The Song of Hwanghakru
“Farewell, Lady Immortal!”
—A deep bow.
“I keep telling you, I’m no immortal…”
After thrashing the river bandits and disembarking, the adults simply meant it as praise, but the children genuinely believed I was an immortal. It was becoming rather burdensome.
“Haha, don’t take it so seriously. The children will understand once they’re older.”
“It’s just embarrassing, that’s all.”
“You turn the bandits into cripples and then complain the children are a burden? Truly, I can never understand you.”
—A scratch of the head.
“Ahem…”
I could slaughter the bandits without a second thought if they displeased me, but children were another matter. Children were society’s treasure—wait, what? Come to think of it, medieval China was a society of overpopulation, not low birth rates. So they probably weren’t treated as treasures the way they are in the modern era.
—Step, step.
Anyway, we finally reached the entrance to Gangha. I had worried the bloody incident on the ferry might cause trouble, but—
“This gentleman drove off the bandits…”
“A sword-qi projection rarely seen even among merchants…”
“A heart as pure as an immortal maiden’s…”
—A cough.
“Ahem, that’s enough! My ears are growing calluses.”
Thanks to the fervent defense from our fellow passengers, we entered Gangha without difficulty. The fact that Ryun could slip through the checkpoint unnoticed because all attention was on me was an unexpected bonus.
—A scratch.
“Is this what they call turning misfortune into fortune?”
“What misfortune have you suffered? The bandits were the ones who met disaster.”
“I was hurt too, you know?”
It wasn’t some quack doctor who cut off my left arm instead of the right. I felt a weight in my chest at my own inadequacy.
“By the way, you said he was at the Jeoljeong realm. I wonder why someone of that level was taking on petty commissions in a small place like Yangyang.”
“Well… it was a kind of social education.”
Even though I learned from that eunuch bastard, I still didn’t know much about this world. That was why I had planned to take easy commissions and gain experience, but…
‘Is my personality a bit too hasty?’
Before I knew it, I had smashed up the office and turned the bandits into cripples. Rather than gaining social experience, it felt more like society was gaining experience of me.
“Ahem!”
At any rate, I had safely escorted the client to Gangha, so all’s well that ends well. If we just held on a little longer, we could wrap up my first commission successfully.
—Step, step.
As we left the harbor, the cityscape gradually came into view. And then—
“Whoa…”
A massive tower standing tall at the city’s center entered my sight. It reminded me of the imagined reconstruction of the nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa I had seen in history class, brought to life in reality.
“Ryun! That’s the—”
“Yes, the famous Hwanghakru.”
“Hwanghakru!”
Hwanghakru—the grand tower first built by Sun Quan of the Three Kingdoms. One of the three great towers of Jiangnan, so beautiful that even Li Taibai, China’s greatest poet, reportedly threw down his brush, unable to compose a poem about it.
“Hee…”
And above all, it was famous enough that even I, a reincarnator, knew of it. A major tourist attraction.
—A glance.
“Do you want to go see it?”
“Well…”
Of course I wanted to. The view from the top, the wine and food—all were rumored to be the finest in China.
‘It feels too presumptuous.’
The finest naturally included the price. With tourists flocking from all over China, even the entrance fee alone cost several taels of silver—roughly a million won in modern terms. No matter how wealthy Ryun was, asking him to take me to a place like that would seem shameless.
—A nod.
“Then let’s go.”
“Right. Even for you, it would be a burden… huh? Really?”
He was actually taking me? To that expensive place?
“As you said, I’m the fool who spent ten gold taels just to reach Gangha. Hwanghakru is nothing compared to that.”
—A flinch.
“D-did I ever say that…?”
When had I voiced my inner thoughts? Had I been talking in my sleep?
—A grin.
“I was testing you. Seems I was right.”
“Ugh…”
I had fallen for a psychological trap.
“A-anyway, let’s hurry! No take-backs!”
“Very well. Since we’ve come this far, there’s no harm in enjoying some refinement despite the haste.”
----------
—Buzz, buzz.
By the time dusk fell, the interior of Hwanghakru we finally entered was packed with people.
“Tsk, we finally got in, yet this is our seat…”
“Hey, at least we got in.”
Despite paying several taels of silver to enter, our seats were in a corner by a pillar. The window seats had apparently gone to the so-called “important people.” Ryun seemed to come from a prominent family as well, but since he was moving in secret to avoid his stepmother’s reach, he couldn’t reveal his identity.
—A grin.
“There’s no rule saying we can only enjoy the view, is there?”
The scenery could be seen from outside. In that case, we might as well enjoy the delicious food and drink.
“Yeonhwa. You remember what I asked of you, don’t you?”
“Come on, no need to worry.”
Before we entered, Ryun had given me one strict instruction: to keep the myeon-sa on even while eating. He said drawing attention in a crowded place like this wouldn’t be good. As always, Ryun tended to overdo things. I was pretty enough, but not to that extent. Looking around, there were plenty of beautiful women here—why would anyone pay special attention to me?
