Jung Ho flipped the book upside down and shook it, but he failed. The missing page was nowhere to be found. He rushed back to the shelves, taking his chance to find the missing link to his questions. Desperate as he was, he rummaged every single book related nearby, the dust pecking on his entire cloak. A tower of books, then another, then another, until the death of the night time. His physical body failed to keep up with his blazing drive. Apparently, he was unaware that the sun has already shone into the sky, its light rays scattering through tiny gaps from the windows. He could not remember how long he was searching. One thing he realized was that he had dozed off at the table.

As he opened his eyes, he adjusted his eyes to the changing intensity of the light. The book towers were still on the table. Dusty old books gaping wide open. He tried to stand but he could not feel his legs—must have been numbed because of his improper sleeping position. After a few stretches, he managed to break free from a typical old person's curse. He returned the books one by one to their original positions and left the library.

His head trembled, banging loudly in an off-key uproarious tune. He tried massaging it while trudging down the courtyard, the morning sun teasing him with the small taste of his children's rays. Little by little, he realized that some court ladies started stealing glances at him. Curiosity was present but more likely, they were afraid.

The Prime Minister paused, his vision slowly refocusing, his pulsating head stabilizing. He primped his hair and shoved the dust from his vibrant purple cloak. The court ladies must have laughed at his appearance, that was why.

Suddenly, two Yellow Tiger nangdos approached and bowed at him. "Your Excellency, His Majesty summons you to his chambers now."

"Alright."

He headed straight to his room and cleansed. Time motioned like a garden snail as he bathed in his tub filled with rose petals. Although his brain was screaming that his prime suspect should be his son, he could not finally close the case. He could not point a finger on it, but he had this instinct that someone else might be responsible for it. Aside from Jung Min, one person crossed his mind: Jae Joong. What if the King already knew where Chil Yook was? What did he do? Has he had him killed? Did he conspire and protect him? Outer layer superficial questions. The main query that should be answered was, Is Sae Yoo still alive? Is Sae Yoo one of the nangdos hiding in another identity? Too many questions, but he could only do so much. One thing was for sure though: whoever took that page wanted to protect this nangdo's identity. That person already knew where Chil Yook and Sae Yoo was.

The sleeping dragon has awakened. He has handled too many intellectual insults. After being benign and lame for a long time, this was the perfect time for Jung Ho to unleash his inner monster once again.

He stood, rinsed, and changed to his Prime Minister uniform. Then he went straight to Jae Joong's chambers. When he entered, the King was having merry chat sessions with Jung Min as they enjoyed their freshly prepared chrysanthemum teas. A bow and a low greeting. "You summon me, Your Majesty."

"Take a seat. I'll brief you two as you go."

Jung Ho followed and then listened.

"Show this letter to Queen Songyeon. I've already included there my terms and conditions."

"What if she refuses, Your Majesty?" worried Jung Min, his eyebrows folding into an irregular arch.

"Well, do anything you can to convince her, but know your limitations. We can't risk having a war with them."

Jung Ho shared his insight, "We have a bigger chance of winning, Sire. I just found out that this nobleman is a member of their council. We are holding her in the neck. I don't think she's willing to sacrifice the life of this high-profile man."

"Good. Then we can settle this right away then."

Curious about the mutual understanding between the brothers, Jung Min put in and asked, "Sire, may I ask, what do you know about this Queen?"

After an exchange of short glances with his brother, Jae Joong responded, "A fine, beautiful, righteous woman, but she's ruthless and insentient to enemies and those who break laws. A woman you should not take for granted."

"Well, if she resents lawbreakers, how sure are you that she's going to save that nobleman?"

"That's the point, son. If this nobleman is exposed, it will ruin the reputation of the entire Balhae council. That's a sure thing the Queen won't risk."

"We'll resort to this cheap blackmail scheme?" Jung Min scoffed as he threw a mocking stare at his father, trying to hide a sneer.

"That's not what I meant, Lord Jung Min." clarified Jung Ho, his eyes were plain, chill as he defended himself.

"That tactic won't be necessary. With the contents of my letter and your right negotiations, I'm certain that we can settle this. Just don't anger her; female rulers are hard to deal with," advised Jae Joong.

"Certainly, Sire," assured Jung Min.

After the meeting, the father and son tandem prepared the things they would need for a week-long, excruciating journey. Passing the border to new territory was like walking to another dimension. The feeling had always been like that to Jung Ho. Some people might not see the difference (it was still the same world though). But different kingdoms possessed their own signature vibe or feel. The clear blue skies watching Silla was not as vibrant when they reached Balhae. The soothing, cool gust of the wind felt like a lost lover, finding its self-existence, not sure if it would come back and grace its tender touch again. Everything felt like a new beginning, and Silla seemed a place of unknown identity.

