Chapter 3 – 催Urge
Part 1
Unedited
1
The day began before he was ready to wake. Heun’s eyes opened as he lay on the crowded bare floor where there wasn’t enough room to fully extend his legs. His back was pressed down on the cold moist ground that sucked the heat from his body and eroded his spine.
“… …”
The space allotted to each slave was so minuscule that it was impossible to fully extend any of his limbs at night. He could barely move his legs, and stretching them was impossible.
Even if he was a little greedy and stretched, his toes would just press against the person lying at his feet. So instead of stretching, he curled himself up tight and tried to bear the chill that went straight into his bones.
The seasons were strange here. At night it was beyond freezing cold, and during the day the heat was so sweltering, and the scorching sun sucked the moisture right out of you. Every day, at least one person died, but often it was as many as three. On unlucky days there were so many that died, that one couldn’t even keep track of the number.
Considering the constant unbearable hunger, one would think starvation was the biggest killer, but surprisingly, most people froze to death. Other than that, people were beaten to death by the overseer in the labor yard, or by violence from fighting over such things as a rotting worn-out blanket.
Heun had been here for several months already. He was too thin when he arrived and was even more emaciated now. His hair was so brittle it crumbled in his hands, and what was left was wild and covered his face. It had been a long time since he had lost the color in his lips. Even now when his lips are exposed through his hair, the skin was chapped and torn. His hands which had been confined and could only be used to turn the pages of books were calloused through and scared with wounds. After finally being freed from his shackles, the wounds on his ankles that were never treated turned black, but now pus no longer flowed from them.
As he looked down at his deteriorating body which was getting worse by the day, Heun quietly smiled to himself. He finally felt at ease now the repairs to Taehwamun’s main gate, which is the southern Gate of Taewoongseong Palace, were completed. Now the labor camp has been moved to the South Gate to tidy it, and the canals up.
It was so far away from the Emperor, that when Heun lifted his head he could smell the sting of the slums in his nostrils. It was a place the Emperor would never visit in his whole lifetime. It would take six to seven years to complete the construction, and his life would end long before that!
He was happy to see his body getting thinner day by day. Soon summer would come, and instead of freezing to death, the people would die from the heat. He would be satisfied with that death too.
His soul would finally be freed from this hell. All his memories would finally be washed away in the Bardo, whatever was left of him would be buried deep in the abyss of nothingness, never to awaken again. Soon he would experience an eternal extinction. It was almost at his fingertips! He was so happy just thinking about it!
When Heun learned the current Emperor derived his name from the original Emperor, Ja-Horyung, he lost his mind in a fever for three days and nights. He knew this was the time for all this to die with him.
Bong-!
The shattering sound of a gong nearly burst their eardrums. It was the sound of the beginning of the morning at the labor camp.
“Get up!”
Soldiers with spears walked around the pit where slaves were sleeping, poking those who were too slow. The same scene was repeated each morning. There were the sounds of screaming and moaning, the piercing sun at dawn, and the unshakable exhaustion leftover from the day before.
“Wake up, you slugs! So when are you going to finish the work?”
In fact, breakfast was organized in such a short time that there was no need for cleaning up. Then, the slaves stood in a line and moved to the construction site not far away, all before sunrise.
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2
The breath under his nose had frozen, causing frost and ice to form on his upper lip. The ground at the construction site had been frozen overnight. There were dozens of mounds and frost tombs scattered all around, it was unnerving to see. As the slaves lined up to enter the construction site and filled the gaps, the construction site itself looked like a giant anthill.
“Let’s go to our designated spots! Those who change jobs will have their legs cut off, and will be thrown into the canal! The same goes for lazy people! Those who eat the precious rice that Your Majesty gives you must work hard!”
The overseer, who was in charge of the general supervision of the labor slaves, was unusually alert in the morning. Unlike most of the other officials who are only good at commanding others while having no interest in practical work, this high-ranking officer had a tendency to increase the number of things he had to do on his own accord.
The problem was that even though he liked to roam around, he was also an incompetent and corrupt human being. It was common for him to steal materials from the construction sites, and the amount increased year by year. As a result, even though the number of slaves dying from hypothermia and starvation continued, he still liked to go out every morning and threaten them.
Heun was in charge of digging a sewer along the canal and compacting the soil for the temporary barrier that stretched beside it. He was not given any tools to use, so he had to do all the work with his bare hands. He picked up the frozen soil with his hands and emptied it into the space. Within a minute, the sensation in his hand was gone.
“Hey, hey.”
An old man who was working next to him secretly handed him something.
“Use this.”
Heun looked up at him. What he gave him was a flat piece of stone, about one and a half times the size of a palm. He wondered how he had gotten the stone that must have come out of the quarry.
“It will be much easier with this.”
“Why are you giving me this, what will you do then?”
The old man raised his wrinkled hand. His hard-callused hands seemed much stronger than Heun’s cracked hands.
“I’m better at it than you. Besides, I ate your food yesterday so I owe you.”
The old man had injured his leg and because of that, he couldn’t get up to go get his food. Heun saw this and knew that the old man had starved for several days, so he secretly hid his own food and gave it to him. It was not something the old man had expected. Heun just thought it was better if two people staved on alternate days than for one person to stave for two days in a row while the other ate.
“That’s alright.”
“No, don’t do that, take it. I can get by, and I’ll be able to get another one. You’re new here, and you don’t know anyone, and you don’t talk much so…….”
The old man clicked his tongue as if he felt sorry for him. Heun stood there motionless while listening to his words. Finally, the old man took his hand and placed the piece of stone in it.
“Don’t be like that, use it. Your hand is hurting too much.”
“Hey, there! What are you doing!? Don’t you know the rules here!?” shouted the supervisor as he approached behind the two whispering men.
Talking was five lashings, and the lashings were multiplied because they had stopped working to do it.
The old man quickly turned around to avoid the stone being taken away. Thanks to this the stone fragments that he struggled to obtain remained in Heun’s hands.
” … …”
The Overseer continued to keep his eyes on Heun, so he didn’t have a chance to return the stone to the old man. He didn’t want to leave anything or anyone behind. However, life rarely goes the way we plan it.
Heun continued the work while holding the piece of stone in his hand. It stuck to his freezing-cold palm. Just as the old man had said, it was a lot easier. The pain in his hands from today’s hard work was less. This made Heun realize how badly his hand had been hurt.
The stone shard that was gifted to him reminded Heun of the fires that were lit in the guard’s barracks at bedtime. The warmth of those fires that never reached the bone-chilling pit where the slaves lay at night, inadvertently added to the cold. This ‘cold’ was something he should never have allowed himself to feel. It now engulfed his body as he lay there listening to the sound of burning wood. He wondered if the compassion that had begun to flicker would spark a bigger flame of regret.
… I will leave nothing behind.
Heun worked diligently to ignore his stiff hands while trying not to think of anything… but as always, life did not take a single path.
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3
“… … !”
It was strange, the soil was too wet! As the waterway extended toward the canal, the soil was changing rapidly. It might have been a sign of a change in the hydrography. Heun dug a little deeper and grabbed a handful of the dark gray soil, and sniffed it. Surely it was the water! He didn’t know what would happen if they continued digging like this!
