The Worst Enemy
Part 24: The Worst Enemy
Luoyang Sword House, the Inner Court.
A pavilion set within the inner garden.
"Would you care for another cup of cold tea?"
Even to the question from the Inner Court's Master of Ceremonies, the Third Young Master's faction—and within that faction, its foremost figure, Elder Namgung Hyeok-cheon—remained stubbornly silent, his expression unusually hard.
In his place, one of Namgung Hyeok-cheon's close attendant elders simply waved a hand.
"That will not be necessary."
And with that, they all sealed their lips tight.
Ordinarily, men like them would at least have stolen glances at the graceful, beautiful maids of the Inner Court as they came and went. But with defeat all but sealed, the mood of those who had left the Elder Council Hall early—led by Elder Namgung—was foul beyond measure.
Yeon So-hyeon.
In the Elder Council Hall, which had been as good as their own domain, they had allowed the Eldest Young Master to land a sudden, unexpected blow.
That little brat…
To men in their present state, the underlings around them barely registered at all.
"I am truly sorry to have kept you waiting so long."
The Master of Ceremonies struck a posture of measured, impeccable courtesy—but the elders were hardly so dull as to miss that the apology was purely formal.
"Never mind. It is our own fault for arriving unannounced."
One of Namgung Hyeok-cheon's attendant elders tried, almost casually, to remind her that they were elders of the house. It did no good.
"If you would wait just a little longer, it will be fine."
Sixth Rank. That is to say, an elderly woman with six golden tassels hanging at her waist. The Master of Ceremonies did not even pretend to be overawed. An ugly look flickered across the elders' faces.
"…It's hot."
"It is summer, after all."
Unlike when she had received the Eldest Young Master, the elderly Master of Ceremonies answered with an expression that fairly radiated cold.
"Tsk, tsk."
"It would seem the Inner Court is rather remiss in its summer garden maintenance."
"Perhaps it would help to sprinkle water every hour?"
"We just did."
No matter how the foul-tempered elders tried to needle her with their displeasure, not so much as a pinprick landed on the old woman. Pressing further would only leave them worse off—that much was as clear as day.
"Enough."
One elder cut into the wasteful exchange.
"Bring more of that cold tea you mentioned earlier."
"Very well."
The moment the old woman vanished, the attendant elders all clicked their tongues inwardly and watched Namgung Hyeok-cheon's face for cues.
Namgung Hyeok-cheon. Direct blood of the Namgung Clan, and at the same time an elder of the Luoyang Sword House. Greatest backer of the Third Young Master, and the giant of political circles who headed the vast faction that supported him. Even across the whole of Zhongyuan, he was a power-holder who could be counted on one hand.
"My, my, Elders…"
And yet—
To the uppermost ranks of the Inner Court, who were as good as the hands and feet of the Luoyang Sword House's family head, that counted for little.
"…I am sorry."
The Master of Ceremonies returned and spoke with a face that did not look particularly sorry at all.
"The day is so hot that, well—it seems the cold tea has run out."
With that, the old woman made an elegant gesture toward the Inner Court maids who had come with her.
"It is a poor substitute, I admit."
A kindly smile creased her wrinkled face.
"But some precious tea leaves have newly arrived from Yunnan. Please enjoy these instead."
Tea cups were set before the elders. When the maids lifted the lids, steam billowed up in thick clouds.
These were not ordinary men. Elders of the Luoyang Sword House could hardly fail to read the blatant message in the act.
"Master of Ceremonies…!"
"How dare you…!"
As the elders, fury rising to the heavens, shot to their feet—
"Enough."
Namgung Hyeok-cheon's heavy voice rolled through the company.
"But, Elder Namgung…"
One of his attendant elders, struggling to master his rage, looked at him with an expression of pure grievance. Namgung Hyeok-cheon rose from his seat.
"It seems their business over there is finished."
Following his gaze, the attendant elders looked far across the grounds—and there stood the Medicine King, finished with his work and ready to leave, and the man Namgung Hyeok-cheon and his attendants had been waiting for: the old monster of the Luoyang Sword House, the Chief of the Inner Court.
"I'll stop by again later this evening."
"Then I shall count on you again at that time, Elder Medicine King."
"…Ahem, ahem."
One elder roughly brushed off his sleeves, straightened his appearance, and cleared his throat.
"Well then. Shall we go in?"
"I am sorry, but…"
The Master of Ceremonies stepped squarely into their path.
"What now?"
"What else is there?"
To their curt questions, the woman blocking their way answered in a firm tone.
"The only one the Chief said he would meet is Elder Namgung, here."
Before the agitated attendant elders could open their mouths, Namgung Hyeok-cheon stepped forward.
"Lead the way."
The Chief of the Inner Court's office.
Snip, snip.
