Chapter 41
Yunseo, even as she was being dragged by Eom Sangjeon's hand, made sure to secure what needed to be secured.
“Sir. There are too many of Lady Yun's spies in the East Palace. Lady Choi was also Lady Yun's pawn, and it seems she committed suicide after passing everything off to Hong Seung-hwi because she was about to be discovered. This is an opportunity to find and eliminate all of Grand Prince Suyang's and Lady Yun's people.”
“I will take care of those matters myself, so you just solve that scrap of paper problem! If something happens to you, what about our young lady who follows you like a mother! What about our Highness, who finally found a woman and laughs out loud! Please be careful, please!”
Eom Sangjeon sternly reprimanded Yunseo, then, disregarding the eunuch’s plea that Grand Councilor Kim Jongseo and Grand Councilor Jeong Inji were inside, announced to the inner chambers.
“His Highness the Crown Prince. I must see Your Highness on a matter of utmost urgency.”
“······.”
The door opened, and Lee Hyang, clad in a neatly arranged red Dragon Robe, appeared.
Through the open door, two ministers wearing light pink Danryeong robes could be seen.
At a glance, the one whose Danryeong was made of very luxurious fabric was Jeong Inji, and the one in a plain fabric Jikryeong with a small build was Kim Jongseo.
Lee Hyang looked down at Yunseo, who was examining the interior with curious eyes, and then at Eom Sangjeon.
Then, Eom Sangjeon brought his mouth close to Lee Hyang’s ear and reported what had just happened in the East Palace in a low, rapid voice.
“!”
Lee Hyang, his lips pressed into a straight line, approached Yunseo.
Then, with his large hands, he cupped Yunseo’s cheeks, drawing her close as if to kiss her, and then whispered into her ear in a low voice.
“Do not worry about anything. Whatever is written, Yunseo, you will be safe.”
“!”
Yunseo felt her heart melt as if it were liquid.
While such unreserved expressions of affection had initially felt like an insult, now, as she was opening her heart, they felt like absolute, unwavering support.
Though she was deeply grateful for his feelings, Yunseo, knowing well that she could not afford to be careless when dealing with King Sejong, brought her lips close to Lee Hyang’s ear and whispered.
“I will diligently prepare my answers, Your Highness.”
“!”
“Since deciding to bury my bones in this Joseon as your woman, I have become meticulous.”
“···Yes, that’s my Yunseo!”
“······.”
‘My Yunseo’!
At times, Lee Hyang’s expressions were so cringe-worthy by modern standards that her hands and feet curled up.
“Ahem!”
Eom Sangjeon, who had been watching the scene from the side, seemed to share the same thought. Abandoning his usual extremely formal demeanor, he let out a few coughs, as if to say, ‘Snap out of it.’
Then, Lee Hyang released his hands from Yunseo’s cheeks and quickly instructed Eom Sangjeon.
“Start by investigating who Lady Choi, who is said to be dead, had contact with and how. And seize this opportunity to weed out those in the East Palace who are not loyal. And….”
A look of distress suddenly crossed Lee Hyang’s face.
“Keep Hong Seung-hwi in his pavilion, but cut off all external contact. Send a few trustworthy individuals to look after Geum-a well.”
Geum-a.
Yunseo thought of Hong Seung-hwi’s daughter, who had a pale face, spoke haltingly, and had a delayed mental development.
She also recalled what Palace Lady Park had said about how Lee Hyang sometimes made time to visit Hong Seung-hwi’s pavilion and affectionately taught Geum-a various things while holding her on his lap.
“He says he visits briefly on his way back from serving His Majesty his evening meal to try and teach that slow child how to use a spoon and such. Come to think of it, our Highness is truly a kind person. Isn't a person’s true character revealed in how they treat the weak and the humble?”
Although Lee Hyang cared, Yunseo also recalled the historical records stating that the child had lived only four years and died.
In moments like these, she was reminded that Lee Hyang had other women and other children besides Hongwi and the Lord of Pyeongchang.
Setting aside the complex emotions of being his woman, his thoughtfulness in caring for past relationships was worthy of respect.
New relationships eventually become old ones, and such is life that one might find themselves treated the same way as their past relationships.
Yunseo was about to withdraw to sort out the East Palace when Lee Hyang gently touched her shoulder.
“His Majesty will surely want to see the paper you wrote and sent me. Leave the sorting out of the East Palace to Eunuch Eom and Palace Lady Park, and let us prepare for what to do with it.”
Eom Sangjeon quickly bowed and returned to the East Palace.
“Then I will wait here.”
As Yunseo stepped onto the courtyard to wait, Lee Hyang gently took her shoulder.
“No. Let me introduce you to the two Grand Councilors, Yunseo. Let’s go in together.”
“···But, Your Highness.”
Won’t it look strange in the reality of Joseon?
As Yunseo was about to ask, Lee Hyang, already knowing her concern, shook his head.
“They need to know how important you are to me, Yunseo.”
Lee Hyang intended to create a situation beforehand so that if the matter escalated, the two ministers favored by His Majesty could stand on Yunseo’s side.
The Crown Prince, who had been discussing a plan to collect tribute in rice and currency instead of goods, suddenly left his study and returned with a beautiful woman with a cool demeanor. The two ministers stood up with surprised expressions.
“I wish to introduce a woman I cherish to the two Grand Councilors. Here, Lady Gwonga possesses outstanding insight and provides me with much wisdom. Did we not discuss the various issues that would arise if we collected tribute in rice? Then, I proposed collecting tribute in currency instead of rice, and do you remember the plan I presented to persuade the people who distrust currency?”
