Chapter 350
Chapter 350
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 350
Chapter Title: Jo Gwang-mu's Counterattack
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Baek Woo-kyeong and Baek Yeon's expressions were gravely serious. Even their tightly pressed lips radiated the unique resolve of warriors.
But Yang Mu remained composed.
“If that's true, it's naturally a grave matter we can't just overlook. I understand, so please return. I will definitely root out and execute the spy colluding with the enemy.”
With Yang Mu speaking so firmly, Baek Woo-kyeong and Baek Yeon had no choice but to comply. The two bowed their heads and stepped outside.
“Did you see Grand Commander Yuan's expression?”
“He was trying hard to act calm, but shattering his wine cup says it all—no need for more words.”
“Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince can truly punish Grand Commander Yuan?”
At Baek Yeon's question, Baek Woo-kyeong shook his head with a skeptical look.
“Grand Commander Yuan is practically the Crown Prince's greatest pillar of strength. Even if it's exposed, His Highness will likely try to hush it up. Still, we came and spoke directly to ensure it never happens again.”
Baek Woo-kyeong gazed up at the sky and let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“The bigger problem is that the Great Prince of Yeon has lost trust in our Qin Kingdom. Losing that man's trust above all—how shall we handle this in the future?”
“Indeed.”
“Let us hurry on. Even for a moment, I have no desire to linger here today.”
“Yes, brother.”
The two men's footsteps as they left the camp felt heavier than a thousand catties.
* * *
It was a rare night with the moon out.
A cool breeze blew, and many warriors in the camp sat outside their tents, chatting idly.
Yi Hwan had placed a chair outside his tent and was sipping tea.
Fireflies fluttered around the tent, sparkling like jewels. The sight resembled Yi Hwan's martial arts.
Yi Hwan savored the leisurely moment for once.
How much time passed like that?
“Great Prince.”
Kim Mu-gwan pointed to the front left. Yi Seong-ji was approaching from there.
His internal injuries were severe, but walking posed no issue, so at a glance, he didn't seem injured at all.
‘Has he made his decision?’
Yi Hwan felt a surge of anticipation.
Moments later, Yi Seong-ji arrived.
“May I have a cup of tea?”
“Sit.”
“I'll prepare it.”
Kim Mu-gwan offered his chair to Yi Seong-ji and entered the tent. Park Ji-mun quietly rose as well.
“Is the cool breeze alright for you?”
“It's not that chilly.”
Yi Seong-ji met Yi Hwan's gaze steadily and continued.
“Will His Majesty forgive me?”
“As I said earlier, if it's sincere, he will forgive you. Of course, there will be opposing ministers, but that's secondary—nothing to worry about.”
A faint smile curved Yi Seong-ji's lips at Yi Hwan's words. Yi Hwan's anticipation vanished in that instant.
Sure enough.
“When I return and see His Majesty, tell him I sincerely seek forgiveness. And also, please convey that I hope he becomes a sage ruler and leads Yeon Kingdom to an era of peace and prosperity.”
“You're staying here?”
Yi Seong-ji nodded and said,
“I've thought it over hundreds of times. This is my conclusion, so I'd appreciate your understanding.”
“The Emperor might be one thing, but Crown Prince Yang Mu is the type to swallow what's sweet and spit out what's bitter at any time.”
“Do you think I don't know that? But I absolutely cannot return to Yeon Kingdom. I must not.”
“Is this decision for His Majesty's sake?”
Yi Seong-ji offered no reply. Just then, Kim Mu-gwan emerged with the tea.
Yi Seong-ji stood.
“I must be going.”
He turned to Kim Mu-gwan and said,
“Sorry for the trouble.”
Yi Hwan couldn't tear his eyes from Yi Seong-ji's retreating figure as he returned to his tent.
* * *
‘Treason must never be forgiven. If I return, it might even put my brother in a difficult position.’
Yi Seong-ji looked up at the moon in the night sky and let out a quiet sigh.
Zing.
His chest throbbed.
When Yi Hwan had asked if he had no intention of returning to Yeon Kingdom, his heart had raced wildly. Now, it had grown coldly still.
All the scenes from his life flashed before Yi Seong-ji's eyes like a lantern show.
‘If this is my fate, I have no choice but to accept it.’
Zing.
His chest throbbed again, and his eyes subtly reddened.
“Your Highness!”
Gong Ya-un approached.
“Master.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Shall we take a stroll together for once?”
“Are you sure you're up for it?”
“It's just a walk—don't worry.”
“Then I shall accompany you.”
The sky gradually darkened with storm clouds. The clouds soon swallowed even the moon that had illuminated the world.
The fireflies that had sparkled like jewels vanished, plunging the world into pitch blackness.
* * *
Zhao Kingdom's camp.
Yi Tae-ji perched on a tree behind his tent, drinking.
Lying on a thick branch, he gazed at the camp with chillingly cold eyes.
Beneath that chill lurked seething anger.
‘Dong Ja-ryang, you mad bastard…’
The rage from failing to exact revenge on Yi Hwan right before his eyes tormented him endlessly.
His gaze fell on Dong Ja-ryang's tent, where a group sat around a drinking party inside.
What fueled Yi Tae-ji's fury even more was that Dong Ja-ryang faced no punishment whatsoever. Jo Gwang-mu's scolding seemed mere formality in Yi Tae-ji's eyes.
‘I thought he'd be different from Jo Jeong-mu.’
His disappointment in Jo Gwang-mu was another source of his anger.
Gulp, gulp!
Yi Tae-ji drained the last of his liquor.
Then, someone approached below the tree where he lay. It was Do Geom.
“Care for a drink together?”
“I'm out of liquor.”
“This should do.”
Do Geom shook two bottles of liquor.
“Come on up.”
