As Prophet - Chapter 33



Only Krnovel

Episode 33. The Prince’s Wrath

It was already a problem. The crown prince scolded Baek Sa-ban in the main hall of the Samgunbu. Baek Ui-hyeong guessed roughly what Dalcheon would have said. He probably said what he felt while working and what he had always considered to be problems. There was anger over the collapse of the military government and the people who were naturally exempted. There was no support at all and there were many cases where local officials were left to do things on their own. Needless to say, the incompetence of the Hanyang government, which pretended not to know even though it knew, was particularly serious. The military government problem was especially serious.

Baek Ui-hyeong, who could not stand to see Baek Sa-ban being scolded, glanced at the silent Grand Prince. In their position, a low-ranking official was not even worth considering. As he looked at both sides with a pitiful gaze, the Grand Prince quietly turned away from Baek Ui-hyeong’s gaze.

“Why is that kid so arrogant?”

“I am ashamed, Your Majesty. I am still young and uneducated. Please be understanding. Aren’t I still a young friend?”

“Are you saying that it’s okay to be arrogant and rude when you’re young?”

“I will explain it clearly so that you can understand. Please calm down.”

He’s a real guy. He can’t even speak properly when we’re face to face, but he starts talking nonsense when we leave. He starts talking nonsense when he meets easy people. Was he a guy who only knows how to talk in his own water?

“Didn’t you say you were going to scold me?”

The prince tilted his head at Baek Sa-ban’s words. He said he was a young boy, but there was something in his unknown aura that could not be easily criticized. It was neither power nor the prestige (威儀) of a person of high rank. There was pure fear there. It was a power he had not felt from his subordinates or other officials. It was shameful, and he could not say what he felt.

“How could you do that to someone who has done so much? It was a public performance.”

“sorry.”

“Teach your subordinates properly.”

“I am sorry, Your Majesty.”

“You should know the basics of manners. Knowing who is above and who is below is the beginning. But there was no such concept. What did you say? You’ve never even seen the sunlight on a cloudy day? Heh, I’ve heard some really strange things.”

Thinking that this couldn’t go on, Baek Sa-ban quickly knelt on the ground like a criminal.

“Please punish the servant who did not educate him well! It is the servant’s fault. Please dismiss the servant and punish him for his crime, Your Majesty!”

The prince’s wrath did not subside. The grand prince, unable to stand by any longer, stepped forward.

“That’s what a fifteen-year-old boy said. What are you so upset about? He is the one who made the contribution to the suppression of the Imjin War. I couldn’t do anything because I was young. I didn’t even have a common award. Why did you make a separate meeting to hear the opinions of that young boy? Let’s go somewhere better. It’s almost lunchtime.”

At the prince’s scolding, the crown prince finally turned around and looked around. Seeing the eyes of the officials wondering what was going on and those who had no idea what was going on, I felt like I was the only one making a fool of myself.

“I’ll return to the palace. That’s all.”

“lowering.”

If we can break this position, it would be good. The Grand Prince broke the position by ordering the soldiers of the Crown Prince’s Guard to escort him. It is unusual. The Grand Prince, known as Gaemangnani, is very polite in front of the Crown Prince.

The great general raised Baek Sa-ban who was lying face down.

“It’s not your fault. Get up.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s the ugly one’s fault, so how can it be your fault?”

Take my side, but if you’re not careful, you could end up ruining me by agreeing with the words that called the Crown Prince a bastard. The atmosphere became tense as the inconvenient bastard started talking nonsense.

“It is the fault of the person in charge.”

“Oh my.”

“It seems that Sojik is not suited to the political world of Hanyang. I am afraid of everything and have great concerns. I will have to ask to be demoted to a local government position again.”

“Oh my, how can you say such things so easily? Shouldn’t someone like you be the one to rectify the military affairs of this country? There was nothing special about it, so don’t take it to heart.”

“There was no particular matter, so why are you so angry?”

“I was overwhelmed by the momentum. He had an indescribable presence.”

