novelraw Chapter 195 : Preparing for the Garden Banquet
Chapter 195 : Preparing for the Garden Banquet
Chapter 195: Preparing for the Garden Banquet
A noble lady with a graceful bearing was staring quietly at me inside the shabby office.
When I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, Cheon Sugong suddenly twisted his face and scolded me.
“Don’t just stand there like an idiot. Hurry up and show your respect to Imperial Concubine Hwang, you brat!”
He muttered that my back was stiff as a board and gave the back of my head a shove.
But even if he told me to show proper etiquette, I didn’t really know the formal court manners. So I figured I should at least bow somehow and awkwardly began bending at the waist.
“That will do, Cheon Sugong.”
A warm yet dignified voice stopped me.
“This is not the Imperial Household but your own space. Be at ease.”
Imperial Concubine Hwang smiled in a way that naturally put anyone who saw it at ease and personally helped me straighten up.
Her hands were incredibly warm.
I found myself raising my head and looking at her face from up close.
Despite being well past thirty, her skin gleamed like polished jade. Her slightly drooping eyes and the gentle upward curve of her lips suggested a kind and gentle nature.
Her long hair was secured with an antique hairpin, revealing the white nape of her neck and giving her a subtle, captivating charm.
So this was the woman who was the mother of the Third Princess and the Third Prince—and the one the Empress was said to resent so intensely.
“Thank you… I mean, um… well…”
“Hehe. Just call me Imperial Concubine Hwang, Mama.”
Seeing me struggle over how to address her, Imperial Concubine Hwang spoke with a gentle smile.
“Imperial Concubine Mama…?”
“It’s Mama, you lunatic.”
Cheon Sugong glared fiercely and smacked the back of my head.
The hit carried so much emotion that I felt like my eyeballs were about to pop out.
“So, I heard you saved our Yang’s life?”
Imperial Concubine Mama spoke to me while trying—and failing—to hide her amusement at how Cheon Sugong kept scolding me.
“Yang?”
“I mean Ju Eoyang.”
“Ju Eoyang would be…”
The name was unfamiliar, so I tilted my head. Beside me, Cheon Sugong was staring at me like he was going crazy.
“…That is Princess Peach Blossom’s name. Someone who is neither family nor husband has no business using it.”
Since I was neither a court official nor family but an outsider, I was supposed to address her by the imperial title bestowed by the Son of Heaven—Princess Peach Blossom.
Honestly, the Imperial Household had so many things to worry about.
“My apologies, Mama. This fellow is completely estranged from etiquette…”
Cheon Sugong apologized on my behalf to Imperial Concubine Hwang, as if he had expected this.
“It’s fine, Cheon Sugong. In fact, it’s refreshing and quite amusing.”
Imperial Concubine Hwang spoke with a smile that had not left her face from the beginning.
She truly seemed like a generous and bright person.
Her children were already grown, so she must have been in her late thirties. Yet she looked nothing like that outwardly.
A woman with a mature atmosphere and a gentle, embracing presence.
For some reason, she reminded me of the mother I had never once seen.
“You brat… you’re making a strange expression.”
“Ahem. You misunderstand.”
I hurriedly corrected my expression.
But Cheon Sugong narrowed his eyes more and more, clearly suspicious.
“Anyway, what brings you here?”
I quickly changed the subject. When I asked why she had come to my office, Imperial Concubine Hwang finally got to the main point.
“To welcome autumn, the Son of Heaven has summoned all members of the Imperial Family to a Garden Banquet. Recently, unpleasant incidents have occurred frequently in the Imperial Palace, so perhaps he wishes for everyone to rebuild their bonds.”
He was gathering those Imperial relatives who even tried to poison each other in one place?
Even someone like me who knew nothing about the Imperial Household could tell something about that felt unsettling.
I glanced at Cheon Sugong with a look that said, ‘Is that really true?’
He shook his head left and right as if saying, ‘Do you think it is?’
It seemed Imperial Concubine Hwang was the only one naive enough to take the Emperor’s words at face value.
“However, because of the previous incident, and because Cheon Sugong worries greatly by nature, we wish to hire you as both escort guard and food taster for my children. What do you say?”
The request was to protect the Third Princess, Princess Peach Blossom, and also the Third Prince—whom I had only heard about but never seen.
