273
From: Jungnangjang Park Seongjin
To: Supreme Commander Lee In-jung
Location: Twenty li northeast of Yangzhou, around the Hour of the Boar (亥時)
In accordance with orders, two detachments were advanced and deployed as the vanguard.
At present, the line has been spread wide across the plains near Yangzhou, and the units are standing by.
Around the Hour of the Boar, contact was made with an enemy reconnaissance force of approximately thirty cavalry belonging to Zhang Shicheng's faction.
The unit appears to be cavalry-centered; their mobility and formation discipline are assessed as excellent.
The enemy also identified our presence, but no engagement occurred.
After a standoff at roughly thirty paces, both sides withdrew simultaneously.
Mutual vigilance was maintained, but there was no evident intent to provoke.
No casualties or losses on our side.
Troop morale remains stable, and terrain familiarization is complete.
Judging by the scale of the enemy scouts, their main force is presumed to be encamped nearby.
In accordance with orders, unnecessary clashes are being avoided while forward routes are secured.
Awaiting further instructions at this time.
Tension along the line is high, but the impulse toward battle remains restrained.
Enemy movements are under observation; preemptive use of force is excluded.
— — *
From: Supreme Commander Lee In-jung
To: Jungnangjang Park Seongjin
Contact near Yangzhou confirmed.
Commendable restraint in responding without provoking battle.
Immediately conduct detailed reconnaissance of enemy dispositions.
Survey nearby high ground and waterways and report findings.
While maintaining the boundary with Zhang Shicheng's forces, dispatch one envoy into their camp to probe intentions.
Strictly observe the boundary between reconnaissance and diplomacy.
Confirm the possibility of dialogue as the highest priority, not combat.
Unnecessary clashes are prohibited.
No engagement may be initiated without authorization.
All actions are to be reported and approved in advance.
— Supreme Commander Lee In-jung (Seal)
— — *
From: Jungnangjang Park Seongjin
In accordance with orders, reconnaissance has commenced.
Two scouting teams have been detached to survey the western ridgeline and the riverine routes.
The enemy's main camp is assessed to be positioned on flat ground south of Yangzhou City.
Multiple banners of Zhang Shicheng's headquarters and arrow-shaped standards have been observed.
As of this report, scouts returning relay the following:
— Camp strength approximately two thousand.
— Majority of forces confirmed as infantry.
— Cavalry patrolling surrounding villages and roads.
— Low walls are being utilized as improvised fortifications.
— Two newly constructed tall structures observed on the perimeter, likely beacon towers or watchtowers.
An envoy delegation has been selected.
A junior officer and an interpreter are proceeding under a white banner to initiate contact.
The purpose is to probe intentions, with consideration given to shifting into a formal meeting if circumstances permit.
Troops remain orderly under tension.
Combat readiness is maintained, but in accordance with orders, preemptive use of force is excluded.
— Jungnangjang Park Seongjin (Respectfully submitted)
— — *
Outside the southern gate of Yangzhou, on the open plain, dust swirled beneath a sky pressed low with weight.
The banner of the envoy swayed slowly as it advanced toward Zhang Shicheng's encampment.
At the front rode Junior Officer Yi Nosan and the interpreter Kim Han.
Both held their reins short and kept their posture straight.
Dozens of unseen gazes settled upon their shoulders.
Before the camp, two ranks of crimson banners fluttered.
From between them, an officer stepped forward at a measured pace.
He wore silk armor over iron mail—clearly a deputy commander of Zhang Shicheng's army.
His eyes swept over the envoys.
"Envoys of the Goryeo army?"
The voice was low, yet carried far.
Yi Nosan stepped forward and bowed.
"Yes. We have come to convey the will of our Jungnangjang, General Park Seongjin.
Should the conflict between the Yuan and General Zhang be prolonged, there is concern that its flames may engulf the Yangzhou region. We seek only to ascertain the present situation."
The officer's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
"To ascertain," he said. "A polite phrase."