Heun turned his head to look for the Overseer. The overseer closest to him was beating someone in front of him, it was the old man. Heun didn’t know why he was beating him, but one thing was certain, whatever the reason was, it probably wasn’t the old man’s fault. Heun grabbed the dirt and ran towards the overseer.
“Look at this!”
The Overseer turned his head toward the unexpected call, with a bewildered expression. It was unheard of for a labor slave to call an overseer. The slaves were not allowed to speak first, they were only allowed to speak after the overseers had granted them permission to speak.
“…… Did you just call out to me?”
Heun faced him directly. The overseer’s expression immediately sharpened as Heun spoke again.
“You have to stop the work immediately.”
Then, the supervisor made an expression of outrage, that was incomparable to his previous expression.
“What…..What did you say!?”
“The soil has changed, you have to redo the hydrological survey.”
“What?”
The overseer had a blank expression for a moment, then he recovered with an expression as though knew what to do.
Smack!-
The overseer then slammed down on Heun’s shoulder, and the reverberation of the impact forced Heun into a half-squatting position. It was only then that Heun noticed the old man who had been beaten, had blood dripping from his head. It was proof of all the pain he had silently endured, in hope that the beating might be eased. The silent protest made the onlookers sadder and even angrier. Heun tried not to look at him as much as possible and instead held out the soil in his hands.
“The soil is too soft, and the water is seeping in too quickly. If we continue to dig like this without proper preparation, not only will the entire area be submerged but the channel may collapse!”
“What are you talking about?”
The overseer hit him on the shoulder again. Heun was unable to bear the blow. He let out a moan and sunk down to one knee.
“What does a slave know about anything? Are you just trying to get out of work?”
It was an absurd statement for a mere slave to make, but it was during Huen’s previous incarnation that this fortress was constructed.
The irrigation systems leading to Taeungseong were built by confining the Northeast flowing Jisa River to the bank, and the natural canal derived from the Southwest flowing Yeongang River tributary, leading to the capital, was trimmed and a road was built there.
The current construction would double the number of supplies brought into the capital, while simultaneously improving the sewage system that had once been a problem in the capital. All this was planned out a hundred years ago, which meant that the entire construction was calculated by Heun. A hundred years would be plenty enough time for the waters to change.
“The branches of the Jisa River must have changed, or there may be a new waterway that was unknown before now. If you don’t do a check, all the work that’s been done until now will be in vain.”
When he was done speaking, the Overseer still looked at him with a perplexed expression. On one hand, he couldn’t ignore what he had said, but on the other hand, Heun had shouted out without permission in front of too many people.
“Who is here now? If anyone is from the Gok Tohwa, please tell me. You know what I’m saying is true.”
“What? Who are you!?”
Whack, Whack!-
In the end, the overseer chose to establish dominance first. The wet sound of the beating reverberated all around. Heun lowered his arms and endured the beating, but he didn’t stop speaking.
“If you are of Gok, then you are a person who knows the way of the water, please…..you must speak up too!”
“Shut up! Who gave you permission to open your mouth!?”
“You……do not……”
“Shut up!”
The beatings consisted of a long series of blows that continued until Heun collapsed into unconsciousness, and was no longer able to speak. His clothes which were little more than rags were stained red with blood. His limbs which were spread out on the dirty ground twitched, as their shadows shook. The overseer wiped the sweat from his face and shouted to the guard.
“Go and get some water to pour on him!”
It was common sense that a person forced back to consciousness wouldn’t be fit to work, but this was a place without mercy. As usual, the rules of the labor camp took precedence. When the overseer’s instructions were given, one of the waiting guards ran to go get water.
The old man looked at Heun with a stiff expression and muttered.
“He’s going to die.”
The overseer heard him.
“Hey, you! What did you say just now?”
“I said, he’s going to die. If that’s the case, why don’t you let his body rest before he goes?”
“First this guy, now you too. Has everyone gone crazy or are you plotting a rebellion?”
Smack!-
The supervisor slapped the palm of his hand with a club soaked in Huen’s blood and looked at the old man. The number of slaves was always greater than the number of guards. The reality of the labor camp is that it’s impossible to control without using rough methods.
“I will show you what happens to a rebellious slave.”
Fear began to seep into the eyes of the old slave who had been speaking without thinking about the consequences up until now. The overseer raised the club, full of satisfaction, as though he would bring it down with all his might.
“… … !”
Just then, one of the sentries rushed in and called the overseer.
“Tosa, Sir!”
“What?”
When he turned his head, he saw a look of fear emanating from the guard’s face.
“Uh…… Water is leaking in!”
“What? From where?”
“On the ground…….”
“The ground?”
His overseer didn’t need to ask anymore. As he looked down at his feet, the area that had been a damp dirt road was now filling up with water.
One by one, the slaves dropped their work. The slaves, who were mostly barefoot, were also wet. The water, which had been running over their feet had quickly filled up enough to engulf their ankles. Three days later, the accident happened.
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4
“What?”
Ja-Ryung was sitting on a golden throne draped in tiger skin, dealing with government affairs when he was told that the canal walls had broken and were swept away by water. Upon hearing that, he burst into laughter.
“What’s going on?”
“As you have heard, My Lord.”
Wei-Jeong shook his head. He was terrified of how Ja-Ryung would react, but the Inspector General didn’t react at all. The Special Advisor, who must have entered the palace in a hurry, was fussing with the official cap that was worn improperly and was dangling precariously on the top of his head. Today one could feel the weight of the Emperor’s infinite majesty as he oversaw the business of the Empire. Seeing him sit atop his throne in Ganghwa-jeon, sent shivers down Wei-Jeong’s spine.
“Who is in charge?”
When he asked who was in charge, the Inspector General and the Special Advisor’s faces turned blue. The Inspector General was in charge of the construction and renovation of the royal residence, the tombs, and the royal palace. The Special Advisor was the person in charge of the cabinet, who acted as the Emperor’s hands and feet and handled most of the government affairs. They were the two people who signed off on everything related to this construction. Wei-Jeong noticed and quickly covered for two of them.
“Is it because you had to ask the head of the Gok family, Gok Taebo?”
And of course, the first half of the construction was done by the Gok family. It was the Emperor’s order to shift as much of the financial obligations onto the five families as possible.
“Now that a communication has been sent out, we’ll have answers as soon as he enters the palace.”
Ja-Ryung cut Wei-Jeong words
“Enter the palace, are you crazy? The accident has already happened, what will his coming to the Palace accomplish?”
“What will you do?”
“Make preparations, I will go there myself.”
At those words, the Special Advisor raised its head with a sense of foreboding. The more mysterious the emperor acted, the greater the possibility that they would lose their heads. However, Wei-Jeong suspected that the emperor was doing something unusual in order to fuck with Gok’s family head, who was rushing to Taewoongseong.
Ja-Ryung was still moving forward. Even if the canal was washed away a hundred times, Ja-Ryung would still be ecstatic. After all, the five families will be blamed, and they would be held responsible! It would be their burden, and It would cost them more money and resources to make up for it. The thing that made him speechless was that he didn’t have to lift a finger to simultaneously hurt them or bring about this boon.
“I will put a message to the governors.”
The Emperor suddenly deciding to go outside the palace created a headache for the Government officials. Where was the sense in that? This would cause an uproar with the Secretary of Defense, The Imperial Horse Guard, and even the Golden Guard. In the midst of this, can it only Jimok-cheon and other Ikcheonwi¹, and the Chilgwa² who are silently doing their part?
