A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 259

259. The Worst Partner

The apex of power in the world, the Forbidden City, is a sprawling palace complex.

The Outer Court (外朝), where the Emperor conducted state affairs, overwhelmed visitors with its massive halls and expansive grounds. The Inner Court (內廷), the imperial family’s residence, housed numerous palaces and pavilions in an intricate arrangement.

The heart of the Inner Court was the Emperor’s palace and the Empress’s residence. However, various palaces (宮), halls (殿), and pavilions (閣) for concubines and imperial family members were scattered throughout.

Most were grand and opulent, befitting the imperial residence, but some were quite modest and exuded a gentle atmosphere. The residence of the Gyeonghui Consort was one of these smaller, more understated buildings.

Clack, clack, clack.

A group of people, centered around a small palanquin, moved through the Inner Court. The men carrying the palanquin on their shoulders hurried along with expressionless faces, followed by a dozen attendants.

Only one slender woman rode in the palanquin. Yet, this was the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, the center of the world, and the woman in the palanquin was the Gyeonghui Consort, a member of the imperial family.

The carriers and the attendants dared not relax, lest they make a mistake.

Thud.

The palanquin soon arrived in front of the Gyeonghui Consort’s residence.

It was smaller and more modest than the palaces of other concubines, but its significance was no less. It was a residence within the Forbidden City that the current Emperor had permitted for her.

Not everyone in the imperial family could reside within the Forbidden City. Thus, having a residence here, along with the privilege of riding a palanquin within the Inner Court, was a de facto special favor.

Rustle.

As the carriers lowered the palanquin, the Gyeonghui Consort alighted. The attendants bowed, and the maids who cared for the residence came forward to pay their respects. The maid Hang’a, who had been attending the palanquin, stood behind the Gyeonghui Consort.

The Gyeonghui Consort lightly waved her hand to dismiss the attendants and entered her residence with the maids.

“Lord Nung is waiting in the rear garden.”

A maid said, bowing her head. It was not common for guests to visit a residence in the Inner Court. This, too, was impossible without imperial permission.

“Very well.”

The Gyeonghui Consort headed straight for the rear garden, foregoing the time many concubines spent on grooming and adjusting their attire.

Rustle, rustle.

The Gyeonghui Consort entered the rear garden with only the maid Hang’a. There, she spotted the back of a person standing in a small gazebo.

“Have you been waiting long, Lord Nung?”

The person, who had been standing with their hands behind their back, turned around.

The attire was masculine, but the face was that of a beautiful woman. Her eyes were somewhat sharp, but with a little adornment, she could easily pass for a young maiden.

However, she seemed to have no interest in such things. Her hair was styled up like a man’s, secured with a small coronet, leaving only her red lips to reveal her femininity.

“The garden is quite beautiful. I have not been waiting long, Consort.”

The Gyeonghui Consort bowed lightly in greeting and offered a seat to the cross-dressed beauty, Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa.

As the two sat down, a maid brought tea. The subtle fragrance of tea spread through the modest rear garden.

Clink.

Raising her teacup, the Gyeonghui Consort spoke.

“I have heard about the Namgung Clan.”

“It is regrettable that we failed to deal with Lord Namgung-gwon.”

“Not at all.”

The Gyeonghui Consort smiled lightly at Nung Cheon-hwa.

“Having confirmed the existence of the ‘Successor of the Nameless’, it is a greater gain than expected. We can deal with the Namgung Clan at any time.”

“Huhu.”

Nung Cheon-hwa chuckled.

“You do not need to feign bravado, Consort. I already know that even the Emperor cannot do everything as he pleases.”

“Oh, is that so?”

The Gyeonghui Consort’s reply was somewhat challenging. However, Nung Cheon-hwa raised her teacup and continued without hesitation.

“The nation’s finances are vast, but most of it is already earmarked. There are hundreds of thousands of imperial troops, but they cannot abandon the borders. Moreover, if you try to move finances and people to do something, you will be met with endless remonstrations and opposition, will you not?”

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa smiled leisurely.

“Besides, the Consort’s status is truly ambiguous. Everything depends on the Emperor’s whim. Therefore, the scope of the Consort’s actions is surprisingly limited, is it not?”

“That is true.”

The Gyeonghui Consort did not lose her smile.

“But it is also true that we can deal with them at any time. If I order an investigation under a suitable pretext, even the Namgung Clan cannot withstand it. There are many officials who wish to please an imperial consort.”

