WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: Abstract
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Episode 46: Imperial Palace (6)
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Double-Saber Wanderer King Agong shook his head in astonishment at the Emperor's humiliating behavior.
‘To think I'd live to see an Emperor submit like that.’
The Emperor was the state itself.
He even bore the title Son of Heaven. As the one above ten thousand who ruled the vast Central Plains, even martial artists who rejected the authorities regarded him with caution and fear.
That was because he commanded an organization numbering in the millions, incomparable to any martial-world faction.
Yet such an Emperor had submitted to a single person.
This would cause an even greater uproar than defeating the Four Immortal Masters.
‘No, it might even go down in history...’
Who would have thought he would witness something like this in his lifetime?
Like Agong, King Jin could not help but give a hollow laugh at the sight of the Emperor.
The Emperor, who could be called the Great Empire itself, had submitted so completely just to preserve his life.
‘...Father's choice was right.’
He now understood why the Former Emperor had tried to pass the throne to him before drawing his last breath.
Hong In-se, who had chosen only his own safety, no longer deserved to be Emperor.
-Swish!
At that moment, Mumu gestured toward King Jin with a nod.
“Ah, understood!”
Emperor Hong In-se stepped forward, holding out the jade case engraved with golden dragon designs.
The expressions of the masters from the Eastern Eunuch corps, Western Eunuch corps, and Embroidered Uniform Guard stiffened. Who among them would not recognize it?
‘The imperial seal!’
That jade case was the container for the imperial seal.
The shocked officials hurried toward the Emperor, trying to stop him.
“Y-Your Majesty, you cannot!”
“Your Majestyyyy!”
But then,
-Boom!
Mumu lightly stomped on the floor.
-Rumble! Craaack!
“Gasp!”
“T-the grand hall!”
The entire grand hall shook as though an earthquake had struck. The floor split open around Mumu, forcing everyone to stop.
-Gulp!
At the sight of the officials desperately trying to stop him, Emperor Hong In-se briefly wavered. Yet when the grand hall seemed ready to collapse, every trace of hesitation vanished.
If he did not do this, he might not even survive.
‘...That is not human.’
It was no different from a natural disaster.
Emperor Hong In-se walked before King Jin and fell to his knees.
The Eastern Eunuch corps, Western Eunuch corps, and Embroidered Uniform Guard closed their eyes in despair.
-Click!
Kneeling, Emperor Hong In-se opened the jade case. He lifted the imperial seal where King Jin could see it clearly and cried out,
“Listen! I have not governed the nation well, for I lack virtue. Therefore, I intend to abdicate in favor of King Jin, the virtuous feudal king!”
‘!!!!!’
King Jin and Princess Seo, Hong Na-yeon, stared wide-eyed.
They had considered that possibility, but never imagined Emperor Hong In-se would bring the imperial seal and abdicate on the spot.
Hong Na-yeon looked at Mumu in astonishment.
‘What on earth did he do?’
The Emperor had possessed such an insatiable thirst for power. What could Mumu have done to make him endure this much humiliation and even give up the throne?
* * *
Emperor Hong In-se's sudden abdication threw the Imperial Palace into chaos.
King Jin's return to the palace had already caused turmoil, and ministers, officials, and members of the imperial family had been watching the situation unfold.
Then came this shocking outcome, one nobody had anticipated.
The powerful ministers and officials who supported Emperor Hong In-se tried to stop it, but they could not.
“From this moment, the Outer Palace Guard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will control the Imperial Palace!”
King Jin was taking control of the Imperial Palace far too quickly.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was divided into the Inner Palace Guard and the Outer Palace Guard.
The Inner Palace Guard, which protected the imperial family, members of the imperial family, and the Inner Court, had many exceptional masters. Yet its numbers were far smaller than those of the Outer Palace Guard, which protected the entire palace city.
‘Did he win over the Outer Palace Guard?’
The Outer Palace Guard was not the only group he had secured in advance.
Before entering the palace, King Jin had summoned the powerful ministers who had followed him since the Former Emperor's reign to the Empress Dowager's Palace.
He had done so in preparation for a possible confrontation with the Emperor.
But once the Emperor abdicated, those officials no longer needed to oppose him. Instead, King Jin mobilized them to swiftly secure and calm the Imperial Palace.
“Spread word of the Former Emperor's original will, as well as Emperor Hong In-se's attempts to assassinate King Jin outside the imperial capital and inside the grand hall.”
The rumors quickly spread throughout the Imperial Palace.
The powerful neutral ministers fell into confusion, while the powerful ministers aligned with the Emperor could find no justification to reverse the situation and had no choice but to bow their heads.
Everything was rapidly tipping in King Jin's favor.
* * *
“Your Majesty, Princess Seo has arrived.”
“Let her in.”
-Creak!
The door to the Emperor's office opened, and Hong Na-yeon entered.
Formerly a provincial princess, she was now an imperial princess.
Seeing the mountain of official reports, memorials, and documents piled everywhere, Hong Na-yeon let out an involuntary gasp.
“Ah!”
“You're here?”
“Yes, Father.”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in rose from his seat, where he had been handling the endless stack of reports.
Princess Seo found it strange.
The Former Emperor had abdicated, and Hong Myeong-in needed to take complete control of the palace as quickly as possible to hold a proper coronation. He should have been too busy to spare even a moment, yet he had suddenly summoned her.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
As she approached the visitor's chair and waited, Emperor Hong Myeong-in sat across from her.
Following etiquette, she took her seat only after the Emperor had sat down first.
Emperor Hong Myeong-in stretched, apparently stiff from work.
“Whew.”
“Are you all right?”
“Of course. I'm fine. No, actually, I'm not.”
“You must be tired.”