T/N
- T/n 1: Emperor’s Escorts
- T/n 2: Secret Spy Organization
“Move quickly.”
Ja-Ryung was so eager to squeeze the five families, that he was already standing up from his throne. Wei-Jeong opened and folded his arms, and bowed slightly in an exaggerated way. The more he saw his eyes, the more unusual his actions seemed.
“I will obey your orders.”
The Imperial Palace became noisy
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5
It was a disaster!
The collapsed waterway and the surrounding area were turned into a swamp in an instant. There was no other word except tragedy to describe the scene of dead bodies drowned in the flood’s wake when the waterway broke. And now that the Emperor had come to see the aftermath himself, there was no way to hide it. Supervisor Cheomsa and Chief Officer Gok Yi-Jeong wished they could escape anywhere, the same was true of the overseers who were their underlings. The group recruited from the Gok family that was in charge of the construction project, working under Gok Yi-Jeong, fought the urge to touch the back of their necks in fear of losing their heads.
“… …”
The Emperor had yet to say a word.
As soon as they received the news that the emperor was coming, they hurriedly set up a Bongjangcheon (龍鳳 帳 殿: A seat with a dragon and a phoenix, for the King to temporarily sit on). Considering it was set up in a hurry, it took a lot to make it happen. However, the Emperor glanced around, then sat down without saying anything, as if to show his disapproval.
If your going to be beaten, isn’t better to get it over with?
It was the first time Gok Yi-Jeong had seen the Emperor up close like this, and everything the Emperor did, including breathing, caused him stress. Every time the Emperor exhaled, the sword under his robes creaked.
This year GokYi-Jeong turned 47, the same age as Gok Hwang who was appointed Head of the Family. Unbeknownst to him, it was the cause of many sorrows he endured. However, as a direct descendant of the Gok Family, he still held a lot of power. But the reason had was standing here now in this terrible place bowing his head and shaking at each of the Emperor’s exhalations, was all because of Gok Jinsung’s marriage!
Damn it! “I wasn’t even supposed to be here’ mumbled Gok Yi-Jeong inside his head.
This position was originally meant for Gok Jinsung. As the next Head of the Family, it was his responsibility to take charge of this position. Even back in the beginning, it was the Gaju³ who took up this role. Who in the Gok family doesn’t know that?
T/N
- T/N 3: family head/clan leader
Even back then, it was ‘that‘ family head that took up this position. No one in the Gok family knows the name now. Even if you did know what he was referred to as now, no one ever knew the three characters of Gok Heun’s original name.
Even if he became a madman, before that he was considered a genius. It was his idea to rearrange the capital and fix the water supply and build Taewoongseong Palace in the center. He designed all the plans and carried them out.
He developed a revolutionary tool to help with the stonework (築石), and he developed a way to improve the materials used to solidify the stones in place. He changed the way the trees were trimmed, and he raised the embankments.
Taewoongseong was completed in half the expected time and was praised as a majestic palace that had never been seen before. However, Taewoongseong’s true value was in more than just its appearance.
The water from the Jisa River, which was more than a hundred li⁴ (T/n: ≈ 50 km) away was brought in and flowed into the palace. It wasn’t just about making a beautiful river. It meant that each district had an unlimited supply of fresh water. Before that, everyone relied on well water which made water more scarce and harder to get. This was a breakthrough that changed the lifestyle of the whole city.
T/N
- T/n: ≈ 50 km
Afterward, Gok Yeo-Heun carried the favor of the original emperor. He then embarked on an even bigger project, to redesign and maintain the canals and waterways throughout the capital.
It was around that time that the madness began.
Gok Yeo-Heun the genius descended into madness and he somehow destroyed Taehwamun just as the last roof tile was going up. He cursed the Emperor who had just arrived, and then he died. The story sent shivers up the spine of everyone in the five families. Gok Yeo-Heun was the sinner of the Gok family but he made the whole Odaesae the enemy of all.
The reason Gok Yi-Jeong was revisiting such an old story was that there was such a record within the Gok family. Gok Yi-Jeong can’t help but suspect that the Gaju deliberately used his sons’ marriage as an excuse to keep his heir and the next Gaju, Gok Jinsung, away from the capital, and sent him to this dangerous place instead!
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6
Damn it, when will the Gaju get here? Gok Yi-Jeong was anxiously waiting for someone to turn these events around. The accident already happened so one couldn’t just sit around on his bottom, just because of his mood. Now that the message was sent out, the Gaju must be rushing to get here.
Gok Hwang, the Gok Gaju, was the head of the Five Families⁵, in the Palace he was called Wu Gong(五公) and he holds the rank of Jeong II-pum Taebo, the highest position under the Emperor. So in other words, even if the emperor becomes irate because of this situation, he will pretend to calm down if Taebo asserts his influence. So it should be okay, there was nothing to worry about, at least Yi-jeong’s neck would be spared today. At least that’s the way he read the situation.
T/N
- T/N 5: the original 5 kings that ruled before the formation of the Empire
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand it.” The emperor suddenly said.
It was impossible to know who he was talking to, but everyone who was close enough to hear the words took notice.
Ja-Ryung called out angrily to Jimokcheon. “Ilcheon (闡).”
As always Jimokcheon, who was closest to the emperor, came out quickly.
“Your Majesty, I await your orders.”
“From here on out, if you cannot hear me, you must pierce yourself a new ear hole! This is the place where one inherits the job of carrying out the will of Wonseonje. Even if things were favorable here, I would not allow the slightest bit of secrecy. There is trouble here, and there is not enough consistency.”
“The Ilcheon have received your orders.”
Sulleung–
Jimok-Cheon’s sword made a bone-chilling shivering sound as he drew it. Jimokcheon’s eyes turned to those who bowed their heads under the emperor’s gaze. The person he chose was a vassal of Supervisor Cheomsa.
Thunk–
Without any warning, the blade sliced him from one ear to ear. It happened so quickly it couldn’t be seen by the eye and didn’t allow enough time for him to scream. By the time they realized Jimokcheon had drawn his sword, the vassal was already a corpse on the ground.
“Who’s next?”
It was only after Jimok-Cheon’s voice was heard that the shock finally registered.
“I,I,I,……have committed a mortal sin, Your Majesty!”
The noticeable thing was Cheomsa. He bowed his head on the ground specially lined with red cloth laid out for the emperor’s visit, and then he shouted.
“Mercy, Your Majesty. Please be understanding!”
When he spoke out like that, everyone’s attention fell on him.
‘Please be understanding,’ continued for a while, similar to the cadence of a song.
“Stop, I want someone who has answers.”
The effect of turning a person into a corpse was enormous. The answer came straight away.
“Please let me answer, Your Majesty.”
“Then answer me.”
Ja-Ryung continued as if nothing had happened.
“Why didn’t anyone know notice until it got to this point? It hasn’t rained a drop in the past few days. It’s not a place with a shortage of water, but that doesn’t mean it’s a place where there’s a flood in just a single night in this season. But without any signs at all, the water suddenly overflowed, do you want me to just believe that?”
“… …”
It was not a question but a reprimand. The answer was not easy because they were the ones with the responsibility. While looking a the men, Jimok-Cheon’s sword naturally began a smooth movement.
