Min strode toward his private chambers, rage scorching through his chest. The image of the elderly Councillor Yi defying him before the entire royal assembly, along with the public humiliation he had suffered in front of the ministers, followed him like a shadow. His inability to determine the monarch's true whereabouts fed a ravenous anxiety within him, one that threatened to drive him beyond the limits of reason.
The moment he crossed the threshold of his residence, he ordered his chief eunuch to summon an urgent clandestine meeting with the Janggun and every high-ranking scholar who supported his cause. He needed to regroup his faction before the rumors spreading through the court became impossible to contain.
Yet, unable to wait, he committed an act without precedent in the protocols of the royal court: he made his way directly toward the inner palace and entered the Queen's chambers without prior notice or a formal request for an audience.
At that moment, the Queen was calmly taking her midday meal in the company of her young son, the Crown Prince. When the Sanggung hurriedly announced Councillor Min's arrival, the sovereign could not entirely conceal the flicker of bewilderment that crossed her eyes at such a flagrant breach of etiquette.
Min entered the chamber and offered a bow that was respectful in form, though strained in execution. Frightened by the oppressive energy surrounding the man, the child pressed himself against his mother's side in search of protection.
"Your Majesty… forgive my intrusion without having first requested an audience, but we must speak of urgent matters concerning the fate of the kingdom," Min declared, his voice unsettled and his breathing still uneven.
The Queen observed him in silence for a brief moment, measuring the desperation written across her uncle's face.
"For you to dare present yourself in such a manner within the royal chambers," she replied with flawless coldness, "I can only assume the news is not favorable."
"I fear it is not, Your Majesty," Min answered, clenching his fists inside the folds of his sleeves.
Maintaining absolute control over the situation, the Queen turned toward one of her ladies-in-waiting and ordered her to escort the young prince back to the palace assigned to him. She then instructed her chief Sanggung to clear the chamber entirely and guard the outer door, forbidding anyone from entering under threat of severe punishment.
Before the child was taken away, the Queen placed a warm hand upon his shoulder and gave him a look filled with silent determination.
"We shall see each other again soon, my child. Do not neglect your meals, and be an obedient prince for your tutors."
The young heir bowed in silence, lowered his head, and left the chambers escorted by the ladies. The moment the heavy wooden door closed behind them, silence claimed the room, leaving the two conspirators alone.
"What has caused such agitation that you would cast aside protocol, Uncle?" the Queen asked serenely, breaking the tension that had settled over the chamber.
"We must proceed with the next phase without further delay," Min declared, stepping forward with a firm tone. "The Janggun has deployed the entire Royal Guard in constant patrols and covert searches to trace the sovereign's whereabouts. This very night, I have summoned a secret military council to coordinate the infiltration of mercenary troops through the outer gates of the capital and, at the same time, formalize the decree announcing the monarch's death."
The Queen listened in absolute silence, taking slow, measured sips of her tea as she considered every tactical movement laid out by the councillor. After swallowing the final drop, she placed the cup upon the wooden table with icy delicacy.
"No matter how violently the winds may rise or how many leaves may fall from the trees," she said in a slow, penetrating voice, "the hour has not yet come for the trunk to break. If the principal structure remains firm… why should a mere disturbance drive the strategist into panic?"
Min frowned, struggling to restrain his impatience in the face of his niece's composure.
"Your Majesty… what, then, do you propose we do?"
"Cancel the armed incursion planned for tonight. At dawn tomorrow, summon an extraordinary assembly in the Sajeongjeon and demand the mandatory attendance of every faction, including the Daesagan and his father," the Queen ordered, holding his gaze with impeccable coldness. "During the session, I shall send a formal edict from the inner palace bearing the royal seal. It will stipulate that, owing to His Majesty's convalescence, the Crown Prince shall immediately assume the regency of the throne under the guardianship of the Crown."
Min slowly lowered his head. When he raised it again, the anxiety had disappeared from his face. Only one certainty remained in his eyes: the kingdom had already begun to change hands.
Min remained silent for a moment. The move did not require premature bloodshed in the streets, but rather a legal and institutional seizure of power that would compel the other factions to bow before a decree clothed in the authority of the Crown.
"And if Councillor Yi openly opposes it?" he asked at last. "That royal plaque has restored an influence many of us believed had been buried with his retirement. Today, he managed to sow doubt among the ministers without presenting a single direct accusation."
The Queen shifted her gaze toward the seat her son had occupied only moments earlier. Upon the table, a small bowl of rice remained untouched, abandoned when the child had been hurriedly removed.
"Then we shall allow him to speak."
Min lifted his face, confused.
"Allow him?"
"Prudent men are difficult to condemn while they remain silent," she explained. "But even the most respected man may be transformed into a traitor when forced to choose publicly between obeying the Crown and defying it. Tomorrow, Councillor Yi must bow before the decree… or reveal before the entire court that he no longer recognizes the authority of the royal seal."
The unease gradually disappeared from Min's face.
"And if he refuses, we shall have legitimate grounds to arrest him."
"Not only him," the Queen corrected. "His son holds the office of Daesagan. If he challenges an order issued from the inner palace, his protest may be interpreted as incitement against the stability of the kingdom."
Min released a slow breath. For the first time since leaving the Sajeongjeon, the humiliation he had endured before the ministers began to transform into a cruel anticipation.
"I shall order the Janggun to discreetly reinforce the palace gates and place men we trust among the guards stationed inside the hall."
"Do so," the sovereign authorized, "but your mercenaries will remain outside the capital. I have no need yet for foreign blades to soil a victory that may be won with ink, silk, and a seal."
Min lowered his head, accepting the correction.
"Your will shall be obeyed, Your Majesty."
As he prepared to withdraw, the Queen's voice stopped him once more.
"One more matter, Uncle."
Min turned slowly.
"From this moment onward, no member of the Yi family is to leave the capital. Watch their residences, their horses, and every messenger who passes through their gates. Do not arrest them yet. Allow them to believe they remain free."
A faint smile appeared upon the councillor's lips.
"Sometimes a cage proves most effective when the prisoner does not yet realize he is confined."
The Queen offered no reply. She merely reached once more for the teapot and filled her cup, as though she had just given an order concerning some insignificant household matter.
Min offered one final bow and left the chambers. His footsteps no longer carried the desperation of a defeated man, but the determination of one who believed he had regained control of the board.
When the doors closed behind him, the Queen remained motionless for several moments.
"Sanggung," she called at last.
The chief court lady entered and bowed before her.
"Prepare the royal seal and secretly summon the most trusted scribe of the inner palace. The decree must be completed before the first bell of dawn."
The Queen directed her gaze toward the bowl her son had abandoned.
Tomorrow, the assembly—and all of Joseon—would be compelled to recognize the prince as its new sovereign.