“Are you saying I should write a novel featuring the main character from the Zhuge family?”
Huh?
“If you’re really Ho Pil, then prove it!”
I had somewhat anticipated their reactions, but the suggestion from the Elders’ Council came in an unexpected way.
“To see if you’re really Ho Pil and if your literary talent is truly worthy of debate, wouldn’t writing a new novel be the best way?”
“Of course!”
“Right! If you’re really Ho Pil, you should at least write a novel where someone from our family is the main character!”
I have no proof that I am Ho Pil. Even if I hand in a rough draft, while living with Miss Zhuge, all I would hear is sarcasm about whether I prepared fake evidence or not.
If I am Ho Pil, I could write a new novel.
If Ho Pil’s literary talent is truly outstanding, I could satisfy the Elders’ Council.
It makes sense. A new story featuring a main character from the Zhuge family. It is certainly a reasonable method of confirmation.
But, you know…
“I refuse.”
I had to reject this proposal.
——
“What?!”
“You’re not going to write it?!”
The Elders’ Council seemed taken aback by my outright refusal.
“Why on earth?!”
Why, you ask?
“I still have two stories that aren’t finished. And now you want me to triple it? I can’t accept that.”
I can barely manage two styles, let alone three! Otherwise, I might get metaphorically decapitated by the readers!
“Are you saying you can’t write a single novel to prove your talent?”
Elder Councilman Il shot me a look as if he couldn’t believe it.
“In a few months, the readers of The Rise of the Tang Family will have been waiting for the next volume for almost a year. Since we need to release The Rise of the Tang Family, it seems Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes will have to wait months. Given this situation, you want to write a new novel? I won’t do something irresponsible as a man!”
Father-in-law. Your son-in-law is a responsible man! I turned and glanced at my father and answered.
“I heard you published at least three volumes a year. Can’t you just use one of those for a new book?”
Three volumes a year, huh?
It seems the Elders’ Council has checked the estimates. In a world where a literary masterpiece can take ten years to publish, I suppose they thought one of the three could be a novel about the Zhuge family.
Elders. But, you see, I think you’re missing something.
“I am now the successor of Man Geum Battlefield. My responsibilities have increased.”
I have to take on successor training; if Mr. Jang Noya gives me a few businesses, I’ll need to manage those as well. How can I balance three styles?
Elder Councilman Il nodded at my words, yet he didn’t give up, looking at me with determination.
“You’re here precisely to take on those responsibilities, aren’t you?”
“…”
Zhuge Hyang. You have to take responsibility for your lover, don’t you?
Caught off guard by the truth of that, I momentarily lost my words. After all, I am standing here to take responsibility right now.
“A poet showcases their talent by responding to a given theme. As a writer, isn’t receiving a literary prompt and answering it the best way to demonstrate your talent?”
Responding to a theme is a common occurrence, even in drinking games.
Although it’s rare to have a pre-defined main character, what’s the difference? The elders are nodding way too confidently!
Well, I have my own response to give.
“Just because I have the talent to compose a poem in seven steps doesn’t mean I want to write one while standing on a sharp blade!”
As soon as I finished, the elders’ faces turned bright red.
“You brat! Are you comparing us to the Zhao family at Zhuge family’s home?”
Elder Councilman Lee is angry now.
Well, it’s understandable. The historical reference I made was about the Seven-Step Poem. I just invoked the tale of Zhao Bi from the Wei Kingdom at the Zhuge family’s gathering.
After Cao Cao died and Zhao Bi became the heir, he grabbed the life of his brother Zhao Shiq and challenged him to write a touching poem in seven steps.
In the end, Zhao Shiq composed a freestyle rap that moved the officials and Zhao Bi to tears in just seven steps, but he barely escaped with his life, exiled to the countryside.
A testament to Zhao Shiq’s talent and a symbol of the cruelty of the Wei Emperor, Zhao Bi.
I just insulted the Zhuge family Elders’ Council by comparing them to that Zhao brat.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Do you think writing atop a blade would truly qualify as Ho Pil’s writing?”
Get it? You Zhao Bi’s! Forcing an author? Have some shame!
Some elders turned crimson upon realizing my intent.
“You brat!”
“If you don’t prove your literary talent, what about your wedding problems?”
“There’s not just one way to prove my talent. If you’d like, I can make sure a character from the Zhuge family appears in Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.”
New novels aren’t the only way to prove myself.
