Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Roast Paeng Mu-wi
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“Now what should we do?”
After escaping the crisis, Hwang Ho asked Yi Hwan this. It was a scene that showed Yi Hwan’s changed status.
So what answer did Yi Hwan give?
“Let me think about it.”
“…….”
* * *
“You made it look like a natural death using poison?”
“That’s right. Even I think it’s airtight, so there’s no way it’ll be discovered.”
“Our lord sure has all sorts of strange talents. But how did you even think of that? It was a real crisis, and you ended it with one shot.”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
“He’s our lord. Of course he has to be that capable.”
Cheol Mu-ok smacked Gong Son-tae on the head and sated his hunger with the freshly made dishes.
Hwang Ho had supplied Yi Hwan’s tent with the finest meats and fish, and the chef had turned them into the best cuisine.
Yi Hwan was eating in his room with Song Hoe.
“The security must have been tight. How on earth did you pull it off?”
“The commander who became my backing turned out to have lower martial prowess than expected. So it wasn’t particularly difficult.”
“So how did you do it? Tell me. I’m dying of curiosity here.”
“Eat your food.”
“…….”
“Be careful not to let anything slip. There might be enemy spies in the camp. More liquor.”
“Yes.”
Glug glug!
After draining his cup, Yi Hwan set down his chopsticks and drank some cold water.
“You’re done already?”
“Eating too much dulls your senses with fullness. Get into the habit of eating just the right amount yourself.”
“Generals eat a lot by nature. They believe strength comes from a full belly like it’s gospel. And running back and forth through these harsh camps empties your stomach in no time.”
“Do as you like.”
Yi Hwan rose from his seat and moved to the next room. The army physician was just finishing up with Cha Jung-kyeong.
“How is he?”
“Fortunately, the medicine worked well, so his internal injuries are mostly healed. The external wounds are the problem. He’ll need to rest and avoid moving for a while.”
Yi Hwan looked down at Cha Jung-kyeong.
Cha Jung-kyeong forced a smile, trying to look fine.
“I’m okay.”
“Calm your temper. And work on your judgment of people. If that opponent had been an enemy, you’d already be dead.”
“Yes.”
“Take good care of him.”
“Yes, Great Prince.”
After instructing the physician, Yi Hwan stepped outside. Song Cheon-mu approached, having just finished his meal.
“Shall I prepare tea?”
“Sounds good.”
Yi Hwan sat in his favorite chair and stared across at the Paeng family’s tent. Smoke was rising thickly from there as they prepared their meal too.
Trust from the warriors is the most important thing.
Recalling Hwang Ho’s words, Yi Hwan subtly furrowed his brow.
‘Paeng Mu-wi’s already lost their trust. Someone else might come instead. Of course, it’d be someone better than Paeng Mu-wi.’
Paeng Mu-wi had made mistakes in several operations already. Of course, yesterday he’d blocked the pursuing enemies and saved many warriors, earning merit. But Cheol Mu-ok and Gong Son-tae’s fierce exploits had overshadowed it.
‘No matter who comes, it’s no use with me here.’
Having decided to help Yi So, he had no intention of half-assing it.
A moment later, Song Cheon-mu brought the tea. Cheol Mu-ok and Gong Son-tae stepped out, having finished eating.
“Deputy General.”
“Yes, Great Prince.”
“From today, increase the training intensity for individuals and the Dragon-Tiger Army alike. Mu-ok will assist you.”
“Understood.”
“Have some tea, everyone.”
“Yes!”
“You got it!”
* * *
Young Ho-chung stared at Yi Hwan’s back through the tent flap, his gaze steady. His eyes lingered on Cheol Mu-ok and Gong Son-tae’s faces without leaving.
He still found the two suspicious.
‘They’re not regular army generals. That means they’re from the martial world… But when did the Great Prince get subordinates like that? They weren’t in the intelligence reports.’
And as suspicious as those two was Yi Hwan himself.
The Yi Hwan he’d experienced here was on another level from the rumors and reports.
He hadn’t properly tested his martial prowess yet, but the personality he’d shown after his subordinates fought was cold—bordering on cruel.
