The head of the sect, having met with Sejong, called the sect members with a solemn expression.
"What is the matter?"
"A royal decree has been issued. We must succeed faster than the other sects."
At the head's words, the members' eyes sparkled with excitement.
After all, they had become secret subordinates of the king, and an opportunity to achieve merit had arrived.
"What is the decree?"
The head, looking somewhat troubled, explained the order.
"We are commanded to find young ladies who meet the following criteria."
"Excuse me?"
"Huh?"
The expressions of the members, upon hearing the head's explanation, were filled with confusion.
"So... we are to find beautiful young ladies known for their kind hearts, or those known for their beauty who also possess a good nature? And they must be between twelve and fifteen years old?"
"If they are that beautiful, they must also have delicate and graceful figures..."
The head nodded silently at the members' words.
"Are we looking for concubines?"
"It's not for the Queen's quarters, but for the Crown Prince's. It was requested directly from the Crown Prince's quarters."
At the head's response, the members exclaimed in unison, "Ah! That gentleman knows how to enjoy life!"
As the royal decree had been issued, the members quickly began to suggest suitable candidates.
"Another criterion is... they must come from prestigious families that have fallen on hard times, or families that have just begun to rise..."
"The second daughter of the Jo family from Seochon is quite close..."
"The eldest daughter of the Lee family from Seongbuk-dong is also good..."
As suitable young ladies were suggested, others quickly interjected.
"The second daughter of the Jo family is risky; I heard that a rascal has already made a move!"
"The same goes for the Lee family! Head!"
The head's expression grew serious at the members' words.
"Are we talking about rascals?"
"Yes!"
"Stop them immediately!"
"Yes!"
At the head's command, the members hurriedly shook off their seats and rushed outside.
The "rascals" mentioned by the members were scoundrels targeting the daughters of merchants and farmers who were somewhat well-off.
The term "rascal" originated from the drummers and performers in the sound market.
To perform well, the drummers had to keep the rhythm and add lively interjections to enhance the performance.
However, if the drummers became displeased, they would often ruin the performance by beating the drums chaotically, forcing female performers to cater to their whims.
Thus, those who seduced and manipulated women earned the nickname "rascal."
In the 21st century, the term "rascal" evolved into "jeobi," a term that became synonymous with those who had some wealth and were the most feared by families with marriageable daughters.
The targets of the rascals were women who met the desired criteria.
They were women known for their wealth and reputation, as well as their beauty.
The most sought-after targets were those whose marriages were almost decided or those who had been marked by influential men to be taken as concubines.
To avoid escalating matters, rascals would only seduce women to a certain extent.
Once they succeeded, they would approach the woman's parents with a warning.
"I have heard some unpleasant rumors regarding your daughter. I understand a marriage is imminent..."
In such cases, the parents would reluctantly comply, either handing over a large sum of money or sending their daughter off as a concubine to the influential man who had made the request.
"It's not too late yet!"
Upon hearing the members' reports, the head made a decision.
"Stop the rascals! Make sure to stop them!"
"Are we to kill them?"
"You fools! Do you want to see chaos in the palace?"
After a moment of thought, the head issued a command.
"Break all their legs! They are not to roam until the Crown Prince's marriage is decided!"
"Yes!"
Following the head's decision, a large-scale hunt for rascals was launched by the enforcement team.
"Huff huff huff!"
In the eastern region of Hanyang, a man was running desperately, gasping for breath through the maze of alleys.
His hat was missing, and his robe was covered in dirt, as if he had rolled on the ground.
As he turned a corner, he sighed.
"Oh no!"
It was a dead end.
The man quickly turned around but barely took a step before stopping.
Three men in black robes blocked the alley entrance.
"Where do you think you're running off to?"
"Ah! Brothers! Why are you doing this?"
"It's nothing serious. We have a big task at hand, and you are just getting in the way. We just want you to stay quiet for a few months."
"Ah! Damn! If that's the case, just tell me to stay home! Why make me look like a fool?"
"You think you would just stay home if we told you to? And calling you a fool, what kind of harsh words are those? We're not that scary. We just want to break one leg. If you lie down for a few months, you'll be fine. Why the fuss..."
"Damn! Help! Help!"
At the cry for help, heads popped up over the walls of nearby thatched houses, but they quickly disappeared under the fierce gazes of the enforcement team.
"Now... it will be over soon, so be quiet."
"If you keep this up, I’ll break both your legs. What will you do?"
"Curse it!"
In the end, the desperate man lay flat on the ground.
"Ah, damn! I don't care! Do whatever you want!"
"You should have said that earlier. You're making this hard for us."
One of the enforcement members walked over to the resigned man and handed him a wooden stick.
"Put this in your mouth. If you mess up, you’ll bite your tongue."
"Damn! Damn! No wonder I had a bad dream last night! Spit!"
The man spat and took the stick in his mouth, closing his eyes tightly.
"Ah!"
Moments later, a scream erupted from inside the alley as two enforcement members dragged the man out.
"We'll take you home. And while we're at it, we'll call a doctor."
"Right, it would have been better to just end it at home instead of running away and making it hard for each other."
"Ahhh..."
"Come on, hurry up. There are still more to deal with."
The enforcement's "rascal hunt" was relentless and persistent.
Many were caught after running around, breaking their legs, while others were caught in their homes or brothels while sleeping, also ending up with broken legs.
Thanks to this, doctors found themselves with a lucrative business.
"Ah, damn! I need to leave Hanyang for a while!"
In the end, the rascals with unbroken legs gathered all their wealth and crossed the river.
"I need to hold out in the south for a while!"
