Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Open Joseon (1)

Someone might say ‘Did Kim Jwageun go crazy? Why is he like that?’

But that is the idea of a person who has not had life hanging by a thread.

One must eat one of the red pill and blue pill.

The red pill has a 50% probability of the neck being cut and a 50% probability of becoming a back room old man and someday dying miserably in a small room.

On the other hand if one decides to receive the blue pill immediately 100% probability the whole country burns and the one who ate has a 96% probability of limbs being torn, but a 3% probability of being praised as a hero who saved the country and a 1% probability of becoming king.

How many people would eat the red pill?

How many people would not mentally win saying ‘I am a hero! I will soon become king!’ after gulping the blue pill?

Kim Jwageun is precisely the case of proceeding with the self-rationalization process after swallowing the blue pill.

Already he who stole mom’s seal and collateralized all property and even borrowed private loans had no other choice but to be pleased imagining the future of becoming king.

But the world did not recognize His Excellency Haok’s anguish.

The reality that came to him was only that it’s now fucked.

“They... all fled?”

Kim Jwageun blinked only his eyes because it was absurd.

“The British warships came upstream the Han River and inflicted fierce bombardment. Haengju Mountain Fortress was not particularly prepared for such bombardment and soon collapsed, and the soldiers under-”

“Why didn’t they fight and die! Why!! If guys who received the country’s grace they should of course fight and die even if arrows and stones rain!! These weak bastards truly abandoned even the castle spanning generations and fled?!”

Kim Jwageun’s anger was half right and half wrong.

People commonly do not well feel that society and national systems change, but just recalling real estate or education related policies one can quickly realize that country policies are truly changeable.

The army is not particularly in a different category. No, originally the army must change more briskly because if it does not change it loses and gets beaten.

The British East India Company was originally a private-led trading company but somehow transformed into a ruling organization of colonial India possessing hundreds of thousands of great army and now was facing closure.

Then what would not be okay with evolution in the opposite direction either?

Joseon’s military camps had already evolved into something public enterprise-like like Korea Electric Power or Korail rather than ‘army’. National defense? So was there war in Joseon?

Telling Korea Electric Power and Korail employees ‘you are originally soldier status! Quickly take this M1 carbine and Normandy canteen and fight the demon king army!’ so them fleeing is too natural a conclusion.

But if Kim Jwageun’s thoughts reached there he wouldn’t be going crazy now, and above all he wouldn’t have put into action the crazy idea of deciding the match with war.

Instead he stepped forward to responsibility pursuit.

“Dismiss all the defeated generals! No. No! They definitely colluded! Put them all in prison!”

“Your Excellency!”

“Hurry the moving of the royal carriage! One must escort the jade body to Bukhansan Fortress! And also catch and put in all those who might secretly communicate with Britain!”

Now the remaining method is only Hanyang sea of fire.

If one gives Hanyang and burns all the British army victory is not just a dream!

The barbarians will be terrified seeing him desperately resisting even while burning the capital without hesitation, and Joseon people will also admire him fluttering the banner of orthodox learning instead of the weak king.

He urged the family members and hurried the preparation for the great arson of Seoul, while catching all people who might challenge his power and putting them in prison without asking or questioning and hurried the capital move.

He himself cannot leave Hanyang.

The king abandons Hanyang and flees but he must remain. Defending Hanyang is precisely the source of the emergency power that arose for him.

“What are these acts!”

“Criminals receive the rope!”

“Kyaaak!!”

Wailing and screams clamored everywhere.

Even without lighting fire Hanyang was already hell.

***

At Haengju Mountain Fortress the Joseon army as an organization completely disappeared.

But the cannonballs of this era were not 21st century style exploding high explosives but just heavy iron lumps, so excluding people who unluckily died or got injured from being hit by flying bowling balls or stone fragments bouncing everywhere casualties were almost none.

The human resources constituting the Joseon army, people mostly survived and fled.

Then where would the ones who fled have gone?

“Mother! Mother!!”

“Wife! Where did my wife go!!”

A considerable number scattered in all directions worrying about being held accountable for desertion, but since blood relatives are in Hanyang another group returned to Hanyang in threes and fives.

Another commotion broke out saying they would catch the deserters.

“What is that?”

“Hey! What are you guys doing!”

“It’s state affairs so lowly guys don’t care!”

Guys who looked exactly like powerful people’s slaves or servants tightly hid suspicious barrels or dry straw bundles in the middle of the night.

Day words are heard by birds and night words are heard by mice, Kim Jwageun’s Seoul hellfire plan began to have rumors gradually spreading from below.

