Chapter 123: Seupai Mojib (Recruiting the Spy)

Hui-Jee was diligent in trying to keep me away from finding Yeon as much as possible, but I had sensed a change in her long ago as soon as my heart changed towards Yeon. She was now actively trying to provoke me into making a scene so she could use it against me to get me out of her life, for when she no longer had a use for me. That was what it looked like to me, so I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. It wasn't my fault that Hwi was avoiding her; he still didn't know her enough to want to marry her yet and she was the only one who couldn't see that issue. So I knew that I couldn't use her help, not unless I threatened to tear down Ihwaru in front of her. So I focused on Hwa-Wol instead, which Hui-Jee didn't like at all. And from what I knew; Moon-Bok was trying to set up his own pharmacy in town so he could provide for Hwa-Wol and buy her freedom. It wasn't any of my business to step on another man's dream, but I needed Hwa-Wol's help now more than ever if I was going to find Yeon. And if Moon-Bok was the man that I thought he was, he would only accept my help if he helped me in return. I had sent men to look for Yeon in every damned school in the kingdom but I couldn't find her anywhere, which could have only meant that Hwi must have taken her somewhere else where I wouldn't think to look.

I had been coming into Ihwaru for a week now and focused all of my intentions on Hwa-Wol to make my intentions known to her. She had a sweet nature just like Yeon did and it wasn't in her to turn away anybody in need. The first time that we made eye-contact, I could tell immediately from her reaction that she could already tell what I wanted, but her reaction also told me that Yeon had to had confide in her about me as women did since she didn't treat me like a criminal like her best friend did. She looked at me with a similar look as Yeon did, so I knew that I was safe in her hands. And in the meantime, I got Sung-Rok a job in the office of general inspectors so he could help me out in that aspect. And after I got the victory that I wanted, I was going to let him go and do his own work so he could be successful by himself since he shared the same opinion of the Seo's as my father did. At this time I also had men keep an eye out for Moon-Bok, all I had to do was to bide my time until I got Hwa-Wol to talk to me.

Ever since my promotion in the palace and with the whole village knowing my family business thanks to Yeon, I had new enemies and I had fans who would try anything they could to get in my good books and become associated with me. If I wanted Hwa-Wol's help then I couldn't risk offending Moon-Bok, so all the various gifts that were being sent to my home out of nowhere, I saw no problem in anonymously sending Hwa-Wol as a gesture of good will. I gave her more than any ordinary kiseng could even think of possessing, but I also had to avoid staring up rumours that I was courting her, so I never called her over to my table. But after two weeks, I couldn't wait anymore and I settled myself directly into her her room right under Hui-Jee's nose as I distracted her with the group of men from my old and new department who would follow me into Ihwaru and basically anywhere else that I went for their own ulterior motives.

"My Lord!" Hwa-Wol wouldn't help but to let out a small scream when she saw me waiting for in the dark. I had already gone through her things to find any trace of Yeon after she had done a day's work in the brothel helping the madame since she now had a man and continuing being a kiseng was out of the question for her. "Do not call me that, it makes me very uncomfortable." "But...didn't you want..." "I do not want people in my circle addressing me as such." "But... I am not..." "You are part of the man's life who saved me in the war and follows my best friend around, so you are a part of my circle. And do not give me any nonsense about your profession and how the law forbids our class to mix, you had no say in being born into this brothel just like I didn't get a say in my own birthright and how my father used it against me." She shot me a grateful look and I gave her one in return as I invite her to sit down next to me. "Thank you for the gifts my lord, but it is too much...I cannot accept." "Do not worry, I am not courting your or bribing you. You received these gifts that I have not spent a penny on as a gesture of good will, because you already know what I want, do you not? And you know that I have the power to help the man who saved my life by returning the favour to him righteously; he is a hard working man who is trying to set up his own business to buy your freedom, buy a home for you and have an income for the family that you want to raise, isn't that correct?" "My Lord..." "Hwa-Wol listen to me, I know that you know about my past with hai and that you have helped care for him on your man's behalf. And I have no idea what Yeon has told you about it, but I am sure that you know how my mistakes came about, right?" "It was your father's fault." "And I'm sure that you have witnessed yourself how much I have protected Yeon, looked after her myself and provided for her?" "Yes." I went on to tell her the same fears that I told Hwi about Yeon being away from me and it honestly didn't take much for me to convince her to keep me informed about Yeon's movements, her letters, her secret visits home and so on. I wanted daily reports about her so I knew when the best time was for me to swoop in.

"Hwa-Wol, I want your help with one more thing. Rest assured, if you help me with this, I will give you enough money to buy your freedom. But as you know, Yeon isn't the only person I am worried about..." "You want Moon-Bok to spy on Hwi for you, don't you?" "The third prince is a regular in this place isn't he? And he has been for some time, isn't that correct? You are more aware of his personality than anyone else, and you must know that no matter hwo much he favours Hwi today, he could turn out to be his enemy tomorrow due to his paranoia. And you know if that happens, Hui-Jee will be heartbroken and that Moon-Bok will most likely follow him in death after everything that he owes him, all the men will." "My Lord?" "Bang-Won is trying to distance us since we are on opposing sides in the court, and he will most definitely do everything he can to kill me, if not now then later. He may even use Yeon as hostage again and force Hwi to kill me. As for the men he brought with him, they have all gotten promotions right? He will either entice them to follow him or kill them with Hwi if he disobeys him. Then what happens to the women here? To you? Your friend? And even Yeon?" I was only telling Hwa-Wol the truth, even if it came with a little manipulation by using her man against her. And I knew that Hwi wasn't stupid, in fact his intelligence that raised amidst my father's plot really took me by surprise; he knew everything I was saying was true as well, he just didn't have a way out since now all of his enemies were going to use his own sister against him for probably the rest of their lives.

"...so only if you have Yeon as your concubine, no one can use her against Seo Hwi?" "Who said anything about taking her in as a concubine?" I didn't even realise that I had said that out aloud until I saw the shocked look on Hwa-Wol's face that actually made me blush for the first time in a long time. "What?" "She must really mean a lot to you for you to do so much jus to het her back." I smiled at her words but in my heart I could not forget the anger I had against her as well; only if I had Yeon by my side would I get all of the answers that I needed about my past so I could move on with my future in the palace, and...