The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 64

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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 — Episode 64

Chapter 64 — Pruning (3)

The Yellow Dragon Guild Leader, Yeom Yu-gwang, sought out Tae-su.
As always, Tae-su’s mouth split into a grin at the sight of the gift Yeom Yu-gwang had brought.
“Ha ha ha! What fine presents these are. Come, sit yourself down.”
Yeom Yu-gwang settled into his seat and asked directly.
“What’s become of Wang Ji-gyeong?”
“I sent a summons, but he claims illness and refuses to answer. So I dispatched my nephew to fetch him, but there’s been no word yet. The man loves his drink—likely he’s somewhere drowning in wine by now.”
“A man who treats medicinal herbs as a way of life, yet uses sickness as an excuse? Clearly the summons frightens him. Why not simply ignore his refusal and drag him in by force?”
“Wang Ji-gyeong is no ordinary man, and his connections run deep. To act so rashly would invite a backlash I’d rather avoid. Best we proceed carefully and let matters unfold. After all, aren’t we already in the Buddha’s palm?”
A maidservant entered just then with tea, and the conversation broke off.
Tae-su took a sip and asked again.
“I’ve heard you’ve had several conflicts with them. And during those confrontations, there were considerable casualties, I’m told. What exactly happened?”
“Such things occur naturally among competitors. Please think nothing of it.”
“Are you certain I needn’t concern myself?”
“Once Wang Ji-gyeong is dealt with, such incidents will cease. I trust only in your support, Tae-su.”
Yeom Yu-gwang sipped his tea with composure.
It was Longjing Tea, a gift he had given Tae-su—the same variety the Song Clan once supplied, renowned throughout the realm for its superior quality.
Clink.
“Have you met with the Prince?”
“I went to the palace but did not have an audience. I shall have to visit again next time.”
“Lately it seems he’s grown wings. His support base expands daily. Recently, a man from the Prince’s faction became General-in-Chief of the Southern Army Corps, so now he commands tremendous influence over the military apparatus. He’s like a tiger given wings, wouldn’t you say?”
“Then when shall the great work begin?”
“Ahem!”
Tae-su’s eyes widened sharply.
Then, placing a finger to his lips as a gesture of silence, he whispered.
“Guard your words.”
“Forgive me. I shall be careful.”
Tae-su continued in a deliberately stern tone.
“When the time comes, word will be sent. Until then, you must attend only to your proper duties.”
“I shall remember.”
It was then.
An officer entered, opening the door.
“Tae-su, an Imperial Censor has arrived.”
“An Imperial Censor, you say? Just now?”
“Yes. I believe you should go out at once.”
Tae-su’s eyes widened considerably.
“An Imperial Censor, suddenly appearing…?”
The Imperial Censor, known as the blade of the oversight authority, was a figure all officials dreaded most. Such visits rarely brought good tidings.
“Clear away that gift at once.”
“Yes!”
The officer hastily gathered up the presents Yeom Yu-gwang had brought. Then the door opened, and others entered.
“Set down what you’re holding.”
“…!”

