The Gavel Falls

"Tsk."

Imperial Prince Gong clicked his tongue in irritation at how things were unfolding. Perhaps because the old man had made his displeasure plain, Prince Sunheung—who had been the last to interject—rolled his eyes and stammered.

"W-well, you did say 'according to protocol' earlier, so..."

"Why exactly is a royal who isn't even a member of the Imperial Clan Council disrupting proceedings as he pleases?"

At his words, Prince Sunheung immediately shrank back. He too was a son of Prince Yeon, but he had neither the standing nor the nerve to challenge his much older eldest brother.

Even though Grand Prince Uigu had stepped in on his behalf only to catch an undeserved rebuke, he did not interject again. He seemed content to observe with his arms crossed.

"Did I not tell you? This is by the Emperor's command."

Imperial Prince Gong said it coldly. His expression was sour, as though he found it contemptible that these men would throw themselves forward like moths to a flame even with the imperial decree hanging over them.

"Your insolence is nothing new, but do not make light of the Emperor's command."

"Honestly, Elder Brother..."

Prince Sunheung lowered his eyes and demurred. To them, the aging Emperor and Imperial Prince Gong were no longer figures to be feared, but that didn't mean they could be shameless even while facing them directly.

"Stop interfering needlessly. If you intend to join the funeral directorate and serve as a royal, then raise your hand."

Under Imperial Prince Gong's icy gaze, a few raised their hands. The volunteers and the reluctant conscripts were clearly distinguishable by their expressions.

Seon quietly observed the royals' behavior from the far end of the chamber. The factions had long since been drawn, but being pushed into such an extreme situation made them all the more visible.

Out of nowhere, Grand Prince Uijeong had taken the seat of authority in the state funeral. The sight of Grand Prince Uigu making his displeasure unmistakably clear through his demeanor—apparently offended by the mere mention of his youngest brother in this setting—and the royals scrambling to curry his favor was quite the spectacle.

Now I understand why Father insisted on not coming.

Seon thought this quietly, seated where he was.

Grand Prince Uijeong was a man of gentle disposition. With such a large gap in age between him and his elder brothers, he had little to covet, and his natural temperament was not one to overreach.

When the weighty responsibility of Director-General of the State Funeral Directorate fell to him instead of Grand Prince Uigu, what Grand Prince Uijeong felt was terror. Even as he protested to Seon that his second elder brother wasn't such a bad man, he could not hide the fear in his bearing.

Today was no different. It would have been good if he had attended the clan council alongside him and helped put Grand Prince Uigu in his place.

Their father had refused to attend with every excuse he could muster. It wasn't as though avoiding the room for a single day would mean never seeing the man again.

"Now, let us move to the next agenda item."

The meeting proceeded regardless of Grand Prince Uigu's mood. The royals who would join the Three Directorates to assist with funeral rites were decided, as were the rotations for mourning at the Crown Prince's spirit chamber.

When it came time to select the representative royal who would receive state guests arriving from various nations for the Crown Prince's funeral, even Grand Prince Uigu, who had been quietly biding his time, raised his hand—

"Ah. His Majesty has already settled this one. Prince Yeongpyeong Dojeong is to receive them as representative, with Princess Cheongyang and Prince Gyeongan alternating in support should the need arise."

Even that had been snatched from him. Perhaps because his own son had at least been mentioned, he did not erupt on the spot, but his trembling fist was clearly visible even from a distance.

Then one of Grand Prince Uigu's loyal lackeys raised an objection on his behalf. It was one of Dong's cousins.

"I must say, isn't Prince Yeongpyeong Dojeong rather beneath the occasion?"

Dong, who had been sitting quietly, widened his eyes at the sudden attack. No sooner had he glared at his cousin than Imperial Prince Gong cut in sharply.

"What do you mean, beneath the occasion?"

"This is the first state funeral in quite some time. I only thought we ought to be careful about which face we present to visiting dignitaries."

"So what you're saying is that His Majesty, of all people, chose someone as inadequate as Prince Yeongpyeong Dojeong?"

At Imperial Prince Gong's words—this great-uncle who was practically a grandfather to him—he shut his mouth at once.

"Prince Yeongpyeong Dojeong, who holds a higher rank and studied abroad, is surely better suited than you, Prince Yeongsun Bujeong, whose English doesn't extend beyond 'hi.'"

"Great-Uncle, how can you say such a thing—!"

"This assembly was convened to honor the Crown Prince's final passage with dignity. Is this disgraceful insolence truly the words of a man in his right mind?!"

Imperial Prince Gong bellowed. Whether the man hadn't entirely lost his senses, Prince Yeongsun Bujeong quickly shut his mouth.

