Chapter 28: Grand Historian (1)
“Get up!”
Wi Yeonho fell into deep thought.
‘Should I just get up? Either way, lingering here won’t make her back off so easily. No… I should at least pretend to still be asleep a bit longer. Maybe she’ll just leave. And even if she doesn’t, every second I hold out is a win…’
At that moment, cold water splashed onto Wi Yeonho’s face.
“Gah!”
He threw off the blanket and shot up from his bed.
A chilling downpour of cold water had just soaked the bed completely.
“What the hell are you doing!”
Standing there with a large bucket in her hands, Mun Eunji looked down at him with a satisfied smile and calmly replied.
“You wouldn’t get up.”
Faced with that refreshingly bright smile, Wi Yeonho answered bluntly.
“Isn’t it basic courtesy to at least try a second time?”
“You’re not the type to get up even if I did.”
“And so you poured water on someone sleeping? On the bed?!”
“No need to worry. I’ll be the one cleaning it up anyway!”
Wi Yeonho ground his teeth in frustration.
But Mun Eunji wasn’t exactly wrong either. Grumbling, Wi Yeonho pulled off his soaked upper garment.
“What! What is it this time, this early in the morning?!”
With a calm face, Mun Eunji handed him the clothes she had prepared.
“Here, change into this.”
“Well, look at that. You were fully prepared, weren’t you?”
“No more talking, just hurry and change. Father called for you.”
“Scholar Mun did?”
“Yes. So get ready quickly.”
“Get ready?”
“Yes! Change your clothes and get ready! Please just move faster!”
“...Really?”
“Do I have to hit you with another bucket of water to get you moving?”
Wi Yeonho shook his head with a sour expression.
“Not that...”
He stared blankly at Mun Eunji.
She raised her voice in frustration.
“What are you doing?”
“Hmm, should I start getting ready?”
“What do you think I’ve been saying?”
With a reluctant sigh, Wi Yeonho slowly nodded.
“Fine, though I really don’t want to... I guess I have no choice.”
Then he reached down and grabbed the waistband of his pants.
“Kyaah! What are you doing!”
“You told me to change. But you’re just standing there, not leaving, while rushing me to get ready. What else am I supposed to do? And seriously, I didn’t know you had such... tastes. You’re surprisingly open-minded. The Confucian Forest sure has changed.”
“What nonsense are you spouting!”
With a shriek, Mun Eunji bolted out of the room.
Thud!
The door slammed shut so hard it seemed ready to break. She leaned against it, panting.
“Seriously...”
The more she dealt with him, the stranger he seemed.
“I can’t believe this!”
She grumbled endlessly and raised her hand to her face. Her cheeks were burning with heat.
“So what if I saw a different side of him yesterday! He’s still lazy and shameless! I really hate him!”
To be honest, she had viewed him slightly differently after what happened the day before.
But human nature never really changes.
There was no way that slacker would ever look good in her eyes.
“If you’re going to be lazy, at least have a decent personality!”
Lazy.
Bad personality.
Stripping his clothes off anywhere without warning.
“I really can’t think of a single good thing about him.”
Just then, a faint sound came from the room.
Mun Eunji flinched and instinctively shrank back.
‘Huh?’
She pressed her ear to the door.
Faint breathing could be heard.
‘So he didn’t hear me.’
Relieved, she let out a soft sigh.
‘Wait. Am I seriously relieved right now?’
Why would she feel relieved?
It wasn’t something she couldn’t say to his face.
It was simply the truth, after all.
So why was she comforted by the fact that Wi Yeonho hadn’t heard?
She shook her head.
“If I keep getting involved with him...”
Just then, a thought flashed through her mind.
‘Faint breathing?’
Slowly, Mun Eunji opened the door.
And then she saw it.
Wi Yeonho was sleeping soundly in the only dry spot on the bed—perfectly avoiding the area soaked with water.
A vein popped on Mun Eunji’s forehead.
* * *
An old man let out a sigh.
“So, you still haven’t changed your mind?”
Mun Yuhwan gently smiled and shook his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Is this because of Nok Gi?”
Mun Yuhwan didn’t answer.
The old man frowned in frustration.
“I can hold Nok Gi back. Don’t you understand that only by having you in the center can His Majesty gain real power?”
“How could I not understand that?”
“Then why are you still hesitating?”
Mun Yuhwan hesitated briefly, then answered.
“I still lack confidence.”
“Confidence?”
“It’s not just Nok Gi. Yes, he does frighten me. He’s the kind of man who will do anything to achieve his goals. Facing someone like that isn’t easy. But more than that... what truly makes me hesitate is my fear—whether I can truly handle the weight of this responsibility.”
“Come now\...”
“I’ve never held a government post. I’ve lived my life in seclusion. What do I know that qualifies me to step into the imperial court? What can I offer to aid His Majesty?”
