The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 155

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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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The Red Dragon Emperor, Chapter 155

Chapter 155 — Hwa-ryeong’s Smile

Yi Hwan’s Office.
Everyone had gathered here, Cheol Mu-ok among them.
“From this moment forward, we begin our true war against the Empress.”
Yi Hwan’s words hung heavy in the silence that followed. Go-mi spoke up.
“Has the Crown Prince agreed to this?”
“Of course.”
“Understood.”
“This could become far more dangerous than anything we’ve faced before.”
“I will follow only the will of Your Highness and the Prince. If it comes to it, I will lay down my life without hesitation.”
Yi Hwan watched Go-mi’s unwavering devotion, then turned to Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae before speaking again.
“Summon everyone who remains in our hometown. Every last person.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ju-tae answered crisply, but Cheol Mu-ok fell silent in thought.
“Is something troubling you?”
“I have friends, my lord. Would it be acceptable to bring them as well?”
“If they’re your friends, they must be trustworthy. Why would I refuse?”
“Understood. I’ll send Son-tae to fetch them. However, these friends are scattered far and wide, so it may take considerable time.”
Ju-tae tilted his head.
“Are they so distant, even beyond our borders?”
“Dongying.”
“What? Dongying?”
Ju-tae’s eyes widened in surprise. Yi Hwan and Go-mi exchanged glances of interest, their gazes settling on Cheol Mu-ok.
Cheol Mu-ok continued.
“Friends from Haedong who moved to Dongying several years ago and have been active there since. When you meet them later, I’m certain you’ll be pleased.”
“Send word at once.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Go-mi asked.
“Do you have a plan in place?”
“We’ll begin drafting the details starting today. For now, I intend to leave the Gold Guard’s official duties to the deputy commander. Hani, make sure no one enters my office without my permission.”
“Understood.”
It occurred to Yi Hwan that Yu U-seong was absent. He had deliberately sent him on an errand. There would be a time to inform him of their enterprise, but for now there was no need to reveal it.
Ju-tae grinned and spoke.
“This will be quite the thrilling battle.”
“You seem to be enjoying this.”
“To be honest, I think I will. I’ve never fought a battle quite like this before…….”
“Everyone but Go-mi is dismissed.”
“Yes.”
Shortly after, Yi Hwan and Go-mi sat facing each other. Yi Hwan sipped his tea in silence for a moment.
Go-mi wondered what he meant to say.
Clink.
“In this war, you’ll need to play a larger role than anyone else. Information will very likely determine our victory or defeat.”
“I will do my utmost.”
“That investigation into the corruption of high officials we conducted before — examine those records carefully, and supplement any gaps. Don’t differentiate between factions. Get everything.”
“Even our own officials, my lord?”
“How can I face my enemies if I don’t know my own side? Leave nothing unturned.”
“Understood.”
“And tomorrow, meet with Hwa-ryeong and ask her to identify those who have frequent contact with the Empress. But don’t push her into anything difficult.”
“Yes. I’ll convey that to her.”
Yi Hwan brought his teacup to his lips.
Clink.
“What if it comes to this: what if I must kill the Empress or the princes, and I move forward with that intent? Will you remain as devoted as you are now?”
“For me, the Greater Cause is the Crown Prince ascending to the throne. Whatever Your Highness does in pursuit of that, I will support.”
It was unexpected. He had known Go-mi’s devotion to Crown Prince Yi So ran deep, but he had not realized it cut with such firmness and resolve.
“That’s a relief.”
“What do you mean?”
“That Go-mi is on our side.”
“You’re too kind.”
This time it was Go-mi who asked the question.
“What is it that you desire, my lord?”
It was a question heavy with unspoken meaning. Yet Yi Hwan answered without hesitation.
“I want the world to flow according to its natural course. If the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne is the righteous cause for you, then let it be the same for me.”
“I believe you.”
A soft laugh escaped him.
“You’re afraid I might harbor ambitions for the throne, aren’t you?”
“…….”
Go-mi could not deny it. Because it was true. She had entertained such thoughts from time to time. What if Yi Hwan set aside Yi So and reached for the imperial throne?
‘He might prove even more formidable than the Empress or Yi Hwang-ja.’
This was the conclusion she had reached.
“Go and rest. You’ll be very busy starting tomorrow.”
“Promise me something first.”
“A promise that I won’t covet the throne?”
“Yes.”
Yi Hwan looked directly at Go-mi. She did not avoid his gaze.
“I’m disappointed. To think you saw me as such a person.”
“I don’t believe that of you, my lord—not at all. I merely wish to strengthen my own conviction.”
“I will promise you. But there is a condition.”
“…….”
“That the Crown Prince becomes a wise ruler. If that is assured, what you fear will never come to pass.”
“Are a wise ruler’s qualities judged by your lordship’s subjective standards?”
“By yours. Is that satisfactory?”
“Yes.”
As Go-mi bowed and left, Yi Hwan reclined in his chair and smiled bitterly.
‘Her devotion to the Crown Prince is as unbreakable as steel.’
For reasons he could not quite name, Yi Hwan tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling.
Then he laughed softly to himself.
‘Had I desired the emperor’s power, your Yen Kingdom would have fallen two hundred years ago. The same goes for Zhao and Qin, of course.’

