Kang Sogun

Cho Haran did not answer Kang Sogun's question. She just lowered her large eyes and kept her mouth firmly shut.

After a long while, Cho Haran asked back.

"What are you going to do with me?"

Cho Haran asked, remembering that she was in Kang Sogun's hands.

Kang Sogun realized that Cho Haran did not trust him.

Perhaps from Cho Haran's perspective, that was natural. Kang Sogun was the maternal grandson of the previous emperor who had driven General Jang Hong to his death.

Although he was engaged to Jang Yeongyeong, from the outside, it was a political marriage, and it was common for such marriages to be broken.

Kang Sogun had seen Cho Haran in Jang Seonbaek's military camp. At that time, Cho Haran was Jang Seonbaek's messenger.

The Cho family were thoroughly people of the Jang general family.

Kang Sogun sighed lightly and said.

"What do you think I will do to you?"

"..."

"Let's just say I couldn't pretend not to see an injured person."

"Then please let me go."

"The soldiers of the Bang family are searching everywhere right now. It seems your party has not been caught yet. It will be dangerous if you go out now."

Cho Haran looked at Kang Sogun. Her eyes were still filled with distrust.

"I say again, there is nothing I want. If you are worried about your party, I can save them."

"Why are you showing me such goodwill?"

"Don't you know the relationship between me and Seonbaek?"

"I know. That you are engaged to Miss Yeongyeong. But where were you when the Jang family fell?"

Kang Sogun did not bother to make an excuse.

"General Jang Hong and his family only defended the battlefield for the country. But the foolish previous emperor was played by the tongue of a treacherous subject and killed a loyal subject."

Cho Haran's tone was harsh.

"When the Jang family was being persecuted, those who were usually close pretended not to see. While the Jang family and their retainers were dying, there was no one who offered a word of remonstrance."

Kang Sogun just listened silently. Cho Haran's words pierced his heart like a dagger.

If he had been there, he would have stopped it by any means. But to make an excuse now was also shabby.

Cho Haran, while speaking, became angry anew. Then she suddenly shed tears.

"My father lamented that the human heart was worse than that of a beast."

Cho Haran wiped her tears and muttered as if to herself.

"He used to say that he would rather die as a human than live as a beast. So I shouldn't send him off with tears like this."

Her emotional ups and downs were so severe that it seemed Cho Haran was not normal.

Kang Sogun stood up from his seat.

"First, take care of your body. You will need to rest for a couple of months."

Cho Haran turned her head to avoid Kang Sogun's gaze and asked as if passing by.

"Is my father's body intact?"

Kang Sogun could not bring himself to tell her the truth.

Cho Gangrip's head had been cut off right away and had been hung outside the city gate.

Kang Sogun had collected the head in the middle of the night, had found the body, had collected it, and had buried it.

"He has been laid to rest."

At Kang Sogun's brief words, Cho Haran did not ask any more.

When Kang Sogun returned to his residence, Jin Uncho was waiting.

"Unexpectedly, Bang Yeonso's movements are quiet."

Jin Uncho was worried that since Bang Ilok had been seriously injured, Bang Yeonso would retaliate.

In fact, he had sent a person to ask Jin Uncho about Kang Sogun's identity.

Although Jin Uncho had refused, saying there was no reason to tell him, it was only a matter of time before Bang Yeonso found out Kang Sogun's identity.

So Jin Uncho was worried.

"Bang Yeonso is a man of deep schemes. Moreover, as the head of the Nanjing government office, he holds power. He will surely retaliate, but since he is quiet, it seems he is plotting a vicious conspiracy."

Kang Sogun did not care.

"More importantly, what about what I asked you to find out?"

"It is said that the two were missing after going out on the orders of the head of the Eastern Depot, Go Seung, at that time."

"Go Seung?"

"He is now in the Directorate of Ceremonial. Grand Eunuch Go is assisting the current emperor following the previous emperor, and his power is so great that even the ministers are watching his face."

Jin Uncho continued.

"At that time, it is said that the two were in charge of the task of suppressing the forces of General Jang Hong."

