Kang Sogun

The one who came up was a young master of Ho Ildo's age. The young master who had ascended the platform performed the proper etiquette to Zhu Zhanji.

"My name is Jo Jungye."

The person next to Zhu Zhanji whispered in his ear.

"He is the son of the Minister of Personnel, Jo Ok."

Jo Jungye placed an arrow on the bow he had brought and then shot fifteen arrows in succession. All the arrows hit the center of the targets.

"Oh!"

People were impressed once again. His speed was no less than that of Ho Ildo.

Jo Jungye performed the proper etiquette and came down from the shooting platform.

Following him, the children of the powerful families who were well-known in the Nanjing government office went up and shot arrows, but they could not break the records of Ho Ildo and Jo Jungye.

"I heard that the young master of the Bang Residence is outstanding in martial arts, but why did he not come today?"

Zhu Zhanji asked Bang Yeonso.

"I am sorry, but he was not feeling well and could not come to the seat."

Bang Yeonso gritted his teeth and looked at Kang Sogun. Bang Ilok was now in a situation where he could not show his face in the Nanjing government office.

"That's a shame."

Zhu Zhanji finished his words, stood up, and went up to the shooting platform. A sense of dignity flowed from his entire body, which was dressed in the yellow robe that symbolized the crown prince.

He also placed an arrow on his bow and shot in succession. All fifteen arrows hit the targets.

"As expected of His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The praises of the flatterers rained down.

"It is not a difficult thing to hit a stationary target."

Zhu Zhanji raised his hand. Then a deer jumped out on the target side.

Since Zhu Zhanji's guards were blocking both sides, the deer had nowhere to run. It just jumped here and there.

"Who will shoot that deer?"

The many people sitting below the shooting platform could not open their mouths.

A silence flowed through the shooting ceremony venue.

Shooting a deer contained the meaning of aiming for the world.

Everyone in this place knew that Zhu Zhanji had been ambushed on his way to Nanjing and had been chased here and there.

Although he had been chased by the Han army and the Dragon Slaying Society, in fact, it was something that could not have happened without someone in the Nanjing government office colluding.

Until a little while ago, Zhu Zhanji had been just like the deer that was desperately running around in front of him.

Zhu Zhanji was now trying to ferret out the traitors. The people who had gathered, realizing the meaning of today's shooting ceremony, turned pale.

"The one who hits that deer will be the winner of today."

But no one stepped forward.

Zhu Zhanji looked at Jo Jungye and said.

"Won't you try shooting?"

Jo Jungye performed the proper etiquette and said.

"I have only shot a bow at a target for my health. I have never shot a living target, so I am not confident. I dare not accept the order."

As Jo Jungye retreated, Zhu Zhanji looked at Ho Ildo.

Ho Ildo also could not dare to pick up a bow and avoided his gaze.

As Zhu Zhanji looked around at the people in the venue one by one, they all avoided his gaze.

"You shoot."

Zhu Zhanji said to Kang Sogun.

Kang Sogun slowly stood up and went up to the shooting platform.

He received the bow from Zhu Zhanji and placed an arrow on the string.

Everyone watched Kang Sogun. Kang Sogun slowly drew the bowstring. The deer that was running around here and there came into his eyes.

-Pew.

The arrow left the bowstring.

The arrow was not aimed at the deer, but at the sky. It went straight up.

"Have you seen such a madman?"

"How dare he mock the crown prince."

Kang Sogun said, looking at the arrow that had gone up into the sky.

"Since that arrow falls from a high place, its descending speed is not to be taken lightly, and by the time it reaches the ground, it can even pierce a shield."

Kang Sogun looked around the venue and said.

"I wonder who it will fall on. In the Northeast Frontier Army, there was a person who died with an arrow stuck in the top of his head while playing this game."

The complexions of the people changed. They all looked up at the sky at once.

Zhu Zhanji glared at Kang Sogun and then laughed loudly.

"Hahaha? You mean to leave it to the will of heaven? I wonder whose head it will fall on."

Zhu Zhanji stood calmly without looking at the sky.

-Swish!

Soon, the arrow came down. People, thinking that the arrow was flying towards them, stood up from their seats and dodged here and there.

Only a few people, including Bang Yeonso, kept their seats.

-Thwack!

