[The Three Kingdoms] Golden Sun Exhibition

19 – Tiger Hunting (1)

Every person has a certain expectation of what they can ‘do it to this extent’.

Just as a man named Yeopo who sliced Bangyeol and Mu-angook from the Anti-Dongtak Alliance, there is an expectation that ‘this person can do this much!’

In placing talent in the right place, a great leader manages the organization based on the skills and expectations of the talent.

But life is really funny.

“The leader’s pain is that they give more work to those who do well because they do well, and give less work to those who can’t because they can’t do well.”

It is the same with human organizations.

Every organization I have seen so far has been like this. This is true historically, and it’s the same for many organizations around the world.

Those with capabilities end up doing more work.

Those who lack capability are either assigned someone to work for them, or are encouraged to improve their skills.

Those with meager abilities are boldly cut off, or assigned responsibilities they can handle.

Therefore, it is appropriate to give more rewards, more merit, and more honor to the capable.

Songyeon is someone who has the ability but cannot receive proper compensation.

If Hwang Jo could defeat Songyeon, the gaze that Youpyo has on Hwang Jo would change.

-“If Wonso has Anryang and Moonsu, I have Hwang Jo!

“Eh? Am I? That’s what’s going to happen. So I chose the fourth of the five strategies of Sunyu.”

“Isn’t it a hit and run?”

The sitting Seomae stared at the map and tilted his head.

“General Hwang Jo lures Songyeon from Kangha, falls back to Yangyang, and fights with Youpyo’s main forces. And Hwang Jo’s troops beat Songyeon.”

“That’s simple, right?”

“Not at all. There are more than one or two things that I do not understand logically.”

Seomae firmly shook her head.

“I think I know why you chose this strategy politically. If you win a great victory with the troops from Gangha in this battle, Youpyo won’t send troops in the future confrontation with Wonsool.”

“That’s right. If it was Hwang Jo, we could do it! They would think like that. Then Hwang Jo would want soldiers and supplies more than faith and trust.”

“They won’t give it to him, will they?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t Hwang Jo who defeated Songyeon, who defeated Hwawoong, not need troops? I would think I wouldn’t need troops if it were me.”

Songyeon is practically the most excellent general under Wonsool. The reputation of Hwang Jo, who brought down such a general, will spread all over Joongwon.

“So, this time, Hwang Jo must thoroughly retire as a common general against Songyeon. He went ahead boldly once, but realizing he was middling and unfit, he withdraws his forces to Yangyang.”

“Isn’t that the same as abandoning Kangha?”

“Yes. I will take some criticism. But all things are dictated by results. If he defeats Songyeon in any way, he can return to Gangha as a Gyesan General.”

“General Hwang Jo will make sure that the people of Gangha don’t get hurt.”

Soonyoo finally opened his mouth; to subtly teach Seomae the subtlety of his military strategy.

“What would you do if the enemy who could win only if you chase and catch them runs away to Yangyang with seven tenths of their force intact?”

“……I would chase.”

“Yes. That’s right. General Hwang Jo will make Songyeon chase him. To do this, Master Soonyoo has prepared three things.”

“It’s not three things. It’s a plan arranged with Mr. Gum.”

“…….”

Seomae frowned deeply. I was a bit creeped out, but I explained the flow of the plan we created to her.

The first thing is…. an insult.”

“What?”

“They provoke with a foul mouth.”

* * *

“Ha-ha-ha! Hey, you mutt from Gangdong! Is that all you’ve got!”

Kang Ha Seong, atop the fortress wall.

Hwang Jo roared out loud and burst into laughter.

“Come on up! Why?! Are you scared you’ll lose if you come up?! Huh?!”

“…How dare he.”

The generals from SonGyeon-goon, looking up at the fortress, reddened their faces in anger.

“General, let me go. I will cut off that punk’s tongue and offer it to you.”

“No need. There’s no reason for General Hwang to deal with that scum. I, Han Dang, will slice his throat in one clean swoop.”

“No need. There’s no reason for you folks to step out against such trivial adversary.”

Son Gyeon calmed his generals with a leisurely face, cleared his throat, and roared.

“Conceited little jerk─────!!”

The battlefield fell into silence all at once.

The soldiers pouring out curses from atop the fortress walls clapped their mouths shut simultaneously at Son Gyeon’s roar, and Hwang Jo, who was enjoying his swearing, suddenly swallowed his spit and ceased his insults.

“Relying on only one fortress, can’t see beyond your nose, can you! Come on! Break through my fortress gate and I will face you directly!”

“Hah! You won’t even be able to reach here!”

“You uninhibited brat! Even my fifteen-year-old son could defeat you!”

“What?! This…!”

Hwang Jo shivered whilst holding onto the fortress wall.

Biting his lower lip and holding back his anger, he regained his breath and let out a scream full of rage.

“Yaaa!! Stop barking like a dog!!!”

“…That bastard.”

Son Gyeon felt heat spreading inside him in response to Hwang Jo’s relentless derogatory treatment of him as a dog.