A territory as vast as Balhae would struck one's heart unintentionally. The limit of one's eyes would give up searching for an end. Every piece of land belonged to the kingdom, even the hidden places beyond one's sight. Captivating, endless, yellow prairies, plains as spacious as eternity, the mountains as high and blue, attempting to reach the sky's infinite limits. Tranquility and serenity were always the best defining words for nature's gift to Balhae.

But hidden in the mysterious world of the unexplainable, the territory also possessed a curse which could make the weak and the unprepared visitors lose their vigor.

Long ago, according to legends passed through word of mouth, the sun and the moon had conspired to punish the early rulers of the kingdom because of an unknown sin nobody has ever known. The two deities had deprived the people of their blessings. No sun rays, no moonlights. Pure darkness, all day, all night. Since then, everyone had agreed to have a massive offering to appease the furious deities—for days! People had become hopeless as tons of them died every day, crops withered, rivers dried out, and even the seas pulled backward. Then one day, there was sunlight, then by night time, the moon resurfaced and smiled. Everything seemed to have returned to their original places.

People had rejoiced because their prayers had been answered. But that was not the real case, the northern region, where the capital stood, had less sunlight, and longer night time, while the south had the opposite—hotter days, shorter nights. A yin and a yang, weather opposites. The middle region, where the wildlife thrives, had balanced blessings. Since then, early people had believed that it was sacred and blessed. The sanctuary of the Gods.

Accounts about people who had experienced bizarre feelings while traveling from their hometown to a distant province spread like a wildfire. Some people had claimed that when you stood at the center of a vast plain, you would witness the sun retire on the left, and the fall of darkness at the right. At first, many had thought that it was just a mind trick. But more and more people had seen the strange happening.

Instead of fear, the inhabitants had fully accepted it, embraced it down to their cultural core. Through the years, these brave people had already devised ways to adapt to their reconstructed kingdom. They would be forever grateful to the deities for giving them a chance to live a normal life, despite the changes.

But then again, not all generations were lucky. This time, another test (perhaps punishment) had been bestowed by the Heavens to the mighty, resilient kingdom of Balhae. Worse, Silla was included.

Seven days passed by quickly, even though Jung Ho and Jung Min did not really spend time mingling with each other. They treated boredom to a different level. Any activities that could perish the hands of time was well-appreciated. As their palanquin reached the main cities, Jung Min readily noticed the diversity in people. There were people with blue, circle eyes, blonde hair with a different type of clothes strolling down the streets like legal citizens. There were people from Tang, the eyes revealed it all.

After some moments, they finally reached Sanggyong, the capital. Compared to Silla, people were not as busy and noisy. The entire city was fortified, with fortresses on different points for defense. Pretty much the same with Silla. The villages were smaller, and the houses were simpler. Only a few had walls and guards. Majority of the people were poor.

Of course, the design of the palace architecture was pretty much the same in general. Four gates, instead of eight. Tall brick walls surrounded the entire important structure. Their palanquins stopped at the gate. Jung Min handed the letter to the nangdo outside and gave it straight to the guards.

Cleared! They had permission to enter. Like a child, the curious Head of the Silla's Prosecution Department shoved the curtains and looked outside. Everything was actually colorful just like their palace. Pavilions, mostly painted with red and black, had more floors compared to Silla's. They were actually taller, but simpler in design. Stone courtyards were as strong as theirs, a daily witness to the events (big or small). One thing recognizable was the artificial lakes, connected with red bridges. They had a lot!

The entire place was not as wide as theirs but it was clean, serene, and peaceful from the outside. Court ladies and royal servants looked like females from Tang, wearing their simple hanfu dresses.

He did not know how the military was organized but they were also in groups, with different vest and colored uniforms (just like the hwarangs). Big and robust guards stood straight, acting like battery-operated statues around the pavilion. Monumental, golden statues of Buddhas reminded everyone of the existence of the Holy Shrines.

As the palanquin stopped, the two descended and noticed a group of noblemen welcoming them (as if they brought good luck—as if they had no idea what their business was—or maybe they had).

"Prime Minister Jung Ho?" an old nobleman in blue hanfu greeted.

"Yes."

"And you must be Lord Jung Min."

"I am."

"Please come with us. Her Majesty waits for you in her chambers."

The two followed the noblemen quietly as they climbed five levels before reaching the Queen's sacred sanctuary. The ladies-in-waiting lined up and bowed before them. Then one announced, "Your Majesty, the Silla visitors are here."

As the doors opened, Jung Ho and Jung Min strolled inside, slowly and cautiously. Jung Ho felt heavy, while Jung Min seemed strangely light-hearted. Just like the late Silla Queen's room, the entire place was heavily pink inspired. Warms colors reflected on each of their irises. From sheets, curtains, vases and ceramics—almost everything had the touch of the powerful primary red color.

