Chapter 75: You Should Have Done Better When You Had the Chance Part 3

“Oh, Lord Bright Moon General. We must both be busy, but it’s nice to see you after such a long time.”

“Why are you being so formal when there’s no one around to see us?”

“Well, there is nothing wrong with being careful about how you behave in everything. The birds listen during the day and the rats during the night. Kuku.”

Having an old friend inside this Cheongdo Palace was truly reassuring.

Especially after I rose to the position of Bright Moon General, I inevitably had to consider the political implications when meeting anyone. And in times like this, meeting people you have known since your lowly days is often of great emotional help.

When I went to the building of the Ministry of Justice to meet an old friend, a secretary who was in a uniform that looked quite sophisticated greeted me warmly.

I heard that he had entered the Ministry of Justice by catching the eyes of some high officials, but I didn’t expect him to be the direct chief secretary to the minister. His rise was indeed fitting for someone from the White Immortal Palace.

There have been many rumors that those favored by Lee Cheol Woon of the White Immortal Palace would become very important in the future, and it seems that these rumors weren’t entirely baseless.

“So, Tae Pyeong-ah. You must have some business to attend to, considering you’ve come all the way to the Ministry of Justice during such a busy time?”

Wang Han who was sorting out the books filled with all kinds of rulings dusted off his clothes and stood up when he saw me.

“Yes, Han-ah… it’s nice to see you after such a long time, but…”

“……”

“Why… have you lost so much weight…?”

My old friend Wang Han whom I hadn’t seen in a long time… He was cut in half.

“……”

“What happened to you?”

I almost didn’t recognize him.

The Ministry of Justice was known to be the most grueling of the six ministries.

It mainly dealt with delivering judgments on judicial matters inside and outside the palace, and working there as a secretary for about two years had reduced Wang Han to this state.

Secretary Wang Han was a rosy, chubby, and familiar figure until he was at the White Immortal Palace… but now, he had become a sharp-looking man that captured the hearts of many women.

He was already famous among the maids in the Ministry of Justice.

“Han-ah…”

“Sleeping only four hours a night and working all day has done this to me.”

Sitting in a pavilion and sharing a drink outside the palace after so long brought back memories of the White Immortal Palace days, and I felt quite pleased.

“Labor indeed wears a person out…”

“What kind of place is the Ministry of Justice …”

“Whatever you do, avoid the Ministry of Justice… It’s the worst place to work in…”

Though he seemed to have been recognized for his skills and had achieved some success, he didn’t look too happy.

“To reach the minister’s position, I would need at least another ten years of this chaos… I feel like my body will give out before then. I need to find a way.”

“Hang in there…”

“But Tae Pyeong, why do you keep coming to the palace when you already have the position of Bright Moon General? There’s nothing good about spending too much time with those stiff-necked civil servants.”

“I came to seek your help, Han-ah. Out of everyone I know, you have the sharpest insight into the power dynamics both inside and outside the palace, and you’re quite skilled in strategy.”

Relying solely on Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s schemes to get things done felt like it would lead nowhere.

So, I decided to seek Wang Han who was the smartest person I know.

“We need some personnel to handle internal affairs in Hwalseong District, and I thought you would be perfect for the job.”

“Hmm… I appreciate the offer, but I have ambitions to take the minister’s position in this ministry, so I have no intention of becoming a local administrator.”

It was just like Wang Han to straightforwardly decline my proposal.

We had known each other for nearly ten years, so he rejected my offer without hesitation, and I accepted his refusal just as easily.

“Still, I can recommend some capable people for you. When I was working in the Ministry of Personnel, I found that there are many talented individuals within Cheongdo Palace who are still in lower positions compared to their skills.”

“Are there any suitable candidates you can recommend? Many individuals with higher ranks often have their own backers, which makes it hard to recruit good talent.”

“Well… the kind of person you’re looking for would be someone capable of handling administrative and internal affairs of the territory effortlessly…”

For a moment, Wang Han placed his cup on the wooden floor of the pavilion and tapped its rim thoughtfully.

Chief Secretary Wang Han was someone who kept all the intricate relationships of the high officials within Cheongdo Palace in his head.

His memory was so detailed that he even knew the lower-ranked individuals in the various departments under the Six Ministries.

