“Otherwise, the child will die in the hands of Councilor Lee. That beast!”
“Yoo Hee, you’re the only one left.”
“My Queen!”.
“This child … Please raise this child for me.”
“My Queen!”
Yoo Hee fell flat on the floor. To raise a princess, this precious princess instead, she couldn’t help but to doubt her ears, and her heart started beating like crazy.
“I did not give birth to this child today.”
“My Queen!”
“I will return to the palace on the boat that I called and give birth again on the scheduled delivery. But of course, the child is dead.”
“My Queen, how could you!”
“So yes, the child is dead today. I will save this child like that.”
“My Queen!”
How can she end the passionate love of motherhood for the child that is completely covered with every glance and every gesture?
Jungjeon hung herself with anger and pain with a trembling voice and dropped her head. Yoo Hee dared not to turn down the request of the Queen, so she could not refuse it, she could not answer it and just lay down flat with her face on the floor.
“Help me. There is only you.”
“My Queen!”
“Please raise this child for me. There is no need to raise it preciously, nor do you need to grow it finely. Just take care of her so that she can live.”
“……..”
“On the day when the greed of my in law comes to an end. On the day when l can get out of Lee Haksoo’s hands, I’m going to pick up this child– the precious royal princess.”
If the King dies in the hands of Councilor Lee and the person on his side takes over as King, the national text that had been handed down from the founding of the Joseon Dynasty would be shaken. Yoo Hee hesitated.
Just thinking about it, she was at a loss on how to raise the princess with her own hands.
“Yoo-hee, this is not a play. I am your old friend.”
“My Queen!”
“Now, all I have left is this one child. Please save this princess that your Majesty the King, wanted to protect with his life.”
Yoo Hee closed her eyes tightly at the Queen’s sincerity’s hot voice containing the Qing Dynasty’s true heart.
Jungjeon couldn’t waste more time. Soon, if Lee Hak Soo’s people were secretly hiding in Sansa, all plans would be in vain. Jungjeon led her tired body out of the mountain temple. The dried up black eyes didn’t want to leave the sight of the child who was being held tightly in Yoo Hee’s arms.
“When I reach home, I will contact you, My Queen. It won’t take long. Don’t worry about the Princess, just take care of yourself and go safely.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Yoo-hee”.
“I will raise her up as light and noble as my own child. My child is still……. It is not that her life has been lost, so I will tell the family that she can escape the life of a princess from Lee Hak Soo.”
“Yoo Hee.”
“Did you say Eun Seol is the name of the princess, my Queen?”.
“It is the name of your Majesty’s desperate hope for her to live as a flower of snow that never dies even in a strong blizzard.”
“It’s a pretty name as much as yours, my Queen.”
Jungjeon held Yoo Hee’s cold hands tightly. In Yoo Hee’s eyes were filled with firm strength. Jungjeon nodded towards her and bit her lips.
“I will not forget this debt to you.”
“It is not a debt, because my Queen always cares for Yoo Hee, this time I will protect you, My Queen.”
Jungjeon looked at Yoo Hee for a long time. Joo Sanggung, the court lady, opened her mouth with difficulty as she watched Yoo Hee carrying the little princess safely descend down the mountain.
“My Queen, if Councilor Lee knows about this, not only you but your whole family will not be left alone.”
“One, isn’t it the only way to save that child? If I go back to the palace like this, that child’s life will be in danger.”
“Didn’t you make an agreement with Councilor Lee? If you give birth to a princess, he will spare your life.”
The court lady Ju Sangggung looked at Yoo Hee moving away and lowered her gaze to the ground. Jung-jeon stared at the main palace once, then looked up at the black sky and sighed deeply.
“Do you believe I am in agreement with him?”
“My Queen!”
“With Lee Haksoo, a contract is a meaningless word that lost its effect as soon as I held the hand of His Majesty.”
The chief monk Ju Ji Seung carefully approached the Queen’s side and shook her head as if in vain.
The queen looked up at the sky with a desperate face, putting her hands together. She begged and prayed again and again for the sin of having to send a little child away from her arms. The chief monk looked at Jungjeon, staring only at the sky with tearful eyes.
“My Queen, you will lose your precious body.”
” I will. I am a bad mother who can’t protect my own child.”
“You did not make a difficult decision just to die, my Queen.”
“Was Joseon such a powerless and small country? I didn’t know. When I sat in the seat of the Queen Mother, Joseon was easily overturned by the hands of a mere ugly god.”
The Queen’s voice trembled helplessly. Looking at her, Ju Ji Seung’s heart seemed to collapse.
“I thought I could change it. So, I made a mistake by taking Lee Haksoo’s side. I thought with his power, I could make this country a peaceful place by using my seat as a stepping stone, and made sure that the sovereign would be restored to its dignity.”
