Chapter 80: Hell Part 2

(TN: I forgot to mention one thing before. Although the mc is called Bright Moon General, he is still not a general-level officer. He still needs to climb up the ranks a bit for that. But since he has the General title itself, we can see that he is not that far off.)

– Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong is destined for greatness. He knows how to attract people to him and his martial strength is outstanding, so he will soon become a general-level official.

– Father, I heard that the people of the Inbong clan had recruited the Bright Moon General. Considering the future political landscape of Cheongdo Palace, if we let him go easily, it could lead to significant trouble later on.

Chief Councilor In Seon Rok was sitting alone in a pavilion set up in the house of the Jeongseon clan while sipping a glass of wine.

The commotion happening within the palace was due to the appearance of a higher demonic spirit in the Anhyang region. As one of the high officials responsible for the country’s future, his mind had been more troubled lately.

Amidst all this, his most beloved daughter In Ha Yeon had come to inquire about the Inbong clan.

He was aware that Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong had welcomed people from the Inbong clan, but he hadn’t imagined that even In Ha Yeon who usually showed little interest in court affairs would speak so seriously about it.

It seems Ha Yeon has indeed matured.

As a father, he felt mixed emotions when he saw his daughter whom he had only thought of as a beautiful child now taking an interest in the affairs of the court.

Still, if his daughter wanted to accomplish something, the natural instinct of a father was to support her.

Even Chief Councilor In Seon Rok, who was sitting at the top of the Cheongdo Palace, was just a father at heart.

“We are selecting a few people from the Jeongseon clan. Considering the location of the Hwalseong District of the Bright Moon General, it seems it could be used as a future military stronghold. There are undeveloped mines and clean water sources on the outskirts, along with many empty lots that could accommodate numerous technicians; so it seems to be the ideal place for developing metallurgy. A recommendation has been submitted to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It seems the Jeongseon clan will lead this effort.”

The Vermilion Princess was someone who, while training in martial arts, never neglected her avid reading of practical studies and technical books.

To the Vermilion Princess who was well-versed in all fields, the White Princess who secured her position in Cheongdo Palace through mere politics, calculations, and scheming, was not someone she could regard favorably.

Nevertheless, her innate character led her to attempt to embrace the White Princess.

“One might not always get along with the Vermilion Princess, but she could never be an enemy,” was a saying circulating within the palace regarding her character.

This showed how the Vermilion Princess had never actively antagonized or sought to keep someone in check.

However, the White Princess crossed the line this time.

The Vermilion Princess was deeply displeased that the White Princess openly recruited Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong to influence the court and tried to bind him through the Inbong clan.

At first, the White Princess only felt a vague sense of exhilaration at the Vermilion Princess’s jealousy…

But the power that a truly angry Vermilion Princess could mobilize was of an entirely different scale from what the White Princess had imagined.

“I came to say hello in advance, as it seems that many technicians under the protection of the Jeongseon clan will be coming in during the process.”

“Why are you telling me this? Isn’t it General Seol Tae Pyeong who manages the Hwalseong District?”

“That’s because the people assisting General Seol Tae Pyeong are from the Inbong clan.”

Although she spoke with a seemingly gentle smile, to the White Princess, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon’s smile appeared rather unfamiliar.

Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon never smiled like that.

Usually, she showed only a kind and soft smile that embraced others, but now, she was smiling broadly at the White Princess.

The White Princess knew.

That smile was meant for those she regarded as enemies.

The White Princess had turned Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon into an enemy.

It was a scary smile that confirmed that fact.

The White Princess had to understand. General Seol Tae Pyeong was a double-edged sword.

Embracing him within her faction meant accepting the accompanying side effects.

It was not easy to judge in advance what those side effects might be. People’s hearts are always as tumultuous as a stormy sea.

The fact that the always kind and wise Vermilion Princess would suddenly become so aggressive was proof of this.

Is that so… Vermilion Princess has seen through the fact that the Inbong clan intends to politically exploit General Seol Tae Pyeong…

The White Princess quickly hid her expression under her sleeve and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

The wise Vermilion Princess knew better than anyone that the people from the Inbong clan should never be trusted.

General Seol Tae Pyeong was fundamentally a military officer who spent most of his day training in martial arts.

His ability to understand the political intricacies of the Cheongdo Palace should be limited, so the Vermilion Princess worried that he might have fallen for the sweet talk of the Inbong clan.

…Does the Vermilion Princess not yet fully understand the person that General Seol Tae Pyeong is?

The White Princess who had engaged in a war of nerves with Seol Tae Pyeong under the moonlight at the White Tiger Palace knew better.

Seol Tae Pyeong who spoke of manly spirit and such might seem like a simple and ignorant person at first glance, but he was capable of making political judgments when it mattered.

Compared to his days as an apprentice warrior, he had grown much wiser and even the Inbong clan could not easily manipulate him.

Or… perhaps the Vermilion Princess simply disliked the idea of the Inbong clan trying to control General Seol Tae Pyeong.

Honestly, it was scary.

The fact that the Vermilion Princess who never turned anyone into an enemy had begun to actively antagonize her was truly scary.

However, to succumb to fear now would achieve nothing. If the White Princess had been that kind of person, she would never have risen to become the mistress of the White Tiger Palace.

Moreover, the person from the Inbong clan under Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong was Ha Si Hwa. Among the people of the Inbong clan that the White Princess knew, Ha Si Hwa was the most competent.

Whatever trick they tried to use to push Ha Si Hwa of the Inbong clan out from under Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong, she would find a way to counter it.

Even though she was the mistress of the Four Great Palaces, there were limits to how much she could interfere in the affairs of the court.

“It seems the Vermilion Princess is concerned about the affairs of our Inbong clan as well. This makes me feel like I have gained a thousand allies.”