An investigation by the government offices takes a long time. If the movement of goods is controlled and key figures are imprisoned, even the Namgung Clan will not last long.

Of course, the Namgung Clan will also mobilize all their connections in the government offices. However, if the Gyeonghui Consort is the opponent, even if they are acquitted, it will be after a long time.

“Is that so? But to do that, the Consort would have to take considerable risks, would she not?”

The current Emperor is experienced and cold-blooded. It is never easy to hold the Emperor’s favor unless you bring practical benefits, and significant ones at that.

Therefore, even if it is the Gyeonghui Consort, she must risk everything to unjustly ruin the Namgung Clan.

“Huhuhu.”

This time, the Gyeonghui Consort laughed. Her eyes gleamed as she said,

“If I intend to take someone’s life, I must be prepared to risk my own.”

The Gyeonghui Consort is a noble member of the imperial family. But what Nung Cheon-hwa saw in her was essentially a predator.

A beast that would not hesitate to soil its beautiful fur in the mud or stain its rich mane with blood for the sake of the hunt.

That was the essence of the Gyeonghui Consort hidden behind her beauty.

Just like Nung Cheon-hwa herself.

“Indeed.”

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa was satisfied. The Gyeonghui Consort’s eyes told her that her choice had not been wrong.

“I am pleased to confirm the Consort’s intentions once again.”

The Gyeonghui Consort replied with a smile. After savoring the tea’s fragrance for a moment, she put down her teacup and said,

“Then shall we continue our discussion? What did you think of the ‘Successor of the Nameless’?”

“‘The Successor of His Path’…”

Nung Cheon-hwa lightly stroked her teacup with her finger. The answer was not difficult. It was the conclusion she had reached after thinking about it many times since that day.

“It was awe-inspiring.”

The Gyeonghui Consort’s eyes sparkled at that short answer.

“Was he that strong?”

“Strong? Well…”

Nung Cheon-hwa chuckled.

“It is not something that can be expressed in such words.”

Nature is vast and awe-inspiring. But no one who sees it describes it as strong.

No one can stand against a merciless natural disaster. But they do not describe it as strong. They simply marvel and revere it.

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa could clearly see it. No, she could understand it even more clearly because it was her.

“Although I could not see it directly due to an unexpected interruption, I could not mistake such an absurd aura. For the first time since that day decades ago… it was enough to send shivers down my spine.”

The Gyeonghui Consort smiled slightly.

“Indeed.”

Her eyes were filled with anticipation. She wanted her adversary to be stronger, so that the hunt would be truly worthwhile.

“But you have more to say, do you not? Lord Nung.”

The Gyeonghui Consort knew that Nung Cheon-hwa’s words were not yet finished. Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa was not the kind of person to admit her shortcomings and end there.

Nung Cheon-hwa smiled.

“That is correct. It was certainly a remarkable aura, but there were also strange aspects.”

“Strange aspects?”

“First, that aura was extremely momentary and confined to a very narrow range.”

What Nung Cheon-hwa felt at that time was a desperate sense of crisis that she had to escape from that place immediately.

Even though she was clearly at a distance, she could feel an aura that made her skin tingle. It meant that she had been swallowed into ‘His’ domain.

She thought about fleeing, but even that was not easy. It made her wonder if he would swallow not only the Namgung Clan but the entire city.

But that chilling sensation disappeared in an instant. The aura that had shocked Nung Cheon-hwa did not leave the Namgung Clan and did not last long.

“There must have been some kind of limitation, or it was a very special case that happened only once… perhaps something like that.”

Nung Cheon-hwa’s appearance as she spoke was strangely charming. Outwardly, she was a beautiful woman who had just entered middle age, but because she was dressed as a man, she also looked like a handsome young man.

“Are you not being too hasty in your judgment? What if he controlled it himself…?”

“If you do not know, everything seems possible.”

Nung Cheon-hwa interrupted the Gyeonghui Consort and gave her an openly pathetic look.

“Even a dull iron sword will harm itself if it does not follow the sword path, and even a handful of internal energy cannot avoid Qi Deviation [a dangerous imbalance of internal energy] if it does not follow the flow. But to control such a massive aura in an instant?”

Nung Cheon-hwa said as if she were making a declaration.

“It is difficult to move a large body of water, but once it starts flowing, it is even more difficult to stop it. No, it is impossible for mere humans.”

“You speak as if humans can do nothing.”

