Chapter 173

Tang Yeon-cheol was half-mad with frustration.

“Brother-in-law Gaksan-namjung Tang Hyun-yu has submitted a resignation petition. It’s said that the scholars of the Hallim-won are also lining up to write resignation requests. The University Professors are trying to dissuade them, but it seems their efforts are futile. Moreover, even the students of the Gukja-gam…!”

Officials were resigning en masse.

“An Hyun-seong, the Inspecting Officer of Anchal, and his subordinates, the informants, were murdered by an unknown foe. We suspect someone with a grudge related to the affairs of Gang-hon-san, though the exact circumstances remain unclear. I apologize.”

It was reported that one of the judicial officials aggressively pursuing those involved with Gang-hon-san had been brutally killed. The remains were said to be unrecognizable… The only guess was that a high-level expert was responsible.

This was tantamount to raising a sword against His Majesty.

There was an even bigger problem.

‘There’s no way out.’

All the endeavors that Tang Yeon-cheol initiated had ended in futile failure.

Control over narcotics had failed.

Reprisals against the western foe had failed.

Even gaining the understanding of his ministers had failed.

His plan to pressure the Britannia Empire by using the Darien Kingdom had also failed.

While the Britannia Empire might not have suffered entirely negligible damage, it certainly wasn’t fatal. Only a few thousand villagers had been reduced to Morphine addicts. That was the extent.

Now, there was little Tang Yeon-cheol could do.

There was a method he could consider. If he weren’t falsely accused but dealing with actual distributors of Gang-hon-san, he could perhaps persuade a few of them to divert some of that terrible stuff. He could use that to strike back at the Britannia Empire.

But now, that was impossible.

‘Could they who are truly evil now accept conciliation? They would only hide more.’

Perhaps, before the sword-dance began, it might have been possible. After all, the distributors wouldn’t have blindly followed Alan Medoff’s orders just for the sake of it.

Had political risks been taken by posting proclamations throughout the Empire to lure them out? Surely, someone would have responded.

But now, even attempting that was out of the question.

Because more than ten thousand had already died; reversing position now would be like urging rebellion.

If only he had known then what he knew now…

But even the Emperor could not turn back time, and all that remained was to ruminate on past failures.

‘Still, it’s not over.’

All his options hadn’t vanished yet.

Tang Yeon-cheol remained the Emperor who governed the lands of Chinguk by the grace of heaven, and most of his officials awaited his commands, loyal as he hoped they were. Though the people’s hearts were uneasy, the power of the state was still robust.

He could exploit this to take action.

“…Command the Minister of Defense. Avoid drafting an official imperial edict; instead, convey only my intentions. Secretly instruct each Military Governorate to inspect military records and weaponry. Make it clear that this is not in anticipation of war.”

Though he said it wasn’t, the actual order was to prepare for war.

There was no other way now.

In any case, war could not be waged at a later time. In a year, every city of the Empire would be overrun with zombies. Worse, the Imperial authority might not survive till then either.

He needed to strike down his enemies before losing his power.

That was the only way to end this madness.

It was the single-minded thought dominating Tang Yeon-cheol at the moment.

…

Having dispatched commands to the Ministry of War, Tang Yeon-cheol wandered aimlessly through the palace.

Eventually, his feet naturally led him somewhere.

Gyotaegung.

The palace where the secondary concubines resided.

He wasn’t driven by lust to come here. If he desired a woman, he could simply sit in his private quarters and command any concubine to come to him. In truth, even Tang Yeon-cheol himself struggled to understand the reason for his presence here.

He stopped in front of the quarters where Lady So once lived.

It was an empty, desolate place now.

There was nothing left. No presence of the ever-gentle Lady So who greeted Tang Yeon-cheol with soft smiles, no warmth of her embracing arms, no laughter. Lady So was currently in exile on a remote island, and her family was all dead.

“It was I who killed them. I did.”

It was strange for him to visit the quarters of a dismissed concubine.

After all, coming here wouldn’t bring Lady So back or wash away the sins her family had committed.

And in terms of severity of the crime, sparing their lives was already a generous treatment.

Then why did he suddenly feel so nostalgic for her?

Did he believe she was wronged? No, that wasn’t likely. There was confession, as well as incriminating letters. Compared to the ten thousand innocents killed by overzealous officials, Lady So was indeed punished for real crimes.

‘I must be weakening.’

Tang Yeon-cheol forcibly pushed away the image of Lady So’s face that floated before his eyes.

And he moved towards another concubine’s quarters.

He wanted to soothe the emptiness within him caused by successive failures.

