Monopolizing Fortunes (146)
Monopolizing Fortunes (146)
Ju Hyeong-seon, who had been changing clothes, was startled by Ju Seo-in's voice when the window suddenly opened.
"You scared me! Make some noise when you move around!"
"If I made noise, would it be secret protection?"
"Even so, I was changing my clothes...."
"There's nothing to see anyway. But can't you not go out today?"
"Why?"
"I'm not feeling well. That thing that comes once a month is worse this time."
"Then rest. I'll take the Embroidered Uniform Guard with me."
"How can you trust the Embroidered Uniform Guard at a critical time like this?"
"You've been fine without an escort so far."
Ju Seo-in promptly climbed in through the window. Her face was as white as a sheet of paper, so she really did seem unwell.
"Is now the same as before? You're this close to the imperial throne, Brother."
Ju Hyeong-seon took Ju Seo-in's thumb and forefinger, which were barely parted, and spread them as wide as he could.
"Right now it's about this much. Second Brother has been close to the emperor's seat for a long time, but I've only just started. His power is still greater than mine too."
"Can you say that even after seeing the line of high officials at your door? The storehouse is about to burst with gifts sent to you."
"The odds have gone up. But that doesn't change anything."
"Anyway, keep at least three escorts with you."
"Fine. Looking at your face, you should rest today."
"Rest? How could I rest? I'm going to follow you secretly too."
Knowing that Ju Seo-in's stubbornness couldn't be broken, he let it go with, "Do as you like."
Ju Hyeong-seon dressed three trusted Embroidered Uniform Guards in plain clothes, then slipped out of the Forbidden City, stepping into the darkness that had just begun to fall.
Ju Hyeong-seon strolled through the streets alone, and somewhere behind him the Embroidered Uniform Guards would be following in secret. Ju Seo-in would be somewhere too.
The first place he went was a restaurant. It made Dongpo pork so exquisitely that he never got tired of it no matter how much he ate.
After finishing his meal, Ju Hyeong-seon left the restaurant and looked around.
'As expected.'
Neither the three Embroidered Uniform Guards nor Ju Seo-in were visible to him.
"Shall I visit a pleasure house today for the first time in a while?"
It was a pleasure house he often visited when he left the imperial palace, but it wasn't as enjoyable as the first time he'd gone with Do Tong-dal.
'I wish that friend would come back soon.'
It didn't seem bad for Ju Seo-in to marry Do Tong-dal. Since Do Tong-dal would become part of the imperial family, they'd be able to meet often for that reason.
The streets were still crowded. People coming out after finishing their meals, people already drunk from early drinking, merchants calling out to customers. All of it gave him a sense of vitality that couldn't be found in the imperial palace.
So Cheol-eum was looking down at Ju Hyeong-seon, who was strolling through the streets, from the roof of a silk shop.
The message had come suddenly, so there hadn't been enough time to devise a detailed plan, but the most important thing was killing Ju Hyeong-seon.
It didn't matter if there were many witnesses. As long as it wasn't revealed that the Second Prince was behind it, even ten thousand witnesses wouldn't be a problem.
Four of his subordinates were positioned on the roof of a restaurant across the street. The three Embroidered Uniform Guards secretly protecting Ju Hyeong-seon were no better than scarecrows.
Once he cut Ju Hyeong-seon's throat and fled, they wouldn't even be able to pursue him.
When the distance to Ju Hyeong-seon had narrowed to five jang, So Cheol-eum covered the lower half of his face with a mask.
He could see the four subordinates across the way covering their faces as well. The subordinates had only been placed there as a precaution; they would end up doing nothing but watching.
'For a job that takes a man from the bottom to the top, this is simple.'
The Minister of War, Hwangbo Gil, thought he could use him like a puppet, but that was absurd.
Once he got his hands on the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he would cast Hwangbo Gil aside and seat himself at the pinnacle below only one man and above all others.
It was the greatest price that could be gained from killing a single person—even if that person happened to be of the imperial bloodline.
Ju Hyeong-seon's pace was so slow that the five-jang distance closed only gradually, but in any case, he was within striking range now.
So Cheol-eum drew his sword, took a deep breath, and launched himself at Ju Hyeong-seon. By the time he came within a mere seven ja of Ju Hyeong-seon, the three Embroidered Uniform Guards hadn't even sensed the danger.
'Third Prince, die!'
