Eat before you get eaten.
The reason the people of the Inbong clan were all fierce was that they had etched this teaching into their bones.
The world was a place governed by the law of the jungle.
In a world where if you didn’t eat, you would inevitably be eaten, you had to devour anyone ambiguous about their allegiance to reign as the king of the forest.
Therefore, the people of the Inbong clan did not keep useless individuals around them.
It was a place where even long friendships could be casually placed on the negotiating table and where blood relations naturally crumbled in the face of profit and loss.
It was a place filled with people who calculated morality and ethics with cold pragmatism.
White Princess Ha Wol was a girl who had lived her entire life in such an Inbong clan.
Every time she saw the head of the clan Ha Gang Seok use people merely as stepping stones for him to climb higher, Ha Wol thought time and time again.
One must be ruthless.
Being born into the Inbong clan meant one had to wrap their heart in cold ice to survive while looking upward.
If you managed to climb, you had to kick away the ladder, and if you were cast down, you had to cause havoc to overturn the situation.
Acknowledging your own incompetence and becoming complacent meant death. You had to keep running and running from the flames rising from below, unless you wanted to burn to death.
After experiencing the crisis at the White Tiger Palace where a blade had been thrust right before her eyes, this resolve had already hardened into a conviction in her heart and it had enveloped her entire body.
Living this way, it was only natural that the once-naive Ha Wol would harbor feelings of inferiority when she looked at Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon.
Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon was always noble.
She was a person who perfectly embodied the values of the Jeongseon clan, which prized not only success but also character and dignity.
If the majestic phoenix from legends were to take human form and descend to the mortal world, it might appear just like her.
The sight of her elegantly crossing the inner palace in a long red court robe evoked a sense of nobility that those who had clawed their way up from the bottom and got covered in dirt could never touch.
– The White Princess is truly thoughtful. Every time we meet, I learn something new from you, and I consider it a great blessing to be in the palace with someone like the White Princess.
—She was someone who was born into the Jeongseon clan and someone who arrogantly acted as if the clan’s prestige were her own.
Had she been such a person, Ha Wol would not have felt these strange feelings of inferiority and jealousy.
However, the Vermilion Princess truly possessed all the qualities befitting her position. Both in ability and character.
Whether it was maintaining her beautiful appearance, refining her inner self through poetry, calligraphy, and painting, or strengthening her body through martial arts… she excelled in all of these areas which made her the most perfect woman to grace the mortal world.
It was possible for a person to shine.
When the White Princess saw Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, she was already engulfed in a deep sense of defeat.
A person who was already stained with filth would react in one of two ways when faced with someone who had reached perfection without a single blemish.
They would either admire them as an idol or hate them as an object of jealousy.
The White Princess was the latter.
Although she thought she was struggling miserably, she habitually justified herself.
Inferiority can be the soil that helps a person advance, but it can also be the catalyst for harming others.
If she couldn’t become someone like the Vermilion Princess, she thought about staining her and dragging her down.
This was the ugly and twisted nature of a human being, and White Princess Ha Wol was just an ordinary person.
Humans were normally ugly.
So, it couldn’t be helped that she was ugly as well.
She was well aware that her self-awareness of being pathetic only highlighted the gap between herself and the Vermilion Princess.
She also had a great reason to hinder the Vermilion Princess for the sake of the Inbong clan, but she knew very well that the most fundamental reason to hinder her was due to such a deeply rooted inferiority complex.
This self-objectification in such aspects was what made the White Princess a remarkable person.
So what?
If you don’t eat, you get eaten.
If it’s not clear whether someone is an ally or an enemy, devour them all and strive for a higher place.
That’s how she had lived, and as a result, she had become the mistress of the White Tiger Palace and was living her life with dozens of maids following her whims every day.
She wasn’t wrong.
It was simply a difference in thinking. She had her own way.
So, she pushed forward.
Just as she had done so far. If there was an opportunity, she seized it, if someone could be used, she used them; she treated people differently, discarded them when they were no longer useful, betrayed them when necessary, and killed them if she had to.
She kept and secured her position by being opportunistic and calculating.
The obstacles and adversities that appeared in the process would in retrospect be nothing more than nutrients that helped her grow──
“Being in the Bright Moon General’s arms feels like lying on a warm grass field; it makes me feel at ease—!”
This Seol Tae Pyeong too would be used and discarded once he was no longer useful.
“Me too, holding the White Princess in my arms feels like having gained the whole world! It seems like this long-unrequited love has finally been rewarded…! I feel like crying…!”
Of course, Seol Tae Pyeong was not an easy opponent either!
