Chapter 64 – Audience with the Great Khan
Word spread that the Great Khan was looking for him.
Soon, a summons would follow.
"Great Khan" was merely the title they used among themselves.
He had offered various reasons to justify his claim to that position, yet something about it still felt strained.
His lineage did not belong to a mere tribal chieftain.
It traced back to a central house of a long-standing tribal confederation.
The Wanyan (完顔氏) clan stood at its core.
It was still too early to call him a true Great Khan.
The tribes remained divided, and his power was only one strong force among them.
He had not unified the peoples of the steppe, nor had he fully bound the Jurchens under his command.
And yet, he came in person.
Not far from the quarters of the elders stood a small thatched hut.
He walked all the way to that humble dwelling—no better than the lodging of a servant.
Wanyan Aguda.
It was him.
The son of Wanyan Helibo (劾里鉢).
For generations, his house had led the tribal confederation—commanding wars and standing at the center of diplomacy.
At his side followed his younger brother, Wanyan Wugaimai, one step behind.
Their clan itself carried authority.
They were the direct heirs of a ruling lineage—
a name that alone held weight across Liaodong.
The explanation had grown long.
These were not men who needed to justify themselves before anyone.
And yet, they had come to seek out a nameless man—Lee Young-woo.
Young-woo, who had been seated and studying, quickly rose and stepped outside.
"Ah—Your Majesty, the Great Khan. You have come in person."
"I secured lodging in Seonchun yesterday."
"My congratulations. You have finally reclaimed all the fortresses."
"With the help of many."
There was nothing in the house worthy of display.
He led them instead to a wooden platform set in the yard—built in the style of Goryeo.
It could barely seat four men.
Nothing suitable for hospitality came to mind.
Then he remembered the tea An Huise had given him.
"Please, this way. I will serve tea."
Aguda nodded with a gentle smile.
"This is my younger brother, Wanyan Wugaimai."
Young-woo bowed deeply.
"I am Lee Young-woo, commander of the 5th unit at the South Gate of Seonchun Fortress. I have recently been promoted to nangjang."
Behind the two brothers stood about ten warriors, forming a silent wall.
Young-woo moved to the hearth, taking a live ember and placing it carefully beneath the kettle.
He poured in the water he had drawn at dawn.
He arranged the tea bowls on a small tray and set it upon the platform.
His movements were steady, restrained by learned etiquette.
He warmed the cups, added the leaves, and waited.
A faint fragrance rose.
As he poured the tea, Aguda smiled.
"I was told you were a mere foot soldier. That seems far from the truth."
Young-woo bowed again from his seat.
"I am simply nervous before a great man. Please."
Aguda took a sip and nodded.
"Good. This tea."
"A companion brought it for me. I enjoy it in quieter moments."
"To enjoy such tea in a place like this—
that is no small luxury."
"You seem well versed in tea."
Wugaimai spoke.
"My brother has a fondness for it."
"I see. I have only just begun to learn. I was told that to meet great men, one must first learn their customs."
There was no awkwardness in his tone.
"Who taught you?"
"A man named An Huise. He serves in intelligence."
At the word "intelligence," Wugaimai's gaze hardened slightly.
Young-woo added,
"He is a man worthy of trust."
He tried to continue, but paused.
Seeing this, Aguda lightly pressed his brother's knee.
"If he is a good man to Lee Young-woo, then he is a good man to us as well."
"Yes, brother."
Young-woo spoke again.
"The situation here was reported directly to His Majesty, and matters began to resolve.
Previously, reports were distorted. Personal gain was placed first, and soldiers paid the price.
A single officer submitted a direct report, and that report led to decisive action.
For that, I am grateful to him."
His words were rough, but his intent was clear.
Aguda smiled.
The warriors behind him exchanged subtle glances.
"I only came to visit. I wished to hear your thoughts. How do you see the current situation?"
Young-woo gave a faint smile.
"I do not know much. I am still learning."
Wugaimai spoke in a low voice.
"Speak as you have seen and felt.
We are accustomed to our own perspective.
We seek an outside view."
Young-woo tilted his head slightly.
"To speak plainly may sound harsh. It may offend.
Restraint is how one survives."
"That is why it is called bitter counsel, is it not?
I ask for it sincerely."
Young-woo smacked his lips lightly.
"Advice often stings. So does correction."
Both men laughed.
There was something in the nuance that amused them.
Young-woo had a way of disarming others.
It came from an unforced honesty.
"Still, I wish to hear it.
I know you have been moving among the camps, asking questions."
"You knew?"
"That is why I waited—for what you would say."
Young-woo took a long breath.
"I will speak, then.
The Wanyan forces are both a tribal confederation and a military organization."
"That is so."
"The other tribes are different.
They are bound by kinship.
A brother takes the bow, another the spear, the father handles supplies."
"That is so."
"To wage war, one must be a military organization."
Aguda asked,
"And what is the difference?"
"It enables war."
"And a tribal confederation?"
"It enables plunder."
"What must be done?"
"Reorganize."
Young-woo continued.
"A tribal confederation is built for plunder.
They take from one another, breed resentment, and the cycle never ends.
This must be transformed into a military structure.
Lack of resources drove them to prey on their own.
They have been consuming themselves from within."
Silence settled.
Wugaimai asked,
"They may refuse to follow."
"They followed when there was something to divide."
Aguda let out a quiet breath.
"The Wanyan are small in number, yet we have structure and mobility.
We are already close to a military force.
The others must be made the same."
Wugaimai asked again,
"And if they refuse?"
"Pressure them. Break them with speed and maneuver.
Victory will bring submission.
Distribute spoils fairly.
Absorb them into the army.
Bind them under the banner of Wanyan."
Wugaimai spoke,
"And those who still resist?"
"Destroy them."
Aguda raised his hand, ending the exchange.
"Good. I like its simplicity."
Young-woo added quietly,
"To persuade them one by one would take a lifetime."
Aguda struck his knee.
"Simple is best.
We have finally seen the essence."