The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 183

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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’s Martial Emperor, Episode 183

Chapter 183 — Masters of the Crown Prince Palace

The officials attending the court ceremony spoke in hushed, urgent tones about Yi Hwan’s safe return.
The assembly split into two camps—those welcoming the news and those who were not. If one were to be precise about the divide, the latter group was notably larger.
This reflected a simple truth: the Empress still commanded the loyalty of more officials.
The Prime Minister and the Grand Marshal, who stood at the head of the ministers, along with the heads of the Six Ministries, waited in tense silence for the Empress to appear.
“The Crown Prince enters!”
Everyone rose from their seats.
Yi So stepped into the hall. He offered a light bow to the Prime Minister and Grand Marshal, then took his place.
One official turned to Yi So with a question.
“Is it true that the Fourth Prince has returned?”
“I have confirmed nothing.”
“If Your Highness knows nothing, then who would?”
“I have confirmed nothing.”
Yi So shut down the question with finality and closed his eyes. After that, no one dared ask further.
Then it came.
“The Empress enters!”
Everyone rose again. Yi So too turned his gaze toward the entrance of the great hall and slowly stood.
The Empress entered.
In that instant, the eyes of the two met through the empty air with a sharp, terrible intensity. Yi So lowered his head calmly.
Seated, the Empress looked down at Yi So and spoke at once.
“I hear rumors that the Fourth Prince has returned. Does the Crown Prince know anything of this?”
“I have heard only rumors myself, Your Majesty.”
Yi So’s composed demeanor infuriated the Empress, though she revealed nothing on her face.
Then the Prime Minister stood and spoke quietly.
“We were to discuss the appointment of the next Guard Commander at today’s ceremony, but since rumors are circulating that the Fourth Prince has returned, perhaps we ought to postpone the proceedings.”
“We cannot delay the court’s schedule over mere rumors! We must proceed as planned!”
“On the contrary! If the Fourth Prince has truly returned, we must abandon this appointment altogether!”
“This is no mere rumor!”
“It may well be true, so we must verify the facts first!”
“Indeed!”
The Empress’s faction opposed the postponement while Yi So’s supporters pressed their case, and the atmosphere erupted into heated contention.
The Empress observed in silence. Though she had received word of Yi Hwan’s return through Mun I-jong, she came forward this way because she could not bear to abandon even the thinnest thread of hope.
‘All I can do is stir up as much chaos as possible and wait for the Grand Steward to eliminate him.’
The Empress fixed her gaze on Yi So.
Rage burned inside her at the sight of him sitting there with eyes calmly closed, but she could not show it—not here, not in this place.
She forced herself to ask with apparent calm.
“What is the Crown Prince’s view on this matter?”
Yi So opened his eyes and replied.
“It is certainly important to honor the court’s schedule, but should we not first determine the truth of these rumors?”
“So you would postpone the proceedings?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“For how long?”
“That decision rests with Your Majesty.”
The Empress’s brows curved sharply upward.
‘He tosses this hot coal to me? Cunning wretch.’
Then it happened.
A long shadow stretched across the floor of the great hall. Every eye turned toward the entrance.
“The Grand Prince!”
“What—!”
Yi Hwan was walking in.
His arrival sent a visible shock through the assembly. The Empress’s lips pressed into a thin line, while Yi So smiled faintly.
Yi Hwan walked down the center of the great hall and came to stand before the Empress. Their gazes cut through the empty air between them, and an invisible spark flew.
“I apologize for my lateness.”

* * *

The court ceremony concluded without fanfare.
Yi Hwan and Yi So made their way together toward the Crown Prince Palace. Yi So’s face never lost its smile.
Go-mi, who had been waiting outside, bowed to them both.
“How did it go?”
Yi Hwan handed her a scroll document in answer. The scroll bore an enhanced mandate for the Gold Guard’s authority, stamped clearly with the Imperial Seal.
Go-mi’s eyes widened in astonishment.
‘This is practically equivalent to a Grand Commandant’s authority…’
Not long ago, Yi Hwan had received the official rank of Regional Commander. But rank alone, despite what it suggested, fell far short of real authority.
Yet these elevated powers came close to those of a Grand Commandant. What startled Go-mi most was that Yi Hwan could now move troops independently in times of emergency, and his jurisdiction extended across all of Yen Kingdom.
“You seem quite shocked,” Yi Hwan observed.
“Frankly, I am. I never imagined they would elevate his authority to this degree.”
“We have the Queen Consort to thank for this.”
“Congratulations, Grand Prince.”
Yi So spoke with a grin.
“You should have seen their faces. Ha ha ha.”
‘The Crown Prince seems even more pleased than the Grand Prince.’
Shortly after, the three entered the Crown Prince Palace. Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae were waiting inside.
“What happened?”
“See for yourself.”
Go-mi handed them the document from within the scroll. Moments later, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae’s eyes widened just as Go-mi’s had.
“Remarkable!”
“This amounts to saying one hundred thousand Gold Guard have become the Grand Prince’s personal army. Congratulations!”
Yi So addressed the two of them.
“Your responsibilities have grown weightier still. You must support my brother with even greater devotion than before.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Yes!”
Gwan Ji-baek entered at that moment.
“A banquet has been prepared. Please join us. Tonight we have arranged a special menu featuring the cuisine of Haedong.”

