Chapter 34
The song climbed to its climax. Dum-dum-dum-dum, the drumbeats grew faster and louder. Dongbaek’s sword dance also reached its peak. The swift and fluid movements of her sword weren’t the only mesmerizing sight. Anyone who shifted their gaze from the sword to Dongbaek’s movements would have seen her painting the air with the delicate beauty of a camellia flower.
Those who could best see this were the Emperor and the Prince, watching Dongbaek from the highest position.
Boom!
The song, which had been rising to an exhilarating crescendo, ended abruptly with a final drumbeat. At the same moment, Dongbaek’s movements collapsed like a flower shedding its petals.
For a moment, silence filled the hall. Even the musicians, as if caught in a dream, froze in place with their instruments. They, too, recognized that today’s performance was the best they had ever played.
Amid the crowd’s stunned quiet, Dongbaek rose gracefully. She then smiled with her usual composed confidence, raised her voice, and declared loudly.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! I sincerely congratulate His Highness the Prince on his academic achievements! Ten thousand years of glory to the realm!”
Her perfectly honed posture, crafted under the discerning eyes of Zhang Rang, shone brilliantly. Finally coming to his senses, the Emperor stood up abruptly, showing his excitement openly.
“Magnificent, absolutely magnificent! I’ve never seen such a beautiful sword dance in my life! Tell me what you want, Dongbaek! I’ll grant you anything!”
The Emperor clapped his hands together, beaming with joy.
“Shall I fill your mansion with precious treasures unprecedented in history? Or perhaps the finest swords forged by the most renowned craftsmen? Just say the word!”
At the emperor’s enthusiastic response, Dongbaek knelt gracefully and smiled faintly, a subtle expression on her face.
“Your Majesty, what I, Dongbaek, desire is neither treasure nor famous swords.”
“Then what?”
With head and back straight, her gaze toward the Emperor was calm and composed. Her voice was clear and unwavering, this was too much skill for a child of her age. Cao Cao quietly marveled. He was curious about what this child would request from the Emperor.
Even Zhang Rang didn’t know what Dongbaek would wish for. All eyes at the banquet turned to Dongbaek’s lips.
Composed and unwavering, Dongbaek began to speak in a measured tone.
“My father, Zhong Changshi Zhang Rang, tends to Your Majesty’s mind and heart. I, your humble servant, wish to protect Your Majesty’s person.”
Dongbaek paused briefly. She could clearly see Zhang Rang’s expression contorting beside the Emperor. Of course it would—this was entirely Dongbaek’s own decision, made without any consultation with Zhang Rang.
Dongbaek recalled Cao Cao, whose eyes she had met during the sword dance. Though still in the early stages of his career, he was undeniably ahead of her, a gap she couldn’t ignore.
Being just the Prince’s playmate wasn’t enough. She knew that was the highest position possible at her current age. But that was all it was.
Was she destined to fall behind just because of her youth? Was she meant to merely watch others soar ahead while she remained behind? These were all excuses. Though her body was immature, her mind was more than grown. Her self-assessed qualifications were sufficient to stand alongside them.
Dongbaek needed to push herself further. She had to take risks.
Zhang Rang might scold her for doing something foolish. He might snap at her for seeking needless hardship, asking if she wanted to break before fully growing. But she wouldn’t regret it. It was her choice.
Eventually, Zhang Rang would understand too. After all, the feelings that both Dongbaek and Zhang Rang harbored for Cao Cao were fundamentally connected.
With her resolve firm, Dongbaek sealed her words with finality.
“Please grant me the opportunity to protect Your Majesty!”
Dongbaek bowed deeply until her forehead touched the ground. Her meaning was clear—she was asking for military power. As soon as Dongbaek finished speaking, the banquet hall grew cold in a different way than before. Zhang Rang’s face also turned frigid.
But Cao Cao smiled slightly, appearing amused by the situation. Of course, the Emperor showed the most contrasting reaction at this moment. Moved by Dongbaek’s words, the Emperor was so delighted he almost had tears in his eyes.
“Wonderful, wonderful! If that’s what you desire, Dongbaek, how could I refuse? How about appointing you as General of the Guards (武衛將軍)? I can think of no one more trustworthy to oversee my protection!”
[This position generally referred to a high-ranking general who was responsible for the security and protection of the imperial palace or the emperor, and sometimes the security of the capital city or important strategic locations. The “Wu Wei” (武衛) part of the title refers to the role of “military guard” or “military defense,” while “Jiangjun” (將軍) means “general.”]
