Monopolizing Fortunes (211)
Monopolizing Fortunes (211)
"Tong-dal and his three women are holding a joint wedding ceremony."
"What? All three at once? Is that even allowed?"
"Well, I looked into it, and it's not without precedent among the common folk."
"No, why would they marry all three together, and in such a rush at that?"
Only after asking the question did he realize the reason.
"Ah, hell—! It must be because of Seo-in."
"It seems the Second Imperial Princess has declared she will marry Tong-dal at an early date. So they have no choice but to be anxious. Once Tong-dal becomes Prince Consort, he cannot marry any other woman."
"That is indeed what the law of the land prescribes. This really has put Tong-dal in another difficult spot."
He was uneasy that a once-in-a-lifetime event like a wedding had to be rushed through like roasting beans over a lightning fire because of his younger sister.
"Even so, the day after tomorrow is far too soon."
"Because we must resolve Prince Yeongun before heading north to stop the war. For Tong-dal, even those two days spent holding the ceremony will be precious."
"I and this nation owe Tong-dal far too great a debt."
"Consider it a great blessing that a talent like Tong-dal stands at Your Majesty's side."
"Haha! I remember the first time I met that fellow. I almost feel like I should give a reward to those thugs who beat me. Ah, right! What have you prepared as a wedding gift?"
"The notice came so suddenly that I have not yet had time to think that far."
"A once-in-a-lifetime event...... no, for someone like Tong-dal, twice...... or would he go as far as three times?"
"He's a man who brought back twelve go from the Southern Barbarians, so wouldn't he do it three or four more times?"
"Still, this will be his most meaningful wedding, so I should give him a gift he likes."
"He seems to have everything in the world, so I don't know what to give him."
"Ah, what a thing. For an emperor to have to worry about a gift. What could that fellow possibly lack?"
"Nothing. Especially since he's marrying the greatest beauty of all time."
"Is it right for me to envy Tong-dal?"
"They say envy is defeat...... but I envy him too."
"He's infuriating, so shall we just skip the gift?"
* * *
The Namgung Clan, upon receiving Namgung Seol-rin's messenger pigeon, was thrown into an uproar. She hadn't asked for permission; it was simply a notification. And it said the day after tomorrow, no less.
"Even coming in person to receive permission and choose an auspicious date would hardly be enough, and she just casually notifies us of the date? And the day after tomorrow, at that?"
Namgung Baek-jung was so angry steam practically rose from his head, and her mother, Baek Ha-ryeon, was equally hurt.
"There must be some circumstance."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon, who had brought the letter from the messenger pigeon, could only defend her to that extent. He, too, could not understand Do Tong-dal holding a wedding in this manner.
"Tch! No matter how much of a scoundrel he is, this is too much! I'm not going to this wedding!"
"I don't want to go either."
Their only daughter was getting married, and the thought of the parents attending like mere guests was unpleasant no matter how he considered it.
"It's not because he's my friend, but Tong-dal is not a man without manners. And neither is Seol-rin. If you don't attend a wedding being held because of unavoidable circumstances, what will you do later? You'll hear Seol-rin's resentment, and how much would you both regret not having attended your own daughter's wedding?"
"Who's dying the day after tomorrow? A wedding can be held slowly whenever there's time! Where in the world is there a wedding that absolutely must happen the day after tomorrow?"
"Would Seol-rin have set the date for the day after tomorrow without knowing that?"
"Then she should have written down the circumstances and sent them!"
Namgung Cheol-hyeon held out the palm-sized letter that had been tied to the messenger pigeon's leg.
"The paper was too small."
"Tch!"
* * *
Hwangmi Dal subtly gauged Ju Seo-in's mood. She had seemed surprised when she heard the news of Do Tong-dal's marriage, but the surprise did not last long.
"Hm. Is that so? Hm. Hm."
She kept making that sound as if something was wrong with her nose. Then she asked.
"Am I really that unappealing as a woman?"
"How could that be? You are the Second Imperial Princess, famed as the greatest beauty in Beijing."
Hwangmi Dal built his walls as high as possible to avoid the sparks flying toward him.
"The reason he's rushing the wedding like this is because of me."
There was no reason to make excuses otherwise.
