The Letter from the Zhen Family Reaches Luoyang
In a modest house along the northern road of Luoyang, Zhen Yan sat at a table dressed in the simple robes of a scholar-official. He was carefully reading a letter that had arrived from his family’s main house in Jizhou after a long silence. Like his strikingly handsome brothers and sisters, he possessed refined, attractive features, yet there was a certain pallor to his complexion that gave him a frail, sickly appearance.
“Oh my… so that’s how things truly unfolded?”
“Is that not a letter from your family home? Did you not say just the other day that the rebellion in Zhongshan had been neatly suppressed? Husband, has something else happened in Jizhou?”
Jin Eon, his wife, approached with a worried expression. She possessed a graceful demeanor and beautiful features. As a woman from a powerful clan in Yeo County of Zhongshan that had long held influence, just like the Zhen family of Wuji County, she could not help but take a keen interest in the recent events there.
“My lady, did I not tell you a few days ago that reports had arrived from the Jizhou Inspector’s office and the Zhongshan Administrator’s office regarding the rebellion? Yet the contents of those official reports differ greatly from what my family has written in this private letter.”
The reports from the Jizhou Inspector’s office and the Zhongshan Administrator’s office, which had reached Luoyang two days earlier, claimed that although some local forces sympathetic to the Zhang Jue and Zhang Shun rebellion had invaded their territories, the county magistrates responsible for Anxi County and Wuji County had prepared diligently and repelled them successfully. With support from the Zhongshan Administrator, they had driven off the rebels and achieved a notable victory.
However, the letter from his family painted a completely different picture. It stated that a warrior named Seo Jun had been the central figure who had almost single-handedly resolved the rebellion in Zhongshan. Had he not appeared, even the Zhen family itself would have been in grave danger. In essence, they had been saved by him.
“According to the letter, this warrior Seo Jun charged into the enemy camp virtually alone, defeated the bandits, and even took down their leaders. And in another letter… this part is rather surprising. It says that both Gang and Tal openly declared in front of the entire family that they have feelings for this warrior.”
“Both young ladies like the same man?! Oh ho ho~ This is truly remarkable! Just how extraordinary must this man be for both of them—who have never shown much interest in men—to fall for him at the same time? I am genuinely curious about him now.”
Jin Eon still remembered the days before she came to Luoyang, when she had lived with her husband’s sisters in the Zhen household. At that time, both Gyeon Gang and Gyeon Tal had shown little interest in the opposite sex. She could not hide her astonishment that they would both develop feelings for the same man.
“It seems even Mother was quite taken with this warrior. She would not have written such things otherwise. The fact that she added this request tells me a great deal.”
“Mother-in-law? What exactly did she ask?”
“She wrote that since this Seo Jun is still young and only holds the rank of a common soldier, I should consider whether there is any way I could help him secure a proper position by informing the Imperial Court and the Grand General’s office of his true contributions.”
“Wow~ For Mother-in-law to make such a request is truly unexpected. Now I am even more curious about this warrior. What kind of man could so completely captivate the hearts of our lovely Zhen family women? Ho ho~”
Jin Eon’s curiosity only grew stronger upon learning that even her mother-in-law, Lady Zhang, had taken an active interest in Seo Jun’s affairs.
“So, what do you intend to do, husband?”
“Hmm. Since even Mother has stepped forward, I cannot simply pretend ignorance. Yet with my current position as a mere Administrator in the Grand General’s office, I cannot directly approach the Grand General himself. Tomorrow, I shall show this letter to Administrator Oh of the Grand General’s office and seek his counsel.”
“You have thought well, husband. Who knows? This may become a good connection for us as well.”
Zhen Yan’s position as Grand General Administrator was a mid-level managerial role overseeing administration and logistics. He commanded several lower officials and managed the supply and paperwork for the troops. Considering his age, it was a fairly high post, but it was still far too low a rank to step forward with a personal letter during a full assembly of the Grand General’s office.
