Seeing The True Nature Of Power (3)

Three days passed. Neung Je-gang, who had been monitoring the Brocade Guard, detected some kind of movement. A group of Brocade Guard guards had left Beijing fully armed. In addition, many government-controlled assassins managed by the Brocade Guard also left Beijing. The movement of government-controlled assassins meant this matter was extremely important.

Neung Je-gang and his group gathered again in Neung Je-gang’s room at the Eastern Depot. Neung Je-gang first blocked the sound waves and began speaking.

“Prince Ye’s Estate has shown no particular movement. However, I confirmed that a large amount of funds flowed into the Brocade Guard.”

“There must be an intermediary.”

Large amounts of funds could not simply be moved. That was because they would draw the Eastern Depot’s attention. So an intermediary was used. It took the form of making an investment and receiving that investment money. On paper, they were completely unrelated places, but they were connected that way.

“The funds moved through the Joik Merchant Guild of Beijing. As it turned out, the Joik Merchant Guild was the Brocade Guard’s official merchant guild. It is a fake merchant guild for information gathering.”

‘Then is the person above Yu Deok-geun Prince Ye?’

Neung Je-gang thought about it. He felt that it could be so. Privately, Yu Deok-geun and Prince Ye were uncle-in-law and nephew-in-law. If the two were in cahoots, what could they not do?

“What happened with Gongsun Gyeong-in? Did you find out?”

More than anything else, Neung Je-gang was curious about what Gongsun Gyeong-in had found out. If he knew the first person who had made the army move, he would know for certain whether it was Prince Ye or not.

“I am sorry. The Five Military Commissions did not even know such a thing had happened at all. It seems the Brocade Guard issued the order independently, without any connection to them.”

“The Brocade Guard acted independently? What was Yu Deok-geun relying on to do something like that? If the Five Military Commissions found out, this would never be something they would let pass.”

He could not understand it. It was too dangerous to say he had trusted in his status as the emperor’s son-in-law. If something like this became known, he could be driven out of the position of Brocade Guard Commander.

“Today, we must leave Beijing.”

“What? Why so suddenly?”

“The Brocade Guard is planning to strike the Martial Alliance people.”

“No, why would the Brocade Guard touch the Martial Alliance?”

“……That is why we must save the Martial Alliance people.”

Neung Je-gang also revealed the information he had obtained while monitoring the Brocade Guard for three days.

“You mean there was a Brocade Guard stooge? Well, somehow I did think they knew the hideout at Antang Mountain far too accurately.”

Cheong Yeon ground his teeth. If he found out who it was, that person probably would not die peacefully. It was rare for Cheong Yeon to become that angry.

“But do we really have to help the Martial Alliance?”

Ma-jil seemed full of complaints. It could not be helped. Neung Je-gang was not trying to help them because he wanted to help them either.

“They are a kind of witness. They are merely a means to reveal what Yu Deok-geun has done. We must save them and inform Princess Jang-ok of the truth. Since a princely estate and an imperial son-in-law are involved, this is not something we can resolve among ourselves.”

Neung Je-gang changed his plan. Since the opponents were a prince and an imperial son-in-law, Neung Je-gang could not endure it alone. Of course, if he killed all of them, prince or whatever else be damned, it would feel satisfying and the solution would be clean, but then he would truly have to leave the Central Plains. So, for a smooth resolution, he decided to put Princess Jang-ok at the front.

“Perhaps the princess already knows all about this matter.”

Cheong Yeon suddenly spoke.

“What?”

“She is, in name and reality, the Admiral of the Eastern Depot. Do you think the reports that come to us would not go up to the princess? There is a high probability she already knows that the Brocade Guard is playing tricks.”

This was, in truth, something Neung Je-gang had not thought of at all. Without realizing it, Neung Je-gang had also been looking down on Princess Jang-ok. It was not because she was a woman, but because she was a princess, so he had thought she was serving as Eastern Depot Admiral as a game or amusement.

“If the princess knows, why has she not said anything to us? Shouldn’t some kind of order have come down?”

“Since this is an incident involving a member of the Imperial House, there is also a possibility that she is pretending not to know.”

At Cheong Yeon’s logical words, Neung Je-gang sank into thought for a moment. It was entirely possible.

“Then there is no need to save the Martial Alliance people.”

If the princess already knew, there was no need to help the Martial Alliance, with whom they did not even have a good relationship.

“That is how the logic goes. But since it is not certain, we should confirm it first.”

“How should we confirm it? Would it be best to just ask her?”

When Neung Je-gang thought about it calmly, that seemed better than going around in circles.

“Then let us just do that. If we ask and she says she did not know, we can inform her. If she says she knew, we should ask why she stayed still.”

“Ask her?”

“Of course we should ask. The princess is currently the Admiral of the Eastern Depot. If she has been pretending not to know about a conspiracy like this merely because a member of the Imperial Family is privately involved, then that is dereliction of duty. We must question her and make her step forward. If not, there is no solution at all. If even that is not possible, all of us must leave the Central Plains.”

Even Neung Je-gang could not think of any especially sharp solution. The problem was the Imperial Family. There was absolutely no other way to resolve it.

“Why would we leave the Central Plains?”

“Do you think we can live in the Central Plains after a problem arises with the Imperial Family?”

“Can’t we just quit the Eastern Depot?”

“Haha! Ma-jil, do you think those who possess power will simply leave us alone when we know their shameful secrets? They will try to erase us by any means. The first thing they will do is try to harass or kill the people we know.”

“So in the end, there is no other way?”

“There is another way. The method is simple. We erase the people who are the problem. Then we flee beyond the borders. In any case, it is the same as leaving the Central Plains.”

If that happened, the biggest problem was Je So-yeon’s family. If they left, everyone they knew would have to leave all at once. And they could never enter the Central Plains again.

“The best method is for the princess to step forward, meet Yu Deok-geun and Prince Ye, and reach a compromise. So even if it inconveniences the princess, it would be best to meet her first and find out. Let us decide what to do after seeing her reaction.”

“Understood. Let us do that.”

Cheong Yeon had no choice but to accept it as well. Now there was only one path for them to take. That was the only way to smoothly resolve the conspiracy centered on Yu Deok-geun. Since the enemy was not a martial artist, there was no other method.

“Then first, let us go to Tianjin.”

“Why Tianjin?”

“It seems the Deung father and son are there.”

“Ah!”

“They said he is treating the wound he received from So-yeong there. It seems the Brocade Guard also had contact with them.”

“They are a band of rebels, yet he even joined hands with them. Yu Deok-geun really has gone mad, hasn’t he?”

“First, we deal with the Deung father and son. We meet the princess after that.”

“Understood.”

“I will go out first and wait. I will not show myself, so even if you do not see me, just go to Tianjin.”

“Understood.”

Neung Je-gang still had no intention of revealing himself. If possible, he intended to have his group deal with removing the Deung father and son with their own hands.