The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The Eastern Depot was a special agency directly under the Emperor.

Its main tasks were surveillance and inspection. Based on that, it conducted purges.

It had such high authority that it could even bring down a flying bird, and people were fearful of it.

It was, in fact, very similar to the characteristics of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard also operated directly under the Emperor and carried out similar tasks.

However, if we were to distinguish the differences, it would be the scale.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard originally originated from the Imperial Guard Army.

Therefore, it also included regular soldiers and was large in scale, and the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Commander-in-Chief, also came from a military background.

But the Eastern Depot was a bit different.

Compared to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they could be considered an elite few but covered a wider range.

They acted a bit more secretively, and unlike the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was limited to inspecting officials, they even inspected civilians. Because of this, in the martial world, the Eastern Depot was more feared than the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

What was peculiar was that the head of the Eastern Depot was a eunuch. Currently, the imperial eunuch Hu Gyeong, who served closely beside the Emperor, was the Admiral Grand Eunuch of the Eastern Depot.

The high-ranking managers of the Eastern Depot, called the Executives, were also eunuchs, of course.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard guarded the Emperor, but they were not as close as the eunuchs. Therefore, for Commander-in-Chief Bu Yeong-hu, Admiral Grand Eunuch Hu Gyeong was both a nemesis and a target of vigilance.

It was only natural that he did not touch the tea that the Admiral Grand Eunuch offered him.

“What are you up to!”

“It’s good tea, but you won’t even try a sip.”

Hu Gyeong was a person with thick flesh.

Though he was middle-aged, he had no beard at all, as befit a eunuch. His smooth skin was heavily powdered, giving him an oddly repulsive appearance.

“I would rather drink muddy water than drink tea from the Eastern Depot.”

“It’s so sweet, though.”

Hu Gyeong, drank the tea with a calm posture. It was an elegant tea ceremony without a single sound. That further irritated Bu Yeong-hu.

Bu Yeong-hu struck the table with his hand.

Bang—

The teacups and teapot on the table jumped.

Then, Hu Gyeong smiled slightly and waved his sleeve.

The teapot, which seemed about to spill everywhere, landed softly back in place.

Both Hu Gyeong and Bu Yeong-hu, as befit the heads of special agencies, had extraordinary martial arts skills.

“Don’t blame the Colonel. Colonel Mun is just honest, not someone to discard.”

Colonel Mun was the one who was knocked out by Yi-gang with a blow to the chin.

The incident had just happened today, but Hu Gyeong knew exactly what had transpired.

However, Bu Yeong-hu just snorted.

There was no place in the Forbidden City where the Eastern Depot’s eyes did not reach. It was something expected for a long time.

“The Senior Grand Secretary is making moves. Centered around King Gye-yeong.”

“What business does a mere eunuch have in commenting on the officials’ work?”

“Stop talking nonsense. You already knew, didn’t you?”

The Commander-in-Chief glared at Hu Gyeong with blazing eyes.

With the Eastern Depot’s information network, it would have long since known about the movements of the Senior Grand Secretary.

Political strife in the Forbidden City was nothing new, but a time when the intrigues were as intense as now was rare.

If the Emperor was an incapable ruler, the underlings tended to run wild.

Currently, the factions in Beijing were largely divided into three.

The eunuchs and the Eastern Depot forces surrounded the current Emperor, Gyeongmun Emperor.

The military officials and several ministers united around the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Lastly, the civilian officials centered around the Senior Grand Secretary, Seong Yeok-ju.

On the surface, it was quiet, but it would not be surprising if the balance of power were to collapse and a great purge occurred at any moment.

However, the Senior Grand Secretary had begun to move in earnest.

Though they only attached a young martial artist to two young royals, that couldn’t be all.

Seong Yeok-ju was like a viper.

Considering that King Gye-yeong was one of the few royals who could have a private audience with the Emperor, it was something that could not be overlooked.

“Is His Imperial Majesty still engrossed in mystical arts at Huangtian Palace?”

“Thanks to the Commander-in-Chief and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His Majesty the Emperor is doing well.”

“The principle is that the Embroidered Uniform Guard Northern Command reports directly to His Imperial Majesty and receives orders.”

