Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Non-Aggression between Court and Martial World
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Yi Tae-ji's group set out at dawn.
About an hour after sunrise, the forest ahead rustled, and a black-robed figure emerged.
Everyone who had placed hands on their sword hilts confirmed the man's identity and lowered them. He was Yi Tae-ji's subordinate, who had departed for the Imperial Palace ahead of them.
"Your Highness..."
"Your expression tells me it's bad news."
"His Highness the Crown Prince has completed the enthronement ceremony and ascended the throne."
"...What?"
"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor issued an edict of abdication..."
The black-robed man began detailing the intelligence gathered from the capital. With each word, Yi Tae-ji's face hardened like stone.
The report ended with the fact that most of the martial artists aligned with the Empress had been locked in the Palace of Illusory Flowers and burned alive.
"Damn it..."
Yi Tae-ji felt strength drain from his entire body. He had nowhere left to return to.
The green-robed men watched him gravely but could not bring themselves to speak.
Whoosh!
His hair whipped across his face in the wind, but Yi Tae-ji stood dazed, not moving a muscle.
How much time passed like that?
One of the green-robed men spoke with a stiff expression.
"The Imperial Palace is now too dangerous. You should hurry to Her Majesty the Empress. She must be waiting for you, Your Highness."
"Any word on Mother?"
"She went to negotiate the peace treaty but has not returned to the palace. That's confirmed."
"Wine."
One of the green-robed men swiftly handed over a bottle. Martial artists typically carried wine on missions—not out of fondness, but because it helped ease tension.
Gulp! Gulp!
Yi Tae-ji emptied the bottle in one go.
Thud!
"We're going to the Zhao Kingdom."
In the end, Yi Tae-ji made the bitter choice. To plot for the future, he first had to survive. He had no other option.
"I was too complacent. Both Mother and I."
Whoosh!
* * *
Half a month later.
The Imperial Palace, engulfed in chaos from the upheaval, quickly stabilized.
Emperor Yi So, having replaced key figures like the Prime Minister and Grand Marshal, also substituted the military's top generals with those loyal to him.
Yi Hwan used the Golden Army to disarm the private forces of the major ministers, wrapping up the operation. There were minor clashes along the way, but they were suppressed without major incidents.
Soon after, as the political situation stabilized somewhat, Yi So made the bold decision to open the Imperial Palace Treasury.
It was, of course, on Yi Hwan's advice.
*Distribute the treasures from the Imperial Palace Treasury to aid the flood victims this summer.*
Yi So accepted readily, and as a result, the capital's citizens praised the new emperor.
Yeom Yu-gwang, leader of the Yellow Dragon Merchant Group—who had received Yi Hwan's pardon—donated three million taels of silver for relief efforts. Wang Ji-kyeong contributed a similar amount.
Thus began Emperor Yi So's reign on a smooth note. Yi Hwan's contributions went without saying.
* * *
One month later.
The world stirred once more.
Emperor Yi So had finally declared the Non-Aggression between Court and Martial World.
Detailed clauses followed, of course, but as the first such declaration among the three kingdoms since the era of Martial Emperor Yi Hwan faded two hundred years ago, the impact was immense.
Yi So's proclamation spread across the land on the winds, and the martial artists of the three kingdoms began to waver.
* * *
Whoosh!
At the tip of Shaoshi Peak on Mount Song, two men stood side by side, letting the wind buffet their bodies. They were Yi Seong-ji, now reduced to a prince of misfortune, and his master, Gong Ya-un.
Yi Seong-ji gazed down at the world unfolding below, his eyes no different from usual. But Gong Ya-un's face, fixed on him, was shrouded in deep shadow.
"The repercussions of the emperor's declaration seem more severe than anticipated. Word is that martial artists who had joined the court are already returning to their sects."
Yi Seong-ji said nothing.
Gong Ya-un continued, his eyes tinged with unease.
"If the Shaolin Temple wavers, it could become a serious problem."
"Once again, I'd find myself without a nest."
"Though we trust the Shaolin Temple, you should prepare for the worst—that they might cast us out."
"If the Shaolin turns us away, we'll have no choice but to leave. So where do we go then?"
"..."
Yi Seong-ji turned to Gong Ya-un.
"Shall we go to Mother?"
"It may not be the best option, but it could be a solid second choice. Of course, we will follow Your Highness's will."
Gong Ya-un ground his teeth before continuing.
Crunch.
"I never imagined he would declare the Non-Aggression between Court and Martial World. That single proclamation has dealt a massive blow not just to Your Highness, but to Her Majesty the Empress and even Fourth Prince Yi Hwan. If the state acknowledges the martial world, no warrior will want to serve the court or political factions. The signs are already there, aren't they?"
"Yes. I suppose so."
Yi Seong-ji cast his gaze back down the mountain.
He appeared endlessly calm, but inwardly, he was more confused than ever.
Just as he feared, subtle changes were detectable at the Shaolin Temple. The sect leader, with whom he had shared tea multiple times a day, had now avoided meeting him for three straight days, citing business.
"When I met the fourth prince again, I got a very strange feeling. He looked like the fourth prince on the outside, but felt like a completely different person. Looking back, that sensation was one of dread and foreboding."
"If I may speak out of turn, had the Fourth Imperial Prince been eliminated sooner, none of this would have happened."
"Perhaps you're right."
Whoosh!
