Chapter 161: Tsushima Is Enough Now [2] Kanghyeok started running in haste with Yeoju.
For a scholar-official, running in front of other people was unquestionably something that damaged one's dignity quite a bit.
That was even more true for someone who held at least a minor official post.
But as always, Kanghyeok did not care about that sort of thing at all.
"Are you okay?"
He was more concerned about Yeoju, who was struggling to catch her breath.
"Oh dear. Young Master, your feet have gotten much faster than before."
"Ah. Well… I'm always doing something or other, that's why."
Wasn't Yeoni training in martial arts all the time, and Makbong too, and recently even Dolseok as well?
Kanghyeok, who had shown unusual concern for health since childhood, could not possibly sit still.
He also knew very well that war would soon break out.
"Does the Lord of Tsushima know no propriety!"
Even while Yeoju was gasping for breath, Kim Seongil's roar showed no sign of stopping.
At the very least, Kanghyeok had never seen him that angry, so he was extremely curious about the reason.
He had heard rumors that Kim Seongil was as upright as bamboo and had a fiery temper, but in front of Kanghyeok, he had always seemed as gentle as a lamb.
Looks like it was because I saved his nephew… but even so, he's not the kind of person who'd get that angry over just anything, is he?
Hadn't Yoshitoshi himself described Kim Seongil as "a dignified man"?
So Kanghyeok thought it could not be an ordinary reason.
Of course, there was another reason Kanghyeok was hurrying like this.
No matter what, watching a fight is the best.
Wasn't watching fights and fires something one never got tired of, no matter how many times one saw them?
So Kanghyeok grabbed the hand of Yeoju, who was still breathing hard, and pulled her along.
"Let's hurry and go see."
"Pardon?"
"If you really can't walk, I'll carry you and run."
"Carry me…? No, I'll walk."
Yeoju had grown rather corrupted from going around with Kanghyeok lately, but no matter what, she was still a young lady from a noble household.
No matter how close she was to Kanghyeok, she could not just let him casually pick her up and carry her on his back.
"Really? All right, then."
Kanghyeok also hated wasting strength for no reason, so he nodded readily.
Instead, he absolutely did not let go of her hand and began running while dragging her along with terrifying force.
Drag, drag, drag.
Because of that, Yeoju had no choice but to be hauled along like a slave tied behind a horse.
It was so exhausting and painful that she was already regretting the decision she had just made.
I should have just let him carry me.
Kanghyeok was the most solidly built man Yeoju had ever seen.
For someone as small as Yeoju, even among women, he probably could have picked her up and run with ease.
"S-sorry."
Even while Yeoju was lost in pointless anguish, Kanghyeok kept running without pause.
Thanks to that, they were able to arrive at the banquet site without being too late.
It was Yoshitoshi's favorite place in his garden, one he had decorated with particular care.
Kanghyeok also liked its quiet atmosphere and often strolled there, but now, there was not a trace of the usual feeling left.
Oh… this is vicious.
To begin with, Kim Seongil was standing rigidly beneath the eaves.
His fury had quite literally shot to the ends of the sky, and even his beard was bristling upright.
"How dare you bring a palanquin all the way into a place where Joseon's ministers are present! What kind of outrageous insolence is this!"
His voice was also filled to the brim with anger.
It was more than enough to make anyone hearing it feel their knees go weak.
Even Kanghyeok, who had nothing to do with the matter, felt uneasy, so for Yoshitoshi, the person involved, there was no need to say more.
"I-I apologize. It was all my oversight."
"No. Rather, I have come to understand well enough what you ordinarily think of Joseon."
Kim Seongil continued rebuking Yoshitoshi without giving him a moment to breathe.
From the look of it, Chief Envoy Hwang Yungil and Heo Seong were only watching Kim Seongil in silence.
Seeing those two staying quiet, is this not actually a big deal…?
Kanghyeok tilted his head and continued watching the situation.
Looking more closely, Hwang Yungil's expression was poor as well, and Heo Seong also seemed displeased.
Whatever the case, it seemed certain that Yoshitoshi had done something wrong.