“That’s not it, Your Majesty!”
Cheomsa waved his hands a Jimok-Cheon like he was trying to dry the ink on paper.
“No, of course, it’s like you said, Your Majesty. What you said makes sense. The gods are just…… So I’m saying that the waterway has changed…… that is…”
Unfortunately, Cheomsa did not know anything more about water management. The reason he said that the water had changed was that there was a similar report from the guards three days ago.
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7
“What did you say? Did you say water is leaking?”
When Cheomsa asked the guards what the hell they were talking about, they told him the road was full of water. When he asked if it was in the path where to water flows anyway, the guard stammered, saying that the waterway had changed. Cheomsa then asked the guard how he knew all this. The guard responded by saying that there was a slave who had said it and insisted that they do a new hydrological survey.
Cheomsa asked the guard what kind of slave is more knowledgeable than they were, but the guard didn’t know that either. Then he instructed the guard to bring the slave so that he could make him talk. That’s when the guard told him he couldn’t. He was told that the slave was about to die because his body was too weak from being beaten. He didn’t know if he was still alive, that he would have to go check to see if he was still breathing.
It was tedious.
Then Cheomsa told the guard to find the man who had beaten the slave and make him take responsibility, if necessary, to drag the slave back from the threshold of the underworld and make him talk. The guard told Cheomsa that the slave knew of the Gok family and had said that they must stop all construction and that the survey was wrong, and must be redone. Cheomsa interrupted.
“Why didn’t you say that before?”
The reason was, that the waterway plans were made by the Gok family head, and all measurements and calculations were already completed, verified, and stamped with the Jade Seal. However, the water was still leaking. Later on, Cheomsa asked the family head if he should stop and fix it first.
“Do you believe what a slave has said more than I, the head of the Gok family have said?” the Gaju responded.
When he heard it put that way, he knew he wasn’t wrong. If he was deceived by the babbling of a slave he didn’t know and stopped the construction and did the survey over again, who will pay for all the damages?
Then Cheomsa asked him what to do about leaking water, and he cut him off and told him he’d figure it out. After that, he went to see the waterway himself. When he saw that there was so much water that it had stagnated like a swamp, he suggested a trick to cover the water up by covering it with soil.
The work which had slowed down for over a day soon accelerated as the number of Gok slaves increased. Nothing more happened so he continued the digging as usual. But then…
Splash!–
…something went wrong! Suddenly a gush of water burst out of nowhere. The channel being dug was flooded in an instant. The slaves who did not have the use of their hands were swept away by the water.
The biggest project he’d ever worked on had been completely destroyed. There was no way to fix it without word reaching Taewoongseong, and then the Emperor would find out what had happened. After all, there was no way the Emperor hadn’t planted people on a project like this. From what Cheomsa had heard, Taewoongseong had Inspectors from the Gamchaeosa and (監蔡御使 ) and Gimsajung (給事中) hidden everywhere, spying on what goes on.
A chill ran down his spine at the thought that the Emperor might find out about the materials stolen from the construction site. Every time Jimokcheon’s sword made a sound, Cheomsa kept saying that wasn’t the case, but in the end, he vomited up the whole story of what had been going on for the last three days.
Somehow he needed to hide what he had done. Even though he had tried to manipulate the story, the circumstances were obvious and would reveal that the culprit was in fact, Gok Yi-Jeong. By the time Gok Yi-Jeong finished telling the story, his face had paled to the extent that it was surprising that he still had a pulse. It was in those moments that Gok Yi-Jeong was resigning himself to his inevitable fate.
“It’s funny.”
Ja-Ryung ’s sudden words brought his mind back in an instant. Gok Yi-Jeong had chewed his nail to the quick without realizing it.
“A slave knew something that the people of Gok did not know. It seems that the soil of Tohwa has lost its fertility. Even the trade the family specializes in is neglected.”
Sweat was dripping from Cheomsa.
“Your, Your Majesty. It’s not like that…….”
“It’s not?”
“No……, it’s not……”
“You mean you didn’t know, or you did? If you did know, you mean you deliberately left it to become like this?”
“Yes…… ? No, that’s not it! What are you talking about?”
“Either one or the other, so which one do you mean?”
“Your Majesty…….”
Gok Yi-Jeong looked around anxiously, wondering what the emperor was going to say next.
“In the past, that is, during the Wonje. An Imperial decree was issued for the construction of an imperial palace, but Tohwa brought in a certain madman. So the imperial palace was left unfinished, hundreds of laborers lost their lives, and the name of the original emperor was painted with earth. Despite the consensus that the three branches of the Gok family were guilty of high treason, they were not destroyed. Your people were spared at that time, only because the Gok Family Head cut off the head of his firstborn son and used his blood to write a letter begging for mercy, and swearing fealty to the Imperial family, even if he had to crawl like a worm to get it. Even now, when I hear the story of the assassin who entered my private chamber and died biting his tongue, I take it out and read it for fun. There was something of this, in that letter of blood.”
Ja-Ryung spoke softly as he turned his gaze away for a moment, and stared at the mess unfolding in front of him.
“Did you say that it’s the Gok’s job to build an empire according to the will of the royal family? If you don’t fulfill your duty as the Gok, it’s the same as giving up your loyalty to the royal family? So, isn’t it the same as treating me as an enemy? Hmm, yes. So it must have been conspiracy right under my nose.”
Gok Yi-jeong made an odd sound.
“Ah, no, Your Majesty!”
If he messed this up it would have grave repercussions. All he could say was that he’d only ever been loyal to the imperial family. The feud between the five generations, and the imperial family has been common knowledge since the original era. Who could have known that the waterway had changed? If he did this on purpose to rebel against the imperial family, that was evidence the emperor would use to frame the Gok family. He couldn’t change the work schedule on the word of some slave bastard of unknown origins who appeared and said something like that, who could believe it…….
….Hang on. Somehow, it’s like the Emperor knew who it was……? Wait. Didn’t he overhear someone saying that the Gaju had sent someone to the labor camp the other day……?
Seeing Gok Yi-Jeong’s face turn green, and then red again, made Ja-Ryung make a funny expression.
“I’m going to ask you Cheomsa, how should I deal with a traitor?”
“Your, Your Majesty, what do you mean treason!
Gok Yi-Jeong raised his bowed head with enough momentum to jump from the spot. It was then that Jimok-Cheon raised his sword.
“Do you feel so safe that you would raise your eyes so thoughtlessly?”
Ja-Ryung added.
“Hmm. Now that you can’t take it out or beat this problem away, are you going to reveal the truth?”
‘Your Majesty! It’s unfair!’ Thought Cheomsa but his words were caught in his throat. He couldn’t even open his mouth because the blade was so close to his neck. While Gok Yi-Jeong’s lips were twitching wordlessly Ja-Ryung asked Cheomsa.
“Cheomsa have you seen the sight of the Gok head here, was there a failure of duty?”
“Yes? Yes…… ? That, that… .. Hwang…..”
“That’s right. With that testimony, even the Gok family could not deny it. I’m going to cut throats here without dragging it out too long.”
Jimok-Cheon shook his head while holding a sword.
“I receive your order, Your Majesty.”
