of Qi and Lu and Anyang, and is authorized to face the enemy with imperial authority, and is permitted to execute first and report later!"
This battle pacifies the Japanese pirates, cleanses the seas, and wipes out the coastal defenses!
Anyone who beheads an enemy leader will be rewarded according to their rank; anyone who retreats in battle will be severely punished according to military law!
May our three armies unite in hatred against the enemy, crush the Japanese pirates, protect our people, and safeguard our land!
Restoring peace and tranquility to the entire coastal region!
As soon as the words were spoken, ten thousand soldiers roared in unison, their shouts exploding like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing into the sky.
"With a shared hatred for the enemy, let's crush the Japanese pirates!"
Protect my people, safeguard my land!
"Restore peace and tranquility to the entire coastal region!"
The warships on the sea rocked, and the flags hanging on their masts snapped loudly.
Gu Moran nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave the stage.
At the back of the stage, the women stood in a row.
Kim Seon-a stood at the front, dressed in the dark blue military uniform of the Goryeo royal family, with a silver ribbon tied around her waist. Her hair was neatly tied up and adorned with only a plain silver hairpin. She looked much more energetic than a few days ago, but her face was expressionless.
As she watched Gu Moran walk down from the platform, the words he had spoken last night kept replaying in her mind.
"We'll talk about it after this battle."
She gripped the sword hilt tightly, leaving a mark on her palm from the patterns on the guard.
Shen Ling'er stood beside her, glanced at her sideways, seemed about to say something, but swallowed her words back. She reached out and tugged at her sleeve, indicating that it was time to board the ship.
Kim Seon-a snapped out of her daze, loosened her grip on the sword hilt, and followed the group onto the pier.
Lin Qingdai was already standing on the deck of the troop transport ship, her hand on her sword sheath, squinting at the soldiers filing onto the dock.
Murong Xue, carrying a long spear, walked past her and clicked her tongue, "This ship is a bit bigger than I expected."
Lin Qingdai ignored her.
Murong Xue didn't expect her to pay any attention to her. She found a spot by the ship's side and placed her spear at her feet.
The anchor chain rattled as it was pulled up from the sea, carrying a smell of rust and the sea. The warship sank slightly as it slowly moved away from the stone base.
The bow of the main ship.
Gu Moran stood there with his hands behind his back. The sea breeze messed up the stray hairs at his temples, but he didn't care. He just stared at the map spread out on the railing.
The map was pressed down by teacups at both corners, and the middle part was bulging in the wind. He reached out and pressed it down, his fingertips landing on the red line between Busan and Hanseong.
Footsteps came from behind, light and quick; it was Xue Huan's footsteps.
Xue Huan leaned closer to him and lowered his voice. "Your Highness, do you really want me to disguise myself as Wa? Before General Pu's report of cutting off their supply lines arrives?"
Gu Moran his head. "We can't wait. The letter takes three days to travel by sea, and Hanseong can't wait three days."
He released his grip on the map and turned to Xue Huan: "Don't you have some men who understand Wa? Take them, change into the captured Wa armor, and sneak into Hanseong ahead of time."
Xue Huan pricked up his ears.
"They talked to each other along the way, spreading the word that there was a traitor in the Busan supply depot. As for what kind of traitor?"
It's said that someone revealed the exact location of the granary to Great Yan, but Great Yan's Subduing Fire Thunder blew it all up, leaving not a single grain of food. The Japanese army was going to starve to death in Goryeo.
Gu Moran paused here, then added, "Remember, don't say who tipped you off, and don't say exactly where it was bombed. Just say you don't know. The more vague you are, the more panicked they'll become."
Xue Huan's eyes lit up, and he grinned, "Is Your Highness's tactic called a divide-and-conquer strategy?"
Gu Moran patted him on the shoulder. "Half of the Inukami Jusaburo Shisanro were coerced into joining during the Kyushu Rebellion. They were already disloyal to him. When news of the food shortage came, everyone was afraid of being abandoned and starving to death."
"We won't even need to fight; they'll start fighting amongst themselves."
He paused, then pointed to Busan on the map. " Old Pu needs time to find the granaries and blow up the supply lines. You need to stir things up first."
" Inukami Jusaburo was busy capturing and beheading traitors, and he also had to oversee the various grain depots. This distraction actually gave Old Pu the opportunity to bomb Busan."
Xue Huan knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "This subordinate obeys the order."
"Remember, don't linger, and don't be greedy for credit. Spread rumors all the way, and then leave!"
"Your Highness, please rest assured!"
After nightfall, Xue Huan led twenty selected soldiers to change into captured Japanese short armor in the hold. They smeared ash on their faces, let their hair down and tied it with hemp rope in the style of Japanese soldiers, and one by one they slid down the gangway to the small, fast yacht. With only a few strokes of the oars, they disappeared into the dark sea.
Gu Moran stood on the gunwale, watching the Xiaochuan disappear into the night, then turned and went back to the cabin.
As soon as the hatch was pushed open, a medicinal fragrance wafted out.
Shen Ling'er sat at the small table, a medicine box on her lap, pouring pills out of the oil paper package and into a small bamboo tube.
She looked up at him and said, "The sea breeze is cool, and you coughed twice. Take your medicine before you go to sleep tonight."
Gu Moran sat down opposite her, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a sip.
"Tomorrow we'll go to the open sea. Mei Boqian will land first, and you'll come with me along the Incheon route."
Shen Ling'er sealed the bamboo tube, put it in the medicine box, and said without looking up, "Understood. Three times the usual amount of wound medicine has been prepared, and there's enough wound medicine as well."
Gu Moran hummed in agreement and took another sip of her herbal tea.
Shen Ling'er suddenly spoke up, " Kim Seon-a has been very quiet today."
Gu Moran paused for a moment.
She's never been a talkative person.