Capítulo 530: 508. Oriole's Foundation Established
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Xu Kai himself traveled under the guise of a merchant from the southern regions of China, peddling fine silks, porcelain, and exotic spices. His cover allowed him to move freely throughout Goguryeo, visiting different towns and cities without drawing undue attention. As he moved, he quietly established connections with local merchants, innkeepers, and craftsmen—people who were well-positioned to overhear gossip and news. He offered them generous payments in exchange for information, careful not to reveal his true purpose.
In one such town, nestled in the foothills of the eastern mountains, Xu Kai established a relationship with a young innkeeper named Chul-woo. The inn, a modest establishment catering to travelers and traders, was a perfect place for gathering information.
Chul-woo, like many others, was struggling to keep his business afloat amidst the uncertainty of the kingdom's future. The sudden tribute to the Han had placed a heavy burden on the local economy, and many merchants and commoners found themselves taxed nearly to ruin.
Xu Kai, presenting himself as a sympathetic ear, slowly won Chul-woo's trust. Over the course of several visits, he offered the innkeeper advice on how to attract more business, even providing him with a few rare goods from the south to sell at a profit.
In return, Chul-woo began sharing bits and pieces of local gossip, nothing of major importance at first, but small details that Xu Kai carefully logged and sent back to his superiors.
One evening, as Xu Kai sat in the dimly lit common room of the inn, sipping a bowl of rice wine, Chul-woo leaned over the counter and began speaking in a low voice.
"Word is that the king has sent a caravan to Xiangping," the innkeeper said, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "It's a big one too, filled with lots of tribute and noble hostages. People are saying it's a way to keep the Han from attacking us."
Xu Kai nodded, feigning mild interest. "It makes sense," he said thoughtfully. "With the Han so close, the king must do whatever he can to keep the peace for Goguryeo."
Chul-woo grimaced. "Peace? More like submission. People around here are starting to whisper that we're no better than slaves to the Han. And what happens when the king runs out of gold and hostages? What will he offer them then? Us his people?"
Xu Kai leaned back, his expression calm but his mind racing. This was exactly the kind of sentiment he had been hoping to uncover, discontent among the populace, a growing sense of resentment toward the Han and perhaps even Gongsun Gong who had become Lie Fan's mouthpiece for Goguryeo.
If enough people began to question King Sansang's decisions, it could lead to internal strife, weakening Goguryeo from within, and causing even further devastation even more for the already weak Goguryeo.
"That's a dangerous way to think," Xu Kai said cautiously, though his tone was gentle. "The king must be under a lot of pressure. No one wants war with the Han, even if they were embroiled in an internal strife."
Chul-woo sighed and wiped down the counter. "I know, I know. But you didn't hear it from me. People are restless, that's all. They don't want to send their sons and daughters off to some foreign court as hostages. It's one thing to pay tribute, but to send our children?" He shook his head. "It doesn't sit right with a lot of folks."
Xu Kai made a mental note of this as he finished his drink. Discontent was a powerful tool in the hands of the right people, and Xu Kai knew that the Oriole could use this growing unrest to its advantage.
If they could stoke the flames of dissatisfaction just enough, it might cause fractures within Goguryeo's leadership leading to maybe a riot or even rebellion, making the kingdom even more vulnerable to outside influence.
Over the next few days, Xu Kai and his operatives continued to establish their network, recruiting informants from various sectors of Goguryeo's society. In the capital of Goguryeo, Gungnae, one of Xu Kai's most trusted agents, Lin Wen, posed as a scholar from a distant province.
His refined manners and extensive knowledge of Confucian teachings allowed him to gain entry into the more intellectual circles of the court. There, he struck up conversations with lower-ranking officials and scholars, slowly gathering information on the internal workings of King Sansang's administration.
Lin Wen reported back to Xu Kai regularly, sending coded messages detailing the political climate in the capital. He noted that while most of the court remained loyal to King Sansang, there were whispers of discontent among some of the younger nobles, particularly those whose families had been affected by the selection of hostages.
These young lords and ladies, who had lost siblings or cousins to the Han, were quietly questioning the king's decision to comply so easily with Gongsun Gong's demands and didn't put up a fight against the demands or even negotiate.
One such noble, a young lord named Baek Ji-hoon, had become particularly outspoken in his private conversations with Lin Wen. Baek, whose younger sister had been chosen as one of the hostages, was furious at the court's willingness to send noble blood to Xiangping as collateral for peace. Though he had not yet spoken publicly against the king, Baek's frustration was growing by the day.
Xu Kai saw an opportunity in this. If someone like Baek could be persuaded to act, it could set off a chain of events that would further destabilize Goguryeo's political landscape.
However, Xu Kai was a patient man, and he knew that such moves had to be made carefully. For now, it was enough to know where the cracks in the kingdom's foundation lay. In time, the Oriole would exploit them.
