“Your young master dared to harm this prince’s noble body. And then tried to flee without begging for forgiveness.”
“This slave will apologize in his stead. We have committed a crime worthy of death, Prince. However, since he is a foolish young master, might we humbly request that you look upon him mercifully? Though it is presumptuous to say, since His Majesty visits and looks after him daily, if he learns of this matter, he surely will not be pleased.”
“Is a mere slave of Mianggung Palace now threatening this prince?”
“Absolutely not, my lord. These are words spoken out of sincere concern for Prince Yun. Though he has not yet received his appointment, he is a young master whom His Majesty looks after with special care. Please show mercy, Prince.”
Yun let out a pfft, small laugh.
“Soyunja, since that’s the case, let him go.”
“Your magnanimity is as vast as the sea, Prince.”
The palace maid who finished speaking quickly turned around and helped her master stand up. She examined his body here and there and stamped her feet.
“Young master, where on earth were you? What, what is all this… Aigoo, we are all dead now.”
Sansan looked at the palace maids with a troubled face, then hesitantly stepped backward.
“Sorry, b-but I need to see His Majesty right now, His Majesty…”
“What? What do you mean, first return to the palace, okay? If you wait at the palace, he’ll come for dinner in the evening anyway, s-stop, young master! Young master!”
Sansan suddenly shook off the palace maid who was clinging to his arm and just started running backward. He was running blindly wherever his feet took him, not even knowing where to go.
Seeing him, Yun burst into a hollow laugh, and the palace maids who had been fretting helplessly bowed deeply to Yun and hurriedly chased after Sansan.
“…The Cheonin of Mianggung Palace.”
Yun didn’t take his eyes off Sansan until his retreating figure became like a dot.
Interesting. At the coldly muttered sound, Soyunja glanced at him to gauge his mood. Yun’s eyes were gleaming.
***
“Young master! Please, okay? A concubine can never go to see His Majesty first. That is the rule. If you keep doing this, you could be punished.”
Because he was so scatterbrained, Sansan was quickly caught by the palace maids. Midway, other palace maids who had been looking for Sansan joined them, and the group grew quite large.
At first, the palace maids thought it would be nothing to coax Sansan back to the palace. However, Sansan’s stubbornness was more serious than they’d thought.
“Concubine, but I’m not such a thing… P-please let go of this, please. I must see His Majesty. F-Father is…”
After the Emperor brought the young master from outside and gave him Mianggung Palace, the late Empress’s residence, then declared he would take a Cheonin as Empress, there was no palace servant who didn’t know. All the palace servants of Mianggung Palace regarded it as a fait accompli that the young master they served would soon become Empress.
But that didn’t mean he’d become Empress right this moment. Since he hadn’t even received an appointment, strictly speaking, his status was lower than even a court lady who had received the Emperor’s favor.
Even a Noble Consort without rank couldn’t visit the Emperor first, so no matter how great the favor, this was unreasonable. If the Grand Empress Dowager or the Consorts found out, they would summon him and punish him and more.
The palace maids surrounded Sansan and did their utmost to persuade him. Nevertheless, Sansan only struggled desperately to escape from them.
In a palace where men and women were segregated, it wasn’t easy for women to completely stop Sansan, who was a man after all, with their bodies. Thus they bickered all the way until they finally reached the front of Geoncheonmun Gate.
The two gilded bronze lion statues erected on either side seemed to reproach Sansan’s party with fierce expressions. It was the moment when Sansan, having shaken off everyone’s restraint, ran up the stairs and was about to enter Geoncheonmun Gate.
“Halt.”
The eunuchs standing guard at the gate immediately stopped Sansan. Behind the eunuchs, imperial guards holding spears stood with expressionless faces. Sansan gulped once and knelt on the stone floor.
“My name is Sansan, and I must, I must meet His Majesty. Please let me in.”
“How dare you—where do you think this is? Return at once!”
Palace Eunuch Yu, who was in charge of Geoncheonmun Gate, sternly rebuked Sansan.
“Gonggong, the young master seems to have something urgent to report to His Majesty. Though we know it’s not allowed, would it be difficult to convey a message to Chief Eunuch Han?”
Since matters had already reached this point, Sohwa, the oldest among the palace maids, stepped forward and pleaded with Palace Eunuch Yu.
“Are you from Mianggung Palace?”
“That is so, Eunuch Yu.”
