episode_0064

[Episode 064] Choi Jwasu

“Sigh.. How did this happen..”

It seems like more than three days have passed since Sarri disappeared and I was imprisoned by the order of the magistrate.

I sat in the prison with a sword at my throat, unable to sleep properly due to worries about my family, just breathing heavily in the situation….

The bustling village and the chaos felt even inside the prison, someone should inform me about the outside situation.

The frustration of not being able to do anything is driving me crazy.

Clink clink!

Footsteps.

At that moment, someone approached the tightly closed wooden door and came towards the prison where I was trapped.

“Hi… Sang-ah… Inum…!”

“Ajae!”

It was Gil-yong Ajae.

“Ajae.. Our Heeseon. Is Heeseon okay?”

In a hurry, Heeseon quickly asked about her well-being, still worried.

“Yeah, this kid… There’s nothing to worry about… She stays up all night crying… Your mother-in-law sticks to her all day trying to comfort her. Comforting her.”

Ah.. Thank goodness.. If Heeseon is safe, then at least I can feel relieved.

Only half of Ajae’s face, which seemed to be in turmoil, came into view now.

It seemed like something had exploded outside.

“By any chance.. Is there something happening outside? Being here, not knowing anything makes me anxious and frustrated to death.”

After taking a deep breath at my words, Gil-yong Ajae started telling me about the situation outside.

“Last night, a guy with red eyes and a long nose appeared and turned the village upside down, chewing up all the weapons in the armory.”

“What?”

“Sigh… How did it come to raising such a thing, Sang-ah.”

“I’m sorry, Ajae. I really… didn’t expect things to escalate like this.”

Gil-yong Ajae also looked deeply troubled by the current situation.

“So, is there no way to stop that guy? I don’t understand why he’s been quiet all this time and suddenly causing such a ruckus… What on earth happened?”

“I think he recalled some bad memories while trying to protect Heeseon and me… Is there no way for me to go out? I think I can somehow calm him down…”

“Well.. Since the magistrate is so angry, I don’t know what will happen. Let’s first figure out the truth. Tell me everything that happened from the beginning.”

“Yes.. So, what happened was…”

It seems like my heart was feeling suffocated and difficult.

After struggling alone and pondering, when I finally confided in someone I could trust, the miserable and stifling feelings slowly began to dissipate.

The sarira brought by the monk, the tiger that killed my father, Sarri who ran to save me, the magistrate who persecuted us….

Gil-yong Ajae nodded his head, tears streaming down his face, clenching his fists in anger, and quietly listened to my story.

“… So Sarri… thought Heeseon and I were in danger… and went berserk… Did Sarri hurt anyone?”

I was extremely fearful of Gil-yong Ajae opening up about whether Sarri had killed someone.

“No.. There are injured people, but fortunately no one died. He’s just rampaging through the village and devouring all kinds of iron… Everyone is trying to stop him..”

Sigh.

Ajae, looking exhausted, seemed to have no energy left.

“I’ll go and try to persuade him. Please tell the magistrate too, Gil-yong Ajae. Hoo… We were the ones persecuted from the start, so why am I the one locked up here? That Sarri… that bastard-”

“Sang, you! Don’t say dangerous things! No matter how… how corrupt he may be, the magistrate is still the magistrate. Neither you nor I… have the power.. Wait a little until I go to the magistrate’s office and plead our case to the Left Minister Yuyangso. Just wait until then.”

“…..”

In the suppressed voice… It seemed like Gil Yong-jae’s Han was tightly packed. I could only respond in a diminished and respectful voice.

“Yes… I understand.”

There was no strength in the responding voice.

“Phew…”

The complexion of the person coming out of the prison cell did not look good.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just pull out that nephew-like guy from the prison right away?

But it was impossible now.

It was fortunate that I could roughly grasp what had happened at this point.

At first, I really thought the sky was falling.

When I asked Sang-i what had happened to the prison after he was locked up, he said that Yeopsa raised a dangerous animal, and that animal went crazy and suddenly attacked the ruler, causing this incident.

I didn’t want to believe the grim story, and I wanted to go to Sang-i right away to ask for more details, but unfortunately, he had too much to do.

