I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 187

< The Supporting Characters’ Roles 1 >

Facing the Empress, Wei Zhongxian slowly sipped his tea. Today, both of them wore the brightest expressions they had in recent days.

“Jo Gwangyun accepted our plan, didn’t he?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. He has already sent a letter to Grand Prince Seongwon. We can set the date for the uprising and proceed.”

“Did he believe it readily?”

“He seemed pleased when I offered him the position of Minister of Agriculture and land development rights. Isn’t he a man obsessed with money?”

“And he believes that Consort Yang will be spared?”

“It’s part of the plan involving Grand Prince Seongwon, so he has no choice but to believe it.”

A smile spread across the Empress’s face.

“He should know that if the Emperor meets his end in Consort Yang’s chambers, we can manipulate it as either a sudden illness or poisoning… His cleverness is overrated.”

“He once said something like having an emergency escape route. Jo Gwangyun is so desperate to escape that he’s beside himself. His judgment must be clouded by the thought of getting out of this crisis.”

“Thanks to that, our plan is unfolding easily… Perhaps it is heaven’s will that my son becomes the Emperor.”

“Are you saying… Haha.”

It was just the beginning, but the two already looked as if they had succeeded in their scheme.

“Your Majesty’s plan to frame Yang Ryeo-cheong as a traitor who poisoned the Emperor, deal with her son and Jo Gwangyun together, and block the Grand Queen Dowager with Grand Prince Seongwon if she intervenes is truly remarkable.”

The Empress smiled again at her brother’s flattering praise.

“Since Grand Prince Seongwon has no interest in state affairs, the administration will be in the hands of me and my brother. After a suitable amount of time, Grand Prince Seongwon will become frustrated and leave the palace on his own.”

There was only one thing Wei Zhongxian didn’t like about this plan: the Empress’s regency. Considering his sister’s temperament, the Empress would try to control everything with more stubbornness than the Emperor, even excluding her own brother.

“By the way, Brother.”

Wei Zhongxian shook off his stray thoughts at the Empress’s call.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Have you considered the motive for Consort Yang to poison the Emperor? As a favored concubine, everyone will find it hard to believe. There must be a solid motive.”

“I already have something in mind. Consort Yang did it to save her benefactor, her stepbrother Jo Gwangyun.”

Wei Zhongxian brought up Seo Ik’s intelligence report.

“I clearly heard that His Majesty expressed his intention to eliminate Jo Gwangyun as soon as the investigation into him was completed. So, Consort Yang committed such a terrible act to save her benefactor.”

“Something’s still lacking…”

It was a plausible motive, but the Empress didn’t look satisfied.

“Brother, a woman will abandon her family for a man she loves and who loves her. She wouldn’t kill a man she loves for her family, especially not for a stepbrother.”

Wei Zhongxian quietly listened to the Empress’s opinion. She could be quite meticulous at times like this.

“Let’s add one more thing to that.”

“What are you referring to…?”

“Scandal.”

“Yes?”

Suddenly, scandal? What was the Empress trying to say?

“I’ve always been curious and doubtful. Isn’t Jo Gwangyun a robust man? How could such a man think of Consort Yang, such a stunning beauty, only as a sister and not harbor any dark intentions?”

The Empress shook her head slightly.

“They’re not even from a benefactor’s family, nor have they maintained a long-standing friendship. She’s just the daughter of a tea farmer they once traded with. How could he just watch her grow into such an incredible beauty? Unless he enjoys men…”

“Your Majesty, please don’t utter such vile words.”

It was his sister, no less. As her brother, Wei Zhongxian found it hard to listen to such intimate stories coming from his sister’s mouth.

But the Empress was relentless.

“If I, a woman, think this way, how much more would the Emperor, a man, think? Every time he holds Consort Yang, he must wonder if she’s having an affair with Jo Gwangyun. We just need to exploit that suspicion.”

Though the content was uncomfortable, if it were true, it would be the perfect motive for the poisoning: a sordid woman who had an affair with her stepbrother, a concubine suspected by the Emperor.

The Emperor, whose suspicion had turned into conviction, would want to kill the two lovers but couldn’t bring himself to harm his beloved concubine, so he would try to eliminate only her brother.

It would be difficult to use this scandal immediately to frame Yang Ryeo-cheong as a traitor, but when doubts still arose when framing her, they could subtly leak the rumor.

Even those who questioned the Emperor’s death would be alarmed and busy if they heard such a scandalous rumor. Officials who studied the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius detested scandals. They would avoid even mentioning it, so they would likely close their mouths even if they had doubts.

“Your Majesty, please leave it to me to use that. If used improperly, scandal can backfire. I will spread the rumor at the most appropriate time.”

The Empress nodded.

“Do so. After all, you know the court officials better than I do, Brother.”

The two continued to discuss and refine the plot to poison the Emperor.

* * *

“Did you rest well?”

“Yes, Chieftain. Thanks to your consideration, I played… no, rested to my heart’s content.”

Goo Seung blushed and scratched his head slightly.

“For a man, playing to his heart’s content is resting. Well done.”

“Then I’ll start working now. Please tell me what I need to do.”

Jo Gwangyun stopped smiling and lowered his voice.

“Go to Xinjiang.”

“Xinjiang, as in the far west [a large, autonomous region of China]?”

“Yes. The Azure Dragon Gate branch is there. They’ve already made preparations, so you just need to go and execute the plan.”

“Is it about Grand Prince Pyungwon?”

