Chapter 151: Travels in Jiangnan (2)
Chapter 151: Travels in Jiangnan (2)
Tianjin is undoubtedly a massive port city. Though its form differs significantly from typical coastal ports—being an inland hub where the harbor is centered around a complex canal system—its scale is undeniable.
In contrast, Huai'an Prefecture, sprawling near Lake Hongze, could be described as a more traditional port city. It sits at a vital trade crossroads where the Huai River flows toward the Yellow River, and where the Grand Canal, the Huai River, and the Yellow Sea all converge.
The city possessed a sense of grandeur just by looking at it. It was a spectacle of logistics: countless ships drifting freely as they came and went, seagulls crying boisterously, and sailors busy unloading crates of goods.
"The day is truly beautiful, my lord."
Im Hwa-yeong also seemed quite pleased. She let out a soft giggle and walked with a light, airy step, watching the ripples of Lake Hongze shatter under the sunlight.
"This day, too, will become a scenery worth cherishing in my memories. You are always so busy, my lord, so I never know when such a day will come again..."
"Well, it’s not a long journey from Hebei. We can come often."
"Will you really do that for me?"
"I plan to stay in Hebei for a while once the business in Yunnan is finished. We’ll come whenever we need to."
In truth, it was difficult to predict when the journey to Yunnan would conclude.
I didn't even know where, how, or on what scale the 'Bloody Incident' in Yunnan was occurring. Strictly speaking, Yunnan was a territory that lay outside the practical reach of the Ming Imperial Court.
While there were government offices and a Commander-in-Chief, it was not land effectively ruled by the Imperial Court. Rather, it was closer to the domain of the Southern Barbarians, and the Han Chinese population was extremely sparse.
Even after the fall of the Dali Kingdom, the region was still managed by the descendants of the Duan royal family. From the Imperial Court's perspective, their policy was one of bystander colonial rule—as long as the locals paid their tributes on time and caused no trouble, they were left alone.
In such a land, three members of the Fifteen Armies had vanished. One of them was even the Sword Immortal, one of the Three Venerables of the World.
Three masters of the Fifteen-Army level, including one of the Three Venerables, represented a level of martial power that would make even Beijing feel uneasy. These were masters capable of infiltrating the Imperial Palace and inflicting devastating damage if they were prepared to die.
And yet, such men had vanished without a trace. Naturally, this was no ordinary matter. Since it involved the outer regions, I couldn't rely on the Hao Clan’s information network, and since it was within the sphere of the Orthodox Faction, I couldn't easily grasp the internal situation there either.
How many months would such a task take? It was impossible to say. It wouldn't be strange if it took years.
However...
"At the very least, I should be back by the time my eldest brother finishes his secluded meditation."
"By eldest brother... you mean my brother-in-law, Peng Hyeon-ryang?"
"Brother-in-law... Right, well. Yes, that’s him."
"Shall I kill him for you?"
As Hwa-yeong spoke, not a single trace of murderous intent flickered across her face. She smiled into the warming breeze with a casual expression, as if she were merely mentioning a mundane daily chore.
"I do not look down upon the martial arts of the Peng Family, but I do not believe it is something I am incapable of doing."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s fine."
This was something I had to do with my own hands. I couldn't borrow the strength of others while claiming to challenge the position of the Peng Family Head.
You might ask if my eldest and second brothers hadn't already borrowed the strength of the White Lotus Cult and the Martial Alliance, respectively.
Well, just because a dog barks at me doesn't mean I should bark back. There is such a thing as standards. If I brought Hwa-yeong in to kill the duo of Peng Hyeon-ryang and Peng Hyeon-cheon, it would certainly be easy, but I would never win the hearts of the Council of Elders that way.
The reason I wanted to become the Family Head wasn't simply because I coveted the seat.
It was so that I could personally manage and govern the family after ascending to that position. Being the Family Head was not the end goal itself; it was merely a means to preserve and protect the family through the power of that office.
One must not confuse the means with the end. I had to ascend to the position of Family Head through righteous clarity, with the support of all the clansmen behind me.
"But even if your brothers were to take the seat in such a manner, the clansmen would not dare deny them."
"No. The family would fracture."
If Peng Hyeon-ryang became the Family Head with the White Lotus Cult at his back, the proud warriors of the Peng Family would lose faith in him. There were plenty of direct descendants among the elders as well.
