"You said his body changed?"
"Yeah."
"Is that realistically possible?"
"It's impossible."
"But then what's that supposed to…"
"But that's what happened, so what can you do about it?"
"..."
The Historian clamped his mouth shut like a clam. Theory means nothing in the face of vivid reality. The natural principle that water flows from top to bottom stops being natural the moment a water stream is discovered shooting upward in reverse.
"No, but even so, that's…"
When the Historian made a face showing he couldn't accept it, Divine Beggar replied nonchalantly.
"What would you do if you were in that situation?"
"..."
"Would you jump up from there and say, 'No, no matter how I think about it, this doesn't make sense logically, so could I investigate whether Your Majesty is really Your Majesty?'"
"My head would roll."
"Exactly."
Divine Beggar chuckled as he spoke.
"It was a situation everyone couldn't accept, but everyone had no choice but to accept. And… Whew, if you had been there, it would have been easier to accept. Our legs were already shaking from the mere fact of having an audience with the Emperor. Plus, weren't we in the position of being dragged there after committing crimes?"
"That's right."
"But the Emperor who appeared was roaring like a lion as if he had learned some external martial art. If you had kept your wits about you in that situation, you wouldn't be human. Even Confucius would have wet his pants in that situation."
"Did you wet yourself?"
"…A little."
Divine Beggar said awkwardly.
"There was no smell though."
When the Historian looked at him with a blank expression, Divine Beggar stuck out his belly.
"What? Why?"
"..."
"It's because it's me that it ended at just wetting myself. If you had been there, you would have done the big…"
"Ew! Disgusting!"
When the Historian got angry, Divine Beggar chuckled and laughed.
"It was that tremendous of a situation. You should have seen Nok-gi's face turning pale blue. I still have a drink thinking of that face whenever I have depressing thoughts."
"So what happened then?"
"What?"
"Didn't you say you went after Radiant Martial Sovereign?"
"That's strange, isn't it?"
"What?"
"You're thinking the same thing too. Since something incomprehensible happened, this must definitely be something that bastard did."
"…That's right."
Divine Beggar grinned and picked up the wine bottle.
"But why didn't that gentleman know about it then? Strange, really."
***
Anyone there who knew Wei Yan-ho couldn't help but think one thing.
Wei Yan-ho definitely did something.
Even just by looking at the facts as they are, isn't it obvious? Wei Yan-ho went to meet the Emperor, and the next day the Emperor had changed like that – it couldn't have happened without Wei Yan-ho doing something.
But it's really strange that Nok-gi didn't think of that.
Well.
Even I wouldn't have been able to keep my sanity in that situation. When everything you've been building up gets overturned in an instant, who could maintain their right mind?
Nok-gi's mistake was getting involved with Wei Yan-ho in the first place.
That's just how it is.
Anyone who tried to torment Wei Yan-ho never had a good ending. Instead, they ended up being tormented by Wei Yan-ho themselves.
Not knowing that was Nok-gi's mistake.
…Huh?
Me?
Well, I'm…
I'm…
***
"Did you say Wei Yan-ho?"
"That's right, Your Majesty!"
The Emperor looked at Nok-gi with a subtle smile. Feeling unease from that gaze, Nok-gi shouted desperately.
"You cannot just leave alone a dog that has bitten a person. Kill him! How can you just leave be the one who attempted to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Of course, assassinating the Crown Prince is an unforgivable act."
"That's right, Your Majesty!"
"But the fact is, that bastard was someone who deserved to be beaten."
"…Pardon?"
When Nok-gi's eyes widened, the Emperor laughed heartily.
"That fellow seems quite startled."
Speaking casually toward the back, someone walked out and picked up the Emperor's words.
"Isn't it because your clothes are too tight? That's why I told you to have new clothes made. All your clothes are going to tear."
"Do you know how much money goes into one imperial robe? All that money comes from the people. Not a single penny can be wasted."
"Yesterday you said the Emperor needs to have dignity for the people to be comfortable, but why do your words keep changing so quickly?"
"Ahem, you're noisy, you rascal."
Nok-gi clenched his fists when he saw the person who came forward while conversing with the Emperor.
"He looks like he wants to hit me."
"This is the imperial court. If you want to die, go ahead. And are you someone who would get hit if he tried to hit you?"
"Hehe."
Wei Yan-ho, who had walked up to stand in front of the Emperor, looked around and whistled.
"Th-that bastard?"
"Yan-ho? Hey you?"
Those more flustered than Nok-gi were Prince Lee Wang-ya and Wei Jeong-han. Wei Yan-ho's appearance, sticking his head out from a place where only the Emperor could go and looking around curiously, seemed extremely precarious.
"It feels like this from here."
"What kind of feeling?"
"Well, how should I put it, my shoulders definitely feel proud but…"
Wei Yan-ho shook his head.
"It's lonely."
"Huhu."
"I don't think this is where I belong. I'll go down."
When Wei Yan-ho came down, Wei Jeong-han's lips kept twitching. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he couldn't ask because of where they were.
Whether Wei Yan-ho knew Wei Jeong-han's feelings or not, he was just calm.
