Chapter 49

The man’s hand holding the thin, light book was relaxed. The long finger holding the page only twitched for a moment.

“Consort Hyeok did?”

“Yes, Consort Hyeok is said to have shared a portion of her Deungyong-yeon gifts with Consort Gwi-bi Mama.”

“Consort Hyeok is a deeply considerate person.”

The Emperor lowered the hand holding the book. Neung Sa-hyeon was seated one chair away from the main seat where he sat.

Neung Sa-hyeon carefully blew on the hot tea. He kept his eyes on the tea, concealing his look of reproach. He did not lift his face even though he felt the gaze fixed upon him.

“Consort Hyeok’s generosity of spirit is ample.”

“Consort Gwi-bi is also generous in spirit. Unlike some people, he does not send things that merely meet the basic requirements as a Deungyong-yeon congratulatory gift. Even a child first entering a school would receive something more respectable than that.”

Neung Sa-hyeon set his teacup down roughly. The white teacup had a bright turquoise background with cheerful paintings on the body and part of the lid. It seemed the teacup was chosen to reflect the coming spring season.

What was noticeable was not the teacup, but the liquid inside. It contained a clear, transparent tea with a distinct reddish hue, not the pale green color typically seen. The Grand Eunuch Wan Taegam, who was standing across from him, faintly nodded in agreement with his grumbling.

The Emperor’s gaze landed on Wan Taegam.

“They were all sent from Hwaun-guk.”

“Hwaun-guk. The wristband Consort Gwi-bi wrapped around His Majesty’s arm was from Hwaun-guk…”

Wan Taegam mumbled, fully audible, lowering his head diagonally to the lower right, avoiding the Emperor’s eyes.

“Wristband?”

Neung Sa-hyeon picked up his teacup again, looking puzzled.

“When His Majesty had a lot of writing to do, Consort Gwi-bi wrapped it around his arm. It was a very precious moist wristband.”

“Consort Gwi-bi must have done a lot of writing when he was at his family home. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He wouldn’t have had enough to do to even need a wristband. Or is it because he is still young? A rigid person like His Majesty wouldn’t know, but it is the trend for young scholars these days to wear a wristband when they write.”

The Emperor did not respond to Neung Sa-hyeon’s words and picked up his book again.

“When Consort Hyeok left Giryung Palace, Consort Gwi-bi presented a thank-you gift to commemorate the Investiture Ceremony. Thus, Consort Hyeok was the very first person to receive Consort Gwi-bi Mama’s thank-you gift.”

“Thank-you gift?”

Seonjae put down the book he had picked up again. Neung Sa-hyeon furtively watched the Emperor’s face with a vague expression, sipping his tea.

“After the Investiture Ceremony, is it not possible to formally give a return gift with the help of one’s family home? The Gyo General’s Household is said to have sent thank-you gifts to the Giryung Palace palace servants, and to the royal relatives in the capital. It is a white porcelain bottle shaped like a fish, contained in a beautiful chest made of sandalwood.”

“A fish, you say.”

“Consort Gwi-bi is witty. The fish’s tail on the white porcelain bottle is expressed as being short. He must have been thinking of the So-mi-yeon (Burning the Tail Banquet). Although he did not pass the examination, he has become a Gwi-bi, reaching the First Rank, which even a successful exam candidate cannot easily attain.”

The So-mi-yeon means a banquet to celebrate burning off one’s tail. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The phrase originated from expressing passing a difficult hurdle as ‘ascending the dragon gate’. Just as a carp that passes the dragon gate burns its tail and becomes a dragon, a successful exam candidate would celebrate his passing by holding a So-mi-yeon.

Seonjae stared intently at Neung Sa-hyeon who was speaking.

“How do you know about that thank-you gift?”

“My mother is a Grand Princess and is allowed to frequent the Imperial Palace as a royal relative and high-ranking official’s wife, so he bestowed a thank-you gift.”

Neung Sa-hyeon shrugged as he held his teacup. The Emperor’s thick eyebrows furrowed at his nephew’s impertinence. Wan Taegam informed him about his unspoken question regarding the teacup.

“The sandalwood chest Consort Gwi-bi sent is said to be meticulously crafted, and the white porcelain bottle is widely praised for its beauty. Inside the fish-shaped white porcelain bottle is an Aeng-du-cheon (cherry preserve), which is different from other Aeng-du-jeon. Aeng-du-jeon is usually made by pounding and crushing many cherries at once, then boiling them to increase sweetness, or soaking them in sweet water to ferment them. After the fermentation process for long-term storage, they often become sticky and lumpy. However, the Aeng-du-jeon sent by Consort Gwi-bi is deep in color but in the form of a clear juice, with no lumps.”

