“Just as I expected.”
The Zhuge Family schemed to monopolize the assets of the Man Geum Battlefield and to obtain Ho Pil and Kang Yoon-ho.
Though none of the processes or intentions seemed right, why did it feel credible? When the Chief of the Medical Department presented all the evidence that Zhuge Seolrok had, no one could easily open their mouths.
From a third-party perspective, just looking at the outcome, it all sounded valid, which was the problem.
Especially since there was even evidence right in front of them.
It was only natural for the Chief of the Medical Department to smile incredulously at the Elders’ Council, who were avoiding eye contact.
“Damn these bastards! How dare they try to take Ho Pil, the esteemed author, from the Tang Family?!”
“Just how envious were they of The Rise of the Tang Family!”
“Return our Tang Jung! Return Ho Pil!”
“Because of you, we haven’t seen the next volume for almost a year!!!”
The martial artists of the Tang Family erupted with anger regarding the forced suspension of The Rise of the Tang Family.
“Zhuge Seolrok’s book was merely written to verify if Kang Yoon-ho is worthy to be the Zhuge Family’s son-in-law!”
Despite a hasty rebuttal from the Elders’ Council, they were immediately swallowed up by the Chief of the Medical Department’s words.
“Hah! So that’s how you seduced Master Kang. Tang Family’s novels are banned by the Zhuge Family, so you lured him in by suggesting he write about your Zhuge Family’s protagonist.”
“……”
Why does that seem accurate?
“The Zhuge Family intends to place Kang Yoon-ho as the successor of the Man Geum Battlefield! They plotted to force Ho Pil into marriage as their son-in-law! If our Sichuan Tang Family’s suspicions are wrong! Then speak your excuses!”
The Chief of the Medical Department. His remarks, though skipping many details along the way, were on point. That’s why everyone looked troubled now.
“G-Great Head of Family…”
The main culprits who had asked for the Zhuge Family’s protagonist to be written had nothing to say. The Elders’ Council looked at the Father-in-law for help with bewildered expressions.
“Tang Mu-ki. If one looks at the outcome with biases, one can say anything. It seems the Tang Family is under a great misunderstanding right now.”
Of course, the Head of Family was the Head of Family. He calmed his anger and spoke to Tang Mu-ki in a steady voice.
“Misunderstanding because of the outcome? Do you really think our Sichuan Tang Family is misunderstanding things just by looking at the outcome?”
“Family matters. What can be seen from the outside is limited. Some facts are mixed in, but the processes and conclusions have been excessively exaggerated.”
That’s right. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like a rational inference. But it’s different from reality.
“Do I really have to speak about the atrocities committed by the Zhuge Family?”
The Chief of the Medical Department smiled faintly, as if what he had said was just the tip of the iceberg.
“Atrocities?”
“Do you think we knew nothing before coming here? Kang Yoon-ho is a man who can risk his life for love. He’s a man who sacrificed everything for his fiancée. He’s not the kind of man to be distracted by other women!”
I feel like I might have breathing problems. This excessive bombardment of facts is making my chest hurt.
“……”
Father-in-law. Can you please stop looking at me and look at the Chief of the Medical Department? Just by gazing, I feel like I might be pierced through.
“Are you saying that Kang Yoon-ho, who came to ask for permission to marry, is a different person!!!”
No. He’s the same person. Kang Yoon-ho. He said he’d wait for his fiancée for ten years, then came to ask for marriage permission in less than a year.
“Who are you shouting at! Because of the Zhuge Family’s dark motives! Kang Yoon-ho the noble was dragged here against his will!!!”
I came on my own. I gathered my party and came here.
“Ugh!! Umphhh!”
As soon as I tried to say something, a hand like a pot lid covered my mouth.
“Master Kang. Please, I’m begging you. Let us endure until we reach the point of silence.”
“Why do you keep blocking my words?”
Silencing someone with an acupuncture technique is a blood-stabbing method. Why do they keep covering my mouth?
“Master Kang’s three-inch tongue is sharper than any memorization in the Tang Family, so the order from the Chief of the Medical Department was to keep it shut until his story is finished.”
“Ah…”
That’s right. From the arguments in Yichang to the tale in the Tang Family. The one who witnessed everything alongside me was the Chief of the Medical Department.
I looked at the Chief of the Medical Department, whose face was clearly angry. They really seem to have come prepared.
——
“What do you mean by atrocities! What on earth did the Zhuge Family commit against Kang Yoon-ho!”
The Elders’ Council, looking somewhat dumbfounded, shouted at the Chief of the Medical Department.
Atrocities of the Zhuge Family. What are they talking about? Are they referring to the crime of giving someone dumplings and forcing them to write for half a month?
“You didn’t take away his only possession while leaving his fiancée behind to return to Yichang in solitude?”
Ah.
What the Chief of the Medical Department mentioned was a memory I had forgotten.
“We also know the background behind the suspension of The Rise of the Tang Family. But isn’t that just a debt issue with the Man Geum Battlefield!”
“We thought so too! But, you see. How do you explain that if you want to get Da Seok Gak back, you were told to have a blind date with a child from the Zhuge Family?”
“What?!”
It’s understandable that the Elders’ Council would be flustered.
‘The Zhuge Family doesn’t know how I, Miss Zhuge, met.’
They might have thought we fell in love under the guidance of Man Geum-jeon. How would they know we were forced to go on a blind date with the Da Seok Gak as bait?
