I walked to the Martial Training Grounds with Palgap, the Escort Guards, and Lady Tang Su-bin.
The Punishment Assembly was being held.
But then, Tang Jo-ung came to the annex, insisting on coming with me.
“I’ll protect you, Benefactor!”
He clenched his fists and shouted, which made my conscience sting.
‘I’m sorry… Jo-ung.’
On our way to the Martial Training Grounds, I ran into Squad Leader Tang Jun-ryeong. But his expression was the same as usual.
Seeing that, Escort Guard Lee Pil spoke to him.
“You don’t seem the least bit concerned about your mother.”
“Concerned? Why should I be concerned about my mother?”
“What…?”
His unexpected words made me wonder if I’d misheard.
“She’s the one who did wrong, not me. Tsk tsk… Why’d she act so carelessly…”
He clicked his tongue, bowed slightly to me, and casually continued walking toward the Martial Training Grounds where the Punishment Assembly was being held.
I hadn’t misheard.
‘Wow… You really raised a fine son.’
Lady Tang Su-bin, standing next to me, wore the same dumbfounded expression.
“I never saw him like this before…”
We arrived at the Martial Training Grounds and sat in the seats that had been prepared.
Seated beside me were Escort Guard Lee Pil, as well as those who had witnessed the staged poisoning incident yesterday.
Lady Tang Su-bin sat directly in front of me.
Soon, the members of the Crimson Camellia Division arrived, and the Punishment Assembly began.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the sound of the gavel, everyone’s attention turned to Clan Lord Tang Gyu-jeong.
“We will now begin the Punishment Assembly. Bring in the criminals.”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon, the warriors from the Punishment Unit brought in Madam Go-yeon, her maids, and servants.
‘You look a lot more haggard after just one night.’
“State the charges against the criminals.”
At his command, the Deputy unfurled a scroll and began reading the list of offenses.
This time, it wasn’t about someone’s accusation, but about an incident that had actually occurred, so the procedure was different.
“Madam Go-yeon… poisoned the snack of Escort Guard Lee Pil… The one that Benefactor Eun Seo-ho ate…”
The Deputy finished reading and closed the scroll.
Clan Lord Tang Gyu-jeong turned his head and spoke.
“Criminal, state your rebuttal.”
Madam Go-yeon fiercely protested.
“I’m innocent! I didn’t… I didn’t poison Escort Guard Lee Pil’s snack!”
“Then are you claiming… that you’ve never done anything of the sort before?”
“Of course! The only thing I ever put in was a few shards of broken glass and—Huk!”
She quickly covered her mouth, but everyone had already heard it.
I grinned to myself.
‘Saying it with your own mouth… That’s exactly what I wanted.’
“Broken glass?”
The Clan Lord’s voice was sharp.
Madam Go-yeon panicked, not knowing what to do.
She realized it too.
She’d just confessed her crime.
The Clan Lord’s merciless interrogation followed.
“Explain yourself.”
“Um… well…”
As she hesitated, the Clan Lord turned to the maids and servants.
“You all know about this, don’t you? Whoever confesses first… will receive a lighter sentence.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the maids shouted.
“I know!”
“Speak.”
“In truth… when Escort Guard Lee Pil lived at the main house… under Madam’s orders, we put broken glass, bugs, and even rats into his food.”
A loud murmur spread through the crowd.
But it wasn’t a murmur of surprise… It was a murmur of outrage.
The Clan Lord asked again.
“How many times did this happen?”
“For… seven years…”
At those words, the Clan Lord closed his eyes. Grief was written all over his face.
The same went for the members of the Crimson Camellia Division.
Then another servant spoke up.
“Even when Madam didn’t give direct orders… the maid often insulted Escort Guard Lee Pil. And… she secretly took the allowance and jewelry that Commander Tang Dae-jeong gave him.”
‘Ah… I see. You couldn’t bear to take all the blame alone, huh?’
The maid immediately fired back.
“Oh, don’t act innocent! You laughed every time the young masters hit Escort Guard Lee Pil! And you’re the one who mocked him in winter… telling him to chop his own firewood and make charcoal instead of giving him a brazier. Don’t think I forgot!”
