CHAPTER 5 : Ugly

◊China Empire, 1304

Yuan Dynasty

“Ah, the moon… Seductive as always.” The cloaked man leans himself on a red-painted pillar in the corridor leading towards the Chinese emperor’s quarters while having his arms crossed on his chest. There, facing him is a beautiful and fragrant courtyard blanketed with the full moon’s light. Creating both shadows and visible objects through the dark night. If he had paint, paintbrushes and paper, he would not mind spending days and even weeks in this particular courtyard. Doing nothing but paint. He would let his hands guide him through till the end point of his master piece. He would set free his imaginations to sail and begin a new life as a lone traveler who paints for a living. Though ultimately, those are nothing but measly, idle thoughts. In reality, this man who has soiled his hands with blood, can never imagine himself wielding a paintbrush. If papers were born as white as snow, it would be a shame to have them marked and smudged by a criminal. A criminal who turned his back on his family’s slogan. A criminal who tarnished the beauty of magic. A criminal who can never earn forgiveness from the throats of numerous men he had slain. Even so, only one man would spare his life even if he had once resorted to betrayal. Young Master Kim Moonsoo. The younger brother of Goryeo’s current emperor, Hwang Myung Jong. Even though Young Master Moonsoo was dragged and forced to stay at the Hangzhou Imperial palace, the humble man took a liking in being the companion of this mysterious and suspicious cloaked man. Since then, they are inseparable. However the conflict begins when he starts to experience dreams of an unknown man from an unknown country. Feeling bothered by the urge of investigating deeper into the matter, he referred to his ancestors’ relic where prophecies are mentioned based on oracle bones. True enough. This man who is said to be ‘from the far future’ is a trouble magnet. He could cause calamity and prosperity. Even if that is the case, there will be more cons than pros because if he is not immediately removed from ‘the past’, the death of the 10^th Goyreo emperor will be imminent. However, his contract with the Chinese emperor has thrown him in a dilemma. Save Goyreo’s emperor, earn Young Master’s Moonsoo’s undivided trust and face execution by the Chinese emperor. Or, let things slide the way they should, let Young Master Moonsoo wallow in regret for the remaining years of his life and win the Chinese emperor’s favor… Whatever it is, he would not spill everything to the Chinese emperor. Informing him about Lee Sung Jong’s presence in Goryeo is already sufficient. The other details, including Hwang Myung’s predestined death, shall be sealed from the knowledge of others till an appropriate time surfaces.

The cloaked man heavily sighs as he continues to gaze up at the moon longingly. Unexpectedly, a familiar burst of laughter echoes through the corridor.

“Lee Ho Won! I have been expecting you, young man. Why are you not at the appointed venue?” Through the darkness, a man with slanted, almond-shaped eyes dressed primly in a royal longpao garment steps forward with two palace guards escorting him from side to side.

Alerted, the cloaked man, Lee Ho Won hastily bowed, “My apologies, Your Highness Emperor Gyu. I was just admiring your courtyard.”

“I could see that…” the elder man cackles as he pats Ho Won’s shoulder. “Now, we must haste. We have a guest from a far country.”

As soon as they arrived at the Chinese emperor’s quarters, the palace guards guarded from the outside while the both of them entered. Surprisingly, there was already another man in the room. Lanky, was the word that first came to Ho Won’s mind when he saw the man. He may have his face masked, but from the looks of his attire, he is not Chinese but a man from Goryeo.

“Your Highness…” Before Ho Won is able to ask, emperor Gyu raises a hand while he his long beard. “Do not worry, Ho Won. I invited him here to discuss about your recent premonition. He stated that he overheard Hwang Myung calling this foreign man ‘a man from the future’.”

“Your Highness… it may be accurate at most times but I could not guarantee its true meanings! We should not act carelessly…” 

The emperor cackles, “I understand. However, this is a golden opportunity that we must not ignore. Goryeo’s 10^th emperor is showing signs of rebellion after this young man’s sudden appearance in Goryeo. If this man is truly a diamond in a rough that Hwang Myung cherishes, we might as well teach him a lesson or two. Do you not agree?”

Ho Won’s eyes widen in disbelief. The Chinese emperor is recklessly flaunting his power as emperor yet again! Though he already has everything that he needs, he would still babble on and on about how to kick Hwang Myung Jong to the ground and beat him up to a pulp senseless. It is not that he holds a grudge against anyone but it is for mere entertainment. How will I explain this to Young Master Moonsoo…?

