Magnificent Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Chapter 4

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After the others had left, Ryeohan was holding the bamboo slip manuscript when another handmaiden, Geumnyeong (金鈴), approached him. “The Chief Steward has arrived,” she announced.
Her eyebrows lifted at the ends, as if to ask, What should I do?
Both young handmaidens were eighteen, in the prime of their youth, and strikingly beautiful. As handmaidens to Myeongnim Ryeohan, the sole successor to the Grand Minister’s house, it was clear they had been chosen with the utmost care.
“Ask him to come in, and bring him a cup of tea!”
“Understood, Young Master!”
Geumnyeong retreated with a bow, walking backwards. Her white jeogori (short jacket), which reached her knees, and her pleated skirt fluttered gracefully as she walked away.
“Ahem, ahem!”
“You may enter!”
The razor-sharp face of Eom Chung-eom (嚴忠嚴) appeared in the study, his cough announcing his presence. Though in his fifties, his training in the art of nourishing life (yangsaengbeop) made him look no older than forty. Eom, who was constantly busy managing the major and minor affairs of the household, was visiting Ryeohan’s study for the first time in a while.
“The Grand Minister summons you!”
Ryeohan stopped him just as he was turning to leave, having immediately stated the purpose of his visit.
“You’ve come after so long; why don’t you stay for a cup of tea?”
“I’m busy, but I shall comply with the Young Master’s command.”
As he pulled up a hard wooden stool and sat down, Ryeohan addressed him.
“I feel my great-grandfather’s health hasn’t been as good recently. What do you think?”
Myeongnim Ryeohan paid his respects morning and evening and visited occasionally, but he asked Eom, who constantly attended to the Grand Minister, for a more accurate assessment.
“Lately, I can’t deny that his condition has worsened significantly.”
“Hmm, that’s serious. He must live a long time…!”
“Indeed. Of course, he has lived a long time… But if he could live longer, this nation would continue to remain stable…!”
The deep regret of Chief Steward Eom was clearly visible in his eyes as his voice trailed off.
The Grand Minister (國相), Myeongnim Dapbu (明臨答夫), was now one hundred and thirteen years old. He was one of the longest-living individuals in historical records. He was a life-long Grand Minister, wielding authority equivalent to combining the previously separate offices of Left and Right Ministers. Even at this age, he alone managed both internal and external military affairs, which ensured the realm’s continued peace and stability.
He was a man who had risen from the lowest official rank, a Seonin, of the Yeonna Clan, to the highest post. When the previous king, King Chadae, killed Crown Prince Makgo and oppressed the people with tyranny, sparking widespread resentment, Myeongnim Dapbu, leading the Jo-ui-seonin (Warrior-Scholars—a Goguryeo talent development system similar to Silla’s Hwarang and Baekje’s Ssaulabi), assassinated King Chadae. He then placed Baekgo, who had been hiding in the mountains to escape his brother’s tyranny, upon the throne; this man was the current King, King Sindae.
Despite wielding power second only to the King, and having lived to the age of 113, he had few descendants. The family line, which had descended through only sons, saw his son and grandson pass away before him due to illness in war, confirming the difficulty of enjoying complete longevity and fortune.
In any case, having slowly finished the warm pine needle tea brought by Geumnyeong, the two rose.
As Ryeohan left the main hall and reached the small training ground, the elders and young disciples practising martial arts noticed and followed. When he arrived at the stately gate leading out of the inner courtyard, Jongchanmu, who was on guard duty, also followed.
Passing through the towering, sky-piercing gate into the central courtyard, the sight of the household’s junior officials and the King’s administrators, who were visiting on official business, busily coming and going, was pleasant to behold.
Reaching the rear garden of the largest central building amongst the various halls, they saw Myeongnim Dapbu gazing quietly at the two of them as they approached, with the visitors’ door thrown wide open. A brazier, early for the season, glowed red beside him.
“Your grandson, Ryeohan, greets his great-grandfather.”
“Sit down.”
“Yes!”
“The days grow colder with each passing day. How are your studies and martial arts coming along these days?” the gentle old grandfather asked with a kind smile.
“I think I’m improving, but I feel I must strive harder still.”
“Yes, yes, quite right. Complacency quickly leads to backsliding! Continue to strive… There is something else. I know myself well, and I feel my life won’t extend beyond this month, so I must hasten your marriage.”
“Grandfather…”
Ryeohan couldn’t continue his words, his eyes filled with sorrow, causing the old man to laugh heartily.
