Until Forever

Part I - Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

The Palace is in chaos. The emissary sent by the Tang Emperor to discuss trade with Silla had earlier blatantly insulted the Queen in front of the whole court. The envoy declared that the reason why Silla was being constantly attacked by the neighbouring kingdoms was because they had a female ruler. Their Emperor, in his desire to help the tiny kingdom of Silla, was willing to send a male relative of his to be proclaimed king and would send thirty thousand troops to protect the kingdom. Outraged, the Queen immediately instructed Chief Al Cheon to detain the envoys at Jo Won Palace while they confirmed the veracity of their claims. The Queen said that should their claims be proven false, they would be immediately beheaded but if they were proven true then Silla would cease all trade with the Tang. After the Tang entourage was secured under heavy guard at Jo Won Palace Her Majesty called Yushin, Yong Chun, Seo Hyeon and Chun Chu to an emergency meeting at the Palace.

            The air in the Queen’s chambers is heavy with suppressed indignation and incredulity. The Queen’s inner circle sat in silent foreboding, unable to voice their thoughts in fear of letting lose a barrage of crude expletives unsuitable to their station. Never in their lives have they witnessed such barefaced hostility against a Sovereign and they couldn’t help but feel a deep sympathy for Her Majesty. The Queen sat quietly at the head of the table, her blank face masking the fury she felt.

            “Lord Chun Chu, tell our emissary in Sui to verify the claims of the Tang envoys. If what they say is true, I want you to immediately stop all trade negotiations with them,” the Queen said.

            “Yes, Your Majesty,” answered Chun Chu.

            “What about our request for reinforcements from the Tang?” asked Yushin.

            “We must still continue with it until we receive word from our Sui emissary,” she answered.

            “I still can’t understand how they could have challenged Her Majesty in front of the whole court. Is that part of their negotiation tactics?” asked Yong Chun.

            “There are three fundamental rules in negotiation: first is to act with detachment to threats, second is to never deny your opponent’s accusations, and third is to always give your opponent the benefit of the doubt. In diplomatic parley, one must never say more than what one actually means. In the case of the Tang envoys however, they openly threatened and insulted the Queen in front of her subjects which leads me to believe that they have something else in mind,” the Queen said.

            The others looked at her thoughtfully, each one trying to grasp her meaning. The Queen looked up when Al Cheon entered.

            “Your Majesty, the envoys are now confined in Jo Won Palace under heavy guard. I have instructed all my men to never let anyone in, regardless of rank,” Al Cheon said. The Queen nodded and motioned Chief Al Cheon to take a seat.

            “What should we do while we await the confirmation from our Sui emissary, Your Majesty?” Lord Seo Hyeon asked.

            “We must wait for them to make the first move. I am sure that they are now confounded and afraid. They surely did not count on this happening to them,” answered Yushin. Yong Chun and Chun Chu nodded in agreement.

            “Lord Al Cheon, I want you to instruct your men to accept any bribes from the Tang envoys,” the Queen said. Lord Al Cheon looked up in surprise, uncertain of the Queen’s intention.