Do Geom leaped up beside Yi Tae-ji in one bound. The massive tree had enough room for two.
“It's fine to drink with me?”
“The culprit who botched the plan is brazenly holding a drinking party over there. What's the issue with sharing a drink with you? Go on—it's pretty good stuff.”
Yi Tae-ji uncorked the bottle Do Geom handed him and downed half in one go.
Gulp, gulp!
Do Geom brought his bottle to his lips and asked,
“You seem awfully regretful about failing to kill Yeon's Great Prince.”
“Regret doesn't cover it. He's the one who took everything from me.”
“Are you confident?”
It was a question about whether he had the ability to kill Yi Hwan. Yi Tae-ji knew it well but smirked and countered.
“Are you confident you can kill him?”
“Until now, I was certain. But honestly, after this incident, I'm not sure.”
At Do Geom's frank answer, Yi Tae-ji furrowed his brow slightly and muttered,
“He's like a goblin. Every time I see him, I can't even gauge the limits of his power…”
Yi Tae-ji had witnessed Yi Hwan's new abilities, raising doubts about whether he could kill him.
Perhaps this was yet another reason for his anger.
‘Has he grown even stronger? Or has he been hiding his true power all along?’
“Mind if I ask one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you content with palace life?”
Heh.
“I'm in no position to leave just because I dislike it. But why do you ask?”
“If you're willing, how about joining us? With your skills, the others won't object. If you accept, I could even plead your case to His Majesty.”
Yi Tae-ji's eyes gleamed oddly, but Do Geom missed the change.
“Does that include Dong Ja-ryang?”
“Of course.”
“It sounds like you're telling me to serve under that man.”
“Rank is just formality. You won't have to deal with him much, like this time.”
“I'll think about it.”
“I'll await your answer. Just not too late. Farewell.”
Do Geom descended the tree.
Yi Tae-ji stared at Do Geom's departing back, his gaze settling.
‘Join those direct subordinates of Jo Yun?’
In truth, Yi Tae-ji harbored great doubts about Do Geom, Dong Ja-ryang, and the rest. What kind of people were they, that even the army's high generals treated them with such caution?
Dong Ja-ryang was a prime example. A general of his caliber should have faced at least demotion for failing the operation.
Yet Dong Ja-ryang was forgiven without a fuss—no procedure at all.
‘I’ll watch a bit longer before deciding.’
Yi Tae-ji lay back.
The moon, hidden by storm clouds, reemerged, dispelling the pitch darkness.
“Hoo…”
Yi Tae-ji let out a long sigh of unclear meaning.
And so, he fell asleep atop the great tree.
* * *
Zhao Kingdom's camp.
Jo Gwang-mu's expression, as he shared drinks with Woo Mun-sul, was not merely heavy—it was shrouded in deep shadow.
Woo Mun-sul spoke in a somber tone.
“The gold meant for military funds was stolen by the Third Prince—no, Jo Seok—making it difficult to procure provisions from nearby cities.”
“So, there's no choice but to wait for supplies from the distant rear.”
“There is one other way…”
“What is it?”
Woo Mun-sul continued with a somewhat troubled expression.
“Issue mobilization orders to nearby cities. That way, we can secure enough provisions until the supply trains arrive.”
“You mean forcibly seize the people's grain?”
“With the current situation, it's the only option…”
“Pretend you never said it.”
Woo Mun-sul fell silent, staring at Jo Gwang-mu's increasingly stern face. Here, he felt it anew.
‘He truly differs from His Majesty in character.’
Jo Yun would have issued mobilization orders to nearby cities before Woo Mun-sul could even suggest it.
Jo Gwang-mu lifted his teacup to his lips, and Woo Mun-sul waited silently for him to speak.
After the time to sip a few cups of tea,
Clink.
“First, we must restore the army's morale. To do that, we repay in kind what they did to us.”
“Are you considering a full assault?”
“A full assault with shortages is impossible. So, I'm thinking of repaying them with the exact same method they used.”
“…”
Woo Mun-sul gazed into Jo Gwang-mu's deepening eyes, anticipating what stratagem he would unveil.
‘With this operation, I can properly gauge his potential as successor to His Majesty.’
Moments later, Jo Gwang-mu explained his plan.
Once finished, Woo Mun-sul nodded in complete satisfaction. It was an ingenious strategy he himself hadn't considered.
Thud.
“Move out at dawn tomorrow.”
“Isn't dawn tomorrow too soon? The enemy will be thoroughly prepared for our counterattack.”
“Everyone will think like a strategist. I'll use that against them.”
“…”
“Do you doubt my plan?”
“No. I shall follow Your Highness's will.”
* * *
The next dawn.
Shadows moved south of Qin Kingdom's camp. Hwe Po-in, who had slapped Dong Ja-ryang before, Dong Ja-ryang himself, Do Geom, and Yi Tae-ji were among them.
Yi Tae-ji trailed at the rear alongside Do Geom, eyes fixed on Dong Ja-ryang ahead.
Rage still surged at the sight of him, but since they were embarking on a crucial and dangerous operation, he forcibly suppressed it.
Do Geom said,
“I didn't expect a counterattack this soon.”
“If everyone's thinking the same, then using it in reverse must be the idea.”
Do Geom nodded silently at Yi Tae-ji's words.
“But whose plan is it?”
“Who else but the strategist? He's had no real successes since arriving, so he's probably eager to prove himself by sending out so many warriors this time…”
At that moment, Hwe Po-in's low voice rang out.
“We split into two groups from here. Be careful not to lose the blinding smoke during movement.”
Soon after, Zhao's warriors divided into two groups. A bitter smile touched Yi Tae-ji's lips upon learning he was grouped with Dong Ja-ryang.
‘Don't act recklessly like before, Dong Ja-ryang, or you might die.’