“Before caning is ordered, take your master back at once. What reckless behavior is this? Young master, get ahold of yourself. Relying only on favor and acting out will surely bring disaster sooner or later. What young master when you don’t even have an official appointment, just a male favorite.”
Though the words added at the end were in a low voice that was barely audible, they were loud enough for Sansan or Sohwa who were close by to hear. Sohwa’s face flushed red and blue.
But to Sansan, these were words that stirred no feeling. He didn’t know about favor, didn’t know about male favorites. What was important right now wasn’t such things.
“P-please. They say Father is imprisoned. Please let me see His Majesty. I’ll beg like this.”
Sansan imitated the bows he’d seen over people’s shoulders and kowtowed on the stone floor with grand movements. Another eunuch watching this approached Palace Eunuch Yu and whispered.
“Shouldn’t we at least inform Chief Eunuch Han? If His Majesty finds out, what will he say…”
“Hey. Did you forget what Chief Eunuch Han said earlier? Since even the Grand Commander is attending regarding border matters, absolutely no one is to be let in—didn’t he emphasize that repeatedly? Not a chance. We’d only be punished for nothing.”
At Palace Eunuch Yu’s sharp retort, the eunuch who had stepped forward had no choice but to step back. No matter how much Sohwa and the other palace maids tried to persuade him, Sansan showed no sign of standing up. Palace Eunuch Yu clicked his tongue once and ignored the sight.
Finally thinking there was no other way, Sohwa sent one palace maid to Mianggung Palace to summon Head Court Lady Gwak.
Please convey a message to His Majesty. I beg you. Sansan continued begging in his prostrate position without seeming to tire. The eunuchs and imperial guards became exasperated and turned their backs.
Tedious time was flowing sluggishly. Large raindrops began falling from the sky, plop, plop, one by one.
As if the day you go is market day, rain poured down at such a time. One young eunuch who had been gauging Palace Eunuch Yu’s mood brought an oiled-paper umbrella and handed it to Sohwa. Sohwa quickly held it over Sansan, but as the rain grew heavier, even the oiled-paper umbrella gradually became useless.
“Young master.”
About a sikgyeong after Sansan had knelt on the stone floor, Myeong-ok finally arrived at the front of Geoncheonmun Gate. Having brought a thick dubong and a large oiled-paper umbrella, she first covered Sansan who was prostrate and trembling with the dubong.
The imperial palace in early March was rather colder than February. It was worse when it rained. In such weather, having knelt on the cold stone floor without proper clothing, he was bound to catch a severe cold.
“Young master, what will you do if you catch a cold staying like this? Please stand up. In any case, the morning court session will end in about a shichen. After that, as always, he’ll come to Mianggung Palace for dinner. See him then and ask, okay? Please, if you continue like this and catch a cold, all of us palace servants of Mianggung Palace will die. Please take pity on us slaves.”
Myeong-ok embraced his trembling shoulders and persuaded him repeatedly. She didn’t give a single glance to Palace Eunuch Yu and the other Geoncheonggung Palace eunuchs, but how could they not know it was clearly said for them to hear? Palace Eunuch Yu clicked his tongue as if displeased.
Sansan, prostrated in front of Geoncheonmun Gate, looked briefly at Geoncheonggung Palace visible in the distance. Even that view was obstructed by the indifferently pouring rain.
“Head Court Lady Gwak. They say our father is, is in pr-prison. I must see His Majesty as soon as possible to petition…”
“If you see His Majesty looking like this, you’ll only invite his wrath instead. Go back, wash up, warm yourself, and His Majesty will come.”
“…But why, why won’t he see me?”
Finally tears dripped from Sansan’s large eyes. He didn’t know. He seemed to have been inwardly certain that he would be allowed to see him. Since they faced each other every morning, lunch, and evening, it seemed he’d thought that way without knowing it.
“Originally, he is not someone you can meet immediately just because you want to. But isn’t he visiting you every day? Don’t grieve needlessly. Now, please stand up. Quickly.”
Was it because of the pouring rain? Sansan, who had been hiding in the imperial garden for quite some time, finally became completely exhausted both in body and spirit.
Footnotes:
Gonggong: A respectful term of address for eunuchs.
Geoncheonmun Gate (건청문) – Gate to Geoncheonggung Palace
Gonggong (공공) – Respectful address for eunuchs
Caning (치도곤) – Punishment by beating
