< Episode 63: Queen Hwang (1) >
“Surely my lord?”
“yes. “It seems like this gentleman is a real craftsman.”
In response to Mok Gyeong-un’s meaningful words Song-ah who was said to be the daughter of master Hong Bong-yuk had a stern expression on her face and then let out a long sigh.
“Whew. From the looks of it no matter what you say you won’t believe it.”
“yes. “I am sure that he is a true craftsman.”
Mokgyeongun remembers everything he saw.
That’s why he also remembered the palms of everyone who was in Hong Bongyuk the slaughterhouse.
Most of them had calluses and rough hands but it was obviously due to their long butchering days.
The only thing that was different was Song-ah’s palm.
Her raw palm was not shaped like it could have been slaughtered.
It was a palm that required a lot of delicate work or handling of glue.
Mo Kyung-un smiled and said to her.
“Is there any point in deceiving me further?”
Song-ah shrugged her shoulders and quickly answered.
“I see. “No one has ever looked at my palm so intently but it caught me right.”
Seopchun asked as if he was amazed by her confident attitude of not denying it.
“Is Soje really a craftsman?”
“why? Is it hard to believe that a young woman is making bast cotton?”
“That’s not what I meant. “It was just unexpected.”
“It’s surprising. Well it could be so. “You might think that an older more experienced man should do this kind of work that is considered a craftsman but unfortunately I am that craftsman.”
She opened up and revealed her true feelings to someone who was caught anyway.
Then she looked at her neck and said:
“I didn’t deceive you on purpose. Her life was threatened more than once while doing this job. And there were many people who were interested in this technology and tried to forcefully bring it under their wing.”
“I guess it was to protect myself.”
“yes. So how can I protect myself? “I don’t know martial arts like you or have power like a member of the Geumwiwi.”
Hiding by presenting a fake was her self-help measure to protect herself.
Because she could understand this Nie Chun nodded her head and said.
“I can completely understand.”
“Then can you keep my secret?”
“secret?”
“yes. It’s a secret. “If my identity is known I will have to suffer threats again.”
“iced coffee. Of course I will keep it. “Our purpose is simply to request relief from human skin not to threaten or embarrass Sojeo.”
“Then that’s a relief. “You can keep a secret too right?”
Song-ah asked turning her gaze to Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Gyeong-un folded his arms around her and smiled back.
“That’s not difficult. But these favors always come with a price.”
“What is it? The price is for me to fulfill your request….”
“You can’t become a master at what you do in the first place.”
“under! “Then what are we going to do?”
“I would like you to do me a personal favor.”
“ask?”
As she was questioning her Kyung-Woon’s neck approached her and whispered quietly into her ear.
“I just want to watch Sojeo make bast cotton balls is that okay?”
“…..”
Song-ah snorted inwardly at Mo Kyung-un’s words.
Somehow I feel like I know this man’s intentions.
He seems to want to know how he makes bast cotton balls.
Unfortunately this is not something you can follow just by seeing it with your eyes.
He must be born with delicate dexterity and besides if he does not figure out the recipe for the medicine that only he knows it will be difficult to even maintain the bast.
She answered willingly.
“As you like.”
Watch it to your heart’s content.
What can you do about that?
Then Mok Gyeong-un said.
“Thank you for your permission. And this is just a curiosity may I ask you a question?”
“What?”
“Is it possible to peel off the skin of a person’s face and use it as a human face mask?”
“yes?”
“Ah. I thought it would be much more efficient that way.”
‘!?’
Just thinking about it the sight of Mok Gyeong-un laughing as if nothing was wrong with her harsh words sent a shiver down her spine.
* * *
When the sun sets
Mok Gyeong-un and his companions who had successfully completed a request related to bast cotton and took a short rest in the afternoon were heading somewhere along with Ganyang the leader of the advance team.
It was a restaurant located not far from the outer castle of the imperial palace.
This restaurant which was large in size and had a fancy exterior was famous for its fried duck meat dishes and was a high-end restaurant frequented by not only dignitaries but also the royal family.
Ganyang said pointing to the wall of a restaurant lit up with numerous lights in the distance.
“Yubong probably rented that place.”
“Rental?”
“yes. Mama Hwang Guifei does not like having her meal interrupted. And today’s story won’t be good if it reaches other people’s ears.”
Renting literally means renting the entire restaurant.
Since it is a very famous restaurant it must have cost a lot of money.
Mok Gyeong-un said looking at the dozens of soldiers wearing armor guarding the restaurant’s wall.
“There are a lot of escorts.”
“That is at least normal. “If you go a little far from the castle hundreds of guards will follow you.”
“Your Majesty the Emperor’s favor is so great.”
“yes. Not only that but she also has the status of Queen Hwang the crown prince’s mother so she pays that much attention.”
“I guess so. “Then shall we go?”
“ah! “Before that I have one more thing to tell you.”
Hearing Ganyang’s words Mok Gyeong-un stopped walking and turned his head.
Then Ganyang lowered his voice and said.
“This is very important. “No matter what Mama Hwang says you must not get excited or react emotionally.”
Because of this the apostate monk Jae-jeong had to stay in the dormitory.
In fact in the case of Jaejeongjeong it was so infamous for the Three Gwangs (三狂) that it was separated out of fear that it would cause trouble.