"Would it be Tong-dal's choice? He probably just couldn't withstand the women's nagging."
"Then shall we go see him for now?"
"You intend to go? It will likely be an uncomfortable occasion."
"What's there to be uncomfortable about? If it comes down to it, I'll just take a spot as a bride myself."
"That's a good id—...... Excuse me?"
* * *
Jang Yeon-seon jumped up when she first heard about Do Tong-dal's wedding.
"How can a wedding be so half-hearted! It's Master's wedding, so you can't do it like that!"
Jang Yeon-seon was no longer a ten-year-old child, so she knew how important a wedding was to a woman. Of course, the same went for Do Tong-dal, a man.
But after hearing the circumstances from Namgung Seol-rin, she had no choice but to accept it with a long sigh.
"It's better than not having one at all, so it can't be helped. We'll keep it simple for now, but we'll hold a proper feast later. I can't let Master's wedding end so carelessly."
At Jang Yeon-seon's resolute determination, Namgung Seol-rin also let it pass with a "Yes, later."
She had called it a half-hearted wedding, but seeing the preparations, it was absolutely not half-hearted. Jang Yeon-seon handled the work so skillfully it was hard to believe she was thirteen.
"Father! From now on, pour every resource of the Jang Merchant Company into Master's wedding!"
As a result of mobilizing even Jang Bu-ok, the feast and wedding gifts were prepared perfectly. The preparations were so thorough one would believe they had labored for a month.
Guests began to gather from dawn on the day of the wedding. From nearby minor sects to the Jegal Clan and Hwangbo Clan of Shandong Province, elder-level figures attended.
Even Shaolin Temple sent the Hall Master of the Arhat Hall, which showed how the martial world regarded the Righteous Chivalry Sect.
Had there been enough time, guests would have been sent not only from the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans, but also from the Five Martial Banners, the great sects of the unorthodox faction.
"Protector Namgung! Your parents have arrived!"
The maidservant faithfully carried out the order to inform her first whenever guests from the Namgung Clan arrived.
Namgung Seol-rin, who had been applying makeup, hurried out to the main gate. Her parents, who didn't know the details, could not possibly be in a good mood, so meeting them quickly and soothing them was the best course.
Namgung Baek-jung, Baek Ha-ryeon, and Namgung Cheol-hyeon were startled when they saw Namgung Seol-rin come running breathlessly.
"What's with that look?"
At Baek Ha-ryeon's question, Namgung Seol-rin's expression became bewildered.
"What do you mean?"
"Your upper and lower face are too different."
She had rushed over and stopped halfway through her makeup, resulting in this appearance.
"It's fine. I can just finish the makeup. More importantly, you must have had a hard time getting here."
Instead of her parents, whose displeasure was evident, Namgung Cheol-hyeon asked.
"What is the matter that you are rushing the wedding like this?"
"Let's go inside and talk about the details."
While Namgung Seol-rin guided them, they had to stop frequently and greet the guests.
They could not ignore the people who spotted the Namgung Clan Head and ran over from afar to bow.
Everyone offered congratulations, but since they were not in a mood to be congratulated, Namgung Baek-jung and Baek Ha-ryeon's faces took on an odd expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.
Namgung Seol-rin, who had barely made it into an empty room, was exhausted from just that and flopped down into a chair.
"Damn, if I get married twice, I'll collapse from exhaustion."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon quickly calmed their parents, saying, "Please don't mind Seol-rin's way of speaking."
"Hurry up and tell us the whole story. Depending on the circumstances, we may simply leave."
Namgung Baek-jung made the threat, and Baek Ha-ryeon also nodded in agreement.
"Because if we don't marry today, we'll never be able to marry."
Namgung Seol-rin told them about the Second Imperial Princess.
"What? The Second Imperial Princess covets Tong-dal?"
"That's what I'm saying. That fox of a woman is trying to cut in line without any manners."
"No, even so, calling an imperial princess a fox of a woman......."
"People curse even the emperor when he's not around, so what's so special about an imperial princess? Anyway, once Tong-dal becomes Prince Consort, he can't take another woman as his wife. Because of that damn law of the land."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon stepped forward first and lent his support to Namgung Seol-rin.
