Chapter 58
- Herbal Medicine
"What on earth is going on!"
A furious shout echoed through Gyeongchun Hall in Changdeok Palace.
"..."
Hearing the voice, a man in a red Dragon Robe, Yeonsangun, silently lowered his head.
There was only one person in this country who could drive Yeonsangun into a corner like this.
Yeonsangun's grandmother, Queen Insoo.
"Grand Prince Jinseong suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed?"
"...Grandmother. It... it happened so unexpectedly..."
"Your Majesty!"
Queen Insoo cut off Yeonsangun's excuse, her voice rising again.
"The King is responsible for everything that happens in the country, let alone matters of the royal family! This is something His Majesty must take responsibility for!"
"..."
Queen Insoo was not the only one glaring at Yeonsangun with cold eyes.
Next to her sat a woman in her early to mid-forties.
She was none other than Yeonsangun's stepmother and the birth mother of Grand Prince Jinseong, who had collapsed after losing consciousness, Queen Jasoon.
"...Could it be that His Majesty pushed the Royal Hunt too hard?"
A blade was hidden in her cold voice.
It was an accusation that Yeonsangun was the cause of Grand Prince Jinseong's collapse.
"Unlike His Majesty, who inherited a bold temperament, doesn't His Majesty know that Grand Prince Jinseong is a timid and weak child like his mother?"
Yeonsangun's eyelids twitched slightly at those words.
He seemed to vaguely understand the hidden meaning.
The story of inheriting a 'bold temperament'.
It was a roundabout way of saying that he had inherited his fierce temper from his own birth mother, Deposed Queen Yun, who had been demoted and sentenced to death.
Was she trying to remind him once again that he was the son of a sinful mother?
'...She must resent me.'
A bitter smile unknowingly appeared on Yeonsangun's lips.
Ironically, until he ascended the throne, Yeonsangun had thought that Queen Jasoon was his birth mother.
'She's always looked at me with those eyes.'
Queen Jasoon's eyes were burning with quiet hatred.
And for good reason.
To her, Yeonsangun was nothing but a thorn in her side.
As the son of the Deposed Queen, he should have been stripped of his title as Crown Prince.
And her own son, Grand Prince Jinseong, should have inherited the throne.
But that scoundrel Yeonsangun had ascended the throne as he was.
Moreover, now her own son, Grand Prince Jinseong, had followed Yeonsangun on a hunt and collapsed after losing consciousness.
How on earth was she supposed to explain this?
"Your Majesty, say something!"
Finally, an answer flowed from Yeonsangun's mouth as he received his stepmother's cold gaze.
"...It was the late King's will."
"What?"
"Striving for the Royal Hunt was clearly the late King's will. It seems the Queen Dowager is not aware of this."
"Ah, no, what are you..."
"Grand Prince Jinseong is now seventeen years old. He is no longer at an age where he should hide behind his mother's skirts and be afraid of riding horses and drawing bows!"
When Yeonsangun, who had been silent, suddenly retorted with a sharp voice, Queen Jasoon turned pale and looked as if she was at a loss for words.
Although she was a stepmother, she was, genealogically speaking, Yeonsangun's mother.
But even if he was the son of a humble bloodline, to think that he would talk back to her so openly.
She was wearing an expression that clearly showed that thought on her face.
"Your Majesty, watch your words! She is the one you serve as your mother."
It was Queen Insoo who intervened, scolding him firmly.
"And Queen Jasoon, restrain yourself as well. There is some truth in His Majesty's words."
"But, Great Queen Dowager..."
"For a man of the royal family to be afraid of the Royal Hunt at the age of seventeen, that is not something that should be said, even in jest."
Queen Jasoon closed her mouth, unable to say anything more under Queen Insoo's sharp gaze.
The two of them were, to put it simply, in a 'mother-in-law and daughter-in-law' relationship.
Moreover, since that mother-in-law was one of the most charismatic women in Joseon history, even a retort would not work.
At that moment.
"Your Majesty, the Royal Physician has arrived."
A cautious voice of a court lady was heard from outside the palace.
"Tell him to come in."
As soon as the order was given, a Royal Physician entered, bowing deeply.
It was Queen Jasoon, Grand Prince Jinseong's birth mother, who immediately bombarded him with questions.
"How is he? Is he conscious? Is there any improvement?"
The Royal Physician shook his head with a mournful face at the barrage of questions.
"We are taking all possible measures... but he has not yet regained consciousness."
"Oh dear, oh dear... what am I supposed to do!"
Whether maternal love had overcome decorum, a mournful cry burst out of Queen Jasoon's mouth without her realizing it.
She was a mother worried about her fallen son before she was a Queen Dowager.
But Queen Insoo still maintained her composure.
"Can you guess the cause of Grand Prince Jinseong's fainting? We need to know the cause to find a cure."
"That is... it is difficult to say because we do not yet know the exact reason..."
The Royal Physician hesitated for a moment before cautiously continuing.
