Monopolizing Fortunes (109)
Monopolizing Fortunes (109)
Yang Su-pan introduced the Director of Ritual Affairs.
"This is Yeo Jeong."
"I'm Do Tong-dal."
"You do know that if it gets out you're not a eunuch, a lot of heads will fly? Mine included."
For someone undertaking such a gamble, Yeo Jeong's expression was relaxed.
"I'm aware."
Do Tong-dal was thinking, 'As long as I'm not the one who dies.'
"Have you familiarized yourself with eunuch conduct?"
He'd had it drilled into him all day yesterday and had finished the practical training too.
"I won't make any mistakes."
When Yeo Jeong nodded, his few strands of white beard fluttered.
"Better than trembling, at least."
Yang Su-pan spoke.
"He's a fellow with guts, if nothing else."
"Four days at most. You understand?"
The longer Do Tong-dal stayed in the Forbidden City, the longer the trail he left behind would become.
"I'll wrap it up within that time."
"Then let's go. For now, I've assigned this friend to Jeonui Hall. Since the First Prince and Second Prince pass by every day on their way to pay respects to His Majesty, getting a look at their faces won't be difficult."
"Good. So what's Tong-dal's job?"
"He's an official of Jeonui Hall."
"In plain terms, a janitor."
"That's right."
'The emperor of Hangzhou's nights, reduced to working as a janitor. Ugh—!'
He wanted to finish this quickly and return to Hangzhou.
'Anyway, the Forbidden City really is enormous.'
From the Meridian Gate, the entrance to the Forbidden City, to here, he felt like he'd walked a good six hundred jang. A fanatic for big houses might covet the emperor's throne, but Do Tong-dal wouldn't take it even if it were handed to him for free.
A prisoner bound to the throne wasn't his taste.
'Better to be the emperor of the night than the emperor of the day. Damn right!'
He was thinking that when he heard a voice mixed with screaming.
"Aaaagh—! Your Highness...... p-please...... have mercy!"
"You dare show me your backside and expect to come out unscathed!"
Thwack! Thwack! The sound of blows rang out without pause. They quickened their steps and rounded the corner of the Jeonui Hall.
A man was beating a eunuch with a club, and around them eight eunuchs and court ladies were trembling in terror.
Yang Su-pan whispered to Do Tong-dal.
"That's the First Prince."
Because his back was turned, they couldn't see his face.
"Is he really beating that eunuch like that just because the eunuch showed his backside?"
"What does the reason matter? If the First Prince sets his mind to beating someone, then that someone gets beaten."
The club made of ebony kept dancing, and the eunuch's screams and pleas were losing strength.
Then at some point, the blood-soaked eunuch went limp. He was clearly dead, but the First Prince's club kept striking the corpse.
No one could stop the First Prince. They all knew the next target of that dancing club would be whoever tried to intervene.
"Huff! Huff!"
Only after exhausting himself did the First Prince stop the beating.
"Clean it up."
The First Prince handed the club to the eunuch standing behind him and turned around. Only then could Do Tong-dal clearly see the First Prince's face.
Narrow eyes shot with blood, a sharp nose, and the corners of his lips slightly lifted from the thrill of killing.
It wasn't the face of an emperor but the face of a murderer. No need for physiognomy.
'A bastard like that becomes emperor?'
A sigh escaped him on its own.
"Oh-ho! Director Yeo and Minister Jeon's loyal retainer, together in one place."
Yang Su-pan and Yeo Jeong bowed deeply toward the First Prince.
"We greet Your Highness, the First Prince."
"Can't you just call me Crown Prince?"
When the two men said nothing, the First Prince burst into laughter.
"A joke, just a joke! Hahaha!"
Wiping the blood from his hands with a towel handed to him by a court lady, the First Prince continued.
"You two should pick your side quickly. Once I become crown prince, there won't be a door left open for you to line up behind."
With a smirk, the First Prince glanced at Do Tong-dal and then walked away. Two eunuchs who dashed out from inside the Jeonui Hall took care of the corpse.
"There's no law or anything here."
At Do Tong-dal's muttering, Yang Su-pan gave a bitter smile.
"Those people are the law. What are you talking about?"