The Gyeonghui Consort was still smiling, but her voice contained a subtle displeasure. However, Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa said without hesitation,

“That is correct. Humans are beings who cannot even control themselves. They are merely discovering the path of power and riding along with it.”

Nung Cheon-hwa’s eyes stared straight at the Gyeonghui Consort.

“People want power, but they do not think about the fact that they cannot even control their own power. What makes the Outer World great is not that it has strong power, but that it knows how to wield that power. After all, once you surpass a certain realm, the size of your internal energy does not matter at all. What is truly important is…”

Biting her lip slightly, Nung Cheon-hwa spoke. Her red lips twisted roughly.

“Knowing the Path [道 – Dao, the fundamental principle of the universe].”

“It seems to be becoming a rather ambiguous and scholastic story.”

The Gyeonghui Consort laughed lightly. It was a sign that she did not agree with the other person’s words and that she had no intention of arguing further.

“You said ‘first,’ so what is the other strange aspect?”

“Did I not say? There is no one in this world who can possess such an aura.”

“Pardon?”

The Gyeonghui Consort asked back at the sudden words. However, Nung Cheon-hwa replied with a firm look.

“There is no such person. Even if there were, they would be above the heavens. Such an existence would no longer be human.”

A moment of silence flowed. The Gyeonghui Consort was taken aback by Nung Cheon-hwa’s unexpected words, but it did not last long.

“In the end, the ‘Successor of the Nameless’ is not as fearsome as we thought.”

“That is correct, Consort.”

Nung Cheon-hwa nodded.

“What kind of person was he?”

“Huh?”

The Gyeonghui Consort asked Nung Cheon-hwa, who was asking back.

“What kind of person was he? Name, age, status, origin. Things like that. It is certain that he is a man, is it not?”

Nung Cheon-hwa chuckled. All the things that the Gyeonghui Consort asked were completely meaningless to Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa. The essence of the other person is not in such things.

“His name is Son Bin. He was a young man. He was reasonably handsome, but not to the extent that you could call him outstanding.”

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa’s answer was only a part of the truth. She knew more, but she did not tell everything.

Because it is a basic strategy not to show all the cards you have. Especially if the opponent is a predator like the Gyeonghui Consort, a beast.

“The Successor of the Nameless, Son Bin…”

The Gyeonghui Consort repeated the name in a low voice.

The sword of Saja-hyeok that she had seen that night came to mind, and she felt goosebumps without realizing it. But the figure of the nameless scholar who was with him was not on her mind.

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa added as if it were nothing.

“Oh, and he seems to like women. He was surrounded by women with outstanding beauty. And in the midst of all that, he reached out to the young lady of the Namgung Clan, or so I heard?”

The conjecture is Nung Cheon-hwa’s words. But the facts were heard from a collaborator inside the Namgung Clan.

Of course, it is a story that only a very small part of the clan knows, but the ‘collaborator’ is also one of those ‘very small parts’.

Nung Cheon-hwa did not tell her about the identity of the ‘women with outstanding beauty’. Perhaps that is a more important issue than Son Bin, but again, there is no reason to tell her.

“A hero who lusts after beauty? But it is a bit disappointing.”

A look of contempt flashed in the Gyeonghui Consort’s eyes. It is because she wants the other person to be more noble and more overwhelming, like Saja-hyeok.

“In that respect, you could say that he is different from ‘Him’.”

Nung Cheon-hwa said with a bitter smile. The Nameless only looked at one person. He would not have women around him.

“But the guys from the Outer World will like it even more. Marital ties have been the most reliable safety net from the past. The old men of the Outer World, who are burning with desire, will line up to give him their daughters, granddaughters, or even adopted daughters.”

Nung Cheon-hwa’s voice was filled with disgust and contempt.

“We may need to revise our assessment of the ‘Successor of the Nameless’.”

The Gyeonghui Consort said. It was a statement that Son Bin would have been very wronged to hear, but to them, it was already a foregone conclusion.

“How did the trip to Ami go, Consort?”

Nung Cheon-hwa suddenly asked. The Gyeonghui Consort smiled.

“As you said, I took Beop-heo Sinni as my teacher and received the Dharma name Cheong-ryeon. Cheong-hye Satae, a master of the Outer World, accompanied me to help. She is currently sightseeing in Beijing with Cheong-rang Sword Wi Gong.”

