Her Majesty’s Secret Service

079. Why is your ancestor here?

It was the sixth day of Yulgok’s stay in Hanyang.

Yulgok decided that if he couldn’t meet his relatives in Dongpyeong-gwan today, he would just go back home to Paju. As soon as he woke up, he went to see Jae Jong-suk and Lee Won-bok.

“Jae Jong-suk, did you cough?”

“Oh, is it? It just so happened that it worked out well. “I was already planning to call you.”

“Has something urgent happened?”

“Rather than something urgent… No, if it’s urgent, it must be urgent. “It’s our family’s legacy.”

“yes? “It’s Yu.”

“Why, the four new servant brothers. “I’m staying at Dongpyeong-gwan now.”

“Ahhh! “Yes, you mean that relative from Dongpyeong-gwan?”

“Yes, that is the reason, the ‘reason.’ Hey, you also heard that Lim Kkeok-jeong was caught, right?”

“Yes, there are a lot of rumors about the author. “The thief who caused an uproar in Hwanghae-do and Gyeonggi-do was caught in the capital.”

“Yes, the author says that Im Kkeok-jeong was caught attacking Dongpyeong-gwan after being deceived by the government’s plan, right?”

“Yes, I don’t know how surprised I was to hear that news. No matter how important it is to arrest Lim Keok-jeong, they use Dongpyeong-gwan as bait. As a result, we arrested Lim Keok-jeong, so what would have happened if we had missed it?”

Lee Won-bok, who was looking at Yulgok who was complaining that the government’s response was too excessive, opened his mouth with a bitter smile.

“It would be better if Dongpyeong Hall was used as bait.”

“yes? “What do you mean by that?”

Yulgok’s eyes widened as he pondered Lee Won-bok’s words. If Dongpyeong-gwan was not used as bait, isn’t it true that Dongpyeong-gwan was attacked by a gang of thieves?

In other words, no one knew while Lim Keok-jeong’s gang was hiding all the way to Hanyang.

No matter how corrupt the government officials are, they don’t even notice when a group of thieves enter Hanyang. Even the famous Lim Keok-jeong gang.

This, no matter how much I thought about it, it wasn’t right.

“Jae Jong-suk! Is that really true?! I’m so devastated! Are they really officials who eat away at the country? But what on earth does this embarrassing incident have to do with Dongpyeong-gwan’s relatives? No way, even if the messenger gets hurt by Lim Keok-jeong’s gang… .”

Yulgok became very excited and began to pour out words. Seeing Yulgok like this, Lee Won-bok clicked his tongue with a stern expression and tried to calm Yulgok down.

“Oh, the voice! Please lower your voice. “The servants outside will hear everything, you b*stard.”

“ah… “I’m sorry, Jae Jong-suk.”

“Hmm, hm, that’s all I need to know. Yeah, I said what does Yu and Lim Keok-jeong have to do with each other? I’ll tell you from now on. This is what I heard from a colleague who works in Hanseongbu… .”

Lee Won-bok’s words continued for a long time. Yulgok, who heard the full story of what happened at Dongpyeong Hall from Lee Won-bok, let out a brief exclamation.

“So, contrary to what is known, does it mean that a subordinate of a relative of Dongpyeong-gwan captured Lim Keok-jeong?”

“That’s right. The more I know, the more I am. So that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Yes, Jae Jong-suk.”

“I need you to visit Dongpyeong Hall. “After all, weren’t you staying in Hanyang to meet Yu of Dongpyeong-gwan?”

“yes? Is there a way? The audience isn’t over yet, is it? Until the audience ends with a royal decree… .”

“Is there anything in these eight provinces of Joseon that is not related to academics? This Jae Jong-suk has already written her hand. All she had to do was go to Dongpyeong Hall and tell them that the funeral director had sent her. And since we are holding a special ceremony today to welcome the envoys from Dongpyeong Hall, it is not like we are breaking the commandment. So don’t worry and go.”

Yulgok felt uncomfortable by Jae Jong-suk’s words, which implied a request for a favor, and tried to say something, but he could barely suppress the words that were rising to the top of his throat.

“then… “When can we leave?”

Yulgok’s voice as he said that was completely devoid of strength. Lee Won-bok continued speaking, regardless of whether Yulgok’s voice was weak or not.

“I said that even if I can’t do it after today’s ceremony, Missy will be able to do it, and Juyeon is also ready…” I can’t help it today. The time may not be right. Let’s go to Dongpyeong Hall early tomorrow morning.

Go and find out the Chinese characters used in the name Yu, as well as the names of your parents and grandparents. If you don’t remember something, don’t forget to give us a little help to help you remember. “You know what I mean, right?”

Yulgok knew very well what Wonbok was talking about. Isn’t this a call to make even ancestors who don’t exist if we have to? As Yulgok, who prided himself on having mastered Confucianism to some extent, he could not help but feel uncomfortable.

“I know very well what you are talking about.”

“Yes, I believe you will do well.”

No matter how outstanding his academic achievements were, in the eyes of the elders in his family, Yulgok was a child who had not yet reached his thirties. Yulgok knew very well that his opinions would not be accepted, so he did not bother to protest against Wonbok’s words.

Of course, the news may not have reached the adults living in the local village, but since the story has already been told among the adults of the Deoksu family living in Hanyang, isn’t it a case of discussing genealogy?

In addition, strictly speaking, Yulgok was closer to his mother’s family, the Pyeongsan Shin family, than to the Deoksu family, so he was not in a position to say anything, so he was reluctant to talk about this incident.

The next day after finishing the story, Yulgok woke up early in the morning and went out to see his relatives in Dongpyeong-gwan.

* * *

“Captain! “Please wake up!”

“Captain, please sell us some of our muskets!”