—A lift.
“Fine, let’s just eat quickly.”
Still, since the person paying had asked, I had to at least pretend to listen. This way, I could lift the front of the myeon-sa slightly and eat while still wearing it.
—Chomp, chomp.
“Th-this is?!”
Back in my previous life, I had once eaten at the restaurant of a famous Chinese chef who appeared on television. I had been immensely impressed then, but the food here was no less impressive. To achieve this level in the medieval era, without proper refrigeration… No wonder people flocked here. I glanced over to see Ryun also looking satisfied.
—Munch, munch.
—Chomp, chomp.
While we were enjoying our meal—
—Guffaw, guffaw.
“Hahaha! Friends, look over there! Eating with a veil on is quite the sight!”
“???”
Laughter came from somewhere. Was that about me?
—A glance.
When I looked up, I saw a man pointing at me and laughing. His face practically screamed, “I’m the son of a rich family.” And yes, he was talking about me…
“How hideous must her face be that she has to eat with a veil on? It’s laughable and pitiful at the same time. Hahaha!”
“N-now, Jeok-yeon, even so, saying it so openly…”
“What? The Master said it himself. How ugly must she be to act like that even at the dining table?”
Hmm… A friend pretending to stop him and a woman flattering him. They really were birds of a feather.
—A roar.
“You lot. What did you just say?!”
Ryun set down his chopsticks and questioned them in a chilling voice. I had thought he was always composed, but apparently he could speak like that too.
—A smirk.
“You’re getting worked up because we insulted the courtesan you’re keeping? Serves you right for parading around with a cheap, ugly woman! Hahaha!”
“Heh… aren’t you going too far? She must not have had the money.”
“Yet she managed to pay the entrance fee somehow. Hohoho.”
The three of them were taking turns spewing nonsense.
—Tremble, tremble.
“Kgh…!”
Ryun’s fists shook as if he were truly enraged. A man who looked like an employee approached him and whispered.
“Sir, please calm yourself. That man is Jeok-yeon, the young master of the Jeok-un Trading Company.”
“Jeok-un Trading Company?”
“Yes. A famous trading company in Jiangnan. They have connections in the government, so even officials don’t dare treat them lightly. If you get involved unnecessarily, you may face hardship…”
“Just endure it?”
“I’m sorry… I was simply worried…”
“Haa…”
—A shake of the head.
Ryun frowned beneath his salgap and shook his head. He seemed to be struggling to suppress his anger. In any other situation, he would have countered by naming his own prestigious family.
“Jeok-un Trading Company, was it… I’ll be sure to remember that.”
—A glance.
“Yeonhwa, I’m sorry it turned out this way. Let’s go.”
“Huh? Right now?”
Honestly, I wasn’t that angry. After all, I wasn’t as ugly as that bastard claimed. If anything, I was rather good-looking.
—Guffaw, guffaw.
“Look at them trying to scurry away with their tails between their legs! Why not sing a song before you go?!”
“Jeok-yeon, even so, saying an ugly courtesan must at least sing well is too cruel, isn’t it?”
“If she’s ugly and can’t sing either, she’s disqualified as a courtesan, isn’t she?”
They just wouldn’t stop until we left…
‘Hmm.’
Still, singing wasn’t a bad idea. Singing was my specialty, and I quite liked it. Besides, now that I was a woman, I could freely sing the songs I liked as a woman. In my previous life, a man singing women’s songs had felt somewhat awkward.
—Scrape.
I cleared my throat and stood up from my chair.
“Yeonhwa. You’re not seriously going along with their provocation, are you? There’s no need!”
“What? We can’t just leave after being humiliated.”
If I removed the myeon-sa, I could prove I wasn’t that ugly. And if I sang well on top of that, both Ryun and I would save face. Even if we never came back here, leaving after being humiliated would be too unfair. Of course, I planned to secretly beat that bastard to a pulp later. I’d turn his teeth into castanets.
—Step, step.
“Ahem.”
I walked toward the empty space near the terrace, loosening my neck.
“Hahaha! So the ugly woman can at least sing! Everyone, look over here!”
Ignoring the man pointing and laughing, I—
—Slide.
—lifted the myeon-sa before singing.
“Hurk?!”
“Th-that’s…!”
Perhaps because they confirmed I was reasonably good-looking, the murmuring died down a little. In that case—
“♫~♬”
Now it was time to sing. Though the lyrics of a Ming-era song didn’t resonate with me, there was no need to worry. A song only needed a good melody to carry eighty percent of its impact. After some time—
—Clap, clap, clap, clap.
“I’ve had my eyes opened today…”
“How could anyone say she’s not an immortal after seeing that beauty?”
Applause and praise echoed from all around. But more immortal talk? Was “immortal” some kind of trend in the Ming Dynasty?
—Tremble, tremble.
“Kgh…!”
