Chapter 394
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 394
Chapter Title: Yang Yi-cheon's Plan Goes Up in Smoke
The next day in the afternoon.
Yang Mu had summoned the emissary groups from Yeon Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom, and North Yeon all in one place. There, he spoke unexpected words.
"You've been a great help all this time. I think this is sufficient, so please return to your homes."
Everyone was taken aback. His words were polite, but they amounted to a dismissal order.
What could they do when the host himself was telling them to leave? With no choice, they bid their farewells and departed the Imperial Palace.
The Zhao Kingdom emissaries shot sharp glares at the Yeon side before exiting the city gates first.
Hwa Ryeong furrowed her brow and said,
"The Zhao emissaries had barely arrived, and now this dismissal. It definitely feels suspicious. What do we do? Information gathering just got a lot harder."
"No helping it. At least we confirmed they sent the Zhao emissaries, so that's something."
Though she said that, Go Mi fell deep into thought.
They had gathered quite a bit of information while staying in the Qin Kingdom's Imperial Palace, but nothing was more crucial right now than verifying the relationship between Qin Kingdom and Dong Yeong.
"What will you do?"
After a moment of contemplation, Go Mi made her decision.
"There are too many eyes on us, and the timing isn't right. Better to withdraw."
Qin Kingdom was in the midst of national ceremonies. Getting entangled in anything unsavory now could spell big trouble.
"Let's head back."
"Understood."
Cheol Mu-ok and Tae-seon wore bitter expressions. Having reunited after so long, they wanted to spend just a little more time together.
* * *
Yang Yi-cheon's residence.
"His Majesty has requested that all the foreign emissaries depart."
"And did they leave?"
"Yes. They all exited the palace just moments ago."
Yang Yi-cheon's eyes gleamed with a viper-like chill. He drained the last of his tea and continued.
"It'll take time for them to return to their lodgings and pack, so hurry and relay orders to prepare swiftly."
"Understood."
As the young man exited, Yang Yi-cheon abruptly stood and flung open the window.
Clunk!
Whoosh!
A damp wind rushed in.
Staring at the distant grand hall, Yang Yi-cheon muttered coldly.
"You'll pay dearly for underestimating me, brother."
What scheme was he plotting? His eyes grew ever more vicious.
It was then.
"Your Highness, it is I, Neung-bi."
A voice drifted in from outside, unbidden. It belonged to Neung-bi, leader of the Golden Army.
'Why is that bastard...'
For a moment, Yang Yi-cheon was seized by a deeply ominous feeling.
'No way...'
"May I enter?"
"Ahem! Come in."
Yang Yi-cheon forced his expression to calm and sat back down.
Neung-bi opened the door and entered. But behind him stood a horde of armed soldiers.
Yang Yi-cheon's eyes changed again.
"You must come with us to Golden Army headquarters for a moment."
"......!"
"Your Highness's closest aides have already been taken into custody at headquarters. To avoid any unpleasantness during the national ceremonies, please come quietly."
Yang Yi-cheon's heart plummeted. But feigning composure, he demanded,
"What the hell have I done to deserve this?!"
The shift in his tone betrayed his inner turmoil.
Neung-bi replied flatly.
"Once the investigation clears you of suspicion, nothing will come of it."
"So why the hell do I have to undergo investigation at Golden Army headquarters? Why?!"
Bang!
The teacup on the table shattered and flew everywhere.
Yang Yi-cheon's face had turned beet red as he screamed. In contrast, Neung-bi remained colder than ice.
"I am merely executing His Majesty's decree. Refusal will only add to your charges."
"......What?"
"Escort His Highness."
"Yes!"
Clank! Clank!
The armed soldiers marched in.
Yang Yi-cheon's legs trembled so badly he couldn't stand properly. Looking down at him, Neung-bi smiled faintly.
'I never imagined he'd plot something like this. Thanks to him, I can prune one annoying branch. Heh heh heh.'
* * *
The Yeon Kingdom and North Yeon emissaries stopped at their lodgings to pack and immediately set off on the return journey. They agreed to travel together until their paths diverged.
How long had they traveled?
Thud thud thud!
A group of riders charged toward them like a gale.
Two generals and over a hundred warriors.
"Who the hell are these guys?"
As Ju Tae furrowed his brow, Go Mi held him back.
Cheol Mu-ok stepped forward, and one general dismounted and approached.
"We received intelligence that ill-intentioned parties are targeting the foreign emissaries, so His Majesty has ordered us to escort you safely to the border."
"Ill-intentioned parties? Who the hell would dare target the emissaries?!"
"We are merely following orders and know no further details."
"Hmm. Understood. Then we shall rely on you."
Sensing they wouldn't get answers from these men, Cheol Mu-ok reluctantly nodded.
But Go Mi had no intention of letting it slide.
"We can't travel with you without knowing anything."
"As I said, we follow orders and know nothing more."
"Is that so? Then I'll ask His Majesty the Emperor directly."
"That is impossible."
The general was firm.
Go Mi was equally unyielding.
"What do you think our liege and the Great Prince will say when we report this exactly as it happened? That someone tried to harm our emissaries—do you really think they'll just let it go as you hope?"
"......!"
The troubled general spoke in a subdued voice.
