[Memory Archive System
Balance: 500 Yang
Cognitive Bandwidth: 0.9↑]
“It increased!” Mi-Reu exclaimed, her voice tight with triumph as she watched the panel appear before her eyes. “It jumped from 0.6 to straight 0.9 !” The successful jump in her stat was a clear, quantifiable validation of her theory.
However, the usual, boisterous enthusiasm from Gi-Reu didn't arrive. Instead, his small face was overshadowed by a troubled, heavy expression.
“Gi-Reu, what happened? Didn’t you hear me? It increased! That means our theory, that the Cognitive Bandwidth increases directly based on intense mental effort, might be completely true!” Mi-Reu urged, trying to pull him out of his funk.
“Yeah…” he murmured, but his mood remained stubbornly low.
“Oh… you’re still worried about that?” Mi-Reu asked, understanding the source of his distress. Gi-Reu nodded slowly. “Mi-Reu… will there genuinely be a rebellion? Our kingdom might not be able to hold on if the mountain lords rise up. What will happen to us?”
“Why do we even have to send tribute to the Ming Dynasty in the first place?” Gi-Reu asked, his eyes drifting up to the sky, mirroring the laying Mi-Reu’s gaze.
Mi-Reu, having spent a thought on diplomatic history, explained the delicate state of their sovereignty. “We send those tributes and perform the Kowtow Ritual to officially acknowledge the Dragon Robe and the Mandate of Heaven held by the Ming Emperor, Jiajing. It’s like a mutual deal..”
She continued, carefully choosing her words for her twin. “We remain our own kingdom, yes, but we exist under the protective grace of the Ming Dynasty. In exchange, we receive official titles as Royals in the Ming Court, their invaluable public acknowledgement of our right to this land, open access to trade routes with them, and most critically, their political and military protection.”
“That… that sounds suspiciously as if we are nothing more than a state completely under their control,” Gi-Reu concluded, his disappointment clear.
Mi-Reu sighed, knowing the political nuance was difficult for an eight-year-old even so similar to her. “That is not entirely true. They effectively control the Silk Road and much of the naval trade. To gain access to the wider world and earn recognition from such a massive, powerful nation is an extremely important thing for a small nation like Haebang. If we refused, foreign nations would simply invade us without a second thought, regardless of treaties.”
“The Joseon Dynasty, the ??i Vi?t Kingdom, the Ryukyu Kingdom, and many more nations all engage in the same tribute system,” Mi-Reu finished, hoping the sheer number of nations would illustrate the geopolitical necessity.
Gi-Reu nodded, the weight of the political reality settling heavily on him. “So… there is truly nothing we can do about their constant, increasing demands for more money…”
“So, here you two are! I have been searching the entire reception hall for you!” Princess Seo-Yeon’s voice rang out from behind them, accompanied by the rustle of her ceremonial silks as she walked purposefully toward the secluded corner. “I cannot believe the two of you managed to disappear in the few moments I wasn't keeping a strict eye on you! Now, follow me immediately. We will be staying indoors in the empty palace wings, far away from the main palace activity, until the evening feast.”
“Sister Seo-Yeon…! Can’t we just—” Gi-Reu began, hoping to appeal to her better nature.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
She shut him down instantly, her tone brooking no argument. “Both of you, now!”
With that final, firm command, the three royal siblings turned and began walking toward one of the less-used palace gathering wings, the urgency of their kingdom’s crisis momentarily overshadowed by the authority of their older sister.
“We shall play Snake and Ladders until the evening feast,” Princess Seo-Yeon declared. They had settled onto the thick mats spread across the floor of the empty gathering wing. Her Ladies-in-Waiting carefully unrolled the scroll, which depicted the colorful board game with its familiar pathways. “Select your pieces, roll the dice, and attempt to climb the board to become immortal!” she announced, adopting a playfully dramatic tone.
Gi-Reu immediately lunged forward. “Then I will take the…”
“The Elephant!” “The Elephant!”
Both twins shouted the word in perfect synchronicity, instantly freezing as they realized their parallel desire. They locked eyes, a childish glare passing between them, the prelude to an inevitable tantrum and fight over the favored playing piece.
Princess Seo-Yeon sighed, already anticipating the disruption. “Do not fight over something so trivial as a playing piece! I have an idea that is fair to all.” She scooped up all the different shaped pieces. “Everyone will roll the dice once, and we will let you select your game piece in the descending order of the numbers rolled.”
Though both twins disliked the idea of leaving the selection of their lucky piece to chance, the fairness of the arrangement was undeniable, and they reluctantly conceded. After everyone rolled their dice, neither Mi-Reu nor Gi-Reu managed to secure the prized elephant piece.
Gi-Reu immediately burst into laughter, pointing a triumphant finger at his twin. “I am so overjoyed! That you didn’t get the elephant!”
“I genuinely don’t understand why you two fight over something so trivial like a playing piece; you can play the game just as well with any of them,” Princess Seo-Yeon commented, shaking her head.
Both twins, again in unison, passionately defended their choice: “It’s My Lucky Charm!”
Gi-Reu immediately turned on his twin. “As if! Even with the elephant piece, you wouldn’t ascend the board and become immortal, Mi-Reu!”
“That’s quite the confidence, Gi-Reu,” Princess Seo-Yeon said, gently picking up the elephant piece and setting it aside. “Even the powerful Ming Emperor, Jiajing, is obsessed with achieving immortality, and he hasn't found a solution yet. Perhaps it’s a difficult goal, even on a board game.”
“I might be able to find the solution in the game, Sister, you know that very well,” Gi-Reu pouted, settling for a less desired piece.
“Your Highnesses! A messenger from His Majesty!” Just as they were about to begin the game, a royal messenger arrived abruptly at the wing.
“What is the nature of the message?” Princess Seo-Yeon asked, her playful mood instantly replaced by the seriousness required for official matters.
The messenger replied formally, “His Majesty has urgently summoned both His Highness Gi-Reu and Her Highness Mi-Reu to the main audience chamber!”
“Why?” Princess Seo-Yeon was genuinely confused, glancing suspiciously between her siblings, but she didn’t waste a moment. “I do not know what chaos you two have caused, but Father summons you now.” She turned and directed the twins. They nodded, their earlier exhaustion forgotten, and immediately began following the messenger back toward the main palace wing.
“This has to be about the Ministers’ Waiting Room… I am absolutely sure of it,” Mi-Reu whispered, her mind racing as they walked the long corridor.
Gi-Reu nodded, his excitement now laced with nervous dread. “For sure. I think we are in serious trouble.”
As they were about to reach the massive, carved doors of the main audience palace wing, Mi-Reu was deep in thought. She randomly whispered back a sudden, shocking conclusion to their earlier discussion. “But… I think this works out for us. I think I have a solution to our kingdom’s desperate treasury issue.”
“What?” Gi-Reu replied, just as the massive doors swung open.
The Announcer immediately announced their arrival. The room was still filled with important ministers and scholars, though the Ming envoys were notably absent. King Jin-Ho and Queen Myeong-Hwa sat upon the elevated stage, surrounded by every high-ranking official of Haebang.
“So you have arrived,” King Jin-Ho said, his powerful voice cutting through the expectant silence of the room. The tone was unreadable.
