Ch.155Gigantic Crown (6)

Yi Uibang, Jeong Jung-bu, Yi Go, and Belgutei stood before the King of Goryeo.

The king, sensing their ominous atmosphere, looked around and tried to appease Yi Uibang.

“You’re wearing armor and weapons at this late hour. Something must have happened.”

“…”

“Still, I’m relieved. You’ve come here as if reading my mind. We’ve received a request for support from the Jin Dynasty, so let’s return to the palace and plan an attack on their rear.”

Yi Uibang remained unmoved by the king’s words.

He didn’t even bother to respond.

Kim Bu-sik, the Honorary Grand Minister standing beside the king, pointed at Yi Uibang and rebuked him.

“His Majesty is speaking to you! Why don’t you answer?”

Kim Don-jung, Kim Bu-sik’s son, also hurled harsh criticism at Yi Uibang.

Yi Uibang listened impassively, then turned to look at Jeong Jung-bu.

“I leave that one to you.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Jeong Jung-bu smiled as he glared at Kim Don-jung.

This was the perfect opportunity to avenge his beard that Kim had burned.

As Jeong Jung-bu stepped forward, Kim Bu-sik sensed something was wrong.

Feeling this, Kim Don-jung also stepped back.

Jeong Jung-bu drew his sword and sneered.

“You fools. You’re parasites eating away at this country.”

“You scoundrel! Do you know where you are?”

“H-how dare you draw your sword before His Majesty! P-put it down immediately!”

Jeong Jung-bu merely smiled and stood his ground.

With the atmosphere turning dangerous, the king had no choice but to intervene.

“Calm down. What do you think you’re doing in my presence?”

Yi Go then drew his sword.

Pointing it at the king, he murmured quietly.

“Your Majesty would be wise to remain still. Otherwise, your head might roll before theirs.”

The king’s eyes widened at Yi Go’s words.

Because this was clearly treason by anyone’s standards.

While the king was in shock, glaring at Yi Go, Belgutei, Yi Uibang’s son-in-law, was dragging in Han-roe, who had just insulted his father-in-law.

“Aaaaargh!”

He was being dragged by his hair like an animal.

He tried to resist, but Belgutei was too strong.

Brought before Yi Uibang, Han-roe, now sobered up, began to beg.

“P-please spare me! Spare me, Your Excellency! I-I must have lost my mind! Please spare my life!”

Yi Uibang lowered himself.

He looked at Han-roe as if staring at filthy sewage.

“So the vermin can speak.”

“Spare me! Please spare me…!”

Instead of answering, Yi Uibang smiled and gestured to his son-in-law.

His son-in-law took out a small dagger and cut off Han-roe’s ear right in front of the king.

“Aaaaargh!”

Han-roe wailed as one of his ears was severed.

But Belgutei looked at him as if he were a talking pig and continued to torment him.

Ears, nose, fingers, toes, and more.

Parts of Han-roe’s body that would cause tremendous pain but wouldn’t kill him were severed one by one.

Each time, Han-roe cried out, begging to live.

But Belgutei didn’t even flinch.

The king trembled as he witnessed this sequence of events.

Because Yi Uibang was silently staring at him.

At that moment, sounds came from the distance.

Amid the commotion appeared none other than Kim Bo-dang, the Deputy Minister, and Woo Bang-jae, the Right Minister of the Board of Rites.

The two appeared leading soldiers as if to rescue the king.

The king breathed a sigh of relief, and Kim Bu-sik and Kim Don-jung, who had been terrified until just now, denounced Yi Uibang.

“The Right Minister and Deputy Minister have brought soldiers, so you traitors are as good as dead!”

“How dare you commit such atrocities before His Majesty! You two will suffer terrible punishment!”

Kim Bu-sik and his son said this while looking at Yi Uibang.

But Yi Uibang only smiled.

The king sensed something was wrong.

Unlike the king, the Kim father and son called out to Woo Bang-jae and Kim Bo-dang, telling them to kill the traitors immediately.

“Deputy Minister! Right Minister! You’ve arrived at such a crucial moment!”

“Thank you for appearing when we were in danger! Have your soldiers immediately…”

At that moment, Kim Bo-dang drew his sword.

And shouted in a loud voice.

“Here are Kim Bu-sik and Kim Don-jung, parasites of our nation!”

“Kill them immediately!”

The civil officials who had suffered under the tyranny of the Kim family rushed forward with swords.

The Dragon Guard soldiers followed behind them.

“Aaaaargh!”

“W-why! Why are you attacking us?”

They tried to resist, but it was futile.

The Kim father and son were captured by the military officials.

The king, having witnessed all this, was speechless.

Yi Uibang approached the king and spoke quietly.

“It’s time for you to step down from the throne, Your Majesty.”

* * *

A coup d’état occurred in Goryeo.

