Chapter 35 Red Winter Part 1

It was late at night, and Sukh carried a bamboo scroll and rushed to the gate of the capital city of Tanzang. He rode his horse to the city gate and stopped in front of the city gate. The guards who guarded the city gate had already pointed their weapon at him.

"Who are you?" the leading guard asked angrily. "What business do you have at this hour of night?"

Sukh looked down at the ten guards, and then at the bright candlelight in the palace that could be seen from the city gate. "I have urgent news," Sukh said. "Open the gate."

Still pointing his spear at Sukh, the lead guard looked at the rest of his crew, then turned back to look at Sukh. "Breaking into the city at night is a capital offense," the lead guard said, still not allowing Sukh to pass.

Sukh reached for his seal from beside his waist and threw it at the guard. The guard looked at the shiny golden seal and couldn't see the seal clearly, so he had to walk to one of the torches, when he saw the word "Under one, above the rest, Heavenly Grand General Bayarmaa" written on the golden seal, his heart almost stopped.

The guard quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Great Grand General Bayarmaa, please forgive my ill eyes." The soldiers quickly knelt on the ground.

Sukh said, "You're doing your job, so there's nothing to forgive."

The guard grabbed the rope and pulled it twice, and the bamboo wind chimes rang in the silent night. He returned the golden seal to Sukh, and the city gate slowly opened.

Sukh looked at the guards and said, "Soldiers, stay alert."

"Yes, Grand General Bayarmaa," the city gate guards responded in unison.

When the city gate slowly closed behind him, Sukh rode into the city.

On the cold night, five palace guards leaned their swords on the stone fire altar, stood beside the small stone fire pit, warming their hands tremblingly.

"It's getting colder and colder," said the first guard. "What good is it for our kingdom to have four seasons? I don't think it's necessary."

"Keep your voice down," the second palace guard looked around. "Do you still want to keep your head? This is His Majesty's wish."

"It's unnatural for this land to snow. We're not even close to the north," the first palace guard frowned. "Last year, I heard that a woman was frozen to death."

"Really?" the third palace guard said.

"Yes, her family woke up and found her frozen to death on her own bed," the first palace guard said. "What's the good of having four seasons if in winter we freeze to death. It's not good for our kingdom at all. You agree?" He looked at the other four who stood with him.

"Agree or disagree, that's not our decision," said the third palace guard, shaking his head. "His majesty ordered that those who do not follow his rules are his enemies."

"Stop talking... the wall has ears and eyes," the fifth palace guard said.

The five guards continued to talk, and the sound of galloping horseshoes came from afar. They quickly grabbed their weapons and stood back to their positions by the palace gate.

When Sukh approached the palace, he saw that the main hall of the palace was brightly lit.

Sukh got down from his horse. He walked to the ten palace guards. He said, "I have urgent news for his majesty."

As soon as Sukh opened his mouth, the palace guards immediately knew that the person speaking in front of them was Sukh. The palace guards are very familiar with Sukh because Sukh is the only courtier who can enter the palace at any time with his weapon and armor.

"Great Grand General Bayarmaa," the guards greeted happily.

"Where is his majesty?" Sukh asked.

"Great Grand General Bayarmaa, we don't know," said one of the palace guards.

Sukh said, "I may know where he is. It seems to be very lively tonight. What's the special occasion?"

"Great Grand General Bayarmaa, I heard that there are foreign ministers from different countries visiting," the palace guard said.

"Great Grand General Bayarmaa, his majesty might still be celebrating with other ministers in the royal grand hall," one of the palace guards said.

As Sukh got closer to the main hall, the sound of music and the laughter of many ministers and senior generals came from the royal grand hall could be heard from a distance. He rode up the steps and headed towards the royal grand hall and rode straight down the steps onto the floor where the dancing girls were still entertaining the ministers.

The once lively banquet with laughter suddenly became as silent as night, and the hissing sound of night crickets outside echoed in the ears of the ministers sitting in the royal grand hall.

Sukh's action was something that no one in the entire Tanzang Kingdom dared to do. The ministers could only stare at Sukh without speaking, because the Tenth King himself did not speak.

Haneul smiled at Sukh and said, "Oh, I didn't know you would come back. I sent you fifty-six imperial decrees for you to return to the capital, but you refused to come. If you want to come back, you should let me know. I will welcome you with a grand parade." He stood up and walked towards Sukh with a smile.

The courtiers in the hall did not dare to object Sukh's action in front of Haneul because they knew that among all the people, Haneul favored Sukh the most.

Sukh displeasingly rolled his eyes at Haneul. Haneul chuckled, and whispered, "Don't roll your eyes at me like this in front of so many people. Give me some face..." He raised his eyebrows at Sukh. "My dear Great Grand General of Tanzang… Since you are here tonight, let's have dinner together."

