Chapter 10

Winter 1860, Foothills of Inwangsan, Hanseong

It was around sunset when Kang-soe, the servant of the residence, entered the hunters’ village at the foot of Inwangsan. Mak-soe, the household servant, was carrying a jug of liquor.

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

“What do you want?”

Kang-soe stopped and said,

“I heard there was someone who buys tiger skins. I’m from a cloth shop in Hanyang.”

The hunters exchanged glances.

“We don’t sell skins.”

Kang-soe took the liquor jug from Mak-soe and placed it beneath the eaves.

“Then consider this a gift.”

One of the hunters looked at the jug.

Kang-soe turned to leave.

“Wait.”

The oldest of the hunters spoke. He had a thick white beard and sharp eyes.

The white-bearded hunter looked at Kang-soe.

“What brings you here from Hanyang?”

“I’m looking for tiger skins. I’ll pay a proper price.”

“Tiger skins have to be offered to the government. We can’t just sell them.”

“I’ll take care of that part myself.”

The white-bearded hunter looked Kang-soe up and down. Hunters were accustomed to dealing with beasts, so they were good at quickly reading a person’s physique. The white-bearded hunter’s eyes paused for a moment.

“You’re no ordinary strongman.”

“I’m just a little bigger than most.”

The white-bearded hunter gave a small laugh.

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

Kang-soe sat beneath the eaves.

The liquor went around, but hunters were naturally quiet men, and Kang-soe was quiet as well.

Only after two rounds of drinks did the white-bearded hunter speak.

“What’s your surname?”

“Kang.”

“Are you from Hanyang?”

“Yes.”

“Who do you belong to?”

Kang-soe thought for a moment.

“The residence of Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung.”

The white-bearded hunter narrowed his eyes.

“The household of Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung?”

“Yes.”

The hunters exchanged glances. News of the proclamation of the princely title of Prince Waneun had spread into every corner of Hanseong, and even the hunters had heard in the markets that the eldest son of Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung had become the King’s adopted son.

The white-bearded hunter slowly nodded.

“Come again next time.”

It was neither a rejection nor an acceptance, but Kang-soe knew that was enough.

“Yes. I’ll come again.”

As Kang-soe stood, he said,

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

The white-bearded hunter nodded.

Kang-soe left the village.

Mak-soe followed him and quietly asked,

“Did it work, Brother?”

“It did.”

That Same Night, Near Uiju Road, Hanseong

The place Gwi-dong visited was a small tiled-roof house near Uiju Road. Its owner was Oh Cheon-seok, a middle-class man who had once worked as an interpreter. He had learned the interpreter’s trade when he was young, then quit and now worked as a goods broker. There were rumors that he also handled goods outside official trade.

Mak-soe brought Gwi-dong there and waited at the mouth of the alley.

Gwi-dong knocked on the gate and took a small note from inside his clothes.

Gak-sim had written it beforehand. It contained the name of someone Oh Cheon-seok knew.

“Who is it?”

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

There was a brief silence.

Gwi-dong slipped the note through the crack in the gate.

A moment later, the gate opened.

Oh Cheon-seok looked down at Gwi-dong. A flicker of disbelief crossed his face when he saw an eight-year-old child.

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

“I’m here on an errand. An adult sent me.”

Oh Cheon-seok thought for a moment while holding the note, then told him to come inside.

Inside the room, Gwi-dong asked,

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

“What kind of goods?”

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

Oh Cheon-seok stared at Gwi-dong for a long while.

“Where did you come from?”

“I’ll tell you that later too.”

Oh Cheon-seok gave a small laugh.

“There is a route. You can trade with merchants from Qing through Uiju, and on the Japanese side, you can go through the Japanese trading settlement at Busan. If it’s an unofficial route, then it would be through Tsushima.”

Gwi-dong nodded.

“May I know where you live?”

“What are you going to do with that?”

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

Oh Cheon-seok thought again for a moment.

“My name is Oh Cheon-seok. I live here.”

Gwi-dong stood up.

“Thank you. I may come back.”

“Next time, can’t the adult come himself?”

“When the time comes for him to come, he will.”

Oh Cheon-seok chuckled and opened the gate for him.

As Gwi-dong left the gate and headed toward the mouth of the alley, Mak-soe emerged from the darkness.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes.”

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

Gwi-dong delivered his report.

“His name is Oh Cheon-seok, a middle-class man who used to be an interpreter. He lives near Uiju Road. He has experience with unofficial trade involving Qing. He says the routes to Japan go through the Busan Japanese trading settlement or Tsushima.”

I nodded.

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

“Yes, Prince Waneun.”

Gwi-dong did not leave.

“Why?”

“Prince Waneun, he asked me where I belonged.”

“Did you tell him?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“But, Prince Waneun, won’t he find out eventually? That we’re connected to the residence?”

“He will.”

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

I looked at Gwi-dong.

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

Gwi-dong thought for a moment.

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

“Exactly.”

Gwi-dong nodded and withdrew.

A few days later, Gak-sim entered.

“Prince Waneun, I found something.”

“Tell me.”

“About twenty ri west of Sungnyemun, there is a small tiled-roof house that has been abandoned. The owner died without any descendants, and it has been vacant for more than three years. The yard is large and the walls are high, so it’s difficult to see inside from outside. There are few people living nearby, so it doesn’t attract much attention.”

“Does the local government know about it?”

“It’s listed in the government records, but no one is specifically managing it. There’s no owner to pay the taxes, so it has simply been left abandoned.”

