Chapter 16:
Unjongga (2)
“What in the world is happening right now?”
The masked clowns that had suddenly surrounded Ji-yeong’s group in the market.
And the mysterious man in the navy-blue robe who had intervened.
Faced with this bewildering scene unfolding before her, Ji-yeong could only stand there, dumbfounded.
– Whoosh
At that moment, a clown from the opposite side flipped through the air and charged toward Ji-yeong.
“Eek!”
Just as Ji-yeong flinched in alarm, the man in the navy-blue robe swiftly stepped in front of her.
Without hesitation, he pulled something from his sleeve, gripping it tightly and thrusting it forward.
In his hand was an iron fan, adorned with a red tassel, aimed to strike the clown’s throat.
But just as it was about to hit a vital point,
– Snap
Another figure darted in like the wind, grabbing the wrist of the man in the navy-blue robe.
The man’s weapon, though not unfolded into its bladed form and aimed with the handle, would have delivered a lethal blow to a critical spot if it had landed.
And the one who had blocked this sharp attack with a single hand was a clown wearing a red Chwibari mask.
Through the mask, the clown’s eyes glinted as they fixed on the man in the navy-blue robe.
“While it’s true my troupe was the first to offend, drawing such a thing is a bit excessive.”
“You should be grateful I didn’t fully draw it to slit your throat.”
The man in the navy-blue robe yanked his wrist free, tucked the iron fan back into his robe, and glared fiercely at the Chwibari-masked clown.
As the two stood facing each other in a tense standoff, the clowns who had fallen to the ground began brushing themselves off and getting up one by one.
The Chwibari-masked clown, who had been staring at the man in the navy-blue robe until all his companions were back on their feet, suddenly spoke in a playful tone, as if the entire masked dance performance had come to an end.
“Thanks to you, we had quite a show.”
With an exaggerated, theatrical bow, the Chwibari-masked clown sauntered off with a swagger.
“A troupe of clowns? But why…?”
The sudden appearance of the masked clown troupe. And that red Chwibari-masked clown.
Ji-yeong’s mind was flooded with questions.
But the retreating clowns were, perhaps, a matter for later.
The far greater mystery was the man standing before her now.
A man, roughly thirty years old, dressed in a navy-blue robe and a large hat.
His attire and speech didn’t suggest a low status.
And those lightning-fast movements.
Such agility could only come from years of disciplined martial training.
“Who on earth is this man?”
As Ji-yeong narrowed her eyes to study him,
Eunuch Yun, quick to seize the moment, scurried forward to address the stranger.
“Goodness, thanks to you, we narrowly escaped a great ordeal. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I ask your honorable name?”
“…”
“Your help to the palace servants was no small deed. Upon returning to the palace, I intend to report this to the authorities and ensure you are generously rewarded.”
“No need for that.”
As the man in the navy-blue robe slightly lifted his robe, a badge tied with a red cord became visible.
“…I am from the Naegeumwi.”
“The… Naegeumwi?”
Eunuch Yun’s expression changed instantly.
Ji-yeong could vaguely sense the significance of that reaction.
Though she wasn’t entirely sure, wasn’t the Naegeumwi the elite guard responsible for protecting the king within the palace?
“But why would someone from the Naegeumwi…?”
“Lately, musuri traveling to and from the palace have frequently been harassed in the marketplace, so I was following in secret to observe.”
Eunuch Yun fell silent at the man’s calm response, refraining from pressing further.
Not because he lacked curiosity, but because he sensed that probing deeper might touch on matters best left alone.
It was undeniably suspicious.
For a task that could have been handled by a few regular guards, why would someone from the Naegeumwi, tasked with protecting the king, step in?
Even to Ji-yeong, who knew little of such matters, it seemed highly irregular.
“Don’t mind me and carry on with your business. I’ll follow quietly so as not to interfere.”
With that, the man in the navy-blue robe clasped his hands behind his back and strolled a few steps behind, moving leisurely.
From a distance, he looked every bit like an idle nobleman from a wealthy family.
“He says not to mind him, but how can we not? Some man following us like a stray dog…” one of the musuri muttered.
“No kidding. He’s got a fine figure, though…” another whispered.
“Oh, how embarrassing…” a third giggled.
The musuri, clad in their green cloaks, kept stealing glances at him, chattering softly among themselves.
“Hmm…”
Ji-yeong wasn’t entirely unbothered by this mysterious man either.
But what could she do when he insisted on following them of his own accord?
…
The group hurried along and arrived at a sizable wooden building at the edge of the market.