But what Ganyang was really worried about was Mokgyeongun.
‘I’m worried.’
He believed that those who were truly out of control were Mok Gyeong-un rather than Jae-jeong.
Unlike his successors Mong Mu-yak and Nyeop-chun he had a tendency to follow his own will so there were concerns that he might inadvertently provoke Queen Dowager Seo.
That’s why she made her request once again.
Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said to him not to worry.
“Ganyang said he would take care of it so I will just watch.”
“…..All right.”
If you could do that I would be truly grateful.
So they headed to the restaurant.
When they arrived at the restaurant’s gate the soldiers guarding the front blocked them.
“This place is rented out today so you won’t be able to eat here so please go back.”
In response Ganyang took out the card he had prepared from his pocket and showed it to him.
Then they bowed their heads and bowed as if they had been waiting.
However it did not just pass here.
“We will take charge of the weapons you are carrying for a while.”
“A weapon?”
At his words Ganyang and Okgi who were members of the advance team seemed to have predicted this to some extent and handed over the weapons they were holding to the soldier.
On the other hand Nie Chun Meng Muyak and others did not seem to be pleased to be entrusted with German weapons so their expressions were not so good.
However since she could not irritate the Queen Mother she had no choice but to hand over all of her German weapons and the weapons she had.
“Please give me a sword too.”
The soldier said pointing to Mo Gyeong-un’s evil sword.
In response Mok Gyeong-un handed over the scabbard of the Akjeuk sword to the soldier and made a request.
“Just in case please do not remove your sword from its sheath.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m telling you this because I’m worried.”
At these words the soldier holding the scabbard of the evil sword snorted as if it was absurd.
Mok Gyeong-un whispered into the soldier’s ear.
“It’s a cursed sword so if you pull it out carelessly you’ll regret it.”
“What now?”
“If you’re really curious you can pick it. “You just have to take care of it yourself.”
“…”
The soldier frowned at the unpleasant words that seemed to scare him.
However because he knew that they were guests of Lady Hwang the soldier did not show any more and immediately got out of the way.
The party entrusted with the weapons entered the gate.
As I went inside the smell of fried duck and various spices coming from outside whetted my appetite.
“Are you here?”
A familiar face was waiting in the restaurant’s front garden.
It was Yubong one of the advance team.
He who was even more powdered than when he had left during the day and looked like a eunuch greeted the group.
“Mother Hwang Guifei is waiting for you.”
Ganyang cautiously asked what he said.
“How does Queen Dowager feel?”
“Ho ho ho. Fortunately it’s a restaurant he enjoys so much that he feels good about it.”
“That’s a good thing.”
This was very important because the Queen’s request depended on her mood.
“Then come this way.”
Yubong led his companions at a fast pace to the VIP room where the Empress Dowager was.
There was a small pond in front and a pavilion in front of it.
The area around the pavilion was covered with thin ramie feet and within it a human figure presumed to be the royal consort and two shadows presumed to be court ladies serving her could also be seen.
-Sigh!
Mok Kyung-un scanned the surroundings with his eyes.
There were many hidden invisible signs.
‘About thirty people.’
They all seemed to be first-class martial arts experts but they were qualitatively different from the soldiers outside.
And in front of the pavilion were two middle-aged people who looked unusual.
One person was wearing a black official uniform and seemed to be a eunuch as he had no beard and his face was powdered like a pestle.
Another middle-aged man was wearing a neat gray official uniform and had a Yuyeopdo sword on his waist.
‘Is that Naegwan’s impression of a classmate?’
It was Mok Gyeong-un who had previously heard from Ganyang that there was a local eunuch guarding the person of Queen Hwang.
The head of the alumni eunuchs is called Taegam (太監).
There are two minor governors under the governor.
These two people said that both of them were masters of secret martial arts that had been passed down from generation to generation in the imperial palace but the spirit they gave off was definitely something out of the ordinary.
However I couldn’t tell who the other person in gray official uniform standing on the left was.
‘Who is it?’
Ganyang also seemed to not know him.
At that time Yubong said.
“mama. “The guests have arrived.”
With those words Yubong sent a glance towards Ganyang Mok Gyeongun and others.
In response led by Ganyang they put their hands together bowed their heads and bowed in greeting.
“I know you Queen Hwang.”
“…”
As she was offering her greetings Lady Seo Hwang who was reflected at her feet was showing no reaction.
She expected her response to be a light greeting but she was surprised.
Everyone had to stop with their heads down.
‘what?’
Apparently according to Yu-bong she heard that Lady Xu was in a good mood.
But how does this come to be?
There was silence but the atmosphere was quite strange.
At that time my classmate Jang who was standing on the right side of the pavilion opened his mouth.
“It’s cruel. How safe is it to greet your mom like that? “Couldn’t we show her proper respect by kneeling right now?”
‘!?’
Ganyang who had been lowering his head frowned at these words.
From the beginning she had no idea that she would find fault with etiquette like this.
‘You’re trying to catch the steamer.’
Ganyang clicked his tongue inwardly as if he was embarrassed.
To some extent Queen Dowager Seo had predicted that she would want to change this relationship which had continued for a long time since she was a noblewoman but she was in trouble right from the start.
< Episode 63: Queen Hwang (1) > end
ⓒ Hanzhongwolya
