Free Web NovelThe tea conversation scene unfolded in eight parts.
[Introduction → Dialogue Scene → Flashback → Dialogue Scene → Flashback → Dialogue Scene, etc.]
<The Late Goryeo Dynasty & the Early Joseon Dynasty> was structured around dialogue scenes, with flashbacks interspersed throughout.
The scene of the two men leisurely sharing tea in the garden would be juxtaposed with the close-quarters combat of their subordinates outside and the fierce exchange between two elite scholars. The contrast would heighten the tension.
"Everyone, get ready. We'll start shooting in five minutes!"
On the first day of filming, Director Son instructed them to shoot the entire tea conversation scene in a single continuous take.
The sequence would later be filmed in detail over the course of a month. Each shot would differ in size and composition, but beginning with a full shot was significant. This initial take would serve as a guide for the rest of the shoot, acting as a map to maintain emotional continuity between cuts.
The camera captured the set in a wide shot.
Yoomyeong's robe shone with a blue so deep it was almost green. It contrasted with Hansung's robe, a vivid navy tinged with purple.
The room's props, layered with deep red paint and fabric, created an atmosphere that seemed to set the space ablaze. The only relief for the eyes was the greenery of the garden beyond.
In the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) pavilion overlooking the garden, with a gentle stream flowing outside, a private conversation between a former master and his disciple—meeting alone for the first time in ten years—was about to begin.
"Yoomyeong."
"Yes, hyung."
"Thank you."
Yoomyeong looked puzzled by Hansung's unexpected gratitude. Hansung slowly began to express his honest feelings.
"I've never been this uncertain about how a performance will turn out right up until the moment we begin. Not just the performances of my fellow actors, but even my own."
"It's terrifying, but it's also exhilarating. Lately, I've felt alive in every single moment."
"Let's go on this journey together. Let's dive in and truly enjoy it."
Hansung seemed slightly embarrassed by his own words. Scratching his cheek, he extended a hand.
Yoomyeong grasped it firmly and shook it.
There were indeed days when emotions ran high, when honesty required no alcohol.
Under the harsh sunlight and stage lights, surrounded by dozens of staff members, Hansung's unusually serious words made Yoomyeong's heart race.
"Let's sharpen the knives on our tongues."
Their conversation would be one of gently caressing the opponent before striking decisively. It was about doing so effortlessly while enduring the pain without showing it.
Today was the day Lee Bang-won would kill Jeong Mong-ju.
"Action!"
"It's been a long time, Master."
"Indeed. It's been a while since I've visited this annex."
Jeong Mong-ju seemed unusually cheerful that day. He did not object to being called "Master" as he usually did.
Lee Bang-won knew the reason.
And yet he wondered why his heart felt so light.
That brief, genuine emotion, tinged with longing, caught Director Son's attention.
How does he capture emotions this subtle when I never even considered them?
"How have you been?"
Pour.
As he asked after his well-being, Lee Bang-won elegantly brewed tea, pouring hot water from the kettle into two cups.
Jeong Mong-ju took a sip, savoring the delicate fragrance before swallowing.
"Thanks to your efforts, I've been struggling."
Jeong Mong-ju made a smooth yet bold opening move.
Lee Bang-won tensed.
He was likely trying to shake him and divert his attention from what was happening outside.
"You probably thought everything was settled. Did bringing Father back here disrupt your plans?"
Jeong Mong-ju was a politician.
Ordinarily, he was not someone who launched such direct attacks.
But now that matters had come to this, perhaps it was finally time for an honest conversation.
"I can't deny it. I expected General Song Heon to hesitate longer, but I underestimated you as a variable. I admire your judgment."
"Most of that judgment was nurtured by you, Master."
"Was it?"
Jeong Mong-ju smiled bitterly.
Indeed, he had nurtured his own adversary.
He should have stopped the moment he first felt intimidated by those bright, ambitious eyes.
But he had been intoxicated by the zeal with which his student absorbed every lesson.
"That's why I covet you, Master."
Lee Bang-won launched his counterattack without concealing his burning ambition.
For a twenty-six-year-old man of far lower rank to covet Jeong Mong-ju, who stood at the pinnacle of politics, could only mean one thing.
The throne.
Though he was assisting his father, he already coveted the royal seat.
Jeong Mong-ju looked intently at his former student and spoke softly.
"Yudeok, your ambition will either kill you or those around you."
The set fell eerily silent.
Watching their verbal duel was breathtaking, as though their words were actual blades.
Yet neither had been wounded.
The next sequence was supposed to transition into a flashback to 1367, accompanied by the cry of a newborn child. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The scene would then shift to Jeong Mong-ju lecturing at Sungkyunkwan as he rose to prominence as a scholar.
It was also the year Lee Bang-won was born.
But today's filming skipped ahead to the next tea conversation scene.
Scene 16.
Rather than becoming angry at Jeong Mong-ju's prophetic words, Lee Bang-won laughed and brought up the past.
"Ambition? Hahaha. That's a funny thing to hear from someone who played such a large role in creating it."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you know? The mischievous child who grew up fascinated by war games found his calling in scholarship and politics because he was inspired by his master's brilliant diplomacy and lofty ideals."
"Was that so?"
A brief silence settled between them.
Then Lee Bang-won, sipping his tea, frowned slightly as though something were amiss.
"Didn't you hear something just now?"
Jeong Mong-ju replied calmly.
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything."
"It seems noisy outside. I'll go take a look."
"It's perfectly quiet outside. In any case, let's continue our discussion. What have you heard about me?"
