Chapter 67

“That time, and even since, His Majesty has often punished Consort Gwi-bi. Has Consort Gwi-bi not knelt and cleansed her sins in front of Cheonghan Hall many times?”

“Consort Gwi-bi is indeed the only consort whom His Majesty has punished so frequently.”

Hyang-bin, listening to Jin Mi-in and Neung So-yong, frowned intently.

“It is also a strange matter that Consort Gwi-bi plays the Geum (zither) for His Majesty and receives gold for it. Which concubine plays the Geum for His Majesty and receives compensation? I heard there is much talk about this matter even in the court. She did not receive gold just one or two times; it seems she receives it after performing every single piece.”

“The price of one piece exceeds twenty geum.”

Neung So-yong said secretly.

“After the incident where my half-sister, Bong-yeon, was injured, Consort Gwi-bi sent Court Lady Dong. She came to apologize for avoiding the interrogation, and at that time, Court Lady Dong brought a palm-sized silver box full of gold needles (geum-chim). Thanks to the gold needles Consort Gwi-bi sent, Bong-yeon recovered without any complications, but I was truly surprised when I saw the silver box.”

Du Cheob-yeo spoke in a subtle voice about Consort Gwi-bi’s generous spending.

Neung So-yong smiled with her eyes and whispered.

“It’s hard to say Consort Gwi-bi is favored, given the strange transactions, yet it is also difficult to say she is not favored.”

“To say she is favored, His Majesty neglects Consort Gwi-bi and often punishes her. But, just a few days ago, His Majesty went to Consort Gwi-bi even after having a heated argument with her uncle, the Panwonsa.”

Consort Bi said in a cold voice. The Emperor used to call for attendance according to the hierarchy of the consorts. However, that rule of hierarchy was broken after Consort Gwi-bi played the Geum.

The Emperor had not entirely stopped visiting the consorts’ palaces. He would have some consorts attend to his meal or specially designate them to pay respects. He would even make brief visits.

However, those moments had a firm reason.

The Emperor only visited the consorts’ palaces when Consort Gwi-bi did not play the Geum. On days when Consort Gwi-bi played the Geum, the Emperor invariably visited Giryung Palace and slept there. Yet, even on days when Consort Gwi-bi did not play the Geum, the Emperor sometimes visited Giryung Palace and had Consort Gwi-bi attend to him.

Both the court and the harem were highly sensitive, trying to find out what kind of service Consort Gwi-bi performed besides playing the Geum. But none of the imperial eunuchs, palace servants, or the eunuchs and servants of Giryung Palace would open their mouths.

Recently, the Emperor seemed to want to keep Consort Gwi-bi by his side at all times.

Up until now, the Emperor had strictly adhered to rank and duty when dealing with the consorts. Even Dam So-ui, who seemed special, was not enough to change the rules governing his treatment of other consorts.

The Emperor greatly respected the Empress, with whom he had spent his time in the hidden residence, but he had neither displayed such emotion nor spent so much time with the Empress.

“You could say it is a relationship with great favor, but also many conflicts.”

Hyang-bin said in a subdued voice. Although there was doubt about the favor, the conflicts were partially predictable.

Everyone’s gaze briefly landed on Dam So-ui.

“…”

Dam So-ui had nothing to say about the Emperor and Consort Gwi-bi. He, too, knew nothing of what had happened between them or what time they had spent together.

A strange silence fell over the room.

******

Following the stone path of Seokgeum-won, the weeping flowering crabapple (susahae-dang) was in full bloom. The bright light pink blossoms, hanging down from long pedicels, were dazzling in the sunlight. The pale light pink flowers of the trees lined up in a row overlapped like a folding screen, creating a deep pink hue. The glittering scene in front of them, where the sunlight streamed through the airy flowers, was beautiful, as if it did not belong to this world.

Spring arrived suddenly.

Yeon-oh deliberately sought out Seokgeum-won after seeing the pure white blossoms of the Chinese fringe tree (ip-panamu) in the center of Donghwa-won. The palace servants following him were captivated by the floral screen created by the weeping flowering crabapples lined up in a row.

“Mama, it is so beautiful.”

Dong Yeong said, smiling brightly. She did not explicitly mention Yeon-oh’s kindness in walking all the way here just to show them the flowers, but her wide smile was full of gratitude.

“Yes, it is pretty.”

Yeon-oh also smiled at their smiling faces. Court Lady Dong, who was about to smile even more brightly, paused. Her gaze, which had calmly erased her smile, fell upon the person standing at the end of the stone path.

“Consort Gwi-bi Mama.”

At Court Lady’s warning call, Yeon-oh noticed the person standing at the end of the stone path. The face, which was vividly remembered for its striking beauty despite their brief meeting, was waiting for him.

“Yun So-hwa.”

