Chapter 185
Chapter 185
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Yang Chan's Self-Blame
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The official road leading to the Imperial Palace bustled with throngs of people coming and going. With festivals filling the season, crowds from all over the kingdom had poured in, leaving carriages unable to pick up any speed.
Ju Tae said listlessly,
“This makes you really pity the soldiers at the front lines. War or no war, they suffer like dogs either way.”
“That’s why they’re soldiers…”
“Stop there. Hearing such blunt talk makes my stomach churn, so cut it out.”
Pfft.
“But when’s that guy coming back?”
“You mean Gong Son-tae?”
“Yeah. Hasn’t it been quite a while since he left?”
“The destination’s so far away, it’ll take even longer for him to return.”
Cheol Mu-ok thought of Gong Son-tae, who had been sent on an errand to a distant place, and subtly furrowed his brow.
‘I wonder if he’s met them by now?’
They were the forces absolutely essential to Yi Hwan. Cheol Mu-ok earnestly hoped Gong Son-tae would return with them.
It was then.
“Why is it so slow?”
Yi Hwan’s voice flowed out.
“There are too many people on the road, Your Highness. It seems it’ll take quite some time.”
Clack!
Yi Hwan threw open the carriage window and stuck his head out. He narrowed his eyes at the masses filling the road.
“Should’ve just gone on foot.”
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Never mind.”
Clack!
[You know what?]
[What?]
[The Lord’s demeanor has gotten much more serious lately. Before, it felt like he took everything in the world lightly, but now even a single word or glance is different.]
Cheol Mu-ok silently nodded. In truth, he had sensed Yi Hwan’s change as well.
[I like the Lord as he is now.]
[Well, me too.]
Clop clop!
The carriage headed toward the Imperial Palace at an agonizingly slow pace.
* * *
Yang Chan followed Yi Hwan’s carriage from about thirty zhang behind.
He wanted to draw a bit closer, but the crowds were too thick to allow it.
Neigh!
The horse tossed its head vigorously. Perhaps sensing it wasn’t with its true master, it occasionally bucked wildly.
“I’ll send you back home soon, so just bear with it a little longer.”
Yang Chan gently stroked the mane to calm the horse.
“Hahaha!”
“Hohoho!”
Laughter rang endlessly from the people.
Watching them, Yang Chan recalled the villagers who had died in Death Village.
They too had once lived happy lives like these people. Until they were driven to Death Village by the Southwest King’s atrocities.
‘Damn it…’
As his heart sank with endless heaviness, Yang Chan took a deep breath.
It was then.
A commotion erupted from behind.
“Get out of the way!”
“Eek!”
“Dodge, dodge!”
Turning his head, Yang Chan’s eyes caught sight of men charging fiercely through the crowd.
Even with the road packed solid, they spurred their horses without hesitation. In the chaos, several people scrambled aside and tumbled to the ground.
‘No way.’
Realizing something, Yang Chan let out a low sigh and gazed at Yi Hwan’s carriage.
The carriage continued leisurely ahead at thirty zhang.
“There! He’s there!”
“Grab that bastard!”
The pursuers pointed at Yang Chan and shouted. The moment his fears became reality.
Amid the sudden uproar, the carriage window opened, and Yi Hwan stuck his head out.
‘It’s hopeless today.’
After staring at Yi Hwan for a moment, Yang Chan veered his horse left and bolted into the fields.
“The bastard’s fleeing! Chase him!”
* * *
Thud thud thud!
Yang Chan cut across the fields into a woodland path. Glancing back, he saw even more pursuers on his tail.
A momentary urge to just poison them all surged, but he couldn’t. Yang Chan’s creed was to never kill unless there was clear enmity.
Whoosh!
Branches whipped his face, but Yang Chan ran without pause. Only after nearly half a shichen did he finally shake off the trackers.
“Go on back to your stable now.”
Yang Chan released the horse.
Without a backward glance, it galloped toward the city.
Whoosh!
Letting the wind carry him, Yang Chan stared north. Far off, the imperial capital sprawled hazily.
He stood blankly for a while, then started walking again. After a long trek, he arrived at the market street in the city center where he’d stolen the horse.
First, he headed to a clothier, donning a new robe and bamboo hat to cover his body and face, then made for the Song family manor.
By coincidence, the path took him past the stable where he’d taken the horse, but Yang Chan didn’t avoid it. With changed clothes and a hat, there was no risk of recognition.
A crowd had gathered around the stable. As he passed, whispers reached his ears.
“How could anyone slaughter innocent people like that?”
“Innocent? Come on. Losing a horse belonging to someone under the Fourth Imperial Prince is a capital crime deserving death!”
“What are you saying? No matter what, a horse can’t be worth more than a human life anywhere in the world!”
Yang Chan halted and stared at the people. Then his eyes flashed as he spotted several corpses covered in sacks amid the crowd.
‘No way…’
Yang Chan asked a nearby peasant.
“Elder, what happened here?”
