Chapter 133
The ministers gathered in one place whispered among themselves in low voices.
“Do you know why we were summoned?”
“I’m not sure. I was only told it was urgent.”
“Hmph. Just what in the world could it be….”
They exchanged uneasy glances. And it was no wonder—after all, the one who had summoned them today was none other than Empress Cheon Ihwa.
“Her Majesty the Empress arrives!”
With a booming announcement, Ihwa appeared. Lavishly adorned, she seemed especially imposing today.
The jeweled ornaments glittering in the sunlight were ostentatious enough to make one frown, and the way she held her chin high was arrogant, as though she were the emperor herself. On top of that, she was flanked on both sides by armed guards, making her presence downright intimidating.
With elegant composure, Ihwa took the seat of honor and looked down at the ministers. Leaning back casually and resting her head to one side, her posture was unmistakably lax.
At the sight, the ministers began murmuring again, carefully gauging her mood.
After savoring their agitation to her satisfaction, Ihwa finally spoke.
“I summoned you here today to discuss the disposition of Consort Danseol.”
At the mention of Danseol’s name, the hall erupted into noise.
“Your Majesty, forgive our presumption, but we have not yet been informed of Consort Danseol’s crimes.”
They had only heard that Danseol had insulted the imperial family, not the exact manner in which she had done so. Even so, the ministers hesitated to speak rashly because of the power of the Empress’s maternal relatives standing behind her.
No matter that Grand General Cheon Taesu had been exiled—the influence of the Cheon clan, which had seeped into every corner of the Hwangseon Empire, could not be ignored. Moreover, the emperor, Gyeom, was currently away from the capital.
Under such circumstances, no one was willing to take the risk of defending Danseol.
Still, they could not simply leave matters as they were. If Gyeom were to return and learn of this upheaval, it would be troublesome in its own way.
At the very least, they needed to know how Danseol had supposedly insulted the imperial family.
“The consort deceived the emperor about her identity and thereby insulted His Majesty and the imperial house.”
Once again, the hall fell into uproar.
“Deceived her identity? Wasn’t Consort Danseol of common birth?”
“Could it be… that she was of lowborn origin?”
“Heavens—just her being a commoner caused the nation to stir. If she were lowborn….”
When Danseol first became a concubine, her status as a commoner had been endlessly discussed. If she were of an even lower status than that, the entire country might be turned upside down. And if she were to bear a prince, it could mean the birth of the first emperor in Hwangseon history with lowborn blood.
With amused eyes, Ihwa watched the ministers’ expressions shift by the second. Just as the atmosphere began to heat up—
“Fortunately, the consort is not of lowborn status.”
Her words caused an even greater stir.
If she was neither lowborn nor a commoner, then Danseol’s status must be at least that of a noble.
“She is Princess Baek Danseol of the Kingdom of Seolhwa.”
“…….”
“That is the consort’s true name—and her true identity.”
At Ihwa’s declaration, the hall fell silent as if doused with cold water.
Danseol was a princess of Seolhwa…?
The ministers looked utterly stunned.
“B-But, Your Majesty. Wasn’t the princess of Seolhwa killed along with the king and queen?”
At one man’s cry, the others nodded vigorously. When Cheon Taesu returned from the conquest, he had clearly reported that the princess of Seolhwa had been executed alongside the king and queen after refusing to surrender.
Clang!
Instead of answering, Ihwa threw something onto the floor before them. What rolled across the ground with a sharp metallic sound was a sword.
“This is the sword of Crown Prince Baek Danho of Seolhwa. You can tell by the plum blossom crest engraved on the hilt.”
As the war between Hwangseon and Seolhwa dragged on, Danho’s martial prowess had become a frequent topic even within Hwangseon. Every battle he entered had proven arduous.
Thus, not only Danho’s name but also the sword he always carried on the battlefield was well known in Hwangseon.
A sword bearing a plum blossom crest.
There was no one present who did not recognize it as Crown Prince Baek Danho’s sword.
And there it lay, the intricate plum blossom clearly visible on the hilt.
“This sword was in the possession of the consort’s elder brother.”
