2 – Life in Bolmo
“Oh, no…!”
Han-gyeong shuddered in front of the warrior assigned to us.
I had anticipated this to some extent, but now that it was actually happening, my feelings were complicated.
The lodging assigned to us was a plain peasant’s cottage, not much different from the ones where ordinary people lived, which seemed too humble to be called a warrior’s dwelling.
I had heard that even kings and nobles used to live in such cottages in the days before tiled roofs became commonplace, but there was no need to consider that now that tiles were readily available.
The management of the cottage was relatively good; it was probably a house for the middle class among the peasants who had some leisure time.
“When I was in Yan, I lived in a palace with a majestic tiled roof, but now that I’ve come to Jo, I’m living in a cottage… Is this what they mean by hitting rock bottom?”
Although the exchange and truce between Bolmo and Yan had been signed, it was unreasonable to expect good treatment.
Being a hostage was like that. I had a bitter taste in my mouth.
On the other hand, Han-gyeong seemed unable to accept the reality before him.
Although he was not as high-ranking as the nobles who lived in palaces, he had lived in a good house as a member of a wealthy family. He was jumping up and down, unable to accept the reality before his eyes.
“Something must have gone wrong! How can they give us such a shabby cottage, calling it a warrior’s dwelling, just because our countries were enemies until recently? I’ll go and fix it right away!”
“Forget it. Going there probably won’t make much difference.”
We had become familiar with each other on the way to the capital. Just as I was casually talking, Han-gyeong raised his voice.
“Master!”
“I’m not deaf. Stop yelling. And don’t do anything that will get you into trouble.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“For now, let’s just wait and see while we sleep. See how the situation unfolds.”
Although our treatment was poor due to the deep animosity between Yan and Jo at the moment, if we were to form a proper alliance later, wouldn’t our living conditions improve?
Our position at the moment was strict, no matter what we did. If we complained, the situation would only get worse, so I decided to accept it optimistically.
“Let’s check the inside first. And since we brought our own servants, if this place is too small, we’ll have to build a separate building.”
“Well, alright.”
Although we were hostages, I was the only one who was a real enemy of the current king. The servants who would be responsible for our daily lives were also with us.
Han-gyeong couldn’t argue any longer as I accepted the reality. After all, he was a loyal subject.
“First, let’s properly unpack our luggage and think about it. Didn’t they provide food and firewood separately?”
I rolled up my sleeves and walked confidently into the tent.
“Oh! Master Gong, please leave this kind of work to the servants…”
“What nonsense. We all live in the same house, so it’s better to do it together. Come on, let’s get to work. It’ll be good to finish quickly and rest.”
§
Apart from receiving a warrior of lower level, our life in Bolmo went very smoothly.
There was no interference from Jonara, and they even provided us with an escort in case of an emergency. Though it was called an escort, it was more like surveillance.
Moreover, while it seemed like they were giving me a chance to cause trouble with my appearance, it actually made my life easier.
But everything wasn’t perfect.
“They reduced the rations again.”
As time passed, the amount of supplies provided by Jonara to us gradually decreased.
“Again?”
“Yes. The Jinara people keep disturbing the border, causing the military to consume more supplies. They say there’s nothing they can do about it.”
It was a cunning maneuver. They added an excuse to reduce the supplies and suppressed any resistance. The problem was that it wasn’t just once.
They were gradually reducing the supplies, like boiling a frog in water.
Until now, we could manage to survive on the amount we were receiving and find ways to save it. But now, it was difficult to provide two meals a day with the amount of food we were receiving.
But even if I were to make a fuss about it, both Jonara and my homeland, Yanara, would say that it wasn’t a problem.
In this era, the common people were nothing more than slaves.
The character for “min” meaning people was derived from the shape that pierces the eye like a knife. It was intended to weaken the rebellious spirit of slaves by blinding their left eye.
Nowadays, they weren’t exactly slaves, but they still weren’t treated as human beings.
