Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Sudden Variable
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While Yi Hwan, who had visited the Crown Prince's Palace, was conversing with Yi So, Kim Mu-gwan tilted teacups with Gwan Ji-baek.
“How’s it going?”
“Honestly, I’m still not sure. But it seems certain that he has a firmer resolve than the rumors suggest.”
“Serve at his side and gradually adapt. You’ll come to understand what kind of person he is as you spend time together.”
“I’m working on it.”
“No difficulties?”
“None. If I had to pick one, that guy Ju Tae is acting up a bit excessively, but I’ll sort it out gradually.”
Pfft.
Gwan Ji-baek let out a chuckle. Kim Mu-gwan was the first to speak of the world-famous Ju Tae in such terms.
“Get along well with him. He’s one of the people the Great Prince trusts most. And he’s got incredible skill too.”
“His skills... well, understood.”
Gwan Ji-baek smiled faintly as he watched Kim Mu-gwan lift his teacup.
“I hear the Great Prince is quite taken with you.”
“Is that so? That’s fortunate.”
Kim Mu-gwan treated Gwan Ji-baek with utmost respect. Yet beneath it lay a subtle aura that even Gwan Ji-baek couldn’t treat lightly.
Though Gwan Ji-baek spoke casually, he didn’t treat him like a subordinate.
“Don’t you miss your hometown?”
“I do. Terribly so. But I must endure until the task is done.”
“Once the political situation stabilizes, he’ll grant you ample time. And we’ll support you both materially and morally.”
“Is this ‘political stability’ you speak of concerning the throne?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
“Then why send me to the Great Prince? When full-scale political strife erupts, wouldn’t I be more useful at Your Highness’s side?”
“His Highness trusts the Great Prince absolutely. But he’s greatly concerned about how few martial artists surround the Great Prince. That’s why I sent you. You’ll be worth more than hundreds of them. I share the same view.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
It was then, as Kim Mu-gwan calmly brought the teacup to his lips. A general entered. He was the one overseeing intelligence for the Crown Prince's Palace.
“What is it?”
“The Northern Legion just sent a messenger pigeon to the Inspectorate. It says the Blue Wolf Tribe is assembling forces near the border.”
“The Blue Wolf Tribe...”
“They’re the faction led by Tae Mu-rang, who calls himself king of the great plains. They’re known to have grown immensely powerful lately by absorbing other tribes.”
Gwan Ji-baek’s expression darkened.
“Why would they mass troops at our border? Even with their growth, they wouldn’t dare attack Yeon Kingdom.”
“We’ll monitor the situation and report back immediately if anything unusual arises.”
“Understood. I’ll inform His Highness, so return to your post.”
“Yes, General.”
Gwan Ji-baek glanced toward Yi So’s residence. He wanted to report at once, but it would interrupt their conversation.
Just then, the door opened, and Yi Hwan and Yi So emerged. Gwan Ji-baek rose immediately and approached the two.
“General Ju was just here. He said...”
Gwan Ji-baek relayed to Yi Hwan and Yi So exactly what the general had told him.
Once the explanation ended, Yi So furrowed his brow.
“Why would the Blue Wolf Tribe, of all people, suddenly...”
Yi Hwan asked.
“Is it worth worrying about?”
“If it were before, no. But their recent expansion feels off. They were once a fierce tribe that demanded close attention from both us and Qin Kingdom.”
Gwan Ji-baek spoke up.
“It’s suspicious no matter how you look at it. If they’re after expansion, Qin Kingdom—still in chaos after the great earthquake—would be far easier than us. Why head toward the Northern Legion?”
“True, that’s what bothers me.”
Yi Hwan said to Gwan Ji-baek.
“If anything unusual turns up, let me know then.”
“Understood, Great Prince.”
“Then I’ll be off.”
Yi Hwan left the Crown Prince's Palace with Kim Mu-gwan. It was then that his eyes sharpened upon spotting Yi Tae-ji approaching from afar.
The one Yi Hwan’s gaze fixed on wasn’t Yi Tae-ji, but the figure trailing behind him.
‘Haven’t seen that face before?’
His appearance was utterly ordinary. But his overall presence felt subtly eerie and bizarre.
Different from the countless Crimson Moon assassins he’d encountered before?
‘Well, with thousands of martial artists under his command, I can’t know every face.’
Yi Hwan strode forward.
Moments later, Yi Tae-ji spoke first.
“Visiting brother?”
“Yes.”
“You two seem to meet far too often lately.”
“Isn’t it natural for a younger brother to seek his elder?”
“Fair enough. Nothing strange about it. Anyway, do well. See you.”
He even waved cheerfully as he passed.
Yi Hwan watched Yi Tae-ji’s retreating figure impassively. All the while, he muttered something inscrutable.
“Maybe it’s not a change—maybe that’s his true face.”
* * *
Yi Tae-ji sat facing the Empress.
The Empress asked bluntly.
“Satisfied?”
“I haven’t tested his skills yet, so I’ll need to watch longer. That aside, Mother.”
Yi Tae-ji changed topics.
“On the way, I heard from someone at the Inspectorate that northern barbarians are massing troops near the Northern Legion. Did you know?”
“I got the report just now too. But why ask me?”
“If war breaks out up north, how about I go? It’d let me gauge the skills of the friends you assigned me too.”
“What?”