‘The Second Prince doesn’t treat the Great Prince like more than dirt under his nails. But….’
Young Ho-chung had a strong feeling that couldn’t be right. He’d already sent a confidential letter to the Second Prince warning to be cautious of Yi Hwan.
And one more thing.
‘He can never surpass Hwang Ho as Left General. To carry out the higher-ups’ will, someone better has to come.’
He’d written that in the letter too.
‘First, I need to uncover those guys’ identities. If they’re plants from the Crown Prince stuck to the Great Prince, we’ll have to scrap all our plans from the start.’
As Young Ho-chung’s mind grew complicated, his aide entered through the flap.
“The Zhao Kingdom’s Commander is dead. That’s probably why they suddenly withdrew yesterday.”
“What? The Commander’s dead?”
“Yes. I just passed by the command post and overheard the generals talking about it.”
Young Ho-chung furrowed his brow.
“He dies at just the right convenient time.”
“Exactly. If the Zhao Commander hadn’t died, things would’ve gotten really serious.”
“Did you hear the cause of death?”
“I didn’t catch that much.”
“If you didn’t hear, then work to find out.”
“Understood.”
Once the aide left, Young Ho-chung threw on his outer robe and stepped out. Glancing back as he went, he saw Yi Hwan looking their way.
Young Ho-chung quickly averted his gaze without realizing it. Moments later, he sat face-to-face with Paeng Mu-wi.
“How are you feeling?”
“Just a graze, don’t worry.”
In yesterday’s battle, Paeng Mu-wi had suffered a light slash wound. He’d pushed himself too hard to show off his prowess in front of everyone.
But Cheol Mu-ok and Gong Son-tae left too strong an impression, making his efforts pointless. Paeng Mu-wi’s mood was foul as a result.
Young Ho-chung narrowed his eyes, staring at Paeng Mu-wi whose emotions showed plainly on his face.
‘This guy definitely isn’t fit to lead the Southern Legion. So why does the Second Prince see him as Hwang Ho’s replacement?’
That was when it happened.
“General.”
Paeng Mu-wi’s deputy entered.
“What is it?”
“The Great Prince wishes to see you.”
“Again!”
Bang!
The teacup toppled, soaking Young Ho-chung’s robe.
Startled by Paeng Mu-wi’s intense reaction, Young Ho-chung blinked. Not knowing what had transpired, it was a natural response.
‘What’s wrong with this guy?’
* * *
“Did you want to see me?”
“I thought we could have some tea.”
“As I mentioned before, I’ve quit tea.”
“I recall you said your stomach wasn’t well then?”
“I’ve quit completely now.”
“Is that so? Then have a bowl of cold water at least.”
“What did you need me for?”
“Nothing much. I was impressed by your valor yesterday and thought we could chat. Am I interrupting?”
“I am a bit busy.”
“Oh? Well, can’t be helped then. You may go.”
“……!”
“The Left General is busy. Open the door for him.”
* * *
Bang!
The flap burst open roughly.
Young Ho-chung’s eyes went wide as Paeng Mu-wi stormed back before the tea had even cooled.
“Why are you back so soon?”
Bang! Bang!
Paeng Mu-wi didn’t answer and started slamming his fists on the table. Young Ho-chung jumped to his feet.
“General! What’s wrong!”
“That bastard! Great Prince my ass—I’ll kill him no matter what!”
Bang bang bang!
* * *
“Looks like he’s really pissed off.”
“He’s gonna wreck all the furniture.”
Song Cheon-mu and Gong Son-tae gazed leisurely at the Paeng tent while sipping tea.
“Why do you think the Great Prince is grilling Paeng Mu-wi?”
“Who knows? I’m curious too.”
Just then, Yi Hwan’s voice drifted from inside.
“You gonna slack off?”
“No, sir! I was just heading to the training grounds!”
“On my way!”
* * *
Crown Prince’s Palace.
Having recovered enough to walk a bit, Crown Prince Yi So tilted his teacup in the palace’s artificial garden.
Dragon Well tea was his usual favorite.
Clink.
“The Second Prince’s faction has seized the tea market, right?”