Lee Bang-won pretended to give in to Jeong Mong-ju's insistence.
"Only stories of a national hero."
At the end of that line, the Ming Dynasty sequence would be inserted.
It would show Jeong Mong-ju, after drifting for thirteen days, receiving recognition and courtesy from Zhu Yuanzhang.
The dialogue scenes and the achievements of the young Jeong Mong-ju would intersect, leading to their first meeting, when Jeong Mong-ju began tutoring Lee Bang-won at Lee Seong Gye's request.
"The first time I met you was in this room, Master. Do you remember?"
"How could I forget?" ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"Your teachings remain etched in my mind. Be unwavering in your objectives, steadfast in your gaze, and resolute in your actions. Embracing even imperfect means in pursuit of a goal is the reality of politics. And that's exactly what you did."
"I regret ever telling you that."
Jeong Mong-ju smiled bitterly, lamenting the naïveté with which he had nurtured such a student.
Lee Bang-won subtly probed his thoughts.
"If an intelligent man wishes to achieve what he desires, shouldn't he naturally gravitate toward where power lies?"
"That is indeed a reasonable argument."
"Then why are you choosing to sink alongside a dying Goryeo?"
It was a dangerous question.
Though they both indirectly understood each other's intentions, such a direct exchange was unusually blatant.
Normally, Jeong Mong-ju might have pretended not to hear and simply left.
But not today.
Lee Bang-won studied his face with a relaxed smile.
Jeong Mong-ju's expression hardened slightly, but he did not leave.
Instead, he made an unexpected request.
"Could you close the door?"
Click.
The door shut firmly, cutting off the view of the lush garden.
Against an entirely red backdrop, the aged scholar-statesman, his beard flowing, presented his views—whether born of scholarly conviction or political calculation.
This was the scene Yoomyeong had performed during his first meeting with Director Son.
The scene in which Lee Bang-won simply listened while Jeong Mong-ju boldly laid out his political philosophy.
"Yudeok, what is needed to build a nation for the people is a system. A system that does not depend on the abilities of a monarch, who may or may not be competent, but one that relies on capable officials to produce worthy outcomes."
The lines were familiar.
Director Son's face filled with pride as he watched.
The words were the same.
And yet completely different.
There was the veteran actor, raising his voice slightly and eloquently explaining his logic as though once again lecturing the boy he had taught fourteen years earlier.
"But then why do we need a revolution? The king and the dynasty are not the core of that system, are they?"
"Isn't it faster to cut away what has already rotted?"
And there was the young star, whose overwhelming presence seemed to engulf his opponent despite remaining almost entirely still.
"Will there be no consequences if you cut it away? The founder of a new nation is always the most capable ruler. That is precisely why it becomes difficult to establish a system centered on officials. What guarantee do we have that the next king, and the king after him, and the king after that, will be equally competent?"
"I see."
"Wouldn't it be more appropriate to transition to a minister-centered system when royal authority is at its weakest?"
The scene was unfolding exactly as Director Son had envisioned.
The ideals of a loyal subject devoted to the people rather than the Goryeo court collided with the unapologetic ambition of a future king.
"But Master, there are too many stubborn fools trapped in old ways. When will we ever find the time to correct them all? Wouldn't it be better to pour new wine into new wineskins?"
Lee Bang-won's audaciously disrespectful remark caused Jeong Mong-ju's voice to rise.
"Don't use that excuse to justify your desire to devour this country!"
Was it truly anger?
As the other man's voice rose, Lee Bang-won lowered his own and whispered.
"I've never seen you raise your voice like this before."
"That's because you're speaking nonsense!"
His smile deepened.
"Really? Is that why?"
"What are you talking about? Speak clearly!"
"You followed me here, allowed yourself to be drawn into my provocations, asked for the door to be closed, and then launched into a passionate debate. To think someone as rational as ice would become angry."
His smile widened further.
"With all this bait hanging before me, I wonder how the operation outside is progressing."
We've been caught.
Jeong Mong-ju's complexion turned pale.
Byun Jung-ryang was both a student of Jeong Mong-ju and the son-in-law of Lee Seong Gye's brother.
"We must eliminate Jeong Mong-ju."
Unable to ignore the sentiments of the Lee family, Byun Jung-ryang warned Jeong Mong-ju to be cautious.
Upon hearing this, however, Jeong Mong-ju resolved to assassinate Lee Seong Gye instead.
The political situation had already reached its breaking point.
His final move was to sever Lee Seong Gye's limbs.
The plan seemed poised to succeed after Lee Seong Gye's injury, but before it could be completed, Lee Bang-won persuaded his father to return to Kaesong, placing Jeong Mong-ju at risk of a devastating counterattack.
Yet one final option remained.
To exploit Lee Seong Gye's unhealed injury and eliminate him.
It would not be easy.
But it was the only path left.
The problem, once again, was Lee Bang-won.
Given his perceptiveness and quick judgment, he would notice anything unusual before anyone else.
As demonstrated during the Wihwado Retreat and during Lee Seong Gye's injury, controlling the variable known as Lee Bang-won was essential.
Thus, Jeong Mong-ju first confirmed whether Lee Seong Gye was truly injured and then offered himself as bait, intending to occupy Lee Bang-won while the assassins carried out their mission.
What he did not know was that his intentions had been exposed from the very beginning.
A loud noise came from outside the closed door.
Lee Bang-won immediately threw it open.
And there, directly before the doorway—
were the assassins sent by Jeong Mong-ju, kneeling in pools of blood.
