As soon as I opened my eyes in the prison, the first thing I saw was a familiar face of a constable. After listening to the rough situation, I immediately asked him to bring the inspector.
I couldn’t believe it; the head of guards actually showed up. Had he heard the news from his right-hand man?
When the head of guards smirked at the inspector, the mood inside the prison instantly turned grim.
“Such a busy man, it’s rare to see your face here.”
Why is someone who doesn’t do anything but engage in corrupt accumulation showing up here? Throwing bones with words, the inspector isn’t easy to handle either.
I was put in a difficult position.
If the inspector learns that I’ve been drinking buddies with the head of guards, the situation will definitely get complicated. What should I do?
With a troubled expression, I locked eyes with the head of guards.
In that moment, the corners of his mouth lifted. It looked like a pig on the ritual table smiling with only one corner of its mouth raised, but it was a smile that seemed to understand the whole situation.
“Hehe. I heard that someone who can make a bird fall with just a word is suddenly facing the risk of losing his right arm. I felt curious, so I thought I’d take a heavy step here.”
You, who act so high and mighty, can’t even manage your own person, huh? I came to see if it would be interesting to intuit.
As Gu Jook couldn’t hide his mocking laughter, Jung Mun-won reacted immediately.
“Facing a loss? No! Who dares say they’ll cut someone! Head of the Police Officer! What in the world is going on here!”
The junior ninth-ranked official, Head of the Police Officer, who rushed in, had to receive the inspector’s fury without knowing the reason.
“Uh, uh, inspector? Head of Guard, why?! That, that, Ho Pil is a suspect of trying to poison Man Geum-jeon!”
The market and the star inspector appearing in front of a junior official must have left him no choice but to feel nervous.
“Poisoning Man Geum-jeon? Ho Pil, what’s going on here?”
“It seems someone didn’t want the black-haired guy to marry Man Geum-jeon’s granddaughter.”
I shrugged my shoulders at the inspector’s words, pretending I didn’t understand.
“Head of the Police Officer!”
“That, that person was apprehended on site. Of course, there are many questions, but it will be revealed through interrogation.”
Hey, officer. It’s good that you’re trying to calm the inspector, but that kind of explanation backfires.
“Interrogation?! You mean you’re going to torture Ho Pil?!”
“Ah… well, that is…”
“Who said that?!”
Wow, the fire is blazing. If you slip up just a bit more, the officer might get devoured.
“Huh?”
“Who said Ho Pil is a suspect?!”
“Th-that is…”
“The famed Ho Pil, who is well known everywhere, tried to poison Man Geum-jeon?! The very person who is about to become his granddaughter’s groom?!”
“W-we are just following orders!”
Oh, so it was just following orders. Good way to escape responsibilities as a junior official.
“That doesn’t make sense! Tell me. Who ordered Ho Pil to be locked up! Or, if it’s too hard to say, just tell me who said it’s okay to put him in jail. Was it the Head of the Right Guards? Or was it you? Should I go see for myself?”
The problem is that the official in front of me can make anyone above him take responsibility.
“Inspector, how could I say that…”
The Head of the Police Officer, faced with a situation where going forward or backward meant death, was about to burst into tears.
“Tch. This isn’t going well.”
A voice mediating the situation brushed past the furious inspector.
“Head of Guards?”
The head of guards lumbered closer to the officer.
“Open the door.”
“D-Dain!”
Come on, Officer. Stop blocking the inspector and the head of guards. You’re surprisingly stubborn. Or is there pressure from above?
“Ho Pil isn’t that kind of person. There’s surely some misunderstanding here.”
Gu Jook spoke soothingly to the officer, wearing a friendly face.
“Y-yes, indeed. It is our duty to resolve any small misunderstandings without overlooking them…”
Thinking he could communicate a bit better than the inspector, the officer mumbled on.
“Misunderstanding, huh? Do you not understand what I’m saying?”
There’s a murderous intent hidden behind that pig’s smile.
Is that what ‘hiding a knife behind a smile’ means? I’m sure he could hide a few knives in that belly of his.
“…I will open the door. Open it, and untie him!”
The Head of the Police Officer went pale and opened the prison door in an instant.
“Head of Guards…!”
Gu Jook shot a look at Jung Mun-won as if questioning what he was doing, only to scoff immediately.
“Why make things difficult for so many people when you’re going to let him go anyway? Or do you not trust your subordinates at all?”
“That’s impossible! But there are procedures to follow!”
“Is it procedure to keep someone who almost died from extreme poison tied up without showing them to a physician?”
“Wh-what?! Is that true?!”
Jung Mun-won asked me with wide eyes. I expelled all the poison, though. I’m fine. There’s no need to cause unnecessary trouble, so I turned away.
“Hahaha…”
“Why didn’t you say that sooner! Come on out!”
Startled, Jung Mun-won stepped into the prison and reached out to me.
“Thank you. And thank you, Head of Guards.”
After greeting the inspector, I took three steps toward the head of guards.
The inspector couldn’t see my expression. I exchanged a glance. Since the head of guards had rescued me, the situation became awkward, right? Please tidy it up quickly.
Gu Jook casually grabbed my shoulder.
“How long are you going to remain loyal to such thick-headed fools?”
“What?!”
“Head of Guards…”
Disregarding Jung Mun-won’s shock, I looked at the head of guards.
