GMLS Ch 35

The official guarding the gate felt his heart pounding and cold sweat dripping down. His hands were trembling even though he had done nothing wrong. It was understandable. 30 years as a capital city official, and this was the first time he had ever experienced such an entry inspection.

The Shangshuling, who was personally his far-superior boss and the very man the phrase “one person below, but ten thousand above” referred to.

The former Captain of the Imperial Guard, Wi Junghyuk, who, despite having resigned, still had his influence permeating every corner of the Ministry of War and whose name was always mentioned when discussing the greatest swordsman in The Geum Empire.

Monghyul, the shadow who had been by the emperor’s side since he roamed the battlefields under the late emperor’s command.

And Yeo Yihwa, the Shangshuling’s only son and the emperor’s Captain of the Guard as of this spring.

All of them were the chief contributors to this war for the throne. Four triumphant generals, with halos shining behind them, were gathered together, requesting entry.

It was the first time he had trembled like this since The 5th Prince returned three years ago, looking like a yaksha. Fortunately, no matter how much he trembled inside, his ingrained habits allowed him to perform his official duties naturally. The Shangshuling, Monghyul, and Wi Junghyuk passed through without issue. The problem was Yeo Yihwa.

“You may go through now…”

“Is this how inspections are usually finished so simply? This isn’t even a formality, it’s practically the same as just letting me pass.”

It wasn’t practically the same, it was just letting him pass.

“Beyond this wall is the capital city. Do you know what that means? It means this is the last bastion protecting His Majesty the Emperor.”

No, it wasn’t. The last bastion was the outer wall of the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Guards surrounding it.

Wi Junghyuk, who had been quietly observing Yihwa’s antics, chimed in.

“Come to think of it, that’s right. I’ll do it again. There’s no way my identity can be proven with just my name.”

Monghyul covered his face with his hand. He poked Wi Junghyuk’s side with the scabbard of his sword. Wi Junghyuk, raising an eyebrow, gripped the hilt of his sword.

“What’s this? You want to go at it now?”

You crazy bastard. No…

With so many eyes watching, did they really have to fight here? If things went wrong, the former Captain of the Imperial Guard and the current emperor’s shadow could be dragged off to the underground prison side-by-side for obstructing official duties. He would refuse even as a joke.

Monghyul lamented.

“All that comes out is a sigh. You’re among the top when it comes to the sword, and your head is pretty good, but where on earth did you sell your common sense? Did you trade it for taffy?”

“What are you talking about? My sense is keen.”

Keen, my ass. A guy who doesn’t have an ounce of sense to be used for medicine.

Unable to watch the farce any longer, Yeo Yullyeong stepped forward. His elegant folding fan snapped open.

“If you’re going to dawdle like that, I’ll go ahead and see His Majesty first. I have so many things to tell him, from one to ten. While waiting for you to come, I might even say all the things you’re supposed to say.”

Yeo Yullyeong had seen through Yihwa’s intention to delay his arrival at the Imperial Palace as much as possible. It was as if he could see the form of a white snake with its tail raised high, hissing Ssshaak! in a roar behind him. Yihwa shriveled up like a chick in front of the white snake.

The gate official, looking back and forth between the two, quickly stamped the pass. His years of experience as an official were not wasted.

Leaving behind Wi Junghyuk, who was insisting he needed to be inspected again regardless of what others did, and Monghyul, who was grabbing him by the collar and shouting, “You stupid beetle-headed bastard!”, Yeo Yullyeong and Yihwa stepped into the capital city first.

Yeo Yullyeong said in a low voice.

“If your heart is not yet resolved, just leave from here.”

“That is… not it.”

“Is that so.”

Yeo Yullyeong did not ask further. To be precise, he couldn’t ask further. This was because, in the next moment, shadows exuding an extraordinary aura appeared.

Yihwa, who had reflexively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, paused upon identifying them. They were the Milyeonggun, who had flown from the Imperial Palace.

“Milyeonggun? Why are you here…”

They, who had likewise identified Yihwa, exchanged glances. The Milyeonggun, without a word, gave a single nod and then quickly hooked Yihwa’s arms, one on each side.

“Huh?”

And just like that, they snatched him up and flew toward the Imperial Palace.

“Whoa-aah?!”

Yeo Yullyeong made a shade over his eyes with his hand.

“They say Geumseong is a place where they’ll even slice your nose off in broad daylight, but I never imagined they’d snatch my son away.”

You knew, my foot!

“You knew, didn’t you? Shangshuling?!” Yihwa screamed, already far away. Yeo Yullyeong, with his characteristic languid smile, gently fanned himself with his folding fan.

“I had no idea.”

Wi Junghyuk and Monghyul, who had run over with wide eyes, passed Yeo Yullyeong and chased after Yihwa.

“…is what I would say if you were hesitant.”

Thwack. The folding fan closed. His eyes were now fixed on Yihwa, who had become a dot, and the two warriors who were chasing after him in alarm, thinking he had been abducted by some ruffian.