“Yes. The Song family has taken quite a hit because of it.”
“Yeah, they would. No matter how strong they are, they can’t beat rivals backed by the Empress and her prince. Poor princess, though.”
“…….”
Yi So let out a quiet sigh and asked something else.
“How’s the Southern Legion faring?”
“General Hwang just sent a letter.”
The general handed Yi So the confidential missive. Yi So opened it immediately.
As he read, his expression brightened, eventually breaking into a smile.
“Good news?”
“The kid pulled off a huge feat.”
“The Great Prince?”
“Yeah. Want to read it?”
Yi So handed the general the letter. The general’s face filled with shock as he checked it.
“I can hardly believe it even after reading. The Great Prince killed the Zhao Commander….”
“I can scarcely believe it myself. Killing the Commander is shocking enough, but what’s more amazing is that he thought of it in that desperate situation.”
“Indeed.”
“Keep this absolutely secret. If it leaks to them, they’ll use it as an excuse to slander us.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“But with the Young Tiger Clan joining the Second Prince’s side, that worries me. I hear their leader has powerful martial arts and a snake-like cunning mind.”
“An even bigger issue is the rumor that Golden Imperial Guards elite agents are heading to the Southern Legion. If they use their intelligence network to aid Paeng Mu-wi, General Hwang could be in trouble. Why not send some of our own intelligence experts?”
“Who do we have capable of that?”
“Send Moon Pavilion. With Moon Lord Go Mi’s abilities, they can handle the Golden Imperial Guards.”
“Moon Pavilion…”
Yi So furrowed his brow, then stood.
“I need to walk a bit.”
Yi So strolled through the garden blooming with exotic flowers and herbs. The general quietly followed.
Yi So walked in silence for a while.
The general simply trailed behind, watching his back.
How much time passed?
Yi So stopped and turned.
“Send Moon Pavilion to the Southern Legion. Tell them to leave today. A small elite team including the Moon Lord would be best.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll relay it right away.”
The general left the garden.
Yi So sat on a rock, exhaled deeply, and muttered.
“Were you really hiding your abilities all this time? If I’d known you had such talent, I wouldn’t have left you there this long.”
Yi Hwan came to mind. A smile spread across his lips.
How can you let yourself be tossed around by mere jackals?
“Yeah, I won’t lose.”
* * *
That evening, Jeong Cheon visited Yi Hwan’s tent.
He handed over the letter from the Crown Prince’s Palace.
Yi Hwan slowly checked the contents. Toward the end, he subtly furrowed his brow.
‘Moon Pavilion is coming?’
That’s what it said clearly. Along with instructions to make good use of them.
“Has General Hwang seen it?”
“No. How could I dare, when it’s addressed to you, Great Prince?”
Yi Hwan finally confirmed it. His own name was written on the silk wrapping the letter, not Hwang Ho’s.
It was a clear sign of his changed status, but Yi Hwan didn’t make much of it.
‘Figures all kinds of things would happen.’
Jeong Cheon asked.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask what it says?”
“Read it.”
Jeong Cheon opened the letter Yi Hwan handed him. His expression hardened as his eyes moved down.
“The Second Prince is even sending Golden Imperial Guards. What can they do on the front lines?”
“If they’re scheming from behind, they need intelligence.”
“Then why send Moon Pavilion instead of East Depot? Aren’t they both subordinate organizations?”
“There must be circumstances. Anyway, Moon Pavilion excels at undercover work, so we have to trust them. Plus, they’re mortal enemies with the Golden Imperial Guards, so they’ll work extra hard.”
Clink.
Yi Hwan set down his teacup and asked something else.
“How’s the Zhao side?”
“Zhao has a custom of holding funerals for high generals above Upper General for ten days. So we should be fine for a while.”
“Don’t let your guard down—they might come at us harder. Those guys are sneaky by nature.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“It’s late. You should go.”
“Then rest well, Great Prince.”
Once Jeong Cheon left, Yi Hwan leaned deep into his chair with a faint smile.
He thought of Go Mi, who had firmly refused his request before, citing public and private matters.
‘This is getting interesting.’