The North, Liaoning Province. Shenyang.
“No, wait…!”
Moyong Ho raised a hand sharply, cutting himself off the moment the Grand Young Master mentioned Sook-hyang’s name. A tumbler clicked into place within his mind.
“Military provisions!” he shouted. “Not long ago, you secured a promise from the Gwak Clan for a mid-to-long-term food supply over three years!”
In truth, it had been less of a promise and more like ripping the guarantee out of the Gwak Clan’s reluctant hands. But Moyong Ho dared not voice such a crude sentiment in front of the Grand Young Master.
“At that time, the Liaoning Governor-General stepped forward to personally guarantee the Gwak Clan’s supply lines.”
It had been an odd anomaly. The Governor-General’s Office had directly managed the transportation logistics and assumed full liability for any mishaps.
“I thought it was strange back then, but now…” Moyong Ho slapped his palm against his thigh. “The Governor-General’s true advisor. His concubine, Sook-hyang. It was her doing all along!”
The Grand Young Master nodded lightly.
“Indeed.”
***
Liaoning Province, Governor-General’s Palace. Inner Chamber.
“Oh… You have come.”
The sliding door opened, revealing a woman of breathtaking presence.
To borrow an expression from the Wa Kingdom, when she stood, she was a peony, her figure vibrant and stretching tall; when she walked, she was a lily, her gait swaying elegantly in the summer breeze.
“Come, please, sit here.”
As Sook-hyang took the seat offered by the Liaoning Governor-General, it felt as if a single, magnificent flower had bloomed in a barren garden.
“I heard you were looking for me.”
Unlike her name, which sounded thoroughly native, a subtle accent of the Wa Kingdom lingered in her speech, betraying her foreign origins.
“Yes, yes.”
Propriety dictated an exchange of pleasantries, but the Liaoning Governor-General possessed no such luxury. His anxiety was palpable.
“What should I do about this situation?”
He offered no detailed explanation, yet his distress wasn’t solely due to the looming political crisis.
“This girl has a thought.”
He had summoned her because he knew her intellect shone as brightly as her beauty.
“Truly, my Sook-hyang.” The Governor-General leaned forward, his gaze intense. “Do you think the Sword Clan’s Grand Young Master is the better choice this time as well?”
Though faint, a specific, jagged emotion stained his tone.
“Are you certain your judgment isn’t influenced because your heart leans toward him?”
Jealousy.
Knowing Sook-hyang’s infatuation with the Grand Young Master, the Governor-General could not completely hide his insecurity.
“Hohoho.”
Sook-hyang covered her mouth with a pale hand and laughed softly. She didn’t blame him for his pettiness, nor did she deny her feelings for the Grand Young Master. Like a flower catching the eye of a busy passerby with a subtle scent only to withhold its full fragrance, she displayed her charm with an ambiguous, captivating allure.
“Ahem…!” The Governor-General thumped his chest in frustration. “Don’t just laugh, say something!”
Urged by his desperation, Sook-hyang finally parted her lips as if yielding.
“This time…” Her smooth fingertip traced the rim of her teacup seductively. “How about maintaining neutrality?”
The Governor-General’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Are you perhaps…” He scanned the depths of her pupils. “Trying to play hard to get with the Grand Young Master through me, simply because he refuses to look at you?”
The Grand Young Master had never responded to her persistent courtship. Was she using politics to pique his interest?
Instead of answering, Sook-hyang threw her head back.
“Hohoho!”
“Kuh, ahem…!”
Realizing the disgrace he was showing by doubting the very advisor he had summoned, the Governor-General bowed his head, face flushing red.
“S-Sorry.”
“Not at all, my lord.” Sook-hyang smiled, her hand resting gently on his like a falling petal. “Please remember. You and I are fated to share life and death.”
“Precisely.”
Nodding, she cut to the heart of the matter.
“Currently, the Grand Young Master has the justification, but lacks immediate practical benefit. The Dread King possesses the practical benefit, but lacks immediate justification. Is that not so?”
She continued, her logic flawless.
