After leaving the palace, Yunseo quietly studied Wolhwa’s expression.
A faint sorrow lingered in her eyes.
It was only natural.
Though she was the ruler, if the ministers could move even the palace guards, then it meant the emperor was not entirely free even within her own palace.
Outwardly, she sat upon the imperial throne, but in truth, she was no different from one confined within a fence.
But Yunseo knew.
That was merely the surface.
Wolhwa’s talent was not something those stubborn old retainers could ever dare to fathom.
After hesitating for a moment, he quietly took her hand.
The fingertips he had expected to be cold were warmer than he thought.
Wolhwa, who had been lost in thought, flinched for an instant.
Her gaze turned to Yunseo.
Yet she did not pull her hand away.
She could not explain why, but when she stood with him, her heart grew strangely calm.
If they had left the palace—
Then for this brief time, it would not be so bad to catch her breath as a woman, not as a ruler.
At that moment—
[Ding.]
[UR Card — Your bond stage with “Kang Wolhwa, the Nation-Toppling Empress” has risen to 95/100, causing her to depend on the player even more!]
A system voice rang only in Yunseo’s ears.
His hardened expression softened slightly.
But that tranquility did not last long.
A commotion erupted in the distance.
“My lord, this humble girl is already betrothed! You must not take me away!”
In the middle of the market.
A government soldier was roughly dragging a young woman by the arm.
The woman had a face that was both alluring and elegant.
A beauty who drew the eye at a single glance.
“Miss.”
The government soldier smiled lewdly and rubbed his palms together.
“I am not a heartless man. It is only that your face is far too precious to waste. Would it not be a sin for such jade-like beauty to be buried in an ordinary household? Come with me, and I shall treat you generously.”
“No!”
The woman’s scream cut through the market.
People turned their heads.
There was anger, but no one dared to step forward.
Because everyone knew who that government soldier was.
He was none other than Jang Munyeon’s brother-in-law.
A man who, under the Chancellor’s protection, had trampled over common households several times and yet had never once been punished.
This time was no different.
Having heard rumors that the Wi family’s daughter-in-law was beautiful, he had come in person.
Wolhwa’s eyes flashed.
How could such a thing—
Before Our very eyes.
Just as she was about to step forward, a shadow moved first.
It was Yunseo.
In one breath, he stood before the government soldier.
And without the slightest warning, he unleashed a palm strike.
Bang.
The government soldier’s body was flung dozens of paces away, and he rolled across the ground, coughing blood.
“You bastard!”
He shouted with a face full of rage.
“Do you know who I am, to dare—”
Before he could finish, Yunseo’s foot cut through the air.
A spinning blow drove into him.
This time, nearly all his strength was behind it.
The government soldier’s energy collapsed in an instant.
Powerless, he dropped to his knees and fell.
Only then did the people realize that this man was no ordinary martial artist.
Other government soldiers who arrived late drew their swords.
But the moment Yunseo’s eyes flashed, they instinctively took a step back.
“How dare you, before whom do you think you are—”
Yunseo took a jade plaque from his waist and held it up.
“Open your eyes and look carefully. I am the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Palace Guard.”
In an instant, the government soldiers’ faces turned pale.
One by one, they dropped to their knees.
“My lord, we are innocent! Captain Jang acted on his own… We were merely following orders!”
“Silence.”
Wolhwa stepped forward.
Her gaze had sunk coldly.
“Do the laws of the realm belong to your household? Who gave you permission to treat the people so recklessly?”
One government soldier spoke while trembling.
“H-he is the Chancellor’s brother-in-law… Even on ordinary days, no one dared to touch him…”
Before those words had even ended, Wolhwa’s eyes cooled frigidly.
Good.
Truly excellent.
The rot was not confined to the palace.
Its roots had spread even outside the palace walls.
Her gaze met Yunseo’s.
There were no words, but the meaning was clear.
This was no simple street disturbance.
Jang Munyeon’s shadow had already seeped deep into the lives of the people.
And today, that shadow had revealed itself directly.
A killing intent like frost flashed through Wolhwa’s eyes.
As if it were not enough that Jang Munyeon failed to restrain himself, even those he kept at his side were like this.
In that case, today she would have to properly break the arrogance of that haughty Chancellor.
“Yuk Yunseo.”
Her voice fell low.
