The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 492

The discord between the Vigilant Light [an organization of censors] and the Eastern Depot [a powerful secret police force] was foreseen long ago.

Thus, I naturally assumed he would target the Eastern Depot first, but turning his blade towards the Embroidered Uniform Guard [another powerful secret police force] was certainly unexpected.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s commander, caught off guard, must be sweating bullets by now.

A cautious eunuch, ever mindful of the Emperor’s mood, carefully spoke.

“Indeed, the Vigilant Censor’s skill is truly remarkable.”

“Do you think so?”

The eunuch was taken aback by the Emperor’s dark expression.

The Emperor sighed softly.

“I wonder if granting him such authority was truly the right decision.”

The Emperor’s worries deepened.

The surrounding officials, unable to fathom his thoughts, merely exchanged bewildered glances.

* * *

At the same time.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was in an uproar.

Neng Xiaomai and officials from the Office of the Inspector General had suddenly descended upon them, meticulously examining all the materials they had in their possession, including documents classified as confidential.

Of course, they, being one of the most powerful armed groups within the imperial court alongside the Eastern Depot, would not simply stand idly by.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, radiating a chilling aura, attempted to subdue the officials from the Office of the Inspector General.

However, they had no choice but to back down, their faces turning pale at Neng Xiaomai’s earth-shattering shout.

“This is by order of His Imperial Majesty!”

“……!”

“Who dares to challenge His Majesty’s authority and declare themselves a traitor? You? Or you?”

Each time he pointed at someone with the golden plaque bearing the Emperor’s seal, the person would flinch and hastily retreat.

No matter how formidable the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s power may be, it ultimately originated from the Emperor.

In the end, they could not offer any real resistance and had to hand over all the documents in their possession.

And a moment later.

A man with eyes gleaming like a tiger strode into the hall.

A seasoned general with a presence as imposing as a mountain.

It was the Pyogi General [General of Valor], who held the position of commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

“Vigilant Censor Neng! What is the meaning of this outrage?”

Neng Xiaomai turned his head at the aged voice and met his gaze with eyes that seemed to drip with fire, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Outrage? I am merely carrying out my official duties in accordance with His Majesty’s strict orders. Therefore, I implore the commander to be more careful in his words and actions.”

“What did you say?”

“Of course, I do not misunderstand, but wouldn’t it appear to others that the commander is using his rank to suppress me?”

The old general was so taken aback by Neng Xiaomai’s audacious attitude that he couldn’t even muster a laugh.

When had he, who held all the military power in the capital, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard, ever been subjected to such humiliation?

He approached Neng Xiaomai and lowered his voice.

“Do you think you will get away with this?”

Neng Xiaomai did not even bat an eye at the voice, which was as cold as the north wind.

“If there is no dirt to be found, then nothing will happen. So why are you so afraid that you are preventing even that from happening?”

“How dare you…….”

Although old, the eyes of the general, who had spent many years on the battlefield, contained something so terrifying that it could make one’s legs tremble.

However, Neng Xiaomai was not one to succumb to such intimidation.

He had already thrown his life on the line when he began this game of tug-of-war with the Emperor.

It was then.

“Lord Inspector! This……!”

An official from the Office of the Inspector General, clutching a bundle of documents, rushed over, but froze in his tracks, startled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander’s gaze.

Regardless.

Neng Xiaomai snatched the documents he was holding and began to examine their contents.

“Oh my?”

A strange smile appeared on Neng Xiaomai’s face.

Conversely, the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander’s expression rapidly darkened as he glanced at the documents Neng Xiaomai was examining.

“Continue with your work.”

At Neng Xiaomai’s instruction, the official hurriedly left.

Once again, left alone, Neng Xiaomai waved the documents in his hand with a relaxed look.

“Even I had been believing in you until the end, Commander…….”

Neng Xiaomai vaguely trailed off, feigning surprise.

“But my goodness, what is all this? To think you have been concealing such enormous secrets for so long, I feel sorry for you. How difficult has it been for you all this time?”

Thud.

Neng Xiaomai pulled over a nearby table and placed the documents he was holding on it.

And on top of that, he placed the golden plaque bearing the Emperor’s seal.

“…….”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander’s face turned pale.

With this, the only people who could touch those documents were the Emperor and Neng Xiaomai.

“The list of officials the Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrested so far, and the interrogation records documenting their crimes. But something about the contents seems a bit strange.”

“L, Listen here, Vigilant Censor Neng…….”

“Heave-ho. As expected, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is indeed fearsome. They say that if you are imprisoned in the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison, they will fabricate crimes even if you are innocent. This is even more vicious than the Eastern Depot?”

Neng Xiaomai’s voice turned cold.

“Of course, this report must have been submitted to His Majesty as well, so this humble one cannot even imagine how the crime of deceiving His Majesty with falsehoods should be punished.”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander gritted his teeth.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was, after all, a tool for the Emperor.

As such, they were granted immense authority, allowing them to operate their own prisons and, like the Eastern Depot, to bypass the deliberations of the Three Offices in matters of arrest and interrogation.

Most importantly, they were allowed to take action first and report later when it came to suspicious individuals.

In other words, they had the immense authority to detain and interrogate without reporting to their superiors.

What was even more significant was that even if they tortured innocent individuals, they would not be severely reprimanded by the Emperor.

During the large-scale purges of officials represented by the Horam Hell, the Embroidered Uniform Guard spared no means to highlight their achievements.

