One by one, Lady Jang discussed all the equipment and rituals needed to make her predictions. Finally, she opened a black-covered book. It had brown pages and writing and symbols in black ink. She pointed out two specific images on one page to the King to support her claim. "Sire, as you can see here, 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."

At the end of her explanation, she looked up at the King at last. His lips were pursed with understanding, but he still did not seem convinced.

"Is there anything else that you want to confirm, Sire?" she asked respectfully.

"Certainly, you are correct. The eclipse will not happen. I can finally be ready for the ceremony," Jae Joong said.

Glancing at her with sharp eyes, the King left the sanctuary and went back to his palanquin.

As the royal palanquin traveled back to the capital, Dae Wong asked the King about what happened between him and Lady Jang. Jae Joong relayed what had happened. In the end, his fingers were tapping rapidly on the tiny table between them and his lips were turned down. "You were correct," he acknowledged.

"Something is definitely wrong. She was talking fast, and her hands were shaking. I think she did not tell me everything while browsing a black-covered almanac. It seemed comprehensive, but she was quite inconsistent with her statements."

"That was it, Sire. Clearly, she was hiding something. That is the one we need to know."

Jae Joong raised a brow, "Ah, by the way. I got an idea. This almanac she used... do you think we can get it?"

Smiling at his ruler, Dae Wong gave him an assurance. "Worry not, Sire. I will think about it. We can get that without you being involved."

"I trust you. Do it."

Changing the subject, Jae Joong's tone seemed to have changed a little. "Anyway, I think I should welcome my brother and settle some things with him." 

~~•~~

The capital's marketplace was one of the busiest places in the kingdom. It was a large courtyard, with the outer walls and inside filled with a maze of stalls hocking products from all over the world. Visitors first entering the marketplace had every sense assaulted—with strong smells of incense, food and horse refuse, with the sight of brightly colored clothes and glittering brass pots, and the shouts of sellers advertising their wares and then haggling with potential buyers and other merchants. Unwary visitors would be trampled by hand—and horse-drawn carts and pushy shoppers.

However, all those activities stopped when two nangdos posted an announcement regarding the ceremony in one of the market's wall. People gathered, and some merchants lead the way in reading the pronouncement to convey the information to those peasants who could not read. After a random merchant read what was written out loud, the people discussed and many of them were surprised to know that the King has invited 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. He stepped forward out of the blue and spoke, "So what if the King invites us to see the ceremony? Do you really think that witnessing the eclipse would bring good fortune in you and your families?" he scoffed.

Everyone turned to look at the angry man, astonished that he would disrespect the King and the Heavens with such an outburst.

"What are you talking about? Do not say anything like that to the Heavens. Wooh! You are 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."

Meanwhile at the palace, several of the provincial governors gathered at the Prime Minister's pavilion to welcome him back from his travels with a tea meeting. All of them sat at a round table while the Prime Minister sat at a small table in front of them, with Chil Yook standing to his right and Minister Hoon to his left.

The Prime Minister sipped his tea. "Governors, I am very delighted that you are spending your precious time with me."

"You honor us, Your Excellency," the governors answered in unison.

Jung Ho smiled. "Sip your teas and enjoy."

One governor asked, "My Lord, is it true that the solar eclipse will not happen? How could this be?"

Jung Ho pursed his lips and smirked. "Minister Hoon over here shall explain to you what had happened in the council meeting."

Darting his eyes at the waiting governors, Hoon bowed his head and started reporting, "Apparently, yes, according to the King, the solar eclipse will not occur this year. The Head Priestess told us that there was some strange misalignment in the stars positions in space, causing the alteration of the cycle."

All governors looked at each other, exchanging murmurs.

Jung Ho cleared his throat and interrupted, "I gathered you today to talk about the upcoming ceremony with the solar eclipse."

"What do you want us to do, Your Excellency? We have mobilized our men to inform our people in the province," an old governor said.

Nodding, Jung Ho sent a sign of gratitude to the governor. "As expected, you are really doing your jobs very well. If you continue doing that, we will have a good, spontaneous relationship in the future." He continued, "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. I want to ask a favor from each of you," the Prime Minister said.

"What is it, My Lord?" another governor asked.

"I anticipate a large number of commoners and nobility in the palace during the ceremony, and I am concerned that the palace guards are unable to handle any mass security issues. I want two battalions, with at least a hundred of hwarangs from each of the provinces."

"Yes, My Lord. We would be very honored to help Silla," another governor said.

"I am also concerned with the security of our borders, with the majority of Silla attending the ceremony. Mobilize the rest of your hwarangs and post them in the markets, the temples, the borders, and any other place at risk of outside attack," Jung Ho continued.

In the middle of the meeting, a rustle at the door made the Prime Minister pause. The door opened to reveal Lady Min, who entered the room and bowed low. When she straightened, she announced that the King wished to talk to the Prime Minister—and that he was right outside the door. The governors looked at each other uneasily, but the Jung Ho merely waved his hand. "The meeting was adjourned anyways. Go."

He stood, followed shortly by the governors. The group bowed to the Prime Minister before shuffling out the door, pausing to bow before the King.

"Please, let him in," the Prime Minister said.

Jae Joong entered the balcony finally meeting his brother whom he did not see for a month. The span of time brought no change on Jung Ho's sharp eyes that recognized no boundaries even the tallest mountain or the King.

The Prime Minister bowed his head and genuflected before the King. "Sire, what a pleasant surprise!"

"No need for that. Stand up and let us talk at your table," Jae Joong ordered.

Jung Ho straightened and offered his older brother a seat at the larger round table. They sat, and the dignified-acting prime minister offered a cup of tea that the King politely declined with the explanation that he would not be staying long. Jung Ho just raised an eyebrow before pouring himself a fresh cup.

