Chapter 31: Grand Inspectorate (4)
The Great Scholarly Institute, which had always looked down on him with an air of superiority, was now being trampled under his feet. Though he had lived a life that lacked for nothing, whenever he came to this place, he couldn’t help but feel diminished.
At first, he had approached Mun Eunji simply because she was beautiful.
He had believed that someone of his background could take any woman he set his sights on.
But Mun Eunji was different.
She hadn’t even spared a glance at his background.
She had always rejected him, looking at him with eyes full of contempt. It was a humiliation unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
‘That ends today.’
Today, she would kneel before him.
And she would pay the price for rejecting him.
It didn’t take long before everyone in the institute was dragged before him.
Seeing Mun Eunji’s face glaring at him defiantly from the very front gave him an indescribable thrill.
In the distance, people could be seen rushing out in haste. Among them were Mun Yuhwan and Mun Eunji.
“What is the meaning of this?!”
Mun Yuhwan shouted with a furious face.
Nok Mokpung took a moment to appreciate the rage distorting Mun Yuhwan’s features.
It was an oddly satisfying sight to see someone who was always known as the Great Scholarly Historian and maintained a calm demeanor, now overcome with anger.
“Hm…”
Nok Mokpung paused briefly before opening his mouth.
“We’ve received intelligence that there have been suspicious movements at the Great Scholarly Institute.”
Mun Yuhwan shouted back.
“Suspicious movements, you say?!”
Nok Mokpung gave a slight shrug and spoke again.
“We’ve been hearing that powerful figures from across the Central Plains have been coming and going at the institute for some time now. This includes nobles of the previous Prime Minister’s clan, as well as other influential people from across the region.”
“And what’s the problem with that?”
“Tsk tsk. For someone hailed as the Great Scholar of the Three Arts, your reaction is quite slow, isn’t it? What do you think it means when people with both power and force frequently gather in one place?”
Mun Yuhwan’s face paled slightly.
It was all too clear what Nok Mokpung was implying.
“You’re saying we’ve been conspiring treason?”
Nok Mokpung waved his hand.
“Oh dear, I never said such a thing…”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re the one saying that, Grand Historian. Could it be you’ve got a guilty conscience?”
Mun Yuhwan’s face began to tremble.
Treason?!
What an absurd accusation.
Though he wanted to shout in outrage, it was taboo to react emotionally once the word “treason” had been uttered.
“You must know the reason why people have been gathering here! It’s because they came to play Go with the one residing at the institute!”
“That’s right!”
“Let us go! We’re innocent!”
Voices cried out.
Nok Mokpung clicked his tongue.
“You expect me to believe that all these people came from so far away just for a game of Go?”
“It’s the truth! Surely you’ve heard of the fame of the Go Saint of the Institute!”
Nok Mokpung remained composed.
He had never intended to listen to anything they said, so it was only natural for him to stay calm regardless of what they said.
“Rumors? Sure, I’ve heard them. But rumors can be fabricated, can’t they? Besides…”
Nok Mokpung looked around and tilted his head.
He had been about to call out Wi Yeonho’s name, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.
“Where did that brat go?”
A man dressed in black, standing behind Nok Mokpung, spoke up.
“Whom are you searching for?”
“That Go Saint or whatever he calls himself. Where is he?”
The black-clad man’s expression darkened.
“There was no one else left in the institute.”
“Hm…”
Nok Mokpung clicked his tongue with disappointment.
“Did he escape? Or maybe he left beforehand? Escaping after we arrived would’ve been impossible, so he must’ve left earlier. Lucky bastard.”
Nok Mokpung cleanly discarded any lingering thoughts about Wi Yeonho. The brat had left a bad impression, but he wasn’t worth spoiling his mood over.
“In any case, it’s fine. If you’re truly innocent, you’ll be released soon. We’ll investigate the institute, and if we find nothing, we’ll release you and offer our apologies.”
It was then—
“We found something!”
One of the black-clad men came running in urgency.
Nok Mokpung smiled.
“You found something?”
The man approached Nok Mokpung and reached into his robe.
When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a small booklet.
“What is that?”
“It’s a joint petition.”
Nok Mokpung opened the booklet.
Inside were the names and seals of middle-ranked officials.
“Hehehe…”
A cruel smile spread across Nok Mokpung’s face.
“Well, well… With evidence like this, there’s no denying it now, is there?”
Mun Yuhwan’s face turned deathly pale.
“A joint petition?! This is the first I’ve heard of such a thing!”
Nok Mokpung mocked him.
“And yet, you continue to say that even with the evidence before your eyes?”
“We…”
Mun Yuhwan’s voice lost strength.
The course of events was obvious.
Nok Mokpung had come here with this exact intention.
The fact that he held a forged petition meant he had come prepared from the beginning.
In other words—
No matter how righteously Mun Yuhwan spoke, Nok Mokpung had no intention of listening.
“We didn’t do it!”
“We’re innocent!”
“I… I didn’t know! This isn’t why I came!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
Nok Mokpung observed the chaos inside the hall with a twisted smile.