“Can we purchase it?”

“They say it can be arranged if we pay the overdue taxes on its behalf. It would cost twenty-five nyang.”

That was well within the amount of money I had left.

“Do it. But don’t put it under the residence’s name. Put it under your name, Gak-sim.”

Gak-sim’s eyes widened.

“My name?”

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

“Young Master, are you really going to bring those children to that house?”

“Yes. But for now, just look into it. We’ll bring them there after the house is prepared.”

Gak-sim nodded and withdrew.

I gazed at the lamplight and reviewed everything I had done so far.

I had only just shared a first drink with the hunters. The opium trade route had been identified by name, but I had not touched it yet. And the house that would become a residence for assassins had now been secured.

I still had three years.

Three years until King Cheoljong’s death. Within those three years, the seeds I had planted had to put down roots.

I’m thirteen years old. But I don’t have time to rest.

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

Gwi-dong entered just after the morning greetings had ended.

“Prince Waneun, I have something to tell you.”

“All right. Sit down.”

Gwi-dong sat.

“It’s about the Han River ferries.”

I raised my head.

“Tell me.”

“The ferries along the Han River are all separate. Gwangnaru, Sambatnaru, Maponaru, Nodeulnaru. Each ferry has a different power structure and a different master. There are men who collect ferry fees, men who help unload cargo, and men who extort merchants.”

“So what do you suggest?”

“The person who controls the Han River ferries can see all the people and goods moving in and out of Hanseong. Which merchants came from where, what goods are coming in, when government officials are moving around. You can see more from the ferries than from the markets.”

I looked at Gwi-dong.

He had figured this out on his own.

Gwi-dong continued.

“Brother Kang-soe has taken control of the market gangs. We can send those gang members to the ferries. Some places can be handled without fighting, while others may require force, but Brother Kang-soe should be more than capable.”

He was right.

The markets provided information from within Hanseong, while the ferries provided information coming into Hanseong from outside.

Merchants coming up from the provinces, officials carrying government documents, rumors coming in from other regions—all of them passed through the ferries.

If I controlled both the markets and the ferries, I could see all of Hanseong.

“All right. Tell Kang-soe. Take control of all four ferries.”

“Yes, Prince Waneun.”

Gwi-dong was about to stand when he stopped.

“There’s one more thing.”

“Tell me.”

“Bobusang.”

I raised an eyebrow.

Gwi-dong continued.

“You need to establish a relationship with the leader of the bobusang. These traveling merchants roam every corner of the eight provinces of Joseon. If they become our allies, information from outside Hanseong will all come to us. If the ferries are the entrances to Hanseong, then the bobusang are the entrances to the provinces of Joseon.”

Gwi-dong’s eyes gleamed.

“And the bobusang move goods as well. If there are goods we need to move later, it will be difficult without them.”

The ferries, and now the bobusang.

This child was beginning to understand the whole board.

“Who is the leader of the bobusang?”

“His name is Park Man-deuk. He leads a bobusang group operating around Gyeonggi Province. He’s around forty years old and is said to have a cautious personality.”

“Where can I meet him?”

“There’s a tavern near Maponaru where the bobusang group stays. Apparently, he visits there often.”

“Do I have to go myself?”

“Yes, Young Master. This isn’t someone you can deal with by sending a messenger. You have to go yourself.”

For Prince Waneun, a royal prince, to visit a tavern at Maponaru would be strange. If I were recognized, it would be troublesome.

“Can you arrange for me to move around secretly?”

“We can ask Gak-sim. She’s good at disguising appearances.”

I nodded.

“Then arrange a time for me.”

“Yes, Prince Waneun.”

Gwi-dong withdrew.

Spring 1861, Maponaru, Hanseong

Porters had been coming and going at the ferry crossing since early morning. With boats arriving and departing and merchants haggling over prices, Maponaru was noisy and chaotic all day long.

Kang-soe appeared around midday. Pockmarked Choi and Hong-ga followed behind him, each bringing three of their men.

Jeong, the Hunchback, the local power at Maponaru, saw Kang-soe.

It was a face he had never seen before. But the moment he saw Pockmarked Choi and Hong-ga following behind him, his expression changed. He knew who those two men were.

“What’s going on?”

Kang-soe stood in front of Jeong, the Hunchback.

“From now on, I manage Maponaru.”

Jeong’s face reddened.

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

“I’ve known for ten years.”

Kang-soe cut him off.

“That’s why I’m asking. Will you follow me?”

Jeong looked back at his men.

The men raised their clubs, but Kang-soe did not move.

The largest of Jeong’s men stepped forward.

Bam!

One blow.

The large man collapsed onto the ground of the ferry crossing. All Kang-soe had done was raise one hand.

The remaining men froze.

Kang-soe looked at Jeong.

“Will you follow me?”

Jeong slowly lowered his head.

“I will.”

Pockmarked Choi took charge of Gwangnaru, while Hong-ga took charge of Sambatnaru. Kang-soe went personally to Nodeulnaru, which had a fairly substantial force of its own.

The man who controlled the ferry drew a knife.

Kang-soe seized his wrist and twisted.

Crack!

The knife fell to the ground, and that was the end of it.

“Will you follow me?”

The ferry boss dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

Before sunset, all four Han River ferry crossings had fallen under Kang-soe’s control.

Kang-soe placed one man at each ferry crossing. Their task was to watch the people coming and going, observe the goods entering Hanseong, and report anything suspicious to Gwi-dong.