At the same time, in the Duke’s residence, the lamps remained lit deep into the night.
Jinseok knelt before the Duke, trembling from head to toe.
“I, I…”
Before he could even get the words out—
Slap!
A fierce palm struck him squarely across the face.
The Duke’s face was filled with rage.
“You useless fool!”
His voice rang out harshly.
“How many times did I tell you? Do not lay a hand on such petty profits! And yet you still dared to disobey me!”
The Duke’s gaze stabbed down at him coldly.
“How much did you siphon from the relief funds? Speak at once.”
Jinseok lay prostrate on the floor and answered in a trembling voice.
“M-Master… I transported the silver properly, just as you instructed. It was only… each time, I set aside around thirty to fifty thousand taels.”
“You worthless wretch!”
The Duke roared.
“Was the silver I normally gave you not enough? Why, of all things, did you have to touch that money!”
His eyes sank with a chilling light.
“If this matter leaks outside, you will not be the only one to die. I, too, will be implicated.”
Jinseok’s face turned deathly pale as he knocked his head against the floor.
“Master, please spare my life!”
His voice was almost a sob.
“If you do not save me, Master, who will resolve your worries for you in the future!”
“Shut your mouth!”
The Duke immediately thundered.
His eyes held undisguised disappointment.
“A man who calls himself my disciple does not even have the resolve to die. How utterly pathetic.”
At those words, Jinseok quickly raised himself and spoke cautiously.
“I did not do it on purpose. It was just… Yuk Yunseo was far too capable.”
He paused to catch his breath, then added.
“Surely you do not wish to have your power taken from you by him either, Master.”
Rage boiled within the Duke, but at this moment, he had already finished his calculations.
Jinseok had to remain alive for him to continue amassing wealth and further expanding his private army.
The Duke’s gaze grew even more vicious.
“Send men to pursue Yuk Yunseo at once.”
He added coldly.
“It does not matter whether he begs for his life or not. Kill him on sight.”
A cold glint also flashed through Jinseok’s eyes.
He had stuck his nose in for no reason and ruined everything…
‘Yuk Yunseo.’
A sinister smile spread across his lips.
‘This time, I will cut off every path of escape you have.’
Meanwhile, when Wolhwa opened her eyes.
Beside the bed lay several spirit medicines to nourish the body, along with a letter.
The letter had been left by Yuk Yunseo. Its contents were simple.
He intended to deal with certain people on this journey, and when the time came, the Empress would have to support him from behind.
The tone was somewhat close to an order, but Wolhwa did not mind in the slightest.
Because right now, Yunseo was risking his life and fighting for her sake.
To allow Yunseo to move as freely as he wished, Wolhwa immediately sent someone to summon Yunseol.
Then she took out her jade token and handed it to her.
“Go to Huainan.”
Wolhwa’s voice was firm.
“Deliver this to Yuk Yunseo. The great enemy is before us now. This is not something that can be taken lightly.”
Yunseol looked surprised for a moment before speaking.
“Your Majesty, did you not already grant him the authority to execute first and report afterward?”
Wolhwa shook her head.
“There is no such thing as an absolute in worldly affairs.”
Her gaze deepened.
No one could guarantee what moves the Duke and Jang Munyeon might make from behind the scenes.
Protecting Yuk Yunseo now.
That, more than anything, was what would keep this game from being overturned.
So there was only one thing Wolhwa had to do now.
Draw in as many people around her as possible.
Yunseol fell into thought for a moment, then soon knelt down.
And from her bosom, she took out a military tally and offered it up.
It was half of the token used to mobilize the troops under her command.
“If Your Majesty ever has need to summon them, please use this tally.”
Yunseol spoke quietly.
“Send the person holding this tally to the paulownia tree thirty li away. The remaining forces of the So family will be waiting there.”
Yunseol paused briefly to steady her breath, then spoke again.
“If they show any rudeness to Your Majesty, please be generous with them.”
Her eyes sank into sorrow for a moment.
“They lost their entire families… and are people left behind all alone.”
It was only natural, perhaps, that they lived with rage in their hearts.
Wolhwa immediately nodded.
