I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 171

“You’re still just prostrating yourself. Where you’re going, why ten years, whether you’re going alone… Aren’t you curious?”

“I am merely following His Majesty’s command.”

The Emperor’s eyes wavered, perhaps due to his complicated feelings.

“You will go to Xinjiang [a large, autonomous region of China]. You must cut off contact with the outside world there. You must not meet with officials, nor exchange letters. Spend your days with books and wine. You will be taken care of without discomfort during your stay.”

It is a distant place that takes months to reach even by horse.

A harsh, mountainous region defined by the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, with endless deserts and grasslands, scorching heat in summer, and bitterly cold winters. Therefore, it is the edge of the world, no different from a lawless zone swarming with foreign tribes.

Spending ten years there means being completely abandoned.

Prince Pyeongwon gritted his teeth and said,

“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless.”

The Emperor frowned.

“What grace? It’s the most despicable act in the world, chasing away your own brother to save your own son.”

Prince Pyeongwon felt his mind go blank at the Emperor’s self-deprecating words.

He had been hearing the wrong things all along.

The distant Xinjiang was not the key. The period of ten years was the more important point.

In ten years, the Queen’s son or Yang Ryeo-cheong’s son would be old enough to be appointed as Crown Prince. Of course, that is if Yang Ryeo-cheong has a son. In any case, the time to solidify the succession is ten years from now.

The Emperor fears that his clever brother, who has been lying low as if dead, will eliminate his son and seize the throne.

In the end, the meaning of at least ten years is that he may never return to the capital. He had a feeling that it might be difficult to ever return.

* * *

“Ju Sang-bang is stripped of his official position and sentenced to exile on Hainan Island [a tropical island province of China]. Prince Pyeongwon, as a member of the Imperial family, cannot be said to have lightly abandoned his duty to protect his dignity. Therefore, he is banished to Xinjiang as punishment for his crime.”

The Chief Eunuch read out the Emperor’s decree to the court officials.

Wi Chung-hyeon breathed a sigh of relief that it ended with just Ju Sang-bang and Prince Pyeongwon, while the young officials, including Yoon Ju-seong, sighed in disappointment at missing this good opportunity.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The Chief Eunuch said to Yoon Ju-seong,

“Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yoon Ju-seong, come forward and receive the Imperial Edict!”

Yoon Ju-seong, who had been sighing, hurriedly stepped forward to the center of the hall when he was suddenly called.

A slight expectation could be seen on his face. Since it was called an Imperial Edict, it must be a letter of appointment.

The Chief Eunuch unfurled the blue scroll.

“Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yoon Ju-seong, has always given me sincere advice without considering his own advantages or disadvantages. He has also practiced the teachings of the sages, so that learning is alive…”

The Emperor’s edict was full of praise to the point that Yoon Ju-seong felt embarrassed.

“Therefore, Yoon Ju-seong is appointed as Chancellor, so that he may prevent me from being swayed by eloquent words and spare no sincere advice so that I may cultivate virtue.”

The hall buzzed instantly.

The Chancellor, who always discusses state affairs by the Emperor’s side, has always been held by veteran officials. This was because they had a lot of experience in state administration.

The appointment of the young Yoon Ju-seong as Chancellor at once was an exceptional event and a personnel appointment that destroyed seniority.

In normal times, all the veteran officials would have risen up and denounced it as utterly unjust and pleaded for the edict to be withdrawn.

But now, Ju Sang-bang, the Chancellor, had taken a large amount of bribes and was exiled. The justification that an experienced veteran official should be Chancellor no longer holds.

The Emperor chose an opportune moment to use an extraordinary measure to carry out a sweeping personnel change.

“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless. I will spare no effort to ensure that Your Majesty can carry out good governance.”

Yoon Ju-seong received the edict, but as expected, not a single voice of opposition was raised. The veteran officials only exchanged glances and bit their lips.

Wi Chung-hyeon knew that the Emperor had made a deal. Instead of giving the gift of ending with Ju Sang-bang alone, he gave strength to the forces that would check Wi Chung-hyeon by placing a young official by his side.

The shock of Ju Sang-bang’s exile and Prince Pyeongwon’s banishment to a remote area had already become a distant memory. Yoon Ju-seong, who had suddenly become the Emperor’s closest aide, took his place.

* * *

“Congratulations, Lord Yoon. You have become the Prime Minister of this country. Haha.”

Jo Gwang-yoon laughed heartily and bowed.

He had been promoted from a mere vice-ministerial level to chief of staff in a sweeping promotion. It was the lowest of the Three Dukes, but it was a key position that could always read the Emperor’s mind.

“Enough. I’m also bewildered. More than anything, I’m uneasy because I still don’t know why he appointed me…”

“Haven’t I told you repeatedly? Once a fallen fruit falls, pick it up quickly. Why it fell, whether it’s here, when it fell… Push those things to the side. You’ll find out anyway.”

Jo Gwang-yoon was more interested in hearing what he wanted to hear than Yoon Ju-seong’s unnecessary worries.

“I heard Prince Pyeongwon is being sent to Xinjiang?”

“Yes. I expected banishment to a remote area, but I didn’t expect Xinjiang. It’s no different from a worse exile than Ju Sang-bang. Hainan Island has a warm climate, so there’s no hardship, but Xinjiang is a place where severe cold and heat alternate, isn’t it? It won’t be easy.”

“When will His Majesty order him to return?”

“I also heard that he said at least ten years.”

“Did he say he would send escort troops?”

Yoon Ju-seong shook his head.

“No. He only allowed him to take his family and servants. He said he would leave the bestowed estate as it is, so he won’t be uncomfortable due to lack of money.”

