Ipchun (eul) 1795
Young-joon and P'ado stared at each other anxiously. They knew exactly what Yunbok would say if he had been present to hear Ui-sik's appeal. Not that he would be able to do anything. Would it be better to ask Suk-kwon? Would not that also put him in a spot too? Neither one could afford to draw too much attention to themselves. Young-joon felt there was more to the problem than just curses and harassment for payment. Why wait till now? Why not a year ago?
"I know it will not be easy but if there is anything he can do," Ui-sik misinterpreted their expressions and tried to think how he could persuade them. "It is perhaps too much to ask a stranger to risk his life for people he does not know..."
"It is not that he will not help," Young-joon interrupted quickly. "Before we go into that possibility, I wish to clarify a question on the murky motives of these officials and landowners. Do you know why they wait till now to press for payment? They should have done it a year or more ago."
"I'm afraid I have no idea." Ui-sik frowned. "The thought has occurred to me but no matter how I look at it, I cannot come up with any reason. None of their actions make any sense."
"We do not have enough information." Young-joon decided not to press on in working out the intentions of the officials and landowners. It would have to wait. "We are not sure we can contact his foster father," he said. "There are many divisions and soldiers, it will take time to get any message to him."
"Do you know what duty he has to take up?"
"He said he has to escort some official about." Young-joon hoped he did not sound too evasive. "He did say he will try to let us know how it is with him but we will have to wait."
"Yes, we have time." Ui-sik's eyes lit up as he envisioned the possibilities. At last, there was a glimmer of hope for the village. The appearance of Hak-sun's son may herald a turn of fortunes for all. "I will discuss with the chongye on how we should go about it if he is able to help." He stopped in surprise when Song-mi appeared with another soban, Jinjia holding on to her chima.
"Nampyon (husband), it is dusk," she said as she lit the oil lamp. Usually, they would have dinner early and go to bed once it grew too dark to save on oil. Since they had guests, she chose to light the lamp. Ui-sik smiled in approval.
"My apologies for our boorish delay," Young-joon apologised before Ui-sik could invite him to eat. "I did not realise it was getting on to night."
"No, no. It is all right. If you do not mind this humble abode, you are welcome to spend the night here." Ui-sik saw the incomprehension in their eyes. "The city gates are scheduled to close early in preparation for the royal procession."
"Nobody told us that!" Young-joon exclaimed. "The gate guards told us nothing when we left. My cousins will be worried." He hoped Jeong-hyang would not panic when he and P'ado did not return.
"The gate guards might have assumed you will know. Perhaps an oversight due to all the excitement. You can go back early tomorrow to see the procession and hopefully, make contact with P'ado's foster father. How should I address him? It will be good if he is able to arrange for the chongye to have an audience on the King's return trip." He watched as Song-min carefully placed the bowls before their guests. Their son, Jinjia sat quietly, twirling a small top with his hands beside her.
"I do not wish to raise too much expectations but I am sure he will try his best," Young-joon said uneasily, not really confident that Ui-sik's plan would be successful. "Master Seo is P'ado's foster father." Nobody noticed Song-min's start that she quickly shielded with finicky arrangements of the dishes, her head bowed.
"I understand that master Seo may not be able to do anything so I will temper my expectations. Please," Ui-sik invited Young-joon and P'ado to partake of the dinner once Song-mi was done. The namul was bitter and hard but neither guest said anything. The tteok Young-joon had bought made it more palatable. It was a dampening revelation when they realized that the namul was all the villagers had to eat. It would not have been possible for them to buy grain or anything else.
They subsisted on this for two years? P'ado thought of the meals he had at home. Even though they suffered from the same adversity, their proximity to the creek ensured that the few crops raised were sound. He thought with a pang of how Jeong-hyang and Yunbok had always made sure he had the best. He thought of the best morsels Yunbok always left to him and wished he was home with them.
Omoni, don't stay up too late for us. Aboji, where are you now?
