Last Dance - 2
Namyeong's normalization had progressed to a certain extent, so we prepared to depart for Gyeirim. Ironically, the Pojeongsa, Anchal-sa, and Do Jihwisa all claimed they still had matters to handle in Namyeong, creating the bizarre situation where the very people who should be in Gyeirim couldn't go. We were heading to the provincial office, yet the provincial governor was elsewhere.
"When you arrive in Gyeirim, the vice ministers will welcome you. Among them, the Ijo Vice Minister is standing in for me, so if you need any cooperation, don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you for your consideration, my lord."
"Consideration? If anything, I'm sorry for sending only the Left Vice Censor-in-chief."
The Pojeongsa let out a small chuckle and patted my shoulder. But the hand lacked strength, suggesting his vitality had waned from overwork. It made sense. No matter how elite the Pojeongsa was in managing a region, that was only possible with the right personnel and infrastructure. With most of his close aides from Gyeirim tied up there, he'd essentially been running Namyeong's administration single-handedly. The support staff from Gyeirim? They were just executors, not advisors. All the brainwork had fallen to him.
When I get back to Kaepyeong, I should put in a good word for him.
A miraculous administrator who had grabbed a prefecture—not some county, but the largest city in the region—by the collar and dragged it forward. Upon my return to Kaepyeong, I'd make sure to mention the Pojeongsa. Someone with this caliber would be useful not just in the provinces but at the capital too. He'd pull more than his weight anywhere.
Of course, I wouldn't forget the Anchal-sa and Do Jihwisa. The Pojeongsa's solo act was so impressive it somewhat overshadowed them, but their cleanup work had been exemplary.
"I drew pictures of Gyeirim's hills and sent them to friends back home, but none believed their eyes. 'The Fan Castle Brigade' is the classic phrase capturing Gyeirim's scenery. I hope the Left Vice Censor-in-chief enjoys views so beautiful they're hard to believe even after seeing them."
In the midst of it all, as Guangxi's Pojeongsa with his own pride in the region, he offered a parting piece of advice: Gyeirim's natural beauty was truly something to savor.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I nodded readily, already well aware of Gyeirim's fame. The landscape, blending rivers, mountains, caves, and peaks, had a unique charm.
...Rivers.
The word "river" suddenly stirred unease. Where there was water, trash inevitably appeared. Vermin that spawned naturally wherever water flowed. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen any water bandits lately. Maybe I'd end my Central Plains pilgrimage with them.
Bad premonitions never failed me.
Yuju-bu, situated at the junction en route from Namyeong to Gyeirim. A harmonious city famed for its beautiful willows, befitting its name.
"There's a river here too."
Regrettably, Yuju-bu had the Yujiang River, so the trash I'd hoped would cap off my journey showed up early.
"Wi-cheo."
"Yes, my lord."
"Catch them all. They're already fleeing."
"Understood."
Unlike typical water bandits, however, these ones from the Yujiang didn't charge upon spotting us—they bolted in the opposite direction. A rare wise choice that almost earned my admiration. Normally, one should pick battles carefully, but water and mountain bandits showed that wisdom only exceptionally rarely. It took a royal-led bandit purge for them to learn their place.
Of course, true wisdom would mean never becoming bandits in the first place. Now that they'd appeared before us, their future held only one duty: military service.
"His Highness Gi Gangwang has poured his heart into purging water bandits, yet they still lurk in various places."
As Jo Wi-cheo leaped off to capture them alive, Ak I-yeon watched with an awkward smile and spoke up. I'd been shocked at first by how they kept spawning despite our constant crackdowns. Numbers didn't dwindle. Even thorough sweeps yielded only temporary results; they reappeared over time.
But that was viewing them as humans. Treat water bandits as bugs or dust, and it wasn't strange at all. Bugs and dust naturally regenerated no matter how much you cleaned.
"Guangxi is a bit far from Gi Gangwang's domain. If it were closer, His Highness would visit often—such a shame."
Still, I couldn't tell Ak I-yeon, "Those aren't human." I offered a plausible, gentle explanation to ease her doubts. And it wasn't wrong. If this were Gi Gangwang's front yard—like Jiangxi, Anhui, or Zhejiang—the purge rate would outpace their spawn rate. He'd have handled them before they reached us.
