A sneer spread across the commander's face. "I've heard rumors of your madness," she said, "but you're even more insane than I expected."
She wasted no time in issuing orders to her soldiers. "Seize them all! Kill anyone who resists!"
As the soldiers surged forward, spears and swords raised, Hwan pulled two scrolls from his robes and tossed them towards the commander. The commander caught them instinctively, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Hwan gestured casually, inviting her to read them. The commander unfurled the scrolls, her eyes scanning the lines of elegant script with increasing speed. She looked up sharply, her gaze piercing Hwan.
"What is this trickery?" she demanded. "Who are you?"
"Take those to your King," Hwan replied calmly.
"If these are forgeries," the commander warned, "I'll kill you, no matter who you are."
"I've delivered them to you," Hwan said. "The judgment is yours."
"I'm taking you to the palace," the commander declared. "Your crew will be imprisoned separately. Cooperate if you don't want trouble."
"Gladly," Hwan replied. He turned and gestured to his crew, who had been watching nervously from the deck. The gangplank was lowered, and they disembarked one by one. The soldiers searched them, confiscated their weapons, and bound them with ropes. Yirahng was among them. As a soldier moved to restrain her, noticing her swollen belly, Hwan intervened.
"She's coming with me to the palace," he said sharply.
The commander easily deduced that Yirahng was Hwan's partner and saw no need to provoke him further. "As you wish," she conceded.
She ordered his men to escort Hwan and Yirahng to the palace, then mounted her horse and rode ahead.
Ju was a bustling land, full of life and activity, from the harbor to the depths of the palace where Jongwon Soh resided. But the palace archives remained quiet, rarely visited. On this day, however, Jongwon Chuya, the King's eldest daughter, arrived unannounced. The two archivists, startled by her sudden appearance, rushed to greet her with bows. Chuya ignored their greetings and barked, "Fetch me the letters from the King of Wi! Now!"
The archivists, flustered by her abrupt demand, hurried to retrieve the letters and presented them to her.
"Leave the archives," Chuya ordered. "And don't let anyone in until I say so. And not a word to anyone about me accessing these letters."
Once the archivists had retreated, Chuya brought a candle closer and began examining the letters. Jongwon Soh had been born almost twenty years after the fleets of Soyeol, determined to defend Sunyahng's light, were sunk in Sun River. The letters stored in the Ju palace archives were addressed to the previous rulers of Ju. Chuya skimmed through the unfamiliar names and contents, focusing only on the seals at the end of each letter. She then pulled out the two scrolls Hwan had given her and compared them to the seals on the old letters. Though a thorough examination would take time, a cursory glance confirmed that the seals matched. Chuya rolled up the scrolls, tucked them away, and hurried towards her father's chambers.
King Jongwon Soh was a reclusive monarch. On days when his presence wasn't required, he preferred the solitude of his deepest chambers to the highest seat in the land. Though he welcomed any who sought him, he limited his audiences to no more than three individuals a day, meeting with them one at a time. Even his advisors were summoned individually rather than in a group.
This practice kept his advisors on edge, each meticulously calculating their words to avoid contradicting one another before their audience with the King. Afterward, they would cautiously observe each other, trying to discern if they had received the same message, what to share, and what to conceal. Even when those who had met with the King unanimously reported a warm smile gracing his face, there was no way to know if they had witnessed the same smile.
The varied accounts of those who had met with Jongwon Soh individually merged and melded, creating a complex image of a king who was reclusive yet bold on the battlefield, unselective in granting audiences yet reluctant to meet, welcoming to strangers yet slow to trust. These contradictory accounts, each true to the individual who experienced them, painted a multifaceted portrait of Jongwon Soh. Chuya, too, could conjure a fitting image of her father with each new rumor she heard.
When Chuya arrived with the letters, Soh was, as usual, in his secluded chamber. The shadow cast on the door was doubled. Chuya raised an eyebrow, pointing at the shadow, and the attendant confirmed with a gesture that his queen, Yahng'ha, was with the King. The doors slid open, and Chuya entered. She bowed to her parents, then presented the two letters, recounting the events at the harbor in detail.
In the ensuing silence, punctuated only by the alternating breaths of Yahng'ha and Chuya, Soh unfurled the two letters and examined them closely.
'To Jongwon Soh, the King of Ju, Cheon Seong, the sixty-second descendant of the Founder of Cheon-Wi, the Guardian of the Azure Scripture, conveys the benevolent will of Sahngjon.
We, the Cheon royal family and the Celestial Scions descended from the Twelve, who established the first kingdom under heaven and earth, confess with remorse and regret our past arrogance and complacency, which led us to stray from the true light during our thousand years of prosperity. We acknowledge our folly in allowing Sunyahng to fall into darkness and the world to be swept away by the false promises of reason. Our ancestors, spared by Sahngjon's mercy, sought refuge in the sacred land of Birahng, where they purified their hearts and minds and strived to reclaim the primordial radiance bestowed upon the Celestial Scions. They have upheld this covenant to this day.
Sahngjon, heeding our long-held prayers and remembering the ancient covenant, sent the Crimson Star to this land last Spring. Surely, even across the vast expanse of the sea, in Ju and all the lands under its dominion, you have witnessed her light. Since her arrival, the ancient powers of the Celestial Scions, as foretold in the Azure Scripture, have been reawakened, and we witness miracles every day. Now, we shall rise without fear, ending our long wait, uniting the Guardians of the Azure Scripture and the Crimson Star to reclaim Sunyahng and restore Sahngjon's light.
