Chapter 261: The Storm Gathers (4)
The scene of the New Justice Festival was in utter chaos. Although remnants of the Demonic Cult had appeared covertly in small numbers in the Central Plains—just as when I had died in my past life—this was the first time they had officially run rampant.
[ The Heavenly Demon shall deliver a hammer blow to the shameless Empire, and through us, achieve the salvation and relief of the people! ]
The Demonic Cult reportedly put up such a banner. It was a notice that suddenly circulated throughout the Central Plains.
Of course, many likely didn’t know the content of the notice, but I already knew.
Because that was the text Gwan Seo-ye and I had agreed upon and drafted.
“…Junior Brother.”
Of course, the commotion outside the New Justice Festival was one thing, but I still had words left to share with Myeong-gyeong.
“What is going on?”
As I was about to speak with Myeong-gyeong, Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi entered with weapons in hand. They seemed to have rushed over upon hearing the sound when I shattered the wall.
Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi gasped in horror upon seeing my condition. Right now, my skin was slashed in numerous places by the Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.
Finally, Peng Chae-hyang looked as though she was about to cry, as if she thought I was on the verge of death.
“I am fine. Only my skin was cut.”
“How can these wounds be fine?”
Peng Chae-hyang immediately tore her sleeve and wrapped it around the bleeding areas.
“Did the assailant escape?”
Namgung Hwi asked. I nodded.
“Yeah. He escaped.”
“An assailant. From which assassin sect could they be?”
Peng Chae-hyang was indignant. I smiled bitterly.
“It wasn’t an assassin sect.”
“Pardon?”
“It was the Eastern Depot. A Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.”
Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi were speechless. Although they had been cautious enough to worry about the Imperial Palace’s interference, they hadn’t expected such a heavyweight to come.
“A Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Depot…”
Peng Chae-hyang barely whispered. The appearance of a Grand Eunuch must have been highly shocking to her.
“It is truly confusing. Your attack is one thing, but they say the Demonic Cult has suddenly run rampant as well.”
“Yeah. I heard the courier shouting.”
“It’s a Demonic Cult we only heard of in old stories, yet they appeared so suddenly. Furthermore, the attack and the emergence of the Demonic Cult overlap mysteriously… Could the Eastern Depot be conspiring with the Demonic Cult?”
Hearing her words, my conscience pricked slightly. They would never dream of it, but the one who had conspired with the Demonic Cult was actually me.
“That is yet unknown. There is no causal relationship for now, after all.”
“Yes. We shall see.”
“First, I have something to discuss with Senior Brother, so could you please give us some space for a moment?”
“But you still have many wounds.”
“I am fine. You are also a martial artist, so you know. Only the flesh was cut.”
Peng Chae-hyang wore a slightly dissatisfied expression, but there was nothing she could do. She must have also detected the unusual atmosphere flowing between Myeong-gyeong and me.
“Yes. Understood. In return, you must go to the Hall of Medicine immediately after your conversation.”
“Of course, of course.”
I barely managed to send away Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi, who kept looking back. Only after confirming their presence had vanished did I look at Myeong-gyeong.
“Please sit. Though there isn’t really a proper place to sit.”
“Alright.”
Although the wall was gaping open and blood was splattered in a grim scene, Myeong-gyeong sat down without a word of complaint.
I sat facing Myeong-gyeong and spoke. The very first question to ask was already decided.
“How should I address you?”
“What?”
“Senior Brother. Should I call you the Prince of Jianzhou? Or should I call you Senior Brother?”
Myeong-gyeong’s brow furrowed.
“As you also know, Jianzhou isn’t even the territory of the Empire. Being the prince of that place is rather a disgrace.”
“I see.”
“And I am already a person who has left the secular world. The Imperial Palace is merely forcing their way to take me back.”
“Did you know they would come to take you?”
“I didn’t. I didn’t even know my Eldest Brother would remember someone like me. He surely must have forgotten originally.”
Myeong-gyeong sighed and glanced at me.
“But the reason I suddenly came to mind is likely…”
“Because of me. The eyesore that is myself is in the Wudang Sect, and by chance, the youngest who left the secular world is also in the Wudang Sect. Furthermore, that youngest is close to that eyesore.”
