Teacher, You Have to Be Discharged - 3

At Jiayu Pass, Lord Han Un had suffered internal injuries from the Hwagyeong master Koke Temur who appeared there. To fully recover from those wounds, he had temporarily returned to Kaepyeong. No matter the treatments from the two kings or the spirit beasts' deer antlers, these were injuries inflicted by a Hwagyeong master. No one could predict when they might flare up again, so it was wiser to recuperate properly in Kaepyeong than continue the pilgrimage through the Central Plains.

"Looks like you'll be bedridden for a while. Go say hello to your family at least. Sticking by your boss's bedside all day would get boring."

Thanks to that, the Left Vice Inspector General had granted me a short leave. It was a gracious consideration.

I couldn't say for sure how long Lord Han Un would stay at Akwangjeo. It might end in just a few days, or it could drag on for ten days, half a month—or even over a month. Spending that time as a guest at Akwangjeo would burden me, even if Ak Wang permitted it. So, as the lord suggested, I headed to my family. They were staying in Kaepyeong too, after all.

"I'm here."

"When did you get to Kaepyeong?"

"Just arrived."

My unexpected return to Kaepyeong and visit home left my father greeting me with a mix of joy and bewilderment upon seeing my face. Of course, as it had been so long since his son visited, the joy outweighed everything.

"How is the crown prince faring?"

"Well..."

But when he heard that the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Left Vice Inspector General had collapsed from internal injuries, Father's face had blazed with fury. I understood. Father and my late grandfather owed a great debt to Giwang. To repay that grace, our family served Giwangga like loyal retainers, taking immense pride in it. Wasn't I serving alongside the lord to repay that very grace? Yet while I was away, he had fallen. It was fortunate my absence was at his urging, to strike at the Mongol base; if it had been for personal reasons when disaster struck, Father's wrath would have turned on me instead of the Mongols.

"The crown prince fell because of the barbaric invaders who dared trespass on Great Song soil. You're suffering more than anyone, so I won't blame you."

"Thank you."

"But don't forget this. We, who must repay Giwangga's grace, failed to protect him because of your absence."

"Yes, I'll keep it in mind."

All he emphasized was that I must henceforth serve even more diligently and thoroughly. Words to engrave on my heart.

Our family had received Giwangga's grace, and I personally owed the lord an immense debt that allowed me to surpass the Chojeoljeong wall. I, not yet past my forties, had reached the same realm as Father. A grace I couldn't repay even in death. It was only by the lord's mercy that heaven permitted my ascension. I must never forget and strive harder.

With that resolve, I was staying at the family home when—

—a messenger pigeon arrived from the lord at Akwangjeo.

Promotion, huh. I closed my eyes sorrowfully as I read the letter. Vice Director of Military Affairs was a sixth-rank post. Not a promotion within the seventh-rank hierarchy, but a leap to an entirely new level.

So it came to this after all.

It was heartbreaking. Once a Dochalwon official reached sixth rank, continuing as an inspector became difficult. Unlike the lord, still Left Vice Inspector General at third-equivalent rank, Dochalwon had no sixth-rank positions. With prior experience in a sixth-rank role, I'd have to shift to desk work.

I could no longer serve as the lord's escort. I'd hand over his protection to someone else and handle the mundane, quiet task of organizing reports from the provinces.

I'll follow in the lord's footsteps.

And sixth rank was just the start. With crown prince escort experience, tours of the Central Plains, and Chojeoljeong realm, I could rise even higher. Having stayed by the Left Vice Inspector General's side meant I'd suddenly face the piled-up attention and promotions.

A grave predicament. I might even become a Vice Inspector myself, dealing with high officials across the Central Plains ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and handling all sorts of incidents like the lord.

Horrifying.

A sigh escaped me. This promotion prevented repaying our family's and my personal debts of grace, while burdening me with unwanted authority and responsibility. Far more loss than gain.

But what could I do? A promotion was the emperor's mercy. Refusing it went against a retainer’s duty.

Hm? Reopening my eyes to finish the letter, two peculiar details caught my eye.

