As Prophet - Chapter 134



Only Krnovel

Episode 134. War Awaits

“What is it? The Imperial Seal of Qin Shi Huang?”

* The Jade Seal of the Warring States is a jade seal made by the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China with the name of He Shizhi Bi. When the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty obtained it, he had his prime minister Li Si inscribe the phrase, “Received a mandate from Heaven, may his life be long and prosperous” in seal script and make a seal. It was passed down through the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the Later Liang and Later Tang Dynasties of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, until it was lost in 946 when Emperor Zhen of the Later Jin was captured by Emperor Taizong of Liao.

The king and the grand prince, two people showed interest at the same time.

“No, it’s not that I have it, but I know where it is. The Later Emperor lost it, and it was during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Liao. Well, I don’t need to tell you where it was after that. It was in Liao.”

“… … .”

“Ah! That’s a good idea. ‘Receive your life from heaven and live forever.’ Oh my.”

He speaks as if he saw it.

“The royal seal of the Joseon Dynasty was received during the reign of the third king, King Taejong. It says ‘Seal of the Joseon Dynasty.’ What’s with the turtle? And a turtle with its head down. Those guys, my goodness. Oh, but isn’t that managed by the Royal Secretariat?”

The king nodded.

“That’s right.”

“But aren’t you saying that you can’t give it to me now and that you’re hiding it so that people don’t know?”

“I set it up so that it automatically hides when a change occurs.”

“You hide the royal seal, the person who hid it falls into a well and dies, and the person who saw it has his tongue cut out, or something like that?”

Although it may not be true, it is similar to the procedure for protecting the royal seal, so the king swallowed his silence.

“You have to eat, so just give up and do it. I’ll get you a seal later.”

The prince became greedy.

“Are you talking about the national seal?”

“yes.”

“How is that in this country?”

“You know this is off topic, right?”

“I’m curious.”

“The Khitan army attacked Luoyang. The mastermind behind this was Shi Jingtang, the commander of the Hedong branch of the Later Tang. The last emperor, Li Zongke, carried the imperial seal of the country and committed suicide at Xuanwu Tower. It disappeared at that time. It was found again during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of Song. This imperial seal was taken by the Jin Dynasty during the Jinggang Incident. There is no way to confirm whether the second imperial seal is genuine, but it is presumed to have disappeared to Liaodong like the first.”

“You know history very well.”

“The third jade seal suddenly appeared in Dadu when Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, died. When the Ming Dynasty was founded, Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty fled to the grasslands. The grasslands are also in Liaodong. It is believed that the third jade seal is also in Liaodong.”

“… … .”

“Ah! There is no way to confirm whether these three seals are the same or different, but it is certain that they are all in Yodong.”

“Oh.”

“The Ming Dynasty raised an army of 150,000 men and attacked Mongolia. Why do you think they did that?”

“Are you saying it’s because of the seal?”

“I’m going to tell you that that’s also the reason. Of course, if you ask those gentlemen, they’ll say no.”

“If it’s Yodong, isn’t it too wide?”

“It’s in Qiqihar.”

“ah.”

The king and the great army were amazed.

“Do you have any basis for saying that?”

“Whew. The Hwassijibyeok is a very good jade. It’s not just because the jade is of good quality.”

It would have been perhaps the most tempting story for a king and a prince who wanted to be king. It would have been something to be greedy for even if the current situation had not been the case.

“Why are we talking about this now? At this important time.”

“Even that is a foreign matter. The people are heaven. To receive the mandate of heaven means that the will of heaven is to receive the respect and love of the people.”

“The people are heaven, so do not be attached to the royal seal, that is what it means.”

“That’s right.”

“… … .”

“What good is a turtle that bows its head to the Ming emperor after asking him several times? What other arrogant reason is there, other than the fact that he will acknowledge it if you stamp it on diplomatic documents with the Ming? Let’s just cut it off and eat. Oh, right, father? I have to keep my duties as a scholar. Ahaha. If I can’t cut it off, I’ll just exile it to Geojedo Island. It won’t be of any help.”