Perhaps if it were Wei-Jeong or Taebo instead of Jimokcheon, they would have tried to stop Ja-Ryung. No matter how great their responsibility is, accusing the Odaesae of treason and cutting his throat could cause an even greater problem. It meant that the treason he was trying to accuse them of, could in fact become real treason.
To needle the Gok of Tohwa, or induce a real rebellion?
Ja-Ryung didn’t know if it was really treason, but he knew Jimokcheon would gladly use his sword for him. If only one more moment had passed, Gok Yi-Jeong would have been decapitated on the spot.
“Your humble servant (臣) Gok Taebo, is here. Please call on me, Your Majesty.”
There was a lot of movement outside. For a moment Jimok-cheon turned his attention to the entrance of the pavilion as the head of the Gok family entered. A thick shadow was cast on the wall of the tent. It meant that he didn’t come alone, but brought plenty of escorts with him.
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Part 2
8
When Ja-Ryung saw Gok Hwang pushing his way in, he paused to address his servant briefly.
“How amazing, you’re neither late nor early.”
He had the appearance of a man who had rushed fiercely in order to rescue his clansman.
Gok Hwang shook his head. Even if he was pretending to be casual, you could tell he’d been riding a horse hard by the perspiration pouring out of him.
Still, he did not show any signs of being intimidated. It is said that if the five families ever took over the Empire, as Taebo, he would be crowned Emperor.
“You are as benevolent as the gods, so I am just relieved, Your Majesty.”
“What kind of fool would be tolerant of a traitor? Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
At that rude remark, Gok Hwang’s eyes narrowed as his expression became dark.
“The Tohwa’s loyalty has never deviated from the will of the Imperial family. How can you call an accident, treason?”
“Accident?”
At that word, Ja-Ryung cocked his head. When he tilted his head, the atmosphere inside the tent began to feel uncomfortable.
“There had been a warning that the waterway had changed, three days before. Even after hearing that, the digging continued until the waterway was ruined. So, how is that an accident? It must be treason against the Imperial family.”
“I am speaking because I am not a member of the Gok family who would collapse the waterway.”
Ja-Ryung pointed to Gok Yi-Jeong with a chin.
“Then, does this mean that you were born from someone else’s seed?”
There was the sound of hesitation as Gok Hwang clenched his jaw. It was the same with the other Gok, whose face turned red.
Obviously, the relationship between the Imperial Family and the five generations wasn’t good, but this kind of show of force made it even worse. Even if the Sunginje openly humiliated them, he knew for sure that it couldn’t be the five generations doing either. But the animosity has always been like this, and because of it, the resentment towards the Imperial Family was escalating. He might be unaware that it was as high as the original period.
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9
“No, Your Majesty. The site where the waterway is placed is under Supervisor Cheomsa’s management.”
When his name was suddenly mentioned, Cheomsa jumped like a freshly caught fish.
“What!? No! What are you talking about, Taebo?”
“No, you’re not in charge of it?”
Gok Hwang’s voice was cold and bitter.
“How is the construction site operated? Do you think the Tohwa doesn’t know anything about how it works?”
Ja-Ryung slowly folded his arms as if he was going to wait and see what came of this. If it wasn’t for that, Cheomsa would have thrown a fit.
“What else do you mean by that? What are you saying? No, it was the Tohwa that was in charge of the construction……!”
“The Tohwa was in charge of design and materials, but the management was taken over by the Central Provincial Government Office. And as you can see the result was an accident at the construction site. Every day there was lost time due to a severe shortage of missing materials. I would ask if the problems in the labor camp were caused by so many materials and goods going missing little by little? If that were so, wouldn’t it be prudent to plant a person in the labor camp from the Tohwa?
“What…… What is this?”
“God’s for honest truth,” said Gok Hwang to Ja-Ryung.
Ja-Ryung did not take the side of Taebo.
“If not, how was it that a slave could say that the water had changed?”
Those words changed the expression in Ja-Ryung’s eyes.
“Did you send in a slave to check on the situation at the labor camp?”
“It needed to set my mind at ease, Your Majesty.”
There was no wavering in the face of Gok Hwang. Indeed, he wasn’t bluffing.
He showed no compassion for the eldest son born of his seed when he was treated like a beast. It was the same when he took his name and passed it on to the second son, and when he put shackles on both of his feet.
When he sent his son to the Imperial Palace labor camp, it was not something a father should do for any reason.
But when he heard that there had been an accident at a construction site, Gok Hwang thought of using the eldest son he had abandoned without hesitation, for the sake of saving himself. At this point, he planned to say he had deliberately sent Heun to the labor camp to spy, just as he said.
“As soon as he knew that the water had changed he reported it, and time passed without anyone listening to him. The man from the Gok clan was beaten severely to the point where he is barely clinging to life. If Supervisor Cheomsa or anyone under him had heeded a word he said, a disaster like this would have never happened.
Chemosa’s body stiffened
“That, that, that, isn’t true! When the slave said that the survey should be done again, the person who was most outraged was the Governor of the Gok clan!
“Are you still going to use the Gok family as an excuse even after allowing things to come to this?”
Gok Hwang continued refuting Cheomsa without batting an eyelash.
“The exclusion of the Gok family from the directing of the labor camp was foolish from the beginning. Who was the one who limited the work of the Gok family to design only, separating the work? When the person from the Gok family disguised as a slave, told him to stop the construction, who ignored it? Who was the one who beat up a man from The Gok family who spoke out loudly, without even asking for advice from the Gok clan, until he was half-dead?”
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10
“Huh……! Uh, how slippery of you…… !”
Cheomsa was trembling and he couldn’t even finish his words.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty….. ! Gok Taebo is now deceiving His Majesty’s imperial name! When the word “new survey ” came up, the Governor from Gok had heard everything about what was said, but now……! Speak up Gok Yi-Jeong! How can you stay so still? No matter how family affairs are, the head of the Gok family is so calmly trying to deceive His Majesty! What was said at that time? The design was the responsibility of the song family who was in charge of it, and the blueprints were stamped with a jade seal, so you wondered `how I could listen to the words of one raving slave’! Then how come you said those words even though you knew you were from the same family? Ha, I must say it’s most believable!”
“Oh, that…….”
When Cheomsa’s words were turned around on him Gok Yi-Jeong shook his head. Gok Hwang glared at him sharply once, then stepped in front of him to block his view like a shield.
“Deception? How can you recklessly raise a voice to His Majesty, saying that you, Cheomsa, cannot be held responsible for this?”
“What! So, are you trying to say that it’s a lie that the Gok broke the slave and sent him away from the site?”
“Why would I say that’s a lie?”
“Then why is it that the Gok Governor didn’t even know that the slave was a member of his family? If that’s true it would make for a very strange home life!”
“I didn’t tell him on purpose. It’s a lot of trouble to work on a construction site, so why burden him with such details?”
“What!?” Exclaimed Chemosa, who had been recently criticized, forgetting that it was the Emperor before him.
Gok Yi-jeong was just looking at Gok Hwang with a stupid expression, which just made Gok Hwang even angrier. He had a coy look like ‘was what the slave said more important than me?’.
“You have a mouth, say something. Is what Taebo said true? Did you not even know about the family situation? No, the situation is not the problem. The problem is that the one who came here disguised as a slave knew that Gok Yi-Jeong was unaware of the fact that he came here as a Lord.”