“Don’t even ask. Some thief stole a horse and fled, but wouldn’t you know it belonged to one of the Fourth Imperial Prince’s men. So the stable keepers got wrongly executed for it. Six of them, no less.”
“……!”
There were three corpses under the sacks.
“Six… you say they’re dead?”
“That’s right. Three more are back there.”
Beneath the bamboo hat, Yang Chan’s eyes trembled faintly.
‘I killed them.’
Yang Chan turned to where the peasant pointed. Sure enough, three more corpses lay side by side.
Were they filled with resentment and injustice?
All three stared wide-eyed into the void.
Overwhelmed with despair, Yang Chan couldn’t tear his gaze from the dead for a long time.
In his haste to pursue Yi Hwan, he hadn’t even considered such an outcome. That impatience had claimed innocent lives.
It was then.
“Father!”
“Brother!”
“Father!”
Several men and women pushed through the crowd, collapsing over the corpses in gut-wrenching wails. The victims’ families, no doubt.
Unable to watch longer, Yang Chan resumed walking.
It belonged to one of the Fourth Imperial Prince’s men. So the stable keepers got wrongly executed for it.
The peasant’s voice lingered stubbornly in his mind. The words “Fourth Imperial Prince” stabbed into his brain like a dagger.
Yang Chan had heard about the turmoil in Yeon Kingdom’s Imperial Palace since arriving. The Empress and Fourth Imperial Prince scheming for the throne against the Crown Prince, the Fourth Imperial Prince’s cruelty growing day by day under the Empress’s backing, and so on.
Suddenly, Southwest King Jo Yun came to mind.
Perhaps he, the Yeon Empress, and the Fourth Imperial Prince were cut from the same cloth.
Rage boiled up. Along with guilt. No matter what, the stable folk had died because of him.
‘Damn it…’
* * *
Crown Prince’s Palace.
Gwan Ji-baek greeted Yi Hwan.
“Welcome, Great Prince.”
“Is he in?”
“His Highness is in the audience chamber, so you may need to wait a bit.”
“Something going on?”
“The court elders have entered the palace for once, and he’s meeting with them.”
“Is the Empress in the chamber too?”
“Likely. Though retired from office, they still wield immense influence, so Her Majesty the Empress can’t afford to neglect them.”
Yi Hwan sat in a chair.
“I’ll prepare tea.”
“One thing first.”
“Please speak.”
“Do you know how many days the imperial ritual lasts?”
“Pardon?”
“I haven’t attended in so long, my memory’s fuzzy.”
“Ah, yes. Next month’s imperial ritual spans seven days.”
“Everyone must attend without fail during that time?”
“Yes. Crown Prince Highness, Her Majesty the Empress, all princes and imperial clansmen will remain at the ritual grounds. But why…?”
“First time in ages, so I asked in case I slip up.”
Gwan Ji-baek smiled faintly.
“The Crown Prince will preside, so Great Prince, just be present. No need to worry.”
“His Majesty won’t attend the ritual either?”
“Probably not. Though we’ll see.”
Just then, a warrior brought tea, pausing the conversation.
Yi Hwan sipped once before asking something else.
“How’s the court atmosphere?”
“Noisy over the military reorganization. The Golden Army’s elevated authority hit hard last time; Palace of Illusory Flowers is going all out this round.”
“How much have we secured?”
“We’ve narrowed the gap considerably, but we’re still outnumbered. His Highness is deeply troubled by it.”
Yi Hwan nodded silently and took another sip.
Clink.
“I’ll handle that, so don’t worry. Anyway, I’ll rest a bit—let me know when His Highness arrives.”
“Understood, Great Prince.”
Yi Hwan entered a side chamber in the annex. A room specially prepared for him by Yi So, its shelves crammed with books.
It had been arranged to mimic his old quarters from his palace days, as he’d loved books more than food back then.
Yi Hwan shed his outer robe and lay on the bed.
‘I can enter the forbidden zone during the imperial ritual.’
Safest when the Empress vacates the Palace of Illusory Flowers?
Time remained, but Yi Hwan had no desire to rush. Fail once, and re-entry would be impossible—better aim for the surest moment.
‘Is the Emperor really there? And if so, in what state?’
He knew the Emperor’s face, of course. But Yi Hwan pondered if he was in a normal state or not.
Likely the latter. Otherwise, he wouldn’t hide so thoroughly.
It was then.
“Lord.”
Cheol Mu-ok’s voice drifted in.
“Come in.”
Cheol Mu-ok opened the door and entered. Go Mi followed behind.
“I just met Hwa’s envoy. She finished up at the Prime Minister’s office—secured things they can’t wriggle out of, so no worries.”
“Good. Back to Palace of Illusory Flowers then?”
“Yes. Said she must stay until you enter the forbidden zone. Fears heightened vigilance if she vanishes suddenly.”
‘She’s that cunning?’
As Yi Hwan marveled, Yi So’s voice flowed in.
“You in there?”