**Chapter 3: Aching Body**
Taegang immersed himself in hot water, wearing only a thin hemp robe. A headache assailed him.
As he closed his eyes, memories like a nightmare came flooding back.
Last night, he had ravaged the Queen. He had been a beast, starved for lust.
The only thing he had consumed in the Queen’s residence was three cups of the wedding wine.
*’The wine was laced with an aphrodisiac!’*
The scratched area on his neck stung. The bite mark on his left shoulder also throbbed.
What was even more surprising was that the Chief Court Lady had seen the wounds and remained silent. Even though the entrance had been blocked by the peony screen, he must have heard the Queen’s pained moans.
Without being asked, Chief Court Lady Hong reported,
“Her Majesty the Queen has come down with a chill, so she had her personal court lady send word to the Queen Dowager’s palace that she would not be attending the morning audience.”
“A chill…”
Even in the pre-dawn darkness, the bruises on her jade-white body came to mind, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
It was a relief that the Queen had not collapsed.
He ordered cold water brought and poured it over his entire body. If he could, he would have immersed himself in ice water. He wanted to flog his own body as punishment.
As he left his study, Taegang instructed the Chief Court Lady,
“No one must know. If this matter reaches the Queen Dowager’s palace, I will have you killed as well.”
“I will keep that in mind. What shall we do about this morning’s audience with the Queen Dowager?”
If the Queen Dowager saw the nail marks and bite marks on his body now, the Queen would be deposed and given the death sentence before the sun even set.
“Inform her that the morning council will run long and that I will pay my respects this evening. Since it would be difficult for you to lie, send Senior Court Lady Yun.”
“I shall obey your command.”
He refused the morning rice porridge and drank only a cup of honeyed water. Irritation seethed within him, and his throat was parched from thirst.
The Chief Court Lady presented a thin silk scarf. Taegang wrapped it around his neck as if he had caught a cold and headed to the main hall for the council.
—
As usual, Chief Royal Secretary Im Myeong-guk rose before dawn to review the documents he would present to the King during the morning council.
Since the previous night had been the auspicious day of the King and Queen’s consummation, the officials of the Royal Secretariat had also been generously provided with wine and meat from the Queen Dowager’s palace.
He had only drunk a single cup of wine and worked on backlogged tasks, finally getting to sleep past the hour of the Ox (around 1-3 AM). Still, he had slept deeply for a change, and his mind felt clear.
The King, as he entered the main hall, appeared extremely fatigued. The vibrant energy he had shown the day before, like a new groom, had vanished overnight.
Seeing the King’s pale complexion and bloodshot eyes, worry flooded him that the King might have overexerted his royal body during the consummation.
They say that for a monarch, lust for women is more fearsome than treacherous subjects.
Catching the eye of Chief Court Lady Hong, who was standing by, Im received a warning glance. So, he first reported the news about the third son of the southern province, rather than any troublesome matters.
It would normally have been a cause for great joy, but the King’s countenance remained dark. His expression was one of suppressed irritation and anger.
It seemed that the King and Queen’s consummation the previous night had not gone well.
Since his days in the Eastern Palace, the King had cherished the Queen greatly, and whenever he was with her, even his hasty temper would become more relaxed.
It was said that when the Queen Dowager’s palace had broached the subject of selecting concubines, he had refused flatly.
*’Her Majesty the Queen couldn’t have made a mistake… could it be because of the Queen Dowager’s palace?’*
After finishing the council with the royal secretaries, as the King retired to the inner chamber of the main hall, the newly appointed Junior Royal Secretary Kim Ji-han whispered,
“His Majesty was in such high spirits these past few days, like a man who’d passed the highest civil service exam. Why is he like this now?”
“Shh. For every clear day, there must be a cloudy one.”
“His Majesty always used to be all smiles after visiting the Queen’s residence…”
“Don’t you know the saying, ‘Love is a sickness’? You shouldn’t show off too much how good your wife is, especially in front of your mother.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And… even when you use metaphors, that one’s off. Comparing His Majesty to someone who passed the highest exam? Is that something to say about the sovereign?”
“I will be careful.”
At Im Myeong-guk’s reprimand, Kim Ji-han glanced toward the inner chamber and tiptoed out of the main hall.
The spring-like atmosphere that had filled the main hall for days began to freeze over again.
—
After the King entered the morning council, Chief Court Lady Hong headed to a pavilion nestled deep within the rear garden. There resided Senior Court Lady Pyo, seventy years old, who had served three kings.
*Hyusimdang* (Hall of Restful Mind). The plaque was the calligraphy of the late King. It had been bestowed upon Senior Court Lady Pyo when she discovered poison in the meal of a pregnant Queen and saved both the Queen and the royal heir.
Twenty years ago, when a fever epidemic swept through the palace and court ladies were collapsing and dying in the infirmary, Senior Court Lady Pyo had treated them with medicinal liquor, saving countless lives. The young Crown Prince had also been saved at that time.
To Chief Court Lady Hong, she was both the savior of his life and the mentor who taught him how to survive in the palace.
Senior Court Lady Pyo had prepared a refreshment table and was brewing tea, as if she had been waiting for him. Even her errand maids were nowhere to be seen.
“Did you put an aphrodisiac in the King’s wedding wine?”