“Yes. Of course, I am not blaming you, Junior Brother. It is my fault.”
“Why is that your fault, Senior Brother?”
“Because I was born with a bloodline that cannot even be utilized, causing only trouble for you.”
Myeong-gyeong stared at the floor. Watching Myeong-gyeong’s dejected appearance was quite hard to bear. But sometimes, one must endure difficult things.
“First, shall we hear about it?”
“What?”
“Your past, Senior Brother.”
“That is a violation of the rules, though.”
Ah. Speaking of the past before entering the sect was forbidden.
But I couldn’t let it pass without hearing it.
“This is an exception.”
“…Phew.”
Myeong-gyeong let out a sigh.
“Fine. What are you curious about?”
In the end, Myeong-gyeong opened his mouth.
It was time to enter Myeong-gyeong’s past.
“Who is your mother?”
At my question, Myeong-gyeong immediately shut his mouth. It was likely because I had struck the most core part.
Yet I did not rush Myeong-gyeong. This was a deep story. He needed time to draw it up from the deep recesses of his heart.
“You are sharp as always, Junior Brother.”
Myeong-gyeong opened his mouth. Naturally, there are factions within the Imperial Palace.
Myeong-gyeong’s father was the late Emperor, and his eldest brother was the current Emperor.
As I recalled, the late Emperor’s primary consort was Empress Heping, who gave birth to the eldest son. I heard that after giving birth to the Crown Prince, Empress Heping became infertile, and naturally, concubines followed.
Those concubines were Noble Consort Shunxian, Consort Gongxing, Consort Jingyue, Consort Zhuyu, and Consort Xiangyue. There were five of them in total, referred to as the Five Palaces in the Imperial Palace at the time.
The Five Palaces were known to have given birth to eight princes and thirteen princesses, but it was not precisely known who was born to whom.
In a situation with so many people, while there were famous princes and princesses, there were also those whom the commoners knew nothing of. That was usually the case when they avoided public exposure or couldn’t step forward due to personal circumstances.
And as I saw it, the prince named Myeong-gyeong, or Ju Yu-gyeong, was closer to the latter.
Myeong-gyeong took a deep breath. A deep breath was necessary to speak of difficult things.
“My mother was not a consort.”
“I see.”
An expected answer emerged.
The Five Palaces were all daughters of influential families in the Central Plains. Backed by such powerful families, there was no way they would have left Myeong-gyeong neglected like this.
“My mother was a female entertainer performing in the Imperial Palace.”
“An entertainer.”
Usually, female entertainers were of courtesan origin. If so, it was understandable why Myeong-gyeong wasn’t treated as a prince initially.
Because they couldn’t publicly acknowledge that the noble Emperor had shared his bed with a lowly courtesan.
“Furthermore, my mother reportedly passed away three days after giving birth to me. It was rather a good thing. If she had lived, she would have been a troublesome person, but she died on her own.”
Cynical words that I never expected from a young child—especially from Myeong-gyeong—poured out.
“Initially, I didn’t even know my mother had such circumstances. The court maids only told me that my mother, who was a maid, died while giving birth to me. That was how I grew up in the palace. Still, since I carried the Emperor’s blood, they couldn’t just throw me away, it seems.”
“Without even knowing you were the Emperor’s son?”
“Yes. But it was strange, actually. Because the males around my age in the Imperial Palace were mostly eunuchs. But I was not a eunuch.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I was the toilet keeper of the toilets used by the court maids.”
A sigh involuntarily escaped. I clearly remembered.
How much Myeong-gyeong had liked it when I bought him delicious food. Myeong-gyeong had truly never eaten such food. Because he hadn’t been treated as a prince.
“Then how did you find out you were a prince?”
“I received the late Emperor’s imperial favor. Although he is now the deceased Grand Emperor.”
“Imperial favor?”