After they were done, P'ado decided that the money should remain in Ui-sik's safekeeping until the villagers' problem was resolved or when he finally had to leave for home. Young-joon agreed that was the wisest course. It was not a good idea to carry so much on their persons so Ui-sik took away the chest to keep it in its hiding place again. While he was gone, P'ado pulled out the rolled up replicas from his pack and elected to look at the Dano painting again. Before Young-joon could warn him to keep it away, Song-mi came in with Jinjia, drying her hands on her chima.
"Is that a painting?" she said. "May I look at it?"
Belatedly, P'ado realised his error. He flashed an alarm and apologetic glance at Young-joon who stared blandly back at him. What should he do? It would be rude of him to refuse so he handed it over to her reluctantly. The spark in her eyes as she held it before her surprised him.
"If I may ask," she said softly to P'ado as Young-joon watched her carefully for she seemed enlivened by the painting. Whether he should be alarmed by it he had no idea. What would women say when they saw the Dano painting? Outraged that a man had dared to paint of women in such a manner?
"Yes, ajumoni?" he said for he was half expecting her to raise objections to the depicted scenery.
"Does your foster father paint?" She looked on curiously as P'ado and Young-joon glanced at each other, surprised by the question. How should he answer?
"Yes, he does." P'ado felt that there was no harm in that admission. Anyone who was educated dabbled in a painting or two so it would be strange if he answered negatively.
"Is...has he always stayed down south?" She saw their bewilderment and hastened to correct herself. "I mean, was he born in the south?"
"No, my friend settled in Gyeongsangdo several years ago." Young-joon wondered at her interest in Yunbok. Did she know him?
"Was he travelling around before that? Alone?" Was she right in her supposition?
"Yes. Do you know him, mistress?" Young-joon waited with bated breath, afraid of what he might hear.
"I do not know if it is the same person but did he arrive with a troop yesterday?" She saw her suspicion was right by their astonishment.
"Were you the woman who was chased by two men?" How extraordinary! Young-joon felt extremely nervous. He had a feeling that events were congregating in the most and not necessarily fortuitous way. Why did Yunbok say nothing of their acquaintance when he saw her?
"I was. That was master Seo, was it not? The officer who saved me, your foster father?" Her eyes brightened as she recalled her joy and anger at seeing that face. It brought back painful memories. He had not recognised her, she knew but it was already so many yeras.
"How did you know him, ajumoni?" P'ado nudged Young-joon surreptitiously for he could feel the tension in the older man.
"What is it?" Ui-sik inquired, having caught the tail end of the conversation when he returned. "You know master Seo? How?"
"Duryunsan. It was at Duryunsan that I met him." She clutched fiercely at his arm as memories assailed her. "I was with my parents. My father intended to look for work at the sulphur mines. We had been without food for a few days. We tire easily so we decided to rest at a spring. We met him there. He was painting.," she smiled as she recalled the scene. The smile vanished quickly. Her face turned sombre as she recalled how he hurried to help her father who had stumbled and fallen. "He gave us all the food he had when he saw we were starving even though he was in similar strait as us."
"And then?" Young-joon said when she fell silent.
"He also gave us whatever money he had, finished his painting and left. I never saw him again after that."
"Oh." That was all there was then, Young-joon breathed a sigh of relief. "I suppose he did not recognise you yesterday. That is ..."
"Ajumoni, you said he was in similar strait...was he.. ?" P'ado broke in for he was eager to learn more. Here was a chance to learn what Yunbok would not tell him about his travels.
"He was as homeless, as poor, as hungry as us." She wiped her tears away. "If you have seen any of the homeless, that was how we all were then."
"The situation will improve," Ui-sik said, patting her hand soothingly.
Her reaction was startling for she stared at Ui-sik as if she was seeing him for the first time. Her face had gone so white that both Young-joon and P'ado thought she was about to faint. She bowed her head quickly to look down at the floor as if fearful. The painting dropped limply from her hands. Young-joon and P'ado exchanged puzzled glances.
"In the event that my friend can not help you, do you have other plans in mind?" Young-joon changed the subject. It was not his place to question her strange behaviour.
"There is no other." Stark was Ui-sik's despair that the other two regretted that they could not do anything. "We are resign to our fate. We will lose our freedom, the lands that should have been ours. We would toil till the end of our lives in bondage. I am sure that is what they intended all along."
