The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 154

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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 Undefeated 154

Chapter 154 — The Crown Prince Yi So’s Resolution

The Crown Prince Yi So had returned.
He bypassed Manhwa Palace entirely and went straight to the Crown Prince Palace.
Everyone at the Crown Prince Palace erupted in fervent cheers.
When Yi So learned that Yi Hwan was present, he headed at once to the Separate Palace. Upon arriving there, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae bowed low.
“We greet Your Highness.”
“Where is my brother?”
“That is…….”
Cheol Mu-ok faltered, unable to continue, and Yi So laughed.
“If he’s sleeping, don’t wake him. I need to wash as well.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Just as Yi So turned to leave the Separate Palace—
The door opened and Yi Hwan emerged.
“You’ve returned?”
Yi So turned. A smile already spread across his face.
Soon after, the two sat facing each other.
Their conversation centered largely on incidents and events from the battlefield.
Yi Hwan praised the operations Yi So had orchestrated to draw in the Jin Kingdom. Yet he voiced his concerns as well.
“Can secrecy be maintained? If word gets out, it won’t be just the Empress—Zhao Yun will seize any opportunity to cause trouble. And the Jin Kingdom won’t sit idle either.”
“They are all people who can be trusted. The worries you harbor will not come to pass.”
“There seem to be far too many mouths to control, it would seem.”
“They are all warriors who have sworn to stand with me. To doubt such men—what else could one possibly do? So set your mind at ease.”
Despite Yi So’s confident tone, Yi Hwan could not find true peace. Hundreds—not merely dozens—had participated in the operation. If even one of them harbored misguided thoughts, Yi So could face grave peril.
“The Jin Kingdom’s delegation has entered the palace to meet the Empress.”
“I’ve heard. And you came with them?”
“It happened that way. Which is why I mention it—we should learn what matters the Empress and they are discussing. To do that, we would need to mobilize the East Guard…….”
“I was already thinking the same thing.”
“Is it possible?”
“Don’t worry. I have the ability to do that much.”
‘Has his battlefield experience proven quite helpful?’
Yi Hwan could sense a boundless confidence in Yi So that he had never witnessed before. The entire atmosphere around him had shifted distinctly from what it had been.
“Whom did you replace as General-in-Chief of the Western Military Unit?”
“Naturally, someone trustworthy. The Western Military Unit will prove to be a great asset to us going forward.”
The two continued their discussion. And at last, Yi Hwan broached the matter that had been weighing on his mind.
“Shouldn’t we begin moving in earnest from this point forward?”
“What do you mean?”
“Until now, we’ve been reacting to the Empress’s offensive moves. But from now on, shouldn’t we be the ones wielding the blade? If a fight is unavoidable in any case, winning as quickly as possible would serve the realm and its people better.”
“Hmm.”
Yi So’s expression hardened, his gaze growing distant.
Yi Hwan watched him in silence. After a moment, Yi So spoke.
“You’re right. If this battle cannot be avoided, then regardless of who wins or loses, ending it as swiftly as possible may indeed be the best course.”
Yi So’s expression grew dark.
“I hoped to avoid fratricidal conflict…….”
“But when a mother comes at her sons with intent to kill, can such a thing truly be avoided? If you dream of the throne, you must be prepared to shake hands with the devil himself.”
At Yi Hwan’s words, a bitter smile crossed Yi So’s lips.
“The throne. That seat was always mine to begin with. They are the ones consumed by their own greed.”
“I spoke carelessly.”
Yi Hwan acknowledged his misstep. Indeed, the throne had never truly belonged to anyone else from the start.
Yi So fixed Yi Hwan with a direct gaze and asked.
“Do you have some plan already sketched out?”
“If you intend to take up the blade, I shall draw the picture properly from this moment forward.”
“Then draw it. And I shall do the same.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Yes. Just as you said, I will proceed with the resolve to shake hands with the devil. If the blood of brothers must be shed, I will not shy from it. And if something even greater is required, I will not turn away from that either.”
Yi Hwan could read in Yi So’s eyes a determination and resolve that was unmistakable.
But that alone wasn’t enough to believe him entirely.
‘Could the Crown Prince really bring himself to execute the Empress and his two brothers?’
The thought came first that he could not. Had he possessed such resolve, he would have moved by now in some fashion. Yi So wanted to trust that firm, steely gaze, but the Yi So he had observed thus far was a different breed from the Empress or Yi Tae-ji. A man of different grain altogether.
Yet in the struggle for power, kinship destruction was an inescapable fate.
‘In the end, I’ll have no choice but to stain my own hands with blood.’
Here Yi Hwan broached the question that had been gnawing at him most.
“Surely it’s time we spoke of the Emperor?”