One was that my seventh-rank inspector role remained intact. The other: his fiancée was joining our journey, which had been just the two of us.

Confusing. Why would she travel with us? If the lord were merely sightseeing, it wouldn't be odd, but he was performing official duties. A civilian joining—even a crown prince's fiancée...

No way.

Could she have become an official too? Then traveling together made sense. Whether two or three officials banded together changed little.

Two crown princes.

But if she wasn't an official, just a crown prince... Then we'd have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two to escort. Both blood of the One-Era King, no less. For a moment, grace be damned—I considered requesting a transfer to desk work.

Right after the diagnosis that I could fully rise tomorrow or the day after—

"What on earth possessed you to pull such reckless folly?"

Father and Mother visited Akwangjeo.

"I have no face to show..."

With eyes full of worry and sighs heavy with concern, I couldn't stand tall as their son and quietly bowed my head. Parents already fretted enough over a child roaming the Central Plains; this mad son had bared his teeth before a Hwagyeong master on top of it. From their view, it must have felt like the sky collapsing.

Even more embarrassing and apologetic: since returning to Kaepyeong, I hadn't seen them until now. Ak Wang had forbidden meetings until full recovery for thorough rest.

"Still, you're recovering safely—that's a relief. We've worried so much."

A small comfort: Grandfather, whom no one could bar, had barged into Giwangjeo, letting my parents there get real-time updates. That eased their worries somewhat. Even now, while Father sighed, Mother gently held my hand, forcing a smile to comfort me.

I was the one who should apologize.

"I'm sorry. I'll ensure nothing like this happens again."

"Yes. Our son wouldn't repeat the same mistake twice. Mother believes in you."

It sounded benevolent on the surface, but knowing the implication, I shuddered. The explicit word "mistake." The subtle pressure of "not twice." If it happened again, no mercy.

"I'll live up to Mother's faith."

I nodded instinctively, vowing never to test her patience. Better to scour the Yellow River bed than worry her again.

"My dear, I heard you're handling state affairs with Un-i now?"

Embracing me softly, Mother turned to Ak I-yeon.

"Yes, Mother. I plan to support him diligently by his side."

Mother smiled faintly at Ak I-yeon's resolute reply.

"Splendid. With you by our son's side, nothing could be more reassuring."

"Y-You're too kind."

"But it's a bit regrettable. With our wandering son gone, even the girl we treated like a daughter is leaving us. How lonely it'll be."

Her genuine regret made me think of my siblings at Giwangjeo. Anyone hearing would think I was their only child.

"Still, it's your decision, so we'll support it."

With that, Mother hugged Ak I-yeon too, patting her back for a long while. Thankfully, our family seemed free of mother-in-law tensions.

To receive the emperor's commendation, we headed to the palace. Honestly, I didn't want to go. A commendation meant little anyway—couldn't we just accept it and move on? Of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠course not, hence heading straight there post-recovery.

Obeying meekly would make everyone happy.

"Has the Left Vice Inspector General arrived?"

"It's been a while, my lord."

Dragging my feet to Muying Hall where the emperor resided, the Geum-ui-wi Ji-hwi-sa guarding the gate greeted us. He was peculiar. Even a regular commandant outranked me, yet this Geum-ui-wi commandant used honorifics to a third-equivalent seventh-rank nobody.

Likely deference to my crown prince status, but he could have dropped honorifics citing rank without repercussions.

If it were anyone else, I'd think, What a warm, considerate fellow. Great Song was vast, officials many; some used honorifics to juniors.

But he's not particularly warm.

Yet the Geum-ui-wi Ji-hwi-sa was far from gentle or considerate. Zhu Yuan Zhang's fourth son, the Ming third emperor who drowned his second-emperor nephew Zhu Yunwen to usurp the throne: Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor. And one of Daesong's Twelve Great Masters, a Hwagyeong expert.

"Please enter. His Majesty awaits the Left Vice Inspector General."

"Ah, yes."

Thus, his honorifics always felt oddly off. Maybe because we were similar in age... an inner sense of camaraderie?