Silence fell as they contemplated such a life. Young-joon tried to calculate how long it would take for a message to reach Suk-kwon and how soon he could respond. For the chongye to present their case, they must be ready to meet the royal procession tomorrow. As far as he knew, the procedure was to petition the magistrate so he could present the cases to the King but since he had refused to investigate their claim, they would have to make the approach themselves. If they failed to do so, they had another chance when the King returned to Hanseong.
"Are the chongye planning drastic actions?" he tried to imagine what the King might order if he was displeased.
"The late King restored the sinmungo. If the sangeon is in effect, we can bypass the magistrate. But as I've mentioned earlier, the magistrate might prevent us from approaching so master Seo is our backup plan." The oil lamp flickered as the wick began to drain the dregs. At that, Song-mi hurried to the back room to return with beddings and quilts. "I'm sorry but we will have to turn in early."
"It is fine with us." Young-joon hastily got to his feet to take the beddings from Song-mi. "We will see what the morrow brings."
After waiting for them to settle themselves, Ui-sik brought the oil lamp with him to the back room, leaving the daecheong in total darkness. Come dawn tomorrow, Young-joon determined he would have to get back to Siheung. Would the courier be there as Suk-kwon said he would be? If so, the message could be sent immediately. If the chongye's first attempt failed, it would be up to Suk-kwon to try to do something. Young-joon was certain he could at least get the King's attention for did he not send reports on Yunbok? Would the King find it presumptuous?
As Young-joon pondered and brooded, P'ado turned over what he had discovered about Hak-sun and Yunbok. Having come up close to seeing for himself the living conditions of the destitute, he tried to imagine once again on what it was like to be homeless, penniless, starving. To eat scraggy, bitter hard namul. To have an empty stomach. To be cold. As cold as he had felt in the journey from Uiryeong, for the longest time sleeping without shelter. Alone, to be alone. How would he feel if he had no aboji, no omoni, no tongsaeng? Travelling alone, depending on the few coins a painting would bring. No celebrations on special days, no one to talk to. He curled up in his bedding, blinking away tears.
Back in Siheung, the guards on the ongseong sounded injeong to herald the beginning of curfew. The noise reverberated through the city, spurring those in the streets to hurry home. Kyoung-mi looked out through the open windows and reached over to pat the hands of her companion.
"It's all right, I think they are spending the night with this family friend," she said to soothe a tensed Jeong-hyang.
"It is very remiss of Young-joon to stay out for so long." jeong-hyang knew it was unfair to blame him. It was natural to want to discuss every aspect pertaining to P'ado's father with this Ui-sik but she wished Young-joon had simply brought P'ado back before the gates closed and continue with unfinished business the next day.
"Ahh but that's so like my cousin," laughed Kyoung-mi. "I don't think he has ever changed at all. I expect him to sidle back here tomorrow morning, all abashed and expecting to hear many words from you. Besides, there is the royal procession, he will not want to miss that."
"That is true. P'ado is excited about it." Jeong-hyang smoothed out the letter in her hands, forgetting her pique and smiling as she read it again.
"All is well. We arrived at the outskirts of Hanseong. I am currently sharing a small room with Suk-kwon in the barracks. There is not much to do as we are expected to rest and be ready for the procession. I look forward to sharing your views of this grand event later."
"My husband picked a spot already. A very nice view, he said but I expect everyone else has the same idea. We would find ourselves looking instead at the backs of many heads rather than the grand parade." Amusement coloured Kyoung-mi's voice as she poured out more sikhye. "That letter will be your dearest boon companion tonight."
Jeong-hyang flushed a little and folded the letter away. "He kept his promise at least."
"Oh I expect him to walk over fire and ice for you to keep his promise," teased Kyoung-mi, endeavoring to dispel her friend's worries.
"That's enough of that." Jeong-hyang frowned in mock anger at her. "You have been ribbing me all day."
"Can you blame me? I have not seen you for a few years. Close friends are far and hard to come by." Kyoung-mi waved at the other side of the anbang and leaned closer to whisper. "My mother-in-law is not a unreasonable woman, amiable but still, I cannot talk as freely as I can with you."