Everyone was shocked at the mention of Wu Wei General. Even Dongbaek was the same. The Wu Wei General was in charge of the Emperor’s protection, a position so high it was faster to count down from the top among military positions. It was an excessive position to give to a newcomer, especially to a boy in his early teens—unprecedented in history. Dongbaek hurriedly shook her head.
“No, Your Majesty. I lack the ability to shoulder such a responsibility. Given my young age, I would be deeply grateful just to enter the military at the lowest rank.”
At Dongbaek’s words, the Emperor gave a mischievous smile.
“Hmm. I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry. Understand?”
The Emperor’s reassurance only made her more worried. But for now, the best course was to smile and follow the Emperor’s will. Having released the bowstring, where the arrow would land was entirely in heaven’s hands.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thus, the banquet ended amidst a swirl of admiration, shock, and awe.
Unlike the Emperor’s satisfied expression, Prince Bian’s face was sullen. His openly displayed displeasure, so unlike his usual timid self, left a bitter taste in Dongbaek’s mouth. The Prince’s anger was understandable. Dongbaek taking an official position essentially meant she would stop serving as the Prince’s playmate.
But she couldn’t stay by Prince Bian’s side forever just because he would miss her. Meeting the Prince’s eyes, Dongbaek offered an awkward smile. Though the Prince’s expression crumbled for a moment, his anger was clearly deep as he returned to his sulking face. This didn’t seem like something that could be resolved with a day or two of sweet-talking.
‘I’ll have to try consoling him later, I suppose.’
Dongbaek shook her head. She changed out of her elaborate silk clothes adorned with colorful ornaments into her usual simple dark attire. Then, without any hesitation, she headed straight out of the palace.
Though Zhang Rang rarely raised his voice in the palace, today’s incident would warrant enough shouting to make the palace walls jump. Better to hear the scolding at home than cause a scene in the palace. Wanting to avoid Zhang Rang, Dongbaek hurried her steps.
But as the saying goes, in avoiding the fox one meets the tiger—she encountered someone she wanted to avoid even more, Cao Cao.
Dongbaek found him unsettling. Just as she had recognized Cao Cao, he had recognized her. And he didn’t avoid her. No, he approached her instead.
Dongbaek secretly swallowed hard. But as always, her face showed no sign of tension. Rather, her gaze at Cao Cao was unnervingly cold.
Such unwavering composure was unbelievable for someone so young. It was natural for Cao Cao to find interest in such a Dongbaek. He addressed her in a friendly tone.
“This is our first meeting. No, perhaps our second. I’m sure I saw you in the corridor in front of the audience hall last week. I am Yilang Cao, serving as Imperial Counselor.”
“I am So Dongbaek. I haven’t had my coming-of-age ceremony yet, so I have no courtesy name.”
“I enjoyed your sword dance earlier. Your skill is unbelievable for your age.”
“You flatter me.”
“No, truly. Your skill was impressive enough that His Majesty wanted to appoint you General of the Guards. You should take pride in that.”
Despite his friendly words, she responded with only calm, brief answers. Zhang Rang’s adopted child, the Emperor’s favorite—perfect conditions for becoming arrogant or proud, yet she showed not the slightest wavering. While this composure was what impressed Cao Cao, now he felt it was excessive.
‘I can hardly believe this boy isn’t even of age.’
Was his indifference a genuine lack of interest, or was his true nature simply too well hidden for Cao Cao to perceive? Either way, it piqued his curiosity further. He wanted to probe deeper, to uncover Dongbaek’s true self.
“What I don’t understand… is why someone so exceptional as you would choose to be the adopted son of someone like Zhang Rang.”
The hook was set. Even the most composed person usually shows a fragment of emotion when their adoptive father is insulted, whether they truly respect their father or not.
They might get angry, feel embarrassed, try to make excuses, or look down on Cao Cao for saying such things. But Dongbaek’s reaction was none of these. Like a silk carp elegantly passing by bait with no intention of being caught, Dongbaek tilted her head and asked back, showing no concern for Cao Cao’s impatient feelings.
“What does Yilang Cao think would be the reason I became Zhong Changshi Zhang’s adopted child?”
When met with such a serious question to his sarcastic remark, he had no response. When a child around 10 becomes someone’s adopted son, it’s usually due to circumstances rather than his own will. Moreover, it was well-known that Dongbaek became involved with Zhang Rang through Geum Danyo, who had been Zhang Rang’s concubine. Cao Cao certainly knew this, and Dongbaek hadn’t responded that way because she missed the hidden meaning in Cao Cao’s words.
‘He strikes right at the core, silencing his opponent. And he’s unafraid to bring up what could be his own weaknesses.’
This only made Cao Cao want to claim him as an ally all the more.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
Thank you for reading! ♡