Do Tong-dal swallowed the curses rising to his throat. Beaten to death just for showing his backside. The Forbidden City was the most dangerous place in the world.
"Then I'll be going. Take care."
Yang Su-pan clapped Do Tong-dal on the shoulder and left. Do Tong-dal felt like a child abandoned alone by the roadside.
Yeo Jeong led Do Tong-dal inside the Jeonui Hall. It was a place where high-ranking officials rested from their work, but almost no officials used it.
The intention behind building it was good, but the Forbidden City was so vast that even getting to the Jeonui Hall was hard labor.
Because of that, eunuchs working there had a hard time rising to high positions. On the other hand, the work was easy, so some eunuchs actually preferred the place.
Yeo Jeong summoned all five eunuchs who worked at the Jeonui Hall.
"Starting today, this is Do Dal, who will be living with you."
Do Tong-dal had made a fake name by removing the middle character from his name.
"Get along with each other. Yeom Seok-jung."
The eunuch in his early thirties standing in the middle hastily bowed.
"Yes! Director!"
"Don't even dream of holding a welcome party."
"Pardon? But when a newcomer arrives, it's customary to......"
"Do Dal isn't just any newcomer. You know what I mean, don't you?"
They didn't know the specifics, but they could tell that Yeo Jeong was treating Do Dal specially. Eunuchs far, far below him couldn't dare defy the Director of Ritual Affairs' orders.
"We'll keep it in mind."
Yeo Jeong left Do Tong-dal with the words "Take care" and disappeared.
"Hmph! Eunuch Do. What exactly is your relationship with the Director of Ritual Affairs?"
Honestly saying 'I just met him today' would be a stupid move.
"He's the one who guided me here."
Since he had guided him to the Jeonui Hall, it wasn't entirely a lie. But to the other eunuchs, it sounded like he meant 'He's like a mentor to me.'
"Is that so. No wonder......"
No matter how little interest they had in advancement, no eunuch wanted to get on the Director of Ritual Affairs' bad side. So they didn't even try to make Do Tong-dal do anything.
Do Tong-dal idled away the rest of the day, and his thoughts eventually reached the First Prince.
'So a bastard like that becomes the emperor of this country?'
Since it was already established history, that's how it would turn out unless someone forcibly changed it.
'It's none of my business. If the emperor's a tyrant, the world will be in chaos, and that's better for a thug like me.'
Even as he tried to think that way, he couldn't shake off the lingering unease.
'Will the Second Prince, whom I'll meet tomorrow, be any better?'
* * *
"A bug-like eunuch bastard dares to show me his backside!"
Watching the eunuch being beaten with a black club, he felt like he'd gone back to yesterday. But the eunuch curled up and taking the beating wasn't yesterday's eunuch, and the prince doing the beating wasn't the First Prince either.
'The Second Prince is the same kind of bastard!'
His gleaming eyes and the expression of savoring the pleasure of killing were much the same as the First Prince's.
Do Tong-dal was so dumbfounded that he just stared blankly at the scene. But then the Second Prince suddenly turned around, and their eyes met.
Do Tong-dal hastily lowered his head, but it seemed too late.
"These days, eunuch bastards have gotten bold. One wiggles his ass in front of me, and another glares straight at me!"
He was looking at the ground, but he could tell the Second Prince was approaching. Yang Su-pan and Yeo Jeong, who appeared belatedly, made excuses on Do Tong-dal's behalf.
"It was a mistake made because he hasn't been in the imperial palace long. Please forgive him generously!"
"Forgive? Why should I forgive?"
With those words, the club struck Do Tong-dal's head. With a cry of "Ugh!" Do Tong-dal collapsed forward, and the club rained down on him without pause.
The first scream was loud, the following screams grew quieter, and soon his limp body made no sound at all.
"Weak bastards who can't even endure a little beating! Ptui!"
Handing the club to the eunuch accompanying him, the Second Prince wiped the blood from his hands and walked away.
Yeo Jeong, at a loss, spoke to Yang Su-pan.
"The man the Minister of Personnel specially asked us to look after has died. What are we to do?"
"Died? Hardly."
Yang Su-pan spoke to Do Tong-dal, who was stretched out flat.
"The Second Prince has left, so get up now."
"I'm dead."
