Kang Daesung was frantic that morning. He was someone who had only served Kwon Jiyong and no one else, thus, he had no knowledge when it comes to arranging the room now that Park Sandara's belongings had flooded the entire courtyard up to the inner hallway! Besides, no other servants were allowed to enter Kwon Jiyong's residence except him, Moo Yeon, Hong and Jo Sanggung. However, Moo Yeon left with His Highness, Hong is still recuperating, and Jo Sanggung retired from work so he was left all alone to oversee things.

Kang Daesung wanted to cry but he had no tears. He could only obediently do as His Highness told him.

Meanwhile Sandara had been looking for Kwon Jiyong. The sun has just shone yet he is already missing? Did he go to the palace already?

"Daesung-ah, did His Highness already go to the palace?"

Kang Daesung was in disarray yet he somehow managed to answer Sandara's question.

"Mama, His Highness left at the wee hours of the morning but he didn't tell where he was going."

Sandara nodded, still wondering why he left so early. She suspected there was an emergency at the Hidden Seclusion, but soon her suspicions were replaced by surprise upon catching a glimpse of someone coming their way.

"Jo Sanggung!" Sandara met the old lady halfway and hugged her. Jo Sanggung was wearing her old uniform and which made Sandara scan her from head to toe to make sure she was not dreaming.

"Mama, this servant greets you. Will you allow me to serve you once more despite my old useless bones?"

In return, Sandara could only cry tears of joy and she even bawled even more when she heard from the old lady that His Highness took the pains of picking the old servant up himself from Gyeonggido.

"Where is His Highness now?" Sandara asked.

"He dropped me off here earlier then he went to the palace already to attend the morning assembly, Mama."

______________

During the assembly in the court, Yi Sung ordered the use of a peaceful approach to pacify the Jurchens in the North and so as not to make the situation worse for both parties. In the said decree, the King announced that he will allow the Jurchens to stay in their territory provided that they live under the rule of Joseon and follow its law. Marriage between Joseon people and Jurchens will also be allowed and all their children will also be acknowledged as people of Joseon.

The Minister of Military Affairs was to coordinate with General So in the North, while Kwon Jiyong with his private army General Choi. Minister Lee Sungjae was very pleased with the current events since the Minister of the Military Affairs belonged to his faction. The King seems to trust the Southern faction over the Northern these days. Apart from that, a general from his faction is working side by side with Kwon Jiyong's people so Minister Lee felt safe in both parties. He might be rowing the boat of the King for now, but jumping onto Kwon Jiyong's was not a bad choice either. After all, there is no such thing as everlasting allies in the palace.

The King then announced that the remains of the late Minister Sun and his daughter Sun Hae have been buried in a hill at Gyeonggi province at their family's request. What the father and daughter did was actually a form of betraying the King's trust since they escaped and ran away from the temple where the King ordered Sun Hae to reflect on her sins and misconduct. But Yi Sung still allowed them, despite being criminals, to be buried peacefully and properly.

"The King, His Majesty, is magnanimous! We are not worthy!"

Kwon Jiyong was content. Yi Sung might still be young but it seems he would not be needing his guidance soon. As they went to talk privately at the King's study to catch up with the recent events, Yi Sung opened up first about his worries on Kim Jisoo's pregnancy.

"They keep telling me it's normal, but it's not that I can just watch her while she's in pain. More than the child's welfare, isn't the mother's more important? She wasn't like this before. As much as I like the idea of having a son, the thought of the queen going through all of this because of it makes me worry so much."

"If you as a father have no regard for your child who is your own flesh, wouldn't it be painful to the mother as well?" Kwon Jiyong asked. "Mino-ah, don't say useless things such as this in front of the queen. You are only seeking war. You have no idea of a woman's wrath."

Yi Sung felt enlightened, but quite left in the dark as well upon hearing his uncle's advice. Since when did his aloof and distant uncle of his, who never paid attention to human qualms ever in his existence, learn these words of wisdom? When did he ever care about a woman's wrath? Yi Sung watched his uncle with a dumbstruck expression. 

Meanwhile Kwon Jiyong stood with pride upon sharing his knowledge which he based on his own experience. Well, he and Sandara don't have a child yet but that bastard of a rascal named Lee Seungri also known as Ryung had been clinging on to Sandara like one. Sandara was so fond of the pesky imoogi that despite him trying to spoil her, she only sees his misdeeds and mistreatment with the boy, which often ends in misunderstanding and arguments between them. Isn't it such a pain in the neck? What more if the mother hears her husband speaking ill of their child? Kwon Jiyong could only be thankful that Sandara somehow listens to him now. She is still grounded and was banned from seeing Ryung.

Back at the estate, Sandara received a message from Kwon Jiyong telling her he would be late tonight because he's dropping by at the Hidden Seclusion. Sandara smiled as she folded the letter and returned it to the envelope, and sat back lazily as she watched the autumn leaves fall. Jo Sanggung who was serving her tea at Kwon Jiyong's pavilion by the pond threw her a curious look.

"What made Mama so happy?"

"His Highness said he won't be home until late tonight. He told me not to wait for him."

"Mama is happy about it? You just moved into his residence yet he is not coming home early to see you."

"His Highness is really busy because he took a lot of days off recently. Besides, it is the first time he notified me about such things when he's just nearby."

Jo Sanggung grinned widely. It seems His Highness is really learning well when it comes to treating his wife properly.

"Jo Sanggun