“The Provincial Graduate from Hubei and his friends have arrived!”
At the driver's shout, a waiting servant quickly guided the carriage to the front of the main hall. Three young scholars, dressed in identical scholar’s robes and wearing scholar’s hats, stepped out of the carriage. One could tell which of them was Lee Yun-jae, the one who had passed the provincial exam, just by looking at his expression.
He was tall with broad, confident shoulders. His pleasant face, which looked to be in his mid-twenties, was alight with a joy as if he owned the world. The other two were also smiling, but their hearts were likely bitter, as the expressions around their eyes and mouths were strangely mismatched.
Even their backs as they walked side-by-side into the main hall seemed to be at different heights. A good while later, a large, luxurious, and heavy carriage drawn by four horses entered the alley. Even the driver sitting in the driver’s seat was no ordinary person.
He wore the robe of a military officer and had a sword at his waist.
“It’s the Prefect. The Prefect is here! Don’t block the way, step aside.”
Bang Jo-in, recognizing who it was, quickly called a servant and stepped aside. I also moved to the side of the door. As if knowing it would not be stopped, the carriage passed through the main gate without pausing and headed for the main hall.
A plain, large carriage followed at a slight distance. It stopped behind the Prefect’s luxurious carriage, and guards in military officers’ robes, carrying swords, poured out and secured the area around the main hall. Judging by their movements, their gazes, and their stances, they weren’t just anyone conscripted to fill the numbers.
They were all proper military officers who looked to have real combat experience.
“That’s intense. Is it always like this when the Prefect comes?”
Bang Jo-in lowered his voice, covering his mouth with his hand as if scratching his lips.
“Of course. Is he not the most powerful man in Zhongqing? This level of security is nothing. When he travels in a proper procession, more than a hundred government soldiers surround him from front and back, glaring at everyone.”
Even now, a few of the military officers were staring intently at Bang Jo-in and me as we whispered. It was only natural. We were the only other people around with swords at our waists.
Only after the military officers had taken their positions and reported that it was safe did the door of the luxurious carriage open. A high-ranking official in his early years, dressed in silk instead of an official's robe. His not-so-large frame and gaunt face looked as stiff as an iron skewer.
He gave off the feeling of a stubborn purist who had spent his entire life looking at nothing but books. He had the air of a scholar-official who was above the concerns of fame and fortune, who wouldn’t even glance at a bribe, rather than the most powerful man in Zhongqing.
His impression was plausible, but you can never know anything just by its cover. It was a fact even the neighborhood children knew that the stench of corruption grew stronger the higher you went, starting from the lowest-ranking officials in the government office. A world where nothing could be done without bribes and connections.
If he had truly soared alone like a noble crane, could he have really overcome the territorial squabbles of the crows to rise to such a high position as Prefect? Considering the lavish carriage and a celebration like this, he was probably a completely different person behind the scenes.
With a figure as important as the Prefect arriving, not only the manager and the servants, but also the courtesans and the party of the Provincial Graduate, Lee Yun-jae, who had arrived earlier, came out to greet him.
At the very front of the courtesans, who were bowing their heads respectfully, stood a middle-aged beauty dressed elegantly in a blue palace-style robe, a bright smile on her face.
“Is that the pavilion master?”
“That’s her. She was clearly a courtesan, but no one knows her courtesan name. With a beauty like that, she should have been quite famous, even if she wasn't captivating enough to bewitch men.”
“What about Ye Hyang?”
“She’s the one in the light pink floral dress standing right behind her.”
Delicate features and a pure, innocent face. Her pitiful eyes were reminiscent of a deer that, while grazing in the morning mist, was startled by a rustling sound and lifted its head. With such mystical beauty combined with her pipa performance, it seemed she could more than capture the hearts of many men.
As the Prefect was welcomed into the main hall, a few guards accompanied him. The inside of the pavilion grew boisterous with the sounds of laughter and music. A few more carriages arrived, dropped off their distinguished guests in front of the main hall, and went to the stables.
Since I didn't have to deal with them directly, my duty was very easy. I yawned and stretched, and my stomach rumbled. When is it time for a late-night snack?
Licking my lips, I looked over the pavilion towards the living quarters. Just then, a carriage entered.
“…”
Bang Jo-in was startled and straightened his sloppy posture. I looked to see what it was and saw a driver in the uniform of the Dragon Sky Escort Agency sitting in the driver’s seat. It was obvious who was riding inside.
The driver stopped the horses in front of the main gate.
“It’s the agency master. Has the Prefect arrived?”
“He arrived about an hour ago.”
Bang Jo-in replied, pointing to the military officers standing guard around the main hall. The escort clicked his tongue softly.
“I hurried as much as I could, but I’m still late.”
