🌹 A Court of Thorns and Rumors
The Ming diplomats sat across from Crown Prince Seo Ju in the audience chamber, their robes rich with embroidered dragons and cloud patterns. Among them, Cheng Yi remained perfectly composed, his posture faultless, his expression carved from stone. He was young, but already bore the weight of a thousand rumors. The two elder diplomats, seated beside him, shifted uncomfortably. One let out a loud, deliberate groan, ensuring the entire court could hear.
They turned to Cheng Yi with eyes sharp as blades.
"Why did His Majesty insist on bringing him?" the first diplomat snapped in Ming, his tone openly scornful.
"He may bear the title of Minister of Rites now, but he is nothing more than a figurehead. We are the ones entrusted with real diplomacy. Being forced to sit with him is a waste of our time," the second muttered. Cheng Yi did not so much as blink. The insult hung in the air like incense smoke—sharp, lingering, yet unanswered. Across from them, Seo Ju watched in silence, studying the trio with calm interest.
"So even his own countrymen scorn him," he murmured to himself in Joseon tongue. "What purpose does he serve in their mission?" The elder diplomats exchanged a glance, their disdain deepening.
"His father was a traitor. Who's to say the son won't follow the same path? They say he personally executed two ministers," the first diplomat continued. At that, Seo Ju's gaze sharpened like a drawn sword, landing squarely on the speaker. Yet Cheng Yi remained unmoved, as if their words held no power over him. The disgrace clinging to his name seemed to roll off his back like rain off lacquered armor. The chamber doors opened. King Lee Jae entered with quiet dignity and took his seat upon the elevated throne. His voice carried the calm authority of the realm.
"Welcome to Joseon. What business brings the celestial empire to our humble court?"
The first Ming envoy cleared his throat, rose, and offered a more performative than respectful bow. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Your Majesty, word reached the Ming that your court seeks to reopen trade with us. His Majesty the Emperor is curious—for was it not your former king who dared accuse us of abducting the Crown Princess of Joseon?" he declared. A heavy silence fell. King Lee Jae exhaled slowly, the breath of a man already tired of history's burdens.
"Is this how the Ming court intends to answer a hand extended in peace—with threats veiled in diplomacy?" Lee Jae asked, his voice steady, though his gaze did not waver. The diplomats laughed at Lee Jae for his reaction, pleased seeing it, while Cheng Yi remained stoic.
"Your Majesty, I see the topic strikes a nerve... but who could blame you? After all, it was your father who dared to accuse us," the second diplomat stated, then continued laughing with the other diplomat.
"Look, Your Majesty. We just want a fair trial on this accusation. What is true and what is not? Shouldn't the truth come to light before we allow the situation to escalate into war?" the diplomat asked, his words hanging in the air like a challenge.
Lee Jae's stomach churned at the mention of his father, the former king. The accusation—what they believed to be true—was a festering wound he wasn't ready to confront. The whispers of the court, the rumors that had shadowed his father's reign, still lingered. Lee Jae knew the full story, but it was a truth he was unwilling to face, not yet. He had spent years shielding the kingdom—and himself—from the scandal. The lie that had stained Joseon's honor for so long, the one no one dared speak aloud, was his father's legacy. And yet, Lee Jae knew that one day, someone would force him to confront it. He just hadn't thought it would come so soon.
He had hoped to delay it, to grow stronger as a ruler before the truth came to light. He wanted to finish what his father had started—to solidify his legacy before the past was dragged into the open. He longed to settle the accusation, but only on his own terms, when he was ready, not when it was thrust into the heart of his court.
Seo Ju's gaze locked onto Lee Jae, sharp and unforgiving. The ruler before him was no longer the steady, unshaken figure he had once appeared to be. Lee Jae's eyes, once calm and confident, now bore the weight of something darker—contempt, not just for the accusation, but for his own failure to confront it. Seo Ju saw through the facade, his anger flaring. Lee Jae wasn't a ruler anymore—he was a coward, hiding from his past, too afraid to face the truth. Seo Ju's judgment burned in his chest. This was not a strength. This was a weakness.
"As a lesser delegate, your mouth is quite sharp…" Lee Jae spoke through restraint. The diplomats scoffed, feeling offended to be addressed as a lower rank. Cheng Yi slowly turned and bowed to Lee Jae.
"Your Majesty, may you pardon their crude speech. It is a habit not easily shed," Cheng Yi said.
Lee Jae looked at him—not with anger, but with a calm, silent gaze.
"Very well," the king replied. "So long as they speak no further insults, it shall serve the greater peace. And you—who might you be? You have yet to give your name, and by your appearance, you seem young and newly appointed."
Cheng Yi offered a faint smile. He stood and formally bowed to Lee Jae and Seo Ju.
