The Ha Family's Tyranny
In Nono County, Ha Jung—the adopted son of Ha Un, one of the infamous Ten Attendants—had planted his roots and built his power. His influence was so overwhelming that even the governor sent from the capital was no match for him. He controlled every military and administrative matter in the region, indulging in unchecked tyranny and atrocities.
If Ha Jung so much as uttered a single word, the governor and every official beneath him would freeze, unable to act until the next order arrived.
“Have you heard? A merchant from the Shang family who owned fertile land along the northern riverbank was murdered in the night. The Ha clan then seized his land using a loan document the Shang family had never even seen before.”
“The rather pretty daughter of the Gyeong family from the same village was sold into one of the Ha clan’s brothels as a prostitute. All because her father couldn’t repay a month-old high-interest loan.”
“The world really has reached its end times. If the Yellow Turbans had risen properly, they would have dragged away filth like these.”
The people taking a simple meal at the inn each lamented the hopeless state of the world, busily condemning the Ha clan’s evils in low voices.
After staying at the inn for several days to gather information, Seo Jun settled on four targets in Nono County. Three were clans that had attached themselves to the Ha family and moved in lockstep with them. The final target was the Ha family itself.
Seo Jun raided one clan per day with ruthless efficiency. As expected of families tied to descendants of the Ten Attendants, the profits were exceptional. After striking only three, he had already gained ten million jeon.
It truly is the end of the world. No wonder the country is collapsing.
“Tsk tsk!”
Seo Jun could only click his tongue as he looked at the gold, treasures, and coins filling his subspace. He was robbing these wicked clans because he needed the resources for his new life here, yet thinking about how this wealth had been gathered by them and now passed to him left a bitter taste in his mouth.
The total wealth Seo Jun had accumulated so far reached twenty-five million jeon. That was enough to purchase nearly any official post by bribing the Ten Attendants.
Wealth itself is blameless. The problem lies with people.
More is always better. There’s no harm in having too much money.
The Ha clan that Seo Jun had scouted boasted considerable scale. Like traditional Hebei households, it followed the siheyuan layout, but its size was on another level. A typical siheyuan might have two rows of buildings on the northern main side, one row each on the eastern and western wings, and two rows on the southern auxiliary side. The Ha clan, however, had six rows on the main northern buildings, four rows of side halls, and six rows of auxiliary structures—an enormous compound.
Once again, Seo Jun donned his mask, gripped his axe, and set out into the predawn wind.
He moved across the rooftops of the main northern quarter, searching for Ha Jung’s personal residence.
It’s so damn big it’s a pain to find anything.
While he muttered to himself, Seo Jun’s sharp ears caught the faint voices of two men conversing. He crept silently toward the sound and began listening from directly above them.
“What brings Hall Master Man all the way here? You haven’t come to pay your respects in quite some time.”
“Lord Ha Jung, I apologize for the neglect. We’ve been occupied with preparations on our end and failed to attend to you properly. Please forgive me.”
So the one called Ha Langzhong is Ha Jung. But who is this Man Dangju?
Having located his target, Seo Jun quietly lifted several roof tiles and slipped inside. He concealed himself on a thick beam that completely hid his body.
Whether genuinely displeased by the neglect or simply trying to seize the advantage in negotiations, Ha Jung continued to pick faults.
“So what have you been so busy preparing for?”
“Commander Zhang is gathering manpower and funds to raise an army next year in the Taihang Mountains, using the Black Mountain bandits as his foundation. I’ve been summoned by him constantly because of it.”
“Zhang Yan of the Black Mountains? Has that bastard lost his mind? We spared him from subjugation because his sincerity was useful, and now he wants to claim territory? It seems he thinks the world belongs to him now.”
“That cannot be, my lord. Commander Zhang always worries about you with utmost concern. Even if he rises up, he has already promised he will not even glance toward Nono County where you reside.”
“Hmm. Still, if the matter grows too large, even my father and I have limits to how much protection we can offer. There are many palms that will need greasing along the way.”
When Ha Jung began speaking of the difficulties in handling affairs, it was his private signal to see the bribe that had been brought.
Man Dangju placed the rather large box he had prepared before Ha Jung.
Click.
Greed flooded Ha Jung’s eyes, yet his expression remained indifferent as he casually lifted the lid.
