LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 73
Chapter 73: My Empress
Inviolability of Official Affairs.
Although the first founding emperor of the Ming Empire established the silent pact, it was only superficially honored, as invisible frictions existed between the imperial family and the Martial World.
The archive of the Six Great Houses of the Gu Pai was stored in the Hwanggung’s vault, and the imperial family possessed the countermeasures for major sects’ martial arts to maintain superiority over the Martial World.
However, due to the inviolability of official affairs, public intervention by the imperial family in the Martial World was forbidden.
And hence, there was Dongchang.
Dongchang was responsible for all sorts of machinations and checks on the Martial World. The emperor of the Ming Empire used Dongchang through generations to control the power of the Martial World, either exceeding the imperial family or preventing any rebellion against it, using various information manipulations.
As long as the Martial World remained a useful tool for maintaining world order.
“Secretly mobilize the Dongchang intelligence network to spread rumors in the Martial World.”
Ucheop-hyung trembled while looking into Juga-yul’s eyes—a gaze so fierce it seemed to contain the fury of the infernal realms.
“······Yeonhee Neungwolhyang is simply calling Lee Cheol-soo of the Gongdong Alliance ‘gaga’ because she longs for him, and rumors of them being together are mere lies fabricated from her one-sided affections. We can make it look like it was the Beggar Sect’s doing.”
She had the obligation to clean up the mess caused by Jeoksawol.
Juga-yul thought so.
As the official concubine of this nobleman, maintaining order within the household was her duty.
As his daughter, honoring her father was only natural.
As his official partner, fulfilling the wishes of her beloved was a given.
As his sister, helping her older brother should be expected.
And as his disciple, working for her master was simply what must be done.
Everything was entirely normal.
In the Nine Provinces and Eight Monarchs, the only significant person to her was this nobleman.
“I shall carry out your order!”
There were no questions about why.
To her, Juga-yul was already an object of absolute obedience.
Watching Ucheop-hyung bow, Juga-yul closed her eyes slightly.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced.
‘Heh heh. Soon, Noya will realize that I have returned.’
With Noya’s clever mind, she would surely notice the immediate shift in rumors and recognize that the information manipulation by Dongchang resembled her own style.
If so, it wouldn’t take long for her to realize that she also had returned.
Noya would finally.
Finally acknowledge her existence.
This was her confession to Noya.
A passionately burning love confession.
Just that thought made Juga-yul’s face flush. Her heart raced. Her entire being were soaked in delight.
‘Ah, Noya. Please wait just a moment. I shall come quickly.’
A warm smile spread across Juga-yul’s lips.
*
Hwajeong County. Gonhwa Pavilion, Premium Room on the 2nd Floor.
Jeoksawol’s crimson eyes trembled upon hearing the rumors had changed.
“What? Who are those bastards?!”
Lee Cheol-soo.
If this continued well, she planned to ensnare him, a member of the Orthodox Faction who was a future pillar of support, in her skirts.
During the past two days since the rumors spread, her mood felt as euphoric as in paradise.
This way, she could become the true partner of Gaga.
‘Gaga also doesn’t seem to dislike me, does he? Hehehe.’
If he disliked her, he wouldn’t have called her ‘Hyangmae’ affectionately and pet her head.
Of course, she couldn’t divulge the true feelings of the world’s most beautiful woman, Jeoksawol.
‘N-no, that can’t be! I, I am the most beautiful in the world… N-neungwolhyang, perhaps…’
Jeoksawol provided excuses for herself.
But her heart couldn’t help but race at just the thought of Lee Cheol-soo.
So she justified herself.
It was just affection as Neungwolhyang’s partner, not her true feelings.
She was merely his partner.
‘Hehe. If Gaga becomes my partner, should I… take his hand first? Ah, should I ask him to keep calling me Hyangmae? What if he, haha, desires to share a bed…?’
Jeoksawol’s fantasies continued.
Herself being called Hyangmae by Gaga. Feeling Gaga’s touch as he petted her hair. The warmth of their bodies together.
Moreover, Gaga was at the age where desires surged. He might ask for their union.
If that happened…
In a room ignited with the flame of incense, their bodies intertwined on plush, golden bedding. Jeoksawol’s imagination ran wild.
‘Ah, no! Th-that can’t be! I-I can’t offer my body! Hmph. No matter how much of Gaga, he’s still a young lad…’
As she indulged in such delightful thoughts for two days, dreaming of what she’d do with Gaga as soon as they became partners, a cold shower disrupted her fantasies.
“What bastards are they?!”
Jeoksawol’s crimson eyes darkened.
A slick and decadent aura arose from her body, filling the room with a sweet fragrance.
Unlike other powerful individuals, her aura didn’t feel violent; rather, it was soft. But within that softness lay a deadly blade ready to entrap her foes.
A bead of sweat dripped from beneath the white mask of Baek Myeon-am-gun’s Majilang as he reported.
“While tracking, we discovered signs of the Beggar Sect. It seems like their handiwork, but the purpose is unknown.”
“The Beggar Sect… How dare these filthy beggars… interfere with my grand plans!!”
As Jeoksawol heard Baek Myeon-am-gun’s report, fury ignited in her crimson eyes.
She couldn’t understand why the Beggar Sect had intervened.
However, the mere fact that those beggars dared to sabotage her grand plans of becoming Gaga’s partner fueled her righteous anger.