It must mean that the Grand Prince felt it too. It seems like it would be endlessly long if I just say it. When did Baek Ui-hyeong come near, Baek Sa-ban raised his voice.

“Please go away.”

“My legs are shaking, this is… … .”

“How can someone who was so brave on the battlefield act like that in a peaceful place?”

“The battlefield would be better. You and I, the enemy and the enemy, are clearly defined, so all we have to do is fight hard, but here, I don’t even know who is who. You seem to be helping me, but in reality, you’re insulting me, and we agreed on the same thing, but if we go one step further, it’s not like that at all… .”

It’s like complaining. Baek Ui-hyeong covered the corner of his mouth with his finger. Baek Sa-ban closed his mouth and leaned against Ui-hyeong, and the prince asked.

“Where did that guy go?”

“I must have gone home. I found a house in Hanyang a few days ago.”

“Hahaha. I moved but I haven’t been able to go see it.”

“That child didn’t come. He was left at his parents’ house in Yangju, but I brought him here today for work.”

“I see. I want to see you again, but you avoid me so violently and say no. Oh, really.”

Baek Ui-hyeong thought that he had to defend Dal-cheon at least once. That would be a duty worthy of the death penalty.

“He is a pure child. And he must return to the mountains. He has less than a year left.”

“A year?”

“Yes. Usually, I am free to travel to Gangho for about three years. There is nothing set in stone, but I have been in Gyeongsan for about two years now, so there is less than a year left.”

The prince was angry, but the grand prince calmed it down and the matter was concluded. I put Baek Sa-ban in the Ministry of War(?) and ran home, but Dal-cheon was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he had gone to his family home and sent a slave to Yangju to check.

‘Whew, I told you not to show off your skills… … .’

When Baek Ui-hyeong returned home and was sighing, Baek Yi-jeong approached him and asked about the matter. When he confessed the whole story with a frustrated heart, Baek Yi-jeong blinked and said that the problem could get worse.

“Why is the problem? Why is it getting bigger?”

“According to the words of Confucius Dalcheon, those narrow-minded people are always the ones who cause trouble. I didn’t know that Your Highness the Crown Prince was such a person, but now that I know, I must quickly put out the fire at his feet. This could be a direct blow to my father.”

Although she was young and a woman, she was excluded from all work, but the housework was always done by her hands. Everyone said that when she grew up, she would become a wise woman.

“What do you want me to do now?”

“Where is your father?”

“I came back after seeing you enter the Ministry of War.”

“Go quickly and tell him to go to the Crown Prince. Tell him to go there and apologize again.”

“The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince’s wrath is not small, so why are you only making the flames bigger?”

“Yes. From what I heard earlier, it seems like you listened to the words of the Grand Princess. I think it would be better to go to the Crown Princess’s palace with her and finish up today’s business. I should say that it was a young boy’s blunder. I don’t know what he said, but it becomes difficult to judge whether it is right or wrong.”

“Okay.”

Now that I hear it, that’s true.

“What about Dalcheon?”

“He didn’t come here. He might have wandered the streets of Hanyang… or maybe he went to his parents’ house.”

“Shouldn’t Dalcheon-i go?”

“You’re just making things worse. You need to go and finish today’s work. Hurry up!”

Baek Ui-hyeong headed to the Ministry of War as if he had been kicked out without even having lunch. After talking to him carefully, he went inside and saw Baek Sa-ban lying on one side of the backyard in a dazed state.

When Baek Ui-hyeong explained the situation again, he nodded in agreement. The smartest person in the family became a fool after coming to Hanyang. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand what was being said. He just didn’t know how to act.

Fortunately, there was news that a large group of soldiers were not far away, so they went together. The gisaeng house was open during the day. The two frowned at the thought of going to a gisaeng house for lunch, but they did not dare to say anything.

Beyond the tiled wall, the tall octagonal roof was as big as a palace. Passing under the gate that looked like a gate bigger than a grand house, I went inside and it was noisy and tumultuous, and I couldn’t tell if they were having lunch or having a drinking party.

