Giving its way to the inevitable arrival of the dark, the light coming from the sun kissed the skies its last goodbye. People in the palace exchanged chatters upon seeing a grand entourage of a big, fancy palanquin. The servants stopped in front of a huge pavilion and dropped the palanquin slowly. The old royal maid with a name of Lady Min got off first, and she instructed the servants to unload the carts which contain vases, silk cloths with assorted colors, swords, crossbows, and many more.
"The Prime Minister is coming down! Prepare!"
Every servant fell in line on the sides of the hallway while waiting for an important person to arrive. Stepping his left buckled boots first, the man from the palanquin lifted his chin and swaggered coldly towards the hallway. He wore a silk robe and a purple cloak which dragged to the floor as he walked. His body was sturdy as a palace pillar crafted by the Heavens using a magical chisel. Each strand of his ebony hair was meticulously crafted into a topknot supported by a golden pin. His small, pointed nose complemented the sharpness of his perfectly angular jaws. Among all his physical features, it was his eyes that outperformed them all. His bewitching chestnut eyes transcended every person's soul, capable of reading their thoughts and emotions.
He is the Sangdaedeung or the Prime Minister of Silla. He is also the current leader of all Hwarang or the kingdom's military group. Some people consider him as a demigod because of his flawless physical appearance, but underneath his bewitching looks lies a dark, ruthless beast. Rumor has it that he envies the King so much. Moreover, there were also speculations that he drinks babies' blood to remain impeccably youthful.
Everyone bowed down their heads. The Prime Minister looked straight with a sharp look in his eyes. Nobody dared to look at any parts of his body as he walked because his every move made their hearts skipped a beat.
He stopped.
The servants' heart throbbed fast like a galloping horse escaping from a ferocious tiger. The Prime Minister turned around.
"I want to see my wife," he announced.
Lady Min bowed her head and ordered the servants to organize the Prime Minister's stuff in his chambers. The Prime Minister left his pavilion, and the frozen servants felt truly unloaded.
----
Walking down his wife's pavilion, the guards and the court ladies hunged their heads and welcomed him. The lady-in-waiting announced his presence, and he entered his wife's chambers.
"My Lord, what brings you here?" she muttered, etching a smile from her rosy lips.
"Dear, are you not even going to ask how I was?"
With a zealous face, the Prime Minister sat on his wife's bed and rhapsodized about everything that happened to him in Tang. His face even brightened when he caressed his wife's baby bump.
"Jin Ri, I cannot wait to see you. I promise that you will be a fine lady and you will get whatever your heart desires."
His wife smiled upon hearing a lovely name, Jin Ri. Few moments had passed until they get through. The Prime Minister bid goodbye and went back to his pavilion.
----
Gently sliding the wooden door, the Prime Minister entered to his dim-lit bedchambers which his eyes longed to see in forever. There were few candles and red lamps that lit weakly. He looked closely at the intricate designs of each furniture inside - the roundtable at the center, the dragon and pigeon sculptures, the wooden brown closet, and the expensive ceramics from Tang. A weak smile came out of his lips as his fingers slipped through a black, rectangular see-through veil, exposing his bed. He sat on it, and he caressed the red bed sheets gently, the fragrance of orchid scented candles wafting to his nostrils.
"Nowhere in this entire world beats home."
As he continued glancing at each furniture, the lady-in-waiting announced a visitor. He rolled his eyes and lifted a brow, "Enter."
The door slid open, and a tall, hideous man walked inside. He wore a fitted long sleeve with a leather vest while his pants hugged his strong thighs and legs. His prominent features were his square face and a big diagonal scar on his left face. His red headband with a bronze-coated dragon figure at the center symbolized that he is a Gukseon or the Grand Marshall. He is the Prime Minister's henchman and the next in line in leading the Hwarang.
"Chil Yook, it was good to see you again. So tell me, how was the King while I was gone?"
He reported the King's prediction regarding the eclipse. The Prime Minister's eyes widened, and he guffawed.
"Idiot! What made him say that?"
Chil Yook narrated everything that Minister Hoon said from the council meeting. In a blink of an eye, the Prime Minister's smile disappeared as a frown overtook it. He started bragging about the more advanced technology of the Tang Empire. He even ridiculed the King and the present technologies of Silla regarding agriculture, astrology, and medicine.
"If I were King, this kingdom will savor the things that Tang enjoys."
"What is your plan, My Lord?" Chil Yook asked.
The Prime Minister grinned, "Let the King experience one of the biggest mistakes of his life. This will weaken his position in no time."
"Now, do you still have any reports?" he added.
"I guess my next news will make you very interested," Chil Yook left a mysterious smile.
----
Early in the morning, the King, together with Minister Dae Wong went to Mt. Toham where the Temple of the Priestess is located. It was a small mountain on the eastern side of the kingdom. The temple was about a hundred feet tall, Chinese pagoda-inspired, with monks and priestesses surrounding it.
