CH 7.1

“So, how much fuss did he make last night?”

After the morning assembly at the Chonggeon Hall, Yihan returned to his own palace, the Anjeong Palace, without going to the other concubines’ residence. He asked out of nowhere while drinking a sip of tea brewed by Eunuch Oh.

“By fuss, do you mean-”

“Why are you asking? Of course, I’m talking about Jeongan Palace. Is there any other place in this imperial palace where chaos will happen other than there?”

As if thinking about it only gave him a headache, Yihan frowned over the tea that was not even bitter. Since he had taken out his nameplate on top of not visiting him, surely the chaos wouldn’t have stopped in the Jeongan Palace last night—considering the personality of that great Yeon Hwawoon.

He didn’t want to pay much attention to Yeon Hwawoon’s wickedness because it didn’t happen only once or twice, but if Hwawoon couldn’t bear it and caused a disturbance even though he was ordered to reflect over the guard’s death, Yihan wouldn’t stay still any longer.

“That’s… last night, Jeongan Palace was very quiet without much going on.”

“What?”

However, the answer given by Eunuch Oh was completely different from what Yihan expected. As the emperor opened his eyes wide, asking back as if he had heard a sound that didn’t make sense at all, the eunuch bowed further and continued to talk.

“It is said that Jeongan Palace was closed early last night and nothing happened, but-”

“Impossible!”

Yihan was so surprised that he forgot about his dignity and raised his voice even before the eunuch finished his words. Even if Hwawoon yielded, did not beat up innocent court ladies because he was wary of the emperor’s wits, his personality would have definitely made a fuss—throwing ornaments, glass jars while crying and bawling about bringing in His Majesty because he would kill himself right now.

Yihan was about to ask the eunuch to repeat his report because he couldn’t believe it, but just a moment ago, the eunuch tried to continue his words with ‘but-’.

In front of the emperor, who was wearing an—I knew it—expression, the Eunuch continued,

“Yeon-bin ordered all the courtiers of Jeongan Palace to gather this morning…”

“All of them? Did he gather all the court ladies and hit them one by one?”

“That’s not it, His Highness Yeon-bin…”

As if he was trying to say a very big news, the eunuch  hesitated—couldn’t bring himself to dare say the news. 

When Yihan just swallowed his dry saliva, wondering if his personality had gotten worse after he came back from death, the eunuch continued his words. 

“Yeon-bin said, ‘I have been so mean and cruel to all of you…”

“…… What?”

“… I don’t remember everything I did in the past, but I am very distressed to hear about what I’ve been doing as a master…”

“… What?”

“Such a thing will never happen in the future…’ He said this is hard to believe, but he promised he really will never do that… anymore…”

Once again, Yihan had no choice but to shout out, which wasn’t fit for the emperor’s dignity.

“Impossible!”

***

“Unnie! Ahjin Unnie!”

One of the court ladies that was gathering in a corner and whispering loudly called Ahjin, who seemed like she was out of her mind. She had just come out after taking care of Yeon-bin’s meal.

As she approached them, since that call made her come to her senses, the mouths gathered around her began to chatter loudly.

“Unnie, Unnie. Why is His Highness acting like that?”

“Is he trying to scold us harshly by testing us again?”

“Is there anything you know about this?”

All the things they say to Ahjin were about their masters, His Highness Yeon-bin, whose attitudes had suddenly changed so much.

Because of the thing Yeon-bin said after gathering all the court ladies this morning, their mealtime was thoroughly noisy. Such a thing surely bound to happen. All this time, their masters were someone who treated the court ladies harshly every day. 

Why was there no senior eunuch but only eunuchs in training in Jeongan Palace? Except for Ahjin, why were there only young court ladies in Jeongan Palace, unlike the other palaces?

The reason there was no senior eunuch was the emperor’s order. The senior eunuch of Jeongan Palace had changed several times since Yeon-bin became the palace’s owner. Whenever there was a new senior eunuch, Yeon-bin always kicked them out, saying that they were not working properly. 

Those things were a move to make the emperor to visit Jeongan Palace. Alas, the emperor, being angry with that, gave an order by saying—looking that you keep kicking out the senior eunuchs, it seems like Jeongan Palace didn’t need them, so live without them.