As Prophet - Chapter 163



Only Noblemtl

Episode 163. Virtue

Mukhyeong ran over and asked.

“Is this you?”

Dalcheon nodded. He examined the bastard’s body, but there was no hope of survival. He had been stabbed in the front and back for too long, and his shoulder blade was gone, bleeding profusely. He wasn’t breathing.

“Call the soldiers and send them away. And confirm whether this guy is Yui or Yeoui. We should call him the king’s younger brother.”

“All right.”

Passersby frowned, but no one said anything and just walked away about ten feet away.

Dalcheon stood on the side of the road, lost in thought. He thought that this guy was not it. He was not someone who would die so easily. He could have even sent someone else as a substitute.

When I examined the bastard’s body, there were wounds on the front and back, but they weren’t very deep. It was a short sword that was thrown from a distance, but it was scattered by force. If the blade had dug in, the wounds should have been deeper.

The soldiers rushed in and took away the fallen and dead men.

“I don’t think so either.”

“Is that right?”

“It is true that I imitated Yeoui.”

I walked along the dark road towards the Bukgung Palace.

* * *

It is not polite to enter through Gwanghwamun. As I turned around Dongsipjagak and entered through Geunchunmun, a group of soldiers came running as if they had been waiting for me.

“Loyalty! His Majesty is looking for you. He has ordered you to be taken to Gangnyeongjeon as soon as you arrive.”

“What’s going on now?”

“We don’t know.”

“take care.”

Dalcheon looked back at Geunchunmun and thought that defense would be really difficult. When he went to Gangnyeongjeon, the king ran out barefoot.

“No, why are your feet naked?”

“I washed my feet because I felt stuffy. If I don’t do that in the evening, my whole body feels like it’s going to get twisted.”

“Washing your feet… … Hehe, that’s a good habit. The feet are where energy is received.”

“Yes.”

“I heard you found it.”

“How did things go?”

Dalcheon reported briefly. The king shook his head.

“That gentleman is not like that. My uncle had a very handsome face.”

Now, there is a new king who has decided that he is the uncle. Yeoui thought he was the uncle.

“Have you seen it?”

“When I was young.”

“The order has been given to attack at midnight tonight. Since we are losing the battle using formations, we plan to break through using individual strength.”

“Did you hear that when you were sneaking into the auditorium?”

“Yes.”

“Whew, what should I do?”

“Convene a meeting of the generals and devise a plan to protect the palace. If you invade under cover of night and have the cooperation of the palace, the palace is not a very safe place either.”

“As a collaborator… … I ordered that all the entry and exit departments be changed.”

“It’s already in there, so it won’t be of any use.”

“Isn’t there any other way?”

“We have to fight. But what did Do Seung-ji do? I can’t see him.”

“I killed him because he was nagging me. It happened half an hour ago.”

“I said, if possible, embrace everything.”

“It wasn’t possible. And you never said embrace. You said kill or embrace.”

“That’s what I mean.”

The king narrowed his eyes. He knows the nature of people who say things roughly and say that it was their intention. It is the typical attitude of people who do not want to take responsibility.

“Then the words of the true man are… … .”

“It requires a big decision. I have to make those who tried to kill me my subjects. It won’t be easy.”

“I think it would be a good idea to clean everything up.”

“I see. Then don’t leave anyone behind. There will be blood relatives, relatives, and people who are really difficult to deal with. I am disappointed. I thought you would be more tolerant because you have suffered so much.”

“People are not like that.”

“You should not expect a king to be a human being. If a human being wants to enjoy everything that ordinary people do, he is no longer a king. He is an ordinary citizen. A king should keep to the rules that govern him… … .”

Dalcheon stopped talking because of the commander. Instead of coming inside, he knelt down in the courtyard of Gangnyeongjeon. It seemed that he realized belatedly that his name was on the list.

“Do you want to kill me?”

The new king was impressed. The commander-in-chief came right after he said he would kill everyone. The commander-in-chief does not appoint just anyone. He selects and chooses the most loyal and blood descendants of the royal family. If he crosses just a few bridges, he will be someone precious to someone close by.

“Okay.”

“I will leave your seat for you.”

“Don’t go far away.”

“… … .”

Dalcheon bowed deeply instead of answering. The position of the Vice Minister was filled by the Vice Minister. Dalcheon stepped back. The new king did not have anything to say, but rather wanted Dalcheon to be by his side. It was understandable, but it was a little annoying.

I left Gangnyeongjeon and crawled into a place where there was no one among the palace cabinets. I told the eunuch who was following me by royal command that I would rest for a while, and he gave me two thick cushions. I laid the cushions on the empty ondol and leaned against them. A day, twelve hours passed like the wind. Countless deaths came to mind.

“Phew.”

There is nothing special to do now. There will be no more battles like the afternoon. There will be a series of sporadic surprise attacks, and we must prepare for the coming of the Northern Army… … .

Dalcheon sighed. Joseon’s current military power was not enough to deal with the northern army. It seemed like they could barely defend it by relying on the walls, but with so many enemies inside, even that seemed difficult. Even if 50 million northern troops came down, it would be a losing battle. I thought it would be better to move the capital to Ganghwa Island.

But the new king will not do so. If he leaves the palace, he will not be able to maintain his position. If those who occupy Hanyang establish another country, that will be the end of it. He cannot win, but he must hold on. Then, will that lead to destruction in the end?

