Chapter 93
Part 18. Emergency Order
At dawn.
When the Council of Elders Chief had headed for the Senate.
Luoyang Sword Clan.
Supreme Operations Council, Administrative Pavilion.
A quiet tension hung over the Administrative Pavilion, which had entered emergency-duty readiness the previous night.
In the Administrative Pavilion, particularly among the personnel of the Administrative Pavilion Head’s secretarial office, some were drinking tea, some were conversing quietly with a few others, and some were pacing around the office.
If there was one thing they had in common, it was that they were all glancing at the door to the Administrative Pavilion Head’s office.
At last, the door opened, and the people responsible for each department of the Administrative Pavilion, having finished their meeting inside the office, began pouring out.
As the department heads returned to their own departments without looking back, the Administrative Pavilion Head appeared last.
“As of this moment, by resolution of the Supreme Operations Council, an emergency order is hereby issued.”
The clerks moved in unison according to protocol.
Drawers opened, revealing armbands clearly embroidered with the word “Emergency.”
After receiving and putting on the armbands, the clerks followed behind the Administrative Pavilion Head and moved to open and operate the situation room.
***
One of the Administrative Pavilion’s supervisors went down several floors and opened a door, revealing a large space.
Inside, dozens of copyists were standing by at their individual desks, writing brushes, ink, and paper laid out before them.
“An emergency order from the Supreme Operations Council!”
They began copying all sorts of written orders, cooperation notices, and proclamations handed to them without hesitation.
The clerks continuously carried in new bundles of paper, then collected the completed copies and delivered them to the inspectors.
The papers that passed inspection became official documents after the supervisor completed the final check and stamped them with the official seal.
The clerks sealed the official letters, placed them into silk pouches marked with their destinations, and tied them tightly once again.
The silk pouches immediately headed to the first floor, where more than two hundred messengers urgently reinforced from the Postal Bureau were waiting.
The messengers who received the silk pouches placed them into leather tubes and fastened them securely behind their backs.
Then, tucking the receipt forms into their clothes, they raced like the wind toward various places throughout the Luoyang Sword Clan.
On their backs, red flags marked “Emergency” flapped violently.
***
Luoyang Sword Clan, Steward Department.
Even before official working hours had begun, people were already beginning to fill the broad courtyard of the Steward Department.
“Emergency! Everyone, clear the way!”
The Postal Bureau messenger with a red flag on his back cut straight across the courtyard without any obstruction.
Startled, an attendant immediately guided the messenger to the Steward Department Head’s office.
The Steward Department Head, who had spent the night in his office, greeted the messenger with a faint smile.
After stamping the receipt form, the Steward Department Head hurriedly broke the seal with trembling hands.
Reading the official letter clearly stamped with the seal of the Supreme Operations Council’s Administrative Pavilion, he burst into loud, mad laughter.
“Is anyone there?!”
At his roar, a maidservant outside hurriedly ran in.
“Go at once and summon the night-duty officers! And immediately send a summons to the instructor in charge of Class-A special training!”
“Yes, Steward Department Head!”
The maidservant, knowing his temperament, answered and hurriedly ran out.
“Finally…!”
With a face full of exultation, he picked up his brush.
He roughly rummaged through the night-duty officer’s manual that had been lying on his desk and shouted.
“Request cooperation from the Postal Bureau and summon every high-ranking executive working at headquarters!”
***
Luoyang Sword Clan, Business Group,
Sword Clan Construction Division,
Luoyang Sword Clan Headquarters.
The office of the night-duty officer, who had been leisurely finishing his night shift without any notable incidents, suddenly burst open.
“W-what is it?!”
There stood a messenger, panting heavily, and the office worker who had guided him in.
Seeing the red flag, the officer could not even wipe up the tea he had spilled. He quickly signed the receipt and tore open the seal.
“Huh? Whaaat?!”
One of the people who had gathered around to see what was going on asked in shock.
“A-all of them, you mean…?”
“Yes! All of them! It is an emergency summons!”
He found the section containing the emergency contact system.
“Call every messenger at headquarters to my office! And you people, start copying this official letter! It must be delivered to the executives!”
***
Luoyang Sword Clan, Outer Court.
Yeonha-ong, the walking rumor mill dressed in his characteristic splendid silk robes, left his office.
The Outer Court’s usual leisurely and refined atmosphere was nowhere to be found. It was in complete disorder, filled with people hurrying to and fro.
When he arrived at the Foreign Affairs Hall, one elder, who had been in the middle of a frantic bustle, spotted him and waved his hand.
“Oh! Good timing. I was just about to summon the advisor anyway.”
Yeonha-ong rubbed his hands together with a smile that made him look somewhat frivolous.
“I saw a messenger with a red flag passing by, so I came to see if there was anything I could help with.”
“Excellent! Right now, every attendant and maidservant alike has been sent out to summon the personnel of the main court.”
The elder personally served Yeonha-ong tea that had cooled.
“I do not know whether you are already aware of this, but…”
As he took out a copy of the official letter delivered from the Supreme Operations Council, Yeonha-ong waved his hand.
“Ah, if it is that matter, I am already aware of it.”
At that, the elder burst into loud laughter.
