Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Audience with the Yeongnyu King
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As I glanced down at the floor, Father Yeon Gaesomun turned, slipping his hands into his sleeves.
"It's deliberate. To keep assassins from sneaking in."
The thought crossed my mind that assassins wouldn't exactly stroll down the corridor anyway, but I held my tongue.
Those who grasp power are bound to grow uneasy, after all.
We walked along the creaking corridor until a sound came from one of the rooms off to the side.
I turned my head, and Father Yeon Gaesomun said quietly,
"Probably the guards. If we try anything suspicious, they'll come running and lop off our heads."
We traversed the long corridor and arrived at a spot where the roof bulged upward in the center. An attendant waiting there called out toward the interior.
"Your Majesty, the Great King. Eastern Division Leader Yeon Gaesomun and his son Yeon Namsaeng have arrived."
Even amid all that, I was too busy scanning my surroundings. This wasn't some slapdash set from a historical drama—it was a real palace hall.
Between black pillars that blended into the shadows hung curtains of fine silk.
A deep voice came from beyond the curtains.
"Enter."
My heart pounded at the realization that I was finally about to meet Yeongnyu King. A figure I'd only seen in history books, dramas, or movies was now real.
Yeon Gaesomun already brimmed with charisma, so I wondered what kind of man Yeongnyu King must be—the one who'd clashed with him in a battle of wills.
The space beyond the curtains was pitch black.
"Come to think of it, there aren't any windows."
It was morning with the sun rising, but inside it was utterly dark. That was the moment I truly grasped the hall's name: Dark Shadow Hall.
Lamps and candles flickered here and there, at least. Aside from pillars holding up the roof, nothing else was visible within.
"Feels like one of those haunted houses at an amusement park."
But Father Yeon Gaesomun, having been here before, strode inside without hesitation or confusion.
We entered what turned out to be a surprisingly deep interior space, emerging into a room enclosed by walls on all sides. Bronze braziers embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow.
Father Yeon Gaesomun cleared his throat lightly and headed there. I hurried to keep up.
Passing the braziers into the chamber, we saw a raised dais. And atop it, on the jade throne, sat the man himself.
"Yeongnyu Great King, Go Geommu."
I'd imagined every possible detail about his appearance and build before meeting him. But every one of my guesses was dead wrong.
"He's handsome!"
His smooth, unblemished skin bore just a hint of rugged scars, giving him a wild edge. He could've been a fashion model in modern times. Towering even taller than Father Yeon Gaesomun, with broad shoulders to match.
He wore a red robe cinched with a black leather belt adorned with golden ornaments. On his head sat the white-crested crown I'd seen in murals.
A black hat topped with a white silk crest, secured by a gold rim—that much I could make out.
Yeongnyu Great King, lounging askew on the throne, turned his head to regard Father Yeon Gaesomun and me. His inscrutable gaze pierced the darkness.
A few days earlier, I'd verbally bested Elder Yeon Jeong-du and felt triumphant. Part of me even hoped facing Yeongnyu Great King might be easy.
But without exchanging a single word, I was already overwhelmed, nearly pissing myself.
"If Father Yeon Gaesomun is like cold ice, then the Great King is a living flame."
Father Yeon Gaesomun stood silently, offering no words. Yeongnyu Great King turned to look at him.
"Forgot your manners, have you? Division Leader."
Only then did Father Yeon Gaesomun prostrate himself on the floor in obeisance. I followed suit, sneaking a sidelong glance.
After repeated bows, Father rose and bowed his head low.
"Eastern Division Leader Yeon Gaesomun pays his respects to Your Majesty, the Great King."
I quickly mimicked him, lowering my head.
"Eldest son of Eastern Division Leader Yeon Gaesomun, Yeon Namsaeng, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Yeongnyu Great King accepted our greetings with a bored expression, then sat up straight on the throne. Looking closer, even the throne itself was black.
He drummed his fingers on the armrest of the black jade throne, then glanced at me.
"So you're the eldest son of the Yeon Clan who's been acting strangely ever since you died and came back to life."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What on earth happened to change you so? People don't transform that easily."
His tone felt like it pierced right through to my core.
I bowed my head lower as I replied.
"Coming back from death did shift my thinking. I realized what I must do as the eldest son of the Yeon Clan."
Yeongnyu Great King twisted his lips into a smirk at my answer, then turned to Father Yeon Gaesomun.
"With your eldest son grown so shrewd, you must be thrilled, Division Leader."
"I believe the heavens have looked kindly on our Yeon Clan."
Yeongnyu Great King straightened in his seat at Father Yeon Gaesomun's calm response.
"So in your joy, you rushed straight to the palace. To have me acknowledge your son as your successor."
