The Sword Mound of Chunggyeong Castle (4)
It was about time for Kwon Jik Daehyeop to finish his audience with His Majesty the Emperor and emerge.
The only reason they could pick a fight with me now was that everyone else was busy with their personal maintenance, and Kwon Jik Daehyeop wasn't present.
The fact that they'd come to hassle me during personal maintenance time—when everyone needed to check their weapons and armor—showed they were fools who'd risen too high for their own good.
As expected, I spotted Kwon Daehyeop coming out, and I deliberately raised my voice.
"Pardon? What do you mean? How could esteemed daehyeops like yourselves volunteer for such grueling labor?"
"Huh?"
The two blinked in confusion at my sudden outburst.
"Even if you want to prove your loyalty, that's going too far!"
As anticipated, Kwon Jik Daehyeop approached with a puzzled look on his face.
"What's going on?"
"Kwon Daehyeop, it's just that..."
Kwon Jik Daehyeop was the overall commander of this mission and held a high rank in the Gold Guard, so those two couldn't treat him lightly.
The Gold Guard was a military organization, after all, with strict chains of command.
"I told you to call me Daeju until this mission ends, didn't I?"
"Yes! My apologies."
"So, what happened?"
"Daeju-nim, it's nothing. No need to concern yourself."
They tried to smooth things over, but I wasn't about to let that happen.
This was just the beginning.
Noticing the commotion, eyes from the others began to turn our way.
I bowed my head with a flustered expression.
"My deepest apologies, Daeju-nim. In my agitation, I ended up shouting."
"All right, what is it?"
"No! These two daehyeops insisted on pulling the carts themselves all the way from here to Chunggyeong Castle instead of riding horses!"
The Gold Guard daehyeops who had picked the fight with me tried to stammer something in panic, but I didn't give them an opening.
"When I asked why, they said their loyalty had grown lax, so they wanted to undertake this hardship to reaffirm it."
"I see."
The laborers around us were from our merchant group.
They were on my side, not theirs.
What had been advantageous for them—sneaking up on me while others were busy—had backfired into an advantage for me.
Kwon Daehyeop—no, Kwon Daeju—looked at the two daehyeops and said,
"I had no idea your loyalty ran so deep. To volunteer for such austerity just to avoid losing it... I'm truly moved."
"Th-that's..."
"Well..."
With such open praise, they couldn't very well deny it, leaving them at a loss.
Then someone spoke from behind.
"If the two of them want it that badly, refusing would be improper, don't you think?"
It was Seo-im Daehyeop.
By my guess, he... no, she was the princess.
But since she was posing as a Gold Guard daehyeop, I'd play along.
Kwon Jik Daehyeop, who knew her true identity, couldn't ignore her words.
"I agree. They'll know best if it's too hard. The very fact they're requesting it means their resolve is firm. So, Eun So-danju, please let them prove their loyalty."
"Sigh, if you put it that way, I have no choice. Understood."
I clasped my hands in a formal salute to the two daehyeops and said,
"Best of luck to Chunggyeong Castle."
"......"
They gaped like fish, stunned by how quickly things had unfolded.
"Time for a pre-departure briefing, everyone—gather up."
Kwon Daeju left first for the meeting, followed by Seo-im Daehyeop.
Once they grasped the situation, the two daehyeops growled at me.
"I won't forget this."
"Get ready."
No one who'd ever told me to "get ready" had ever actually prepared themselves.
Watching their retreating backs, Palgap quietly said,
"It'd be better to douse themselves in oil and jump into a fire than anger the young master."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just that, sir."
Palgap, too...
"I'm not that scary..."
"......"
No response.
"As long as you don't poke me, that is."
"That's true."
- Grunt?
Yeah, you think so too, huh.
I turned to Seo-hyang Sojeo and said,
"You must have been startled. I'm sorry this happened."
"I'm fine. Standing behind you made me feel safe."
"I'm glad I'm someone who reassures you."
I smiled at her words.
Not everyone can like me.
In my previous life, I'd learned that no amount of effort could turn those who hated me into fans.
Just ignore them.
I had my hands full cherishing those who loved and cared for me— no need to waste energy on the rest.
But what if they crossed me and picked a fight?
The answer was simple.
Make it so they can't.
Pulling carts from Beijing to Yunnan was true penance.
By the end, they'd be dead on their feet.
If they still tried to mess with me then, well, I'd respect the effort.
Truth be told, fooling around required spare energy.
.
.
.
.
After a brief meeting, we set off for Chunggyeong Castle.
A hundred of us.
And I wasn't in command of this scouting party.
Which meant I had considerable freedom.
"Huff... huff..."
Riding in my carriage, I peered out the window at the two daehyeops pulling carts in place of horses behind us.
Their names were Jang-gal and Song-cheong.
I'd made a point of learning them in advance, just in case.
Both were at the first-rate level, so pulling carts wasn't impossible, but long distances like this were no joke.
Ah, sweet revenge!
Why did it feel so good?
Some might think I was going too far, but I wasn't a gentleman.
The other laborers didn't pity them either.
They'd watched them insult me up close.
And their usual attitudes weren't great, so their eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.
We'd departed at Mosi (5-7 a.m.) and traveled about three sijin before lunch and rest.
"We depart again in one gak!"
"Yes!"
At those words, the eyes of Jang-gal Daehyeop and Song-cheong Daehyeop, slumped in exhaustion, wavered.
Just three sijin in, and the road ahead must have looked endless.
So why pick a fight with me of all people...
But I couldn't let my heart soften at the sight.
