23 – Choices
The airflow surrounding the handan felt particularly heavy today. It wasn’t even foggy, but I was out of breath for no reason.
It wasn’t just because of my mood, the faces of the people walking around Handan also had more gloomy expressions than usual.
Walking along the streets of Handan, which was generally stagnant, I listened to the whispering of people in groups of two or three.
His hearing, which had focused on listening to the sounds around him since he lived in the royal palace of the Yan Dynasty, was quite developed, and he was able to clearly capture voices even at a certain distance.
“In the end, the state of Zhou…”
“Winara was also beaten.”
“They said it was the same person this time too. The general named Gyu, who defeated our Zhao army the other day.”
“Again? Those disgusting bastards. The Qin people never lose as long as they fight.”
“Still, the other day, Pingwongun led the joint army, and you personally led the death squad and fought ahead, defeating it.
It was a time when there were no telephones. Rumors are said to be fast, but if something that happened far away was going around among the people of Handan, then it had to be seen as a thing of the past that was actually quite a while ago.
Then, at the end of last year, it was said that a Qin general named Gu destroyed the Zhou Dynasty and subdued the Wei Dynasty. It would be reasonable to assume that he now occupied more land than that.
It was a terrifying advance. In Handan, he wanted to be hesitant to Pyongwongun and Hapzonggun, but he had already destroyed the Zhou Dynasty and won the submission of the Wei Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, which were counted among the Seven Greats of the Warring States.
‘It’s worth it. Soon, the era of Qin Shi Huang, who will achieve the great cause of the unification of the world, will come. You won’t be able to destroy another country overnight, so this must be the preliminary work.’
Alexander, the rare conqueror who conquered the Western world, was able to achieve great achievements because his father, Philip II, had the foundation.
Since Qin Shi Huang stood on the shoulders of giants called previous kings, he would have been able to look down on the world.
‘Since the current King Qin is old, the current Crown Prince is probably Qin Shi Huang. No, he might be a generation younger than him.’
Perhaps the one who will become my nemesis.
I hurried my steps as I pondered over the existence of an adversary I didn’t even know. Eavesdropping on conversations around me took up too much time.
You will meet Qin Shi Huang one day, but not yet.
It is foolish to not be able to focus right now because of something that will happen in the distant future.
After putting aside my worries about Qin, I arrived at the east gate of Xicheng.
The area around the castle gate was unusually cluttered. Since the floating population is small, it is a rare alumni to be blocked. If there are people in such a place, it means that something special has happened.
Since I had to pass by anyway, I approached the gate with the help of Seok and Hugh.
“That’s…”
With Handan’s guards clearing the way, a group of people pass through the gate.
The center of the group was a carriage. And beside the wagon, there were people with flags following, with the word Wei (魏) written on it.
“It looks like an envoy from the country of Wei.”
At Seok’s words, I nodded quietly.
The Qin Dynasty’s onslaught I just heard from the people. Although the Wei Dynasty bowed its head in defeat to the Qin Dynasty, it did not deprive it of its sovereignty.
In the age of Danggeum, where there was no concept of colony, there was no ambiguous stage of maintaining only the national body while losing sovereignty. If that’s the case, let’s cool down and destroy it.
In the first place, when the tacit agreement in the Spring and Autumn period that only the national body was preserved was broken and the Warring States period entered, such trivial benevolence became a shallow joke.
Although they bowed their heads in front of the power of the Qin Dynasty for a while, the Wei Dynasty, unlike the Zhou Dynasty, is one of the seven great powers of the country. The non-destroyed Weenara will want to further expand cooperation with the Cho Dynasty to repay her today’s humiliation.
The envoy for that was the identity of the procession passing in front of us.
Only after all the envoys from the state of Wei passed through did the city gates allow passers-by to pass through as usual.
“Let’s move on too.”
I had no intention of asserting my identity, so I followed the guards’ instructions and waited in line.
Since we were moving from within the castle to the castle anyway, the inspection was simple. Soon the line shortened and I was getting closer to the castle gate, but I heard incomprehensible words from the back.