So Cheol-eum brought his sword down toward the crown of Ju Hyeong-seon's head. It was a death that would split him in half from head to crotch, not merely cut his throat.
But suddenly a sharp sensation struck him. It came at a completely unexpected moment, from a completely unexpected direction.
In that instant, So Cheol-eum had to make a decision. He could kill Ju Hyeong-seon as planned, or block the incoming attack. It would be too late to block after killing Ju Hyeong-seon.
So Cheol-eum moved on instinct. No matter how great wealth and glory were, they were useless after death.
Clang—!
Only after deflecting the sword did he realize his opponent was a woman. She looked like a commoner woman with her hair tied back long, but she was young.
Ju Hyeong-seon, belatedly realizing he had nearly died, flinched and stepped back, and the three useless Embroidered Uniform Guards came rushing over.
The subordinates moved on their own without being ordered. The moment So Cheol-eum's attack failed, the four subordinates attacked Ju Hyeong-seon.
All of them had been expelled from government offices or the military after causing trouble. They were utterly broken in character, but their skills were unquestionable.
They could kill men who merely swaggered around as Embroidered Uniform Guards without much difficulty.
The three Embroidered Uniform Guards assigned to protect Ju Hyeong-seon faced the subordinates, but their martial arts were inferior and their numbers fewer.
"Urgh!"
When one Embroidered Uniform Guard's chest was split open, the fight ended quickly. So Cheol-eum's fight wasn't very difficult either.
The woman was fast, but strangely lacking in strength. Her face was pale too, as if she were ill.
"Kill the Third Prince!"
After finishing off the three Embroidered Uniform Guards, the subordinates launched themselves at Ju Hyeong-seon.
"No—!"
The woman who had deflected So Cheol-eum's sword threw herself toward Ju Hyeong-seon. But she was too late to save him.
Since killing the woman wasn't the objective, So Cheol-eum leisurely watched his subordinates kill Ju Hyeong-seon.
But this time too, Ju Hyeong-seon did not die. The two figures who burst out of the alley were like ghosts.
One of them grabbed Ju Hyeong-seon and withdrew, while the other blocked the attacks of all four subordinates.
It wasn't only two who had suddenly appeared. An old man of towering build in a blue long robe came sauntering out afterward with his hands clasped behind his back.
"We nearly got cursed out by Tong-dal and had the Makya Sword taken from us."
The four subordinates were still fighting the one man, but it was plainly not a fight they could win.
The old man's gaze fixed on So Cheol-eum.
"From the look of it, you're the leader?"
"Wh-who are you?"
"No need to know who I am. For the crime of making my heart drop, take a beating first."
The instant the last word, 'first,' was heard, the old man was already striding right up in front of him.
Startled, So Cheol-eum swung his sword, but the attack was blocked far too easily.
Clang!
He hadn't even seen when the old man had drawn his sword. The sword, its blade emitting a red glow, radiated a chill like pressing bare flesh against ice.
"I don't like that my first use of the Makya Sword is on a small fry like you, but when else would this body ever get to use the Makya Sword in real combat? Consider it an honor."
"You damned old man!"
So Cheol-eum swung his sword at the old man's neck.
Clang!
Sword met sword, but an unfamiliar sound rang out. So Cheol-eum's sword had snapped in the middle.
It was by no means a poor-quality sword. It was a famed blade he had obtained by paying ten nyang of silver to a man called a master swordsmith.
"How can this be...!"
"Heh heh heh.... As expected of the Makya Sword."
The old man let out a laugh and swung his fist instead of his sword. So Cheol-eum could clearly see it coming at his face, but strangely he couldn't block it.
Thwack!
So Cheol-eum went flying backward and lost consciousness.
The old man Hwangmi Dal, who had sent So Cheol-eum flying with a single blow, walked over to him and frowned.
"Already out cold? One hit isn't enough to work off my anger. I should have gone easier on him."
Hwangmi Dal shouted at the two elders.
"What are you waiting for? Finish it quickly."
Gong Pyeong-seong, who had been fighting So Cheol-eum's four subordinates, asked.
"Alliance Leader! May we kill them?"
"We've caught the head. What use is there in keeping the small fry alive?"
The moment those words ended, Gong Pyeong-seong moved in earnest. It didn't take even a quarter ke for Gong Pyeong-seong's sword to take the four men's heads.
And so the attempted assassination of Ju Hyeong-seon on a bustling street came to an end.