‘This is… getting worse by the minute.’
Commander Tang Dae-jeong clicked his tongue.
“So that’s why Lee Pil left the clan… Makes perfect sense now.”
The others nodded in agreement.
When I first arrived at the Tang Clan, I noticed that many people didn’t look favorably upon Escort Guard Lee Pil.
It was the gaze of people who despised someone who had abandoned the clan despite being born with the Tang surname.
But now… that atmosphere had completely changed.
Sympathy and understanding for Escort Guard Lee Pil were overflowing among the crowd.
The Clan Lord spoke to the criminals.
“Then… are you saying you didn’t poison Escort Guard Lee Pil’s snack?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
“Then… do you at least admit to bullying him when he still bore the Tang surname?”
Madam Go-yeon bit her lip.
She must’ve felt cornered.
But in the end, she had no choice but to admit her guilt.
There was no denying it after everything that was exposed.
“I… I admit it.”
“First, kneel and apologize to Escort Guard Lee Pil.”
Madam Go-yeon bit her lip.
But then sighed and bowed her head to Escort Guard Lee Pil.
“I’m sorry… I was foolish… and made your life miserable.”
“…”
But Escort Guard Lee Pil didn’t respond.
The Clan Lord then ordered the other maids and servants to apologize as well.
They knelt and bowed their heads.
“We’re sorry.”
“We’ve committed terrible wrongs.”
But still… Escort Guard Lee Pil said nothing.
The Clan Lord continued.
“There are others who must also apologize. Tang Jun-ryeong, Tang Hae-ryeong, and Tang Chung-ryeong. The three of you… apologize to Escort Guard Lee Pil.”
At that, Tang Jun-ryeong jumped up and shouted.
“Why should we apologize?!”
“That’s right! We did nothing wrong!”
“We were just… playing with him because he seemed bored!”
The Clan Lord’s hands trembled.
He was furious.
He opened his mouth to lash out… but someone beat him to it.
“What utterly shameless, despicable brats! Have you no shame?!”
Huh?
That voice… sounded familiar.
And then, cutting through the crowd, a figure appeared… and I nearly jumped in surprise.
It was the Ragged Sage Physician.
“Elder?”
But the Clan Lord looked even more shocked when he saw him.
“Father!”
‘Father? Father…?’
Now that I think about it… Lady Tang Su-bin did mention it.
She said the Former Clan Lord was currently traveling.
‘So… the one traveling was the Ragged Sage Physician?’
Wow…
That’s something I never knew in my previous life.
No wonder.
The overwhelming Qi I felt from him when we first met wasn’t just for show.
This is why he refused when I asked him to come to the Tang Clan with me.
With the arrival of the Ragged Sage Physician, everyone immediately prostrated.
“We pay our respects to the Former Clan Lord.”
The Ragged Sage Physician barely acknowledged them and roared.
“You rotten little punks! Get out here this instant!”
At his shout, Madam Go-yeon’s three sons hesitated but eventually shuffled out to the center of the Martial Training Grounds.
“All this time… I watched you torment Lee Pil… believing that one day you’d realize your mistakes and change. But I was wrong. You’re rotten to the core.”
“We only bullied Lee Pil because Mother told us to.”
“That’s right!”
“She told us to do it, so what crime did we commit?”
‘Oh… Now the story changes.’
Since the excuse that they never bullied him wouldn’t work, they were throwing their mother under the bus.
Madam Go-yeon looked absolutely stunned.
“Wh-When did I ever tell you to bully Escort Guard Lee Pil?!”
I clicked my tongue watching the scene.
‘What a lovely mother-son relationship.’
“Silence!”
The Ragged Sage Physician infused Qi into his voice, and the commotion instantly died down.
“To think the Tang Clan produced people with this kind of character… I am ashamed. Lee Pil… I doubt you even wish to receive an apology from them.”
At those words, Escort Guard Lee Pil nodded.
“Therefore, by the authority of the Former Clan Lord… I sentence you three to five years of reflection in the Punishment Hall.”
The brothers turned pale and collapsed on the spot.
“Former Clan Lord… No, Grandfather! Please don’t do this!”
