Chapter 171

Then, what should I have done?

“Your Majesty…?”

Ah.

Tang Yeon-cheol suddenly realized he had been muttering to himself and looked around at the ministers.

Most of the senior officials working in the palace were gathered. These were the people who assisted Tang Yeon-cheol in governing the vast territories of the empire.

And now, these ministers were looking at him with suspicion.

No one dared to openly stare at the Cheon-ja.

They would glance sideways, looking towards the chest area, and if their eyes were about to meet his, they would naturally avert their gaze.

But Tang Yeon-cheol, having been born and raised in the palace, knew. He could sense that their attitudes had subtly changed.

“I am but a servant of the state who has not accomplished even the smallest task for the nation. Even if I am dragged to the execution grounds of Ohhwan-ro and beheaded, or if this frail body, which does not even weigh a hundred kilograms, is tossed into a pit filled with piled corpses, what does it matter?”

“Gang-rok-dabu.”

“Please kill me.”

Gang-rok-dabu Han Hokeung was still pitifully begging for death.

Remarkably, he did not even avoid meeting Tang Yeon-cheol’s eyes.

A composed expression, having already come to terms with death.

While fully aware that if Tang Yeon-cheol hardened his heart, not only Han Hokeung but also his son, daughter, son-in-law, and all the household members living with him would be executed, he continued in this manner. It must be his attempt to somehow stop the tyranny.

For a scholar-official, it was an attitude worthy of respect.

However, it was a realistic threat to the current Tang Yeon-cheol.

If Han Hokeung’s wish were granted and he were truly killed, though it might save face momentarily, the subsequent aftereffects would be tremendous. The officials witnessing Han Hokeung’s courageous last stand might be seeded with thoughts of disloyalty.

Predicting what might follow was far too straightforward.

Floods of petitions, resignations, and retirements among officials, possibly even rebellion among the populace.

But if he let Han Hokeung live…

“Your Majesty, please, cut off my head.”

He didn’t even give time for reflection.

Han Hokeung was openly coercing him, while the hundred ministers waited for the ruler’s decision.

No matter which command Tang Yeon-cheol gave, it would probably be executed as is. The court would likely continue functioning somehow.

But what if a second Han Hokeung appeared?

That was uncertain. Somewhere down the line, inevitably, there would come a time when the authority of the ruler would lose its influence.

The moment was getting closer and closer.

Looking at Han Hokeung’s face, Tang Yeon-cheol slowly opened his mouth.

“Regarding those narcotics…”

“Your Majesty, kill me.”

“Just listen for a moment… In fact, ever since before my ascension, I have studied narcotics alongside several royal physicians, including the Chief Physician of the Imperial Hospital. As a result, we were able to discover the method of producing morphine, one of their weapons. Though we were unable to procure the method of manufacturing others, we were able to identify the side effects of various narcotics.”

“Your Majesty?”

Han Hokeung looked at him curiously.

Truthfully, even Tang Yeon-cheol couldn’t understand why such words were coming out of his mouth.

Was he seeking his ministers’ understanding? Or was it perhaps because Han Hokeung’s insubordination, unaware of the horrors of Gang-hon-san, irritated him?

He didn’t know. Nonetheless… Tang Yeon-cheol wanted to inform this old minister of the battle the Empire of Chinguk was currently engaged in and how dire the situation was.

“Once narcotics are consumed, a craving develops. Some drugs excite, and some drugs calm people into a death-like silence, but the fact that they all induce a desire for more narcotics after just one use remains the same. And if that desire is not satisfied, a person loses the ability to function.”

“In the case of morphine, withdrawal symptoms become severe after two days, causing profuse sweating and severe abdominal pain, and the body suffers greatly. By the end of the week, those symptoms gradually subside, though resilient individuals have overcome them in six days.”

“But this is specific to morphine. Other drugs are far more insidious…”

Tang Yeon-cheol was sharing all the information he had obtained recently.

Having confined envoys who returned as cripples for months and observed them, and having accommodated and observed victims of Gang-hon-san who had become like zombies struggling about, he had employed every effort using the resources of the Chief Physician and Imperial Pharmacists to extract even subtle information. He had believed that understanding anything would help them win.

He hadn’t merely killed people aimlessly. Absolutely not.

“…If we allow the spread of narcotics, I believed the nation would collapse. Although we currently control all the ports, this evil foe somehow continues to distribute narcotics, do they not? Consider this, Ministers. Would it be right for the people to forsake their livelihoods and yearn for narcotics?”

The reactions among the ministers to this statement were mixed.

Those who possessed knowledge of narcotics silently wept, while others, who lacked such knowledge, were at a loss and merely observed.