“Usually, young eunuchs don’t work as toilet keepers, so the late Emperor seemed to find it fascinating when he saw me keeping the toilets. So he must have asked the Grand Eunuch how I had entered the Imperial Palace. Of course, the Grand Eunuch had kept silent on His Imperial Majesty’s command, but under the late Emperor’s pressure, he eventually confessed.”
Myeong-gyeong spoke quietly, as if telling someone else’s story rather than his own.
“I still remember that day. I was suddenly told that the late Emperor and His Imperial Majesty were calling for me, so I went in great surprise. Because in my mind, there was absolutely no reason for them to call someone like me.”
“Indeed.”
“Likely, the late Emperor was enraged upon learning the truth and called for me. So I rushed to the palace. Without even washing, carrying the smell of excrement.”
Among neat people, and especially before the Emperor, carrying the smell of excrement was an insolence in itself. Although he was young now, Myeong-gyeong was even younger then. How much must he have trembled?
“When I arrived, the late Emperor, His Imperial Majesty, and the Grand Eunuch were there. The late Emperor told His Imperial Majesty to report what had happened. His Imperial Majesty hesitated but eventually acknowledged there that I was his son.”
“It must have been shocking.”
“I thought I was dreaming. A toilet keeper of the court maids was actually a prince—does that make sense?”
Myeong-gyeong smiled faintly and continued.
“So I became a prince from that day. Of course, there was no festival celebrating the emergence of a new prince or princess, and my identity was kept a secret. His Imperial Majesty seemed obstinate on that point.”
“Hearing all this, what kind of Majesty is that trash? He is simply a bastard.”
“…Still, he is my father.”
“Ah, I am sorry.”
“No. I don’t think of him as a father either.”
Involuntarily, I had spoken blasphemous words. But honestly, I could. A father must act like a father to be one.
“That was the first time I saw my father and His Imperial Majesty. But back then, I was carrying the smell of excrement. The contemptuous and hateful gaze of that Emperor back then…”
Myeong-gyeong was likely the Emperor’s sore spot. When that sore spot arrived carrying the smell of feces, he had even felt contempt. My heart ached for Myeong-gyeong, who had experienced that at such a young age.
“But did it become easier after you became a prince?”
“Of course not. Regardless, I was a prince holding the right of succession. But unlike the other brothers, I had no faction or family protecting me. I actually found it harder after becoming a prince. On my first day entering the palace after becoming a prince, the court lady who tasted my food died of poison. It was likely a warning.”
“My goodness.”
“I was always terrified of being assassinated. I never even touched the food they served. I remember deliberately going to the court maids and eating the potatoes or sweet potatoes they were eating instead.”
“I see.”
I nodded. I thought I had gone through difficult times, but Myeong-gyeong had gone through far worse.
“Then how did you come to the Wudang Sect?”
“Fearing assassination, I couldn’t sleep back then, and I was irritable and barely ate. I felt I would die even without being assassinated. So I requested an audience with His Imperial Majesty, knelt down, and banged my head on the floor, begging him to let me leave the Imperial Palace.”
“So he let you go?”
“Naturally, he didn’t want to let me go. I was like a disgrace to His Imperial Majesty, after all.”
“Indeed. I thought so.”
“So in the middle of the night, I quietly went to the late Emperor’s quarters. The late Emperor had told me to visit if I had a hard time, and had shown me the secret passage to his chambers.”
The late Emperor was at least a decent person. In the Imperial Palace, which was worse than a forest of blades, it was a relief that someone like the late Emperor existed.
“At the time, the late Emperor was highly frail and said he lacked the strength to block the assassination attempts against me. Instead, he sent someone to smuggle me out. I believe our Sect Leader and the late Emperor had a connection. That was how I was sent to the Wudang Sect. Back then, non-aggression between the government and the martial world was maintained, so they thought it would be safe. And until a few years ago, it actually was.”
Myeong-gyeong gasped for breath. Speaking so many words at once seemed to have left him breathless.
“Is there anything else you are curious about?”
“No. It is clear now.”
“What?”
I looked at the mountain range of Wudang through the shattered wall.
“The Imperial Palace—I am going to overthrow it.”
The place where the storm I summoned would head.
It was none other than the Imperial Palace.