Chapter 367
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 367
Chapter Title: Everything Goes As Yi Hwan Wishes
Yi Seong-ji had become the commander of a unit, officially entering the service of the Qin Kingdom. Therefore, desertion was an undeniable crime without room for argument.
Tremble...
Gong Ya-un's hand, resting on his sword hilt, shook faintly.
Now there were only two choices: fight to the end or follow along.
The former meant death for everyone, and the latter was hardly any different.
It was then.
"Everyone, stay calm."
Yi Seong-ji's voice was surprisingly composed.
"Your Highness!"
"Follow my words, Master."
Yi Seong-ji stared at Baek Po-in.
"We'll comply obediently, so ensure no one gets hurt."
"Understood."
Yi Seong-ji slowly finished the remaining tea.
Gong Ya-un sent a transmission in a resolute tone.
[Your Highness! Do not lose your will. If you go with them, you'll suffer worse than death!]
But Yi Seong-ji weakly shook his head.
'Is this my fate?'
It was heartbreaking. And sorrowful.
"Hurry up. The Grand Minister of Works is waiting!"
At Baek Po-in's words, Yi Seong-ji lifted his head and stared at him.
"The Grand Minister of Works came all the way here to capture me?"
"That's right."
Yi Seong-ji had seen Gwan Yeong before. He enjoyed the Qin Emperor's trust more than anyone and was the Crown Prince Yang Mu's strongest ally.
"How did you know I was here?"
"All physicians in our Qin report information on any martial artists they treat to the authorities. Nowhere in Qin territory can escape the eyes and ears of the court."
"......"
Those words meant a report had already gone up on the first day.
Yi Seong-ji thought of the physician who had treated him with utmost sincerity and gave a bitter smile.
It was then.
"Step aside."
A gruff voice flowed in from the main gate. Everyone's heads turned toward it.
Yi Seong-ji's eyes widened when he saw Ju Tae pushing through the Qin warriors and entering.
The commander blocked Ju Tae, Kim Mu-gwan, and the others, shouting coldly.
"State your identity!"
"Don't feel like it."
"What?"
Clang clang clang!
The Qin warriors belatedly drew their swords.
Smirk.
"They drew first, right?"
Kim Mu-gwan and Park Ji-mun slowly lowered their weapons. At that moment, a warrior under Yi Seong-ji who had come with them rushed in.
"Your Highness! I've brought the Great Prince's escorts!"
He deliberately emphasized "Great Prince's escorts."
It was only natural for the Qin warriors to be shocked. Even commander Baek Po-in was the same.
Ju Tae approached Yi Seong-ji regardless of their surprise.
"I've received the Great Prince's order to escort Your Highness. Please come with us."
This was not Ju Tae's usual courteous demeanor. But due to the situation, he deliberately treated Yi Seong-ji with respect.
Ju Tae continued toward Gong Ya-un.
"Prepare to escort him at once."
"......Understood!"
Ju Tae turned to Baek Po-in and slowly drew his sword.
Shing.
"If you block the way, we'll have to fight."
"Do you even know this is interfering in internal affairs!"
"I don't know about that. I'm just following my lord's orders."
Sizzle!
Ju Tae's sword brimmed with sword energy. Park Ji-mun and Kim Mu-gwan cracked their necks and advanced on the Qin warriors.
Grind!
At the same time, Yi Seong-ji's subordinates drew their swords in unison.
Clang clang clang!
The atmosphere completely shifted.
Their numbers were even, but the Qin warriors, well aware of the rumors about Great Prince Yi Hwan's escorts, couldn't help but feel intimidated in an instant.
But Baek Po-in did not back down.
"Don't retreat!"
Smirk.
Ju Tae flashed his characteristic rough grin.
"If I were you, I'd leave it to the Grand Minister of Works' judgment. Dying pointlessly here only hurts you."
"Just kill them all. Problem solved."
Kim Mu-gwan chimed in.
Park Ji-mun wasn't one to stay quiet.
"You should know our forces came down to aid your Qin Kingdom, right at spitting distance. On the Great Prince's order, they'd turn this city to ashes without hesitation. Heh heh heh."
"......!"
"If you don't believe me, come at us."
Sizzle!
Park Ji-mun's longsword began emitting streaks of blue light. He deliberately unleashed a larger, more powerful sword aura to intimidate them and end the situation without fighting.
Tremble...
Baek Po-in's face twitched with fine spasms.
He hadn't anticipated this situation at all.
'One wrong move, and it could escalate into a major incident straining relations with Yeon Kingdom!'
He couldn't bear the responsibility if it happened because of them.
Even if they seized him, victory wasn't guaranteed. If the rumors about Yi Hwan's escorts were true, they were more likely to lose.
Ju Tae added one more thing.
"Go back and report this exactly to the Grand Minister of Works and do as he says. That's the only way you'll save your lives. And a heads-up: if we fight, we never let our opponents live."
Crunch.
Baek Po-in's teeth ground into his lip.
He glared sharply at Ju Tae before turning away.
"We're leaving!"
Ju Tae smirked as he watched the Qin warriors retreat in defeat.
"Ended too anticlimactically?"
"Yeah? I thought we'd definitely fight. Qin bastards really do have tiny hearts. Tsk tsk tsk."
