Chapter 1313: The Logic of Toughness

"Given the ambition Goryeo has shown, if they had marched north at the start of the war to coordinate operations, they might well have gained some advantage and seized some cities and territory. With righteous justification on their side, I truly would have found it inconvenient to turn against them!"

Emperor Liu's tone did not conceal his mockery in the slightest; the contempt in it was palpable to anyone: "The soldiers of the Great Han risked life and limb, fought bloody battles for half a year, and only then established the current situation. And now—fine—seeing that the Khitan are on their last legs, the Goryeo people can't wait to jump out and share in the fruits of victory? Since when does the world offer such cheap deals?

Holding troops back to watch, biding their time—Wang Zhao dreams too grandly. How could I possibly grant his wish?"

It cannot be denied that between the Great Han and Goryeo, there had been over a decade of friendly exchanges and close relations. Moreover, Emperor Liu had at one time extended support to Wang Zhao, backing his domestic reforms to consolidate royal authority.

Of course, Emperor Liu was not running a charity; his purpose was clear—to prop up Goryeo as a check on Liao, to increase the odds of victory in the Han-Liao war. In the early days, their cooperative understanding in jointly opposing Liao had produced some effect, even if not particularly pronounced.

But relations between states are ultimately interest-driven and shift with the changing situation. In the early years, when Liao was strong and Han weak, pressured by Liao's might and bound by historical and cultural closeness, relations between Han and Goryeo were naturally cordial, with envoys traveling frequently between them.

Yet after the Great Han's first northern expedition achieved great success and recovered the passes, things began to change. On one hand, King Wang Zhao of Goryeo's domestic reforms had succeeded—royal authority elevated, national strength enhanced—giving them some confidence.

On the other hand, and this was the most important reason, the Great Han's sharpened edge and growing threat made Goryeo uncertain. After all, history was plainly recorded—the Central Plains' imperial armies had once ridden across the peninsula. The Great Tang's former glory and splendor was only three hundred years ago, not so distant, and the Great Han was visibly evolving in that direction.

Previously, the Khitan's Great Liao still stood against the Great Han, and with the Liaodong and the Eastern Sea in between, the two did not share a border, so Goryeo did not feel much urgency—playing both sides, they could watch the situation with relative ease.

Even during the Great Han's second northern expedition, Goryeo remained firmly seated on their fishing platform, striking a pose of watching tigers fight from the mountain. While Han and Liao were locked in bitter combat, they acted as an enthusiastic spectator, perhaps even clapping and cheering.

However, with Jinzhou falling, the Han army advancing east, and the Liao River campaign concluding with the Han army seizing all of Liaodong, Goryeo could no longer maintain their former leisure.

Setting aside the entire northeast—even if only Liaodong were recovered by the Han army, Han and Goryeo would already share a border, facing each other across the Yalu River. More importantly, Goryeo had originally planned to take advantage of the Han-Liao war to seize some gains.

After confirming the situation of the Han-Liao conflict in the northeast, Goryeo's ruler and ministers held deliberations and resolved that it was time to act—if they didn't enter the fray now, they wouldn't even get a sip of soup. Seo Hui's visit was precisely for this matter: aiding Han against Liao was, as everyone knew full well, merely a pretext; territorial expansion was the real purpose.

"Your Majesty, since Goryeo has come to court to report this matter, the Great Han must also give it due attention!" Seeing the sharpness in Emperor Liu's words, Liu Xi, in a rare display of seriousness, clasped his hands and spoke. With foreign ministers present, Liu Xi maintained a formal address toward his imperial father.

"Indeed!" Emperor Liu sneered twice: "A hundred thousand troops by land and sea—no small gesture. Goryeo has grown quite lavish these days! Thirty thousand naval troops—what does Wang Zhao intend to do?"

Emperor Liu's brow slowly furrowed. No matter how dissatisfied he was at heart, his tongue did not yield, but Goryeo's sudden move still caused him some trouble that required careful handling.

Even if he looked down on the combat capability of Goryeo's army, a hundred thousand troops by land and sea was still a hundred thousand. Given Goryeo's circumstances, they could clearly mobilize even more. Many ants can kill an elephant—this was a point that demanded caution.

Especially that navy. The incident the Eastern Sea Fleet had caused in Goryeo back then had served its purpose of striking and warning, but it also seemed to have stung them, arousing their sense of crisis—so much so that they had raised a naval force of thirty thousand.

For the army in Liaodong, the sea supply line was especially vital—the one place that could not afford problems. Although the Eastern Sea Fleet firmly controlled command of the seas and Goryeo's navy was beneath notice, one still feared oversights; it was best to have no surprises at all.

