The King turned to his mother; his voice filled with disbelief. "What does this mean, Mother? Minister Go's words are nothing but the truth, which can only lead to one conclusion..." With a swift motion, King Man-Ju drew his bodyguard's sword and aimed it at her. "You are the one who murdered my father!"
With innocent eyes, the Queen still tried to maintain her innocence "Your Highness, my son, I would never hurt my beloved husband and I would never deprive you of your father" the Queen said trying to reason her way out
But King Man-Ju was not swayed so easily "LIAR! Stop lying to the King or I will have you thrown in prison!"
"Your Highness, please think clearly...What will happen to you once the Queen is exposed as the King's murderer?" Minister Lim calmly asked,
The Minister's question washed over the King like cold water, he slowly calmed down, lowering the sword inch by inch. "NO, Your Highness! You must bring them to justice for killing your father, You must give your father justice to ease his spirit!" Minister Go stated, hoping that the King would come to his senses and trust his words
With Minister Gi hiding in the shadow of Minister Lim, the Queen sought to take advantage of the King's bewilderment. "Please, my son, feel free to turn us in. You're aware that the child of a traitor is branded a traitor and must be punished! You will surely lose your crown to the prince"
The King, quaking with dread, took a step back. "NO! I am not a traitor! My brother... my brother Young-Sik will defend me!"
Minister Lim pressed on, his words sharpened by the lessons of age and experience: those who wield power seldom surrender it willingly. In his eyes, King Man-Ju was no different; if his authority was threatened, he would lash out like a wild animal. "The prince? The one whose father was murdered by your mother?" He paused, watching for the King's reaction. "The same prince whose woman you tried to steal? While he fought to defend your throne?" The instant he saw the fear register on the King's face, Minister Lim knew he had the King where he wanted him, escalating his emotional and mental barrage. "Do you honestly think he will support you? No, Your Highness, he will seek retribution, targeting your mother and you, seizing the throne for himself! He is, after all, the rightful King!"
"My brother?" The King whispered weakly "The rightful King?"
"Yes...he was supposed to be the King because your father chose him over you! Even after I killed and threw the previously crowned prince over the ravine, you were passed over in favor of a moody whelp?" Minister Lim, grinned as he pushed his verbal assault, his voice and tone intensified
"You...you killed Seo-Joon?" Man-Ju angrily pointed the sword at Minister Lim
Queen Eri stepped in, revealing something that further drove the King to the edge "And I was the one who told them where to find the royal family. If you tell them what I did, everyone will think that you are part of it and you will surely lose everything"
Minister Lim pushed with his coercion of the King "Tell me Your Highness where is the justice in that? That prince and his family looked down on you, we were always your staunch supporters,"
"Remember my child, how you worked hard to prove yourself a worthy King, don't let it all go to waste. Or are you too weak to defend what is yours?" The Queen asked, her voice dark and sinister.
With a fierce determination, Man-Ju raised his sword, targeting the Queen with a fierce glare. He unleashed a thunderous shout as he brought the blade crashing down, intent on delivering a deadly blow. The Minister Go gasped in horror as the King's bodyguard fell, lifeless and drenched in blood, after being struck from behind. The Queen's question was the final nail in the coffin of the King's compassion.
Minister Go stared in shock, unable to comprehend the King's shocking transformation into darkness.
"My King, why would you do this? This is not the way your father raised you; we thought you to be better than this!" Minister Go asked in shock, dread was etched in his eyes and on his face
With a sword pointed menacingly at Minister Go's throat, Man-Ju replied, "Sadly, despite all the teachings of kindness and compassion, my mother is right—I was always overlooked. I dedicated my life to being a devoted son and brother, striving to love this nation, but it was never enough for them. Now, I've awakened to the truth: I don't serve this country... it exists to serve me!" Man-Ju proclaimed; his voice filled with newfound conviction. "No longer will I play second fiddle to a brute! From this moment forward, I will claim what is rightfully mine!"
"This is where our paths diverge, my esteemed minister. You can find solace in knowing that your family will join you in death," proclaimed King Man-Ju as he lifted his sword once more.
"Not my family, Your Highness! They know nothing of this... I beg you, show them mercy! They would never oppose you," Minister Go pleaded, straining to catch a glimpse of his wife and son, bound and weeping for their lives. "They will keep this secret, I swear! Just allow them to live, you heartless tyrant!" Minister Go cried out in fury at the King.
"Be happy, you won't live long enough to see your family die" With a sudden, fierce strike, Man-Ju brought his sword down upon the Minister, decapitating him in an instant. The Minister's head fell, eyes frozen in a look of sheer terror, rolling away to leave his wife and son screaming in anguish and fear.
