The Vanished Prince
"If you insist on calling me 'Your Highness,' then it must be after I have convinced myself that I am worthy of the title. Do you understand?"
"Your Highness……"
Ho-in could say nothing more.
Hong-wi let out a hearty laugh.
"And think on this. If others catch sight of you constantly addressing me as 'Your Highness,' what then? That alone could threaten my life. If you truly mean to protect me, call me something else. Hmm, I should think 'My Lord' would do nicely. That is what they called me in Yeongwol."
"Yes, I shall. Your High…… I mean, My Lord."
Hong-wi smiled.
From that moment on, Ho-in gradually took to calling him "My Lord," though a habit so deeply ingrained did not fade easily.
It was not until midday the following day that Hong-wi's escape from the Gwanpungheon came to light.
When he failed to rise for so long, an eunuch, growing suspicious, had only then opened the doors to the guest quarters. The moment word spread that Prince Nosan's chambers stood empty, the Yeongwol magistrate's office was thrown into utter chaos.
"What in the world has happened? Did Prince Nosan shoot up into the heavens, or burrow down into the earth? Where on earth has he gone?"
The Magistrate of Yeongwol, beside himself with fright, stamped his feet and bellowed. Naturally, the squad leaders and soldiers standing before him—reduced to tongue-tied, honey-glued fools—had no answers to give.
"Have you searched the entire district?"
"W-we searched not only the grounds of the Gwanpungheon guest quarters, but every place the Prince was known to frequent—Maejuk Pavilion, the banks of the Jucheon River…… There is no trace of him, Your Honor."
"Aigo!"
The Magistrate nearly collapsed in hysterics.
"Interrogate the eunuchs and court ladies who attended Prince Nosan—immediately!"
But the eunuchs and ladies dragged into the office could offer no answer the Magistrate wished to hear either.
A full roll call of the household revealed only one thing: the whereabouts of the runner Gongsaeng had gone mysteriously unaccounted for.
Until the sun hung low and sinking, no trace of Prince Nosan could be found. Driven to distraction, the Magistrate could only harry the soldiers who had been guarding the borders of Yeongwol Prefecture.
"Did no suspicious characters pass by today?"
"Suspicious men, Your Honor? There wasn't so much as a passing traveler."
"Th-this is unthinkable."
The Magistrate was very nearly out of his mind. He heaved a sigh deep enough to sink the ground beneath him. He had half-hoped the Prince had merely stepped out for a breath of fresh air……
Now he understood: his path to promotion was sealed shut.
"Bring me brush and paper," the Magistrate of Yeongwol said, his strength gone. A matter like this could hardly be kept hidden. With no other recourse, he filed a report to his direct superior, the Governor of Gangwon Province, that Prince Nosan had vanished.
By the time Kim Gwang-su, Governor of Gangwon, received the urgent dispatch at the provincial seat in Wonju, another full day had passed—it was midday once more.
"What? Prince Nosan has disappeared? What on earth is this?"
The Governor's hands shook as they clutched the dispatch. He read the letter over and over, but the words did not change with repetition. At last grasping the full weight of the situation, he flung the letter to the floor and let out a long, anguished cry.
"Aigo—I am ruined!"
Of course, the Governor of Gangwon could do nothing either. He hurriedly dispatched his soldiers to every key road and crossing, and at the same time sent an urgent report to Hanyang.
Just as Hong-wi and Ho-in were picking their way along the slopes of Mt. Chiak, Suyang received the same report.
"What's this? A boy of sixteen, and you cannot even keep proper watch over him?"
Furious, Suyang hurled the Governor's dispatch to the floor. His face flushed crimson with a rage like open flame.
"Ah! Strip the Magistrate of Yeongwol of his office at once and haul him here in chains. And the Governor of Gangwon—to be investigated immediately as well!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Before Suyang's fury, the assembled ministers did not dare utter a single word. The disappearance of Hong-wi was, in itself, a catastrophe.
Chief State Councillor Han Myeong-hoe lowered his eyes. That is precisely why he should have been killed beforehand. And yet even I never anticipated that Hong-wi would attempt something so audacious. I ought to have remembered—a cornered rat will bite the cat.
'Besides, dismissing the Magistrate of Yeongwol in a moment like this is one thing, but stripping the Governor of Gangwon as well will do nothing to help recapture Prince Nosan.'
If the Governor's head rolled, the work of those beneath him was hardly going to improve. But Han Myeong-hoe, ever careful, weighed precisely when to speak and when to hold his tongue.
In the meantime, Suyang, having caught his breath, shouted again.
"Recapture Hong-wi at all costs and bring him here in bonds! Issue strict orders of inspection to all eight provinces! To whoever captures Hong-wi, grant a reward of a thousand gold; to those holding office, raise their rank and honor them with weightier posts; to those without office, grant titles; to the lowborn, grant freedom from their station—so let it be decreed…… Ah! All of you, clear out at once—go and seize Hong-wi, and quickly!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The ministers, shooting glances at one another, slipped cautiously from the hall. Left alone, Suyang gripped and released the armrest of the throne, then sprang to his feet and began to pace.
