The Weight of Family
The men recommended as Xiaolian and who completed their training at the Imperial Academy were typically assigned as civil officials to positions such as Vice Minister in one of the Six Ministries or as County Magistrate or County Sheriff in the provinces. For military officials, they would receive posts as Army Commander under a provincial governor or at the level of Dunjang in the Imperial Guard.
In truth, Kang Su had been holding her tongue as much as possible, but the family’s circumstances had grown dire. Xu Huang sold the medicinal herbs and wild vegetables he gathered in the mountains during the day, while she barely kept them afloat by taking odd jobs around the village. Even that had now reached its limit, and it would not be long before they would have to worry about feeding even their young son, Xu Gae.
Even Seo Jun could tell at a glance how far the household had fallen the moment he stepped inside and saw the state of their belongings. That was why he had deliberately brought up the matter in front of Kang Su. He judged that it would be easier to persuade Xu Huang—who cherished his family—if Kang Su, who managed the household, stood by his side and supported his words.
“Hmm~”
Xu Huang had also avoided showing it, but he knew the family’s livelihood was growing harder by the day. As a father, he desperately wanted his son Xu Gae to receive a proper education, grow up strong, and live a respectable life.
Contrary to Seo Jun’s worries, Xu Huang felt little resistance to the idea of serving under him. Instead, his heart was filled with anticipation that Kang Su and Xu Gae might finally see even a small improvement in their situation.
“But if our entire family follows you, won’t it become a burden on your household?”
No matter how highly recommended Seo Jun had been as a Xiaolian, adding three more mouths to feed would be no small weight to bear.
“Brother, you needn’t worry about that. I’ve earned quite a bit of money through various ventures in Sakbang—more than you might expect. We’ll have more than enough to live comfortably while our family settles down in Luoyang. Please don’t concern yourself.”
“Is that so? Then that’s a relief. Let’s go together. If I can live with you again, that alone makes me happy.”
With that, Xu Huang’s family’s journey to Luoyang was decided.
That evening, Xu Huang and Seo Jun sat alone on a wooden bench in the courtyard. They placed several jars of turbid wine they had bought in the village earlier that day along with some seasoned vegetables as snacks and shared all the stories they had not been able to tell each other while apart.
“Jun-ah, thank you for coming all the way to the county and looking after us like this.”
“Aren’t we brothers who grew up together? If the roles were reversed and such an opportunity came to you, wouldn’t you have come for me?”
“I suppose I would have. Still… thank you.”
As if something had been weighing on his mind, Xu Huang emptied the cup of liquor in one swift gulp.
“Krrgh~ In truth, not long ago, a man named Yang Bong sent word that he would pay me handsomely if I worked under him.”
“Yang Bong? What sort of official is he from which region? Why didn’t you go when such an opportunity came?”
At Seo Jun’s question, Xu Huang’s face suddenly flushed bright red. It was not from the alcohol.
“Jun-ah! Yang Bong is not an official—he’s the leader of a bandit group! They call themselves the Black Mountain Bandits, and they’ve been rapidly expanding their power lately. Somehow word got out that I have some skill with a blade, and the scoundrel invited me to join his band of thieves. I, who trained in martial arts and studied military strategy to serve the country! Yet no one in the empire would give me a proper position! I couldn’t immediately refuse that filthy proposal to become a bandit, and the fact that I even had to seriously consider it… it broke my heart!”
“And then, just days ago, I caught your sister-in-law secretly drinking water in the backyard after feeding me and the child, trying to fill her empty stomach. After that, I began watching her more carefully and realized she often did this to stave off hunger. No matter how many times I told her we should eat together, she would claim she had already eaten and slip away to the backyard. Every time I saw her do that, I wept inside. She is the woman who trusted me and followed me here because of our childhood connection, yet I was letting her starve.”
Xu Huang’s eyes reddened and filled with tears as the emotions from that time surged up again.
“Sister-in-law has endured so much. Brother, you did the right thing by not going there. Now that you can walk a new path with me, let go of all that pent-up frustration and drink with joy.”
