Chapter 86
Chapter 86
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Operation: Cuckoo Hunt (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With no proper restraints on hand, I had Eoji pin down the inspector's shoulders from behind.
How did I know he was the inspector? The bandages wrapped tightly around his head.
Probably the guy who'd taken a pottery to the face back then. Couldn't be certain in the dark, but his face rang a bell.
Aren't these idiots? Spy rule number one: don't stand out. A pretty boy like James Bond? Instant disqualification.
I kindly explained the price a failed spy had to pay.
"Shout or try to run, and in one breath, your jaw will swap with your forehead—and your forehead with your jaw."
The inspector nodded frantically.
I easily pried out that he was Kang Deuk-hae, Eastern Palace inspector; that he actually served Mun Seongguk; and that he'd come tailing me on his orders.
Tailing an upright man like Kim Unhaeng for a hundred days straight? You'd dig up nothing. Like hunting for tactical flaws in Yi Sun-sin.
Hm. Though Bai Qi and Yi Mok weren't executed for their crimes.
Crimes are whatever you make them, so slimy traitors like Jin Hui or Guo Kai demand constant vigilance.
Putting a tail on me the very day I met the Crown Prince? Lady Mun moves fast.
But that was her fatal slip. I had zero leads on where to even start hunting her cuckoo egg. Perfect timing—a clue waltzed right in.
I grilled him on the boy she'd bought or the wet nurse's location.
I've raised I Hwan myself; anyone can tell a newborn from a four-month-old.
So Lady Mun likely rounded up three pregnant women instead of a fresh baby.
That's what I'd do. And women know babies better than I ever could.
But Kang Deuk-hae had a baseline of brains. He denied it flat-out.
"S-such a vile crime? Never heard such rot."
This was going to take time.
"Eoji. Back of the head, once."
Thwack! A hearty Eoji-style crack, and Kang Deuk-hae's head lolled forward.
Plan was to quiet him, drag him to the Inwangsan Shaman Safety Planning Department, and chat leisurely. Tough sealing every servant's lips at home. One more reason for the Anki-bu name.
But Kang lifted his head right away and protested.
"What is this outrage?"
Odd. Comics always had them conking out.
"Again."
Thwack!
"Such impudence..."
Thwack!
"We're all on the payroll as minor officials—how can you..."
Thwack! Crack! This time, Eoji and I both landed one.
Me, same as you? Passed the exams? Noble blood? Who do you think you are?
"F-fine, I'll talk. Stop."
His thoughts were transparent, so I cut ahead.
"No spouting nonsense and slinking off. Not till black-and-white's crystal clear."
"How dare you hold an official captive on private whim!"
"As you just said, you're Eastern Palace inspector. Report to the Crown Prince, beg him to 'send' you to me—think you'd defy that order?"
"Nonsense. Whatever the Crown Prince says, the rear palace tells Grand Heir, he commands, and I'm..."
Kang cut himself off mid-rebuttal.
Smarter than he looked.
He was right.
On Eastern Palace staffing? Lady Mun might as well puppet Yeongjo herself.
Crown Prince told me: Crown Princess picked one maid for help on her own—got reamed by the King.
Maid was daughter of Kim Su-wan, Ajeongseo poisoner (text censors), Mun Seongguk's pal.
Maids' fates suck anyway; Sado's? Worse.
Desperate Kim Su-wan begged Mun-ssi through Mun Seongguk; she tearfully wailed to Yeongjo about the 'Crown Prince who kills casually' dragging off the censor's girl by force.
If a nobody maid's that thorny? Much less moving an official inspector on Crown Prince whim. Could've? He'd have purged spies ages ago.
So why halt his brag?
Sure, Crown Prince can't cut jobs.
But necks? Fair game.
His mad act sells 'cause he's pulled real madness before.
Not all theater; the crazy's dialed back, not gone.
Key question.
Dropping Dad's phone by accident... vs. pocketing and fencing it. Bigger sin?
I rat him as spy? Crown Prince "accidentally" drops him easy. Mun Seongguk? Maybe safe. Kang, one hop away? Disposable phone.