“That’s right, Captain! JAKE Do you know how much he brags about it? He boasts that he will buy a wheel lock musket when he returns to his home country… !”

Some sailors, more specifically sailors with muskets, had been coming to my door since morning and begging me to sell them their muskets.

These gunners were sailors who had sailed with me during the last war, and each had purchased a personal musket with the gold coins they had been distributed.

The reason those people came to me and clamored to sell me their muskets was because of money, that damn money.

Anwi, who saw the power of the musket, said that he wanted to get a musket no matter how much he spent. I closed my eyes and offered to hand over the musket if he brought me a gold bar, a gold bar worth half the weight of the musket.

Well, I thought about asking for the same weight of gold, but isn’t this the country of our ancestors? This is a special discount.

Anwi thought about my words for a moment and then placed a condition: ‘Tell me in detail how to use it.’

What’s so difficult about using a musket? Immediately at the banquet, I had Jake teach me how to use the musket, and on the spot, I was able to weigh the musket and receive a Ming Dynasty-style gold ingot worth half the weight of the musket.

The problem was next. The musket sold, of course, belonged to Jake, who demonstrated shooting.

Excluding my share of the proceeds from the musket sale, about two-thirds of the gold bars went to Jake, and the eyes of the sailors were completely averted when they saw that a musket that could have been purchased for two or three gold coins had turned into a large gold bar.

No matter how much money you have in mind, is it possible to wake up a captain who is sleeping soundly? With utmost frustration, he shouted at the sailors standing outside.

“Hey… ! What the hell are these people from this morning! “Let’s get some sleep. Get some sleep!”

“yes? “It’s already midday?”

“what? What is that… .”

* * *

Correct. It was midday, not morning. Did I drink too much yesterday? It seemed like I had slept longer than I thought.

I stood up, holding my brittle head, and opened the door, letting the bright sunlight shine into my eyes.

“No, Jack, you’re the guy who was drinking next to me yesterday… !”

The moment I was about to attack the three gunners gathered outside the door, a soldier came running. It was the familiar soldier I saw all the time.

“ah! Hey, are you up? It’s none other than a person from the Duke’s family who has come and is waiting for us. Shall we bring you here?”

“A family member? that… “Who do you think it is?”

If they are from my family, they must have come from the Deoksu family. To be honest, I was wondering when they would contact me.

“Yes, please tell me that Lee I, the 13th generation descendant of the Deoksu Lee family, has come to see a relative.”

“Who? this person?”

When I heard the name of who came to meet me on behalf of the Deoksu Lee family, I was dumbfounded. It was truly an unexpected name. Isn’t there only one member of the Deoksu family?

“Why is Yulgok here?”

My grandfather always told me stories about famous ancestors of the Deoksu family, such as Yulgok and Chungmugong, saying that as a descendant of the head family, one should know the whereabouts of one’s ancestors.

Since I had been told such stories repeatedly by my grandfather at the level of brainwashing since I was young, I knew very well what Mr. Yulgok was doing around this time.

Why did Mr. Yulgok, who was obviously busy interacting with other celebrities at his home in Paju, show up in Hanyang?

* * *

In the middle of a sunny day, when the warm spring sunlight was shining on Dongpyeong Hall, a customer came to Dongpyeong Hall.

“I am Lee Bo-oh, the nephew of this funeral home doctor. I came to meet a relative of our Deoksu family… .”

“ah! It’s him. I was already waiting. “Please come in.”

When Yulgok mentioned the names of his Jae Jong-suk and Lee Won-bok, the door to Dongpyeong Hall that had not budged until a few days ago opened. In addition, a soldier guarding Dongpyeong-gwan was attached to guide Yulgok.

‘Your attitude is completely different from back then. Huh… What on earth is going to happen to this country?’

Yulgok sighed inwardly after seeing that Jae Jong-suk’s attitude before and after being introduced was clearly different.

This country, Joseon, was literally like a collapsing house. Yulgok thought that if things continued like this, the country called Joseon would be ruined.

Yulgok, who followed the soldier guiding him, was soon guided to the eastern wing of the lodgings where English envoys stayed.

“Sir, I will check to see if the Lord is awake. Since you were sleeping earlier… .”

“Oh, do whatever you feel comfortable with.”

“thank you. lily.”

After a while, the soldier returned and announced that Dongpyeong-gwan’s relative, Lee Yu, was awake.

“The Duke said that he had just woken up and was out of shape, so he would straighten his clothes and meet you. “First of all, please wait in the room in the east wing.”

“I guess so. I’ve been waiting for over three days, but I wonder if I can’t wait just a moment. “Oh, I’m thirsty. Can you get me a glass of water to drink?”

“Yes Nari, could you please wait a moment?”

When Yulgok said he was thirsty, the soldier scooped up a bowl full of water from somewhere and handed it to Yulgok. Just as Yulgok was about to take a few sips of the water to express his gratitude, he trudged off and heard footsteps outside the door.

Soon the door opened and a man who looked strangely similar to Lee appeared.

“nice to see you. It is said that this is the reason why he is in charge of the affairs of the English envoys.”

“We finally meet here. I am truly happy to meet the rumored ‘relative of Dongpyeong-gwan’. “My name is Lee, the 13th generation descendant of the Deoksu Lee family.”

The two people who exchanged greetings looked at each other.

‘Huh… It’s definitely my first time seeing this face. Why does it feel so familiar?’

‘No, why is a gentleman who should be studying in Paju here?’

The two people, Deoksu Lee, Lee Yu, and Lee Lee, who had their first meeting like this, looked at each other with strange expressions.

Footer:

*Geumwonbo is a gold coin of the Ming Dynasty. It is said that there were gold wonbo worth 5 nyang and gold wonbo worth 10 nyang. All of the gold wonbos in the work are worth 10 nyang.