“I handled state affairs in my fiefdom too, but it is difficult to compare this with that.”
“Things will improve once the palace stabilizes.”
“I suppose they will.”
“Still, please do not overwork yourself. If you lose your footing now, the Empire will be shaken as well.”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in smiled warmly.
As expected of his one and only daughter.
Princess Seo smiled back, then asked directly,
“But Father, you must be very busy right now. Why did you call for me?”
“There are things I wish to ask you, and I would like to hear your opinion.”
“My opinion?”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in drew a breath before answering her puzzled question.
“It concerns Peerless Herculean Strength.”
“What?”
At the sudden mention of Mumu, interest flashed through her eyes.
Had it not been for Mumu, they might have lost their lives in the grand hall, even if they had secured the Outer Palace Guard.
Had he summoned her to discuss rewarding Mumu?
That was what she thought, but there seemed to be too many urgent matters at hand for that.
“Why Mumu?”
“I want to know what kind of person Peerless Herculean Strength, no, Lord Mumu, is.”
“What do you mean, what kind of person?”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in lowered his voice and spoke almost in a whisper.
“Should I not know what kind of person he is if I am to win him over as an ally?”
“Ah...”
A soft groan escaped Hong Na-yeon's lips.
She had considered the possibility, but she had not expected Emperor Hong Myeong-in to take such an interest in Mumu.
‘Does Father want Mumu on his side?’
It was not particularly strange.
Mumu had saved them from certain death, and his power was more than even the Flying Horse Brigade and the Imperial Palace guardians, painstakingly cultivated for so long, could handle.
Who would not feel reassured to have someone like Mumu on their side?
But...
‘Would Mumu want that?’
Even Hong Na-yeon did not know Mumu perfectly.
Still, the Mumu she had seen firsthand was honest with himself and free-spirited.
That meant he was not the kind of person who would be led around by someone else or swear loyalty.
‘That is why he did not even fear the Emperor.’
Of course, that was supported by overwhelming power, power comparable to a natural disaster.
It was absolute strength, enough to make even Hong In-se, now the Former Emperor and imprisoned, give up everything in an instant.
After thinking for a moment, she spoke seriously.
“Father... I understand that you wish to win Mumu over, but...”
Before she could continue, Emperor Hong Myeong-in spoke first.
“Yes. It would not be easy for someone with that much strength to be readily won over by another. But after this incident, two thoughts came to this father.”
“Two thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“May I ask what they are?”
“First, I felt deeply grateful to Lord Mumu. I even wondered if Heaven had sent him to us.”
Hong Na-yeon agreed with that.
The Former Emperor Hong In-se's power and influence had been overwhelming. She had been certain that before long, her father and she would be purged without a trace.
Yet Mumu had resolved everything so easily that it all felt like a dream.
Because of that, one more thought had crossed her mind as well.
Hong Na-yeon carefully asked,
“...You are afraid of Mumu, then.”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in gave a bitter smile and nodded.
She was right.
After witnessing Mumu's absolute power, Emperor Hong Myeong-in felt fear alongside his gratitude.
Mumu's strength was beyond what a human could handle.
It truly was no different from a natural disaster.
Just as people could not fully defend themselves against a disaster no matter how they prepared, Emperor Hong Myeong-in believed nobody could stop Mumu if he became their enemy.
“I will be honest. It shames me to say this after receiving his help, but Lord Mumu frightens me.”
“...Is that why you thought of winning him over?”
“Yes.”
Hong Na-yeon let out a quiet breath.
“Don't worry. I often felt the same way. When the embankment collapsed and the river surged like a flood, he reversed that rushing water with a single punch. It truly felt like a disaster...”
“What?”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in's eyes widened.
For a moment, he doubted what he had just heard.
The weather was still overcast, and had there not been torrential rain until recently?
Hong Na-yeon realized she had spoken carelessly.
Still, she saw no reason to hide it from her father.
If anything, it would be better for Father, no, Emperor Hong Myeong-in, to fully understand Mumu's strength and treat him with caution.
“It is exactly as I said.”
“You mean an ordinary human made a river flow backward with one punch?”
“Yes.”
Even she could barely believe it despite witnessing it herself.
“Ha...”
Emperor Hong Myeong-in shook his head in disbelief at Hong Na-yeon's words.
Mumu already seemed almost like a natural disaster just from watching him fight others. If he had that much strength, he had truly surpassed the realm of humanity and become a natural disaster itself.
-Gulp!
Emperor Hong Myeong-in swallowed unconsciously.
What would happen if someone like that took offense at him or became his enemy?
He would become no different from the imprisoned Former Emperor Hong In-se.
‘Haa... A being like a disaster...’
No matter how positively he tried to view it, there were far too many uncertainties from the perspective of an Emperor ruling an Empire.
Unless such a person was closely tied to him...
‘Ah!’
At that moment, Emperor Hong Myeong-in thought of a good solution.
Mumu was wearing Skin Masks, which made it easy to forget, but he had heard that Peerless Herculean Strength was a seventeen-year-old boy who had only recently entered Changcheon Martial Academy.
The Emperor looked at his beautiful daughter, Princess Seo, Hong Na-yeon.
She was nineteen years old.
“Father?”
Hong Na-yeon called to the Emperor, puzzled by the way he was staring at her.
Emperor Hong Myeong-in cleared his throat, then cautiously asked,
“Ahem... Princess Seo.”
“Yes, Father.”
“What do you think of Lord Mumu as a man?”
‘!?’
The sudden question made his intentions obvious, and Hong Na-yeon's face instantly turned red.
The corners of Emperor Hong Myeong-in's lips rose.
‘Prince consort.’
The solution was closer than he had expected.
Footnotes:
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