Surviving the Romance Fantasy

‘I really don’t have any doubts…!’

Ha Deok-bi feels uncomfortable when Seol Tae-pyeong, who is so confident, becomes a bit mean without knowing why.

“Ha Deokbi. Actually, from my perspective… I had something I would like to suggest.”

“what?”

In the end, Seol Tae-pyeong also raises his hands against Ha Deok-bi, who is holding on like a poison bell, and turns the story to negotiation.

“From Seal Haga’s point of view, wouldn’t you like to have me as your own person, who will hold the position of general in the future?”

“…”

“I also need the power of Sealing Haga. In other words, I think we can help each other.”

I heard that Hyeongwoljang Seol Tae-pyeong was a man who valued righteousness and was full of spirit as a man… but he was not completely indifferent to political tactics.

Observing Ha Deok-bi’s intentions even in this situation proved the fact that he was not an ordinary person.

I was angry, but I had no choice but to admit it.

Xue Taiping will truly become a great general-level official.

“However, there are not enough manpower to manage my household. “I would like to attract some people from Seal Haga to my side. How about Ha Deokbi using your strength?”

“What good does that do me?”

“We can plant the people of Seoltaepyeong under the Hangwoljang.”

“…!”

Since they already knew everything, no further explanation was needed.

The reason Ha Deok-bi wants to recruit Hyeongwol-jang is because it is in the interest of the sealing Ha family.

However, what is more important than that is that the very act of recruiting Hyeongwoljang makes Ha Deokbi an irreplaceable figure within the sealing family.

At a time when Ha Chae-rim, the queen of royal family, has disappeared from the execution ground, the government needs a person who can represent the rights and interests of the sealed Ha family and at the same time hold the central point of power.

If he succeeds in recruiting Hyeongwoljang Seol Tae-pyeong, Ha Deok-bi will have the next level of authority within the sealing family, just after Gaju Ha Kang-seok.

Just being able to bribe someone would be a big step… but if you could even insert a person from the sealing group under it… this is usually not a benefit.

Since a future general-level official would be involved in the sealing process, the scale of the contribution could be said to be enormous.

“I think it would be enough to have about four or five more officials of the 8th rank or higher, centered around a woman named Hasihwa.”

“Hashwa… I am talking about the swordsman of the mysterious spirit who is working in the government department.”

Ha Deokbi rested his chin and thought for a moment.

I have already heard the name of that woman named Ha Si-hwa several times. This is because there were many people in Seal Haga who were paying close attention.

No matter how open Seol Taepyeong’s eyes were, it was strange to single out a talented person who only those in the Seolbongha family knew about.

Although he was certainly a smart and good at getting things done, his name was not widely known.

‘There seems to be a person behind the execution room who is good at understanding people.’

Wang Han, who started out as a member of Baekseon Palace and rose to the position of secretary to his brother-in-law, and is Seoltaepyeong’s long-time assistant.

No matter how quick-witted Ha Deok-bi was, it was not easy to detect his presence at once.

‘By the way… You were talking excitedly without even putting a drop of saliva on your lips until just now, saying that you liked it and that you should run away together, but then suddenly you mentioned another woman’s name… He really has a thick face.’

In fact, I knew very well that it was just a joke between self-respecting mavericks, but…

still…! Please let me take another woman under your command right to my face! Saying this out loud somehow makes me feel betrayed…!

I’m not in a position to feel betrayed, but…! I just feel that way for no reason…!

When he was an apprentice samurai, he knelt down in the tea room of Baekho Palace and loudly confessed that he liked him…!

‘There’s no point in regretting that you should have done well when you had it… And… what’s the point of feeling bad? After all, if you are a person from the Sealing House, you can give as much as you want as negotiation material. Wasn’t it for my own advancement?’

Still, Ha Deok-bi had to weigh it in his mind.

A woman named Hashihwa is definitely good at handling things and has a big mouth, so she is suitable to be used as an advisor.

However, Seonbongha is very ambitious as a human being, so it is difficult to control it, and if it is not controlled, it will be eaten. And… she’s a pretty high-level beauty.