“Now listen here, Ho Won. Your duty is simple : Do not stick your nose into anything concerning this prophecy of yours from here on out, unless necessary. I shall handle the rest. I have also earned a valuable source of information, now have I not, Lee Sung Yeol?”

The lanky man nods in return and Ho Won glares at him suspiciously.

“I…” Ho Won clears his throat as he removes his eyes off the man seated beside him on the floorboard, “Rest your worries. I shall not interfere unless told so.”

“Brilliant. We would not want to waste such golden opportunity, now do we? Framing Lee Sung Jong during the absence of Goryeo’s emperor is the only way we could drill in some sense into this obstinate man. Besides, Ho Won, I thought you hold a grudge against Goryeo’s royal family? This is perfect, is it not? Avenge your sister!” Emperor Gyu chuckles.

The young sorcerer could not respond to those words. It is true that the emperor before Hwang Myung’s time was cruel, self-centered and shameless for executing his sister, who was a Chinese palace maiden in Gyeongbokgung palace. It was due to a trivial matter yet no investigation was carried out to justify her innocence.

Even if that is the case, deep down inside, he knows that he would not dare to lay a finger on Hwang Myung nor innocent Lee Sung Jong, if it means to betray Young Master Moonsoo for the second time. Everything seems so clear yet complicated. Whatever it is, if he decides to aid help to Goryeo, he has to tiptoe around without being noticed especially by the Chinese emperor himself.

Not being able to be honest with his own opinions on the matter, Ho Won sighs, “Well, if this is all that you wish to say, I shall be taking my leave now.” The sorcerer places his fist on his chest and begins to exit the room when the strange party suddenly speaks, “Lee Ho Won, I shall be expecting your cooperation and not betrayal.”

The cloaked man grits his teeth in annoyance, curses under his breath and continues his way out.

◊

“Young Master Lee Sung Jong! Young Master Lee Sung Jong! Where are you? Please return to your chamber!”

Sung Jong’s eyes flutter open as soon as he hears Vice General Dong Woo’s voice inching closer and closer to where he is. Though he is half awake, he still manages to pick up the books around him off from the floor and take refuge behind the furthest book racks in that private library. As soon as the elder man’s voice dies down, Lee Sung Jong lets out a long sigh of relief as he runs a hand through his bed hair causing it to part in the middle.

“This is not so bad, after all…” Sung Jong grins to himself as he begins to flip through the pages of an interesting literature book he discovered.  

Since Myungsoo’s recent leave for China, Lee Sung Jong has taken up the initiative to do more touring around the palace grounds without his appointed companions. He would quickly finish up the requests from the log book and purposely sneaks off to buildings which are situated far from his chamber. Fortunately, he has found several that he fancies.

Where he is now is the Jibokjae building in the Gyeongbokgung palace. It is a lovely two-storey private library that one of his two appointed palace maidens, Oh Hye Rin, has recommended for him to use if he has references and studies he wishes to do. At first he strongly opposes the idea because reading has never been his hobby and books bore him to death. However, the building’s exotic appearance set a wave of electricity through the young man. He is attracted to it. Jibokjae uniquely shows off heavy influences of Chinese architecture instead of the common traditional Korean designs. Its side walls are entirely constructed in bricks, a method commonly employed by the contemporary Chinese, while its roof formations, interior screens and columns are also constructed after the Chinese influence. Since then, he starts to shut himself in the building. Sketching the intricate patterns carved on the pillars with his notepad and also reading certain literature novels. It turns out that they are not as bad as the ones his high school teachers had selected for the students to read. He becomes too absorbed with the book that he would not realize the amount of time he invested in the library, causing him to spend the night on the floor of the Jibokjae and not return to his chamber. For now, Vice General Dong Woo has yet to discover his cocoon. If he is discovered one day, there will be no doubt that he will be facing an angry, boiling kettle.

“Young Master Lee Sung Jong? You are still here?” It is the librarian. The first day Sung Jong stepped in the library, the aging, skinny man offered him a novel that Myungsoo recently completed reading. Out of curiosity, Sung Jong started to read it. It is a good book. In fact, Sung Jong loves it very much that he asks for the same author as soon as he was done. Thus, it marks off the prologue of his interest in literature.

“Ah, yes I am, but do not worry, I am about to leave.” Sung Jong grins as he scrambles up to his feet and manages a bow.

The elder man was about to pat on Sung Jong’s head when they suddenly hear heavy foot steps, crashing and clamor from the outside of the Jibokjae.