A gust swept in fiercely, battering Yi Seong-ji's body. The dust kicked up by the wind scattered in all directions near his face, repelled by an invisible force.
Gong Ya-un asked,
"I'd like to hear Your Highness's thoughts."
"You're wondering if I still hold onto the dream of my great cause?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Yi Seong-ji fell silent for a long while at that. Gong Ya-un did not press him. After a brief pause, Yi Seong-ji slowly turned.
Their gazes met across the empty air.
"The dream in my heart hasn't changed in the slightest. I'll just change the method."
"..."
"Master."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I'll go to the Qin Kingdom. There, I'll start laying the groundwork for my dream from the beginning."
"You mean... to seek exile?"
"There's no other way."
"Understood. Then I'll prepare for departure."
Resolution filled Gong Ya-un's face. Knowing Yi Seong-ji had not abandoned his dream reaffirmed his own will to live.
*If he has no intention of going with the Empress, then I agree.*
* * *
A certain hideout in the Zhao Kingdom's capital.
Anger clouded Yeon Kingdom Empress Hong Seon's face.
"Less than fifty more warriors have joined us so far?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Several factions that had expressed interest have suddenly gone silent. It seems the Non-Aggression between Court and Martial World has changed their minds."
"If the court acknowledges the martial world, what can those fools do!"
"..."
Yi So's declaration had rocked the Zhao Kingdom as well. Just like in Yeon, warriors who had served the court were defecting in droves.
Meanwhile, those staying demanded better terms, vexing their employers.
"Foolish wretch. To discard hunting dogs more valuable than a hundred thousand troops. Becoming emperor must have addled his brain!"
Sizzle...
White smoke rose from the armrest where Hong Seon's hand rested. It soon began filling the narrow room.
In the old days at the Palace of Illusory Flowers, it wouldn't have mattered, but her current quarters were laughably small and cramped by comparison.
Realizing this belatedly, Hong Seon's face twisted in misery. The humiliating circumstances she had tried to forget surged back like yesterday's events, roughening even her breath.
"Still no word from the second prince?"
"None yet, Your Majesty. But we've sent out people, so news of His Highness should come soon."
"And the third?"
"We haven't located Third Prince Yi Seong-ji. But it seems he wasn't sacrificed to the Crown Prince's Palace blades. We'll track him down swiftly."
"Foolish boy. If he's alive, he should come find his mother."
It was then.
A black-robed man entered the room.
"We've confirmed that Fourth Imperial Prince Yi Hwan has entered the Zhao Kingdom."
"Where is he?!"
"He left the county office in a city three days from here yesterday. He should arrive in two days."
"Haa..."
A sigh of relief escaped Hong Seon's lips. In truth, she had been on pins and needles because Yi Tae-ji's whereabouts had not reached her.
"Clean the room where that child will stay and fill it with all his favorite things!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Hong Seon finally sank deeply into her chair, relaxing her rigid posture.
*If the warriors who fled with the second prince are safe, we can make a comeback.*
Sss...
Chilling energy emanated from Hong Seon's entire body.
*It's not over yet.*
* * *
These were peaceful days. Many hailed it as the dawn of a golden age, praising the new emperor Yi So.
But the battles in the shadows raged on.
Caw! Caw!
An unusually large flock of crows gathered over the mountainous region north of the capital. As harbingers of death, the nearby folk trembled in fear of impending calamity.
Those in plain clothes appeared there around sunset.
Pushing through the woods down the mountain, they headed straight for the capital.
When they reached the plains where the capital came into view, two black-robed men appeared ahead.
"Golden Army troops are guarding every road, spaced closely. With martial artists among them, infiltrating the capital undetected won't be easy."
"Hmm..."
The apparent leader furrowed his brow.
Another black-robed man spoke.
"What if we try sneaking in at dawn? Everyone should be lax then, right?"
"Good. We'll wait in the mountains until dawn."
"Understood."
The group turned back across the plains and climbed the mountain. They found an old shrine midway and entered it.
"Have you heard the rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"The emperor plans to reorganize the military soon, appointing two Grand Commanders-in-Chief with authority surpassing even that. Rumor has it one will be the Fourth Imperial Prince."
"So now they're handing the Fourth Prince not just the wings Her Majesty the Empress gave him, but the executioner's blade as well."
"The emperor's trust in the Fourth Prince is nearly absolute. The odd thing is, since the uprising, he hardly enters the palace at all."
"So he's staying at the Golden Army headquarters on the capital's outskirts?"
"Yes."
The leader's brow twitched faintly.
"This makes it even harder..."
"Indeed. Breaching the Golden Army HQ's defenses will be tougher than the capital's. It's practically the Fourth Prince's kingdom there."
The group's leader sank into thought, his eyes darkening. The others waited curiously for his stratagem.
After about fifteen minutes,
The leader finally spoke.
"Change of target."
"...Pardon?"
"At dawn, we head straight for the Song family manor. If we can't take him, we'll at least claim his sister's life."
"Will Her Majesty approve?"
"She wants him to suffer, in any case. Rumor says he dotes on his one and only sister. It might even be better revenge that way."
"Ah..."
"We have plenty of time until dawn. Everyone, rest well."
"Yes."
As the group settled into comfortable positions for rest, the leader quenched his throat with wine from a subordinate and steeled his resolve.
*My brother and friends were in the Palace of Illusory Flowers. Feel the pain they did burning alive, Yi Hwan.*
Thud!
*This is my revenge too.*