I wonder if it has anything to do with being beautiful, but there is nothing wrong with taking everything into consideration…

“From my perspective, it is a truly satisfactory offer with nothing to lose.”

“Is that so.”

“However, since it is a proposal that only benefits too much, it is a cautionary tale.”

Ha Deok-bi sharpens his eyes, and only then does he reveal himself as a politician.

“You are intelligent and quick-witted. It was not difficult for me to see through my nature, which only sees profit and loss. It is truly suspicious that such a person would think of putting the people of Seal Haga under his command so easily.”

“…”

“It’s not like you don’t know the family tradition of our Sealing Haka, but you’re trying to join hands with her so easily. “If you don’t reveal your true feelings, you won’t be truly letting go of everything and talking about it.”

Although he said this, Ha Deok-bi also had many things hidden inside.

In any case, the art of negotiation is to hold on to a secret until the end while making the other party think you have told them everything.

“What are you thinking?”

“Ha Deokbi. Do you think that the way of life is that if you don’t eat something, you will be eaten?”

“…”

“no. We can benefit each other. The reason we want to bring in people from Seal Haga is because we are confident that we can control them.”

Seol Taepyeong knows. Sealing Hagar does not last long and falls apart.

We also know very well that in the end, officials from Seal Haga will become duck eggs and wander around.

Therefore, taking out useful people from it in advance is no different from just casually picking up treasures that have fallen on the ground.

Just as everything in the world comes with a price, bringing in talented people from Seal Haga may have great consequences in the future…

In fact, it is no different from arbitrarily withdrawing money from the vault of a bank that is certain to fail.

If you’re going to go bankrupt anyway, it won’t make much of a difference if you take some of the money out of it and spend it.

“You’re not saying anything in a clear way. Yes, that would be natural.”

Deokbi Ha let out his sleeves and laughed.

It feels like a lie that I whispered words of love during the visit.

Yes. Aren’t these works by high-ranking officials at Cheongdo Palace? It is impossible to discuss love purely without any political background.

As if that fact was being remembered again, Deokbi Ha smiled bitterly.

I wandered into a dream for about an hour. It would be comforting to think that way.

It was an embarrassing skit without any need to feel any sense of loss.

….

but.

– ‘So… will you run away from this palace with me? For Ha Deokbi’s sake, I don’t mind being a fugitive for the rest of my life…!’

If I couldn’t resist the momentum and nodded at those words, what would have happened?

An inexplicable curiosity arose in my heart, but I quickly erased that personal delusion.

“okay. From my perspective, this is an offer I have no reason to refuse. “I will recommend some people for my sealing.”

“thank you. Ha Deokbi.”

Just like that, Seol Taepyeong stood up and bowed his head.

“I think we’ll be good partners.”

“…”

“Let’s see a little higher.”

Seol Tae-pyeong says that and quietly leaves the tea room.

Ha Deok-bi raised his finger for a moment to try to call him out, but in fact, there was nothing more he could say if he called him out.

Just like that… Ha Deok-bi was quietly watching the back of Seol Tae-pyeong leaving the tea room.

Those eyes, which had nowhere to go, were just scanning the floor of the tea room forlornly.

*

“Five civil servants from Seal Haga in the active room? Even the prosecutors, who are the key personnel in the study?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Three days later, Hyeondang, the head maid of the Jujak Palace, reported the agenda regarding personnel transfers announced in this section.

Lady In Ha-yeon, who looked at the list along with the report, was making an expression of surprise in front of her large desk.

“If it’s an active room… isn’t it territory ruled by Hyeongwoljang?”

“…That’s right.”

“…It sounds like the story is that Hungwoljang was taken over by Seonbong Haga’s side.”

Queen In looked at the bamboo stick brought by Hyeondang several times. There was no way the content would change even if I watched it again.

There are many talented people in Jeongseon-ga.

If Queen In had come and consulted, she could have recommended a good candidate.

Of course, if you think about the future, he is not a man worthy of filling up the entire sealing house. However, I could have at least gotten some counseling.

Nevertheless, does this mean that he was quickly taken over by Ha Deokbi?

‘Was Ha Deokbi more trustworthy than me? I thought we had built up quite a bit of rapport.’

