Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Shadows Behind the Cheers
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Cheers erupted as everyone rushed to grab stones. Yang Man-chun was grinning brightly, clutching a stone he must have snatched up without anyone noticing.
Geom Mojam tensed up, scanning the approaching crowd for any assassins who might try to harm me.
"No red eyes in sight, so don't worry," I said, and with that, Geom Mojam picked up a stone of his own.
On the way back to the estate, I asked him,
"What about that guy you were told to keep an eye on?"
"My men are tailing him. What should we do?"
"Bring him in alive. We need to uncover who's behind him."
Geom Mojam nodded and whispered instructions to one of his subordinates.
Yang Man-chun rode alongside us, still holding the stone in one hand.
"That guy's seriously scary."
"Scared you, huh?"
"Nah, just amazed."
"At what?"
"How'd you even think to talk them down like that?"
"Remember what I said about pride earlier?"
"Yeah."
"Everyone has pride. It doesn't matter if they're illiterate and ignorant, or if they hold power—it doesn't make it any less or more."
"So you protected their pride with words?"
"What do you think would've happened otherwise?"
"The mood? Swords would've come out and no one would've batted an eye."
"A few words shut it all down."
"Felt like some weird sorcery. Moving people's hearts with just talk."
"Learn it yourself and put it to good use."
"Might just do that."
We burst out laughing when we spotted Father Yeon Gaesomun's carriage parked in front of the main gate.
I dismounted in a hurry and ran into him as he was being helped down from the carriage.
I turned to Father Yeon Gaesomun and introduced Yang Man-chun.
"Father, this is Yang Man-chun, a friend I met at Ansi Fortress. He's the third son of the Ansi Fortress lord."
"I heard you were coming. Our Eastern Division has always treated guests well. Make yourself at home while you're here."
"Thank you, my lord."
Yang Man-chun tactfully excused himself, and Father clasped his hands behind his back as he climbed the stairs.
"I heard the Beacon Tower was demolished today."
"I tore it down myself."
"Even the long-haired monk couldn't destroy our Eastern Division's Beacon Tower a few years back. Why did you take it upon yourself?"
"Officials from the Central Administration Bureau were there. In broad daylight, just a few dozen of them—and right when you entered the palace, Father."
"They were out for blood in the East. Has to be Yeon Jeong-du's scheme."
"A ploy to shake you, Father."
"And you demolished the Beacon Tower to stop it?"
"It's just a pile of stones. We can rebuild it if needed. Its absence won't erase our victory at Salsu, will it?"
"The ignorant masses won't see it that way."
"That's why I soothed their hearts. And this is just my guess, but..."
I continued as I watched the main gate open.
"I think the Chief of Central Administration planned to stir things up even more."
"Stir things up how?"
"There were a few who seemed unusually worked up."
"To pit both sides against each other."
"If casualties resulted, you'd have to apologize as the Eastern Division Leader, right?"
"Cunning bastard."
The gate swung open, revealing the household guards bowing their heads.
I walked alongside Father Yeon Gaesomun and said,
"Father."
"Speak."
"Bad guys are destined to do bad things."
"What?"
"It's just what bad guys do. So don't let it weigh on you."
It was a sudden thought, but Father Yeon Gaesomun looked puzzled at first before bursting into laughter.
"You're right—bad guys do bad things. I won't dwell on it. By the way, how'd the third son of Ansi Fortress become your friend?"
I couldn't bring myself to say he was the hero who'd save Goguryeo later.
"Met him and saw he had a lot of potential."
"Making lots of friends is good. But watch out—rumors might spread."
"I will."
"And in five days, we'll enter the palace."
"Me too?"
I stared at him with a sense of inevitability, and Father Yeon Gaesomun nodded.
"I'll announce that I've chosen you as my successor."
"What will the Great King say?"
"He'll refuse or make some excuse."
"Then what?"
"What else? Division Leaders have the inherent right to name successors. It's just formality—don't worry about it."
"But when you rose to Division Leader, there was fierce opposition, wasn't there?"
I recounted the story from the Samguk Sagi's biography of Yeon Gaesomun exactly as it was written. Father's expression hardened.
He must've seen it as his own dark history.
"It was jealousy toward our East. The Great King could've opposed, but the other divisions? That was unexpected."
I could see why Yeon Gaesomun staged his coup, sweeping away the king and ministers.
He acted cold and ruthless on the outside, but he was surprisingly warm to his family.
He'd cultivated that icy demeanor to bear the weight of being Eastern Division Leader.
"The Great King will definitely oppose, and he'll probably bring up something we don't expect."
"Then what do we do?"