“Lee Sung Jong! We demand for Lee Sung Jong!” The old librarian turned his head towards the young man, looking for answers. Sung Jong on the other hand is as confused as he is. They quickly walked out of the building and see a group of men in Chinese armor rampaging through doors of random buildings, causing several palace occupants to panic. Some tried to stop them while others are just running around screaming.

What’s going on here?

Sung Jong was too stunned to make a move. He only did when the old librarian abruptly yanks his arm, “I do not understand the current situation but it seems that the Chinese emperor has sent his soldiers to seek you… Run, Sung Jong! Run!”

By then, the Chinese men already noticed Sung Jong standing at the entrance of the Jibokjae.

“There he is!”

Before he is able to run, one of the soldiers advanced on them and grabs Sung Jong by the arm, “You are coming with us, Lee Sung Jong.”

Unexpectedly, the old librarian throws himself at the soldier and tries to free Sung Jong from his grips. However, his efforts were fruitless and he was about to be punched in the face when Sung Jong suddenly screams, causing everyone to clamp their mouth shut.

The young man in a deep breath and points finger to the nearest soldier.

 “Do I have to comply?”

They turn to exchange glances between one another when one of them answers, “The Chinese emperor’s wishes are absolute.”

Sung Jong clenches his fists and slowly places a hand over the old man’s grip. Releasing it from the man in armor.

“If you will apologize to the palace occupants and not bother them any further, I will do as I am told but why…”

“You are demanded for interrogation. Till His Highness Sung Gyu grants your freedom, you are to be held in the Gyeongbokgung cell to be questioned.”

With that said, Lee Sung Jong is tied by the wrists and neck by heavy ropes. He is then brought back to a familiar building.

Ah. This is the place where I first communicated with Hwang Myung.

As soon as they arrived into a cell, the young man is stripped off from his zhisunfu and given a white qipao garment.

I hope they would not dispose that outfit. It is one the gifts given by Myungsoo.

Two Chinese soldiers then drag him to an empty section of the building, where there is only a wooden table and two chairs set out in the middle. He spots a basin of water in one of the corners and only one window at a higher height, pouring in sunlight from the outside.

Just then, images Myungsoo’s dimpled smiles flash across his scattered mind. Advices and precious conversations he remembered replay themselves in his ears. Making Sung Jong’s chest cave in with feelings of regret, sadness and longing.   

“Remember, you are valuable to me. Please, take good care of yourself even when I am not in your sight.”

Sung Jong realizes that nobody can save him, now that Myungsoo is not by his side. He realizes how much he has come to care for Myungsoo. He realizes how much he will be missing Myungsoo… How much he will regret on not heeding the young emperor’s advice. 

Sung Jong hangs his head low as the soldiers proceed in settling him down to one of the chairs and tying him up by the wrists and ankles.

I am sorry to disappoint you, Myungsoo but promises are meant to be broken.

◊

◊China Empire, 1304

Yuan Dynasty

1 week later

“Morning has come…”

Hwang Myung studies his surroundings and immediately recognizes the difference in the choice of color for silk curtains and bed sheets of the bed he is lying in. The vase on the nearest table is not filled with chrysanthemums nor are the furniture arranged to his fancy. Nothing he sees in that room suits his taste. Too gaudy for a man such as himself.

Ah. I am still in China, aren’t I?

Hwang Myung attempts to crawl out of his bed and gaze up at the morning sun from one of the windows, however, a sudden struck of headache send him crashing into the nearest flower pot, leaving a long cut along the back of his hand.

Hwang Myung sighs and steadies himself from the ground with the help of a mahogany cupboard. While gritting his teeth in pain, Hwang Myung tears off a piece of silk from the bed’s curtains and wraps it around his wound. He may be an emperor, but he has never taken up any sort of knowledge regarding medicine. He leaves those duties to his nanny who had never left his when he was just a child. Now, even without the presence of his subordinates, he is able to do anything except for treating his injuries.

“Now, let’s get back to work…” The Goryeo emperor proceeds to the shelf near his bed and begins to collect and stack up the books he bought during his recent visit to the nearest Chinese village’s night festival. He was wrapping them up carefully with a large-sized cloth when a thin object suddenly slips out from between the books. It turns out to be the lacquer wooden comb he spotted from one of the women accessory stalls at the festival. He picks it up from the ground and inspects it. He lets out a sigh of relief as the comb is unharmed. 

