SNF | Chapter 8.4

Lies. Yeon-oh wanted to tell the wet nurse, who looked pained, that it was a lie. But he swallowed those words and instead asked about his uncle’s whereabouts. The wet nurse said his uncle had died in an unfortunate accident, falling from a horse. Whether it was truly an accident or not was unknown, but with his uncle dead, there was no way to investigate further.bc074950f714eef5

Yeon-oh wanted to ask more. But the wet nurse was quicker. She urged Yeon-oh to sleep, promising to stay by his side to prevent nightmares. Seeing her sad face as she said this, Yeon-oh couldn’t ask any more questions. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, it was morning.903e86964901b60f

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The memory of yesterday was clear. With a sharper mind than the day before, Yeon-oh mulled over the wet nurse’s words. Everything was full of suspicion, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was suspicious. The only certainty was that the wet nurse was trying to conceal the truth.75deadf636d56457

Why was the wet nurse hiding the truth? Was it because the truth was a blade that would wound Yeon-oh? Because she judged that knowing wouldn’t do him any good? Whatever reasons she might have, they were surely for his sake, but Yeon-oh wanted to know the truth. Only by knowing could he shake off the nightmares and move forward.c14912b6eb37326f

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But one mouth that 059c9de7a5 knew the truth was 515ee6c4f0 forever closed, and the 1aa062d9d0 other had no intention 0c5940c1f9 of speaking. The only 6c94624e63 way to f4978d8624 find the e0b042bfb4 truth was e9890370c8 for Yeon-oh 523b2f57db to fully bc9ec11af8 recover his 353a8b4d63 memories on 0c712f38ee his own.296f272dd4ab1bb9

So, in e2f9996d15 an attempt 6b08dd8e9a to find c74607d0b2 that truth, 52e3cf650e he tried 7cfe231020 to strangle e1402aaa15 himself in 525442c1b5 his dream a2d9d1e428 this morning, 285aae5cdd but it f876578a08 was useless. Nothing came a4be540ec1 to mind, 7c5ad939e7 and no 4398fc4af5 emotions surfaced.dffb5f678a1145fa

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“It seems we’ve arrived at the palace.”9cbcf4241bc003c7

Yeon-oh opened his eyes. Another mouth that could tell him the truth was before him. But he couldn’t bring himself to speak. In the end, Yeon-oh entered the palace alongside the Prime Minister, still shrouded in suspicion.99f15bd4a5a891ff

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Entering Taehwa Hall 7583541317 with a head c9386d29de muddled by hangover 01c618f6df and suspicion, Yeon-oh f3e63fb5bd spotted the Crown 50207498dd Prince. Despite having 7d0f9f7384 drunk with 7fea08c412 him the 5c47885432 previous day, b36ba74175 the Crown 3ceed1572d Prince stood d45480f7e1 at the 4b149a2086 head of 22adf92f1d the hall, 3a2c2bb35c looking as 8c2d97b6c9 composed as 412791a64c ever. Opposite him, Lee Shinwoo 1debbfdb23 looked haggard. Anyone would 9fe4f1f15d think he 01459c9efd was the 8cf7cbd44e one who 0ed9c1e808 had emptied 3f50d11a23 all those 303dda741f bottles the 15ca042181 day before.6505515afc1d6a4a

“―His Majesty the Emperor arrives.”725c5611fe307eca

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The eunuch’s voice announced the Emperor’s arrival, and soon the main hall doors opened. The Crown Prince and all the civil and military officials bowed their heads to greet the Emperor.e45ae79da6ff4bfa

“We greet His Majesty, the Emperor.”bc2b25ab5ac5d88a

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“Rise, all of you.”97b0aec0a096976b

The Emperor’s voice, as he waved his hand dismissively and sat on the throne, was not pleasant.ffa6e38442fb5688

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“A memorial has arrived. From Hwaju.”4716c59106adc063

“Is it another memorial about bandits running rampant?”54981df34b851958

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At the mention 4f20a3da55 of Hwaju, an 7c639decd8 official brought up b32a9802fa bandits. The Emperor b59388eaee cast a 2e857b8e6f disdainful glance, 2fb9ee49cc causing the aab75cea81 official to d153c048e4 shrink back eaf0378f3f and step 8b6c30dd28 away.8c10899d0c50015f

“It’s about the posthumous honor of my brother, Crown Prince Soseong, his wife, and their son, the Crown Prince’s grandson.”85a164a6b9f5b17e

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The court buzzed with f39fe37dc9 murmurs. Yeon-oh, too, 86977d2e0a paused his 1e2e322136 contemplation of 1c8fe1fdb5 the truth 4d9ff1e13b he needed 07ff21be2e to uncover 1ea988e0b4 and joined ecf148f121 in the 357df3d06d murmuring. When he turned his d1cf9e4ba5 gaze to Yoon Heekang, 70da67e036 standing behind the Crown 38a64541e3 Prince, he showed no 226f4e95b6 emotion regarding the matter.b4917c0ba132ca99

