Hongdu - The King's Men - Chapter 36
“Did you ask for a feast to be held?”
Hwang Seong Gwang, the son of the magistrate of Yaseong County, blinked his eyes with a bewildered expression.
Following his father the magistrate’s orders, he tried to accommodate all the requests of the undercover royal inspector candidates as much as possible.
But what Hong Woo Geon was asking for now was beyond Hwang Seong Gwang’s expectations.
“If possible, I’d like a lavish table of food to be prepared.”
Hong Woo Geon added, going a step further.
Kwon Jwa Woo stared at Hong Woo Geon with the same expression as Hwang Seong Gwang.
They had just come to the Yaseong County office following him, who said he had a way to uncover Scholar Jung’s corruption.
They had expected to raid Scholar Jung’s mansion with all the county office guards, but unexpectedly he was asking for a feast to be prepared.
Kwon Jwa Woo gave an awkward smile to Hwang Seong Gwang.
“I apologize. There seems to be some misunderstanding… Please excuse us for a moment.”
She pulled Hong Woo Geon to a corner.
“What’s with the sudden talk of a feast? Weren’t we supposed to do the whole ‘Royal Inspector, come forth!’ thing?”
While keeping an eye on Hwang Seong Gwang, Kwon Jwa Woo asked in a low voice only Hong Woo Geon could hear.
Hong Woo Geon snorted.
“We’re still just candidates, what royal inspector nonsense are you on about.”
“It seems like a more normal thought than someone boldly asking for a feast while still just a candidate.”
“Wait. I have a plan.”
Hong Woo Geon gently patted the head of the impatient Kwon Jwa Woo and turned to Hwang Seong Gwang.
“We’ll prepare the alcohol, just make sure there’s plenty of side dishes.”
His intention to properly enjoy the feast was evident.
Hwang Seong Gwang hesitated with a troubled expression.
“What? Is there a problem?”
At Hong Woo Geon’s question, Hwang Seong Gwang hesitantly replied.
“The county office’s finances are not abundant. We don’t have enough resources to host a feast and entertain guests.”
He wondered if Hong Woo Geon would still ask for a feast after hearing this.
Hwang Seong Gwang stared at Hong Woo Geon, secretly hoping.
As if on cue, Hong Woo Geon spoke.
“I know.”
“If you know, why do you say such things?”
To Hwang Seong Gwang’s puzzled question, Hong Woo Geon’s answer was amusing.
“If the county office can’t do it, why not find another place that can?”
“Where could possibly do what the county office cannot…”
As she was speaking, Kwon Jwa Woo belatedly realized Hong Woo Geon’s intention and nodded.
“You mean the home of Scholar Jung, the richest man in Yaseong County.”
Instead of answering, Hong Woo Geon just grinned.
At the end of his smile, he added a request to Hwang Seong Gwang.
“Tell Scholar Jung this. The inspector candidates from Hanyang would like to receive a grand feast. Ah, and the venue must be Scholar Jung’s house.”
“Scholar Jung’s house?”
“Going around the village, I heard that Scholar Jung’s house has a garden reminiscent of the Summer Palace in Qing. If we eat delicious food and drink in such a place, wouldn’t that be a paradise on earth?”
“…”
Hwang Seong Gwang’s face was full of embarrassment.
Towards him, Hong Woo Geon continued with a mischievous smile.
“Come now, cheer up. Who knows? This might become a connection that could help Scholar Jung later when I become a proper inspector.”
Hong Woo Geon’s current appearance looked like the epitome of a corrupt official openly demanding bribes.
The look in Hwang Seong Gwang’s eyes as he stared at Hong Woo Geon turned unfriendly.
Paying no heed to this, Hong Woo Geon left the county office humming lowly. Kwon Jwa Woo followed behind him with an embarrassed expression.
[This is the timeline separator]Contrary to Kwon Jwa Woo’s expectation that they would return to their lodgings at the guest house, Hong Woo Geon headed outside the county office.
Always defying expectations.
He’s truly an unpredictable man.
“Where are you going at this hour?”
To Kwon Jwa Woo’s question, Hong Woo Geon just gestured for her to follow.
As they crossed the village, the moon, which had been hidden by dark clouds, peeked out its face.
The moon, which had swollen in size over the course of a day, scattered unusually beautiful moonlight on the earth. Hong Woo Geon, walking leisurely in the moonlight, looked as mysterious as an immortal out for a night stroll.
“The moonlight is truly beautiful.”
Unable to compliment Hong Woo Geon, Kwon Jwa Woo let out an exclamation using the moonlight as an excuse.
Hong Woo Geon suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.
“There are things even more beautiful than moonlight.”
He stared intently at Kwon Jwa Woo.
The meaning in his eyes was so clear that Kwon Jwa Woo avoided his gaze.
When Hong Woo Geon had such eyes and such an expression, he felt like a completely different person.
Not the usual indifferent person who sometimes teased others with a playful face, but a man who could make many women’s hearts flutter.
Kwon Jwa Woo had no desire to be like other women who fluttered at his charm.
But as human hearts don’t always follow one’s will, the more she tried to ignore Hong Woo Geon, the more she found herself unconsciously paying attention to him.
It was exactly like that now.
The man, Hong Woo Geon, smiled with a graceful curve as if he had guessed Kwon Jwa Woo’s inner thoughts.
His piercingly beautiful smile was etched into Kwon Jwa Woo’s mind.
“Stop smiling so much. It’s becoming a habit.”
Contrary to her heart, Kwon Jwa Woo put on a sullen expression.