It was a delightful scene.
Just then, someone among those bound in silence stood up.
“Nok Mokpung.”
Nok Mokpung's expression turned to stone.
“You are…”
The old man let out a heavy voice.
“You’re playing a dangerous game.”
Nok Mokpung stared at the old man with a hardened face.
It was a face he had seen a few times at the royal court.
As the head of the Royal Inspectorate, he was not someone to be taken lightly.
The position of Grand Inspector already held immense, unrestrained authority—but the man’s other identity carried even greater weight, rendering the title of Grand Inspector itself nearly meaningless.
“Second Prince!”
He was the younger brother of the current Emperor.
He was none other than Royal Prince of Merit, Ju Ryun.
“Address me as Grand Inspector.”
The Second Prince said in a low tone.
At that title, all those who were bound turned their eyes toward the old man in utter shock.
Despite being born a royal prince and entrusted with countless powers, he had severed all of them with a single stroke and taken up the seat of Grand Inspector himself to safeguard the dignity of the Imperial Family. And here he was, standing among them.
“S-Second Prince!”
“We’re saved! We’re saved now!”
No one here was a fool.
They could clearly see what was happening.
Just when everything seemed lost, the sudden appearance of the Second Prince became their lifeline.
Nok Mokpung opened his mouth heavily.
“If I had known Your Excellency had arrived, I wouldn’t have acted so harshly.”
The Second Prince nodded.
“I am not one to cling to such formalities. Now release these bindings at once.”
Nok Mokpung sighed and nodded.
He slowly walked toward the Second Prince.
Taking hold of the ropes that bound him, Nok Mokpung paused slightly, then opened his mouth.
“Before that… I have something to ask.”
“Something to ask?”
Nok Mokpung hesitated slightly.
“Why did you do it?”
“What are you talking about?”
The Second Prince tilted his head.
He had no idea what Nok Mokpung was referring to.
A sinister smile spread across Nok Mokpung’s face.
“I’m asking why you plotted treason.”
The Second Prince’s face went rigid.
As he watched the prince’s expression change, Nok Mokpung laughed quietly and slowly backed away.
“You didn’t think I’d know you were here, did you?”
“You insolent wretch! What are you saying?!”
Nok Mokpung spread his arms wide.
His face twisted like a grotesque mask, squirming with glee.
“If there’s unrest, there must be a ringleader. What, do you think a mere Grand Historian could lead a coup? Does he plan to become Emperor himself? No—the center of this treason is you, Second Prince.”
“Watch your mouth!”
The Second Prince roared in fury.
Treason?
Why would he ever plot something like that?
“Oh, don’t raise your voice. Everything is written here in this joint petition. Signatures pledging loyalty to you are packed from end to end… and you still deny it?”
“You bastard!”
The Second Prince gnashed his teeth.
He knew now. Nok Mokpung had planned all this, even knowing the prince would be present.
Even if the petition was forged, being detained under such circumstances would bring grave consequences.
“You’ve gone too far! If you don’t release me right now, I will personally see you punished.”
Nok Mokpung feigned terror and began backing away.
“Oh no, how scary! I’m trembling so hard I can’t even breathe. So? What will you do? How do you intend to punish me?”
“You dare!”
Nok Mokpung waved his hand mockingly.
“Are you relying on this trash to back your words?”
Thud! Thud!
Before he even finished speaking, bodies dropped to the ground.
“Ugh!”
The Second Prince stared with wide eyes.
The elite warriors of the Inspectorate and the Inner Court Guards who had been secretly protecting him were all lying dead, their bodies horribly mutilated.
“Kyahahahaha!”
Nok Mokpung grabbed his belly and laughed.
“Second Prince, Second Prince! Seems old age has dulled your wits. And you put your faith in this pathetic lot?”
The Second Prince shouted, face twisted in rage.
“Your insolence has reached the heavens! Did you think you could get away with this? Not just you—your vile eunuch father will also not be spared!”
In that moment, Nok Mokpung’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“How exactly?”
“I’ll report the truth to His Majesty.”
“That’s what I asked—how?”
Nok Mokpung’s eyes sparkled with cruelty.
“You’re mistaken if you think you’ll ever see His Majesty again. No, do you really believe you’ll even leave this place alive?”
“You bastard…”
“Treason is punishable by immediate execution. All of you will die here.”
“You think you’ll survive this after doing something so vile? The truth will be revealed in time!”
Nok Mokpung clicked his tongue.
“How foolish. A place like this, crowded with influential figures, and you happen to be here as well. Then comes the joint petition. What do you think His Majesty will believe?”
The Second Prince’s face was now filled with despair.
No matter how one looked at it, this looked like a conspiracy.
Even if it wasn’t true, the circumstances made it easy to deceive anyone. They had forged the evidence, and they would leave no mouth behind to cry injustice.
“Kuhuhuhu… Thank you. Thanks to your visit, everything went so smoothly. This would’ve been impossible without Father’s insight, but your help made it all the easier.”
The Second Prince’s face turned deathly pale.
He had fallen into an inescapable trap.