GMLS Ch 43

“Listen to this. I was thinking it was a relief there was no festival this year. I mean, think about it. The preparations are no small matter. That’s all taxes, and it’s all documents I’ll have to look at later. So, for the first time, I felt grateful to my late father and brother.”

He was now the master of all, and his speech had become unrestrained. Wi Suhyeok and Monghyul, who were listening silently, flinched. Monghyul had it better, since he already knew what kind of person he was. But Wi Suhyeok turned pale at the mention of the late emperor and the dead crown prince.

“Is this punishment for luring him into the bath with sinister intentions? I ended up hearing a bunch of things I’d rather not have heard. And on top of that, I couldn’t even lay a single finger on him. In any case, I just ended up with a huge loss.”

To change the texture of his feelings, he first had to change the way Yihwa looked at him. From reverence to desire. It was a simple calculation. But instead, he was the one who was affected. Muryun clicked his tongue.

“Your… Your Majesty.”

“What is it.”

“This humble servant is dull-witted and does not understand what Your Majesty is asking.”

“Is that so. Then I shall kindly inform you. Tell me what could be a substitute for the festival.”

Monghyul raised his hand.

“Yes, Monghyul.”

“If you would first tell us the purpose of this endeavor, your subordinates could offer a more concrete answer.”

“I’m told that Captain of the Guard Yeo Yihwa likes festivals.”

With the story he had just heard, and the fact that Yeo Yihwa liked festivals, Monghyul understood the entire cause and effect of the situation.

“Pardon? Captain of the Guard, why is he… Oof!”

He discreetly poked the side of Wi Suhyeok, who was revealing the Wi family bloodline without restraint.

“How about a hunting game?”

“A hunting game?”

“It’s a game mainly played by commoners. It was originally enjoyed by noble families for amusement, but a simplified version took root among the common folk, and conversely, it disappeared from among the nobles. The scale was large, as it was only played to foster camaraderie between families, and it was a hassle to get all the necessary things together each time.”

Seeing that Muryun’s expression was not displeased, Monghyul tactfully explained the rules of the game in detail.

“Actually, it’s enjoyed not by children but by those who are a bit older, and it’s not a real hunt with bows and traps…”

Muryun immediately showed interest.

“That sounds fun. Yihwa would like it too.”

He smiled in satisfaction.

“A memory must be covered over by a better memory.”

Whatever it is, that’s probably not it. Even while thinking this, Monghyul wisely remained silent.

⊹ ࣪ 💮⊹₊

Letters arrived from the Jihan Kingdom and the five southern nations. Along with the message that they would send envoys on the appointed day, they listed the names of the royalty. The five southern nations were all pretty much the same. The 4th Prince. The 8th Prince. Good grief, the 12th Princess.

“If this goes wrong, the banquet hall will become a children’s playground.”

The surprising one was the Jihan Kingdom.

“The Crown Prince is coming as the envoy himself?”

Monghyul, who had been squatting next to the Milyeong Army, flinched and jumped out.

“Tanakhan, you mean he is coming?!”

“Oh my, you scared me!”

The royal scribe of the Unsalaried Officials, who was delivering the report, shrieked. Muryun gave Monghyul a sidelong glance but ordered the scribe and the eunuchs to all withdraw.

“Wi Suhyeok. Take the Imperial Guard and the Milyeong Army and go far away. Stay at least ten paces away.”

“But, Your Majesty.”

“The same goes for the royal guards. Yihwa, my dear, take them all and stand back. I have something to discuss with Monghyul in private.”

Though the words were the same, only the latter was spoken with the warmth of a spring breeze. In the end, the warriors, unable to defy the imperial command, rushed out, leaving only Muryun and Monghyul in the office.

“When was the last time we exchanged letters?”

“The last was the one I sent saying I would give up on defecting after Your Majesty decided to remain here.”

When Muryun was in the North Palace, he had prepared to defect to the Jihan Kingdom. The man who had been his connection then, the son of his mother’s sister from the Jihan Kingdom, and thus his own cousin, was the Crown Prince of the Jihan Kingdom, Tanakhan.

“A man who is a crown prince wouldn’t come all this way as if he’s just going for a stroll. What do you think his ulterior motive is?”

“Let’s see. With this subordinate’s dull mind, it is hard to… How about seeking advice from the Shangshuling?”

“Are you crazy? No.”

This was different from matters of state. The Shangshuling was an official who served the country, and there was a certain justification in making him work. But this was different. This was closer to asking for a personal favor as Muryun, not as the emperor.

Unless it’s a truly unavoidable situation, do you think I’d ask that man for help?

‘……is probably what he’s thinking.’

Monghyul sighed inwardly but did not let the conversation stray.

“To think of it simply, he prepared everything with such devotion only for us to cancel at the last minute, so he might be holding a grudge and trying to demand something. To think of it complexly, he could use the letters we’ve exchanged so far as leverage to demand something.”

“In any case, it’s a given that he has some kind of demand.”