“Indeed, I have been too preoccupied with internal and external affairs to reflect on the late Emperor’s regret over my brother’s death.”024ff77e7a8e0cd9

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No one dared to speak rashly. Crown Prince Soseong was the Emperor’s elder brother. Although the Emperor had not ascended the throne through rebellion, Crown Prince Soseong was a thorn in his side when it came to legitimacy.287f69d2d727d7c6

Had Crown Prince Soseong and his wife not had a legitimate heir, he would have been posthumously honored as the late Emperor, and his tablet enshrined in the ancestral temple. However, Crown Prince Soseong had a young grandson, and according to the ancestral law, if Crown Prince Soseong were posthumously honored, the legitimate heir should be his son, the Crown Prince’s grandson.75ee2dfdad443b09

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When the Emperor ascended the throne, the Crown Prince’s grandson was still alive, and there was no will to place the second son, Prince Yuchin, on the throne. The Emperor could be seen as having violated the ancestral law, and if Crown Prince Soseong were posthumously honored, the Emperor would face legitimacy issues. Even though the Crown Prince’s grandson had long since died, the legitimacy could not be restored in the current reign.8dc3d2596efa4e98

“So I ask you, my ministers.”e1a7b7b8c54c28a3

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“Please ask, Your Majesty.”be9e51ffb68d7323

“Do you think it is right to posthumously honor Crown Prince Soseong, my brother, as Hwaju suggests?”d8e6e37adcfd8f1e

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The Emperor, though showing dissatisfaction, maintained a detached attitude. It was clear what kind of answer the ministers would give. The imperial power was stronger than the ministerial power. The ministers were reluctant to go against the Emperor’s wishes. It was a question with a predetermined answer.b89f23d9bff7a5fa

“Your Majesty, I, Minister of Rites Heo Un, humbly speak.”d69c6bba545a0af8

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He was someone Yeon-oh 4e655238ab remembered seeing during the 8f99ae0a11 Spring Festival.0e5edd7add434843

“There are posthumously honored emperors in Anra, but they were usually honored by the reigning Emperor for reasons of legitimacy. Also, those posthumously honored were usually the Emperor’s father.”afa5a7a87ae9ce71

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And he 8174e70023 was someone 7b0eb7ebef connected to ceb256f5ae the Prime 54723d68b0 Minister.1b39e2debdd417d3

“Therefore, the posthumous honor Your Majesty asks about would only harm Your Majesty’s legitimacy, so how can we not be concerned? We understand Your Majesty’s heart in thinking of the late Crown Prince Soseong, but please reconsider.”d32e0345dae57a9e

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There was no flaw in the Minister of Rites’ words. It was also the answer the Emperor wanted.78ead852bf47e100

“The Minister of Rites’ words are reasonable. Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”6b4de4d0606a8480

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“Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”b6528dad60c039cb

As the Minister of d7f65f6a3a Rites spoke, one by 2b25b77341 one, others agreed with f52888bd8e him. Yeon-oh observed the faces 21bffbf716 of those expressing their a48f94b92f opinions. They were 5f7a170a3b all connected 4a465d8e11 to Hanam.9d16b49af986c34e

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“Is the Minister of Rites considering only one aspect and not the other?”e80d6b92306e8af2

As the Minister of Rites’ opinion gained momentum, someone interrupted the flow. It was an elderly man with a face marked by the passage of time.bf849826ad58edf4

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“What do you mean by that, Grand Master?”2053a68e1653a271

In front of 6db8c5dc90 the Emperor, the afa2bcb506 Minister of Rites a2dc6e30fe protested in a 6a90fa7055 calm voice.f3d05e203fd83bdf

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Yeon-oh was somewhat surprised 1304301cce to learn the identity e7de45575f of the white-haired old 6eff66a692 man. The Grand 553dd8cb56 Master was 8d65105872 a famous 58e0a2c49f figure even f7200da273 Yeon-oh, who b2d99c9785 had just 1460d0a658 entered office, dbb9f6e6fb knew. He was not part a51202cb56 of any feudal family a9b721e90e and had no ties 21db42e406 to any feudal family, db1db1bf08 yet he stood tall 27b2377e95 on his own and ed7a863aec served three emperors, now c87985e8a1 holding the position of e641b5f7f3 Grand Master as a a108cb49ff senior minister.580761a625f51013

Known for his integrity, 36331364d0 he was extremely averse 389d3d5168 to bribery and never 1c1725f2db compromised his beliefs, earning 2a4380f68f the respect and following a593c5c485 of many. It was said b96ad39e97 that even the bec7a1269e Emperor and the 39432244a6 feudal lords would f46789e52c defer to the aed6265f00 Grand Master on c3442aba63 most matters.2e2b76f00fd349cd

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Yeon-oh scrutinized the fa59dda1f3 Grand Master closely. His eyes were sharp, 2104e9e945 and his expression was 5948904e1a as unyielding as a fc274df810 steel rod. The rumors seemed c5a45cfa05 exaggerated, but he 43ff42591e appeared to possess ff5642a50e an even more d57ed0acaa formidable character than 59cf3fd993 the rumors suggested.d8b41478256f2504

