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Chapter 15 …
The moment the Pan-yun Daegam entered, the government office—noisier than a marketplace—fell silent as though cold water had been poured over it.
Wearing his crimson official robe, Hanseong Pan-yun Jo Galji ascended the main hall and took his seat.
His gaze settled on Hari.
‘You again.’
He swallowed a deep sigh.
Just how had Deputy Inspector Ahn raised his daughter? A woman who ought to remain in the women’s quarters kept coming to the government office and stirring up one troublesome case after another.
As Jo Galji recalled the contents of the complaint Hari had submitted, deep wrinkles formed between his brows.
‘There isn’t even any room to argue against this.’
People often called Oejibus “instigators of lawsuits,” accusing them of encouraging needless litigation.
The description fit them perfectly.
People who kept bringing lawsuits that made no sense.
“Sigh… if only I could arrest every last one of them, Hanyang would finally know some peace.”
Unfortunately, one of those people happened to be the daughter of a noble family.
Jo Galji felt genuinely troubled.
‘The kingdom is headed for ruin.’
Unable to hide his exhaustion, the Pan-yun opened the proceedings.
“Today’s case before the Hanseong Office concerns the annulment of the marriage of widow Kim Nahee. All personal feelings shall be set aside. Judgment will be rendered solely according to clear evidence and the law.”
After the solemn declaration, the criminal affairs official spoke.
“Plaintiff Kim Nahee, read your petition.”
Hari stepped forward confidently.
“I am Oejibu Ahn Hari, legal representative for the plaintiff. I shall read the petition on her behalf.”
“Permission granted.”
Without caring whether Jo Galji approved or not, Hari gave a respectful bow and began reading in a calm, clear voice.
“Four years ago, the plaintiff Kim Nahee married Choi Gigu, the second son of the defendant Choi Eum-eup. However, on the very day of the wedding, before the bridal palanquin had even crossed the threshold of her husband’s home, she received news of the groom’s death.”
“Viewed only to that point, her tragedy is no different from that of countless other widows whose husbands died before the marriage was consummated. One might simply blame her ill-fated destiny and say that she should remain chaste for the rest of her life.”
People standing behind the plaintiff murmured in agreement.
“That’s right.”
Ignoring them, Hari fixed her eyes on Choi Giman, who stood behind Choi Eum-eup.
“However, the defendants already knew that Choi Gigu would die before the wedding took place, and they deliberately concealed that fact.”
“Marriage is one of life’s greatest commitments, founded upon trust between two families. Yet they failed to inform the plaintiff of a matter involving life and death.”
“That is unmistakable fraud.”
The spectators immediately began whispering.
“What did she just say? Fraud?”
“Sounds like she’s saying they deceived her… I don’t really get it.”
Hari seized the opportunity.
“Allow me to explain with a simple example.”
Whether in a modern Korean courtroom or the Hanseong Office of Joseon, public opinion was one of the keys capable of changing the course of a trial.
There was a reason people said that the will of the people was the will of Heaven.
“Suppose I have an apple whose inside has completely rotted.”
Hari pulled an apple from her sleeve.
It was bright red, smooth, and glossy—nothing about it suggested it was rotten.
“If I sell this at full price—or even several times its value—would that be business, or would it be fraud?”
“Fraud!”
Voices rang out from every direction.
“Exactly.”
“Of course, marriage cannot truly be compared to a rotten apple. But what the defendants did to the plaintiff is no different.”
“They knew Choi Gigu was going to die, yet pretended otherwise and forced the marriage to proceed.”
Choi Eum-eup immediately raised his voice.
“Your Honor, what do you mean ‘forced’? Did we drag that girl here by the collar? Her own family agreed to this marriage!”
As though she had expected that response, Hari turned back toward the crowd.
“Would anyone here buy this apple?”
“I should warn you—it is rotten inside.”
“Who would buy it? We’re not fools.”
“Exactly.”
“If people knew, they would never buy it.”
“Likewise, had Kim Nahee known Choi Gigu was about to die, she would never have agreed to the marriage.”
The flesh on Choi Eum-eup’s cheeks trembled.
Hari shot him a cold glance before concluding.
“The plaintiff knew nothing.”
“She wasted four precious years of her youth fulfilling the duties of a daughter-in-law and a wife.”
“This marriage began with fraud.”
“Therefore, it is invalid.”
“Accordingly, this Oejibu petitions for the marriage to be declared null and void, and furthermore seeks 4,000 nyang as consolation for the plaintiff’s mental and physical suffering.”
The government office exploded into an uproar.
Four thousand nyang.
That was enough money to buy several houses in Hanyang.
The Choi family might be wealthy, but whether they could pay such an enormous sum immediately was another matter entirely.
“F-four… four thousand nyang? Not four nyang, but four thousand?”
“This is outrageous! We have been wronged!”
“What do you mean we knew our son would die? What parent would calmly accept such a thing? If we’d known, we would have summoned every famous physician in the country!”
“Investigate if you wish! Not a single physician ever entered our household!”
“Gigu was perfectly healthy!”
Hari immediately refuted him.
“No.”
“You simply chose not to call one.”
“He didn’t die of illness.”
“He was beaten to death.”
Hari’s icy declaration left Choi Eum-eup dumbfounded.
“You wretched woman!”
“How dare you slander my family in this court without a shred of evidence!”
“Your Honor! That Oejibu is making outrageous accusations without proof!”
