The Aftermath of the Torn Papers in the Pouch
Even as she was being dragged along by Head Court Lady Eom, Yunseo did not forget to handle what needed handling.
"My lord. There are far too many spies of Lady Yun within the Eastern Palace. Maid Choi was one of her pawns as well—she must have been killed and made to look like a suicide, with everything pushed onto Hong Seunghwi. We should use this chance to root out and eliminate all of Grand Prince Suyang and Lady Yun's people."
"I will take care of that myself—so you focus on resolving the issue of those paper scraps! If something happens to you, what about our young prince who follows you like a mother? And His Highness, who has only just begun to laugh aloud after finally gaining a woman he cherishes? Please, be more careful—please!"
After sharply scolding her, Eom ignored the eunuch's attempt to stop her—saying that Kim Jongseo and Jeong Inji were inside—and called out toward the chamber.
"Your Highness, I must see you at once on an urgent matter."
"..."
The door opened, and Ihyang appeared, properly dressed in a red dragon robe.
Through the doorway, two officials in pale pink robes could be seen.
One, clad in clearly luxurious fabric, was Jeong Inji; the other, of smaller build in rougher attire, was Kim Jongseo.
Ihyang first looked down at Yunseo—who was peering inside with curiosity—then turned to Eom.
Eom leaned close and quickly reported what had just happened in the Eastern Palace.
"!"
His expression hardened instantly, and Ihyang stepped toward Yunseo.
He cupped her cheeks in his large hands, pulling her close as if to kiss her, and whispered softly into her ear.
"Do not worry about anything. No matter what is written, Yunseo—you will be safe."
"!"
Yunseo felt as if her heart melted.
At first, such unrestrained displays of affection had felt like an insult—but now, as she gradually opened her heart, they felt like absolute support.
Grateful, yet fully aware that dealing with King Sejong left no room for carelessness, she leaned close and whispered back:
"I will prepare my answers carefully, Your Highness."
"!"
"Ever since I resolved to remain in Joseon as your woman, I have become more meticulous."
"…Yes. That is the Yunseo I know!"
"..."
'My Yunseo'?
Even by modern standards, some of Ihyang's expressions were enough to make one cringe.
"Ahem!"
Standing beside them, even Eom seemed to think the same and cleared her throat loudly, abandoning her usual strict decorum.
Ihyang released Yunseo's face and quickly issued orders.
"Begin by investigating who Maid Choi interacted with and how. Use this opportunity to weed out those who are not loyal to the Eastern Palace. And…"
A flicker of pain crossed his face.
"As for Hong Seunghwi—confine her to her quarters with no outside contact. Send trustworthy people to take good care of Geuma."
Geuma.
Yunseo recalled the pale-faced child, slow in speech and development—Hong Seunghwi's daughter.
She also remembered what Lady Park had once said:
"His Highness sometimes makes time to visit that child, seating her on his lap and patiently teaching her how to use a spoon and other things. When you see that, you realize how truly kind he is. A person's character is revealed in how they treat the weak and the lowly."
And the record—that the child would die after only four years.
At moments like this, Yunseo was reminded that Ihyang had other women—and other children besides Hongwi and Princess Pyeongchang.
Setting aside the complicated emotions of being one of his women, she recognized that his consideration for past bonds was worthy of respect.
New relationships would one day become old ones.
And perhaps one day, she too would receive the same treatment those past ties once had.
With that thought, Yunseo tried to withdraw to help stabilize the Eastern Palace.
But Ihyang lightly caught her shoulder.
"His Majesty will surely want to see the papers you sent me as well. Leave the palace affairs to Eom and Lady Park—we must prepare for what comes next."
Eom immediately bowed and returned to the Eastern Palace.
"Then I will wait here."
Yunseo moved to step down into the courtyard, but Ihyang gently stopped her.
"No. Come inside with me. I will introduce you to my two ministers."
"…But, Your Highness."
Wouldn't that appear improper in Joseon society?
Before she could say it, Ihyang shook his head, already understanding her concern.
"They must know how important you are to me."
He intended, if matters escalated, to ensure that these two ministers—favored by the King—would stand on Yunseo's side.
The Crown Prince, who had been discussing plans to collect tribute in rice and currency instead of goods, suddenly left his office—then returned with a strikingly cool-faced beauty.
The two ministers rose in surprise.
"I would like to introduce a woman I cherish. This is Maid Kwon, whose exceptional insight has provided me with great guidance. You recall the issues we discussed regarding collecting tribute in rice—and the proposal I made afterward?"
"Do you mean the plan to encourage the use of currency by offering a five-percent reduction when tribute is paid in coin instead of rice, Your Highness? Are you saying that ingenious proposal came from this maid Kwon?"