He turned his horse slightly, circling the envoys with his gaze.
"You do not call us enemies—yet are you not, in truth, the hands and feet of the Yuan?"
Yi Nosan halted.
A brief silence followed.
Then the interpreter Kim Han stepped forward.
"Our purpose is to understand General Zhang Shicheng's intentions.
If there is a path by which both sides might shed less blood, surely the general would not turn away from it."
The officer's eyes narrowed, gleaming faintly.
He did not sneer. After a short pause, he asked,
"Your name."
"Kim Han."
"Kim Han," he repeated. "Your words are as straight as your name.
But a straight blade is seldom used for long."
He turned his horse.
"Lord Zhang has not yet judged you to be enemies.
But if you move as one with the Yuan armies, the matter will change. Remember that."
The officer lifted his gaze to the sky.
Clouds hung low.
"It will rain today. Return and tell your commander this:
until the rain over Yangzhou ends, we will not raise our blades either."
At his words, the soldiers parted the way.
The envoys slowly turned their horses and withdrew from the camp.
Looking back, they saw the officer still standing where he had been.
His silk armor stirred in the wind as dark clouds gathered overhead.
Yi Nosan muttered quietly,
"If the rain stops, then fighting resumes… hard to read their meaning."
Kim Han remained silent for a moment, watching Zhang Shicheng's banners.
Then he spoke softly.
"It means they do not wish to fight now.
Maintaining their strength is more important. Today, blood was prevented—that is enough."
"What do you mean?"
Park Seongjin asked, hearing of this truce-that-was-not-a-truce.
"Are they asking to pause? Using the weather as pretext?"
Kim Han explained calmly.
"The weather is the justification.
They intend to delay battle and preserve the balance of power.
This is how they speak—by circling the meaning."
The words had seemed empty on the surface, but the interpreter conveyed even their subtle grain precisely.
Only then did Seongjin see the man anew.
One who never held a blade, long dismissed lightly within the army, had in fact prevented a clash.
Seongjin turned to Yi Nosan.
"What now? Do we wait until they draw their swords?"
Yi Nosan answered carefully, mindful of his commander's standing.
"No. Since both sides have agreed not to fight, the next step is contact at a higher level."
"Must I step forward?"
"Yes."
"Will Zhang Shicheng appear in person?"
"Unlikely. They do not reveal themselves easily.
One man moves the entire army. He will emerge only at the final juncture.
This is a newly founded state."
Seongjin straightened.
"I will report."
"Loyalty."
— — *
Inside the tent, it was dark and quiet.
"Report."
Park Seongjin stepped forward.
"After contact with Zhang Shicheng's scouts, we dispatched envoys.
Their deputy commander came out to meet them personally."
"A deputy," Lee In-jung murmured.
"We could not confirm his name.
Judging by his attire and speech, he appears to be a close aide of Zhang Shicheng."
Lee In-jung inclined his head slightly.
"And their response?"
"They did not define us as enemies.
However, they strongly warned against our alignment with the Yuan.
They showed signs of postponing battle, but no intent to withdraw.
They do not seem eager to fight."
Lee In-jung's fingers tapped the table slowly.
"The softer the words, the closer the blade," he said quietly.
"There is a gap for dialogue. They tested us, and we answered.
Both sides avoided a conflict larger than a single battle."
Silence settled for a moment.
Outside, the wind brushed against the tent.
Lee In-jung looked up.
"Good. Passing the night without bloodshed is a clear gain.
But do not rely on it for long. Zhang Shicheng is a merchant and a king.
If need arises, he will choose battle."
"I will remember."
"At dawn, send out scouts again. Observe their movements closely and report immediately if anything changes."
"Orders received."
As Seongjin left the tent, the lamplight swayed in the wind.
He did not voice the suggestion of a high-level meeting—the moment was not yet open.
Outside, distant drums echoed.
Night deepened over Yangzhou.
In the darkness, the war continued to hold its tongue.