Monopolizing Fortunes (233)
Monopolizing Fortunes (233)
After ascending to the imperial throne, Ju Hyeong-seon had at least consolidated his hold on central authority. But provincial power was something that could only be fully grasped when the local powers that had always held it remained strong.
Had the First or Second Prince become emperor, provincial authority would have naturally fallen into their hands as well, but Ju Hyeong-seon's strength did not reach that far.
One might say that the local magnates could simply be ignored or crushed by force, but saying such a thing in itself betrayed ignorance of how power worked in the Central Plains.
It was impossible for the emperor in Beijing to rule this vast Central Plains alone.
No matter how strongly centralized an emperor's rule might be, maintaining full authority over remote frontiers like the Amur region or Yunnan was difficult.
The ones who propped up the emperor's immense power were precisely the local magnates.
And the emperor granted them a suitable measure of authority in exchange for compromise. If the local magnates turned their backs on the emperor, then every troublesome affair erupting across the Central Plains would have to be resolved by the central government.
Worse, the local magnates themselves could become a troublesome presence. For all these reasons, the emperor had no choice but to keep placating the provincial powerholders as he went.
Tae Jun-seo spoke.
"His Majesty is greatly angered. To dare target Lord Do, of all people. In truth, it is not only His Majesty—even within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the mood is that all the magnates who came up this time should be thrown into prison. Even the Eastern Depot feels the same. This is not something I have fabricated; it is fact. Lord Do is the one who saved this realm from being trampled and ravaged beneath the hooves of the barbarians, and yet provincial magnates of all people dare commit such an outrageous act. It is absolutely intolerable."
Tae Jun-seo was a man who could at least hold one line steady.
"From the look of it, this was a script written before I stopped the barbarians, so they had no choice but to ride the momentum. Hm. For me, though, this is an opportunity......"
"An opportunity, you say?"
"I can use this as an excuse to wash my hands of palace affairs."
"What? You mean you would stop serving the state?"
"It was never something a thug should have stuck his nose into in the first place. I only did it because of my personal connection to His Majesty, but returning to my proper trade on this occasion wouldn't be so bad."
"You would leave His Majesty's side because of those foolish, shameless wretches! You absolutely must not!"
"If one quiet thug disappears and His Majesty can win the hearts of the provincial magnates, it's not a bad trade. Would you call Lord Yang for me?"
"Please wait here a moment."
Tae Jun-seo hurried across the threshold toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The provincial magnates' conduct was certainly infuriating, but Do Tong-dal considered this a fine opportunity.
Of course, Do Tong-dal was the only one who thought so. Seeing Yang Su-pan come rushing over in a fluster, it seemed Tae Jun-seo had relayed what Do Tong-dal had said.
"Was what you said to the Chief Military Commissioner sincere?"
"Would I talk nonsense after eating such precious food?"
"It wasn't something you said because you felt hurt by His Majesty?"
"What would I have to feel hurt about with him?"
"Then it's settled. His Majesty and I will handle this matter ourselves."
"What do you intend to do?"
"Do you think His Majesty and I would simply stand by and watch the ones who dared try to have you killed?"
From the atmosphere, it seemed Do Tong-dal was going to have to talk them down.
"Just patch it up quietly. You know making enemies of the provincial magnates will be exhausting."
"Of course it will be exhausting. Who doesn't know that? But no matter how exhausting it gets, it's nothing compared to losing you."
"It's not like I'm going anywhere......"
"You are trying to go somewhere!"
"I'm just trying to go back to my proper place as a thug."
"If you bow your head to those sons of bitches, you'll have to watch your step every time you come and go from the palace! I hate that too! The bastards! They dared touch our Tong-dal instead of plucking a tiger's nose hairs! The wretches involved in this will never get off unharmed!"
"I'm grateful you'd say that, but......"
"These aren't my words; they're His Majesty's."
"Surely His Majesty didn't say it like that."
"Of course he put it more decorously than this, but the substance is not one bit different. If I had my way, I'd drag in every one of those bastards kneeling in repentance and strike their heads off."