“We were wrong! Anything but the Punishment Hall!”
“Please forgive us!”
‘I wonder what made them so brazen earlier.’
Seeing them grovel like this… the Punishment Hall must be a truly terrifying place.
But the Ragged Sage Physician didn’t withdraw his order.
“What are the warriors of the Punishment Unit waiting for? Carry out the sentence!”
“Yes, sir!”
The three were dragged away to the Punishment Hall.
Watching this, the Clan Lord stepped forward.
“Madam Go-yeon… and the other criminals, listen well.”
Everyone bowed their heads.
“The acts you committed against Escort Guard Lee Pil… are a disgrace that destroyed the discipline of the Tang Clan. You also ignored the command of our ancestors… that we cherish the children of the clan!” (TL Note: Let us all ignore the fact that both him and his father knew about it and didn’t do anything)
“…”
“On top of that… you used utterly cruel methods to torment a child, forcing him to leave this clan. I cannot overlook this. Therefore… Madam Go-yeon and the other criminals are also sentenced to five years of reflection in the Punishment Hall.”
Madam Go-yeon, the maids, and the servants desperately begged for mercy, but the order wasn’t rescinded.
“Earlier… the Clan Lord said he’d reduce the sentence for whoever confessed first.”
One of the maids tried to appeal.
The Clan Lord chuckled and replied.
“Of course. A promise is a promise. Your sentence will be reduced… by one quarter-hour.”
“Huh? A quarter-hour?”
“I said I’d reduce it… I never said how much.”
“Ah…”
The maid looked completely defeated.
The Ragged Sage Physician walked over to Escort Guard Lee Pil and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“N-No! Former Clan Lord, please… don’t bow to me!”
Escort Guard Lee Pil flailed in shock.
“You went through this suffering… because I failed to put things in order.”
Hearing that, the Clan Lord also spoke to Escort Guard Lee Pil.
“I too am at fault. I should’ve corrected this long ago.”
Escort Guard Lee Pil shook his head.
“No. You both… are people I’m deeply grateful to. I know… that the reason I was allowed to leave the clan and live freely… was thanks to the two of you.”
“…”
“That alone… is more than enough. I am thankful.”
Escort Guard Lee Pil bowed deeply to both of them.
Then he straightened his back.
He turned his head toward Madam Go-yeon and the maids and servants.
“There’s something… I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
“W-What is it…?”
Madam Go-yeon’s voice trembled.
“What… did I do that was so wrong? I was only born… just like anyone else. Why… were you so cruel to me?”
“…”
“What did a child… dragged along by the adults… possibly do to deserve this? Did you hate me… that much?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Forgive me.”
“I deserve death.”
They apologized again, but Escort Guard Lee Pil shook his head.
“I will not accept your apology. Because… I still cannot forget what happened back then. Maybe… if the day ever comes when I stop poking around my food… maybe then.”
“…”
It was just words… but even so, a bit of the weight in his chest seemed to lift.
But wait… Didn’t Escort Guard Lee Pil say he wanted to receive an apology from them?
Well… he said he wanted an apology. He never said he’d accept it.
Honestly, if it were me… I wouldn’t forgive them either.
A child… is a being full of infinite potential. The future of this world.
Yet, simply because he was an eyesore… because he had no power… because he couldn’t resist… they crushed that potential and that future.
No one… has the right to do that.
Now… it’s time to wrap this up.
I glanced toward Lady Tang Su-bin and gave her a signal. She stood up.
“Father. Actually… the detailed results of the investigation into Benefactor Eun Seo-ho’s poisoning have come out.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes. The reason poison was found on Escort Guard Lee Pil’s snack… was because of the poison on Benefactor Eun Seo-ho’s sleeve.”
“Then…?”
“Yes. They are innocent.”
But by this point… nobody cared about that anymore.
Madam Go-yeon and the others were dragged away by the warriors of the Punishment Unit, their faces completely blank.
And just like that… the Punishment Assembly, which revealed the truth behind everything related to Escort Guard Lee Pil, came to an end.
I doubt… anyone will dare touch Escort Guard Lee Pil ever again.
Now then… it’s about time to return to the Sichuan branch.
–TL Notes–
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