Chapter 353
"Do I look cowardly to you?"
"No. But there's still one thing missing."
Wei Yan-ho looked quietly at the Emperor and said.
"It's a good method. From the standpoint of protecting the ancestral shrine, it could indeed be called an excellent method. But what about the people?"
"..."
Wei Yan-ho's face was completely different from before.
A layer of coldness was overlaid on that face which had been vacant yet somehow warm, giving the impression that he had become a different person.
'Could that child make such an expression?'
Lee Wang-ya was flustered by Wei Yan-ho's transformation and even forgot that he should point out his rudeness.
"Wasn't the duty of a monarch supposed to come from the people? How can a monarch who has lost his people still be a monarch?"
"Sometimes..."
Wei Yan-ho didn't listen to the Emperor's words.
"If Your Majesty actively stepped forward, you might be able to reduce the bloodshed by even a single drop. But you're saying you'll just watch from behind because of that ancestral shrine or whatever?"
The Emperor did not answer.
Not only was he at a loss for words, but he also didn't think Wei Yan-ho would understand his thoughts.
"If that's Your Majesty's choice, then so be it."
Wei Yan-ho smiled brightly. But his eyes weren't smiling at all.
"I'll make good use of the authority you've given me. But I will never again stand in Your Majesty's way. May you be at peace for ten thousand ages."
Wei Yan-ho bowed deeply right there and then stood up. Then he walked outside without another word.
"This, this bastard!"
"Leave him be."
"Your Majesty."
"Enough."
The Emperor shook his head quietly.
"The boy's words aren't wrong either."
"How could that brat possibly understand Your Majesty's heart in thinking of the state and the nation's well-being? He speaks out of ignorance about how great a difference there is between maintaining the nation's name, even if only in name, and having it change, and how many more people would be sacrificed in the process."
"I'm just scared, that's all."
"Your Majesty!"
"I don't know. Whether I truly think that way, or whether I'm really just scared. It's strange, brother. If it were me in the past, I would never have hesitated. I would have only thought about showing those who challenged imperial authority what for. But now that my body has become healthy... I'm scared, I'm scared."
"Your Majesty."
Lee Wang-ya swallowed hard.
Those who haven't experienced the Demonic Cult's invasion don't know.
That fear.
That terror.
How could those who haven't experienced the terror of this vast continent being swept away in an instant possibly understand?
"He'll understand too. How Your Majesty had no choice but to make such a decision."
"...No. That bastard must not know."
"Pardon?"
The Emperor said bitterly.
"For him to know would mean that bastard has also come to know the fear of the Demonic Cult. He must not know. And he must mock me until the very end."
"Your Majesty..."
"He'll do well. That bastard is different from me."
Lee Wang-ya looked at the door Wei Yan-ho had exited through with wavering eyes.
'Which is his true self?'
The difference between the usual frivolous Wei Yan-ho and the Wei Yan-ho he had just seen was too great. It was as if two people were living in one body.
'That can't be.'
That wouldn't happen.
It wouldn't.
* * *
"Damn it! Ptui!"
Wei Yan-ho spat on the ground with a thwack.
"So disgusting, I swear!"
He should have listened to his master's words about how the imperial palace was filthy.
"They say if you listen well to your master, rice cakes will appear even in your sleep."
He should have just listened obediently and done as he was told, but what pride did he have to get his hopes up again only to see such a disgusting sight?
Wei Yan-ho let out a deep sigh and looked back.
"Tsk."
But the more he looked, the more his insides churned.
This wasn't a place for him.
The imperial palace, teeming with those busy only looking after their own safety, was a place that didn't suit him. Just looking at it made him feel bad, and just standing together with them made his stomach churn.
"I need to go home."
Now that he'd done everything he needed to do.
"If I come here again, I'm not human! Damn it!"
Wei Yan-ho was openly expressing his irritation and spewing complaints about the imperial family, but the passersby didn't dare question Wei Yan-ho's offense. Who would dare question a Second Rank Right Inspector's offense?
But while they couldn't question his offense, someone still dared to engage him in conversation.
"Why are you so angry?"
"Huh?"
Wei Yan-ho turned his head.
Moon Yu-hwan was looking at him with a bright smile.
"So that's how it turned out."
Moon Yu-hwan nodded as if he understood.
"That's right."
Having climbed up to the eaves to avoid people's eyes, Wei Yan-ho finished explaining everything to Moon Yu-hwan and tilted his head.
"But is it okay for me to tell you this story?"
"Haven't you told me already?"
"True. Well then, there's nothing to be done about it."
Wei Yan-ho was quick to give up too.
Moon Yu-hwan let out a hollow laugh watching such a Wei Yan-ho.
"Right. What's already done can't be helped. But why are you so angry?"
"He's still the Emperor, isn't he? The Emperor is supposed to be like a father to all the people, but where is there a father who would turn his head away while his children get hurt just to save himself?"
"That's right. There's no such father."
"But His Majesty is doing exactly that."
"No. It's completely different."
"Pardon?"
Moon Yu-hwan shrugged his shoulders and answered.
"Why is the Emperor the father of all people? He didn't give birth to them."
"What?"
Wei Yan-ho's mouth dropped wide open.
