Chapter 16: Prince Gyeongwang Lee Heon – Part 2
The Emperor Gyewon rose from the bed and left Yeonhuidang.
After a short corridor, he reached Yangsimjeon (Hall of Nourishing the Heart), where he usually discussed state affairs with his ministers.
Heh. It was around this time—when the crown prince of a fallen nation walked into this hall.
A boy with wild hair had come, swinging something as a birthday gift. The emperor hadn’t expected much—he only planned to open it because the boy had come on his own.
Keuk-keuk. Who would have thought the gift was the severed head of a king.
Climbing the square steps in the main hall, the emperor sat on his throne. From there, the world looked as small as ants.
Only the boy Prince Gyeongwang was different.
“He looked like a beggar chased by soldiers. Yet strangely, he had dignity.”
If he had brought his father’s head, he should have been humble—begging for his life, asking for rank.
But the boy neither begged nor asked for any title. He only dared to offer birthday congratulations.
Maybe that was why—the emperor felt a desire to tame him.
“Heh. Gyeongwang must have waited long outside. Let him in.”
Prince Gyeongwang entered and bowed with perfect form.
“Long live Your Majesty. I have just returned from the Jemyeong Kingdom.”
“Rise, Gyeongwang.”
“My apologies for disturbing Your Majesty at a late hour.”
“Hahaha, no need between us. Well then—what is it this time? I could hardly wait. Show me the item.”
Unable to hide his excitement, the emperor stood from the throne.
At Heon’s signal, an eunuch brought in the imperial physician.
“Long live Your Majesty. I am Baekguk, physician of the Imperial Household. Forgive the delay—we were inspecting the item to be presented. It is of the highest grade.”
Baekguk carefully opened a yellow silk cloth before the emperor.
Inside lay a ginseng shaped like a human lower body.
The emperor lifted it high, pleased.
“Oh? Its legs are crossed so seductively—this must be the highest grade Human-Shaped Ginseng. They say it’s very hard to find. You worked hard.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
A fresh, piercing ginseng scent rushed into the emperor’s nose. Different from common ginseng—his whole body tingled.
With hungry eyes, he popped the red berry into his mouth.
Baekguk turned pale and hurried out a medicine vial.
“Your Majesty, this is not ordinary ginseng. It is 1,500-year-old Human-Shaped Ginseng. If you swallow it without any preparation, it is dangerous. This is the antidote to untangle the energy. Please drink it now.”
The emperor gulped the antidote. The boiling in his blood settled at once.
“Phew. I thought it was perhaps 800 years old. But 1,500!”
“Yes, Your Majesty. A 1,000-year human ginseng can hold a dying breath; a 1,500-year one can extend life granted by heaven. Without fate, you cannot buy it for any price.”
“Hahaha! Gyeongwang!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“You are truly a loyal subject of the Daewon Empire. How shall I reward such loyalty? Speak—I will grant you a great prize.”
“I did not do it for reward. It is early, but I sincerely celebrate Your Majesty’s 60th birthday.”
Smiling broadly, the emperor teased him.
“Tsk, tsk—when I was your age, I embraced flower-like beauties while plotting the world. You don’t want beauties, you don’t want high rank… Sometimes I wonder what joy you live for. The only thing you accept from me is money, yes? Very well—ten million nyang of gold for you, Gyeongwang.”
“Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty.”
“Khahaha!”
The Daewon Empire had unified the ten nations of the east, west, and north of the continent.
It had a Crown Prince and twenty Princes of the Blood, plus nine Lords. Among them, the most favored by Emperor Gyewon was Prince Gyeongwang Lee Heon. Even the Crown Prince watched his mood.
News spread quickly that the master had returned to Gyeongwang Manor.
“The prince is back!”
“Really? I’ve missed him so much.”
“I heard he’s badly hurt?”
“Shouldn’t we tell the Lady Dowager (Gukbuin)?”
“Don’t stick your nose in. Here, never cross Lady Min-a. Sometimes girls sneak into the prince’s bedchamber—people think they were just dismissed. Not true.”
“Then what?”
“Someone saw a cart at dawn, heading to the city’s Corpse Gate. If Lady Min-a catches you, you can vanish from the manor without a trace. Shh—she’s coming. Quiet!”
Hearing the chatter outside, Heon frowned slightly in his study.
After a few coughs outside, a woman came in.
“My lord, it’s Min-a. I ran here when I heard you returned.”
Eyes lowered shyly, she set tea sweets on the desk. With a faint hope in her heart, her cheeks flushed like apricot blossoms.
“My lord, did your task end well? I heard there was danger. I prayed all night for you—it must have worked. Your forehead looks badly hurt. Let me treat it, please. Ma General was so worried about scarring.”
Heon kept working, not even answering.
Awkward, Min-a steadied her voice and tried again.
“I’ll bring medicine and bandages to your chamber later.”
His eyes were hard as wax. At his flat gaze, Min-a’s ears and neck flushed red.
“No need. How is my mother?”
“Lady Dowager has long been ill at heart. There’s no real change. The temple apothecary will bring herbs for anger and heat—let us wait. Abbot Gyeongsun gathered a lot of siho this time.”
“Good. You may go.”
“…Yes. I withdraw, my lord.”
Unable to hide her disappointment, Min-a left.
Ma General slipped in, watching Heon’s face.
“Pointless behavior.”
“I overstepped. Forgive me, Your Highness.”
Silence hung in the study.
Sipping strong Longjing tea, Heon asked:
“You found the ship used in the smuggling? Its registry?”
“Yes. It carried tax tribute goods for Onju, Sangju, and Gwanju. We learned a large load of copper was shipped from Onju last month. They say the ship sank in a sudden storm before two weeks at sea—but who knew it would appear at Yang River’s ferry? As you know, Prince Chung oversees tribute from those three regions.”
“Heh. We’ve found proof of stealing from the state. This time he can’t wriggle out.”
“How shall we handle it?”
“If we take it on ourselves, the Crown Prince’s group will cling to him—‘blood is blood.’ Let the magistrates handle it.”
“Understood. But we still haven’t found the ledger tying the Rabna Nashil family to Prince Chung. We only have signs that copper was sold to the family at half market price a week ago. What should we do?”
“I’d love to cut off all of Prince Chung’s limbs, but… some things can’t be helped. What is he doing now?”
“He suffered a big loss from this. He’ll likely lie low for a while.”
Heon’s eyebrow tilted. Since he had struck once, he should have ended it so Chung could not rise again. But it was better to stop here.
“Did you look into the mark?”
“Ah—this one?”
Ma General pulled a folded paper from his robe. Inside: five small circles inside a big circle—like a flower or strange figure.
“I showed it to the strategist Jegal-eon. He’s never seen it. He’s very curious—it glows by itself, he says. He wishes he knew where you saw it.”
The source…
Heon lowered his eyes and only gave a bitter smile, saying nothing.
“You may go.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Rest well.”
The quiet study.
Leaning back, Heon stared into space. His tangled thoughts drifted like a buoy on a rough sea.
“Heh. If he had seen it on human skin, he’d have grabbed the person for experiments.”
Straightening up, Heon took out a gold silk pouch.
He tipped it into his palm: a single red pearl rolled out.
He shook the pouch again.
Roll, roll.
Two red pearls gleamed in his hand.
One was the Honglu Pearl Dan had sold him. The other—he had picked up that night without her knowing.
Mermaid woman… Dan.