Mun-ssi backing him? Useless post-mortem. Yeongjo's scolding? Too late.
Cornered Crown Prince? Lashes out either way—kills a spy or two for vent. Spies are infiltration cannon fodder.
Backing only stretches so far.
My catch? He's toast.
What now?
Simple.
Old phone survives smash? One path: trade-up sale.
I dangled reverse flea-market terms; he bit gladly.
Lady Mun pays for dumping unformatted data anywhere.
Slipped in a backdoor app, sent him packing.
Ever the shrewd current-rider, as he rated himself, Kang Deuk-hae weighed options.
Unproven maybe-son from a non-consort maid? Vs. proven, stable firstborn of a true consort.
Not 'cause Kim Unhaeng enlightened him. Classics, history: loyalists back the eldest. Elder-youth hierarchy's ironclad.
Back he went, face intact, to Mun Seongguk.
"Kim Chunsik's reasonable. Even offered help."
Mun Seongguk couldn't buy it.
"For real?"
"Yes. Tip him the kid-smuggle day; he'll lure Crown Prince off, blind the eyes. Buddies with Hanseong Governor Park Mun-su—rig an excuse for smooth gate pass. Wants firm payout, though."
"Too easy. Lie vibes?"
Fair doubt. Fair enough Kim Unhaeng foresaw it.
Spyware kicked into gear.
"Seen his debauchery point-blank—no wonder the disgust. And between us? Kim Chunsik's robes and hat-deep; inside, market scum times ten. Dangle gain, he bites."
Mun Seongguk had to nod.
Yeah. Kim Chunsik? Totally.
Capital's Kim Unhaeng: rising star.
Crime-den Hanseong's Kim Chunsik? Different beast.
Cops, thugs: "Never met greedier viper." Old underworld-tied Mun Seongguk knew the rep cold, bought it.
Lady Mun heard secondhand; skimped the street cred but nodded her way.
"Cunning current-reader? Of course he flips to us. No sweat. Noron spawn, right?"
Noron-Crown Prince bad blood likely.
Mun Seongguk marveled at his sister's foresight. Nation-mother caliber guts, eyes.
Sibling bliss? Short-lived.
Yeongjo 28th year, late twelfth month: capital buzzed with grisly rumor. Spreading unnaturally swift.
"Princess Hwahaek's death? Someone's curse!"
This Joseon: psychic awakening age. Precedents—Hyojang Crown Prince, Princess Hwasun cursed.
Charred rats under her wall? Ironclad.
Not probe fallout; stray dogs mobbed, sniffed roast, unearthed. Hanseongbu, Podocheong info clamps? Futile.
Rats echoed Jungjong Jaksawa; scale worlds apart.
Twenty found—her exact age—all northeast-buried.
Northeast: Chuksi hour. Gyechuk birth year. Brazen bullseye.
Precedents yanking eyes to Eastern Palace.
Royal curses hit siblings before. Crown Prince unscathed?
Scathed would've dashed dark citizen hopes. Eastern Palace obliged: eighteen rats, southeast (Myo-si direction; Crown Prince Eulmyo year).
Yi Geum reeled.
Not throne worry.
Wished curse gut-punched Crown Prince dead—if doable.
But Kim Unhaeng nailed it: character popped, not smarts.
He fretted curse myth puppeteering fools' fallout.
Legally loose; Hyojang/Hwasun curser? Near-cert Soron stragglers, Yi Injwa rebellion extras.
Noron swarmed like hornets.
"Past fiends snared? Mere trash. Chiefs? Untouchable even if willed. Grace repaid with unspeakables? Clan-wipe mandatory."
Innocent Soron screamed frame. Chief Councillor Yi Jongseong bolted capital again.
Yi Geum? No letter leisure. Noron right hook, left incoming.
"Rabble drags Jungjong Jaksawa, fingers Changgyeong Palace suspicion. Govern demands: clarify origins."
Jungjong Jaksawa: heir-mom spat.