As if in vain, she shook her head, bursting with anger and regret. Deep shadows cast on both cheeks of the deep-pained Jungjeon.
The chief monk dared to stare at the Queen and suppressed the soaring anger and sadness.
“Yes, I was stupid. I stepped on the back of Lee Haksoo and tried to stand up. However, he caught me by the neck and pushed me into an endless abyss. I was a weak person.”
“My Queen.”
“I’m not greedy now, Monk.”
As if she had collapsed, Jungjeon poured out the words like a sigh and lifted her head high.
“It was clear when I saw the prince being taken away by their hands so vainly.”
“……”
“The place where I must live and die is the palace. Even if I am away, I will surely return there someday and die there. Then I will surely protect the one princess and find her place.”
Jungjeon put her dry hands together and looked up at the gloomy sky.
A rather chilly breeze filled Sansa mountain and soon the sky was overcast with blurry snow. A dry cough broke out. Jungjeon clenched her fists and bit her lips until it’s bleeding.
“Trust in your fate, and in the Princess, My Queen. She will grow up right and pretty.”
“Monk. .”
“Because she resembles the Queen, she will become the most intelligent and bravest woman in Joseon.”
“My Queen, give me a little more strength.”
Before coming down from Sansa, on the day she received it from the monk, Jung-jeon began giving birth to a false child by telling him that the childbirth had started.
Jungjeon pretended to give birth at the sansil office prepared by the king. Of course, with the two midwives who was told in advance. Jungjeon, who was screaming with all her might, collapsed. It was then.
“ My Queen!”
She could hear the whispering of the main palace from the back door of Sansilcheong. JooSanggung gasped and breathed by the Queen’s side, who was screaming to tears, stepped in. In her arms was the body of a newborn baby surrounded by a cloth.
“My Queen, it’s here!”
“Is it a girl?”
“Yes, My Queen!”
Joo Sang-gung, trembling with both hands, held the infant’s body and handed it to Jung-jeon. She looked into the dead baby’s face. It was a newborn baby just short of breath. Jungjeon clenched her teeth.
“Baby, what is your story that you come to my arms with your eyes closed?”
“ After two exams, it is said that the baby was dead. The mother also died while giving birth to the baby. It is not a ceremony for the noble family, but I have brought a baby who was in the process of doing business with the mother, My Queen.”
“When the work is done, let this baby and the deceased mother’s business be carried out in a carefree manner.”
Jungjeon looked down at the pale baby’s body and handed it to the midwife who nodded with a firm face and clenched her lips. In response to the Queen’s hand signal, the midwives began to move busily. Soon, the dead baby’s body was wrapped in a silk cloth, and the midwife cleared her breathing. Jungjeon remembered the white face of Princess Eun-Seol, who had left the temple with two fists clenched. Then Jungjeon called to Joo Sang-gung with a trembling voice.
” The Court Lady?
“Yes, My Queen ?”
Joo Sang-gung raised her head with a sluggish voice as if everything was ready. The eyes of Jungjeon and Joo Sanggung clashed.
“From now on, it’s just half a test.”
“Yes?”
“Go to Councilor Lee and tell him that I had given birth.”
“My Queen!”
“And I will take a girl from another family to make her a princess.”
“My Queen… How!”
At the end of the Queen’s words, Joo Sanggung knelt down, shrieking. Being a person of Councilor Lee, it was a bad thing to do. However, Joo Sanggung also knew that there was no other way to protect Jungjeon and the princess. Joo Sang-gung’s face was distorted.
Then the Queen continued.
“All of them are ready. The little girl I tried to steal will be brought to Saga and it is clear that I have given birth to a child who is now dead.”
“…….”
“Let’s live.” If you decide to run away from me and be on Lee Haksoo’s side, I will tell him all these words I have spoken to you now.”
“My Queen ..!”
“ Take my command and go to my saga to pick up the child, then you go to the Councilor Lee. And say that you have left my side. So that you and the princess can live.”
“My Queen!”
Joo Sang-gung bursted into tears and fell flat on the floor. The midwife , who was holding the dead child in her arms, was also shedding tears, unable to bear the sorrow that erupted. Joo Sanggung had to leave the Queen’s side but she couldn’t take her feet off the floor.
“Do not hesitate and leave.”
“It’s very harsh for a child, My Queen!”
“After the half examination, you will have to persecute me with Lee Haksoo and the ministers.”
Every single word that Jungjeon said was stuck in Joo Sanggung’s chest like a dagger. It was the road to fall. It was a business that was bound to collapse. There was no way the Queen could not know it. However, there was no choice but to choose that strategy.
“My Queen if that happens, your life will be inevitable.
Your family could also be destroyed .Why do you want to do something so reckless?”
“”Is there any other way?
“My Queen!”
“Whether I leave the palace in despair or I leave the palace as an invoice of a national mother.”
“My Queen!”