Kim Seongil's fury was probably because he had chosen to take the lead in pressing the issue.
"N-no. I do hold respect for Joseon."
"And yet a man like that behaves so arrogantly? Have you forgotten our status?"
"Th-that…"
"Was it not you who originally requested the diplomatic mission from our king? And yet you treat the envoys who came at your request with such carelessness. I absolutely cannot let this matter pass."
"Ah."
It seemed Yoshitoshi had grown dizzy under the relentless pressure.
With a short groan, one of his legs visibly gave way.
Sayaga quickly supported him so that others did not notice, but Kanghyeok and Yeoju, standing behind them, saw it clearly.
What the hell is this?
Watching Yoshitoshi struggle made Kanghyeok irrationally angry.
After all, was he not the one who had personally operated on him?
If things went wrong because of this, all of his efforts so far could go to waste.
So he was about to step forward, but Yeoju tugged on his collar.
Her face was calm and composed as always.
"We don't know the full sequence of events, so for now, let's stay still."
Depending on how one heard it, it could have been a slightly unpleasant thing to say, but she had a point.
Kanghyeok usually thought of himself as a person with good judgment, so he obediently listened.
"That's true. But Kim Seongil is only shouting in anger, and Yoshitoshi is only apologizing, so how are we supposed to know?"
"I'm frustrated too… but it's better to feel frustrated than to rashly step in and get hurt."
"That's true too."
Even while Kanghyeok nodded, Kim Seongil's shouting did not stop.
Fortunately, this time, his yelling included mention of why he was so angry.
"Who would dare bring a palanquin to a place where the envoys of a great state are already present? Even if it were a king, he ought to show proper courtesy toward a great state!"
Only then did Kanghyeok notice the palanquin tossed beside Yoshitoshi.
It seemed that in getting out so hastily, it had ended up like that.
Beside it stood the palanquin bearers, trembling like aspen leaves.
With even their master being scolded like that, it was no wonder they were frightened.
"So normally, is it not proper to ride a palanquin all the way inside the main gate?"
"Yes. Strictly speaking, that's right."
"Even though Yoshitoshi isn't well enough to walk properly right now?"
"That elder doesn't even know he had surgery, does he?"
"Ah. Right. I didn't tell him."
"That's because every time you went, you only talked about treating his nephew."
Now that he thought about it, that was true.
He had gone on and on about Kim Seongil's nephew because he wanted, somehow, to make Kim Seongil feel indebted to him, and because of that, they had not talked about anything else at all.
As a result, Kim Seongil's gratitude toward Kanghyeok had soared to the heavens, but at a time like this, that turned out to be a bit regrettable.
"I apologize. I was so flustered that I failed to look into it, and these men treated things as they would with ordinary guests. It was all my oversight."
Yoshitoshi bent all the way to the waist as he apologized.
If this kept going a little longer, it looked like he might even kneel.
Seeing Yoshitoshi's knees tremble, Kim Seongil hurriedly raised a hand.
"Wait."
No matter how angry he was, he had never intended to inflict severe humiliation on someone who was still the lord of a city in name.
That's a relief.
Kanghyeok nodded as he saw Sayaga unconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword.
In truth, how angry could Kim Seongil really have been?
Shouting with the veins in his neck standing out was all for the sake of the court's dignity and prestige.
That was why even Hwang Yungil, the Chief Envoy, had remained silent.
"Wait just a moment. There is no need for the lord to go that far."
Kim Seongil waved his hand once more as he spoke.
Thanks to that, Yoshitoshi was able to avoid the catastrophe of kneeling in front of his retainers.
Now that Kim Seongil had eased his pressure once, it became Yoshitoshi's turn.
For people in power, it was a kind of play, but Kanghyeok and Yeoju, who knew nothing of politics, had no idea what was going on.
"It was my fault for failing to properly supervise those beneath me. Sayaga!"
"Yes, my lord."
Yoshitoshi turned his rapidly chilling gaze toward the palanquin bearers.
The bearers, who had already been trembling, squeezed their eyes shut as though they had sensed their fate.