"Sadly, the distance between our abodes is so great," Jeong-hyang said sympathetically. "Many times have I desired to share a cup with you."
"I miss those days." Kyoung-mi nodded and whispered again. "I'm hoping my husband will return to oversee the main branch of the business. He is afterall, the eldest. At the most, I will try to persuade him."
"He is younger than you, surely he is easy to lead about? Jeong-hyang said jestingly.
"Now that is an idea. We should try to find the finest bridle and reins tomorrow," Kyoung-mi grinned. "Then I will learn from the best husband-trainer ever on how to lead him."
"Oh you!"
Changdeokgung
Hong-do tried not to fidget as he waited outside the huijeongdang, reflecting on the meeting held at Dohwaseo earlier. The meeting furnished more specifications than the letter he received more than a month ago. For one, he was expected to paint most of the important events. Contrary to what he had supposed would be a selection of choices. Secondly, as he had expected, they wanted to appoint an associate painter to help him with the drafts. More than one. Given that he was to handle the bulk of the work, it was ridiculous to say he could handle the task alone. All he could do was find fault with their suggestions until finally, in exasperation, they told him to choose one. His eyes roamed the room and alighted on a man sitting right at the back. He had to choose the one he would rather not take at all.
Everyone was astonished but made no protest. The skill and experience of his choice could not be doubted. The meeting had ended there, a satisfactory conclusion to all but him. His whirling thoughts came to a halt when a voice called out from the inner room. The eunuchs opened the doors as the chief eunuch retreated from the room. Head bowed, Hong-do walked in with measured steps, bowed four times when he saw the kyongsang at the periphery of his vision and retreated to the side.
"How did the meeting go?" Ahh, that familiar voice he had not heard for three years. Going straight into the subject of his thoughts without even a greeting.
"It filled in details that were lacking in the letter," he said.
"They are?" A rustle of paper.
"As in the bulk of the painting will fall on me." He could not resist putting a little peeved note into his tone.
"Tsk...but that is to be expected, Danwon." Gentle amusement. More rustling of papers. "Perhaps I should reiterate once more that your exceptional talent has given much pleasure and enjoyment. Such objectives and details of much wit. No one is as good as you. I expect the best efforts and talents for this special occasion."
"Your majesty is as bounteous as ever." Hong-do wondered if Jeongjo would boot him out for injecting sarcasm but heard a chuckle instead. "There is a slight problem."
"Hmmm...who did you choose?" A weighty pause for the answer.
It did not surprise Hong-do that Jeongjo discerned the problem at once. "Shin Han-pyeong," he said. A little thump from the desk as he paused. An expectant silence. He continued in a lower voice. "Of all the painters in Dohwaseo, he posed the least threat. However, if your majesty does not approve, I am lost for choice."
"No, I can see why you chose him." A soft sigh before a low murmur. "It has been years, I may come by to see her."
"Is that wise?" Hong-do said anxiously.
"She has kept faith with me so I will see her this once, at Hwaseong. I will let you know. Preparations are already underway for your sojourn. You can go."
"Yes, your majesty. I am grateful for the royal pardon."
"I expect you to do better next time, Danwon, other than your choice of associates. And yes, felicitations for the house of Kim."
"Yes, your majesty. Thank you, your majesty."
Hong-do bowed before getting up and retreating from the room. Outside, he considered the options that were available to him and shook his head. There were not many. The best course was still his initial plan. Taking a deep breath, he made his way out of the palace.
Saemal, Siheung
The soft creaking was barely perceptible at first but it gradually intruded into P'ado's awareness as it progressed past him and onwards. Confused, he opened his eyes. He lifted his head to see the faint lines of a door that was opened slowly. As he watched, someone stepped out. The door closed quietly. It could only be Ui-sik for he glimpsed the bulk of his back as the light of the moon reflected briefly off him. Where was he going at this time of the night?