“Hahaha, goodness me! Your old grandfather has lived longer than anyone! People even whisper “I’ve stolen the life spans of your father and grandfather…!”
His mouth felt bitter, and he paused for a moment before continuing.
“In any case, I shall hasten your marriage, so be aware of that, and focus more on your studies and martial arts!”
“Yes, Grandfather!”
Ryeohan walked back along the dimmed path, his eyes brimming with tears. The short shadow of the autumn sun already covered the entire courtyard.
The Third Watch.
The late, deep hours of the night, the Milky Way cutting across the heavens.
The light in Ryeohan’s room was still on.
“Young Master, are you not going to sleep?”
Geumnyeong asked from outside the door.
“Hahaha! If you had something in mind, you’d just come in, so why the question?”
“Oh… well… it’s not that…”
“Stop talking nonsense and come in.”
“Ah…! Yes… yes…!”
Geumnyeong entered with her head bowed low, her face flushed crimson from her neck up, as if she had turned into a charcoal fire. She was sixteen. She, along with another handmaiden, had been publicly granted to Ryeohan since the previous year. In Goguryeo, a fifteen-year-old male is declared a man, is assigned military service, and is consequently treated as an adult. Grand Minister Myeongnim Dapbu had said, ‘A great man cannot become a great vessel if he does not know women and is wrapped around their skirts. I permit you two handmaidens and So-gun as concubines, so that you may know women. I have personally gained So-gun’s consent, so be aware of this.’
‘Yes!’
Ryeohan was secretly delighted by his great-grandfather’s words. Initially, due to the modern soul he possessed, Ryeohan hesitated to take the two handmaidens. However, rationalising that ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ he began to embrace them. Although, he had not yet touched Jwa So-gun, the lady of the private residence. In any event, Ryeohan lifted the beet-red Geumnyeong into his arms and headed towards the bed.
“Mm… mm…! I love it so much, Young Master!”
It was the dazed murmur of Geumnyeong, who was already half out of her mind from the ecstasy of Ryeohan’s deep kiss.
Without a word, Ryeohan continued to caress Geumnyeong, whom he had instantly stripped naked. With one hand, Ryeohan massaged her rather firm mound, while the other stroked her hot, feminine centre.
His tongue was not idle, either. It was licking the nape of her neck.
“Ah~ ah…! Young Master~!”
Geumnyeong writhed, as if urging him to put it in quickly. When Ryeohan touched her, her core was already thoroughly drenched. Unable to resist her plea, Ryeohan inserted his heavy shaft into her core.
“Aahk! Oh… it hurts, Young Master. Gently, gently…”
“It’s because the path hasn’t been trodden yet. You’ll grow used to it gradually.”
“Yes. It seems to be getting a little better now.”
“Huhu. Is that so?”
This was Geumnyeong’s reaction, quickly reaching a fever pitch under Ryeohan’s experienced piston strokes.
“Ah… Ah…! Young Master! I feel like something is about to come out.”
Geumnyeong’s body arched like a bow and she reached her climax from just Ryeohan’s light back-and-forth movements.
“Is that so? Then, go ahead.”
“What… what about the Young Master…?”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“Ah, ugh… ugh… ugh!”
Her v4g1na suddenly contracted sharply, and her body began to tremble.
“Was that good?”
“Yes!”
Before the slightly bowed head of the blushing girl, his sturdy phallus still boasted its weighty majesty. Ryeohan had not yet ejaculated. In his previous life, Ryeohan’s size and thickness were both somewhat below average, and he had a quick ejaculation reflex, bordering on premature. Knowing this well, Ryeohan was now intensely training himself, making it a rule to abstain from release as much as possible to overcome this.
Once a man releases his essence, it’s immediately difficult for him to regain an erection. The same was true even for someone as vital as Ryeohan. Moreover, he knew well that abstaining from release five or six, or even three or four times every day and trying to maintain his stamina, was detrimental to his health, even if he could manage it. A hero is often a womaniser, and Ryeohan, who knew not how many women he would take in this present life, was already training his self-control rigorously.
In any case, Ryeohan brought the struggling Geumnyeong to climax three more times. During this time, Ryeohan never released his seed. Just as Geumnyeong was finally collapsing, outside the door, despite the late hour, Oknyeong was quietly holding her breath, listening to their intimate whispers.
“Hahaha…”
At Ryeohan’s low, lewd laughter, Oknyeong quickly ran away.
And so, the night passed, with the stars still shining brilliantly.