Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: King of the Unemployed (2)
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My direct superior right now, the Grand Censor, is Lee Ikjeong, son of Prince Milseong Lee Jik.
Tracing back his lineage, he's a descendant of Crown Prince Sado, just like Prince Haechun Lee Yeong, who had only recently entered the country.
If I had to describe it, he's friendly with the Little Faction or the Southerners, but not to the point of being overtly partisan. As a royal by birth, he's someone who naturally keeps his distance from factions.
These days, however, the Office of the Censorate's main issue revolves around Prince Yeocheon Lee Jeung, another royal.
Prince Yeocheon is eighth cousins with King Yeongjo. Like most close royal kin, he's become the mascot of rebellion plots and is suffering for it. It's all that damned Prince Suyang's fault.
Around the time I first took the civil service exam, an anonymous memorial arrived, and he was exiled to Jeju Island. King Yeongjo keeps trying to release him, while the Censorate keeps petitioning against it with futile efforts.
Now you can see why Lee Ikjeong, another royal, was suddenly appointed Grand Censor.
Lee Ikjeong was dispatched as a firefighter to keep the Censorate in check on behalf of the royal house.
Of course, it's not as simple as just sitting back and vetoing decisions.
If his subordinates deliberately freeze him out, in the worst case, memorials could go straight to the king without the Grand Censor even knowing—a unprecedented fiasco.
How could that happen in an organization, you ask?
That's exactly why the scholar-officials' ultimate powerhouse, the Censorate, is gathered together—to pull off such insane stunts.
Especially veterans like Censor Park Chaem, who prides himself (or loves being praised) on his integrity and has been in the Censorate for ages, are hard for even Lee Ikjeong to control.
Gathering intelligence and earning respect are essential.
Naturally, he needed allies from our fresh new faction rather than stubborn old-timers who won't listen.
Me, who couldn't care less about Prince Yeocheon calling himself Pirate King on Jeju or carving stone grandfathers and focused solely on enforcing the alcohol ban, and my brother Kim Wonhaeng, dragged into the mess with me—we caught Lee Ikjeong's eye.
The Grand Censor buttered us up to win us over.
"Censor Kim Unhaeng's method of enforcing His Majesty's alcohol prohibition is worthy of a sage. While every office and underling uses the ban as an excuse to beat people, seize property, and even kill, only the Censorate's enforcers persuade and reform without laying a single hand—and that reputation spreads through the capital. What better enlightenment could there be?"
Even if it's not reported to the king, a word from the Grand Censor carries weight.
So, a reward was in order.
I relayed the lunchtime grumblings of my superiors (our family lunchboxes are so popular I can't eat alone) to him accurately.
Thanks to that, Grand Censor Lee Ikjeong blocked or negotiated several noisy issues before they could annoy the king. The office atmosphere grew warmer by the day.
The Censorate gets dragged to every government event to watch for breaches of etiquette.
Even then, the Grand Censor mainly took me and Kim Wonhaeng along. It's a chance to mingle with high officials, precious for a newbie like me.
On a late May summer day, after one such event, Kim Wonhaeng and I were escorting the Grand Censor home.
King Yeongjo truly worked 'day and night without rest.'
If something occurred to him at two or three in the morning, he'd toss a note: 'Summon the Junior Secretary' or 'Summon the Minister.'
So today was late again. Soon it'd be too dark to wander without lanterns.
Still, we were satisfied at the end of our rewarding labor.
Until Jo Jinhwi's gang suddenly appeared from the Six Ministries street.
About half of the group was on horseback. I recognized three or four faces.
Leading them was Jo Jaeho, ninth cousin to Jo Jinhwi.
The comrade who'd share fate and death with the future Crown Prince Sado.
But he's thriving now. As Jo Jinhwi said last time, he returned from Governor of Pyeongan Province and was just appointed Junior Supervisor of the National Academy on May 2nd—a rank 2 post.
Slightly behind him, flaunting his 'inner circle' status, stood my joint investor Jo Jinhwi, surrounded by six or seven officials and seven or eight servants.
They didn't seem to have any particular aim at us.
Gathering with their clan and making a racket—it looked like a unity rally.
No way they'd gotten drunk less than a month into the alcohol ban.
But my suspicions grew.
Their shouts carried this far; denying they'd drunk would be too bold.
"That Xu Haichao back then claimed to be a pure scholar who wouldn't flatter with his mouth, but mocking the old man left and right shows his factional colors plain enough!"
"In the world? He says turning down a post but taking the Pyeongan governorship reveals greedy intent? Even Jin Hoe or Gwak Gae couldn't stir such division!"