Just then, Tae Jun-seo burst out from the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
"Oh dear! Lord Do! Minister Yang! You must stop His Majesty!"
The two men asked in alarm.
"What is it that has you in such a fuss?"
"His Majesty is in a towering rage and has ordered that all those kneeling in repentance be seized and beheaded!"
"What? Is that true?"
"Minister Jeon is trying to dissuade him, but his anger does not look likely to subside easily."
"Hm. So that's how it is."
Instead of moving to stop Ju Hyeong-seon, Yang Su-pan fell into deep thought by himself.
"What are you doing? You should be stopping His Majesty."
At Do Tong-dal's words, Yang Su-pan asked.
"What would happen if we struck off all their heads?"
"What? You mean kill all two thousand of them?"
"What are two thousand all-mouth vermin compared to the greater good?"
"Good heavens, the provincial magnates would all rise up."
"Then this is the chance to sweep away every one of those who harbor disloyal hearts toward His Majesty."
"Easy to say."
"Thanks to you, the army was preserved intact. It's a great host of over a hundred thousand. The provincial magnates do keep private soldiers, but if we mobilize a hundred thousand elite troops, subduing them would not be difficult."
Seeing that he had thought it through that far, Yang Su-pan was serious. Do Tong-dal was dumbfounded.
"The man who's supposed to be stopping His Majesty is going one step further."
Do Tong-dal asked Tae Jun-seo.
"Where is His Majesty?"
"Minister Jeon escorted him to the Hall of Central Harmony."
"It seems the only person in his right mind right now is that gentleman Jeon Su-bang. Let's go."
Do Tong-dal put Tae Jun-seo in front, and Yang Su-pan trailed along behind them.
"I'm telling you, let's do it my way. No, you just stay out of it. His Majesty and I will handle it."
"If I leave it to you two, a storm of blood will blow across the Central Plains."
To reach the Hall of Central Harmony, they had to pass the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was packed with people on their knees crying, "Your Majesty! Grant us your merciful consideration!"
Some had even let their hair down in a show of grim resolve. Among them, there would surely be some who were remonstrating out of genuine loyalty.
Thinking, 'Pathetic people,' he was about to simply pass by when a shout suddenly rang out: "There he is! That's the one defiling His Majesty's favor—the one called Do Tong-dal!"
Someone apparently knew Do Tong-dal's face. He thought nothing of it and kept on his way, and then something came flying at him.
Do Tong-dal turned his head and narrowly avoided taking a shoe to the face. As he turned, a black leather shoe grazed past his ear.
"You shameless thug! If you have any conscience at all, stick your neck out right here and kneel in repentance!"
"How dare a mere thug cloud His Majesty's favor!"
"Come here at once! I will kill you with my own hands and set this nation's spirit aright!"
The two thousand gathered at the Hall of Supreme Harmony each raised their voices and hurled abuse at Do Tong-dal.
At first, he thought they were just pathetic creatures with nothing but mouths. But as the curses piled up like windblown sand, his anger piled up in proportion.
Having lived as a thug, he had heard every insult there was and had dished out just as much abuse himself. But this was the first time he had ever been cursed at by two thousand people with such variety and volume.
He was barely suppressing his churning insides when one man came charging straight at him. The man, in his early thirties with his hair hanging loose, was wearing only one shoe—plainly the one who had thrown his shoe at Do Tong-dal.
"You thug! I will punish you with my own hands!"
He really did get slapped in the face before he knew it. He had been thinking things like, 'How do I dodge this?' and 'Should I just grab him and slam him down?' and ended up getting hit in his daze.
Elated at having landed one blow, the man raised his hand again.
"They said you stopped the barbarians, but you can't even dodge my hand! You wretch! Do you think you can cover the sky with your palm!"
Smack—!
The sound of Do Tong-dal's strike was different from the very first note. The slapped man's head whipped around, and five teeth went flying out in a shower.
The man spun in place, then crumpled forward and did not so much as twitch.
"Fuck, some worthless little shit throwing a fit."
"A thug's true nature never changes! Go on, try hitting me too!"
Three of them came swarming at him. They would hit him even if he begged for his life, so there was no way he wouldn't hit men who came charging at him asking for it.
