Chapter 14. The shepherd. Part I.

 

"And does the King visit her often?" lady Park Han Byul demanded to the eunuch.

 

"I am not sure, milady. I am neither in charge of the King’s chambers nor the Queen. You should ask a palace woman, milady."

 

"But I am asking you, my good friend" Park Han Byul slide a sack full of money.

 

"Not really. Only when the shamans recommend it."

 

"Thank you kindly, my friend. Now, GO! And this conversation had never happened."

 

"What conversation?"

 

Park Han Byul smiled and went directly to her older sister’s, Han Ye Seul, chambers, where she stayed after giving birth to her fraternal twins Park Jisoo and Park Seok-Jin, a blesshing for the Park household. Once she opened the door, a small blue dwarf came to hug her.

 

"Aunt Han Byul! I’ve missed you!"

 

"My Crown Prince Jeongwan!" and she returned the hug. "How are your lessons going?"

 

"Great! Tomorrow I will go to my first Council to listen."

 

"Those are great news, Crown Prince!" his other aunt, Han Ye Seul, congratulated him. "But come here to finish your snacks, young Prince."

 

"Yes, aunt."

 

While Jeongwan was concentrated on his sweets, both women glimpse at each other. And by the smile on Han Byul’s face, she had good news.

 

"So… tell me, young prince… is the new Queen treating you with respect? Because if she doesn’t, your aunts will complain, okay?·

 

"She’s…" and he looked for the right words-. "Alright, I guess. Grandmother likes her a lot, but she won’t tell her, of course."

 

Seeing how Jeongwan looked, both women knew he wasn’t pleased with Mi-young as the new Queen. Maybe because Sandara left this world when the Crown Prince was just a baby that he idolized his mother and saw her as a perfect creature. But, knowing that even the Dowager Queen had a fond for the new Queen, both women knew they could only keep their influence at court if they put their nephew against Qing Mi-Young.

 

"Really?" and booth women sat closer to their nephew.

 

"Yes. But she just forces too much."

 

"Of course, because she has to replace your mother." and Han Byul remarked the word replace, only to make thins clear. 

 

"Replace?!" he asked, worried about it.

 

Ye Seul and Han Byul smiled and, somehow, felt pity because they were manipulating an eleven-year-old just as they used to do with their younger sister when she was the Queen. Maybe Jeongwan had the looks of his father, but, the kindness was indeed inherited from Sandara. And also his tendency to trust family, although it mightn’t be the cleverest decision.

 

"Of course!" Ye Seul exclaimed, forcing her voice. "She has to replace your mother in everything, young prince. So, will you be a good boy and give her some space?"

 

"Yes, your aunt is right, Crown Prince" Han Byul added. "She needs everyone’s support so we can forget about the old Queen and be again overjoyed because the nation has a new mother."

 

"Will everyone forget my mother, then?" he was holding his tears.

 

"I’m sorry, Crown Prince" and Park Han Byul hugged him once more, comforting the young prince. "But that’s a Queen’s destiny. To be the Mother of the Nation when she’s alive, and be forgotten afterward. I would have suffered the same destiny if your uncle didn’t die prematurely."

 

“If the bastard of my husband hadn’t been so blinded by lust, I would be the Queen right now and I shouldn’t have to manipulate my own nephew to keep my influence” Park Han Byul bitterly thought.

 

"It has always been this way, I’m deeply sorry, my Crown Prince. But Queen Park Sandara would soon be fully replaced."

 

Jeongwan saddened and couldn’t finish his sweets: he wasn’t in the mood for them because he couldn’t just tolerate that Qing Mi-young was trying to make everyone forget about his mother. He would never forget her, not because of a foreigner. He hugged his aunts, looking for some relief, but someone interrupted them.

 

"Crown Prince, where are you?" First Palace Lady, Kwon Bo-Ah, said outside the chambers. "The King would like to spend the rest of the afternoon practicing archery with you!"

 

"Go, young prince" Ye Seul. "Don’t make your only true parent wait."

 

 

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"Where does Kwon Jiyong go so early in the morning?"

