Chapter 67 – The Prelude to War
From the next day onward, the atmosphere changed completely.
The sages began to inspect every part of the Jurchen forces.
The army was reorganized, and the reorganized units were newly equipped.
Commanders were reassigned, and training began without delay.
Forces from other fortresses came to Seonchun Ridge Fortress, underwent inspection, and returned.
Goryeo equipment was used to reinforce firepower.
Horse production was increased, and every available mount was gathered and pressed into service as a warhorse.
Once the direction was set, the entire fortress came alive.
Lee Young-woo became a soldier once more.
When moving with the army, he found himself most at ease.
He was, unmistakably, a soldier.
As preparations for war intensified, new intelligence arrived in the Liao capital.
"The Jurchens have raised an army."
"They are gathering troops and training without explanation."
"The horses of the northeastern steppe are being assembled."
The reports came in fragments, each incomplete on its own.
Yet they all pointed in the same direction—
and that direction disturbed the emperor.
"It is rebellion."
"They sent only a few when summoned before—now thousands are gathered."
The Jurchens were weak when divided, but formidable when united.
Their combat strength often exceeded expectations.
For years, Liao had kept them divided—
preventing cooperation, preventing unity.
Individually, the Jurchens were among the strongest of all peoples.
Emperor Yelü Yanxi—Emperor Tianzuo—viewed the situation with grave concern.
Elsewhere, it might have been dismissed.
But not the Jurchens.
They were a traditional threat.
Their individual physical strength surpassed that of other tribes.
A mounted Jurchen warrior could rival any cavalryman.
If gathered, even ten or twenty of them could tear apart an entire unit.
All of Liao's policies had been focused on one objective—
to prevent them from uniting.
Liao maintained formal tributary relations with many tribes.
But toward the Jurchens, it applied constant pressure.
Tribute demands were increased unilaterally.
If they resisted, military pressure followed, draining their resources.
If one thing could not be given, another was demanded.
The purpose was not the goods themselves.
It was to wear them down.
Tribute, in principle, was mutual diplomacy.
With the Jurchens, it had become forced extraction.
The second demand was the Haedongcheong (海東靑)—a rare hunting falcon found only in Jurchen lands.
The imperial court demanded fixed numbers, and failure brought punishment.
This struck directly at the Jurchens' way of life, half of which depended on hunting.
The third was the demand for people.
This was the deepest humiliation.
Jurchen women, craftsmen, and artisans were taken as hostages.
Even noblewomen were demanded.
This was not mere domination—
it was an assault on lineage and blood.
The fourth was diplomatic humiliation.
When Jurchen leaders came to Liao, they were forced to perform the rites of subordinates, enduring degrading ceremonies.
They were never treated as equals.
They were denied political recognition.
And when they resisted, Liao mobilized troops.
Such campaigns meant plunder and punishment.
Subjugation was never final.
The threat was maintained, again and again.
For the Jurchens, this humiliation was not merely a matter of pride.
It was a condition in which survival and dignity were both violated.
There was also a reason Liao had allowed the Jurchens to attack Goryeo's fortresses.
If the two fought and exhausted each other, it was to Liao's advantage.
Goryeo was a mountain Liao could not overcome.
The memory of past defeat lingered.
At Gwiju, a hundred thousand had been lost.
That shock had never faded.
If the Jurchens fought Goryeo, nothing could be more favorable.
But if Aguda raised forces and unified the Jurchen tribes—
that would be a far greater threat.
Among the rival tribes of old, his was the strongest.
In preparation, several smaller tribes had already been combined.
This was not a loose union—
it was a military consolidation.
The Northern Privy Council (北樞密院)* of Liao, the highest military authority, could not have been unaware.
*Northern Privy Council: the institution overseeing Liao's northern military command
Yet the Commissioner, Xiao Fengxian, did not treat Aguda as a serious threat.
He issued only a simple warning.
Aguda ignored it.
Feigning illness, he refused to appear at court.
Instead, he fortified defensive positions and deployed troops.
He reorganized his army.
The Liao field commander, upon receiving news of these movements, was enraged.
He sent envoys to assess the situation.
"Repairing fortifications and forging weapons—how is this not rebellion?"
Aguda answered plainly.
"It is merely strengthening our defenses. It will not bring harm."
Liao remained wary.
Troops were stationed at Ningjiang Prefecture.
The emperor summoned a commander.
He was the heir of the Xiao clan, which held interests in Ningjiang.
The Xiao family traditionally produced empresses.
They were easy to employ—and had long commanded armies in past campaigns.
"Your Majesty, I present myself."
Xiao Shaxian knelt.
"There are reports that they have raised an army."
"If you grant me command, I will go and leave not a single one alive."
The emperor asked,
"What do these people want?"
"They take the previous summons and punishment as humiliation."
"Humiliation? When has it ever not been humiliation? We gave it deliberately."
"That is correct."
"A mere hunting tribe… and they think themselves humiliated."
The emperor fell into thought.
If even his own side felt some sympathy, then the pressure had been properly applied.
And yet, they had risen.
Xiao Shaxian reflected on the measures taken.
Compared to other tribes, the treatment of the Jurchens had been especially severe.
He wondered if their threat had been exaggerated.
Liao was an empire.
It had unified the steppe and held northern China.
The tribute from Song alone was immense.
The Jurchens survived on the far edge of Liaodong.
Was it truly necessary to fear them this much?
And yet, the oppression had gone this far.
Had another group risen, it would have been handled lightly—
a few envoys, some words, and it would have ended.
But the emperor now demanded immediate suppression.
Was that truly necessary?
The emperor looked around at the assembled nobles.
"How many are they?"
The messenger bowed.
"Approximately two thousand. Their horses number more than twice that."
An increase in horses meant mobility.
Liao had demanded horses constantly.
If the Jurchens still held so many, then they had withheld them.
The emperor asked,
"What do you think?"
"With a small reinforcement of tribal troops, I will sweep them away."
"Yes. That is as it should be."
The imperial chancellor added,
"A tribal force was dispatched to Ningjiang a few days ago. We have yet to hear back, but soon we may receive news of their victory."
Xiao Shaxian asked,
"Shall we wait?"
"They will win. Still, you must go and stamp down the entire region. Only then will they abandon such thoughts."
"I understand."