Chapter 15
Battle of Nerves
When the Grand General Cheon Taesu returned, the imperial palace hosted a splendid banquet. Since it was none other than the most powerful man in Hwangseon Nation, the hall was overflowing with civil and military officials.
Joyful songs rang out, graceful dancers filled the stage, and after several rounds of wine, the guests laughed freely and enjoyed themselves.
“You have suffered much, traveling so far north to subjugate Seolhwa Nation in my stead.”
Gyeom lifted a wine bottle, signaling Taesu with his eyes.
“Suffering, Your Majesty? I merely did what is expected of me as a subject.”
Taesu raised his cup, accepting the wine poured by Gyeom. To the onlookers, it was a harmonious scene—yet a taut and dangerous tension lingered between them.
“Hearing you say that reassures me greatly.”
“If Your Majesty is pleased, then that alone is my honor.”
“…Strange words, coming from one who disobeyed my command.”
The Emperor’s voice chilled the air. The banquet hall froze; laughter died instantly, leaving only the lonely notes of the court musicians echoing across the vast chamber. Realizing something was amiss, the musicians faltered and the dancers stopped mid-step.
“Y-Your Majesty, what do you mean… that this servant defied your command?”
Taesu forced a smile, but his chest tightened.
‘Could it be… he discovered the truth?’
The real reason he had personally led the campaign against a mere tributary state.
“I ordered you to recover the remains of Seolhwa’s king and queen and see that they were properly buried.”
“Ah…”
“Then why, instead, did you disobey me and bring their golden coffins back as spoils of war?”
At Gyeom’s pointed words, Taesu discreetly exhaled in relief.
‘Of course. This Cheon Taesu would not be so easily caught.’
He allowed a confident smile to curl his lips.
“It was my failing not to obey Your Majesty’s will. But I had circumstances that compelled me.”
“Oh? I find myself extremely curious about those circumstances.”
Gyeom smirked at him, his tone mocking. Truthfully, the matter of Seolhwa alone was not enough to warrant such anger. But this was an opportunity: to suppress the Grand General the moment he returned. And if, in the process, he could clip Taesu’s wings—it would be all the better.
“As Your Majesty commanded, I sought to recover their remains and arrange their funeral rites. Yet, before we could, the remnants of Seolhwa attacked us first.”
“Are you telling me… that the great Grand General Cheon Taesu was helpless before the rabble of a small fallen nation?”
Gasps rippled through the hall.
Taesu was not only the second most powerful figure after the Emperor, but also unmatched in martial prowess. For such a man to admit difficulty against mere remnants of Seolhwa? It was a humiliation. And Gyeom had achieved it without lifting a finger—only with words.
“The people of the city rose to join them. Should I have slaughtered innocent citizens without mercy?”
The officials stirred again, murmuring.
“To spare the innocent by stepping back—such is an act worthy of praise.”
“As expected of our nation’s Grand General!”
Just like that, Taesu restored the honor Gyeom had sought to undermine.
‘Clever…’
Indeed, Cheon Taesu was not only a master of the sword but also of survival. How else could he have risen to such heights?
“So I yielded their king and queen’s bodies to them. Without remains, I could not fulfill Your Majesty’s command.”
Then, as though consumed by shame, Taesu knelt and pressed his head to the floor.
“I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness for my failure!”
“We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!”
His words sparked a chain reaction. Several ministers, seeing the most powerful man in the land abase himself, fell to their knees as well.
“We beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!”
Soon, the rest followed, until the grand banquet became a scene of mass supplication.
‘Damn it. I’ve been played.’
Gyeom ground his teeth inwardly. If he pressed further, his hard-won reputation would collapse, and the court might turn against him.
“Why such severity, Grand General? I will not hold you accountable for this matter. Rise.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”
“Well? Strike up the music again!”
At his command, the musicians resumed, and the dancers once more filled the stage. Laughter and liveliness returned, as if nothing had happened.
