Chapter 1584: This Seat

Kim Jin-guk did not reply, only furrowed his brow, set his face, and left. After he was gone, Yi Hon's laughter rang on without end.

At that moment, the Crown Prince was receiving a host of officials in the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion where he resided. The civil officials and military officers of the Great Han envoy mission had all gathered here in full force today, as if they had turned this place into a true Goryeo court.

Unlike Zhao Song and the civil and military officers at the legation, who had barely slept through the night, he had slept deeply that night, only waking when the sun was already high. He immediately received reports from the attendants around him, telling him that Zhao Song, leading the Great Han garrison in Goryeo, had already entered the royal palace and taken control of the entire Hanseong.

The Crown Prince felt no excitement at this expected outcome; instead, he was quite calm. Whether from others' reports or his own observations, he was certain that the Great Han garrison was absolutely superior to those useless Goryeo soldiers, and that those soldiers would never have the resolve to resist the Celestial Army for Yi Hon's sake.

"Brigade Commander Zhao truly is a man of heroic mettle." When he arrived at the pavilion where the assembled officials had gathered, the Crown Prince first directed his praise at Zhao Song. "I hear you were the first to charge into Gyeongbokgung this time — you are indeed the foremost valiant general of our Great Han!"

"The Crown Prince praises me too highly; I am unworthy of such honor." Zhao Song bowed his head and saluted the Crown Prince. "When I was in Liaodong, I often led the charge myself and have long grown accustomed to it. Besides, with the thought that Your Highness was still inside Gyeongbokgung, I dared not slacken, thinking only of reaching Your Highness's side as quickly as possible to safeguard your security."

"What danger could I possibly be in here?" The Crown Prince could not help but laugh. "This is not a battle; there is no need to treat it as if facing a great enemy. When it truly comes to war, however, Brigade Commander, you absolutely must not do this again. Before, you were a frontline commander, so naturally valor took priority, and leading the charge could boost the morale of your officers and men. But now it is different — you are a commanding general of an entire front. The fortunes and misfortunes of the entire army rest on your shoulders; you absolutely cannot go risking yourself in extraordinary danger. Leave the task of leading the charge and rallying the troops to the officers under your command."

"I understand. I thank the Crown Prince for his guidance!" Zhao Song, knowing full well that the Crown Prince was absolutely right, immediately assented.

"The morning has already passed. Has any unrest arisen anywhere in Hanseong?" The Crown Prince shifted his gaze and continued to question the others.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the court ministers and scholar-officials of Goryeo have made no unusual moves." The first to answer was Shi Gaoyi, the Ambassador stationed in Goryeo. "We have already placed informants in the homes of the important Goryeo court ministers, and they all report nothing out of the ordinary."

"It seems Kim Jin-guk truly has some ability. These ministers are either his confederates or have been cowed by him." The Crown Prince nodded, then turned to Vice-Envoy Zhang Daoyan. "Is it calm throughout the city of Goryeo?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, all is calm. The lives of the scholars and commoners proceed as usual, and no one is discussing this matter much." Zhang Daoyan answered at once. "The markets and shops in the city are also operating as normal. The soldiers who entered the city have received orders absolutely forbidding them from disrupting commercial activity. As for those villains who wished to exploit the chaos to cause trouble, they have all been severely punished."

"What of the situation outside Hanseong?" the Crown Prince asked further.

"Reporting to Your Highness, outside Hanseong, everything is also as usual, with no unusual movements." This time it was Wang Yun, responsible for guarding the outskirts of Hanseong, who spoke. "Although some Goryeo troops were unsettled when they first heard of the commotion within the city, after we explained the specific situation, they all chose to hold their forces in place. These troops were all soundly beaten by our army several years ago when Yi Hon was restored to the throne, and their reorganization and training over these past few years has also been overseen by our army. Thus, they all still harbor lingering fear of us and would never dare to move lightly."

No unusual movements within the city, none outside either. Although once the news spread, it would surely reach the provinces and stir unrest, with Yi Hon's edict in hand and himself personally in command, he presumed no petty scoundrel would dare to incite rebellion. Even if any did, they would merely be waiting to be ground to dust by the Great Han troops. The Crown Prince believed that the two garrison battalions were already sufficient to suppress the whole of Goryeo, to say nothing of the troops continuously arriving by sea.

