Chapter 37
When an opportunity comes, one must always be prepared to seize it. Zhang Rang had brought Dongbaek into the imperial palace as a playmate for the prince, but not just anyone could freely enter and exit the palace. He had already registered Dongbaek’s name for an official position beforehand. He truly was a meticulous person. Everyone else could only swallow their bitterness at Zhang Rang’s swift handling of the situation.
Dongbaek stepped forward with confidence and pride. Indeed, what reason was there that she couldn’t rise to this position? Compared to other officers, Dongbaek was exceptional. Being timid would only make her look foolish.
‘It’s okay to be more arrogant.’
A position that involves managing people is fundamentally one where you cannot be looked down upon. Dongbaek kept repeating this to herself internally while smiling.
She was young. For such a young child to become a benevolent commander while laughing cheerfully was far too difficult.
In such cases, it’s easier to hear, “He acts that way because he’s just a child who doesn’t know anything” rather than “He handles things maturely despite being young.” Moreover, pretending to be nice and considerate didn’t suit her personality.
After all, when a nice person makes one mistake, they get criticized, but when a mean person does something good once, their likability mysteriously skyrockets. That was the truth. In short, Dongbaek had no intention of becoming a “good officer.”
When Dongbaek appeared before the soldiers, the bustling noise of the assembly grew even louder.
“Wait, is he really just a kid?”
“Huh, he’s about the same age as my eldest son at home.”
“The eunuch faction has really grown out of control—what kind of absurdity is this?”
With a thousand men sharing various conversations, the training ground was in chaos.
Dongbaek clicked her tongue at the sight of the soldiers before her, who were no different from a chaotic marketplace. If only she had a microphone. Missing the items from the 21st century, Dongbaek looked up at the sky. If you don’t have teeth, you must bite with your gums. Fortunately, Dongbaek had an effective means of drawing attention.
The hundred-man commanders standing behind Dongbaek snickered. They firmly believed that Dongbaek was just anxiously pacing around, not knowing what to do.
Dongbaek lightly put her left finger to her mouth. And then, whoosh, she whistled. A high, clear, and thin sound sharply cut through the sky.
Everyone murmured, wondering about the whistle. Dongbaek slowly removed her left hand from her mouth and extended it to the side.
All thousand soldiers’ attention focused on Dongbaek’s strange behavior. Before long, a crow that had been circling in the sky fluttered down and slowly landed on Dongbaek’s arm.
While they had heard of taming hawks, taming crows was unheard of. As everyone was momentarily speechless at the strange sight, Dongbaek, finally relieved at the quieter situation, spoke softly.
“I am So Dongbaek, newly appointed as Commander of the City Gates. Pleased to meet you all.”
Like a young boy, Dongbaek’s voice was clear and bright, not yet reached puberty. However, despite the bell-like clear voice, her tone carried an undeniable weight.
“This is the crow I raise. It’s as good as my eyes, so you’d do well to remember it.”
Dongbaek said this while stroking the head of the crow perched on her left arm. The crow, slightly larger than the boy’s head, soon flew up again and perched on the military camp’s flagpole. The soldiers all flinched when met with the crow’s black eyes. Whether it was because of Dongbaek’s words, or due to the unsettling emotionless eyes of the animal. The sight of the wings folding and quietly observing the soldiers was chilling.
Amidst such unrest among the soldiers, Dongbaek continued.
“I assume you all know who my father is. I won’t say much more. Like father, like son, they say that even as an adopted son, I take after my father—people tell me my personality isn’t particularly pleasant. But don’t worry. You’re all my people now. I am generous with what’s mine… Of course, only within acceptable limits.”
At Dongbaek’s words, everyone gathered at the training ground gulped. The silence that settled, far heavier than at first, meant they had begun to be wary of Dongbaek. The boy’s words about being generous did nothing to ease their tension.
“I will inspect the camp for the next month. I’ll weed out those who don’t belong and ensure that those who’ve been unfairly treated are properly restored to their positions, so everyone stay alert.”
Even though it was a moment when they should have responded loudly, the soldiers remained silent. Though they didn’t want to admit it, they were overwhelmed by the presence of that small child. However, as much as they didn’t want to meekly follow Dongbaek’s words, it was a silence mixed with both defiance and fear.
Dongbaek, undeterred by their lack of response, concluded curtly.
“That’s all for today. Consider this my introduction. A proper one will come in a month. Dismissed!”
As soon as Dongbaek finished speaking, the crow fluttered up and circled widely above the training ground. The sight of the crow continuously drawing circles above their heads felt like an evil spirit waiting for their life threads to be cut, making all the soldiers shudder.
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
The fear from that day gradually faded as time passed, because Dongbaek had shut himself away in the officer’s quarters without showing his face.
