A chill wind slipped into the tent of the northern camp at Liuhe Fortress.
Each time the lamp flickered, the lines on the map seemed to stir and move.
Faced with an absurd situation, the Goryeo commanders sat in silence.
Only breathing, the soft scrape of armor, and the creaking of the huihui trebuchet wheels outside filled the tent.
The noise of the battlefield made the silence heavier.
Yun Gyeongbok broke it.
"So… Chancellor Tokto has fallen after all."
Yi In-jung lifted his head.
His expression did not change.
"Yes."
He paused, then continued.
"The real problem begins now. What do we do?"
His gaze moved slowly around the tent.
With the political landscape of the Yuan Empire overturned, the shock would not pass lightly over the Goryeo forces on this front.
"People will ask," he said.
"What does his fall have to do with us?"
Then he went on.
"But who created this front to begin with?
Tokto was the one who gathered armies from the Western Regions all the way to Goryeo.
Several provincial forces have already withdrawn. Soon, the rest will follow."
Yun Gyeongbok hesitated, then asked,
"Then… what should we do?"
"Withdraw quietly. That is the wise course."
Yi In-jung's voice was low and dry.
"What becomes of the empire is none of our concern.
This war is already over.
It's just that no one knows it yet."
He looked down at the map and added,
"Those who rose like a wildfire cannot be suppressed."
A brief silence passed.
"It was Tokto who requested troops from Goryeo in the name of the empire.
Now he is gone.
All that remains are orders without an owner."
Yun Gyeongbok traced a dotted line on the map.
"We came by order of the Great Khan. But now that order has effectively vanished."
"That's right."
"Then isn't it time to withdraw?"
"It's not that simple. We have to watch the mood carefully."
Yi In-jung gave a bitter smile.
"Toghon Temür is not a wise ruler. And Empress Ki has the power to move him.
With Tokto gone, her influence has likely swallowed the court."
Yun Gyeongbok said,
"In the end, it's their own internal struggle."
"But from what I've seen," he continued,
"the Yuan army is weaker than expected.
If they cannot deal with these rebels with this force, the empire will lose its chance to control rebellions in the future."
Yi In-jung nodded.
"Tokto must have known that too. That's why he fought with everything he had."
"You think he knew?"
"There were signs.
But he likely never imagined it would be now.
He probably believed he would remain in office at least until the rebellion was subdued."
Yi In-jung let out a breath.
Yun Gyeongbok shook his head.
"Politics is frightening."
"Yes. Frightening."
Yi In-jung continued.
"The Great Khan saw the amassed army as a threat, and Empress Ki used the opening to expand her own power.
It's a world where each side devours the other."
"Unbelievable…"
Yun Gyeongbok exhaled deeply.
"And that leads to the empire's collapse."
Silence fell over the tent again.
The empire had weakened enough that one could speak of its collapse without fear.
Outside, firelight wavered in the wind.
The shadows of the lamp scraped long across the tent wall.
Yi In-jung almost added that Goryeo was no different, but judged it unnecessary and held his tongue.
Just then, Park Seong-jin returned from reconnaissance and reported quietly.
"The city is quiet. There are no signs of a counterattack.
It feels like something has slipped away. Just a feeling, but it seems many have fled."
Yi In-jung answered briefly.
"Yes. The quieter it is, the more vigilant we must be."
He turned back to Yun Gyeongbok.
"Now is the time to deliberate our own strategy."
Yun Gyeongbok asked,
"Then what should we do?"
Yi In-jung slowly looked at the lamp.
The flame swayed, reflecting softly in his eyes.
"Fighting for one's country is right.
But I have no intention of dying for an empire."
After a pause, he continued.
"We must look for an opportunity to withdraw.
We must minimize our losses.
The moment Tokto's fall becomes widely known, they will celebrate."
"And soon after, they will intensify their offensive."
No one answered at once.
Yi In-jung concluded,
"Peasant uprisings are like wildfire.
Once they spread, they cannot be contained.
We must spare the blood of our own soldiers."
The lamp shook once, hard.