"What is strange is that... there were heat rashes all over the Grand Prince's body."
"What? Heat rashes?"
The weather was not yet completely free of the spring chill.
It was unlikely that the outside air was so hot that it would have caused that.
It must have been influenced by something.
The Royal Physician carefully opened his mouth, watching for reactions.
"Forgive me, but... did he happen to eat anything in the morning...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Queen Jasoon turned her head sharply as if she had caught a clue.
"Didn't His Majesty eat with him! Say something!"
"That is..."
"Wasn't what you ate during the Royal Hunt made by the Royal Kitchen cooks?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"I heard that His Majesty recently brought a strange girl of unknown origin into the Royal Kitchen?"
Yeonsangun, whose mood had soured at the sudden remark, unknowingly raised his voice.
"Stop it! That has nothing to do with this!"
But perhaps it was because of the heart-wrenching feelings of a mother who had lost her son.
Queen Jasoon's bloodshot eyes were glistening with a mixture of madness and tears.
"We will know whether it is related or not if we investigate the Royal Kitchen thoroughly."
"...That's the story."
As Yeonsangun finished speaking, a heavy silence lingered for a long time.
It was Ji-young who broke the long silence.
"So, you're saying they suspect us? That Grand Prince Jinseong lost consciousness because of us?"
"That is so."
"That doesn't make sense! His Majesty ate with him too."
Ji-young's whole body began to tremble again.
If this was falsely blamed on them, not only Ji-young herself but also the lives of all the Royal Kitchen staff would not be spared.
It was an accusation of trying to assassinate a member of the royal family, Grand Prince Jinseong, with poison.
Im Soong-jae, the Royal Secretary, who knew that he would not be safe if the blame fell on the Royal Kitchen, had already been contacted and rushed over, flailing his arms wildly.
"Ji, Ji-young! Make up some kind of excuse quickly! At this rate, the entire Royal Kitchen will be wiped out!"
No matter how much the King favored her, there was no way to save them if they were accused of attempted murder of a member of the royal family.
Especially in the current situation, where Grand Prince Jinseong's birth mother, Queen Jasoon, was sure to come at them with fire in her eyes.
"Um, perhaps..."
Ji-young asked Yeonsangun, grasping at straws.
"I apologize for asking... but did the Grand Prince happen to have anything else during the Royal Hunt?"
"Hmm, let me see..."
Yeonsangun stroked his chin and began to think carefully.
"Yi said he was thirsty and drank a bowl of herbal medicine on horseback during the Royal Hunt..."
"Herbal medicine? Did His Majesty happen to drink it as well?"
"Huh? I don't like bitter things, so I didn't drink it."
The entire Royal Kitchen began to stir at those words.
"Could it be that the herbal medicine was the problem?"
"That can't be. All the Royal Guards who were escorting him drank the same thing."
Yeonsangun waved his hand.
If the herbal medicine was the problem, at least one of the many people who drank it together should have shown the same symptoms, but no one had.
At that moment, something suddenly flashed through Ji-young's mind.
"Your Majesty, I apologize, but could I possibly taste that herbal medicine?"
"That's not difficult. Hey, bring the herbal medicine that was taken to the Royal Hunt today here right away."
Soon, a eunuch hurriedly ran out of the Royal Kitchen.
Not long after, he returned with a bowl containing a dark red liquid in his hand.
'That's the herbal medicine...'
Ji-young took it and carefully turned around, taking a sip.
Soon, all kinds of taste information flashed through her mouth.
And.
'Wait. This is... could it be?'
But among them, there was one unique fragrance that bothered her.
"How is it? Do you have any idea?"
"That is... it's a bit ambiguous..."
It would be better to check it for sure.
Ji-young subtly turned her gaze to the side.
"Jang-geum, would you taste it and tell me?"
"Me?"
If they added the opinion of Seo Jang-geum, a Royal Kitchen trainee and possessor of an absolute sense of taste, there would be no mistake.
After hesitating for a moment, Jang-geum nodded.
"Then, I will taste it."
Jang-geum carefully took the bowl and put a sip of the herbal medicine in her mouth, swirling it around as if she were tasting wine.
A method of savoring with an absolute sense of taste that she had probably naturally acquired, even though she had never been taught.
"...A tingling, bitter, and spicy taste, with a faint sweetness mixed in."
Jang-geum mumbled with her small mouth before swallowing what was in her mouth and continuing.
"Cinnamon, ginger, licorice, and jujube are in it. And there is one very unique thing in it..."
Jang-geum's eyes shone sharply.
She was still just a girl, but no one could match her sincerity when she talked about taste and aroma.
"If my tongue is correct, it is..."
Jang-geum frowned and rummaged through the memories of taste stored in her head, and a somewhat unfamiliar name of an ingredient popped out of her mouth.
"It is nutmeg."
Only then did a faint smile appear on Ji-young's lips.
Because she had felt the same thing.
Nutmeg.