'So that wretch Hong-wi has truly fled. But where do you think you are running, boy? You will not get far. however lofty the royal blood you carry……'
Suddenly the image of the boy Hong-wi before that tiger in their childhood flashed unbidden through his mind, and Suyang clenched his molars tight.
'This throne is mine…… Yes. Mine.'
Han Myeong-hoe, meanwhile, emerged from the palace deep in thought.
Someone called to him from behind.
"Ah—there you are, Jajun!"
The voice, hearty yet carrying a curiously roguish lilt, rang out loudly. It was Minister of War Hong Dal-son. Whatever his urgency, he skipped the honorific of the Councillor's office entirely and called Han Myeong-hoe straight by his courtesy name.
"Such discourtesy. What is the matter?"
Hong Dal-son thrust his face right up to Han Myeong-hoe's nose, glaring at him with smoldering eyes.
"You've been keeping nothing from me, have you, Jajun?"
"Come now, Dal-son—what brings this on, all of a sudden?"
Han Myeong-hoe spat the words out with distaste.
"Pray tell me what possible reason you have for acting so."
"Some time ago I handpicked a dozen or more of my most trusted men and sent them down to Yeongwol! You remember that, surely?"
Han Myeong-hoe knew it well.
"And so?"
"And so? Jajun!"
The whiskers on Hong Dal-son's cheeks trembled.
"So long as those men held their ground, Prince Nosan could not have set one foot outside Yeongwol alive—absolutely not! Unless he crawled out on his belly, perhaps!"
Han Myeong-hoe's irritation began to simmer. So what? Whoever said otherwise? He fought down the urge to fire back: 'If that is so, then where exactly has Prince Nosan gone?'
"I am well aware of how formidable your handpicked men are, Dal-son. So when word came that Prince Nosan had vanished, I assumed your men had quietly disposed of him—rat and mouse alike, none the wiser…… That is what I took it to mean. But it seems I was mistaken, does it not?"
"Jajun—are you mocking me right now?"
Hong Dal-son's face went scarlet. Han Myeong-hoe feigned bewilderment.
"How could I? If I were, it would mean your trusted men let Prince Nosan slip through their fingers."
"Jajun!"
Sensing the needling edge in Han Myeong-hoe's tone, Hong Dal-son trembled with a fury that had nowhere to go.
"Those men are ones I cherish beyond measure—there are none in all eight provinces of Joseon who could stand against them. And do you know what happened? They were wiped out. Wiped out, I say!"
"Heh."
Han Myeong-hoe shrugged.
"So there was someone out there who matched them, it seems. My, what a troublesome affair."
"What did you say?"
Hong Dal-son's narrow eyes flew open.
"Is it not the plain truth? A dozen men you cherished were slaughtered to a one, and Prince Nosan has vanished to who-knows-where. What else am I to make of it?"
Hong Dal-son's face had gone past crimson now, drained to a deathly white. Only after a long while did he manage to compose himself.
"Not all were killed outright. Since it's you, Jajun, I'll speak plainly: it seems my men learned through an informant that Prince Nosan had been plotting his escape. They managed to seize the Prince and his companion in the vicinity of Yeongwol."
"What—the Prince's companion made it all the way to Yeongwol? And here I thought she was in Hanyang."
Han Myeong-hoe spoke with feigned astonishment. That much, at least, he had genuinely not known.
"Does His Majesty know of this?"
"Not yet," Hong Dal-son replied. "Anyway—so what happened then?"
"The whole affair is absurd. There was a survivor—a woman, no less. It seems she tried to take her own life in order to let Prince Nosan flee. Two of my men stayed behind to resuscitate her, while the rest gave chase to the Prince. When a long while passed and none returned, the two left behind searched the mountain the moment dawn broke—and found them all dead. One was gravely wounded, hovering at death's door."
"Hm."
Han Myeong-hoe furrowed his brow.
"And you have no idea where Prince Nosan went?"
"No way of knowing. But we seized the horses they would have ridden, so he must be on foot—and he'll have taken to the mountain trails, without a doubt. But listen here." Hong Dal-son leaned his face in close. "According to the survivor, they had Prince Nosan all but dead—when some extraordinary fellow appeared out of nowhere and threw a wrench in everything. One man. One man alone cut down ten of my elite, handpicked men! He says the fellow wore a straw hat and black garments. Does that mean anything to you?"
"A straw hat and black garments, you say?"
Han Myeong-hoe's brow creased.
"Did he by any chance give a name?"
Hong Dal-son shook his head. His voice broke with grief.
"No. He died before he could speak it. Had we found him a little sooner, he might have lived……"
"Hmm."
Han Myeong-hoe scratched his chin, lost in thought. Hong Dal-son seized his sleeve.
"Look here, Jajun! Speak honestly to me. Our bond runs at least that deep, does it not?"
"Speak of what?"
"You have your own people attached to Prince Nosan as well, don't you? What news have you had from him? Do you have any inkling of what is happening, of who slaughtered my men? If I catch that wretch, I will kill him with these two hands and avenge my men myself."