“Those capable ones act too confidently, while the useless ones only bow. It’s not easy to gain people’s loyalty.”
I want you, yet why are you siding with the inspector?
Other people might think this is an enticing recruitment scene, but the head of guards was simply explaining indirectly to the inspector why he saved me and that I’m not betraying him.
“I’m just a lowly black-haired Ho Pil.”
Even infamous corrupt officials can’t just keep their lives while living off their position. Honestly, I was impressed.
“Hehe. I heard not long ago that you solved a case at the government office, and even I was tremendously impressed. Humility is! Anyway, I’ll take full responsibility for this matter. If anything arises, the successor of the Man Geum Battlefield can always come find me first.”
“Elder?!”
So that was why he was being so proactive. The tale of the successor of the Man Geum Battlefield had reached him.
“What’s the point of being next to such a thick-headed fool? That previous proposal is still valid. I’ll welcome you with open arms.”
Once he’d finished his words, the head of guards gave a sly grin to the clueless inspector looking confused and turned away.
“Take care.”
———
“What happened?”
As soon as the physician confirmed there was nothing wrong with my body, the inspector seemed to have been waiting for me to answer.
“You offered me an official position the last time we met.”
It seems his impatience hasn’t stemmed from the situation at Man Geum Battlefield. I smiled and confessed about the strike.
“An official position?!”
“Bribery and threats are good means of persuasion. Since I turned both down, I didn’t want to trouble you by mentioning it.”
Indeed, I had been offered the position of Head of the Police Officer. So it wasn’t exactly a lie.
“It was a rare opportunity.”
Though I had felt like dying next to the star inspector and the market earlier, a fair position is still a fair position.
A position that the black-haired type can’t even dream of. One that would make those who look down on barbarians bow their heads.
I questioned how I could turn down a position like that, responding to the inspector’s serious face with a smile.
“It wasn’t attractive enough to betray my friendship.”
“You….”
“Hahaha. Why are you looking at me as if I’m some odd creature?”
What’s so shocking about that? Isn’t being a junior official with a paltry salary nothing to make a fuss over? After all, I’ll be living as an author and a merchant.
It’s better to maintain my connections with the star inspector.
“…Are you able to explain the situation around you?”
Jung Mun-won couldn’t speak for a moment but nodded and asked me.
“Of course.”
I began explaining why I had been imprisoned.
“…So you became the successor of the Man Geum Battlefield?”
“Though I’m trying to flip the table at the end.”
To think things would turn out this messily. I’ve been boiling inside since earlier.
“It’s common for such things to happen. Alright. I understand what’s going on. What are you planning to do?”
Succession battles happen everywhere. Jung Mun-won seemed to grasp my situation, asking about my next moves.
What should I say?
Since Man Geum-jeon has collapsed, I ultimately have to confront them. I may possess the justification, but the strength lies on the opposite side. To have enough power to throw the confirmed successor into prison.
In situations like this, it’s best to borrow strength naturally. The strongest force that I can wield.
“…I’m not sure.”
I don’t intend to beg for help. I’ll obtain it naturally. I shrugged my shoulders as if I lacked confidence.
“Not sure?”
“The ones on the opposing side are from families that could easily imprison a black-haired barbarian like me. The grandchildren will continue to portray me as the culprit, and since I haven’t formally married Miss Zhuge, it won’t be easy to receive help from my family.”
“Umm…”
Do you understand my situation now? But that’s not all.
“They have sent me assassins twice, and after failing, they now want to poison me. Honestly, it seems like a tough fight.”
“They send assassins after you?!”
His vigorous response is quite nice.
“Is that not enough? In order to obtain Man Geum Battlefield, the same guys who tried to poison their own father and grandfather. They’ve given up their humanity! As soon as they get rid of me, it’s over! What can’t they do to a black-haired guy?!”
Biting down hard on justice, he trembles with rage.
Inspector! Your right arm is in danger. It’s on the brink of losing it all.
“It’s not time to give up yet.”
The inspector gripped my shoulder with one hand.
“But…!”
If you don’t help me now, he will definitely run off to the head of guards.
“I’ll help you, so don’t worry.”
“Y-You mean, the inspector?”
Now we’re talking!
Jung Mun-won coughed awkwardly before speaking.
“Cough. Normally, one shouldn’t involve public authority in others’ family matters, but this is quite a special case, isn’t it?”
“Special case?”
“A person who hasn’t done anything is imprisoned. There must’ve been some pressure from somewhere. If there is pressure, it indicates corruption among the officials, and the corruption among officials…”
“Is something the inspector should investigate personally.”
Indeed, trust in the inspector! I knew it!
“I’ll give you full authority.”
Inspector Jung Mun-won declared seriously.
“Inspector…”
Damn! I always believed in you! I stared at the inspector with tearful eyes filled with emotion.
“We’ll seek out the corrupt officials, and in the meantime, let’s ignore minor expenditures of authority.”
“It’s important to find officials who dare commit corruption after receiving the nation’s sustenance. Even if we have to turn someone else’s house upside down.”
For the greater good, it’s all good if a mere small issue arises. I slyly asked back.
“As long as we don’t cross the line.”
“I’ll gladly work hard within the limits.”
I nodded with a smile at the inspector’s acceptance.
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