“Indeed, the Zhuge Family cleverly plotted to obtain both the Man Geum Battlefield and Ho Pil. Taking everything from that child! Making him go on a blind date with their family’s child! And at the same time, giving him a reason to take the successor test of the Man Geum Battlefield!”
“Did such a thing really happen?”
The Elders’ Council’s eyes turned to me. Since this matter was undeniable, I could only laugh wryly.
“Even in the Tang Family, if Master Kang were to find a new love, we intended to approve warmly. Since his fiancée needs long treatment due to illness, it wouldn’t be bad for him to have a woman by his side during the lonely wait! But to engage in such petty antics!”
“We were unaware of this! It was all carried out due to the unilateral decision of Man Geum-jeon!”
Someone from the Elders’ Council couldn’t hold back and spouted the truth.
“Hah! Are you still going to lie? Doesn’t someone know that the granddaughter of his dearly departed friend is the fiancée?! To take him away and introduce your own granddaughter!”
Of course, the Chief of the Medical Department wouldn’t believe it.
“What? What are you talking about?!”
We set a trap for counter-measures, and the bomb exploded again.
“Baik Gajang-ju and Man Geum-jeon were lifelong friends. Did you think a plan to seize the bookstore run by a dearly departed friend, take his granddaughter’s fiancé, was solely the decision of Man Geum-jeon? Or was it something done due to pressure from the Zhuge Family?”
“……”
In reality, there is someone who acted unilaterally.
“Father-in-law…”
Even my dad pressed his forehead in disbelief.
No matter what excuse is made, it’s useless. To the world, it is clear that the Zhuge Family was pulling strings. They can’t argue that it was solely the decision of Man Geum-jeon.
“As much as they coveted Kang Yoon-ho! How can they steal his only asset and force him into a blind date? Truly petty! Not to mention, forcing them to live together?!”
‘I chose to live together because I wanted to. After all, I was trying to protect Im Ha-yeon too.’
Actually, I’ve ended up having two romantic interests at the same time. I began living with Miss Zhuge to protect my other girlfriend.
Even if I weren’t silenced, it was a fact I could not speak of.
The truth was that they asked me to have a blind date with the debt write-off. Even if Man Geum-jeon is a bit eccentric, he isn’t devoid of feelings. He even provided funds for business in Wuhan.
Even if I want to explain, it’s tricky because some of it is half-true.
“Hah…”
“We only found out about the cohabitation recently! We had no idea such a fact existed!”
“You kept saying you didn’t know. Didn’t know! Are you going to keep pretending not to know about the unfavorable matters? How long are you going to keep lying…? Right…! So that’s why you kept pretending not to know. Now it all makes sense!”
The Chief of the Medical Department. What else is there?
“What do you mean?”
“Before coming to the Zhuge Family, I stopped by Wuhan. I heard that as soon as Master Kang became the successor of the Man Geum Battlefield, he was taken away.”
“He heard the news late…”
“Indeed, dragging Master Kang around like a dog was part of the Zhuge Family’s scheme, wasn’t it?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Zhuge Family pretended not to know about the cohabitation with Kang Yoon-ho and took him away. They made him write a book featuring the protagonist of the Zhuge Family!”
“……!”
“They wanted him to write the Zhuge Family’s protagonist novel, and in return, make him the son-in-law of the Zhuge Family! Once married, they would have continued forcing him to write the Zhuge Family’s protagonist novel!”
“Huh!”
“What? That’s!”
Why is everyone so shocked now? It feels like the Chief of the Medical Department’s words are starting to seem true.
‘Now I understand the misunderstanding of the Tang Family.’
As I calmly organized the Chief of the Medical Department’s words, the situation of the Tang Family unfolded before me.
The Head of the Tang Family’s son, for love, gave up all his rights and returned to the bookstore in solitude.
The Head of the Tang Family, Tang Baek-ho, was concerned for his son but felt guilty and couldn’t intervene due to his son’s will. The martial artists of the Tang Family would have read “The Rise of the Tang Family” while reminiscing about my departure.
Soon, the news arrived.
Annual suspension of “The Rise of the Tang Family.” Seizure of Da Seok Gak.
There must have been chaos within the Tang Family. But the conclusion was simply a straightforward debt issue of Kang Yoon-ho. If he didn’t ask for help, they wouldn’t have a reason to interfere.
They must have endured and waited for resolution. But the next news was entirely different from what they expected.
Kang Yoon-ho’s engagement to Zhuge Hyang.
The Sichuan Tang Family wouldn’t have sat still during this time. They must have indirectly caught wind of my news, and all clues pointed to one thing.
— The Zhuge Family is trying to take Ho Pil from us.
Is that all? The Zhuge Family deliberately paused “The Rise of the Tang Family” to keep an eye on the Tang Family. Now they are trying to forcibly marry Master Kang to one of the Zhuge Family women.
And if the news that the Zhuge Family forcefully took Kang Yoon-ho away came through?
Wouldn’t it be reasonable for me to rush over upon discovering Zhuge Seolrok, just as I expected?
“Do you still think we are merely misunderstanding things?”
A situation so tangled that I don’t even know where to start untangling it. It could easily escalate into a fight between the Tang Family and the Zhuge Family.
In a way, it’s a critical crisis. Yet, a small smile spread across my face, hidden by the martial artist’s hand.
“Chief of the Medical Department. That’s enough.”
Thanks to the Chief of the Medical Department, a glimmer of hope appeared.
It was my turn to step forward.