Gok Yi-Jeong stuttered as all their eyes focused on him.
“Oh, that’s…… How was that…..that,”
The more he babbled, the more Gok Hwang’s eyes became cold like the ice caps of a snowy mountain, and Gok Yi-Jeong felt like his blood was cooling down in turn.
It was obvious that the Gaju had treated the eldest son that way because his eyes were wrong, but he couldn’t just call him out. Even if he knew that Cheomsa had laughed at him because he was branded an incompetent person at home, he had to play the fool here, rather than protesting!
“I….please……have mercy, Your Majesty. Please believe me…… ”
“Hmm.”
Ja-Ryung, who had only listened to what was going on from both sides, stepped forward.
“No matter how I look at it, the responsibility lies with the Gok clan. It is Gok Taebo’s fault that he deliberately chose such an incompetent and indolent person to be appointed as the governor.”
Again, the rhythm was changed. Gok Yi-Jeong just opened his mouth with a dark expression, and Gok Hwang spoke out.
“That is not true, Your Majesty. The Gok family’s man in the labor yard asked to see the master here. It is the people who are in charge that disregarded his request.”
“Weren’t you told?”
“When I was told, it was already too late. At that time, there was no way to stop all the construction work on the word person alone. Besides, if the construction had been stopped the Provincial Inspector (都察院) would have given us an audit along with a reprimand. But I wonder if Cheomsa, who has already moved the materials at the construction site, would have liked it, Your Majesty.”
Cheomsa made a gurgling sound as the blood drained from his face.
“That, that…… Oh no, Your Majesty! How dare Lord Taebo insinuate that of an innocent person…… !”
Gok Hwang quickly interrupted Chumsa’s words.
“Isn’t it his Majesty who was being taken advantage of? Tohwa was willing to offer its wealth and talent for this construction, with sincerity toward His Majesty. Cheomsa found an opportunity that could not be detected by His Majesty and exploited it. Please distinguish who is a loyalist, and who is a criminal.”
It turned out that the most insidious people had an advantage.
Chemosa felt his eyes darken. Since he had already committed a crime, he had no choice but to divert as much culpability onto the Gok family, in order to survive this.
“Wow, a criminal? How can Taebo say that? Is it truly loyal to tell His Majesty the absurd story, that you had sent someone without telling the person in charge? Truly a subversion!”
“Stop.”
Again, Chemosa’s words interrupted.
“You two are talking about different things.”
Ja-Ryung shifted his legs in the chair that too was small and uncomfortable to sit in for a long time, compared to the throne. Both of the other two had no choice but to be nervous.
“I’ll have to listen to someone else to know what’s true.”
Ja-Ryung gestured to Jimok-cheon behind his back, as the two held their breath.
“Go and bring me the slave.”
“This Ilcheon has received your orders.”
Jimok-cheon, he saluted by raising his arm and placing his forehead on it, then disappeared out of the tent.
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11
Moisture clung to him like a swamp. Heun gently blinked his eyelids, which kept closing again and again.
“Hey, have you gotten ahold of yourself now?”
He thought heard similar words several times. At first, he thought it was just tinnitus, but now it has gradually become a voice.
“……Yes. It seems so.”
Aigoo, you’re so lucky. The old man repeated the same words over and over, stroking Heun’s hand. When Heun struggled to get up, the old man said that it would be better for him to lie still.
“All right, but what happened? Did I lose my mind?”
It felt like he’d been locked away in a place other than this world, for a very long time. So it felt so strange to still be breathing. The old man sighed, twisting his wrinkled brow to the fullest.
“You were right. Somehow, there was a sudden rush of water. Everyone was quickly swept away by the tide….. many died. More than half of the aqueducts that were dug have disappeared. Now we’re just picking out the survivors.”
“Oh…….”
So there was a reason that he felt this dampness. The moisture soon turned into a watery stagnant smell and pierced the nose harshly. Heun felt an unfamiliar chill.
“……. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“What? I was lucky. At that time, I had been sent out of the Overseer’s sight. It’s funny, thanks to him, my life was saved.”
“Then what has happened to the construction site now? Have you heard anything?”
The old man shook his head impatiently.
“No. There’s no word yet. It’s just chaotic, I’ve already skipped two meals that are given to me once a day. The living are treated the same as those who are already dead.”
He wasn’t heartless, he just lacked energy.
“Still, I don’t know. Just recently there was a huge procession in that big barracks. Seeing how everyone was lying flat on the floor, our people couldn’t even look at them. It seemed like they were from the Imperial Palace. I used to live down there, and this is my first time seeing people from inside the capital city, so I’ll have to find something out.”
“From the Imperial Palace?”
Heun’s eyes opened wide as he asked.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Why are you shaking so much?”
“Honey, why are you doing this? Why are you falling all of a sudden?”
He was surprised to see Heun’s reaction, and the old man motioned for him to lie down again. Heun pushed at his hand that was pressing on his body as if it were a seizure.
“So the Emperor……!?”
The chills causing his shaking were because of his sharp perception. Heun put some more strength into his arms.
“R,run away…… !”
He had to run away. He couldn’t think of anything else.
The Emperor Wonje Ja-Horyung!
It was the name of a man who made his whole life into karma that was impossible to shake off even after death.
Force, Ja-Ryung!
Heun did want to find out why his name had been used once again.
“Hey, what’s the matter with you?”
With a bewildered look, Heun pushed the old man’s thin body away with all his might.
He ran through the dirt pit where the surviving slaves were, and weren’t permitted to leave. His staggering body stepped on something that scratched him. Heun ran without knowing what was stuck into the sole of his foot.
He didn’t realize it, but his steps were absurdly slow compared to his heart. He had taken only a few steps before the old man easily grabbed him.
“Look! Where are you going? If you leave the labor camp, your legs will be cut off! Don’t you know that?”
“Let go of me…..Let go!”
“Look!”
It was then that a group of guards with a Jimok-cheon found two slaves arguing.
“There!”
As Heun turned around, the old man fell to the ground in dismay at the sound of the military commander. He tactfully pulled the hem of Heun’s clothes, but Heun stopped right there.
“What are you doing now? How dare you make a fuss! Can’t you just lie down quietly?”
“…. ….”
The gesture of pulling the still-immobile man became even more desperate. ‘Hey, Hey‘ the old man called repeatedly.
Heun had an expression on his face like he didn’t hear anything. Only the sparsely visible skin that showed in between the marks leftover from being beaten everywhere, became pale.
It was an involuntary reaction because the person who was approaching him from the side of Jimok-cheon was Gok Hwang.
Heun’s body stiffened because he didn’t know what his father’s presence, who was looking straight at him, meant.
“No need to come.”
Gok Hwang lifted his arm once to stop the guards.
“He is a man of Tohwa. There’s no need for a fuss, it looks like we came out just in time.”
“H,how……”
Heun licked his lips. My father had just said something he had never heard from him before.
“You’ve been through a lot. Now that it’s all over, all we have to do is tell His Majesty what happened.”
“What……. ”
“What you have seen and heard while living here while hiding that you are of Tohwa. How did the people of Dodok treat you when you announced that the waters had changed, and how did they create this great catastrophe? His Majesty wants to hear directly from you of the loyalty of the Gok family.”