The White Princess mustered the courage to smile.

Her appearance was truly dignified which was a stark contrast to the turmoil in her heart.

“I will personally convey this to the people of the Inbong clan. It would be wonderful if this event could mark the beginning of a good relationship between the Jeongseon clan and the Inbong clan. As you know, Vermilion Princess…”

The White Princess maintained her dignified tone to the end.

“…we have had many issues, haven’t we?”

The next day, the Azure Princess from the Azure Dragon Palace came to visit the White Tiger Palace.

“……”

The mental exhaustion the White Princess felt from meeting with the Vermilion Princess the previous day was already too much, and now with the appearance of the Azure Princess, who rarely left the Azure Dragon Palace, her head was starting to spin.

She wondered what was so special about Seol Tae Pyeong that he attracted such urgent attention from these princess consorts, but given the circumstances, she had to convey clearly what needed to be conveyed.

Seol Tae Pyeong had been recruited by the Inbong clan. She resolved to clearly communicate this critical fact, but…

“White Princess, you are indeed cunning.”

Unlike the Vermilion Princess who attacked while maintaining palace manners, the Azure Princess bluntly said whatever came to her mind without any restraint.

Despite her young age, Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang was not entirely ignorant of palace manners.

Yet she spoke bluntly when necessary…. This actually put the White Princess in a difficult position.

She was the complete opposite of the Vermilion Princess.

“Your intentions to use Bright Moon General as your stepping stone are too obvious, and it’s worrying me.”

“……”

Such a statement was nothing but an invitation to fight.

However, what good would it do for the White Princess to start a fight with the Azure Princess at this point?

“It seems the Azure Princess has a big misunderstanding…”

“I can see through all of the White Princess’s intentions.”

Nevertheless, the Azure Princess was sharp in discerning her opponent’s true intentions at critical moments.

Seeing the coldness in her eyes as she stared at her, the White Princess had to pause and consider how to respond.

It was about a week after Ha Si Hwa had joined the fief of Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.

In fact, there was nothing special about the work of a manager. For Ha Si Hwa, who had spent her entire life handling paperwork, managing a slum in a remote area was not a big deal.

Having easy work meant there was plenty of time for her to think about other things.

And it seemed like a good idea to learn more about the person named Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong and make him rely on her abilities and wisdom.

The basic principle of dominating any organization was to become an indispensable person inside it.

Ha Si Hwa was very perceptive in this regard, and during the first week, she intended to observe the people of Hwalseong District.

In this way, she tested the waters with the closest aides, Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong and Adjutant Bi Cheon, several times…

“Manager, you’re thinking too much.”

One day, Cheong Jin Myeong said this to Ha Si Hwa after returning from a mission to subjugate some lower demonic spirits.

She never particularly liked Cheong Jin Myeong who always wrapped his face in white cotton cloth and led those sinister-looking Black Moon Unit members…. he was a person who occasionally came in to poke at her weak points.

“Just performing your assigned duties is the proper way for a servant, and the Bright Moon General recognizes abilities if you do so. Don’t overthink it, just do your job to the best of your ability.”

Cheong Jin Myeong said this and continued to spend his time subjugating lower demon spirits on the outskirts of Hwalseong District.

Even after shedding his apprentice warrior status, Adjutant Bi Cheon continued to focus solely on martial arts training and maintaining the environment for the Bright Moon General.

Do the people here know nothing about politics? Should I call them naive or just plain stupid?

Having survived for a long time in the Inbong clan, Ha Si Hwa found it difficult to adapt to the atmosphere of the Hwalseong District.

Still, if this was a place where naive people gathered, it would be easy for her to manipulate and control them, so it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In any case, since the White Princess who was a prominent figure in the Inbong clan had high expectations of her, fulfilling her role here could be the driving force for her to climb higher.

Ha Si Hwa steadied her mind and started preparing to take control of Hwalseong District step by step.

“Next month, the Chief Councilor himself will visit Hwalseong District.”

The next day, Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong casually brought in this disastrous news.

Although she thought the work itself would be much easier compared to her days as an Inspector in the Ministry of Works, the political situation at Cheongdo Palace had changed rapidly since the Inbong clan began to support Seol Tae Pyeong.

“The… Chief Councilor himself?”

Chief Councilor In Seon Rok.

The news that the head of the Jeongseon clan, who controlled all the high officials of the main palace, would come personally felt like a bolt from the blue to Ha Si Hwa.

“It seems the council has a plan to develop Hwalseong District, and it looks like the Chief Councilor will personally observe the situation. Later, the Emperor himself might come for an inspection, so the Chief Councilor is coming for a preliminary visit.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Moreover, we have no choice but to bring in a large number of Jeongseon clan technicians, so the head of the Jeongseon clan would naturally want to check how the Hwalseong District is operating.”

As usual, the Bright Moon General who was practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard of his mansion spoke about such matters to Ha Si Hwa who was attending to him in a casual way. As if it was no big deal.

“You can handle the guest reception procedures, right? As a palace official, you know much better than I do how important the Chief Councilor is, so handle it well. I have a lot of work to do until then, so I’m quite busy.”

“B-But…”

“Whew …”

There were rumors among the people of Hwalseong District that Seol Tae Pyeong was a good lord…

But in reality, being a good lord often meant that working under him was like hell.

“When I say jump, you jump.”

Ha Si Hwa began to realize that the situation was getting strange.

The Jeongseon clan and the Inbong clan. These two forces that were represented by the Vermilion Princess and the White Princess seemed to be gearing up for a clash in the Hwalseong District.

Ha Si Hwa started to notice.

Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong was planning to walk a tightrope between these two forces.

Between the most powerful factions in the Cheongdo Empire.

…Is he out of his mind?

This was something that couldn’t be done without incredible courage.