Chapter 3: The Guests (1) 

Two men on horseback were heading toward the western gate of Hanyang Fortress. Their lavish attire practically flaunted their high status. Silk robes boasting dazzling colors and hat strings adorned with jade beads. The guards stationed at the western gate of Hanyang Fortress seemed to recognize their identities just by their extravagant outfits. They bowed deeply as if their backs might break. 

“It seems His Majesty’s worries grow by the day.” 

The middle-aged man leading the way muttered as if speaking to himself, and the younger man following behind responded.

"Isn’t it because those impious men hide their true intentions and harbor duplicity?"

"Rotten fruit must be culled quickly, lest it spoil the rest."

As if he had been waiting for those veiled words, the corners of the young man’s lips curled subtly. 

"I’ve heard that receiving guests is the foundation of a nobleman’s duties. Whether attending court or welcoming foreign envoys, is it not all ultimately a form of receiving guests? If one thinks that way, then there may yet be a mean to discern those unfit to serve as true scholars."

"Hahaha, hearing you say that only makes me more curious. Just how refined must the hospitality of our esteemed Governor Hong of Gyeonggi be?"

Stroking his beard with a hearty laugh, the middle-aged man, Im Sa Hong, vice minister of public works, had eyes that now gleamed sharply, like a bird of prey eyeing its target. 

"...I, too, have high expectations."

The gaze of Im Song Jae, the chief royal secretary following behind him, also flickered with an unusual intensity. 

~~~~~

"A terrible thing has happened, my lord!"

A maidservant from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office rushed frantically across the courtyard toward the master’s quarters from early morning. 

"My lord, a terrible thing has happened!"

"What is it?"

The one who slid the door halfway open and leaned out was Hong Eon Guk. 

He appeared to have been straightening his attire in preparation for an imminent visit from the esteemed guests. 

"W-well... It seems there’s been trouble in the kitchen..."

"What kind of trouble?"

The maid hesitated, as if struggling to say it outright, before finally speaking. 

"...The cooks and kitchen servants have been missing since morning."

Before she could even finish, Hong Eon Guk flung the door wide open and rushed out barefoot. 

He hadn’t even properly fastened his traditional hat, but that was the least of his concerns. 

"What do you mean the cooks and kitchen maids are gone? Explain yourself!"

"I-it’s just as I said, my lord..."

 

"Speak clearly! Did they vanish into thin air?"

The maid, on the verge of tears, continued.

"When I went to check the hearth* this morning, the kitchen was completely silent. When I checked the servants’ quarters, all the cooks and helpers had packed their belongings and disappeared. They must have fled at dawn..."

[TL/N : Hearth* (부뚜막) : the fireplace or cooking area in a traditional Korean kitchen, usually made with clay, where the fire is maintained for cooking.]

"Hmm..."

Hong Eon Guk’s brows furrowed. The guests arriving today were none other than the ruthless Im clan, the father and son duo powerful enough to 'make birds fall from the sky.' 

The father, Im Sa Hong, had held key court positions since the previous king’s reign, a seasoned political schemer. 

His son, Im Song Jae, was married to Princess Hui Suk, the king’s half-sister, making him the "royal brother-in-law" and granting him near-royal influence. 

Worse, Song Jae had grown up with the notoriously violent king as childhood friends. Countless households had been ruined after provoking their scrutiny. 

Their most infamous demand? 'Hospitality' which was particularly the 'food'. No matter how lavish the banquet be, they’d always find fault. 

Once targeted, families had to bribe them exorbitantly to avoid punishment. Those who couldn’t pay faced stripped ranks or even torture. 

‘The kitchen staffs must’ve been terrified of failing the Im clan’s impossible standards... So they ran.’

With deeply furrowed brows, Hong Eon Guk was lost in thought when the maidservant cautiously asked him,

“My lord, what shall we do…?”

After pondering for a while, Hong Eon Guk seemed to recall something and called for the government slave from the Provincial Office.

“Deok Chul, is Deok-chul here?”

“Yes, my lord.”

As Deok Chul, the de facto leader of the government slaves, hurried over, Hong Eon Guk pointed toward one end of the provincial office.

“What were the charges against those captured by the interrogation bureau the other day?”

“If you mean the other day, then…”

"Wait, weren’t there some people caught near Pocheon’s Baek Gun valley?"

Only then did Deok Chul seem to understand and replied.

"Ah. Are you talking about those scoundrels who illegally set up stalls and did business in the valley?"

"Business in the valley? You mean selling food?"

"Exactly! What else would they be selling there? They sold moonshine and meat. And not only that, but even their food was a scam. What was it again? They passed it off as black goat meat for health benefits, but it was actually boiled dog meat..."

This was the so-called *"bait and switch", a fraud method with a long history dating back to ancient eras .

[TL/N : *bait and switch : 양두구육 - It's literal meaning is 'sheep's head, dog's meat'. It originated from an old Chinese idiom describing fraud—where a merchant hangs a sheep’s head to advertise but secretly sells dog meat (a cheaper substitute).]

When dog meat is boiled as boiled meat slices, its texture is hard to distinguish from expensive black goat meat, allowing them to sell it for several times the actual price.

But, it seemed Hong Eon Guk had gleaned something entirely different from those words.

"Go and discreetly tell the jailer to bring those men out of the prison."

"Eh? What did you say, my lord?"

"...And have their shackles removed before sending them to the kitchen. I’ll handle the rest."

"But... What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Hurry! There’s no time!"

"My lord, releasing prisoners privately violates national law. If the provincial inspector catches wind of this, it won’t end with just a reprimand!"

For a moment, the corners of Hong Eon Guk’s eyes twitched upward sharply.

"You fool! So you’d rather sit here twiddling your thumbs when the Im family could storm in at any moment?! Are you trying to bring ruin upon the entire provincial office?! Move now!"

"Y-Yes, my lord!"

Cowed by Hong Eon Guk’s razor-sharp tone, Deok Chul scrambled frantically toward the prison.