Baek Ui-hyeong sighed. In this atmosphere, he couldn’t go into the Crown Prince’s Palace and ask for today’s work to be fixed. There are things he can do and things he can’t do. This is impossible. He entered the gate and looked up at the wide open veranda, shaking his head repeatedly.

Three parasites were dancing in a place where the music was loud. It was a feast of five colors. Colorful and beautiful cloths were fluttering like the clothes of a celestial maiden, and each time they turned around, their faces were as white as snow.

“Please confess!”

When Baek Sa-ban, who had no thought, looked at the ground and spoke, Baek Ui-hyeong shook his head.

“No. This is not the place to talk about it.”

“Why is it not possible?”

He is an old-fashioned person. He thinks that even if he is not in the right position, he should listen to important matters if they ask for it. Above all, he thinks that if he is like that, others will be like that too. He does not know that if he ruins the mood, even the small amount of goodwill will disappear.

“This is not the time to talk about it. It needs to be done, but let’s postpone it until another day.”

“Don’t you know that no matter how good your words are, they are useless if you miss the opportunity?”

“This is a parasite’s banquet. It’s not a place for us to be.”

Around a small pond, a graceful pine tree spread its branches, and between the mossy rocks, green leaves like orchids were waving. A small artificial mountain was created, and a rhododendron was planted to imitate Samsinsan. It is a relic of the Goryeo Dynasty of the previous dynasty.

While the two were bickering, Cheolmuung, the general’s subordinate, approached. It seemed that he was not participating in the banquet but was sitting on a bench in the yard.

“You must be Mr. Baek Sa-ban. What brings you here?”

Baek Sa-ban bowed politely and Baek Ui-hyeong explained the reason for coming here, and Cheol Mu-woong nodded and told him to wait. Baek Ui-hyeong told him not to tell him so late, but he could only look at Cheol Mu-woong’s back as he had already turned away.

“I think I said it out loud. I should just go back.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Why do things keep going wrong like this?”

“It’s my fault for being immoral. What can I do? I’ve been put in a position I can’t handle. If you’re not capable but you’re put in a high position, the work you have to do with the people below you will inevitably end in disaster. I have to go back. I’m the perfect person to be a county magistrate in the countryside, but I’m being greedy for no reason.”

“He came up because he had the balls. He must have thought he could do something bigger. Don’t look down on him too much.”

“Whew. Every day is like a sheet of thin ice. Words have bones and thorns. I feel like I’ll burst into flames at any moment.”

But at some point, the singing stopped. The dancer who had been dancing sat down to catch her breath, and the many chattering noises suddenly stopped. And then Cheolmuwoong came walking slowly. It was a moment when the silence of the world seemed to have been prepared for his steps.

“I told you. Come up to the podium. He asked me to come and speak.”

“Oh my, this party is happening because of us… … .”

“The severity of the matter is different.”

The meaning didn’t come straight to them, but the two hurriedly climbed up to the throne. As the beautiful gisaengs bowed in the place where they had been made to stand, the half-drunk grand lord’s gaze narrowed.

“Yeah, so are you going to the Crown Prince now?”

“I’m sorry. That’s what I had in mind, but I thought it wouldn’t be a good day for you to enjoy this kind of occasion, so I was about to leave.”

“What’s wrong with a parasite house? You don’t have to act all polite and respectable in a place like this. It’s really unsightly.”

“lowering!”

“Speak!”

“I would like to enter the Crown Prince’s Palace and confess my sins. Please accompany me… … .”

Baek Sa-ban’s words did not continue because the general shouted loudly.

“What crime! He is the one who is inferior, what crime is it that you have committed!”

It’s even scarier when you say it on my side. I could tell at a glance that he was making fun of the Crown Prince. It’s even stranger that the Grand Prince didn’t know that he was making fun of the Crown Prince. Green is the same color, but politically, it could be the opposite.

“lowering!”