He seemed to be in agony, pressing his body flat against the floor as he writhed.
“That’s right. That posture.”
Then Jeok Wigang grabbed his head and lifted it.
“Now, three prostrations.”
WHUMP— WHUMP— WHUMP—
He repeatedly lifted and dropped the man’s entire upper body with brutal force.
“And nine kowtows.”
BANG— BANG— BANG— BANG—
He slammed the man’s head hard against the floor nine times.
Blood from his split forehead and badly crushed nose smeared all over the Minister of War’s face.
“Now, after that, you stay prostrate until His Majesty tells you to speak, don’t you?”
BANG—
He slammed the man’s upper body hard into the floor again.
The Minister of War said nothing.
He had foamed at the mouth and fainted.
What Jeok Wigang was doing was cruel, but it was satisfying.
It felt as if all the pent-up rage Zhu Seogi had carried until now had been blown away.
Now the Minister of War would come to his senses too.
That hope rose in him.
His trust in Jeok Wigang grew even stronger.
“Let us call an imperial physician and treat the Minister of War.”
“Your Majesty. It is not over yet.”
“Hmm? Did he not faint?”
“He still has not said from his own mouth that he will serve Your Majesty properly.”
“How is he supposed to speak when he fainted?”
“He should have done it before fainting.”
“Wake him and ask.”
“We must not ask. He needs to say it on his own.”
“Then how?”
“We treat him and do it again.”
“Ah! Sorcery!”
“Exactly, Your Majesty. Then I shall begin.”
When Zhu Seogi nodded, Jeok Wigang immediately recited a mantra and healed the Minister of War.
CRRRK— CRACK—
His broken legs returned to normal, and the shattered bones in his face were set back into place.
The blood smeared across his face remained as it was.
“Hah. How wondrous.”
Zhu Seogi admired the divine art Jeok Wigang displayed with open fascination.
Every injured place had been healed, but the Minister of War still had not regained consciousness.
SLAP—
“Kuhuhuk!”
When Jeok Wigang slapped his cheek, the Minister of War jolted in shock and sprang upright.
He looked around in confusion, unable to understand what had happened, then spotted Jeok Wigang and flinched violently.
“Huk!”
“That’s right. Now you’re ready to learn.”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
“I mean we’re starting over from the beginning.”
“What?”
CRACK—
“Kuhuk!”
His knees shattered again, and the Minister of War collapsed to the floor.
He realized it then.
That vivid pain had not been a dream. It had been reality.
And that reality was repeating itself.
*****
By the time the education had passed its tenth round.
“Your Majesty! Please spare this subject! I will do anything you command!”
The Minister of War sobbed and pleaded while lying flat on the floor.
At that, Zhu Seogi smiled and said,
“You need not worry. Compiler Jeok will not kill you.”
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
The Minister of War desperately called out to Zhu Seogi.
He had realized it with painful clarity.
The only being who could stop the monster called Jeok Wigang was the Emperor.
Then a voice of terror came.
“You’re still not properly educated? Strange. By now, most people come to their senses at least a little. This won’t do. We’ll stay up all night.”
All night?
With this pain?
He became desperate.
“Your Majesty! I have committed a crime worthy of death! Please punish this subject!”
It would be better to receive punishment instead.
“...What did you do wrong?”
At Zhu Seogi’s question, the Minister of War poured out every one of his wrongs.
Jeok Wigang stared steadily at him and said,
“You knew all that so well, and you still did it?”
“I-I apologize. E-everyone looked down on Your Majesty, so without realizing it, I...”
“Will you do better from now on?”
“Y-yes!”
“How will you do better?”
“I will do anything His Majesty commands.”
“Really?”
“Yes!”
Jeok Wigang asked Zhu Seogi with a respectful posture,
“He says he will do everything Your Majesty commands. Please order him to do anything.”
“Hmm. What should I order him to do?”
“Anything that comes to mind, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm. Th-then dance.”
The words had barely left his mouth before the Minister of War sprang to his feet and began dancing with great enthusiasm.
“Your Majesty! What do you think? Is this subject’s dance worth watching?”
It was desperate.
“Please order him to do something else.”
“Then sing as well.”
The words had barely ended before the Minister of War hummed a song and danced.
Zhu Seogi said to Jeok Wigang,
“I think that is enough.”
“Your Majesty must give the command yourself.”
“Ah.”
Zhu Seogi said to the Minister of War,
“That is enough.”
“Your grace is immeasurable! Your Majesty!”
He flattened himself to the floor and cried out in a voice full of emotion.
“Is the military truly so short on funds?”
At Zhu Seogi’s question, the Minister of War pressed himself flat against the floor and said,
“Yes, Your Majesty! Constant fighting is currently taking place near the border, yet supplies are severely lacking! If this continues, morale will fall to rock bottom, and if that happens, we may lose the border to the enemy.”
“What does the Ministry of Revenue say?”
“The Minister of Revenue only says there is no budget to provide, and that if I truly want funds, I should bring an imperial order!”
“Then you could have said that. Why did you threaten His Majesty?”
“Th-that is...”
The Minister of War watched Zhu Seogi’s and Jeok Wigang’s expressions.
“Speak.”
At Zhu Seogi’s question, the Minister of War squeezed his eyes shut and said,
“Th-that bastard, the Minister of Revenue, spoke as though it would be useless even if I brought one... If even an imperial order was useless, I intended to obtain it by force. To do that, I needed complete military authority... I have committed a crime worthy of death! Your Majesty!”
Seeing the Minister of War trembling as he lay flat and begged, Zhu Seogi laughed hollowly.
What would have happened if Jeok Wigang had not been here?
Would the Minister of War have begged for forgiveness before him like this?
No.
