The nobles, having been thoroughly scolded by Hyang, had to retreat with dejected faces, gathering their mats and axes. Watching their departure, Hyang turned away.
“Tsk! And yet…”
The nobles gritted their teeth at Hyang’s blatant rebuke.
The faces of the commoners watching these nobles were full of mockery.
“I bet they strut around in their hometowns, puffing up their chests and saying they’re nobles.”
“Just their chests? I bet they puff up their lower halves too whenever they see female servants!”
“Puhahaha!”
“You insolent bastards!”
At the mockery of the watching commoners, one of the axe-wielding nobles shouted angrily and approached.
“Eek!”A few of the mockers screamed and stepped back as the nobles approached with a fierce expression, looking ready to swing his axe at any moment.
However, others stepped forward, rolling up their sleeves.
“What? Did His Highness the Crown Prince say anything wrong? Or is it because your stinking parts have been exposed? Go ahead, try swinging that axe! But be prepared to have something broken or lose your life.”
“You lowly creatures!”
As the scholar’s face turned bright red and he raised his axe high, the men who had been arguing also clenched their fists and lowered their stance.
At this critical moment, a young nobles who had been watching nearby intervened.
“Stop! What shameful behavior is this! How can someone who calls himself a nobles resort to violence! Aren’t you ashamed!”
“Step aside! Are you saying we should tolerate such lowly creatures insulting the nobles?”
“If they are wrong, we should convince them of their error through reason! Why resort to violence?”
“A beating is the only medicine for those who insult nobles!”
As the axe-wielding nobles shouted furiously, Hyang’s voice was heard from behind.
“Then, I insulted you too. Will you raise your axe against me as well?”
“Gasp!”
At these words, the face of the nobles who had been radiating murderous intent turned pale white.
‘I forgot! No, hasn’t he entered the palace?’
The pale-faced nobles forcibly turned his trembling body around.
There stood Hyang, arms crossed, glaring at him. And the other nobles who had been participating in the petition with axes were prostrated on the ground, watching the situation nervously.
Finally, the scholar in question threw his axe aside and prostrated himself, begging for forgiveness.
“I have committed a crime punishable by death! Please, just spare my life!”
“Why? Why don’t you come at me with your axe?”
“I lost control of my anger and showed unseemly behavior! Please forgive me!”
But Hyang’s rebuke did not stop.
“A true gentleman becomes more composed the more he studies and cultivates himself. Yet you couldn’t control your anger over a few taunts and tried to resort to violence. How can you call yourself a gentleman!”
“I’m deeply sorry! Please forgive me!”
Seeing the scholar’s state, Hyang turned his head and ordered the Royal Guard captain.
“Take this man to the State Tribunal and report him. The charge is attempting to harm people by recklessly wielding a deadly weapon in public view. And I was among his targets.”
“Your Highness! That’s absolutely not true! Your Highness! Please spare me!”
The scholar, turning pale at Hyang’s words, desperately raised his voice, but Hyang simply replied.
“The iron horse has already departed. Take him away.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
The scholar called out to Hyang as he was dragged away by the Royal Guard soldiers, but Hyang completely ignored him.
“Do you all want to visit the State Tribunal too?”
“N-no, Your Highness!”
The prostrated nobles hurriedly gathered their mats and axes and disappeared.
Watching the nobles vanish into the distance as if fleeing, Hyang moved towards the other protagonists of the incident.
As Hyang approached, the gathered commoners quickly prostrated themselves.
“You may stand.”
“Oh my, how could we lowly ones…”
Seeing the commoners prostrated on the ground as they answered, Hyang smirked and continued.
“You were quite bold earlier, weren’t you?”
“How can Your Highness be compared to nobles whose faces we don’t even know?”
Hyang burst into laughter at the honest answer.
“Hahaha! That’s the right answer! It’s alright! I permit you, so stand up!”
At Hyang’s permission, the prostrated commoners slowly rose from the ground.
Looking over the faces of the standing commoners, Hyang addressed the men who had been arguing with the scholar earlier.