As Choi Eum-eup pounded his chest and wailed, Jo Galji looked at Hari suspiciously.
“The defendant is correct.”
“Do you have evidence?”
Hari smiled calmly.
“Yes.”
“I do.”
She turned toward Nahee.
It was now Nahee’s turn.
Dressed in mourning clothes, Nahee’s face was pale.
Looking as though she might collapse at any moment, she stepped forward and handed the Muwonrok and a letter to the court official.
“This is Choi Gigu’s diary.”
“It records, in detail, the beatings and torture he suffered up until the day before the wedding.”
Her fingertips gently stroked the letter resting atop the diary.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“And this…”
“This is the letter Choi Gigu left for me on the night before our wedding, when he was burning with fever and struggling to breathe.”
Written in neat, elegant handwriting, the letter explained why Choi Eum-eup had hurried to arrange the marriage.
“Mother cannot stop my elder brother. Therefore, she wishes to marry me off quickly and establish me in a separate household.”
The letter was also overflowing with apologies for Nahee.
He had been a kind man.
Even while sensing his own approaching death, he worried about the woman who would be left behind.
If possible, he wished for her to live freely.
And if fortune allowed him to survive that night, he promised he would become a gentle, loving husband.
“When the spring flowers bloom, let us go on an outing together.”
“When summer comes, let us bring watermelon and visit a mountain valley.”
“In autumn, we shall walk side by side while admiring the colorful leaves.”
“When winter arrives, I shall buy you a pair of warm fur shoes.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Nahee burst into tears.
Choi Gigu had been far too gentle and warm-hearted to deserve being beaten to death.
Hari spoke in her place as Nahee struggled to continue.
“This is the evidence proving that Choi Gigu, the second son of Choi Eum-eup, was beaten to death by his elder brother, Choi Giman.”
An oppressive silence settled over the courtroom.
“Furthermore, Choi Gigu’s parents knew the truth.”
“Yet, in order to protect their eldest son, they turned a blind eye to the horrific crimes committed within their own household.”
“They continued concealing it even until the morning of the wedding.”
The moment Hari finished speaking, the government office erupted once again.
After such heavy silence, the commotion sounded several times louder.
“Have they gone mad?”
“He beat his own younger brother to death?”
The spectators, who had originally come only for entertainment, now glared at the Choi family with disgust and fury.
Everyone pointed accusing fingers at them.
“T-this is impossible!”
“It’s slander!”
“They’re trying to destroy us with lies!”
“Please punish them for false accusation!”
Choi Eum-eup shouted desperately.
Behind him, Choi Giman’s face had turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his body.
“No…”
“I didn’t kill him!”
“That woman is lying!”
Shaking like a leaf with unfocused eyes, Choi Giman pointed at Hari.
Jo Galji asked,
“Does the defendant possess any evidence to refute the plaintiff’s claims?”
Neither Choi Eum-eup nor Choi Giman could utter a single word.
Hari, however, was different.
“There is someone who witnessed Choi Giman beating Choi Gigu to death on the wedding day.”
“I request that this person be called as a witness.”
“Bring the witness forward.”
With Jo Galji’s permission, a poorly dressed woman pushed through the crowd and stepped before the hall.
The instant Choi Eum-eup and Choi Giman recognized her face, their eyes nearly popped out.
“Y-Yang Heoyoung? How are you here?”
Yang Heoyoung glanced briefly at the two men before bowing respectfully to Jo Galji.
“Four years ago, I served as the wedding attendant who assisted with the marriage between the second son of the Choi family and Kim Nahee.”
In Joseon, a wedding attendant handled everything—from matchmaking and assisting with the wedding gifts to preparing the bride’s makeup.
There was no one who knew more about Choi Gigu and Kim Nahee’s wedding than she did.
The moment she appeared, the verdict was practically decided.
Yang Heoyoung carefully recounted everything that had happened on the wedding day.
How Choi Gigu had been brutally beaten by Choi Giman the previous day until he was on the brink of death.
How Choi Gigu had begged for a physician.
How Choi Eum-eup had ignored his plea.
As Choi Eum-eup listened to her testimony with a face as dark as ashes, he collapsed onto the floor.
He knew it was over.
His own life was ruined.
His son’s life was finished as well.
When the lengthy testimony concluded, the Pan-yun spoke in a grave voice.
“Choi Giman brutally murdered his own younger brother, bound to him by the sacred ties of family.”
“This is a heinous crime devoid of all humanity and deserving of the severest punishment.”
“Furthermore, the father, Choi Eum-eup, concealed the crime for the sake of his family’s reputation and orchestrated a fraudulent marriage.”
“His crime is likewise grave.”
The government office fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.
“Accordingly, I render the following judgment.”
“First, the marriage between the plaintiff Kim Nahee and the deceased Choi Gigu is declared null and void.”
“Second, the defendant Choi Eum-eup, having deceived and harmed the plaintiff, shall pay the requested compensation of 4,000 nyang.”
Foaming at the mouth, Choi Eum-eup fainted backward.
Choi Giman was seized by the court guards.
As he was dragged away, Hari raised a hand and gave him a small wave.
With a flawless victory secured, Hari extended her hand toward Nahee.
“Shall we go, Nangja?”
Not Madam Kim.
But Nangja.
Having regained her status as an unmarried woman, Nahee smiled brightly and threw her arms around Hari in a tight embrace.
