Chapter 51 – Planting the Heart (4)

Chapter 51 – Planting the Heart (4)

Two men had entered the prison, but only one emerged.

So-mu immediately sought out the Imperial Guard. They were the Song Empire's elite soldiers who guarded the palace. Not far off, a dozen Imperial Guards could be seen patrolling in formation.

Approaching them, So-mu showed his identification plaque and said, "I am the bearer of the petition from the Military Commissioner of Hanzhong. A suspicious figure is lurking near the prison, so please check it."

After verifying the plaque, the guards quickly shouted, "To the prison!"

"Hurry!"

Without a second thought, they gripped their weapons and sprinted. Soon, they saw the two murdered officials at the entrance of the prison. The guard captain barked urgently, "You, go call for reinforcements! The rest of you, follow me inside!"

It did not even take a quarter of an hour for the guards to emerge. Draped over one of their shoulders was the unconscious assassin.

"We are taking him to the Imperial Guard headquarters for interrogation!"

In a corner about ten zhang away.

Censor Man Sa-seol watched this scene from his hiding spot, stamping his feet in frustration. The Imperial Guard was not an organization he could influence.

"Sigh… I'm ruined now."

Man Sa-seol quickly began to rack his brain.

There was only one person in the entire realm who could protect him from the Imperial Guard. He made haste toward Jinhoe's office.

Since Jinhoe was already waiting for the outcome, they met immediately. Jinhoe could tell from Man Sa-seol's pale, earthy face that things had gone awry.

"It seems someone interfered. We failed."

"You couldn't even handle a single captive prisoner?!"

"Please help me. An official under the Censorate has been dragged away by the Imperial Guard."

Jinhoe's pupils trembled. Even their last resort had failed.

And of all forces, it had to be the Imperial Guard. Their soldiers would already be crawling all over the prison area. He felt absolutely no desire to save Man Sa-seol.

"Incompetent fool. Why should I help you?"

"If I fall, won't the Prime Minister also be in trouble?"

Cornered, Man Sa-seol resorted to threatening Jinhoe. But it was an empty threat.

"It wouldn't be troublesome, though it would certainly be annoying. That is, if you manage to walk out of here alive."

"Excuse me…?"

Man Sa-seol looked bewildered and quickly scanned his surroundings. He had heard rumors that a legendary assassin served as Jinhoe's personal bodyguard.

"Kill him. Make sure no blood splatters."

Right then, a shadow like black smoke surged from Jinhoe's shadow, darting forward. Man Sa-seol tried to dodge reflexively, but it was far too fast for him.

A split second later, the assassin's hand struck Man Sa-seol's windpipe.

*Crack!*

The assassin, catching the collapsing Man Sa-seol, looked at Jinhoe. His entire body, save for his eyes, was wrapped in black cloth.

"Dispose of the body later. Follow me first; I must have an audience with His Majesty."

Jinhoe's mood was sour. Nothing was going his way.

Leaving his office, he headed to the palace. He had to present the interrogation report Man Sa-seol had written to the Emperor. Meanwhile, So-mu shadowed him from the dark, watching his every move.

Entering the palace, Jinhoe looked up at the sky.

*He must be at the Water Flower Hall by now.*

It was a lavish outdoor hot spring where the Emperor frequently indulged in pleasure. It was also a restricted zone where no man, except for the Emperor himself, was allowed to set foot—with the sole exception of Prime Minister Jinhoe.

Passing through the backyard garden and walking for another half-quarter of an hour, Jinhoe reached his destination.

So-mu concealed himself beneath a plum tree about two hundred zhang away from the Water Flower Hall. Because of Jinhoe's bodyguard, he could not get any closer.

Catching his first glimpse of the Emperor, So-mu couldn't help but frown. The Emperor was in a state of drunken revelry in a hot spring scattered with lotus petals, teasing and harassing the court ladies. There were over a hundred of them, most of them shockingly young. So-mu barely managed to suppress his rising killing intent.

Just then, Jinhoe spoke.

"Your Majesty, let us speak for a moment."