Seol Tae Pyeong who was receiving the White Princess’s romantic lines with all his might bit his lip tightly.
He bit down with such force that it wouldn’t be surprising if blood started flowing. The mental strength required to straighten his curling fingers and toes was indeed as grave as when he was dealing with a strong demonic spirit.
He was ruthless…!
Truly a ruthless person…!
However, in terms of ruthlessness, White Princess Ha Wol would never lose…!
The night was long.
Before the night ended, it would be revealed who would surrender first…
The moon that had been in the middle of the sky had moved significantly.
Though there was still a long night ahead, a considerable amount of time had passed.
Headmaid Ye Rim who was standing in front of the paper door was blushing furiously.
As a person in the important position of headmaid of the White Tiger Palace, she made absolutely no noise so as not to disturb the two people inside…
She had to restrain herself from clenching her teeth or punching the innocent wooden pillar nearby.
In truth… there were many women who liked Seol Tae Pyeong and followed him around, but he wasn’t exactly experienced in romance.
And the White Princess might have been skilled in political schemes, but she had no experience using her beauty to enchant a man…! As a crown princess consort, doing such things could be akin to putting a knife to her own throat.
In the end, the sentimental lines exchanged by these two novices as they embraced and lost control became a tormenting spell that twisted the internal organs of any third-party listening. Headmaid Ye Rim was under the illusion that it wouldn’t be surprising if she fainted and coughed up blood.
Though comparing each other to the moon or flowers and showering each other with praise was one thing,
They talked about how their hearts raced, how they wanted to pluck stars from the night sky to give to each other, how they wished to live together in the house of love, and how they would listen to each other’s poetry. When she heard all of that, she felt like great waves were surging in her heart.
Each line was a test of one’s patience, and listening to this for an entire watch was enough to drive even a third party to the brink of coughing up blood in agony.
Even Headmaid Ye Rim who was listening from the side was barely enduring the storm in her heart. How were these two people managing to endure this thorny trial?
Amidst all this, the fact that they somewhat understood each other’s feelings yet refused to back down even a single step was truly impressive.
They were relentless.
So relentless that it was almost terrifying.
Their mental strength was so good that even General Seong Sa Wook would acknowledge it. They were engaged in a war of nerves, but this mental torture went on endlessly with no victors.
Just… kill me instead…
Headmaid Ye Rim clenched her fists tightly while trying to endure. But eventually, her patience wore thin and she couldn’t help but sneak a peek inside the tea room.
The tea room which had witnessed a fierce battle for an entire hour now sat in silent tranquility.
In the end, it was Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong who extended the first olive branch.
“Shall we… put an end to this farce…”
The White Princess’s ears perked up at the sudden serious tone in Seol Tae Pyeong’s voice.
Did the Bright Moon General finally surrender after nearly an hour of words that would embarrass him for a lifetime if they were overheard by someone else?
However, it was more of a proposal for reconciliation than a declaration of surrender.
“Honestly… I never thought the White Princess would harbor such deep feelings for me.”
Seol Tae Pyeong sat on the wooden bench and quietly looked down at the floor.
The awkward pretense was gone from his voice.
The White Princess needed a moment to collect her thoughts on how to respond.
Seol Tae Pyeong seized the opportunity to continue.
“You probably need my authority now that I hold the position of Bright Moon General. If things continue as they are, I might become a general-level official. Having a general-level ally would be highly useful for the Inbong clan as well.”
How to respond here was important.
As often mentioned, the White Princess was a snob among snobs.
She wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and successfully shed tears in just five seconds.
“Bright Moon General…. Did you really see my feelings as mere self-interest? I truly thought you accepted my heart…”
“White Princess…”
“Of course…. now that you have become a high official, you can’t ignore political considerations, no matter how much you care for a woman… That makes my heart ache even more…”
“White Princess, I want to talk with you without all the unnecessary pretense.”
However, Seol Tae Pyeong remained resolute.
Yes, he knew White Princess Ha Wol too well.
The thought that Ha Wol truly loved Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong so much that she couldn’t resist her feelings and invited him to the White Tiger Palace didn’t cross his mind. Not even once.
When she saw Seol Tae Pyeong’s confident expression, she found him incredibly sharp yet…
At the same time, she felt oddly displeased.
Why was he so completely certain of it without a single doubt in his mind?
Could he not entertain the slight possibility that the White Princess might have genuine feelings for him?
Though it hurt her pride, if Seol Tae Pyeong completely closed his heart to her, there was nothing more the White Princess could do.