“If it’s the former, it doesn’t matter, but if it’s the latter… it’s a bit of a headache.”

“What headache? Whatever it is, it’s a useless effort. The heirs to the throne are all dead already. Unless I sow new seeds, that is. If I die now, a new imperial family will be enthroned. That’s all there is to it.”

Muryun doesn’t know how complicated and convoluted that process would be. And he never will. Because it would happen after he is dead.

“Or could the goal be the enthronement of a new imperial family itself?”

It was the same during the planned defection. No matter that they were cousins, the other party was the Crown Prince of the Jihan Kingdom. He wouldn’t have helped without some calculation of his own. Especially not when taking a risk that could easily escalate into an international issue.

At that time, Muryun had surmised Tanakhan’s goal was the possession of the imperial bloodline in the form of ‘the 5th Prince of the Geum Empire.’

His own existence, holding a right to the throne, had a higher value than one might think. This was especially true when he was in a foreign country like the Jihan Kingdom, rather than in the Geum Empire. It was truly a paradox.

“If that happens, do you think the five southern nations will stand by idly? The Jihan Kingdom isn’t the only one that has grown in power recently. Of course, their growth has been exceptional.”

“Then war?”

“That’s highly unlikely.”

The Geum Empire, which had existed since the birth of the Yeon Continent, had accumulated knowledge and wealth over time. A giant that might sway but would never fall. That was the Great Geum Empire.

The Jihan Kingdom, in comparison, was ambiguous in every aspect. Its size was about half that of the Geum Empire. Its national power was middling. It wasn’t definitively strong, but trying to swallow it whole would risk breaking one’s teeth. From the Geum Empire’s perspective, it was a country like a chicken rib. Thanks to this, it had managed to barely sustain itself since the separation, and had grown explosively in recent times.

The five southern nations, while snarling amongst themselves, would unite and bare their fangs if either the Geum Empire or the Jihan Kingdom touched one of them. In other words, they were separate in the south, but on the Yeon Continent, they were one, bound by a strange yet strong solidarity.

The Geum Empire. The Jihan Kingdom. The five southern nations. These three had established a tense standoff, which was the current situation on the Yeon Continent.

It was the first time in the history of the Yeon Continent that the power of these three was so evenly matched. Because of this, none of the three wished for any one of them to collapse.

Although the Jihan Kingdom’s emperor focusing on military power was somewhat unsettling, Muryun was certain they would not dare to invade the Geum Empire rashly without first establishing a means to keep the five southern nations in check.

“I can’t find an answer. I guess I have no choice but to meet him in person.”

“The issue of intelligence is also serious. Of the spies the late emperor planted in other countries, over 80 percent have lost contact. They probably defected at the earliest opportunity, or they’re dead. The remaining 20 percent are pretty much useless anyway.”

“He really messed things up in every way possible.”

Muryun ground his teeth. He had a very ominous premonition that he wouldn’t be able to solve all the problems caused by the late emperor even if he worked his entire life.

“How are the preparations for the hunting game coming along?”

When his nerves were on edge, he needed to change his mood with a pleasant topic. As the person who introduced the ‘hunting game’ to Muryun, Monghyul, who had been entrusted with full authority over the preparations, spoke in a bright voice.

“It’s going smoothly. Yihwa-nim still has no idea.”

“Excellent. Has a date been set?”

“Yes. It’s the first day of next month.”

“Good. Prepare without a hitch.”

“Of course.”

Monghyul mentally organized the list of participants for the game. Since it was a game primarily played among friends, he mostly selected those who had a personal connection with Muryun.

First, Heukwol was out. This was for Monghyul’s own well-being and the peace of the Imperial Palace. What remained were Yihwa-nim, Monghyul himself, and Wi Junghyuk. ……That was it. He did not panic. Instead, he displayed the resourcefulness of a capable aide and pushed the Imperial Guard and the Milyeong Army into the empty spots.

‘Well, there is the matter of security, after all.’

With the heart of a loyal subject, Monghyul defended his master’s meager social circle.

The problem was Wi Junghyuk. Several months had already passed since he resigned from his post as Captain of the Imperial Guard. For some reason, he had been postponing his reinstatement ever since returning to the capital. It was already famous that his younger brother, Wi Suhyeok, would grab anyone with a connection and beg them, ‘Please get my brother to return to his post.’

‘Right now, he’s just an idler of the Wi family. Is there really a reason to include someone like that in the game?’

There was. Just the fact that he had assisted the emperor in the recent test was more than enough reason.

But Monghyul wanted to exclude him. Not because of personal feelings, but because of his perceptiveness, which was completely unsuited for the Imperial Palace.

‘I have a bad feeling about this. I feel like he’s definitely going to cause some kind of trouble.’

It was also strange that the person who seemed ready to request his dismissal from the Captain of the Imperial Guard post at a moment’s notice was suddenly cooped up in his estate. He didn’t know what schemes he was plotting, but it was deeply unsettling. Still, there was no way he couldn’t be invited. Hiding a sigh, Monghyul finalized the list in his head.