Jeong Inji asked, glancing repeatedly at Yunseo from the corner of his eye.
"Indeed, Minister. It was Lady Kwon who proposed the five-percent reduction. That way, people would be encouraged to pay tribute in currency instead of rice, and at the same time, the circulation of currency would stabilize more quickly."
"Oh!"
"Hah… Your Highness has acquired quite an excellent strategist."
The two ministers still harbored doubts, but knowing well that the Crown Prince had long shown no interest in women—causing deep concern to King Sejong and the Queen—they simply echoed his words and took their leave.
"Your Highness, today at the Queen's palace, Lady Yun criticized you, saying you were neglecting me and causing Her Majesty great worry. So I told her this."
"Hmm?"
Yunseo spoke suddenly while reviewing the stack of report-like papers she had written.
Ihyang, who had been rereading the same papers from a slight distance, turned to look at her.
His raised eyebrows and curved lips clearly teased: What will you do about this situation you've caused?
Whenever he looked at her like that, Yunseo felt like a schoolgirl facing her first crush—her face flushed, and she lowered her head as she muttered:
"I said that because of the severe drought, Your Highness is purifying both body and mind to conduct the rain ritual, and thus keeping your distance from me."
Ihyang burst into laughter, then lifted her chin with his fingers so their eyes met.
"I am well-versed in astronomy. Judging by signs such as the absence of lunar halos, this drought will likely continue at least until the end of summer. That means… until then, I shall…"
He deliberately trailed off.
"If it lasts until the end of summer… that would be more than two months, wouldn't it?"
"Yes. More than two months."
"…The drought has little to do with a ruler's conduct, but since I've said it, you must act accordingly."
"Very well. For the sake of the people—and for my Yunseo, who must sleep alone—I must devote myself fully to ending the drought. If I restrain myself and conduct the rain ritual with complete purity, even while keeping you by my side, and rain finally falls… then won't people expect the same every time there is a drought, hmm?"
He raised his eyebrows again, as if asking how she intended to deal with that later.
"N-no, Your Highness, who said anything about sleeping alone…"
Though she muttered, Yunseo recalled how severe droughts had plagued Joseon almost every year, bringing suffering to the people.
"You must expand reservoirs and actively develop water wheels, Your Highness. Our land is mountainous, so instead of relying on large flatland reservoirs, we should create smaller water storage basins in higher areas and use them during droughts."
As Yunseo picked up her brush to draw something again, Ihyang raised his hand to stop her.
"Let us deal with the contents of these papers first."
Reviewing what she had written, Yunseo finally reached a conclusion.
"Your Highness, it would be best if only you knew that I am a soul from the future. His Majesty may initially be fascinated by my knowledge, but eventually, he will surely grow wary of the danger I represent."
Humans do not welcome what is unfamiliar.
A genius like King Sejong would undoubtedly recognize the potential threat of someone possessing knowledge from the future—and as a ruler, he would naturally be cautious.
"I thought the same. For the parts about historical figures, replace them with stories of past Chinese sages where possible. If not, remove them entirely. But if you suddenly stop sending these writings, it will seem strange—so from now on, send me love letters."
"…Excuse me?"
"Did you not tell the Queen that you were sending me letters of affection? Then, to make your words believable, you must write to me about great figures you've supposedly heard of—and, in between, send me heartfelt letters expressing your love."
"..."
Should I just write song lyrics…?
To avoid future copyright issues, perhaps she could tell him to read and burn them—or write down poems she had memorized for exams.
As Yunseo pondered what to write, Ihyang added:
"The original content you used to write—come here at night and tell me in person."
"But you said you were too busy with state affairs to see me, so I should write instead."
"Do you truly think it was because I was busy?"
"…What?"
"Was it truly because I was busy, my lady?"
"...!"
Ah.
At his low, seductive tone, Yunseo flushed again and lowered her head.
For the next few days, the Eastern Palace remained in turmoil—maids and eunuchs were dismissed and replaced in a constant stream.
As for Hong Seunghwi, a royal decree stated that her punishment would be decided after the contents of the reconstructed note were reviewed. For now, she was confined to her quarters.
Yunseo, too, was ordered not to leave the Eastern Palace until the contents of the papers were fully revealed.
Thus, during the day, she cared for Hongwi and wrote love letters—filled with song lyrics and poems—to Ihyang.
At night, she went to Biyeongak, revised her previous reports, and verbally shared her knowledge.
Lady Yun, wife of Grand Prince Suyang, who had dared to speak recklessly of Eastern Palace affairs based on what she heard from Hong Seunghwi, was also ordered to remain in seclusion at Myeongrye Palace, awaiting judgment from the King and Queen.
Amid all this unrest—
Six days later, King Sejong finally summoned Yunseo to Cheonchu Hall.
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