The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Red Dragon Martial Emperor, Chapter 120

Chapter 120 — Yi Hwan’s Assignment

When Yi Hwan returned to Military Headquarters, he sat across from Jo Gwang. The Empress’s declaration bore directly on Jo Gwang as well.
Yi Hwan explained first what had transpired in the Imperial Palace. Jo Gwang could not hide his shock.
“All the princes are being sent to the battlefield?”
“Such is the law of this realm. Save for the Crown Prince—an unexpected choice, but if the Empress desires it, the Crown Prince it is. The problem is that you, too, are far from uninvolved in this matter.”
……
Yi Hwan took a sip of cold water and continued.
Clink!
“If the Empress and the Western Southern King have struck a bargain, there is an exceedingly high chance that the Empress’s next target will be you.”
“She could force me back into service.”
“That is what the Western Southern King would want.”
Jo Gwang laughed with hollow resignation.
“So that man declares war, the Empress uses it to send the Crown Prince to the battlefield, and then the Empress delivers me to that man’s hands… is that how this unfolds?”
“You have read it precisely.”
“What offense have my princes committed to deserve such a fate?”
Emotion rose in his throat; Jo Gwang’s eyes reddened with it. Yi Hwan watched him in silence.
Jo Gwang spoke.
“What should I do, then?”
“You have two choices. Remain here, or go to the battlefield with me. Of course, disappearing to a place unknown to all could be considered a third option.”
……!
“You have time to consider.”
Jo Gwang shook his head. He bit his lip firmly and spoke.
“I will go to the battlefield with the General-in-Chief. If I remain here alone, I cannot withstand the Empress, so I judge the battlefield safer.”
Papa said nothing. She shared Jo Gwang’s conviction.
If Yi Hwan and Yi So departed for the battlefield, the shield that protected Jo Gwang would vanish entirely. Better then to stand at Yi Hwan’s side on the front lines.
‘The General-in-Chief is the only one I can trust.’
Papa harbored deep gratitude that Yi Hwan intended to take Jo Gwang with him.
Yi Hwan asked a question.
“You trust me?”
“Do you want an honest answer?”
“Of course.”
Jo Gwang hesitated a moment, then spoke on.
“It would be more accurate to say that you are the only one I have left to trust.”
Struck by Jo Gwang’s disarming candor, Yi Hwan laughed and turned to Papa.
“When we draw near Zhao Kingdom, do we have people we can call upon?”
“I will need to scout them out. If a purge has occurred, they have likely scattered to the winds.”
“Think constructively and prepare the means beforehand.”
“Understood, General-in-Chief.”
Yi Hwan rose from his seat.
“Once the battlefield assignment is decided, I will inform you.”
“There is no possibility this could yet be prevented?”
“I wish it might be, but no—it will not be.”
……

* * *

Yi Hwan shared a drink with Cheol Mu-ok, Ju-tae, and Go-mi.
Deputy Commander Son Young sat with them as well.
Yi Hwan said nothing until an entire bottle of liquor had been drained.
Thus the mood could only grow heavier.
Go-mi opened her mouth carefully.
“Without question, the Empress will separate the Crown Prince and the General-in-Chief.”
“She will.”
All nodded gravely.
“The General-in-Chief’s assignment may not be to the Southern Military Unit. If I were the Empress, I would send you somewhere unfamiliar.”
Yi Hwan received the words calmly.
“Of course they’ll send me to the front lines commanded by the Empress and her generals. The Crown Prince will face the same.”
“Indeed, sir.”
In truth, Yi Hwan had been wrestling with this very matter. He harbored no anxiety for himself, but the Crown Prince—that was another concern entirely.
The Empress would surely send him to the most dangerous position.
Cheol Mu-ok posed the question.
“Is there truly no way to send you to the same location as the Crown Prince?”
“The old fox holds both the Jade Seal and the Emperor’s Seal. With those, she can forge an Imperial Decree and assign posts as she pleases—the Crown Prince himself couldn’t refuse, much less I.”
“If the Empress wields such tremendous power, she could do anything she wants. Why has she restrained herself until now?”
“An Imperial Decree isn’t a blank check to do whatever one wishes. A misstep could invite backlash. But this situation falls under the Imperial House’s Iron Rule, established by the late Emperor—we have no choice but to submit. That’s why even the Crown Prince Palace doesn’t dare to resist.”
“It seems the Empress has landed a clean blow. Perhaps if we simply… no, never mind.”
Ju-tae’s words trailed away. Yet everyone understood perfectly what he’d been about to say.
“I need some rest. All of you, leave for now.”