The occupant stood beside the window, her body being outlined by the afternoon shadows. Jung Ho and his son bowed before her. "Greetings, Queen Songyeon."

"Jung Ho, " she murmured, still staring blankly into the overhead view of her palace pavilions.

"How are you doing, Your Majesty?" Jung Min respectfully asked.

The Queen Regnant turned and ambled towards them, her long red cloak dragging to the marble floor. Skin as pure and white as a fountain; a doppelganger of a Goddess with a diamond face and lips carved for love. Her braids looped into infinity stayed high as the small golden crown made it less intimidating. Hair ornaments, dangling earrings—luxuries every woman wanted to possess.

She offered a seat on her red rectangular table with wine glasses and a bottle of sweet decades-old wine. "It must have been a long journey."

"Sure it is but we're used to it," said Jung Ho.

"I received your messenger's letter two days ago. How is he?"

"Waiting... surviving each day on his little dungeon."

"The Northern parts of Balhae are experiencing iron ore shortage. Small-time blacksmiths have made low-quality swords and kitchen utensils. All people are affected but above all, the military is. Tang is just an inch away... I've actually discussed to my council members to seek help from Yamato since we have good diplomatic relationships but—"

"That council member of yours had his decision on his own. Insubordination," Jung Ho shook his head, pouting his lips.

Jung Min butted in their conversation as he respectfully gave Jae Joong's letter. "I believe we should fix this right away. A letter from our King."

Songyeon opened the scroll and perused the contents of the letter. The first moments were mundane, but then as she finished through the final parts, her eyes rolled and her hands trembled. Fighting the urge to crumple and throw the paper to the gentlemen in front of her, a heavy puff of breath escaped from her red lips.

"What kind of mockery is this?" she threw the letter to the table.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty but my father and I had no idea what the letter was about," explained Jung Min, stealing concerned gazes to his father. "What does our King say?"

"Read it yourself," the Queen frowned and turned to Jung Ho in a scowl. Clueless Jung Min threw a safe glance of permission to the furious regnant before picking the letter. He read it, and just like Songyeon's reaction, he was surprised. Annoyed by his son's reaction, Jung Ho's eyes rolled sideways; he grabbed the letter and read it.

"If this is what the King wants, we can do nothing about this." he forewarned.

"Do you hear what you're saying? Minister Hongbyun will work in Silla as a slave for thirty days?"

"Being a slave for thirty days is still better than to sleep for a thousand years. He already confessed, Your Majesty. The Hwabaek of Silla wanted to hang him at least. Our King is actually doing you a favor here."

"I can't agree with this. You know why? He has sinned against Silla, I know that. But most of all, he has sinned against me. I'm the one who's going to punish him. What—do you think I'll just let it slide because he's a council member? He just tainted the honorable reputation of Balhae council and the entire kingdom. I just can't let that go."

Jung Ho's face never moved a muscle, listening to the Queen's point of view, a flex of her stand as a dignified ruler. He cleared his throat as an acknowledgment to Songyeon's speech. "I understand where you're coming from, but I cannot just swerve from the King's proposition."

Songyeon squinted and raised her brows, with a big disagreement on the Prime Minister. She then turned to Jung Min, shifting from fierce to a little tamer. "Lord Jung Min, right? Would you please excuse us for a moment?"

Wondering about the Queen's abrupt decision, Jung Min had a slight frown on his face. He actually felt out of place and ignorant—about the way the two conversed, the look in their eyes, their nuisances with each other. So by then, he agreed. He stood, bowed his head, and exited.

Left in the room were two people with a long, gnarled thread of mutual understanding.

"Just say what you want, Prime Minister. We can make amends... on our own. Just give me my council member, and I'll do everything else that your King wants in the letter. Open trade relationships, sure. No problem."

Jung Ho took a measly sip of the sweet wine. "That can't be arranged. Let's just leave it that way. I guarantee you, your nobleman will be punished but safe." He then leaned forward to offer his own solution. "But I have my own proposition. It will benefit both worlds."

"Jung Ho!" A sudden rise of a dark soprano voice. Her blood almost hiked to the mountain summit, like a suppressed firecracker that exploded in the handler's fingers.

"There... there. Your usual temper is back." his face turned fake sour as he tapped his chest. "I'm hurt, Your Majesty. I really am. You don't even know my offer yet."

"Don't you even grab the upper hand again. I am not Jae Joong!"

"Listen to me first, please." he raised his hands to calm her but no white flags.

The Queen glared at the attempt of dominance, but the Prime Minister was right. She needed to listen first, so she took a chance, loosening down a bit in a heavy breath.

"Fine. Speak."

__________

NOTES:

Sanggyong (상굥) - the capital city of Balhae Kingdom, located in Modern day Ning'an City, Heilongjiang Province, China.