The Gyeonghui Consort did not miss the fact that Nung Cheon-hwa’s expression hardened slightly at the word ‘Cheong-ryeon’. With a soft smile, the Gyeonghui Consort said,

“So, should I call you Sagong (師姑) now?”

‘Sagong’ refers to the junior sister or junior of one’s teacher. It means that she knows that Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa was a disciple of Ami in the past and was a contemporary of Beop-heo Sinni.

The Gyeonghui Consort knew that the words would be provocative.

As expected, Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa’s sharp eyes turned to the Gyeonghui Consort.

“I would not have given you the right to delve into my past so easily, Consort.”

“From the moment you told me to become a disciple of Ami, you had already set foot in it.”

“That is for the sake of the Heaven-Turning Scheme [a grand plan to reshape the martial arts world]. You cannot destroy the Murim [martial arts world] from the outside. To overturn the Murim…”

“But there was no reason why it had to be Ami.”

The Gyeonghui Consort looked straight at Nung Cheon-hwa.

“I am grateful for your help. The completion of the Baek-in-rok [a detailed record or ledger], the accurate understanding of the Outer World, and even the ‘Successor of the Nameless’. All of this is thanks to you. But if you are hiding too much, you will not gain trust.”

“Trust? Was such a thing necessary between us?”

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa did not hide her mockery.

“Remember that I sought out the Consort, not the other way around. If it were not for the Heaven-Turning Scheme, I would have no reason to be in this place with the Consort.”

“If Soha had not diligently searched the Murim, you would not have been able to find me. But that is right. You and I want to see the Heaven-Turning Scheme come to fruition.”

The Gyeonghui Consort stared straight at Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa.

“But I am suspicious now. Perhaps what is important to you is not the ‘Successor of the Nameless’, who is essential for the Heaven-Turning Scheme, but the ‘Daughter of the Nameless’ who was by his side.”

Nung Cheon-hwa’s expression hardened. The Gyeonghui Consort already knew more than she thought.

“There is another collaborator who knows about the Outer World?”

“You will meet her soon.”

The Gyeonghui Consort bowed her head lightly and said,

“I do not want much. I just hope that there is nothing more important to you than the Heaven-Turning Scheme for the peace of the world.”

The Gyeonghui Consort had already seen through Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa’s true intentions.

To Nung Cheon-hwa, the Heaven-Turning Scheme is the last resort. If it is true that the ‘Nameless’ can never return, it is the last resort to destroy everything he left behind.

That means that she may abandon the Heaven-Turning Scheme depending on the situation. The Gyeonghui Consort is warning about just that.

However, Nung Cheon-hwa was not one to accept it willingly.

“The peace of the world? The pigs wallow in the mud, the foolish are content in their ignorance, and those who wield swords are soaked in their own blood, so is this not the peace of Wu Wei (無爲) [non-action, effortless action, or naturalness], of nature?”

Her unrestrained voice was full of cynicism.

“Are you trying to create a Heaven-Turning Scheme in this peaceful world because you also want ‘Him’? If ‘He’ accepts you, you will also abandon the Heaven-Turning Scheme. Or modify it for ‘Him’.”

The Gyeonghui Consort’s face hardened. Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa is not an easy opponent after all. And Nung Cheon-hwa’s words were not yet finished.

“There is only one difference between you and me. You may be satisfied with being ‘The Successor of His Path’, but I am not. That is the biggest difference between you and me.”

The gazes of Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa and the Gyeonghui Consort intertwined sharply. And the one who backed down was the Gyeonghui Consort.

“I will not deny it.”

Nung Cheon-hwa did not take those words as a declaration of defeat. The Gyeonghui Consort is never such a woman.

“But you do not agree either.”

The Gyeonghui Consort is a member of the imperial family. Her very existence cannot be unrelated to politics, so it is foolish to take her words as they are.

The Gyeonghui Consort simply smiled and did not answer. She said,

“I would like to point out that our conversation has now become one that cannot be concluded.”

“I agree.”

“Thank you.”

The Gyeonghui Consort bowed lightly. She had already given her warning, so there was no need to confront Nung Cheon-hwa any further.

“You are welcome, Consort.”

Cheonsu Sword Nung Cheon-hwa sneered inwardly. But the fact that the other person was not a fool to be despised was rather pleasing.

The same was true of the Gyeonghui Consort. She had not expected trust from the beginning. All she wanted was just one warning.

The two wore faint smiles.

In a way, they were the best and worst partners for the Heaven-Turning Scheme.