~~~~~

Something felt amiss since morning.

Ji Yeong, who had barely slept on the unfamiliar haystack, slowly pushed herself up.

Crack!

The moment she rose, a sharp pain shot through her back with an audible crack.

Thanks to the hulking thief sprawled beside her with his legs splayed wide, she hadn’t even had room to stretch properly.

"Um....Sir. Could you move over just a little? It’s already cramped here, and you’re taking up all the space by yourself..."

When Ji Yeong cautiously spoke to the burly man, a stream of curses flew back at her.

"What kinda bullshit is this now? Freakin’ weird woman, ruinin’ my damn morning."

"...Excuse me?"

For a moment, Ji Yeong felt fury surge through her.

Her mind was already a mess from everything that had happened, and now this guy was picking a fight out of nowhere.

"Really, this Mister... Just because I’m quiet, you’re treating me like a pushover? You think I don’t have a temper? I’m about to lose it right now, you know?"

"You got a death wish or somethin’?"

The burly man raised his shackled hands threateningly, but, Ji Yeong didn’t even flinch.

"Oho...So you’re gonna hit me now? Already locked up for crimes, and you wanna add another? Should I call the guards?"

The man’s face flushed red and purple with rage, twisting into a snarl.

Just then, another voice chimed in from the corner.

"Goodness...my apologies. Our little brother here’s got a heap of pent-up anger. Let’s all stay civil, eh?"

A small-statured fellow with mouse-like whiskers who had been hiding behind the hulking figure, now stepped in with an unassuming smile.

"Pardon my late introduction. I’m Bong Seon Dal, a merchant who’s traveled all eight provinces. But, ah, your words earlier cut deep. ‘Crimes,’ you say? We’ve done no such thing. It’s merely a... let’s call it a minor misunderstanding in our line of work."

"Ah, well, sure... if you say so."

Some things never change. Whether it’s centuries ago or now, swindlers always sing the same tune. Ji Yeong thought, ready to brush it off.

"By the way..."

Bong Seon Dal, the self-introduced merchant, fixed her with a gaze brimming with curiosity.

"I heard you suddenly appeared near the Mapo Dock. Is that true? People are calling you the ‘ghost woman’..."

It seemed the rumors had already reached this sharp-eared man.

"So what?"

"If it’s true, you must have some extraordinary skill. I’ve heard strange tales before, but..."

Before Bong Seon Dal could finish, the sound of guards rushing toward the prison door echoed from outside.

"Hey, move it! Get out of here, now!"

With a metallic clank, the lock clicked open, and the door swung wide. Guards in black uniforms began dragging the prisoners out.

"Wh-what’s the meaning of this?"

"Where are you taking us? At least give us an explanation!"

The sudden force suggested nothing good. When the terrified prisoners resisted, the guards beat them with batons, hauling them out ruthlessly.

Soon, only Ji Yeong remained in the empty cell until the warden spotted her.

"What’s that one? Part of the gang?"

"N-no, I have nothing to do with..."

"Goodness, of course she is!"

Just as Ji Yeong tried to explain, an annoyingly cheerful voice of Bong Seon Dal, the self-proclaimed merchant cut in.

"...?"

"Now, about that woman... well, she’s our leader. The real deal, you see."

"...What?"

"You’ll have to... come with us, sister."

Ji Yeong’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief at Bong Seon Dal’s words. But, before she could even question his outrageous claim, the warden’s rough hands yanked her by the arm.

Dragged out of the cell, the prisoners were now strung together like dried fish on a rope and hauled off to some unknown destination. With a look of utter incredulity, Ji Yeong hissed at Bong Seon Dal, who was bound right alongside her, in a furious whisper.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing?"

"Well, y’see... I figured stickin’ close to you might be safer. Call it a gut feeling."

Bong Seon Dal replied, his infuriatingly relaxed expression never wavered. Even in crisis, his greatest skill seemed to be his unshakable composure.

'Ha... The sheer audacity of this man!'

Ji Yeong could only click her tongue in disbelief. Soon, the prisoners were hauled off and shoved into another location. In this sudden, chaotic transition, an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar scene unfolded before her eyes. A hearth where flames licked at the edges of a stove, rows of iron cauldrons hanging above it, and cabinets lined with white porcelain and brass bowls.

'It's really... a Joseon-era kitchen.'

How many times had she dreamed of seeing this very sight while studying historical cooking books? And now, here it was, right before her eyes, in vivid reality.

As Ji Yeong lost herself in the moment, a pointed 'ahem' sounded behind her.

She turned to see none other than Hong Eon Guk, the assistant magistrate who'd dragged her to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office in the first place, standing there.

"Forgive the abrupt summons. But, once this matter is resolved, I promise to grant you all a special pardon in light of your service."

At those words, a ripple of murmurs spread among the prisoners.

A pardon.

There was no doubt it was a term to make any convict’s ears perk up. But, a pardon was never that simple. What kind of task could possibly warrant such a reward?

Bong Seon Dal, ever the quick one, was the first to narrow his eyes and ask.

"...Just what kind of work are you trying to make us do?"

The prisoners’ suspicious gazes locked onto Hong Eon Guk.

And then, something utterly unexpected spilled from his lips.

"Starting now... you are going to prepare a meal."

-----

*Author's Note*

Petty schemers are like Song Jae.

Grand schemers are like Sa Hong.

The most formidable villains of all time.

[小任崇載大任洪

千古姦兇是最雄]

This is a historical passage describing the infamous father-son duo, Im Sa Hong and Im Song Jae.

~~~~~

Miel's Translations