GMLS Ch 15

Wi Junghyuk did not answer. To be precise, he was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.

“Do you know what you are saying right now?”

“They are words from my own mouth. Of course, I would know. How embarrassing to be such a doting father.”

“Shangshuling!”

“Yes, Captain of the Imperial Guard.”

Wi Junghyuk seriously wondered if this man was trying to assassinate him by raising his blood pressure. That was how absurd Yeo Yullyeong’s request was.

Finally, his head turned to the side. Wi Junghyuk’s mouth, which had been about to shout, clamped shut. The Shangshuling’s face was serious, without a trace of a smile.

“Are you perhaps serious?”

“I am always serious.”

“Do you believe that to be possible?”

“And what would make it impossible? It does not go against the laws passed down by the Sangseon. It does not matter how many people you take, or who you take. What the law restricts is that ‘only those who accompany you from the start earn the right to participate in the test.’”

No one could join in the middle. Only those who were together at the very beginning would earn the right to intervene in the test.

“Surely you don’t think the princes will have a friendly footrace. Both the 2nd Prince and the 3rd Prince will gather everyone they can and set off. To stand against them, we on this side must also make adequate preparations, don’t you think?”

“Do not casually lump me into ‘this side.’”

“And why not? Do you not admire the 5th Prince, Your Highness?”

Yeo Yullyeong precisely picked up the shard of pottery from Wi Junghyuk’s sandy beach.

“Do you believe that to be possible?”

“I have told you. Accompanying anyone does not go against fairness.”

“Does it not go against fairness for you, the executor, to personally instigate this?”

“It’s fine if I am a little biased. As you said, I am the executor, after all.”

I really hate this man. Yeo Yullyeong grinned at Wi Junghyuk, who was frowning.

“Do you not wish to see him?”

The hidden subject was seen without a single cloud. The heart he had thought was entirely clouded suddenly became clear as well.

Wi Junghyuk closed his eyes. I must not look. I absolutely must not look. Belying that vow, his inner self was already burying its head in a clear mirror (淸鏡).

“When he becomes the emperor, I will see him then.”

“Moments are made. A moment not made will not come. Be honest with your desires. Some regrets can last a lifetime.”

“I am not one who chooses, but one who is chosen. The Captain of the Imperial Guard is the emperor’s sharpest sword. A sword has no ego.”

“Then quit being the Captain of the Imperial Guard.”

His tone was like, ‘What, it’s a simple problem, isn’t it?’ Wi Junghyuk’s eyes flew open. Despite this first show of agitation, Yeo Yullyeong remained expressionless.

“Is the position of Captain of the Imperial Guard such a big deal?”

It was a big deal. But when the man who was the Shangshuling said it like that, it felt incredibly trivial.

‘It’s not because he’s the Shangshuling, but because it’s Yeo Yullyeong, that man, who says it like that.’

Though finding it absurd, Wi Junghyuk found himself unconsciously listening to Yeo Yullyeong’s words.

“If the purpose is clear, a government post is merely a means. Still, if you truly have lingering attachments to the position of Captain of the Imperial Guard, then receive it again from your emperor.”

Your emperor. Those words snatched Wi Junghyuk’s heart.

“A truly outstanding sword is not one that is mindlessly wielded in its master’s hand. Rather, the more outstanding the sword, the more it must always doubt its master’s will, be wary of his corruption and indolence, and guide him to the right path. Even more so when the master’s stature is boundlessly high.”

I really do hate this man. Sensing his defeat, Wi Junghyuk smiled bitterly.

“I pray that this time, you will become a sword that serves your master who has become emperor, not a sword that serves the one who sits on the throne.”

The sword lost to the brush.

⊹ ࣪ 💮⊹₊

The rumor that the Captain of the Imperial Guard, Wi Junghyuk, had resigned from his post spread in an instant. When the reason was added—that it was to join the 5th Prince’s party—the camps of the 2nd and 3rd Princes went into an uproar.

News that the Shangshuling was behind it all was also delivered. It was only natural that the enraged 2nd and 3rd Princes sought out the Shangshuling.

For the executor’s young son, who had just come of age, to be in the 5th Prince’s party was one thing, but for the Captain of the Imperial Guard, who was called the head of the Ministry of War in terms of martial prowess and influence, to be in that party was a completely different story. What more was there to say when the Shangshuling, who should have remained neutral as the executor, had cajoled him into it?

The two princes flew into a rage, raising objections about fairness and insisting that the Shangshuling was not qualified to be the executor. Yeo Yullyeong, who had been quietly watching the two of them, snapped his folded fan shut.

“If that is the will of the two princes, then it cannot be helped. I, the Shangshuling, will step down from the position of executor.”

As if on cue, the princes let out a ‘Huh?’ sound. There was no way this man would back down so easily. What kind of calculation was this now? Wary gazes were fixed on Yeo Yullyeong.