"His Second Highness was just taken into custody at Golden Army headquarters. The imperial decree came right after. That's all I know."
Unable to state outright that Yang Yi-cheon had plotted treason, the general phrased it as circumspectly as possible.
After sorting her thoughts for a moment, Go Mi nodded.
"Thanks for telling us despite the difficulty. We'll rely on you to the border."
"His Majesty has no desire to damage relations with Yeon Kingdom. I hope you understand that."
It was a plea to put in a good word.
Go Mi, of course, understood and smiled.
"We'll be sure to mention how you protected us by even detaining your own blood kin."
"Thank you."
* * *
Yang Mu and Neung-bi sat facing each other.
"How is the bastard faring?"
"He's still ranting about his innocence."
"And the two emissaries?"
"They've all left the capital. As ordered, I've dispatched an escort for the Yeon group."
Yang Mu leaned back in his chair, frowning.
"I never knew Yi-cheon had that side to him. Foolish... He could have lived out his days in luxury as a royal."
"Who doesn't harbor some ambition? Word is, Second Highness wanted the Golden Army leadership."
"Did he think he could handle that position?"
Yang Mu looked incredulous.
Neung-bi asked cautiously.
"What shall we do?"
"Keep him at Golden Army headquarters until the ascension ceremony date is set. Ensure no rumors spread."
"Understood."
"And Won Gae-se?"
"After being stripped of his Grand General post, he tried contacting Second Highness, but was rebuffed. We're keeping eyes on him; I'll report any new developments."
"He's more dangerous than Yi-cheon, so never let your guard down."
"If it's a concern, why not just..."
"You mean eliminate him?"
"If it's for Your Majesty, of course we should. Entrust it to me, and I'll handle it."
Yang Mu shook his head at Neung-bi's blunt words.
"I don't want bloodshed during the ceremonies. Monitor him closely, but don't act unless he shows unusual movement."
"Understood."
Yang Mu rose from his seat.
"I must head to the grand hall, so go soothe the bastard and calm him down first."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
* * *
Boom boom boom!
Clang clang clang!
Progress at Song-ja's mine advanced daily at a staggering pace. With so many workers thrown at it, the speed far exceeded expectations.
Yi Hwan gazed down from his residence, tilting his teacup. He appeared leisurely at a glance, but in truth, he was deep in planning for what lay ahead once all preparations were complete.
So far, everything was going smoothly.
Clink.
At the sound of the teacup being set down, Ban Go poked his head through the window.
"More tea?"
"Just one more cup, please."
"Yes, sir!"
Poof.
Yi Hwan's lips curved in a faint smile at Ban Go's cute disappearance.
Anyone who knew Ban Go would be shocked by the sight. It immediately evoked the chilling image of the Blood Heaven Division.
Then Ban Go poked his head in again.
"Looks like guests have arrived."
"Guests?"
"Quite a few are entering."
Yi Hwan rose and peered out the window. A group of riders was kicking up dust as they entered the laborers' housing construction site.
Yi Hwan calmly regarded the lead rider at the forefront.
It was then.
"His Majesty the Emperor arrives!"
* * *
Yi Hwan and Yi So sat facing each other.
Yi So smiled and said,
"I was dying to see what makes you so obsessed. Thought I'd come observe while sightseeing. The scale is truly immense."
"It looks like it'll grow even larger than planned."
"If it yields that much iron, it's a blessing from the heavens. A single mine's impact on national finances is enormous."
At those words, Yi Hwan snapped his fingers.
Snap.
Cha Ryong entered through the door.
"You called?"
"Bring a prototype."
"Yes."
Moments later, Cha Ryong returned with a single sword. Yi Hwan took it and placed it on the table.
"It's a sword made by a guy named Han-jo. Care to take a look?"
"Oh, really?"
Yi So picked up the sword and examined it closely. Gwan Ji-baek approached, his eyes sharpening.
Yi So subtly narrowed his brow.
"It looks quite different from Central Plains swords..."
"It's a fusion of Haedong and Dong Yeong craftsmanship—unfamiliar in form, but exceptionally powerful."
Yi Hwan lifted a sheet of paper from the table corner and dropped it over the blade. The fluttering paper split cleanly in two mid-fall. Yi So and Gwan Ji-baek couldn't hide their astonishment.
"It's Dong Yeong sharpness combined with Haedong durability. We plan to mass-produce these for the entire army, and the production site will be..."
Yi Hwan continued his explanation.
Yi So, listening intently, suddenly grinned. Yi Hwan looked so excited in his enthusiasm.
"Why do you smile?"
"You seem overly thrilled."
"Oh, do I?"
Gwan Ji-baek chuckled and said,
"It looks that way to me too, Great Prince."
Just then, Ban Go entered with fresh tea.
After sipping his tea, Yi So spoke.
"I've heard you're planning a city for the soldiers' and laborers' families. I've gathered experts in that field, so wait just a bit. No worries about funding."
Through their conversation, Yi Hwan realized Yi So had enormous expectations for this place—and was immensely pleased.
"Won't the palace miss you for too long?"
"What worry is that? Thanks to your iron grip on security, even petty thieves have vanished from the capital. Hahaha!"
Yi So laughed heartily.
Such a sight was visible only when he was with Yi Hwan.
"Shall we have a drink?"
"Sounds good."