 

They were eating breakfast outside because the weather was nice. Yet the fog surrounding the Island didn’t disappear. It was as if they were surrounded by an invisible barrier: the sky at the island was blue and bright, yet, everything else was covered by a dense fog. 

 

Usually, everyone had breakfast together. But, that day, the leader of the Silver Dragons didn’t sit with them to enjoy a relaxing morning. Instead, he took a small sack full of food that Lee Hyori had prepared for him and left. His mysterious actions intrigued Taeyeon, so she had to ask.

 

"He will spend some days alone" Hyori informed. "That’s what he does once the monsoon starts. By the way, how did you get so dirty yesterday, princess?"

 

"Why does he leave for some days, lady Hyori?" Taeyeon changed the subject.

 

"He goes to show his respects to Sandara."

 

"Sandara!? After all these years?"

 

"Yes."

 

And Taeyeon’s heart felt compressed as if she had difficulties to breath.

 

 

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"Like this, princess Ha Yi, join those two together and the bird’s beak will have a better shape."

 

"Thanks, your majesty."

 

"You are welcome, sweetheart."

 

And Ha Yi focused once more on her embroidery, which was quite suspicious, because, normally, princess Ha Yi was more interested in swords and arches rather than in feminine chores.

 

"SeoHyun."

 

"Yes, Queen Mi-young?"

 

"Would you mind to go to the kitchen and ask to prepare us some sweets, go with the princess lady-in-waiting if you don’t remember where they are."

 

SeoHyun immediately understood Mi-young wished to have a few minutes in private with the princess and left with discretion. Ha Yi was so focused on her work that she didn’t notice anything.

 

"So… tell me, for who are you doing this embroidery, princess?"

 

Ha Yi was a tough princess and a quite unique one, to her grandmother’s despair. She spent her time with her uncle Daesung and siblings, learning about archery and sword fighting. She was a sassy young girl, which had led to some discussions between Uhm Jung Hwa and Choi Seung-hyun, because the King allowed those unappropriated hobbies. But she was just too cute and naïve, like her siblings. Mi-young wondered if they took this trait after their mothers. Because it was impossible the King was like that.

 

"This? To no-one."

 

But it was just too obvious she was lying.

 

"Princess Ha Yi… Confucius said it clearly: «tell once a lie, and all your truths will be questioned»."

 

"Really?"

 

"Of course…"

 

"Well…" she hesitated.

 

"Princess Ha Yi!"

 

"Alright, Queen Mi-young."

 

She closed her eyes and spoke so fast Mi-young had problems to understand it.

 

"It’s for my brother’s young tutor, Kim Ji Won!" and she went red.

 

"Oh! I see…"

 

Mi-young felt how pressure closed her stomach: without looking for it, she had started a conversation that was more appropriate for a mother and daughter. And, since the poor princess was motherless as her, she decided to do the best she could.

 

"Do you know I also had a crush on my brother’s tutor?"

 

"Really?!" she yelled.

 

"Shhh… princess, those manners!"

 

"Yes, it’s true, sorry, milady." but she wasn't sorry at all, only interested in the gossips. "And, what happened?"

 

"My brother found out and fired his tutor. He returned home and I wasn’t able to see him again."

 

"NEVER?!"

 

"Never. The last thing I knew is that he’s now married."

 

"Oh! I see."

 

"It’s alright to have kind thoughts about that boy… Kim Ji Won, right?"

 

"Yes," she nodded with enthusiasm.

 

"But be careful, my princess. Because this Court is full of mean people and they might hurt him if they know. Wait a few years, once you get the proper age to get married."

 

"But that’s going to be ages!"

 

"Then, if your love is still strong, you can ask your father."

 

"But, what can I do meanwhile?"

 

"Be kind to him, but not in excess, princess. Just in case someone notices."

 

"Thanks for your advice, Queen!"

 

"You’re welc…"

 

But she couldn’t end her words because a page announced the Crown’s Prince Arrival.

 

"His Royal Highness, Crown Prince, Choi Jeongwan!"