⊹ ࣪ 💮⊹₊

As soon as he entered the throne hall, Yihwa’s vision was filled with Muryun. The dragon robe, embroidered with a golden dragon on red silk that only the emperor could wear, suited him truly well.

That handsome, great man was the lord I adore. His heart pounded shamelessly.

Muryun was solemn throughout. As if he had been born an emperor, an endless dignity emanated from his every small word and action.

The rewarding of merits proceeded smoothly. Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk bowed their heads like paragons of loyalty. The Shangshuling received the greatest reward for his trouble as the executor.

The executor had been used. Rumors have no feet, and the civil and military officials, who roughly knew what had happened at the shrine, swallowed their groans. The only one who was composed was the Shangshuling himself. With his usual languid smile, he merely expressed his gratitude with his lips.

The officials exchanged complicated glances.

‘How on earth did he know The 5th Prince would become the emperor and choose to align with him?’

‘Has that old serpent now gained the foresight to see the future?’

‘Foresight, my foot. He didn’t know, he made it happen.’

The busy, unspoken conversation came to a halt.

Made it happen. As they pondered the meaning of those words, they saw a monster with its mouth wide open at their feet. The officials, dripping with cold sweat, lowered their eyes. It was a truly terrifying thought. Moreover, the emperor had already changed, and not a single person remained to threaten his throne. What more was there to say?

Finally, after bestowing silk, a warhorse, and gold upon the Captain of the Guard, Yihwa, the ceremony for rewarding merits was concluded.

Muryun was the first to leave the spacious room. The remaining officials gathered in their respective factions and engaged in conversation. It was called conversation, but everyone had a sword on their tongue. Yihwa, who had no interest in such things, left the room immediately.

As he came out into the corridor, someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was a man he didn’t recognize, but he was wearing a sword with the emperor’s seal on his waist.

‘Ah, a new guard recruited while I was away.’

His polite attitude was probably because he knew he was the Captain of the Guard. Realizing this and looking at the man again, his heart stung and burned. Yihwa, bewildered, placed a hand on his chest. Is it because of the poison? But they said there would be no pain?

The guard said that His Majesty was looking for him. Yeo Yullyeong, seeing him, said.

“I’ll be heading back to the residence now. I’m worried because I heard Heukwol has been guarding it alone ever since I returned.”

Only then did Yihwa become aware of Heukwol’s existence and was shocked. He had definitely heard that he had left with Muryun. He had found it strange that it was the distant Heukwol, not Monghyul or Wi Junghyuk, but at some point, all his attention had become focused on Muryun, and he had completely forgotten about him.

“When you’re drunk, you don’t recognize your parents, and when you’re in love, you even betray your parents.”

“Shangshuling!”

It was a common idiom, but when Yeo Yullyeong, who was his ‘father’ in name, said it, he couldn’t just let it slide. Yeo Yullyeong chuckled vulgarly. Then, he flicked his folding fan and went on his way.

Yihwa followed the guard across the corridor of the main palace. It went without saying, but everything was incomparable to The North Palace. The ornaments placed every three steps were national treasures, and from the entrance of the bedchamber, the floor was covered with silk.

“You’ve come.”

That was the first thing he heard upon announcing his arrival at the door. Although the tone was taciturn, Yihwa read a welcoming “come in” from those words. Yihwa silently replied, ‘Yes. I have come.’ His heart tingled, and his toes curled.

“Enter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The concern he had on the way, wondering what he would do if the title ‘Your Majesty’ didn’t come naturally to his lips, was unfounded; the address felt natural. In fact, it was more comfortable to say now than the ‘Your Highness’ he had used before. It was truly a strange thing. Perhaps it was because the title had found its rightful owner.

Yihwa was captivated by the emperor’s appearance up close. He already knew he was a handsome and good-looking man, but now his magnificent presence was truly like that of a celestial god. If that man was not the master of the dragon robe, then there was no one in the world who could wear it.

“Do you like it?”

“Pardon?”

“Is it not the dragon robe you dressed me in?”

“What a preposterous thing to say. Please retract it.”

Muryun did not retract his words. Nor did he add anything further. Instead, he just stared intently at the top of Yihwa’s head, who had prostrated himself as soon as he spoke.

Yihwa tensed and sealed his lips into a straight line. He was already quite flustered as it was.

He knew he was a person of high status. Five years ago, he hadn’t even dared to think of meeting him. So he had shed his lowly ways and created a plausible appearance on the outside.

When they met again, after he had finally obtained a status to cross the walls of the Imperial Palace, he was confined in The North Palace. The brilliant radiance of the past was gone. A handsome, drunk commoner. That was the first impression someone who didn’t know him would surely have had.

That was why Yihwa, while seeing him as a venerable and high-ranking person, could also treat him without much of a sense of distance. He chattered like a mynah bird and approached his side without hesitation. It was all an unconscious act, remembering the lord of the past.

Did they say clothes make the man? When the already high-ranking person was dressed so formally and seated in the highest position in a magnificent room, a sense of unfamiliarity reared its head. The face was definitely the person he knew, but he couldn’t help but feel an unavoidable distance, so Yihwa had no way of hiding his complicated feelings.