The old man looked at him in disbelief.
“Who would dare question the ability of the Grand Historian of the Three Arts?”
“Scholarship alone isn’t enough.”
“Hmm...”
“You know very well that what you want from me requires more than just scholarly knowledge.”
“But the truth remains—no one else is as suitable as you.”
“And yet, I...”
The old man let out a deep sigh.
“Yuhwan.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Lately, their movements have been anything but ordinary.”
Mun Yuhwan looked up at the old man.
The elder he knew wasn’t one to exaggerate or make a fuss.
If he said something was serious, then it truly was.
“If it were only them, I wouldn’t be asking you like this. But it’s not just them. Even within the military and among the scholars, there have been signs of unrest.”
“Unrest, you say…”
Mun Yuhwan’s face stiffened.
“It’s not at a stage where we can conclude anything with certainty. But the fact remains—there is something stirring them from the shadows.”
“Are you suspecting Nok Gi?”
“Not suspecting—I'm certain.”
“Hm…”
Mun Yuhwan’s expression grew solemn.
Nok Gi had long been a problem, blinding the Emperor and seizing power.
But what they were discussing now seemed to go far beyond that.
“That’s hard to believe.”
Mun Yuhwan couldn't readily accept the old man's words.
The Nok Gi he knew was devious, yes—but not foolish. If he were foolish, he would never have survived, let alone risen to such heights in the treacherous politics of the imperial court.
Nok Gi, plotting a rebellion?
It didn’t seem possible.
Of course, if anyone could pull off a successful coup, it might be Nok Gi.
But the Nok Gi Mun Yuhwan knew would never act this rashly. His method was slow and covert—by the time anyone realized his intentions, it would already be too late to stop him.
If others had begun to notice signs of rebellion, that alone was strange. If Nok Gi were careless enough to let such signs slip, he never would’ve made it this far in the first place.
Perhaps sensing Mun Yuhwan’s doubt, the old man spoke in a grave tone.
“It may be hard to believe… but it’s true. There are already officials cooperating with him.”
“But still…”
The old man nodded.
“You’re wondering why, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
Mun Yuhwan couldn’t understand it.
There had been countless rebellions throughout history. But not once had a eunuch been the central figure behind one. A eunuch couldn’t leave descendants—what would he hope to achieve by becoming emperor? Sure, there had been many cases of eunuchs becoming the power behind the throne and manipulating emperors.
Nok Gi was already wielding overwhelming power. What more was there to gain that he would risk treason?
The old man sighed.
“What do you really think of Nok Gi?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said. What is your honest opinion of him?”
“Well…”
Mun Yuhwan answered sincerely.
“We may stand opposed, but I consider him a remarkable figure. He clawed his way up from nothing to reach where he is today.”
“Exactly.”
The old man nodded.
“But let me ask you this…”
“Yes?”
“Could a man rise so high on talent alone?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Don’t look only at the outcome. Think about the process. The internal power struggles among eunuchs are far more terrifying than we imagine. Isn’t it strange that Nok Gi, who had no backing at all, was able to defeat all his formidable rivals and rise to where he is now?”
Mun Yuhwan looked at the old man.
“Well… but didn’t the investigations clear that up?”
The old man nodded.
“Yes, the investigations concluded. Some of his past enemies did die in accidents, but he was found to have no connection.”
“Then isn’t that the end of it?”
But the old man slowly shook his head, his face solemn.
“The timing was far too perfect. And too many people who never even opposed him died of sudden illness. It was as if someone was clearing the path for him in advance.”
“It could be a coincidence.”
“I thought so too, until recently. But observing his recent actions, I began to wonder—what if there’s someone behind him?”
“But he…”
“I can’t say for certain. But that’s the feeling I get. There are too many things that don’t make sense otherwise.”
Mun Yuhwan nodded grimly.
It was something he didn’t want to think about—but the possibility was real.
“If that’s true, then this is no small matter.”
“Exactly. Nok Gi entered the imperial palace thirty years ago. That means, at the very least, someone has been preparing for this moment since then.”
Mun Yuhwan exhaled a long breath.
If it was true, it was far from ordinary.
“Do you have a countermeasure?”
“It’s not easy. Even among the scholars, factions are divided and opinions are fractured. There’s no unity. That’s why I need you. You must bring them together. Only then can we resist him.”
Mun Yuhwan understood exactly what the old man wanted.
But going against Nok Gi was no simple task. If it were only his own life at stake, he would not hesitate to confront him.
But he had a daughter more precious than life itself—and disciples who had received his teachings. Nok Gi was a venomous snake who could eliminate them all without so much as blinking.
“I’ll think on it a bit longer.”
“Help us. Please.”
Just then, a quiet voice called from outside the room.
“Father.”
Mun Yuhwan responded to Mun Eunji’s voice.
“Yes.”
“I’ve brought him.”