Despite having sufficiently raised awareness about the dangers of narcotics, the situation was still like this.

“Your Majesty.”

On the face of Han Hokeung, earnestly requesting death, only suspicions remained.

Even the wisest and most loyal could find it challenging to comprehend new knowledge at an age well past seventy. Had he not remained in office, he may not have been familiar with current affairs. Having withdrawn from his official post for so long, it was inevitable for the situation to remain obscure to him.

Even seasoned officials who had progressed through successive promotions after passing both the local and metropolitan examinations were like this. What of the general populace then?

It was uncertain whether they would consent to the imperial decree that narcotics could lead to the nation’s ruin.

‘This is my blunder.’

The crisis awareness possessed only by a select few, including the Cheon-ja himself, had prompted the court trials.

Had he only refrained from hastily drawing his sword during the incident at Yongbong’s gathering and sought… some alternative way—though he didn’t know what it might be—of handling the situation, executing everyone was too hasty.

But what good would realizing this mistake do now?

He had already encountered too much bloodshed.

…

In the end, Tang Yeon-cheol could not have Gang Hokeung executed.

Yet, he couldn’t leave him be either.

“Han Hokeung is to be provisionally detained. Given his senior position as a former Crown Preceptor, his rank will not be revoked until his crimes are confirmed. Additionally, the Minister of Punishments will be tasked with personally investigating and revealing Han Hokeung’s offenses.”

He had decided to place him in confinement.

It was a measure to keep him alive in some capacity.

It wasn’t that there was no merit in losing face and rambling—Han Hokeung had reportedly gone along quietly, accepting the detention. If he had ended his own life immediately upon being imprisoned, it could’ve caused an uproar in the court.

‘Time bought?’

But this time didn’t seem to be lasting long.

Suppressing his growing agitation, Tang Yeon-cheol called the head of the Tongjungsa, the private secretariat, and quietly provided instructions.

“We highly recognize the diligent efforts of our provincial inspectors to suppress Gang-hon-san. However, there is something perplexing. There are only confessions, but no physical evidence. Of course, the disloyal have concealed evidence, but going forward, we must conduct more meticulous investigations.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Thus, the instruction “The lack of evidence is perplexing” conveyed an implicit message to each province.

It was a directive not to rely solely on forced confessions. This way, they might at least reduce the number of people dying.

Though shameless, it was the best course of action in the absence of a new imperial decree.

But it wasn’t sufficient.

Tang Yeon-cheol delivered another order to the Ministry of Rites responsible for foreign diplomacy.

To strike at the enemy before losing further strength.

* * *

“Lord Alan, …I have something to convey.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs rather spontaneously visited my audience chamber.

It wasn’t unusual that he had come. As I was a candidate for the Crown Prince’s brother-in-law, envoys from various countries frequently sought meetings with me.

No doubt they couldn’t just let be, a person who had ensnared two princesses, out of fear. I had been accommodating them within reasonable limits.

But this visit didn’t seem to be a request to meet with any royal family or diplomat.

The face of the minister standing before me clearly bore signs of tension.

“That…”

“Yes?”

“The Censor of Diplomatic Affairs from Chinguk communicated with us through magic. This is the first official communication since their envoy left. It’s more like one-sided information delivery from their side, but anyway…”

“Just tell me.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who drew out the conversation for a while despite my prompt, finally cautiously relayed the message given by Chinguk.

Since it wasn’t easy to convey everything verbally, a concise written content was provided.

[…Chinguk’s Guangming Trading Company transported 23,000 kilograms of Saltpeter and 40,000 kilograms of raw opium to the Darien Kingdom. They bribed Count Cummings of Darien with 20 gold bars and established facilities to produce morphine on his land, promising him profitable terms in the distribution network extending into the Britannia Empire.]

This information revealed that Chinguk had a morphine production base in a small kingdom bordering the empire.

And that the morphine produced there was infiltrating the empire even now.

It turned out that the morphine they had sold as unicorn powder in the countryside came from there. It would be a lie to say this wasn’t a threat.

Identifying Chinguk’s base was undoubtedly a positive development.

“So, this is the intel Chinguk is leaking to us.”

The issue was that Chinguk had voluntarily provided this information. If it were true, it would mean they were willing to cut their substantial investment in that area.

Surely, Tang Yeon-cheol wasn’t delirious from killing too many people. It seemed he wanted to instigate conflict between the Britannia Empire and the Darien Kingdom.

This meant that Tang Yeon-cheol was giving up on fighting with narcotics.

It also indicated that he had no intention of retreating. As long as he remained on the throne with sound mind and body, he would continue his relentless attacks.

Then, the path forward was apparent.

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