Chapter 71
- Connection
“Your Majesty. A young tree has withered, and we need to plant a new one. Do you have any particular species in mind?”
“No. I don’t know much about trees, so handle it as you see fit.”
Whatever trees they planted would only be small ornamental ones anyway. Yun-seo knew it was protocol to avoid planting large trees to prevent assassination threats, but he still found it regrettable.
He recalled the zelkova tree where he had sheltered from the rain with Hwi, and the hackberry tree where the swing had been hung. The magnificence of those great trees with their lush, green foliage.
The sunlight streaming through the open window was pleasantly warm. Yun-seo stared blankly at the scenery, clearly feeling the approach of early summer. The gaps between seasons were remarkably short; in the blink of an eye, they would reach the height of summer.
As he was contemplating the flow of seasons, a eunuch announced the arrival of the royal concubines. Yun-seo straightened his back to receive them.
“Today, I’d like to make a suggestion. What if we created opportunities for Yeong Chunhwa who haven’t yet blossomed to interact with the Yongrim?”
“May I ask what you have in mind, Your Majesty?”
“I’ve been reviewing recent records and noticed several cases where newly blossomed Yeong Chunhwa feared the union. Since they have minimal contact with the Yongrim before blossoming and maintain separation, they naturally find the Yongrim unfamiliar despite being taught to protect them. Wouldn’t it be better to give them time to become intimate and open their hearts from a young age?”
Hyeonbi lowered her eyes in contemplation of Yun-seo’s proposal, then finally spoke.
“I understand Your Majesty’s profound wisdom, but this could have side effects.”
“What side effects do you mean?”
“Separating the Yongrim from the Yeong Chunhwa not only prevents the Yongrim from taking them at will but also guards against them falling in love. If they develop affection for someone at a young age, they might become reluctant to unite with other Yongrim. Or some Yongrim might harbor ill intentions and exploit this.”
Yun-seo nodded slowly. It seemed that all issues between the Yongrim and Yeong Chunhwa ultimately came down to human emotions. This also meant finding an excellent solution would be difficult.
“It’s truly easy to debate theories from the comfort of a desk.”
So Won, who had been withdrawn since his previous indiscretion, finally straightened his shoulders and made a remark. Yun-seo imagined a small dog growling prematurely on So Won’s face and turned his gaze toward him.
“If So Won has any insights, I’m willing to listen.”
So Won primly closed his mouth. His cheeks were still plump and fair from baby fat that hadn’t yet disappeared—he would look truly adorable if only he didn’t sneer… Yun-seo swallowed a sigh and turned back to Hyeonbi.
“Then extended interaction would be too much, I suppose.”
“Once the time comes for them to visit the Hell Paintings and witness the reality, they will accept their weighty duties. Please don’t worry.”
“…I see.”
Not having set foot in the Hell Paintings himself, Yun-seo couldn’t add anything further. He was about to conclude that they should consider this topic more carefully when—
“Forgive me, but my humble opinion differs. The Yongrim would also feel more comfortable receiving care from familiar Yeong Chunhwa, and it would be better for them to volunteer willingly from their hearts rather than accepting reluctantly for the sake of national affairs. Especially with Yeong Chunhwa who have just come of age…”
“How rude. This is not a place for Captain Jang to interject.”
Hyeonbi cut off Hui-je’s words coldly and decisively, but though subdued, Hui-je did not yield.
“But Madam, don’t you pity and cherish the Yeong Chunhwa more than anyone? Yet you always speak this way, so no one recognizes your true feelings…”
“That is also not your concern. Mind your place.”
Hyeonbi stared at Hui-je with twisted eyes. Hui-je’s face, which usually appeared smiling due to her long downward-sloping eye corners, instantly fell. She bowed deeply and stepped back.
“I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me.”
Her hair, tied high and flowing in the air, looked like a drooping dog’s tail. Except for when stopping So Won’s slip of the tongue, it was the first time Yun-seo had seen Hyeonbi express her displeasure so directly, and he uneasily looked back and forth between the two women.
