Lee Yeong returned to the palace while the morning mist still covered the stone path leading toward the Great Hall, yet instead of returning to his chamber to rest after the long night, he ordered Eunuch Jang to summon Deokgyeo Gungju, Minister Han Gyeong-su and Seon Jeo immediately, because although his anger toward his grand-aunt had not disappeared, he refused to punish her entire household based only on suspicion, especially when she had once been one of the few people who stayed beside him after the deaths inside the royal family left him surrounded by ministers who smiled in front of him and calculated behind his back.
When Deokgyeo Gungju entered the Great Hall, Lee Yeong was already seated on the throne in his red dragon robe, although the sleepless night remained visible beneath his eyes and the tightness around his mouth showed that he was holding back far more than exhaustion.
