“This way, Admiral.”
The eunuch guided Admiral Lee Yeom-ik deeper into the bowels of the Imperial Palace.
Following silently, Admiral Lee fought a rising tide of disorientation. The Imperial Palace was a labyrinth by design, a complex architectural beast intended to thwart assassins and raids. Paths that appeared to ascend were actually descending slopes. Walls towered high to obliterate the horizon, destroying any sense of direction, while identical pavilions repeated in a dizzying sequence.
It was a structure built to induce optical illusions and misjudgments, enough to confound any visitor.
However, the turmoil in Admiral Lee’s mind stemmed not from the twisting corridors, but from the man he had just left.
What on earth…
What is the Imperial Son-in-Law thinking? No, what is the Grand Young Master plotting?
To omit the most crucial part of the explanation…
True, the eunuch sent by the Head Eunuch had arrived at a critical moment, interrupting their conversation. But Admiral Lee shook his head inwardly.
That is strange.
A moment ago, when the summons arrived, the Imperial Son-in-Law had checked the time and stated clearly: “By now, the Head Eunuch must be urgently looking for you.”
Yeon So-hyeon had predicted that the Head Eunuch’s men would come for Admiral Lee. If he had foreseen this, why did he not convey the truly critical business first? Was there simply not enough time?
To persuade Admiral Lee to step forward and resolve the rebellion in Heilongjiang, the Imperial Son-in-Law needed to convince him. Unless…
Lee pressed a hand against his chest, feeling the document tucked inside his official robes. It was the paper the Imperial Son-in-Law had practically forced into his hand at the last second—the message that absolutely had to be delivered to the generals of Heilongjiang.
Did he judge that the content of this document alone would be enough to persuade them?
Given the urgency, he hadn’t yet been able to break the seal. But just by the tactile sensation against his chest, he knew. The document was dangerously thin. It was merely a single sheet of paper.
What kind of incredible content could it be that a single page is sufficient?
He burned to take it out and read it immediately.
“Admiral. We have arrived.”
They passed through a small gate, the narrow, suffocating path giving way to a wide, meticulously manicured garden. In the center stood a single pavilion.
One glance was enough to confirm its nature. This beautiful structure was not for government officials; it was reserved for members of the Imperial Family.
The Head Eunuch, that bastard…
It was a stark display of just how terrifyingly high the Head Eunuch’s authority had climbed. Gritting his teeth, Admiral Lee moved forward.
“Wait.”
A black-robed eunuch barred his path as he approached the pavilion steps. It was the same man who had initially confined Admiral Lee to his quarters.
“I came because the Head Eunuch summoned me.”
“I am already aware of that.” The black-robed eunuch’s thin lips twisted into a smirk.
Admiral Lee’s thick eyebrows twitched. “Then what is this?”
The eunuch signaled, and his subordinates closed in. “We will conduct a body search first.”
“Body search…?” Admiral Lee clenched his jaw. “Is the Head Eunuch under the delusion that he is royalty?”
“Huhu. We are merely following procedure.”
If he refused here, it would be tantamount to admitting he was concealing a weapon.
“…Finish it quickly.”
Hands patted down Admiral Lee’s body, searching for steel. Lee swallowed dryly.
The document…
Rustle.
The faint sound of paper friction caught the eunuch’s ear as he patted the chest area.
“That is…”
“A document related to my work,” Lee lied, his tone as casual as he could muster.
If the eunuch confiscated it and discovered the contents, what should he do?
“…Check complete.”
Fortunately, as it was a plain sheet without decoration or seal, they let it pass.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Admiral.”
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Admiral Lee spoke with grumpy bravado. “Even without a weapon, do you think I couldn’t snap the Head Eunuch’s neck with my bare hands if I truly desired it?”
“Huhu.” The black-robed eunuch smiled annoyingly. “Please do not be so angry.” He gestured toward the door. “This measure was taken according to procedure not for the Head Eunuch, but for another person.”
“Another person…?”
The eunuchs threw open the doors.
The first thing to catch Lee’s eye was Head Eunuch Gongsun Taerang, resplendent in his official robes. But the shock came from the figure sitting opposite him. The guest wore a style of dress unfamiliar within the Imperial Palace of the Central Plains—the official regalia of a high-ranking minister from the Haedong Kingdom.
At this hour, in the heart of the Empire, the person facing the Head Eunuch was undoubtedly—
The Ambassador!
The Ambassador Plenipotentiary of Haedong stationed in the Imperial Capital.
“What on earth is the meaning of this?!”
The Head Eunuch’s voice, an eerie, androgynous timbre, lashed out at the Haedong Ambassador. “To start an attack without a declaration of war!”