Ever since making this decision, the Crown Prince had been methodically deploying this matter with the civil and military officials around him, and had also written a memorial to send back to the capital. However, to seize the moment, he had not waited for a reply from the homeland before directly ordering the operation to commence.

Now, looking back, everything had gone even more smoothly than he had imagined.

Undertaking a major endeavor for the first time based on his own judgment and immediately achieving such a gratifying result filled the Crown Prince's heart with great joy and excitement. Only by force of will, to maintain his composure before the assembled crowd, did he barely manage to keep it from bursting forth.

Just then, an attendant walked in and, leaning close to the Crown Prince's ear, reported that Kim Jin-guk had come seeking an audience.

"The King wishes to see me?" After hearing the report, the Crown Prince was somewhat surprised.

Given the current situation, he had thought Yi Hon would be in a state of constant, hopeless dread. He had not expected him to take the initiative to seek an audience.

"Your Highness, at this stage, there is no need to see him, is there?" Shi Gaoyi, who still harbored a grudge against Yi Hon, hastily offered his counsel. "The overall situation is now settled. Even if he refuses to cooperate, he has no other path to take. What meaning is there in seeing him again? It would only cause needless vexation."

The Crown Prince, however, did not immediately refuse. Instead, he pondered briefly and ultimately reached the opposite conclusion. "Very well, let him come and see me."

"Your Highness?" Shi Gaoyi was somewhat taken aback, fearing that even at this stage, Yi Hon might yet snatch life from the jaws of death. "Why see him again now? If he puts on a wretched display of weeping and wailing, it will only spoil Your Highness's mood."

"This Gyeongbokgung was originally his family's place. Since I have already reduced him to this state, what harm is there in seeing him?" The Crown Prince cast a displeased glance at him. "The matter has already been carried to this point. No matter what he says, the outcome will not change. Does Ambassador Shi take me for a capricious, fickle child who acts on whim?"

"I would not dare…" Shi Gaoyi was so frightened that he dared not say another word. The others also fell silent, and no one else voiced any dissent.

In the time since the Crown Prince had arrived in Goryeo, he had already established his authority among these civil and military officials. No one dared to treat him as an inexperienced child anymore. Now, they might offer a few words of advice before he made a decision, but once it was made, they could only obey without question.

"Bring him in."

After receiving the Crown Prince's order, it was not long before Kim Jin-guk went back to find Yi Hon, and he was then led by attendants into Gyeonghoeru. Aside from two personal attendants and guards, all the other civil and military officials had withdrawn.

When Yi Hon reached the second floor, the Crown Prince was seated by the window, watching him in silence. The sunlight from behind, mingled with the mountain breeze and the colors of the water, fell upon him, as if he were the true master of this royal palace.

"Your subject pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince." Guided by the attendants, Yi Hon walked before the Crown Prince.

"No need to kneel. Please, sit." Before Yi Hon could perform his deferential salute, the Crown Prince spoke directly.

The attendants beside Yi Hon, without further ado, forcibly supported him and placed him in the seat next to the Crown Prince. This approach, bordering on blunt disregard for courtesy, rather aptly reflected the current disparity between the two men.

As if pondering how to begin, he remained silent for a long while.

"King, I am afraid you must now follow my arrangements." After Yi Hon had taken his seat, the Crown Prince continued. "Since we have already stirred up such a grand spectacle, you should now understand that there is no turning back. I had your Chief State Councillor come to you to finalize the edict so that we might both preserve some dignity. Please do as he says."

"Your Highness, I have not come today to beg for Your Highness's mercy. I know that at this point, it is impossible for Your Highness to change his mind, and there is no room for the matter to be reversed. So, please rest assured, Crown Prince, I will not put on a hypocritical display and make things difficult for everyone." Yi Hon, however, lowered his head and gave an answer that caught the Crown Prince off guard. "Your Highness, please rest assured. Before I came, I had already handed the royal seal to Chief Councillor Kim. He has already transmitted the edict out of the palace, and it will soon spread throughout the entire country. When that happens, everyone will know that the continuation of my Goryeo's royal line has hope…"

Though he strove to speak calmly, the Crown Prince could still hear the loss and fear deep within the other man's heart. Understanding his feelings, the Crown Prince deliberately softened his own tone.