Hyeonbi’s face returned to its usual impassive expression as though she had never been upset. Yun-seo cleared his throat and spoke.
“Well… I think we should consider this matter further to find a better approach. Now, let’s get up and move on.”
Since they had planned to tour Youngwiwon together today, it seemed appropriate to start earlier to change the atmosphere. Yun-seo left Jayeongjeon with the concubines.
The sunshine was warm. The sky was clear and bright, making him wish he could take these people on an outing. As he moved forward, dismissing these wishful thoughts, he noticed palace servants gathered around a flower bed. They appeared to be replacing the dead tree.
What kind of tree was that again? he wondered idly, about to look away when—
“What is this!”
One palace servant suddenly screamed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. As all the servants around the flower bed froze, Jo Sang-gung approached them.
“What’s happening?”
“Ma-Madam, here, th-this doll…!”
Doll? Yun-seo followed behind Jo Sang-gung with a puzzled expression. Upon reaching the flower bed and seeing what the servant was pointing at, Jo Sang-gung’s face turned pale. She immediately knelt down, and the other palace servants followed suit.
The courtyard instantly became as quiet as if cold water had been thrown over it. Hurrying to the flower bed, Yun-seo discovered a dirt-covered doll that had just been excavated.
The straw doll made in human shape had a paper attached with two characters written on it, and several needles had been ruthlessly stuck into it. Yun-seo looked down at the characters with an outwardly impassive expression and asked Jo Sang-gung.
“Whose characters are these?”
The elderly palace servants were shocked, while the younger ones seemed to be kneeling without understanding why. As Yun-seo was about to question Jo Sang-gung again—
“The Emperor’s…”
Turning his head toward the voice, he saw Hyeonbi, who continued speaking without taking her eyes off the doll.
“It’s His childhood name.”
So Won gasped sharply, covering his mouth with his hand. Meanwhile, Seongbin maintained his composure, merely lowering his eyes without showing any reaction.
Yun-seo’s eyelids lowered slowly then lifted again. He examined once more the characters on the paper that had been pierced with needles for the clear purpose of placing a curse.
「永莞」
Yeong-wan.
Wan…
Wan.
The flow of air seemed tangibly felt against his cheeks. Though standing properly in place, the world seemed to spin upside down, making him dizzy.
Yun-seo turned halfway around to look at the palace servants kneeling behind him, then fixed his gaze on Wan, who was maintaining remarkable composure throughout this ordeal. His empty eyes lost their focus and dropped downward.
He simply couldn’t believe it and still didn’t understand, but he was the one who needed to resolve this situation. After repeatedly moving his lips, he touched his forehead.
With so many witnesses, it would be impossible to hide this incident. Cursing the Emperor was clearly high treason without even needing to open a law book. That doll had been found in his courtyard, those characters were written by his own hand, and the blade was pointing at him. If he tried to conceal or minimize this, it would be tantamount to admitting guilt.
“For now… summon people from the Ministry of Justice to investigate this matter and reveal the full truth of the incident.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“We must also report everything to… the Emperor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
No one dared to make any casual remarks. It was an unprecedented situation—a doll cursing the Emperor found in the Empress’s palace.
Yun-seo carefully retraced how things had come to this but realized it was useless at the moment and stopped. Only a despairing sigh escaped his lips as he recalled Wan’s resolute face when she had said she would do anything for her family.
If he revealed that he had written Wan’s name character for her, Wan would still face punishment one way or another. Should he deny all knowledge? But the handwriting for “Wan” was clearly his. “Yeong” had been imitated, but nevertheless, if they compared the handwriting…
Wan couldn’t have done this alone; there must be someone behind this. Was she coerced? Could he persuade Wan to redirect blame to the mastermind? His head felt like it would burst from trying to figure out how to clear this false accusation while also saving Wan.
Soon after, officials from the Ministry of Justice entered Jiseogung. After respectfully greeting Yun-seo, they examined the doll. At that moment, Wan abruptly stood up, came forward before anyone could stop her, and prostrated herself.
“I-I buried the doll there on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress. I have committed a capital offense! Please spare my life!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