Cheon Sugong must have recommended me after noticing my uncanny ability to detect murderous intent.
“Hmm.”
Well, this was a problem.
Back then, I had worried about not having any clients.
Now even members of the Imperial Household were coming personally to give me requests.
I scratched my chin awkwardly and fell into thought.
If Hwang Geolgae found out, he would definitely jump around screaming again.
Of course, I could simply not tell him.
Hadn’t I already decided to keep my mouth shut after getting thoroughly beaten recently?
Still, regardless of my master’s outrage, the situation itself did feel ominous.
“Your office—whose permission did you receive to settle in this place?”
While I was deep in thought, Cheon Sugong tapped the table in the center of the office with his finger and suddenly began with a suspicious tone.
“I paid the proper taxes to the court and received permission…”
“Hm. Are you certain?”
This was the Imperial Capital, where everything—from the grass roots to the final handful of soil—was said to belong to the Son of Heaven.
So buying land here was closer to leasing it indefinitely from the Emperor. If the court wished, it could confiscate it at any time.
Of course, setting that aside, this was also where money, goods, and people from all across the Central Plains gathered. Naturally, everyone wanted to establish businesses here.
“The land you occupy is within the Imperial Capital. Surely you understand what that means?”
“…Yes, I know.”
This old man must really need my help if he was resorting to subtle threats he usually wouldn’t make.
Imperial Concubine Hwang, who had been quietly watching, seemed unable to tolerate it anymore and stepped in to shield me.
“Cheon Sugong, do not speak as though you are threatening him. The child might become frightened.”
Even though I had grown into a man rather than a boy, to a woman who had raised two children I probably still looked young.
Cheon Sugong had been trying to secure the request, but when Imperial Concubine Hwang scolded him, he bowed his head awkwardly.
“Was it Dan Mujin? You can simply come, eat some delicious food, look around a bit, and return. Nothing will happen.”
She said it would be a simple matter—just eating and leaving—even though all the Imperial Family would be gathered in one place.
The scarier thing was that judging from her bright eyes, she truly seemed to believe that.
When I looked at Cheon Sugong as if to say, ‘Why is she like this?’ he pressed his hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.
“Imperial Concubine Mama, this may be disrespectful to ask, but may I speak with him privately for a moment?”
“…Very well.”
The moment he received permission, Cheon Sugong threw his arm around my neck and dragged me to the corner.
Then he whispered.
“You saw it yourself. She is far too powerless against the darkness of the Imperial Palace. With the Empress spreading her web like a poisonous spider, it would not be surprising if she died tragically at any time.”
“….”
It was hard to refute that.
Princess Peach Blossom was incredibly sharp and resilient—even when caught in a poisoning attempt she kept her composure and pushed through.
So why was her own mother so defenseless?
“You brat… why do you think that is?”
“Ah… because someone has to keep their sanity… that’s why.”
In a den of demons where they could steal your nose the moment you closed your eyes, the mother remained that way, so naturally the daughter had grown up sharp and capable.
It was actually a rather sad story.
I felt like I was seeing Princess Peach Blossom in a new light.
“To be honest, I would prefer to handle this with the Eastern Depot alone. But recently we have detected suspicious movements, and now we need your help.”
He still had the pride of the Eastern Depot, so having to call in a mere Troubleshooter like me to protect high-ranking nobles displeased him immensely.
Even so, his desire to protect Imperial Concubine Hwang outweighed that pride, so he had come to seek me out.
“She may not be suited to the life of the Imperial Palace, but she is a very good person. Will you really leave someone like that to suffer misfortune in a place like this?”
“….”
Indeed, she seemed like a rare kind soul in this ruthless Central Plains.
Someone like that being swallowed by the schemes of vile people would be a national loss.
Clink.
Cheon Sugong pulled two glittering gold ingots from his robe.
Not small gold nuggets but ones about half the size of a fist.
The weight in my palm and the brilliant glow.
“An advance payment. If you escort them safely, I will give you something even greater.”
In the Central Plains, where trust was scarce, advances were usually pitifully small.
Yet he was handing over pure gold.
The Imperial Palace truly had generous pockets.
“So, escort duty and food tasting, correct? Is that all?”
“…Yes. You must stay close and guard the Prince, the Princess, and Imperial Concubine Hwang.”
