Chapter 65: The Sichuan Tang Family (1)
Chapter 65: The Sichuan Tang Family (1)
The Sichuan Tang Family is insular.
No martial artist in the world would dispute this premise.
Their martial arts are preserved precisely because of this insularity.
They are a sect that deals with medicine, poison, and hidden weapons. While every martial sect is sensitive about the counters to their techniques, no sect is more sensitive than one specializing in poison and hidden weapons.
In general martial arts, even if an opening strike fails, there is a next move.
Since the idea of a "one-hit kill" is nothing more than a delusion, all martial arts are designed to maintain the flow of combat through a succession of forms and counter-maneuvers born from the exchange of offense and defense.
But poison arts cannot do that. The moment an attempt to administer poison fails, there is no "next."
Poisoning is always binary: either you succeed in poisoning the target, or you fail to inflict any damage at all.
One might attempt to use a different poison after a failure, but that cannot be considered a single, connected martial technique. It is merely a separate attempt using a different skill.
The same applies to hidden weapon techniques.
The moment the first strike is neutralized, a second chance rarely exists.
Hidden weapons rely on the element of surprise; once the technique is exposed, it loses its inherent advantage.
Thus, the Sichuan Tang Family is naturally insular.
They are a closed group that is pathologically averse to the leakage of their martial secrets.
And so...
‘They took the exact opposite position of my family.’
There was a reason why a group of assassins who used poison and daggers remained part of the Orthodox Faction.
It was the exact inverse of my family, the Hebei Peng Family.
Unlike our family, which had to become part of the Black Path to survive as a martial sect right under the nose of the Imperial Court in the Hebei region...
The Tangs, located in Sichuan where prestigious Orthodox sects were aplenty, likely had to side with the Orthodox Faction to survive as an insular assassin sect.
But one question remained.
The reason the Hebei Peng Family maintained a conciliatory relationship with the government was due to the geographical reality of being rooted right in front of the Imperial Court. Given our family’s temperament, if it weren't for that, we would have long ago followed a path similar to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance of Chongqing.
Then why on earth did the Tang Family, located in the distant lands of Western Shu in Sichuan, come all the way to Beijing to join hands with the Imperial Court?
And they did so secretly, hidden even from the rest of the Orthodox world. They even allied with the West Depot and the eunuchs—entities established specifically to control martial artists.
Blackmail?
No, that was unlikely.
The head of the Sichuan Tang Family is Tang Mok-yeol, the "Poison King" and "Seven-Step Soul Extinguisher," one of the Righteous Four of the Fifteen Lords.
If the Imperial Court tried to blackmail someone like him and things went south, they might be able to exterminate the Tang Family, but the Emperor would have to live the rest of his life in terror, wary of every single cup of water he drank.
This meant the Tang Family had joined hands with the Imperial Court of their own volition, seeking something in return. They had even dispatched their kinsmen to Hebei, the pandemonium of the Orthodox Faction...
"Haha, Hyeon-hwi. Are you feeling lonely?"
"I'm bored out of my mind. Is it always like this?"
"Such is the life of an official. In this world, the louder you are, the more you stand out; and those who stand out are easily broken."
Ju Woo-rin laughed heartily as she strolled through Beijing in the early dawn.
I walked beside her, matching her pace.
It had been ten days since I started staying at her place.
The only thing I had realized in that time was that life in the government was boring enough to kill a man.
It was a peaceful, tedious, and mundane existence.
A continuous cycle of commuting every single day.
It was the kind of life I might have lived if I had successfully landed a job back when I lived in the 21st century.
"Martial artists are basically idlers at heart. No wonder the Five Armies Command and the Embroidered Uniform Guard hate them."
"That’s a bit of a misunderstanding."
We risk our lives training, too.
On our side, if you fall behind even a little, your head gets cut off immediately without any chance to argue. We’re much more desperate.
"I was even a talented individual who achieved academic success amidst all that."
"Coming from someone who only passed the local civil service exam?"
"Any level higher than that and you're granted an official post."
"There are already too many officials in this country to grant posts to every single person who passes the provincial exams. How about it? Why not try taking the regional exam?"
"I think it would be troublesome if I dipped my toes any deeper into the world of Confucian scholars."
Everyone would start telling me to become a Neo-Confucian scholar.
At my words, Ju Woo-rin stared at me as if I were absurd before letting out a smirk.
"By the way, there’s been no word from the Hao Clan since then. It’s a loss for me as well to keep someone as busy as you tied down for so long."
She was right. I didn't know the exact timeline for the coup planned by her friends in the Pure Stream Faction, but there was definitely a deadline.
The passing of the current Emperor. And the subsequent enthronement of the Crown Prince.
As long as it was certain that the current Crown Prince was a puppet of the White Lotus Cult—or at least in league with them—they had to enthrone Ju Woo-rin as the next Emperor before the succession took place.