If their strategy of wildly courting each other until one of them grew weary hadn’t worked, the next phase was inevitable.
“Ha, haha…”
The White Princess smiled gently and spoke.
“Yes, you’ve caught me. I never harbored even the slightest bit of feelings for you. Not a single grain.”
“……”
“To think you saw through all of this as an act, you are quite perceptive.”
Wasn’t it stranger to not know it was all an act?
Seol Tae Pyeong thought this, but he quickly composed himself.
He had already learned about the White Princess through the Heavenly Dragon Love Story. He knew she was ruthless and willing to do anything to gain power.
But even though she also knew that any feelings were just a bargaining tool for her ambitions…
He really doesn’t doubt it at all…!
The White Princess felt a sense of discomfort at Seol Tae Pyeong’s absolute certainty in this matter, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened for some reason.
“White Princess, actually… I have a proposal.”
“What?”
In the end, Seol Tae Pyeong realized the futility of resisting against someone as relentless as the White Princess. So he raised his hands in surrender and shifted the conversation towards negotiation.
“The Inbong clan wants to have me on their side once I attain the position of general, isn’t that right?”
“……”
“I also need the power of the Inbong clan. In other words, we can be mutually beneficial to each other.”
Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong was known to value righteousness and embody the spirit of a true man… yet he was not entirely naive about political schemes and power plays.
Even in this situation, the fact that he was trying to gauge the White Princess’s intentions proved that he was no ordinary person.
As frustrating as it was, she had to acknowledge it.
Seol Tae Pyeong would indeed become an excellent general-level official.
“However, I am severely lacking manpower to manage my fiefdom. If you could lend me some people from the Inbong clan, White Princess, I would greatly appreciate it.”
“What benefit would that be to me?”
“You can place people from the Inbong clan under Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.”
“…….!”
Since they were both well aware of each other’s thoughts, no further explanation was needed.
The reason the White Princess wanted to recruit Bright Moon General was that it would benefit the Inbong clan.
More importantly, successfully recruiting the Bright Moon General would solidify the White Princess’s irreplaceable position within the Inbong clan.
Since Ha Chae Rim disappeared completely from the scene, the clan needed someone to represent their interests in court and serve as a central figure of power.
If she succeeded in recruiting Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong, the White Princess would gain authority second only to the head of the clan, Ha Gang Seok.
Simply being able to slip in some bribes would be a big step forward… but if she could place people from the Inbong clan under his command… that would be an extraordinary gain.
It would be a monumental achievement to have a future general-level official tied to the Inbong clan.
“I think with a woman called Ha Si Hwa as the central figure, along with four or five officials of the 8th rank or higher, that would be enough.
“Ha Si Hwa… you mean that young inspector from the Ministry of Works?”
The White Princess rested her chin in her hand and went into deep thought.
She had heard the name Ha Si Hwa several times before, as many in the Inbong clan had their eyes on her.
No matter how perceptive Seol Tae Pyeong was, it was strange how he specifically mentioned that talented individual who was known only to a few within the Inbong clan.
Indeed, she was a sharp and efficient worker but she was not widely known.
There must be someone skilled at identifying people working as an advisor behind the Bright Moon General.
Wang Han who started to work in the White Immortal Palace and rose to the position of chief secretary of the Ministry of Justice, was also Seol Tae Pyeong’s longtime friend.
Even someone as astute as the White Princess found it difficult to detect his presence immediately.
Anyway… just a moment ago, he was excitedly talking about liking me and running away together without missing a beat, and now he’s bringing up another woman’s name… he truly has a thick skin.
In fact, she knew very well that it was merely a farce between two proud and stubborn people…
Still…! To openly ask to bring another woman under his command right in front of her felt like a betrayal…!
Not that she was in a position to feel betrayed…! But it just gave her that feeling for no reason…!
When he was an apprentice warrior, he had knelt in the White Tiger Palace tea room and confessed his feelings loudly…!
There’s no point in regretting that I should have done better when I had the chance… And… what’s there to be upset about? She’s just a member of the Inbong clan, and she can be given away as a bargaining chip at any time. Isn’t this all for my own sake?
Still, the White Princess had to weigh it in her mind.
The woman named Ha Si Hwa was definitely excellent at handling matters and was tight-lipped, so she was definitely suitable to be used as a subordinate.
However, as to be expected from a member of the Inbong clan, she was highly ambitious and hard to control, and if not properly managed, she would turn the tables. And… she was quite a beautiful woman.
Being a beauty might not matter, but considering everything wouldn’t hurt…
“It’s a proposal with no loss on my end; it’s truly a satisfying proposal.”