[Sijeondoga]
From the signboard above the gate, Ji-yeong could roughly guess what kind of place this was.
The office of the “dojung,” the merchant guild operating in Unjongga.
In simpler terms, it was the headquarters of the merchants’ association.
“Is the head merchant here?”
After a few unanswered coughs, Eunuch Yun finally raised his voice.
From beyond the wooden door, a shaggy-haired young man sorting goods hurried inside to fetch someone.
Moments later, a middle-aged man in his fifties appeared.
He had a worldly yet refined air, with an impression that suggested he was not to be trifled with.
The man acknowledged Eunuch Yun with a slightly curt tone.
“Well, who do we have here? Isn’t this Eunuch Yun, the doseolli of the Saongwon? Just yesterday, the Pyeongsisuh came to collect all sorts of taxes and tributes, and today it seems it’s the Saongwon’s turn.”
“Come now, why such harsh words? We’re all in this together. Don’t you know the royal kitchen couldn’t function for a single day without the merchants of Unjongga?”
Despite Eunuch Yun’s attempt to flatter, the man called the head merchant responded coolly.
“For someone who hoards tributes from all eight provinces of Joseon to come to the marketplace worrying about the royal meal—that’s quite a jest.”
There was a subtle mockery in the head merchant’s words.
By law, the royal meal was supposed to be prepared solely with tributes from the provinces.
In other words, the ingredients for the royal table were strictly separated from the goods used by commoners in the market, as per palace regulations.
But satisfying Yeonsangun’s increasingly discerning palate with only the rigidly designated tributes seemed next to impossible.
Moreover, for imported goods not produced in Joseon, the situation was even more complicated.
Such items could only be obtained through unofficial channels like smuggling, which is why the cooperation of market merchants was essential.
“Even the king couldn’t always get what he wanted.”
Just fifty years earlier, during King Munjong’s reign, when the king’s mother fell ill, she had desperately craved sugar.
But even the king couldn’t procure it at the time, and it was said that only after her passing did he place sugar before her portrait, weeping bitterly.
“That was an era when official trade with foreign countries was strictly prohibited. Even with power, rare imports like sugar couldn’t be easily obtained.”
And now, reigning in such times was Yeonsangun, a gourmet who demanded all manner of delicacies.
For the Saongwon, relying solely on tributes wasn’t enough; they needed to establish smooth trade with merchants connected to overseas networks, making the head merchant, with his influence in the market, indispensable.
But Eunuch Yun wasn’t in a position to beg outright either.
“Don’t say such things, head merchant. Is there any other buyer in Unjongga who purchases expensive ingredients on the scale of our Saongwon? I’ve heard there are more than a few here who’d be in trouble if our business stopped. There can’t be buyers without suppliers, can there?”
“Well, that’s true. There are even merchants who deal exclusively with the Saongwon’s orders now…”
“There are over ten ships hauling goods to Deokmul Island off the west coast alone,” the shaggy-haired young man chimed in, only to shrink back under the head merchant’s sharp glare.
Watching this exchange, Ji-yeong could roughly grasp the complex, delicate atmosphere of this era.
“The prohibition on maritime trade with foreign countries.”
The Ming Dynasty’s trade suppression policy, known as the “haijin policy,” had a massive impact on Joseon as well.
But when had there ever been a complete ban in this world?
Smuggling, under the guise of trade, openly occupied a significant portion of the market.
And that wasn’t all.
“Even the officials managing the king’s meals are complicit in smuggling.”
If one had to put it into words, it was a strange harmony born of contradiction.
As Ji-yeong pondered this, watching Eunuch Yun and the head merchant open their ledgers from a distance, she suddenly felt a presence nearby.
“Eek!”
Startled, she turned to see the man in the navy-blue robe standing close by.
“You’re… from the Naegeumwi…”
“Shh, don’t answer. Just listen quietly,” the man whispered, placing a finger to his lips.
Ji-yeong quickly glanced around to ensure no one was watching.
Eunuch Yun and the palace servants were busy checking the ledgers against the delivered goods, inspecting their condition, too preoccupied to notice.
The man in the navy-blue robe had likely chosen this moment deliberately to approach her.
“I’ve been tracking that troupe of clowns for days. I’m trying to find out who’s pulling their strings.”
“Their… strings?” Ji-yeong asked.
The man lowered his voice further. “It’s not certain yet, but there are a few suspicious circumstances. However, the most suspicious thing is…”
He suddenly turned his head, his piercing eyes boring into Ji-yeong’s.
And from that intense gaze, an unexpected statement emerged.
“…you. Im Sung-jae’s spy.”
