Chapter 49
< Chapter 49. Grand Prince Suyang Meets Gwonga (1) >
It was only after Yunseo visited the Royal Pharmacy that she realized she had mistaken the Hyminseo for the Hwalinseo.
‘But in the drama Heo Jun, they treated poor commoners.’
In reality, it was more like a high-class treatment facility, with nobles and commoners of rather grand attire, and physicians with rather pretty faces, providing meticulous care!
“Where are all the poor patients?”
Yunseo asked with a puzzled look, and Royal Physician Jeon Sun-ui replied with a gentle smile and politeness.
“Kwon Sanggung Mama, the poor and destitute patients are being cared for at Hwalinwon outside Dongsomun Gate and Seosomun Gate. It is difficult to keep such dangerous individuals within the capital city where His Majesty the King and His Highness the Crown Prince, and various royal guests reside.”
That was right.
Yunseo had recently been promoted from a nanny Palace Lady to a nanny Royal Lady of the fifth rank.
It was a rank that Lee Hyang had requested from the Queen Mama for her, so that she wouldn't face difficulties due to her low rank when carrying out activities outside, while continuing to care for Hongwi.
When she requested a physician knowledgeable in medicinal herbs be assigned to her to develop treatments for boils and various infectious diseases in preparation for her first visit to the Royal Pharmacy, Lee Hyang said she would assign the most famous Royal Physician, 'that' Jeon Sun-ui.
That 'Jeon Sun-ui' who, even as Munjong's boils were rapidly worsening, entertained Chinese envoys and personally observed archery practice as if nothing were wrong, leading to his sudden death!
“Your Highness! That Jeon Sun-ui—”
As Yunseo instinctively showed strong resistance and tried to continue speaking, Lee Hyang, who had been affectionately touching her moments before, suddenly hugged Yunseo so tightly she could barely breathe, and said,
“Did I not command you? Not to utter a word about people. You once told Eom Naegwan about 'self-fulfilling prophecy,' didn't you? That applies to you too, Kwon Yunseo!”
She warned sternly.
It was a warning not to judge people based on events that happened in history but not here in Joseon, and a strict order for herself not to let preconceptions cloud her judgment when, as a future monarch, she would need to utilize various talents in their proper places.
Yet, the Jeon Sun-ui she met at the Royal Pharmacy was very polite, stating he would actively assist Kwon Sanggung Mama in the work she intended to undertake.
Park Sanggung Mama had said he was the type to pluck out his own liver and offer it as a decoction if it meant gaining the favor of a powerful person, and indeed!
“I heard Kwon Sanggung Mama intends to create external medications. In that case, the extraction of medicinal components and the base component for application must also be considered.”
Jeon Sun-ui was very earnest in his desire to help Yunseo.
So, Yunseo explained the concept of sterilization, asking Jeon Sun-ui about the possibility of distilling high-proof alcohol once more to obtain highly pure ethanol, and then diluting it for use in preventing various infections.
She also requested him to find out if ethanol could be used for sterilization in case of severe boils requiring incision. This was because she recalled reading somewhere that Munjong's death might have been caused by acute sepsis from an infected boil wound.
While discussing the possibilities of disinfectants and external medications with Jeon Sun-ui, and planning to extract medicinal components from the herbs in the Royal Pharmacy to create external medications,
Grand Prince Suyang, whom she had expected to meet, did not appear until it was time to return to the Palace after one watch.
“The Grand Prince has urgent business and cannot come now, but he will visit separately later this afternoon to supervise,”
Someone from Grand Prince Suyang's Myeongrye Palace came later and informed Yunseo.
Even after visiting twice more at three-day intervals, she could not see Grand Prince Suyang, making her wonder if he was deliberately avoiding her.
Grand Prince Suyang, meanwhile, had visited the Royal Pharmacy in Yunseo's absence and received a detailed report on the work Kwon Ga Sanggung was doing and how it could be integrated into the existing operations of the Royal Pharmacy.
Grand Prince Suyang had avoided meeting Kwon Ga Sanggung face-to-face for several complex reasons.
The first was the delicate situation when he received the Royal Order to improve the systematic operational plan of the Royal Pharmacy.
He had been feeling restless, as he hadn't been given any specific tasks after returning from the Onyang hot spring trip.