The hundred-man commanders clicked their tongues, saying that Dongbaek must have come just to play house—after all, what could a 12-year-old possibly know about the military?
“Could those thin, white arms even hold a sword?”
“They say he got this position after putting on a great performance before the Emperor, so he can probably hold musical instruments. He must be good at twirling around and dancing too.”
“Haahh, what terrible times we live in.”
But it wasn’t entirely something to be dissatisfied about. Thinking again, it was an opportunity. Since the Commander position had become little more than a formality, perhaps they, as hundred-man commanders, could seize real power.
While the hundred-man commanders were having such thoughts, there was no way to maintain discipline among the soldiers below. Some who had been cautiously deferential at the news of Zhang Rang’s son coming soon held their heads high and swaggered about once they saw Dongbaek as nothing more than a figurehead.
Though the crow, said to be as good as Dongbaek’s eyes, watched their behavior several times, eyes be damned—Dongbaek showed no reaction.
‘So it was a lie after all. Talking about understanding a crow’s words—how ridiculous. And to think we got scared over such nonsense.’
It was clearly just a child making up impressive-sounding words to threaten them. They laughed at themselves for having shuddered for a moment thinking it might be true. Instead, they loudly slandered Dongbaek. As expected, there were no sanctions.
Emboldened, their behavior grew worse. They began arriving late, slacking off during their shifts, and exhibiting conduct unbefitting soldiers. Their lack of military discipline made it hard to believe they were soldiers. Their conduct deserved immediate dismissal, but they were arrogant. They had something to rely on.
“They extort money from the weaker ones and use it to bribe their superiors. In the end, they’re blowing their noses without lifting a hand, so to speak.”
“They’re not soldiers, they’re thugs, thugs. No wonder Luoyang’s security is at rock bottom with such people swaggering about. We had hoped for someone with determination and spirit to come as City Gate Commander to control these people…”
Everyone who had been victimized by these thugs shook their heads. Who would welcome having their money extorted in broad daylight? But even if they wanted to resist, those thugs were numerous, and while they could unite in resistance, the thugs were unnecessarily skilled at division and scheming. If they tried to report to the hundred-man commanders, those commanders were already on the thugs’ side.
And those hundred-man commanders had connections with the general directly above Dongbaek. It was a long and persistent chain of bribes.
At first, the general had tried to curry favor with Dongbaek, hoping to use him to gain access to Zhang Rang. The general had long been at odds with He Jin, the head of the faction opposing Zhang Rang, and saw Dongbaek’s assignment to him as an opportunity. With that in mind, the general discreetly offered Dongbaek an extravagant gift, a coral carving the size of his forearm, adorned with red jade.
“What is this?”
“Ahem. It’s a token of my sincerity. Please give my regards to your father.”
The coral statue was a precious item with monkeys intricately carved in playful poses. How much trouble had it been to acquire this coral statue? But Dongbaek glanced at the coral statue with disinterested eyes, then turned back to his documents and said.
“My father has even higher standards than I do. Keep such things in your own home, General.”
The rejection was swift and firm. But even more shameful was the evaluating gaze that suggested the bribe he had carefully prepared was far from sufficient.
Feeling insulted, he trembled with rage. Initially, his falling out with He Jin had been because he couldn’t stand seeing a butcher’s son putting on airs with his sister on his back. Come to think of it, Dongbaek was no different. Showing off after rising in position thanks to his adoptive father… How long had it taken him to reach this position? Yet Dongbaek had risen too easily to such a post. And at such a terribly young age!
Normally, the general would have severely punished such presumptuous behavior from subordinates, but this time he turned a blind eye to Dongbaek’s subordinates running wild. He could receive bribes and make Dongbaek suffer at the same time. Since he wasn’t directly harassing him, there was no reason to catch Zhang Rang’s eye. It was perfect because he could insist that the problem with the soldiers was due to Dongbaek’s lack of virtue.
‘Since he acts so high and mighty alone, let him solve it alone!’
Dongbaek understood such superior’s psychology as clearly as looking at her palm. The general pretended he had walked the path to success alone and righteously, but in the end, his essence wasn’t much different. If he had truly been such an upright person from the start, he wouldn’t have offered bribes to connect with Zhang Rang or accepted bribes from his subordinates.
Just a petty person who could pretend to be noble because he lacked opportunity. Repeating to himself that grapes he couldn’t eat were sour, crushed under the resentment that he couldn’t succeed because he didn’t have an empress sister or a powerful adoptive father. He wasn’t worth Dongbaek’s attention.
While Dongbaek ignored the general as someone who would just pass by anyway, to the subordinates who didn’t know about the general’s attempts to connect with Zhang Rang, the general was still above Dongbaek. Those who had the general’s backing acted as if they owned the world.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
