Login Murim Episode 861
Jeong Ho-gun’s words that he would arrive at the imperial capital within today were not lies.
The procession passed through Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province and the former imperial capital, and finally reached Suzhou, where it encountered a group of troops at the border crossing to Zhejiang Province.
“I was waiting for you, Cheonho.”
Eyes shining through the armor and helmet that tightly covers the entire body.
The number of them, one by one, dispersing their heavy energy, was close to 1,000, and on the golden flag fluttering in the wind, the dragon symbolizing the imperial family was writhing as if it were alive.
Geumwiwi (錦衣衛).
The only being in this world, the loyal dogs who follow the orders of the Emperor, paid a courtesy to their superior, King Jeongho, and faced the young king who inherited the noble royal blood.
“His Majesty King Sangsan. “Be polite.”
“A thousand years old! A thousand years! “A thousand years!”
And as Hong Jin looked at the sight of the members of the National Guard crying out in unison without even getting off their horses, a thought occurred to Hong Jin.
How many of these countless people actually put sincerity in that cry?
No, I wonder if there was at least one person.
Hongjin, who already knew the answer to that question, swallowed a bitter smile.
‘They and I are, in the end, just animals. What is important is the will of the owner who raises the animal.’
right. The Son of Heaven is supreme and pure, and he is the supreme being of all beings who can decide the life and death of everyone.
There was nothing that could stop the Emperor’s will.
Even during that terrible purge ten years ago, the blade that passed by just in the nick of time was aimed at the young king.
And this carriage is heading towards the sword of the emperor who has returned.
“Pick up the speed. “The ecliptic is right around the corner.” Contrary to the sun that was slowly starting to set, the carriage ran like the wind.
Jeong Ho-gun and his royal guards, who had hidden their identities in tattered military uniforms for thousands of miles, wore dazzling gold robes and armor befitting their name, and advanced like waves with the imperial flag raised high.
Like a victor who captured an enemy general and returned home.
“Get out of the way!”
There was nothing that could stop Ilcheon’s Jinuiwi.
The people bowed down with a mixture of fear and awe, and the procession led by the young king passed through the majestically wide-open gate.
Just half a day. After moving along the highway and waterway that had been emptied just for them, Hongjin was finally able to be seen.
I thought I would never see it again in my lifetime. At the same time, he built a huge castle wall that he swore he would never return to, even for the sake of the young king he served. ‘Imperial capital…!’
Hongjin tried hard to suppress the sigh that was about to escape.
Invisible but visible. I can’t hear it, but I hear it.
The dragon’s abode crouching behind those high castle walls. Countless screams resounded continuously surrounding a single throne.
It was a fragment of the terrible past that was deeply entrenched in Hong Jin’s mind, and it was also the history that made one man the master of the continent.
‘I’ll save you. ‘Not just this time.’
Suddenly, someone’s cold voice echoed in his ears, and Hongjin gritted his teeth without realizing it.
‘It won’t go as your Majesty wants. ‘Not just this time.’
The sunset that started from the far west was coloring the walls of the imperial capital.
Hangzhou, which I first saw, was a nice city.
Abundant materials and outstanding scenery are transported throughout Zhejiang Province via canals.
On the wide plain we passed on the way, all kinds of crops were rolling like golden waves, and smiles did not leave people’s faces.
‘They say it’s the most beautiful city in the world.’
What I once heard in passing was definitely true.
That may be why they abandoned Nanjing, a large city with a long history, and moved the capital to Hangzhou.
The only problem was that this beautiful city was scarier than I expected.
Crash. Crash.
A cool friction sound made by a blade.
No matter which direction you turn, you can see soldiers. These are not the clumsy novices I have known until now, but thoroughly armed elite soldiers.
It was so bad that even Hyuk Mu-jin, who was comfortable in the middle of it all, said this with all his smile erased.
“Captain. This is a bit… “Is it severe?”
Normally, I would have lashed out at him out of habit, but even I couldn’t help but sympathize with him this time.
‘Why are there so many?’
It’s just not a lot. There are really so many of them.
To a certain extent, it is suspicious that the specialty of Zhejiang Province is not Longjing tea (龍井茶) but Jinweijun.
“Is security always this tight?”
Hyuk Moo-jin was not the only one who lost his smile as he entered Hangzhou.
Heungjin, who heard my question, answered in a voice so stiff that it felt unfamiliar.
“As it is the capital, we are always on strict alert. Of course, it wasn’t to this extent.”
“then······
“I must have received some kind of order. And maybe… it’s related to us in some way.”
Hongjin muttered, licking her red-painted lips.
“I already guessed it, but the welcome greeting was bigger than I expected.”
I suddenly remembered the scene of 100,000 soldiers raising their spears and swords, but then I shook my head.
‘That’s unlikely.’
If he had been going to kill him so easily, King Zhou Biao of Shangsan would not have even been able to leave Shanxi Province.