"Did you find out about the movements of the man named Shin Igi at that time?"

"It is clear that Shin Igi was a trusted subordinate of Grand Eunuch Go. It is said that he was mainly active in Shandong, and he was a man of very notorious reputation."

"Shandong?"

"At that time, Shandong was a headache for the previous emperor. Since a civil rebellion had occurred and the Prince of Han was in Anju, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were intensively monitoring. It seems that Shin Igi was the head of the Eastern Depot in Shandong. Mak Busim was a master of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who followed his command."

Kang Sogun still could not understand how the red jade dagger had been in Shin Igi's hands.

'Shin Igi chased the Three Tigers of Shandong. And he had the red jade dagger. Then does that mean Yeongyeong went to Shandong?'

Shandong was a place where the Jang family had no connection. But when one was being chased, one could go to an unwanted place.

Jin Uncho stood up from his seat.

"I must be going. The Nanjing government office has been turned upside down because of the assassins a few days ago."

"Has their identity been revealed?"

Jin Uncho nodded.

"The deceased was a man named Cho Gangrip, who was a general under General Jang Hong. A warrant for his arrest had been issued, but I did not know that he would appear in the Nanjing government office."

"Why would he have tried to harm Bang Ilok? Is Bang Ilok related to the incident of the Jang family?"

Jin Uncho sighed.

"The incident of General Jang Hong's family is shrouded in a black curtain. Above all, the forces that slandered General Jang at that time are still in power in the court."

"?"

"It means that it was not simply the slander of a few people. At that time, the mistress asked me to look into the details of the incident."

Kang Sogun nodded.

Although Kang Sogun was missing, since it was a matter of the family with which he was engaged, his mother would have stepped up.

"There was a limit to what I, who was just a captain of the guards, could find out. Later, the mistress even looked into it herself, but at some point, she told me to stop. What does that mean?"

It meant that a power that even the princess, his mother, could not do anything about had moved.

"A little after General Jang Hong died, there were a few who requested a posthumous pardon. They all died mysterious deaths. After that, there was no one who stepped up for the Jang family."

Kang Sogun was silent for a moment, as if in shock.

He had known until now that the one who had slandered General Jang Hong was the Prince of Han.

The Prince of Han was also his uncle. If he were to avenge Jang Seonbaek and Yeongyeong, he would have to aim his sword at his uncle.

But hearing Jin Uncho's words, it seemed there was a deeper black curtain.

"The reason Cho Gangrip tried to kill Bang Ilok is surely related to the incident of General Jang Hong."

***

The banquet was held in the separate courtyard of the governor of Hefei, Yuk Ilcheong. Since it was not a situation where Zhu Zhanji's identity could be revealed, only the branch and a few high-ranking officials had gathered.

Zhu Zhanji attended the banquet with Yeon Hwasim. Jungrang followed behind Yeon Hwasim as her guard.

'Was there such a beauty in Hefei?'

Yuk Ilcheong, who saw Yeon Hwasim, was dumbfounded.

Yeon Hwasim had changed beyond recognition in the six months from last summer to this spring.

As her body and mind matured through suffering, her beauty bloomed like a flower. Moreover, since she had suffered a major injury, her pale complexion made those who saw her feel pitiful.

Also, because of her cold expression, a mysterious atmosphere even surrounded her.

"This person is..."

As Yuk Ilcheong was about to ask about the etiquette, thinking that a concubine had come with him, Zhu Zhanji waved his hand.

"Don't misunderstand. She is a person who has recently suffered a great incident and is in great grief, so I have invited her to join us."

"I see. You have come well. A banquet shines only when there is a beauty."

Jungrang, who was behind Yeon Hwasim, saw a sinister light flow in Yuk Ilcheong's eyes as he performed the proper etiquette.

Jungrang had trained his senses while living as a ronin and had an outstanding ability to sense danger.

Although it had become a little dull while being Yeon Hwasim's guard in the Three Blade Sect, the senses of his ronin days had come back to life after suffering hardships in the past few months.

'This banquet is suspicious!'