"Lui Cheng Yi, Minister of Rites," he introduced himself with steady grace. Lee Jae adjusted his posture, curiosity rising.
"Minister of Rites? Yet you are seated afar, as though you were but a lesser delegate?"
Cheng Yi's lips curved faintly, as if finding some amusement in the remark. He bowed slightly before speaking with measured respect.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness. These two, my elders, possess wisdom from many years of service. As for myself, I have yet to earn such experience. As an envoy, I come with the same intent as they—to serve in peace and mutual understanding."
Lee Jae's gaze lingered on him, sharp yet silent, sensing that Cheng Yi's position might complicate the matter of the re-trial. Seo Ju, with a subtle smirk, observed Cheng Yi's composed and respectful demeanor. It was almost too formal. Could there be a hint of disdain in his voice?
"So, Minister of Rites, what brings such a distinguished envoy to our humble court?" Seo Ju asked, his tone laced with a mixture of curiosity and mockery. Cheng Yi turned toward Seo Ju, assessing him. A man who had forsaken his duty, now standing before Ming diplomats, playing at diplomacy. Cheng Yi allowed a faint smile to grace his lips.
"Why remain in Ming when matters of the foreign states are at stake, such as war?" Cheng Yi replied, his voice measured yet with an underlying challenge.
Seo Ju chuckled lightly, leaning forward, clearly amused. "War, you say? It seems your Emperor seeks to wage war over a slight caused by my royal grandfather. We had overlooked it, attributing his actions to the ravages of age. What further reparation do you demand from us?"
"Ravages of age? If I recall correctly, the lives of your royal great-grandfather and great-grandmother seem to have met their untimely end on the very day of your royal grandfather's grand wedding," Cheng Yi recollected, his tone steady. The court fell into stunned silence.
"What is this treasonous claim?" one noble murmured.
"Did the former king usurp the throne in such heinous fashion?" another whispered.
Seo Ju was stunned by this revelation. He had never expected these generational tragedies to be exposed in such a manner. King Lee Jae was unable to respond, for he could not prove their words wrong. However, Seo Ju was not about letting them have the upper hand.
"What proof do you possess to make such brazen accusations in this court?" Seo Ju demanded, his voice carrying the weight of authority. Cheng Yi's lips curled into a faint smile, taking in the tense atmosphere.
"The whispers that circulate along the border have been most… enlightening," Cheng Yi replied, his tone smooth. "Rumors speak of the current king's impotence, among other things." He glanced at Lee Jae, turning the conversation toward the king. Lee Jae's eyes narrowed, daring Cheng Yi to continue such scandalous talk in the royal court.
Seo Ju, though harboring disdain for his uncle, struck the table with his cup in anger. "Is that so? Perhaps your father's slaying of two ministers is less scandalous than the troubles of Joseon?" he retorted, his voice sharp and unforgiving.
Cheng Yi's smile remained undisturbed. "That is but old news," he answered coolly. "My father's sins are his own. I am not to be burdened by them."
Seo Ju suddenly burst into laughter.
"I see. You are not burdened by them… I suppose one who has recently lost his mother has little else left to lose," Seo Ju remarked coolly. Cheng Yi's expression soured. The memories clawed back—his mother's final breath, the countless lives ruined by his own greed. Yet, he let out a slow, mocking smirk instead of faltering.
"Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince… what wind carries you here, when you seem to care so little for the state of your realm?" Cheng Yi asked, feigning curiosity. Seo Ju returned the smile with one of his own, as if amused by a riddle.
"Who said I care little? I would argue the opposite. I care far more than you ever cared about your father's blood-stained hands."
"Truly? Then perhaps Your Highness would care to enlighten me—what became of the missing Crown Princess of Joseon? What truth lies buried beneath her tale?" Cheng Yi's voice was calm, but sharp. "Though Your Highness was not yet born in those days, there were whispers… that she was first wedded to another. Yet, the royal grandfather proclaimed her as his own."
Seo Ju's gaze lowered, his nod slow and measured.
"I am in no position to speak of matters long buried," he replied with a faint shrug. "The tale died with those who lived it."
Cheng Yi let out a low chuckle, the sound echoing too boldly in the still air. Lee Jae shifted uneasily. Seo Ju's brow tensed.
"None remain?" Cheng Yi asked again, his tone almost amused. Seo Ju felt a chill run down his spine, like cold breath brushing the nape of his neck.
"None," Seo Ju answered, his voice steady but strained. Cheng Yi tilted his head, his gaze unflinching.
"Then perhaps we ought to view the matter from another angle. Why not summon the Empress Dowager?"
The words fell like stones into still water. Both Lee Jae and Seo Ju stiffened, their hearts sinking at once.
Royal Grandmother…?!