I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 57: Dispersion

The next morning, in Seoan.

Jincheon had a headache.

Things kept spiraling far beyond his expectations.

What the hell is this.

He had felt a certain unease at the attitudes of the high-ranking provincial officials.

But even so, he never imagined the Imperial Household would send a gift, let alone Princess Huimun herself.

I did say we’d talk later...

For now, he had to postpone it.

But saying “later” was just that—he hadn’t exactly rejected her.

What choice did I have?

Who in the world could outright refuse a gift sent by the Imperial Household, one said to be given as a sign of respect and affection?

No one knew what might happen if he did.

Damn it. I’m the kind of person who should never be doing anything at all...

And yet, he had already made more than a few important, weighty decisions.

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He had ordered those willing to take responsibility for the previous Palace Master’s death to live. He had returned to Zhongyuan with over seventy escorts. And he had already rejected both the royal title and princely household granted by the Imperial Household.

Of course, Jincheon had his own justification for all this.

Still, come on. Was I really supposed to just play along with a trap that obvious?

Those who claimed they wanted to die for the previous Palace Master, and the royal titles granted by the Imperial Household—when you looked closer, they were both traps. Carefully set snares.

So why should he play into them?

It wasn’t as if Jincheon had anything to gain.

No. I won’t allow it. I can’t just sit by and do nothing. If anything...

He had to at least screw over the audacious ones trying to manipulate him.

Besides, doing nothing didn’t absolve him of responsibility.

Standing by was called complicity—and depending on the case, it was no different than aiding the enemy. In some cases, even considered an accomplice. It was a clear “decision.”

Yes. So this is the best way. That old man can’t complain at this point. No way.

He tried to convince himself of that, but the sinking feeling that he was being dragged deeper into the mire wouldn’t leave him.

Click.

Jincheon set down his teacup.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

A bright, feminine voice interrupted. Jincheon raised his eyes.

Princess Huimun was sitting across from him, gazing at him with a soft expression.

“Is the Palace Master burdened with that many worries?”

Jincheon sighed inwardly.

There was no way she didn’t know that she was the source of his current headache.

And yet that completely serene expression of hers... How frustrating it was that he couldn’t just tell her you’re the problem to her face.

“Do not speak so freely without permission.”

It was Sunday, standing beside him, who spoke in a quiet tone.

“If not for the mercy of the Palace Master, you would have died a hundred times over for such an offense.”

“Oh my. Is that so? Well, I suppose no one dares to speak so casually to the Emperor either.”

She seemed to accept it in her own way, but she hadn’t finished speaking yet.

“But isn’t it perfectly fine to speak to one’s husband?”

Hrk.

A breath caught in Jincheon’s throat before he even realized it.

“Husband?”

“Yes.”

“Whose?”

“Yours, of course.”

Princess Huimun answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“No, I already said that wasn’t the case...”

“A woman of the Imperial Household has been sent to a man. Surely you understand what that means, regardless of whether you accept the royal title or not?”

Jincheon was left speechless.

Her logic was perfectly sound. This was simply the natural consequence of the decision he had made.

“...Let me correct one thing first.”

Jincheon spoke with a grave expression.

“You were not sent to me, but to the Palace Master of the Heavenly Flame Palace.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It is not. Depending on the context. Therefore, I am not the... ahem, in any case, no.”

“Hm.”

Just as Princess Huimun was watching him with a rather dubious look—

“I humbly report.”

Sunday spoke.

As Jincheon turned to her, she continued in a formal tone:

“Among all things in the world, only humans are not to be burned. But if something is sent as a gift, anything may be burned. Especially if said gift forgets its place and commits disrespect—it is even more so.”

Yet another instance of the Red Dragon’s infamous self-serving logic.

Princess Huimun’s eyes widened.

“Oh my, how frightening. You’d burn someone just for speaking? Even the Emperor wouldn’t do that.”

Historically speaking, that had happened quite a lot—but Jincheon didn’t feel the need to point that out.

What did bother him was her change in terminology.

“The Emperor? Yesterday you called him ‘His Majesty.’”

While not incorrect, her current term carried no reverence.

“I’m from another household now, aren’t I? Even if it’s the Imperial Family, once I’ve left that house, what does it matter?”

She shrugged, completely unbothered.

“Of course, if you’ve changed your mind and plan to accept the royal title, then that’s a different matter.”

“I will not.”

Jincheon said flatly.

“Oh dear. That’s a shame.”

Leaving Princess Huimun to murmur to herself, Jincheon turned to Sunday.

“Sunday. Summon Commander Neung Gayeon, Commander Ak Mujin, and also Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong.”

“Yes.”

Sunday bowed and immediately carried out the order.

Jincheon picked up his teacup again.

Princess Huimun, who had yet to even touch the tea she had been served, continued to smile at him.

He wondered why she kept looking at someone as unremarkable as him like that—though of course, he knew the reason well enough—and with affected calm, Jincheon took a sip of tea.

Sip.

Warmth and fragrance spread through him.

Taking comfort in that softness, Jincheon sighed, silently and only to himself.

—

North Wind Commander Neung Gayeon, East Wind Commander Ak Mujin, and Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong gathered in the reception room immediately.

Now well accustomed to their greetings, Jincheon accepted them as a matter of course and gestured for them to be seated.

He spoke as naturally as possible.

“We’ll begin our search from here in Seoan.”

Neung Gayeon replied without delay.

“It shall be as you command.”