* * *

The lake, shrouded in darkness, lay as silent as an abyss. The pavilion that had always echoed with the click of Go stones now held only Yi Seong-ji and an old man, facing each other across its boards.
“So it has come to this, as expected.”
“The Empress has produced a hand no one in her position could refuse.”
Yi Seong-ji offered a thin, mirthless smile.
“It’s absurd.”
“What troubles you, sir?”
“I saw the expressions of the court officials. They were shocked, yes—but underneath, relieved. How could they not be? To them, this is no different than a spectacle. Whoever returns alive, they need only watch from the sidelines and lay their utensils at the victor’s feet.”
“Hmm.”
The old man nodded slowly, agreeing with Yi Seong-ji’s assessment.
“I shall summon our people at once. They will serve you on the battlefield.”
“The Crown Prince Palace will be calling in every martial artist they possess.”
“Almost certainly. They regard you as the greater threat. And is that assessment not accurate?”
“Perhaps Her Majesty calculated even that. To gauge the true strength of the Crown Prince Palace. None of us truly knows it, after all.”
“Yes. My thoughts align with yours.”
Yi Seong-ji’s thin smile faded.
“My mother is a fearsome woman. Because of that…”
As his words grew indistinct, Yi Seong-ji’s eyes turned cold in a way unlike his usual bearing.
“She must never seize true power. Not for the sake of this realm’s people.”
“……”
Yi Seong-ji rose to his feet.
“Will you rest now, sir?”
“Yes. Soon I’ll journey far into perilous terrain. Best to gather my strength beforehand. Farewell.”
The old man watched Yi Seong-ji’s retreating form descend from the pavilion, his breathing soft and measured.
“Hmm……”
Cheong Po-in, who had been standing at a distance from the pavilion, approached.
“Shall we summon everyone?”
“Yes. Even the Arhat monks from Shaolin Temple.”
“Shaolin itself, sir?”
“What choice is there? Protecting him takes precedence. We must borrow their strength.”
“Understood. I’ll contact them at once.”
As Cheong Po-in vanished, the old man spoke into the empty air before him.
“How much longer will you linger there? Go now and attend to him.”
Before the words even settled, the void itself shimmered. Once the concealed presence receded, the old man descended from the pavilion.

* * *

Yi Tae-ji’s residence.
No one had been as thoroughly shaken by these events as Yi Tae-ji—save perhaps the Crown Prince himself.
The Empress had seen fit to give him no advance warning.
“She wants the Crown Prince Palace, so she’s sending even me to the front lines? If something goes wrong, what then?”
Bang!
The tea cup on the table trembled violently.
His flushed face showed no sign of cooling, marking the depth of his fury.
Mun I-jong, seated across from him, opened his mouth softly.
“For now, since the Imperial Decree has decided the matter, we have no choice but to obey. My lord and Hong-wol will protect Your Highness, so please don’t worry too much.”
“Hong-wol alone won’t suffice—summon all the martial artists you can find! Anyone who can wield a sword, I want them all!”
“Yes, I shall do so.”
Unlike Yi Tae-ji, Mun I-jong remained utterly composed.
In truth, he welcomed the Empress’s decision this time.
‘On a battlefield, I can cut off that bastard’s life with ease.’
After the decision was made, Yi Hwan’s face never left Mun I-jong’s mind. He was resolved to use this crisis to eliminate Yi Hwan once and for all.
‘It matters not if you’re sent to the end of this realm. Wherever you go, I’ll make certain you never return alive.’
For him, this crisis was a tremendous gift bestowed by the Empress.

* * *

Though the unprecedented decision to deploy Crown Prince Yi So and all the imperial princes to the front lines had been announced, the Imperial Palace appeared unchanged from any other day. Yet that was merely the surface.
The Crown Prince Palace and the other princes’ residences were devoting all their efforts to summoning martial artists to accompany them to the front. In that regard, Yi Hwan was the quietest of all.
This was hardly surprising—aside from the Yi Wang Lineage, he had no other forces to summon.
Nor could he take the Gold Guard with him. In wartime, the Guard’s primary duty was defending the Imperial Capital.
No matter that Yi Hwan was the Guard Commander, he could not casually strip away troops.
Even if he could have, the Empress would never have permitted it, and Yi Hwan himself had no intention of taking the Gold Guard along.
After several days had passed, the deployment assignments for Crown Prince Yi So and the other princes were finally determined.