Silently, he got to his feet and went to the door, opening it a crack to see a dark figure walking out of the courtyard. Should he follow? Suspicion and curiosity impelled him. He slipped out after, following the dark figure that was approaching the low wall separating the rice fields and vegetable patch. Crouching as low as he could, P'ado crept after and sidled along the low wall, stopping several metres away from Ui-sik who whistled softly. After a while, P'ado heard the shuffle of footsteps as someone joined him.
"Why did you want to see me? Our association ended years ago," Ui-sik whispered harshly. P'ado frowned and wondered who was it.
"To offer you a proposition. One that can help you out of the situation you are in now," said the stranger, a man. "If you fail, compensation is assured."
Where had he heard that before? P'ado's eyes widened, was that not what Hak-sun had told Yunbok he had been offered to acquire his service to kidnap ajoshi Han's cousin? Was this man an agent from the enemy faction?
Ui-sik laughed. "Compensation is assured. Look where it brought Hak-sun to!"
"Hak-sun's misfortune was to have a greedy brother. It was, in no way, our fault as we have kept our promise."
"No. I have a wife and son now. I have no brother but I will not do anything that may bring them to the same end as Hak-sun's family." Ui-sik turned to walk away but the agent put out a hand to stop him.
"Don't be a fool. Your own family and everyone else in this village face bondage for the debts. We offer you a chance to prevent that."
"I think.." Ui-sik slowly turned as his mind worked quickly. "You have a hand in the harassment. Did you also have something to do with the crop failures?" It seemed impossible to him but he could not rule out the possibility. The reach and resources of the faction he used to work for was immense.
"Perhaps."
"I have wondered at the unrelenting and unreasonable demands. It was you wasn't it? Can't you find anyone else to do it? You must have people who are closer. Why implicate everyone in this village?"
"We have our own plans for our people within. There isn't any need to risk them for such a mundane job."
"Mundane job." Ui-sik's voice was rich with contemptuous disbelief. "I'm so honored. You went through so much trouble just to make me take up this mundane job. That means you need my talent."
"That is true," the man said. "I suggest you take it. You won't find such an opportunity again. If you succeed, there will be no debts. The lands you cultivated will be returned to you."
A red haze clouded Ui-sik's eyes. He seized hold of the agent's jacket. "How far? What does it gain you?!"
"That is a foolish question," the man said mildly, ignoring his twisted jacket, "but I will humor you. Control, for one. The crown prince is not of age, you know that."
Fear coursed through P'ado as he listened incredulously, filled with horror. He clutched himself, trying to still his chattering teeth and trembling limbs. What was the agent saying?
"You think there's nothing we can do? We can appeal..."
"Before this night is done, no one can leave the village."
"What?!"
"Agree to this task, Ui-sik, make it easy on yourself. The royal procession will take eight days. Enough time for you to decide when to strike. If you do not wish to do it, by the end of the eight days, this entire village will be held to bondage and disperse to other regions. None of you will be able to return. As for you, you have no evidence, you can do nothing against us."
To strike, royal procession. Those words hammered home P'ado's terrified fear that the man was talking of assassination. To kill the King. Ice seemed to weigh him down. Assassin, assassin. The word reverberated in his head. Ui-sik was a close military comrade to Hak-sun. Hak-sun was an assassin, therefore, Uis-ik must have been the same. He should have suspected it but did he have any reason to? He raised his head a little to try to see the man's features as he spoke again when Ui-sik remained silent.
"This is a rare chance, take it. Think about it. An end to your poverty. Your family will have plenty, your son will have an education...who is that?!" the agent snapped when he noticed a moving shadow.
P'ado dropped back down when he realised the man had seen the movement of his head. He jumped up when there came a scrapping of metal.
"Who is this? You brought someone else with you?" The agent pushed Ui-sik aside and leaped over the wall, a sword gleaming in his hand.
"I..I.." P'ado jumped up and backed away, looking desperately about for something to defend himself with. Help came from an unexpected quarter.
"You...!" An exclamation from the agent when he was suddenly tackled from behind and bore to the ground.
"P'ado! Help me!" Ui-sik struggled to wrench the sword away.
Afraid that the man would strike Ui-sik down, P'ado leaped forward to stomp on the agent's arm as he tried to roll and kick. The loud crack, the shriek uttered by the man frightened him so much that he froze.