He hadn’t even explained the specifics yet, but she accepted it outright.

Jincheon found it absurd, but showed nothing outwardly as he continued.

“I met the previous Palace Master near Hapbi, but several months have passed since then. It wouldn’t be strange for him to appear anywhere now.”

After all, even Jincheon himself had reached Mount Giryeon.

Considering the man’s poor condition, it was still entirely plausible.

Of course, they would interpret this differently—since they believed the previous Palace Master to be dead.

“Therefore, begin the search from here in Seoan, and expand northward through Taiyuan in Shanxi and Jinan in Shandong. Southward, search Changsha in Hunan and Nanchang in Jiangxi. Search every major city.”

Gi Seoran’s face shifted.

That’s the proper reaction.

What Jincheon had just said was essentially a directive to search every major city from Seoan to Hapbi—in other words, virtually every key city in Zhongyuan.

This wasn’t something that could be handled with a single order. It was a massive undertaking that would take considerable time.

But Ak Mujin’s eyes lit up.

“We shall obey without fail.”

Neung Gayeon accepted it just as naturally. But then, Princess Huimun spoke up.

“May I offer a word?”

“Speak.”

At Jincheon’s permission, she smiled lightly and asked,

“I understand this is the Palace Master’s will... but how, exactly?”

This was precisely the question he had been waiting for.

Seizing the moment, Jincheon said,

“We’ll split the escort into separate squads. Eleven in the north, eleven in the south, and two more squads to command them—twenty-four in total.”

Really, this should have been left to the North Wind Commander.

But that wouldn’t produce the arrangement Jincheon needed.

“Also, limit the search to major cities. Set a time limit, and once that deadline is reached, everyone is to regroup at Hapbi.”

“With all due respect...”

Neung Gayeon spoke up.

“If we do that, the Palace Master’s escort will be critically weakened.”

Even if each squad had only three people, this operation would mobilize nearly the entire escort force.

Of course Jincheon expected this objection—and he was already prepared with an answer.

“Commander Neung.”

“Yes.”

“You insisted on accompanying me to guarantee my safety.”

“I did.”

“Then shouldn’t you alone be sufficient?”

To guarantee meant to take full responsibility and offer assurance. But who really used the word with that kind of weight?

North Wind Commander Neung Gayeon didn’t answer, so Jincheon asked again.

“Is it insufficient?”

The expression of Neung Gayeon, who was always so elegant and composed, briefly stiffened.

“...Yes.”

Her answer was unexpected.

Neung Gayeon bowed her head.

“I speak with all due respect. In the event of the slightest possibility, I alone am not sufficient.”

Jincheon furrowed his brow. He hadn’t anticipated this.

Based on the personalities of the Cheonhwa, he had assumed they would say, Of course I am enough.

Looking at the bowed Neung Gayeon, Jincheon spoke.

“What if Sunday joins you? Would that still be insufficient?”

“If one of the Seven Luminaries were to assist...”

“No. Only Sunday.”

Jincheon cut her off.

The expressions of the other six attendants, including Monday, immediately hardened—but Jincheon didn’t look at them.

There was no room for debate or negotiation. No need for consideration.

He had made up his mind. He would push forward.

“I will permit only Commander Neung and Sunday to accompany me. The decision to search for the traces of the previous Palace Master has already been made. Bring me a detailed plan based on my orders.”

Jincheon spoke in a firm tone.

Who would dare defy the command of the Palace Master?

Click.

North Wind Commander Neung Gayeon immediately rose from her chair and knelt.

“I receive your command.”

Watching her with her head bowed, Jincheon felt a pang of unease.

There’s no helping it.

He could explain, could try to persuade her—but in the end, it was all the same.

The only weapon Jincheon had was: What are you going to do about it if I act like this?

Hm?

Suddenly, Jincheon’s eyes met Princess Huimun’s.

She smiled and asked him,

“What about me?”

Of course, he had something to say to her as well.

“You shall accompany Gi Seoran and Po Eunryeong and assist with the search. While Gi Seoran is knowledgeable about Zhongyuan, your counsel—or your status—may be required for verification.”

Princess Huimun was the daughter of King Gyeongsun and had come as an imperial envoy.

Even nominally, she likely held a title, and in case of trouble, she could be of real use.

She seemed slightly surprised by the unexpectedly detailed order, but soon bowed her head.

“Yes. I shall follow the Palace Master’s command.”

“Good. Then...”

Jincheon was about to say That is all, when a sudden thought came to him. He turned to Sunday.

“Sunday.”

“Yes.”

She answered with her head bowed.

“Have you ever driven a carriage?”

He must not ask, Can you drive one?

If it were her, she would surely say yes—but what she meant by that might be quite different from what Jincheon had in mind.

“I have.”

Her answer was satisfactory.

Looking around at them all, Jincheon spoke solemnly.

“This is the end of it. Carry out what I have ordered.”

“Yes.”

Everyone bowed their heads and answered in unison.

Jincheon wore a grave expression, but inwardly he was relieved.

At least for now, it’s done.

The claim that he was searching for the old man wasn’t a lie.

Of course, Jincheon didn’t have high hopes for the effectiveness of the search.

There was another reason he needed to disperse the escort.

If it came to it—if he needed to slip away—he couldn’t do [N O V E L I G H T] it with so many guards around.

Jincheon let out a quiet sigh.

Whether it understood his heart or not, the sunlight filtering through the windows of Seoan was warm and gentle.