“Hehe, I added just a nail’s breadth more cinnamon than usual. It seems the effect was quite good.”
“Master! Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was all for His Majesty. Don’t you know the meaning of ‘self-sacrifice for the greater good’?”
“How do you think Her Majesty the Queen will see His Majesty now?”
“For a while, she will see him as a demon from hell.”
As Chief Court Lady Hong pressed his hands down on his knees and gritted his teeth to suppress his anger, Senior Court Lady Pyo clicked her tongue.
“And what, pray tell, is my dear Chief Court Lady so curious about that he had to come all the way here?”
“Her Majesty must be covered in bruises.”
“Have you not seen the bruises on His Majesty’s heart all this time? At the second selection for the royal bride, the Queen picked up a dumpling with her bare hands. She was trying to get herself eliminated. Even after the royal wedding, she hasn’t fully given her heart to His Majesty.”
“That was when she was young and naive. How could she disobey her parents’ command?”
“At thirteen, one is already of age to understand. The Queen Dowager became the mistress of the Eastern Palace at twelve and ruled over three hundred court ladies there.”
Hong let out a sigh and asked,
“I thought you cherished Her Majesty the Queen. Was I wrong?”
“I must cherish the one His Majesty holds dear. Only then will the Queen Dowager not dare to touch her rashly.”
“Then why did you do that to the wedding wine?”
“Consider it the petty mischief of a foolish old court lady who has never won a man’s heart in her entire life.”
After taking a sip of tea, Senior Court Lady Pyo smiled with satisfaction.
“You have now put yourself in danger, Master.”
“His Majesty would not want the Queen Dowager’s palace to find out. The Queen could also be harmed.”
“Do you think Her Majesty the Queen will stay still about this?”
“Hehe, if I know Her Majesty, she will cover this up. She is someone who greatly cherishes her court ladies. You should also pretend not to know. That way, we’ll be able to watch more interesting things unfold.”
“Surely… you don’t mean to have a concubine selected?”
“Now you’re catching on.”
Shortly after the national mourning ended, the Queen Dowager’s palace had hinted at selecting concubines. At that time, the King had sternly declared he desired no woman other than the Queen. Though she wasn’t present, the news must have reached the Queen’s ears.
“Nail marks have appeared on His Majesty’s royal body. How will you handle the consequences?”
“It must have been a heated night.”
“How can you jest at a time like this!”
“His Majesty will hide it well. To protect Her Majesty, he will bring in a concubine according to the Queen Dowager’s wishes.”
“By cornering Her Majesty, what do you stand to gain, Master?”
“What could I, who only awaits the day of my death, possibly want? I am unconditionally on His Majesty’s side. As long as His Majesty favors Her Majesty, I will protect her.”
Until now, Senior Court Lady Pyo’s schemes had always been correct. But this time was different.
“If a prince is born to a concubine, the resulting turmoil will be hard to manage.”
Senior Court Lady Pyo, with her white hair and plain silver hairpin, grinned. Despite her seventy years, her unblemished skin and neat teeth gave her an almost ethereal appearance.
“This will be a very good training period for Her Majesty. If the Queen is too gentle, the court ladies will crawl all over her. No, they will try to tear her apart.”
“Her Majesty the Queen is not that weak a person.”
“Just remember that this is for the sake of the royal succession. Now, hurry to the Queen’s residence. You must comfort our poor Queen.”
As she saw him off, Senior Court Lady Pyo added,
“If an auspicious day for another consummation isn’t set within a fortnight, the Queen Dowager’s palace will bring in a concubine.”
“The consummation… Her Majesty will not consent to it.”
“Then His Majesty’s heart will burn all the more. He will find it hard to forget the pleasure of last night.”
She smiled softly, then pulled a small booklet from under her cushion and handed it to him.
“A few days ago, Buyonghwa brought this. She said she picked it up at a noodle shop near Jangtong Bridge. Read it.”
Buyonghwa was a woman who had once been a *gisaeng* named Ilpae, who had toyed with the hearts of many men in Hanyang. Now she was Senior Court Lady Pyo’s trusted agent, collecting and delivering news and information from the outside world.
Before he had even flipped two pages, Chief Court Lady Hong was filled with dread.
It was a novel, set against the backdrop of the Ming imperial family, detailing scandalous rumors about the Queen Dowager’s deceased mother. However, the content was clearly recognizable as being about the Queen Dowager and her two brothers, Jo Yeong-geun and Jo Su-geun.
Hong was shocked by the scandalous content—that the Empress’s mother had even borne an illegitimate child.
“How could such a novel exist?”
“Naturally, someone distributed it. In places where many people gather.”
Hong threw the booklet onto the brazier used for brewing tea. After confirming it had been consumed by the flames, he asked,
“Master, shouldn’t you mobilize Buyonghwa to collect them?”
“Yes, I should. Matters like these are difficult for the Eunuch Bureau, the Inspectorate, or the Royal Guard to handle. Do not tell His Majesty just yet. Even if you do, it’s better if I report it to avoid repercussions. You could get hurt too.”
The rumors about the Queen Dowager’s mother, Lady Yu, who had passed away some thirty years ago, had been circulating in Bukchon since the time of the late King’s mourning. But he never dreamed they would appear in a printed novel.
As Chief Court Lady Hong left Hyusimdang, his legs were trembling.