“Yes! This is all thanks to you, Jun. I’m truly grateful!!”
Through the conversation with Seo Jun, much of the resentment that had built up inside Xu Huang seemed to melt away. His previously stiff expression gradually softened.
After downing several more cups, Xu Huang suddenly wore a look as if a thought had occurred to him.
“Jun-ah, have you heard any news about your mother’s family?”
Xu Huang abruptly brought up the subject of Seo Jun’s maternal relatives.
As far as Seo Jun knew, his birth mother, Ho Ye, had given birth to him—her first child—then fallen gravely ill. She had lingered in poor health and passed away just days before his first birthday. Therefore, what little he knew of his real mother came only from the few stories Seo Jeong had told him: how she had cherished him despite her frail body, how she had struggled to nurse him with milk that barely came, and how she had wept endlessly while looking at him on her deathbed. They were sorrowful tales, but they no longer stirred much emotion in him.
After Ho Ye’s death, her family had shown no interest in Seo Jun, and they had never once contacted Seo Jeong since. As a result, Seo Jun had never given much thought to his maternal relatives and knew nothing of their current situation.
“I haven’t heard anything in particular. Did something happen?”
“The youngest son-in-law who married into the family—that would make him your youngest maternal uncle. His martial skills were apparently so outstanding that he clashed with the salt merchants who were manipulating the salt trade in the region and inflicted heavy losses on them. When the merchants bribed officials to arrest him, he fled. In retaliation, they forced your mother’s family to compensate them for the damages. I heard the family was completely ruined by it. Their household collapsed entirely, and the relatives scattered in all directions.”
Seo Jun had been told as a child that his appearance resembled not only Seo Pyeong but also his exceptionally beautiful mother, Ho Ye. Yet aside from stories about his looks, he had heard almost nothing about her, so he felt no particular emotion now.
“To be honest, I don’t remember them, so I’m not sure how I should even react.”
“That makes sense.”
After discussing Seo Jun’s maternal family, the two talked about other things for a while before ending the night.
The next day, Kang Su packed their household goods one by one, wrapping them carefully in cloth with the determination to take everything.
“Aigoo, Sister-in-law! Only pack the important things. Once we reach Luoyang, I’ll buy everything new. Just bring what’s absolutely necessary!”
“How can I do that, Young Master? Every single one of these things cost money.”
Even as she said this, Kang Su’s face was full of smiles. To a woman, the prospect of setting up a new household felt like gaining an entirely new set of toys to play with.
Seo Jun went with Xu Huang to the horse market and purchased carriages and carts to carry the people and belongings, along with a warhorse for Xu Huang to ride. They discarded what they could and packed only what was essential. By the afternoon, the group left Yang County behind.
They could have sold the house they had lived in, but it would have wasted time and brought little money, so they simply kept the deed in case they ever needed to return. The Xu Huang family departed so abruptly it almost looked like they were fleeing in the night. The villagers watched them with curious eyes, but no one approached to ask questions. Such was how cold the world had become.
After traveling for a full day, the group was able to rejoin the main force that had been waiting for them in Pyeongyang County.
When Xu Huang saw Seol Ryeon and Yi Hyeon—who had once been his aunt and sister-in-law but were now his sisters-in-law—he looked slightly awkward, unsure how to greet them.
“Lady Seol and Lady Yi, I hope we can get along well from now on.”
While Xu Huang hesitated, Kang Su instead showed genuine warmth and approached the two women with friendliness. In the past they had been her superiors in family rank, but now they were her younger sisters-in-law. Yet Kang Su did not dwell on such hierarchy and addressed them respectfully, which made it easier for everyone to interact comfortably.
“We are grateful for Lady Kang’s consideration.”
“It is good to see you, sisters-in-law.”
Xu Huang still seemed a little awkward, but after watching Kang Su, he steadied himself and began treating them properly.
After exchanging greetings with Xu Huang’s newly joined family and reorganizing the column, the group once again set off down the road toward Luoyang.