“Take that man. We return to the palace.”
Yunseo nodded.
With one hand, he lifted the man, whose energy had already been severed and whose body sagged like mud.
Then, as though dragging some cheap piece of luggage, he hauled him along the ground and left the market.
When the Empress’s urgent summons was issued, the court stirred once more.
Among the ministers who hurriedly donned their official robes and entered the palace, complaints flowed out.
“Did His Majesty not say there would be no court session today?”
“How can she change her mind again within a single day…”
“Shut your mouths.”
Jang Munyeon’s cold rebuke struck their ears.
He swept a sharp gaze over those around him.
“His Majesty is the Son of Heaven. To dare try to fathom what the Son of Heaven does is itself irreverence. If I hear such words again, I will deal with you according to the law.”
In an instant, the murmuring ceased.
A silence fell, as if even the air had frozen.
Immediately after the ministers took their places, everyone’s gaze fixed on one spot.
A man lay sprawled on the floor, motionless.
He hung limp, like a man half dead.
Jang Munyeon’s face hardened in an instant.
“What… what is—”
He approached almost at a run and checked the man’s face.
It was his brother-in-law.
With a bloodless face, he looked at Wolhwa.
“Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?”
Wolhwa did not hurry.
Slowly, one step at a time, she moved forward.
Her gaze was calmly sunken.
“It seems that question should be answered not by Us, but by you. Surely the Chancellor knows what his brother-in-law has done.”
The moment those words fell, a chill ran down Jang Munyeon’s spine.
A perceptive man like him could not fail to know.
That this fool had caused trouble again.
The fact that His Majesty had personally acted meant that she had already witnessed the scene herself.
Jang Munyeon ground his teeth inwardly.
‘This stupid wretch… he could not restrain himself even for a moment.’
Even so, he composed his expression.
“Your Majesty. This subject does not know what this child has done.”
“However, in such a state, he cannot face our household…”
He bowed his head and asked.
“I dare to ask. Who made this child like this?”
A brief silence.
And then—
“We did.”
The palace froze.
Yunseo’s brow narrowed subtly.
Wolhwa continued as if it were nothing.
“This man trampled upon the people.”
“To harm the people is to harm Our realm.”
“How could We leave him be?”
Her gaze turned toward the Chancellor.
From deep within her coldly stilled eyes, a frigid light flashed.
“He used your name to flaunt his power, abducted a woman, and threatened the people.”
“We wish to ask.”
“Were you truly not involved in this matter?”
Jang Munyeon knelt once more.
But this time, his eyes were different.
The disturbance from moments ago had vanished, replaced by composure.
“Your Majesty, this subject absolutely had no such intention.”
Wolhwa inwardly marveled.
To recover his emotions so quickly.
As expected, he was no opponent to be taken lightly.
At that moment, Jang Munyeon had already made his decision.
He had to abandon his brother-in-law.
Now was the time to give up flesh and protect bone.
He lifted his head.
“Your Majesty, I shall speak without concealment.”
“This subject also knew of this child’s conduct.”
The main hall stirred.
Wolhwa’s eyes narrowed.
“You knew?”
“Then how did you intend to deal with him?”
Jang Munyeon slowly rose to his feet.
Without a word, he placed his hand on the sword at his waist.
Some among the ministers hardened their faces, while others could not even bring themselves to raise their heads.
The sound of the sword being drawn rang out sharply through the palace.
Everyone held their breath.
The next moment—
The blade flashed.
It happened in an instant.
Blood cut through the air.
Thud.
With a dull sound, his brother-in-law’s head rolled across the floor.
Droplets of blood splattered onto Jang Munyeon’s face.
But he did not so much as blink.
Sheathing his sword, he spoke in a low voice.
“With this head today, this subject shall proclaim it to all under heaven.”
“Whoever commits a crime must pay the price.”
With his bloodstained face, he looked up at Wolhwa.
“There is only one ‘Son of Heaven’ under heaven.”
“And that person is Your Majesty.”
A crimson stream of blood spread slowly across the marble floor.
The palace fell utterly silent.
This was not submission.
Nor was it defiance.
It was a declaration of loyalty written in blood.
And at the same time—
A move cast at the Empress.
Wolhwa looked down at him in silence.
This man was dangerous.
But still—
The board remained in her hands.