But Gyeom emptied his cup in silence, stealing a glance at Taesu.
‘As expected… he will not be so easily toppled.’
The Grand General’s return was dazzling indeed.
Later, in the Empress’s quarters—
“Your Majesty, the Grand General has arrived.”
“Show him in.”
At her word, the doors opened, revealing a familiar, welcome face.
“My Lady, have you been well?”
“Father! I’ve been in good health.”
At a glance from Ihwa, her attendants quietly withdrew, leaving father and daughter alone.
“You look thinner than before.”
She gestured for him to sit, and Taesu took his place across from her.
“Not at all. In fact, leaving the palace for so long invigorated me.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Ihwa smiled, though faint unease clouded her expression. The return of her father, the mightiest man alive, should have filled her with confidence—but instead, she felt unsettled.
“I have new lotus tea. Would you like some?”
“Gladly.”
Rising, Ihwa brewed the tea, her every movement refined and graceful. Taesu looked on with satisfaction—his only daughter, now grown into the Empress. Yet beneath her elegance, her complexion betrayed worry.
“You seem troubled. What weighs on you?”
“Troubled? Not at all.”
“You did not even attend the banquet.”
“I was simply tired. Do not concern yourself.”
“My Lady.”
Still she held her tongue. At last, Taesu called her again—
“Ihwa.”
His tone was gentle, yet firm. Though unspoken, his displeasure at her absence from the banquet was clear.
“You sit in that seat because of our family. Thus, you must bear responsibility for our family’s sake.”
To him, the honor of their clan outweighed her personal feelings. Neglecting an official duty for private reasons was unforgivable.
Hesitantly, Ihwa whispered:
“…It seems His Majesty has taken a woman.”
“What?”
“On the night of our union, he abandoned me to be with her. I was… unsettled.”
“You are the Empress of this nation! How can you be swayed by such trifles?”
His rebuke crushed her further. Rejected by her husband, now scolded by her father—sorrow welled up within her. Yet she clenched her teeth and held back her tears.
“Before Empress, I am still a woman.”
“I warned you countless times: with such weakness, you cannot keep your place.”
Even as her eyes reddened, Taesu did not relent. He had risked everything to forge her mark of legitimacy and seat her as Empress. She must repay that debt.
“…I will remember.”
At her submissive bow, Taesu cleared his throat, temper cooling. Now was not the time for discord—they had to remain united for the future.
“And what of Seolhwa Nation?”
At her change of subject, Taesu’s face grew grave.
“All proceeds according to plan.”
“His Majesty questioned you about it yesterday, did he not?”
His lips twisted into a cold smile.
“Only about the disposal of the king and queen’s remains. It seems he has not realized the truth.”
For Taesu’s march on Seolhwa had never been about loyalty.
“We have placed our man as commander there. Now, we need only raise soldiers in secret.”
The true reason he disobeyed orders, executing Seolhwa’s surrendering king and queen, was to seize their land as his base. If they had lived, Gyeom would have ennobled them and entrusted them with governance, foiling Taesu’s scheme.
“But I hear the people are resisting strongly.”
“We displayed their severed heads as warning. They will not dare oppose us again so easily.”
Unlike the tale he spun for Gyeom, he had executed the royals publicly, using terror to subdue the populace.
“Still, be cautious. His Majesty watches us closely these days.”
“Has that not always been so?”
Ever since Gyeom began ruling personally, he had kept the Cheon clan under pressure. At first through subtle means—appointing minor officials loyal to him—but now, by conquering neighboring states and extending his personal power.
But Taesu’s urgency lay elsewhere.
‘If the truth about the forged mark is revealed, it’s all over.’
At any moment, the true bearer of the imperial token could appear. He had to seize control before that happened.
“Soon, Hwangseon Nation itself will belong to the Cheon clan. Until that day arrives, endure. That is your duty, my daughter.”
