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King Jinji's jaw clenched. So the rot had already spread to his own camp. He should have known. Gongsun Gong would not have revealed such information unless he was certain the damage was already done. "Send word to the generals," Jinji ordered. "No one is to speak of this. Anyone spreading rumors will be executed for treason."
The guard captain paled but nodded. "At once, my king."
As the man left, Jinji slumped onto his campaign chair, his fingers digging into the armrests. The teacup from his meeting with Gongsun Gong still sat on the table before him, its contents long gone cold. He stared at it as if it might hold answers.
Peace or war?
Submission or annihilation?
Outside, the wind howled through the camp, carrying with it the distant clatter of armor and the low murmur of thousands of voices. The voices of men who might soon be ordered to die for a kingdom that was already crumbling beneath them.
Back in Gimhae, the capital of Gaya, chaos had long since broken loose. Just as Gongsun Gong had claimed, the Chief Minister, Minister Park, a man who had served the royal family for two decades, had openly pledged allegiance to the Hengyuan Dynasty.
Half of the court had followed him, some tempted by promises, others blackmailed with secrets uncovered by the Oriole Agents.
Queen Soseono had done what she could. She had dismissed disloyal advisors where possible, but her hands were tied. Without the authority of the King and with many of the royal guards compromised or loyal to the traitorous ministers, she could not restore order alone.
Streets once bustling with patriotic fervor were now uneasy, guarded by soldiers who looked not to the palace, but to quiet orders whispered in dark corners.
At the royal palace, once a bastion of order, had become a den of whispers and shifting allegiances. Minister Park stood at the center of it all, his aged face unreadable as he reviewed the latest reports from the Oriole Agents.
"It is done," he said to the assembled courtiers. Half were loyal to him now. The other half were either too frightened to resist or had been quietly removed. "The king will return to find his authority diminished. By then, the transition will be inevitable."
Queen Soseono, King Jinji's wife, had been confined to her chambers under the guise of "protection." Her ladies in waiting reported that she spent her days staring out the window, her hands clenched around a dagger hidden in her sleeves.
"The queen will not bend easily," one courtier warned.
Minister Park smiled thinly. "She does not need to bend. She only needs to survive long enough for His Majesty to make the right choice."
The unspoken truth hung heavy in the air, if King Jinji resisted, neither he nor his queen would live to see the new dawn.
The Oriole Agents moved invisibly, poisoning wells of trust, making known allies suspect and turning once loyal subjects uncertain. Pro Hengyuan propaganda crept into temples, schools, and marketplaces. Rumors spread that Emperor Hongyi would bring peace and prosperity. That resisting him was resisting the inevitable.
When Queen Soseono received the King's letter, she wept in private, then composed herself. Her response was just as swift.
"My King, It is true. Chief Minister Park has sworn fealty to the Hengyuan Dynasty. Many of our court have followed him. I am doing what I can, but they act faster than I can contain. The capital is no longer loyal. The palace guard has been replaced. I was confined but done wordy, I'm unharmed. Do what you must.
Please come back safely. — Your Queen"
When this reply reached King Jinji two days later, it was as though his heart broke and hardened at once. The fire in his eyes dimmed, but the lines of his face grew firm.
"So," he whispered, clutching the letter. "It is true."
That night, King Jinji summoned his most loyal generals and ministers to his tent. The gathering was small, barely two dozen men, a fraction of his original council.
"Our nation is being bled from within," King Jinji told them. "While I sit at the border, they dismantle our court. We no longer command the hearts of our people. Our enemies have stolen that from us."
One general named Yeok slammed his fist onto the map table. "Then we must ride on Gimhae and purge the traitors!"
But another shook his head. "Even if we reclaim the capital, we cannot reclaim trust. And if we fail, we die not as heros, but as fools."
King Jinji looked around the tent. "We are trapped. Either I bow, and save what is left... or I fight, and risk seeing Gaya torn apart."
They offered no easy answers. Only silence.
"My king," a General named Bak began, his voice hoarse. "What are your orders?"
Jinji closed his eyes.
What could he do?
Fight? With what army? Half his forces were already compromised. The other half would be slaughtered against Gongsun Gong's legions.
Flee? To where? Every road led to Hengyuan's allies now.
He opened his eyes and looked at his generals, men who had served him loyally, men who would die for him without question.
And in that moment, he made his choice.
"Summon a messenger," he said softly. "Tell Gongsun Gong... I wish to speak with him again."
In the morning, Gongsun Gong received a message sealed with the royal emblem. It bore no elaborate script. Just a single line, written in the King's own hand:
"I request another meeting."
Gongsun Gong smiled grimly.
The King of Gaya had seen the writing on the wall. And the ink had been set by a thousand invisible hands long before this meeting ever began.