"In that case, it is for the best. King, please also rest assured. We have done this solely for the stability of your country and have no intention of harming you. So long as you act according to our wishes, absolutely no one will be able to threaten your safety. You may continue to spend your remaining years in peace within the palace. Even the natural father of the heir, or Chief Councillor Kim himself — we will never permit them to show you disrespect."

This had been his established policy from the start. The reason he had openly intervened in the matter of the Goryeo king and personally designated the royal heir for Goryeo was, on one hand, to comply with the wishes of his subordinates and resolve the issue of Goryeo's royal succession. But more importantly, it was to establish his authority before the Goryeo court, and even before the civil and military officials of the Great Han, to make them understand his power and his will, and to prevent them from treating him as an inexperienced child.

Now, both objectives had been achieved. These civil and military officials all now held him in wary respect, and the Goryeo court would only be even more obedient. In the future, when he took command at Busan, his actions would be extremely convenient, and no one would be able to obstruct him anymore.

Since his fundamental goal had been achieved, he had no intention of making things difficult for Yi Hon any further. After all, he was an old man in his twilight years; letting him die of old age within this palace was no great matter.

"I thank Your Highness for his profound grace." Yi Hon bowed his head once more in gratitude to the Crown Prince. "I have now reached this age, and my energy is failing. Even if I were asked to manage state affairs, I would be too busy to cope. To be able to free myself from these tangled troubles in the future, I truly must thank Your Highness."

This manner of incessant gratitude instead made the Crown Prince feel somewhat awkward. He even suspected the other party was using this method to mock him and vent the resentment in his heart.

"King, you need not thank me. In doing this, I do feel I have wronged you somewhat. But since matters have reached this stage, I will not change my mind out of guilt." He let his face harden slightly, wanting to convey in this way that this was already the best outcome he could offer. "However, when our country sent troops to help you restore your kingdom, allowing you to ascend the throne again after such destitution and hold it for so many years — that should be considered enough to have treated you fairly, is it not?"

"I absolutely harbor no intention of mocking Your Highness; I beg Your Highness to see this clearly." Yi Hon suddenly gave a bitter smile and repeatedly defended himself. "Truly, in my view, although today's conclusion is somewhat regrettable, it can also be considered a kind of release. I bear absolutely no resentment towards Your Highness. If I must resent someone, I can only resent myself…"

"Resent yourself?" The Crown Prince was puzzled.

"Yes. To have fallen to this state, I can only blame myself…" Yi Hon smiled bitterly as he reached up and touched his own face, his hand finding that scarred, mangled, bloody eye socket. "Many years ago, I should have become a wandering ghost. Now, having been blessed by heaven to become king once more, what more can I resent? Your Highness, I only wish to ask you one question. Please, considering that I have, after all, served the Great Han with great deference for many years, do not hide the truth — answer me honestly."

"What question?" The Crown Prince was noncommittal.

"The Great Han's army should now control the entire capital and its surroundings, correct? With the Celestial Army's mighty soldiers, there will surely be no oversights. I only wish to ask… throughout this day, has there been any court minister who spoke in my defense, or any scholar or commoner who voiced grievance on my behalf, even if only in private? Your Highness need not worry; I harbor absolutely no wishful thinking. Everything is already settled. I merely wish to ask."

"No. Not a single one. At least, not so far." The Crown Prince answered without hesitation. "I am not deceiving you."

"Not a single one…" Yi Hon's smile was bleak. "As expected, not a single one."

"Why this is the outcome, the King should know in his heart." The Crown Prince replied calmly. "If you had not previously acted so perversely and tyrannically, destroying the people's hearts, how could you have been overthrown by your ministers in a palace coup? Since no one spoke up then, even less will anyone do so now."

