Chapter 92
Part 17. The Sword Clan’s Golden Seal
Holding young Sang-hyeon as he wept for the mother he had lost, his father spoke.
“Do you know what your mother was trying to leave you with at the very end?”
Young Sang-hyeon nodded.
“…I believe Mother wished that I would not commit murder.”
Surprise rose on his father’s gaunt face.
“How do you know that?”
Young Sang-hyeon kept wiping away the tears that flowed down his cheeks with his sleeve.
“I guessed that was what she meant because I was born under the Heavenly Slaughter Star.”
“…Who dared say such a thing to you?”
“When I looked into the celestial patterns, the stars whispered it to me.”
His father was left speechless.
He was astonished by this child’s abilities every day, yet he could never grow used to them.
To read the celestial patterns was to read the secrets of heaven.
Even in this vast world, such a thing was permitted only to an exceedingly small number of people.
Patting his son’s back, he spoke with difficulty.
“…This father of yours does not necessarily believe that being born under the Heavenly Slaughter Star is a bad thing.”
“…Why is that so?”
His father, who had never been close to books in the first place, racked his brain as hard as he could in order to persuade his terrifyingly bright son.
“Do you know of His Majesty the Founding Emperor, who once established this Central Plains nation?”
“Yes. I have read all of the Veritable Records of the Founding Emperor and their historical drafts, which Elder Ju, who once served as a scholar of the Imperial Household, gave me last time. Also, the work written by Grand Historian Mak Pyeong-ri, who was one of the founding contributors of the Central Plains nation…”
“Y-yes, I understand.”
He hurriedly patted his son’s back, stopping the endless stream of words that was about to burst forth.
“What this father of yours means is, well… I am trying to say how much blood was shed before the Founding Emperor established this nation.”
“…Blood, you say?”
“Yes. And it was not only him. Among those who walked the path of hegemony upon this land in the past, how many sage rulers left their names in history?”
“But among such people, were there not also the worst of tyrants?”
“Yes. That is precisely what this father of yours is trying to say. Even if people walk the same path of hegemony, some become sage rulers, while others become tyrants.”
“But being the Heavenly Slaughter Star is hardly something like that…”
“Would you like to make a wager with me?”
His father looked down at young Sang-hyeon.
“…A wager, you say?”
“Yes. Since you take after your mother and like helping people, from now on, why don’t you help this father of yours handle the small matters of the family?”
A smile appeared on his father’s gaunt face.
“If you stand at the front, everyone will nag at you, so you and I shall do it in secret.”
The tear-filled eyes of young Sang-hyeon sparkled.
“In secret, you say?”
“Yes. A secret just between us.”
His father roughly ruffled young Sang-hyeon’s hair.
At first, they truly began with trivial matters, but his father soon realized there was no need for that.
The speed at which young Sang-hyeon grasped every complicated affair of the family was far faster than the speed at which his body grew taller.
And young Sang-hyeon’s gaze did not remain confined within the family alone.
“Father. According to my analysis and observation of the weather patterns, I believe a great drought will occur this time.”
“…Then I should tell the main family’s business group to stockpile as much food as possible.”
“That will not be enough. In the end, due to the schemes of corrupt officials and merchants, the food will not be properly delivered to the class that needs it most.”
“Do you have a method?”
Young Sang-hyeon answered in a clear voice.
“First, there are shrines honoring Mother throughout Luoyang, so relief efforts can be carried out directly from those places. And if we pressure the local officials…”
Sure enough, just as young Sang-hyeon had said, a great drought struck the northern part of the continent.
However, when the Luoyang Sword Clan and the government opened their granaries, distributed grain, controlled prices, and cracked down on corruption, later scholars would say that starvation across the entire north had been prevented for millions.
In the span of roughly one year, the Luoyang Sword Clan’s old customs collapsed because of young Sang-hyeon, and innovation followed.
***
Then, one hot summer day.
“Father! Father! According to the report, the ‘interest cap restriction law on private loans’ that you and I attempted in Luoyang is working successfully!”
“Ah, our Sang-hyeon has come?”
“Father…?”
Yeon Sang-hyeon, who had rushed joyfully into his father’s quarters, stiffened.
In the middle of the night, his father was putting on armor.
“Has something happened?”
“It is nothing much. It seems a minor problem has arisen in Jiangnan again.”
His father’s greatest achievement was the success of the stabilization doctrine in the Jiangnan region, known both inside and outside the family as the “Jiangnan Conquest.”
However, even after stabilization was complete, accidents large and small continued to occur in the Jiangnan region, which was growing rapidly each year under the influence of the open-port decree.
Once he had finished putting on his armor, his father dismissed the people of the Inner Court.