“You mean the plan to encourage currency usage by offering a 5-pun discount if tribute is paid in currency instead of rice, Your Highness? Are you saying that Lady Gwonga proposed that ingenious plan?”
Jeong Inji asked, glancing at Yunseo repeatedly.
“That is correct, Grand Councilor. The one who proposed that 5-pun discount plan is indeed Gwonga. This way, they will pay tribute using currency instead of rice, and it will also increase the possibility of currency circulation taking root quickly.”
“Oh!”
“Well, Your Highness has gained a good strategist.”
The two ministers still harbored some doubt in their hearts, but knowing well that His Majesty and the Queen were deeply concerned because the Crown Prince had no interest in women, they simply played along with the Crown Prince’s words and left.
“Your Highness, today in the Queen’s Palace, Lady Yun slandered you, saying that Your Highness is keeping me at a distance, which must be deepening the Queen Mother’s worries. I told her that…”
“Hmm?”
Yunseo said suddenly, looking over the bundle of papers she had written and sent.
Then, Lee Hyang, who was reading the contents of the papers again at a slight distance from Yunseo, looked at her.
His dark eyebrows were raised, and the corners of his mouth were pulled up, clearly teasing her, asking what she would do about this situation she had caused.
When Lee Hyang looked at her like that, Yunseo’s face would flush as if she were standing before a boy she had a crush on, and she would lower her head and mumble.
“I made an excuse that Your Highness, who must perform a ritual for rain due to the severe drought, is keeping me at a distance to maintain purity of body and mind.”
Then, Lee Hyang laughed out loud and lifted Yunseo’s chin with his finger, locking their gazes.
“I am knowledgeable in astronomy. Judging by the absence of a lunar halo, this drought is expected to last at least until the summer passes, and until then, I will be….”
Lee Hyang deliberately let his words trail off.
“If summer passes, that’s more than two months from now?”
“Yes, more than two months.”
“···A drought has little to do with a monarch’s conduct, but since I’ve said so, you must act accordingly.”
“Yes, for the sake of the people and for my Yunseo who will be alone, I must indeed put all my efforts into solving the drought problem. If I perform the rain ritual with abstinence, keeping my body and mind pure even with you by my side, the rain will finally come. So, from now on, if there is a drought, you will expect the same thing, won’t you, hmm?”
Lee Hyang raised his eyebrows as if to ask how she would resolve it, given that this would be the case even after waiting.
“No, Your Highness, who said I would be alone….”
As she mumbled, Yunseo recalled that for most of the Joseon Dynasty, severe droughts caused great suffering to the people almost every year.
“You must actively develop reservoir expansion and water wheels, Your Highness. Our country has rugged mountains, so rather than building large reservoirs in flat areas for irrigation, we should dig pits in various high-altitude locations, store water, and use it during droughts.”
As Yunseo picked up a brush to draw something on paper again, Lee Hyang raised his hand to stop her.
“Let’s resolve the contents of this paper first.”
Reviewing the contents of the paper she had written and sent on impulse, Yunseo finally reached a conclusion.
“Your Highness, it would be best if only you knew that I am a soul from the future. His Majesty might be pleased at first with my existence possessing novel knowledge, but later he will surely be wary of the danger I possess.”
Humans do not welcome the alien.
King Sejong, being a genius, would surely see through the potential danger Yunseo, with her future knowledge, might pose if she decided to act differently, and as a monarch, he would naturally be wary.
“I thought so too. Among the contents written here, regarding people, if possible, change them to stories of past Chinese sages, and if not, remove them. However, it would be strange to suddenly stop sending them, so from now on, send me love letters.”
“···What?”
“Did you not report that you sent a love letter to the Queen Mother? So, to make yourself look good to me, you must write stories about sages you’ve heard here and there, and occasionally send me heartfelt love letters for your words to be taken seriously.”
“······.”
Should I send song lyrics?
To avoid copyright issues in later generations, I should tell him to burn them after reading, and I could write down poems I memorized for my studies.
As Yunseo pondered what to write, Lee Hyang said.
“What you write and send, come here tonight and tell me in person.”
“You told me to write it down because Your Highness is too busy with state affairs to see me.”
“Was it because I was busy?”
“Was it because I was busy, my lady?”
“······!”
Ah.
Yunseo’s face flushed again at Lee Hyang’s voice, which was low and seductive, and she had to lower her head.
For the next few days, the East Palace was in disarray with dismissed palace ladies and eunuchs, and newly appointed ones.
A Royal Order was issued stating that Hong Seung-hwi’s treatment would be decided after reviewing the contents of the note His Majesty intended to restore, so he was merely confined to his pavilion for the time being.
Furthermore, a Royal Order was issued that Yunseo was not to leave the East Palace until the contents of the paper in the pocket were fully revealed.
Therefore, Yunseo spent her days looking after Hongwi, writing song lyrics or poems about love to send to Lee Hyang, and at night, she went to Bihyeon Pavilion to revise the contents of her existing reports and explain her knowledge verbally.
Lady Yun, Grand Prince Suyang’s wife, who had spoken carelessly about the East Palace’s affairs, claiming to have heard them from Hong Seung-hwi, was also ordered to remain in Myeongrye Palace and await the judgment of His Majesty and the Queen Mother.
Amidst the general chaos, six days later, King Sejong finally summoned Yunseo to Cheonsu Hall.