I don’t know the exact reason why the emperor sent his subordinates to bring his younger brother, but it was clear that he would at least deal with King Sangsan in a way that did not violate the great cause.
Because that’s what being an emperor is.
‘Moreover, the image of being already known for external affairs is not good.’
Is it for no reason that it is said that the people’s heart is the heavenly heart?
The nomadic tribes of the grasslands, who had conquered the continent before becoming a great nation, also fell along with the collapse of public sentiment.
The emperor rules over the people, but without the people, the emperor cannot exist.
In that sense, the world’s view of the current emperor was quite negative.
‘A capable but cruel emperor.’
It was a fact I had often heard in the martial arts world, and I learned more about it while talking secretly with Hong Jin on the way home.
From a young age, he had accumulated great military skills by suppressing various rebellions and rebellions among foreigners, and the person who was said to be flawless in governing the region he was in charge of was the current emperor.
Hong Jin said that if he had been born as the first son of the previous emperor, or if the crown prince, who was the eldest brother, had been lacking in any way, he would have naturally inherited the next emperor.
‘But the reality was different.’
Before becoming emperor, he was quite distant from the succession plan.
He had three older brothers, and the eldest brother, who naturally rose to become the crown prince according to the principle of primogeniture succession, was just as outstanding, or rather, depending on one’s perspective, even more outstanding.
Regardless of their status, he treats people with only humanity and is a great person who has shown enough qualities to lead a great nation.
Hong Jin evaluated the crown prince at the time as follows.
‘Ready puncture.’
The long war ended a long time ago.
All the seditious seeds of rebellion that had been scattered throughout the world and the foreign nations that were eagerly waiting for the great nation were uprooted.
What was needed for a great nation that had laid the foundation was stability, not conquest, and the crown prince, with perfect royal heritage and qualifications without the slightest flaw, was truly a prepared successor in every way.
Until the fourth prince of the imperial family, who had already been pushed far out of the succession plan, drew his sword from the shadows.
All right.
With the sound of the horse’s hooves echoing particularly clearly, I woke up from my thoughts and looked around.
‘This place.’
The answer to the question came quickly.
Before I knew it, the carriage had stopped, and between Geumwiwi, which was tightly wrapped in all directions, there were gigantic buildings lined up that had never been seen before in Murim.
The buildings, which were tall enough to remind one of modern skyscrapers and were so antique and ornate that they could not be compared, meant only one place.
‘Imperial palace (皇宮)
It is the dragon’s abode and the center that moves the giant gear wheels of the world.
As I was silently looking at the entrance to the palace, which was overwhelming just by looking through the gap in the window, Hong Jin whispered softly in a hushed voice.
“Confucius Jin. “I’ve been holding back well up until now… but don’t you think it’s time to tell me?”
The moment I heard those words, I knew what Hongjin was trying to ask.
Everyone else except me and Hyuk Moo-jin.
Now Hongjin was curious about the location of other helpers who had not yet appeared, and my answer was decided.
– Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough.
Hongjin frowned slightly, perhaps because the answer did not meet his expectations, but he did not express any dissatisfaction.
I am the one who ran that long distance without stopping to help them.
In the current situation, if there is no trust in each other, anxiety and danger are bound to increase further.
And in that sense, I also couldn’t help but ask.
– How do you know so much?
It was a question that had been around for quite some time.
Although King Jupyo of Sangsan is a king in name only, he is the only direct royal family member and king who survived the terrible struggle surrounding the throne.
I had always thought that Hong Jin, King Sangsan’s confidant, could not have been an ordinary eunuch, but the information he knew and his nonchalant attitude toward Geumuiwi, who was the object of fear everywhere, were more than I expected.
So much so that I had no choice but to ask directly.
– Since I am risking my life, I must hear the answer to this question. Right Now.
Rattling.
Hongjin, who had been silently staring at me with a firm voice, suddenly opened the carriage door.
And a group of people coming down the high stairs leading to the imperial palace.
He looked at and opened his mouth.
“Confucius Jin. “Did you ever tell me why I decided to become a eunuch?” I nodded.
When I first met Hong Jin in Shanxi Province, he told me in passing about his past.
“I hated poverty and wanted to save my family. But there aren’t that many ways to choose. No, it was unique at the time.”
Hongjin continued speaking slowly.
To get what you want, you have to sacrifice something else.
The poor boy who could not overcome hunger became a eunuch and gave himself a new name.
“Hongjin (洪進). I wanted to move forward into big waters. “Get out of the stinking gutter and into the wide, clear sea.”
It didn’t take long for that wish to become a reality.
The young eunuch who escaped poverty became ambitious and possessed unprecedented abilities.
And his always thorough and cool-headed appearance soon caught the Emperor’s eye.
“One day, the Emperor called me and said, “There is a place where my abilities can be put to good use.”
Hong Jin spoke in a clear voice.
“Confucius Jin. Have you ever heard of Dongchang (東廉)?”
