Nightfall arrived imperceptibly. It was a night where one couldn't see an inch ahead without a torch. However, that didn't apply to those with the blood of wolves like King Jihong; his golden eye was as bright as the sun, able to discern shapes even in the darkness. King Jihong's feet treaded mercilessly through the thick darkness, leaving no trace behind. Even the moon lacked the courage to illuminate him.
"Your Majesty?"
King Jihong asked the guards at the tightly closed gate of the palace gardens with a voice tinged with amusement. The guards silently opened the gate. Perhaps the emperor had ordered them not to speak. King Jihong chuckled softly, guessing the emperor's command and its implications.
The garden was illuminated. Unlike King Jihong, the emperor had lit fires for his ordinary attendants. This tenderness might have been good for his children, but the emperor remained bitterly cold. King Jihong sighed silently as he looked at the softly blooming flowers in the garden.
When nurturing flowers, it was important to water them evenly. Focusing on only one flower would eventually cause the roots to rot. The emperor's love was similar. The emperor's garden always yearned for the emperor's love. They craved to bask in love, even if only for a brilliant moment. They were raised to desire one singular love.
But there was always one who bore the fruit. It was a situation where many had to wither and rot for the sake of one. Just as his mother had done, the emperor also wielded the sword for the sake of one.
King Jihong cast away the remaining lingering feelings into the flower garden. As always, he would only look ahead. The dead had no words. Their cries were heard only in the afterlife.
The emperor was in the hall within the flower garden. As King Jihong entered, the emperor sat in his chair and smiled faintly.
"You've come."
"There are guests today, Your Majesty."
As always, the Grand Marshal, who knew nothing of what went on in the temple, and the priest were present. The chamberlain, the chief eunuch was a mere shadow of the emperor, so his presence was natural. King Jihong knelt and sat before the desk. The emperor, who had been reading the Chunchu -brought from the library, raised his head slightly. He smiled at his loyal and sturdy brother sitting below.
"You know well why I've summoned you."
"Your Majesty, do you truly plan to wield the sword against the princes?"
"The sons are useless."
He closed the book and fell silent. The emperor momentarily lowered his eyes and observed the light and darkness permeating the surroundings. They mingled ambiguously without clear boundaries, illuminating the hall. Kang was like that too. He moved about himself without boundaries, without clear distinctions. Kang transcended the sons. He had seen the inner workings that were not visible behind the veil of filial piety.
"There's no need for the other sons when Kang's child becomes the crown prince. They're unfit to be loyal subjects. If they survive, they'll either kill Kang or Kang's child. If I happen to die first, there's no need to mention it. Perhaps they'll use Kang as an excuse and bury him in the ground. Of course, the same goes for you."
Seeing the emperor, who anticipated a chilly future behind his smiling face, King Jihong swallowed dryly. The emperor was foreseeing events far into the future. Death comes without warning. Especially if the emperor were to go first, the fate of the concubines he had favored was clear. Those favored by the emperor would be buried alive. Those who bore his children might have some leeway, but otherwise, they would go to hell alongside the emperor.
With a calm tone devoid of any trace of worry, the emperor continued speaking, "Kang's child must become the crown prince. To ensure that the child can fully become one, all sons and daughters must be killed."
Turning his face towards the brighter side in the area of ambiguous boundaries, the emperor chuckled. "If killing isn't possible, then it's better to cut off an arm, a leg, or even an eye... as long as at least one limb is cut off, they cannot become the crown prince. If that's not possible, then they must be driven to madness, rendered unable to maintain their sanity."
Kang's child must become the crown prince. If that were to happen, then Kang... King Jihong, who had been thinking of Kang as the mother of the crown prince, stiffened slightly. His heart chilled with dread as if he had heard a forbidden secret.
"Then... will King Yeonghyeon become the empress?"
"If he's the mother of the crown prince, then he should rightfully become the empress."
The emperor replied cheerfully. He chuckled gleefully, like a mischievous child playing a prank.
"I won't leave Kang to be a mere concubine. Kang is meant to be the empress. Perhaps he'll be the only son in history to become both the son and the empress."
"But Kang is a man, how can he...?"
"Didn't someone discover a medicine in the Western Nation?"
The emperor replied nonchalantly, his smile turning into a smirk. It was a smile soaked in excessive happiness. Had the emperor ever smiled so innocently? Although King Jihong had been with him since childhood, he had never seen the emperor smile so happily since he ascended the throne. Overwhelmed by the light and warm emotions tinted in gold, King Jihong lowered his gaze.
The emperor seems so pleased, who could say anything to stop him?
However, King Jihong felt a little sorry for Kang, who was completely unaware. Becoming a consort without any choice, and bearing a child as a man... and even having to become the empress.
"I hope he gets pregnant soon... but we'll have to wait."
"What...?"
"His body is too small to accept my seed."
King Jihong's cheek flushed hotly. However, the emperor muttered with a very serious face and tone.
"Of course, getting pregnant is out of the question... At the wedding ceremony, he’ll have to accept the seed of the Son of Heaven who has become wolf. But with his current body, it’s impossible.”