“Therefore, what we need now is not a strategy to suppress and win, but a survival strategy to endure among the strong.”
“Survival strategy…” The words echoed the trembling of his own heart. “Indeed, it is so. The situation pressures me from all sides; I do not know where to turn.”
He looked at her with concern. “But neutrality in this climate? Will either side leave me be? Whoever wins, be it the Grand Young Master or the Dread King, they will not forgive the one who brazenly sat on the fence.”
“Correct. Therefore, my lord…” Sook-hyang smiled. “While maintaining neutrality, you must strengthen your internal stability.”
“Internal stability?”
“Take back the authority currently distributed among the powerful figures of Liaoning. Centralize it.”
The Governor-General’s eyes trembled. “If I do that, won’t I be even more isolated? How can I handle this vast province alone without help—”
“My lord.”
She tapped the back of his hand with a manicured finger, capturing his attention.
“This is not peacetime. It is a time of war.”
Her eyes sparkled with a deep, cold light.
No matter how dependent and weak the Liaoning Governor-General’s nature might be, he was still a ruler controlling a vast region of the Central Plains Empire. He grasped her logic immediately.
“Retaining control of the constabulary… taking it from the local leaders to the Governor-General’s Office…” He lowered his voice. “Are you suggesting we conscript even the private soldiers of each family?”
“Precisely.” She nodded. “In peacetime, they would never allow it. But now is wartime.”
Families who did not follow orders could be expelled or branded traitors. Finally, a smile touched the Governor-General’s lips.
“Correct.”
“Securing military power becomes sovereign power,” she explained, clapping lightly as if praising a clever student. “It compensates for the lack of political allies. It is a temporary measure until one of the two figures, the Grand Young Master or the Dread King, occupies the high ground.”
Because it was a temporary measure, the enormous cost of maintaining the army and the potential civil unrest were secondary concerns.
“But…” The Governor-General stroked his chin, anxiety creeping back. “What if a powerful figure rebels against the declaration of neutrality and defects? What if they join the Grand Young Master or the Dread King individually?”
“Then.”
The elegant smile on Sook-hyang’s lips suddenly reeked of thick blood.
“With the constabulary you have secured, suppress and punish them.”
The Governor-General flinched. “If I do that… the army of the Grand Young Master or Dread King who received that family’s loyalty will—”
“The winter of the steppe is long and harsh.” Sook-hyang raised a finger, silencing him. “Those commanding the great armies want to reach a conclusion before the snows settle in. They have no leeway to divert resources to save a single family in a corner of Liaoning.”
It meant the influential families were trapped. They had no choice but to follow their Governor-General.
“Even the Patriarchs of the Sixteen Imperial Families in the capital cannot touch you directly. Once the tide of war is decided and I stand on the winner’s side, they may rebuke me, but the deed will be done.”
“Precisely… Hmm.”
Having organized his thoughts, the Liaoning Governor-General spoke with newfound resolve.
“Then, the first thing to do before declaring neutrality is—”
“You must first reclaim the power your brother holds.”
Twitch.
The Governor-General’s face contorted. His hesitation was palpable, but brief.
“…I understand. I will do so.”
Sook-hyang placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly. “A wise choice.”
“However!”
The Governor-General raised his hand.
“I will not reclaim all his authority. I will leave him the military power he currently commands.”
Was affection for his brother holding him back after all? Sook-hyang opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off.
“This is not because of affection. I have long suspected that he harbors other intentions behind my back.”
This time, Sook-hyang was genuinely surprised.
The Governor-General turned his chair toward the window, hiding his expression.
“If he alone maintains power while everyone else is stripped of it, he will make a move. I intend to use this opportunity to confirm his true intentions.”
He stroked his chin, staring at the horizon.
“Neutrality…” He spoke with finality. “Sook-hyang.”
“Yes, my lord. Please speak.”
“Tell the outside world that I will respond to the Grand Young Master’s summons.”
The Dread King was an enemy; there was no need to meet him. But the Grand Young Master was the Emperor’s proxy.
“I must personally tell the Grand Young Master that I will stand in neutrality.”