Queen In was actually expecting it to some extent.

It is also true that Seol Tae-pyeong will be quite tired while managing the active room, and that he will eventually wander around looking for talented people.

In the end, I thought that I would eventually come to the royal concubine of the Jeongseon family who could recommend various appointments, but… it turned out to be a little different from what I expected.

It was all just his choice, but I didn’t expect that he would go to the sealing party and not even bother to see the Jeongseon family. Even though it is more certain that the faction within the Qingdao government approves the election.

‘…’

Queen In thought for a moment, then stood up, taking her bamboo holder.

The head maid, Hyeondang, was looking at her with an anxious face.

Troubled times (1)

Of course, only those who have been verified can enter the crown prince’s womb.

Recently, there had been an assassination commotion centered around Blackwoldae, so security had become much tighter.

Among the military officers of the Red Palace, only those who were of a certain level could enter the Crown Prince’s Palace as guards, and the maids could not even go near it unless they were at least a middle-grade maid.

The maid, Seolran, sat in the position of a byeolseon maid (別選侍女) in the crown prince’s womb, where she could directly watch over Crown Prince Hyeonwon.

It is considered a dream position even if you become a high-ranking maid. This is because the salary is high, but the work itself is not much, and it is easy to get ahead because it is a position where you can easily build relationships with high-ranking people.

If you have just achieved the title of middle-grade maid and are appointed as the crown prince’s special maid, you are bound to feel a lot of envy and jealousy.

Because she was a girl from the Hwayong Seol family and had a weakness that was easy to bite, her reputation around her was not very good, but Seol-ran was not the type of person to be intimidated by such things.

However, sitting alone in the magnificent house prepared for the maids of the Crown Prince’s palace made me feel uncomfortable.

‘I came out of Tianlongchae, stopped by Taiokcheong, and ended up at the Crown Prince’s Palace… I guess no one really knows what life will be like…’

As I sit quietly dressed in a neat and pretty maid’s uniform, I look back on my life.

There were quite a few people that Seolran had to manage, and she also had the obligation to assist Prince Hyeonwon as he came and went from the Crown Prince’s womb.

It could be said that it was truly a blessing to receive the protection of Crown Prince Hyeonwon, but Seolran had very complicated feelings.

‘It’s very different from what I imagined…’

The reason why she entered the Crown Prince’s palace under the order of Prince Hyeonwon was because she was highly regarded for her loyalty to protect Prince Hyeonwon until the end during the last Black Moon Incident.

However, no matter what, isn’t it too much of a reward to give a mere middle-grade maid the position of the crown prince’s special maid?

Seolran had doubts about that fact, but after working for a few days, she was able to understand the reason without difficulty.

“It looks like His Majesty the Crown Prince will visit the Crown Prince’s womb a little early in the afternoon. “Should we start cleaning in advance?”

Nine people lined up and talked to Seolran, bowing their heads.

When you look at them, they all look elegant and full of vitality. It feels like only people who seem to do a good job are gathered together.

Seolran nodded and led them away, while keeping her head down and thinking.

‘Your Majesty the Crown Prince has no definite allies.’

To him, this huge Cheongdo Palace will feel like a prison.

From the moment he opens his eyes in the morning to the moment he closes them at night… every single person he meets treats him with understanding and calculation.

Every single glance is observed, and it is full of people who worry about whether or not they can move Prince Hyeonwon in a direction that will benefit them.

A life like this: reading the scriptures, learning about kings, training the body a little, and then looking up at the setting sun.

Who is your friend and who is your enemy, and who should you trust in Cheongdo Palace, where only those who want to take advantage of you are there?

For Prince Hyeonwon, whose boundaries between all things are blurred, the existence of someone he can definitely trust is very precious.

The maid, Seolran, was the one who stayed by Prince Hyeonwon’s side until the very end, when the Blackwoldae was on a rampage.

For Crown Prince Hyeonwon… there is no one who can embrace such honest loyalty. That’s why he took Seolran and made her sit as a byeolseon maid in the crown prince’s palace.

‘…It’s so sad.’