Suddenly, Yoon Ju-seong’s eyes changed.

“Why? Are you thinking of sponsoring Prince Pyeongwon?”

“Do you take me for a fool? If I help someone the Emperor has abandoned, I’ll also get on his bad side. I don’t want to end up like Ju Sang-bang, who gave money to a member of the Imperial family.”

Yoon Ju-seong shook his head again.

“No. Prince Pyeongwon never received money from Ju Sang-bang. He’s just a victim of political maneuvering. It’s just that Wi Chung-hyeon’s faction, who wanted to live, and the Emperor, who wanted to keep his brother in check, had their interests aligned.”

Jo Gwang-yoon pretended not to know and asked again.

“I heard that Prince Pyeongwon admitted everything and only asked for His Majesty’s leniency? Is that not true?”

“He never admitted it. He was just asking for leniency. Prince Pyeongwon is a smart man. He knows how meaningless it is to claim innocence in a political scheme. He just prostrates himself and doesn’t cling.”

Jo Gwang-yoon watched Yoon Ju-seong’s expression and said,

“He’s a man with tremendous patience.”

“The two surviving brothers have completely different personalities. But thanks to those personalities, they will survive to the end.”

One survived by using patience as a shield, and the other survived by using indifference.

“From the perspective that the strong survive, not that the one who survives is strong, the two brothers are very strong.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I can understand why His Majesty is chasing Prince Pyeongwon away.”

“It’s not like the Emperor has just started being wary of his brothers. The difference is that this time, he openly revealed his wariness.”

“What do you think is the reason?”

Yoon Ju-seong chuckled.

“Are you asking because you don’t know? Isn’t it because of Consort Yang’s pregnancy? Now he has to put the succession on solid ground.”

“I hope he doesn’t have unnecessary wariness.”

“I appreciate your concern. But nothing will happen. It doesn’t seem like His Majesty’s favor will disappear easily.”

He is not worried. Right now, Jo Gwang-yoon is more concerned about Prince Pyeongwon than Yang Ryeo-cheong.

A person who endures all kinds of humiliation and perseveres will one day start a great work by unleashing the resentment he has been holding back when the opportunity comes.

How many such people are there in history? Prince Pyeongwon is more dangerous than Wi Chung-hyeon, who is never out of sight.

“Now that you are by His Majesty’s side, Lord Yoon, I am very reassured. I hope you will rise higher and spread your great ambitions.”

After offering his best wishes, Jo Gwang-yoon hurriedly returned home and prepared a letter to summon Yeom-sin and Jang Cheon-yang.

A dangerous person must not be taken his eyes off for even a moment.

* * *

“It’s been a while. Lord Jang. Have you been well?”

Jang Cheon-yang and Yeom-sin looked radiant. It’s no wonder. Right now, they are enjoying greater wealth and glory than the Emperor.

But they are still not losing their initial intentions and are focusing on growing their business and expanding their sect even more.

“I’m just having a leisurely time here thanks to you two. Haha.”

“What are you saying? You’re doing the biggest things, the most things.”

Now they also know.

That if they move with the Imperial family, they can get in one fell swoop what they would have to work for decades to obtain. It’s like gaining the continental battlefield just by exchanging a few words with the Emperor.

“The work I’m about to do from now on is not a big deal, but it’s a very important one.”

“Tell us.”

The two men erased their smiles and put on serious expressions.

“Master Jang, find a business deal worth taking over in Xinjiang. It could be a store or a courier company. Sericulture [silk production] is also prevalent there, so you could do silk business. Anyway, find the best one. If there’s nothing suitable, you can open a branch.”

“Xinjiang, you say…? Is that the far west?”

“That’s right.”

It was a place they had never paid attention to before. Jang Cheon-yang was curious, but he didn’t show it.

“I understand. I’ll start right away.”

Jo Gwang-yoon said to Yeom-sin,

“Chief Yeom, create a Changryong Sect branch. It’s a remote and barren place, so martial artists will be a bit reluctant. Give them enough compensation, but choose martial artists who are not frivolous. Someday I will give you a very important mission, and you must choose and send smart and outstanding guys who can fully carry out that mission.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Yeom-sin didn’t say anything else either.

He just needs to remember to pick out smart guys because he will have to do something important someday.

Now, the people who will replace Jo Gwang-yoon’s eyes and ears in Xinjiang will be monitoring Prince Pyeongwon. They must examine every move he makes in Xinjiang and find his weaknesses.

Jo Gwang-yoon was planning to find that weakness and eliminate him within a few years. An accident is good, and catching a terrible endemic disease is also good.

When Prince Pyeongwon returns to the capital, he must not return alive and well. He must return lying in a coffin.

It’s fortunate that Prince Pyeongwon is going to the most dangerous and remote place. Also, the Emperor will be glad that he returns as a corpse rather than alive.

Jo Gwang-yoon carefully said to the two men again.

“And there is something that our family members throughout the Central Plains [historical region of China] must do.”

“That must also be a very important thing, right?”

The two men said with a smile.

“Of course. It’s a necessary thing to maintain our power and wealth forever, so there’s nothing more important than this. Hehe.”

While Jo Gwang-yoon was giving secret orders to the two men, a commotion broke out in the capital.

Almost two months after going to the hot springs, Yang Ryeo-cheong was entering the capital. Coincidentally, when Yang Ryeo-cheong appeared in the capital in a splendid appearance, Prince Pyeongwon left the capital in a shabby appearance, unnoticed by anyone.

Of course, a quick-footed martial artist followed behind the shabby procession of Prince Pyeongwon.

End