“What the Minister of Rites said is generally appropriate, but it does not apply to Your Majesty.”f0271021820b770a

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“What do you mean by that…?”c3c7335179ace38f

“Minister of Rites, it seems the Grand Master has something in mind, so it would be wise to listen.”e2101c26e65ed7d5

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The Prime Minister intervened 4eabd8f0d6 at the right moment. He faced 79dcf828df the Grand 11acb2746f Master with c9809ebdee a friendly e57ab2a0f2 smile.f949fff2432c1af9

“Your Majesty, I, Grand Master Seong Jaeyeol, humbly speak.”699576c464829bcd

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As the Prime Minister, who likely led the Minister of Rites’ opinion, pretended to listen to the Grand Master, he stepped back. The Grand Master filled the space left by the Minister of Rites.e64bfdf49e60e48c

“Your Majesty must already be aware of the grave rumors surrounding you.”a3d0ac4bae1be935

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The Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly. He was not unaware of the infamous label of usurper that circulated among the people. It was a blemish on his record.3fa175160a32586b

“According to the ancestral law, posthumously honoring Crown Prince Soseong would leave room for controversy over Your Majesty’s legitimacy, but it would also prevent anyone from daring to speak of the rumors surrounding Your Majesty. If Lady Yoon, Crown Prince Soseong’s wife, returns to the palace, who would dare to belittle Your Majesty? Therefore, I request the posthumous honor of Crown Prince Soseong for Your Majesty’s sake.”8322d28e30d3754a

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For the Emperor, legitimacy 55be9e41a8 was a sensitive issue, 4408dcc8b2 enough to want to c414ee4d7f overturn the current Crown fe4e7523d8 Prince, and the rumor 75269d3b1d of being a usurper 016323dd04 was a stain he bbf73610fc wished to erase. Among these, which a98f2c9312 would the Emperor 5b38033e0d choose? He could 5300edca1e not have 1948385172 both, so 709af9456d he would 06bb9bf3a1 have to 4c882c25b2 give up 640cd80287 one.3418056971e9be66

“I request the posthumous honor.”f08263bd4150449f

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“Please posthumously honor him, Your Majesty.”547adde5a95df31d

One by one, ministers began to echo the Grand Master’s opinion. In response, the Minister of Rites cried out against it. The court was noisy with opposing opinions. Yeon-oh looked at the Prime Minister. Since his earlier intervention, the Prime Minister had remained silent. However, his opinion was being voiced through the Minister of Rites and others, opposing those aligned with the Grand Master.815be067239f7f0c

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“Enough.”156e94578071f1c7

The Emperor raised b07866a286 his hand to 5ce0965103 end the debate 5e832c6d52 between the two b1227a896d sides.d29d0717317aa4ce

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“Both the Grand Master and the Minister of Rites have valid points, so it’s not easy to make a decision.”72fb6e30e67c6aca

The Emperor, 490b8199e1 rubbing his 9c9542d44a temples and 04f5637266 groaning, eventually f7ae89c13f focused his ee735a5ff9 gaze on 4a4c36f093 one point. Following that 4e6a1ee6b7 gaze, it 2198e96460 landed on 5b99f03b21 one person.163dea47a4ecf496

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“Crown Prince.”5bb95681b133922d

The Crown 73e19700d1 Prince, as cd226f72e2 if waiting, c68155f1ef looked at 04f3ead815 the Emperor 4ae131e31f with a 14aa56f395 composed face.be6d326829f2d7d3

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“I would like to hear the Crown Prince’s opinion.”3598746b95afbd92

The expressions of the ministers turned to confusion. It was understandable. Throughout the various opinions presented, the Emperor had treated the Crown Prince as if he were invisible. Judging by the ministers’ accustomed demeanor, this was not a one-time occurrence. During the years Yeon-oh hadn’t witnessed, the Crown Prince had likely been treated as if he were invisible during court assemblies.628803a15dbfb2e6

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“Since you personally seek my opinion, I will humbly offer my brief thoughts with all sincerity.”12a7db911a9c77b7

The Crown Prince, after 8f7a79a6cd a moment of displaying 04fa6fee4d confusion, approached the Emperor fc9bbc662e and knelt.f586733cdec0e203

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“Throughout history, it is often bad words rather than good ones that hold power, because people tend to listen to one scandal over ninety-nine praises.”e608e21b6f4860fa

Yeon-oh listened intently to the Crown Prince’s words. His voice had a captivating power.69ab19e7f9ce059d

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“I understand what Your Majesty is concerned about. Legitimacy is the foundation of the royal family, so I deeply understand that Your Majesty, while valuing brotherly love, cannot easily choose. However, Your Majesty, what is the true foundation of the royal family? It is not the invisible legitimacy, but Your Majesty himself.”f7eb0390b845e2dc

The image of the Crown Prince from the past, or even just yesterday, seemed like an illusion. The Eastern Palace’s reputation is quite good. A comment Yeon-oh had heard while gathering opinions about the Crown Prince suddenly came to mind.a0abfe9a53ec193c

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