Admiral Lee clicked his tongue inwardly. The Head Eunuch had already deduced the situation. It was impossible to know the depth of his intelligence regarding the North, but he had clearly grasped that the Haedong army had moved first.
[Attack, you say? You are being hasty.]
The Haedong Ambassador replied in his native tongue. His command of the Central Plains language was superior to Lee’s Haedong skills, yet he insisted on speaking the language of his homeland—a deliberate display of status.
[Is there actually a report from a fortress in Heilongjiang that has been attacked?]
Thud!
The Head Eunuch slammed his fist onto the armrest, half-crushing the thick wood.
“Then this is an attack! Is it a picnic?!”
[The border zone between the two countries is vast. So, really…] The Haedong Ambassador answered without blinking. [Perhaps the Honorable Supreme Commander took the Iron Armored Cavalry out for a picnic.]
He was claiming that maneuvering troops in the borderlands could hardly be classified as an act of war.
He has some nerve. To provoke an enraged Gongsun Taerang…
Admiral Lee wouldn’t have been surprised if the Head Eunuch strangled the diplomat with those pale, slender hands right then and there.
However, the Head Eunuch’s reaction defied expectations.
“…As I thought.”
The rage vanished instantly. On Gongsun Taerang’s expressionless face, only his eyes remained alive, flashing with reptilian wisdom.
“So it was the Honorable Supreme Commander and her Iron Armored Cavalry that started the advance toward the border zone.”
“…!”
Admiral Lee held his breath.
The Head Eunuch had known of the advance, but he hadn’t known who or how. By feigning uncontrolled anger, he had baited the Ambassador into revealing the truth.
“…Well.” The Haedong Ambassador shrugged, realizing he had taken a hit. “As expected, one cannot win against the Head Eunuch.”
He switched to the language of the Central Plains.
“Then, come. Speak.”
As the Head Eunuch leaned back into his chair, the Ambassador organized his thoughts.
“…This situation has nothing to do with the capital of my country.”
“Then, it is the Honorable Supreme Commander’s independent decision?”
The Ambassador fidgeted with his glasses. “…One cannot necessarily say it is only that.”
An ambiguous answer. But the Head Eunuch, seasoned in the shadowed world of diplomacy, decoded the subtext immediately.
“There are many belligerent powerful figures in the capital of Haedong as well. They would welcome it if the Ancient Territory could be recovered at any time.”
“Furthermore…” The Ambassador removed his glasses, rubbing his temples as if suffering a migraine. “Command and judgment over the Iron Armored Cavalry at the forefront belong entirely to the Honorable Supreme Commander, both officially and unofficially.”
“Even for an attack on another country?”
“Even for an attack on another country.”
The implication was clear: The central government could advise her to withdraw, but they could not order her.
“…”
The Head Eunuch narrowed his eyes, sinking into thought.
“Then,” the Ambassador pressed, “please tell me what you know as well, Head Eunuch.”
Gongsun Taerang spoke flatly. “The Governor-General of Heilongjiang is dead. And his subordinate generals have completely cut off contact with the Imperial Capital.”
“…As I thought.”
Seeing the Haedong Ambassador groan, Admiral Lee mirrored the sentiment internally.
As expected of the Head Eunuch…
Although they were political enemies, Gongsun Taerang’s competence was terrifying. A chill ran down Lee’s spine.
“In any case.” The Head Eunuch clicked his tongue. “Since things have turned out this way, I have no choice but to expel the Ambassador from the Imperial Capital. However—”
The Ambassador cut him off, nodding. “You will set a generous deadline for the expulsion, implying that I should not leave the Imperial Capital but remain available for contact, correct?”
“That is so.”
Even in the Haedong capital, many maintained friendships with the Head Eunuch. Regardless of the Honorable Supreme Commander’s actions, the Ambassador had to remain in play to keep those channels open.
“I have a guest, so I won’t see you off far.”
[I do not expect it.]
The Haedong Ambassador gave a curt nod to Admiral Lee and exited.
Click.
The door closed, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
The Head Eunuch’s eyes slowly turned to Admiral Lee.
“Since you must have heard everything, I suppose no separate explanation of the situation is needed, Admiral.”
Admiral Lee nodded. “…That is so.”
Like a King. Like a Queen.
Sitting with legs crossed on the luxurious chair, looking down at the standing Admiral, the Head Eunuch asked a single word.
“So?”
At the abrupt question, Admiral Lee retorted grumpily. “So what?”
The Head Eunuch clicked his tongue. Behind the makeup, white as a corpse, only those two eyeballs burned with terrifying vitality.
“So. What did that Grand Young Master bastard ask of you, Admiral?”
“…?!”
Admiral Lee’s heart plummeted.
Thump.