The reason why Gok Hwang followed Jimok-cheon, on the pretext that no one knew his face, was self-explanatory. In a few words, he told Heun how he should behave and what position Gok had taken now.
“The reason why I sent you here is to watch the construction work closely.”
Heun quickly figured out the meaning of the curse, that his heart dreaded.
“…….“
“Let’s go. His Majesty is waiting.”
The karma was about to be repeated.
He casually trampled on his heart which was so desperate to run away.
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12
“It smells bad.”
These were the words Ja-Ryung uttered as soon as Heun was brought before him and knelt down at his feet.
Heun swallowed the sudden urge to laugh.
If we ever meet again…
Heun bit his lip.
You said and I will meet again. You said you would find me again even after you die!
So Heun said, “If I see you again, I will forget everything“.
“I won’t remember a single thing.”
When he said that, Ja-Horyung smiled casually saying, ‘You’ll never forget me.”
It became a curse. Heun did not forget Ja-Horyung. The voice that was piercing my ear right now was that of Ja-Horyung.
If he hadn’t started off by saying such a frivolous thing as ‘it smells bad’, Heun would have spit out swear words without being to stop.
“I’m sorry. I was not able to find time to make him presentable because he was coming straight from the labor yard.”
On the other hand, Gok Hwang’s skillful reply showed that he never had any intention of doing so. He was satisfied with his attire, even his skin that was coming off easily.
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Part 3
13
There was filth that had not been washed away for three months, traces of countless beatings, and starvation that assaulted the eye. The worse Heun looked, the more serious the crimes appeared.
“I guess this was done on purpose, to show how guilty Cheomsa is.”
Despite Ja-Ryung’s words, Gok Hwang’s stoic expression didn’t falter.
“…… Since I have not done anything wrong, I trust that Your Majesty will see the situation here at a glance.”
“Ah, yes. After all, the person to be punished has been determined, so you’re telling me to match the beat. There shouldn’t be any difficulty in just nodding my head and accepting the appearances.
“Your Majesty. Since…..”
“What’s your name?”
Ja-Ryung cut off Gok Hwang without notice. His gaze at Heun was more of being interested than disgusted at his sad, filthy appearance. Heun answered without raising his head.
“……Heun.”
“Heun?”
“That’s right.”
“What a strange name.”
Ja-Ryung rolled the name ‘Heun’ once more over his tongue and tilted his head in wonder. It was strange that he had never heard the name Heun before, but conversely, it was like a name he already knew.
“Is it true that you worked as a spy for the Gok family under Taebo’s orders?”
Ja-Ryung deliberately asked a twisted question. It was a question that would be manipulated whether it was true or not.
Heun did not try to choose the right answer.
He didn’t want to know what The Emperor wanted, or what Hwang wanted, he didn’t want to take sides.
Gok Hwang said that he was cut off from the family line, on the day he took him out of his little prison. He said he was no longer a Gok person. However, there was no resentment or hatred for him or the family that abandoned him.
“No.”
“No?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a short answer.”
The corners of Ja-Ryung’s mouth twisted in displeasure. In fact, no one really knows exactly what he is thinking no matter what expression he makes.
“The seed of Gok seems to regard me as a joke. Do you agree, Ilcheon?”
Jimok-cheon answered politely.
“If you order it, I will cut him down, Your Majesty.”
“Oh yes, cut off his fingers one by one if his answers are wrong, then he’ll understand who he’s talking to.”
Jimok-cheon walked towards Heun. The thick blade of the sword cast a heavy light.
“… ….”
Heun put his hands down on the ground without even resisting.
He thought it would be more fortunate if something could be cut off and removed from this tragic cycle.
It was the moment Jimok-cheon raised his sword…
“Don’t you want to stop this Taebo, after all, aren’t you a part of the same family.”
Ja-Ryung cast a stern gaze toward Gok Hwang. As he watched the way Jimok-cheon stopped on the spot, Gok Hwang replied…
“Isn’t there something more important than blood in this place? If your Majesty wants me to prove my loyalty, I will show you.”
“So, can I cut him?”
“Do as you will.”
“So, the excitement is gone.”
Ja-Ryung waved his hand with a bored face.
“Can loyalty be proven with a severed finger? Instead, what about Taibo’s wrist?”
Gok Hwang shook his head to hide his displeased expression.
“You will change your mind when you learn who he is, Your Majesty.”
“Who is he?”
“This is my eldest son, Your Majesty.”
“…..Hmmm.”
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14
At those words, Ja-Ryung looked at Heun and Gok Hwang alternately.
His eyes were lively, he was now a very interested spectator.
Ja-Ryung knew that Gok Hwang was talking smoothly like he had an oiled tongue, but he knew it was all bullshit.
It was the bloodline that made the five generations possible. If he was the eldest son of Gok, then he would have to become the next head of Tohwa and manage that huge family.
Ja-Ryung couldn’t believe the eldest son would act as a slave and become so low. If he were about to plant a secret spy, he would have used someone else. This man being the eldest son was a blatant lie.
However, Gok Hwang could not find loyalty to the Emperor even if he cleaned his eyes and looked for it, but he was a clever person. He wouldn’t gamble foolishly on lying in front of him by telling unbelievable lies.
It was hard to find a similarity between the two, but Ja-Ryung was curious to see how he would look when he was cleaned up, but it was useless.
Judging by what is immediately in front of him, Gok Hwang and his eldest son didn’t resemble each other in the slightest.
It was interesting. Was it the case where his wife had received a different seed? Then, it was not at all surprising that he showed no sympathy.
It was rather clear. Gok Hwang hated his eldest son’s sincerity.
This was going to be fun.
Ja-Ryung gestured to Heun.
“Come a little closer.”
“…… I have received your order.”
Heun moved his knees slowly and went to Ja-Ryung’s feet. Reddish wounds were revealed through the pieces of rags that could not even be called clothes.
“Lift your face.”
”…..As you command.”
Heun raised his chin, and Ja-Ryung, ignoring his earlier complaint, ran his hand through the dirty hair that covered Heun’s face. When Jimok-cheon and Wei-Jeong saw it, their complexions changed, but no one could stop Ja-Ryung.
“I can’t see this way, it’s too dirty.”
“… …”
He lowered his head again, as Ja-Ryung let out a sharp sound.
“Who gave you that order? Keep your head still!”
”…… I have received your order.”
As he raised his chin and kept his gaze down, his chin shook slightly. Heun was extremely nervous, fearing that their eyes might meet and that the emperor would find something in his face.
It would have been better if he looked more horrendous. It would have been better if he were disgusted by just looking at him, then there would have been no way he would be this close to The Emperor.
…… No. Even before that.
It would have been better if he had been swept away by the current that had taken the others.
Ja-Ryung’s voice flowed over that thought.
“Take off your clothes.”
“… …?”
At first, he thought he heard it wrong. It was because his voice overlapped with that of Ja-Horyung. There was a day when Ja-Horyung said the same thing.
“Take off your clothes”.
Heun looked at the Emperor, not understanding what that meant, and Ja-Ryung looked into those blue eyes, put down his glass of wine, and……
“Ilcheon took off his clothes. Is that okay, Taebo?”
“I told you. If there is anything you want to see, you may see anything, Your Majesty.”
Gok Hwang didn’t show any signs of displeasure. Ja-Ryung blinked and Jimok-cheon came out
“I have received your order.”