* * *

The Emperor lay bedridden. As he permitted no one—not even his sons—to enter his chambers, none could say what illness had befallen him or how grave his condition was. Only the Empress knew. Thus his will reached the world through her, and his true intent remained opaque, impossible to discern.

Yi Hwan’s brow creased.
‘The Emperor’s will conveyed through the Empress? So that was where her greatest power lay all along.’
Doubt took root in him.
Was the Emperor truly ill, or had the Empress orchestrated everything?
‘If the latter, we can offer no guarantee whatsoever for the Emperor’s safety.’
Having resolved to fight for Yi So’s ascension by removing the Empress, this was a grave setback. The force that moved the world lay in her grasp—it amounted to the same thing.
‘Did the Emperor foresee this danger? Is that why he transferred part of his appointment authority to the Crown Prince in advance?’
Yi So’s greatest strength lay in his appointment authority.
Without it, the struggle against the Empress would be like hurling an egg against a stone, and all would already be lost.
‘This will be no easy fight.’
Yi Hwan cast off his thoughts and drew a measured breath.
Wheeeee!
Cold wind raked across his face with savage chill. He lifted his gaze to the forward path.
Armed soldiers moved about the approaches to the Command Headquarters—patrols of the Gold Guard. Upon spotting Yi Hwan, they bowed their heads.
Thump.
Yi Hwan sank into thought once more.
‘To stand against the Empress, I must find a way to deploy the Gold Guard effectively. If their role expands beyond mere defense and maintenance of the Capital…’
If that came to pass, a hundred thousand Gold Guard would prove a formidable force indeed.
With that thought, he felt profound relief at having rooted out the architects of the Purge Movement and dispatched them to the Northern Military Unit. Had the war dragged on any longer, the Gold Guard would surely have fallen into the Empress’s hands.
Thud-thud-thud!
From behind, a horse and rider came thundering like a tempest.
Ju-tae and Cheol Mu-ok stepped back and tensed. But they relaxed at once, recognizing Go-mi.
“You’re late.”
“I’ve met with her.”
“Hwa-ryeong?”
“Yes. She said a full investigation has commenced into the incident at Manhwa Palace involving Yi Hwang-ja. She also said you’re under suspicion.”
“As expected.”
“According to her, very dangerous people were involved. She asked me to warn you to be careful.”
“Did she know who they are?”
“No. Even she only knows they’re an organization run by the Empress in secret.”
Yi Hwan’s brow narrowed slightly.
“If Hwa-ryeong doesn’t know, they must be truly formidable. Did she manage to warn the Crown Prince Palace before coming here?”
“Yes. I conveyed the message to General Gwan.”
“Well done.”
“But my lord…”
“Yes?”
Go-mi hesitated a moment before continuing.
“She asked whether, if she were to leave Manhwa Palace, she might stay with us.”
“So she’s under suspicion herself.”
“That’s what she feels, she said.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I said I would ask you first.”
“Next time you see her, tell her to come whenever she wishes. She has my word.”
“Understood.”
Go-mi fell back to the rear of the procession. Then she turned to Cheol Mu-ok and spoke through Sound Transmission.
[What happened? You seem different from usual.]
[He spent a long time in close conference with the Crown Prince. Of course, he didn’t tell me what was discussed.]
Go-mi watched Yi Hwan’s back and tilted her head in puzzlement. No matter how she looked at it, his bearing was distinctly different from his usual self.
‘What secrets could they be sharing with His Highness?’