"You two take the one who's sprawled out here and go. I'll follow shortly."
The two elders he had brought along out of boredom took So Cheol-eum and disappeared.
"Aaaah—!"
When the screams of passersby belatedly erupted, Hwangmi Dal said to Ju Hyeong-seon.
"It would be best to move elsewhere...."
Still, the man was of the imperial bloodline, so he couldn't speak informally. Ju Seo-in stepped in front of Ju Hyeong-seon and said.
"In this situation, how could we go with a stranger!"
"So this young lady is the Second Imperial Princess Tong-dal mentioned...."
"You know Tong-dal?"
Imperial bloodline or not, having a green young thing spit out informal speech at him put him slightly in a bad mood.
"If it weren't for Tong-dal's request, why would I be protecting a fine imperial like you? Here, where I'm bored to death, no less."
Hwangmi Dal muttered, "Leave home and it's nothing but trouble," and tapped his lower back.
Ju Hyeong-seon said.
"Let's go. If it weren't for you, old sir, I'd already be dead, so you don't seem to be an enemy. And you know Tong-dal."
"For an imperial, you're quite reasonable. Excuse me."
"Excuse you for wha—"
Hwangmi Dal tucked Ju Hyeong-seon under his arm and leaped. The rows of corpses left behind would be handled by the authorities.
When they arrived at the lodging where he was staying, the two elders who had arrived first were waiting.
"The one you brought?"
Gong Pyeong-seong answered.
"I sealed his pressure points and put him in the storehouse. What should we do?"
"Torture him for now."
"What do we need to find out?"
Hwangmi Dal wore a thoughtful expression for a moment, then said.
"Just do it. If you keep at it, he'll spill something or other."
Gong Pyeong-seong scratched his head and turned away. When Byeok Dae-man, the elder who had come with him, asked, "You want to do the torturing?", Gong Pyeong-seong snapped back, "Do I look like someone whose rank does torture?"
"Then what about me? You and I are both elders."
"Ugh—! An elder of the great Northern Unorthodox Alliance comes all the way to Beijing and ends up running errands."
They went to the storehouse lamenting their lot, and Hwangmi Dal took Ju Hyeong-seon and Ju Seo-in into a room.
Of the four chairs placed around the table, Hwangmi Dal dropped his rear onto whichever one was nearest. Then, the moment his rear touched it, he sprang back up.
"Ah! Is it not allowed to sit before an imperial?"
Ju Seo-in was about to say something, but Ju Hyeong-seon spoke first.
"I've heard that people of the martial world don't stand much on ceremony, so treat us comfortably."
"They say you're to become emperor, and sure enough, you're broad-minded."
"Who did you hear that from?"
"That fellow Tong-dal said so. Said you're to become emperor, so guard you like an iron fortress."
Ju Seo-in's sharp voice rang out.
"Is this what you call guarding like an iron fortress?! If you had been even a little later, my brother would have died!"
Ju Hyeong-seon tried to calm Ju Seo-in.
"It was a bit dangerous, but the old sir saved my life...."
"You are going to become emperor! There's no need to cater to the moods of someone like him one by one!"
"But isn't he someone with a connection to Tong-dal? He might even be Tong-dal's master."
At those words, Ju Seo-in flinched. No matter how ordinary a commoner he was, if that man was Do Tong-dal's master, she absolutely could not treat him ordinarily.
"What is your relationship with Tong-dal...?"
At Ju Seo-in's clumsy question, Hwangmi Dal let out a dry cough.
"Ahem! With Tong-dal, you could say we're like master and disciple...."
"You really are master and disciple?"
"No, well, we haven't formally formed such a bond, but we hold each other in that much regard."
Ju Hyeong-seon asked.
"So I hear Tong-dal entrusted you with my protection?"
"If things go the way he wants, the Third Prince's assassination..."
"Did you trade away the title 'Your Highness' for a piece of candy...?"
After speaking, Ju Seo-in grumbled, "Damn! This is hard to say."
'That Do Tong-dal, just what...'
Do Tong-dal, who made even the arrogant Ju Seo-in so cautious and was cherished even by a man destined to become emperor, felt impressive all over again.
Hwangmi Dal resumed his interrupted sentence.
"He said there might be an assassination attempt on His Highness the Third Prince. He said that since assassination would be difficult inside the Forbidden City, they would try it outside, and that when Your Highness went out on an excursion, a message would come from the imperial palace, so we should provide protection."
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