Chapter 77

He felt that Consort Yun So-hwa might be the most favored by the Emperor among the consorts.

“You said she gave birth to two more children after that.”

“Not two, but three.”

Court Lady Dong said, wearing an uncomfortable expression with raised eyebrows.

“Three?”

The face of a beautiful woman flashed in Yeon-oh’s mind. Perhaps not just “perhaps,” but the one the Emperor truly loved the most might have been Consort Yun So-hwa.

“The one who gave birth to the most of His Majesty’s children is Consort Yun So-hwa.”

Since she gave birth to three more after the child who was born remarkably early, there were four children between Yun So-hwa and the Emperor.

“Were the three children born afterward also premature?”

“That is both true and not true. The second child, a princess, is said to have stayed in her mother’s womb for over half a month after completing the full ten months before being born. The third princess surprised the people of the Prince’s residence by being born a fortnight earlier than the due date.”

“The princesses…”

Court Lady Dong wore a peculiar expression, seeing that Yeon-oh already knew the children’s fate. She seemed both regretful and comforting.

“They passed away one after another, suffering from fever and inflammation less than a year after entering the Imperial Palace.”

“Did she give birth to one more after that?”

“The most recently born child was born after eight months. It was a son, born nearly two months early, who barely held onto his breath and died after failing to survive for three days.”

Yeon-oh wondered if Yun So-hwa’s sadness when she spoke of herself as humble was perhaps also because she had lost her children early.

“Consort Yun So-hwa claims that although the children born early were weak, their lives were not critically endangered, but that is only her mother’s opinion. Also, because the last son was born early, there were rumors among the consorts that he was not His Majesty’s child. Conversely, Consort Yun So-hwa argued, ‘The last son was premature, so don’t you understand that the first child was also premature?'”

“Consort Yun So-hwa must have had a difficult time.”

“The rumors about Consort Yun So-hwa are very bad. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Because the children Consort Yun So-hwa gave birth to were repeatedly suspected of being illegitimate, the Empress Dowager forbade Consort Yun So-hwa from attending to His Majesty’s bedding any longer.”

Regardless of the relationship between the Emperor and Yun So-hwa, if one only looked at Yun So-hwa’s personal situation, it seemed very painful.

“Consort Yun So-hwa’s first child…….”

Perhaps that child was Yun So-hwa’s only hope.

“He is in Chwiho Palace. The late Empress Sun-tae-bi, who belatedly became a concubine of the former Emperor and spent her remaining years without a child, was a benevolent person. She took in the child who had nowhere to go. However, even such a compassionate Empress Sun-tae-bi allowed the child to live in a secondary palace, but opposed giving him a name or leaving any record.”

Yeon-oh took in Court Lady Dong’s sadly smiling face. The reason why Court Lady Dong helped Yun So-hwa and knew the details related to the child was understood belatedly.

Court Lady Dong had said she had stayed in the secondary palace, Chwiho Palace, for a while.

“The child has no name?”

“I do not know if you can call it a name, but he can be called something.”

“What is it?”

Court Lady Dong shook her head at Yeon-oh’s question. She set down the teacup, asked Yeon-oh for his hand, and wrote a character on the back of his hand.

[육랑 (Yuk-rang).]

Yeon-oh furrowed his brows at the character Court Lady Dong wrote. It was better than having no name, but attaching the word that signified the reason for denying the child’s existence felt cruel.

” Court Lady Dong.”

“Yes.”

“Did Consort Yun So-hwa drink Ja-an-hong?”

Court Lady Dong’s face instantly stiffened at Yeon-oh’s question. Judging from the conversation between Yun So-hwa and Consort Bi, Consort Bi learned about Ja-an-hong thanks to Yun So-hwa and drank it.

The special medicine that makes even men pregnant gave Consort Bi multiple children. Consort Bi was the most favored by the Emperor before Dam So-ui and had the most children recently.

All those children were not born.

Consort Bi, despite drinking the same Ja-an-hong, questioned why the fragrance only emanated from Yeon-oh, why the Emperor visited him frequently recently, and why he had different aftereffects, so she summoned Yun So-hwa to talk.

He felt that Court Lady Dong’s wisdom was not merely due to her long time in the Imperial Palace. In particular, Court Lady Dong’s actions, seeming to know the secret of Ja-an-hong, remained in his memory.

“I do not believe so.”

Judging by Consort Bi’s case, children conceived after drinking Ja-an-hong did not seem to be easily born. Although Yun So-hwa had her share of difficulties, since her children were not stillborn, it did not seem like she had taken Ja-an-hong.

“And Consort Bi drank Ja-an-hong?”