"Our wise Little Lord (Crown Prince) saw through it all to spare him shame, and now calling him to office proves no petty slander can tarnish true justice!"
Lee Ikjeong halted, face troubled.
Their words were factual, technically.
Jo Jaeho resigned from Pyeongan due to Xu Haichao's criticism, and the Crown Prince rejected it.
But airing it like this is off-limits.
What power does the Crown Prince have? Everyone knows it's all by the king's leave, yet they're yelling that 'the Crown Prince protected the Little Faction'—right in the heart of Six Ministries street in Seoul.
That's plenty to interpret as inciting treason against the prince.
Praying for a flogging pronto? Especially with the king and censors at each other's throats over Prince Yeocheon?
Grand Censor Lee Ikjeong made his call.
"Few blessings, many ill omens ahead. Let's avoid it."
I agreed. I was ready to follow the wise Grand Censor's decision.
But then Jo Jinhwi spotted me from across the way.
"Hey, isn't that Dog-Beating Stick Master coming over there?!"
Damn, get lost. No sense at all?
Jo Jinhwi galloped over briskly. We were close enough to recognize faces, so he was in front of me in seconds.
Jo Jinhwi had made two big blunders right now.
First, ignoring a superior whose face he surely knew—Grand Censor Lee Ikjeong—to call me out. Second, daring as a rank 5 to ride right up to the Grand Censor.
Even the leisurely following Junior Supervisor of the National Academy Jo Jaeho couldn't do that in front of him.
Rank 2 or not, the Three Censorates always get higher treatment than their grade warrants. Plenty in Joseon history got burned for arrogantly riding past censors.
Punishment usually means horse confiscation. They seize the servants too—which is a huge insult in Joseon (and inconvenient), often escalating to factional fights.
But we're fresh out of enforcers right now. No way we can. Damn, gotta bring Eoji to the palace now?
Jo Jaeho raised his voice.
"Uncle, don't be so rash! Long time, sir. Forgive the rudeness."
True to his stature, he at least verbally reins him in. But staying mounted himself shows his true colors.
Even the mild Lee Ikjeong's anger showed.
Thanks to the alcohol ban, I could occasionally (not always—sweet rice wine counts as booze) activate Scholar Noh Sukju's Integrity again.
Jo Jaeho's power flickered like a massive bonfire. Surpassing even Seohwa or Hong Daeyong. No reckless fool.
So he must have ulterior motives.
My guess: couldn't show weakness before his followers. The 'Little Faction's resurgence' vibe would fizzle.
Not a dangerous gamble. Little Faction's weak, but not the Pungyang Jo clan.
'What to do?'
I'll crush the Little Faction someday, but not now.
If this shit splashes to the Myeongdang, my censor spot flies regardless of win or loss.
Alcohol ban's barely 10% to goal. No way.
I stepped forward quick.
Kim Wonhaeng grabbed my sleeve, whispering urgently.
"Little brother, no cracking heads again! Opponent's noble Pungyang Jo clan!"
"...Brother, what do you take me for?"
Shaking off Kim Wonhaeng, I stood straight and bellowed.
"Junior Supervisor sir (Jo Jaeho), hope you're well. Seems your scribe's (Jo Jinhwi) saddle's tangled; he can't dismount to save his life!"
I handed them the perfect excuse, yet Jo Jaeho and Jo Jinhwi didn't hop off.
Yeah, knew it. Time to taste this.
Active Skill 'Affinity with the Yi Bloodline'
Horses submit to royal affinity.
To avoid political escalation, humiliate them here.
Shame shuts their mouths; Grand Censor gets his satisfaction without speaking.
Of course, no evidence pointing to me.
Miserable Little Faction scum. I'll dominate you.
Kneel before the Druid King's 'power' and 'skill.'
Thankfully, my animal friends obliged.
Led by Jo Jaeho and Jo Jinhwi, all those arrogant Little Faction horses slowly bent their legs.
"Wh-what the hell?!"
Jo Jinhwi yanked reins in panic. Too late—the horses had surrendered to me.
Inspired by the pony kneeling camel-like at the ranch.
That was courtesy for mounting; this was prostration.
The next day, Jo Jaeho and Jo Jinhwi didn't show for work.
Our Censorate united for the first time in ages.
No matter how much veterans like Censor Park Chaem disdain the Grand Censor, they're still organization mates. They couldn't hide fury at Jo Jaeho's blatant disrespect.
