Ung soothed Seong's frustration, which Seong had barely managed to suppress with a few short words.
"It's natural not to trust someone who betrays repeatedly," Ung said.
Seong shook his head inwardly. It wasn't because of Jang'gyeong Yoon's repeated betrayals or cunning. Seong was angry at Yoon for betraying Hwan, his brother. He couldn't bring himself to speak of the foolish reason, which he himself found pathetic. He had resolved to be able to confront Hwan now, to fight back without hesitation if he ever saw him again, but in a corner of his mind, there was already a picture of Hwan's miserable form abandoned on some unknown island.
He had wronged Ryang. The pitiful face that had begged him to be killed lingered in his mind. Ryang had silently embraced even the secrets of that night that he couldn't bear to tell. It had been five days since he'd sent Ryang to Nahmgyo, clutching at straws because there was nothing more he could do as his lord. Seon had chased away Joon, who had been sent to check on Ryang's progress, and there had been no news since. Has Ryang recovered safely? If he has, has he regained his clear, shining eyes and calm, upright smile as before? In the face of Ryang's uncertain life or death, he couldn't forgive himself for still feeling compassion for Hwan.
Heat spread through his palms again. Seong was frightened and desperately tried to control his emotions. He reassured himself, telling himself to just do what needed to be done.
"Whether or not to accept Jang'gyeong Yoon back is a matter to be considered along with the authenticity of the secret letter," he said to Ung. "I doubt he had other motives or was playing tricks. Didn't he blatantly try to frame Ryang earlier? We shouldn't have shown the secret letter to Norahn in the first place. You could have anticipated this."
"My thinking fell short. I apologize," Ung replied.
"But that doesn't mean the High Emissary was entirely wrong. Why didn't you verify its authenticity first?" Seong asked.
"Because there was no reason to doubt its authenticity," Ung replied, his unwavering answer almost to the point of unpleasantness.
"On what grounds?" Seong pressed.
"There were things in it that Jang'gyeong Yoon couldn't have fabricated."
"From what I saw, there was no..." Seong began, but before he could finish, Ung searched his pockets. A neatly folded piece of paper slipped from inside his collar. It appeared to be one of the secret letters he had initially received from Yoon. Seong didn't know why it had been set aside, but he tensed with an uneasy premonition. Ung slowly held out the paper, and Seong took it with one hand and unfolded it before his eyes.
"...Cheon Seong was about to disband Wicheong, but the High Councilor dissuaded him, and in the meantime, the star appeared, and the matter was dropped. Only the High Councilor and the Lady know, and the others..."
The paper crumpled in Seong's hand.
"Is what is written here true?" Ung asked in a low, suppressed voice.
Seong's chest began to pound. He tried to calm himself, telling himself that it wasn't something to blame himself for, but he couldn't look directly at Ung. He answered with his head turned to one side, "It's true."
"If the star hadn't appeared that night, Wicheong would have been disbanded," Ung observed.
Seong just pressed his lips together tightly. He didn't want to make excuses, nor did he have any reason to. Ung strode forward, snatched the crumpled secret letter from Seong's hand, and burned it at the tip of a flickering candle. The paper shriveled instantly in a single flame, and a small ember briefly fluttered in the air.
"Master," Seong said.
"I warned Jang'gyeong Yoon that he would be killed if he spoke of it," Ung replied.
"We can't hide it forever," Seong countered.
"Some secrets remain hidden forever. This will be one of them," Ung declared.
With each unspoken truth that accumulated, Seong felt his breath tighten. Ung's loyalty only brought despair.
"You think I did wrong, don't you?" Seong asked.
Ung, his brow furrowed, countered with a question. "Don't you think so?"
A bitter smile slowly spread across Seong's face.
"Even if I went back to that time now, I would make the same decision," he said. "If the Guardian Crimson were to disappear like a lie right now, and the star were to become nonexistent, I would make the same decision again."
"Did you really change your mind because of the star?" Ung pressed. "Is there no one else who holds your heart besides her?"
Ung's voice grew louder as he pressed, but Seong didn't waver in his answer.
"It's not the prophecy or her that holds me back," Seong explained. "What I want now is the same as it was then. I want to end this all and be free. I don't care what's at the end of this prophecy or whatever it is. I'm only enduring this because they say that only by seeing the end will everything end."
"A will solely for your sake," Ung observed.
"Everyone needs freedom. This is for everyone's salvation," Seong insisted.
"What they want is not freedom," Ung countered.
Seong jumped to his feet and retorted, his words pouring out in a torrent. "Then what is it? Do they want the revival of Wi? How much do you think the soldiers understand the grand cause, the revenge, the empty talk we spout? The ones slaughtered by Yeongshin Hyeon were our ancestors across the sea, who don't share a single drop of blood with them—ancestors they would never have heard of or seen in this Birahng! Or do they look to the prophecy of the Azure Scripture? Because of that prophecy, the Celestial Scions and the Latecomers alike have lived under oppression for a thousand years. You say Wicheong soldiers don't want freedom? How can they wish for freedom when they don't even know they are shackled?! That's why!"
