Chapter 10

Winter of 1860, Foothills of Inwangsan Mountain, Hanseong

It was around sunset when Gangsoe, a servant of the residence, entered the village of hunters at the foot of Inwangsan Mountain. Maksoe, the household servant accompanying him, was carrying a jar of liquor.

Three or four hunters were sitting beneath the eaves of a low stone wall. When they saw Gangsoe, their eyes filled with suspicion.

“What do you want?”

Gangsoe stopped and said,

“I heard there was someone willing to buy tiger skins. I’m from a textile shop in Hanyang.”

The hunters exchanged glances.

“We don’t sell skins.”

Gangsoe took the jar of liquor from Maksoe and set it down beneath the eaves.

“Then consider this a gift.”

One of the hunters looked at the jar.

Gangsoe turned to leave.

“Wait.”

The oldest of the hunters spoke.

He had a bushy white beard and sharp eyes.

The white-bearded hunter looked Gangsoe up and down.

“What brings you here from Hanyang?”

“I need tiger skins. I’ll pay a proper price.”

“Tiger skins have to be presented to the authorities. They’re not something we can sell freely.”

“I’ll take care of that part myself.”

The white-bearded hunter examined Gangsoe from head to toe.

Hunters were people who dealt with beasts, so they were good at quickly reading a person’s body.

The white-bearded hunter’s eyes paused for a moment.

“You’re unusually strong.”

“I’m just a little big.”

The white-bearded hunter gave a faint chuckle.

“Sit down. Have a drink before you go.”

Gangsoe sat beneath the eaves.

The liquor was passed around.

Hunters were naturally men of few words, and Gangsoe was quiet as well.

Only after the liquor had made two rounds did the white-bearded hunter speak.

“What is your surname?”

“Gang.”

“Are you from Hanyang?”

“Yes.”

“What organization do you belong to?”

Gangsoe thought for a moment.

“I’m from Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung’s residence.”

The white-bearded hunter’s eyes narrowed.

“Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung’s household?”

“Yes.”

The hunters exchanged glances.

The news of Prince Waneun’s title had spread to every corner of Hanseong, and even the hunters had heard at the market that the eldest son of Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung had become His Majesty’s adopted son.

The white-bearded hunter slowly nodded.

“Come again sometime.”

It was neither a refusal nor an acceptance.

But Gangsoe knew that was enough.

“Yes. I’ll come again.”

As Gangsoe stood up, he added,

“I’ll bring the skins myself next time. I’ll pay more generously than the going rate.”

The white-bearded hunter nodded.

Gangsoe left the village.

Maksoe followed him and quietly asked,

“Did it work, Brother?”

“It did.”

Same Night, Near Uiju Road, Hanseong

The place Gwidong visited was a small tiled-roof house near Uiju Road.

The owner was Oh Cheonseok, a middleman from the jungin class who had formerly worked as an interpreter. He had learned the interpreter’s trade when he was young but had eventually quit and now worked as a broker of goods.

There were rumors that he also dealt in goods outside the official trade system.

Maksoe brought Gwidong there and waited at the entrance of the alley.

Gwidong knocked on the gate and took a small note from inside his clothes.

Gaksim had prepared it beforehand.

Written on it was the name of someone Oh Cheonseok knew.

“Who is it?”

“I’ve come on an errand. I have something to ask you about trade routes for goods from Qing.”

There was a brief silence.

Gwidong slipped the note through the gap in the gate.

A moment later, the gate opened.

Oh Cheonseok looked down at Gwidong.

A trace of bewilderment crossed his face when he saw an eight-year-old child.

“What does a child want to ask me about?”

“I’ve come on an errand. An adult sent me.”

Oh Cheonseok held the note in his hand and thought for a moment before inviting him inside.

Inside the room, Gwidong asked,

“Do you know of a trade route for goods traveling from Qing through Joseon and on to Japan?”

“What kind of goods?”