At Yeon-oh’s greeting, Yun So-hwa gave a polite bow.

“I pay my respects to Consort Gwi-bi Mama. Consort Gwi-bi Mama, may she enjoy great blessings.”

Yun So-hwa had only one young maid beside her. The clothing worn by the consort was barely above the level of shabby.

So-hwa was a rank of the third official grade. It was not a low rank, being the same grade as So-ui, So-yong, So-won, So-hun, and So-hwi. Although she could not become a Bi or Bin (Consort), she was just below the Bin.

“Please rise. Have you also come out to view the flowers, Yun So-hwa?”

“Yes, Consort Gwi-bi Mama, I heard that Consort Gwi-bi Mama often visits Seokgeum-won, so I remembered and was taking a look around. I thought it must be a beautiful place since Consort Gwi-bi Mama, who has great taste, often seeks it out, and it is far more beautiful than I expected.”

Yun So-hwa showed a more proactive familiarity toward Yeon-oh than she had during their previous meeting. She was a woman whose warm and soft voice was as lovely as her face.

“…”

Court Lady Dong’s expression, standing beside Yeon-oh, turned slightly colder.

“Last time, we parted without properly addressing the situation.”

Yeon-oh approached Yun So-hwa and motioned for the palace servants following him to step back slightly. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Yun So-hwa also adjusted her distance from Yeon-oh and motioned for her own maid to step back.

Yun So-hwa’s single maid and Yeon-oh’s many attendants followed, keeping a significant distance from their masters.

“When I saw you before, I received a kindness from Consort Gwi-bi Mama.”

Yun So-hwa nodded softly. Her movements were graceful, like dancing. Both her actions and words were inferior to none of the consorts.

That was why there was something odd about her. The complete lack of presence until now, the atmosphere suggesting she was rejected by the other consorts, the excessively cautious attitude Yeon-oh had noticed last time, and her overly frugal appearance—everything was a mystery.

Among the information about the consorts that Yeon-oh had learned through the Gyo Marquisate family before entering the palace, the only detail about Yun So-hwa was her humble origin.

“Kindness? [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Please do not say such a thing. Shall we sit for a moment?”

Yeon-oh stepped into Soru Pavilion, which was famous for its elegance in Seokgeum-won. Inside the pavilion, which was open on all four sides, were a table fixed to the floor and backless chairs.

Yeon-oh’s attendants and Yun So-hwa’s maid stood at attention where they could see Soru Pavilion. Although the two people were within sight, they were not close enough to hear their voices.

“Consort Gwi-bi Mama, this humble sinner begs for punishment.”

Yeon-oh, who was about to sit down, stopped at the sound coming from behind him. Yun So-hwa knelt on the floor instead of sitting on the chair and offered her respects.

Yeon-oh blinked at the sudden situation.

“Yun So-hwa?”

He got up from his seat and tried to help Yun So-hwa rise.

“Does Consort Gwi-bi know anything about this concubine?”

Yun So-hwa raised her face to meet his gaze, being careful not to violate the rules of etiquette.

“Please rise and take a seat first. Wouldn’t it look as though this person were persecuting Yun So-hwa?”

Yeon-oh suggested gently even in his surprise. Hearing this, Yun So-hwa smiled faintly.

“This concubine is someone who should not be in the harem.”

A maturity that hinted at her age emanated from her faint smile.

“Yun So-hwa.”

Yeon-oh urged her again, trying to help Yun So-hwa stand up. Yun So-hwa slowly shook her head.

The Emperor’s consorts were all beauties with distinctive features. Among them, Consort Bi was considered the foremost beauty. Although Consort Bi’s beauty was astonishing, Yeon-oh thought the truly great beauty was Yun So-hwa. If Consort Bi was noted for her elegant atmosphere, Yun So-hwa was a splendid beauty.

“On the day of the interrogation in the Imperial Garden, this concubine spoke a lie.”

“Is that so.”

“I apologize. I do not know where to begin to tell you… This concubine is of humble origin, with no family to speak of. I have no clan, no close family, and no distant relatives. It is surprising that I even have a surname, being so base.”

Yun So-hwa, who had been speaking calmly, forced a smile upon seeing Yeon-oh’s expression clouding over. The smile that appeared on her beautiful face flickered precariously.

“Origin, status, and background are important for a concubine. But the present moment is more important than that. Yun So-hwa is His Majesty’s concubine and a So-hwa of the third official grade. If you believe that speaking a lie, committing a sin, or having a low origin is the problem, then this person will kneel instead, so please rise. Quickly. You know that if this person wishes to issue a punishment, even His Majesty cannot stop him, do you not?”

Yeon-oh personally placed a chair beside Yun So-hwa. The splendid-looking woman stared intently at the person who spoke strictly while offering a chair.