“What can I choose? So I have to take a step back.”
“It is also to withdraw, My Queen!”
The voice of the Queen was trembling lightly.
“To protect the princess, my child, I have to.”
“If My Queen is not with your Majesty’s side, the preaching power will be lost.”
“I have lived with my Majesty for the rest of my life. But now, a lot of poison is spreading in His Majesty’s body.The indulgence medicine that is like a medicine. Even though l obviously knew there was poison in it, I couldn’t stop it.What can I do anymore? Your Majesty also knew it.”
“” My Queen!”
“”Now that everything is coming to an end. “
It was the strange fate of herself and the King, who had become accustomed to it before she knew it. Her eyes were full of vanity.
“ I must be thrown out of the palace alive to embrace the cause. Also, you must be the person on Lee Haksoo’s side to protect everyone.
“”My Queen!”
“”Now you have a royal duty.” Hide your will and your heart and live as his person. Revenge will be me, not the princess.”
“My Queen!”
“So that I can take revenge safely. Until then, you must survive safely as a person of Lee Haksoo.”
Jungjeon looked up at the moonlit blue sky and swallowed her tears.
*********
“Sinner Jungjeon Hong , listen ! Your crime of replacing the dead princess, trying to confuse the royal family and the court members. Therefore you will be exiled to Tamra. Also arrest Do Hwan Hong, your brother, who helped you with the crime, and he will be sent to Wando. All Hong’s property will be confiscated and returned to the national treasury.”
Jungjeon bowed to Daejeon, where the king was. All the nine people who helped Jungjeon looked at her with a fever and said,
“Even if the Queen gave up her pledge, she sill would be exiled to Tamra. I didn’t know the distribution of the Queen would be so small.”
Woo Eui-jung and Joo Sang-hyun clicked their tongues at Lee Hak-soo, the Left State councilor as if they were displeased with his decision.
Then, Lee Haksoo looked at the back of the Queen as she was leaving the city with no belongings and made a joke.
“You didn’t have to die if you supported my son to take the throne.”
“A son ?! “
“ I have to show the puppet clearly that I killed the sick and stupid king and built a new Joseon under the name of rebellion and handed it to my son.”
“How many years ago, was the child who was born in Namhae, was your son ?! | thought you had a daughter again! Oh, I have all those knowledge , Sir.”
Joo Sang-hyun mocked at Lee Hak-soo and opened his eyes.
Jungjeon was listening to all the voices, clenched her fists and trembled . All the nine members who were guarding the Queen’s side of the palace lay flat on the floor and saw her off.
“My Queen.You have to be strong!”
It was then. The king, who was looking at Jungjeon in a distance and approached her with tears.
Jungjeon turned her head toward the king in a desperate appearance. The king exhaled harshly and held the hand of Mr. Hong, who had become emaciated.
“My Queen!”
“Your Majesty, you must live on”.
“My Queen had to do this. It makes me such an incompetent husband.”
“l apologize for not being able to protect you and the princess until the end of my life. Please do not forgive me, my king.”
Jungjeon smiled brightly as she was holding back the tears. Maybe this was their last meeting. The king was confident that he would eventually fall to death, but he wanted to show only the resolute figure to the end.
“It was you, My Queen, that you didn’t let go of my hands until the last moment.”
“Your Majesty.”
“But until the end, My Queen sacrificed your life for me. How can I blame you.”
The king shed tears and swept Jungjeon’s cheeks several times. All the courtiers who couldn’t look at the two heartfelt people lay flat on the floor and cried . Jungjeon stared at the king’s face for a long time and nodded slowly.
“If I leave the city like this, I may not be able to protect Your Majesty’s last moments.”
“My Queen!”
“You will be lonely. You will be afraid alone, Your Majesty.”
In the end, Jungjeon had to show tears. When the tears that had been held up burst, the two hugged each other warmly as if they had been waiting for a long time.
“No, I am happy, My Queen. Knowing that the princess will be living and breathing safely somewhere in this Joseon Dynasty. That fact alone makes me overwhelmed.”
“Please understand my heart, Your Majesty. I had to send the princess away, not being held in your Majesty’s arms even once once. I will protect you and my princess even when l die.”
The king smiled happily as he wiped the tears flowing from the Queen’s cheeks . Jungjeon also smiled brightly again and held the king’s hands.
“I will survive until the end .. I will restore the reputation of the Princess and Your Majesty.”
“My Queen!”
“I will surely repay your majesty and the royal family’s deep sorrow. Your Majesty .. You should put all the rest of this life here and close your eyes comfortably.”
“We were happy together, Jungjeon. Thank you for living as my wife and as my woman. “
“I was also happy living as his Majesty’s wife. I am very happy to live as the Queen of the nation, Your Majesty.”
The two hugged each other with hot tears. That’s how Jung-jeon’s revenge began.