Whatever the case, he was considered a capable person.

“There is a woman named Ha Si Hwa, an inspector of residences. She is an upper sixth rank official who is responsible for inspecting and managing the houses established in each district of the imperial capital. From what I’ve seen, she has the potential to rise to higher positions if given the opportunity. She is cunning and clever.”

“Do you think she could be recruited?”

“Well, Tae Pyeong-ah, you have a knack for attracting people but she won’t be easy to handle. She belongs to the Inbong clan.

The Inbong clan.

I had heard of that clan’s name several times.

Wang Han probably assumed I knew something about them, but he still took a sip from his cup and started to elaborate further.

“The people of the Inbong clan would normally be perfect as advisors. They are quick-witted and have a broad perspective; they are a bunch who can calculate the benefits and losses quickly. However, they are usually highly ambitious which makes them difficult to manage, and if you let your guard down, they could overpower you.”

“……”

“The head of that clan Ha Gang Seok, and the current mistress of the White Tiger Palace White Princess Ha Wol. They are both well-known figures, aren’t they?”

Wang Han grimaced as if in disgust.

“The people from the Jeongseon clan who are the most powerful at least talk about justice and morality to some extent, but the atmosphere in the Inbong clan is different… most of them are ruthless and have no feelings.”

“Alright… I’ll keep her name in mind. Since she is from the Inbong clan, I have something else to discuss…”

After saying that, I took out the silk scroll that came from the White Tiger Palace and showed it to Wang Han.

In truth, it was a top secret that should not be shown to anyone, but I could share this much with Wang Han.

“Oh, what’s this… If it’s being delivered on such a high-quality scroll, are you being appointed to some important position?”

Wang Han’s smiling face gradually stiffened as he unrolled the scroll.

After glancing around several times, he lowered his voice and asked with a bewildered look on his face.

“Tae Pyeong-ah… you… are you still messing around with the crown princess consorts these days… How many lives do you think you have…”

“It’s not that… This is a political move from the White Princess…”

“……”

“…Really.”

“Writing love letters like this…? Risking her life to do something about the Bright Moon General…?”

Wang Han shook his head in disbelief as he read the love letter from the White Princess again and again.

There was no need to elaborate on the horrific fate that awaited her if she became involved with a military officer outside the inner palace.

“White Princess Ha Wol… She’s certainly not an ordinary person… If she’s going to play politics in the main palace from now on, she’s someone we’ll inevitably clash with at some point…”

“That’s why I came to get your advice, Han-ah.”

“If it’s come to this, you also need to get a grip on your resolve…”

Although I had recently acquired the position of Bright Moon General and my name was frequently mentioned around the palace, no matter what, I couldn’t challenge the authority of the mistress of the White Tiger Palace.

“Perhaps the White Princess’s goal is to entangle you with her feelings and then somehow tie you down to the Inbong clan…”

“I think so too. However, I didn’t expect the other side to lower her pride to this extent…”

“Well… I can’t say there are no political calculations involved… but whether this love letter is merely the result of such schemes…”

“What do you mean …?”

Wang Han examined the contents of the scroll repeatedly.

Some sections bore the marks of being written and erased multiple times after long periods of agonizing; this was evidence of long contemplation with many expressions and words chosen with great care.

“It’s quite… an earnest love letter to be fair …”

“……”

“I won’t say anything needlessly ominous. For now, the best course of action would be to build an impregnable defense if you don’t wish to maintain any connections with the Inbong clan.”

Wang Han thought for a moment, then nodded his head and spoke to me.

“I can roughly guess what tricks the White Princess might pull. To handle it appropriately… you need to outmaneuver her…”

With that, he began to explain his predictions in detail.

The moon was full in the middle of the sky. This made even the night sky feel bright.

Under a sky so bright that the starlight seemed to hide itself in shame, a man would soon open the back gate of the White Tiger Palace and enter.

In the tea room where the lantern flickered, the maids had all left following the White Princess’s orders.

Only Headmaid Ye Rim guarded the room from beyond the paper door, and if Seol Tae Pyeong came, she would quietly let him in. Even if this was evidence of her lack of virtue, she would keep silent.

The White Princess who was watching the flickering lantern with a quiet and elegant demeanor swallowed dryly for no reason.