 

Mi-young had to admit her step-son really took after his father. Even the same dimples! But his eyes had something kinder and softer. He wasn’t an arrogant boy as his father, but, that day, his expression was so similar to Seung-hyung's she thought for a second she was seeing the King. 

 

"Has your visit to your uncle’s house been pleasant, Crown Prince?" Mi-young asked.

 

"It’s none of your business, your majesty."

 

He continued walking, not even bowing before her. And Ha Yi fumed.

 

"Orabeoni! You were so rude!" and she followed him. "Come here and apologize! Orabeoni!"

 

Mi-young had to admit the scene was quite funny, the fastest Jeongwan walked, the fastest her sister did so. And, finally, they were running all over the garden, Ha Yi screaming and asking for him to stop.

 

"Sorry, your majesty! I’ll make him apologize, promise!"

 

They were running so much that they disappeared from her sight, leaving her alone and with an order of sweets she couldn’t eat all by her own.

 

 

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"And on the fifth year of King Seung-hyun’s reign, the Royal Administrative Bureau decided to increase their budget on the shepherds of the nation, so their citizens could do their job in peace because the instability on the roads didn’t allow it." Bo Ah read.

 

"That’s strange… right? Look at our classification, please, the two of you!"

 

Kwon Bo Ah and Kim Heechul followed the Queen’s instructions and looked at her complex frame, where she mixed Korean and Chinese.

 

"Don’t you see something wrong here?"

 

Since the Palace budget changed so often and the products were bought from different nobles (in order of the personal preferences and position they had at court, not because of the quality), Mi-young decided to create a frame writing the products they bought every year, the quantities and the money spent on them. Just to see if there was any irregularity. She had found two nobles who had inflated the prices of the products to get the extra money for them. The King had already banished them from the court, and she couldn’t feel happier about it and kept doing her job diligently. Luckily, it seemed there weren’t more irregularities, at least, not as big. But… it shocked her, a lot, the small irregularity at in the shepherd’s budget.

 

"Do you see it? It increases a lot, too much. And suddenly, the next year, it goes to the usual budget. Why?"

 

"Yes, it is indeed strange milady." Kim Heechul looked at the Annals fascinated: his instinct told him he was in front of some interesting information and he wanted to know it.

 

"Yes… should I search at the Royal Library tomorrow morning?" Bo-Ah offered. "To see if there are written testimonies about the fact."

 

"Please."

 

"If she doesn’t find anything, I will personally travel to our Northern Provinces to get the information, my Queen."

 

"Thank you, lord Heechul."

 

The sound of an owl made them realize how late it was, and, Mi-young knew that if they kept working too much, somebody might think they were behind something. And she didn’t want to warn the corrupted scholars, no, she wanted to keep the surprise factor.

 

"It is too late now, go home and get some rest, we will continue tomorrow."

 

"No, your Majesty. We can’t."

 

Mi-young glared Heechul because it was the first time he questioned one of her decisions, and it was somehow strange. But, as the Chinese Empress usually told her, sometimes, is better to listen, although your pride might have been hurt.

 

"And why we can’t, lord Heechul?"

 

"You have to speak to the King immediately, that’s too suspicious. How a Crown budget increased that much without anyone noticing it? And why for the sheep’s it the borders weren’t dangerous at that time?"

 

Heechul was right: if they weren’t, that suspicious fluctuation in the Palace’s budget might have something to do with THAT tragedy.

 

"But… today he has no plans to visit me." 

 

"The walls at the Palace are full of birds, longing for information. Who knows if the documents will be available tomorrow?"

 

Mi-young hesitated for a second, but, as usual, Heechul was right.

 

"What can I do to attract his attention and make him come? If I present to his chambers without permission, I will be punished."

 

"Then…" Heechul smirked, putting his hand over a candle, not a single sign of pain on his face. "Let’s do something more drastic." and he smirked to Bo Ah. "Tell me, First Palace Lady… Are you a good actress?"

 

"A terrible one, why do you ask?"

 

"Then, you have five minutes to improve your skills" he calmly said. "Okay."