At Goo Seung’s cautious question, Jo Gwangyun nodded.

“The branch members have been monitoring Grand Prince Pyungwon’s every move. They know his daily routine like the back of their hand. Listen carefully to their findings, and you decide the best place and time to eliminate Grand Prince Pyungwon.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And he must disappear completely. Not even a piece of his clothing should be found. Make it so his whereabouts are completely unknown and then return.”

“Is it just Grand Prince Pyungwon who needs to be eliminated? What about his family…?”

“It’s fine. We only need to get rid of the one in the line of imperial succession. Without her husband, his wife is just a widow. Besides, his family is completely declining, so there’s no need to worry about them.”

“But what if she’s pregnant…?”

Jo Gwangyun even felt grateful to Goo Seung for pointing out what he had missed.

So far, there were no children, but living in a remote foreign land and relying only on each other, their marital affection might have deepened.

“If she’s pregnant, deal with her as well. You can stage it as an elopement. Anyway, don’t rush to finish quickly. Keep in mind to finish perfectly rather than quickly.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind. Then I’ll be off.”

Goo Seung got up lightly, as if running a small errand.

Jo Gwangyun’s second errand runner was none other than Bang Young-young of the Pleasure Club.

“What? You’re telling me to go all the way to that remote Gansu Province [a province in Northwest China]?”

Bang Young-young widened her already large eyes even further.

“You have to go yourself to bring back such a precious person. Aren’t you the hostess of the Pleasure Club?”

Jo Gwangyun said with a smile.

“Who is this precious person…?”

“None other than His Majesty the Emperor’s younger brother.”

“Pardon?”

“How about it? Are you interested in going? Who knows? If he takes a liking to our Young-young, you might become part of the imperial family…”

Jo Gwangyun, who had been speaking jokingly, stopped and shook his head.

“No, things will get complicated again. Anyway, take two beautiful courtesans with you. He’s been wallowing in the backwoods of the frontier, so his eyes will pop out. Make sure to talk to him so he’ll follow you without question.”

She wasn’t thrilled about the long journey, but she was curious since it involved the Emperor’s brother.

Seducing a man was a piece of cake for her, so bringing him back wouldn’t be a problem. Besides, she was taking two young beauties with her. He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t follow.

“Leave it to me. But where in Gansu Province is this high-ranking person?”

“I don’t know either. I’m working hard to find him now.”

“What do you mean…?”

“By the time you arrive in Gansu Province, I’ll have found him, so don’t worry and just leave.”

“Just go?”

“There’s an invitation and a carriage prepared. The coachman and guards are martial artists, so don’t worry about safety. They’ll guide you, so have a comfortable trip.”

There would be no one better than a Pleasure Club hostess and courtesans to win over a hedonist who loved alcohol and women.

* * *

After identifying Seo Ik’s men stationed outside his house, Jo Gwangyun ordered his servants to prepare dinner. Then, he slowly opened the gate, stretched out broadly, and gathered his energy.

As his bursting energy spread out, low exclamations were heard from here and there. Seo Ik’s men had sensed Jo Gwangyun’s energy.

At that moment, four throwing knives shot out from Jo Gwangyun’s waist and flew towards the source of the exclamations.

This time, the sound of air escaping was heard. Jo Gwangyun concentrated on sensing their presence, and soon four men revealed themselves.

They were all slowly backing away, due to the throwing knives that seemed to pierce their foreheads.

As they all gathered in front of Jo Gwangyun, the throwing knives instantly disappeared into his waist.

Jo Gwangyun smiled at them, who seemed to have lost their minds.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go inside. I’ve prepared dinner.”

Without waiting for an answer, Jo Gwangyun turned around, and the three men looked at each other, seeking guidance from their leader.

He bit his lip and nodded, and they all went inside the house.

Although food was set on the table, the men didn’t pick up their spoons.

“Please forgive my crude invitation method. I didn’t think you would reveal yourselves otherwise.”

Jo Gwangyun bowed with his hands clasped together.

“State your business first.”

The man who seemed to be the leader opened his mouth curtly.

“If you don’t like my business, you won’t eat? This isn’t a bribe. A few pieces of duck meat with rice aren’t enough to be called a bribe, are they?”

“Stop with the unfunny jokes and get to the point.”

The man was still curt.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but you’ve been watching me for quite some time, but you probably haven’t noticed me going in and out of the house. You all know that, right?”

The men’s faces turned red.

To them, Jo Gwangyun had been constantly staying indoors, but they all knew. They couldn’t even catch a trace with their own eyes.

“Is there a need to do this unnecessary work?”

“It’s our duty. We’re just doing what we have to do, even if it’s a futile effort.”

“To a merchant’s eyes, it seems like a very inefficient waste. You could be doing more meaningful work.”

“You’re not trying to mock us, are you? Since it’s a useless, inefficient act.”

Jo Gwangyun smiled and nodded.

“I’d like to ask you to convey my words to the head of Seo Ik.”

“Speak.”

“I’d like to meet him in person. I have a lot to say and many wise opinions to hear.”

“You want to meet the leader alone… Is that all?”

“Yes.”

The man thought for a moment and then said to his subordinates.

“Let’s eat. Pick up your spoons.”

At his permission, the three men eagerly picked up the duck meat.

“We’ll go and tell him after eating. By the way, thank you for the meal.”

Jo Gwangyun also smiled and picked up his chopsticks.

< The Supporting Characters’ Roles 1 > End