“Really that b*tch…?”
“That’s right. We have to pay for what happened to the Qin people.”
“Can I really do that? No matter how many people look after me…”
“Did you forget? Your Majesty gave the order to kill that poor hostage?”
“Then…The back belly…?”
“Of course it’s not. The advance party has already gone. This time, by sacrificing them, we clearly show the anger of our Zhao Dynasty against the Qin Dynasty. Then the Wei Dynasty will come out more actively.”
A group of people moving around.
It was a small voice, but my keen hearing did not miss their words.
I seemed to know who he was referring to even though he was talking around the b*tch and his back without a proper title. No, I had to know.
The person they wanted to sacrifice was the person I was trying to meet.
‘Jeong is dangerous.’
My mouth was dry. Nervousness and anxiety crept in.
My hands and feet kept wiggling, and my legs trembled uncontrollably, asking if I had to run away right away.
But it shouldn’t be like this.
If you act emotionally in an urgent situation, in most cases you ruin what would have been enough.
Just like the proverbial saying that even if you are caught in a tiger’s den, you will live as long as you wake up, sober judgment was the only breakthrough to overcome adversity.
Moreover, no matter how reckless I act now, I can’t even get past that gate.
Before passing through the city gates, I calmly took a breath and began to organize the situation in my head.
‘First of all, the targets they are aiming for are Jeong and Jeong’s mother. Since I said ‘those b*tches’, it must be two people. And the advance party.’
If someone had already gone before them, I should have rushed now.
But I also had a corner to believe in.
‘Jung should be here for an appointment by now.’
The fact that Jung is not going to be in the place where they came.
There is a possibility that you may have been discovered along the way, but let’s not think about that. If that’s really the case, then there’s nothing I can do about it.
‘If Jung is with me, I will join quietly and pretend to be my party.’
The problem was after that. As they themselves said, there was an unidentified background in this incident. Otherwise, no matter how much his hostility to Qin had reached its peak, he would not have been able to openly harm Jeong.
I can’t even get help from Pyeongwon-gun. I had to work this out entirely on my own.
After much thought, I came up with a makeshift solution.
‘Yes. Let’s hide for a while in the place where Jing Jia used to live. It was said that this time was aimed at the time when the envoy of Wei came. To use it as a catalyst for the alliance between the country of Zhao and the country of Wei. So if you hold on until the Wei envoy leaves, somehow….’
“Come next time!”
After organizing my plan to some extent, I acted casually. So that even Seok and Hugh would not know. They care about me and are loyal to me, but that’s why they will stop me.
Because they don’t want justice’s safety, it’s mine.
After entering Dongseong, I kept a little distance from Seok and Hugh as usual, and then headed to the meeting place with Jeong.
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Heartbeat that seems to be beating faster than usual. Tension and excitement tangled wildly, creating a fiery heat throughout the body.
But I didn’t notice the rising heat or the loud pulse.
My head was jumbled with anguish that hadn’t yet been fully resolved.
‘Is this correct?’
It is true that I want to save Jeong. It was not right for the young child to suffer because of guilt-by-association.
That’s wrong. It’s wrong.
But isn’t seeking justice the same as neglecting my responsibility?
Responsibility for those who followed me, the Young master and hostage of Yan.
Maybe I’m hoping Jung won’t be there?
If there is no affection, I will be able to justify myself by giving myself the disgusting excuse that I couldn’t help it.
With the internal conflict between responsibility and humanity that plagues me still unabated, I arrived at the usual place.
And there.
“Dan! You’re late.”
Even though he spoke as if he was a bit pouty, he had a light smile as if he was happy.
The moment I saw Jeong’s face, I sighed quietly.
Oh, I guess I can’t help it.
In the end, I was just a selfish person.
“Jeong.”
No more conflict.
My heart, which was at a crossroads, got lost.
Confusion disappeared, and the settled mind was extremely clear.
There was also a sense of guilt and regret.
But there was no hesitation.
“It’s dangerous to stay here. Come with me.”