Jae Joong pursed his lips as he took in the tea before grinning with an appreciation of the drink. "What a splendid assemblage."

"Oh, it was just a little something to nibble on as we discussed the ceremony," Jung Ho explained dismissively. "I asked them each to deploy two battalions of provincial hwarangs to the palace."

"I can see that the governors are all on your side. Amazingly, with just one word, you could actually tell them to deploy a significant amount of military force."

A half-smile came out from Jung Ho's lips, "Tsk, Your Highness, you keep on misunderstanding things. They are on your side as well. All we want is to protect the whole Silla."

"Right! For the kingdom." Jae Joong goggled his eyes before he continued, "Just like what you have been always pointing out since I could not remember when. Very well, then. By the way, how are you? How was your trip to the Tang Empire?"

With a brightened face, Jung Ho shared his experiences, learnings, and admirations on Tang. "Oh, it was phenomenal! I was very enthralled with their architecture. The word, 'majestic' would be a disgusting understatement. It was divine. Everything was undeniably perfect—the education, the agricultural system, weapons, and..." he paused, examining the King's annoyed, offended reaction.

He tilted his head gently to the right and resumed, grinning, "Technology... Science perhaps. Sire, I would be willing to share all my knowledge." his eyes grappled with the King's

"In fact, the Emperor wants me to visit more often." With that revelation, Jung Ho sat back and took a sip of his tea with a smug little smile.

Jae Joong glared at his younger brother's rude bragging about Tang's glorious kingdom. "What do you mean by that?"

"About being their vassal state... The Emperor gives us the opportunity to annihilate Balhae. Did we not learn from the past? Silla had experienced too much turmoil during the war with Tang. In our time, we should do our best to appease them."

"No!" the King yelled, slamming his fists onto the table.

The Prime Minister leaned forward. "Sire, please reconsider. This is serious. We do not want to anger the Tang Empire again. They had considered Silla an ally before, but our previous kings took them for granted. This offer might be the only one chance that we have."

"That will be a perilous move. Basking through Tang's glory? Yes, I have learned from the past. The kings' alliance with Tang had caused the unification of the Three Kingdoms, but that also had brought a lot of people during the war to fall to the claws of demise."

Digging his nails into his palms, the King glared at the Prime Minister. To even suggest such a thing! Silla's alliance with Tang should have ended with the unification of the Three Kingdoms, and they would never consider becoming a vassal to Tang no matter how appealing the offer was. It was imperative that Silla stands on its own.

"Silla can live as an independent nation. The hwarangs and the current weapons are already enough to protect the entire kingdom. In terms of technologies, we are not the losing end as well. I can guarantee that," Jae Joong defended.

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 drained in color. "Y-Ye-Yes!" the King stammered, lips trembling.

Jung Ho leaned back, satisfied with the King's response. It seemed like his older brother was not confident in the capabilities of their High Priestess. He tried to hold back a laugh, and as a result, his lips formed a shaky smirk. "As you say, Sire. You know 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 sly prime minister sensed the King's anxiety with the mood of their conversation and decided to ride along.

"Right. For the people. I guess this is where we end our discussion about political matters. I actually want to talk about your family. When will your wife give birth?" Jae Joong curiously asked.

"That was very nice of you. I guess any day within this week."

"Finally. Jung Min will have a new baby sister. Oh, right... when will Jung Min come back? It has been a while since I have seen my nephew."

The name of his son rang like a gong in Jung Ho's eardrums, over and over with the ceaseless pealing of a temple's alarm. Bright circles of red formed on his cheeks as he fought to calm himself of his irrational reactions, biting back any harsh words. Finally, he managed to bite out, "Sire, please do not mention him. He will be out there in Manno County for a long time." He pursed his lips and looked away.

Jae Joong pouted his lips, acting disappointed. "How unfortunate. Did you not miss your son? He has been in that province for quite a long time. I cannot even remember his face."

He continued to babble about how he missed Jung Min and his warm personality, while the Prime Minister clenched his fists under the table. Having made his point, the King gave his younger brother a crocodile smile and stood, with the excuse that he had personal errands to run and must cut their reunion short. However, the Prime Minister refused to let the King leave with the upper hand. As the King swept towards the door, Jung Ho blurted, "By the way, Sire, how are your twins?"

Jae Joong was rooted in his position, and his entire body froze in place. Anxiety and paranoia populated his mind, thinking about how Jung Ho knew about the twins.

"W-Wh-What are you talking about?... twins?" the stunned king stammered, turning around slowly. 

"Do not try to deny it, Sire, because I already know. They are my future nephews after all." The Prime Minister smirked, and decided to twist his metaphorical dagger straight into his older brother's heart. He mentally thanked Chil Yook for this essential piece of information. "It makes my heart soar that the solar eclipse will not occur this year. That means that I will have many years in the palace to play with both my nephews."

"Yes, that... that is true. It will not occur this year! The kingdom will know about my twins, and they will love them," Jae Joong declared.

"Ah, I see. Take care, Sire," Jung Ho mumbled.

Silence enveloped the entire chambers when the King left. The Prime Minister twitched his eyes, thinking deeply about his future sinister plans for the King and the twins. He leaned back in his chair, toying idly with his teacup. "Very splendid. Let us see who among us will lose this game, Sire." 

His lips twisted into a smile. "I am very thrilled to see your twins." 

__________

NOTES:

Balhae Kingdom (발해) - a kingdom located north of Silla. It was formed by resisting officers of the fallen kingdom of Goguryeo, alongside with the Mohe tribe. It was located in Modern day China, North Korea, and some parts of Russia.

Manno County (만노) - Modern day Jincheon County in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.