I'd dealt with their type plenty of times before.
At this stage, they'd be filled with nothing but resentment and hatred.
You had to break them thoroughly enough that such thoughts never resurfaced.
With this setup, it would take nearly a month to reach Chunggyeong Castle in Yunnan Province.
It was a massive group, and not everyone was on horseback, so it couldn't be helped.
Plus, we had to haul supplies by cart.
That's why I was allowed to ride in a carriage—to manage supplies en route and prepare resupplies.
Before long, we neared Hubei Province.
Home to our Eunhae Merchant Group's headquarters, and the midpoint of our journey.
The climate would change dramatically from here on.
So we'd planned to store our fur garments here before proceeding.
I'd sent a letter to Father in advance.
"Your humble son Eun Gil-sang, greeting Daeju-nim and the daehyeops."
Father himself came out to welcome our party upon receiving word.
"I am Kwon Jik, Daeju of the scouting party. Thank you for your warm hospitality, Sangdanju-nim."
"It's the least we can do for those handling the nation's great affairs. Please, come inside."
Vice Officer Im Man guided Kwon Daeju and the scouting party to the guest hall.
"It's been a while."
"Yes, Father."
Seo-hyang Sojeo removed her veil and bowed.
"This girl greets Sangdanju-nim."
"No."
"Pardon?"
"Call me Father now, my new daughter."
At Father's words, Seo-hyang Sojeo's cheeks flushed red.
"Yes, Father."
That meant things had gone well on the Guizhou trip.
I headed to my pavilion with the group.
A banquet to honor the scouting party was planned for evening, and I couldn't skip it.
Much as I'd love to bow out and crash.
After washing up and changing, I paid respects to the family.
Then, with Seo-hyang Sojeo, I went to Father.
We couldn't linger long here, so best to hurry.
"Father, we're here."
"Come in."
Seo-hyang Sojeo and I entered Father's study. He offered us seats and poured tea.
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Father."
"Ha ha! Music to my ears."
Father chuckled heartily and sipped his tea.
Probably organizing his thoughts.
Tap.
"Autumn would be ideal for the date."
"Autumn sounds good to me. What about you, Vice Officer Gwak?"
"I like it too."
"Your mother will handle the preparations, so tell her directly if there's anything you want."
"Yes, understood."
Since I was busy, Mother must have stepped in personally.
"I'll write to Captain Gwak Myeong-hyeon myself to ask him to serve as the bride's side attendant."
"Thank you."
"Give me a list for anyone else you want to invite specially, and handle personal deliveries yourself if needed."
"Yes, there are some."
"Good, you take care of those."
With the wedding discussion wrapped, we moved to other matters.
Father had already consulted with the Guizhou Provincial Governor, so there wasn't much left to debate.
"First, Father—His Majesty has designated our Eunhae Merchant Group as the scouting party's supply provider..."
I explained the rough circumstances, potential profits, and benefits.
"That's fair enough. But you're not going into the sword mound yourself, right?"
"Pardon?"
"The sword mound is dangerous."
"I know."
But Father, I have no choice but to enter, knowing full well the risks.
For my revenge, and for our merchant group's future.
"Father, I'll take care. No need to worry."
"You're not promising to stay out of it, I notice."
"I can protect myself."
"Sigh, how can I argue with your stubbornness? Nothing surprises me anymore."
"Hahaha."
Why did Father's words prick my conscience so sharply?
"Word came from the Luoyang branch. The physician you summoned diagnosed the branch chief and is treating him."
"Yes, that's right."
"They interrogated the doctor who hid the illness, got a confession, and sent thanks for resolving it thanks to you."
"I'm embarrassed."
"I'm grateful too. It could have blown up without you."
"The branch chief was fated to live."
"Yeah, yeah, let's leave it at that. Got it."
My talk with Father dragged on. There were plenty of other things to discuss.
Afterward, I headed to the banquet hall.
With a hundred guests, it was set outdoors.
A bit chilly, but not enough to ruin the mood.
"Thank you for hosting this banquet."
"No need for thanks. We hope it gives you serving the nation a little strength. Enjoy yourselves."
Father said to the musicians,
"Let the music play."
"Yes."
Lively tunes filled the air, and people began eating.
The alcohol ban hadn't lifted, but the atmosphere was decent enough.
A rare chance to relax and refuel with good food.
I chuckled inwardly.
Because right in front of me, Jang-gal Daehyeop and Song-cheong Daehyeop were dozing off, chopsticks in hand, heads nodding.
"That's why you don't mess with him. Tsk tsk."
I feigned ignorance at Kwon Jik Daeju's words from beside me.
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"No need to play coy. I heard from the others already. Those fools picked a fight with you and insulted your future wife."
"......"
"Let me apologize on their behalf."
Couldn't pretend anymore after that.
"No need."
I shook my head gently and replied,
"Everyone pays for their own mistakes. They're adults, not children. They must take responsibility for their actions."
"......"
"But what I did was for their own good too. They did it during personal time. Leaving them be would tarnish the Gold Guard's name."
I continued,
"I've received much grace from the Gold Guard. So, overstepping as I did, I couldn't stand by. That's why I had them pull the carts—to serve as personal training. On the return trip, adding more load would amplify the effect."
Kwon Jik Daeju looked moved.
"How can a person be so upright? Seonhyeopmirang is no empty title—I see it now. Even while insulted, you thought of the Gold Guard!"
I scratched the back of my neck.
I'd just wanted to mess with them, but I'd talked too much. Damn my mouth.