A spice that originated in Indonesia and was introduced to Europe around the Age of Exploration, where it became a sensational hit.
At that time, only a very small amount of it was imported into Joseon, and it was only used as a precious medicinal herb, but it seemed that the unidentified herbal medicine also contained nutmeg.
"What? Nutmeg?"
"That is correct. It has such a unique scent that I remembered it."
"Then is there something wrong with that nutmeg?"
Instead of Jang-geum, who hesitated to answer, Ji-young calmly took over.
"...It is a spice that can cause hallucinations and paralysis if consumed in large quantities."
The properties of nutmeg are one of the things that anyone working as a chef must know.
If too much is used, it can cause serious side effects.
In fact, in modern Korea, there was an incident in which a group of people experienced paralysis after eating curry that contained excessive amounts of nutmeg.
But was there really that much nutmeg in that herbal medicine?
If so, the other people who drank the same thing would not have been okay.
At this time, a groan-like voice flowed from Jang-geum's mouth.
"...Ginseng."
"What?"
"My grandfather told me. It's a big problem if you eat nutmeg and ginseng together..."
"What does that mean?"
Im Soong-jae, who was listening from the side, suddenly interjected, and Jang-geum explained step by step.
"Ginseng raises the heat in the body and has the property of maximizing the effectiveness of nutmeg."
Come to think of it, Ji-young remembered a scene.
Grand Prince Jinseong was eating a lot of ginseng that was in the chicken dish.
"To drink herbal medicine containing nutmeg in that state is..."
Jang-geum's eyes shook uneasily.
"...It's the same as carrying firewood into a fire."
So, it may not be a problem to drink herbal medicine containing nutmeg or to eat ginseng, but the story is different if you eat both together.
And today, there is only one person who ate both of those things.
Only Grand Prince Jinseong.
"Who on earth offered this herbal medicine? I will tell the Royal Investigation Bureau to conduct an immediate interrogation!"
Im Soong-jae, who had been watching from the side, jumped up and gnashed his teeth.
Now that they had a clue, they had to dig out the roots to clear the Royal Kitchen of suspicion.
But Yeonsangun, who had been listening silently, shook his head slowly.
"No, that's not possible."
"Huh? Your Majesty, what do you mean..."
Im Soong-jae's eyes widened as if he had misheard.
"That herbal medicine was sent directly by a member of the royal family, saying that it was good to see the brothers going out to the Royal Hunt for the first time in a while."
"If you're talking about a member of the royal family...?"
Yeonsangun opened his mouth with a light sigh.
"...Grand Prince Je-an sent it."
The moment she heard that name, Ji-young's breath caught in her throat.
Grand Prince Je-an.
In terms of lineage, he would be Yeonsangun's fifth cousin.
But there was a very unique reason why his name, which was just one of those royal family members, remained in history.
'...That person is known as the worst fool in the Joseon royal family.'
That's why some comic anecdotes appearing in contemporary unofficial historical records such as <Miscellaneous Stories of Obscure Officials> and <Collection of Writings by Yongjae> use Grand Prince Je-an as their subject.
It must have been publicly treated as a fool around this time as well.
"Follow me. I think I'll have to go and ask the Grand Prince directly."
Yeonsangun spat out those words and began to walk somewhere in large strides.
It seemed that he was trying to quietly resolve the matter himself since it was a matter of the royal family.
"His Majesty has arrived."
Grand Prince Je-an's private residence.
The heavy gate opened with the voices of the servants.
Yeonsangun strode inside without hesitation.
Following him were Jang-geum, the Royal Kitchen maid who had tasted the herbal medicine, Royal Cuisine Master Ji-young, and Royal Secretary Im Soong-jae.
Im Soong-jae was not only Yeonsangun's faithful confidant and a government official, but also the King's brother-in-law (the husband of his younger sister).
So, it was not strange that he came to meet Grand Prince Je-an as a member of the royal family.
"It's been a while since I've been here."
Yeonsangun looked around Grand Prince Je-an's private residence as if he was reminded of old memories.
Did that mean that he used to visit this place often?
Soong-jae also seemed to be familiar with this place.
At that moment.
"...Your Majesty?"
A strange voice was heard.
Turning his head, he saw a man with his body half-hidden in the corner of the building, only his upper body peeking out to the side.
"Your Majesty? Soong-jae? Did anyone else come?"
The man, who was trembling and looking around like a frightened cat, cautiously revealed himself only after confirming that there were no Royal Guards who had come to arrest him.
He was probably in his late thirties.
He had a sturdy build and decent features, but... there was something strange about him.
If he was born as a modern person...
He would be the kind of person who would be squatting in the corner of a place like a cute girl anime convention... like an otaku.
Yeonsangun suddenly greeted the man with that strange impression.
"Uncle. Have you been well?"
"Your Majesty, I'm really scared... and I'm wronged..."
Wait a minute.
Could it be that the man with that creepy way of speaking is...
That royal family member who is known as a fool.
Grand Prince Je-an?