* * *

Go Mi held out her Censor’s Seal toward Tae-su.
The bewilderment that had flashed across Tae-su’s face vanished in an instant—he had recognized the seal as issued by the Crown Prince Palace.
Can a person’s expression truly change so rapidly? In fact, Tae-su raised his voice.
“How discourteous. Even an Imperial Censor cannot simply barge in this way!”
Go Mi’s eyes turned cold as ice.
Yet it was not she who stepped forward, but another.
“To show such disrespect to the Crown Prince!”
Gwan Ji-baek, an officer of the Crown Prince Palace, spoke forth with a bearing as imposing as a mountain, his presence bristling with authority.
“To treat the Censor’s Seal with disrespect is, in essence, to insult the Crown Prince himself!”
“Wait, how did you…?”
Tae-su’s eyes went wide the moment he recognized Gwan Ji-baek. Though they held the same rank, Gwan Ji-baek—called the shadow of Crown Prince Yi So—was someone even Tae-su could not afford to cross.
Yeom Yu-gwang, for his part, felt a chill run through him at this unexpected turn.
How could he not know an Imperial Censor?
‘What in the world is happening? Of all times, why now?’
A sense of foreboding gripped him, and Yeom Yu-gwang forced himself to remain composed.
Someone watched him with an air of detachment.
It was Yi Hwan, now disguised as an Aide of the Censorate.
Beside him stood Ju Tae and Cheol Mu-ok, likewise dressed as Aides.
“All Aides—seal all entrances!”
“Yes!”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae locked the doors and took position before them. Yi Hwan, who had only just realized he was supposed to be an Aide, quietly stepped back.
Go Mi stepped forward.
“Are you the one called Yeom Yu-gwang?”
“…Yes, I am.”
“Seize him!”
“Yes.”
Yi Hwan moved forward.
‘Was my answer too quiet?’
Even as Yi Hwan was struck by this odd thought, Yeom Yu-gwang cried out in alarm.
“What crime have I committed? At least tell me the reason!”
“Your offenses are too many to list here—they shall be laid bare in due course! Now, comply!”
“I haven’t—ugh!”
A grunt escaped Yeom Yu-gwang as his knees buckled. Yi Hwan had forced him down with practiced ease and swiftly bound his arms.
“Officer, open that!”
The Officer of the magistrate’s office hastily unfastened what he carried. Two large golden toads gleamed brilliantly as they came into view.
‘Damn…’
Yeom Yu-gwang squeezed his eyes shut.
Of course he knew—he understood all too clearly the inescapable trap he had walked into.
As Go Mi pressed him with questions, Tae-su unexpectedly confessed. Yet he insisted the gold had been a gift, not a bribe.
But that was far from the end of it.
Go Mi, drawing on information gathered over time, presented evidence of the countless corruptions between Tae-su and Yeom Yu-gwang, intensifying the interrogation. Yet Tae-su kept his eyes closed and offered no reply, and Yeom Yu-gwang did the same.
Both understood that protest would be futile; they resolved to keep silent until they were brought before the throne.
Yi Hwan, watching this, felt a smile stir within him.
‘The Empress and the Second Prince will never come to your aid.’

* * *

A flicker.
Second Prince Yi Tae-ji’s brow curved like a blade.
“What did you just say?”
“The Crown Prince has exposed the corruption of Tae-su and the Yellow Dragon Guild. Since the matter was raised at this morning’s assembly, the Prime Minister has brought it before the court at once.”
Baek Po-in’s expression grew grave as he trailed off. Yi Tae-ji’s face hardened like stone.
“That bastard attended the assembly?”
“Yes. I only learned of it after the matter came to light.”
By now, the Yen Kingdom’s Imperial Palace had reformed its law so that all officials, high and low, attended the morning assembly. Remarkably, it was not the Emperor but the Empress who had enacted this change.
“How much has the Crown Prince’s Palace uncovered?”
Anxiety flickered across Yi Tae-ji’s face.
Setting Tae-su aside, if the Yellow Dragon Guild were exposed, the consequences could well reach him.
He lurched to his feet.
“I must see the Empress at once!”
“The Empress has not yet returned from her outing.”
“…!”
Yi Tae-ji sank back into his seat.
He had momentarily forgotten that the Empress, who favored bathing in hot springs, had gone to Jangbaek.
Baek Po-in continued.
“First, we should ascertain through the Gold Embroidered Uniform Guard how much information the Crown Prince’s Palace has gathered. If they’ve already uncovered more than we can safely manage…”
Baek Po-in let his words hang.
He exhaled slowly, then spoke with quiet resolve.
“We may have no choice but to abandon the Yellow Dragon Guild.”

* * *

The escort procession began.
Yeom Yu-gwang kept his eyes closed, searching desperately for a way through the crisis. His composure, badly shaken by this sudden turn of events, had already been restored.
‘If Yi Tae-ji steps in, this resolves itself.’
This was the backing he’d cultivated over years, spending countless fortunes to construct—a patron he trusted absolutely. The real question was why this had happened at all.
‘Ever since getting entangled with Wang Ji-gyeong, things have gone wrong. Could that bastard have the Crown Prince Palace as his backer?’
Gwan Ji-baek was known as the Crown Prince’s shadow. If he moved, it was as good as the Crown Prince moving himself. Which meant Yeom Yu-gwang had no choice but to suspect collusion between the Crown Prince Palace and Wang Ji-gyeong.
‘There’ve been rumors that Wang Ji-gyeong has been making major investments in the Song Clan lately. Could that be connected to this affair?’
The doubts only multiplied.
A sharp pain lanced through his skull.
As the headache surged, Yeom Yu-gwang exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. That was when he stiffened.
His gaze locked directly with Yi Hwan’s, who was moving alongside the carriage.
‘Why does this man’s eyes seem so familiar?’