Minister Dae Wong went down the King's palanquin and talked to the monks, "His Majesty would like to have a word with the Head Priestess."
The monks bowed down their heads, seeing the King stepped down from his palanquin.
"Sire, what a pleasant surprise!" a monk said.
The King lifted a brow, "You heard the Minister. I want a word with the Head Priestess."
"I will check her inside, Sire. Please wait here."
The monk went inside the temple. After a few moments, he came back and talked to the King. According to him, the Head Priestess is currently doing her prayers inside, and therefore, she cannot be disturbed. The King curled his lips and went back to his palanquin together with the Minister. He was determined to wait for the Head Priestess and talk to her personally.
"All right, just like what we had planned yesterday... In order for me to confirm everything about this eclipse prediction, I should learn how she does it. For the past eras, I know that the King should not meddle personally with any of the priestess's affairs, but I really want the ceremony to be just perfect for the next day."
"I am truly sorry, Your Highness if I cannot really trust her fully. I am just more worried considering that the Queen is also bearing twins."
The King was truly regretful of this late plan. He was really daunted before to do anything because people might think that he is trying to dip his fingers with the priestesses' business. But as the saying goes, a late plan is still a hundred times better than not giving a try.
Minister Dae Wong smiled and agreed with the King. The separation of state and religious affairs was clear. According to the law, the King shall not meddle with the formal rituals of the Head Priestess. What they will do is just a form of observation and clarification which is not against the law.
"After everything is settled here, monitor Lady Jang and report to me all suspicious actions."
----
When Lady Jang got out of the temple, a nangdo went to the King's palanquin and reported that Lady Jang was through. The King and Minister Dae Wong stepped down the palanquin as Lady Jang apologized for making them wait.
"I want to know how you make your predictions. What do you use to predict the eclipse properly? You have mentioned that you have devised your own ways, but I have not seen any of them," the King said.
Lady Jang gulped upon hearing the question, "I use rituals, Sire," she answered. The King crossed his arms and looked askance to her.
"Err... and almanacs too - for calculations!" she continued.
She bit her lip and looked down feeling sheepish, her eyes darting sideways, "What is wrong with the King? Why is he asking these questions out of nowhere?... Does he doubt me now? How could that..."
The King ordered her to show him all the equipment that she used. Lady Jang's face turned ghastly pale, and she just wanted to vanish instantly from the King's sight. Her mind quickly processed any alibi that she can mention to the King.
"Dae Wong is right. What are you hiding, Lady Jang?"
The King gave a brief smirk at the Head Priestess. Lady Jang consoled herself because she did not want to look too nervous in front of the King.
"Sire, forgive me for saying this, but I do not think you can meddle with our business. I am sorry but I cannot," she said softly, and she bowed down her head.
Stating his purpose, he explained that it is not about trust issues but an assurance of an accurate prediction. He even reasoned that no formal ritual is needed. What the King wants is merely transparency and clarifications.
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Lady Jang ran out of alibis and just decided to follow the King. She sighed, "If you insist, then I will show it to you."
The Head Priestess led the way to the sacred room located in the underground of the temple. It was an average-sized, dim-lit room with a small altar at its end. Different sculptures can be seen inside such as dragons and phoenix. It has tables, sets of books, and some unknown equipment. Near the altar was a painted red circle encircled by light pink veils. That was the spot where the Head Priestess prays.
"This, Your Highness is the almanac that I use. It came from the Göktürks and Tang. I use this to interpret the movement of the stars and to predict a major heaven phenomenon."
Lady Jang discussed all the equipment and rituals needed, "Sire, as you can notice, the patterns say that the solar eclipse happens every thirty-three years. This year, on the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, these two points should have intersected here but as you can see, no intersection happened since the alignment of the stars changed as seen here."
Browsing the pages of a black book, she explained everything the King needed to know. She opened another book and showed some images to the King to support her claim.
Afterward, the King was a bit enlightened but not to a full extent, "Is there anything else that you want to confirm, Sire?" she respectfully asked.
"Certainly, you are correct. The eclipse will not happen. I can finally be ready for the ceremony."
The King glanced at her with sharp eyes. He left the sacred room and went back to his palanquin. As the royal palanquin travels back to the capital, Minister Dae Wong asked the King about what happened between him and Lady Jang.
"You were correct. Something is definitely wrong. She was talking fast, and her hands were shaking. There were things that she did not explain while browsing a black-covered almanac. It seemed comprehensive, but she was quite inconsistent with her statements."
The King raised a brow, "Do you think we can get it?"
"Worry not, Sire. I will think about it. We can get that without you being involved," Minister Dae Wong smiled.
"I trust you. Do it."
