Chapter 22
Episode 22. Cheonsu Hall, A Private Audience with King Sejong (1) / Three lines added at the end
Unaware of Joseon's Bogumi, Yunseo dismissed Eom Sangjeon's words and returned to her quarters.
Then, she tightly bound her chest with soft coarse cotton cloth, put on a light sky-blue Jeogori and trousers, and over that, wore an azure long coat with slits at the sides and back for ease of riding, and a gat.
“Handsome one!”
Maegeumi, who rarely spoke, looked at Yunseo’s attire, gave a thumbs-up, and uttered a single word.
Maegeumi wore a robe typically worn by boys and a headband, and was so thin that it was impossible to tell she was a girl.
Eunuchs castrated before puberty had almost no male hormones, so they had no beards and their voices were thin.
That is why when the tall Yunseo, leading a horse brought from the East Palace's stables, showed her eunuch office identification badge upon exiting Geonchun Gate, no one suspected a thing.
Yunseo now skillfully placed her foot in the stirrup and swiftly mounted the horse.
On the first day, being unaccustomed, she had placed her left foot in the stirrup and Maegeumi had pushed her backside, allowing her to barely mount the horse.
Once mounted, the horse’s back felt higher than she had expected, so she couldn't straighten her back and could only manage a trot through the Six Ministries' avenue. However, as the memories of Gwonga’s body gradually returned, by the time she entered the east-west thoroughfare heading towards Donuimun, she could ride at a good speed with proper posture.
After coming from Geonchun Gate towards Gwanghwamun, passing through the wide Six Ministries' avenue, and then running through the east-west thoroughfare to the west, exiting Donuimun leads to Bansongbang, where Park Sanggung’s residence is located.
It is here that our Park Sanggung Mama-nim’s excellent real estate investment acumen becomes apparent: nearby is Mowhagwan, where Ming envoys are received, and a short run south leads to Mapo ferry, and further northeast lies the route for royal missions stretching all the way to Uiju.
As she approached the forty-room tiled house situated at a strategically vital crossroads, Nosandae came out to greet her upon hearing the sound of hooves.
Nosandae, in his fifties, looked like a kind middle-aged man, but the numerous large and small sword scars on his forearms, with sleeves rolled up, suggested he had seen his share of fighting in his day.
“I’ve gathered all the medicinal herbs and oils you asked me to procure. However, pig fat spoils easily, so it’s best made just before use.”
It was a very thick northern dialect. However, Park Sanggung said that if she put her mind to it, she could use any dialect from any province.
For instance, if Yunseo were accustomed to the Chungcheong dialect,
“If those Mapo folk cause trouble, I’ll have my younger siblings give them a good beating. Mama-nim, don’t worry about a thing.”
She could instantly construct a slow, naive, and somewhat cunning-sounding dialect with great skill.
Nosandae, who handled matters efficiently, had procured all the items Yunseo had requested during her first visit within a few days.
He opened the door to the servants' quarters, revealing the room’s floor completely covered with samphire, picked from the Ganghwa tidal flats.
“Soju bottles are not difficult to find, but as you mentioned, ones with long necks are rare, so I ordered one specially from an ironworker.”
Yunseo ate the meal prepared by Nosandae’s servants—or rather, Park Sanggung’s servants’ servants—deliciously. Then, as she began to infuse the herbs for the Jaun-go ointment, to be applied to our Hongwi’s mosquito bites and our cold beauty Crown Prince’s early boils, into round ceramic jars made for chamber pots, pouring in St. John’s wort oil, camellia oil, and sesame oil respectively, it was past the hour of Osi (12:00 PM).
Just as she had infused almost all the herbs like lithospermum root, angelica root, sophora root, honeysuckle flower, chrysanthemum flower, angelica dahurica root, forsythia fruit, elm bark, peony root, and scutellaria root, which alleviate skin inflammation and reduce itching, a commotion arose outside, and a young eunuch, who served as Eom Sangjeon’s secretary, burst in.