* * *

‘Scheming won’t help. He could die a hundred times over and still never escape this.’
Yi Hwan turned his gaze forward, unhurried. The day was not just clear but dazzlingly bright.
His scheme was unfolding without the slightest deviation—every piece falling into place with perfect precision.
Yi Hwan watched Go Mi’s retreating figure ahead of them. In this game, her role had been most crucial, and she’d executed it flawlessly.
‘If it had been Yi Tae-ji’s side, this would’ve been far more complicated.’
A faint smile played at Yi Hwan’s lips.
Soon, the Imperial Palace began to appear in the distance. Yi Hwan glanced back at Yeom Yu-gwang and Tae-su.
While Yeom Yu-gwang sat motionless with closed eyes, Tae-su was actually smiling.
[He trusts Yi Tae-ji absolutely, it seems.]
Cheol Mu-ok’s voice reached him through Soul Transmission.
[Whether Yeom Yu-gwang survives or not, that man is marked for death. If Yi Tae-ji has any sense, he’ll dispose of him before the corruption scandal can touch him. Well, since we have no intention of going after Yi Tae-ji himself, I’d say the odds of his execution are quite high.]
[Wouldn’t it have been better to spare him and use him later as a weapon against Yi Tae-ji?]
Yi Hwan shook his head.
[Right now, cutting off Yi Tae-ji’s purse strings is the priority. Men like that are easy to replace. We might even hook someone bigger.]
[May I ask you something?]
Cheol Mu-ok spoke at once.
[Have you done something like this many times before?]
[Why the curiosity?]
[It’s just that nearly every situation unfolds exactly as you wish it to. Without experience, this would be practically impossible, wouldn’t it?]
[This is my first time.]
“……!”
In his own era, there had been no need for him to act directly. His subordinates—the Three Kings and the rest—had handled everything themselves.
[Watch closely and learn. These are things you’ll have to do yourselves later on.]

* * *

Entry into the palace proceeded without incident.
Only the spread of news drew crowds, which caused some delay.
Tae-su and Yeom Yu-gwang were confined not to the Gold Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison nor to one operated by the Censorate itself, but to Bi-Wol Prison. Ordinarily, criminals arrested by the Censorate are held in the Gold Embroidered Uniform Guard’s custody.
But since the Gold Embroidered Uniform Guard was aligned with Yi Tae-ji, they had no choice but to use Bi-Wol Prison instead.
Yi Hwan made directly for the Crown Prince Palace.
Go Mi accompanied him, and Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae followed close behind.
Yi So came out to the entrance to receive them.
“Come in, come in.”
“Are you sure you haven’t gone to any trouble?”
“I’ve already laid out a generous spread. Come, let’s go inside!”
Once inside Yi So’s quarters, Yi Hwan removed his Face Mask first. The material had turned thick in the hasty construction, and with poor ventilation, his face was slick with sweat.
“How did the morning assembly go?”
“Everything went as we wanted. The Imperial Censor will conduct the investigation personally, so there shouldn’t be any complications. You’ve all worked hard.”
Yi So, smiling broadly, turned to Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae with a question.
“If you brought them to my quarters, they’re not spies from the Censorate. That makes them your subordinates, yes?”
“More accurately, trusted friends and allies.”
“Hearing you speak like that, they must be quite important figures. I entrust my brother to your care.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae bowed their heads.
In truth, both were deeply startled. It was because of the manner in which Yi Hwan addressed the Crown Prince.
A moment earlier, Ju Tae had asked Cheol Mu-ok a question.
‘Is it acceptable to speak like that before the Crown Prince?’
At the time, Cheol Mu-ok could offer no answer. He himself harbored the same doubt.
Yet what was strange was that no sense of discord arose. As though such conduct were entirely natural.
‘Well, if he’s the descendant of the Castle Lord, he ought to carry himself that way.’
Some time passed before Cheol Mu-ok replied thus.
Ju Tae nodded in agreement.
‘I concur.’
‘But didn’t we agree to drop the formal speech?’
‘Did we?’
‘Let’s do that.’
‘Fine by me.’

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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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