Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

“Get up!”

Wei Yan-ho was troubled.

‘Should I just get up? Either way, that woman won’t easily back down from lingering here. No. Still, I should pretend I’m not awake and hold out just a little longer. Maybe she’ll just leave. Even if she doesn’t just leave, at least I can stall for time while I hold out…’

At that moment, cold water poured over Wei Yan-ho’s face.

“Keuhat!“

Wei Yan-ho threw off his blanket and bolted upright.

Ice-cold water had been poured abundantly over the bed.

“What are you doing!”

Moon Eun-ji, holding a large bucket and looking at Wei Yan-ho with a triumphant expression, opened her mouth with a slight smile.

“Because you wouldn’t get up.”

At that refreshing smile, Wei Yan-ho answered curtly.

“Isn’t it basic to try asking at least once more?”

“You’re not the type to get up even if I did that.”

“Even so, to pour water on someone’s sleeping bed!”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who’ll clean it up anyway!”

Wei Yan-ho ground his teeth.

But Moon Eun-ji’s words weren’t particularly wrong either. Wei Yan-ho grumbled as he took off his water-soaked upper garment.

“Why! Why again from the morning!”

Moon Eun-ji held out the clothes she had prepared with a calm face.

“Here, change into these.”

“Oh my? You’ve made all preparations?”

“Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and change. Father called for you.”

“Scholar Moon did?”

“Yes. So hurry up and get ready.”

“Get ready?”

“Yes! Change clothes and get ready! Please move quickly!”

“…Really?”

“Do you want to get another bucket of water dumped on you before you move?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head with a reluctant expression.

“That’s not it…”

Wei Yan-ho stared blankly at Moon Eun-ji.

Moon Eun-ji raised her voice as if frustrated.

“What are you doing?”

“Hmm, shall I get ready?”

“What did you take my words for?”

Wei Yan-ho slowly nodded as if he had no choice.

“I’m quite reluctant but… can’t be helped, I suppose.”

Wei Yan-ho lowered his hand and grabbed his trouser strings.

“Kyaak! What are you doing!”

“You told me to change clothes, didn’t you? You tell me to change clothes, but you don’t leave and just stand there staring blankly, so what am I supposed to do? And then you just keep urging me to hurry. What can I do? That aside, I didn’t know you had such hobbies, but you’re surprisingly quite open-minded. I guess the scholarly community has changed a lot these days.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

Moon Eun-ji screamed “Kwaek!” and ran out of the room.

Bang!

The door closed roughly as if it would break. Moon Eun-ji leaned against the door, breathing heavily.

“Really…”

The more she dealt with him, the stranger a person he was.

“I’m so flabbergasted!”

Moon Eun-ji kept grumbling while raising her hand to cover her face. Her face was heating up, burning hot.

“Look at him again? What do you mean, ‘look at him again’! He’s still lazy and cheeky as ever! I really hate him!”

Honestly, it was true that she had looked at him a bit differently because of what happened yesterday.

But human nature doesn’t go anywhere.

There would never be any reason for that lazy bum to look good in the future either.

“If you’re going to be lazy, at least have a good personality!”

He’s lazy.

His personality is also terrible.

And he goes around stripping off his clothes anywhere.

“No matter how I think about it, there’s nothing good about him.”

Then, a low sound came from inside the room.

Moon Eun-ji flinched and slightly hunched her body.

‘Huh?’

Moon Eun-ji put her ear to the door.

Low breathing sounds could be heard.

‘He didn’t hear.’

Moon Eun-ji stroked her chest.

‘Huh? Am I thinking it’s fortunate right now?’

Why would it be fortunate?

Those kinds of words are things I could say to his face anytime.

Because that’s the truth.

But why am I relieved that Wei Yan-ho didn’t hear?

Moon Eun-ji shook her head vigorously.

“If I get involved with that person…”

At that moment, something crossed through Moon Eun-ji’s mind.

‘Low breathing sounds?’

Moon Eun-ji slowly opened the door.

And then she saw.

Wei Yan-ho sleeping in the corner of the bed that was soaked and messed up with water, lying perfectly in the only spot that hadn’t gotten wet.

Veins bulged on Moon Eun-ji’s forehead.

The old man sighed.

“So, you still haven’t changed your mind?”

Moon Yu-hwan smiled slightly and shook his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“Is it because of that bastard Nok-gi?”

Moon Yu-hwan didn’t answer.

The old man frowned as if frustrated.

“I can block Nok-gi for you. Why don’t you understand that His Majesty can gain strength only when you maintain balance in the center?”

“How could I not know that?”

“Then why are you still hesitating?”

Moon Yu-hwan hesitated a bit before answering.

“I still lack confidence in myself.”

“Confidence?”

“It’s not just Nok-gi. Of course, I’m afraid of Nok-gi too. He’s someone who can do anything for his own purposes. It’s not easy to face such a person. But what makes me hesitate more than that is… the fear of whether I can really handle such a heavy responsibility.”

“Listen…”

“I have never held office until now. I’ve lived my whole life buried in the countryside, so what would I know to step into the great hall, and with what would I assist His Majesty?”

