Free Web NovelOne day in mid-May.
A month into filming, Hansung had been thinking a great deal after the scenes featuring the young Lee Bang-won and the addition of actor Yoomyeong to the production.
His newly adopted acting style was progressing smoothly, and he was experiencing an unprecedented level of focus in his performances.
However, the real challenge lay in the extraordinary talent of his co-actor.
Hansung knew he would have to work even harder not to be overshadowed by Yoomyeong during the final confrontation scenes, where the tension between Jeong Mong-ju and Lee Bang-won would reach its peak.
So he approached Director Son.
"Director."
"Ah, actor Yoon."
"Could we shoot Jeong Mong-ju's scenes as early as possible? I'd like to take about a week off before we start filming in China."
"Jeong Mong-ju appears in most of the scenes, so that might be difficult... Do you have an urgent schedule?"
Hansung swallowed before replying.
"Jeong Mong-ju survives a shipwreck and drifts for thirteen days during the 1372 Ming Dynasty scenes, so I thought it would be good to fast for a few days to make it more realistic."
"You're willing to go that far..."
Director Son looked both impressed and concerned.
"Your dedication is admirable, but it could affect your health, and we also need to consider continuity in the following scenes... Couldn't we just use makeup?"
"I really want to do justice to the scene that introduces Jeong Mong-ju to Lee Bang-won and to the audience. After that scene, we can rely on makeup. The next scene also involves Jeong Mong-ju completing a journey in only sixty days when it should've taken ninety. Having me look haggard would suit that story as well."
Director Son fell into deep thought.
There were three scenes to be filmed in China.
The first took place in 1372 and depicted Jeong Mong-ju's diplomatic visit, the shipwreck, the thirteen days he spent adrift, and his eventual rescue and audience with the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
The second took place in 1384 and depicted Jeong Mong-ju's diplomatic visit to celebrate Zhu Yuanzhang's birthday. It was the event in which he completed an impossible journey and earned the Emperor's recognition.
The third took place in 1388, when Lee Saek and Lee Bang-won traveled to seek approval from Zhu Yuanzhang for King Chang's enthronement.
After reflecting on Hansung's words, Director Son realized that both scenes portrayed Jeong Mong-ju under extreme circumstances.
One depicted him starving after thirteen days adrift at sea, while the other showed him exhausted after completing a ninety-day journey in only sixty days.
If Hansung were genuinely starving himself, then perhaps it would make his acting more convincing and realistic. Director Son found himself thinking that way.
However—
"Are you sure you can handle it? You're already doing well as you are..."
Director Son hesitated, but Hansung continued persuading him.
"Director. Yoomyeong is an # Nоvеlight # exceptional actor, isn't he?"
"Of course. His acting is superb, and his deep understanding of the character, as well as his flexibility in making the impossible feel possible, are remarkable. Honestly, I feel embarrassed for having once thought he wasn't suited for Lee Bang-won."
"Exactly. But just wait until the tea conversation scene, where he portrays the twenty-six-year-old Lee Bang-won. That's when he'll truly soar."
Hansung's confident words gave Director Son pause.
"Hmm..."
The young Jeong Mong-ju in the earlier part of the drama and Lee Bang-won in his prime during the later half would mirror one another.
Director Son was struck by the idea.
If Jeong Mong-ju appeared as powerful at the beginning of the drama as the twenty-six-year-old Lee Bang-won would at the end, it would create a powerful connection between the opening and the conclusion.
"If you're worried about my health, then I promise I'll take proper care of myself once we've finished filming those scenes."
Convinced by Hansung's detailed analysis and his willingness to endure hardship, Director Son eventually agreed. Hansung's filming in Mungyeong ended five days earlier than planned, and from then until his departure for China, he survived on water and nutritional supplements.
And today, they were filming the scenes set in the year 1372.
Jeong Mong-ju, rescued by Ming naval forces, arrived in the imperial capital.
He looked at Hansung worriedly.
I hope he's okay in this heat.
{Hmm... That actor used to be merely decent, but now he has real presence.}
"Really? Wasn't he always good? He's a top actor, after all."
{He had good presence before, but it wasn't exactly thrilling... Something must've triggered it, because now his aura is blazing.}
Yoomyeong found himself agreeing, reminded somehow of Hansung's intense eyes from earlier.
It really did seem that way.
{Situations like this usually produce great performances. That actor might reach the next level today.}
Yoomyeong tensed slightly at Miho's words and focused intently as filming began.
The vast imperial city.
A man, emaciated and dressed in diplomatic robes that had been soaked and dried into a tattered state, was escorted across the enormous set beneath the blazing sun. Ming soldiers accompanied him.
Ordinarily, he should have bathed and changed into formal robes before meeting the Emperor, but Zhu Yuanzhang himself had stepped out impatiently, driven by curiosity.
Zhu Yuanzhang.
He was the youngest son of a wandering tenant farmer and had spent his life hungry. Rising from the very bottom with nothing but his own body, he had become the ruler of China—a truly legendary figure.
After ascending the throne, he purged over a hundred thousand people. His methods were varied and brutal: flaying, dismemberment, disembowelment.
Though condemned as a tyrant for his cruelty, his rise from nothing was extraordinary.
Yoomyeong closely observed Luo Derong, dressed in the Emperor's splendid robes.