Though they were old men who had given up on the succession, some of the ancient elders who had fought in the Righteous-Demonic War were still alive.
If the martial units and the elders of the Peng Family refused to recognize Peng Hyeon-ryang’s succession...
Once my grandfather, Peng Ik-jin, passed away, a massive upheaval would erupt during that succession battle. The family would be torn apart.
There would be those pushing for one of the Peng elders, those who accepted Peng Hyeon-ryang, and the White Lotus Cult lurking behind them, fanning the flames of chaos.
What would become of the family while my father was in seclusion? It wasn't hard to guess. It would be the same even if it were Peng Hyeon-jeong. Since Peng Hyeon-jeong had even joined hands with the Zhuge Family, the situation would be just as bad, if not worse.
That was why I had to be the one to become the Family Head.
The moment anyone else took the seat, the family’s downfall was inevitable. Whether it was the Zhuge Family or the White Lotus Cult—as long as the Peng Family’s division benefited them, they would surely interfere in the succession.
In other words, before my grandfather Peng Ik-jin’s natural lifespan reached its end.
Before my father began the succession process and entered seclusion.
Before then, I had to be prepared within the family’s gates.
"Even if I were to help, would I dare use the Cult as a backdrop to divide the Peng Family? Do you not trust me?"
"No, I trust you. Of course I do."
Most of what she had done for me stemmed from one-sided favor, for which she expected nothing in return. From the perspective of her or the Demonic Cult, they likely had no interest in the rise or fall of the Peng Family anyway.
The Heavenly Demon Cult did not concern itself with the Central Plains. They had been interested in a blood tie with the Hebei Peng Family, the greatest clan of the Black Path, but even that became meaningless the moment Hwa-yeong became the Little Heavenly Demon. She could no longer be sent outside the sect.
So, if Hwa-yeong helped me, it would be out of pure support. There was no reason to doubt that.
However...
"Whether the clansmen believe that is a different matter."
Would it look any different in the eyes of the family? Whether one killed his brothers with the Heavenly Demon Cult at his back, the White Lotus Cult, or the Zhuge Family and the Martial Alliance—to them, he would simply look like a degenerate traitor.
Therefore, everything had to be done by my own hand. The process had to be righteous enough to satisfy everyone’s eyes, and I had to expose and root out every external force attempting to intervene.
It would be a long and arduous process. But it would be well worth the effort.
When I said this, Hwa-yeong squeezed my hand tightly and whispered.
"I was short-sighted. If you have harbored a great ambition, my lord, then you must naturally walk the path you have set. How beautiful is a life that can be fully burned away to achieve what one desires?"
Her fingers felt a bit clammy. She continued speaking, lightly scratching my palm with her fingertips.
"I only hope that there will be a place for me to walk alongside you on that path."
Hwa-yeong studied my face for a moment as she spoke. Then, she suddenly turned her head away.
"At times like this, you are supposed to just tell me that the clothes I wore today look beautiful."
"Since it's not happening right away anyway..." she muttered, swallowing the rest of her words before pulling my hand and hurrying her steps. From behind, I could see the tips of her rounded ears turning bright red.
*
"He tells me to come here, and then why is he..."
The Nanjing Hao Clan Branch, Daicheon Pavilion.
Zhuge Yeong sat on the first floor of the pavilion, scanning his surroundings. He saw too many warriors carrying blades. Their murderous aura was so vivid it was noticeable even at a glance.
Because the Zhuge Family was not far away, Zhuge Yeong was quite familiar with Daicheon Pavilion and the atmosphere of Nanjing. Even more so as a man who was once counted among the rising stars of the Baekrim Society.
Jiangnan was a peaceful region. Nanjing was even more so.
An-hyeon, where the Namgung Family was located, was right under their noses, and the foothills of the Mount Mao Sect were nearby. It was a city where most of the Orthodox sects belonging to the Jiangnan Baekrim Society maintained branches and vassal families to keep the peace, so he never imagined it would feel this dangerous.
It wasn't just this inn; warriors were swarming the entire street as far as the eye could see.
Finally unable to contain himself, he called over a waiter.
"Has something happened? Why are there so many warriors about?"
"Is this your first time in Nanjing, Great Hero?"