“Haha! As expected of the advisor known as our Outer Court’s walking intelligence bureau!”
“Oh my, I am embarrassed.”
Perhaps it was only fitting for the Outer Court, which handled the Luoyang Sword Clan’s external affairs.
Even amid the urgency, the elder only entered the main topic after exchanging a few words here and there.
“In that case, to get straight to the point, I would like you, Advisor, to visit the elders of the families on this list.”
Yeonha-ong received the document and checked the list.
“Oh my…! Are these not former high-ranking officials who reside in Luoyang?”
When he made a fuss, the elder smiled.
“If it is an advisor who is acquainted with the Young Master, even those difficult-tempered people will look favorably upon you, will they not?”
Yeonha-ong tucked the document into his clothes and nodded repeatedly.
“Please leave it to me! I already have ties with some of them, so you need not worry.”
“Haha! I shall trust only you, Advisor!”
From the rooftop of the Postal Bureau, carrier pigeons flew out in every direction without a moment’s rest.
Mounted messengers bearing red flags left the Luoyang Sword Clan’s main family at tremendous speed.
Mounted warriors and cavalry from the Guard Pavilion followed behind them.
They headed toward the Luoyang Sword Clan’s business offices, vassal families, branch families, and other locations throughout the Central Plains nation.
Early morning.
The warehouse district of the Luoyang Sword Clan.
Near the end of the night shift, a warehouse servant who had been waiting desperately for the shift change to arrive opened his eyes wide.
“What the…?”
Was it because he was sleepy?
He rubbed his eyes, but the scene before him did not change.
His eyes grew round.
“What is all this? Where is it coming from?”
Pack animals, freight wagons, and porters were pouring in without end.
“Hey! Be careful! You’ll crash!”
“Line up! I said line up!”
It was an unbelievably large number of people to arrive all at once.
As he was swept up by their procession, the replacement shift members began appearing one after another.
However, for some reason, not only the original replacement shift members, but also servants from other shifts could be seen.
“Hey! What on earth is going on?!”
At his shout, one of the replacement shift members spotted him and approached.
“Ah, you would not know! An emergency order came down at dawn!”
“An emergency order?!”
Because of the surrounding noise, they had no choice but to speak loudly to each other.
“Yes! An emergency order! An order issued directly from the Supreme Operations Council itself!”
“The Supreme Operations Council?!”
He jumped in shock.
In all the time he had worked for the Luoyang Sword Clan, it was the first top-level order he had ever received.
As someone who was merely a warehouse servant, when would he ever have received an order from the Supreme Operations Council?
“W-what kind of order is it?!”
“I do not know the details either!”
Even as they conversed, all sorts of transport workers who had forced their way in were taking their places in the broad open spaces beside each warehouse.
“Just how many of Sword Clan Construction’s material transport teams have been mobilized?”
“There are even wagons from the Combat Transport Hall!”
“Even food transport wagons…”
It seemed as if every organization within the Luoyang Sword Clan had gathered every available transport worker it could spare.
At that moment, someone shouted at them in a booming voice.
“Hey! You bastards! What are you doing loafing around over there?! Get over here right now!”
It was their warehouse chief.
Normally, their warehouse chief would appear leisurely right around the time the shift ended, but today, he had shown up at the crack of dawn.
“W-we’re coming!”
Until yesterday, their warehouse chief had been wearing several layers of thick padded clothing, but today, his upper body was exposed.
On top of that, he had wrapped around his shoulder a black whip he normally only took out for maintenance.
“Run! You bastards! Run!”
They hurriedly ran over and lined up behind their colleagues.
With nearly everyone assembled before him, the warehouse chief began the morning assembly, white breath puffing from his mouth.
“First, the night shift will work two additional double-hours!”
Not a single complaint came from the mouths of the night-shift workers.
No matter how little they had learned, they were not so lacking in tact.
“Due to the emergency order that went into effect with the start of this morning’s work, we will unconditionally cooperate on all duties with related departments!”
He swept his sharp gaze over the crowd.
“I know you people normally have bad relations with the transport workers! But today, there is no such thing!”
The warehouse chief beat his fat chest.
“From now until the emergency order ends, if there is no coordination and cooperation, every one of you is finished! Understood?!”
“Yes, understood!”
If the answer had been this resounding, the usual warehouse chief would have clapped and been delighted.
“This is not a joke!”
Today, however, his eyes blazed even brighter.
“Until the emergency order ends, not only the supervisors, but also the instructors from the Steward Department! Even high-ranking people you would normally never have a chance to see may drop by to inspect us without warning!”
Everyone nervously swallowed dryly.
“So you absolutely will not show any sign of lax discipline! Understood?!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Their answer rang out twice as loudly.
And such loud responses were echoing from every warehouse throughout this warehouse district.
At that moment, one veteran servant raised his hand.
“Warehouse Chief! Where are all those people going?!”
The warehouse chief answered in one word.
“Wongakjeong!”
***
Messengers posted notices throughout the Luoyang Sword Clan, where more and more people were beginning to be startled awake.
“The confinement order against the main family’s Young Master, Yeon Sang-hyeon, is hereby withdrawn.”
It was a notice clearly stamped with the seal of the Supreme Operations Council’s Administrative Pavilion.