The Empress’s expression shifted at the unexpected suggestion. Yi Tae-ji leaned back in his chair and continued.
“Before clashing head-on with the Crown Prince's Palace, showing my abilities to the world could help sway the ministers. Plenty don’t see me as emperor material, after all.”
“...”
“Didn’t you harbor such thoughts yourself? This could wipe away all doubts and biases—good for the long term.”
‘This boy...’
The Empress was inwardly startled. She felt Yi Tae-ji’s transformation as keenly as Yi Hwan did.
“If that fourth brat heads up and crushes them effortlessly, it’ll only spell trouble for us. So let me go this time. I trust you can manage that much, Mother.”
“You think the Crown Prince's Palace will sit idle if you go north?”
“Well, we’d have to risk it, wouldn’t we? We’ve been on the offensive while they defended; flipping it this time might be fun.”
Yi Tae-ji brimmed with ease. The Empress, who’d never seen him like this, could only be more astonished.
“We’ll watch how things unfold first.”
“Then I’ll rely on you alone, Mother.”
Yi Tae-ji rose from his seat.
The Empress looked up at him and pressed on.
“How’s your training coming?”
“I’m at it day and night without fail, so no need to worry. I’ll reach the realm you want soon.”
Moments later, Yi Tae-ji left the Palace of Illusory Flowers and encountered a minister on the way to his residence. He was from the Ministry of War and a staunch supporter.
“Any further updates?”
“Just got another messenger pigeon. The Blue Wolf Tribe’s assembled forces number nearly 100,000. They mean business.”
“100,000 can’t take the Northern Legion, can they?”
“Not necessarily. If war erupts, the Northern Legion has to keep Qin Kingdom in mind and split their forces. 100,000 would be plenty threatening.”
“Hmm, good point.”
“But why the keen interest from Your Highness?”
Yi Tae-ji smiled faintly at the minister’s question.
“As a prince of this realm, it’s only natural to pay heed. See you.”
The minister watched Yi Tae-ji’s fading figure and cocked his head.
‘Was the Second Prince always like this?’
* * *
Back in his office, a general from the Crown Prince's Palace visited Yi Hwan. He passed on exactly what Yi Tae-ji had heard from the Ministry of War minister, then departed.
Yi Hwan thought of Northern Legion Commander Gwak Chung-mu and gave a wry smile.
‘He’d normally send straight to the Crown Prince's Palace...’
Gwak Chung-mu had sent strictly to the Inspectorate.
That aligned with military command structure. It revealed his strict separation of public and private.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke.
“If war breaks out again, things could get messy. The Empress side will surely try to exploit it.”
“Probably.”
Ju Tae raised his voice.
“What if they shove the burden onto the Great Prince again? That woman’s more than capable of it.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Pardon?”
“The Golden Army’s role has changed. If they order me north, unlike before, I can deploy the Golden Army. Think the Empress—who knows that—would hand me another shot at glory?”
“Ah...”
“Of course, they might send me then strike at the Crown Prince's Palace. So we watch for now.”
Yi Hwan sipped his tea leisurely. Kim Mu-gwan watched, a glint of quiet admiration in his eyes.
‘He sees right through the Empress. No—through the entire political landscape.’
Clink.
“You three.”
“Yes, Great Prince.”
“From today, double training intensity for centurion rank and above. Especially those with combat experience—select them separately, Mu-ok, and handle them personally.”
“Preparing to head north?”
“Among other things.”
“Understood.”
Alone moments later, Yi Hwan approached the window and flung it wide.
Whoosh!
The wind sweeping through the palace grounds blew fiercely.
Yi Hwan’s gaze fixed on the Palace of Illusory Flowers. Unlike the others, its red tiles made the surroundings look blood-soaked.
‘A variable even the Empress didn’t foresee. Faced with a board she didn’t set, what will she choose? Her decision could be the perfect opening for me and the Crown Prince.’
* * *
‘Should I grant that child’s wish?’
The Empress sank into contemplation.
Yi Tae-ji’s gaze lingered vividly. His transformed demeanor remained alien and bewildering, even to her as his birth mother.
In the past, she’d have refused outright. No way would she send her throne-aspirant to a perilous battlefield.
But now was different.
‘He truly wants it—not some scheme.’
That was why.
In his eyes, tone, every gesture, the Empress sensed utter sincerity.
She felt compelled not to deny it.
‘Sending the Second north means dispatching escorts too.’
Another source of hesitation.
With Crimson Moon shattered, only her own loyalists remained to assign him. The Young Tiger Clan existed, but summoning them to the palace would take time.
Thud!
The Empress slammed the armrest and threw her head back.
“Why now, of all times!”
Her resentful outburst pierced the air toward someone.
The guard captain entered.
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
“Nothing.”
The Empress shot to her feet and slipped into her private secret passage. Soon, she faced one person.
He radiated a ghostly aura. Indeterminate age or gender, his bizarre garb and presence carried eyes faintly rimmed in bloody glow—evil beyond mere eeriness.
“What brings you?”
“You have a task.”
“Command me.”
“Go north with the Second Prince.”
“At the Second Prince’s request, haven’t we already broken the pact and sent several?”
“That’s why I’m telling you it’s not enough!”
As the Empress raised her voice, the blood mist filling the chamber churned wildly.
The weirdo asked calmly.
“How many?”
“Go yourself. The rest is yours to decide.”