This was the moment when the rascals disappeared from Hanyang and its surrounding areas.
"Strange assault incidents are occurring one after another within the capital!"
This intelligence raised alarms in both the Left and Right Enforcement Offices.
"Find out what is happening and report back!"
At the command of the head of the enforcement, the officers and investigators led their subordinates to gather information.
After investigating the identities of the victims, the officers reported back to the head with puzzled expressions.
"All the victims are rascals?"
"Yes. It seems someone who was harmed by the rascals has made a connection with the enforcement."
"The victim is a criminal, and the perpetrator is also a criminal..."
As the head of the Left Enforcement pondered, one officer suggested,
"Since there are no complaints and no evidence, aren't these the ones we couldn't catch anyway? Wouldn't it be better to just let it go?"
"Then what is the purpose of the law, and why do we have the enforcement? Think a little!"
"My apologies!"
The head of the enforcement reprimanded the officer who made the problematic statement and reached a conclusion.
"We must seek an answer from His Majesty... and also visit the Right Enforcement."
Upon reading the joint petition submitted by the heads of the Left and Right Enforcement, Sejong immediately summoned them.
"I have read the petition you submitted. However, I have one question. What is this 'rascal'?"
Since it was a term created in Idu, Sejong did not understand its meaning and asked the heads of the enforcement for clarification.
"Hmm..."
After hearing the meaning of "rascal," Sejong stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Oh? Is this the response from the scoundrels regarding the orders I issued? Surprisingly quick. The effect is also decent... I shouldn't use it too often, but if used occasionally... No, that would undermine the rule of law. The rule of law must be upheld."
As Sejong pondered various thoughts, he reached a conclusion.
"If we catch the scoundrels in the act, arrest them immediately. If not, continue the investigation until we secure solid evidence. Even if the harmed are shameless criminals who tarnish the purity of innocent women, there is a reason for the existence of the law, so private retribution must be avoided. Do you understand my intentions?"
"We accept your command!"
After receiving Sejong's response, the heads of the Left and Right Enforcement looked at each other as they exited the Geunjeongjeon.
"Do you understand what His Majesty's intentions are?"
"It seems he is saying to catch them if we find them in the act, but to let it go if not. Isn't that right?"
"I think so too. To be honest... the rascals with broken legs deserve what they get, don't they?"
"Indeed."
Meanwhile, the heads of the sect, who had received Sejong's orders through connections established with bribes, gathered the members.
"... What does His Majesty's command imply?"
"Is he suggesting we just leave the rascals alone?"
"No, that would cause problems for the selection of the Crown Princess."
Amidst various discussions, the clever ones spoke up.
"This seems to be His Majesty's advice."
"Advice?"
"It means not to make a big fuss. To be honest, wasn't the last rascal hunt a bit noisy? He is likely telling us to keep it quiet."
"Ah! As expected, you are sharp!"
"Ugh!"
One member, hearing a nickname he disliked, glared at the head and explained.
"If we make a big fuss like the last rascal hunt, the enforcement will get involved. Then both the palace and we will be in a difficult position. So, if we are going to act, we should handle it quietly. His Majesty is giving us a quiet warning and a strategy."
"I see."
Nodding at the explanation, the head of the sect looked around at the members, who were grumbling softly.
"Really... what kind of royal command is this, just going around in circles..."
"This is why I dislike those high-ranking officials. Why do they have to act so superior..."
"Quiet!"
The head silenced the members and organized the situation.
"The cleanup of the rascals is done, right?"
"Yes. There are no rascals left in Hanyang with unbroken legs."
"I have also heard that those from Bukchon and Unjongga have finished their cleanup."
"Good. Then select as many young ladies as possible who meet His Majesty's criteria! The more we select, the better we can choose!"
"Understood!"
As time passed, Hyang, who received related reports through the inner court, tilted his head.
"'Rascal'? What they do is like a sparrow? Just because their legs are broken? The ones who are fine have all crossed to the south?"
As Hyang pondered, a hypothesis crossed his mind.
"Could it be that the sparrow from 'Heungbujeon' is this rascal?"
At the same time, while the "rascal hunt" was in full swing in Hanyang, a merchant ship arrived at Jemulpo.
At the busy dock filled with ships traveling between Shandong and Jemulpo, the workers transporting goods showed curiosity at the unfamiliar ship.
"What kind of ship is that?"
"It's not from Ming."
As the workers expressed their curiosity, soldiers in charge of inspections approached the ship that had docked with an officer.
"Who are you and where do you come from?"
At the officer's shout, a foreigner in official robes stepped down from the gangway.
"Thank you for your hard work. I am Saeed Hamid Mohammed Al Otaibi, working in the research institute. I am on a mission under the royal decree. Here..."
Saeed rummaged through his sleeve and pulled out a scroll.
"This is the document with the royal decree."
After untying the scroll and confirming its contents, the officer looked at the date written at the end and turned to Saeed.
"Is this your first return in almost two years?"
"Yes."
"You've worked hard. You are permitted to disembark. Ah, do not forget to go through customs!"
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
With a wave from Saeed, people began to disembark from the gangway.
"Wait!"
The officer, observing those disembarking from the ship, raised his hand to stop them and called for Saeed.
"Hey! What about those prisoners over there?"
The officer pointed to two Westerners who were shackled and bound.
Seeing the individuals the officer pointed at, Saeed replied with a nonchalant expression.
"They are servants. They are bound just in case they try to escape."
"Even if they escape, they would just be on the ship, right?"
"Now they have disembarked, haven't they?"
"That's true, but calling them servants..."
"To be precise, they are glass craftsmen."