My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 122
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
122.
Seeing how Ju Cheonhyeok suggested Bukjinmuseo, gave money, and left, it was clear he had no understanding of Seol Mujin at all.
What kind of person he roughly knows my ass!
As they left Daru, Seol Changho said.
“Brother, what do you think of the Second Prince’s proposal?”
“We should think about the person, not the proposal he made.”
“We’ve seen the person enough to roughly know.”
“How did you guys see him?”
“The Third Prince is much better.”
Seol Ryeoseon and Seol Mantong nodded in agreement.
Of course, Seol Mujin felt the same way.
All that talk about an iron heart and cold blood was just bullshit.
Seol Mujin believed that someone who couldn’t love anyone was unqualified to be a ruler.
Though he was hungry, he decided to stop by Hwa Seonhwa’s house first.
“She said Hwangbok-ro 127…”
As Seol Mujin looked around left and right, Seol Ryeoseon said.
“Brother, didn’t we come to the wrong place?”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
On both sides of the wide road that could fit four carriages side by side, whale-back-like tiled houses lined up in rows.
Just from the clean surroundings and the scale of the houses, you could tell this was one of Beijing’s most affluent neighborhoods.
There was no way Go Bongsu, working as a low-level official, could live in such a nice house.
“This is the right place.”
Where Seol Mujin stopped had a scale not much different from the other houses around.
Woof woof! Woof! Woof!
Sensing their presence, neighborhood dogs barked here and there.
Seol Mantong asked.
“Should we climb over the wall and look?”
“Let’s just ring the bell.”
When Seol Mujin pulled the rope that came down along the main gate, a clear bell sound spread throughout the house.
After a moment, a woman’s voice was heard from inside.
“Who is it!”
“I’m Podoo Seol Mujin from Jinan!”
Footsteps stopped in front of the main gate.
“Who did you say you were?”
“From Jinan…”
Then hurried footsteps approached from inside, and the main gate burst open.
“Mujin!”
“Mother!”
Hwa Seonhwa and Seol Mujin embraced each other.
Anyone watching would think a child had returned from the battlefield.
He did return from the battlefield.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I’m perfectly fine, of course. How is your life in Beijing, Mother?”
“I’m comfortable. It’s a spacious house with four servants.”
Seol Mujin lowered his voice and asked.
“Is it okay for a low-level official to live in a house like this?”
“That’s what we asked too, but the person who found the house said it was fine. I’m the daughter of a Hebei Province merchant.” It seemed they had decided to fabricate her identity that way.
“What about dinner?”
“We’ll eat together when Father comes.”
Hwa Seonhwa waved her hands.
“That man’s been working owl hours lately.”
“Isn’t he working too hard?”
“He says he needs to quickly gain his superiors’ trust, which is a bit worrying.”
“I’ll talk to him about it.”
But that day, Go Bongsu came home early from work.
He wasn’t alone either.
“Huh? Why is Samhwangja Jeonha coming with Father?”
“Comforting officials suffering from heavy workloads is also a superior’s job.”
“I never asked to be comforted.”
“Isn’t it great to have such a good master who does these things without being asked?”
“Ah—yawn!”
Go Bongsu yawned casually in front of Ju Cheonmyeong.
It seemed they had become quite close.
“Aren’t you going to acknowledge me?”
Hwang Unhwa was still Ju Cheonmyeong’s bodyguard.
“You’re lasting quite long?”
“I’m thinking of quitting soon. It’s boring.”
Ju Cheonmyeong said.
“Who was it that played most wildly at the pleasure house yesterday?”
“I was just matching the mood in case you got bored.”
Ju Cheonmyeong pointed at Hwang Unhwa with his thumb and whispered to Seol Mujin.
“He’s just a freeloader.”
No matter how low the voice, it couldn’t escape Hwang Unhwa’s ears.
“You don’t even give me a monthly salary.”
“The money you spend on alcohol could hire ten bodyguards.”
“If Your Highness didn’t go to pleasure houses, that money wouldn’t be spent.”
“Where is there a bodyguard who drinks with the person he’s supposed to protect at a pleasure house?”
“It makes it easier for you to guard.”