Just then, someone opened the carriage door and stepped out. Since becoming a night guard at the Deep Fragrance Pavilion, this was the first time I had gotten a proper look at a guest in a carriage. A martial artist in his early years, his sideburns streaked with white.
He was of medium height with a solid build. The face revealed beneath the hero’s headband on his forehead was as delicate as a scholar’s, but his two eyes glinted like those of a general who had roamed the battlefields. He did not seem like the kind of person who would be subordinate to anyone, no matter where he went.
His martial ability was hard to gauge, but he was likely no weaker than me. The thought that I would rather not have him within my blade’s reach came to me on its own…
‘Dragon Sky’ was embroidered on the left chest of his deep blue martial uniform, and a sword of moderate length was tucked into his belt at the small of his back.
This extraordinary middle-aged man was the master of the Dragon Sky Escort Agency. Flying Force Sword, Gam Hu-jeong.
“I greet the agency master.”
Bang Jo-in assumed a stiff posture, cupped his fists, and bowed his head deeply. I also clasped my hands together to show respect.
“Bang Jo-in.”
“Yes, yes, Agency Master.”
“Are you doing well?”
“Of-of-of course. Hehe.”
Bang Jo-in forced a smile and groveled. He was so servile, fawning so pathetically, that if he had a tail on his rear, I imagined he would be wagging it for dear life. Gam Hu-jeong’s eyes narrowed.
He turned his gaze to me, as if to look away from the pathetic sight.
“I haven’t seen your face before.”
“I am Jeong Dae-cheon, recently hired as a guard for the Deep Fragrance Pavilion.”
“Ah, so you’re that fellow. You use a sword, I hear?”
“That is correct.”
Gam Hu-jeong looked me over slowly with a fresh pair of eyes and then nodded.
“To not be outmatched by Escort Leader Pung, and for your methods to be so righteous and honorable, you are a rare warrior. Working as a doorman at a tavern, you will encounter many disgusting and unpleasant things." "Do not let your fiery spirit get the better of you and draw your blade at the slightest provocation. If you are careless in word or deed while wearing the agency’s uniform, the price you pay will not be light.”
While cautioning me, the agency master did not forget to glare at Bang Jo-in.
“I will keep that in mind.”
As I bowed my head, I glanced sideways and saw that Bang Jo-in was bent at the waist. Gam Hu-jeong walked through the main gate and headed for the main hall. The carriage that brought him did not enter but turned around and disappeared out of the alley.
Bang Jo-in let out a sigh of relief. He leaned against the wall and slumped down as if he had just escaped death.
“What crime did you commit against the agency master to be so terrified?”
“Crime? What crime… Do I look like someone who would commit a crime?”
When I didn’t retract my suspicious gaze, Bang Jo-in quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, did you have a match with Escort Leader Pung?”
“We just had a brief sparring session with wooden swords during the interview.”
“Ho, so you weren't pushed back by that monstrous fellow? You must be stronger than you look.”
Bang Jo-in grinned, a knowing smile in his eyes. He didn’t particularly seem wary of me or intimidated. It seemed he had no interest whatsoever in whether a younger man was stronger in martial arts than him.
I wonder what would have happened if I had shown him my tile-gambling skills. He probably would have been so surprised his eyes would have popped out, and he would have made a fuss trying to learn it at all costs. Just like all other hopeless gamblers.
After that, five more carriages arrived. In total, there were seventeen distinguished guests who entered the main hall. It was an absurdly small number of people to rent out the entire eight-story pavilion for a celebration.
It was probably to avoid unnecessary encounters with other guests or to draw the public’s attention. They must have judged that pouring a large sum of money into such extravagance was cheaper than getting caught up in needless gossip. The sounds of laughter inside the pavilion grew louder, a sign that they were enjoying themselves without worrying about prying eyes.
“I’m going to the latrine.”
I passed the main hall and headed towards the back of the living quarters where the latrine was. The not-yet-cooled summer night breeze wrapped around my face with a lukewarm touch. Suddenly, I stopped without realizing it.
A low singing voice could be heard from somewhere. A small, slender voice that settled and lingered beneath the boisterous laughter. A strange melody, hummed only with the nose without any lyrics, a peculiar mix of loneliness and affection.
I looked around in the faint darkness, and my gaze stopped at the detached house over the wall, about ten yards away. After listening for a moment longer, I started walking again. When I came out of the latrine, the humming had disappeared, and only darkness remained.
* No matter how grand a banquet, it must come to an end. At dawn, the carriages, carrying their respective drunken guests, left the Deep Fragrance Pavilion one by one. The party was over, but there were always those who could not forget the festivities.
That evening, as soon as the sun set and the lanterns were hung, he who returned to the Deep Fragrance Pavilion seemed to be one of them. The person who stepped out of the carriage was the guest of honor from yesterday’s celebration, the Provincial Graduate, Lee Yun-jae. He was alone.