His face was covered in makeup-created pockmarks, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp cruelty that could not be attributed to makeup alone. As a charismatic actor famous in China for villainous roles, Luo Derong possessed a presence that made his grand attire and the dozens of attendants following him seem entirely natural.
The moment he appeared, all the Ming soldiers and Jeong Mong-ju bowed in unison.
Ignoring the protocol that forbade getting too close to an uninspected foreign envoy, the Emperor approached Jeong Mong-ju directly. His attendants held their breath, terrified of provoking his temper.
Three steps.
Two steps.
One step.
When Zhu Yuanzhang stopped directly in front of Jeong Mong-ju, Yoomyeong swallowed hard.
The Emperor gazed down quietly, his head slightly tilted, his expression filled with intense curiosity.
He had seen many people and executed many more, but most begged for their lives when faced with death. Yet according to the report from the commander who rescued him, Jeong Mong-ju had remained clear-eyed even after thirteen days of starvation and storms, showing no trace of cowardice.
Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to know whether this was exaggerated or true.
"[Stand up and pay your respects.]"
His command rang out sternly.
Luo Derong felt mildly impressed the moment he saw him clearly. Despite the fasting and physical exhaustion, Hansung's back remained straight. His eyes were calm and clear.
"[Your Majesty.]"
Jeong Mong-ju greeted him with a dignified bow despite the tremor in his legs. His fluent Chinese startled Luo Derong, who thought he sounded almost native. He had not been informed beforehand that Hansung would perform the scene in Chinese.
In reality, Hansung did not know Chinese. Believing that a distinguished diplomat of Jeong Mong-ju's era would naturally have spoken it fluently, he had practiced the translated lines until they became second nature.
"[What is your name?]"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
"[I am Jeong Mong-ju, head of the diplomatic envoys sent by my kingdom to congratulate Your Majesty on pacifying the West.]"
"[Ah. You survived because of me. Will you serve me from now on?]"
Impressed by Jeong Mong-ju's unbroken spirit even in the face of death, Zhu Yuanzhang arrogantly offered him a position, assuming he would naturally choose Ming over the smaller kingdom of Goryeo.
However, Jeong Mong-ju stepped back, gave a respectful bow, and pulled something from his ragged robes.
Ssshk—
The surrounding guards immediately leveled their spears at him, but he did not flinch, even in the face of the sharpened blades. Even in acting, it was only natural for a person to recoil in such a situation.
Zhu Yuanzhang gestured for them to stop.
After receiving permission, Jeong Mong-ju unfolded a waterproof cloth, revealing a pristine letter from the King of Goryeo to the Emperor of Ming, untouched by even a single crease.
The contrast between the exhausted man and the immaculate letter was striking. Zhu Yuanzhang visibly showed surprise. Then Jeong Mong-ju, in a strong and solemn voice, made his request.
"[Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your mercy. But my sole duty is to deliver this letter to Ming and strengthen the relations between our nations. During the thirteen days I drifted at sea, my only wish was to fulfill my mission and die honorably. That conviction alone sustained me.]"
{Ah...}
Zhu Yuanzhang—or rather, Luo Derong—let out a sigh.
The loyalty and determination in Jeong Mong-ju's voice struck him deeply. His will and conviction shone through every word, standing firm like pillars.
"[Please allow me to fulfill my mission.]"
For Zhu Yuanzhang, who had mercilessly executed even those who had helped him ascend the throne, unwavering loyalty like this was the one thing he truly craved. ƒreewebɳovel.com
He looked down at Jeong Mong-ju with a strange gleam in his eyes.
"[Now I truly want you in my service.]"
Zhu Yuanzhang said.
[...]
"[But since you've returned from the brink of death, I cannot simply ignore your request. Compose a poem for me. If I like it, I will grant your wish.]"
It was a cruel order to give a man who was barely standing through sheer force of will.
Yet Jeong Mong-ju accepted the challenge without the slightest hesitation.
"[Please give me paper.]"
And with swift strokes, he began writing a poem.
Different from before.
Yoomyeong felt chills and excitement as he watched Hansung's performance. Miho's earlier words echoed in his head like a prophecy.
{That actor might reach the next level today.}
Jeong Mong-ju's defiance of Zhu Yuanzhang's command was a calculated gamble. Though he bowed submissively, it was a carefully strategized act.
Using his understanding of Zhu Yuanzhang and the pristine letter he had protected, he intended not merely to return safely to Goryeo, but to win as much favor as possible from this cruel and unpredictable ruler.
The auras of the two men clashed violently.
The grandeur of the palace, the splendor of the courtiers, and the Emperor's overwhelming majesty were all matched by the intensity of a single exhausted diplomat dressed in ragged robes.
What...
What had driven Hansung to such desperation, and what had pushed him to such heights?
If the twenty-six-year-old Lee Bang-won in the tea conversation scene had established a powerful will stretching across time, then the thirty-five-year-old Jeong Mong-ju in the envoy scene had already completed that stage and was now forging a spirit that would endure until death.
The upcoming tea conversation scene would be where those spirits collided most fiercely.
Now, the inevitable showdown between Jeong Mong-ju and Lee Bang-won awaited them upon their return to Korea.
Yoomyeong deeply respected and cared for his senior and hyung, but he had no intention of losing.
Finally, Jeong Mong-ju began reciting the poem he had composed moments earlier.