They were called “min” instead of “in,” which meant that they were treated as common people, not as individuals.
Although I thought they were just like me and deserved to be treated equally, to other nobles, they were probably just good-for-nothing creatures.
So even if they starved a little, what was the problem? Jonara had done their part by providing enough for me and Hangeong to eat.
“It’s not just the food. Firewood is also scarce. Winter is coming soon. I’m worried about how we’ll be able to warm ourselves on the kangs.”
Kang was a heating system used in northern China.
As they were part of the same East Asian cultural sphere, they were similar to the ondol that would later emerge in the Korean Peninsula. However, unlike ondol, which heated the entire room, kang only heated the sleeping area.
Of course, in order to use kang, they had to build a fire, so firewood was necessary. It was also important what kind of firewood they used, as they had to light the fire underneath or beside the kang, unlike ondol, which lit the fire outside.
When I lived in the palace of Yanara, we never had to worry about such things as we had a luxurious kang made of high-quality stone and wood and finished with fine yellow clay. We used good-quality oak firewood and didn’t have to worry about these things.
But now, the kangs were made of roughly shaped earth and stone, and the fuel efficiency was poor, so if there was a shortage of firewood, we might have to spend the harsh winter in the bitter cold.
“This is troublesome.”
Really.
Ishokuju (clothing, food, and shelter) – the three essentials of human life were being shaken.
The food was decreasing, the sleeping area was getting colder, and although we had enough clothes for now, if time passed and they wore out, it would become a problem again.
“Let’s use the money and goods we brought with us for now. We’ll also ask our homeland to send us more money.”
“If we ask for too much…”
“I know. They’ll think we’re living comfortably here in Jonara and will use that as an excuse to reduce our support.”
“You’re right. But if you know that, then why…”
“Enough, Hankyung. I know it’s not a good long-term solution, but for now, we have no other choice. We can’t just let our people starve.”
If our homeland, Yeonna, supports us properly, we can ignore Jonara’s support and live well on our own. However, the problem is whether they will leave us alone.
Jonara wouldn’t like Yeonna using us as an excuse, and they might even threaten us not to interfere in Bolmo.
Remember how King Chona of Chona sent his envoy disguised as a groom to escape from Jinna’s captivity when he was held hostage? It was as if he was delegating his right to live or die to that country. Of course, he would have to pay the price for exercising that right in that country.
Anyway, if we come out like this from Jonara, we have no choice but to tap into our reserves, even if it’s just a temporary measure.
After sending Hankyung out, I calculated the remaining funds. I’m in charge of the finances not because I’m the superior, but because I’m the most suitable person for the job.
During the Warring States period, known as the Seven Warring States, the country was divided into seven major countries and several small ones, each with its own currency. Since a country’s currency represents its value, exchange rates fluctuated between currencies.
Hankyung is versatile, and he also serves as my mentor in the classics, but I’m one step ahead of him in terms of economics.
“I studied management in my past life.”
Honestly, if I had known this would happen, I would have majored in history or archaeology instead of management.
Well, at least there’s somewhere to use this knowledge.
And one day, if I really become the king of Yeonna, I’ll be able to use my major-related knowledge from management.
Of course, this is a story for when I survive and safely return to Yeonna.
“Anyway, the best solution is for us to find a way to survive on our own while the relationship between Yeonna and Jonara improves, and our situation improves… but honestly, it’s difficult to expect that.”
Jonara will consider us a potential enemy as long as Yeonna doesn’t return Bolmo to them.
Yeonna will also think about how to take advantage of Jonara’s territory once the succession to the throne is completed and the internal situation is stabilized. That’s the era of war, the Warring States period.
“In the end, we have to find a way to survive on our own.”
As my worries deepen, I involuntarily mutter to myself.
I never thought I would have to worry about these things at the age of nine, when I should be eating well and sleeping well.
Yeonna or Jonara, they’re all the same, damn it.
ps: mtl will change to normal one from here on, was just testing something