Yeo Yullyeong smiled wryly. Their mothers were different and their appearances were different, yet their stupid glaring expressions were exactly alike. No matter how you looked at it, they were brothers.

“I am truly grateful for your recommendation. Having laid down this cumbersome post, I can now support my son with a peaceful mind. Openly, and with my full backing, that is.”

The two princes’ faces stiffened.

With the exception of a very small number, the nobles and officials were almost all part of the Crown Prince’s faction. The other princes’ mothers were all from foreign countries, so they had no significant maternal relatives, and their power bases were narrow.

Even though the Crown Prince had died suddenly, they did not easily take anyone’s hand. As long as the outcome of the test could not be accurately predicted, the prevailing opinion was to wait until a new emperor was established, even if it meant no crumbs fell their way, rather than rashly stepping forward and taking a risk.

That trend continued even now, with the test just around the corner.

On the other hand, what about Yeo Yullyeong? He had already perfectly chosen a side. He said he was siding with his son, but since his son served the 5th Prince, it ultimately meant he would support the 5th Prince.

He was the head of the Shangshu Sheng, which had six ministries under its command, and a prime minister who subtly held even the incompetent Zhongshu Sheng and Menxia Sheng under his heel. And what about the power of his family? Excluding the imperial family, they were the best in the Geum Empire in both wealth and military power.

What would happen if such a man supported the 5th Prince with all his might? The 5th Prince, who was currently just a bit of a nuisance, would instantly rise to become the most likely candidate. They wouldn’t be checking each other, but would have to do their utmost to stop the 5th Prince.

And that wasn’t the only problem.

“Then we must urgently find the next person to take on the role of executor. Do the princes perhaps have anyone in mind?”

That’s right. If Yeo Yullyeong resigned from the executorship, who would become the next executor?

Both the 2nd and 3rd Princes would try to install one of their own people. Naturally, their differences in opinion would not be narrowed. In that case, it would end up being some neutral high-ranking official who was neither here nor there.

In the end, it was back to square one. No, it was back to square one with the addition of the Shangshuling, who would become a mighty army for the 5th Prince.

“……Enough. Upon reflection, there is no one more suited to be the executor than you.”

“I share the same thought as my elder brother.”

The two princes growled, practically ready to eat him alive. Just you wait until I become emperor, I’ll strip you naked and kill you at once. That sentiment was clearly conveyed. However, their opponent was ‘that’ Yeo Yullyeong.

“No, what are you suddenly saying? They say you shouldn’t even take back candy you’ve given. How can you give false hope and then take it away? Let’s find a new executor now instead.”

Yeo Yullyeong actively pushed forward. He seemed ready to nominate anyone as the executor and announce his resignation in front of everyone right away. The 2nd and 3rd Princes became frantic.

“Absolutely not! There is no one more suitable than you.”

“What about fairness?”

“……There is no violation.”

Yeo Yullyeong finally extracted those words directly from the princes’ mouths. Smiling with satisfaction, he slapped his palm with his dangling folded fan.

“I have no choice then. Then, accepting the will of you two, I, Yeo Yullyeong, swear to the Sangseon in the heavens that I will conduct the test fairly and impartially.”

Since all the necessary work was already done. It was as if I could hear the unsaid words that followed.

The princes’ expressions turned as if they had chewed on bitter herbs. A vow to the ‘Sangseon’! In this Yeon Continent, a vow made to the ‘Sangseon’ could never be broken.

That was meant in the literal sense. The divine beasts had fallen, died, and slept, but the traces of the Sangseon’s power remained. This was because it was a land he had protected by blooming a part of his own soul into a lotus flower.

That was why vows made in the Sangseon’s name in the Yeon Continent held a powerful force. If broken, ten out of ten times, one would face a sudden death or die from an illness; in any case, they died. Since he had made such a vow, the test itself would indeed proceed fairly. At least from now on.

Yeo Yullyeong smiled with a radiant face and bowed.

“Then, this humble servant will take his leave.”

“……”

“……”

The white hidden dragon slithered its tail and disappeared towards the entrance of the imperial palace.

⊹ ࣪ 💮⊹₊

Before the first rooster crowed at dawn, countless people had gathered in front of the throne hall. Most of them were armed warriors. With stern expressions, they were each checking their weapons and luggage.

Three flags had been set up in advance in the throne hall. They were temporarily made to distinguish friend from foe in this test.

The red flag, with a roaring tiger and plum blossoms, was for the 2nd Prince.

The blue flag, with a crouching Black Tortoise and an orchid, was for the 3rd Prince.

And the white flag, with a white tiger and a magnolia, belonged to the 5th Prince.

A flag that was entirely white, making the black lines stand out even more. Captain of the Guard Yihwa stood before that flag with Muryun and Monghyun. The other princes had not yet come out. Feeling the countless gazes on him, Yihwa surveyed the other two factions.