“Kwon Ga, the maid, you must return to the Palace immediately.”
“Huh? Why? Is something wrong with our young lady?”
“No, it’s not the young lady. Jeon Gyun, a eunuch from the Grand Audience Hall, has arrived and is making a furious fuss, demanding why you haven’t appeared immediately when His Majesty has summoned you.”
Jeon Gyun!
Hearing the name of the man who had sided with King Sejo and led the charge in killing our Hongwi, Yunseo’s teeth clenched involuntarily.
“Let’s go. Maegeumi, let’s go.”
Yunseo quickly mounted her horse and began to ride at full speed.
She rode so fast that before the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed, she arrived in front of Geonchun Gate.
However, unlike when she left, it was not easy to pass through Geonchun Gate and return safely to the East Palace.
As she was about to put the horse in the stable, two eunuchs suddenly appeared and grabbed Yunseo’s arms on either side.
Maegeumi sprang forward instantly, trying to release her arms from their grip.
“Maegeumi!”
If weapons were to be drawn here, it would truly be a disaster.
“You go back to the East Palace and inform Eom Sangjeon Mama-nim of my situation.”
Having sent Maegeumi away like that, Yunseo was dragged to Cheonsu Hall.
She asked if she could at least tidy her hair, which had come undone from riding at full speed and was now disheveled, but Jeon Gyun’s eunuchs paid no heed and dragged Yunseo to kneel in the courtyard of Cheonsu Hall.
“Hoh, so you’ve grown so bold that you, a mere maid, are dressed like a man and wearing a gat. Let’s see what His Majesty has to say about this.”
Jeon Gyun hissed like a snake, glared at Yunseo, then cleared his throat and announced towards the inside of Cheonsu Hall.
“Your Majesty, Kwon Ga, the maid, has arrived.”
“Have her enter.”
Yunseo hastily swept her hair, which was sticking out in all directions, back under her gat and entered the open door of Cheonsu Hall, prostrating herself.
“Your Majesty, this one has impudently worn men’s clothing and freely entered and exited the Palace. How can the order of the East Palace be so utterly chaotic? Even Eom Jachi, the head of the East Palace, should be severely punished—”
“Who told you to dare speak of the affairs of the East Palace? The affairs of the place where the Crown Prince of this nation resides!”
As King Sejong roared, Jeon Gyun prostrated himself deeply and stammered, “I have committed a crime worthy of death, Your Majesty. I have committed a crime worthy of death,” and hastily left the pavilion.
Yunseo, still prostrate by the door inside Cheonsu Hall, dared not lift her head and trembled.
Only at this moment did it truly sink in that this was 15th-century Joseon, and that the King’s gaze alone, pouring down on her, could overwhelm her with the terror of death, causing her to lose consciousness.
Her entire body was already drenched in cold sweat, and she couldn't breathe properly. Yunseo consciously expanded her chest and desperately took deep breaths, exhaling.
“Tell me, what were you doing outside the Palace dressed like that.”
The King’s command fell.
Yunseo thought that if one could kill with voice alone, it would be like this.
She recalled Park Sanggung’s words: the late King Taejong, a harsh monarch who often had eunuchs and palace ladies beaten with sticks, was surprisingly lenient with major offenses. However, the current King, while not resorting to beatings, valued principles and severely punished, even to the point of death, any actions that deviated from them.
A ring, I should have been wearing that ring. If I were, there would be at least a sliver of a chance to return to modern times even if I died.
If I die here, what will happen to our Hongwi, who has only just become lively and spirited?
Lee Hyang must diligently bathe, wear light clothing, and not overwork herself to live a long life.
Only then will our Hongwi grow up safely and live a long life.
But is wearing men’s clothes and leaving the Palace truly a crime worthy of death?
Too many thoughts swirled in her mind, overwhelmed by fear, making her head feel completely blank.