As Xu Kai's network expanded, he also began gathering intelligence on Goguryeo's military capabilities. He dispatched his operatives to observe the kingdom's training camps, weapons forges, and fortifications, carefully noting any weaknesses that could be exploited in the future.
Xu Kai himself traveled to the northern border, posing as a trader interested in acquiring furs and other goods. There, he observed the garrisons stationed along the frontier, noting their numbers, discipline, and morale.
Though Goguryeo's military was formidable, Xu Kai saw signs of strain. The recent rebellions and skirmishes had taken a toll on the kingdom's forces, and while the soldiers remained loyal, there was a sense of weariness among the ranks.
The peace with the Han, while necessary, had left many feeling uncertain about the future. If Goguryeo were to face another war, Xu Kai doubted that the kingdom could muster the same strength it once had.
By the time the tribute caravan reached Xiangping, Xu Kai's network was well established. He had eyes and ears in key locations across Goguryeo, from the capital to the borderlands, and the flow of information back to Lie Fan was steady and reliable.
The Oriole had successfully infiltrated Goguryeo, and though their presence was still small, Xu Kai knew it was only a matter of time before their influence grew with their success in creating a foundation for the Oriole.
As the Goguryeo tribute caravan approached Xiangping, the city's gates were thrown open in a grand display of welcome, though the atmosphere was tense beneath the surface. Gongsun Gong, clad in resplendent armor and accompanied by his contingent of guards, stood at the head of a ceremonial reception, waiting for the caravan's arrival with great anticipation.
Jinseok, the Goguryeo envoy who had spent weeks negotiating this uneasy peace, rode at the front of the caravan, his expression composed but inwardly battling the weight of what was to come.
The caravan, consisting of dozens of wagons, creaked and groaned as it rolled into the courtyard of Xiangoing's Governor's palace. The carts were laden with Goguryeo's finest treasures: silk, jade, gold, and rare herbs.
Walking alongside the caravan were the noble hostages, young men and women dressed in somber finery, their faces pale and tense. These were the sons and daughters of Goguryeo's most prominent families, offered up as guarantees of their kingdom's compliance with Han demands.
As the caravan came to a halt, Gongsun Gong's eyes were immediately drawn to several wagons, the ones filled with the most opulent of Goguryeo's tributes. The sheer volume of wealth caused a flicker of greed to light up in his eyes, though he masked it quickly behind a thin smile.
His mind wandered to the message he had received just days prior from Lie Fan's personal Oriole agents: half of the tribute would be his to keep, a reward for his loyalty and cooperation in ensuring Goguryeo's compliance. The other half, along with the hostages, would be sent to Xiapi via the sea, ensuring Lie Fan's continued dominance over the region.
For Gongsun Gong, this was an ideal situation as he would enrich his coffers, strengthen his military, and solidify his power in Xiangping, all without lifting a sword. His lips curled into a smug smile as he mentally tallied the riches before him.
The opportunity to reinforce his garrisons and arm his soldiers with superior weapons would only further cement his authority, and the remaining tribute would buy him further favor with his lord Lie Fan, and cultivate the relationship he had with him.
Jinseok, meanwhile, dismounted his horse and moved toward the hostages, his heart heavy. He had known this moment was coming, but seeing the young nobles standing there, some barely out of childhood, filled him with sorrow and shame.
He approached several of them, offering words of comfort and reassurance, though his own voice trembled with the weight of Goguryeo's subjugation. The proud kingdom of his ancestors had been reduced to this, a tributary state, offering up its finest treasures and noblest blood to appease the Han warlords.
One of the hostages, a young noblewoman named Hyejin, looked up at Jinseok with wide, frightened eyes. She was barely sixteen, the daughter of one of Goguryeo's most influential families. Jinseok placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice low and soothing. "You are brave, Lady Hyejin. Your family is proud of you, and your sacrifice will not be forgotten."
Hyejin swallowed hard and nodded, though her hands trembled as she clutched the hem of her silk robes. Jinseok moved on to the next hostage, a boy of fifteen who stared defiantly at the ground, refusing to acknowledge the Han soldiers watching him. Jinseok understood the boy's anger; it mirrored his own. But he also knew that such defiance would only bring more suffering to their people.
Gongsun Gong, ignoring Jinseok's attempts to console the hostages, strode forward, his attention still on the tribute. His voice boomed through the courtyard as he addressed the Goguryeo envoy.
"Envoy Jinseok, you and your king have honored your word," Gongsun Gong declared, his tone dripping with condescension. "I commend King Sansang for his wisdom in choosing peace over war. These tributes are impressive, as are the noble hostages you have brought. Goguryeo clearly understands its place in the world."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 32 (199 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
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