The priority is to endure the night raid tonight. Will the combined force of the royal army and the garrison be 5,000 strong? The night raid is aimed at close combat. Many soldiers will die or be injured. We need to use archery, but in places where there is no space for that, we will have to fight one or two people with multiple passes using long and short weapons. We need to understand that the battle patterns during the day and night are completely different… … .

I was about to go out and talk, but then Mukhyeong sat down next to me again.

“Now, please stay by His Majesty’s side.”

“His Majesty has told me to stay by Jinin’s side.”

“I’m not running away. I’m not going anywhere. Just watch the work.”

“Am I annoying?”

Dalcheon nodded slowly.

“I just don’t like people. I want to rest for a bit.”

“You don’t hate me, do you?”

Dalcheon laughed with difficulty. I wonder how this person, that cold and hard person, could have changed so much.

“There is work that must be done at midnight tonight. Organizing the officials and deploying the military is not my job.”

“Aren’t you looking for Yeo-ui?”

“It won’t work properly because it’s injured.”

“You speak to people as if they were machines.”

“It’s worse than a machine.”

“Heh heh.”

Dalcheon, who had been leaning against him, sits cross-legged and takes a comfortable position. It is a sign that he is going to study. Mukhyeong, who had been acting friendly, steps back and sits down. He glances at Dalcheon and makes himself comfortable.

Dalcheon sat upright and took a deep breath. There are things that cannot be done with human thought. This is especially true for the future. It is a time when we have to wait after taking all the necessary measures. If we try to do something hastily here, it will go wrong. Many people will die and get hurt. It is regrettable, sad, and sorrowful. Nevertheless, can the countless killings in the name of duty really be justified? The more this happens, the more those in power must do their best for the people. They must honestly admit that when this task is over, it is not over, and that more duties remain.

But they think that they have become kings because they are good, and they do not think about the duties that come with that name. They only try to enjoy it, and they do not know that it is their role. The old regret of many seniors suddenly came to mind, that they expect the new king to be different, but they only end up being disappointed again.

What is left for the sages who intervened in worldly affairs is regret. They had no other choice, so they did their best, but only unfortunate regrets darkened the path behind them.

This place was Taebaek, the root of the immortal family of this land, so many immortals came and went. It was almost constant until the master ascended the throne. Once he came, he stayed for a few days, and although it was not as good as the author’s inn, there were no people, so he never felt lonely. This was also the reason why the young Dalcheon already knew many immortals. Dalcheon was someone who could easily be remembered if he was talking about someone from a certain mountain.

When there was an event, many people came. It was a day to offer sacrifices to heaven, so they brought various offerings and shared them. Another group was those who wanted to learn the teachings of the immortals, and they stayed for several days to learn and become familiar with them. Needless to say, Dalcheon studied with them.

Most of them looked at the world with a negative eye. They were especially angry at the heretical debates and persecutions that Joseon Confucian scholars were having. The mountain people, who loved the tranquility of everyday life, rarely showed strong emotions like anger, but they harbored a lot of resentment toward Joseon’s rule.

Dalcheon secretly hoped that the new king might be different. The time he spent with him was not short, and he shared a lot of wisdom. He also opposed the narrow-minded heretical arguments of the Confucian scholars, and showed the harm of discrimination caused by their arrogant theories. The king changed, and he expected a new world to come, but the world is not something that one king can do. Perhaps the position of the king is a consciousness that gathers the will of the entire society. Isn’t he just a representative of many people?

He sorted out his thoughts and fell into stillness. His breathing became shallow and it seemed as if he wasn’t breathing at all. He sat still like a Buddha statue, motionless. Only his face was bright, as if it was illuminated by white light. The floor he was sitting on became faintly bright as if the light was reflected. Thinking he was hallucinating, he wiped his eyes and looked, and a circular halo of light, clearly distinct from the dark surroundings, widened. It spread out like paint dripped onto a white cloth, passing over the floor and expanding widely beyond the outside of the palace. The moment the halo of light passed over Mukhyeong’s body, he felt something warm penetrate his body.

What else could they do when a battle is imminent? They might leave it to the soldiers and not prepare anything, but I lost my mind for a moment because of the warmth. It seemed like some kind of comfort, like it was comforting someone living in an unfair time.

Feeling as if he might doze off if he wasn’t careful, Mukhyeong blinked his eyes and opened the door to look outside. The light was spreading widely in all directions, guarded strictly by dozens of soldiers.

What is this? This is a person we cannot understand. This is a huge being that cannot be fit into the categories of our common sense.

I went outside and went to where the subtle brightness spread and grew. It passed through people, seeped into the floor of the building, and then went over the wall and spread far away.

If there is an invisible force that one person’s virtue can have on the world, this is what it looks like. The expressions of the soldiers who were patrolling the palace with stern expressions brightened. The expressions of the officials who had been frowning and lost in thought about the uncertain future relaxed as if a thread was loosening.

He walked farther on, stepping on the shadowy moonlight. After passing through the gate and swallowing the previous work beyond the wall, he continued on even after reaching the boundary of the northern palace. Beyond the torchlight, dozens of heavy cavalry were circling around the palace, keeping watch.

The old general’s sharp eyes, who had said that he would increase the perimeter and crush the intrusions before they arrived, came to mind. The night watchman, who was lighting the foot lantern, smiled brightly in the alley. I don’t know what’s good about it, but just the smile that comes to mind brightens the expressions of those who are with him. Is this what they call virtue?