* * *

Manhwa Palace.
Hwa-ryeong gazed out through the window of her quarters, sipping her tea with an air of leisure. Yet her thoughts were anything but calm.
In truth, her heart was far from at ease.
‘So she was suspicious of me all along.’
Since returning home, Hwa-ryeong had sensed the Empress’s doubt. At first it was merely an anxious intuition, but yesterday it had solidified into certainty.
‘Was I raised from the beginning for no other purpose than to be watched? All of my subordinates as well?’
Hwa-ryeong’s eyes grew dim with shadow.
Her subordinates came to mind—not bound to her by blood, yet connected by something deeper. Only yesterday had she discovered that they were watching her. She wanted to deny it, but the truth was undeniable. This was the second betrayal she had endured, and today Hwa-ryeong struggled to keep her emotions in check.
‘Now I can trust no one. Can I truly leave this place?’
If the Empress harbored suspicion, of course she would have to go. She could, perhaps, demonstrate her loyalty and dispel the Empress’s doubts, but Hwa-ryeong had no desire to do so.
There remained only the thinnest thread of reluctance. But since yesterday, when she learned of her subordinates’ betrayal, even that had withered away completely.
‘When I return, will he accept me?’
Yi Hwan came to mind.
And then, in quick succession, the faces of Go-mi, Cheol Mu-ok, and Ju-tae flickered through her thoughts.
After their relationship had transformed from antagonists into allies, the time she had spent with them was an entirely new experience for her. Though those days were few, they had shaken to their foundations the life she had lived as the Empress’s sword.
‘If I were with them, life might become something quite beautiful.’
It was then.
“Hwa-ryeong.”
The Female Warrior’s voice drifted in from beyond the door.
Hwa-ryeong cleared the wistful look from her eyes and turned around.
“Come in.”
The Female Warrior entered.
“Her Majesty is asking for you.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Hwa-ryeong’s gaze dimmed. Never before had the Empress sought her out at such a late hour.
“You may go.”
The Female Warrior departed, and Hwa-ryeong finished the last of her tea before pulling on her outer robe and fastening her sword.
Metallic scrape.
But as she turned, the scabbard caught the rim of the teacup.
Shatter.
The cup tumbled to the floor and shattered into pieces.
Hwa-ryeong stared at the broken porcelain for a moment, then slipped from her chambers.

* * *

Hwa-ryeong knelt in the Imperial Audience Hall, bowing her head before the Empress, who watched her intently.
“Are you fully recovered?”
“Yes. Thanks to the Spirit Pill Your Majesty bestowed upon me, I have made a complete recovery.”
“How fortunate that it proved effective.”
A sharp glimmer flashed in the Empress’s eyes, then faded. But Hwa-ryeong kept her head lowered and missed the shift entirely.
A faint smile played at the Empress’s lips.
“Then I may entrust you with a task.”
“I am ready to take on whatever you command.”
Snap.
The Empress flicked her fingers. Behind her, the wall slid open, and a middle-aged man stepped into view.
He turned directly to Hwa-ryeong and spoke at once.
“Your ability is essential to bringing the Prime Minister to our side.”
Hwa-ryeong lifted her eyes.
The man continued.
“We must secure the Prime Minister’s allegiance to gain the upper hand in any future conflict with the Crown Prince Palace. This is why we need you to undertake this task.”
“If it is a matter of persuasion rather than… elimination…”
“That old fool has a keen appetite for beauty. Particularly for women of your, shall we say, generous figure. I trust you understand what must be done.”
A faint twitch.
Hwa-ryeong’s brow arched ever so slightly—so minutely that neither the Empress nor the man perceived it. The Empress spoke once more.
“Complete this task and you shall receive a handsome reward. Do your utmost.”
“Surely there are many women more beautiful than I, Your Majesty?”
“Indeed, there are many whose beauty surpasses yours. Yet I know of none who combines martial prowess as formidable as yours with such quick wit. What would you have me do?”
……
The man’s voice turned stern.
“Why do you hesitate? Do you mean to defy the Empress’s command?”
“Not at all.”
Hwa-ryeong bowed her head.
“I shall obey Your Majesty’s will.”
“I can trust you, yes?”
“I shall bring the Prime Minister to kneel at Your Majesty’s feet, by whatever means necessary.”
A peculiar smile crossed the Empress’s face.
“See that this child is informed of the Prime Minister’s schedule.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Empress gazed at Hwa-ryeong and smiled warmly.
“The hour is late. Go and rest tonight.”