"Anyway, I think I should welcome my brother and talk to him."
----
The capital's marketplace is one of the busiest places in the kingdom. Stalls with different products can be seen all over the place. These products can be food, body accessories, clothes, and many more. Many sellers shouted at the top of their lungs just to advertise their products. Buyers tried their bests to convince the sellers to lower down the prices. There were also merchants bargaining their goods with each other. Some men can also be seen pulling carts of goods while others were assisted by their horses.
Two nangdos posted an announcement regarding the ceremony in the market's bulletin board. People gathered to read the announcement. A lot of them were surprised to know that the King invites them all for the ceremony. They praised the King's name; agreeing that they have the privilege to be involved since they are the people of Silla. Many people looked up to the skies and prayed. But as the saying goes, not all doves are white. There was a seller who was not interested in attending the ceremony. He believed that people should not always depend on their lives to the Heavens.
Everyone looked at the man with an angry face. The people thought that he was disrespecting the King and the Heavens.
"What are you talking about? Do not say anything like that to the Heavens. Wooh! This man is giving me creeps!" a woman said. She touched the seller's hand, "I will just pray for your lost soul. I hope the Heavens will not punish you."
----
In the balcony of the Prime Minister's pavilion, governors of different provinces gather around for a tea meeting. All of them sat at a round table while the Prime Minister sat at a small table in front of them. Chil Yook stood on his right and Minister Hoon on his left.
"Governors, I am very delighted that you spent your precious time with me."
The Prime Minister sipped his tea.
"You honor us, Prime Minister," the governors answered in unison.
"I gathered you today to talk about the incoming ceremony regarding the solar eclipse."
"My Lord, what do you want us to do? We had mobilized our men to inform our people in the province," a governor said.
"My gratitude. Please drink your teas."
The Prime Minister smiled at them.
"My Lord, is it true that the solar eclipse will not happen? How could this be?" another governor asked.
The Prime Minister smirked and answered his question. He pointed Minister Hoon, and he explained everything that they have talked about last council meeting. All governors looked at each other, exchanging murmurs.
"Let us not worry too much about that. It is the King's responsibility to predict the eclipse correctly. Our job is something else. Let us focus on the ceremony itself. Speaking of which, I want to ask a favor in each one of you," the Prime Minister said.
"What is it, My Lord?" another governor asked.
"This ceremony will be a big one. People in the entire kingdom will come, and I expect a sea of people in the palace grounds. Please send a number of provincial hwarangs in the palace to guard it against unexpected encounters. Our priority is the palace. We need enough number of hwarangs."
"Yes, My Lord. We would be very honored to help Silla."
"One more thing, since a lot of people will be attending the ceremony, other places in the kingdom would be almost empty. Our enemies from other territories might attempt to do something while many people are not around. I want you to post some hwarangs as well on other parts of the kingdom. Focus more on markets, temples, and even on the borders," the Prime Minister added.
In the middle of the meeting, Lady Min informed everyone inside that the King wants to talk to the Prime Minister. Everyone inside gave awkward glances at each other.
"That is all, everyone. You may now go to your provinces."
The Prime Minister stood, and the governors followed. They bowed their heads and left the balcony.
"Let him in," the Prime Minister said.
As the wooden doors slid, the King entered the balcony finally meeting his brother whom he did not see for a month. The span of time brought no change on the Prime Minister's sharp eyes that recognize no boundaries even the tallest mountain or the King.
"Sire, what a pleasant surprise!"
The Prime Minister bowed his head and genuflected before the King.
"No need for that. Stand up and let us talk at your table," the King ordered.
The Prime Minister rose and offered tea to the King. He respectfully rejected the offer, for he will not stay long. The two talked at the roundtable where the governors sat a while ago.
The King pursed his lips and grinned, "What a splendid assemblage."
"Oh, it was just about the ceremony. I asked them to deploy a lot of provincial hwarangs to the palace."
"I can see that the governors are all on your side."
A sinister grin came out from the Prime Minister's lips, "Tss, Your Highness, not just on me. They are on your side as well. All we want is to protect the whole Silla. You keep on misunderstanding things."
"By the way, how are you? How was your trip to the Tang Empire?"
The Prime Minister's face brightened and shared his experiences, learnings, and even weapons. He was willing to share everything with the whole Kingdom. The King noticed too much enthusiasm on the Prime Minister's face.
"In fact, the Emperor wants me to visit more often."
The King glared at the Prime Minister, "What do you mean by that?"
"About being their colony... The Emperor gives us the opportunity to annihilate Balhae. Did we not learn from the past? Silla has experienced too much turmoil during the war with Tang. We should do our best to appease them."
"No!" the King yelled, and he slammed the table.