"As it stands now, the decision back then to support Goryeo is open to question after all!" Emperor Liu remarked with a sigh. He had said similar words before, right after the friction between Han and Goryeo had begun.

"What's done is done; regretting it serves no purpose. We should focus on resolving the problem at hand!" Seeing Emperor Liu's grim face, Liu Xi said in a low voice.

"I never regret anything!" Hearing this, Emperor Liu stubbornly insisted—though this statement was highly dubious, as he had made plenty of decisions he regretted over the years.

"What if I refuse Goryeo's request? What do you say—what choice will Wang Zhao make?" Emperor Liu asked.

Li Chongju showed no intention of answering. Enduring Emperor Liu's cold gaze, Liu Xi thought briefly and replied: "That would no longer be within the Great Han's control. If so, relations between Han and Goryeo would likely continue to deteriorate, and Goryeo would become even more wary and resentful of the Great Han. They might swallow this affront, or they might, in their displeasure, rashly dispatch troops across the Yalu River to seize cities and fields, plunder wealth and people!"

"They won't swallow this affront—meaning I should swallow this bitter anger?" Emperor Liu's tone shifted abruptly, rapid as a storm.

Liu Xi's expression froze slightly, but he still said in a deep voice: "Han-Goryeo discord is no great matter, but under the current circumstances, we must add extra caution. Liaodong has only just been taken; nothing is stable yet. The Liao forces in the northeast, though steadily weakening, are dead but not yet stiff.

If, under these conditions, Goryeo were to join in, making trouble for the Great Han, or even triggering war, it would certainly add variables to the situation in Liaodong.

More seriously, if Liao and Goryeo were to unite against the Great Han, the Great Han would find itself in trouble."

"If that were the case, the Great Han's fleet should sail south to pay a visit to Goryeo's coast!" Emperor Liu's tone was icy, as if he wanted to devour someone—his attitude just as aggressive as ever.

"But the court cannot fail to consider: if Liao and Goryeo collude, it could even cause a reversal in Liaodong, brewing a great disaster! As for Liao, they would not refuse Goryeo's participation—they would even respond enthusiastically. After all, Liao has nothing left to lose in Liaodong..." Liu Xi said.

"From what you're saying, you want me to agree to Goryeo's request?" Emperor Liu stared at Liu Xi, his gaze appraising.

Facing such a look from Emperor Liu, Liu Xi felt the pressure now, but still replied in a deep voice: "Your servant believes that dealing with Liao must take priority, and we should avoid unnecessary complications. As for Goryeo, we can wait until the Han-Liao war concludes, free up our hands, and then deal with them!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu chuckled a few times. Looking at his third son, he remarked with a smile: "Sanlang, your mindset is well-balanced. Discussing this matter with such equanimity—you're far calmer than I am!"

At these words, Liu Xi's eyes turned cleverly in their sockets, and he responded with a grin: "Your servant merely spoke off the cuff—a few shallow opinions. The final decision rests with Your Majesty!"

"Human greed can never be satisfied! Since Goryeo has revealed its ambition, if I permit them to march north and they take southern Liaodong, their appetite still unsatisfied, they'll continue seizing more cities and lands—then what? Keep indulging them? Use what the Great Han's soldiers won through bloodshed to fill their bottomless pit? The day the Han-Liao war ends is not yet fixed, and when it comes, we'll still face the same situation. Rather than that, why not snuff out their ambitions from the start?" Emperor Liu stated his position in a calm tone.

Hearing this, Liu Xi's brow also knitted, and he said instinctively: "If the Goryeo army had marched north from the start of the war, what would have been lost would have been lost anyway. A necessary price is not unacceptable!"

"I'm talking about now! The consideration is for the present! The focus is on the future!" Emperor Liu said coldly.

Liu Xi fell silent for a long while. A wry smile emerged on his composed face, and he bowed deeply: "It is your servant who failed to think it through! If we follow Your Majesty's intent, I fear this cannot end well!"

"Your thinking is not without merit!" Emperor Liu's stern expression softened, giving Liu Xi a measure of affirmation.

Then, rising and walking to the map, he stared coldly at the Goryeo peninsula: "It's just that I hate being passive! If Goryeo had stayed docile, I wouldn't have set my mind on them. But since they've jumped out on their own and handed me this problem, then I will set about solving it—especially by solving the ones who created the problem!

I cannot hand the initiative to the Goryeo people. If the situation in Liaodong changes, even if it causes some reversals, the one who triggers that change will be me!

Goryeo—a tiny, insignificant state—what right do they have to bargain with me!"

"It's been years since I last compromised. This time will be no exception!"