People present to watch the exhibition all gasped at the prince's bold claim "Did he say twenty?" asked one of them "How arrogant" said another "Teach that brat a lesson" said one of the left-wing ministers to Do-Yun
"Teach him a lesson? I intend to castrate that boy!" He gestured to his bodyguard to call in his private security and fight the prince.
The prince plays and twirls his sword around while waiting for his opponents. Twenty swordsmen came rushing and positioning themselves around the prince. While the prince's opponents unsheathed their swords, Young-Sik masterfully, sheathed his
Minister Gi can't help but taunt the prince. He leaned towards Minister Lim. "Is the prince surrendering? Maybe he remembered that no one can fight twenty skilled opponents alone and win. If he asks your forgiveness now, my Lord, he won't be harmed," he said to Minister Lim while laughing.
The prince assessed his opponents, and took a modified horse stance, with his right leg slightly extended backward. His left hand which carried the sheathed sword, was positioned in line with his hips, and his right hand rested just above the hilt, ready for a quick draw attack.
"Your Highness?" The Queen called for the King's attention "Are we not going to start the exhibition?"
"My Queen, the odds are too unfair for the prince, twenty?" The King said as he was about to cancel the match when the Queen stopped him
"My King, you can't stop the exhibition, it was the prince that called for this, He will lose his honor and integrity" The Queen reminded the king, but deep inside like Minister Lim, she was infuriated with Young-Sik, she was wishing ill of the youngest prince. She wanted him to get hurt or even worse.
The prince glanced at his father and gave a respectful nod and a smile. Their King though a great distance from his son, saw the look on his face and it looked like the prince was saying "It's okay father, I can handle them". The prince looked back at the opponents up front. The King raised his hand and the moment he put his hand down he shouted "Begin"
The prince dashed at the three men in front, the prince transitioned his quick draw into a right horizontal strike. He slashes the three men's abdomens, downing three enemies instantly. The prince pivoted to his right, charging at the next two opponents. When he reached the first, he struck diagonally upward from the right and continuously slashed downward from the left at the second man. The crowd held their breath at the prince's lightning speed. "Five foes in ten seconds" they all cheered. Do-Yun and the other left-wing ministers, could not believe their eyes, they were watching the prince move as if like a blur and decimating his opponents easily and hastily.
To avoid losing momentum, the prince pivots to his right and charges directly at the five men attacking him. The prince ducked to avoid the forward thrust of the nearest opponent, as he stood back up, he struck upward at the same enemy. He then proceeds to perform an overhead strike at the next opponent. The prince then inverted his sword, and with its pommel, jabbed at the third opponent's chin, knocking him out cold. From a roundhouse kick that knocked the fourth opponent, Young-Sik proceeded to punch the fifth in his chest, the man heaved a little before falling and passing out. From twenty, only ten remain standing.
Young-Sik glanced at Minister Do-Yun, obviously mocking him. He rushed the remaining ten head-on. He attacked the first with a horizontal left slash to the chest, The second one he attacked with another diagonal strike from the right. To avoid the third man's attack, Young-Sik swept the man with his right leg and as the man was falling, he proceeded to strike him with an axe kick directly at his face.
Like a flash of light, Youn-Sik attacked the last seven and attacked them in rapid succession. With his sword in his right hand, the prince slashes the nearest with a horizontal strike from the right, capitalizing on the momentum of the attack, the prince pivots to his left and unleashes a savage left backhand punch on the next opponent' face.
The prince pivoted to his left again and dashed at the next three opponents. He struck them with a right horizontal slash and another slash strike from the left. For the last two of his opponents, he again dashed to the nineteenth and struck him beneath the chin with a powerful uppercut, for the twentieth he charged straight. The man fell backward as he tripped and before he could stand up again, he was stopped by the tip of Prince Young-Sik's sword pointed right between the man's eyes.
"The prince…he killed all of them" One spectator gasped
Another then pointed out "No…there is no blood, not even on his blade"
"Look!" A third spectator shouted "He used the dull side of his sword"
The prince returned his sword to its sheath, and everyone present cheered. Amongst the crowd, two hooded figures watched. "I don't want to be on his bad side" Yeng commented
Jin-Ri raised her hood a bit and smiled "I don't know… he looks kinda cute"
"The cute ones are always the psychotic weirdos, waiting in the dark to cut you. Common let's go, we need to set things up" Yeng said, she then walked away
Jin-Ri stopped for a moment and took one more look at the prince "Be seeing you in the palace…my Prince" She pulled her hood down and followed Yeng to another part of the palace grounds.