We have not forgotten the blood and tears shed by those who braved the treacherous waves to defend Sahngjon's light, only to be swept away by the currents of Sun River. Though countless grievances and misunderstandings have accumulated between Sunyahng and Ju, under Sahngjon's covenant, we are but children and siblings. We must forge a new world, free from contempt and discord. Who can stand against the might of the southern sea, stretching from Ju to Dong'gyeong, in this new era?
Sahngjon's crimson star has pierced the darkness of the night sky, heralding the dawn. Let the faithful not miss the rising of the new sun. The Guardian of the Azure Scripture, bearer of the sacred will, calls to you. Emerge from the long darkness, guided by half a century of longing, and embrace his light.'
'To Dae-Sung, Cheon Seong, the sixty-second descendant of the Founder of Cheon-Wi, makes this plea.
We bear the weight of the upheaval that disrupted the world order half a century ago, a consequence of the Cheon-Wi royal family's transgressions. Though we were spared by a stroke of fortune, we have endured a life of penance, concealing our names and existence, unable to face the world. We acknowledge and deeply regret the incompetent and oppressive rule of our late kings and the complicity of the Twelve Houses, who fueled their tyranny instead of rectifying it. We understand that King Yeongshin Hyeon of Dahn had ample justification for his rebellion, even receiving support from Dong'gyeong.
However, what has become of Dahn, who rose with the noble intention of illuminating the world with the pure light of reason? Have they, after benefiting from the generosity of Dae-Sung, whom they considered brothers, grown into a strong and reliable ally? Even after half a century, Dahn remains weak, unable to control even its southern coast, its incompetence constantly disrupting the peace of Dae-Sung's maritime territories. Their focus remains solely on the north, bordering Dae-Sung, neglecting the pacification of the south. Can they truly be called brothers of Dae-Sung? Their fruits are vastly different, despite following the same light. Can the reason pursued by those hypocrites truly be the same reason that guides Dae-Sung?
The Yeongshin royal family, hailing from barren lands, are ill-equipped to rule the turbulent waves of the vast ocean. Though we may be but a faint ember of the fallen Cheon-Wi, a single spark can ignite a great fire when met with the right fuel. Dae-Sung and Cheon-Wi may serve different lights, but can one be called light and the other darkness simply because they shine in different directions? The people of the southern coast remember and long for the days of prosperity under Cheon-Wi's rule, when their nets overflowed. If we, using Birahng as our base, reclaim our ancestral lands, it will serve as a reminder to the ungrateful Yeongshin royal family of the true meaning of reason. It will also bring order to the chaos sown by those who follow Sahngjon's light in Soyeol, ensuring peace in Dae-Sung's maritime territories. Even if we fail to overthrow the Yeongshin monarchy, our strong presence in the south will force them to heed Dae-Sung's words.
We have waited long, prepared diligently, and now the time has come to reclaim Sunyahng. We seek to borrow the strength of Dong'gyeong to pave the path for our advance. We pray and hope that a ray of Dae-Sung's light will reach the shores of Birahng, and together, our two lights will illuminate the heavens as one.'
Soh leaned back, straightening his posture, then returned his gaze to the letters. Even to his eyes, unfamiliar with the nuances of written language, the tone of the two letters, both bearing the crimson seal, was starkly different. So different, in fact, that it bordered on sacrilege. The letter addressed to Sung didn't even dare to address its recipient as "King." Sung, whose influence had even the Celestial Scions bowing and scraping, had kept Dong'gyeong's port closed since Soh had taken control of Ju. This had led to a surge in profits for Birahng's Nahmgyo, and Jongwon had been reaping the rewards, sowing the seeds of his wealth with the blood of men on the sea.
Sung's demands were clear: bring order to Soyeol, using Ju as a base, and ensure the pirates no longer plagued their maritime territories. If Soh could successfully accomplish this, Ju would receive the necessary support from Sung. However, Soh believed the only path to prosperity for the Hundred Isles, free from Sung's contempt, lay on the open sea. He couldn't accept Sung's offer. The promises made to Sung and Ju in the two letters, much like the conflicting interests and promises between Sung and Ju themselves, were irreconcilable. One of them had to be a deception.
"I compared them to the letters we have in the palace archives, just to be sure," Chuya reported. "It's definitely the King of Wi's seal."
Jongwon Soh let out a short laugh. "Using a king's seal without claiming to be a king? They're a ridiculous bunch. But more importantly, what's the meaning of this? A self-proclaimed descendant of the Cheon royal family sends letters to both Sung and us, and then another one shows up and throws this impertinent piece of paper at me?"
"One of them must be a fake," Chuya suggested.
"Or both of them could be real," Soh countered.
He took a sip from his teacup, then gave Chuya his orders. "I'll give you three days. Gather everything you can on this man – rumors, stories, anything you can find. It'll be too much for you alone, so share the task with Chuyahng. Lean on those merchants who travel between Nahmgyo and Ju; they'll lead you to him. And find out more about that star that appeared last spring."
"Yes, Father."
"After that," Soh added, "I want to meet this 'Isleless King' myself."