At any rate, I need to keep writing Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes and The Rise of the Tang Family. Structuring episodes is not difficult. Let’s reach a compromise here.
“If that’s not sufficient to assess your talent?”
If you won’t budge, then Ho Pil, the author, has a solution. With a determined expression, I spoke.
“If no one can recognize it, I’ll simply cut the guqin strings.”
I am Ho Pil. Taste my resolve.
“…!”
The story I just referenced was the tale of Bai Ya’s Broken Strings. If I lose Miss Zhuge, and even the Elders’ Council cannot recognize me, there’s only one way.
“I’ll declare I’ve quit writing?!”
“What do you mean?!”
I didn’t expect them to react to quitting writing.
Elders! I may bend my waist all I want as Kang Yoon-ho in social settings, but the quill of writer Ho Pil does not bend easily.
Let’s see how tough this gets!
As my refusal hung heavily in the air, one person watching quietly raised their hand.
“Let’s take a break.”
“Head of Family?”
“I’d like to speak with that child alone for a moment.”
——
“Let’s have a cup of tea.”
Maybe the atmosphere got tense. To calm everyone down, my father-in-law brought me to the Head of Family’s office.
I must have been too agitated. As my father poured tea for me, I felt my mind clear with every sip. Truly, the Zhuge family has healing potions in their tea.
Taking a moment to enjoy the tea while calming my fluttering heart, I asked,
“Father-in-law, do you not believe that I am Ho Pil?”
I asked cautiously, wondering if my father-in-law would agree, but he simply smiled and set his cup down.
“I enjoyed reading your work, Ho Pil.”
“…Thank you, Father.”
So he has no doubt! Those words were more delightful than the hot tea warming my stomach on this chilly day.
“Well, when you’re the head of a martial family…”
My father-in-law turned to the window, continuing his thoughts.
“People mistakenly believe they have absolute power. In reality, they have to keep an eye on many people, especially the stubborn elders of the family.”
“Father.”
He turned to look at my face, which must have been stiff with worry.
“You handled it well.”
“Pardon?”
“You refused well.”
“Were you not saying I should follow the Elders’ Council’s wishes?”
I thought I was meant to follow their orders passively.
Laughing at my puzzled expression, my father-in-law continued.
“Why should you care about the elders of the family? They’re not your family members or our children.”
“But…”
They are forcing me!
Did my father-in-law recall something from his past as he observed my frustrated face? With a nostalgic expression, he regarded me.
“They’re just envious.”
“Envious, you say?”
“I had my reasons to obscure my intentions, but in the end, their thoughts are aligned. Why would Ho Pil, set to marry into our Zhuge family, only write about Mount Wu and Sichuan Tang Family?”
“Are they not trying to test whether I am indeed Ho Pil?”
He chuckled, shaking his head.
“Having said that in front of the elders, do you think anyone would genuinely doubt you’re Ho Pil? They’re merely making a show of opposition for appearances’ sake.”
“…”
So, they just want to see me write a novel about the Zhuge family, huh?
“Now that they’ve grown older, they’re realizing that forcing someone to fulfill their desires is a faster route than just asking nicely. They simply want to see the work of writer Ho Pil who is marrying into the Zhuge family. They’re just displaying their greed.”
Could it be that something similar happened in the past? My father-in-law sighed lightly as he gazed at the ceiling.
“You can jump into the Hongcheonmirijin while smiling, but…”
“I know. How could you break a writer’s stubbornness? The elders are just trying to push someone who isn’t from the Zhuge family.”
“…”
What should I do?
While I pondered in silence, my father-in-law mumbled to himself.
“However, if they think you’re going to be one of the family elders someday, it’s not entirely necessary to be on bad terms.”
“U-Um, Father? What do you mean by that…”
Becoming one of the family elders. There’s only one way for me to become an elder of the Zhuge family.
“Cough, cough! If that were the case! If!”
Was that an awkward slip of the tongue? My father-in-law quickly cleared his throat and turned away.
“The main character of the Zhuge family…”
“You handled it well. If you comply mindlessly, they’ll just keep coming back for more. But if you’re asked nicely, that changes things.”
“Asked nicely?”
“I hear no one is leaving the conference room. That shows their desperation. Given that, doesn’t it become a request rather than a demand? When asked, they might be willing to offer a lot.”
As expected of my father-in-law. His understanding of the situation is filled with the experiences of being the head of the Zhuge family.