However, Grand Prince Suyang, an excellent hunter, knew well that when anxious, one must suppress their presence and remain hidden. Acting rashly out of impatience would only provoke the prey's wariness and lead to failure.
Therefore, when his wife, who had met the 'monster' Kwon Ga, raged that she couldn't let it be, he had calmly comforted her, saying to let it be unless there was a decisive blow, and that if they waited, the opportunity would be theirs.
Still, he had been very pleased and his heart had pounded when Father had issued a Royal Order to visit Cheonsu Hall, of all places.
Upon entering Cheonsu Hall, accessible only to a select few, with a fluttering heart, Father had said:
“Yu, you know well that I have established medicinal herb fields in various places since the beginning of my reign to cultivate medicinal herbs suited to our soil. However, the use of these herbs is largely limited to decoctions, isn't it? I would like you to take charge of developing external medications by extracting the medicinal properties of the herbs.”
“Yes, Father. This humble one will cooperate with the Royal Physicians and the Royal Pharmacy to surely create excellent external medications.”
Grand Prince Suyang Yu was inwardly delighted and accepted the Royal Order, as advancing medicine was an endeavor of immense utility, earning great praise from court officials and the populace, and allowing him to expand his influence.
But then.
“Take this and try using it.”
And Father, through Consort Cheon, bestowed upon him a small lump wrapped in paper and a container similar to those used for women's rouge.
“This is the soap and Jaun-go made by the nanny Kwon Ga, no, now nanny Royal Lady Kwon Ga. When I used this soap, my body was cleaned very well, and the Jaun-go was very effective for minor itching and mosquito bites. Since Kwon Ga, who can make such things, intends to develop more potent external medications at the Royal Pharmacy, you too should go to the Royal Pharmacy and participate in the development with Kwon Ga.”
He commanded.
Even Father was talking about 'Kwon Ga.'
He had been on his way to the Palace after pacifying his wife, who, while usually bold, lost her reason when it came to this Kwon Ga, spewing unspeakable curses.
Grand Prince Suyang felt a prickling in the back of his neck and a headache.
“...Am I being ordered to act as an assistant to this Royal Lady Kwon?”
So, Yu, who had always politely followed his father's will, inadvertently asked with a hint of defiance. King Sejong looked at his second son with a surprised expression.
“No. Kwon Ga has received the Crown Prince's Royal Favor, but she is merely a nanny Royal Lady to the Grandson. How can she command authority when pushing forward work at the Royal Pharmacy? My intention is for you, as a Grand Prince, to go and supervise so that all matters proceed smoothly.”
After speaking, he paused for a moment and then added meaningfully.
“Kwon Ga is highly likely to become an important consort to the Crown Prince in the future. Therefore, wouldn't it be good for you to have an opportunity to cooperate closely?”
“...Yes, Father. This humble one will diligently supervise and create excellent external medications.”
Although he replied verbally and left Cheonsu Hall, Grand Prince Suyang felt great disappointment and frustration at the thought of being equated by his father with a mere Royal Lady, a candidate for the Crown Prince's concubine.
Furthermore, his wife, upon hearing the news, warned him not to confront Kwon Ga directly for the time being.
“From my experience, and also what the shaman Mugai said, that Kwon Ga will undoubtedly become an obstacle to what you intend to do, and to our affairs. Therefore, I am currently ordering powerful shamans and sorcerers to perform curse rituals. I fear that if you go near her, you might be adversely affected.”
Grand Prince Suyang, who had lived for a long time as the second successor to the throne, the younger brother of the Crown Prince who had no heir, surmised that the King's order to cooperate with Kwon Ga held a greater meaning than simply achieving medical advancements and improving the functions of the Royal Pharmacy.
He also suspected that his wife was plotting something more sinister than just curse rituals.
However, he, who had been implicitly treated as a potential Crown Prince, now had to look after a candidate for the Crown Prince's consort after the birth of the Grandson. This anger and self-contempt made him afraid of incurring the suspicion of his Father and elder brother by treating Kwon Ga carelessly. Thus, he had deliberately visited the Royal Pharmacy only when Kwon Ga was absent to receive reports on the current situation.
But then.
There was an incident that made Grand Prince Suyang change his mind and decide he needed to meet Kwon Ga directly.
“Grand Prince, please look at this.”