 

Kwon Bo-Ah nodded, afraid for what she might have accepted to do.

      

      

                                                                                                           

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Jiyong walked all morning, without stop, until he arrived at the highest point of the island. Then, he took a small wood board, with Sandara’s name on it, and burned some incense. When it burned long enough, he purified the place with water and started to pray, his forehead touching the wet ground.

 

He lost track of time and couldn’t tell if he had been praying for minutes or for ours. All he could tell was that the sun was setting once more.

 

"Hi, Sandara… it’s me, Jiyong" just the fact to say her name was painful for him. " I hope you don’t hate me because of what I’ve done. But… I had no choice, do you understand?"

 

He took some time to hold his tears, because he promised long ago that he had already shed enough tears after Sandara’s death, and he needed to take revenge. Revenge doesn’t work when strong emotions control you.

 

"I am sorry that Taeyeon had been involved in all this. You loved her very much, I know. That’s why I’m treating as well as I can, and I promise you she’ll return home safe. She’s a good person. But… I need the money! I need to humiliate Seung-hyun as he humiliated you when you were married."

 

A soft and strangely warm breeze touched Jiyong’s checks, and his eyes went dry. It always worked this way: when he apologized to Sandara for his sins, the wind turned warm and Jiyong felted comfort. Because he had killed, robbed and kidnapped and needed someone to tell him everything was alright, that he was doing everything for a good cause. Before he had an excuse: he was fighting to preserve the Kingdom’s security. But… after that? Which was his excuse?

 

"Today it’s been seven years since you left, and, my contact at the Palace told me your son, Jeongwan, is growing healthy and showing good attitudes. He’s almost twelve, a little man. You would be really proud."

 

And the wind blew once more, making Jiyong understand that Sandara was proud.

 

"He has the best of you and Seung-hyun, you know" he continued. "People say he’s a little naïve and his siblings take advantage of it… but that’s what siblings do, right?"

 

The breeze blew once more. And Jiyong let the warm feeling to go all over his body.

 

"I’m so sorry that I can’t be there to guide him and protect him from the monster that is the Joseon Court. But I just couldn’t stay there, Sandara… gosh! How I wished I could tell his mother would never abandon me and that, if he closed his eyes, you would be ride beside him."

 

Enchanted by the warm wind, Jiyong closed his eyes and imagined Sandara’s face, her big brown eyes, white skin, small and soft hands… However, every year, it was getting harder for him to remember all the details and Jiyong was terrified: because if she was no longer vivid in his mind… Did it mean he was forgetting about her? That she would become one of those forgotten antecessors everyone honored but without knowing why?

 

"It’s getting difficult for me to remember your face, Sandara. But, I promise once my revenge is complete, I will join you. Wait for me a little longer, my love. And I will never forget your face again."

 

Suddenly, he noticed a drop on his head, followed by a strong storm. Finally, the monsoon had arrived, and, with it, the resting season of the Silver Dragons began.

 

 

 

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Seung-hyun was enjoying some minutes of peace before getting to bed. He was already dressed and enjoying a warm tea. When, suddenly, the screams of First Palace Lady, Kwon Bo-Ah startled him.

 

"My Kiiiiiiingggg! May I enter? It’s the Queen!"

 

Seung-hyun eyes wide opened and got scared, because Kwon Bo Ah nervous and Queen on the same context was something he wished never to hear once more.

 

"Of course."

 

Kwon Bo Ah entered the room, a bit afraid because she didn’t want to fail on her performance and doesn’t seem obvious. She breathed to control her nerves, and proceeded with her theater.

 

"Tell me, First Palace Lady."

 

"The Queen fainted a few minutes ago!"

 

"How it happened?" he asked.

 

If she looked straight into the King’s eyes, he would instantly notice she was lying, so she did what Heechul recommended her, down her head and look to her hands. “Try to shake your hands a little, as if you were washing them with cold water in winter” he suggested, and it was working.