* * *

Another group was making its way toward the Gold Guard Command Headquarters.
It was the Jin Kingdom delegation returning from their audience with the Empress at Manhwa Palace.
Namgung Jang-cheon and Dan Ri-mok moved at the rear. Dan Ri-mok furrowed his brow and spoke.
“That was strange, wasn’t it?”
“What was?”
“The Empress. She’s over fifty, yet she looked so young. Could she have actually performed Youth Restoration through such profound inner strength?”
“She may have mastered the Vermillion Eye Technique.”
“Can the Vermillion Eye Technique achieve that degree of effect?”
“Legend speaks of a certain woman who learned the Vermillion Eye Technique and appeared as young as a girl even past eighty. So it’s not impossible, is it?”
“How can we trust legends? In any case, watching her made me uneasy for some reason.”
“I found it even stranger—the eerie presence that seemed to linger throughout Manhwa Palace. It’s remarkable that beings with such an unsettling aura are allowed to dwell within the imperial residence.”
“Yes, that was certainly odd.”
Dan Ri-mok suddenly laughed.
“Our Empress is the finest, after all. Benevolent, noble, dignified. And even graceful, wouldn’t you say?”
“That she is.”
Clack-clack-clack.
Even in the heart of a potentially hostile nation, the Jin delegation moved with ease.
How much farther did they travel?
“Ah?”
Dan Ri-mok’s eyes widened.
He had spotted Yi Hwan’s party moving ahead.
“That’s the Fourth Prince’s group, isn’t it?”
“Looks like it.”
Dan Ri-mok asked the delegation leader.
“Shall we catch up with them?”
“Go ahead and offer proper courtesy.”
“Yes, sir!”
Thud-thud-thud!
Dan Ri-mok dashed forward. And just as quickly returned.
“They say we may travel with them.”

* * *

“Of all the rotten timing…….”
In the darkness, there were those watching Yi Hwan’s party. One of them gazed at the approaching Jin delegation with a troubled expression.
Heuk Po-in beside him spoke.
“Their numbers are few. We can ignore them and attack.”
“Foolish talk. Do you have any idea what chaos would erupt if we attacked a Jin diplomatic delegation? I think we should abandon this attempt for today.”
“But when will such a perfect opportunity arise again?”
“The Jin delegation is returning from their audience with the Empress. If we attack them, the Empress herself will personally hunt us down. Is that what you wish for?”
“……I apologize. I hadn’t considered that aspect.”
“We have deliberately refrained from targeting imperial relatives or high officials connected to the Empress precisely to avoid drawing her into this affair. If her formidable power becomes involved, the Yeokcheon Society’s operations will inevitably be compromised. We withdraw today and regroup.”
“Yes, sir.”
Those who turned to leave.
They were the assassins of the Yeokcheon Society—those who had been systematically slaying imperial relatives and officials.
As they departed, figures materialized before them like specters.
“Halt.”
The Yeokcheon assassins drew their blades in unison.
Sing-sing-clang!
“Who dares?”
“Who? Those sent to capture you.”
Whoosh!
More figures descended from behind. They were warriors of the Yi Wang Lineage.
“Surrender your blades. Do so, and you will live.”
“Strike!”
The Yeokcheon assassins moved first.
Clang!
“Ahhh!”
“Arrgh!”
Inner Force clashed in the air as anguished death cries followed. The assassins were strong and fast. Despite their speed-focused sword technique, they possessed considerable destructive power.
But they were no match for the warriors of the Yi Wang Lineage. They were hopelessly outnumbered, and caught in head-to-head combat—the very last thing assassins wanted—they could not possibly prevail.
“Ahhhhh!”
Two fell, their blood spraying, and then two more heads flew. The surviving assassins could not hide their horror at what had unfolded in mere moments.
Only four remained.
The warriors of the Yi Wang Lineage closed in from all sides, tightening their noose with measured, deliberate steps.
That was when it happened.
Thud! Thud!
The assassins suddenly went limp and collapsed one after another. From their mouths, noses, and ears, black blood poured forth in thick rivulets.
“It appears they crushed poison pills between their teeth.”
“Tenacious bastards. Yet they surrender their lives so readily.”
“That’s how fanatics always are. What shall we do with the bodies?”
“Leave them. We make haste to rejoin the Prince.”
“Yes.”
Minutes later, figures emerged like ghosts where all had departed. They stared down at the mangled corpses of the assassins, their eyes narrowing.
They too were members of the Yeokcheon Society.
They had set out to rendezvous with the assassins but had discovered the skirmish underway and concealed themselves nearby. They had refrained from intervening, having realized their aid would prove meaningless.
“He stations guards even in places no one can see…….”
“By attacking his sister, the princess, we drew him out. Since then, everything has gone to ruin.”
“How were our superiors to know this man would prove so formidable? This failure to gather proper intelligence beforehand lies with us.”
“Then we abandon the assassination?”
“With all the assassins dead, we have no choice but to withdraw. Let us depart.”
“Yes.”

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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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