"But Sire, this is indeed a serious issue. You do not want to make Tang our enemy again, do you not? They have considered Silla an ally before, but the Kings in the past took them for granted. Now, this might be the last string of compassion that they can give."
"That will be a perilous move. Basking through Tang's glory? Yes, I have learned from the past. The King's alliance with Tang caused the unification of the Three Kingdoms, but that also caused a lot of people during the war to fall to the claws of demise."
Digging his nails into his porcelain white palms, he gave the Prime Minister a scorching gaze. He believes that the alliance with the Tang Empire should have ended when the Three Kingdoms were unified. Trading goods and sending diplomats can be considerable, but he vehemently disagrees being Tang's colony. It is not necessary for the kingdom can stand on its own. For him, the hwarangs and the present technologies of the kingdom are enough to support the entire kingdom.
The Prime Minister looked askance to the King, "For real, Sire? Speaking of technologies, are you completely certain that our technologies are really capable of predicting the exact time of the eclipse?"
Upon hearing the Prime Minister's question, the King's eyes bulged in surprise. His face turned pale, and his lips trembled.
"Y-Ye-Yes!" the King replied as he stuttered.
With the King's obvious gestures, the Prime Minister easily read the King's thoughts and feelings. He tried to hold his guffaw, and as a result, his lips formed into a shaky smirk, "All right. If that is what you say, then so be it. I was just suggesting a while ago. You know that I only care for our people."
The King gazed at the Prime Minister, his heart beating fast. He changed the topic in order to lighten the mood, so he asked about the Prime Minister's wife and baby. The Prime Minister sensed the King's anxiety with the mood of their conversation and decided to ride along. He answered all his personal questions sarcastically, but it did not last long, because the tables turned when the King mentioned a particular name.
"When will Jung Min come back? It has been a while since I have seen my nephew."
Upon hearing the name, the Prime Minister's ears reddened in anger. The name Jung Min rang in his ears like a loud annoying gong from the temple piercing his eardrums numerous times. He tried to calm himself, biting back any harsh words that might come out from his mouth.
"Sire, please do not mention him. He will be out there for long."
He pursed his lips and looked away.
"How unfortunate. Did you not miss your son? He has been in Manno County for quite a long time. I cannot even remember his face."
Clenching his fists under the table, the Prime Minister consoled himself because of the King's continuous blabbing. With a crocodile smile on the King's lips, he stood and informed his brother that he has still personal errands to do. Just as when the King was about to leave the room, he was disrupted by a question from the Prime Minister.
"By the way Sire, how are your twins?"
The Prime Minister's question resonated inside the King's head. He was rooted in his position, and his entire body froze in place. Anxiety and paranoia populated his mind, thinking about how the Prime Minister knew about the twins.
"W-Wh-What are you talking about?... twins?" the King stammered and turned around slowly.
"Do not deny it, Sire, because I knew it already. They are my future nephews after all."
The Prime Minister smirked, "I thought you knew that the solar eclipse will not occur. This means that they will play happily here in the palace."
"Yes, that... that is true. It will not occur this year! The kingdom will know about my twins, and they will love them," the King claimed.
"Ah, I see. Take care, Sire."
Silence enveloped the entire chambers when the King left. The Prime Minister twitched his eyes, thinking deeply about what Chil Yook reported.
----
"I guess my next news will make you very interested," Chil Yook said.
"What is it?"
"The King is expecting twin sons. According to one nurse that gave me the information, the twins are expected to be born on the night after the ceremony."
The Prime Minister burst into a laughter, "That means if the eclipse happened, the prophecy would be fulfilled as well."
----
"Oh! Very splendid. Let us see who among us will lose this game, Sire. I am very thrilled to see your twins!"
__________
NOTES:
Sangdaedeung (상대등) - Prime Minister or the leader of the noble council of Silla.
Hwarang (화랑) - an elite group of men who were trained to be soldiers and royal guards. It is lead by the Prime Minister in general and followed by the Grand Marshall. After the Grand Marshall, the Chief Officers or Pungwolju (풍월주) are assigned to lead a certain Hwarang clan. Presently, there were fourteen hwarang clans in Silla which were led by a Hwarangdo (화랑도). These Hwarangdos are the ones responsible to train the Nangdo (낭도) or simply the trainees every day.
Gukseon (국선) - Grand Marshall of Hwarangs.
Mt. Toham (토함) - a small mountain on the eastern side of Silla Kingdom where temples were mostly located.
Manno County (만노) - Modern day Jincheon County in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.
Göktürks - the nomadic confederation of Ancient Turkic people in Inner Asia.
Göktürks - the nomadic confederation of Ancient Turkic people in Inner Asia [https://em.wattpad.com/f1146666dab5c1126a7a7d612652135e61de20b7/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4154686966472d325f65344646413d3d2d373233323837322e3135343162623238383735366533633638363733323934333932342e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]