“Are your bodies made of iron? What were you thinking, provoking a man holding an axe?”
The men sheepishly smiled and answered Hyang’s words.
“It was clear at a glance that he had never wielded an axe before, so what was there to fear?”
“His arms were trembling as he held the axe, he probably couldn’t have swung it properly!”
Hyang chuckled at the commoners’ answers but didn’t forget to admonish them.
“Still, life is precious, so in such situations, call for the constables.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Now, return to your business.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Having finished his conversation with the commoners, Hyang turned his gaze to the scholar who had tried to mediate earlier.
Was he about Hyang’s age? The scholar looked to be in his mid to late teens, tall with a sturdy build. (Note 1) However, he didn’t seem to be from a well-off family, as his durumagi (outerwear) showed signs of patching in many places.
Hyang stared at him for a moment before asking a question.
“Were you not afraid?”
“I was afraid, Your Highness, but how could I stand by and watch a so-called nobles intimidate people with violence? As one who studies the way of the sages, I could not let this pass.”
“That’s a noble spirit. So, what’s your name?”
“This lowly one is called Han Myeong-hoe, Your Highness.”
The moment he heard the name, Hyang’s body froze for an instant.
‘Here!’
He had just met the man known as “Joseon’s greatest traitor” and “a legendary opportunist” among various other evaluations.
‘This is an opportunity! I can prevent him from getting involved with Jinpyeong altogether!’
Though Hyang made an instant judgment, he proceeded with additional verification.
“What is your father’s name?”
“My late father used the character ‘Gi’ and served as an inspector in the Office of the Inspector-General, Your Highness.”
“Is that so? How old are you?”
“I will turn seventeen in October, Your Highness.”
‘Let’s see… According to the records I’ve glimpsed, Han Myeong-hoe lost his parents early, right? Given that he referred to his “late father,” it seems to match. Anyway…’
As he analyzed the person and the situation, Hyang looked at Han Myeong-hoe with a slight smile.
“It was truly a good opportunity, wasn’t it?”
Momentarily confused by Hyang’s words, Han Myeong-hoe immediately bowed his head as he grasped the meaning.
As he bowed his head, Han Myeong-hoe felt cold sweat running down his back.
‘As expected of the Crown Prince, the rumors were true!’
The impulsive action he had just taken was part of Han Myeong-hoe’s calculation.
***
Han Myeong-hoe was born as the grandson of Han Sang-jil, a founding contributor who had served as the Chief Scholar of the Hall of Worthies. His family’s downfall came with the deaths of his parents, Han Gi and Lady Yi of Yeoju.
As the saying goes, “When a dog from a minister’s house dies, mourners flock, but when the minister dies, no one comes,” the family’s fortunes took a sharp downturn with the premature death of his father, Han Gi. Of course, they weren’t desperately poor, but they had been pushed to the outskirts of power since King Taejong’s era, and Han Gi’s untimely death inevitably led to the decline of their family fortunes.
Fortunately, with the help of his great-uncles, Han Myeong-hoe was able to study Chinese classics and pursue his education under Ryu Tae-jae in Gangwon Province.
While studying under Ryu Tae-jae, Han Myeong-hoe formed friendships with Gwon Ram and Seo Geo-jeong, and had recently returned to Hanseong.
“I must revive our fallen family!”
With this firm resolve, he prepared for the civil service examination, but the situation was not easy.
Hoping against hope, he wrote petitions whenever various issues arose, but because his answers were not what the court, changed by the great reforms, wanted, he had to face rejection each time.
Still, Han Myeong-hoe didn’t give up. He made efforts to understand what the current court wanted by networking extensively, and pondered how to apply this to what he had learned.
In the midst of this process, the “partial revision of the civil service examination system” was announced, causing an uproar.
“Should I support or oppose…”
As Han Myeong-hoe was contemplating not based on his own standards but on how to stand out, he immediately rose from his seat when he heard about the petition with axes.
“This is an opportunity!”