The Chief of the Inner Court, black-obsidian shears in his wrinkled hands, carefully pruned a potted tree as he spoke.
"I heard there was quite an uproar at the Elder Council Hall today."
The old man spoke as if to himself, never so much as glancing at Namgung Hyeok-cheon, who sat in silence behind him.
"Left the Elder Council Hall before the results were even out, I hear."
Snip, snip.
"No thought of cleaning up the mess—and you still have leisure to go wandering about outside."
Even under the cutting words, Namgung Hyeok-cheon's expression did not change. He even took a deliberate sip of the scalding tea set before him before he finally opened his mouth.
"…Did you know, Chief?"
"Know what?"
Snip, snip.
As the sound of the shears rang out, Namgung Hyeok-cheon asked again.
"That the Eldest Young Master would shake the Elder Council Hall to its foundations."
Setting the teacup down a little roughly, Namgung Hyeok-cheon fixed a sharp stare on the old man's bent back.
"If we assume you already knew his design, Chief—"
His voice grew heavier still.
"—then it also explains why you never so much as showed your face at the Elder Council Hall today."
The snipping stopped for a moment.
"…I did not know."
"Then why—"
The Chief of the Inner Court cut off the question Namgung Hyeok-cheon was about to press.
"But I did hear that the Eldest Young Master, after visiting the Sword House Bank, was heading for the Elder Council Hall."
Snip, snip.
The Chief's voice and the shears resumed together.
"This old man happens not to have a hobby of savoring defeat. So instead of going to the Elder Council Hall, I simply chose to deal with more pressing work."
"That means…"
Namgung Hyeok-cheon's half-white brows twitched.
"You mean that the moment the Eldest Young Master set foot in the Elder Council Hall, you already knew we would lose?"
The shears stopped, and the sound of the Chief clicking his tongue drifted over.
"After watching the Second Young Master's side take such a thrashing—and after taking such a thrashing yourselves today in the Elder Council Hall that was as good as your own domain…"
The Chief of the Inner Court turned his head and looked at Namgung Hyeok-cheon.
"Do you still not understand the Eldest Young Master?"
Namgung Hyeok-cheon answered at once.
"That the Eldest Young Master's wisdom is not undeserving of the name 'divine calculation'—even I now know that much."
The Chief asked again.
"Are you aware that the Eldest Young Master's faction officially revealed itself the moment you left the Elder Council Hall?"
"I have been fully briefed. However."
After conceding the point without delay, Namgung Hyeok-cheon shook his head.
"Even so—most of them are newcomers, or people who were already drifting on the margins of the Elder Council Hall."
Recalling the list, he continued.
"Aside from the Deputy Hall Master and Elder Yeom, looking over their faces, there was no one particularly formidable."
On the basis of the additional intelligence he had gathered in that short time, and his own judgment, he diagnosed the situation with cold precision.
"Idealists willing to throw their whole lives into screaming for reform in our Elder Council Hall—do you think they make up as much as thirty percent?"
A sneer touched his face.
"Hardly likely, is it?"
"…That much is true."
On that point at least, the Chief of the Inner Court also agreed. If such people had truly made up thirty percent, the Luoyang Sword House would never have fallen into such ruin.
"But."
The Chief of the Inner Court set down his shears as he spoke.
"Elder Namgung. No matter how much of a ragtag lot they may be, their votes are still votes—one each, the same as ours."
"It does not matter."
To that probing tone, Namgung Hyeok-cheon answered with steel.
"Aside from a handful of idealists, the rest are men hoping to snatch whatever crumbs fall from the Eldest Young Master's table and escape their own cold-rice status. Therefore…"
He lifted a callused hand and drew a line through the air.
"Once they realize that from the Eldest Young Master they will get not even crumbs, let alone scraps—"
The Chief of the Inner Court finished for him.
"—every last one of them will fall away?"
"Exactly."
As Namgung Hyeok-cheon gave a firm nod, the Chief of the Inner Court opened his mouth again and restated the man's words.
"In any case, what the Eldest Young Master can offer them right now is not the present, but only a sweet promise of the future."
The Chief drank the cold tea set before him and continued.
"So all that is needed is to make them realize that promise is nothing but an illusion?"
"Yes."
"And so you propose that this old man join forces with you, and together we tighten the noose around the Eldest Young Master's throat?"
"Precisely."
A brief silence fell.
"…Heh. Heh-heh."
"Chief…?"
"Hahaha."
As the Chief of the Inner Court shook with laughter, Namgung Hyeok-cheon showed open confusion for the first time.
"Look at this."
Instead of answering at once, the Chief of the Inner Court drew out a document and laid it on the table.
"This is…"
After a moment spent examining the papers, Namgung Hyeok-cheon looked up at the Chief with a face that did not understand.
"Is this not the list of elders in the Eldest Young Master's faction? It is the same list I secured."