"Fine. If you come running to get hit, a thug who refuses would be no thug at all."
Do Tong-dal's hands moved in quick succession. With a series of sharp cracks, the three men spun around at the same time. White teeth poured from their mouths as well.
"Anyone else want to get hit by this thug?"
There were still those who came rushing at him as if to display a gentleman's righteous spirit.
"So losing a few teeth is fine with you? Then how about this?"
Do Tong-dal kicked the charging men. Those struck in the chest, stomach, and jaw did not simply collapse—they went flying a good distance and tumbled roughly across the ground.
Some burst out groaning, but there were also three who lay still as if dead.
"M-murder! The thug has killed someone! What are the Embroidered Uniform Guard doing! Why aren't they seizing that wretch this instant!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers standing watch in a ring around the area paid no mind to the blood-spitting shouts. They knew Do Tong-dal better than anyone, and there was no way the Embroidered Uniform Guard would rush in to arrest him.
Do Tong-dal grabbed the index finger of a man pointing at him and squeezed. A crunching sound and a scream rang out at the same time.
"H-have you ever seen such a cruel wretch!"
If he had never lifted a hand, that would be one thing, but since he had already started swinging, he had to see it through.
Do Tong-dal walked toward the ones still standing and spoke.
"The books you study must not have contained that golden rule about never touching a sleeping tiger's nose hairs. You silver-spoon brats with nothing but mouths."
Do Tong-dal's thrashing began. There was no need for a second gesture or kick.
The ones who had stood pointing their fingers at Do Tong-dal went flying this way and collapsing that way, shrieking all the while.
After about twenty of them had been beaten, the quick-witted ones hastily dropped to their knees. Not all of them, of course. Those far off were still hurling abuse without any sense of heaven or earth.
Do Tong-dal kicked off the ground. At the sight of him soaring fifty jang in a single bound, everyone's mouths fell open.
To them, Do Tong-dal's lightness skill would probably look like the arts of an immortal. Landing lightly on the ground, Do Tong-dal immediately set about meting out punishment.
Startled by the sight of him, they stood there blankly, then each took a blow and went flying.
Punishing those stupid creatures with nothing but mouths was satisfying. But regret soon crept in.
Do Tong-dal had beaten the people kneeling in repentance, so quietly patching things up had just become harder.
It seemed becoming the greatest martial artist under heaven did not automatically deepen one's self-cultivation. With the thought, 'Well, that's how thugs are,' he turned around—and a familiar face caught his eye.
Even here in the imperial palace, Ju Seo-in was emerging from the direction of the Hall of Central Harmony with a sword on his back. Behind him, Ju Hyeong-seon and Jeon Su-bang appeared one after another.
A eunuch announced Ju Hyeong-seon's entrance in a loud voice.
"His Imperial Majesty enters!"
Those who had been kneeling all prostrated themselves at once and cried, "Long live His Imperial Majesty!"
When Ju Hyeong-seon seated himself on the imperial throne set in the space atop the stairs, the magnates vied with one another to report Do Tong-dal's atrocities(?).
Ju Hyeong-seon sat slouched on the throne with a frown, and from Ju Seo-in, standing with his arms crossed on the left, cold air radiated steadily.
The longer the provincial magnates' denunciations of Do Tong-dal went on, the deeper Ju Hyeong-seon's scowl grew, and the thicker Ju Seo-in's chill became.
'Those fools should stop now.'
For Do Tong-dal, it had ended with pulling a few teeth and breaking a bone or two, but if Ju Hyeong-seon got involved, it would not be settled with such simple punishment.
"Going so far as to change the law to make that thug Prince Consort is nothing short of an outrage that shakes the very foundation of the nation!"
Now even the word "outrage" had come out, and cries of agreement rose from all around. Buoyed by their support, a young magnate in his twenties raised his voice even higher.
"Your Majesty must surely sentence that wicked thug to the ultimate punishment and set this nation's spirit aright!"
Ju Seo-in, who had been listening, opened his mouth.
"Are you saying to kill my husband right now?"
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