His face was full of fatigue, as if he hadn't slept well even after returning. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his once bright and intelligent eyes were now clouded with deep sorrow. Lee Yun-jae looked around before following a servant into the main hall.
Bang Jo-in snorted.
“He’s fallen for Ye Hyang, and fallen hard. You see these kinds of bookworms every now and then. They study themselves to death, spouting the words of the great sage, but they’re just eunuchs with their jewels still attached who know no woman other than their own mother. Then they get a whiff of a flower-like courtesan’s scent and lose their minds. This is why they say that thievery learned late is the most fearsome…”
Were those words for a gambling addict who couldn’t let go of his tiles to say? Even when I stared at him with an insinuating gaze, Bang Jo-in didn’t stop his jeering. It seemed he was quite envious of Lee Yun-jae.
That day, too, several guests visited the Deep Fragrance Pavilion. After letting a carriage through, I stood on duty for a while before going to the latrine for a moment. As I walked to loosen my stiff body, I sensed a presence and turned my head.
Someone was standing in the secluded passageway behind the main hall that led to the detached house. He wore wide-sleeved clothes and had no sword on his waist or back. The lanterns hung up to the eighth floor of the pavilion were brilliant, and the moonlight was bright, making it easy to recognize his face.
It was Lee Yun-jae, standing with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. It seemed he had come out to cool off from the heat of the alcohol and to gaze at the moon. His face seemed full of worry.
Yesterday, he couldn't contain his overflowing joy as if he owned the world, but today he was as gloomy as if he had lost it all. I had never been in a love affair with a courtesan, but I knew what the expression of someone in love looked like. Lee Yun-jae seemed to have a deep worry.
But I could bet at least half a silver tael that it wasn’t because of burning love or lust. It wasn’t a boast, but I had never lost this kind of bet. His gaze was directed somewhere farther and darker than that.
It wasn't my place to ask about his troubles, so I just went on my way. The direction of the wind changed, and a faint singing voice brushed past my ears. It was unfamiliar, yet somehow it sounded familiar.
It wasn't just my imagination; I had truly heard this song before. The only difference was that it was being sung out loud in a low, wistful voice, not hummed. The melody was definitely the one a certain woman was humming yesterday.
The brothel was noisy, and the singing was quiet, so I couldn't make out the lyrics. Lee Yun-jae continued to murmur the song while looking at the moon, as if he were making a wish. After finishing my business and returning to the main gate, Bang Jo-in said he was going to the latrine and left his post.
A carriage came in. I called a servant to let it in and stood at the gate again, watching the alley beyond. Occasionally, a martial artist carrying a sword would pass by, but none of them came to the Deep Fragrance Pavilion to cause trouble.
The night deepened, and it was about time to go for a late-night snack, but Bang Jo-in did not return. Is he stealing alcohol from the brothel kitchen? When you work for a faction, there are always guys like that.
Pathetic fools who think working diligently is a loss and try to find any way to slack off. A long time later, Bang Jo-in returned with a dazed look on his face. He must have fought quite a battle in the latrine, as his legs were weak and he staggered.
His face was half-dazed, and his eyes were blank.
“Did something happen?”
“Huh? Why, what’s wrong?”
Bang Jo-in flinched and raised his head.
“A man who said he was going to the latrine doesn't come back for over an hour. It’s strange.”
“Ah, well… was it? Has it been that long already? I was so focused on pushing that I lost track of time.”
Bang Jo-in tried to brush it off with a casual joke. He had a guilty expression, as if something was bothering him. Returning to his post, Bang Jo-in fiddled with his tiles and hummed a little song.
A strange sense of dissonance washed over me. The tune that a woman had hummed last night, that Lee Yun-jae’s lips had formed earlier, was now being hummed by Bang Jo-in.
“What’s the title of that song?”
“This? Isn’t it a lullaby?”
“A lullaby?”
“You said your hometown is here, right? Then you might not know it. It’s a lullaby that was popular in the homes of Hubei, they say. I don’t know the lyrics either.”
“Brother Bang, is your hometown in Hubei?”
“No. But there are ways to know everything. Strangely, some days you get lucky and come into some extra money.”
As if he had really picked up some silver taels, Bang Jo-in was overjoyed and even humming. The corners of his mouth were twitching as if he was itching to talk, but uncharacteristically, he exercised self-control and bit his lip firmly. Instead, he kept stroking his left side.
Unlike before, his clothes were bulging out. The pouch with his tiles was at the small of his back. What he had in his bosom seemed to be a money pouch.
Where did he get silver taels so suddenly? A slight curiosity arose, but if it was stolen, it was better not to get involved, so I pretended not to notice.