The next morning, after eating the breakfast that Jin Eon had prepared with great care, Zhen Yan left the house early. He intended to visit Oh Gwang, who held the rank of Grand General’s Chief Administrator, before the morning assembly to discuss the letter.
Oh Gwang was one of Grand General He Jin’s most trusted aides. As a direct subordinate, he commanded the approximately two thousand elite troops known as the Special Defense Army, which served as He Jin’s personal guard. He could be considered the second-in-command within the Grand General’s office.
Since the time He Jin had risen with the backing of Empress He, Oh Gwang had faithfully served him and thus enjoyed the Grand General’s deep trust. If he took an active role in this matter, the letter would reach He Jin more smoothly, and subsequent actions in the capital would proceed far more easily.
“Is Chief Administrator Oh inside?”
Zhen Yan asked the military officer standing guard at Oh Gwang’s residence.
“Administrator Zhen, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I have something to discuss with Chief Administrator Oh. Please inform him of my arrival.”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
The officer gave a slight bow and entered the residence. After a short while, he emerged again.
“Administrator Zhen, he asks you to come in.”
Inside, Oh Gwang was already dressed in his official robes for the upcoming morning assembly. He sat at the central table, where a cup of tea steamed gently, clearly poured while waiting for his guest.
Oh Gwang appeared to be in his late thirties. With a thick beard and a sturdy build, he carried the unmistakable air of a resolute military official.
“Administrator Zhen, come in, come in. What urgent matter brings our busy Administrator Zhen to seek me out so early in the morning?”
“Chief Administrator, I apologize for the discourtesy of visiting at this hour, but I have a matter that requires your counsel.”
“What discourtesy is there between us? Sit down first. Let us share a cup of tea and speak comfortably.”
With a soft pouring sound, Oh Gwang handed Zhen Yan a teacup and filled it with the tea he had brewed himself.
“Lately I seem to have grown fond of this tea. At this rate, I fear it will ruin my household finances. Haha~”
Though Oh Gwang was not so poor that tea would bankrupt him, in this era, tea was indeed an expensive luxury that only the truly wealthy could enjoy casually. Zhen Yan, who always handled his duties in the Grand General’s office with calm, meticulous care and without the slightest oversight, had earned considerable trust among many of the officials there.
“As you know, Chief Administrator, my family’s main house is in Wuji County of Zhongshan in Jizhou. Yesterday, a letter arrived from them. Its contents differ significantly from the official reports sent a few days ago by the Jizhou Inspector’s office and the Zhongshan Administrator’s office. I came to seek your advice on how best to handle this.”
“Is that so? Let me see the letter.”
Zhen Yan took the letter from his robe and handed it to Oh Gwang. As Oh Gwang’s eyes scanned the pages, his expression gradually hardened.
“Hoo… The contents are indeed very different from the official report. In times like these, everyone knows that local reports tend to be written favorably for those submitting them. But if this letter is true, then the report we received is nothing but a pack of lies.”
Oh Gwang let out a deep sigh. It was common knowledge in the capital that most reports from the provinces were embellished to benefit the local officials. However, this case was particularly egregious. Normally, even if the true contributor was not listed first, they would at least be mentioned as second or third in merit. In this report, the actual heroes had been completely omitted.
“Chief Administrator, what should we do?”
“We must report this to the Grand General, of course. Yesterday, one of the military merchants who trades with our office returned from Jizhou because of the Zhang Jue and Zhang Shun rebellion. What he told me closely matches the contents of this letter. If that is the case, then this letter is almost certainly true. We must bring this to the Grand General’s attention so that it can be properly addressed during the court assembly.”
“Thank you for trusting me, Chief Administrator.”
“Trust has nothing to do with it, Administrator Zhen. I have ears of my own and can judge the situation. Still, I am rather curious about this warrior named Seo Jun. From the letter, he seems to be an exceptionally skilled fighter.”
Having reached an agreement on how to report the matter, the two men left the room together to attend the morning assembly at the Grand General’s office.