"Confucianism says so, doesn't it? That monarch, teacher, and father are one."
"That just means to be loyal on your own."
Wei Yan-ho's eyes trembled.
What's this old man? Is he a pseudo-Confucian scholar?
Someone called the Triple Grand Scholar wouldn't be like that...
"Is it okay for a Confucian scholar to say such things?"
"Confucianism is a field of study. Fields of study always change and different opinions emerge. Do you know what the blind spot of academic pursuit of truth is?"
"...If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting here like this."
"That truth is always changing."
"What..."
Wei Yan-ho looked at Moon Yu-hwan as if dumbfounded.
"What does that mean?"
"It means exactly that. Truth is always changing, but we must pursue truth. Doesn't that mean we must chase after what changes? That means it's impossible to see the end of learning. The moment you think you've understood one phenomenon, the phenomenon changes, doesn't it? In the end, it never ends."
"Ah!"
"The field of study commonly called Confucianism isn't about continuously learning the same concepts either. Not since Master Confucius first established the concept of Confucianism. Would it only be so from then on? Early Confucianism was created based on the Duke of Zhou's concepts. The Duke of Zhou also created his learning from previous concepts. In the end, everything is bound to change."
Wei Yan-ho nodded as if he understood.
"But what does that have to do with this?"
"The relationship between monarch and subject is the same. That the monarch should be this way, and the subject should be that way, are just principles decided in the past. If truth changes, wouldn't principles change too?"
"...That's true."
"In the end, humans can only move for their own safety. They're bound to pursue their own interests. Both subjects and monarchs. In the end, the monarch is also human. So how could he live pursuing only ideals? What Master Wei is speaking of now is the ideal response of a monarch, isn't it? Humans cannot be ideal."
Wei Yan-ho frowned as if he couldn't accept it.
"Because things change, we should understand even if he doesn't do what he should do? That sounds like saying we should understand even if evil people do evil deeds because ultimately the concepts of good and evil might only apply to the current era?"
"That could be so."
"Huh?"
"But in reality, that's impossible."
"Why?"
"Because your heart wouldn't allow it."
"..."
Moon Yu-hwan smiled brightly.
"The world will change. And learning will change too. The situation surrounding you will also become different from now. When you stand in a different place, you see different things, and when you see different things, your thoughts naturally change too."
"But there must be things that shouldn't waver."
"What would those be?"
Wei Yan-ho seemed to think for a moment, then said.
"Good and evil. Things that shouldn't change even if times change and situations change."
"That's right. In the end, learning is about finding that. The absolute truth that never changes even if the world changes. Just having such a heart makes Master Wei a fine scholar."
"Oh come on, what kind of scholar am I?"
"Hoho, what's so special about being a scholar? If you study, you're a scholar. What's so special about studying? If you seek what's right and seek truth, that's studying."
"..."
Wei Yan-ho held his head as if dizzy.
"I don't know. It's difficult."
"It's not difficult. The answer has already come out, so what's difficult about it?"
"Pardon?"
Moon Yu-hwan smiled brightly.
"Didn't I say so? That even if the world changes, even if situations change, there are things that shouldn't waver. What kind of actions the monarch takes is merely a changed situation. So you just need to think about what you yourself should do."
"...How does that lead to that conclusion?"
Moon Yu-hwan said with a serious face.
"Master Wei."
"Yes."
"Don't lose your Righteous Heart."
Wei Yan-ho was momentarily overwhelmed by Moon Yu-hwan's presence. The current Moon Yu-hwan was neither a scholar nor an official.
He was a senior sharing the experience of a life lived before, and a teacher giving instruction.
"The world will change. And it will waver. That's what turbulent times are like. A world where what you believed was right becomes wrong, and what you believed was wrong becomes right. In such a world, what importance is there in the Emperor protecting his own body? What's important is Master Wei keeping to his own path."
"..."
"Would you not do what you should do because the Emperor is a tyrant? Would you work more than you should just because the Emperor is a wise ruler? No, that's not it. What's important is keeping to your own path, isn't it?"
"...You did well to pursue learning."
"Why's that?"
"Otherwise, you would have become a swindler. I can't understand a single word of what you're saying, but somehow I feel like I should be buying something."
"Hahaha, then I should find something to sell."
Wei Yan-ho jumped up from his seat.
"I understand what you're saying. But... I don't know what I should do. Everyone tells me the world won't leave me alone, but I don't understand what that means either. I just want to go home and live lazily."
"Then do that."
"Pardon?"
"Don't forget. That heart of wanting to live lazily. Perhaps that might be your Righteous Heart."
"Huh?"
"Even if the world wavers, if you can maintain just that one Righteous Heart, you'll see your path. Don't forget that you're a lazy one."
"..."
Moon Yu-hwan smiled brightly and turned around.
Toward Moon Yu-hwan who was going down the eaves and moving away, Wei Yan-ho shouted.
"But I have a higher position than you!"
"Haha, did you? Then next time I'll serve you as my superior. Take care, Lord Right Inspector."
Watching Moon Yu-hwan wave his hand as he moved away, Wei Yan-ho had somewhat unreadable eyes.
'I feel like I learned something... '
But what he had learned was something he couldn't know with his current self.