“I’ll tell you what kind later. I’m asking first whether such a route exists.”

Oh Cheonseok stared at Gwidong for a long time.

“Where did you come from?”

“I’ll tell you that later too.”

Oh Cheonseok chuckled.

“There is a route. You can trade with merchants from Qing through Uiju, and on the Japanese side, you can go through the Waegwan in Busan. If you aren’t using official channels, then Tsushima is another option.”

Gwidong nodded.

“May I know where you live?”

“What are you going to do with that information?”

“I’ll report it to the adult who sent me.”

Oh Cheonseok thought for a moment again.

“My name is Oh Cheonseok. I live here.”

Gwidong stood up.

“Thank you. I may come back again.”

“Can’t an adult come next time?”

“When the time comes for an adult to come, they will.”

Oh Cheonseok chuckled and opened the gate for him.

As Gwidong left the gate and headed toward the entrance of the alley, Maksoe emerged from the darkness.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes.”

Winter of 1860, Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung’s Residence, Hanseong

Gwidong gave me his report.

“His name is Oh Cheonseok, a jungin who used to work as an interpreter. He lives near Uiju Road and has experience with unofficial trade involving Qing. For Japan, he says the routes are either through the Busan Waegwan or Tsushima.”

I nodded.

“Good work. Don’t touch that man. Knowing his name and where he lives is enough.”

“Yes, Your Highness, Prince Waneun.”

Gwidong did not leave.

“Why?”

“Your Highness, he asked me where I was affiliated.”

“Did you tell him?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“But, Your Highness, won’t he find out eventually that we’re connected to this residence?”

“He will.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to tell him in advance?”

I looked at Gwidong.

“If we tell him beforehand, he’ll try to use us. If he finds out later, we can use him. Which do you think is better?”

Gwidong thought for a moment.

“It would be better for him to find out later.”

“Exactly.”

Gwidong nodded and withdrew.

Several days later, Gaksim came in.

“Your Highness, Prince Waneun, I’ve found a place.”

“Tell me.”

“About twenty ri west of Sungnyemun, there is a small tiled-roof house that has been abandoned. Its owner died without any descendants, and it has been vacant for more than three years. The courtyard is large, and the walls are high enough that outsiders can’t easily see inside. There are few people living nearby, so it won’t attract much attention.”

“Does the local government know about it?”

“It appears in the government records, but no one is specifically managing it. There is no owner paying the taxes, so it has simply been left abandoned.”

“Can we purchase it?”

“They say it can be arranged if we pay the taxes that have accumulated. It will cost twenty-five nyang.”

That was easily affordable with the money we had left.

“Do it. But don’t put it under the residence’s name. Put it in your name, Gaksim.”

Gaksim’s eyes widened.

“In my name?”

“Yes. And find out whether there are any orphans around that house. Children living alone on the streets.”

“Your Highness, are you really going to bring those children to that house?”

“Yes. But for now, just investigate. We’ll bring them in after the house has been prepared.”

Gaksim nodded and withdrew.

I stared at the lamplight and reviewed everything we had accomplished so far.

I had only just shared my first drink with the hunters.

The opium trade route had been identified by name, but I had not touched it.

And the house that would serve as a base for assassins had now been secured.

I still had three years.

Three years until Cheoljong’s death.

Within those three years, the seeds I had planted had to take root.

I’m thirteen years old.

But I don’t have time to rest.

Spring of 1861, Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung’s Residence, Hanseong

Gwidong came in immediately after the morning greetings had ended.

“Your Highness, I have something to tell you.”

“All right. Sit down.”

Gwidong sat.

“It’s about the Han River ferries.”

I raised my head.

“Go on.”

“The Han River ferries are all separate. Gwangnaru, Sambatnaru, Maponaru, and Nodeulnaru. Each ferry has different people in control. There are men who collect ferry fees, men who help unload cargo, and men who extort money from merchants.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“The person who controls the Han River ferries can see everything and everyone entering and leaving Hanseong. Which merchants came from where, what goods are coming in, when officials from the government offices are moving around. You can see more at the ferries than you can at the markets.”