From their perspective, it was better for me to inherit the position of Family Head as quickly as possible.
They were likely hoping the Hebei Peng Family would transform into Ju Woo-rin’s private army.
In other words, me spending a long time on a mere escort mission was not good for me or for them.
"If the Sichuan Tang Family has joined hands with the West Depot, do you happen to know why?"
"Are you asking me about the affairs of the martial world? You, the direct disciple of the Hao Clan Leader?"
"Fair point."
Most of the information I could expect from Ju Woo-rin concerned the government and the Imperial Court.
The Pure Stream Faction was essentially entrusting all external matters regarding the martial world to the Hao Clan.
As I entered the private residence with Ju Woo-rin, I asked in a casual tone.
"In that case, I’m curious about something else."
"Hm?"
"To what extent is the Five Armies Command aware of this?"
"...Oh."
Ju Woo-rin stopped in her tracks as she was heading inside and turned to look at me.
Her expression showed a mix of slight bewilderment and deep interest.
She scanned my face for a moment before letting out a chuckle.
"Your reasoning?"
"You would have needed military force to put yourself on the throne. There’s no way you would have relied entirely on me, especially when there was no certainty I’d even become the head of the Peng Family. It was a stupid question."
"Then why point to the Five Armies Command? Wouldn't the Embroidered Uniform Guard be more suitable?"
In Hebei during this period, there were two major armed groups directly managed by the Imperial Court.
The Five Armies Command and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The difference was that the Five Armies Command handled external military force, while the Embroidered Uniform Guard was responsible for the security of Beijing.
To put it simply, the Five Armies Command was like the border troops, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was like the armed police.
Therefore, to quickly wrap up a coup within Beijing, it would be better to recruit the Embroidered Uniform Guard rather than the Five Armies Command.
Unlike the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who operated within the walls of Shuntian Prefecture, the bases of the Five Armies Command were scattered throughout Hebei.
If the Embroidered Uniform Guard turned into enemies, the members of the Pure Stream Faction inside Beijing would all have their heads hung in the streets before the recruited Five Armies Command could even reach the city.
Common sense dictated that the conspirators should recruit the Embroidered Uniform Guard. However...
"That group is too deeply connected with the noble families. In a situation where a single leaked word means execution, the East and West Depots must have planted spies there. How could you trust them?"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard functioned more as an honorary post for the noble families of Beijing.
What does an armed police force exist for? Public safety? Partially.
More accurately, they exist for the security of the Imperial Court and the Beijing nobility.
The commoners of this era aren't even considered within the scope of "public safety."
Because of that, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was more like a social club for the sons of the nobility, used to secure their safety and status by planting their children there.
While they received immense support and the martial arts of the Guard itself were formidable, the risk was too high to make them comrades in a rebellion.
Therefore, it was certain they had recruited the Five Armies Command.
"So, isn't it about time I knew which high-ranking official is supporting the Pure Stream Faction?"
I only knew that their coup was being prepared and that it was progressing quite deeply.
From the perspective of the Pure Stream Faction, I was an external blade.
I was useful and desirable, but I wasn't a weapon they had forged themselves.
However, as someone in the same boat, waiting around for them to eventually attempt a rebellion didn't suit my taste.
Gathering as much information as possible and making the fastest judgment possible—that was the virtue of a possessor.
Ju Woo-rin remained silent for a moment in the inner courtyard before speaking.
"Yes, you have more than earned the right to know. If you had intended to report me, my death would have been unavoidable whether I told you or not."
Her death would mean the failure of the rebellion.
The Pure Stream Faction had no other options besides Ju Woo-rin.
Excluding the Crown Prince, she was the only direct descendant of the current Emperor.
They could try to enthrone a Prince of the Blood, but if they did, princes from all over the Central Plains would rise up.
Among them were many who were in league with military camps or powerful local clans; if they all fought for the throne at once, it would be called an age of chaos.
The Pure Stream Faction would rather perish than make a decision that would end the nation's destiny.
In other words, whether I knew the details of her plan or not, the moment I reported that her true identity was Princess Yeonhwa, Ju Woo-rin, the Pure Stream Faction's plan would be ruined.
Her identity was likely a top secret even within the Pure Stream Faction.
From the moment I knew it, I was already inextricably close to the core of the rebellion.
"I apologize. It wasn't that I didn't trust you; consider it a habit ingrained in my very being."
"I don't care. If it were me, I wouldn't have even stayed in Beijing."
"I suppose. Beijing is dangerous for me. You are thoughtful."
I felt a sort of pity for her staying in Beijing.
The fact that the royal they intended to enthrone was living right in Beijing, where the Imperial Court and the East Depot were watching with hawk eyes, meant she could die at any moment.
If even one person among the tiny few who knew her identity betrayed her, she would certainly die.