Then, without any real help, the clothes disappeared.
“…… Your Majesty!”
He struggled to somehow cover his body, which was now naked.
“Hold on.”
At Ja-Ryung’s words, the guards grabbed his arms and legs and held and immobilized them.
Heun’s scarred body was so emaciated it was pathetic to see, and although he had nothing to be ashamed of, Heun still desperately twisted his body.
“N,no! Don’t do it!”
He resisted though it was useless in the first place. Ja-Ryung’s gaze was fixed on Heun’s body which had been stripped naked.
“Don’t do it!”
His vision overlapped with that one day.
Ja-Ryung pulled the hem of the torn clothes that had been ripped away by force and touched the bare skin of the naked man.
The feel of his gaze licked Heun’s skin, even as Heun did his best to escape from it.
Ja-Ryung looked at Heun, who could not escape the hands that bound his limbs, and spoke.
“Next time, I ask you to take off your clothes, it would be advantageous to take them off quickly. We wouldn’t want to force someone to remove them like we did now.”
Back in that time, Heun spat on Ja-Horyung, who approached him.
Just like now.
“Stay away.”
Ja-Ryung looked at the blood-stained saliva that Heun spit that splattered vaguely away from his feet as he made a face that looked like he’d smelled old fish.
”… Hmm. This is an unexpected reaction.”
The people around Ja-Ryung showed the reaction he should have shown. Jimok-cheon raised his sword, the guards stretched out Heun’s arms and legs, and only then did Gok Hwang show a look of embarrassment.
The blade touched his neck. Jimok-cheon turned his head and looked at Ja-Ryung. It was a look asking for permission to cut his throat.
“Your Majesty is it……”
Still, it was not possible to let the eldest son die right in front of his eyes. However, Ja-Ryung’s subsequent words were unexpected.
“It is a lie that he is the eldest son.”
“Your Majesty.”
If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.
15
The guards stopped Gok Hwang from waving his hands and approaching the Emperor. By lying to The Emperor, he was already a criminal.
“Why do you say that? He is undoubtedly a Gok…….”
“His ankles.”
As Ja-Ryung pointed out, there were clear traces of the shackles that he had worn for years.
“I know that the slaves of the labor yard do not have shackles put on their feet. Likewise, the firstborn son of Tohwa wouldn’t have been shackled.”
”…….”
With those words, Gok Hwang’s mouth shut.
He didn’t know that Ja-Ryung took off his clothes for that reason. From the beginning, the emperor didn’t believe that Heun was the eldest son of the Gok family. So, he thought Gok Hwang had said that to confuse him, but he seemed too complacent.
“So I will ask you. Who are you?”
In the meantime, Gok Hwang quickly finished turning his head.
It was not a lie, Heun was once the eldest son. Even if it was revealed that Heun was treated like a prisoner, there was still no problem. Even if the real reason for becoming a prisoner was revealed, he could say that he was sent as a slave to the labor camp, not as a master, and it would still be a sufficient excuse.
“You’re Majesty, you are mistaken. He is the eldest son of Gok. There’s a reason for the shackles.”
“You’re noisy. Keep your mouth shut.”
The guards’ movements were always swift. With no time to protest by claiming his position as Taebo, Gok Hwang’s hands were grabbed and he was forced to kneel down, and a spear was put near his mouth.
With that, Ja-Ryung faced Heun.
“I’ll ask again, who are you?”
Heun raised his head without an imperial order.
He remembered the past…
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Ja-Horyung laughed as he grabbed the neck of Heun’s naked body. “If you had cried quietly, I would have been more than happy to treat you like a girl”. The fingers that gripped his neck tightened slightly.
A strange moan, similar to that of a bird that had lost its beak, flowed from his mouth.
Heun opened his eyes and glared at Ja-Horyung. ‘I don’t want him to forget my eyes. If I die like this, I want to engrave these eyes in his memory so that they’ll be staring at him even when I die’.
But as always, Ja-Horyung couldn’t understand Heun’s thoughts.
“I like those eyes!”
Ja-Horyung let go of Heun’s neck, lowered his head, and bit Heun’s lips. Blood splattered on his tongue. When Ja-Horyung opened his mouth, the area around it was covered in blood.
Ja-Horyung said as he pressed his teeth on Heun’s lips, “You always look at me with those eyes.”
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
He should have known then that Ja-Horyung was crazy.
“Gok……Heun.”
“Heun?”
“This is the body of Gok’s oldest son, but I’m not the ‘Eldest’ son…… that’s It.”
“Aha.”
Ja-Ryung got up. He got off the chair and sat down in front of Heun, meeting him at eye level. The guards, including Jimok-cheon, had troubled eyes.
Ja-Ryung reached out and grabbed Heun by the chin. His thumb that came up unintentionally brushed the lips of Heun, which had turned into twisted bark, like a dried-out old tree.
Gok Yeo-Heun1.
Ja-Ryung moved his lips silently.
He thought he heard it somewhere before.
He knew the name of a similar ‘Gok’. The Emperor of Pa could not have forgotten the three characters of the name of that Gok.
“Now I know who you are. You look like the madman who demolished the imperial palace that you built with your own hands. If you look at the name, it’s similar to that. Did Gok Hwang believe you were the reincarnation of a madman?”
“……That’s right.”
“So you lost your eldest son’s status, became a sinner, and lived in shackles?”
“That’s right.”
“Now that the construction work that you did not complete has begun, you couldn’t remain with the Tohwa, and you have become a slave, and lived like this.“
“Yes…….”
“So as a slave you discovered that the water flow was changed, and came to the conclusion that a new survey had to be done.”
“… …”
Ja-Ryung applied strength to the hand holding his chin, and Heun’s head twisted. Because of that, his dry lips were torn and started bleeding.
“Oh my! What he did was perfect loyalty, but at its base was an insurrection that can never happen again. I have no idea which way it is.”
Ja-Ryung lowered Heun’s chin. Heun was pushed by the force and staggered. If it hadn’t been for the soldiers still holding his arms, he would have rolled on the floor in trouble.
Ja-Ryung stood up and spoke.
Bring him. Leave this to a real warrior (鎮撫使 ). I will interrogate him myself.”
At the words “real warrior,” Gok Hwang, who was still quiet, raised his head.
Surprisingly, it was the same with Cheomsa. He hurriedly exclaimed with gleaming eyes.
“Your Majesty! Does this mean you regard this incident as Gok’s work……”
Chemosa’s words could not be continued to the end.
“These two as well.”
“Y,Your Majesty!”
“Come back.”
Ja-Ryung ignored the screams of Cheomsa begging for his life, as lightly as if avoiding the flies buzzing around his ears.
The saliva Heun had spat out was accidentally stepped on by Ja-Ryung’s feet as he went out of the tent. As is often the case with those who were trampled underfoot, they were crushed and made misshapen and stuck flat to the bottom of the oppressor’s sole.
But what Ja-Ryung stepped on was not the resistance and refusal that Heun spat out in the form of saliva, but the life of the one being trampled upon.
If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.
All parenthesis inside a sentence, and the continents contained within them, were placed by the author and are NOT translator notes. All translator notes are denoted by a T/N.
Some Idioms or proverbs used throughout this story which may too be foreign and/or require too many footnotes were replaced by literal translations to make the story easier to read.
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