Moreover, the content of the rumors was unbearable.
‘H-how is it possible that this world’s most beautiful woman is said to have a crush on Gaga? That I, all alone in one-sided love, spread false rumors hoping to connect with him?!’
That was absurd.
A one-sided crush!
She who could enthrall all men with her beauty—no, she was the most beautiful of all time.
To say she had a crush on someone was unthinkable.
A one-sided love was out of the question. Rather, it would be Gaga who’s drawn towards her.
The notion that she wanted to connect with him was pure nonsense. It was a plan for the Orthodox Faction’s Post-Stimulation Indicator to fall into the clutches of the Blurred Path.
Above all, what she could not tolerate was the fact Gaga was right in front of her.
Just a stretch away, she could envelop him in her skirts.
So she could mold him solely into her intimate secret.
But everything fell apart.
Because of those beggars.
Crack.
Jeoksawol ground her teeth.
Her hands shook slightly.
*
In conclusion, Operation Seodongyo was a success.
So it meant that, despite my intentions, it succeeded similarly to the Seodongyo tale from the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms.
Just as Baekje’s King Mu spread rumors of spending nights with Princess Seonhwa to ultimately marry her, the rumors I spread evolved into speculations that Seomun Cheong-ha and I were lovers.
In modern terms, it was like a scandal about a romance.
Thanks to that, I had to clarify the rumors in a private meeting with my master, Jeonyeong.
“The rumors about me and Seomun Cheong-ha are unfounded. Any relations with Neungwolhyang… It was only unavoidable to use Hao Mun to send letters in hiding from the eyes of the Seomun family during the recent Orthodox Faction Competition, so it seems they spread it to frame me out of grudges for their loss.”
“I already knew you sent that letter through Hao Mun. But such a situation… The bunch from Sa Ma Oe Do should be trifled with, indeed. From now on, try to avoid entanglements with them as much as possible.”
Fortunately, while Jeonyeong was stern, he wasn’t unreasonable, trusting my explanation entirely and moving on.
It was as expected.
What confused me was how the rumor that Neungwolhyang and I were in a relationship had suddenly changed.
It wasn’t that Neungwolhyang and I were lovers but that her love for me was one-sided; she spread the rumors herself.
‘Who could it be?’
I frowned as I noted the change in rumor content.
I had long anticipated Jeoksawol would spread a romance rumor about me.
It’d be strange if she didn’t, given her obsession with me.
The issue was that someone had altered the rumor’s content.
Hao Mun was one of the two major information sects alongside the Beggar Sect in the Martial World.
If anyone could change the rumors from Hao Mun, it would be the Beggar Sect themselves.
But I had no ties to the Beggar Sect. Although they were beggars, they formed an interest group known as a sect, and it was unlikely they’d do me any favors.
They’d rather side with the Seomun family, not help someone from the Gongdong Alliance.
The same applied to the Seomun family. For them, I was an enemy. It would be in their best interest to leave the rumors about their foe alone. Paying to clear my name would be madness.
So the likelihood of the Beggar Sect being behind this was nil.
There was only one place that could swiftly change Hao Mun’s rumors without being from them.
‘Dongchang?’
Dongchang.
The organization I belonged to in my previous life, and the direct intelligence agency of the Ming Empire.
This was something only Dongchang could accomplish.
But why would those eunuchs move for me, someone they have no connection with?
It was too out of the blue.
Of course, they had enough justification. One of Dongchang’s primary missions was supervising and controlling the Martial World, sowing discord, and executing various schemes. It was possible they conducted this operation to curb Hao Mun, which had been too audacious lately.
Yet it was just too coincidental. Why would they help me?
What a stroke of luck, too good to be true in my life.
So, I had my suspicions.
If the real powers controlling Dongchang had no connections with me, it was impossible…
Wait, there is one person who might take the liberty to orchestrate this for my benefit.
My Empress.
If it were her, upon hearing my rumors, she would likely react this way.
In fact, the manner in which things were handled was reminiscent of how she operated. Silently eliminating my rivals while seeking my praises.
But the Empress had left everything behind in the future…
‘No way…’
A chilling thought crossed my mind.
Rebirth Great Method.
I had failed in that great method and had regressed.
However, the materials I gathered for the Rebirth Great Method remained intact. It would have been easy for the Empress to acquire them as well.
Moreover, when I stated that I’d perform the Rebirth Great Method, she had nearly passed out in tears trying to stop me.
She even made the outlandish comments about how pleasurable it was, the Cloud and Rain Pleasure.
If she executed the Rebirth Great Method and regressed like I did?
Thus, if she took control of Dongchang and commanded them to change the rumors once she heard them?
It would make sense for her to want to use this information campaign to inform the world of her regression.
As I pieced this together, I froze in place.
All the circumstantial evidence pointed to the Empress’s rebirth.
‘Empress… Is it truly you?’
Just as my thoughts reached that point…
“Master!”
A voice called out to me from a distance—it was Yujinhwi.
Kak!
He leaped toward me, landing in front of me as he took out a letter from his pocket.
“A Martial Arts Competition Document has arrived for you from the Seomun family.”
I accepted the letter handed to me by my disciple with a complicated heart.
I didn’t expect them to send it first.
Well, it’s better to have good come from good.
It’s like crying while getting slapped on the cheek.
Now all that remains is to throw down with the Seomun family over the Gansu Province Champion belt.