"Have you ever approached the soldiers and asked them?" Ung's question froze Seong.
"Do not presume to know their desires," he continued sharply. "And do not scorn their desires, however trivial they may seem to you."
With a jolt, Seong sank back into his chair at Ung's rebuke. His head and neck throbbed. He searched his mind, trying to recall the soldiers and Emissaries Divine of Wicheong Palace. Can I remember even one soldier's name? There was that couple who had come seeking blessings for their first child... the memory was already fading. He could only recall the child's name, Siahn, given by Yeong. Then he remembered the couple's names: Seomok and Dahm. That was all. He didn't know their lives, their hopes. How many Wicheong soldiers have become fathers and mothers during his time? He had never paid attention. As Ung had roared, he didn't know them, and as their lord, that was shameful.
"I'm enduring this for them," Seong finally replied.
"Don't just endure; move forward," Ung urged.
Seong lifted his head and asked, "How am I supposed to move forward?"
"I'm not telling you to do something grand right away. Every day, diligently learn to control and use your power. How long will you continue to be so clumsy and flustered? I cannot teach you the way, but the Guardian Crimson will know. The reclamation of Birahng, stalled because of Ryang, must now be undertaken by yourself. You must prepare for it step by step. And..."
Ung hesitated, and Seong looked at him intently. After a few more hesitant breaths, Ung finished his thought.
"Appease the Ministry."
"What do you mean?" Seong asked, his brow furrowed.
Ung knew this was harsh advice for Seong, advice that Seong might not accept, so he continued in a softer voice. "I, too, believe the suspicion that Ryang might have colluded is a delusion. But you cannot ignore the Ministry's words every time. This case, especially, is too serious, and their suspicions have some grounds. Ryang's name appears too many times in the letters. The way it's written, it's as if he was the one giving the orders..."
"It's just a mention," Seong argued. "To that servant, Ryang is the source of information. Just because his name appears many times..."
Ung cut him off. "Do you think the Ministry doesn't know that?"
"If they have such impure motives," Seong retorted. "There's even less reason to listen to them."
Seong remembered the enigmatic face of Cheongro, the Second Emissary Divine, who had hung back and observed the gathering earlier. If Norahn had shared the matter of the secret letters with him, Cheongro would undoubtedly have instigated him. Seong didn't want to get caught up in the schemes of someone like Cheongro, but Ung continued to counsel him.
"I'm not telling you to appease the Ministry for no reason. Who has been preaching to the soldiers, giving blessings, drawing water from Seong'go, and applying it to their wounds? Was it you? For the past four years, you have been in hiding, with no interaction with the soldiers. Admit it, because it's the truth. In this situation, who do you think the soldiers will follow?"
"Are you saying the Ministry will revolt?" Seong asked incredulously.
"Of course not. What meaning would the Ministry have without the Guardian of the Azure Scripture?" Ung reassured him. "But they can certainly harm those under the Guardian. This is just the beginning. The hearts of people are not won overnight. So, to win the hearts of the soldiers, you must firmly embrace the Ministry. There is a significant amount of discontent that has built up within the Ministry since Ryang became the High Councilor. Moreover, with his life and return uncertain, creating friction with the Ministry will benefit neither you nor House Myeonghyeon. To protect Ryang, you must bring this matter to a clear conclusion."
"If, as you say, revealing the truth is the way to protect Ryang, how should I conclude this?" Seong asked.
"First, send someone to Nahmgyo and summon that servant. If Ryang has recovered and is able to travel, you must summon him as well to confirm the truth."
"The mere fact that his servant colluded with Hwan will be a blow to Ryang. If we give in to these unreasonable demands, they will find other issues to use against him. That Second Emissary, Cheongro, is capable of anything," Seong argued.
"That's true," Ung conceded.
"Master," Seong began.
"Ryang also bears some responsibility for antagonizing the Ministry," Ung interrupted.
Seong wanted to argue, but his mind was already swayed by Ung. He had to care for the hearts of the soldiers he had neglected for so long, and to do that, he needed the help of the Ministry. None of this advice sounded wrong. Seong himself had repeatedly warned Ryang not to alienate the Ministry. But his heart bristled at the words that blamed Ryang. He deflected, turning the criticism towards Ung.
"If Ryang were dead right now, it would be wrong to even discuss this matter. I still..." Seong choked back a sob and squeezed his eyes shut.
Ung shook his head. "This is not about Ryang's life or death. Even if Ryang were dead, the truth must be clarified."
"Master!"
"Do you think I care for Ryang any less than you do?" Ung retorted.
Seong was troubled, unable to dismiss Ung's advice. He knew it was what he had to do, but he couldn't shake off the creeping anxiety.
"What if this is all Hwan's scheme?" he asked.