She felt nervous. Like a bride waiting for her wedding night…

Though she had sent a lengthy love letter, a person of the Bright Moon General’s caliber would have seen through it all as a political move.

Therefore, both parties were well aware that this meeting was not an embarrassing secret rendezvous.

Nonetheless, she felt inexplicably nervous and her eyes wandered here and there aimlessly.

She had not endured the political arena of Cheongdo Palace for just a day or two, so why was she swallowing dryly over something like this?

She regained her composure when she recalled the harsh life she lived as a cold-hearted person.

Tonight, in this place, she would recruit the Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong to the Inbong clan.

After making that resolve, she confirmed her cold steely heart once more and straightened her back.

Creak

At that moment, the paper door of the tea room opened and Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong entered the place.

So sudden was the event that the White Princess had to catch her breath.

“White Princess.”

Late at night.

In the tea room of the White Tiger Palace.

Perhaps it was because of the moonlight streaming through the open paper door.

A shadow was cast on Seol Tae Pyeong’s face as he entered the tea room and his face was obscured.

– Tae Pyeong-ah.

– Do you know who is the nemesis of those cunning people who try to subtly entangle you like snakes?

“I received… the letter you sent…”

– That’s right…. It’s those who charge forward recklessly without regard for consequences.

“White Princess …! How…! How could someone as esteemed as the mistress of the White Tiger Palace harbor such feelings…!”

Seol Tae Pyeong who was kneeling in the middle of the tea room spoke with a heart full of anguish.

“Ge…General Seol …?”

“But…! This man, Seol Tae Pyeong…! Having received a love letter filled with such passionate feelings from you, I cannot ignore it…! Doing so would also be disloyal!”

With his head still bowed, Seol Tae Pyeong spoke in a resolute voice.

“Someone like you harboring such excessive affection for someone like me, a mere commoner, is an overwhelming honor…!”

“Ge…General Seol …!”

“I believe many trials lie ahead, but…! How can the rules of the world dictate the human heart! The human heart is a precious treasure bestowed upon us by Heaven! Living by abandoning one’s heart to the pressures of the world may align with the rules of Cheongdo Palace, but it defies the laws of Heaven!”

The White Princess began to tremble even more.

From the perspective of Seol Tae Pyeong who held the status of the Bright Moon General, the White Princess’s heartfelt love letter must have felt like a sharply honed blade.

However, there was something the White Princess had not considered.

Though it may seem ridiculous, Seol Tae Pyeong had already overcome the terrifying ordeal of the crown princess consorts’ affection for him multiple times to reach this position.

Regardless of whether such trials were something an ordinary person could endure, Seol Tae Pyeong managed to maintain his composure.

Even if the White Princess used her affection as a bargaining chip, he had the experience to handle it somehow.

“I will gladly accept your feelings, White Princess!”

The basic principle of a battle of wits is to never act according to the opponent’s expectations.

The White Princess thought he would be troubled by her letter and struggle to escape…. but Seol Tae Pyeong went a step further and spread his arms wide to wholeheartedly accept her affections.

Two carriages were racing toward a cliff.

The one who pulls the reins first to stop the carriage loses.

If you want to take control of the situation… you have to somehow accept the antics of the other person who is acting recklessly

“Is, is that so…! Ge-General Seol …!”

The White Princess raised her voice in a dramatic tone and somehow managed to hide her face.

Each moment felt like walking on a cliff’s edge. Despite this, the White Princess perfectly grasped Seol Tae Pyeong’s intentions with her superhuman composure.

He too did not want to lose control of the situation.

An opponent who charges at you with the determination to see who would come out alive. If you want to deal with someone like that, you have to steel your heart.

She was confident in her courage.

No matter how spirited the warrior Seol Tae Pyeong was, she would never lose in this test of courage.

“Ge-General Seol… you have understood my heart…!”

“White Princess! I have always been enchanted by your heavenly beauty…! Even knowing how disloyal these feelings are, I could not suppress them!”

“Aah… General Seol…! My heart races again at the sight of your strong presence…!”

“White Princess …!”

It was not easy…!

Seol Tae Pyeong bit his teeth and held back the shame that surged within him. Here, the one who hesitated first would lose…!