Kim Mu-gwan and Park Ji-mun clicked their tongues at the departing Qin warriors.
"Settled without fighting, so that's good. Killing them here unnecessarily could make things worse."
"Well, true."
The two soon looked toward the hall.
Just then, Yi Seong-ji, changed into new clothes, emerged with Ju Tae.
[Should we treat him as kin?]
[He's returning to Yeon Kingdom, so probably. He's the Great Prince's brother, after all.]
[Fair enough.]
They bowed their heads and stepped aside.
Yi Seong-ji said one word to them.
"Thank you."
"No need for that. We just followed the Great Prince's orders."
"Still, thank you."
"......"
* * *
Dusk.
As the sunset dyed the world red, Yi Hwan, Go Mi, and Hwa Ryeong shared drinks outside the tent.
Hwa Ryeong spoke with a worried expression.
"I wonder how it went? Surely no bloodshed broke out?"
"That won't happen. Unless the Qin warriors are mad."
"You're awfully confident."
"It's a situation that calls for it."
"You're certain because they fear straining relations with our Yeon Kingdom?"
"Exactly."
Hwa Ryeong delicately furrowed her brow.
"Would the warriors think that far? If the Grand Minister of Works ordered them to bring the Third Prince, wouldn't they try unconditionally? Though Ju Tae and the others aren't ones to sit idle."
"Wait and see."
Yi Hwan leisurely sipped his drink while gazing toward Gwan Yeong's tent.
Go Mi said,
"If it ended as we wanted, the Qin warriors should be returning by now."
"Here they come."
"Pardon?"
Yi Hwan nodded toward the right. Men presumed to be under Gwan Yeong were approaching from there.
Go Mi slightly widened her eyes.
"No sign of the Third Prince. And it looks like the full group has returned. No clash occurred."
"Of course. If they'd fought, how could those guys return alive? As expected of the Great Prince's prediction."
Hwa Ryeong laughed while refilling Yi Hwan's cup.
"Now I'm curious how the Grand Minister of Works will react. He won't make an issue of this, right?"
Go Mi replied,
"That seems even less likely. Someone of the Grand Minister of Works' caliber knows Qin's situation better than anyone."
"Then no worries at all? In that case, shall we have two more bottles? That okay?"
"As many as you like."
"Hehe!"
Hwa Ryeong excitedly went to fetch more alcohol.
Yi Hwan crossed his arms, staring at Gwan Yeong's tent.
Then, footsteps approached from behind. Turning, he saw Ju Tae, Kim Mu-gwan, and the others walking up.
"We've escorted the Third Prince and are returning."
"You managed without spilling blood. Nice work."
"We gave them a little scare, and they tucked tail. Honestly, I braced for a fight, but it ended too tamely."
"Did you check his condition?"
"His internal injuries seem quite severe. That's probably why he gave up resisting. If we'd been a bit later, we might've botched it."
"Good work. Come have a drink."
"Yes, sir!"
"I'll get more snacks."
As Go Mi rose and left, Kim Mu-gwan and Park Ji-mun sat on chairs.
Kim Mu-gwan asked,
"You think they'll just let it slide?"
"What if they don't?"
"Nothing."
Smirk.
* * *
Boom!
Gwan Yeong's face flushed red as he slammed the table. Baek Po-in bowed his head, biting his lip.
"Fighting them risked straining relations with Yeon Kingdom, so I had no choice. If my judgment was wrong, I'll accept any punishment."
"Enough!"
"......"
How could Gwan Yeong not know that?
That's why his anger surged even more. The mission had failed, but no one could be blamed. For a leader, few things were more infuriating.
Gwan Yeong's confidant muttered,
"How did the Great Prince know he was there?"
Baek Po-in answered.
"One of Yi Seong-ji's subordinates must have sought help from the Yeon army. With tens of thousands of them, it wouldn't be hard to find."
Gwan Yeong's confidant nodded gravely in agreement. Turning to Gwan Yeong, he continued.
"Shouldn't we summon nearby forces and demand they hand over Yi Seong-ji?"
"Fool."
"Pardon?"
"The army the Great Prince Yi Hwan brought down at our request numbers fifty thousand. We've only just ended the war with Zhao Kingdom—do you want war with Yeon next? And how do you plan to handle the fallout?"
"......I was short-sighted."
Silence filled the tent.
Everyone watched Gwan Yeong with serious expressions. After a long moment of flushed silence, Gwan Yeong finally spoke.
"The Yi Seong-ji matter will be discussed back at court, so don't concern yourselves or take further action."
"Understood."
"Yes."
"All of you, withdraw!"
Soon, only Gwan Yeong and his confidant remained in the tent.
The confidant cautiously spoke.
"If we just hand Yi Seong-ji over to Yeon like this, even setting aside His Majesty, the Crown Prince will be furious."
"Can't you shut that mouth!"
"......"
The confidant quickly closed his mouth.
Twitch.
Gwan Yeong's eyebrows curved like blades.
He knew full well that letting Yi Seong-ji go would direct Crown Prince Yang Mu's rage at him.
But clashing with Yi Hwan and worsening Qin-Yeon relations could cause even bigger problems, leaving him unable to act either way.
As his dilemma deepened, a warrior rushed in.
"Grand Minister of Works! The Great Prince of Yeon has come!"