It was by no means the tone one would use when addressing an emperor. This alone made Jinhoe's immense authority painfully obvious.

The thoroughly wasted Emperor replied, his tongue already heavy and slurred, "Who goes there…? Ah, Chancellor. Speak, quickly."

"Yue Fei's interrogation is complete. Would you like to review the report?"

"Handle it as you see fit. I only care that the bastard dies."

"Since he refuses to confess to the very end, we cannot execute him. Instead, I will sentence him to ten years of imprisonment."

"Am I not the Emperor? If I want my subject dead, what is the issue?"

"He is highly revered by the people. If we execute him without a confession, public sentiment will plummet once more, and a rebellion may break out."

"Reverence! Trust! Who dares to say that the people revere him more than they do me?!"

"Calm yourself, Your Majesty. It is bad for your health."

"Sigh. Very well. But can we not simply kill him later?"

The Emperor was secretly afraid of Jinhoe.

"Han Se-chung has finished subjugating the rebels and has arrived in the capital. Now that he has returned, we no longer have an opportunity."

"Sigh… Fine. But make sure he never leaves prison for the rest of his life. I never want to see that bastard's face again."

"I shall do so. Also, Goryeo has requested financial assistance. If we do not comply, there is a risk they might sign a truce with the Hui Dynasty. Thus, I intend to send them one thousand taels of gold and three thousand bolts of silk to appease them."

"Diplomatic matters only give me a headache. You take care of it, Chancellor."

Having spoken, the Emperor went right back to harassing the court ladies as if nothing had happened.

Watching their exchange, So-mu shook his head in disgust. He knew the Emperor was incompetent, but he hadn't realized the man was such a complete fool.

*It will be impossible to rescue General Yue Fei right now. For now, must I be content with saving him from the chopping block?*

Since the immediate crisis had been averted, there was no need to rush. With the interrogation concluded, they would have no reason to torture him further. He would likely be transferred to a regular prison soon. Rather than making a reckless move here, this was a matter to be discussed and resolved with Jang Yang.

Gaining a grasp of the imperial court's inner workings was also a solid harvest. He wanted to leave this filthy place as soon as possible.

Slipping out of the palace, So-mu was about to head back to Hanzhong when he suddenly froze. The area about two hundred zhang ahead had become noisy.

He saw a warrior clad in gleaming silver armor and a helmet adorned with long, antenna-like tassels. So-mu recognized him instantly.

The sole master of the Mysterious Realm in the Song Empire, a true match for ten thousand men—Han Se-chung.

In spite of himself, So-mu tensed as a fierce fighting spirit surged within him.

*He truly lives up to his reputation.*

A hundred Imperial Guards blocked Han Se-chung, who bore the fierce expression of an angry beast.

"No one may enter the palace without authorization!"

"You must follow the proper procedures!"

Han Se-chung's brow twitched.

"Out of my way."

It was a single, simple command.

The guards flinched and retreated in spite of themselves. No one dared block his path. As he strode forward, his bearing carried the majesty of a great mountain.

Right then, a voice rang out.

"Halt!"

Jinhoe appeared out of nowhere to block his path. Although Han Se-chung held the highest rank among military officials, he was still no match for the Prime Minister's political authority.

"I must have an audience with His Majesty."

"Anyone who wishes to see His Majesty must go through me."

Han Se-chung's fists trembled.

Though Jinhoe felt a surge of fear at the sight, he did not back down. He was a man of immense audacity, far greater than anyone could imagine.

"Speak to me."

"Why did you arrest General Yue Fei?"

"He is merely being investigated under suspicion of treason."

"Treason? Against a general who has risked his life for decades to defend this nation?! Do you have any evidence?"

"Did I not say he might be guilty?"

Han Se-chung looked absolutely flabbergasted and roared in fury, "How dare you deceive the world with such pathetic wordplay?!"

Jinhoe flinched despite himself. Yet, his tongue did not falter.

"The investigation is not yet complete, so withdraw. If he is innocent, will he not be released?"

"If he dies, I will no longer fight for this country."

Han Se-chung spun on his heel and walked away in vexation.