He would have taken military authority in the end.
Having no power was truly sorrowful and miserable.
And conversely, having power was something like this.
Zhu Seogi looked at Jeok Wigang and asked,
“Compiler Jeok. What should we do?”
“Call the Minister of Revenue as well, Your Majesty. Since we have the chance, it would be good to show the Minister of Revenue Your Majesty’s terror too.”
“I understand.”
At the words that the Minister of Revenue would be called and shown terror, the Minister of War felt pleased.
Let’s see you suffer too, you bastard.
*****
The Minister of Revenue was walking toward the imperial audience hall with an indifferent expression.
“Damn it. I’m busy enough to die, and now he summons me here and there.”
It was the Emperor’s summons, yet he openly wore a look of annoyance.
“Do you truly not know why he has called me?”
He asked the eunuch who had come to summon him, but the eunuch merely shook his head.
“How damned bothersome. He could simply eat what he’s given, enjoy himself comfortably, and leave things alone. Why does he keep trying to involve himself in state affairs? What does he even know?”
Shaking his head as if the whole thing were pathetic, the Minister of Revenue resolved that today he would make it unmistakably clear that the state budget was not something to be touched carelessly.
“Your Majesty! Minister of Revenue Jeong Sang has entered!”
“Let him in.”
The doors of the imperial audience hall opened, and the Minister of Revenue strode in confidently.
In his eyes, only Zhu Seogi, seated ahead and looking at him, was visible.
The Minister of Revenue bent slightly at the waist and replaced a proper greeting with a silent nod.
“Your Majesty. This subject, Minister of Revenue Jeong Sang, has come after receiving Your Majesty’s summons. If you have something to say, please speak.”
At the Minister of Revenue’s words, Zhu Seogi smiled brightly and said,
“Welcome. Sit.”
“No, Your Majesty. Much work has piled up, so I must leave quickly.”
“Hmm. How is the budget these days? Is there any room to spare?”
“What °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° is this about, Your Majesty?”
“It is nothing else. I hear there are many difficulties because grain and military supplies are not being properly supplied to the northern border. Arrange some funds to support them.”
The Minister of Revenue smiled and bowed his head with an expression that said he had expected as much.
“My apologies, but I cannot grant that request. With our current budget, we are barely managing the affairs of the state as it is.”
“Then are you saying it does not matter if the border is breached like this?”
“Those people invade the border at every opportunity. Even if the border is breached, they will not be able to push all the way here. In this subject’s view, those at the front line wish to fight, so they provoke the enemy and keep the battles going endlessly.”
“No, why would they risk their lives to do such a thing?”
“If they wished to protect the nation, they should have wiped out every one of those who keep invading the border. Why do you think they left them alone? It is because they fear that if those enemies disappear, their own usefulness will disappear as well.”
“The Minister of War looked truly desperate.”
“That is politics by nature, Your Majesty. They act that way to obtain what they want.”
“What will you do if the border truly is breached and the enemy pushes all the way here? If we stop them now, the matter will end at the border, but if it is breached, countless people may suffer tremendous harm and fall into misery.”
“Then what do you expect me to do? There is no budget. It is not as though this subject can create funds that do not exist.”
“As I understand it, the budget is not so lacking.”
“Who says that?”
“The Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy said so.”
“How much would a man who only teaches writing know about finances? Your Majesty, there is no budget. Please understand that and refrain from summoning this subject over this matter again.”
“Minister of Revenue. Do not be like that...”
“This subject shall withdraw.”
Before Zhu Seogi could even finish speaking, the Minister of Revenue turned to leave, only to find someone standing before him.
“Who—?”
SLAP—
CRASH, THUD, RATTLE—
“Your Majesty. If you do not wish to watch, you may cover your ears and turn your head for a while.”
“No. I am fine, so Compiler Jeok, continue what you were doing.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty. Then I shall do my work.”
The Minister of Revenue clutched his cheek, which had swollen in an instant, and stared at Jeok Wigang in shock.
“Compiler? A seventh-rank Compiler of the Hanlin Academy?”
Jeok Wigang nodded.
“H-how dare a mere seventh-rank official slap my cheek?”
“Why? Am I not allowed to?”
“What? That, that way of speaking...”
“You were acting however you pleased in front of His Majesty too, so I thought it was allowed.”
“Y-you bastard!”
“Looks like you also don’t know how you’re supposed to behave when having an audience with His Majesty. Now, I’ll teach you carefully from the beginning. Don’t do it again next time, all right?”
“What? Aaagh!”
Jeok Wigang grabbed him by the hair and dragged him along.
“L-let go! L-let go of me!”
The Minister of Revenue struck wildly at Jeok Wigang’s hand, trying somehow to pry away the grip on his hair, but it was useless.
“Aaaaaagh!”
Agony surged endlessly through him, as if his entire scalp were about to be torn off.
Jeok Wigang dragged him to the door and lifted him up.
Then he snapped the legs of the Minister of Revenue, who had been forced to stand.
CRACK—
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Now, from here, you walk on your knees. Understand?”
“Aaaaaagh!”
“No, you’re not supposed to scream while you go. Well, it’s your first time, so I’ll be understanding.”
He grabbed him by the hair again, dragged him along, and moved him before Zhu Seogi.
“Here, three kneelings.”
WHUMP—
“First kneeling.”
WHUMP—
“Second kneeling.”
WHUMP—
“Third kneeling.”
Jeok Wigang forced him down three times with motions like heavy blows.
“And nine kowtows.”
BANG— BANG— BANG— BANG—
The exact same sequence the Minister of War had suffered.
The result was also the same.
On the face of the unconscious Minister of Revenue, there now seemed to be a deep respect for Emperor Zhu Seogi.