Should we dig canals?
A fleeting thought: canals radiating from Gi Gangwang's base would make purges easier. But I shook it off. A unified dynasty digging grand canals felt ominous. History had one who dug massively and burned spectacularly.
"Someday, there'll be no water or mountain bandits. Decades ago, the Yangtze Waterway Eighteen Strongholds and Green Forest Seventy-Two Bandit Dens were taken for granted. Now they're intolerable. In the future, they might become mere legends."
"I hope that day comes. A world where no one needs to steal to eat."
Ak I-yeon let out a soft laugh, then silently gazed toward where Jo Wi-cheo had vanished, as if envisioning that world.
In truth, even in a well-fed world, bandits wouldn't vanish entirely. Some became thieves not from hunger, but because they enjoyed it.
That'd be enough.
If only pleasure bandits remained, their numbers would plummet. Periodic official purges would suffice to keep things clean. A world where purge speed outran spawn rate, like Gi Gangwang's. One where government forces alone maintained order. Impossible now, but someday.
"My lord."
Lost in sentimental dreams of a better world, I was interrupted by Jo Wi-cheo's swift return from afar. Super Peak realm was impressive indeed. Even against bandit rabble, over a hundred fleeing at full speed—yet he'd subdued them in moments and returned.
Now bind the unconscious ones, send word to Yuju-bu to collect them, and—
"We found civilians imprisoned in their lair."
"These damn—"
A curse nearly escaped at Jo Wi-cheo's report, but I swallowed it. These bastards. Not ordinary thieves—human traffickers.
Military service my ass.
Their future had changed. Ordinary thieves could be redeemed with service, but those selling or killing civilians? No. Killing civilians meant paying with your life. Cross that line, and you'd atone with a line across your neck or waist.
Handing over the captured bandits. Returning the imprisoned civilians home. Not tasks for just three of us, so we sent the fastest—Jo Wi-cheo—to Yuju-bu.
"I am Mingzheng County Branch Manager of Yuju-bu!"
The Branch Manager arrived at the bandits' lair with soldiers in tow. Faster and more splendid a response than expected—I was pleased. His personal involvement would soothe the terrified civilians even better.
"The vicious water bandits terrorized innocent folk, but with the Branch Manager here in person to comfort them, their fears will subside. Thank you for coming, my lord."
"You're too kind! If anything, I owe you thanks, Left Vice Censor-in-chief! Without you, we might not have caught them yet. As Branch Manager, I am ashamed!"
The Branch Manager bowed deeply, his voice brimming with discipline. I could guess why and patted his shoulder with a wry smile.
Probably spooked by Namyeong news.
The massive inspection scandal in neighboring Namyeong Prefecture. If Yuju-bu's Branch Manager had ears, he'd heard. A Left Vice Censor-in-chief flipping one prefecture now descending on his? Terrifying. And staying quiet wouldn't help when bandits holding civilians got purged by said censor? He'd foam at the mouth and collapse without surprise.
"What's done is done. What matters is how you handle the aftermath, right?"
"Precisely!"
So I comforted the near-panic Branch Manager. The natural spawn of bandits before my eyes was unavoidable; handle the cleanup right, and we'd let it slide.
We distributed the bandits' hoarded wealth to the civilians. The Left Vice Censor-in-chief, who purged them, had ceded spoils rights to Yuju-bu—but they couldn't just swallow it. Eating that in this situation guaranteed trouble.
"What's done is done. What matters is how you handle the aftermath, right?"
The censor's warning still echoed. Aftermath. Compensate the suffering civilians adequately, or expect consequences. A blunt warning that I could end up smashed like the bandits or Namyeong officials.
I must survive...!
Thus, instead of pocketing the spoils as Yuju-bu budget, we used them as compensation for the victims. That was what the censor wanted. Only then would the harmed civilians be satisfied and joyful.
"We are moved by the Branch Manager's generosity. It's no small sum, yet giving it all as compensation. How many care for the people like this?"
In truth, the Left Vice Censor-in-chief nodded approvingly as soldiers distributed the goods. I survived. Yuju-bu avoided Namyeong's fate.