"Dal-son."
Han Myeong-hoe let out a sigh.
"You are a Minister of this realm now. You are no longer some street ruffian. Observe decorum."
"To hell with decorum! Those are men I've stood beside as brothers since my days as a wandering knight. They are the kind of bond not even a thousand pieces of gold—nay, ten thousand—could buy."
"Very well, Dal-son. I am every bit as frustrated as you. If I knew anything, would I be standing here like this?"
Hong Dal-son stared hard at Han Myeong-hoe. After a long moment, he gave an unconvinced grunt.
"Fine. I'll take my Jajun at his word."
And what would you do if I didn't? Han Myeong-hoe smothered his rising irritation.
"But if any word reaches you, Jajun, you will tell me at once. I must know what happened to the boys I raised with my own hands."
Without waiting for an answer, Hong Dal-son strode off in great strides. Han Myeong-hoe, left behind, frowned and pressed his temple. His chronic migraine was beginning to throb.
'Ga-ryeong. Han Ga-ryeong…… my friend, what on earth have you done?'
Han Myeong-hoe shook out the hem of his court robe with nervous irritation and made for the palace gate. Returning straight home, he summoned his estate steward.
"Have Han Ga-ryeong come to my chamber this instant."
"Yes, my lord."
By the time Han Myeong-hoe had straightened his dress and taken his seat, Han Ga-ryeong entered. Han Myeong-hoe shot him a brief glance and spoke first.
"Have you had a chance to rest from your travels?"
Han Ga-ryeong quietly inclined his head. He had arrived only the day before. Han Myeong-hoe stared at him in silence for a long moment.
"When you appeared last night to make your report…… honestly, I doubted my own ears. A report saying you had lost Prince Nosan."
Han Myeong-hoe's voice carried its usual measured tone, but a frigid undercurrent ran beneath it.
"I beg your forgiveness."
"I appreciate the apology, at least. Well—seeing that the Governor of Gangwon's dispatch arrived today, it must be true. The fool claims Prince Nosan vanished into thin air, quite literally. He cannot say whether the man went east, west, north, or south. And yet……"
Han Myeong-hoe fixed Han Ga-ryeong with a piercing stare.
"I do not believe a man like you is the same breed of simpleton as a Yeongwol Magistrate or a Gangwon Governor. Those fools are wringing their hands without understanding a thing. But while Prince Nosan made his escape by night…… I find it hard to believe you were simply asleep."
Han Ga-ryeong offered no reply. Han Myeong-hoe's lips thinned with displeasure.
"I owe you a long-standing debt—since the day I first met you in those northern borderlands. Were it not for you, how could I ever have come to sit where I sit? Ah, of course, it is not merely the debt of a saved life. You are truly a man I cannot help but treasure!"
Han Myeong-hoe sighed.
"Yes, truly, it is so. Not once in my life have I been disappointed in you as I am today, nor did I ever imagine such a day would come. And yet, at the same time, I find myself wanting to believe that you had some reason you could not help—that there was a cause worthy enough to convince even me…… Hm. Yes. I want to believe."
He smiled faintly.
"……There. I, Han Myeong-hoe of all people, have said I want to believe. Who could ever have imagined such words leaving my mouth?"
Han Ga-ryeong did not answer.
"But I must ask you all the same. There is no need for a barrage of questions—three will suffice. You may refuse to answer if you wish…… But look me straight in the eye. I must see your eyes, both of them."
Han Ga-ryeong met Han Myeong-hoe's gaze with perfect composure. Han Myeong-hoe smiled.
"First question. Are you still my man?"
"Yes, I am."
Han Ga-ryeong answered without a flicker of hesitation. Remarkably, Han Myeong-hoe seemed satisfied, and nodded.
"Next question. Where has Prince Nosan gone?"
"I do not know, my lord—not since we parted ways in Yeongwol."
"I see."
This time too, Han Myeong-hoe nodded.
"And now, the final question. Why."
Only now did Han Ga-ryeong hesitate to answer.
"Is it the bond of loyalty handed down from your ancestors?"
There was no change whatsoever in Han Ga-ryeong's eyes.
"Your grandfather and your father both served as personal guards in the royal guard corps under the Great King Taejo, did they not? When Taejo ascended to Hanyang, your father, I am told, returned to Hamgil Province. Their object of loyalty was the Great King Taejo—not the nation called Joseon…… But the way of the wild men of the north seems a strange thing to us Joseon folk. Most would consider the tie severed at that point……"
Han Myeong-hoe sighed.
"So this is your clan's fealty to the bloodline of the Great King Taejo. Truly admirable. Decades have flowed past, and both the object of that loyalty and the man who swore it have long since returned to a handful of dust. If I have always held you in favor, it is in part precisely for this. And it is the very reason I never involved you in my dirty work. A man of such rare integrity as yourself—I had no wish to drag you into filth and see you stained."
"I am deeply moved by such consideration, my lord."
"What need have you and I for such words? Now—look at this."