 

"We don’t know, your majesty" and she tried to remember something sad to have some tears in her eyes, another excellent advise, because the King rose a little from his seat. "But the physician said that she has a strong fever and if it didn’t decrease this night…" and paused, to cause more impact.

 

"What?!" the King asked impatiently. 

 

"She might die" and she looked with intensity to the King, imagining he was his favorite food and she was really hungry. Another excellent acting tip from the lord of spies.

 

"Eunuchs! Help me to dress!" he seemed worried. "We have to check the Queen’s health, immediately!"

 

“No… way… he truly believed it! Did you see this, Park Bom?!” and she looked to the ceiling. “I’m not a terrible actress with the proper direction?!”.

 

"Return to the Queen’s chambers. I’ll arrive as soon as possible."

 

And as he promised, the King arrived only five minutes after her, fully dressed, the physician talked with him for a few seconds, fully convinced that the Queen was really sick and might die.

 

"Her fever is really, really, really high, your highness" she informed. "We prepared some mixtures for her, and she needs to take them every four hours without exception. We recommended her to be changed to colder clothes and be bathed with cold water every morning and night until she gets better."

 

"We don’t think it’s something contagious, so… your majesty, would you like to see her?" Kwon Bo Ah suggested.

 

But… the security, First Palace Lady- the physician warned.

 

"Good idea, Lady Bo Ah. Thanks for your hard work."

 

Seung-hyun entered carefully to the room where Mi-young rested. She was lying on her mattress and breathing with difficulties. All her baby-heads glued to her forehead due to the sweat. Paler than ever and shaking because of the fever. She looked fragile, not like the strong woman he married a month ago. He was right: the excess of work had consequences, and, although he was thankful for her determination, but he didn’t wish to lose another queen.  “Has karma have it with me or what?! Two Queens in seven years, really?” he thought.

 

Following lady Bo Ah’s instructions, the other maids left the room, so the Royal Couple could have some intimacy, only she rested, checking the Queen’s temperature.

 

"They’re gone, milady."

 

"Finally!"

 

Seung-hyun gasped because she woke up so easily, as if she had just been pretending. “Wait, was she…?” he thought.

 

"YOU CRAZY WOMAN?!"

 

"Silence, please, your majesty" Kwon Bo Ah begged.

 

"DID YOU KNOW, FIRST PALACE LADY?!" and he screamed, eyes wide open for the surprise.

 

"Shut up you, crazy man!"

 

Never in his life, someone dared to make Seung-hyun shut up, so, he felt speechless long enough for Mi-young to explain herself.

 

"We have found some suspicious information, my King. You told me to inform you if I saw something doubtful and we were afraid the evidence will be gone by tomorrow morning. So we were desperate for getting your attention. Can I explain you what we have found, my king?"

 

"I…" and Seung-hyun recovered the ability to speak once he assimilated the information "…listen."

 

"I found this…"

 

Mi-young spread a frame all over the floor, and Seung-hyun marveled about the simple yet effective it was to see the Palace’s budget in perspective.

 

"Look at the fourth year of your reign, your majesty. Over there."

 

"The shepherd’s budget? Why?"

 

"It increased a lot only the fourth year, and then, at the fifth year of your reign, it returned to the normal budget."

 

"And?"

 

"Don’t you think it’s really suspicious, my King? The shepherds are controlled and administered by the Crown, since they have to cross the Chinese border to respect the pastures. At first, we thought it was corruption, but, why did it increase only one year? If I was a corrupted man, I wouldn’t have increased the budget so much and only for a year. It’s better fewer quantities during more time, that way you might get unnoticed and justify it was a conjunction of bad years."

 

"Why do you know how a corrupted mind works, my Queen?"

 

"To defeat an enemy, you need to know how his brain works."

 

"Have you read the Art of War, milady?"

 

"Yes, milord."

 

"Impressive."

 

If he had to choose a word to describe his wife, although he didn’t know her that much, would indeed be: impressive. Not only Qing Mi-young had arrived from a hostile country and replaced a really loved Queen, but she was also adapting and understanding how the Joseon court worked so fast it seemed in a few years, no-one could manipulate her nor trick her. Yes, she was an impressive woman.