"I’ve been away for a few years. I’ve returned after a long time, and the atmosphere feels quite unfamiliar."
"Well, that explains it then."
The waiter looked around cautiously and lowered his head. He acted as if he were about to reveal a great secret, but then he stopped talking.
'Hao Clan members and their games,' Zhuge Yeong grumbled inwardly as he broke off a piece of silver and handed it over. Only then did the waiter’s face brighten as he whispered quickly.
"Recently, righteous warriors from all over Jiangnan have been gathering here. There was a major announcement from the Mount Mao Sect!"
"...From the Mount Mao Sect? What kind of announcement?"
"They say the tomb of the Great Rebel Han Lin'er has been discovered!"
"...What?"
Zhuge Yeong stared blankly at the waiter’s face. Despite his shock, the waiter just kept smiling brightly, as if he had done his job.
Only then could he slowly process the information he had just heard.
'Han Lin'er’s tomb...? Why so suddenly? And why now of all times?'
It seemed he needed to gather more information before his rival arrived.
Zhuge Yeong shook his head and stood up. It would be unwise to simply sit here and wait for Peng Hyeon-hwi, who knew when he would arrive.
He decided to head to the place where he had the deepest connections within the Baekrim Society.
*
Ju Woo-rin stared at the letter for a long time, lost in thought. The letter Peng Hyeon-hwi had finally sent was so surprisingly dry that it almost made her laugh.
"Yunnan, is it?"
It contained information about investigating the Bloody Incident in Yunnan and bringing back the Hao Clan Leader. Other than that, there wasn't a single mention of personal matters. She didn't know whether to call this typical of Peng Hyeon-hwi or if she should be frustrated to the point of bursting.
This was nothing more than a report. Who on earth writes a love letter—which he was supposed to send once a month—in this fashion?
She went to write a reply but stopped her brush. This was the part that made her even angrier.
"The fact that I don't even know when he'll see this if I send a reply now is truly infuriating."
Generally, letters were a two-way exchange. That was common sense. Sending a letter meant informing the other person of your affairs, asking about theirs, and waiting for a reply to come back, didn't it?
But he had sent this as if tossing a report and then immediately left Hebei. Naturally, even if she sent a reply, he wouldn't be able to check it until he returned to Hebei.
She pressed her temples and thought.
'The Hao Clan Leader’s absence is certainly a burden for me as well.'
The Hao Clan had been allied with the Pure Stream Faction since long ago. Now that the Noble Consort had finally established the Western Depot and was cracking down on the Pure Stream Faction, the information network of the Pure Stream Faction had significantly shrunk following the Hao Clan’s withdrawal from Beijing.
At this juncture, if the entire Hao Clan were to be shaken by the leader's absence, nothing would be more painful. Yes, since what he was doing was ultimately to help her, she couldn't really complain.
And yet, even so...
'No, let’s think positively.'
Think of it as a sort of... yes, a sort of dowry. If she considered it as him declaring he would bring the Hao Clan as a dowry to enter the Emperor's embrace... she could find it somewhat cute.
"I should send word to the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission."
She soon picked up her brush and began writing a letter. Not to Peng Hyeon-hwi, who wouldn't receive it in time anyway, but to the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission.
Yunnan was a territory under the influence of the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission. While the Yunnan Commander-in-Chief and the Dali Duan Prince’s Manor were beyond her immediate reach, she could at least support Peng Hyeon-hwi from the direction of Sichuan.
No matter what it was.
And no matter how it happened.
No matter how far apart they were, if they ultimately walked the same path and desired the same goal, was that not what a companion was?
Ju Woo-rin finished the letter with a much lighter heart and sealed it deeply.
"I shall make sure to collect on this debt, Hwi."
The Emperor's embrace is wide and deep. It meant it was not so shallow that it couldn't handle the small tantrums of one man. Even if he wandered for a while, the world would eventually fall into her lap, so what did it matter?
She had heard rumors recently that marriage talks were being exchanged between the Peng and Murong families, and though she could do nothing right now under the identity of the Hanlin Academy scholar Cheon U-rin...
In the end, if they went all the way, she was bound to win. For a monarch is the parent of all people. One can afford to close one's eyes and overlook a child's minor deviation.
"Hehe, hehehe."
Ju Woo-rin licked her lips and burst into laughter.