Watching his retreating back, Jinhoe clicked his tongue.

*I should have killed that bastard and dealt with the aftermath before Han Se-chung arrived. Now, it's ruined.*

As much as he detested Han Se-chung, Jinhoe could not afford to cast aside the empire's sole Mysterious Realm master. Jinhoe headed back to his office as if his business was concluded, and the guards dispersed one by one.

Watching this unfold, So-mu shook his head in amusement and soon set off back toward Hanzhong.

***

Hanzhong was busy every single day without a moment of rest.

Following the completion of over a hundred watchtowers throughout the fortress, numerous shelters were constructed. This was to prepare for the event of a siege, when villagers living outside the walls would flood into the fortress.

In addition, the waterway construction to create a moat was finally completed.

Originally, a deep trench had surrounded the outer walls of Hanzhong Fortress to halt enemy charges. This trench, known as the empty moat, would become a proper moat once filled with water.

Through the canalization project, Jang Yang succeeded in routing a natural river through the trench, connecting it to the Han River. As a result, a deep, clear stream of water now flowed around the perimeter of Hanzhong Fortress, significantly bolstering its defensive capabilities.

Jang Yang and his adjutant, Yang Yeon-jeong, strolled along the completed moat, their faces filled with satisfaction.

"If the people hadn't helped, how could we have finished this so quickly?"

"Indeed. It is all thanks to the wealthy merchants sending supplies and funds, and the residents volunteering their labor whenever they could."

"Haha. With the army and the citizens acting as one, is there any city more blessed than this?"

"It is all due to your virtue, General."

Just then, Jang Yang's gaze drifted toward the nearby children. Two young girls were sitting by the edge of the moat, looking up at the fortress wall.

For some reason, Yang Yeon-jeong felt a sudden premonition.

"Big Sister So-so!"

"Sister, jump! Hurry!"

Yang Yeon-jeong looked up and spotted a familiar girl.

It was an unbelievable sight. A tiny child, barely six years old, was preparing to dive with her arms spread wide. And she was doing so from a height of over ten zhang.

"Step back, General. The water might splash you."

Jang Yang looked up at the wall, where So-so was smiling brightly and shouting, "Grandfather, look at me!"

"Haha."

With Jang Yang's hearty chuckle, So-so leapt from the top of the wall.

"Yaaap!"

*Splash!*

A massive column of water erupted from the moat.

Yang Yeon-jeong quickly dodged, but Jang Yang did not budge. Instead, a wave of energy rippled from his side, perfectly blocking the spray.

*Patter, patter!*

"Are you alright, General?"

"Hahaha. Let her be. It warms my heart to see the children playing so happily."

Yang Yeon-jeong tilted her head in confusion. Not a single drop of water had landed on Jang Yang's official uniform. To project a wave of energy like that, one had to reach the Flower Realm. Yet Jang Yang seemed completely unfazed, as if he knew something she didn't.

Just then, So-so swam over, paddling through the water of the moat.

"Hehe. That was so fun! Grandfather, you should try it too!"

"I have duties to attend to right now, but let us try it together later."

Yang Yeon-jeong squatted down and scolded gently, "You little troublemaker. No wonder you came and worked so hard during construction. You just wanted to use it for this, didn't you?"

"Hehe. It's a secret!"

So-so giggled brightly and swam off toward where A-hae and Cheong-ah were waiting.

Leaving the children behind, Jang Yang and Yang Yeon-jeong resumed their walk.

"Seeing So-so so excited gave me a wonderful idea."

"What is it?"

"Instruct the men to drain the moat during peacetime and keep it shallow. If the citizens can splash around and play in the water here, won't their lives be a little happier?"

"That is a brilliant idea. If people gather here, merchants will follow, and a lovely recreational area will naturally form."

Imagining the citizens splashing and playing, both of them wore proud smiles.

A quarter of an hour later, they saw a familiar figure rushing toward them. It was Commander Baek Moon-hwi of the vanguard scouts, his expression grim.

"General, Privy Councilor Jang Jun has arrived at the military camp."