Seolran went to work with the nine people in tow, and looked up at the sky by herself.

A lonely life without anyone on your side will most likely be difficult and tiring.

Nevertheless, Prince Hyeonwon always lived the same life with the same expression.

In some ways, Prince Hyeonwon may seem like a very strong person.

Seolran could not agree with that opinion.

*

“I heard that five people were inserted into the active room managed by Seol Tae-pyeong of the execution center.”

“yes. “It is a bit of a shame that he even gave up the swordsman’s title, but it was a great benefit as it was essentially a transfer of the death penalty to Haga’s side.”

“I can’t believe it. “How did he, who never accepted even the slightest bribe, think of joining hands with Haga?”

The head of the family, Ha Kang-seok, was smiling with satisfaction as he looked at Ha-wol.

He probably didn’t have high expectations either. I thought it would be a huge benefit just to be able to get to know Hyeongwoljang through contact with Hawol.

However, an unexpected jackpot hit.

In this Cheongdo Palace, where new high-ranking officials rarely appear, and even when they do appear, they are already taken in by someone, a person who is certain to become a general-level official in the future was brought into the power of the family.

Although it may not mean much to capture a third-rank official, it will have a completely different meaning even after five years.

“Howol. Your merits are truly great. “It is truly a great blessing to have a talented person like you at Seal Haga.”

Sitting in the guest room of the main palace and watching Ha Kang-seok praising Deokbi until his mouth was dry, I was almost doubtful whether he was really that cold-blooded man.

It was the first time in my life that I had seen the Ha family head smile so contentedly.

‘I am being recognized…’

In fact, at the level of Ha Deokbi, he has already reached an irreplaceable position within the Seal Ha family.

Since he rose to the position of master of the White Tiger Palace, his very existence contributed greatly to the sealing process.

In addition, he brought in Hyeongwoljang, who had a promising future, so it was safe to say that he had a voice comparable to that of Ha Chae-rim, a queen of great fortune, in her prime.

“In the long run, Hyeongwoljang will not be able to ignore Seal Haga’s opinion. “The staff and associates under him are all from Seonbonghaga.”

Smiling like that, Ha Deok-bi felt satisfied with his increasing authority.

‘but…’

However, Ha Deok-bi is a quick-witted person.

There is no way that Hyeongwoljang Seol Taepyeong would have accepted the people of Seolhaga without any thought.

Ha Deok-bi still barely knows the true nature of Hyeongwoljang. Even if we say that the achievement was achieved without knowing the other party’s intentions, it is only half the story.

Of course, since Matriarch Ha is also a person well-versed in politics, she is not without that level of tact.

“It’s good that things are going well, but you’ll have to keep an eye on what the man is thinking.”

Soon after, the smile on her face was wiped away, and the head of the house spoke quietly while looking at Deokbi Ha.

The gaze has become even colder.

“Until you are able to properly wield the Hungwoljang, never let your guard down.”

The cold eyes are so cold.

From Noble mtl dot com

Ha Deok-bi had been watching the gaze of the head of the family, Ha Kang-seok, for a long time, ever since she was a child.

The slaves who were kicked out, the staff members who were used and then abandoned, the enemies who were tricked and killed… they all cried out in front of the cold eyes of that patriarch.

He is probably even using Hadeokbi as a means of use. When its value runs out, it will be ready to be thrown away at any time.

Now, I don’t feel so offended by things like that.

This is because he himself has lived his life judging others with those eyes.

Even though he accomplished the feat of securing the execution position in just one night, is he ultimately nothing more than a pawn on the chessboard?

Still, we are people born with the same bloodline.

When I see that my life, which has never once considered them family, suddenly feels cold…

It seemed like he had become slack due to a lot of things happening recently.

*

The next day, the crown princesses sitting at the tea party at Cheongryong Palace did not look very good.

News from Cheongdo Palace moves extremely quickly.

The news that Hyeongwoljang Seol Tae-pyeong had been included in the royal family had already spread throughout the concubines.

Queen Po, who had sorted out her feelings about Seol Taepyeong to some extent, seemed to be at ease, but Queen Jin and Queen In were looking very complicated.