The arrow grazed Kang Sogun's face and stuck in the ground at his feet.

"I could not catch the deer."

As Kang Sogun performed the proper etiquette and was about to retreat, Zhu Zhanji called and stopped him.

"Wait a moment."

Zhu Zhanji went to the front of the shooting platform, looked around the venue, and said.

"There is a group of traitors in the Nanjing government office!"

At that one word, the shooting ceremony venue became quiet as if cold water had been poured on it.

Zhu Zhanji had intended to drag out the members of the powerful families of the Nanjing government office on the pretext of a shooting ceremony and to punish them.

"The Imperial Guard, receive the order!"

"As you command!"

With a loud voice, hundreds of soldiers appeared.

The complexions of the members of the powerful families turned ashen. Although each of them had many private soldiers, they could not mobilize them for the shooting ceremony. Since they had only brought a few as guards, they were in a situation where they would all be killed by the Imperial Guard if Zhu Zhanji just gave the order.

Bang Yeonso came out with a calm step, performed the proper etiquette, and said. As the Grand Scholar who managed the Nanjing government office, he could not just stand by.

"If there is a traitor in the Nanjing government office, he must be caught and his crime must be questioned. Please point out the traitor."

"I met a group of traitors on my way to Nanjing. I sent a messenger in a hurry, but the Nanjing government office did not even flinch."

Zhu Zhanji looked around the venue and said with a cold voice.

"The crown prince was in danger, but to have pretended not to know even after hearing the news! That alone will be a crime."

At Zhu Zhanji's words, everyone hurriedly knelt.

"We are innocent! We did not know!"

Bang Yeonso cleared his throat and said.

"I am sorry, but the Nanjing government office did not know. The crown prince's messenger did not arrive. If we had known the truth, we would have naturally sent soldiers."

"That will be revealed if we check."

Zhu Zhanji gave an order to the captain of the guards, Yi Jeongmu.

"Bind them all. If they refuse, it is alright to cut off their heads on the spot!"

At Zhu Zhanji's words, a commotion arose.

No matter how much he was the crown prince, it was an impossible thing to arrest all the members of the powerful families of Nanjing.

The leaders of the powerful families, who had not brought their private soldiers, thinking that it was unlikely, even though they knew that Zhu Zhanji had a hidden motive, greatly regretted it.

'The emperor is trying to abolish the Nanjing government office!'

Bang Yeonso immediately realized Zhu Zhanji's intention. But he could not do anything in the face of the fierce threat of the Imperial Guard.

"Follow me."

Zhu Zhanji called Kang Sogun into his tent.

"Do you think it is an unreasonable order?"

Kang Sogun was not interested even if Zhu Zhanji killed all the members of the powerful families of the Nanjing government office.

"Since you are also a member of the imperial family, you should know the current situation."

Zhu Zhanji said as if showing off.

"His Majesty is thinking of moving the capital back to Nanjing. The order is to clean up all the local magnates who are clinging to Nanjing before that."

That was the reason Zhu Zhanji had come to Nanjing.

Fifty years had passed since the Ming had been established. Establishing a country was not a small matter. There were even places in the southern frontier that had only now realized that the dynasty had changed. There were also many places where the power of the local magnates who managed the region was stronger than the imperial authority.

Since the founding emperor, the emperors had executed many meritorious subjects to strengthen the imperial authority. Now was the time to purge the local magnates.

"I don't know how that word got out, but I was ambushed on the way. I think the Prince of Han and the local magnates of the Nanjing government office have colluded."

"..."

Kang Sogun just listened silently.

"The power of the local magnates of the Nanjing government office was greater than I had thought. I am thinking of executing them all on this occasion."

If the members of the powerful families of the Nanjing government office were executed, rebellions would break out everywhere.

Zhu Zhanji was a greater hero than he had expected. His original intention must have been to lure the enemy by risking his own danger and then to drive the members of the powerful families of the Nanjing government office as a colluding force and to carry out a large-scale purge.

"I will give you a chance. Will you follow me?"

"..."

Kang Sogun was lost in thought for a moment and then said.

"In the end, the fate of General Jang Hong was decided."

"He enjoyed a reputation among the soldiers that was greater than the emperor's. That is what brought him disaster."

