Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Patriarchs' Council
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The patriarchs exchanged meaningful glances. Only Je-gal Hwan cleared his throat with an uncomfortable expression.
In truth, even he showed no sign of openly denying it. The patriarchs of the Four Great Families had more than enough qualification to utter such words.
"From the very start, the founding of the Great Ming wasn't an achievement accomplished by Taizu alone."
Yi Jin-geol muttered. Yu Cheong-ah added,
"None of us wanted to shoulder the burden of the realm, so the throne passed to Zhu Yuanzhang. Especially Jin-geol and I—we even gave up on restoring the dynasty. In terms of legitimacy, ours was far stronger."
"......Watch your mouth. Wild delusions of a deluded general."
Yu Cheong-ah sneered at Je-gal Hwan.
"Why? It's an indisputable fact."
"Hey!"
The argument flared up again. To Yuk Jin-yang, who stood listening in stunned silence, his grandfather addressed him.
"You have no idea what we're talking about right now, do you?"
"Yes. What does it mean to 'shoulder the burden of the realm'?"
The founding of the Great Ming was ancient history, even in this era. There were bound to be many episodes Yuk Jin-yang didn't know.
The Yuk patriarch leaned back comfortably in his chair and asked,
"Have you heard of the chaos at the end of the Yuan?"
"I know of it."
"That time wasn't just mere turmoil. It wasn't something you could compare to bandits running rampant or warlords rising in rebellion. It was a hellscape where monstrous demons and evil spirits straight out of the Classic of Mountains and Seas rampaged freely."
This much, Yuk Jin-yang was well aware of.
The Yuan imperial family bore original sin. They had colluded with a heretical sect of degenerate Tantric Buddhism, resorting to all sorts of schemes for their own immortality and the reincarnation of their ancestors.
The bizarre sorceries that resulted defied the natural order, mocked the will of Heaven, and ravaged the ecology.
Blizzards swept the north, while jungles encroached from the south. Naturally, horrific famines ravaged the world.
Beings thought extinct or described only in myths reemerged. It was as if the world was regressing to its primordial state.
"Taizu was undoubtedly a hero of his era. But his martial prowess wasn't enough to navigate that chaos. He was a considerable master, but compared to us, he clearly fell short."
"Then does that mean you and the other patriarchs yielded the throne?"
The Yuk patriarch slowly shook his head.
"It wasn't yielding so much as aligned interests. We accepted the mortality of the flesh, while Zhu Yuanzhang embraced the immortality of the spirit."
"Mortality of the flesh and immortality of the spirit... what do you mean?"
"The catastrophe at the end of the Yuan was the result of the Yuan imperial family defying Heaven to revive their ancestors, wasn't it? The symbol of that was the Gate of the Heavenly Aperture."
"The Gate of the Heavenly Aperture......"
"It refers to the gateway through which all manner of specters flooded the world. If it had fully opened, hell would have descended upon the mortal realm. Yet even with our power, we couldn't seal it shut."
Yuk Jin-yang tilted his head and asked,
"But didn't the Great Ming rise because that crisis was resolved, and the world has remained stable ever since?"
"That's precisely Taizu's merit. He bound the souls of himself and all his descendants to the Altar of the Realm. A noble sacrifice to wield divine authority with human power."
It was still a difficult explanation to grasp.
At that moment, Je-gal Hwan interjected.
"What do you think happens to a person's soul after death?"
"They gain freedom, don't they? Eminent Daoists ascend to immortality, monks become Buddhas, and so on."
"Exactly. Even without religious dogma, people believe that those who reach a certain realm can shed the shackles of the mundane world. But the emperors of the Great Ming are different. Their souls are eternally bound to this Saha world. To suppress the Gate of the Heavenly Aperture."
"But aren't there many descendants of the royal princes? The other patriarchs as well."
"No, only those of the Great Ming imperial bloodline bear this great duty. That's the binding laid upon them by Taizu."
The Yuk patriarch spoke definitively, then added a meaningful remark.
"In other words, as long as it's Taizu's bloodline, it doesn't matter who sits on the throne."
"......But that bastard Zhu Di won't welcome us with open arms either."
Yu Cheong-ah asked skeptically.
After Taizu's death, both the imperial family and the court had been wary of the ancient great families. There had even been overt checks on them.
It was the inevitable outcome. The power of the ancient great families—especially the Four Great Families—was far too immense. Had they not been obligated to guard the cardinal directions, they might have been purged long ago.
"That's right. Why don't you answer this one?"
The Yuk patriarch naturally passed the explanation to Yuk Jin-yang. It was his way of giving the boy a chance to make his mark here.
Yuk Jin-yang didn't decline his grandfather's favor.
"If the emperor and Prince Yan fight without our intervention, who would win?"
It was a blunt question. It sounded almost childish at first glance, but the patriarchs each fell into thought. Yu Cheong-ah spoke up first.
"You're still young. How can you discuss victory and defeat without seeing them clash? If we knew that, we wouldn't need to gather like this."
"But the one with the higher probability is surely His Majesty the Emperor."
Yu Cheong-ah merely furrowed her fine brows, offering no retort. It was a sign to continue.
"Prince Yan will surely try to pull us in."
The flames were already rising to consume the house. In such a situation, few would quibble over interests. Promising a fortune was the normal way to beg for aid.
There was another certainty.
The moment a million-strong army gathered to protect the emperor, Prince Yan would face an endlessly swelling enemy.
Prince Yan knew this too. He would surely reach out to the ancient great families. That was Yuk Jin-yang's judgment, informed by his knowledge of the future.