"So that was the story. Of course we can't let Tong-dal be taken by another woman. Especially since even the Second Imperial Princess desires him. Isn't that right?"
"Oh my, even the imperial princess recognized our son-in-law."
As Baek Ha-ryeon spoke, sounding pleased, Namgung Baek-jung also chimed in.
"Is our son-in-law an ordinary man? From the sound of it, if the princess speaks of it, His Majesty the Emperor will likely permit the marriage as well."
Namgung Seol-rin said triumphantly.
"As it happens, it seems the emperor has brought it up several times because he wants to make Tong-dal his son-in-law. He wants to keep him settled in the imperial palace altogether."
"You mean our son-in-law refused that?"
Namgung Seol-rin waved her hand dismissively.
"What kind of person do you think Tong-dal is? He refused outright, saying he's a scoundrel to the bone. But it seems the emperor still hasn't given up his sinister intentions. If the Second Imperial Princess says she's getting married at a time like this, he'll readily allow it. No matter how much of a Tong-dal he is, ignoring the emperor's word is a bit much. So we have to make him a man who simply cannot marry the princess."
"Yes, you did well. Even for the imperial palace, how can they covet another family's fine son-in-law?"
Namgung Baek-jung and Baek Ha-ryeon's bad mood vanished completely, and they even reached the point of praising Namgung Seol-rin's decisiveness.
Baek Ha-ryeon pulled Namgung Seol-rin to her feet.
"Hurry and go get ready. You have to finish the makeup you started. Oh my—! Our daughter is pretty even with only half her makeup done. Hohoho!"
* * *
"Excuse me? You intend to attend Tong-dal's wedding?"
"No matter what I give him, it won't satisfy Tong-dal, so I should at least go and congratulate him."
"However, Your Majesty, there has never been a precedent of His Majesty the Emperor privately attending a commoner's wedding, so how could......."
"There is a first time for everything. And how is Tong-dal an ordinary commoner? He is a meritorious subject of the nation and, privately, a friend who saved my life. How could I, as emperor, fail to attend such an auspicious occasion?"
Yang Su-pan could not break Ju Hyeong-seon's stubborn insistence. Normally, moving the imperial carriage would require at least two or three months of preparation, but there was no such leeway this time.
"Let's just go secretly. Wouldn't that be safer? When we return to the imperial palace, we can just ask the Alliance Leader to escort us."
In the end, the emperor's escort was entrusted to twelve men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was such a covert outing that even the Embroidered Uniform Guards escorting the carriage did not know the emperor was aboard.
Despite the impromptu decision, they fortunately arrived on the day of the wedding.
As soon as Yang Su-pan got out of the carriage, he encountered a familiar face.
Jang Yu-seom also spotted Yang Su-pan and approached with quick steps.
"I greet Lord Yang."
"You've worked hard for this sudden wedding."
"The Sect Leader handled all the preparations, so we merely have to receive the guests."
Yang Su-pan lowered his voice.
"I have one request."
"If it is Lord Yang's request, I must grant it no matter what."
"In that carriage...... His Majesty the Emperor is riding."
"What? Pardon—? His...... His Majesty......."
"Shh! It must not yet be revealed that His Majesty has made an appearance."
If word got out that the emperor had come, Do Tong-dal's wedding would be ruined.
"I see. Then I will escort him in secretly."
"Is there a safe and quiet place?"
"Deep in the inner courtyard would be safe, and outsiders would not be able to approach, so it would be suitable for resting. It hasn't been long since he rose from his sickbed, and yet he made the journey here."
"His Majesty's regard for Tong-dal is like that of a brother, so what can I do? Hahaha!"
"I've kept His Majesty waiting too long. Please come this way."
After guiding the carriage deep into the rear garden of the Righteous Chivalry Sect, Jang Yu-seom summoned a maidservant and instructed her to prepare the best room.
The carriage door opened, and Ju Hyeong-seon stepped out. Jang Yu-seom prostrated himself on the ground in a full kowtow.
"I behold His Majesty the Emperor. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
"Rise."
"I am overcome with awe."
Though he was now part of the martial world, Jang Yu-seom, who came from a military background, showed no lapse in his etiquette.
"It has been a long time."
* * *