Life in the Eastern Palace (1)
"Even after I bestowed silver and silk like mountains, why are the rituals not working?"
"Th-that is, Madam… the st-stars, the starlight is… not ordinary…"
"…What!? You said the problem was that she shared the same surname as the late Lady Gwon, so we used poison on the day the ominous star shone—and now you speak of starlight?"
It had been Mugai herself who gave the divination—that to weaken the royal grandson in body and mind, both his nurse Lady Yi and the nanny Court Lady Gwon had to be removed.
And now, this!
"You wretched woman! Do you think this great undertaking is a game? Must you be beaten to death before you come to your senses?!"
"The late… late Crown Princess appeared… and said, 'How dare you harm my son,' and cast a killing curse… Two of my spirit daughters have already died… S-so, Madam… at this point…"
"Ha! Someone—drag her out and beat her!"
Mugai had expected that invoking the dead Crown Princess would frighten Lady Yun into stopping. Instead, she collapsed, clasping her hands and begging desperately.
"Madam! Madam, please spare me! I—I will perform the rituals again, offer devotion again to the spirits—"
Terrified of immediate death, Mugai poured out frantic explanations to calm Lady Yun's rage.
"A few days ago, the star trembled, and the spirits grew angry. So please, Madam, for now—please restrain yourself and wait for the right time. The royal grandson bears the fate of a short life… just a little longer, just a little longer, please, I beg you!"
But Mugai did not reveal the truth—that on the day the star shook and shone brilliantly with golden light, the spirit she served had warned her that a powerful soul from a distant world had crossed over, and that she must never interfere in matters of the royal family.
The wrath of the spirits would come slowly.
But Lady Yun's wrath was an immediate threat to her life.
Mugai's desperate pleas softened Lady Yun's anger slightly.
"Begone! Go and offer prayers day and night for my lord and my Hyeondong!"
"Y-yes, Madam! I will pray day and night—and send my spirit daughters to Mokmyeoksan, even as far as Geumgangsan and Seoraksan, to offer devotion for Your Highness's household!"
"…Take the silver you need for the rituals."
After sending the shaman away, Lady Yun began to calmly retrace the situation.
Thanks to the silver she had generously spread around, the eunuchs of the main hall and the Chief Court Lady had all become loyal informants, reporting daily on the King and Crown Prince's movements.
The Queen favored her own grandson, Dowon-gun, even more than that child.
And even the officials close to Grand Prince Anpyeong were gradually turning toward her husband, enticed by lavish hunting outings and precious gifts.
Then why—why, of all things—
'It's because of that wench Gwon.'
From the moment Court Lady Gwon—who should have died—stood in the Queen's palace, holding the royal grandson as if he were her own son, and reported Dowon-gun's prank with sharp, piercing eyes…
Everything had begun to unravel.
Because of that accusation, even the Crown Prince had grown wary, rushing to formally invest that foolish child as heir.
"Jo Jeoneon! Bring Jo Jeoneon here!"
Lady Yun summoned Jo Jeoneon.
Her real name was Jo Dudae. Though a royal slave, she was highly learned—from Chinese characters to Sanskrit—and intelligent enough to assist Grand Prince Suyang in translating Buddhist scriptures.
"Jo Jeoneon, we must first get rid of that Court Lady Gwon. I cannot properly support my lord's great cause while she lives."
Jo Jeoneon recalled the cold face of Court Lady Gwon, who had sternly demanded, "Did you strike our young master?" at Yanghwadang.
That day, the other court ladies who had attended Dowon-gun were nearly beaten to death, but Jo Jeoneon alone escaped punishment thanks to Suyang and Lady Yun covering it up.
A servant's glory follows their master.
Jo Dudae's mind began to spin rapidly.
"What difficulty is there in removing a mere court lady? However, if we act directly, suspicion will fall upon you, Madam. As my grandson once said, among the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the third is the 'Borrowed Knife to Kill."
"...!"
Lady Yun's expression twisted slightly.
Raised as a cherished daughter of a noble family, she unfortunately could not read.
Sensing her mood instantly, Jo Jeoneon hurriedly explained:
"It means to borrow another's hand—to achieve your goal without dirtying your own. We move the people around that wretch to fulfill your precise intentions."
Lady Yun's face relaxed again.
"Oh. Yes, of course. Killing outright would be best, but since that is not possible, even that little brat must be left alive. Then which piece shall we use on the board?"
"Is not Hong Seunghwi your maternal cousin? She is simple-minded, yet fiercely jealous. Having once enjoyed the Crown Prince's deep favor, if we stir her slightly, she will throw herself into ruining Court Lady Gwon with all her might."
"Mm, yes. I had that niece, didn't I? Hong Seunghwi—so naive she obediently decocts and drinks the medicinal herbs I send her without suspicion. Go into the palace soon and meet her. It should be about time her medicine runs out, so it will serve as a good pretext."
"Yes, Madam. Also, I have investigated—Court Lady Gwon has half-siblings. They will be very useful. I shall arrange something on that side as well."
"Good. Spare no silver. Money can always be extracted again—but once a great undertaking falters, it is hard to restore."
While blades were thus raised from all directions, weaving conspiracies against Yunseo—
Yunseo herself spent busy days dividing her time between the Eastern Palace and Bansongbang, living between day and night.
The quarters Yunseo stayed in, belonging to Chief Eunuch Eom, were a small building attached to the northwestern wall of the Eastern Palace.
From the front courtyard of Jaseondang, one could enter his bedroom and office directly through a door. Beside it, through a small side door, lay a narrow inner hall just wide enough for two people to pass.
Along that hall were four small rooms in a row. Yunseo stayed in one, and in the adjoining room separated by a paper door stayed Maegum, her attendant and guard. Another room was occasionally used by Head Court Lady Park.