Hint crystal: Changgyeong's Goseonheon—Lady Mun's pad. Prime gainer from dead Crown Prince? Her "boy-bun" brag.
Even girl? Top-favored consort, best next-pregnancy odds. Motive screams.
Yi Geum: pick one.
Actual rat-burier? Moot.
Podocheong busting guts: zero culprit.
Jaksawa morons used help; Kim solo, no servants. Dynasty annals' forensics? Stymied.
Culprit call? Politics turf now. Ditch Soron or Lady Mun?
Tangpyeong full? Soron stays.
Lady Mun dump? Pride snaps pre-love. Invader demanding wife?
Dilemma brewed fury.
Thus Right Councillor Kim Sang-ro's routine early-second report twisted negative.
"Queen's Palace sixtieth nears. Fitting bow rite; submitted Crown Prince rite draft."
Yi Geum loathed Queen Seo. Record queen, zero heirs.
Modern whys? Guesses. Hate? Irrational.
Now plus: Inner Palace (Queen Dowager lead) jealous-torments Lady Mun; Queen culpable (Lady Mun's Yeongbin defiance? Convenient blank).
Yi Geum blew.
"Heir days, skipped Queen Dowager Kim's birthday bow. Crown Prince why? Flog the submitting eunuch. Guanjeongrye—absent rite (him, me)—no more."
Kim Sang-ro foresaw ugly; hated duo.
Overkill.
They: post-Queen Dowager/King elite. King disses rank? Own pedestal crumbles.
Queen no birth-mom, but legal. Crown Prince unfilial; Queen humiliated.
No cake-smeared sobs, but buzz equivalent.
Yi Geum: basement-under-basement guy.
"Block future similars, whoever asks."
Translation: Crown Prince 'docs' skips (legal) mom's birthday bash next year on.
Kim pondered king's glitch; recalled baseline crazy. I'm aging.
Sane pushback.
"Crown Prince grievously slighted."
"Impossible. Writing now—relay to underlings."
Audience end-try.
Curse-irks + tactless crew?
Moment struck.
Curse + Queen sixtieth linked; conspiracy bulb flared.
"Hold. They rigged this?"
Jaksawa witch-frame Kyeongbin Park? Contemporaries knew raw deal. Hubby Jungjong politi-burned/silenced.
Yeongjo revived her; pardons galore (Kim Jongseo too)—early Joseon cleaved from late.
Yi Geum overlay favored Lady Mun on Kyeongbin? Natural.
"Queen Dowager, Queen—maybe Crown Prince too—frame Lady Mun?"
Palace rats? Irrelevant; smart Crown Prince scoffs superstition.
Noron pact possible. Rootless Lady Mun irks them too.
Bonus: Soron-bash, mentally frail Yi Jongseong quits. Fled again, no?
No proof. Noron/Inner vise grip? Real.
Yi Geum ground teeth.
"Wrong guy. Think I'd fold?"
Game hell: Gyeongjong face-double-curses, daily Soron blade dread. Now? Kid stuff.
Blasted every crisis frontal.
Will again.
Thus move jaw-dropping all: Queen's birthday—twelfth first-eight—Seonhwamun abdication declare.
Author's Notes
1. Yeongjo raging at Sado over picking censor-poisoner Kim Su-wan's daughter maid sans perm? True—but years post-scene.
2. Real history: no Kim Unhaeng curse, no pinch—Yeongjo still hates Queen/Crown Prince, pulls exact stunts. Queen sixtieth Kim Sang-ro chat? Verbatim real.
Abdication political/motived, sure—but birthday-timed (Dec 7 precise; overnight diff, scene same-day)? Pettiness incarnate.
3. Lady Mun cuckoo ploy? Jeongjo execution year decree spells it: "smuggle kid" straight.
Jeongjo dad-revenge obsessed whole reign—fabricated? Real? Murky.
Truth elusive; his "all knew" + wild tale spawn suggests capital buzz fact. Scene treats actual.
Wild histories: Yi Jongseong genius-foils. But publicized? Lady Mun survives to Jeongjo? Nah—Yi meddle at best dubious canon.