The old man looked at Moon Yu-hwan with a dumbfounded expression.

“Who would dare doubt the abilities of the Three Excellence Grand Scholar?”

“Learning isn’t everything.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t you know well that the role you want from me cannot be accomplished with learning alone?”

“But it’s also true that there’s no suitable person other than you.”

“But I…”

The old man sighed deeply.

“Listen, Yu-hwan.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Their movements have been unusual lately.”

Moon Yu-hwan raised his head and looked at the old man.

The old man he knew wasn’t someone who made a fuss.

If he said it was unusual, then it really was unusual.

“If it were just them alone, I wouldn’t have asked you like this. It’s not just them. Some disturbing movements are being seen among the military and the scholars as well.”

“Disturbing movements, you say…”

Moon Yu-hwan’s face hardened.

“It’s not yet to the point where we can rashly conclude. But it’s certain that there are movements shaking them up.”

“Do you suspect Nok-gi?”

“Rather than suspicion, it’s conviction.”

“Hmm…”

Moon Yu-hwan’s face became seriously hardened.

Nok-gi covering His Majesty’s eyes and wielding power had been a big problem from before.

But wasn’t what Moon Yu-hwan was hearing now beyond that scope?

“It’s hard to believe.”

Moon Yu-hwan couldn’t easily believe the old man’s words.

The Nok-gi he knew was sinister but never a fool. If he had been a fool, he wouldn’t have been able to reach his current position in the imperial court where schemes ran rampant.

Nok-gi plotting such rebellion?

It was impossible.

Of course, with Nok-gi’s abilities, it might be possible to succeed in a rebellion.

But if it were the Nok-gi that Moon Yu-hwan knew, he wouldn’t proceed with matters so suddenly. It was Nok-gi’s way to proceed slowly and secretly, so that by the time others realized, it would already be an irreversible situation.

The fact that others had noticed signs of rebellion in Nok-gi was strange in itself. If his abilities were such that he would show such signs to others, Nok-gi would never have reached his current position.

The old man, understanding Moon Yu-hwan’s feelings, opened his mouth in a grave voice.

“It’s hard to believe, but… it’s the truth. People who are cooperating with him are already appearing.”

“But…”

The old man nodded.

“You want to ask why?”

“That’s right.”

Moon Yu-hwan couldn’t understand.

Throughout history, rebellions had occurred countless times. But not once had a eunuch been at the center of a rebellion. What would a eunuch who cannot continue his lineage do by becoming emperor? There have been countless cases where eunuchs became the center of power and controlled emperors.

The current Nok-gi was also wielding tremendous power. So why would he plot treason to gain more than that?

The old man sighed.

“What do you think of Nok-gi?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just as I said. What do you think of Nok-gi?”

“Well…”

Moon Yu-hwan answered honestly.

“Although we stand at opposing points, I think he’s an exceptional person. He’s someone who really crawled up from the bottom to reach his current position.”

“That’s right.”

The old man nodded.

“But you see…”

“Yes.”

“Could someone have reached their current position simply by being an outstanding person?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t just look at the results, but look at the process once. The power struggles among eunuchs are more terrifying than we can imagine. But isn’t it strange that Nok-gi, who had no power base, defeated all those formidable people and rose to his current position?”

Moon Yu-hwan looked at the old man.

“Well. But wasn’t the investigation into that part all completed?”

The old man nodded.

“That’s right, the investigation was completed. Although those who opposed him in the past died in accidents, it was revealed to be unrelated to him.”

“Then there’s no problem, is there?”

The old man shook his head with a grave expression.

“But the timing was too exquisite. And too many of those who didn’t oppose him also died sudden deaths from illness. As if someone was clearing the positions above him in advance.”

“It could be coincidence.”

“I thought so too until recently. But looking at his recent movements, I thought: might there be someone behind him?”

“But he…”

“I can’t be certain. But I have that feeling. There are too many things that can’t be explained otherwise.”

Moon Yu-hwan nodded with a heavy expression.

It was something he didn’t want to think about, but there was certainly a possibility.

“If that’s true, it wouldn’t be an ordinary matter.”

“That’s right. Since it’s been thirty years since Nok-gi entered the imperial court, it would mean they’ve been waiting for this moment for at least that long.”

Moon Yu-hwan let out a deep sigh.

If it were true, it wouldn’t be an ordinary matter.

“Do you have countermeasures?”

“It’s not easy. When even the scholars are divided into factions and can’t unite their opinions, what countermeasures can we take? That’s why I need you. We need to unite them. Only then can we resist.”

Moon Yu-hwan knew what the old man wanted.

But confronting Nok-gi wasn’t an easy matter. If it were just his own life at risk, he would have faced Nok-gi without hesitation.

But he had a daughter he wouldn’t trade for his life, and disciples receiving his teachings. Nok-gi was a viper-like person who could eliminate all of them without batting an eye.

“I’ll think about it a bit more.”

“Please help, my friend.”

Then, a quiet voice was heard from outside the room.

“Father.”

Moon Yu-hwan answered Moon Eun-ji’s voice.

“Yes.”

“I’ve brought him.”