“Is that so?”
“But it’s such a beneficial proposal that it makes me wary.”
The White Princess sharpened her gaze. She finally revealed her politician’s side.
“You are intelligent and perceptive. You’ve easily seen through my nature of acting only on profit and loss. It’s indeed suspicious that someone like you would so easily plan to recruit people from the Inbong clan.”
“…….”
“You are not ignorant of the ways of the Inbong clan, yet you seek to ally with them so easily. Unless you lay everything bare, we cannot really have an open discussion.
Though she spoke this way, the White Princess also had many secrets she kept hidden.
Anyway, the art of negotiation lies in making the other party believe that you have revealed everything while keeping your own secrets.
“What are you thinking?”
“White Princess, do you believe that in this world, it’s eat or be eaten?”
“……”
“No, we can benefit each other. The reason I’m bringing in someone from the Inbong clan is because I am confident I can control them.”
Seol Tae Pyeong knew that the Inbong clan would not last much longer.
He was also well aware that the officials from the Inbong clan would eventually be left stranded.
Therefore, picking out useful individuals from them in advance was akin to casually picking up treasures that had fallen to the ground.
Just as there is a price for everything in this world, bringing in talents from the Inbong clan might lead to significant repercussions in the future…
But it was essentially like freely taking money from the vault of a bank destined to fail.
If bankruptcy was certain, taking some of the money wouldn’t make much of a difference.
“You don’t give a clear answer to anything. Well, that’s only to be expected.”
The White Princess smiled faintly with her sleeves trailing down.
It seemed almost unbelievable that they had whispered words of love to each other for an entire hour.
Indeed, they were high officials of the Cheongdo Palace. It was impossible for them to talk about love purely without any political implications.
This realization made the White Princess smile bitterly.
She had wandered in a dream for about an hour. Thinking of it that way brought her some comfort.
It was an embarrassing farce. A farce that wasn’t worth feeling any sense of loss over.
…
However.
– So… will you run away with me outside this palace? For your sake, I am willing to live as a fugitive for the rest of my life…! I will give my life to you, White Princess!”
If she had nodded to those words after getting overwhelmed by the emotion, what would have happened?
A curious thought coiled in a corner of her heart, but she quickly erased such trivial temptations.
“Alright. From my perspective, it’s an offer I can’t refuse. I will recommend a few people from the Inbong clan.”
“Thank you, White Princess.”
After that, Seol Tae Pyeong stood up and bowed deeply.
“I believe we will be good partners.”
“……”
“Let’s meet again at a higher place.”
After he said this, Seol Tae Pyeong quietly left the tea room.
The White Princess raised her hand to call him back for a moment, but there was nothing more to say even if she did.
So the White Princess… just quietly watched Seol Tae Pyeong’s retreating figure as he left the tea room.
Only his aimless eyes swept across the floor of the tea room.
“Five officials from the Inbong clan in the Hwalseong District? Even a key inspector from the Ministry of Works?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Three days later, Headmaid Hyeon Dang of the Vermilion Bird Palace reported the personnel transfer announced by the Ministry of Personnel.
When Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon reviewed the list brought by Hyeon Dang, she wore a surprised expression while sitting at her large desk.
“The Hwalseong District… isn’t that the territory governed by the Bright Moon General?”
“…Yes, it is.”
“…It sounds as if the Bright Moon General has been won over by the Inbong clan.”
The Vermilion Princess examined the bamboo slips Hyeon Dang had brought several times. No matter how many times she looked, the contents wouldn’t change.
There were many talented people in the Jeongseon clan as well.
If he had come to the Vermilion Princess and consulted with her, she could have recommended good people from her clan as well.
Of course, considering the future, he wasn’t someone who would fill the ranks entirely with people from the Inbong clan. But at the very least, he could have consulted with her.
Then, was it true that he had been quickly won over by the White Princess?
Did he find the White Princess more trustworthy than me? I thought we had built a good relationship.
The Vermilion Princess had somewhat anticipated this outcome.
She knew that Seol Tae Pyeong would struggle to manage the Hwalseong District and eventually seek out talented individuals.
She had expected that in the end, he would come to her for recommendations from the Jeongseon clan… However, the reality was somewhat different.
Although it was entirely his choice, she hadn’t expected him to seek out the Inbong clan while completely ignoring the Jeongseon clan. Even though the Jeongseon clan held more influence inside the Cheongdo Palace.
“…….”
After a brief contemplation, the Vermilion Princess gathered the bamboo slips and rose from her seat.
Headmaid Hyeon Dang watched her with a worried expression on her face.
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