'What in the world is going on here?'
Nok-gi couldn't come to his senses. It was already surprising that the Emperor had appeared changed like a different person, but after the Emperor forgave Prince Lee Wang-ya, Wei Yan-ho popped out from behind the Emperor. How should he interpret this situation?
Feeling a sense of crisis, Nok-gi raised his voice.
"Your Majesty, Wei Yan-ho is one who trampled on the authority of the Imperial Family. If you leave him be, the dignity of the Imperial Family will fall to the ground."
"Mm, certainly the dignity of the Imperial Family is important."
The Emperor quietly looked at Nok-gi.
"What punishment is appropriate for one who deceived the Imperial Family?"
"What else but death by dismemberment? Not only the person himself, but three generations of his family should be exterminated."
"Three generations… What unfortunate words."
The Emperor, leaving behind words of unclear meaning, gestured.
"Bring in the Crown Prince."
"Yes!"
As soon as the words ended, the Crown Prince entered the imperial court. After the Crown Prince paid his respects to the Emperor and raised his head, the Emperor asked in a stern voice.
"I have something to ask my Crown Prince, so you must answer without a shred of falsehood."
"How could I speak falsely to Your Majesty?"
"Who told you to go to that place that day? As the Crown Prince, you would have no reason to visit the place where those visiting the Imperial Family were staying. There must have been someone who enticed you. Who was it?"
The Crown Prince glanced up to gauge the Emperor's mood.
"Crown Prince."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"The reason I have left you be despite being incompetent and foolish beyond measure is not because you are the Crown Prince. It's because there was no Crown Prince to replace you. I couldn't discard the only Crown Prince just because he had flaws. But now it's different."
The Emperor's voice rang out powerfully.
"Children can just be born again."
"..."
Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders.
"That's a bit of a harsh statement."
"It's not wrong though."
"Well, yeah… Looking at it, you could have ten more."
"If I put my mind to it, wouldn't that be easy? I tried an experiment yesterday, and this is… Ah…"
"Let's stop there, let's stop there. I'm scared the kids might hear."
Even Wei Yan-ho was restraining someone.
"Anyway, so now you should abandon the thought that your status will protect you. If you truly do not confess honestly, I won't need to borrow another's hand. I will beat you to death myself."
Blood vessels bulged on the Emperor's fist visible between his imperial robes. Seeing that sight, the Crown Prince gave up on everything. At the very least, if he got hit by that fist, he really couldn't guarantee his life or death.
"Grand Eunuch Dong Chang told me there would be something interesting if I went that way."
"Captain of the Golden Guards!"
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
"Could it happen that the Crown Prince's escort would be absent from his side?"
"That could not have happened."
"But such a thing did happen. How can such a thing be! If blame must be assigned, your head should roll first. If you cannot convince me, I will tear you apart first."
"Your Majesty! Those assigned to escort His Highness the Crown Prince were attacked by mysterious individuals at that time."
"You said they were attacked?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Of the four people assigned to escort His Highness the Crown Prince, two were off duty and resting in their quarters, and the remaining two were both attacked. All of them are unconscious, so we cannot know the exact situation."
"Attack, attack… Who attacked the Crown Prince?"
"I too tried to uncover that fact, but Grand Eunuch Nok-gi told me that it was Wei Yan-ho's group who committed this act. So we captured them and imprisoned them in the prison."
"Nok-gi."
"…Yes, Your Majesty."
"Do you have something to say?"
Nok-gi's face contorted.
He had prepared more than ten pieces of evidence that those bastards had attacked the escorts. But Nok-gi already knew. Now evidence and such meant nothing.
Since the Emperor's trust had gone to the other side, nothing he said would be believed. Just as Nok-gi had been able to do until recently.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak."
"…Did you have to go this far?"
The Emperor's and Nok-gi's gazes met each other.
"I may have coveted power, but I have lived as Your Majesty's faithful dog all this time. I may not be without fault, but my merits are not few either. But did you have to go this far?"
"Foolish bastard."
The Emperor clicked his tongue.
"When did you ever show loyalty to me? Wasn't it power that you were loyal to? Then you shouldn't ask me. Ask the power you were loyal to. Ask why it abandoned me."
"..."
"I need hear no more. Guards!"
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
"Execute the criminal Nok-gi who dared to plot and attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince and threaten imperial authority. And capture all those who follow him and imprison them in the prison. I will punish them according to their degree of involvement."
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
As soon as the words ended, the Golden Guards came rushing in. Nok-gi closed his eyes tightly seeing that scene.
'Everything was perfect…'
Where did things start to go wrong? Until he entered the palace today, he believed the world would soon fall into his hands.
It was truly flowers that bloom for ten days only.
"Let go!"
Nok-gi, who shook off the arms of the Golden Guards grabbing his arms, glared at Wei Yan-ho with cold eyes.
"This must be your doing?"
Wei Yan-ho, receiving Nok-gi's murderous gaze, put on an act.
"Wow, he's going to kill someone with his eyes."
Rage surged to the top of Nok-gi's head.