* * *

“Why did you entrust this task to that woman?” the middle-aged man asked.
The Empress smiled with characteristic mystery.
“Did I not say? There are many women whose beauty rivals hers, yet none possess both her martial strength and her gift for improvisation.”
“And yet, since her return from the Northern Military Unit, have you not found her conduct… suspicious? If she harbors any treacherous thoughts, she could bring ruin upon Your Majesty.”
“Hmph!”
The Empress laughed in a peculiar tone.
“There is no danger of that. Still, there is no harm in caution. Follow her and tell her my warning yourself.”
“What warning shall I convey?”
“The Spirit Pill I gave her contains Blood Gu. Should she entertain any treacherous thoughts, she will cough up blood and die.”
……!
The man’s eyes widened in shock.
Blood Gu was a demon’s parasite that nested in a human’s brain, allowing its master to control the host’s mind and life according to his will.
Two hundred years ago, Yi Hwan had compelled all the powers under heaven to cease using Blood Gu. Yet such a thing had just spilled from the Empress’s lips.
“With Blood Gu, I could turn that woman into a loyal dog. If you command it, I shall inform you at once.”
The middle-aged man hurried after Hwa-ryeong and slipped out of the Grand Hall. A cruel smile spread across the Empress’s mouth.
“Perhaps I should have told her myself. Heh, heh, heh.”

* * *

“The Seduction Tactic, of all things……”
Hwa-ryeong’s face flushed crimson as she left Manhwa Palace. Her rising anger soon gave way to a bitter laugh.
“I knew he suspected me, but I never imagined it ran this deep.”
Hwa-ryeong turned from her quarters toward Manhwa Palace’s Artificial Garden instead. At its center stood a Pavilion built upon a pond.
She walked across the water and ascended into the Pavilion, then settled onto its railing with arms crossed, gazing up at the night sky.
“There was still some warmth left in my heart for you, but you’ve torn away even that. Don’t blame me for what comes next.”
Hwa-ryeong had hardened her resolve to leave.
There was no reason to linger here through the night. Yet as departure loomed, her heart grew heavy.
Her desire for vengeance against the Empress who had betrayed her was matched only by her conflicted affection for Manhwa Palace itself.
“The moonlight is offensively bright tonight.”
She lifted both her legs onto the railing and leaned her back against the post.
Before she departed, she wanted to steep herself a little longer in the atmosphere of this place, so laden with memory.
‘When my usefulness is spent, will the Crown Prince even accept me?’
A soft whistle of wind.
A breeze brushed gently across Hwa-ryeong’s face. Tonight, it carried an unexpected warmth with it.
Hwa-ryeong closed her eyes.
But they snapped open almost at once.
The middle-aged man from the Grand Hall was walking across the water toward her. Hwa-ryeong fixed him with a cold stare, arms still folded.
“Is there more you wish to say?”
“I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
The middle-aged man continued, standing upon the water.
“Should you betray Her Majesty, the Blood Gu in your body will drive you to madness. Never forget these words for so long as you draw breath.”
Her eyes trembled violently.
Hwa-ryeong’s pupils shook with intensity.
The middle-aged man laughed coldly.
“Your face tells me you’ve grasped my meaning well enough.”
“A Spirit Pill?”
The middle-aged man nodded silently and continued.
“If you harbor no treacherous thoughts, nothing will befall you, Hwa-ryeong.”
With that, the middle-aged man vanished like a phantom. Hwa-ryeong’s trembling eyes blazed with sudden light, and her lips curved into a white, brilliant smile as she bared her ivory teeth.
‘This is starting to get interesting.’

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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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