Maegum, who entered the palace the very day Hongwi moved to the Eastern Palace, was about fifteen or sixteen years old—extremely thin, like a scrappy fighting chicken brimming with hostility.
"I'm Gwon Yunseo. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
When Yunseo extended her hand, Maegum—whose face held nothing but a blank expression—didn't even meet her eyes, merely shrugging her shoulders.
Head Court Lady Park, flustered, lightly tapped Maegum's shoulder.
"She may be blunt, but her skills are as good as the Royal Guards. Even cutting off a man's head—she excels at it."
"Cutting off a head? What is she, butchering pigs?"
Yunseo asked, startled.
"It's just a figure of speech. Why do you sometimes act so slow-witted like before? If you get like that again, I'll shove those pine-flower sweets back into your mouth."
She added repeated warnings to be extremely careful, as all eyes were on the Eastern Palace.
Even while Yunseo and Head Court Lady Park bickered and talked about her, Maegum simply sat staring at the wall, as if the conversation had nothing to do with her. Perhaps she had been abused as a child.
But when Yunseo asked what she would use to protect her in an emergency, Maegum's eyes suddenly lit up.
With a smooth motion, she rolled up her sleeve.
On her thin arm—nothing but bone and muscle like Bruce Lee's—was coiled a whip resembling snakeskin.
Then she lifted her skirt slightly, revealing a leather belt over plain undergarments. Attached to it were a small dagger in a sheath, eight throwing knives, and a delicate pouch embroidered with tiny pearls forming flowers on red silk.
"What's inside that pretty pouch?"
Yunseo asked.
Maegum simply lowered her eyes again and shrugged.
Yunseo wanted to ask if it contained something like a dimensional ring as she had—but it didn't seem like she would answer. So instead, she offered the most reliable incentive of all: material reward.
"I'll add two bolts of cotton cloth on top of your monthly wage from the Eastern Palace. In return, you must protect my life properly."
At that, Head Court Lady Park smacked Yunseo on the back and scolded her:
"Instead of those leech-like half-siblings of yours, now—…"
Park Sanggung, who had been about to scold her—'You're planning to give everything to this child'—belatedly remembered that the person in question was right there, and cleared her throat awkwardly.
At the mention of "two bolts of cotton cloth," Maegum, who had for the first time slightly lifted the corners of her lips, tilted her head and asked in just two words:
"You? Baby?"
"…?"
Not understanding, Yunseo looked at Park Sanggung, but she only shook her head.
Maegum then pointed toward the warm room of Jaseondang where Hongwi was and asked again:
"You? Baby?"
Only then did Yunseo understand.
If both Hongwi and Yunseo were in danger at the same time, who should be saved first?
It seemed Maegum had been struck by how firmly Yunseo had held Hongwi earlier during the argument with Hong Seunghwi.
In a moment like this, the proper, decisive answer would be—without a second's hesitation—"Our Hongwi!"
But Yunseo hesitated for three full seconds before weakly asking:
"…Can't you save both? I'll give you two more bolts of cloth."
Maegum shook her head firmly. How cold.
"…Then save the little one. I've lived quite a varied life already, but our young lady has a long road ahead of her…"
If Park Sanggung hadn't been watching, she might have said, "Me! Me! I'm the one paying you!"
Sigh… why does nothing in life come for free?
Then suddenly—
"Oh! That's a good idea."
"You're saying that no matter the situation, you're skilled enough to definitely save one person, right? Then that means you're also skilled enough to definitely kill one person, no matter the situation?"
Maegum's eyes sparkled again as she nodded vigorously.
"Good! Very good!"
In that case, if anything happened, she could just have Grand Prince Suyang killed outright.
At that thought, Yunseo suddenly felt refreshed, her appetite returning.
"My lady, how do we eat here? I'll be taking the night shift soon, so I should eat something beforehand. And what about bathing?"
"Your meal will be brought shortly by Jungbi and Sawol. As for bathing, you can use the small building by the well near the northeastern wall of the Eastern Palace. The water attendants keep hot water ready there at all times."
"…By the well?"
To return from there, she would have to pass by the east heated room of Jaseondang—where Lee Hyang resided.
If we run into each other after a bath, that would be awkward…
But Yunseo soon shook her head.
Would a man—always so composed on the outside, yet likely suffering from psychogenic erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation—really care about a slightly damp court lady?
The problem wasn't Lee Hyang.
It was her—the one imagining that perfectly built body!
From that day on, Yunseo lived an extremely busy life, dividing her time between day and night.
Around 4 p.m.—about halfway through the Shin hour in Joseon time—she would leave her quarters and walk roughly five hundred steps to the west heated room to change shifts.
There, she would begin by attending to Hongwi's evening meal.
Usually, Hongwi ate alone in the west room, though once—three days later—Lee Hyang happened to have time and joined the meal from the east room.
But on that day, something truly troublesome happened.
Perhaps he had taken to heart Yunseo's earlier remark—that wearing too many layers could lead to boils and even death—because whenever Lee Hyang returned to the Eastern Palace, he began dressing shockingly lightly.
It was late in the fourth lunar month—early June by the solar calendar—and that year, the drought was severe, and the heat had arrived early.
Lee Hyang, who was said to always wear his formal dragon robe neatly even until bedtime in midsummer, now, after meeting Yunseo alone, would return from official duties and change into extremely thin, fine, milky-white ramie garments—loose trousers and jacket—and drape over them a similarly sheer red robe, worn loosely and carelessly.
That day, while attending Hongwi's meal, Yunseo could only scream endlessly inside her head:
"Oh heavens! When a sculpted, impossibly handsome man wears see-through clothing and casually lingers in front of me, teasing glimpses of his perfect body—even if he suffers from erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation—where on earth is a young woman supposed to look?!"