The box was packed full of gold. At a glance it looked like five hundred taels—equivalent to five hundred thousand jeon in wushu coins.
“That’s quite a sum for a single payment. Far too much if it’s merely to overlook the expansion of forces. Tell me—what exactly are you asking for that you’ve stuffed this much gold inside?”
“In ten days, the former Taishan merchants Zhang Ju and Zhang Shun will rise in rebellion alongside the Wuhuan in You Province. At that time, we also intend to move and collect some contributions from places like Anxi County and Wuji County in southern Zhongshan. If you could ensure the governor’s troops are delayed by five days before moving, we would be deeply grateful.”
“What!? Zhang Ju and Zhang Shun are launching a rebellion in ten days? How do you know this?”
Ha Jung’s eyes widened at the shocking news. The information was something even he had not yet received through any intelligence network, yet this Man Dangju spoke of it with absolute certainty.
“They proposed a joint operation to us, which is how we learned the date. Are we not loyal subjects who follow both Lord Ha Jung and Lord Ha the palace attendant? Since you two constantly labor for the sake of the nation, how could we possibly participate in such immoral affairs?”
“Indeed. You must not do that.”
The pair were the perfect embodiment of hypocrisy.
“Hmm. So Zhang Ju and Zhang Shun will commit the actual treason while you rise up pretending to be part of their faction, taking the spoils while they bear the infamy. I see.”
“Haah~ I cannot help but admire Your Lordship’s brilliant insight.”
Man Dangju’s flattery had reached its peak, as though honey coated every word.
“Ahem. Since Hall Master Man has shown such sincerity, I suppose I can arrange something of that scale.”
Listening from the beam above, Seo Jun was utterly dumbfounded by their exchange.
These insane bastards.
Still, the situation is becoming spectacular. A rebellion will break out in You Province, and these men plan to pretend they’re part of the rebel forces so they can plunder the counties of Zhongshan.
“Ah, isn’t the Zhen family in Wuji County? I hear their daughters are quite lovely. I’m very curious about them.”
“Oh my, understood. I will bring them without so much as a scratch so Your Honor may inspect them at leisure.”
Horny bastard. He picks up rumors like that with no effort at all.
The Zhen family of Wuji County had three sons and five daughters. Even though the girls were still young, rumors of their exceptional beauty had already spread throughout the region. Somehow those rumors had reached even Ha Jung’s ears.
“Yes, bring them carefully. It’s only because I’m curious.”
As Man Dangju bowed deeply and turned to leave, his face was completely twisted. The group he belonged to were essentially bandits. The chance that such men could safely deliver the beautiful daughters of the Zhen family simply because he passed on an order was nonexistent. His head already throbbed with pain.
After Man Dangju departed, Ha Jung carried the box to the center of the room.
Clunk.
When he pushed a stone beneath the central frame, a section of the wall slid inward with a soft sound. Inside the hidden space, neatly arranged boxes held gold ingots and treasures stacked in orderly rows.
“Husband, I’m coming in~”
“Yes, enter.”
The door opened and a strikingly beautiful woman entered, her face heavily made up and her clothes worn in a deliberately provocative manner. Since she clearly intended to join him in bed, her thin garments revealed every line of her body.
As she entered and saw Ha Jung organizing the hidden safe, her eyes glittered with greed. She licked her lips.
“It seems Man Dangju came with another request?”
“Yes. Something like that. I’ll join you soon, so lie down on the bed first.”
Seo Jun watched Ha Jung’s behavior closely. The casual way he showed the woman his secret stash was far too relaxed—as though its contents were trivial.
From the situation she seems to be nothing more than a concubine brought in for the bedroom, yet he opens the safe so openly? Suspicious.
“Have you organized the ones to send to market tomorrow?”
“Yes. Out of those captured over the last ten days, ten adult women still in decent condition, twenty young girls, and fifteen young boys. The remaining adult men resisted, so they were all killed.”
“Resistant ones are better off dead than wasting effort trying to squeeze a little extra profit from them.”
“Aww~ Husband, I worked so hard organizing everything this time. After this deal is finished, you should give me a little reward too.”
Their conversation sounded less like talk between people and more like merchants discussing goods prepared for sale.