“If it becomes a habit, so be it. What’s wrong with that?”
“What’s the point of getting attached to someone we’ll never see again after the candidacy is over?”
“Who says that? That we’ll never see each other again. And even if we don’t, so what? What’s so bad about developing a deep affection between people?”
“Getting attached will only lead to unnecessary lingering feelings.”
“If there are lingering feelings, they’ll become wistful, and if they’re wistful, you’ll miss them. Then we might meet again.”
It was a meaningful conversation.
But Kwon Jwa Woo pretended not to understand.
“I always feel that you’re overly enthusiastic.”
“I’m just a person who puts effort into everything.”
“Have you ever thought that you might be going too far?”
“Why would I think about such useless things?”
“…”
I should just stop talking.
“More importantly, where are we going?”
Kwon Jwa Woo, who had been walking aimlessly following Hong Woo Geon, asked again.
“A preliminary inspection.”
“A preliminary inspection?”
Hong Woo Geon stopped walking, stepped aside, and pointed somewhere with his hand.
“Let me now introduce you to the house of Scholar Jung, the richest man in Yaseong County.”
Soon after, a massive mansion appeared before Kwon Jwa Woo’s eyes.
[This is the timeline separator]Half an hour later.
Two human shadows appeared over the high walls of Scholar Jung’s mansion. It was Hong Woo Geon and Kwon Jwa Woo, secretly climbing over the walls of the mansion.
“You said it was an introduction. Is this an introduction?”
“As long as we get to Hanyang, it doesn’t matter how we get there. Isn’t it enough to introduce the house, regardless of how we do it?”
“If only you couldn’t speak, you wouldn’t be so dislikeable.”
Kwon Jwa Woo glanced sideways at Hong Woo Geon.
Perhaps because climbing the wall was tiring, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
Kwon Jwa Woo looked around nervously and anxiously. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any guards, but since this was an unauthorized visit, she couldn’t hide her unease.
“It’s not too late. Why don’t we do the preliminary inspection when it’s light out, entering proudly through the main gate? Properly, it’s the homeowner who should introduce the house.”
Kwon Jwa Woo tried to persuade Hong Woo Geon in a coaxing tone.
However, Hong Woo Geon was firm.
“Would the house Scholar Jung introduces be the house we want to see? He’d clear away what needs to be cleared, hide what shouldn’t be shown, and only show us what he wants us to see. Don’t you think?”
“That may be true, but…”
“Have you forgotten? We need to find evidence of the crime he’s hiding.”
“What are we going to do if we become criminals ourselves before finding evidence of his crime?”
“Criminals?”
“Isn’t that right? If we jump down inside these walls right now, we’ll undoubtedly be committing the crime of trespassing into someone else’s house.”
There would be no such contradiction if we become criminals to find evidence of a crime.
Kwon Jwa Woo tried once again to change Hong Woo Geon’s mind.
“We haven’t crossed the wall yet, so there’s no problem. So why don’t we go back now?”
“You’re more cowardly than I thought. I thought you were bold, having played the role of Hwaseop-ja in Myeongye-bang.”
“This isn’t boldness, it’s recklessness. Didn’t you say it yourself earlier? We’re not yet royal inspectors, just candidates.”
“We’ll just finish the preliminary inspection and quietly return. There won’t be any problem.”
“What if we get caught?”
“What else? We’ll have to run away so we don’t get caught.”
“And if we do get caught?”
“Then we’ll become criminals, like you said.”
Hong Woo Geon answered nonchalantly.
A vein popped on Kwon Jwa Woo’s forehead.
This person, I see now he has no plan at all.
After thinking for a moment, Kwon Jwa Woo suddenly bowed her head politely to Hong Woo Geon.
“Even if we’re partners, I can’t join you this time. I’m sorry, but I’ll be heading back now.”
Just as she finished her greeting and was about to turn her body towards the outside of the wall.
“Where do you think you’re going alone?”
Hong Woo Geon grabbed Kwon Jwa Woo, pulled her into his arms, and leaped towards the inside of the wall.
Whirrrr.
The bodies of the two people spun like tops in the air. And soon after, they fell like flower petals fluttering towards the ground.
“Ah, aah!”
Kwon Jwa Woo let out a small scream in a choked voice.
She thought they would surely crash into the ground like this. Expecting a dull pain, she tightly closed her eyes.
Thud!
A heavy noise was heard. She took a deep breath, preparing for the pain that would follow.
But… she couldn’t feel any pain at all. Instead of pain, a breeze blew past her ears.
Kwon Jwa Woo opened her eyes slightly.
The first thing she saw was Hong Woo Geon lying on his back on the ground.
Secondly, she saw herself reflected in Hong Woo Geon’s eyes. Her own image, gripping his collar tightly like a last lifeline, terrified.
“Are you alright?”
Hong Woo Geon, who had endured the pain alone, was instead worried about her.
“…I’m fine.”
Along with Kwon Jwa Woo’s answer, her breath fell directly onto Hong Woo Geon’s face.
“That’s a relief.”
Hong Woo Geon sighed in relief.
Perhaps because of her upper body pressed tightly against him, even his small movements were fully transmitted to her.
Thump, thump thump, thump thump thump.
The sound of a heartbeat, indistinguishable whose it was, pounded close to Kwon Jwa Woo’s ears. As she pondered how to act in this immediate situation, Hong Woo Geon’s lips slowly approached her ear.
“By the way, what should we do?”
“…?”
His whisper reached Kwon Jwa Woo’s ears.
“From now on, we’re both accomplices.”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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