Meanwhile, in the Sajeongjeon, the palace authorities had been summoned to an emergency assembly. As custom dictated, the ministers and councillors of each faction occupied their appointed places according to rank and importance, all beneath an atmosphere thick with tension.
The silence broke when Councillor Min crossed the heavy doors. He advanced with a firm stride until he came to a halt directly beneath the royal throne. Drawing from within the sleeves of his robe a silk scroll bearing the Queen's official seal, he raised his voice to deliver the proclamation:
"Receive the will of the Crown! In light of His Majesty's prolonged convalescence and, by command of the inner palace, while the King remains under strict rest within his chambers, the Queen has issued a decree. By Her Majesty's order, the Crown Prince shall assume authority over the kingdom until the monarch has recovered."
Min unfurled the scroll, displaying before them all the seal stamped in red ink. Among the rows of ministers, reactions came at once: the allies of the Min clan smiled in silence, while ministers belonging to the opposition began murmuring among themselves in open displeasure.
One of the senior councillors stepped forward, not attempting to conceal his discontent.
"This makes no sense!" the minister exclaimed. "How can the future of the kingdom be placed in the hands of a child who has not even come of age? A boy cannot govern an entire nation!"
Protests rose throughout the hall. Faced with the growing disorder, Min drew his shoulders back and, in a powerful voice that extinguished every shout around him, declared:
"Do you question the laws of our kingdom? Tradition dictates that when the heir is still too young, the Queen shall govern at his side from within the palace. Do you doubt Her Majesty's good heart and wisdom to guide the Prince in matters of state? Or are you suggesting that the palace tutors have failed to properly educate the child destined to lead this nation? Whoever opposes this decree does not merely reject the Queen's authority, but also defies the royal family itself and the laws of Joseon!"
The hall fell into absolute silence once more. With that argument, Min had left his enemies with little room to speak, for anyone who openly challenged him now risked appearing a traitor to the kingdom.
Just as Min believed he had silenced the entire chamber, the old Councillor Yi stepped forward. With a measured yet resolute gesture, he raised before them all the royal command tablet bestowed upon him by the monarch.
"One moment, Councillor Min!" old Yi's voice rang throughout the hall. "The Queen's seal carries sacred authority within this palace, but the tablet I hold in my hands comes from the direct command of His Majesty himself. Before we surrender the throne to an heir still young enough to be at play and declare a regency, I demand that the Royal Council send three ministers and the Chief Royal Physician to the King's chambers so that His Majesty's will may be confirmed from his own living voice."
The ministers of the southern faction and the scholars loyal to old Yi immediately raised their voices in support of the proposal.
"Councillor Yi is right!" one of them shouted. "No decree can stand above the living word of our Sovereign!"
Min clenched his fists in fury. Although he possessed the Queen's scroll, he could not refuse such a verification without implicitly admitting that the King was not, in fact, inside his chambers.
"A formal verification will be conducted before the investiture," Min spat, forced to concede in order to preserve his political composure. "You have three days. If, by then, no objection is issued by the monarch, the regency shall be proclaimed without further delay."
Everyone departed the Sajeongjeon, speaking in astonishment about what had just taken place. Councillor Yi and his son remained behind, waiting until the hall had emptied so that they might be alone with Min.
"What do you suppose the King would think of everything you are doing, Councillor Min?" old Yi asked in a measured voice.
The elderly man began to walk slowly in a circle around Min, studying him with deliberate, calculating calm.
"It is fascinating to contemplate the heavens," old Yi continued. "The Sun rules the day with its own strength, while the Moon reigns over the night. At first glance, they appear to be independent celestial bodies performing the same purpose—illuminating our world… Yet only a few truly understand the nature of the heavens. The Moon possesses no light of its own; it shines only because it reflects the burning light of the Sun that sustains it within the darkness."
Min frowned as the tension in the chamber tightened around him.
"What are you implying, old Councillor Yi?" he spat coldly.
Old Yi stopped directly before him and allowed a subtle smile to form upon his lips.
"I wonder… who owes their brilliance to whom in this conspiracy? Is it your niece, the Queen, who shines because of her uncle's light… or are you the one attempting to rule this kingdom by reflecting the authority of the crown she wears?"
At the word niece, Min's blood turned completely cold. His eyes widened, frozen by the shock—and terror—of realizing that old Councillor Yi knew his most carefully guarded secret, as well as the blood alliance that bound him to the Queen.
But the panic on Min's face lasted no more than an instant before transforming into blind, desperate fury.
With a subtle motion of his hand, the shadows lining the corridors of the Sajeongjeon suddenly came alive. Royal guards loyal to Min's faction and disguised mercenaries slammed the heavy wooden doors shut, sealing every exit. Swords were drawn with a cold metallic echo that rang throughout the hall. In an instant, naked blades surrounded the throats of old Yi and his son.
"The dead do not tell secrets, Councillor," Min whispered, advancing toward him with blind, desperate rage, the vein at his temple throbbing violently. "Even if you know the truth, you will never leave this palace alive to tell it. Tonight, you and your son will die for 'high treason.'"
Far from trembling, old Yi did not so much as blink at the blade pressed against his throat. He looked Min directly in the eyes with merciless coldness and took a single step toward him, forcing the guard to hold his sword steady.
"Go ahead. Give the order to cut off our heads," old Yi said in a whisper laced with venom. "But do not make the mistake of believing this secret dies with me, Min. Signed copies of your clan records, along with irrefutable proof of your false lineage, are already in the hands of the governors of the three southern provinces and the commanders stationed along the frontier."
Old Yi leaned slightly closer to Min's now-pale face.
"If my son or I do not walk through the main gates of this palace within the next ten minutes, the messengers will deliver those documents. By tomorrow at dawn, the entire kingdom will know that a bloodline of usurpers attempted to seize the Dragon Throne… By tomorrow at dawn, all of Joseon will know the true origins of the clan that seeks to take possession of the throne. And then, Councillor Min, I will not be the one who must pass judgment upon you."
Min stood frozen, his arm still raised, ready to give the order of execution. He looked at old Yi, then at the guards, unable either to lower his hand or command the killing blow, trapped within the very snare of blood he had created while the silence inside the hall cut through the air like a blade.