The pavilion was quieter this time when they meet.
No tea was served. No pleasantries exchanged.
Gongsun Gong waited, his hands folded behind his back, his expression unreadable.
King Jinji entered alone. He walked slowly, his shoulders bowed under the weight of his decision. When he reached the center of the pavilion, he knelt, not as a king to an equal, but as a subject to his sovereign.
"I submit," he said, the words ash in his mouth. "Gaya... is yours."
Gongsun Gong studied him for a long moment. Then, to Jinji's surprise, the marquis stepped forward and helped him to his feet.
"Your Majesty," Gongsun Gong said quietly, "you have spared your people needless bloodshed. That is not weakness. That is wisdom."
Jinji said nothing. What could he say?
Gongsun Gong continued. "You will retain your title. Your queen will be returned to you unharmed. But from this day forward, Gaya answers to Emperor Hongyi. His laws are your laws. His enemies, your enemies."
King Jinji nodded numbly.
"And your ministers?" Gongsun Gong asked.
King Jinji's hands clenched. "Do with them as you will."
A flicker of respect crossed Gongsun Gong's face. "Minister Park will be dealt with. Loyalty, once broken, cannot be trusted again."
The message was clear, the traitors would not be rewarded. They would be purged.
King Jinji almost smiled. Almost.
With King Jinji's decision sealed by bitter necessity, the dawn that followed was not one of hope, but of burdened finality. Gongsun Gong and King Jinji prepared their respective armies, not as rivals or enemies, but as representatives of a new order, the order of the Hengyuan Dynasty.
The morning mist still clung to the fields as banners of both Gaya and the Hengyuan protectorate forces unfurled beside each other. Gongsun Gong rode at the front, resplendent in his armor with the crest of Marquis Zhenbei proudly displayed, his calm face unreadable.
King Jinji followed in a carriage, dressed in full ceremonial robes. To those watching from afar, it seemed a procession of unity but to the king, it was a funeral march for his nation's sovereignty.
As they approached the gates of Gimhae, the capital city lay quiet but tense. Minister Park stood at the entrance, flanked by guards in pristine armor, their formation ceremonial but uncomfortably rigid.
Behind him, several courtiers who had pledged early loyalty to the Hengyuan Dynasty stood ready to welcome the new era. There were banners of Gaya intermingled with those bearing the insignia of Hengyuan, like vines wrapping around a once proud tree.
The moment King Jinji and Gongsun Gong dismounted, Minister Park stepped forward with a wide, controlled smile.
"Your Majesty," he said, bowing to King Jinji. "Marquis Gongsun, we welcome you both back to the capital. The people await your guidance with open hearts."
Jinji gave a stiff nod, the edges of his mouth twitching at the effort it took to remain composed. His eyes locked with Park's briefly, and there was fire behind them, muted but not extinguished.
Turning to Gongsun Gong, Park offered a deferential bow. "Marquis, a feast has been prepared in your honor. It is a celebration of unity, prosperity, and the dawn of a new alliance."
Gongsun Gong responded with a cool nod. "Very well. Lead the way."
The procession advanced, Gongsun Gong flanked by his elite guards, stoic men with sharp eyes trained to detect treachery. King Jinji's carriage followed behind, his expression solemn as citizens peeked from windows and rooftops to witness the arrival of the man who now represented their fate.
Inside the palace, the grand banquet hall had been adorned with lavish silks, floral arrangements, and intricate calligraphy scrolls praising unity between Gaya and Hengyuan.
Tables overflowed with delicacies, and musicians strummed gentle tunes while dancers in colorful robes performed in choreographed serenity.
As the banquet commenced, Minister Park and his allies toasted incessantly to Gongsun Gong, offering words drenched in flattery.
Minister Park, emboldened by his perceived victory, leaned in with a greasy smile. "Marquis, I must say, your reputation does not do you justice. To broker peace without a single battle? Truly masterful!"
Gongsun Gong sipped his wine, his expression unreadable. "Peace was inevitable. The Emperor's will is absolute."
"Of course, of course!" Minister Park chuckled, nudging a younger courtier beside him. "And we are *so* grateful to be part of this new era."
"Truly, it is fate that our humble nation may now bask in the light of Hengyuan's guidance."
"Your leadership will surely usher in an era of boundless prosperity."
Gongsun Gong responded with measured indifference. "Let us hope prosperity follows wisdom."
Despite the lukewarm responses, the sycophantic ministers laughed nervously, undeterred. They mistook his restraint for contemplation, never realizing the blade had already been drawn. King Jinji, seated beside Gongsun Gong, watched in visible disgust. His wine remained untouched. Every toast made his stomach churn. Yet he said nothing. Not yet.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 34 (201 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0