"I will demand punishment for the men who dared carry the palanquin past the gate and commit discourtesy toward Joseon's diplomatic mission. Behead them all."
"Yes."
As punishment for merely carrying a palanquin, it was somewhat excessive.
Even Kim Seongil looked startled for a moment, though he quickly returned to his original expression.
Having just expressed his fury, he could hardly now criticize the lord's handling of his own attendants.
But Kanghyeok and Yeoju were different.
"Yeoju, he really looks like he's going to kill them, doesn't he?"
"Yes. Yoshitoshi and Sayaga are not the kind of people who make empty threats."
"Well now."
If one thought about it, the palanquin bearers had not committed any great crime.
Yet the fact that they had to die so horribly was hard for him to understand.
So he rose to his feet.
At once, Yeoju hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.
"Young Master, if you rashly step in for no reason—"
"No. Both of them owe me a great debt. If I don't use that now, then when will I?"
"But still…"
"I know what I'm doing, so don't worry."
Kanghyeok lightly shook off Yeoju's hand and stepped forward.
"Ahem."
He did so with a somewhat exaggerated clearing of his throat.
As a result, everyone's gaze in the area turned toward him.
Just as Kanghyeok had said, both Kim Seongil and Yoshitoshi, the two parties at the center of the incident, owed him something and even held him in favor.
Naturally, their attitude toward him could only soften.
"Ah, you've come."
Kim Seongil was the first to speak.
"Yes, sir. I hurried my steps when I heard the commotion on the way here… but seeing that people were about to die, I stepped in."
"This is a matter between the court and the lord, so you need not concern yourself with it."
"Physician Baek. Elder Kim Seongil is right."
Yoshitoshi also sided with Kim Seongil.
From the perspective of those in power, after all, if killing a few palanquin bearers could avoid friction with Joseon, that was a profitable trade.
"No, no. I am involved as well. Was it not because of me that the lord rode a palanquin all the way here?"
"What are you talking about?"
Kim Seongil asked with a face that said this was the first he had heard of it.
Before Yoshitoshi could stop him, Kanghyeok kept speaking.
"The lord here had a chronic illness for a long time. A few days ago, I performed surgery on him, and even now, he still cannot walk properly. Even now… is he not being supported?"
"Huh."
"He probably took the liberty of riding a palanquin for that reason."
"S-so that was it. And I didn't even know."
The only surgery Kim Seongil had ever seen was the fearsome one Kanghyeok had performed on his nephew.
Naturally, he imagined something just as tremendous, and his face as he looked at Yoshitoshi now instead filled with pity.
The situation reversed in an instant.
"You should have told me. I must apologize."
"No, I should have informed you."
The two bowed their heads to each other, and before long, they were even sharing cups of wine warmly together.
"So that was it. There really are such illnesses in the world."
"If not for Physician Baek, I might have lived like that for the rest of my life."
"Truly a divine physician, a divine physician."
"He is Joseon's great blessing."
The atmosphere was better than at the banquets usually held.
Because Kim Seongil felt sorry, he treated Yoshitoshi even more warmly than usual.
Thanks to that, Yoshitoshi was able to bring up the matter he had wanted to speak of with a more at-ease mind.
He laughed and chatted for quite some time, waiting for the surroundings to grow dark.
Waiting for the excitement of the drink to fade and for everyone's judgment to return.
Only then did he cautiously open his mouth.
"However, Elder Kim. Elder Hwang."
"Mm. What is it?"
"In truth, I prepared today's banquet because I had something urgent to tell you."
"Oh. Is that so?"
Yoshitoshi's face was so serious that the two men naturally leaned in to listen.
Even Kanghyeok, who had been quietly drinking with Yeoju, did the same.
"It is about why the Kanpaku requested the diplomatic mission."
"Was it not to strengthen relations with us? Since relations have grown distant after the Three Ports Japanese Disturbance?"
At Hwang Yungil's words, Yoshitoshi quietly shook his head.
"Unfortunately, that is not the case."
"Then for what reason?"
"The Kanpaku intends to pass through Joseon and strike Ming."
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