The Chief of the Inner Court ran a long finger down the document.
"These men, as you know, are elders based in Yunnan Province."
"Yes, but what of it—"
The Chief cut him off and gave the answer.
"I am told the Eldest Young Master has already arranged for them to take part in the enterprises of the Dali Duan Clan, the overlords of Yunnan."
"Not crumbs—he has shoved the whole cake into their mouths."
"How—?"
"And it is not only them."
A hand creased with wrinkles pointed down the lists one after another.
"Starting from Yunnan, through Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, all the way to Shanghai."
Lifting his eyes to meet Namgung Hyeok-cheon's, the Chief of the Inner Court's gaze gleamed with a chilling light.
"I am told the Eldest Young Master has already given ample profit to every one of his elders based in these regions."
Some of the regions the Chief had named even lay within the territory of Sa-pae-cheon. For the Eldest Young Master, who had only just ended his seclusion, was such a thing even possible?
"From what I hear, it seems connected to Sword House Construction as well. Even this old man does not yet have the full particulars."
"Sword House Construction…?"
Unable to hide his dismay, Namgung Hyeok-cheon shook his head and hastily pointed to the remainder of the list.
"Th-then these ones are still left, are they not? These are men based in Luoyang or the Imperial Capital—"
"I hear the Eldest Young Master has taken hold of the authority to decide the next Magistrate of Luoyang."
"And in the Imperial Capital, I am told he has already secured more business for them than they can handle."
For a moment, Namgung Hyeok-cheon was struck speechless. The Chief of the Inner Court counted the points off on his fingers, one by one.
"Yunnan, and the broad Jiangnan region. Sword House Construction. The authority to decide the next Magistrate of Luoyang. And the Imperial Capital."
Looking straight into Namgung Hyeok-cheon's eyes, the Chief of the Inner Court pressed him hard.
"Do you still not see it?"
What single thread ran through every one of those matters?
For a moment, Namgung Hyeok-cheon's pupils trembled as if in an earthquake—then stilled.
"…Surely not. The Yangtze waterway expansion and maintenance project?"
He had understood.
"No—no! That cannot be."
But he immediately shook his head in denial.
"To scatter interests on this scale, simply acting as mediator of the project would not be enough!"
"Indeed."
"Then that means, surely…?!"
Faced with the absurd conclusion that could not help but follow—
"…Surely not."
The wrinkles at the corners of Namgung Hyeok-cheon's eyes trembled of their own accord.
"In that project, it was not that the Emperor stood behind the Eldest Young Master—"
"—but that the Eldest Young Master stood behind the Emperor."
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Namgung Hyeok-cheon's mind, yet not a single one could be ordered into words that left his mouth.
Turning his gaze from the man's eyes, full of confusion, the Chief of the Inner Court slowly leaned back against his chair and abruptly changed the subject.
"You people of the Third Young Master's faction—your real aim is the Yongbong-jihoe in the autumn, is it not?"
"…I do not know what you mean."
Even in that bewildering moment, Namgung Hyeok-cheon hid his true thoughts. To such a man, the Chief of the Inner Court spoke as if he already knew everything.
"I heard that not long ago, the Third Young Master broke through the wall and reached a new realm."
Namgung Hyeok-cheon chose silence rather than an answer.
"A Go-su at a mere sixteen years of age. Even the Second Young Lady, Cheonui Mubong, whose genius was so widely famed, never managed that."
The Chief of the Inner Court continued at a measured pace.
"If he had made his first showing at the autumn Yongbong-jihoe, there is no doubt it would have been a shock that shook not only our house, but the whole of Zhongyuan."
"But…"
Looking at Namgung Hyeok-cheon, whose lips were pressed into a hard, straight line, the Chief of the Inner Court asked,
"Judging by the level of wariness you people hold toward the Eldest Young Master, and the degree of preparation you have made against him…"
A glint of mockery passed through the old man's deep eyes.
"It looks as though you will not even last until autumn."
The old man clicked his tongue softly.
Crunch.
Sparks leapt in the eyes of Namgung Hyeok-cheon as he ground his teeth.
"Even now—"
"In the time it takes you to say those words, you people have already fallen another step behind."
The Chief of the Inner Court handed Namgung Hyeok-cheon a note he had received just before this meeting.
"A short while ago, I am told the Eldest Young Master demonstrated the family head's supreme technique, Severing Life, in the Elder Council Hall."
"……"
How could a man of direct Namgung blood fail to know that nightmare of a form?
"The family head's secret martial art—a secret among secrets that not a single master of our house has ever managed to reproduce."
Looking into Namgung Hyeok-cheon's eyes, stretched wide as if they might tear, the Chief of the Inner Court drove the spike home.
"It would seem the shock the Third Young Master was meant to create this autumn has already been claimed by the Eldest Young Master."