Chapter 5: The Emperor’s City and the Strategist’s New Role

The voice asking the question was higher than ever before.

If he was serious, this was an incredibly unconventional offer.

To bring the Chancellor of a nation he had destroyed with his own hands and use him as a teacher? Bi Yeon’s eyes sparkled.

“That is correct.”

Bi Yeon swallowed hard.

He asked, half-doubting.

“……Your Majesty’s teacher, you mean?”

“Hardly. Did you dare think to teach me?”

When the man snorted, Bi Yeon’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“The person you will be teaching is someone else. My child.”

Silence followed.

In this moment, Bi Yeon’s mind was racing faster than ever before.

Was the Emperor of Horyu truly saying he wanted to entrust the education of an Imperial Prince to him?

A multitude of possibilities flooded his mind, causing him to hesitate on an answer for a moment.

The Emperor glanced at the hesitant Bi Yeon and added one more thing.

“If you refuse, not only you but also the Lord of Mokju will not survive. Will that speed up your decision?”

For a brief moment, Bi Yeon stared at him in disbelief.

The handsome, smug face with its crooked smile filled his vision.

“If you truly maintain your loyalty, you wouldn’t allow the lord you serve to die.”

The Emperor looked amused, as if he had issued a grand threat.

Bi Yeon had intended to accept even without such threats, but this man seemed to be more impatient than he looked.

Bi Yeon hid his sharp gaze and bowed his head.

“……I will do as you wish.”

“I’m glad you’re more reasonable than General Yong.”

Young Tae Ryung laughed loudly.

Bi Yeon vented his complaints only within his mind.

It was Bi Yeon’s first time visiting Geumseong.

He had thought about coming many times, but he had never been able to visit because he was always too busy with official duties.

And for good reason—even on a clear day, taking the fastest route on a fine steed, it was a journey that took a full twenty days.

Furthermore, at the time, nothing got done if Bi Yeon was away from court for even a moment.

Because of that, every time there was a national event, he had no choice but to send his subordinates in his place.

He had to listen to those who returned praise how great and large Geumseong was for over a month.

And now, Bi Yeon had finally arrived in Geumseong.

Loaded into a luggage wagon.

As expected of the Imperial Capital, even the way the roads were maintained was different.

The central castle gate was wide enough for exactly four horses to enter at once.

The soldiers standing before it with spears had a look of intense discipline in their eyes.

Moonlight stones were embedded along the edges of the polished stone paths so that they would glow even at night.

Waterways were dug alongside the roads so that they connected endlessly to the rice paddies and fields.

It was a measure against floods and droughts.

Public order was excellent, and the markets were bustling.

‘Incredible.’

Bi Yeon thought as he watched the outside world frantically through the window.

His silver hair fluttered messily in the cold wind coming through the gaps, but he didn’t care and kept his gaze fixed outside.

Honestly, the level of the city was so overwhelmingly different that it was hard to even feel jealous.

Should he have spied on this place in person rather than through documents?

Seeing it for himself even once could never be the same as receiving reports through the eyes of others.

But it was too late for regrets now.

He was no longer a Chancellor, and no matter how many wonderful things he took in, there was nothing he could do.

While he was lost in melancholy thoughts for a moment, the sound of rattling handcuffs came from the opposite side.

“Chancellor, is there any discomfort?”

“……No.”

“If you are uncomfortable, please tell me at any time.”

It was a refined voice.

However, Bi Yeon did not hide his slight irritation at those words and glared at the man opposite him.

The man who called out to Bi Yeon had large black eyes.

His neatly tied-up hair was chestnut brown and his skin was a bit tanned.

The way he sat with his back perfectly straight showed no sign of slouching, to the point that one couldn’t even tell he was wearing handcuffs.

When Bi Yeon had seen him before, he was either in armor straight from the battlefield or wearing blue official robes.

The sight of him now, wearing a plain black martial outfit without any decorations, was quite unfamiliar.

Bi Yeon replied dismissively.

“It is uncomfortable for me that the General calls me Chancellor.”

I’m only saying this because the words came up, but sharing a cramped carriage for over twenty days was naturally uncomfortable.

However, even this was a luxury for a prisoner.

It was only because Bi Yeon had received the “glorious” proposal from the Emperor to become his child’s teacher that he didn’t have to walk this long distance.

Yong Je Hyeon replied with a determined look.

“Because you will always be the Chancellor of Mokju to me.”

“…….”

No matter how many times he said it, the answer remained the same, so Bi Yeon gave up on explaining and let out a sigh.

He heard through rumors later that on the day Won Ho knelt, this young man had shouted, ‘The Chancellor might yield, but there is no way I will go to Geumseong alive.’

He probably meant to say that such a thing would never happen even if the heavens split in two…….