Even though there was no chance of success, the ruler, thinking his dignity had been compromised, insisted on killing the monster somehow, rampaging all over the place, and then, due to the wind blowing through the weapon warehouse, he was busy with managing the ho-bang (tax collection, financial affairs) and supervising the ironworkers, so he barely had time to eat or sleep.

I heard that the creature called Ungasari was actually the transformed appearance of that cute puppy.

It was truly strange.

If Ungasali was really just a vicious monster, why hadn’t there been any casualties despite the ruler’s fierce determination to kill it?

As it turned out, the ruler had provoked Ungasari needlessly while trying to mock my nephew and daughter-in-law, leading to this situation.

This was not the time for that.

If Sang-i could stop that creature, he needed to be released quickly to resolve this issue.

The blacksmiths in the village were all conscripted, and there wasn’t a single pot on the hearth, so public sentiment was uneasy.

Ungasari was growing larger and larger, to the point where it could be seen wandering far away in the mountains even from here.

If left unchecked, it was only a matter of time before this creature started harming people.

Yet, the slow-to-react ruler was only thinking about making weapons to counter it…

It had to be resolved before things got out of hand.

Even if he had to bring in the military commander!

So he was hurrying to meet the Chief Left Minister of Yuhyangso.

Yuhyangso advised the ruler and supervised officials like himself, but since he still had the authority to speak directly to the ruler, that was the only place he could trust.

Fortunately, Chief Left Minister Yeong-gam was known for his strictness.

Chief Left Minister Yeong-gam of Yuhyangso had risen from a retired official up to the rank of Jong 2-pum.

Being a nobleman and famous for his integrity, he earned the respect of many people, so when he ascended to the position of Chief Left Minister, no one had any complaints.

Although he had retired long ago, he still wielded significant influence to be called Chief Yeong-gam, so his help was crucial in resolving this matter.

Lost in thought, he arrived at an ordinary tiled house.

Of course, it was more luxurious than those thatched houses, but it was too humble for a deputy official who discussed state affairs near the king.

He knocked on the door loudly and called out to the servant inside.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Hey, is anyone there! Look here! I’ve come to see Elder Choi Man-chun!”

Squeak. The servant comes out as the door opens.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

The servant nods and ushers the visitor inside.

Following the servant into the love pavilion, although he looked frail and small due to old age, his dignified and firm gaze alone made him appear formidable.

“I present you to Master Jwasu.”

As the visitor sat down, the first to speak was Choi Yeong-gam.

“The times are strange… The ground trembles and screams echo, the wails of the people spread all the way here. Perhaps it’s due to the ruler’s lack of virtue… Seeing you come to me with such a serious face today, I assume it’s not for trivial matters.”

The old man, as if already aware of why he was there, closes his eyes and speaks, causing the visitor to bow his head.

“…I apologize, Master.”

“Yes, why have you come here?”

The visitor’s face stiffens in seriousness.

Despite the ruler’s corruption and frequent abuses, he was an official appointed by the king. To accuse such a person of misconduct and demand punishment… it would be seen as daring to harbor dissatisfaction against royal authority and not fitting for someone of lower status, even in the principles of Confucianism.

Nevertheless… he had to do it. For this town he loved, for his cherished nephew and niece, for his family…

“Please help us, Master! The magistrate’s tyranny has reached its peak. The cries of the oppressed are rising, and the bandits are causing senseless bloodshed. What should we do about this?”

The visitor passionately reveals all the truths he has uncovered.

The old man, nodding with closed eyes, listens to everything the visitor says before suddenly getting up and heading towards the door.

“Uh… Master…?”

“Why are you just sitting there?”

“Pardon?”

“If you can’t remove that thorn, the village is in danger because of you. My silence towards the ruler’s tyranny so far was out of respect for the powerful authority of the Yuhyangso in the court, being cautious of encroaching on the ruler’s authority.”

“….”

“So, despite your displeasure as a scholar, you have handled matters well, and the ruler has barely crossed the line until now, which is why I stayed quiet… But if you can’t make such a distinction, as a former official who has tasted the king’s grace, shouldn’t you issue a warning?”

Although his face was pale, it was a strong one.

“Master…!”

Tears flow down the visitor’s face.

The old man opens the door and strides purposefully towards the government office, followed by the visitor whose shoulders are now held high, unlike when he entered.