186.only receive and carry out your command.
The king looked Lee In-jung squarely in the eye.
In the lamplight, his brows and cheekbones stood out sharply.
The air of the private hall had sunk heavy and low.
"What do you think, you?"
The king's voice was low, and decisive.
In that single question, countless lives were suspended.
Lee In-jung drew a breath, then bowed his head.
He was the grand commander, yet he was a man who knew the battlefield before he knew a throne.
"Your Majesty, I am a man who knows war and the movement of armies.
I will only receive and carry out your command."
It was a humble answer, but his voice did not waver.
The king narrowed his eyes and asked again.
"I asked for your thought.
If you are not a common soldier who only receives orders, then speak your conviction."
Lee In-jung raised his head.
As if sweeping the surrounding current once with his gaze, he opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty, the essence of this matter is not a mere clash of arms.
The seizure of land and the dismantling of private troops were measures aimed at certain buwŏnbae, but their aftershock has spread.
They have already secured military power and supply lines that can threaten the royal authority.
We can suppress them by force, but the political repercussions will be great.
We must consider, together, the movement of the people's hearts and the fracture among the scholar-officials."
Grand Princess Noguk let out a small breath without lifting her eyes from the documents.
Lee In-jung continued.
"Your Majesty, I have three recommendations.
First, the safety of the capital must be placed above all else.
If collisions like today's at the North Gate repeat, public sentiment will swing violently and fast.
Strengthen the defenses inside the walls, and minimize civilian loss.
Second, a direct thrust toward the Ssangseong Regional Headquarters.
That place is the logistical base of Ki Cheol's faction.
We must seize weapons and grain to cut off any chance of resurgence.
We should preempt their movement routes and supply lines, take the bridges and chokepoints on the main roads, and secure the footholds first.
Third, control and punishment must be clear, but procedure must be observed.
Excessive suppression will provoke other nobles and officials.
We must issue formal writs, and make the reasons plain to the people, so that we win their hearts."
The king listened without speaking.
His hand passed once over the documents.
The words were sound—and Lee In-jung had the strength to carry them out.
"Good.
Make the defense of Kaesŏng the priority, and then march at once on Ssangseong.
You will go, leading the Signal Guard."
It was a voice weighted with command.
Lee In-jung closed his eyes once, then opened them.
"Loyalty.
I receive Your Majesty's order.
I will reorganize the troops immediately and depart.
I will rework provisions and transport, seize key points first, and secure the route.
If remnants of Ki Cheol's faction attempt to flee, I will take prisoners for interrogation.
With that evidence, I will seek Your Majesty's ratification."
The king closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled slowly.
The lamps flickered, laying shadows across his face.
"Good.
I issue the command.
Mobilize all forces, with the Signal Guard as the center.
Drag out the core of Ki Cheol's household without fail.
I entrust you with full authority.
But do not lose the justification.
I will not tolerate needless slaughter."
Grand Princess Noguk asked quietly,
"Your Majesty—if Yuan's external pressure comes?"
The king looked directly at her.
"Then we will bear it.
My land and my people are with me."
His voice was hard.
Lee In-jung bowed deeply and rose.
His armor shifted with a low metallic sound.
"Your Majesty, I will take responsibility and execute it.
The troops will depart within the night."
The king stood and looked out into the dark beyond the window.
Toward the North Gate, the faint light still had not died.
"Go.
The road will be harsh.
But now we cannot turn back."
The air of the private hall grew colder.
For a moment, Grand Princess Noguk's fingertips trembled.
Then she lifted her gaze.
Within her still eyes, calculation passed like a thin shadow.
Lee In-jung stepped out and headed to put the soldiers in order.
Under the lamps, the shadows of the king and the princess crossed for a moment.
The words of power had already begun to move.
Meanwhile, Park Seongjin—who had followed Lee In-jung in, almost without thinking—could not fully grasp the conversation.
It seemed foolish, in its own way, to stand at the center of politics while knowing nothing of it.
Just the fact that the king and the queen sat together was enough to make his breath feel tight.
Words like buwŏnbae, Ssangseong, and the Yuan imperial house poured out one after another.
He still could not see clearly who the enemy was, or what he was meant to fight for.
He lifted his head slightly and stole a glance at Grand Princess Noguk.
That face—bright and lively even amid fire—remained strangely in his mind.
There was a clear, clean, and proud beauty to her.