Those currently submitting petitions with axes were clearly fools who didn’t understand the current trends.
Such fools would certainly cause an incident. And if he used that incident well, he could get a chance to reveal himself.
Certain of the opportunity, Han Myeong-hoe ran to the front of Gyeongbok Palace to observe the situation. As he waited, Hyang arrived and rebuked the nobles who were submitting petitions with axes.
‘Will something happen? Or will it end like this? It can’t end like this…’
As if his earnest wish was granted, one nobles, angered by the mocking commoners, raised his axe to intimidate them.
‘This is the chance! If I miss this, I’ll regret it for a thousand years!’
Though scared of the axe, Han Myeong-hoe jumped in front of the commoners to create a confrontation.
Thanks to this, he thought he had caught the Crown Prince’s eye, but the Crown Prince had already seen through Han Myeong-hoe’s intentions.
As he bowed his head, Han Myeong-hoe remembered what his father had told him when he was young.
‘His Majesty is extraordinary, but the Crown Prince is even more so. If you ever enter officialdom, you must think two or three times before acting.’
***
As Han Myeong-hoe was feeling dejected, thinking he had failed at a golden opportunity, Hyang’s voice reached his ears.
“Yes. Sometimes silence is a good answer too. And… the ability to seize a good opportunity is also a valuable skill. You, come to this place tomorrow morning before Gwanghwamun opens. Ah! Make sure to bring your household register as well.”
At Hyang’s words, Han Myeong-hoe unconsciously raised his head to look at Hyang. Still smiling, Hyang continued.
“Whether your ability is limited to seizing opportunities or if you’re truly capable will be proven in practical work. Do you understand what this means?”
To Hyang’s question, Han Myeong-hoe immediately prostrated himself and answered.
“I will do my utmost best!”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”
Han Myeong-hoe remained prostrated until Hyang disappeared inside Gwanghwamun.
After Hyang’s figure vanished and Gwanghwamun closed, Han Myeong-hoe rose from his position. The commoners who had been watching the scene applauded and congratulated him.
“Congratulations, sir!”
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you, thank you.”
Bowing his head in response to the congratulations, Han Myeong-hoe quickly left the place.
After turning into an alley and escaping from people’s sight, Han Myeong-hoe clenched his fist.
“I did it! This is the beginning!”
***
Meanwhile, Hyang, who had entered Geunjeongjeon to report his return, paused at an unexpected situation.
“Huh?”
Starting with King Sejong, all the ministers were looking at Hyang with sparkling eyes.
“This son reports his return.”
“Yes, good work.”
King Sejong, after a brief response, immediately got to the point.
“I hear you caused another incident on your way back?”
“Yes, there were those who didn’t properly understand the will of Father and the court, insisting only on their narrow views, so I gave them a piece of my mind.”
“Well done. But that wasn’t the end of it, was it?”
‘At any rate, the news network in Gyeongbok Palace is as fast as 5G…’
With a wry smile, Hyang continued immediately.
“Yes, among them, one foolish individual tried to intimidate the people with violence, so I sent him to the State Tribunal. And in the process, I came to know a quite promising individual.”
“Oh? What kind of person?”
“He said his name was Han Myeong-hoe, the son of Han Gi who served as an inspector in the Office of the Inspector-General.”
At Hyang’s introduction, the ministers soon began to search their memories.
“Ah!”
Having recalled information about Han Gi, the ministers immediately reported to King Sejong.
After listening to the ministers’ words, King Sejong stroked his beard and nodded.
“I’ve heard of him too. I remember thinking it was a pity that such a capable person died prematurely. So, how did Han Gi’s son seem to you?”
“I couldn’t fully gauge his character, but his ability to respond to unexpected situations seemed top-notch. He appeared to be someone who could avoid the worst outcomes, if not achieve the best, in any sudden situation.”
“Is that so?”
As Hyang continued speaking, King Sejong and the ministers’ eyes grew increasingly brighter.
***
Note 1) https://www.mk.co.kr/news/culture/view/2015/10/959590/
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