"Is this wretched habit of defying His Majesty's decisions something you taught him?"

Imperial Prince Gong's gaze now fell upon Prince Ikheung, father of Prince Yeongpung Bujeong. Avoiding his elder brother's eyes while gripping his son's forearm, he looked desperate.

"Honestly, can we please just proceed with the meeting?"

"Indeed. Are we going to keep interrupting over every little thing?"

Complaints erupted not only from the pro-Emperor elders but also from those who had been quietly observing. Compared to Grand Prince Uigu's faction they were few, but not so few as to be dismissed.

Those who wished to continue the meeting clashed with those carefully gauging Grand Prince Uigu's reaction. The only one who could mediate between them was Grand Prince Uigu himself. Under the gaze of Imperial Prince Gong and the other elders, he reluctantly opened his mouth.

"Yes. We mustn't disrupt proceedings. These are matters His Majesty decided personally, after all."

At his single remark, the faction on Grand Prince Uigu's side that had been noisily interrupting moments before fell silent.

To think they could be this docile.

Even those who had not previously shown clear allegiance, seeing themselves caught between the two sides, seemed to have a rough sense of which way the wind was blowing. Among the elders too, tongues clicked and voices criticizing Grand Prince Uigu could be heard.

Emboldened, Imperial Prince Gong resumed the meeting. Hoping some crumbs might fall their way, everyone sharpened their attention on his every word.

"And His Majesty the Emperor..."

Imperial Prince Gong traced the edge of the paper with his fingers as he read. He must surely have reviewed the agenda with the Emperor beforehand, yet he struggled to make out the text from start to finish.

His halting reading, the sighs that erupted when the desired topic failed to materialize, and the occasional raising of hands by council members to offer opinions—this pattern repeated itself.

Several hours passed thus, and Imperial Prince Gong declared the session closed, his face far more weary than before.

Grand Prince Uigu, who had been cycling between eager anticipation and disappointment, could bear it no longer. With one corner of his mouth curling upward, he thrust his hand into the air.

"What, was there something left to decide?"

Imperial Prince Gong shuffled through his papers, and Grand Prince Uigu shook his head. The creaking rotation of that head was so mechanical that Seon felt goosebumps rise along his forearms.

Grand Prince Uigu asked in a slow, deliberate voice.

"Did His Majesty say nothing about me?"

"About you, Grand Prince?"

As though he had never heard such a thing in his life, he immediately furrowed his brow.

"What would there be to say about me?"

"Was this assembly not convened to prepare for the state funeral? In that case, surely there must be a role for me as well. Sad to say, I am next in line after His Highness my elder brother."

"Well. He didn't say anything in particular about that."

"Ha."

At Imperial Prince Gong's immediate reply, Grand Prince Uigu exhaled in irritation. Cousin or not, showing such a lack of even basic courtesy to someone more than ten years his senior was inexcusable.

Grand Prince Uigu smoothed back his hair and sighed once more. The more visibly displeased he became, the more royals cowered or grew wary.

"I cannot even secure an audience with His Majesty right now because his recovery is said to be poor. Yet you, Imperial Prince Gong, have been granted an audience with His Majesty, have you not?"

Grand Prince Uigu snapped, as though consumed by jealousy. Imperial Prince Gong craned his neck forward and regarded him over the rim of his spectacles. It was far too cold and merciless a look to be directed at a younger cousin.

"It would be lovely if children grew up exactly as their parents wish, but they always drift a little off course. Most people call that individual character."

"What is that supposed to—"

"But there are times when they cross a line that can no longer be excused as character. Take my own father—did he ever raise children who would disregard his wishes this brazenly? Well, you've raised children yourself, Grand Prince Uigu, so I'm sure you understand."

The children of Prince Yeon flinched, glancing at one another before lowering their heads. Of course, among them were one or two who kept their shoulders squared, as though they had nothing to bow for.

Regardless of what expressions his younger siblings made or how they behaved, Imperial Prince Gong steadfastly continued.

"Even so, a child ought to learn to read a parent's heart at least a little. That's what makes life worth living, wouldn't you say?"

"Are you saying that I have failed to consider His Majesty's heart?"

"Is that how you took it?"

With those words, Imperial Prince Gong raised his bony wrist and swung the gavel. Bang, bang, bang. In the silenced chamber, the sound of the gavel striking echoed jarringly.

"Ah. His Majesty did mention something about that. He asked that the royals be prevented from visiting Daejojeon whenever possible."

Imperial Prince Gong concluded in an icy tone.

"If you truly know how to worry for a parent, you ought to understand what he meant by that."