With booze slyly procured from the Office of Scribes (exempt from bans by custom—suicide missions need liquid courage) and simple snacks, we roared with laughter.
"What satisfaction! Heaven's humor in rebuke—no greater example. All those horses kneeling at once? Salt on the ground?"
I dropped pretense too.
"Even beasts recognized the Grand Censor's valor, no?"
"Don't say that. Could fall into the trap of 'scum not even horses respect.'"
Ah, right—current issue's the royal matter. I shut up, realizing my slip.
But the Grand Censor didn't mean it seriously. Amid the lively mood, we wrapped up.
Then he secretly called me.
"Thinking back, you stepping forward to scold Jo Seokbo (Jo Jinhwi) was key. No idea why the horses panicked."
"Overpraise. Why would horses fear human propriety?"
"Haha, true. Anyway, reminded me—didn't your father open Gangnam Daeseong Academy to teach students?"
Right. Officially in Father's name.
No strict ban on civil servants moonlighting, but some Gwak Gae type could frame it as faction-building.
"Yes."
"Studying means passing exams to shine. Heard there's likely a celebratory literary exam soon."
What celebration?
I recalled the polo match with Crown Prince Sado earlier that year.
The prince prepared it under Yeongjo's nose because the Great Royal Dowager Kim's posthumous title kept him busy.
"Posthumous title aside, the Grand Heir's recovery stacks joys. No surprise for an exam. Probably mid-September, post-harvest."
Less than four months. Even SAT prep's emergency mode by then.
"Overwhelmed by your guidance."
I slipped some political funds to the hard-pressed Grand Censor, then crossed the Han on the next day off.
Over four months, Jo Jinhwi got cut from Crown Prince Escort scribe.
No dismissal—just term ended.
Escort or Education Institute posts imply future inner circle, so terms flex sometimes. Not always.
Especially for Jo Jinhwi, who sparked Jo Jaeho's humiliation—strict application inevitable.
So strict, no next post. Straight home.
Not just our side beaten.
May 25th that month, Lee Ikjeong rotated out as Grand Censor (and Yeocheon memorials resumed that day).
Makes sense—the seat's rep was his, not mine.
p>Likely Little Faction deal with Noron brass: cooperate on Yeocheon, Ikjeong steps down.
Means Little Faction and Jo Jaeho wield influence over prince's circle and censorate brass.
Plus fellow Little Faction Lee Ilje restored as Junior Secretary.
Wasn't he sacked for corruption? Joseon really doesn't care.
Jo Jaeho dodged criticism via party line, off to another sweet provincial gig: Gyeongsang Observer.
Prime chance now. Time I build power.
Learned from this.
Noron's stronger than Little, but Noron moderates useless, hardliners risk Yeongjo's ire.
Plus, my Ministry kin and network mostly old. Retirement anytime.
Fast-track Gangnam Daeseong talents to pass, raise young MZ Kim Unhaeng faction. No failure allowed.
Prepped, I told Seohwa:
"Few days to dissolution? If anything while I'm gone, just call Unnyeon. Told her everything."
Seohwa cradled her swollen belly, smiling warmly.
"All heaven's harmony—what to fear? Don't worry for me, go. Today's key to the grand design; no slacking."
Buoyed, I billowed my robe and left.
Target: Changgyeong Palace Chundang Hall.
Gangnam Daeseong isn't your average academy or shrine—just cramming exam-takers.
What'd be the point if a modern founded it?
We aim one-stop pass service: lodging, aftercare, full support.
Thus, our nationwide top martial artists and calligraphers (paid handsomely) cut imposing figures. Skills confirm no duds.
Only Go Bonghwan matches the wall, but with this talent, nitpicks just invite trouble. I settled for comfy test setup.
Before examinees with their party escorts, I paced arms-behind-back instructor-style.
"Today you shed idler status. Pass, and you're proud graduates all."
Not Park Jiwon's transformation, but all eye-catchingly improved.
Hong Daeyong's darkened face gleamed with coals-hot eyes.
Sim Hwanji's pale slender fingers now knobby, bark-rough.
Others too—no trace of initial Han-crossing frailty.
With the king-of-beasts vibe, I drove these empty-handed ones.
"Fail today? Dead! That exam sheet's your life-or-death field. Got it?!"
Students matched my resolve, roaring even vanguard troops aback.
"Yes!"
I snapped my fan shut, pointing ahead.
"Charge! No looking back! Glory lies not behind—only forward!"
"Ooooh!"
Gangnam Daeseong's proud students dove in like old me—overkill style. Vanguard couldn't keep up.
In every sense, this autumn births a new generation.