“His Majesty the Emperor does not want that…”

The Emperor rarely left Huangtian Palace, living with the Taoist priests brought by the Admiral Grand Eunuch Hu Gyeong.

As a result, even Bu Yeong-hu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had not seen the Emperor for a long time.

“Stop with the nonsense! Was it not you who brought in those Taoist priests to blind and deafen His Imperial Majesty! Even the Ten Attendants of old were not like this!”

“Your words are too harsh. How could you misunderstand so…”

The atmosphere turned cold.

Though rage was about to burst out from inside, Bu Yeong-hu forced himself to hold it back.

He hadn’t come here to fight.

“The Senior Grand Secretary will make contact with His Imperial Majesty through King Gye-yeong. Even you cannot stop that.”

“…”

For the first time, Hu Gyeong’s smile disappeared.

“Whatever Seong Yeok-ju is aiming for, it won’t be good for either you or me.”

The Senior Grand Secretary disliked both Bu Yeong-hu and Hu Gyeong, viewing them as ticks sucking the blood of the dragon that was the Emperor.

And indeed, that was the case.

“In a situation where either of our heads could roll, how about we stop fighting for a while?”

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot never stopped checking each other.

Here in the Forbidden City, blood was not seen, but outside, it was different.

Somewhere in Beijing, bodies so damaged they could not be identified were still discarded every few days.

“There’s nothing we can do about the Senior Grand Secretary. And certainly not about King Gye-yeong.”

“Don’t whine so unbecomingly…”

However, Hu Gyeong was already half convinced.

“But we can cut off the limbs of the Senior Grand Secretary.”

They understood better than anyone that the imperial family was in turmoil and the future of the empire was at risk.

But more important than that was one’s own life and success, wasn’t it?

“Whatever they are plotting, as long as the words of the Senior Grand Secretary don’t reach His Majesty the Emperor, it will be fine.”

“The martial artist assigned to guard the Honorable County Princess and the Crown Prince is said to be the grandson of Seong Yeok-ju.”

“That’s right.”

“Keep an eye on him.”

Hu Gyeong quietly drank the cold tea.

Then he replied, “I will.”

It was the moment when both the Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard began to focus on Yi-gang.

---

Yongzhao Palace.

The palace where King Gye-yeong resides.

His young daughter and son also stayed at Yongzhao Palace.

The Honorable County Princess and the Crown Prince get along well.

It was common for twin siblings to quarrel, but despite their different personalities, they got along famously.

Of course, they occasionally had disagreements.

Today was such a day.

“I really don’t like him. Sister.”

“Maintain your dignity. How can a royal go back on a promise once made?”

Watching them converse was like watching one person act in front of a mirror.

However, those in the know could distinguish them.

The Crown Prince had a noticeable mark on the nape of his neck.

The Crown Prince continued to fume, “Didn’t you see him glaring? He’s utterly disrespectful. He’s untrustworthy.”

“If that were the case, Seong Ji-an wouldn’t have brought him to us as a guard.”

“Look at him. Even now, he’s being insolent.”

“Him?”

The Crown Prince glanced over.

A short distance away, Yi-gang was quietly standing.

“He says he’s our guard, but he doesn’t even care about us…”

“Right now, he’s waiting for Father. How could he pay attention to us? We are safe inside the palace.”

In truth, the Crown Prince’s words were nearly unreasonable.

Yi-gang had not yet become the twins’ full-time guard.

What was more important than the twins’ will was the approval of their father, King Gye-yeong.

King Gye-yeong wanted to meet Yi-gang in person, and that was why Yi-gang was waiting in front of King Gye-yeong’s pavilion.

“I’m going to prove that he is unfit to be a guard.”

“Prove…? How?”

“Well… I need to think about that.”

Normally, the Honorable County Princess would have conspired with her brother to do something mischievous.

But right now, she just felt uneasy and didn’t want to do that.

“Let’s go quickly, we’ll get in trouble if we get caught spying.”

“O-okay.”

In her hurry, she dragged her younger brother away.

They likely thought that their conversation could not be heard.

But that underestimated the hearing of a master.

Yi-gang, who was waiting for King Gye-yeong, scratched his ear.

「Bold kids.」

‘Kids of that age are quite a nuisance.’

What did it matter to Yi-gang whether they were royals or not?