While the King cheered on, The Queen and Minister Lim, gritted their teeth, their hearts seething with anger. The crowned prince struggled with conflicting feelings of admiration and jealousy towards his brother, who had recently captured and basked in the unwavering adoration of the public.
Yeng brought Jin-Ri to the servant's building, and the two waited for one of the workers to approach them. The two are greeted by a Mt Yangge villager who works at the Bureau of Registries. He pulled out something from his sleeves and gave it to Jin-Ri. "This is your identification plaque, it will verify your identity, keep it with you at all times," the man informed Jin-Ri, before leaving.
"Is this where I will start?" Jin-Rin asked
"Yes, but not today, tomorrow is when the new batch of court ladies enter the palace, you will report with them," Yeng said, the two then exited the palace quietly.
In the royal courtyard, the two Princes, kneel in front of the great stairs. The King descended the stairs, swelling with pride for his two sons. "Rise, my sons," The King said. The princes stood up and faced the spectators. The King addressed all that were present. "People of Chiongsun, I give you the crowned Prince Man-Ju and Prince Young-Sik."
The crowd roared in delight at what they heard. Young-Sik and Man-Ju raised their hands in glee, Man-Ju approached Young-Sik and the two shared a brother's embrace. The crowd's adulations for the two princes grew louder, even the King couldn't hide his smile at the love his sons share.
Later that day, at the Queen's residence, After the celebrations came to an end, the Queen erupted in fury and threw a fit, exclaiming "GAAAAH!"
"Calm yourself self Your Majesty" Minister Do-Yun, told the Queen "We don't want anyone to hear you are furious at Prince Young-Sik's successful demonstration"
The Queen turned to the Minister, she couldn't believe how collected the minister was, despite the turn of events "Why would I not be furious? That little brat deliberately showed us off!"
"The Queen is right, why wouldn't we be angry? Instead of humiliating the prince so he would lose face to the King and the people…we helped him gain more favor!" Minister Gi, said expressing his sentiments that their plan backfired.
"You are right Minister Lim; we should calm ourselves so we can think of a better way to discredit the prince." The Queen said, immediately agreeing with Minister Lim when she heard that the man she least respects have the same way of thinking she does.
Minister Gi was about to point out the Queen's sudden change in attitude, but Minister Lim started to speak "Are we entirely sure, that your son is someone you can influence?" he asked the Queen
"I am entirely confident, that he will listen to me" The Queen confidently answered, laying Minister Lim's doubts to rest.
"We can't wait anymore; we have to put the crowned prince into power as soon as possible" Minister Gi
"I appreciate the initiative Lord Gi, and I agree, it might take years for the King to transfer his throne to the prince if we act now we can be in power in a matter of days" Minister Lim, said, explaining why the timetable of their plans must be put into action as soon as possible.
The Queen is doubtful of the plan knowing, they will put their entire plan on her shoulders. Feigning ignorance she asked, "How are we going to put the prince on the throne?"
"You know how…" was the simple answer given by Minister Lim
"NO! I can't…I'll be beheaded, my son…my son will be dethroned and executed as a traitor" she said with her voice trembling in fear. The Queen knows the fate that awaits traitors and their families and that is a fate she refuses to have.
"You fear the monarchy's retribution?" Minister Gi asked, with a voice that openly mocks the Queen and he did so with a grin.
Minister Lim, with a menacing expression, addressed the Queen "Do not fear something, that will not come to pass, instead fear me! If you do not do as I say, You and your son will have a fate worse than that of a traitor!"
Though the Queen, Eri leaned back, she showed fear from what she heard. Her body trembled, and her mind was consumed by which choice to do. She knew whatever decision she made, she and her son may end up dead. She made the only logical choice that she could at that moment "Yes my Lord"
Minister Lim pulled something from his sleeves, a vial containing a peculiar liquid "This is a poison called cyanide. It's from the country northwest of here"
"Ho…how will I give it to the King?" Queen Eri, nervously asked, as she slowly reached for the small vial