 

"Lady Bo Ah had explained to me that the fourth year of your reign didn’t seem especially dangerous at the border, at least in comparison with other years. Of course, we will check at the Annals, but she’s quite sure, right?"

 

And Kwon Bo-Ah nodded, happy because her hard work and observation were being recognized.

 

"How would you like to proceed, then, my Queen?"

 

"We’ll start with everyone who had access to the Palace accounts. Are they many?"

 

"Hundreds. All the Royal family, The Six Ministries, the Three Offices, the twelve members of the State Council and the chiefs of each department at the Palace. It’s an almost impossible task, my Queen. Why did you ask?"

 

"Because, my King, we think between those people we have the ones who plotted to kill Queen Sandara and Royal Concubine Bom."

 

Seung-hyun stood there, once again speechless. How many days he read through the Annals or the confiscated correspondence between the Chinese ambassador and the Emperor to find something that could solve their deaths! Or at least find the murderer. But nothing, nothing at all.

 

But, seven years after, Qing Mi-young, the sister of his biggest enemy, had just found some evidence. Just a small sign at the Administrative documents, of a small part of the budget nobody, would ever look at. So insignificant only a Queen decided to have fully control and renovate the Palace’s administration could have found.

 

For the first time, he felt maybe marrying the Chinese Princess hadn’t been a bad idea: if it weren’t for her, maybe Bom and Sandara’s deaths would have always been a mystery. Of course, they still had to investigate, but, for the first time in years, he had hope. And it was Mi-young’s strength what bring it back to him.  

 

"Tomorrow we will start investigating, my King. We have a hunch about it."

 

"Only lady Bo Ah and lord Heechul, my Queen."

 

"Why not me?!" she fumed. "It was me who discovered it?! Again with your obsession for control?! What’s the problem, today?"

 

She was so annoyed that Seung-hyun giggled a little. “So she gets easily annoyed, that’s interesting…” he thought.

 

"Nothing, my Queen. But you created quite a mess today and I’m afraid it will be suspicious you are fully recovered tomorrow morning after a sudden high fever."

 

"Opps…"

 

"See?"

 

"Noooo!" and she buffed, obviously annoyed.

 

"Thanks for your hard work, my Queen, and for caring about it. It wasn’t necessary, really."

 

"I know my brother was behind their murders..."

 

"Really?!" he interrupted her.

 

"Let me speak, crazy man!" and the King went silent once more, strongly impressed. "My brother wished to have blood ties with the Joseon dynasty. And… what a coincidence the Joseon Queen died a few months after he said it at court? It’ was too obvious and it's something I can’t forgive. So, please, let me make menses for my family’s sins."

 

"Alright then, but when you are recovered. We don’t want you to get sick again, don’t we?" he ironically commented. "Have a nice recovery. Hope you enjoy lying down for a whole week."

 

"Nooooo! It’s going to be so boring!"

 

"Then think twice before doing something so silly!"

 

"Nooooo…"

 

 

 

 

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A/N:

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has subscribed to my story. Knowing that I was able to mix two of my biggest passions in this world (K-pop and history) together and that people are enjoying the story as much as I’m enjoying writing it makes me so happy that I have no words to express it.

Today, we arrived at 300 subscribers, and although the last subscriber unsubscribed a few hours later, that doesn’t discourage me to keep writing. Hope someday I write something that will catch your attention once more, lost subscriber.

Really, I thank you all ^^ I’m just not good at greetings and communicating with people face to face. I need my stories to do it for me.

 

So… returning to the story…

 

Princess Ha Yi’s crush is no other than IKON’s Bobby. Unfortunately, I’m not going to get into that plot, because if not, the story will get too complicated. Sorry. Let’s finish first the Silver Dragons first.

 

Next chapter, Jiyong will return from his small meditation moment, and, under the moonlight, he will realize something. I just think he needed a moment with his lost love, because, it might look as if he easily forgot her. But, once more, that’s how I see the leader of BIGBANG, someone who keeps his things for himself.