“Hey man! It’s not that simple.”

“War awaits, Grand Admiral.”

“War? What you were talking about earlier?”

“Yes. There must be a reason why they are making such a big deal out of it. There is evidence that several Jurchen legions have crossed the border.”

This time the king was surprised.

“No such report has been submitted.”

“I told you I came secretly. And think about it. If you submit a report like that, what will the Hanyang court, which sits around and orders you to do this and that, say? Won’t they demand that you resign from your position? Then why submit a report?”

The general patted the table.

“Where did the real person get such information?”

“Well, they say rumors travel fast in the mountains. I’ve told you that before. You may not believe it, but it’s communication in the mountains.”

“Hmm, how much… … .”

“I don’t know. I said they were a legion, but they are not very interested in worldly affairs. They are the ones who would not come down even if I held a Palgwanhoe and politely invited them.”

“Are you trying to say that the legions buried the whole world and the whole world?”

“If that’s the case, the war situation won’t be so easy. That’s why I hurried. That’s why I headed straight for Hanyang right after repelling them. There’s no time, and we’re not prepared. The Do Seung-ji is acting like this, and the Samgunbu is just nodding their heads without saying anything. Hurry up.”

Dalcheon slightly pushed his butt back. The prince held out his arm to stop him, as if he had said everything he wanted to say.

“What should I do?”

“You must quickly complete the abdication and prepare for battle, then fight bravely. You cannot fight the enemy while serving His Majesty, can you? You never know when you might be attacked from behind… …. Those of you here are willing to support you if you can maintain my throne, even if it means selling out the country.”

Even though he was swearing at people in front of him, his expression didn’t change at all. Dalcheon got up.

“If it doesn’t work out by the time you come back from eating, I’ll cut it.”

“This is good.”

At Vera’s words, the king looked up at Dalcheon fiercely, but did not even blink an eye.

“When I return, your majesty’s head should be lying here, or the royal seal should be there. I should mobilize the army with that seal. That is the way to preserve the country now.”

Dalcheon’s words became more powerful as he continued. The remaining officials in the middle lowered their heads. Even though the king was being humiliated like this, no one stepped forward.

Dalcheon’s threats worked. The king gave up. He had Do Seung-ji bring the royal seal. The ceremony to hand over the royal seal began at 5 o’clock, and the ceremony to put on the gonryongpo followed. At the time when the courtiers who were present swore allegiance to the new king, the new king ascended the throne in front of the painting of the sun, moon, and five peaks. The former king sat slightly lower on his left. Dalcheon, who had returned after eating, was surprised and laughed bashfully when he realized that it had happened as he had said.

The soldiers who had eaten and those who were going to eat returned to the front of the side hall and shouted, “Cheonse.” The entire palace was in an uproar. The eunuchs emptied their bedrooms and the Gyo Tae Hall.

The queen, who was crying and screaming, asked where she should go, was sent to the west where the concubines lived. When the king said that he would go to Heungdeoksa Temple, the new king agreed and a ceremony was held to see the king off. Even meaningless events were given names and as time went on, they took on a certain form.

Meanwhile, Dojeong Lee Gi-mun, who had Do Seung-ji sitting next to him, issued abusive orders. Most of them were related to military orders. He called in the heads of the three military departments, the mayor of Hanseongbu, the left and right governors, and the governor of Seo to discuss the defense of Hanyangseong, and called in the governor of Gyeonggi to issue a mobilization order. He appointed several temporary officials to take charge of the work.

“Oh my, I just came back from eating and everything is done. Things are going so well.”

The new king came down from the throne and took Dalcheon by the hand. He sat him down on the opposite side of where the former king had been sitting. Dalcheon shook his head with a look of disbelief.

“I don’t feel like I belong here.”

“This is the king’s seat.”