Sukh stretched out the hand holding the bamboo scroll to Haneul. "Give yourself extra guard and protection," he said. He looked at the many people in the hall. "Sorry for the sudden interruption." He looked at Haneul. "Continue to enjoy yourself. I will take my leave first." He turned his horse's head and rode out of the grand hall.

Haneul giggled as he watched Sukh's back disappear outside the stairwell. He slowly opened the scroll, his face sank. He turned his head to look at his guests, and said, "It's almost midnight, let's call it a day. Take our guests back to their yard."

"Yes," three maids stepped forward and sent the guests out of the grand hall.

Long after the four foreign guests left the hall, Haneul slammed the bamboo scroll heavily on the floor in the center of the room. Pieces of bamboo tightly bound together by silk threads were scattered all over the place.

There was a sudden silence in the hall. Haneul inhales and exhales angrily. He walked to the throne and sat down. He looked at the people in the hall, raised his wine cup, and took a sip of the wine. The taste of the wine did not quench his thirst, nor his anger, and he threw the wine cup across on the gleaming white marble floor.

Ministers Choi stepped forward and said, "Your majesty, although… Great Grand General Bayarmaa is highly respected by his majesty, but Great Grand General Bayarmaa dared to barge into the royal hall and disrespect His majesty in front of everyone. This is an unforgivable crime."

"Yes, that's right," another minister said.

"I have served the court all my life, and I have never met anyone who disrespects his majesty more than Great Grand General Bayarmaa. Not only that, but he also humiliated His majesty in front of everyone, especially in front of our foreign guests," Minister Lee said.

Just when Haneul watched many ministers speak at the same time. The scene just now seems very familiar to him, suddenly he remembered that when he was forced out of the capital, the other kings stood aside and discussed whether to punish him or not. Haneul looked at the minister and asked, "Oh, what do you suggest? What should we do with Great Grand General Bayarmaa?"

"I recommend that Great Grand General Bayarmaa be demoted to a private," Minister Lee said.

"Grand General Bayarmaa, should be punished in front of everyone and set as an example," said a court official who sided with the two ministers.

Haneul asked, "What kind of punishment should he receive?"

"A hundred strokes on the back," Minister Choi said. "Kneel in front of the palace gate for three days, without food or water."

Haneul said, ""So, we should summon Great Grand General Bayarmaa, and give him a hundred back strokes in front of everyone as an example. Then, let him kneel in front of the palace gate for three days without eating or drinking water. Lastly, we should demote him to a private title?" He looked at the people standing in front of him. "Whoever agrees to this punishment, please come forward."

Minister Choi, Minister Lee, and other court officials walked up to Haneul. Haneul looked at the twelve ministers and smirked at them.

Haneul knew at a glance that these ministers didn't like Sukh, and what Haneul hated the most were those who had ill-will towards Sukh. Haneul looked at the twelve ministers and said, "Men, come and take these twelve minions away. Give each of them a hundred strokes on their back. Dragged them to kneel in front of the palace gate without food or water for three days. After the third day, exile them and their family to the farther south beyond our border."

The other ten ministers knelt and begged for mercy. "Forgive us your majesty," the ten ministers pleaded.

Minster Choi said, "Your Majesty, ruling your ministers with bias will cause future troubles. Your Majesty has always favored the Bayarmaa family. Everyone in the court knows it, but they dare not speak up."

Haneul looked at the many ministers standing in the hall. "Do you all agree with Minister Choi?" He asked frantically. "Talk! If you do!"

Knowing that Haneul has treated Sukh unconditionally over the years, no one in the court dared to speak.

Haneul looked at Minister Choi and said, "So, favoritism is the reason you sent your two daughters into the palace?" He stood up and looked at the twelve people. "Now, let me ask you..." His cold eyes swept over the twelve people. "Where were you when I was kicked out of the capital to fend for myself?"

The twelve people did not dare to speak, nor did they dare to look up at Haneul.

"Where were you when I set out to conquer this land?" Haneul roared.

At this time, the maids and servants in the royal grand hall had already knelt on the ground. Everyone in the hall knows that once Haneul gets angry, it is difficult for anyone to calm Haneul down.

"Where were you when I was injured and on the verge of death?" he grabbed onto Minister Chio by the collar. "If none of you can answer these questions, then you don't deserve my favor." He pushes Minister Choi back. "Sukh is not my downfall, but a greedy minister like you is my downfall." As the guards entered the hall, he began to walk towards his throne. Suddenly, Haneul stopped, turned, and looked at the ministers again. "I changed my mind..." He smirked. "Behead them tomorrow by noon and use them as an example for those who try to cause trouble in my court. Let every court official know that we will not tolerate corruption in our court as long as we are still the King of Tanzang."