When he visited the Royal Pharmacy after Shinshi (3 PM), the time Kwon Ga was supposed to have left, the strong scent of various medicinal herbs like forsythia fruit, honeysuckle flower, Atractylodes chinensis, and Atractylodes lancea filled the air, while Royal Physician Jeon Sun-ui was experimenting with a small amount of liquid that looked like oil.
“This is the medicinal herb and its extraction method being experimented with to create an external medication more potent than Jaun-go.”
Jeon Sun-ui, who was extremely polite to any powerful person, showed Grand Prince Suyang a bound document resembling a booklet.
However, the recording method was quite peculiar.
Unlike the usual method of listing items vertically and writing the corresponding content next to them, the record book made by Kwon Ga Sanggung used a 'table' format, with rows and columns, allowing for a quick grasp of the names of the extracted medicinal components, the amounts used, the blending method, and the blending ratios.
“Are you saying this 'table' was created by Kwon Ga Sanggung?”
“Yes, Grand Prince. And Kwon Sanggung Mama, please look at this.”
Jeon Sun-ui took out a flat container tightly wrapped in oil paper. When he opened the lid, a strong pine scent stimulated his nose.
“This is obtained by distilling fresh pine needles in a device resembling a liquor still and then skimming off the oil that floats on the water. This oil has a much stronger original scent than when boiled as a decoction, and it appears to contain far more medicinal components. In this manner, we are currently extracting components from the flowers, leaves, and stems of fresh, un-dried medicinal herbs such as honeysuckle flower, forsythia fruit, angelica root, Atractylodes chinensis, angelica dahurica root, and peony root.”
A faint hint of excitement could be detected in Jeon Sun-ui's voice.
This was a sight he had never seen in all the years he had known Jeon Sun-ui: the best Royal Physician, already recognized to the point of receiving robes from His Majesty for his excellent acupuncture skills and decoction-making abilities, marveling at the work of a mere Royal Lady and proudly recounting it as his own achievement.
Jeon Sun-ui was merely a petty man who sought personal safety and glory by being loyal to the powerful. Why, then!
‘What is it about this Kwon Ga that Father uses her for creating the Korean Alphabet, and now entrusts her with matters at the Royal Pharmacy? And why does my usually bold wife never let her guard down against Kwon Ga, constantly plotting schemes?’
Most importantly, why did his elder brother, who had been extremely indifferent to women his entire life, obsess over Kwon Ga like a madman, yet rumors circulated that he had assigned separate escort eunuchs and work assistant eunuchs to allow her to carry out external tasks with peace of mind?
Therefore, Grand Prince Suyang felt the need to see Kwon Ga in person.
“When is Kwon Sanggung coming here again?”
“She comes every three days. She will be here around Mo-re Osi (11 AM) the day after tomorrow.”
“Hmm.”
Grand Prince Suyang then decided he would come the day after tomorrow and observe what Kwon Ga was doing.
Thus, Grand Prince Suyang familiarized himself with the work Kwon Ga had accomplished in the short period of just over ten days, and finally arrived at the Royal Pharmacy at Osi on the last day of the month.
“There are various types of boils, so we must record separately how this medicine treats each one. First, we report the treatment progress, and for the types of boils that show excellent therapeutic effects, we can then see which combination yields the most outstanding therapeutic effect by varying the component ratios in this medicine, can't we?”
As he stood before Kwon Ga Sanggung's office, he heard a woman's calm voice speaking through the widely open door.
A woman wearing a green dang-ui, with her hair simply tied up in a bun, looking excessively young for a Royal Lady, was explaining the experimental methods to two officials of the eighth rank, Bongsa, who were treatment physicians at the Royal Pharmacy, and six female physicians.
A female physician passing by saw Grand Prince Suyang and greeted him with delight.
“Grand Prince, you have arrived?”
Hearing this, Kwon Ga Sanggung turned her head and looked at Grand Prince Suyang.
“!”
Grand Prince Suyang, an excellent hunter, did not miss the fleeting, intense killing intent and hatred that flashed in the cool beauty's eyes.
But the next moment, as if to mock him, as if such a look had never been there, Kwon Ga Sanggung smiled brightly and bowed.
“Finally, I have the honor of meeting the esteemed Grand Prince.”
In that moment, Suyang felt intense irritation and anger together.
< Chapter 49. Grand Prince Suyang Meets Gwonga (1) > End
ⓒ Yun In-su