This was enough to make his impression. The Yuk patriarch urged in a gentle voice,
"Jin-yang, why don't you head out now? Your grandfather has more to discuss with these old friends I haven't seen in ages."
"Yes, Grandfather."
As Yuk Jin-yang exited, only the four patriarchs remained in the meeting hall.
"Your youngest grandson is quite sharp."
Je-gal Hwan subtly expressed his goodwill.
"Could he be... from that Dang family girl you caused a stir with long ago...?"
"Enough of that talk."
The Yuk patriarch cut him off firmly. His resolute tone carried weight, enough to make the other patriarchs glance warily. Je-gal Hwan shrugged and changed the subject.
"In any case, his words make sense. When drowning, it's human nature to offer whatever bundle you're clutching to beg for rescue."
"You seemed full of complaints earlier—why the change of heart?"
Yu Cheong-ah tilted her head and asked pointedly. Je-gal Hwan shook his head.
"I'm just saying it holds water logically. And I'm not pleased with His Majesty's actions either. Especially his closeness to corpse puppet makers—it's deeply concerning."
"So?"
"But rebelling against His Majesty is an entirely different matter. It could bring war back to the land."
Then the Yuk patriarch interjected.
"Do you think the kings will meekly relinquish their power just because the emperor is acting tyrannically? They're fierce heirs to Taizu's blood."
"......"
"War is already at our doorstep. This is merely the calm before the storm."
Je-gal Hwan sighed.
"We'll follow the tide."
"So that's a tentative yes from you."
Yu Cheong-ah turned to Yi Jin-geol.
"What about you, Jin-geol?"
"If the emperor doesn't want the ancient great families, do we have any reason to protect him?"
Yi Jin-geol twisted his lips and tilted his head slightly. His crossed arms clearly showed his displeasure.
"He'll be too busy tending to the hunting dogs he's newly raised. Why should we accept such treatment?"
Je-gal Hwan looked uncomfortable but didn't argue.
With the major issue settled, minor matters surfaced.
"What about the other ancient great families? Most will align with us, but there's no guarantee some won't harbor ulterior motives."
"We need to block the court's eyes and ears in the Five Harmony Alliance too. It does us no good if our decision leaks early."
"That can be handled by persuading one person."
The Yuk patriarch scanned the other three and revealed the identity.
"Grand Princess Clear Stream."
The Five Harmony Alliance had originated from a union of the ancient great families and the bureaucracy. The court's influence permeated various corners. Especially at the top, they had even planted an imperial representative.
The Four Great Families had agreed to it themselves. They found it hard to interfere in the alliance's operations. Their family bases were quite distant from the alliance headquarters.
That said, they didn't want other ancient great families dominating the alliance either. Better for the imperial family to hold the reins.
Thus, with various interests aligned, an imperial figure managed the alliance in the Four Great Families' absence.
That person was Grand Princess Clear Stream. Taizu's precious imperial offspring and one of the imperial family's top masters.
"That girl... Well, she's still got one foot in the imperial family despite being in the jianghu. She might be able to work some counter-espionage on them."
"And she shares a special bond with you. She learned martial arts from all of us to some degree, but you're the one who can truly be called her master."
"Since she's been effectively acting as alliance leader in our stead, gathering consensus from the other families should be easy for her."
The conversation swiftly progressed. The Yuk patriarch was the first to propose.
"Let's use this chance to separate the wheat from the chaff. Decide which emerging families to spare and which to eradicate."
"The Peng family of Hebei North. The ones based around Beiping, backed by the child emperor to check Prince Yan. They should be the first to be exterminated."
Yi Jin-geol answered decisively, his displeasure toward them evident. He turned the question back to the Yuk patriarch.
"What about the Nangong family? They've declined, but we don't want them stirring trouble from behind."
"Don't worry about them. I've already brought them under my wing."
Yu Cheong-ah slipped in slyly.
"Impressive skills. Put the Huangbo family of the south on the kill list too. They've crossed me several times."
"......Don't forget the Jeon-gal family."
Finally, even Je-gal Hwan chimed in, and a rather ruthless plan took shape.
No one wanted to devolve into mere overseers cleaning up scraps. Even the Je-gal family, which preached loyalty to king and country, felt the same.
The four patriarchs of the Five Harmony Alliance had made monumental contributions to the founding of the Great Ming. They were no longer on par with upstart families. It was a matter of pride before ability.
"I'll handle the negotiations with Her Highness the Princess and draft the secret letter to Prince Yan."
The Yuk patriarch flicked his sleeve and spoke calmly. A chilling aura laced his voice.
Exiting the tent, Yuk Jin-yang wandered aimlessly. Before long, Hwang Dal-pyeong and So Yun-un fell in beside him. The two were now publicly recognized as Yuk Jin-yang's close aides.
"Where's Father?"
"The division leader said he had someone to meet and left."
Yuk Jin-yang nodded.
By chance, he spotted relatives approaching him. His second granduncle Yuk Hang and his son Yuk Go-eon.
"Jin-yang, you've really got the air of a martial artist now. Completely different from when we first met. Did you greet the patriarchs well?"
Yuk Hang spoke in contrived familiarity.
Why had they come? That was his first thought. But there was no need to clash yet. Figuring out their intent came first.
Yuk Jin-yang responded with a mask of his own.
"I was so nervous I couldn't say a word and just stood quietly. Haha. But what brings you here...?"
"Let's talk for a bit."
Yuk Hang nodded toward a quiet clearing.