Hwa Seonhwa said, looking at the lavishly prepared dinner table.
“You should eat first.”
Ju Cheonmyeong said “There’s a lot of food I like!” and started using his chopsticks.
Seol Mujin asked Ju Cheonmyeong.
“Isn’t Father playing a kind of spy role? Wouldn’t it be dangerous if Your Highness visits the house like this…?”
The answer to that question came from Hwang Unhwa.
“There’s no one tailing Samhwangja Jeonha. I confirmed it.”
Ju Cheonmyeong mumbled “That’s right” while chewing his food.
If Hwang Unhwa guaranteed it, it could be trusted.
After all, he was the greatest master under heaven.
Seol Mujin asked Go Bongsu.
“Where do you work, Father?”
“Me? The Ministry of Personnel.”
“What’s your rank?”
“Clerk.”
“Clerk means… What? That’s a completely low-level official of the ninth grade!”
“What meaning does rank have? Rather, being a clerk in charge of practical work allows me to know the Ministry of Personnel in detail.”
Ju Cheonmyeong said.
“That’s why I told you to just go to the Ministry of Justice where Minister Yeon is comfortable.”
“I like my current position. I need to quickly learn the practical work to do my part.”
“Even though you’re not blood-related, you’re strangely like father, like son. But what happened with you?”
To the question directed at him, Seol Mujin asked back, “What about?”
“The Nation-Protecting Spear.”
“Ah!”
“I told you to investigate the Hubei Province Regional Commander, so why did you suppress the rebels instead? And you achieved such merit that it will be remembered in history.”
“It’s been greatly exaggerated. It was somewhat troublesome, but not that difficult.”
Everyone had expressions saying ‘That wasn’t difficult?’, and Hwang Unhwa just chuckled.
Ju Cheonmyeong said.
“If what you did wasn’t difficult, then all the generals currently holding positions should drown themselves in dishwater.”
Hwang Unhwa said.
“Seol Podoo could have handled the rebel leadership even without the Five Hundred Elite Corps that went with him.”
“You’re saying he could do that alone?”
“That’s what makes martial arts masters special.”
“Are you saying that if you just have martial arts masters, the nation’s soldiers are like scarecrows?”
“That’s not it. How many people in the martial world could lead a Five Hundred Elite Corps like this time and bring back the enemy leader’s head?”
“According to what you’re saying, any martial arts master could do it?”
“It wouldn’t exceed twenty people.”
“You’re saying Seol Podoo is that strong?”
“Didn’t you know?”
“I knew Seol Podoo was strong, but I didn’t think he’d be at that level since he’s still young.”
“That’s why time is Seol Podoo’s greatest weapon.”
“Then you’re saying you could have done the same as Seol Podoo.”
“If it were me, it would have been simpler.”
Seol Mantong muttered.
“That monk is showing off.”
Fortunately, only Seol Mujin and Hwang Unhwa, who had sharp ears, heard it, so it passed without incident.
Ju Cheonmyeong said to Seol Mujin.
“Anyway, your activities this time became quite the topic of conversation even within the Imperial Palace.”
“Is that good?”
“It’s both good and bad.”
“What’s the good part?”
“Now no one can complain if you’re placed in a high position.”
“What’s the bad part?”
“Too much attention can naturally create enemies.”
“I’ve already received intense attention.”
“Hm? Intense attention?”
Seol Mujin told them about meeting Second Prince Ju Cheonhyeok earlier.
“My brother promised you the position of Northern Pacification Commander?”
“I also received a hundred silver taels as spending money.”
“Then you can buy drinks today?”
“Aren’t you worried I might go over to Second Prince?”
“If it’s anyone else but Second Brother, you two wouldn’t get along. There’s no way you’d like a cold-blooded person.”
“I was trying to raise my value with this opportunity.”
“Do you want to be Northern Pacification Commander?”
“The opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“I want to return to being Jinan’s Podoo. Sigh—! Though it seems I’ve come too far for that.”
“You know well.”
Ju Cheonmyeong made a rather serious expression.
“Still, it bothers me that Second Brother is coveting you. That man has the mentality that if he can’t have something, no one else should either.”
