#079. Side Story 03. Glorious Days, Part II
After her, many ministers submitted similar memorials, but he ignored them all.
He had no desire to hear the kind of advice Yi Baek-ryeon had offered—about taking a consort.
No matter how reasonable it was, no matter how politically sound, it didn’t matter to him.
It was the grandest, most unnecessary, and utterly meaningless tantrum of a man who had never once thrown childish fits, even as a child.
However, because he could not act solely according to his personal feelings, he did compromise—he placated the ministers worried about the succession by selecting former royal families from conquered nations and taking several concubines.
Since the succession was urgent, he argued it was better to focus on producing heirs rather than establishing a proper empress, and the ministers accepted this easily.
Of course, even after securing heirs, he spent decades without naming an empress or even an heir apparent. Yet, all things generally went smoothly.
Occasionally, Yi Baek-ryeon would act in ways that went against his wishes, like suggesting he appoint an empress, but overall, she was sincere toward him.
He could trust Yi Baek-ryeon completely and rely on her.
And he repaid her thoroughly. For her sake, he created the position of General of the Opposing Armies, granted her a formal name, and changed her name from Yi Baek-ryeon (李伯連) to Yi Baek-ryeon (李白連).
Inserting color into one’s name was a tradition of the royal family. Now, under the imperial title, it had become a tradition of the imperial house.
To alter the meaning of an otherwise fine name was tantamount to officially recognizing Yi Baek-ryeon as a quasi-royal. She knew this, and prostrating herself, she begged him to revoke it.
Of course, he did not flinch.
Having seen the workings of politics over decades, he knew exactly how the system operated.
Everywhere, if there was a chance to grab someone by the ankle and pull them down, the political world would do so without fail.
Yi Baek-ryeon, being an outsider by origin, was always at risk of intrigue. Protecting her required more than ordinary favor.
So he bestowed upon her a level of favor unprecedented in history.
For her alone, he created new positions, granted names that symbolized the imperial family, and let her review official letters to regional lords, allowing them to be sent directly without his further approval.
Lakes made of hundreds of bolts of silk and liquor, trees laden with all kinds of meats—these could hardly be called favor.
All of it was for Yi Baek-ryeon, yet not for her.
It didn’t matter whether she felt burdened or genuinely happy.
Even if the gifts caused her discomfort, it was irrelevant.
He simply wanted to protect her.
At a time when no one could be trusted, she had once appeared to guard him. This was the only way he could repay her.
Over decades, this continued favor solidified Yi Baek-ryeon’s position.
No one dared attempt to undermine her. Yet still, unease lingered in his heart.
She is fine now, but what about after I die? Will her position remain secure? Will anyone dare even step on her shadow?
Uncertainty continued to grow in Ja-cheong-reung’s mind.
Yi Baek-ryeon was a year younger than him, living a disciplined life, avoiding unhealthy habits.
She never drank enough to become drunk at banquets, didn’t smoke, didn’t indulge in meat, and trained continuously in the battlefield.
She would likely outlive him.
Then what would happen to her position when the emperor who had showered her with blind favor was gone?
So he decided to use the succession controversy that arose after the death of the first crown prince.
“Then you shall choose directly.”
The deceased crown prince had not been chosen for any reason; he simply inherited the position for being Ja-cheong-reung’s eldest son.
No formal investiture, no explanation.
In a hereditary system, the eldest son’s claim is sufficient. No further explanation or selection is necessary.
But if a new crown prince were selected for reasons other than birth—and if Yi Baek-ryeon were the reason—and she also became the guardian of the next emperor…
Then she would remain safe even after Ja-cheong-reung’s death.
Others would see it as selecting someone to protect the next emperor, not as a choice made for Yi Baek-ryeon.
Having mastered the art of concealing his true intentions, he feigned a demeanor and summoned her, asking her to choose the next emperor based on her judgment.
“That is an honor beyond my station. Please, retract your command,” she said.
But Yi Baek-ryeon did not comply.
The constant talk of station, capability, and duty—things she had used for decades to refuse his favors—suddenly irritated him more than he could explain.
“How dare you refuse an imperial command? Does your loyalty end there? You pestered me endlessly about succession, but now that I ask for your opinion, you have none? Were your past memorials merely meant to trouble me?”
“Never, Your Majesty. If my ignorance caused worry, I apologize. I only meant to decline a favor that exceeded my station,” she replied.
“I see. You admit your fault. Very well. From today, Prime Minister Yi Baek-ryeon is removed from office. Reflect deeply on your actions.”
That was what he did. She likely understood, but he never truly intended to expel her.
He was merely… angry.
What did he really want from her?
He had neither killed her husband nor demanded she remarry.
If she wanted to be empress, she could ascend herself; if she wanted an heir, she could bear one herself. He never imposed unreasonable expectations.
He could have commanded it with imperial authority, but he respected her wishes.
Among the countless things he could have demanded of her, he wanted only one thing: her safety.
He wanted her to continue receiving the protection he had provided throughout his reign, even after his death.
Yet had she ever once been obedient or grateful for any of it?
If one wished to avoid scrutiny, they should not flaunt talent.
Even the most selfless must be restrained; if one displays extraordinary talent while living aloof, who will acknowledge it?
Fine. If Yi Baek-ryeon behaves as if she has no survival instinct, he will use his own methods.
Let’s see if she remains aloof even after half her acquaintances are swept away.
So he expelled her.
Meanwhile, he purged ministers, restructured power, and eliminated those who might threaten her when she returned.
Ultimately, he was the emperor, and Yi Baek-ryeon had never once accepted his favor fully. Perhaps that made him a little arrogant.
He assumed everything would end before his death. Yi Baek-ryeon would once again bow to him, and he would have arranged her safety even after his demise.
But the news that returned was an obituary.
“What?”
“An obituary. Yi Baek-ryon’s legitimate daughter, Lee Yoo-hyun, sent a letter. Her mother has grown frail and passed away; they request permission to conduct the funeral,” the messenger said.
In that moment, what surged within him—anger, regret, grief—he could not tell.
But he clearly lost all reason.
He refused Yoo-hyun’s request for the funeral. Instead, he forbade visitors.
No one would be allowed to see her off on her final journey.
He personally went to Yi Baek-ryeon’s residence.
“You have come, Your Majesty,” someone said.
Her body was already in the coffin. The firmly shut lid, as if mocking his refusal, intensified his rage.
“Open the coffin. Show me her face.”
At his firm command, Yoo-hyun prostrated herself, begging.
“Your Majesty, please… retract your command.”
“You defy the emperor’s order for both mother and daughter? Is this disobedience of treason? I shall not repeat myself. Open the coffin.”
“Please… if you trust my mother’s loyalty, spare us this command… I dare not… I cannot…”
The young woman trembled, unwilling to move. The more she pleaded, the more determined he became to open the coffin himself.
“Fine. If you will not rise, I shall do it myself. You will pay the price of forcing the emperor’s hand.”
Leaving Yoo-hyun trembling in place, he opened the coffin himself. Somehow, he felt he could not have a servant do it. Perhaps he simply did not want to.
“Haa…”
And then, he confronted what he had anticipated: the dark mark on her neck, a contrast to her peaceful face.
He had never seen this before, but he immediately understood.
Yi Baek-ryeon had taken her own life.
And the one who had driven her to that state was none other than Ja-cheong-reung himself.