I looked at Gwidong.

He had figured this out on his own.

Gwidong continued.

“Brother Gangsoe has brought the market ruffians under his control. We can send those men to the ferries. Some places may surrender without a fight, while others may require force, but Brother Gangsoe should be more than enough.”

He was right.

The markets gave us information from inside Hanseong.

The ferries gave us information coming into Hanseong from outside.

Merchants coming up from the provinces, officials carrying government documents, and rumors from distant regions all passed through the ferries.

If we controlled both the markets and the ferries, we could see almost everything happening in Hanseong.

“All right. Tell Gangsoe to take control of all four ferries.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Gwidong was about to stand when he stopped.

“One more thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“The bobusang.”

I raised an eyebrow.

Gwidong continued.

“You should establish a relationship with the leader of the bobusang. These traveling merchants move throughout every corner of Joseon’s eight provinces. If they become our people, we’ll receive information from outside Hanseong as well. If the ferries are the entrance to Hanseong, the bobusang are the entrance to the entire country.”

His eyes were shining.

“And bobusang move goods, too. When the time comes for us to move certain goods, we’ll have a hard time doing it without them.”

The ferries, and now the bobusang.

This child was beginning to understand the game.

“Who is the leader of the bobusang?”

“His name is Park Mandeuk. He leads a group of bobusang operating around Gyeonggi Province. He’s around forty and is said to have a cautious personality.”

“Where can I meet him?”

“There is a tavern near Maponaru where the bobusang group stays. They say he visits there often.”

“Do I have to go myself?”

“Yes, Your Highness. He’s not someone you can deal with by sending a messenger. You need to meet him personally.”

Going to a tavern at Maponaru as Prince Waneun, a member of the royal family, would be strange.

It would be troublesome if anyone recognized me.

“Can you arrange it discreetly?”

“We can ask Gaksim. She’s good at disguising appearances.”

I nodded.

“Then arrange a time for me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Gwidong withdrew.

Spring of 1861, Maponaru Ferry, Hanseong

Porters had been coming and going since early morning.

Boats arrived and departed, while the sounds of merchants haggling mixed together, keeping Maponaru bustling throughout the day.

Gangsoe appeared around midday.

Pockmarked Choi and Hong followed behind him, each bringing three of their men.

The man controlling Maponaru, Hunchback Jeong, saw Gangsoe.

He had never seen him before.

But the moment he recognized Pockmarked Choi and Hong behind him, his expression changed.

He knew exactly who those two were.

“What brings you here?”

Gangsoe stopped in front of Hunchback Jeong.

“From now on, I manage Maponaru.”

Hunchback Jeong’s face reddened.

“What? Do you even know how this ferry works?”

“I’ve known for ten years.”

Gangsoe cut him off.

“So I’m asking you. Will you follow me?”

Hunchback Jeong looked back at his men.

They picked up their clubs.

Gangsoe did not move.

The largest of Hunchback Jeong’s men stepped forward.

Thud!

One blow.

The big man collapsed onto the ground of the ferry.

That was all it took.

Gangsoe had only raised one hand.

The remaining men froze.

Gangsoe looked at Hunchback Jeong.

“Will you follow me?”

Hunchback Jeong slowly lowered his head.

“I will.”

Pockmarked Choi took charge of Gwangnaru.

Hong took charge of Sambatnaru.

Gangsoe personally went to Nodeulnaru, which had a fairly substantial organization.

The man controlling the ferry drew a knife, but Gangsoe grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

Crack!

The knife fell to the ground.

And that was the end of it.

“Will you follow me?”

The man at the ferry dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

Before sunset, all four Han River ferries had fallen under Gangsoe’s control.

Gangsoe stationed one person at each ferry.

Their job was to watch who entered and left, keep track of the goods coming through, and report anything suspicious to Gwidong.