* * *

Yi Hwan’s office.
A general from the Crown Prince Palace bowed before Yi Hwan.
“Your Highness has been assigned to the Northern Military Unit.”
“The Northern Military Unit?”
Yi Hwan’s expression remained unmoved, but Cheol Mu-ok and his inner circle were secretly elated. The Northern Military Unit was the one place that had sent reinforcements to the Southern Military Unit in the past.
Yi Hwan asked, “Where is the Crown Prince being sent?”
The general answered in a heavy tone.
“The Western Military Unit.”
“As expected.”
The Western Military Unit was the frontmost line of battle, spanning the widest border where it faced the Zhao Kingdom directly. The greater problem was that the General-in-Chief there was a man loyal to the Empress and Yi Hwang-ja.
‘They mean to send him straight into the tiger’s den.’
Deputy Commander Son Young spoke to the general. “Where have Yi Hwang-ja and Yi Seong-ji been assigned?”
“Yi Hwang-ja to the Central Army, and Yi Seong-ji to the Southern Military Unit.”
At the general’s words, Son Young and all the others wore expressions of disbelief.
Son Young, who was well versed in military affairs, spoke with barely contained anger. “The Central Army handles supplies and provisions. Sending Yi Hwang-ja there is nothing short of a plan to cut off both supplies and provisions whenever it suits them, isn’t it?”
“Don’t be upset. I would make the same decision if I were the Empress.”
Yi Hwan questioned the general. “Has the departure date been set?”
“All forces are to depart within four days, by Her Majesty’s command.”
“The Crown Prince Palace is ready, I assume?”
“Yes. His Highness says he will depart for his post first thing tomorrow.”
“It’s only right—he must appear composed at a time like this. In any case, you’ve done well. Please, take a meal before you go.”
“No, thank you. I must return at once to prepare for our own departure. Still, Your Highness… please be careful.”
The general departed immediately.
Son Young asked, “Will you truly not take the Gold Guard with you?”
“I cannot break the law to save myself. Besides, taking the Guard might become another chain binding me later. Leave it be.”
“Then at least take the martial artists attached to the Gold Guard. That should pose no problem whatsoever.”
“They’re needed here. When trouble arises, you’ll need their strength. Don’t worry about me—focus on leading the Gold Guard well alongside General Yu. If the Guard proves itself worthy now, it will be of great use to me later.”

Yi Hwan had already appointed Son Young as Acting Commander and placed Yu U-sung as his deputy. He had also granted the Acting Commander authority for immediate execution of anyone who harbored discontent with the appointment or committed acts that undermined discipline.
In wartime, military orders carried the force of imperial decree—anyone could lose their head without a word of protest.
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on Son Young.
“Do you lack faith?”
“Honestly, I wish to serve you in person, Your Highness. If you would grant permission now, I could—”

“That’s enough.”
“General.”
“I’m leaving this place in your hands. If I had no one to trust, how could I possibly concentrate on the battlefield? So if you want me to return alive, then fulfill your duties faithfully.”
……
Ju-tae stepped into the room then.
“Everyone has arrived.”
“How many?”
“Twenty-one, but wouldn’t it be better to call in more even now?”
“No need. That’s plenty.”
The twenty-one were personnel drawn from the Yi Wang Lineage. He could have brought more, but Yi Hwan had no intention of doing so.
‘That girl isn’t entirely safe either. I need to leave at least a minimum force behind.’
It was a consideration for Yi Young.
As the Yellow Dragon Guild contracted, there was no guarantee the Empress’s faction, starved for funds, wouldn’t lay hands on Yi Young.
“Let everyone enjoy themselves freely for the next two days. But see that no one enters the residence until I give permission.”
“Understood.”

* * *

Go-mi headed directly to the residence.
The warriors of her organization met her there.
“When do we depart?”
“We leave in two days, so everyone set your duties aside for now and go enjoy yourselves in the Marketplace.”
“We’re content here. But where are we headed?”
“The Northern Military Unit.”
“So we’re really going to the front line.”
Go-mi regarded everyone slowly.
All the personnel here had agreed to go with them. She’d decided that lending proper support to Yi Hwan would require more than just her own strength alone.
It hadn’t been an easy decision to make.
Intelligence operations on a battlefield carried the constant danger of death. It was possible that many would fall.
Still, there was no choice but to take them.
“Everyone steel yourselves. This will be more dangerous than any mission you’ve undertaken before.”
“Yes!”
Go-mi watched her team’s spirited response and allowed herself a faint smile.
“How about we all share a meal together for once?”
“That sounds wonderful!”
“We’ll prepare it right away!”
“No, let’s eat in the Marketplace today. We can have a drink too, while we’re at it.”
“Yes!”
The mood was no different from any other day. And that was precisely what weighed on her heart.
How could she not understand?
They were putting on a brave face, trying not to worry her.
‘I won’t let anyone die. No one.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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