He had no respect or reverence for the Ming Dynasty’s royals.

Regarding the two kids, he merely saw them as ones he couldn’t hit.

“Please come in.”

The eunuch attending to King Gye-yeong at Yongzhao Palace ushered Yi-gang in.

The Crown Prince and the County Princess were just annoying kids, but King Gye-yeong was different. Among the royals, he was particularly cherished by the Gyeongmun Emperor.

He was known for his high virtue and deep wisdom, but over time, this reputation had been revised.

Some now regarded King Gye-yeong, Ju Won-jae, as dull, claiming his brilliance had faded and he had become lazy.

Inside the pavilion, King Gye-yeong was waiting for Yi-gang.

“You are the grandson of the Senior Grand Secretary.”

Yi-gang bowed before King Gye-yeong, showing the proper etiquette for a royal.

After shouting ‘long live the king,’ he introduced himself in a low posture.

“…I am Baek Yi-gang.”

“Lift your head, let me see your face.”

Yi-gang lifted his head and looked at King Gye-yeong.

King Gye-yeong was seated in a specially made throne seat.

He was enormous.

It wasn’t that his frame was large. His flesh was excessively thick.

His head was buried in his body to the point that his neck couldn’t be seen, and his belly was as large as southern mountains.

The throne seat, seemingly made to accommodate his body, made a creaking, ominous sound.

“Ho, you look delicate as if carved from jade. It’s hard to believe you subdued an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer alone, considering how young you are.”

“You flatter me.”

Though the weather was still cold, he was sweating profusely.

The one wiping his sweat with silk was the Queen Consort beside him.

The queen consort, called Queen Yuye, had a look that didn’t match King Gye-yeong at all.

She had charmingly beautiful eyes that gently drooped, and a virtuous smile hung at the corners of her mouth.

What was certain was that the harmony between the king and the queen consort seemed exceptionally good.

「Such expressions cannot be faked.」

Queen Yuye’s expression genuinely seemed to care for her husband.

“Even though I have gained so much weight, I need to exercise and move my body, but it’s not easy. Is this what martial arts are?”

King Gye-yeong was not like an ordinary royal. To put it nicely, he was unpretentious; to put it negatively, he was frivolous.

With clumsy movements, he mimicked boxing techniques while sitting.

That was fine, but just moving briefly made him breathe heavily. Queen Yuye wiped his sweat again with a worried look.

“Whew, since the Senior Grand Secretary recommended you, you can’t be an unreliable person. Please take good care of my children.”

“I will protect Their Highnesses the Crown Prince and the County Princess with my life.”

“Haha…”

King Gye-yeong looked at Yi-gang with a peculiar gaze.

Yi-gang sensed that he would be given more tasks.

“But getting out of breath with just a little movement, it’s pathetic.”

“…”

“What do you think, isn’t this body pitiful?”

“I don’t think so at all.”

Yi-gang answered formally to the sudden question.

King Gye-yeong’s eyes, buried in his facial fat, curved into crescents.

“Many people mistake thick flesh for virtue. I don’t think so. What does gaining weight from laziness and overeating have to do with virtue? In that sense, I lack even the dignity of a royal.”

“…”

“There are poor people among the commoners who starve to death, and a fat royal is indeed a sign of lack of virtue and laziness.”

The eunuch standing beside him trembled.

It was a slightly dangerous remark. The Emperor was also fat.

Yi-gang still responded with a calm face, “Isn’t it just that Your Majesty has a good physique?”

“There are plenty of people in this Forbidden City who are good at sweet talk. Are you trying to insult me with the words of a sycophant!”

It was a stern rebuke.

It was almost unreasonable, and because it was unreasonable, it was even more frightening.

However, Yi-gang could not simply say, ‘Yes, you are too fat. You should exercise.’

Yi-gang lifted his head, paused for a moment, and then spoke, “The reason Your Majesty has gained weight is due to illness, how could it be a matter of laziness and lack of virtue.”

“…What did you say?”

King Gye-yeong’s eyes widened.

“Since Your Majesty mentioned it yourself, as a foolish person, I hesitated because I did not know how to respond. Please forgive me.”

“…”

King Gye-yeong was quietly silent.

The one who broke the silence with a small chuckle was Queen Yuye, sitting beside him.