“Very well. Then let us do that.”
Wolhwa’s gaze rested on Yunseol.
“Return within three days. Until then… I will face the Duke and Jang Munyeon alone.”
It was then.
“As expected, you were never going to listen obediently.”
The closed door of the study flew open.
The person standing at the doorway was—
Yuk Yunseo.
His face was marked by deep fatigue, but the bundle slung over his back was rather thick.
It seemed he had clearly gained something significant on this trip to Huainan.
“You…”
Wolhwa stared at Yunseo in disbelief.
“That is impossible. Do you know how far it is from Huainan to here? No matter how exceptional your martial arts are, returning at such speed should be impossible.”
Yunseo laughed lightly.
“That is thanks to those people.”
His gaze flashed coldly for an instant.
“If those despicable bastards had not been in such a hurry to kill me, I would not have expanded my investigation all the way to Jinling. I had originally intended to end it in Huainan.”
As he said that, Yunseo set down the bundle.
Then, in front of Wolhwa and Yunseol, he calmly untied it.
At that moment—
Both their gazes froze at once.
Inside the bundle…
There was a human head.
A severed head, still not drained of blood.
A chill ran down the spines of the two women.
“Yuk Yunseo.”
Wolhwa’s voice lowered.
“What on earth have you done?”
Wolhwa had thought she knew Yunseo to some extent.
But when she saw the head placed before her eyes, her heart sank heavily.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yunseo began explaining one by one what had happened.
Immediately after he left the court.
Someone had already sent assassins to follow him.
On Yunseo’s road to Huainan.
When he stopped at the first relay station to rest for a while, the assassins attacked at once.
But with such numbers, they could not stop Yunseo.
With only a few swings of his blade, Yunseo subdued them all.
However, he deliberately left one of them alive.
The gravely injured assassin eventually begged for his life and opened his mouth.
What came from his mouth was the tale of Jinseok’s corrupt dealings.
Receiving bribes and siphoning off the relief funds.
That was why Yunseo had personally cut off the assassin’s head and brought it back.
But it was not to accuse Jinseok right away.
Yunseo had another purpose.
Namely—
To beat the grass and startle the tiger.
It was to make those trying to kill him grow even more anxious.
Only then would they continue to overreach and reveal their true colors on their own.
“It is too dangerous.”
Yunseol said, frowning.
“You should have returned and informed us of something like this in advance. Then we could have prepared together.”
Yunseo shook his head.
“There is no need.”
His voice was calm.
“This is not a simple power struggle.”
He looked back and forth between Wolhwa and Yunseol.
“The reason they are trying to kill me is ultimately to weaken Your Majesty’s power. So do not misunderstand. Their target has always been me alone.”
He was right.
But Wolhwa’s brow still did not ease.
“Yuk Yunseo.”
She could not continue for a moment, then spoke again.
“We have already shared life and death. And now you are telling me to pretend I know nothing of this and let you go off to die alone?”
Wolhwa’s gaze hardened.
“I may not be a good person… but I am not so cold-blooded as to stand by and watch my comrade go to his death.”
Wolhwa had already made up her mind.
No matter what happened, she would keep Yuk Yunseo alive.
“It is not only Your Majesty.”
Yunseol also immediately stepped to Yunseo’s side.
“Brother Yunseo.”
She spoke without the slightest hesitation.
“You have helped me countless times. Now it is my turn to step forward. Do not worry. I will not let them touch you.”
Yunseo stared blankly at the two of them for a moment.
Then he gave a small laugh.
“Do not worry.”
His voice was still relaxed.
“Even if you do not step forward, I have a way to resolve this matter.”
At those words, the two of them felt somewhat more at ease.
However—
He had cut down assassins sent by a court minister, and on top of that, had brought back the head and provoked them to this extent.
Unease still remained in Wolhwa’s heart.
Could this perhaps…
Become another source of calamity?
As if Yunseo had already noticed that thought as well, he raised the corners of his mouth and said,
“Do not worry. Nothing will happen.”
His eyes flashed.
“Tomorrow, you need only enjoy an entertaining spectacle.”