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Chapter : 40
“…….”
After the commotion subsided, the room fell into silence.
As the cloud of dust settled, the outside scenery beyond the crumbled wall came into view.
The only relief was that Namgung Cheok and the other two were unharmed.
Only the section of the wall they had been clinging to remained standing, eerily preserving the shape of their bodies.
Though it was comforting that no one was injured, the sight was almost comical.
Still, Namgung Cheok straightened his back, trying to maintain his composure.
At that moment, Yeonhwa, across from him, raised her hand beyond the gap in the wall behind Namgung Cheok.
“Have you come?”
Footsteps followed, rushing in a cluster.
Clang.
The sword fell from Namgung Cheok’s hand.
Since the wall had already opened to the outside, there was no need to exit through the door.
Yeonhwa stepped over the place where the wall had been and went outside to greet the guests.
“Lord Changyeong, and…….”
She looked at the middle-aged man standing beside Seong Haran.
“Miss, do you remember me?”
There was only one person whose eyes resembled Seong Haran’s and appeared to be of the same age as the head of the family.
“Lord of Foreign Affairs, it’s been a while.”
It was Seong Yeontaek, Seong Haran’s father, who had doted on her and Seonyu when they were children.
“We’ll exchange greetings later.”
It was unclear why the Lord of Foreign Affairs, who should have been in Anhui’s main house, was involved in the matter that had been assigned to Seong Haran. Still, as more people gathered, the situation needed to be managed quickly.
Yeonhwa shifted her gaze to Seong Haran.
Though Seong Yeontaek was older and held a higher position, out of respect for the one who had orchestrated the matter, he treated Seong Haran deferentially.
Seong Haran noticed this and added a trace of warmth to his eyes.
She restrained the urge to pat Yeonhwa’s head and instead gestured to the back.
A few of Changyeong’s subordinates brought the young men from the collateral branches.
Though they were collateral, they bore the Namgung family name. They shouted indignantly at how the daughter of a vassal house could treat them so freely.
By tradition, they should have lowered their heads before Yeonhwa, the legitimate daughter of the Namgung family.
Without a guiding principle, such behavior would have been impossible.
And it was obvious who the target was.
The young men, unaware of the previous events, were startled by the sight of the family head’s ruined residence.
They were even more alarmed when they found no one inside. Anxiety quickly settled over their faces.
Yeonhwa gestured to them with her chin and asked Seong Haran:
“Did they confess?”
“They just talked briefly because some of the friends they’ve known for a long time are in the Inspection Corps. They only discussed your initiation ceremony,” he replied.
“And what about the inspectors connected to them?”
“They claimed that all matters concerning the Baesokjang incident were directed by the Namgung family. They said they would testify if necessary, but asked that they not be punished.”
As the situation turned against them, the collateral young men shouted:
“Let us see the Grand Prince!”
“The Grand Prince will speak for us!”
Yeonhwa, willing to respond to their earnestness, approached the fragile section of wall still standing.
She placed her hand on the inside of the wall.
“No, don’t… Ah, no.”
A faint whisper was heard, but Yeonhwa ignored it and pushed the wall outward without hesitation.
Part of the remaining wall collapsed onto the floor.
Bang! Clatter!
The debris scattered after bouncing a few times, but no one paid attention.
With the wall gone, the three inside were fully exposed.
The stunned family head, beside him the Chief Elder with a dust-covered, grim expression, and Namgung Hyechan blinking and looking around as if just regaining consciousness.
“Damn it.”
One of the collateral young men cursed.
No matter how they looked at it, the Grand Prince didn’t seem like someone who could save them.
But no matter how dire the situation, the next head of the family would be the Grand Prince.
As the young men tried to steel themselves and pretend ignorance, Yeonhwa’s voice rang out:
“Think carefully before answering. The charges against the Grand Prince are not limited to this. If you act carelessly, you could get involved in something serious.”
A cold warning ran down their spines.
As they instinctively opened their mouths, Namgung Gyu intervened.
“Are you going to force him to create false crimes?”
“It’s not the Chief Elder’s turn yet. But since you’re here, let me ask. After Baesokjang, are you aware of any incidents that the Grand Prince seemed involved in?”
The Chief Elder flinched and immediately denied it.
“That’s nonsense!”
“Before you arrived, we discussed this with the family head. The Grand Prince is involved in dangerous matters. Investigations will follow, and the truth will be revealed soon. Waiting until then to accuse him will be too late.”
The surprised Chief Elder grabbed his son’s shoulder.
“What exactly have you done?”
Namgung Hyechan, snapped back to reality, shook his head frantically.
“I… What are you talking about? I did nothing! Father told me to stay put, and I did exactly that!”
Namgung Gyu studied his son for a long moment, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
“I knew it. I trust you, son.”
He held Hyechan’s shoulder reassuringly and addressed Yeonhwa in as gentle a tone as possible.
“Yeonhwa, I know you’ve strayed because the family head favored you less. But that doesn’t mean you should torment other children loved by their parents. I regret not paying more attention to you.”
“Wow, pretending to give advice while spitting nonsense!”
Huinjeong muttered unintentionally, his voice echoing loudly in the silence.
“Eek!”
Everyone’s attention turned to him. Startled, he hid behind Jiwonhyeong.
“…You should choose your company wisely. Don’t just hang out with troublemakers like yourself.”
Grimacing but forcing a smile, the Chief Elder let his gaze drift from Huinjeong to Jiwonhyeong, and finally to Seong Haran.
Yeonhwa turned her attention to the collateral young men instead.
The Grand Prince Namgung Hyechan had a narrow and shallow social circle.
Many tried to approach him for flattery, but few lasted long.
Those who remained were either family or children of vassals.
The capable ones were busy with training or duties and had no reason to join Hyechan’s reckless gang.
What remained were only the undesirables.
‘Naturally, those capable of handling tasks were just as mediocre.’
Yeonhwa questioned the collateral young men who had helped Hyechan during the Baesokjang incident.
“After Baesokjang, who among you received direct orders from the Grand Prince?”
They exchanged glances, hesitant whether to speak or remain silent.
Yeonhwa pressed further.
“I already know who you contacted and what you did. If you stay silent, I will trace the connections and find the evidence elsewhere.”
Once external evidence became clear, there would be no reason to honor the anonymity of the submission sent by the Yangryuk Merchant Guild.
Her aim was to use them to save time.
“The consequences of this are bigger than you think. You’d better speak quickly. Otherwise… should I call someone who can control you?”
For ill-mannered heirs and vassals, nothing worked better than threatening their parents.
The collateral youths turned pale at Yeonhwa’s implication.
“What right do you have to do this, Miss?”
“You’re going too far, Yeonhwa. Even if she’s the legitimate daughter…”
Yeonhwa cut off the Chief Elder.
“I have informed the family head, but I will say it again. I am not here as the family’s legitimate daughter! I am here as an inspector, with the authority to investigate all corruption within the household, judge fairly, and verify matters independently.”
“……”
Only then did people recall the true power of the Inspection Corps.
It had not been used properly, but it was inherently a position of authority.
At least, on the premise that one could handle the consequences.
‘Perhaps for a lord feared by many yet untouchable, the Inspection Corps is the perfect fit.’
Jiwonhyeong guessed another reason Yeonhwa had chosen the Inspection Corps. He was impressed but wary of the danger it entailed.