Zhu Zhanji was no longer in a position to be chased. He confessed the truth.

"I have already given my answer."

Zhu Zhanji flared up in anger.

"Do you think I will believe your words that you will not live as Kang Hwi? What have you done since you came to the Kang Residence?"

"I don't think that is important right now."

"Then what on earth is important?"

"Will they obediently die as you, older brother, wish?"

"Hmph! If I cut off their heads in this place, how can they reattach them? I will immediately mobilize the army and will subjugate their bases."

"I did not see one person in this place."

"...?"

"Have you forgotten the Prince of Jo?"

Zhu Zhanji smiled.

"He has been confined."

As soon as those words ended, a loud laugh was heard from outside, along with Zhu Gaoxu's voice.

"Hahaha. The crown prince is holding a shooting ceremony, but how can you not have called your uncle?"

Zhu Zhanji's complexion changed rapidly.

Zhu Zhanji hurriedly went out of the tent.

Although Zhu Gaoxu had come on horseback, hundreds of soldiers followed behind him. They were the soldiers of the Jo Residence.

Moreover, behind them, the private soldiers of the members of the powerful families were visible. Some of the members of the powerful families had had their private soldiers wait around the shooting ceremony venue.

"I didn't even know the crown prince was holding a shooting ceremony and had come out to hunt. A deer happened to run away this way, but have you not seen it?"

Zhu Gaoxu did not even get off his horse. Zhu Zhanji scowled.

"I greet you, uncle."

"Oh dear. To receive the crown prince's greeting on horseback, this is not polite. But since I am in the middle of a hunt, don't be too strict with the laws of the imperial family."

Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile.

A situation where Zhu Zhanji's Imperial Guard and Zhu Gaoxu's private soldiers were facing each other had been created.

"No, aren't these the high-ranking officials of the Nanjing government office? But why are your complexions like that?"

Bang Yeonso stepped forward, pointed to the deer that was loitering near the target, and said.

"I think that is the deer that the Prince of Jo mentioned. A deer ran into the shooting ceremony venue and disturbed His Highness the Crown Prince's event. So everyone was flustered."

Bang Yeonso was indeed a raccoon. He wanted to resolve today's matter without seeing blood.

"His Highness the Crown Prince was on his way to Nanjing and met with a misfortune, and a deer even ran into the shooting ceremony he was hosting for the first time in a while, so his mood was very upset. We were just asking for our crime."

"That's right."

The members of the powerful families, who were usually at odds with each other, became one side when they faced the imperial family.

Now that even their private soldiers had appeared, they regained their composure and pretended to bow their heads.

Zhu Zhanji looked at the situation. The military power of both sides was similar. But among the local magnates, there were also those whose bases were a half-day's distance away. If reinforcements were to come, the situation would become unfavorable.

Zhu Zhanji gritted his teeth inwardly and glared at Zhu Gaoxu.

'I should have dealt with him sooner.'

Zhu Zhanji was inwardly conflicted. If he ended this place like this, the members of the powerful families would go back and would seriously plot a rebellion. But he had to know when to retreat.

Kang Sogun glanced at the members of the powerful families, including Bang Yeonso. The reason he had bothered to attend the shooting ceremony was to know who in the Nanjing government office had what intentions.

'There is no place for the imperial family in the Nanjing government office.'

While the previous emperor had been fighting a war on the northwestern frontier and the emperor had changed, the power of the local magnates of the Nanjing government office had rapidly expanded.

Nanjing had originally been the founding capital. Since it was a place where resources, including goods, had been gathered, its economic power was also higher than that of the capital.

Zhu Zhanji finally retreated.

"I thought you were in Pengde, uncle. If I had known you were so robust, I would have asked you to hunt together."

"How about we do it now?"

"Since today is a shooting ceremony, it will be difficult. Since the shooting ceremony has just ended, let's have a drink."

Zhu Zhanji invited Zhu Gaoxu to enter his tent.

Zhu Gaoxu got off his horse. His guards stuck to his side.

Since Kang Sogun had seen the reality of how the Nanjing government office was running, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

As he got on his horse and was about to leave the venue, Bang Yeonso blocked his way.

"Young Master Kang, where are you going? Shouldn't you receive punishment for the crime you have committed against His Highness the Crown Prince?"

(End of Chapter)