“Why?! You scared?! The pet dog of Master Won Sul! You fled and offered yourself all to Master Won Sul along with your bride?!

“We must not allow this, General. Let’s kill this..”

“I agree too. Crush the fortress…”

Pappappak!!

Arrows rained out from atop the fortress wall. Son Gyeon swatted away the incoming blinded arrows with his sword, and the Footman blocked the arrows with their shields.

“Weak. Too weak. How many do they appear to be?”

“Looks like it’s not even close to three hundred.”

“It’s crucial we don’t waste time.”

Son Gyeon let out a deep sigh.

His goal was to capture YangYang, not to waste time dealing with such an incompetent man in Gang-Ha.

But as it happens, even an incompetent general is still a general.

Ignoring the enemy of Gang-Ha and moving forward could result in an ambush from behind.

“Hey, you! I, Hwang Gong Bok will deal with you! I can’t just stand by and watch you disgrace the Hwang family!”

“What?! The old man who was half-dead by Hwa Woong-“

Phang!!

Hwang Gae hit Hwang Jo’s helmet flying.

Startled, Hwang Jo turned his head sideways just in time to dodge the attack, and Hwang Gae grimaced as he aimed his bow again.

“Tch, seems like I’ve aged too.”

“If General Hwang is old, what does that make us?”

“Heh heh, you’re hiding like a rat.”

General Son Kyeon was at ease.

The soldiers led by Son Kyeon were also at ease.

That’s only natural, because in fact, as Son Kyeon said, Hwang Cho was an opponent that even Son Kyeon’s fifteen-year-old son – Son Chaek could face in battle.

It was not an atmosphere of intimidation, but isn’t there a ‘feeling’ that one can see and feel in people?

“Don’t be so harsh. He was once quite a governor after all…”

“Hey! Stay there and don’t move! I’ll bring in the cavalry and kill you all! Open the gates!!!”

At Hwang Cho’s words, the corners of General Son Kyeon’s mouth rose.

Hwang Cho provoked Son Kyeon, but remarkably, it seemed that Hwang Cho was the one caught in the provocation, about to open the gate himself.

“Tsk tsk, such petty insults.”

“Didn’t they throw worse insults in the rebel alliance?”

“Exactly. Unlike those rotters who lay peacefully in Hyeongju… Why isn’t the gate opening?”

Son Kyeon was frowning.

Unlike Hwang Cho’s words, there was no sign of the gate opening, and the archers that had been on the castle walls didn’t return after they left.

“What’s going on? Is it a bluff?”

“It might just be a shift change among the soldiers. If we get closer, the archers might shoot arrows again.”

“There is too little activity for that…”

“General——-!!”

A soldier hurriedly rode a horse from afar.

“Wait, weren’t you the director of information I sent to the back gate?”

“The enemy’s back gate is open! The soldiers have started running off towards the west!”

“What?”

Son Kyeon’s face contorted mercilessly.

“Those bastards, are they really trying to flee…?!”

“General. This is an opportunity. Let’s take over Guanghua.”

“No! We give chase!”

Son Kyeon grabbed the reins of his horse with a face as red as his helmet.

“Just as well! This is the perfect opportunity to run over Hwang Cho’s forces and take control of Yangyang in one fell swoop!”

“But, General, what about the rest…”

“We don’t need it! We were already on break up until now! From now on until Yangyang…”

Son Kyeon pointed west with a face full of joy.

“We just need to ride for half a day!”

* * *

“A nose away. If the soldiers from Guanghua have left the castle, it would be better to set up camp near Yangyang.”

“Logically, it’s important to chase and kill the soldiers who fled from Guanghua before they can join Yangyang. It’s better to get there before the defeated soldiers can report back to Yangyang.”

“Ah…! By the time the news reaches Yangyang, it’s already…!”

“Son Kyeon’s troops would have already arrived right in front of Yangyang.”

I moved all the go stones on Hyeongju’s map from Guanghua to Yangyang.

“For Hwang Cho, no, Hyeongju to win, the soldiers from Guanghua alone won’t be enough. They must fight alongside the main forces of Yangyang.”

“Yukyung-Seung is indeed in such a state. Even if it were Su-Seong-Jeon, he wouldn’t be able to give his soldiers to face Son-Gyeon, let alone provide a lesser force.”

Defeat is certain if they simply engage in combat.

“But Master, wouldn’t Yangyang think poorly of us if we did this? We were sent to fight, but instead, we brought the enemy to our doorsteps.”

“That’s why this leads to the second phase of the plan.”

I relocated some of Hwangjo’s army towards Hyungju.

“Defection of soldiers scared by the number of Son-Gyeon’s forces.”

“What? Really?”

“It’s a lie. But wouldn’t this provide a justification for retreating without a real fight?”

The second phase.

“Feign defeat.”

The object of the false report is our own troops.

Only when Hwangjo’s army is defeated and flees, would Yu-Pyo reluctantly lift his heavy buttocks.

“Human beings only start thinking when their feet catch fire.”