Permission
Soun was kneeling in full prostration before the Supreme General.
With the help of the Celestial Mountain Physician, the General had treated his internal injuries and the poison in his body, and he was now recovering.
The internal damage had been stabilized, and only the work of circulating his own qi to restore himself remained.
The poison within his body had nearly been completely removed.
He could sit up, share meals with the others, and occasionally take short walks with Lee So-gun.
Full recovery would take time, but the crisis that had threatened his life had passed.
The many external wounds could not be undone, yet the poison that had clung to the blade had been treated with medicine, and his damaged internal force was slowly returning through seated meditation and regulated breathing.
From this point forward, time itself would finish the work.
"I have heard that you rendered great service in this matter."
Soun clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
"It was nothing. The battle had already been won."
"No. Striking down Jang Sigi first was the correct decision. Using his temperament against him was well judged. Cutting off the leaders to reduce needless slaughter—well done."
At the praise, Soun bowed again.
His heart felt heavy.
Being commended for killing did not sit lightly with him.
He changed the subject.
"There is something I wish to ask."
"Speak. You have been with the White Dragon Unit and stayed here at the Jin estate, yet we have not spent long together. What is it?"
Beside Jin Muwang stood Lee So-gun, the Celestial Mountain Physician, and Lee So-jin.
Soun glanced briefly at So-jin, then returned his gaze to the General.
"I do not think I can remain like this. I wish to go to the Imperial Capital (皇都)."
At the word Imperial Capital, Jin Muwang's eyes deepened.
He stared into the empty air before him as though facing an adversary from a lifetime past.
He could guess Soun's intent.
Yet whether it could be permitted was another matter entirely.
It was the question of whether a loyal subject might depose an errant ruler.
Confucius had said no.
Mencius had said it could be so.
Interpretations varied, but such a choice could not be made lightly.
Capability and consequence had to be weighed together.
"Do you intend to kill the Emperor?"
"If it becomes necessary. If the Emperor, the head of the Black Sword, and the Chancellor are removed, I believe no more armies will descend upon us. I thought it would be root-and-branch eradication."
Jin Muwang fell silent.
Within his mind, the intricate balance of the court unfolded.
The Emperor, the Chancellor, and the Black Sword stood like the three legs of a bronze tripod.
Remove one, and the whole structure might collapse into chaos.
An attempt to resolve one crisis might birth a greater one.
At times, a predictable disorder is preferable to an unknowable future.
Many choose the flawed present over uncertain upheaval.
Such is the instinct of humankind.
He slowly shook his head.
"To assassinate the Emperor is treason."
"They already call us traitors. A future Emperor may say it was just."
When power changes hands through violence, upheaval follows beyond measure.
Empires of old fell that way.
"The masters of the Black Sword are formidable. Their numbers, their peculiar abilities, their intelligence network—they are a supreme organization. They are not easily opposed."
Soun stepped forward slightly.
"If the leaders are removed, it may become simple."
"The Chancellor is the foundation of governance. Political turmoil would be severe."
"A new structure would form. I do not know what shape it would take, but I believe it would be better than this."
Jin Muwang spoke firmly.
"It would only be another structure. At the end of chaos may come another tyranny. I cannot approve this."
"Even so, I believe it would be better than now."
In his heart, Jin Muwang knew Soun's reasoning was not without truth.
Power is seldom virtuous.
That, too, is an old truth.
He rose and began pacing the chamber.
Hands clasped behind his back, he circled once, then again.
At the window he paused.
Red azaleas burned below in the courtyard.
His gaze shifted to Lee So-jin.
"Was this your doing?"
"He was troubled by the slaughter in battle. I explained the concept of Gwon-do (權道)."
"To speak of expedient means to a child who walks the orthodox path."
He looked between the two youths.
Reproach now would serve no purpose.
He turned back to Soun.
"Tell me. Do you require my permission?"
Soun hesitated.
Even without approval, he had wished to go.
Yet he wanted to go openly, not in secret.
"If you forbid it, it would be right for me to refrain. Yet the desire remains in my heart."
Jin Muwang spoke quietly.
"For one who walks the righteous path, there is no such thing as Gwon-do. It is not the Way. It is contrivance. I would ask instead where your true intention lies."
Lee So-jin bowed her head deeply.
Soun rose.
Though still slight in stature, a vast presence seemed to surround him.
He glanced at Lee So-gun, then faced the General once more.
"I will make it the righteous path, Supreme General."
Silence filled the chamber.
Jin Muwang stepped forward and gripped Soun's shoulders.
He bent slightly to meet the boy's eyes.
"You have reached the realm of Hwagyung (化境). Your sincerity and uprightness brought you here. There was no expediency in that. Had there been, you would not have attained this state. The Way is not trickery. Go. Do as you will, but choose in a manner that does not betray the greater cause."
Heat surged within Soun's chest.
A person draws strength from the acknowledgment of another.
The General's permission steadied his resolve.
Still clad in armor, Soun bowed once more in military salute (軍禮).
"By your honored command (尊命)!"