She would be captured with no way out, destined for a full course of medieval Chinese torture where ethics were treated like dog food.
There was only one reason she was in Beijing.
Because the Pure Stream Faction wanted to use her that way.
They were grooming her in the Hanlin Academy as a talented scholar, while simultaneously pressuring her in hopes of creating a puppet emperor who would listen to them.
It was absurd. If she died, the rebellion would fail anyway. Yet they were squeezing her for the sake of power after the success.
If she had developed a personality where she couldn't trust anyone in such a situation, it wasn't so much that she was twisted, but rather that she had adapted.
The woman who had just turned eighteen—who had adapted to death, despair, fear, and contempt—looked at me with rusted eyes and spoke.
"Grand General Jin Heung, the Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong and the Regional Military Commissioner of the Left Command, is my maternal relative. When the Empress Dowager personally took me in, Grand General Jin Heung was the one who helped me."
"The Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong..."
Excluding the Left and Right Commanders, who were essentially administrative commanders, it was the highest position. Among the generals who actually managed practical operations, he was a top-tier figure.
However, the fact that he was the Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong was a bit ambiguous.
The Left Command, which guarded Shanhaiguan, was of course located close to Beijing, but that didn't mean there were no other military camps in between.
The Rear Command's Northern Zhili Wanzhen Regional Military Commission—in other words, the defense force of Beijing itself—existed separately.
That meant when the rebellion broke out, the Liaodong army would have to lay siege to Beijing and defeat even the Embroidered Uniform Guard to enter the Imperial Palace.
Could this actually succeed...?
"Now you see why I was so delighted to have you on my side."
"It means if I take control of the Peng Family, I have to buy time inside Beijing."
"It won't be easy, but what do you think? Does it seem impossible?"
"Now I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick."
"Haha."
I understood the outline of the plan. Then the timing was the issue.
When was the deadline? By when did I have to become the head of the Peng Family?
At that question, Ju Woo-rin’s eyes gleamed with a dull light.
"Seven years from now."
"That's much sooner than I thought...? Is there a reason?"
"It’s the Emperor’s 66th birthday celebration. It will be a massive festival. Large enough for the Forbidden City to be thrown wide open."
Ju Woo-rin snorted and turned her head.
Toward the cluster of pavilions with golden tiled roofs that could be seen from anywhere in Beijing.
The towering walls, the massive and magnificent buildings that had few equals in the world during this era.
The Forbidden City looked down upon Beijing.
"I heard that the Emperor plans to announce his abdication before all the people of the world then. Well, whether that is truly the will of the Son of Heaven, the will of the Noble Consort, or... the will of the White Lotus Cult Leader, I do not know. Regardless, the government is currently preoccupied with preparing for that day."
"So the deed must be done before then."
"Yes. You will have to hurry in finding the kinsmen of the Tang Family. If you don't become the head of the Peng Family by then, we will have to use more radical means, and whether we succeed or fail after that, it won't be very pleasant for you."
If Ju Woo-rin became Emperor without our help, the Hebei Peng Family would have failed to prove its utility.
If Ju Woo-rin’s rebellion failed because of our lack of help, the White Lotus Cult would not let the Hebei Peng Family live.
The Hebei Peng Family had seven years of life left.
Within that time, I had to at least become the Young Head, and preferably the Family Head.
‘That’s tight!’
The minimum requirement for that was the Super Peak Realm, and preferably the Harmony Realm.
My father was only called the Young Head after reaching the Super Peak Realm, and my grandfather had no intention of handing over the family unless one reached the Harmony Realm.
An impossibly short amount of time, conditions that seemed physically impossible.
But if I thought about it for a moment.
Comparing myself from seven years ago to who I am now, and projecting that same growth seven years into the future.
After comparing the distance between me and my three older brothers.
Again.
Even knowing that if I failed after seven years, the family would be uprooted.
Knowing that if I succeeded after seven years, I could look down upon the world.
"Is Scholar Yu still at the academy?"
"Yes. He’s still hale and hearty. Why?"
"Since time is short, I need to change my methods. Could you ask Scholar Yu if I can see him briefly along with Grand Eunuch Jin?"
"Grand Eunuch Jin...? Who is that?"
"Grand Eunuch Jin Seung-gyeom of the East Depot."
"...What?"
He was the man I conspired with when I killed my childhood friend, Won-ho.
Ju Woo-rin must not have known, but Scholar Yu was actually sharing tea with the Grand Eunuch of the East Depot.
I was quite surprised myself.
"If the eunuchs are trying to rebuild the West Depot by bringing in the Sichuan Tang Family, he’s probably the most desperate person in Beijing right now."
Back then, he was the one who was so startled by the news of the Five Poisons Sect and the Assassination Pavilion establishing the West Depot that he offered me an alliance.
Would it be any different now?
I realized once again that school ties really are the best.