Moreover.

“That guy is trying to burn Hanyang?!”

“Yes. Your Excellency! Like this one is about to become a traitor of all ages!!”

Even the people who assisted Kim Jwageun closest ran to other Kim clan members and informed his crazy plan.

Kim Heunggeun who is another leader of the Andong Kim clan and a figure wielding powerful authority, Left State Councillor and Supreme Commissioner half lost his soul.

“What on earth should one do.”

While pondering for a long time then, suddenly the servant said the Kim Byeonghak and Kim Byeongguk brothers came to his house.

He ordered to prepare a simple table and sat, but the Byeonghakguk duo brought in one shabby guy wearing a completely crushed gat pressed down.

“Who is the guest who came together?”

“He is a guest who stayed at my house, I brought him because I received much help as a strategist.”

At Kim Byeonghak’s words the eyes narrowed one layer more.

Strategist. Nice words strategist just a parasite who sticks next to a precious house young master and picks up nonsense and eats meals sound, right.

But he did not show it at all.

“Strategist! Then will you tell a story once. How would it be good to overcome the current difficulty?”

“With the enemies approaching right in front and about to arrive in front of the capital soon the entire marketplace is suffering from the crying sound of widows who lost husbands and the evacuation procession trying to follow His Majesty’s royal carriage.

In this midst Kim Jwageun instead of fulfilling his assigned duty reached a vicious idea like Dong Zhuo of setting fire to Hanyang, so even heaven and earth will not try to forgive this guy and won’t all the people want to chew his flesh? One must strictly question Kim Jwageun’s crime and uphold His Majesty’s bright intention even now.”

“Who told you!”

“We also didn’t know!”

The Byeonghakguk brothers immediately denied.

Come to think of it this person, a voice heard somewhere.

“My introduction is late, Your Excellency.”

As if waiting the opponent lifted the pressed gat and showed his face.

“Heungseon-gun...?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. This lowly one, because my nature is a libertine I heard rumors flowing from the bottom.”

Heungseon-gun Lee Ha-eung should have his name up on the kill list long ago under the pretext of secretly communicating with Lee Aseul-

“You! Did you protect Heungseon-gun?!”

“Yes.”

“Nice words teacher I just taught a bit of hitting method and it’s collusion. If one locks up Heungseon-gun one has to catch Nosa, Hwaseo teachers too but this is a crazy act!”

If he hid in the Andong Kim clan’s house of course Kim Jwageun could not find no matter what he did.

Kim Heunggeun quietly looked into the three people in front of his eyes.

Tension.

Impatience.

And...

‘Killing intent.’

All three are young. At most thirty.

And originally such young guys have a tendency to commit one big thing rather than trying to solve step by step according to the natural order.

Kim Heunggeun gutsily blurted out.

“So did you come harboring an iron mace in the bosom?”

“Yes.”

Thud.

Even while the two brothers opened their mouths and were astonished, Lee Ha-eung placed the iron mace he had on the meal table with a thud.

“Die by the hands of the traitor Kim Jwageun, or burn to death locked in prison, or die hit by the blind guns and cannons of British people, or branded as a traitor’s family and the three clans annihilated! The current crisis originated solely from Kim Jwageun so if Your Excellency wants to live the thing to do is only one!”

“Wouldn’t it be better even now for the family people to all gather and tell Kim Jwageun to put down the post and petition His Majesty for reconciliation?”

“If you thought that was truly a possible thing, you would have done so long ago.”

Lee Ha-eung snorted as if dumbfounded, and Heunggeun could not deny.

If one catches them here, he will inevitably board the same boat as Kim Jwageun. And with a very high probability whether Britain or the young king will someday tear his limbs and pickle them into salted fish.

Since they came one had to make a decision.

“Why did you come to find me?”

“Because Supreme Commissioner Your Excellency calling the Supreme Commander is precisely able to proceed with the matter most without complication and without incident.”

That is also so. Around Kim Jwageun whether servants or soldiers are full.

“Is there no one outside!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Prepare the writing tools!”

One must preserve the family.

Right. From the beginning that Kim Jwageun bastard was a guy with a yellow sprout.

When Chungmungong (Kim Josun) who made the family prosper was alive didn’t he say that guy is not a vessel to do state affairs so just let him play and eat.

The eldest and second sons died in lines so unavoidably the third son Kim Jwageun who was excessive for the vessel sat and could not rule the country properly, was harsh to enemies and only earned useless resentment, and greed was dirty much so gathered wealth in all sorts of filthy ways.

One should have taken measures long ago.

Too late and today’s matter reached this point.