“Surely he wouldn’t try to kill me?”
“If it’s Second Brother, he’s more than capable of that.”
Only then did Seol Mujin become somewhat serious and ask.
“Officially, or unofficially?”
“Since you’ve become a war hero, it would be difficult officially.”
“Then at best it would be an assassin.”
“You don’t seem worried?”
“My concern is the First Prince.”
“I was wondering when that topic would come up. You must have gained something in Hubei Province?”
“First, I confirmed that the First Prince and Myeoncheonhoe are on the same side.”
“As expected.”
“And Myeoncheonhoe was established by someone from the Demonic Cult.”
When the name ‘Demonic Cult’ came up, everyone except the triplets stopped using their chopsticks.
Even Hwang Unhwa couldn’t remain composed before the name Demonic Cult.
Hwang Unhwa asked.
“Are you saying the Demonic Cult has advanced into the Central Plains under the name Myeoncheonhoe?”
“Not the Demonic Cult, but someone from the Demonic Cult, and to be precise, it was established by someone trying to destroy the Demonic Cult.”
“That’s complicated.”
When Seol Mujin told the story involving Myeoncheonhoe, Ju Cheonmyeong summarized.
“So you’re saying someone called Ma-ui from the Demonic Cult used medical skills to become a royal physician and approached my sickly eldest brother?”
“It was ultimately a misguided approach. First Prince is…”
Seol Mujin couldn’t bring himself to continue, so Ju Cheonmyeong said what Seol Mujin wanted to say.
“He won’t live much longer. Right?”
“Yes.”
“Then First Princess will become a kite with a broken string. How will she handle the aftermath now?”
Ju Cheonmyeong thought about the punishment to be given to the First Prince, or more precisely, the First Princess and her faction who had interfered with his plans.
“Is there really a need to make them enemies?”
“Hm? They’re already enemies.”
“There’s a saying in the martial world that there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends. If it’s the Imperial Palace, it would be even more so than the martial world, wouldn’t it?”
“So you’re suggesting we become friends with them?”
“As Your Highness said, when First Prince passes away, they’ll lose their backing. But their usefulness won’t completely disappear. There are several high-ranking officials in the capital, including the Minister of the Left, and they hold provincial positions too. Wouldn’t it be better to absorb that power rather than become enemies with them?”
When the conversation reached that point, only the triplets were moving their chopsticks to eat.
Go Bongsu said.
“I think Mujin’s idea is good. Honestly, we can’t say the forces Third Prince has recruited are sufficient, can we?”
Even Ju Cheonmyeong had to acknowledge that.
The person currently closest to the emperor’s position was undoubtedly Second Prince Ju Cheonhyeok.
But you couldn’t say Ju Cheonmyeong was second either, because the Fourth Prince’s power couldn’t even be gauged yet.
Not only the princes but even the uncles were in the race, so any power that could be obtained, no matter how small, had to be absorbed.
Moreover, if it was the First Prince’s power, it could instantly increase Ju Cheonmyeong’s size.
Ju Cheonmyeong, who had been tapping the dining table with his index finger, asked Seol Mujin.
“Would it be possible for me to absorb eldest brother’s power?”
“I think we need to meet Ma-ui first and hear what he has to say before we can calculate.”
“To meet Ma-ui, I’d have to enter the Forbidden City.”
“Don’t you already have an entry pass as Geumeuiwi Deputy Commander?”
“Being Geumeuiwi doesn’t mean you can enter the Forbidden City anytime. I should leave this to the Eastern Pacification Commander.”
He was referring to Dong Muhyeok, whose false accusations Seol Mujin had cleared.
Seol Mujin went on to tell Ju Cheonmyeong about what Baek Gangju suspected.
“Commander Baek was suspicious of the Henan Province Regional Commander.”
“What kind of suspicion?”
“Suspicion that he might be in league with Ju Hyeongwang.”
When he explained the reasons for the suspicion, Ju Cheonmyeong also nodded.
“That makes sense. But was Ju Hyeongwang really the true leader?”
Perhaps Ju Hyeongwang was also someone’s pawn.
They were living their lives treading on such confusing land where it wasn’t clear who was friend or foe.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