Upon reflection, he hadn’t visited the concubines’ quarters once since the upheaval began.

“A night’s reprieve should be fine, right?”

For tonight, he wanted to let go of all worries.

Only then could he maintain a clear mind for the battle about to follow.

“To the quarters of the Junior Concubine So.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tang Yeon-cheol chose Lady So’s residence, the girl who had defamed Lady So, partially because it was closest.

*

Is this a dream?

Junior Concubine So-angua could only blink at the scene before her. She, one of the Emperor’s consorts, couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

Why was she looking at him like that?

A sturdy man in his 30s was here, in her quarters.

Emperor Tang Yeon-cheol.

Since Lady So’s dismissal, So-angua had earnestly tried to catch sight of this man.

Through the palace eunuchs, she sent earnest letters on multiple occasions, bribed the Emperor’s aunt (the Grand Princess), and even claimed she was contributing to the suppression of Gang-hon-san, causing a few unfortunate palace attendants to suffer.

Could all her efforts finally be bearing fruit?

“Still not ready?”

The joining of the royal bedchamber wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

First, one would receive notification of His Majesty’s intentions through the protocol office, then carefully prepare one’s appearance from the afternoon onward.

To ensure the Emperor’s utmost comfort and pleasure.

For a long-absent consort, even an inspection of the quarters would be necessary to ensure no harm could come to the Emperor.

And yet, this opportunity arrived so suddenly?

So-angua anxiously observed her husband.

“Do you require time to prepare?”

“Your Majesty, I…”

“It’s fine. Take your time.”

Tang Yeon-cheol walked first into the bedroom, looking quite exhausted.

So-angua wasn’t about to let slip this opportunity.

While receiving her lord unprepared was regrettable… fortunately, So-angua had a hidden trick up her sleeve.

‘I must use it.’

She had obtained something recently through the Guanglu Division.

The Guanglu Division oversaw all the food and drink consumed by palace residents. Officials there often mingled with merchants and engaged in commerce with the palace attendants for extra income.

Through someone within that department — precisely through one of her own maidens dealing with officials there — she obtained a certain item.

A youthful consort might often use this aphrodisiac to invigorate a weary husband.

It wasn’t something to be consumed or even tea leaves.

‘Would His Majesty deign to eat or drink such a thing?’

Recently, Tang Yeon-cheol rigorously scrutinized everything that entered his mouth, following a three-step inspection procedure since the notorious Palace Feast incident.

If a rarely seen consort suddenly presented tea or wine, he might not even touch it.

Fortunately, this aphrodisiac wasn’t anything suspicious.

Instead of food or drink, it was a perfume.

Not white powder but a faint yellow substance, with a pleasant scent. It was entirely normal to burn incense in the bedchamber during such an occasion.

So-angua swiftly acted upon forming her decision.

She elegantly arranged fine charcoal in an exquisite incense burner, generously sprinkled the incense powder on it, and carefully lit it. The eunuchs from the protocol office watching closely outside did not interfere.

After all, she was merely preparing incense to give the Emperor a peaceful night.

“This is my chance.”

An opportunity that must not be missed. An event of a lifetime.

She must regain the emperor’s favor and elevate her status to its former glory. Although tense now, in twenty years, she could potentially become Empress Dowager. There was no rule stating the emperor must always come from the principal consort’s lineage.

Dreaming of that splendid, beautiful future…

“Your Majesty, I will enter.”

So-angua proceeded into the bedroom.

It was a hundred times more thrilling than when she implicated and ousted Lady So.

Perhaps this was an event that would rewrite the history of Chinguk itself.

…

…

Two hours later, outside Junior Concubine So-angua’s quarters.

Several eunuchs and military officers were exchanging glances.

The reason was one.

They worried about the Emperor’s wellbeing after he entered So-angua’s bedchamber the previous night.

According to the chief eunuch guarding the entrance, the noises continued until near dawn. …The sounds of lovemaking, more violent than usual. It was said that the faces of those listening had even turned red. But after that, only silence followed.

Though it was no harm for an exhausted Emperor to rest in a consort’s arms,

The sounds emanating from within were far from ordinary. It was reported that His Majesty’s breathing was labored, akin to someone suffering from a mental illness.

Ultimately, two eunuchs and the commander of the palace guards reached an agreement to check on the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, forgive our intrusion!”

Immediately afterward, the Emperor’s closest aides rushed into the chamber.

…

And they witnessed a horrifying sight.

A ghastly figure convulsing like a worm, eyes bulging with blood.

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