“White Princess … would you like to embrace me once…?”

Seol Tae Pyeong’s strike was unexpected. As he spread his sturdy chest towards the White Princess, she caught her breath for a moment.

“Th… that is…”

If she shook her head here, it would be over.

Seol Tae Pyeong also couldn’t overcome his shame, so he was trying to provoke the White Princess into pushing him away first.

But she couldn’t admit defeat here. The White Princess bit her lips and fell into Seol Tae Pyeong’s embrace.

Though her mind nearly went blank at the sound of his pounding heart, she managed to withstand his unexpected move.

“White Princess…!”

“General Seol…!”

How long would this farce continue?

The desperate duel between the two who were each looking for any opening in the other’s defense seemed to go on all night…

“Even though I have somehow climbed to the position of a high-ranking official with my meager skills… what use is such worldly power if I can be with a woman like you, White Princess…!”

The White Princess who was embraced by Seol Tae Pyeong under the moonlight felt like her heart might stop, and she found it hard to breathe.

When she was actually being held by him, she found that he was more dependable and reliable than she expected. He was definitely a manly and dependable warrior…!

“So… whether it’s my rank or anything else, I want to abandon all of it and take you, Ha Wol …!”

“Gen… General Seol…!”

“So… will you run away with me outside this palace? For your sake, I am willing to live as a fugitive for the rest of my life…! I will give my life to you, White Princess!”

Seol Tae Pyeong’s words pierced her like a dagger.

It was certainly… a perfect response.

No matter how much the White Princess had tried to bind Seol Tae Pyeong with her love letter… even she couldn’t nod her head at such a question…

As Wang Han had said, Seol Tae Pyeong’s attitude was one of relentless advance with no middle ground.

It was a straightforward charge with no hesitation. The White Princess was left utterly speechless. She had never imagined dealing with something like this in her life.

Seol Tae Pyeong looked down at White Princess with sincerity under the moonlight.

Though she felt she had taken a hit, she was momentarily swept up in a strange “temptation”.

Run away together…?

Was it because of his overwhelming momentum?

For a moment, she wondered what would happen if she nodded her head here, but she quickly held her breath and steadied herself. She almost succumbed to that strange temptation.

“Th-That is…!”

“Is it… difficult for you…?”

“It’s just that…!”

“Argh…! Of course…! What am I saying…! I lost my senses for a moment…! How could I dare to propose such an absurd thing to the mistress of White Tiger Palace…! It’s so… so shameful…!”

Seeing Seol Tae Pyeong apologize as if he had been waiting for this moment, the White Princess realized her mistake and swallowed hard.

She had completely fallen into his trap.

From now on, it was likely that Seol Tae Pyeong would take control of the situation.

Confessing as punishment—a counterattack to the counterattack.

Where on earth would this reckless path end? How could this farce which began as a political move be concluded?

Even though nothing could be certain at this point, the White Princess realized at least one thing.

Wow… he has more fine muscles than I thought, he’s definitely a warrior…

The lingering sensation from briefly touching his arm… remained on her fingertips.

No matter how hard she tried to prevent her face from flushing every now and then, there was no way to stop it.

Yes. The White Princess was particularly bad at self-objectivity in these matters.

She had to realize that she was in a severely disadvantageous position in this duel.

Truly… the life of high officials is nothing but exhausting…

The headmaid of the White Tiger Palace Ye Rim, who was sitting outside the paper door, sighed as she brushed her face.

As the headmaid of one of the four great palaces, political schemes were naturally within her scope of understanding.

She knew her mistress better than anyone else. Because the White Princess trusted Ye Rim enough to enlist her help even when attempting such schemes.

For this matter, Ye Rim had already been informed of the rough details…

The scene of the two people wrestling back and forth and trying to gauge each other’s intentions … seemed to Headmaid Ye Rim to be nothing more than a desperate struggle between two high officials.

– The… the moon is beautiful…! It is as if I am witnessing the resplendent and luminous spirit and honor of you, General Seol …!

– No, it is not so…! The moon reflects the elegant and graceful appearance of you, White Princess. How could it not be beautiful…!

However, on the surface, it looked like a tragic love story of two people confirming their forbidden feelings for each other.

Politics.

It really didn’t seem like something just anyone could do.