Yeo Jeong was startled.
"Eek—! He...... he was alive?"
"If he were the type to die that easily, I wouldn't have brought him here in the first place."
Do Tong-dal let out a long breath and got up.
"I'm really going to die of a rage-induced illness."
Yang Su-pan patted Do Tong-dal's shoulder.
"You held up well."
"Being a eunuch is one hell of a job. It's only my second day here and I've already watched people die twice. Counting me, that makes three?"
Yang Su-pan spoke to Yeo Jeong.
"I need to talk with this friend for a moment."
The quick-witted Yeo Jeong promptly made himself scarce. After confirming no one was around, Yang Su-pan asked.
"Which of the two do you think will become emperor?"
He wanted to answer "the First Prince" easily and get out of this shitty imperial palace quickly. But the name "First Prince" wouldn't come out of his mouth easily.
"Why? You don't know?"
"I can see the aura in both of them."
What he could see was madness. Whichever of the two became emperor, it was certain that a lunatic would sit on the throne.
"You're saying the emperor's aura emanates from both of them to the point that you can't judge?"
"I need a little more time to analyze. Even the tiniest difference in the earlobes can lead to a completely different conclusion."
"Then take another look at both of them."
"No, I remember their faces, so outside the Forbidden City would be plenty......"
Yang Su-pan cut off Do Tong-dal's words.
"We need to be certain. Stay just two more days. Next time, hide and observe so you don't catch the two princes' eyes. That'll be safer."
Do Tong-dal swallowed the name "First Prince" that had risen to his throat.
* * *
"The Third Prince is asking for me?"
Yang Su-pan asked in surprise, and Yeo Jeong urged him on.
"Please go quickly."
Of course he would go, but there was no reason for the Third Prince to seek him out. They had seen each other's faces about twice in that time, and even then they hadn't exchanged a single word.
Being summoned by royalty without any particular business was not something to welcome.
Yang Su-pan racked his brain as he followed Yeo Jeong, but in the end he couldn't guess the reason.
"Director Yeo, might I ask why the Third Prince is looking for me?"
It was widely known that Yeo Jeong was close to the Third Prince.
"I only received the order to bring you, so I don't know the business."
The Third Prince's residence was Gyeongjinjeon, located at the western end of the Forbidden City.
"Your Highness, Censor Yang requests an audience."
"Show him in."
Yang Su-pan entered and bowed deeply toward the Third Prince.
"I greet Your Highness."
The Third Prince, seated at a table for four, pointed to the seat across from him.
"Please sit."
Yang Su-pan carefully perched on the edge of the seat. No matter how powerful he was, royalty was always heaven above heaven, so it was endlessly uncomfortable.
"I'm not sure the tea will suit your taste."
To his great honor, the Third Prince personally poured the tea. He had left the Forbidden City at age two and had only returned five months ago.
Perhaps because of that, the Third Prince was uncharacteristically unpretentious for royalty, and unlike the First and Second Princes, he was known to have a humane side.
His features were so gentle it was hard to believe he shared a father with the other princes. The scars covering the Third Prince's face were puzzling, but Do Tong-dal did not ask about them.
"You must be curious why I summoned Censor Yang today."
"That's right."
"Do you happen to know someone named Do Tong-dal?"
His slightly bowed head snapped up in surprise.
"Do...... Do Tong-dal?"
"So you do know him."
"How does Your Highness know of Do Tong-dal?"
"A few days ago, I went on an excursion outside the imperial palace and happened to meet him."
It was ominous. The Third Prince wouldn't have revealed his identity, so Do Tong-dal must have committed some rudeness.
"Do Tong-dal is a man unbound by etiquette. Please generously forgive the rudeness of such an insignificant person."
As Yang Su-pan bowed his head, the Third Prince's voice fell on the back of his head.
"He was rude, indeed."
"I apologize. Please forgive him."
"I looked into it, and before coming to Beijing, Censor Yang served as magistrate in Hangzhou."
"That's correct."
"You must have met Do Tong-dal then."
"That's also correct."
"Hmm. A high-ranking official being friendly with an Underworld thug wouldn't look good to others, so why don't you deny your friendship with Do Tong-dal, Censor Yang? Did you take too many bribes?"
* * *