Yuk Ilcheong also seemed to be bothered by Jungrang and glanced at him.

Jungrang had come with Yeon Hwasim's sword and looked like a swordsman who used twin swords. Yuk Ilcheong asked as if in passing.

"This person is someone who uses twin swords. Seeing that his momentum is sharp, it seems he is not an ordinary person."

Zhu Zhanji was not interested in Jungrang. He only knew him as Yeon Hwasim's guard.

"He is my sworn older brother."

Yeon Hwasim introduced him simply.

Zhu Zhanji looked towards Jungrang as if it were unexpected.

He also had an eye for martial arts, having learned them. Now that he looked, his momentum seemed to be superior to that of his subordinate generals.

'A good swordsman. It seems Miss Yeon's internal energy is not to be taken lightly.'

Zhu Zhanji looked at Yeon Hwasim again.

The banquet began.

The musicians played and livened up the mood.

'Hwasim. It seems the governor of Hefei has other intentions. You must be careful.'

Jungrang said to Yeon Hwasim through telepathy.

When Yuk Ilcheong offered a drink, Yeon Hwasim put it to her lips and then put it down.

Yuk Ilcheong did not miss this and asked with a smile.

"It seems the beauty is not pleased with the wine."

"Actually, I suffered an injury a while ago and have not yet recovered. I am being careful."

"Ah. I see."

A sinister light flashed in Yuk Ilcheong's eyes again.

When the banquet was in full swing, Yuk Ilcheong said.

"A banquet cannot be without entertainment. I have heard that you enjoy sword dances. I have called some talented people who are skilled in sword dances."

Yuk Ilcheong clapped his hands.

Then four women came in with swords. It was a sight to see the beautiful women in gorgeous martial arts attire.

As the musicians played, the women danced a sword dance to the music.

-Swish! Swish!

As they swung their swords in unison, sword light flashed in the banquet hall. The sword was gorgeous yet disciplined.

"Good!"

Zhu Zhanji admired.

But Jungrang's nerves became extremely sensitive.

-Clang!

At some point, Yuk Ilcheong dropped the wine cup he was holding.

"Oh dear..."

As Yuk Ilcheong pretended to pick up the wine cup, he rolled to the side.

That was the signal.

The women who were dancing the sword dance all flew towards Zhu Zhanji.

"Hmph!"

As if Zhu Zhanji had also noticed, he immediately stood up from his seat and kicked the dining table in front of him.

As Zhu Zhanji extended his hand behind him, his guards handed him a sword and stepped forward.

-Swish!

The musicians, as if they had taken them out at some point, aimed their crossbows and shot arrows at Zhu Zhanji.

"Kuh!"

The guards who were blocking Zhu Zhanji's front were hit by the arrows and collapsed.

"Capture the crown prince alive!"

Yuk Ilcheong shouted.

The high-ranking officials who had attended the banquet retreated, and the martial artists who had come as their guards stepped forward.

Yuk Ilcheong bowed to Zhu Zhanji and said.

"If you, Your Highness, follow obediently, there will be no bloodshed."

"Yuk Ilcheong! Are you trying to commit treason?"

Yuk Ilcheong straightened his back and was at ease.

"Haha, this country belongs to the strong. The previous emperor also set an example by taking his nephew's country by force, so is there a law that says we can't do that now?"

Jungrang had pulled Yeon Hwasim and had retreated to one side of the main hall.

"Take the sword."

Jungrang handed Yeon Hwasim her sword.

"Kill everyone except the crown prince. Ah, capture that woman alive."

Yuk Ilcheong pointed at Yeon Hwasim. His eyes were full of dark intentions.

***

The manor of the Jang family had long since been in ruins. The buildings had collapsed, and the garden was overgrown with weeds.

Kang Sogun looked down at the manor, submerged in darkness, from a hill with a complicated heart.

In Kang Sogun's eyes, there were people hiding everywhere. The masked assassin party had laid an ambush in case they might hide in the closed manor.

Kang Sogun threw himself forward and seeped into the manor under the cover of darkness.

(End of Chapter)