“Now, take this.”
Young Sang-hyeon knew what it was just by looking at the bundle.
“Is this not the main family’s seal of the family head? Why are you giving this to me…?”
His father placed the seal of the family head in young Sang-hyeon’s hands.
“Would you say this is enough for this father of yours to have won?”
Young Sang-hyeon, possessor of extraordinary intelligence, quickly understood what he meant.
“The wager, you mean?”
His father bent his knees and brought himself to young Sang-hyeon’s eye level.
“For nearly a year, you have accomplished deeds no different from those of a sage ruler.”
“That was all because Father…”
His father shook his head.
“There is no law in this family that says only one who must hold a sword can become the family head.”
His father placed his hands on young Sang-hyeon’s shoulders.
“You have already proven that you can become a fine family head, one who surpasses both your grandfather and this father of yours.”
“Father…”
His father stared seriously into young Sang-hyeon’s eyes.
“This deployment of mine will be carried out in secret.”
“Why is that?”
“This father of yours has left the family too often and poured too much strength into Jiangnan. Perhaps because of that, unpleasant rumors have been heard within the family lately.”
Young Sang-hyeon also knew the top-secret information relayed only to his father, so he silently nodded.
“So, while this father of yours is secretly away, I would like you to fill my empty seat with this seal of the family head.”
His father wrapped his large hands around young Sang-hyeon’s two hands, along with the seal of the family head.
“Can you do it?”
Resolve settled in young Sang-hyeon’s eyes.
“…Please entrust it to me.”
A deep smile appeared on his father’s face.
“You have finally come to wear a rather manly expression.”
“…I am embarrassed.”
His father tightened the strength in the hands holding young Sang-hyeon’s.
“Since ancient times, in this family, when the father is away, the eldest son has been the head of the household.”
One family head spoke to the family head who would inherit the family after him.
“Protect them. Protect your elder sister and your younger siblings. Protect your mothers. Protect this family.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon took one step back from his father and bowed respectfully.
“…This son shall obey your command.”
His father also rose from his seat and respectfully received the bow.
“I leave it in your hands.”
And so, his father left the family.
***
“Inform them that the family head is suffering from a minor contagious illness, and for the sake of those without internal energy, he will now be forced to handle all affairs from his quarters.”
Sitting in the quarters, Yeon Sang-hyeon issued orders one after another.
“From this moment on, seal off the quarters. Regardless of security clearance, forbid entry to all personnel except those of the Inner Court’s sixth rank or above.”
The stewards of the Inner Court ran about frantically, carrying out Yeon Sang-hyeon’s orders.
“All reports and information addressed to the family head are to go directly to the quarters. All approvals shall be processed through documents.”
The Chief Steward of the Inner Court answered.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Chief Steward of the Inner Court.”
“Please speak.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon looked at him.
“Right now, I am not the Young Master. I am…”
He placed the seal of the family head on the desk.
“The acting head of this family.”
Immediately, the Chief Steward of the Inner Court gave a deep bow.
“I shall obey the command of the Acting Family Head.”
Though the family head had left his seat, Yeon Sang-hyeon’s abnormal handling of affairs allowed no void to form in his absence.
The members of the family, who had been somewhat shaken at first, soon exerted themselves in their respective positions as usual.
Late at night, while Yeon Sang-hyeon, who had been devoting himself to official duties, had stepped out into the courtyard to enjoy the night breeze…
“…How strange.”
No matter how many times he looked again, it was the same.
The celestial patterns were warning him of a small but unmistakable crisis.
“Chief Steward of the Inner Court!”
When he called out, the Chief Steward of the Inner Court, who attended him like a shadow, immediately bent deeply at the waist and answered.
“From now on, greatly increase the amount of information that reaches me. Include even all raw intelligence from each intelligence office, before it has been organized.”
“…The volume will be enormous.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon was firm.
“It does not matter. Not a single trivial report must be omitted.”
“I shall obey your command.”
After being buried in a sea of documents for some time, Yeon Sang-hyeon pondered.
‘This is clearly a sign of rebellion. It appears that only an extremely small number are actively cooperating so far.’
He could not punish every single person who might secretly become connected later at this stage.
He decided to go fishing.
***
One hot summer day.
A massive upheaval began among the highest ranks of the Luoyang Sword Clan.
Everything proceeded with utmost secrecy and speed.
Those around them did not even know what was happening.
Some suddenly disappeared, while others hurriedly submitted letters of resignation and returned to their hometowns.
Some were dragged away to the Central Inspection Pavilion, while others were thrown into underground dungeons whose locations were not even known.
In that way, the number of top-ranking figures of the Luoyang Sword Clan’s main family who vanished during that one midsummer alone exceeded twenty percent.