* * *

Five men were already present in the banquet hall.
All of them radiated the unmistakable bearing of masters. They bowed respectfully as Yi So and Yi Hwan entered.
‘Are these the Crown Prince Palace’s experts?’
Yi So seized the moment to introduce Yi Hwan to the five.
“This is my brother. All of you, show proper courtesy.”
“We greet the Grand Prince.”
“They are martial artists whom I hold dear. You shall see much of them henceforth, so take note of them this evening.”
“A pleasure. I am Yi Hwan.”
The banquet began shortly after.
Yi Hwan and all the others marveled at the Haedong cuisine they tasted for the first time.
Unlike the rich, heavy dishes of the Central Plains, these were delicate yet full of umami—so exquisite that chopsticks could not stop moving.
“Does the palace employ a Haedong chef?”
“Indeed. And that fellow there is also from Haedong.”
Yi So gestured toward one of the five men.
Yi Hwan’s eyes naturally turned toward the man Yi So indicated. Despite bearing a resemblance to the legendary general Zhang Fei of old, his gaze carried a depth and gravity all its own.
Yi So’s Soul Voice Transmission followed.
[A fist that many consider the strongest in the land. Both he and others acknowledge it.]
[How did the Crown Prince Palace come to know him?]
[There are various circumstances behind it. I’ll arrange a proper opportunity to tell you the whole story later.]
Perhaps because of the introduction,
Yi Hwan found himself drawn to Jang Han. Just then, Jang Han lifted his head, and their eyes met.
Yi Hwan raised his cup.
Jang Han lifted his own cup in return and bowed slightly. Thus began the connection between Yi Hwan and the man who would one day be called the Fist King.

* * *

The quarters of Yi Seong-ji, the Third Prince.
Gong Ya-un received a report from his subordinate, unable to hide his alarm.
“…The Fourth Prince has returned?”
“Yes. It’s said he attended court ceremony today.”
Gong Ya-un’s brow furrowed slightly.
“The Empress meant to be clever, but instead she’s given wings to the Crown Prince Palace.”
“Precisely so. Word has it that the scope of his elevated authority approaches that of the Grand Commandant, and in some matters actually exceeds it. Given the relationship between the Crown Prince Palace and the Fourth Prince, it would be no exaggeration to say she’s handed him not merely wings but a sword for every occasion.”
“Find out the details of every elevated provision and bring them to me. As quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
Gong Ya-un settled back in his chair, his gaze hardening.
“No matter how I consider it, something doesn’t fit.”
“What do you mean?”
“To act so decisively on a death when not even a body has been confirmed—it’s entirely unlike the Empress.”
“The Empress may make errors like anyone else, surely?”
“This isn’t mere error; at this scale, it borders on catastrophe. But we have our own headaches now. The stronger the Crown Prince Palace grows, the more force we’ll need to expend.”
“Indeed.”
His aide nodded gravely.
Gong Ya-un rose abruptly, and his aide followed, asking.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m entering the palace. Have a carriage prepared.”
“A sudden palace entry—why…?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Hurry.”
“Yes.”
Shortly after, Gong Ya-un rode in Yi Seong-ji’s carriage toward the Imperial Palace, escorted by five men including two coachmen.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
The carriage moved at considerable speed.
Gong Ya-un opened the window and gazed at the passing landscape.
‘My competitors build their power step by step, while we haven’t advanced a single pace…’
The question was when Yi Seong-ji’s cultivation would end. Without him, there was precious little they could accomplish, and if time continued to slip away, the gap would only widen.
‘The balance of power that was so evenly matched is gradually tilting toward the Crown Prince. The Fourth Prince—his sudden appearance has transformed the entire game.’
In truth, when Gong Ya-un first saw Yi Hwan, he’d scoffed inwardly. Rumors aside, that first encounter revealed nothing more than a typical imperial prince, nothing remarkable.
Yet now that same man had emerged as a pivotal figure in the power struggle.
‘The Empress and Yi Hwang-ja won’t sit idle. For now, I can only watch their conflict and wait for a crack to slip through.’
Flutter!
A wind-blown leaf flew toward Gong Ya-un’s face, but as it drew near, it shattered into fragments and scattered in all directions.
That was when it happened.
“The Fourth Prince’s carriage approaches from ahead.”
“Pull to the roadside.”
“Yes.”
Gong Ya-un’s carriage drew to the side of the road. Shortly after, he caught sight of Yi Hwan’s carriage passing swiftly by.
Through the open window, Gong Ya-un could see Yi Hwan’s face. In that fleeting instant, Yi Hwan’s gaze found his, and their eyes locked.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
‘Those eyes…’
Thump.
Gong Ya-un felt his heart quicken. Though it lasted only a moment, something inexpressible emanated from Yi Hwan’s gaze.
‘That man… is dangerous.’

* * *

“Grand Prince, the Third Prince’s carriage is ahead.”
“Pay it no mind. Keep going.”
“Yes.”
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
Yi Hwan recalled Yi Seong-ji as he’d seen him last. Then his eyes were far colder and more desolate than when they’d first met.
‘Not resentment toward me, but resentment toward the world itself—that’s what his eyes held.’
He could guess the reason well enough.
The two assassination attempts had made him that way.
Click.
Yi Hwan opened the carriage window.
Moments later, he glimpsed an elderly man sitting in the passing carriage—a face he’d seen once before in the Imperial Capital.
‘An old retainer riding in his master’s carriage… and clearly no ordinary elder at that.’
Yi Hwan called out softly.
“Hold up.”
Whinny!
The carriage came to a stop.
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on Go-mi.
“We need to talk.”
“Now, my lord?”
“Leave the driver to his work and come inside.”
“……Yes.”
Go-mi climbed into the carriage, and it lurched forward again.
“I need to dig deeper into this old master the Third Prince calls Master.”
“That’s the problem, sir — it’s difficult to gather intelligence on the Third Prince’s circle. We’ve been investigating that person for some time now, but we’ve turned up almost nothing.”
“Find a way regardless.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
Yi Hwan folded his arms and closed his eyes, and Go-mi felt a flicker of unease.
“Is there anything else you wish to say, my lord?”
“Just drive easy.”
……

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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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