"Quick, help me bind him. He must not get away," Ui-sik exhorted.
The thought brought him out of his paralysis. They tore at the man's clothing to get strips of cloth to stuff his mouth to stop his cries of pain and bound his arms. Faint screams came to their ears. They looked up to see blazing torches streaming into the village.
"He did not even plan to give me time to consider," grated Ui-sik. "Quick, get the others and come back here. We have to get away," he said as he tugged at the injured agent on the ground.
Frantically, P'ado ran back to the house, crashing open the door so loudly that Young-joon practically leaped out of his bedding.
"Ajoshi, get your clothes. We must leave!" P'ado urged as he ran past the befuddled Young-joon to the back room to rouse Song-mi and Jinjia.
Shouts and screams reached Young-joon's ears. That woke him up better than a bucket of water. The commotion galvanized him into putting on his coat, tying the sadae haphazardly and grabbing the paintings they had bought as P'ado appeared with the others.
"We have to run before they reach this house." P'ado grabbed his own pack beside his bedding. They hurried through the front door. They paused to look at the torches spreading throughout the village before stumbling towards the fields at Pa'do's urging.
"Master Han, help me with this man," said Ui-sik when they reached him. Hastily, Young-joon stuffed the paintings into his coat and hooked his arm under the agent's shoulder carry him as Ui-sik got the other. "We need to get across the fields. Come."
P'ado kept a hold on Song-mi as they followed, fearing she would fall and injure herself as she carried Jinjia. Together, they made their way across the field as the chaos behind them grew louder. Loud crashes could be heard, wailings and cries from women and children. P'ado did not dare to look back.
"Over the wall and continue," whispered Ui-sik when they reached the far wall of the first field, "as far as possible. They will know we are somewhere near. Keep low. Be a good boy, Jinjia, be quiet," he said when the boy whimpered. He and Young-joon heaved the man between them over the wall. There was a muffled groan as he hit the ground, injuring his broken arm further. They picked him up again and made for the next wall. From the shouts ringing out behind them, their flight had been discovered.
"Don't look back. Keep on," urged Ui-sik when P'ado looked back. Panting heavily, Young-joon fought to stay on his feet as he lugged the man. The next wall came up. He swallowed to wet a dry mouth as he heaved the man over who endeavored to land on his feet than his arms.
"Hold," Ui-sik said.
Young-joon sagged back with relief against the wall as P'ado huddled nearby with Song-mi and Jinjia. Raising his head slowly, Ui-sik looked back at the village. A few torches were weaving back and forth across the first field. Squinting his eyes, he could just make out the military uniforms. Muttering a curse under his breath, he slipped back down.
"We're still too close, we need to go on."
"Where are we going? There has to be somewhere, we can't just run blindly," panted Young-joon. He had left his gat behind, he realised but that was not important as to know what was happening then. "Who is this? What has..."
"There is an abandoned hut just beyond the new cultivated fields, we can shelter there for a while. I will answer any questions you have later. For now, we must move."
Ui-sik got to his feet as Young-joon took a deep breath and followed suit. Grabbing the man between them again, they struck for the direction Ui-sik had indicated, the faint light from the moon guiding their way. It was going to be a long night, the thought flashed through Young-joon. For certain, he would not be returning to Siheung with P'ado in the morning. What had he gotten himself into this time?
The abandoned hut bordered the bottom of the southern hill and the edge of the cultivated fields, hidden among a grove of trees. There was just a single room. Stacked against the far wall were sacks of grain. They set the man down against the sacks. P'ado helped Song-mi to sit down. Young-joon leaned against the sacks, panting. Ui-sik lit the oil lamp before going out to return with gourds of water. One he gave to Song-mi, the other to Young-joon who gulped down the water gratefully. He went out and returned with two more gourds of water. P'ado nodded his thanks and sat down to drink.
"Now can you tell me what is going on? Why are there sacks of grain here?" demanded Young-joon. He bent to take a sniff. Rice? Why was there rice?
"Ajoshi, you are an assassin, are you not? Like abonim," P'ado said quietly, feeling Song-mi start. Ui-sik ignored her frightened but accusing stare.