Yunseo bit the soft flesh inside her mouth with all her might.
Using the bitter taste of blood filling her mouth and the intense pain piercing her body as leverage, Yunseo could finally open her lips.
“I, I was on night watch, so I had some free time during the day, and I went out to make medicinal herbs. I wore men’s clothing because I had to go and come back quickly, and it was more convenient for riding.”
“Make medicinal herbs? What kind?”
“It’s an ointment to apply to our His Highness the Grandson’s mosquito bites.”
“······.”
King Sejong remained silent, offering no words.
A monarch’s silence was more terrifying than a monarch’s roar.
Yunseo thought to herself, ‘Damn it, Crown Princess Consort Kwon! I’ll see you in hell. I’ll stomp on you piece by piece.’ She ground her teeth.
Grinding her teeth and cursing Consort Kwon lessened her fear. Humans are beings who gain the strength to live even through hatred and resentment.
“You, there is Schisandra berry cold tea over there, drink some.”
Finally, King Sejong’s words were heard.
What had she just heard? The words were so unexpected that she couldn't comprehend them, and Yunseo merely lowered her head even further.
“Kwon Ga, there is Schisandra berry cold tea, so drink some and collect yourself.”
Only then did she lift her head and see a Royal Lady, who looked well over thirty, standing in a corner holding a tray with a teapot and ceramic cups.
This Royal Lady must be the famous Cheonsu Hall resident Royal Lady who is both deaf and mute.
‘I won’t die.’
Giving food to someone you intend to kill is something a psychopath would do. Humans have evolved to find it difficult to kill what they have fed.
Of course, if the desire for power takes precedence, one can feed and care for someone only to kill them cruelly, but Yunseo, a mere maid who could be killed with a single word, was not even worthy of being fed and then killed.
As relief washed over her, her body lost all strength, and she didn't have the energy to stand up.
So, Yunseo crawled on all fours like an animal towards the Royal Lady.
The mute Royal Lady poured a cup full of beautifully red tea.
As the cool liquid passed down her esophagus and into her stomach, she finally felt like she could live.
So, she held out the empty cup for another serving and drank it. This time, she stood up, backed away to the door, and prostrated herself again.
“Tell me, what is the specific relationship between aging and lying?”
“!”
So this is what this person wanted to ask me after saving my life with tea!
Does that mean they’ll kill me after I explain this?
Ah, King Sejong the Great is someone to be met and respected in books, not someone to face directly like this!
As Yunseo wailed inwardly,
“Did you not say previously in the Queen’s Palace, ‘To fabricate a lie requires sophisticated cognitive abilities. The fact that you cannot name an age for our young lady to invent events that did not occur, while accurately recalling the location of events from two days ago, means she is not yet of that age.’”
Whoa.
Whoa, whoa.
They said he was a genius, and he remembered my words verbatim, words I myself don't recall.
Witnessing King Sejong the Great’s astonishing memory and his insatiable thirst for knowledge, the fear of death paradoxically diminished.
I should reveal everything I know. Then, perhaps, out of curiosity, he won’t kill me.
“The human brain develops sequentially. Just as our bodies develop from basic innate abilities like breathing, crying, sleeping, and eating, to crawling, walking, and running over time, our brains also develop sequentially, from the infant stage of simply distinguishing likes and dislikes and being unable to differentiate between desire and reality, to a stage where one gradually learns to distinguish and utilize the desires of others and one’s own wishes, and further, to high-level cognitive abilities that yearn for abstract knowledge, invisible to the eye, like we have now.”
Clearing her throat, Yunseo began to recite the stages of brain development and cognitive ability.
She feared being interrogated about where she learned such things, but the fear of being killed for wearing men’s clothes and roaming outside the Palace was far greater.
However, as she spoke of the knowledge she possessed, her reason, which had been paralyzed by the initial stage of fear with the simultaneous secretion of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, gradually began to function properly.
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