I thought for a moment before answering Father Yeon Gaesomun's question.
"We hear him out first, don't we? Whatever it is, it'll be something hard to accept."
"Right. He'll approve you as successor on the condition that we accept it."
"So no matter what he proposes, don't agree."
"Why not?"
"We need to make them think the successor position isn't that important."
"To the Great King?"
"Including Chief Yeon Jeong-du. Show them that what they see as their biggest weapon is actually nothing."
"That'll shock them. But by convention, a Division Leader's successor needs the Great King's approval."
"What if he doesn't approve? Then I'm not the successor?"
"Not quite, but it'll get messy."
Father Yeon Gaesomun replied with a worried look.
Watching him, I recalled the people I'd seen in front of the Beacon Tower earlier.
"What if we get the recognition of the Eastern Division's people?"
"They have no power."
I responded to Father Yeon Gaesomun's curt dismissal.
"If they swing swords at us, we die. If they throw stones, it hurts."
"I'm truly curious what goes on in that head of yours. But the important thing is our family."
"I know, Father."
"In five days, we'll meet the Great King. Until then, report to the Central Administration Bureau."
"Understood, Father."
With that, Father quickened his pace.
As I watched his retreating figure, Geom Mojam approached.
"Master."
"What?"
"We caught that guy from earlier."
"The one at the Beacon Tower?"
I frowned as I asked, and Geom Mojam nodded.
"Yes."
"Where is he now?"
"In the stables behind the polo field."
"Let's go."
The stables at the corner of the polo field were built of logs. A few horses were tied outside, but the interior was set up like a prison.
I looked on in mild surprise, and Geom Mojam explained.
"It's a stable for horses, but we use it to lock up or interrogate suspects."
"Impressive."
No windows meant one of Geom Mojam's men appeared with a torch.
Inside the open door sat the man in the red hood from earlier, bound and seated.
He looked just over twenty, face swollen, nose bleeding.
Geom Mojam looked down at him and said,
"He noticed the tail and tried to run, so we grabbed him quick. He swung his sword in the scuffle and injured two of my men."
I crouched down in front of the bound man.
He eyed me warily and scooted back.
"Do you know why you're here?"
"N-no, I don't. I'm innocent."
"You acted suspicious, so we brought you in."
"S-suspicious how?"
He looked terrified yet incredulous.
I began interrogating him calmly.
"You were at the Beacon Tower when it came down, right?"
"I-I was just passing by and saw the crowd, so I watched."
"You stood out, all hyped up. A passerby wouldn't get that excited. Plus, you injured two of my men with your sword skills. Oh, and you spotted the tail?"
"I just felt someone chasing me and ran. Thought they were bandits, so I swung. If I'd known they were the Eastern Division Leader's guards, I never would've fought. My elderly mother's sick at home. Please forgive me."
His eyes weren't red, and his story held water, leaving me confused.
Then Geom Mojam snorted beside me.
"Trying to fool the heavens?"
He yanked down the collar of the man's jacket.
A small dagger-shaped tattoo was visible below the collarbone.
"This is the mark of the Little Cart Gang, operating out of the western outer garrison of Chang'an Fortress."
"What's the Little Cart Gang?"
"Thugs. They extort merchants in the markets, pickpocket, and kill for pay."
Like modern gangsters, I thought.
The man blurted out as I stared at him.
"Y-yes, that's true. But even thieves are Goguryeo citizens. How could we not feel outraged watching the Beacon Tower demolished?"
"You weren't outraged—you were inciting the crowd."
"No, I just yelled in anger from the frustration."
"Bad guys doing bad things is just natural."
I repeated what I'd told Father Yeon Gaesomun earlier.
Then I looked at the bound man.
"But we need to know why to punish properly. Demolishing the Beacon Tower had complex reasons. Your presence there was one of them. I want to know those reasons. If you won't tell me..."
I stood up and looked at Geom Mojam.
"We'll make you talk. And if it comes to that, you probably won't walk out on two good legs."
My cold tone was enough.
The terrified man spilled everything immediately.
"The boss sent me."
"What was I supposed to do?"
"Incite the crowd once they gathered."
"How?"
"Say demolishing the Beacon Tower was an insult to the Eastern Division Leader."
After his confession, I kept pressing.
"Who else was there besides you?"
"A few from our gang."
"They get the same orders?"
"Yes. Blend into the crowd and stir at the right moment."
"Who's behind it?"
"I don't know. We just follow the boss's orders."
It went just as I'd suspected.
I stepped back a few paces and called Geom Mojam.
"Who's the head of the Little Cart Gang?"