But I don’t know what he was thinking.

The aftermath was obvious even without hearing more.

The Emperor, interested by those words, must have visited Bi Yeon that day.

He used Won Ho’s life as leverage to push the tutor position onto Bi Yeon, and used that to persuade Yong Je Hyeon.

‘For a stubborn personality like his, just asking if he’s going back on his word would be enough to end it.’

Yong Je Hyeon, caught in the curse of his own promise, wouldn’t have dared to even think of taking his own life.

Of course, it wasn’t that Bi Yeon particularly wanted him to die.

However, he was the only prisoner from Mokju besides Bi Yeon who received special treatment.

It was troublesome for someone in his position to be so lacking in tact.

Bi Yeon shifted his blue eyes and gave Yong Je Hyeon a quiet glare.

“When we arrive at the palace, please watch your words. I am worried because the General is still young.”

Otherwise, you might really die.

Since you’re alive, isn’t it better to stay that way?

“I am not afraid of those Horyu bastards.”

That was something Bi Yeon knew very well.

“I was just worried that those bastards might harm you, Chancellor, when they said they were taking you to Geumseong.”

Yong Je Hyeon lightly scanned Song Bi Yeon as he spoke.

Bi Yeon was on the taller side, but his frame was thin and slender, making it seem like he could be easily lifted if someone put their mind to it.

He recalled the sight of Bi Yeon always buried in piles of documents so high his face couldn’t even be seen whenever he went to the palace.

His pale face, contrasting with his dark navy clothes, never looked like the complexion of a well-fed person.

Furthermore, the long silver hair that fell to his waist made the man look even whiter.

Je Hyeon said with a resolute air.

“I will protect you, Chancellor.”

At that, Bi Yeon, who had been leaning his chin on his hand and staring out the window, lost his balance and slipped.

He flailed his hands in shock as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

Even then, he couldn’t move his wrists much, perhaps because the handcuffs were heavy.

“Please don’t say such things and just protect yourself, General.”

“……I know it is an impious thing to say, but I thought you would refuse the Emperor’s offer.”

Bi Yeon fell silent at those words.

Je Hyeon continued his questioning.

“Do you have some other plan?”

Of course he did.

Since he had survived anyway, he wanted to hold a position in Horyu.

At first, he intended to flee to save his life, but since they were offering not only his life but also a government post, there was no reason to obsess over Mokju anymore.

Above all, Won Ho’s safety was already guaranteed, so there was nothing more to worry about.

However, before saying that, Bi Yeon suffered from the impulse to refute Yong Je Hyeon’s words with detailed annotations.

First, what Young Tae Ryung did that night was not an offer.

Second, there was no way for Bi Yeon to refuse it.

Third, Yong Je Hyeon needed to learn the fact that not everyone decides to take their own life as easily as he does.

However, because of that, Song Bi Yeon was also marked as a high-spirited scholar by the picky Emperor of Horyu.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a situation with only losses.

Bi Yeon replied only to the last part with a cold face.

“……Yes, I have a plan.”

At those words, the young man’s face brightened.

Whatever he was thinking, it probably wasn’t the same as Bi Yeon’s, but Bi Yeon didn’t feel like correcting him.

After some time had passed, the carriage stopped with a clatter.

They had finally arrived at the Imperial Palace of Geumseong.

Song Bi Yeon, who had traveled at the very end of the prisoner line in a worn-out carriage during the long journey, had no occasion to see the Emperor for over twenty days.

It was only natural.

Prisoners of an enemy nation were not meant to cross paths with noble figures.

It was their fate to die after doing meaningless, repetitive work at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

However, since the Emperor of Horyu had said he would entrust the education of his child to him, he expected they would eventually meet.

But it was unexpected that the Emperor summoned him before he could even unpack his bags in a room the size of a palm.

Furthermore, along with Yong Je Hyeon.

It was a very strange feeling to walk toward the massive dragon throne in a place where all the civil and military officials of the enemy nation were gathered.

Whether it was to save face or because they thought there was no need to bind them, Bi Yeon and Je Hyeon stepped onto the red floor of the Great Hall with their handcuffs removed and their bodies free.

Je Hyeon walked with long strides, his back straight as if he had never been bound.

His aura was truly like that of a great beast.

Bi Yeon was sincerely grateful for Je Hyeon’s presence at this moment.

At least having something beside him made it less scary.

Bi Yeon kept his face as expressionless as a mask and matched Je Hyeon’s stride.

Every time Bi Yeon passed, he could hear the sound of ministers covering their mouths and whispering something.

He heard words like “Silver” or “Blue” drifting into his ears.

As they walked near the empty golden dragon throne, the eunuch who had been guarding the side of the throne stepped out with a quick pace and spoke.

“Rebels, kneel!”