"Destroyed the people's hearts… indeed so, indeed so." Yi Hon smiled bitterly. "One wrong step, then every step wrong, until in the end there was no turning back. But, Your Highness, is there any king under heaven who, from the very beginning, wished to utterly destroy the people's hearts? When I first became king, what I thought of was also how to govern the country well, to make the scholars and commoners of the realm sing my praises! It's just… it's just… ah…"

He suddenly shook his head in dejection, filled with profound grief. The Crown Prince also said nothing, letting him sigh and lament as he wished.

After a moment, Yi Hon finally regained his composure. "The root of everything lies in the fact that I was not the son of the primary consort. In my youth, I was raised as the heir, studying both civil and military arts. But when I had already come of age, my royal father… had a legitimate son with the newly enfeoffed Queen. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate birth is a difference as vast as heaven and the abyss. Even though my royal father allowed me to ascend the throne, there were still countless petty men who wanted to use that legitimate son… use that legitimate son to gamble on the merit of supporting a new ruler, just like Chief Councillor Kim today."

"So you killed your younger brother?" the Crown Prince asked coldly.

"Yes. I was afraid, so I killed my younger brother. In that position, no one would not be afraid. Even in dreams, one fears losing power and plunging into the endless abyss, unable to tolerate the slightest threat. So long as there was even a sliver of a threat, it had to be eradicated, extinguished, slaughtered completely… That is what I thought at the time." Yi Hon recounted the past with a detached manner, yet it carried an unnatural chill that made even the Crown Prince's hair stand on end.

Then, Yi Hon regained his calm and smiled bitterly. "For the sake of power and position, one must cruelly slaughter one's own brothers. The Crown Prince must surely find this hard to imagine, yes? Yet in the history of my country, such examples are not few. Even throughout the dynasties of the Celestial Empire, they are everywhere. There is no other reason — once in that position… one is no longer in control. Therefore, Your Highness, I truly envy you especially. You are the eldest legitimate son, the natural heir, and were established as Crown Prince from the very beginning… You need not put anyone to death. So long as you live, you will one day peacefully and safely succeed to the throne. Enviable, too enviable!"

The Crown Prince, however, felt no joy. On the contrary, he only felt a tightness in his chest.

Li Jiancheng was also the eldest legitimate son, also the crown prince — did he ever succeed to the throne? This strange thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Those old tales of brothers slaughtering each other for the throne had always been nothing but dry words in a history book to him, but now, actually facing it, hearing the man involved recount it before him with a face so calm — only now did he realize just how close this sort of thing truly was to himself.

With power and position laid before them, how many can really hold on to family ties all the way through... Abruptly, he found himself understanding the haggard old man across from him, just a little.

"After I killed my younger brother, people's hearts fell into chaos. Everyone saw me as a tyrant, but precisely because of that, in order to keep driving them, I had to become ever more severe, even brutal, until in the end I had scoured every last bit of loyalty clean away. At the time, the Great Ming asked me to send troops against the Jian slaves, but I could tell at a glance that the Great Ming couldn't win, so I was unwilling to cooperate — which gave the domestic opposition even more to use against me." Li Hun went on, his voice calm. "In the end... it was a palace coup. There's nothing much to say. I brought it on myself. If I had done just a little better, perhaps it would never have come to that."

Then he let out another long sigh. "It's far too late to speak of this now, so there's not much point. I came to see you today, Your Highness, only because I wanted to pour out what's in my heart. Truly, just to pour it out. I only wanted you to know that I was not, from the very start, a fatuous and brutal ruler. I genuinely wanted to govern the country well, to become an enlightened monarch of the age, a model for all posterity... Because the way I see it, you may be the only person who can understand me. I... I don't have many years left to live. I truly cannot bear the thought that when I die, everyone will still see me as a madman, a bloodthirsty fiend — if only there were just one person who didn't think so. Of course, this may all just be my own foolish fancy."

"If it were me, I would absolutely never raise a hand against a younger brother — whether born of the same mother or of a concubine." After a long silence, the crown prince suddenly spoke. "So, we are different. I can become an illustrious sovereign of the age, carrying on my Imperial Father's great enterprise, while you... can only end up as you are now."