The tableware was cleared away, and incense was lit once more.The air inside the tent had subtly changed.The eyes of Nahaçu, which only moments before had held a smile, narrowed, now carrying a cold calculation.Arakhtai set down freshly brewed tea and withdrew in silence.From here on, the real discussion would begin.
Nahaçu spoke first.
"Commander Yi, does your king intend to expand his power by exploiting the chaos in the south?"
Yi In-jung did not hesitate even a beat.
"No. We are merely applying the lessons of history to the present.The court seeks not expansion, but the maintenance of balance.Our only aim is to prevent the war in the south from spreading northward."
Nahaçu slowly turned his cup.
"Is that so? Then is your occupation of Liaoyang also part of that peace?"
Yi In-jung drew a breath, then answered calmly.
"Yes. Liaoyang was the base of the White Lotus sect.When they advanced as far as Gaegyeong, we could not leave their roots intact."
Nahaçu's voice rumbled low.
"I heard that yesterday as well.But as long as Liaoyang remains in your hands, my waist cannot rest easy.Unless you also relinquish Ssangseong, I cannot speak of cooperation with you."
Yi In-jung lifted his head.
"To abandon Liaoyang would be to open the northern gate.Once that gate is open, the steppe itself will no longer be safe."
Nahaçu smiled.
"And so you would have me guard that gate.Entrust Liaoyang to me. In return, you withdraw from the southern front.That is my first condition."
Yi In-jung asked,
"If Liaoyang is handed over, what becomes of the remnants of the White Lotus sect?"
Nahaçu answered without hesitation.
"I will deal with them. They are my enemies as well."
Yi In-jung fell silent.In that brief pause, he was already shaping his words—a concession that would look like retreat, yet was not retreat at all.
When he spoke again, his voice was steady.
"Then I propose that the administration of Liaoyang be placed temporarily under your supervision,while its military presence is jointly managed by both our states."
Nahaçu lifted his cup and slowly stirred the tea.
"Joint management… It sounds agreeable.But command must be singular.If two commanders defend one city, that city will not endure long."
Yi In-jung inclined his head slightly.
"A valid concern.Still, joint management would serve as a sign of trust.Actual authority would rest with you,but if a contingent of Goryeo troops remains, the pledge becomes not merely words, but fact."
Nahaçu studied him.
"You are quick with words."
Yi In-jung replied,
"When words are slow, lives are short."
It was a firm answer.His expression did not waver.
For a long moment, only silent tension filled the tent.Outside, wind blew, and fine snow slipped through the seams.
Nahaçu spoke again.
"Very well. I will have your proposal drafted for now—joint management, temporary oversight, and neutrality on the southern front.Build the outline around these three points."
Yi In-jung bowed.
"My thanks."
Nahaçu's voice dropped lower.
"Remember this: what I sign will not be a treaty of peace.It will be no more than a promise of armistice."
Yi In-jung answered,
"Peace is often only the name given to an armistice that lasts long enough."
Nahaçu laughed.
"So—you are not merely a general, but a diplomat."
Yi In-jung replied,
"A general fights with blood.A diplomat fights with time."
Nahaçu rose to his feet.
"Then let us see how long your battle lasts.Bring me the draft tomorrow morning.On a single line will rest the fate of your country."
As he left the tent, the wind surged violently.The incense flame died, and the remaining ash scattered.
Left alone, Yi In-jung slowly exhaled.The faint warmth of the teacup still lingered in his fingertips.
"An armistice…a war that lasts longer than peace, differing only in name."
He picked up his brushand stared for a long time at the first line, still unwritten.
==---*
A Draft of Peace Is Another Name for War
Night fell once more.The northern steppe beyond Liaoyang lay buried in a snowstorm,and whenever the wind struck the tents, the horses' breathing echoed faintly.
Only three candles burned in Nahaçu's quarters.By their light sat Arakhtai and three commanders.On the low table before them lay the rough draft Yi In-jung had left behind.
The brushwork was orderly,but the sentences stood like drawn blades.
"Liaoyang is the gate of two nations, and a wall that holds back blood.""If that wall collapses, neither steppe nor sea will escape the flames."
Arakhtai twisted his lips.
"A truly cunning text.One line binds our hands, the next erects their justification.'The gate of two nations'—while speaking of division, they would make it their own wall."
To his left, the old commander Yarutai spoke in a low voice.
"This is not diplomacy. It is a snare.They speak of joint management, but mean surveillance.Leave even a few hundred troops inside,and the flag could change within a single day."
The young commander Kesal bared his teeth.
"Then we should strike now.Burn Liaoyang and absorb Ssangseong—and Goryeo's breath will be cut off at once."
Nahaçu lifted his cup, then set it down again without drinking.He spoke slowly.
"The place you burn will soon become our grave."
He looked at the draft.In the candlelight, a subtle smile spread across his lips.
"We need not sign. We need only wait.Liaoyang lacks provisions, and unification in the south will take time.Before winter ends, the garrison in Liaoyang will dry up on its own.When supplies run out, strength collapses with them."
Arakhtai asked carefully,
"Then the negotiations?"
Nahaçu poured scented liquor into his cup.
"They continue.To speak of peace while preparing for war—that is the proper way."
A faint smile appeared on Arakhtai's lips.
"So you will accept the draft, but delay the signature."
Nahaçu's voice was low and decisive.
"Exactly.This draft will be sent tomorrow to the Khan in Shangdu.Mark it as 'under review.'Goryeo will withdraw, clinging to hope."
Outside, the wind battered the tent as if to tear it apart.From the direction it blew, the lamps of Liaoyang flickered faintly in the distance.
That night, the snow on the steppe did not cease for a moment.Yet beneath that snow,the next war was already being quietly born.