The man called Jeok-yeon or whatever was red-faced and shaking like a puppy that needed to pee. Having openly mocked me only to be proven wrong, his pride must have taken quite a hit.
—Grab.
“Ryun, let’s go!”
“Huh? Ah, right.”
If we stayed, the humiliated bastard might try something else. So leaving quickly would be our victory without any lingering grudges!
—Dash, dash, dash.
As I grabbed Ryun’s sleeve and ran out—
“Hahahaha!”
Ryun laughed quite heartily.
“That happy?”
“Of course! Is there anyone else like you in this world?”
Oh… he seemed quite pleased. Did this mean I could really mooch off him as a freeloader after the commission ended? I had thought so at the time, but—
…
“…”
When I woke at dawn, Ryun had already disappeared from the inn, leaving only a letter and a pouch containing ten gold taels.
----------
“This humble one, Jo, greets Your Highness the Prince.”
In the early morning, when the world was still bathed in a cool blue light and the sun had yet to stretch, a man prostrated himself to greet someone.
“Rise, Vice Commissioner Jo.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
The man who rose was Jo Mun-hwi, Vice Commissioner of the Ho-gwang Provincial Administration. A key official of the fourth rank who managed the administration of the vast Ho-gwang Province.
“I’m putting you through trouble.”
“Not at all. How could serving Your Highness be troublesome?”
The man standing with his hands behind his back was, of course, Ryun—the second prince of the Ming Empire, or rather, now the first prince.
—A glance.
“You know why I asked to see you here, don’t you?”
“Yes. So that you may enter the Provincial Administration safely.”
The Provincial Administration, where high-ranking local officials gathered. Once inside, he would be free from the Empress’s threat. Even the Empress couldn’t handle the aftermath of an assassination there, as all the high officials would become witnesses. How could she silence every single one of them? Then, with the protection of the military command, the Provincial Military Commission, he could return to the Forbidden City and the problem would be solved.
—A nod.
“Good. You understand well, as expected.”
The Empress knew this too, which was why she was desperately trying to stop him. That was why Ryun intended to enter the Provincial Administration through someone he could trust.
“I know of a secret passage. Through there, we can avoid the Empress’s spies.”
“Mm… I’m always in your debt. I can hardly hold my head up.”
The one who had warned Ryun that the palanquin was suspicious was none other than Jo Mun-hwi. Since he had already saved Ryun’s life once, how many subordinates could be trusted more? That was why Ryun had chosen Jo Mun-hwi as the person to enter the Provincial Administration with.
—Step, step.
“Once this is over, I will be sure to reward you. Is there anything you desire?”
“Hahaha, how about the position of Provincial Commissioner?”
—A grin.
“Even so, that’s a bit much. We must climb the ranks step by step, mustn’t we?”
Ryun smiled and replied to Jo Mun-hwi’s joke. The Provincial Commissioner was two ranks above Vice Commissioner—a position akin to the head of the province. Even with great merit, promoting someone directly to that post was difficult, as it would require ousting the current commissioner.
—Guffaw, guffaw.
“Of course. Now, if we go a little further this way, the secret passage will appear.”
—A glance.
Jo Mun-hwi walked ahead with a smile. From behind him, Ryun spoke quietly.
“Why? Did the Empress offer you the Provincial Commissioner position?”
“What do you mean…”
“There’s no need to keep acting now that we’ve come this far. She must have offered at least that much to buy you.”
—A smirk.
“…When did you realize?”
“I was a little suspicious when you told me to leave the guards behind… but this place has plenty of buildings and almost no people. No one would know if someone died here.”
“As expected, you are astute.”
—Clap, clap, clap.
“That’s why the Empress wishes to kill you.”
When Jo Mun-hwi clapped, assassins emerged from the alleys.
“Just as winter ends, so does spring… Should I lament the change in your loyalty, or simply accept it?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to accept it? Why not try calling me Commissioner Jo?”
“…”
Just over ten assassins. A prince raised in luxury stood no chance. It was a truly desperate situation.
—Shing.
“I cannot let the noble prince die at the hands of assassins. As Provincial Commissioner, I shall finish this myself.”
Jo Mun-hwi drew his sword with a sinister smile. Having abandoned his master to seize the rope of success, he no longer had any hesitation.
—Step, step.
He raised his sword and approached Ryun.
“…”
Ryun stood tall, glaring defiantly, but that was all he could do.
“Hehehe. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
—Thrust.
—Whoosh.
Just as the sword lunged toward his neck and Ryun squeezed his eyes shut, sensing the end—
—Whip.
—Thunk.
“Huh…?”
A dagger thrown from somewhere embedded itself in Jo Mun-hwi’s neck.
—Thud.
—Thud.
Two men collapsed. One had a dagger in his neck and was dead; the other had collapsed as his legs gave out. And beside the seated Ryun—
—Tap.
A woman landed lightly.
“Yeonhwa…?”
“Ryun, you look like a mess.”