"Yes," he admitted, rubbing his face wearily. "Yes, I was. I started out at the same time as Hak-sun in the army. He was noted for his skill with his sword. When we left the army, he was offered a chance to work clandestinely for a certain group with promises of good pay. Hak-sun thought I would be useful as well. I was not as skilled as he was with the sword but I have knowledge of medicines that my father had taught me. They thought I could be trained further in poison. I accepted and ... "
"You and abonim killed people on the say so of a..a group of whoever?" P'ado rasped.
He flung the drinking gourd away. Hak-sun was an assassin, he was not working for the government as he initially presumed. Hak-sun did not try to hide what he was in his letter, why was he feeling so disgusted only now? It had to do with the current intentions of whoever wanted to harm the King, he realised. Only now was it brought home to him what Hak-sun had been doing.
"Do you know who you were working for?" Young-joon asked quietly. It was an idle question at best for there were only so many factions at odds against each other.
"Yes. We went back home after we were dismissed. We carried out tasks as and when we were needed, without question." Ui-sik gulped down the water. "After a few years, Hak-sun married and decided to stop. His family was more important. He wanted to build a home with his wife. I continued on for another year before I met Song-mi and also ceased that line of work. Life was good for several years. Then the three year drought happened. The sacks of grain...we were starving. We had no way out so I tried to think of a plan to ensure that the chongye will be able to meet the King. The magistrate is in our way so I got a few other men together to raid the military stores."
"What?!" P'ado's mouth dropped open.
"How did you manage to do that?" Young-joon said incredously. "They are well guarded!"
"I have my ways. I'm a poisoner, remember? It takes little to create the necessary potions to make the soldiers sleep. We made off with the grain. We know the city well and hid the grain somewhere safe before taking it out the next day. The magistrate has to report the lost. I was hoping he will be called to Hanseong but he did not so we made another raid..."
"Your plan miscarried. There are soldiers at the village now. They know it is you because your village is the only one in trouble. What do we do now?!" Young-joon tried not to shout in fury. He was a fugitive on the run due to this man.
"Ajoshi, it's not just the grain. That man," P'ado pointed to the wounded agent, "came to see him and told him to assassinate the King. If he does that, all the debts would be gone and the stolen lands returned."
"I don't believe this!" Young-joon clapped his hands to his face in disbelief. Surely this was not happening to him. How did he end up getting embroiled in an assassination plot? If he was caught, what would happen to his family?
"I would have been killed too because I was discovered, listening to them but ajoshi Mun saved my life," continued P'ado, emotions roiling within as he trembled.
"They will be holding the village elders, to prevent the rest from approaching the King. We cannot return, they know we are missing," Ui-sik said sombrely. "They will continue to search. We must be gone from here."
"Where are you suggesting we go to?" Young-joon said coldly.
"We make for Hwaseong Fortress." Ui-sik cut across Young-joon's protest. "It is our only chance. I have a friend outside the fortress we can shelter with for a while. We have to make plans ..."
"I'm afraid I do not have much faith in your plans."
"Listen." Ui-sik fought down his impatience, knowing he must convince Young-joon. "It is up to us now to make contact with the King. We must bring him along," he pointed to the agent who glared at him. "He is a witness. With my friend, his broken arm can be seen to, my wife and son, the two of you will have shelter. I will try to get into Hwaseong while the King is there."
"That is easier said than done..," Young-joon held back his jeering anger for Ui-sik made it sound as if he was just going to walk in as he pleased.
"I am not a professional assassin for nothing. Please, trust me this once," Ui-sik pleaded.
"Ajoshi Han, I think.. it's the best thing to do," P'ado said, after a while. After all, what else could they do? To wait in the hut was to be arrested by the soldiers that would come soon.
"Will we make it in time?" Young-joon said finally, angry that there was no other choice.
"Yes, we will. We must start now. We'll get the water containers here, the stored food and we will go," Ui-sik got to his feet, blew out the oil lamp, leaving them in darkness. Young-joon prayed his future was not as dark as it was to him then.
Korean Words
nampyon - husband
sikhye - drink made from fermented rice and powdered malt