52. Biryeongja and His Son

52. Biryeongja and His Son                                                            February 5, 2012   Queen Jindeok rose to the throne in 647, after Queen Seondeok died. The new queen discussed all political issues with Kim Chunchu and Kim Yusin as did the previous queen. Kim Chunchu took a charge of diplomacy, while Kim Yusin was responsible for the national defense. In the fall, the army of Baekjea attacked castles of Silla with a large number of troops. Kim Yusin, soon, went to the castle to fight against Baekjea. He couldn’t help but be astonished at a great number of ememies. Their army was more than twice as large as his. He called all the generals to a meeting to plan strategies. But they all didn’t say a word with their tongues bit. Right at that monent, a general called Biryeongja jumped up and said, “I’ll undermine enemy’s morale.” Kim Yusin could realize his thought. So he asked him again. “Are you determined to devote your life to our country?” He answered. “Sure. If I could make the enemy fall into confusion, my army would get the morale. I think there is no way but it.” Kim Yusin said, “You are really a great Hwarang’s member. Thank you for your sacrifice.” Biryeomgja, allowed to attack the enemy alone, summoned his servant- Habjeol secretly. And he said to him. “Now I will go over to the enemy’s camp and be killed there. If I were killed there, my son, Geojin, would get raging mad to take revenge on the enemy. Who should take care of my family without him? Please, when my son rushes into the enemy, you have to hold him down by all means. After the war ends, I beg you to bury my body at our back hill with my son.” His servant was dropping tears instead of his answer. At last, Silla’s and Baekjea’s armies confronted each in their positions. Baekjea seemed to siege Silla with a mighty force right now. As soon as Kim Yusin held up the flag, Biryeongja rushed straight into the enemy barrack with a shout. The enemy was just watching a mounted man running forward them with curiosity rather than on alert. Biryeongja was the best general in Silla. Swinging his sword around, he cut off the enemy’s heads at random. Finally, the Baejea’s general pulled together and started to arrenge his army. And then he made his commander fight against the Silla’s general. Before long, the commander was killed by Biryeongja. After that, Baekjea’s army began to pull back step by step. Watching the enemy was falling down by only one general, Silla’s army regained their courage.  Kim Yusin commanded his army to attack the enemy. Biryeongja couldn’t avoid an arrow flying toward his forehead. Meanwhile, his son, Geojin, staring at his father, pulled out his sword and rode his horse, as soon as his father fell down on the ground. The servant, Habjeol, held out grabbing the reins of horse and pleaded with him not to go. “Your father left me a will. ‘If my son runs into the enemy for revenge you never fail to let him do it. So you are the only man to carry on a family line.’ I will keep his will. I can never let you go.” He cut off the servant’s arm and then rushed into the enemies. Soon, Geojin was also killed by an arrow. Facing death of his two masters, he was almost mad. Wailing, he also ran into the enemies and fought against them. Silla’s soldiers who looked at his death pushed up the Baejea’s army in spite of no order, shouting, “Let’s follow the Biryeongja general. Don’t make Geojin’s death worthless. Let’s fight like Habjeol.” Not until Beajae’s army had lost about 3000 solders did they recede across the border. <o:p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">