Even in that hot summer, the highest-ranking figures of the Luoyang Sword Clan trembled in fear so much that they firmly shut their windows at night.
In later years, they would call the great purge that took place that summer a bloody history.
But among them, not a single person knew the full picture.
They could only guess who had carried out that sweeping purge, for what reason, and based on what evidence.
***
One early autumn day, when the nights had begun to turn chilly.
Just as he had left, his father returned in secret.
“Acting Family Head! I have heard everything you accomplished! This father of yours feels wonderfully relieved!”
His father entered the quarters with his face full of pride for his son.
“…Sang-hyeon?”
The quarters were dark, without even a small lamp lit.
“Father…”
His son, young Sang-hyeon, was curled up in his blanket, sobbing.
His father rushed over and lifted young Sang-hyeon into his arms.
“Father…”
“Yes, this father of yours has returned. What on earth happened?”
Young Sang-hyeon trembled and showed him his small hands.
“Too many people died. I had to kill too many people. Too much blood flowed.”
Young Sang-hyeon sobbed.
“I merely scattered the bait, but too many people moved. Too many…”
His father hurriedly patted his son’s back.
“It is all right. Were those bastards not all enemies of this family? Were they not traitors guilty of high treason?”
His father blamed himself.
The eldest son he had seen was far too mature, and he had seemed like a grown adult who could smoothly accomplish even things that his father himself would not have dared attempt.
But the boy in his arms was still only six years old.
And one who had inherited his mother’s beautiful and tender heart at that.
“I am sorry. I am so sorry.”
He held his son tightly and apologized again and again.
Could there be a fool greater than himself?
Could there be a father more lacking than himself?
“…That is not it.”
“What do you mean?”
Young Sang-hyeon looked up at him and spoke in a trembling voice.
“I found it so enjoyable. The process was more entertaining than any game.”
“…!”
“…This son is terribly afraid of himself.”
***
A few days later.
An order of confinement was issued to the Young Master, Yeon Sang-hyeon, by the family head.
The reason was not made public, and many speculations ran rampant.
In truth, it was a measure meant to completely isolate and protect his young son from the outside world.
In the garden of Wongakjeong, where flower petals fluttered through the air, father and son sat together affectionately.
“When your heart has calmed, tell me anytime.”
“Yes, Father.”
“This father still believes he won the wager. You did not feel only enjoyment. You also felt fear toward your own actions, did you not?”
“…Yes.”
“…For now, simply give this pathetic father of yours a chance to act as a father.”
Protecting one’s child was a father’s duty.
His father stroked young Sang-hyeon’s hair and left.
***
Then, in the winter of the following year…
Tragic news arrived that his father had collapsed.
Along with a letter his father had prepared in case of emergency, a pouch containing the seal of the family head was delivered to young Sang-hyeon.
Around the time the Council of Elders Chief visited the Senate, at Wongakjeong…
“Master! We finally found it!”
I-ryeong ran over excitedly.
When Jeong-ah received the wooden box and opened it, a black overcoat appeared from within.
“This is…?”
Yeon Sang-hyeon answered with a smile.
“An overcoat woven from black silkworm silk.”
At those words, everyone wore stunned expressions.
“To make clothing from such precious black silkworm silk…”
He took out the black overcoat.
“It is the clothing Father prepared in advance for the day I would become the young family head.”
“…Ah.”
Everyone’s expressions grew solemn.
Unconcerned by the reactions around him, Yeon Sang-hyeon unfolded the garment.
“I have not yet become the young family head, but should I not wear it on a day like today?”
With Jeong-ah’s help, he put on the overcoat.
“Pfft…!”
When I-ryeong saw Yeon Sang-hyeon wearing it, she hurriedly turned her head and swallowed her laughter.
“…The garment is far too large.”
Jeong-ah said, covering her mouth.
It was an overcoat too large even for seventeen-year-old Yeon Sang-hyeon to wear.
“…Just how much did Father think I would grow?”
He muttered as he flapped the excess part of the sleeve.
Jeong-ah smiled gently.
“Perhaps he hoped you would grow so sturdy that even this black silkworm silk overcoat would not be enough for you.”
“…You always surprise me.”
Yeon Sang-hyeon smiled, took off the overcoat, and draped it over his shoulders.
“Then I shall wear it like this for now.”
Before he knew it, all three triplets had gathered and were clapping enthusiastically.
“You look wonderful!”
“As expected of our master!”
“Kyaa!”
Yeon Sang-hyeon looked at the sun rising in the east.
It was the first day that began after his confinement ended.
His expression settled.
“This is where it begins, Father.”