“Oh, oh. Wasn’t it canceled when His Majesty the King stepped down?”

“Shall I appoint you again? I have the royal seal.”

“I think you are overusing it.”

“That’s what it tastes like when you take a picture of it. Ahaha.”

The new king was truly delighted. It seemed as if he had been compensated for the long years of suffering he had endured because of his royal talents.

“But if a new king ascends the throne, what about the queen? Is there no queen?”

Dalcheon is clueless. The courtiers who were prostrated below could not raise their heads. The eunuch of Daejeon came running and whispered in Dalcheon’s ear. Dalcheon sighed at the explanation that they were a very good couple, but fell to the assassin’s blade a few years ago and had not been given separate blessings.

“We need to bring in the rain. Jeongbi, concubine, noble concubine, Hye-bi… .”

The new king smiled faintly. He thought about it again because of the clueless guy, and smiled at the obvious answer. If someone else had said it, the situation could have gone in a different direction. Dalcheon listed the titles of the concubines as if it were obvious, and Do Seung-ji bent down first.

“Of course. I will choose one as soon as possible… … .”

The king waved his hand.

“Put it back!”

“majesty.”

“Isn’t now the time to talk about that?”

Those who only try to please the king think like this even in such a situation. In fact, isn’t it much easier and cheaper to please your superiors than to do a good job and get ahead? That’s why only those who are polite, respectful, and know how to choose good words and complete sentences are around.

Didn’t they say that the next thing a person who gains power wants is a woman? Dalcheon turned his head and laughed as he watched those who tried to apply this inconvenient law of truth to the new king.

“What I meant was that the internal list is important. Since His Majesty the King has gone to Heungcheonsa Temple, there is no Queen Dowager… … . I heard that there is chaos inside right now. The Gyo Tae Hall is empty, and the concubines’ quarters are in turmoil due to the order to dethrone the queen that could come at any time. That could easily be an opportunity for them to fall for their schemes.”

The new king, who realized what Dalcheon was trying to say, called in his superiors and asked about the movements in the royal register.

“First of all, it seems that the Queen Mother was confused.”

“You didn’t commit a crime?”

“Yes. The concubines are in a state of confusion. They are anxious about the unpredictable future. The eunuchs and court ladies they have sent are like thousands of eyes and ears, watching the movements of the palace. I have also received requests from many people to find out what is going on.”

“Please let me know that there will be no changes for the time being. Is that possible?”

The merchant folded his back.

“I think that’s what you were waiting for.”

“I’ll give you half an hour, so Sangseon, come and establish discipline in the inner chambers.”

“Your Majesty, this is an excessive order. How could I, Your Majesty’s servant, do such a thing?”

“You can give me information about this place, or you can tell me the future as brightly as possible. I’ll leave the method up to you, so make sure that the inner register and its followers maintain their current positions without wavering.”

“I will do as you command.”

The merchant went out. If I express my thoughts in the form of a name, it will come true. The new king smiled faintly. Isn’t this the taste that makes me a king? The king looked at Dalcheon sitting next to him. His expression was like, ‘What should I do now?’

Officials from each department, about thirty people, had been sitting since morning. Some had died and some had left after receiving orders, but they had been sitting for more than three hours.

“Please stop for a moment and have some water.”

“I see.”

The king has risen.

“I will go to Gangnyeongjeon.”

“I cleaned everything up.”

The words are strange. I know what he means. It sounded like he had erased his father’s traces. My heart felt heavy. No matter how cruel the king was, he was still my father. It was a mistake made while riding on the back of a tiger, but I don’t think he would have done it in his father’s mind.

“If you bring the asura, the leaders of the three military departments, Hanseongbu, and Gyeonggi Gamyeong should all be present.”

“It will be as you command.”

“The king will follow you.”

“yes.”

Dalcheon followed and expressed his refusal.

“Your Majesty! I have much work to do.”

“I too became king overnight. How could there be less work to do? Of course.”