His words were crass, yet they stabbed right at the heart.
Father Yeon Gaesomun couldn't really refute it.
"I'm getting on in years now, and with my son so capable, I felt it was time to pass things on. That's why I've come."
"And what will you do after stepping down? I know how hard you worked to earn your position as Division Leader."
Father Yeon Gaesomun's expression soured, as if struck at a sore spot.
Seeing it, Yeongnyu Great King grinned and continued.
"Memories of that hard-won position must have you eager to hand it off to your son."
He turned his gaze back to me. Just meeting his eyes made my body shrink involuntarily.
Stroking his neatly trimmed beard, Yeongnyu Great King spoke.
"I heard you went to Liaodong. What did you see? Who did you meet?"
He surely knew what I'd been up to in Liaodong, so this was clearly a probe.
I took a moment to steady my breath before opening my mouth.
"I saw the vastness of Liaodong's lands and the winding flow of the Yoha River. And the grandeur of the fortresses densely built there."
"Didn't you visit the Divine Palace too?"
The expected question came flying. It was a sensitive matter for Yeongnyu Great King, who hadn't been chosen by the Celestial Maiden.
"I met both the Divine Maiden and the Celestial Maiden."
"And what did they say?"
"That a great crisis will befall the kingdom, so you must be well protected to overcome it."
There was no reason to reveal my actual conversation with the Celestial Maiden, so I made up an answer on the spot.
A silence fell, and then Yeongnyu Great King slammed his fist on the throne.
"You dare insult the Great King? I could have that sly tongue of yours ripped out and handed to your father."
Father Yeon Gaesomun didn't flinch at the words. Neither did I, listening calmly.
Having grown numb to trash talk in the modern world, this didn't faze me.
"It's the truth, Your Majesty. Why won't you believe me?"
"Because it's hard to believe."
"Then why bother asking me at all?"
My unexpected retort twisted Yeongnyu Great King's expression.
Father Yeon Gaesomun beside me even turned his head slightly.
"If you decide to trust someone, you must trust them to the end. If not, keep them at arm's length entirely. Asking when you won't believe me anyway—either you wanted to hear a specific answer, or...?"
I paused briefly, then met Yeongnyu Great King's eyes.
This was just the beginning; I couldn't back down now. Though a misstep could mean my head for lèse-majesté.
"You were toying with me from the start, weren't you?"
Yeongnyu Great King looked like he'd taken a solid hit.
"If there's an answer you desire, just tell me. I'll say it."
"No matter how mighty the Eastern Division's prestige, could you mock the Great King and live?"
"Taking my life would be simple. But what follows won't be easy for you, Your Majesty."
Yeongnyu Great King rose from the throne at my response.
His legs seemed longer than his torso—he was taller than I'd thought. Even in the dimness, his cold gaze cut through the hazy lamplight.
It was the look of one who'd seen life and death flash by in an instant on the battlefield.
"Once, the nobles mobilized private armies to vie for the triennial Grand Minister position."
"I've heard of it."
"The Great King barred the palace gates then, and when the fighting ended, sided with the victor—bloodied hand and all. I never want to see such a thing again."
"I don't think it's good for Goguryeo either. But reality is reality, isn't it?"
"So you're asking me to recognize your position?"
"There's a thief at the gates right now. This isn't the time for family squabbles."
"Why shout about a thief coming when there's no sign of one?"
"Thieves come like thieves do—unannounced, not in broad daylight, when you're off guard or asleep. So we light torches and stand watch ahead of time."
"Sounds like you're itching for war. What do you even think war is?"
"War is a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yes. You never know when you'll have one, and when you wake, it's gone. But dreams always come. War's the same. It strikes when you're sure it won't, ends before you can respond properly. So we prepare in advance, don't we?"
"That's why we're building the thousand-li wall along the Yoha. Yet the Division Leaders won't cooperate."
"Stone and timber walls can't stop enemies."
"Then what?"
"Men can. No wall's too high for ladders, especially if unguarded."
I caught my breath and looked at Yeongnyu Great King, adding,
"Walls are just cumbersome obstacles."
"Your words flow like water. But war isn't won with tongues. It demands vast wealth and lives. If the enemy invades, we fight on this soil—and victory still brings heavy losses. I've seen war. That's why I despise those who speak of it lightly."
Instead of political maneuvering, he shared his firsthand experience of war. A brilliant tack.
Those who've endured war carry an undeniable weight when they speak of it. Interestingly, most generals and soldiers who'd been through it opposed war.
Generals like Sherman from the Civil War were always negative about it.
"Yeongnyu Great King must oppose war for the same reason."
The thought made my resolve waver for the first time since possessing this body.