Unexpectedly, the two-sided doors of the chamber bursts open and a young man steps in while carrying a tray of hot porridge.

“Brother!” The man beams.

“Moonsoo? Moonsoo!” Hwang Myung places the comb on the nearest table and proceeds to hug his younger brother, Kim Moonsoo who he has been separated from since the day he became Goryeo’s emperor.

As soon as they settle down on the bed, Moonsoo begins to talk, “I missed you very much, brother… I wanted to meet you but you always have places to go to whenever you are in China.”

Hwang Myung chuckles and ruffles his brother’s hair affectionately, “Forgive me, Moonsoo. I never mentioned that I loathe China, have I? I am only opposed to their ways of ruling… Even so, you should have immediately seen me…”

Moonsoo nods and pouts as soon as his eyes came into contact with his elder brother’s unfinished packing. “You are leaving soon?”

Hwang Myung inhales and grins, “I have been staying here for far too long. Something seems to be… rather odd. I could not place my finger on it if I keep on getting forced to chug down gallons of rice wine and wake up feeling nauseous every single morning, now could I?”

Moonsoo laughs back jokingly in response and elbows his brother, “Well, I think something odd has already taken place.”

Confused, Hwang Myung trails Moonsoo’s gaze towards the lacquer comb situated on the table. 

Oh.

“So, care to explain?”

“I found someone special… I am very fond of him. It would sound rather selfish, but I hope that he continues to stay by my side where I can see where he is and know what he is doing.”

“He? Well, I am happy if you are. Even so, you are fully aware of the meaning of granting a person we love a lacquer comb, are you not?”

Hwang Myung chuckles, “Fret not. I am not blind. I know where I am walking.”

“I see. Then, that is already sufficient. Whatever it is, I hope you will have a safe journey home…”

Swiftly, the atmosphere is draped by a grim-like, heavy air. Suffocating the both occupants and clouding their minds with memories of the past. Painful memories that Hwang Myung is impatient of erasing.

“Set your worries away, Moonsoo. I will figure out a way to free you.”

◊

As soon as morning came, Hwang Myung, together with his subordinates marched through the corridors of the Hangzhou Imperial palace with the intent of demanding their leave for Goryeo. They had attempted their escape a few times before, yet as expected, each and every one of them failed miserably. There was no doubt that something odd has been playing in the background while they were drunk to the bones with rice wine. Hwang Myung could not help but feel uneasy most of the time. Either when he is attending banquets held by Emperor Gyu or when he is alone in the guest house, he could feel Sung Jong’s existence slipping off from his thin pale fingers like sand. He could not help but worry.

Soon after, they arrived at the emperor’s quarters. The Chinese palace guard announced their arrival and they entered altogether. In the hall, there is nothing but loud awful music, laughing drunk ministers and a happy emperor, watching palace maidens dance about in skimpy outfits.

Nobody turned their way towards them. Nobody paid attention when Hwang Myung starts to speak. Nobody cared till Hwang Myung abruptly grabs a jar of rice wine from the nearest minister’s table and set it crashing to the ground. By then, the clamor ended and Emperor Gyu questions his actions.  

“I would like to… No. I demand for my leave.” Hwang Myung coolly answers.

The clamor was about to start again when Emperor Gyu suddenly raises a hand.

The Chinese emperor snorts and laughs, “What? Is this how you ask for a favor? You should remember that you are currently in my domain. I decide your decisions, young man.”

Hwang Myung stands his ground, clenches his fist and stares back at the intimidating man in the eye, “I understand my situation very well. However, I have no interest in whatever reason you have for captivating my subordinates and I for 2 weeks. As far as I know, we have been doing nothing political whatsoever but shower ourselves with rice wine night after night. I could not help but be impatient by the second. If Your Highness has the intention of punishing me, I am confident that you would not hesitate to do so but you are taking an awfully long time to decide.”

This causes the Chinese emperor’s anger to erupt.  

How could a man from a shrimp-sized country be this brave?

“I am sorry to say but, your punishment awaits you at home.”

Hwang Myung’s eyes widen in disbelief and his subordinates tensed. If there is ever somebody he would harm, it can be no other but…

“Hwang Myung…” general Nam shakes his head regrettably as Hwang Myung exhales loudly.

“You rotten, crafty mouse…”

Without waiting for another word from the Chinese emperor, Hwang Myung turns away, walks out of the hall and orders his subordinates to ambush the front gates.

Lee Sung Jong. Lee Sung Jong Lee Sung Jong.

Please be safe.