The techniques of framing someone, fabricating information, or falsifying information were so commonplace and repeatedly tolerated that they could even be considered basic skills.

“Of course, the list written here is only a small part. Like the cases of former Minister of Revenue Yang and Yeom Jin-gwang, the head of the Geumnyeong Merchant Group, which you personally oversaw.”

“How did you know that!”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander’s eyes, which had been so firm, wavered uncontrollably the moment he heard the names Neng Xiaomai mentioned.

“Vigilant Censor Neng, please listen to me. The incidents they are involved in must never resurface. Not only will I and others be finished, but your head will be the first to roll!”

“Hey, if I were afraid of that, would I have barged into the Embroidered Uniform Guard like this?”

Neng Xiaomai’s expression was nonchalant.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander’s face turned ashen at the madness contained within.

He had heard rumors, but this man was even more insane than he had imagined.

How much time had passed?

The old general, his spirit broken, groaned.

He had not yet started a family, so if his head were to roll, that would be the end of it, but this involved the fate of his wife, children, and other family members.

“What…… do you want?”

Neng Xiaomai smiled brightly, revealing his even teeth.

“What I want is, of course, only for the discipline of this court to be set right.”

“Are you going to continue like this until the end?”

The old general, who had been furious, trembled at Neng Xiaomai’s next words.

“Of course, I can’t just let it go? Hand over those involved in the relevant incidents to our side. In return, we will stay within the lines and wrap things up. Depending on the case, we will handle it with dismissal and exile, or the recovery of illegally accumulated wealth related to bribery.”

In fact, if Neng Xiaomai were to seriously pursue the case, it would not end there.

The key figures involved were so seriously implicated that even myeoljok [extermination of the three generations of a family] would not be enough.

Of course, he, as the person responsible for all of this, was no exception.

“I will give you about a year.”

“A year?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t that be enough time? After you have finished everything, retire honorably. Officially, you can say that you belatedly recognized the corruption of your subordinates and are retiring to fulfill your responsibility as the head. It will look quite good.”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander was silent for a moment.

He knew that this was a deal that Neng Xiaomai was proposing.

To drive him into a corner, but to leave a way out.

“An honorable retirement…….”

Dismissal and retirement were worlds apart.

“What do I have to give in return?”

“Hand over all information related to the Eastern Depot to me.”

Only then did the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander realize that all of this was a ploy laid out solely to strike at the Eastern Depot.

“Huh…….”

He was utterly dumbfounded.

He truly felt like he had been robbed blind.

Neng Xiaomai smiled and continued.

“Haven’t you been constantly keeping each other in check like sworn enemies? I’m sure you have a hidden card to stab them with.”

“…….”

“It’s a bit much for me to say this, but think of it positively.”

“How can I see this situation positively?”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander was at a loss for words at Neng Xiaomai’s retort.

“How fortunate is it that I didn’t go to the Eastern Depot first?”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard commander accepted reality.

He could fully sense how much animosity Neng Xiaomai held towards the Eastern Depot.

“Of course, those guys won’t be able to retire honorably like me, right?”

“Of course.”

Although he was smiling, the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander felt a chill down his spine as he witnessed the glint in Neng Xiaomai’s eyes.

A winner-takes-all gambling game where the loser loses everything and the winner takes everything.

He had already realized that he, too, had been placed on the table as a stake in the game that Neng Xiaomai had created.

But it didn’t matter.

Even if he were to step down, it would be worth it if he could crush the Eastern Depot.

He would rather be in the grave than spend the rest of his life worrying about being played by those bastards.

* * *

Around noon.

The Sarye Taegam [Director of Palace Attendants], who had rushed to the Emperor’s call, prostrated himself before the Emperor’s throne.

He had already heard the news that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been turned upside down by Neng Xiaomai.

“I didn’t think he would move like this.”

The Emperor frowned deeply, as if his head was throbbing just thinking about it.

“I am deeply sorry, but I, Binjik [humble servant], also did not foresee this.”

The Emperor nodded with an extremely serious expression.

“It is not something I should say to you, but if Neng Xiaomai fails to properly strike at the Eastern Depot, the repercussions will be truly enormous. The imperial palace will be plunged into unprecedented chaos.”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot had been keeping each other in check for a long time, maintaining a precarious balance.

However, with the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s authority greatly diminished due to Neng Xiaomai, if the Eastern Depot were not to suffer any damage, there would be no means to check their dominance.

Furthermore, this would act as a political burden for the Emperor.

“It seems that Vigilant Censor Neng has been escalating the situation with this in mind from the beginning.”

The Sarye Taegam began cautiously, after setting the stage.

“Gihojise [a situation where one cannot stop halfway]. Now, whether we like it or not, we have no choice but to support Vigilant Censor Neng and the Office of the Inspector General.”

“What should I do?”

The Emperor seemed to be asking for advice, but in reality, it was different.

He knew this because he had been by the Emperor’s side for longer than anyone else.

‘Was this also expected?’

The Sarye Taegam, who had recommended Neng Xiaomai for the Eastern Depot’s innovation, could only reflect on the meaning of Chulibanri [what goes around comes around].

Whether good or bad, it is ultimately caused by oneself.

“Black and white. I believe that a clear choice is needed at this point.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

The Sarye Taegam lowered his head even further.

“As always, and as it will be in the future, my choice is only one. And that is His Imperial Majesty.”

The Emperor slightly curled up the corners of his lips.

“I also wanted to hear those words.”