Yeon-oh’s cold words made Court Lady Dong’s eyes grow large. Her already large eyes grew even bigger in surprise, which was a little frightening. It was an honest reaction that required no separate answer.

He nodded, conveying his understanding.

*****

He fixed one thought in his mind.

‘ Court Lady Dong has a secret.’

But he did not probe Court Lady Dong about what the secret was, what she was hiding, or what her identity was. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He decided to deeply engrave what he had confirmed and wait for the day the question would be answered.

For now, the problem at hand was more urgent.

He was heading toward Handan Palace, the residence of Consort Bi and Consort Jin. His long robe rustled luxuriously with his fast strides. As he entered the area where Handan Palace was visible, a maid approached his party and paid her respects.

“I see Consort Gwi-bi Gyo. May Consort Gwi-bi enjoy boundless fortune. I apologize. Consort Gwi-bi, are you going to Handan Palace?”

The maid was a face Yeon-oh remembered.

“You are Consort Neung So-yong’s palace servant. How do you know I am heading to Handan Palace?”

She calmed her busy mind and spoke softly.

“You must not go.”

Consort Neung So-yong’s maid quickly checked the surroundings one time and whispered in a low voice.

“You, what is your name?”

“My name is Sang-ah.”

“Sang-ah, is Consort Yun So-hwa asking for forgiveness from Consort Jin at Handan Palace?”

Consort Yun So-hwa’s daily life recently was the epitome of misfortune. When Consort Hyang’s great pride, a noble pearl accessory, was lost, the place where the accessory was found was Consort Yun So-hwa’s residence, completely branding her as the culprit.

Consort Hyang was not malicious, but she was direct and unable to hide her emotions. Although she did not inflict any separate punishment other than recovering the accessory, she spoke words that humiliated Consort Yun So-hwa without filtering them, making even the observer embarrassed.

“Is it because you lived a life of poverty, Consort Yun So-hwa? If you wanted it, why didn’t you just say so? I respected you as an older sister who served His Majesty for a long time, but you disappoint this younger sister.”

Consort Yun So-hwa’s reputation within the Imperial Palace plummeted to the floor. The problem was the endless stream of incidents involving Consort Yun So-hwa.

One day, the palace maid who prepared Consort Yun So-hwa’s meals vomited blood and collapsed, causing an uproar in the palace. The imperial physician diagnosed it as poisoning. It was unknown where the poisoning originated. Not only had the master touched the superiors’ valuables, but now her own servant was seriously ill from poisoning, so public sentiment toward Consort Yun So-hwa among the consorts became ominous.

Even the eunuchs who had to deliver the supplies consorts were entitled to were reluctant to go to her residence. Since she couldn’t even receive essential items, the palace servants assigned to her residence openly spoke ill of their master.

It was said that only the eunuchs and palace maids who had served Consort Yun So-hwa from before would work, even among the residence staff. Only Yeon-oh and Consort Hyeok sent essential items separately to Consort Yun So-hwa.

Consort Yun So-hwa, unless the situation was very urgent, returned the items sent by Yeon-oh and Consort Hyeok with an apology. She insisted on her innocence, claiming she did not steal Consort Hyang’s pearl accessory, and pleaded for an investigation into the poisoning of her residence maid, but no one listened.

Even the kind-hearted Consort Hyeok, while showing warmth, avoided actively voicing opinions in favor of Consort Yun So-hwa. Yeon-oh, being a rare man among the consorts, was also in a difficult position to interfere recklessly, so he could not suggest that he should step forward to resolve what everyone was pretending not to know.

“Yes, Consort Gwi-bi. Consort Yun So-hwa is asking for forgiveness from Consort Jin and Consort Du-Cheob-yeo on behalf of her eunuch and hoping for their generosity.”

Sang-ah, Consort Neung So-yong’s maid, continuously checked the surroundings and whispered in a cautious voice. It was a puzzling situation that a maid of Consort Neung So-yong, not a maid of Consort Hyeok’s residence, would step forward before Yeon-oh.

“Could you tell me the reason for the trouble?”

“It happened about a si-jin (two hours) ago. Consort Yun So-hwa’s eunuch was talking with the Giryung Palace eunuch Nae In-su when he tried to show him something. And the moment he took out a pouch from inside his clothes, a chest wrapper suspected to belong to a consort came out of it.”

Sang-ah whispered so only Yeon-oh and Court Lady Dong, who stood right next to him, could hear.

“…!”

“…!”

Yeon-oh and Court Lady Dong, who were heading there just having heard that Consort Yun So-hwa was asking for forgiveness at Handan Palace, widened their eyes in surprise. He regretted moving rashly.

“Consort Gwi-bi is a man, so you must not step forward.”

Sang-ah shook her head, looking at the two surprised people.