At Cheon Sugong’s words, I glanced at Imperial Concubine Hwang, who was looking out the window as if deliberately ignoring our conversation.
I had to stay close and guard that noble lady.
“Well then, I’ll take the job.”
I quickly stuffed the golden ingots into my robe before anyone could steal them.
“You just made a strange expression.”
“…You misunderstand.”
Even though I shook my head, Cheon Sugong still looked suspicious.
As expected of someone from the Eastern Depot—always suspicious of everything.
“Then I will prepare to enter the Imperial Palace.”
Since I had already stopped a poisoning once, it would be better if the enemy realized my identity as late as possible.
I would have Ilhong help me change my identity again.
Because of my tendency to constantly get dragged into trouble, it seemed I would have a hard time keeping my promise to Hwang Geolgae.
“I will see you in the Imperial Palace.”
What must one give up or lay down in order to save another?
It was a difficult question.
Hwang Geolgae gulped down rice wine from a gourd to make it easier to contemplate.
As the alcohol took effect and he felt pleasantly tipsy, his mind finally seemed clearer.
Everyone said he lived vaguely and absentmindedly, but in truth he might be the one who saw the world most clearly.
“The Emei Sect… and Venerable Huiyin.”
As fellow members of the Nine Sects One Gang, he had seen her face a couple of times before.
Every word she spoke carried virtuous qi. She had been a truly admirable martial artist.
“They said she looked like a fallen demonic practitioner.”
She had attempted to take another’s life with logic full of stubbornness and arrogance that made no sense.
Even after hearing it several times, he still could not comprehend the transformation of the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect.
And at the center of that change was surely a suspicious existence.
“Ilseong… Daoist Ilseong.”
When she was crying like a child under the fear of death, trapped by inner demons—
That being descended and taught her a heart cultivation method to control the Energy of the Moon.
The more one cultivated and ascended in realm, the more one gradually realized that there was not just a single Being Beyond the Heavens.
But the existence that taught a doctrine completely opposite to Ilwol’s teachings was a chilling realization.
“How strange… very strange.”
To corrupt a righteous female chivalrous hero and turn her into a demonic practitioner who devoured Latent Energy.
Meanwhile, on this side, he had managed to raise the Heaven-Slaying Star—who would plunge the Central Plains into a Blood Calamity—into someone resembling a human.
“And she was saved by the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method.”
That audacious disciple must have revealed the nature of the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method, even sharing part of the chant formula and injecting the Energy of the Stars.
“Hah.”
It was a martial art he had secretly taught, telling him never to reveal it to anyone.
It was ridiculous, but since it came from a good intention to save someone, he could not punish him too harshly.
So he had reduced his strength a bit when hitting his head.
Yet the brat still rolled around screaming that it hurt so much he might die.
“For a grown man to behave so immaturely… tsk.”
Always jumping around and yelling. A man should have some solid weight and composure like himself.
As he sipped from the gourd while enjoying the scenery of the moonlit night—
“Master, I’m here.”
Unlike Dan Mujin, his other disciple Ilhong—who was diligent and obedient—had arrived for training.
“You’re here. But where is that brat? Why did you come alone?”
He had told him to come together with Ilhong today to test the Energy of the Moon he supposedly carried inside.
“…Captain went to work.”
Judging by Ilhong’s hesitation, he had gotten caught up in trouble again.
“Tsk. Where did he go this time?”
“…Well…”
She fidgeted with her fingers, caught between loyalty to her caring master and loyalty to her captain.
“Ilhong, this old man is the head of the Beggars’ Union. If I truly wished to know, it would not be difficult. Just tell me.”
At that, Ilhong silently pointed toward the direction of the Imperial Palace.
“…The Imperial Palace? Don’t tell me he disguised himself as a eunuch again and went to the Princess’s Palace?”
At her master’s guess, Ilhong shook her head vigorously.
“No, this time it’s different…”
“Then where?”
“…This time, he went to Imperial Concubine Hwang’s palace.”
She explained that she had just finished crafting a Human-skin Mask for him.
“Primordial Heavenly Lord…”
Just how far was that troublemaker going to get dragged into things?
Could he really announce to the world that such a disaster was his disciple?
Hwang Geolgae suddenly felt dizzy.