The Cannon-Wielding Maniac
The princess had heard the rumors. As the emperor's child, she could not slack in her training to one day inherit the great nation. The Ming Dynasty could clearly raise national power only to a certain peak, but a foolish ruler could plunge it endlessly through the floor with no bottom in sight. Thus, she believed the imperial family must be competent without fail, and handling all matters with full dedication and a sense of responsibility was not a choice but an absolute necessity. They had to make it so there was no need to worry—the lives of countless commoners rested on their shoulders.
Especially now, with the Jurchens rampaging in the north and the wako pirates in the south, local officials slyly testing the waters and watching for weakness now that the imperial house's power had waned somewhat, and even those martial world bastards strutting around like the realm was theirs just because they had some strength... With so many forces threatening the throne, handing it over to that incompetent half-brother of hers was nothing short of treason, she thought.
Joo Hyejin, bearer of the Zhu imperial bloodline, was striving to claim the throne despite the massive hurdle of being a woman in the line of succession. Her current struggles were part of that effort. To surpass her older brother—who held priority only because he was a man despite his incompetence—she needed to prove an overwhelming gap in ability.
This was the process of demonstrating her own capabilities. She had already proven her administrative prowess as the Provincial Administration Commissioner in Hubei Province; now it was time to show her military talent. Appointed as the Commander-in-Chief overseeing all troops in Zhejiang Province, she arrived in the provincial capital of Hangzhou with high hopes, only to soon face a headache-inducing problem.
The Treaty of Non-Aggression Between Officials and Martial Artists. Originally a redistribution of power to favor the warriors who had aided the imperial house during the founding wars. But now, those arrogant lot were impossible to control, and their cunning made it hard to even find grounds to punish them.
Ugh, she frowned as she pored over stacks of documents late into the night once again. Then came the report: "Whether from the common folk or the martial world, there's this freak walking around with a massive cannon, blasting away everywhere!"
When she first heard it, she thought it was nonsense. Zhejiang had no major martial sects. And this guy was brazenly causing havoc? She had even suspected the military discipline had grown so lax that opium was circulating unnoticed and directly ordered an investigation.
The report she received was a mix of relief and dismay—no opium or the like was involved. ...Which meant the rumors of the cannon-toting freak were real. In a way, wasn't that more dangerous than opium?
Honestly, it didn't make sense. A cannon—unlike common cold weapons, it was enormously heavy and finicky to maintain. Without wheels, moving it was no easy task. Even those so-called top martial artists would probably have to pour in their inner energy just to grunt and barely hoist it up.
But the report said the freak didn't seem to be using any inner power. "...Could it be a fire lance or something? At least a lighter Western matchlock musket, or maybe a Joseon breech-loader?"
"No, Commander. I saw it clear as day with these two eyes! It was a genuine massive hwacho cannon!"
"...Hmm."
Was she too skeptical? Even if it was a small cannon like a bulranggi, she couldn't trust a report of someone hefting over 100 geun bare-handed—and firing it to boot. She could hardly believe it even as she read the report. Maybe something was wrong with her common sense.
What was this disconnect?
"Hey, you hear the news? Word in the martial world is there's some lunatic walking around with a cannon!"
"What kinda bullshit is that? A cannon weighs a ton—it's not like he's wheeling it around. How's he holding it by hand?"
"I swear it's true. Even the Black Sand Faction got hit the other day. Their main compound got blown to bits, and they couldn't catch the guy. Rumors are flying everywhere now."
"What? The real deal's a psycho? Touching the Black Sand Faction when there's no reason to?"
If she hadn't overheard such chatter at inns and post stations along the way, she might have dismissed it as idle gossip long ago.
"Haha, die, you bastards."
BOOM!
But with the scene right before her eyes, she couldn't just doubt it. What caught her gaze was the freak hoisting a cannon and blasting away with abandon.
Hyejin clutched her throbbing head and quietly called to the inspection captain attending her side.
"Haah, Captain."
"...Yes, Your Highness."
"Capture that thing."
"...As you command."
The inspection captain, who had been silently gauging her mood at her side, hurriedly dashed forward to eliminate the source of his master's irritation.