A triumphant smile bloomed on Sook-hyang’s face.
“Yes, my lord.”
***
“Pardon?! Neutrality?!”
Moyong Ho jumped up upon hearing the Grand Young Master’s prediction.
“Liaoning will choose neutrality?! An official of the Great Central Plains Empire won’t even be loyal to His Imperial Majesty?!”
He slammed his fist on the desk, unable to contain his anger.
“I will take my troops right now and bring the head of the Liaoning Governor-General!”
“You?” The Grand Young Master looked at him with a hollow laugh. “You are a mere adjutant; do you even have direct troops?”
“…Ah.”
Embarrassed, Moyong Ho scratched the back of his head and sank back into his seat. “U-Uh, ahem. That is true, but… this was merely an expression of my will—”
“Besides.” The Grand Young Master cut off the stammering adjutant. “The Liaoning Governor-General says he will come before me on his own feet. What reason is there to drag him here?”
Moyong Ho looked as if he had been struck on the head.
“And,” the Grand Young Master added, laughing, “from the start, what I demanded of Sook-hyang was neutrality.”
“S-Such a…?”
Why? Before the question could fully form in Moyong Ho’s mind, the answer came.
“Humans, no matter how intelligent, cannot separate themselves from their emotions. Therefore…” The Grand Young Master tapped the table with a finger. “If Sook-hyang had advised something blatantly favorable to me, it could have acted as poison to the Liaoning Governor-General.”
History was littered with leaders making grave mistakes due to emotional decisions.
“So, neutrality…”
“Yes.” The Grand Young Master smiled. “The Governor-General has no choice but to respond to my summons to declare his neutrality.”
“Certainly.” Moyong Ho shook his head in admiration. “You said you would leave them no choice but to respond. As expected…” He paused, a thought occurring to him. “By the way, that Sook-hyang is also impressive. If I had to say, it’s like a tragic pure love story.”
“Pure love story?”
“She refuses all other solicitations, yet she grants all your requests, Grand Young Master? Surely, none of them were easy tasks.” He wiggled his fingers. “Indeed, the power of love is great…”
“Hahaha!”
The Grand Young Master burst into sudden, raucous laughter.
“G-Grand Young Master?”
Clutching his belly, the Grand Young Master looked at Moyong Ho with amusement.
“Do you really think she is doing all this purely out of affection?”
“…Pardon?”
***
Returning to her quarters, Sook-hyang headed straight for her inner chamber.
“Ah…”
Looking at the poems and paintings filling the room, genuine affection overflowed on her face.
“As expected, the Grand Young Master’s skill is the best under heaven!”
These works were all gifts from Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon. From small sketches decorating the corners of letters asking about daily life, to magnificent calligraphy on large rice paper delivered alongside difficult political requests.
They were all the Grand Young Master’s original works.
“I am trusting only you all.”
She examined the collection again and again with affectionate, calculating eyes.
***
“Survival strategy?”
“Yes.”
At Moyong Ho’s confusion, the Grand Young Master nodded.
“Those works hold great value even now.”
The Grand Young Master was the figurehead leading the art world of the Central Plains Empire. Even a small handwritten note from him held immense worth.
“But what if I become the Patriarch of the Sword Clan?”
The value would defy imagination.
“But if you fail, Grand Young Master…!” Moyong Ho asked urgently.
“If I meet a miserable end at a young age? Then that, too…” A long, cynical arc was drawn on the Grand Young Master’s lips. “…will remain as the precious work of a genius artist who died young, and the value will skyrocket.”
Merely collecting works exerted no influence. It was about sharing a financial destiny.
She currently enjoyed the immense favor of the Liaoning Governor-General. But if he were to fall due to unavoidable circumstances, she needed a parachute. Instead of falling with him, she could escape alone and start a second life funded by those artworks.
“Survival strategy…!” Moyong Ho gasped in realization. “So that is why you called it her survival strategy…!”
“Did I not tell you?”
The Grand Young Master smiled, the look of a man who had solved the puzzle long ago.
“Sook-hyang is a very clever person.”