After discarding the sword, the King left, only to be intercepted by Minister Lim. "What about the woman and the boy, your Highness?" he probed, eager to ascertain the King's stance.
Man-Ju, without acknowledging the others present, delivered his decree. "As I stated, Minister Go's family will follow him to the grave." His voice was frigid, and he departed the scene.
In a moment of desperation, Minister Go's wife, constrained yet determined, stood in front of the boy, her body a barrier as she cried out, "No, please don't hurt my son! Have mercy on him!" Her plea echoed with heartache. Minister Lim calmly picked up the sword cast aside by the King and shut the doors with a deliberate motion. Agonizing screams reverberated through the house, soon swallowed by an eerie silence.
"Lord Jang! Lord Jang!" One of the servants shouted
Grandfather Jang, who was tending to his garden at the time, shuffled his way to meet the distressed servant "What is it? Why are you hollering so early in the morning?"
"A rider from the capital has arrived, they are looking for the young master" He explained to Grandfather Jang
"Bring that rider to me...now!" The old man ordered
The servant nodded his head and ran back to the gates, After a few moments, the servant returned with Captain Gi. "Lord Jang" he greeted the old man with a respectful bow "I am Captain Gi Kwan, the prince's right hand"
"Yes, we have met before when you brought that crate. Are you here to retrieve them?" Grandfather Jang asked
Captain Gi shook his head "No my lord, I'm afraid, I'm here to bear terrifying news for the prince" he said
Grandfather Jang was surprised by Captain Gi's reason for arriving "What terrible news do you bring to my grandson?" The old man asked the captain
"The King...the King has executed the Go family and had Minister Shin and Minister Im arrested for treason!" He reported to the old man
The terrible news, caught the old man by surprise, that he almost stumbled. "What? Why would he do that? Why would he execute Minister Go and his family?"
Captain Gi shook his head "The King, accused the three masters of murdering the late King Seo-Jung" he explained to the old man
"What? I thought the King died of heart problems?" Turning to a servant "Go, get your young master...now!" the servant bowed and ran to the main house to fetch the prince. "That Bastard" Grandfather Jang blurted referring to King Man-Ju "I had high hopes for that boy, but it seems he has too much of his mother in him"
A few moments later Young-Sik and Jin-Ri came running out of the main house. The couple saw Captain Gi and Grandfather Jang, talking in the garden "Captain Gi!" The prince called out "They said you bear bad news, has something happened in the capital? How is my brother?" He asked nervously
Grandfather Jang and Captain Gi shared a look before the old man approached the prince "Grandson, your brother had Minister Go executed and has Minister Shin and Minister Im arrested on charges of murdering your father"
"What? But...they said my father died of heart failure" The revelation of the events in the capital in his absence washed over the prince like a tidal wave. The prince could not speak processing what he heard, he could not quite understand what had just happened.
Jin-Ri stepped in and snapped the prince out of his trance "Your Highness? YONG!"
Prince Young-Sik stared at Jin-Ri, his breathing fast and shallow "I need to get back, we need to get back to the capital! My masters did not kill my father, I must save them, my masters are innocent!" he declared
"Your brother is on a rampage, if you go now...you might incur his wrath" Grandfather Jang cautioned the prince
"I still need to go back, grandfather...I must find out what pushed Man-Ju to do this and I need to save him as well" The prince turned to one of the servants "Uncle Ban, our horses please"
Turning to Jin-Ri "Stay here" he urged her to stay so that she would be out of harm's way
"No! I'm coming with you" Jin-Ri defiantly said to the prince "You will need me by your side, more than ever"
Prince Young-Sik smiled at Jin-Ri's dedication to him. Turning to his grandfather, he made a promise to him "Do not worry grandfather...I will return safe and well" he told the old man.
The servants came back with two horses. Young-Sik lifted Jin-Ri to mount the horse and after securing the court maiden, Young-Sik mounts his horse. He looked at his grandfather one more time before whipping the reigns to make their horses gallop back to the capital.
When the Prince arrived in the capital before nightfall, ominous dark clouds loomed over the sky. He rode all day and went straight to Minister Go's house, followed by Jin-Ri and Captain Gi, along with several other soldiers on horseback. He quickly dismounted and ran through the wide-open gates. The wailings of mourning people stopped him in his tracks. Jin-Ri covered her lips with her hands the moment she saw the carnage.
Captain Gi gestured towards the house's wide-open doors, beckoning the prince to follow. The trio dashed inside, with Young-Sik guiding them to Minister Go's clinic, a place where he often found solace. The room was in disarray, and while the lifeless body of a royal guard lay in view, the splatters of blood on the walls told a more horrific tale. "Your Highness," Jin-Ri exclaimed, directing his attention to the gruesome drag marks trailing across the floor.