Led by Yi Uibang, the Commander of the Dragon Guard, along with Jeong Jung-bu and Yi Go, they seized control of the military.

Simultaneously, Kim Bo-dang and Woo Bang-jae, who participated in the coup, allied with young military officials who had been suppressed under Kim Bu-sik’s power.

Thanks to this, Goryeo’s internal affairs stabilized quickly, just a week after the coup.

“I thank you for your cooperation, Deputy Minister and Right Minister.”

Kim Bo-dang and Woo Bang-jae bowed in gratitude to Yi Uibang’s words.

Then they addressed Yi Uibang.

“The quick stabilization of the political situation is entirely thanks to the Commander. Additionally, without the military’s cooperation, the entire country would have fallen into chaos.”

Yi Uibang nodded at this.

If Yi Uibang had led the coup with only the military, the entire country might have fallen into chaos.

Furthermore, civil officials would have certainly criticized the military officials for arbitrarily detaining the king.

Military officials didn’t possess the eloquence of civil officials to respond to such criticism smoothly.

They would have simply used force to suppress those who voiced opposition.

Eventually, civil officials would have united to survive, and Goryeo would have suffered significant damage.

Therefore, Yi Uibang was relieved that the coup wasn’t carried out solely by the military.

“Not at all. If the Deputy Minister and Right Minister hadn’t pacified the civil officials, the military would have gone on a rampage, causing massacres both inside and outside the country.”

“I’m glad that such a situation didn’t occur.”

The situation didn’t deteriorate to the worst-case scenario.

Truly fortunate indeed.

“However, since His Majesty has been confined, we need someone new to lead the country.”

Kim Bo-dang looked at Yi Uibang with a suggestive expression.

Yi Uibang shook his head.

“I am not fit to lead the country. And if I were to become king, this coup would be seen as driven by self-interest.”

Yi Uibang was wary of this aspect.

It was absurd for him, a mere military official without legitimacy, to aspire to the throne.

Therefore, he was content being the highest leader of the military.

“Then I hope the Commander will become a first-rank military official and protect this country.”

Yi Uibang was greatly surprised by this.

Since Goryeo was fundamentally a country that favored civil officials, the highest rank for a military leader was the third-rank General.

But Kim Bo-dang was offering Yi Uibang a position equivalent to the first-rank Chancellor.

“As far as I know, there’s no first-rank military position. Why are you offering me such a position?”

“From now on, Goryeo should be a country without discrimination between civil and military officials. To achieve this, military officials also need a rank equivalent to the Chancellor.”

“…”

Yi Uibang understood what Kim Bo-dang was suggesting.

It was a proposal to establish a puppet king while actual governance would be led by a coalition government formed by civil and military officials.

Whether this coalition government would last long was uncertain, but in the current situation, there was no better strategy.

“Will you become the Samguk Daejanggun and lead the military?”

The highest authority in Goryeo’s military was the General.

Creating a position higher than the General, they came up with the new title of Samguk Daejanggun, meaning the Great General of the Three Kingdoms, referring to the three kingdoms unified by Goryeo: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla.

Of course, this required the approval of the new king who would be enthroned in place of the confined king.

But with power already transferred to Kim Bo-dang and Yi Uibang, the creation of this rank was a foregone conclusion.

Yi Uibang fell into contemplation at Kim Bo-dang’s words.

Then he shook his head.

“This position is too much for me. I think it’s more appropriate for the Guard General to become the Samguk Daejanggun.”

Guard General Yi So-eung was the most respected and revered elderly veteran among the military officials.

Although Yi Uibang led the coup, it wasn’t right for him to take the representative position of the military.

So Yi Uibang recommended the elderly Yi So-eung.

“I understand your thoughts, Commander.”

Kim Bo-dang nodded with a smile.

This was because Yi So-eung was quite old.

It would be difficult for someone of Yi So-eung’s age to directly lead the military.

Therefore, Yi Uibang indicated his intention to become the nominal second-in-command but actual leader of the military in place of Yi So-eung.

Similarly, Kim Bo-dang yielded the Chancellor position to Right Minister Woo Bang-jae.

Woo Bang-jae was not only older than Kim Bo-dang but also a figure revered by young civil officials.

Thus, a coalition government led by Chancellor Woo Bang-jae and Samguk Daejanggun Yi So-eung was born.

With the formation of the coalition government, a significant change swept through the Goryeo court.

Kim Bu-sik’s faction was expelled, and officials friendly to the coalition government took their places.

Naturally, support for the king’s confinement grew stronger.

As a result, the king, who had indulged in luxury and pleasure, was demoted to the Duke of Anguk and confined to Geoje Island for the crime of disrupting state affairs.

The Crown Prince Hyoryeong was newly enthroned as king.

Becoming a puppet king, Crown Prince Hyoryeong had no choice but to follow the officials’ words to avoid being confined like his father.