That meant Danseol’s brother was the crown prince of Seolhwa. And that meant Danseol herself was indeed a princess of Seolhwa.
As the hall once more erupted into noise, Ihwa slammed her fist down on the armrest of her chair.
“Crown Prince Baek Danho of Seolhwa once attacked, alone, the Hwangseon forces stationed in Seolju. With impure intentions.”
Those “impure intentions” clearly meant treason against Hwangseon.
“And yet, the crown prince who vanished afterward reappeared as the consort’s guard and entered the imperial palace. What do you suppose that signifies?”
“Surely… he was aiming for His Majesty….”
“Now that you mention it, his sudden appearance and her appointing him as a guard did seem suspicious.”
The ministers had begun to flesh out Ihwa’s claims on their own. After all, to train a dog to obey, one only needed to toss it a bone.
“Today, in this very place, I intend to strip the criminal Danseol of her concubine title and impose a punishment befitting her crimes.”
“A punishment befitting her crimes… do you mean to kill her?”
At those words, the ministers stirred yet again.
The crime of insulting the imperial family was a grave offense that carried the death penalty. In other words, Ihwa had effectively declared her intention to execute Danseol.
“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold—the punishment of a criminal lies solely within the authority of His Imperial Majesty. No matter that you are the Empress, to punish Consort Danseol in the Emperor’s absence violates both law and propriety.”
“So you would have us spare those who not only deceived us about their identities but dared to plot against His Imperial Majesty?”
When a minister who had long supported Gyeom and Danseol objected, Ihwa openly showed her displeasure.
Yet the minister did not back down easily.
“It is indeed wrong that the consort and her brother concealed their identities. However, there is no definitive proof that they intended to harm His Majesty. Under such circumstances, we cannot punish a consort who enjoys the Emperor’s favor.”
At that, Ihwa’s lips twisted upward into a crooked smile.
“Very well. Then I shall extract a confession from them.”
Lowering her gaze, Ihwa spoke in a chilling voice.
“If a confession is obtained, then Danseol and her brother will be dealt with according to the law.”
“Your Majesty, please wait. I beg you to see me for a moment.”
No sooner had Ihwa entered Geonwol Hall than Seonghyeon hurried after her. Unlike his usual self, he looked highly agitated.
“I’m tired. Speak later.”
Despite her refusal, Seonghyeon stepped directly in front of her.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Ihwa fixed him with an icy stare. Several palace attendants flinched under her gaze, but Seonghyeon did not budge in the slightest.
At Ihwa’s signal, all but a few armed soldiers withdrew, leaving the rest behind.
“Why did you do this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t touch Consort Danseol?!”
Yet Ihwa had not only imprisoned Danseol—she had even laid hands on her. The moment Seonghyeon saw her swollen cheek and the wound upon it, his fury had exploded.
That was why he had come rushing to confront Ihwa.
“So?”
Crossing her arms, Ihwa looked down at him. Her attitude was not merely brazen—it was downright bold.
“Breaking that promise was my choice. So what are you going to do about it?”
“Release Consort Danseol immediately. If you do not—”
Heh.
Ihwa openly scoffed at him.
“What then? Are you going to kill me? You, of all people?”
“I’m telling you to honor your promise—now!”
“You really are naïve.”
At Ihwa’s gesture, the soldiers standing nearby struck Seonghyeon’s shins with the shafts of their spears.
“Ugh…!”
As pain forced his body to fold, they grabbed him roughly by the hair and forced him to his knees before Ihwa. He struggled, but the more he resisted, the worse the pain became.
The soldiers mercilessly pinned him down with their spears.
Soon, Seonghyeon was covered in blood from head to toe.
“Tsk, tsk. I told you not to be so defiant.”
Approaching Seonghyeon as he lay collapsed on the floor, Ihwa spoke in a mockingly sympathetic tone. Yet her eyes and lips were smiling.
As though she were thoroughly enjoying the situation.
“Shall I tell you one little truth?”
As if sharing a secret, Ihwa lowered her voice and whispered into Seonghyeon’s ear.
“I intended this from the very beginning.”