To protect the highly reputed Andong Kim clan.

One had to cut the rotten branch.

***

Kim Jwageun’s anger had no matter of subsiding.

“Why is this old man acting up like a pestle in the middle of the night!”

One has to hurry the moving of the royal carriage tonight right away, but suddenly Kim Heunggeun put the brakes.

“That, Her Majesty the Grand Queen Dowager strongly opposes-”

“Why is that damned woman running wild in all directions without distinguishing right and wrong in a situation like now! Damn it!”

Grand Queen Dowager Sunwon is the king’s grandmother and Kim Josun’s daughter, in other words Kim Jwageun’s older sister.

But now older sister or whatever was not important at all to him.

“They requested to come briefly to discuss the way to persuade Her Majesty.”

“Understood! Damn it.”

Kim Jwageun immediately headed to Kim Heunggeun’s house. Soldiers escorted him.

“Get out of the way!”

“Can’t you quickly withdraw!”

“Your Excellency! Moving the royal carriage cannot be! Please reconsider- Kuaak!”

“Those who commit reckless acts all draw blood! Quickly go!”

Those who came and wailed seeing Kim Jwageun, those who tried to remonstrate, those who were just passing the road all got covered in clubs and kicks.

Kim Jwageun’s procession scattering screams wherever it went finally arrived at Kim Heunggeun’s house, and he kicked the main gate and strode into the mansion.

“Welcome, Your Excellency.”

“Where is the Supreme Commissioner? It’s urgent!”

“Follow-”

“Just tell me where!”

His footsteps were too urgent.

Finally Kim Jwageun who entered the room where Kim Heunggeun was sitting could not hide the impatient heart and got angry immediately as soon as he sat.

“Time is urgent and you are drinking alcohol?”

“You also have a cup. Since you seem to have run-”

“It’s fine. What on earth is the problem with Her Majesty the Grand Queen Dowager?”

“If one moves the royal carriage isn’t it abandoning Hanyang. Whether moving the royal carriage is truly the right judgment for the ancestral temples and altars-”

“Of course it’s right! Then are you saying surrender to Westerners?”

“Right now in the market the rumor that you are trying to burn Hanyang is widespread and Her Majesty heard and the worry deepened. Is it fact?”

Jwageun paused.

And gritted his teeth.

“Yes. It’s fact. If one can burn all Westerners and elevate orthodox learning what is the problem?”

“Hey!!”

“Is there truly no one full of spirit who wants to fight in this country except me? Your Excellency became Supreme Commissioner how do you avoid fighting and keep only thinking other things! Whether Grand Queen Dowager or whatever one must drag out even by threatening why stop the moving of the royal carriage again!”

“Are you in your right mind? Setting fire to Hanyang?! Doing acts that Dong Zhuo would do how are you going to handle the aftermath!”

“You are the same too! Same family bastards are all only thinking of cutting my neck and maintaining power! Guys whose schemes are to throw away others’ lives as if nothing acting so pretentious like gentlemen!”

“······.”

“If you don’t want to die immediately mobilize all relatives and family members and help the moving of the royal carriage. Stop the thought of selling me and holding wealth and glory to the end.”

Kim Heunggeun saw Kim Jwageun’s eyes blazing hotter than any hellfire beyond the candlelight.

Already in those two eyes the entire Hanyang was all burning.

Kim Heunggeun grabbed the cup he was holding and threw it hard.

With a clang sound, the door burst open and a few fierce-looking ones entered stepping inside without even taking off shoes.

“Seeing at night the appearance is even brighter, His Excellency Haok.”

“Heungseon-gun! How you who are a great traitor!!”

“You who insulted the ancestral temples and altars and tried to burn the entire Hanyang capital who are you talking about great treason to?”

Jwageun could not even get up from the seat.

The moment he saw the weapons held in the hands of the intruders, the two legs did not move at all as if they became cast iron.

Subsequently the Kim Byeonghak and Byeongguk brothers entered and he brightened.

“Well come! Traitors! Quickly beat these traitor bastards to death! Quickly!!”

“······.”

“...Kids? Kids?”

Kim Byeonghak tightly closed his eyes and turned his head.

Kim Byeongguk rather raised his eyes and said as if muttering.

“I will punish the traitor Kim Jwageun.”

“S-save me. Kids? Kids? I, I, I was trying to block Westerners-”

Lee Ha-eung did not hesitate.

The secret technique that came down through the royal bloodline via Yi Bangwon and Prince Suyang, the iron mace technique saw light again after hundreds of years.

The end of the powerful minister who wanted to grip power forever was truly insignificant.

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