Seonjae’s expression broke at Wan Taegam’s explanation.

“The messenger who delivered the thank-you gift said it can be kept until summer if it is stored in a cool and cold place. In a season like this, it is delicious to mix a spoonful with warm water, and when the weather gets hotter, it is tasty to pour over finely crushed ice, he said.”

Seonjae folded the book he was holding with a shake, as if shaking dust from it, and threw it onto the desk. Thud. Neung Sa-hyeon’s shoulder twitched at the book that flew past.

“It’s a sherbet juice.”

“Pardon?”

“It is called Aeng-du-jeon…”

Wan Taegam and Neung Sa-hyeon mumbled and looked at each other’s faces after the Emperor’s choked exclamation.

“To whom did he send the thank-you gifts?”

Seonjae’s voice was extremely low.

“He sent them to the concubines who attended the Investiture Ceremony, the noble ladies and royal relatives of the capital, and the royal relatives and high-ranking officials who frequent the Imperial Palace, even if they could not attend the Investiture Ceremony. I also understand that he sent gifts to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. I know he specially sent the Empress a golden inlaid ivory chest containing medicinal herbs good for a cough, and the Empress Dowager received the same chest with a different gold inlaid pattern, containing Yeongsan Hwa-cha.”

Neung Sa-hyeon’s mouth dropped open upon hearing about the golden inlaid ivory chests sent to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

“They said Goksan was the countryside, but is he trying to flaunt that he is a Hojok (powerful local clan) of Yeongsan, a great wealthy family? Right, the official title of the Gyo General’s Household was Yeongsan-hu (Lord of Yeongsan). Does that fellow not know who arranged the Investiture Ceremony for him?”

Seonjae breathed out a disbelieving ha. The man’s mouth was smiling, but it could not be considered a laugh.

“…”

Neung Sa-hyeon sipped the tea mixed with thick cherry preserve, subtly shaking his head. Wan Taegam, seeing his head shake, turned his gaze to the shadowed area and cautiously nodded.

Seonjae frowned intensely, seeing the shaking and nodding exchanged between the two.

“Send word that I will go to Giryung Palace.”

“Your Majesty.”

Neung Sa-hyeon was about to say that it was childish for the Emperor to quarrel with a concubine over a physical object. He stopped himself from saying that since the Emperor had been petty first with his gift, even if Consort Gwi-bi had retaliated, it was not something the Emperor should rush to confront him about.

Although the Gyo General’s Household was great, the man sitting in the main seat was the Emperor. He was a man who had seized the throne himself, not merely inherited it because he was of royal blood. Even the high-ranking nobles, Hojok, and proud literati who had been established in this land for a long time held their breath before the current Emperor. They feared the power the Emperor possessed, not just his excellent lineage.

Yet, when the Emperor slighted him, Consort Gwi-bi retaliated openly. And he did so with something that the Emperor would recognize and be enraged by. It was surprising that he could emotionally stir the Emperor, and it was remarkable that he knew of such an item. The most frightening thing was the boldness to know all this and execute it.

It was very childish, but an extremely effective act of revenge.

“Withdraw.”

Seonjae commanded Neung Sa-hyeon, who had stopped speaking, to withdraw and rose himself first.

“Your Majesty, you said you would stay at Donhu Palace this evening.”

Wan Taegam said softly, following the Emperor.

Seonjae, who was about to step out of the hall, stopped. His face twisted with annoyance.

“I will go to Donhu Palace first.”

“And to Giryung Palace…”

Wan Taegam rarely let his sentence trail off.

“Send word.”

Seonjae said as if driving a nail.

“I obey your command.”

The Emperor tossed his arm and walked ahead before the eunuch could finish his reply. Wan Taegam and the Emperor’s court eunuchs moved with small, running steps to follow the Emperor’s large stride.

“He is busy, going to Dam So-ui and Consort Gwi-bi in one evening. He is not usually like this. Being a married man is not easy. Ayy, I don’t want to get married.”

Neung Sa-hyeon shook his head, drinking the remaining cherry tea. The eunuch on duty, who officially had no path to marriage, stared at him.

“I will leave after finishing this.”

“But.”

“It’s something precious that even His Majesty could not receive.”

The eunuch on duty slowly nodded at Neung Sa-hyeon’s boastful words.