“Father.”
What should I do? My father-in-law added, sensing my confusion.
“You don’t have to do it if you’re uncomfortable with it. The ones you truly need to get permission from are not the Elders’ Council, but me. So, go ahead and do as you like.”
———
“I was against this from the start!”
After giving it considerable thought and firming my resolve, I reached the entrance of the conference room, where I heard a noisy voice.
“Seriously, these literary types! They all have such eccentric personalities.”
“No matter what, it’s a seven-step poem! There are things you can say and things you can’t!”
“Isn’t that Ho Pil! It’s scratching the pride of a writer!”
As soon as I opened the door, all eyes in the conference room focused on me.
“Is the discussion over?”
I didn’t respond immediately. I walked slowly to the center of the room, maintaining silence until the commotion settled down.
What should I say? With all eyes on me, I announced my decision.
“I’ll write it.”
“Are you serious?!”
“Only, I have conditions.”
Normally, I wouldn’t be able to put forth conditions. However, after rejecting them once, as my father-in-law said, it now becomes a request rather than a demand.
Let’s negotiate.
I’m not here to meet a demand. I’m fulfilling the elders’ request! So, if you don’t put something on the table, I’ll turn right around.
I fixed my determined gaze on the Elders’ Council.
“Speak.”
Elder Councilman Il nodded as if he understood.
“If you like the novel I write, then support me.”
“Of course.”
“Naturally. That was a baseline condition.”
“There’s no reason to oppose.”
I shook my head as positive responses followed one after another.
“I’m not just asking you to agree to the marriage.”
“Then, what do you mean?”
“I want you to support me, the black-haired author, Ho Pil.”
“Support yourself, not just the marriage? Are you planning to reveal your identity to everyone?”
“It might not be possible right away. However, when the time comes to remove my mask, I want you to be my shield instead.”
Just because I’m marrying Miss Zhuge doesn’t mean I automatically become a member of the Zhuge family. I’m still an outsider connected to the Zhuge family through marriage, not by blood.
If I just get the marriage permit and wipe my hands clean, it wouldn’t be worth it. The elders of the Zhuge family are prominent figures in the martial arts world and have ties to the government, so I must leverage that.
Elders! If I find myself in trouble because of my identity someday, you must actively shield me to keep my motivation to write alive.
“I’ll ensure it’s in the name of the Zhuge family Elders’ Council.”
After some lengthy discussion, the council eventually nodded.
I didn’t think the decision would be made so quickly. Good. Let’s move on to the next topic.
“Secondly, do not interfere.”
“Do not interfere?”
“While the gift is given by the giver, the answer comes from the heart of the writer. Even if I write about the Zhuge family’s protagonist, the character I create is still my main character, not the Zhuge family’s. So please refrain from interfering with whatever I write in the future.”
It becomes a problem if suddenly someone asks for a specific character or insists on adding a powerful move. I don’t want to be interfered with.
It was certainly a point worth getting stuck on.
“Of course. That’s a reasonable agreement.”
All the elders nodded in consent.
“Next.”
“Is there a third one?”
“There’s one last condition.”
The protagonist from the Zhuge family, if I’m going to create a new story, there’s one final condition I need to clarify.
“Speak.”
“I’ll write a single volume.”
“What?!”
“You’re saying you’ll only write one?!”
I nodded with a firm expression at the flabbergasted elders.
“I want to write a story I can take responsibility for. And right now, the only thing I can commit to is writing a standalone story, unlike the serials like The Rise of the Tang Family and Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.”
A single short story for the purpose of getting married.
With the support of the Zhuge family’s Elders’ Council, having no interference in the content, I’ll write just one story for the marriage permit.
That was the most I could compromise.
“Hmm… Let’s have a short discussion.”
They didn’t readily accept my final condition.
“If you agree, I’ll be writing the Zhuge family’s protagonist.”
I wasn’t willing to compromise any further. If they want to determine whether I’m Ho Pil to uncover my talent, doesn’t a single volume suffice?
It wouldn’t be easy for the elders to refute that logic as they continued to discuss amongst themselves.
The Elders’ Council meeting carried on significantly longer than the earlier two conditions.
“Alright. Go ahead. But you must put the same effort into it as any other story!”
In the end, permission was granted.
“Of course. I’ll inform you soon.”
Don’t worry.
I’ll have them crying for volume two.
