“…What did you say?”
The Emperor asked sharply as he sat on the Arhat Bed. Noble Concubine Shin, as if she had been waiting, knelt on one knee and sat demurely, continuing her words with downcast eyes.
“In this humble concubine’s inadequate thinking, it seems Your Majesty feels disappointed in Young Master Yoon, so I speak these words—please look upon this with mercy. Though Young Master Yoon was born male, he is a eunuch who cannot fulfill a man’s role, and has he not already spent several months serving Your Majesty together with his younger sister after entering the palace as one of innocent integrity? Clearly there is a difference between him and other male favorites who cannot be granted title certificates. Despite Your Majesty bestowing such favor, if Young Master Yoon does not appreciate it, surely it must be because he lacks legitimacy?”
“…Legitimacy?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He is a eunuch and has already served Your Majesty. How could he now take a wife? If a woman who would become his wife looks down on one Your Majesty cherishes and protects because he is a eunuch, that too would only bring disgrace to Your Majesty. Might he not be unable to devote his sincerity to Your Majesty knowing his own circumstances are such? If Your Majesty takes pity on this and regards him with love, taking him in as a concubine, how could any person not know such great imperial grace?”
The Emperor gave no response. Noble Concubine Shin smiled triumphantly inwardly, then adjusted her posture and knelt with both knees. She deliberately raised both hands high into the air, then lowered them all the way to the floor while bowing her head deeply.
“As one of the inner court, I earnestly beg you to bestow upon Yoon Sansan an appropriate title certificate. It is this concubine’s wish, who prays day and night only for Your Majesty’s everlasting health.”
Could there be anyone living in the imperial palace who didn’t know that the Emperor had taken Sansan by force?
Even on their first night, he had refused the Emperor and fled naked, and the next day too, rumors were rife that when he requested to leave the palace, he was raped in front of his own younger sister. From then until recently, truly no one was unaware that every time he refused, he was beaten before being bedded.
“An appropriate title certificate… Does that one truly want such a thing?”
It was obvious without even looking that he was enduring each day hoping for nothing but to leave the palace. If he were to be seated permanently in the imperial palace without even being asked his opinion, it was as clear as day that their relationship would go completely awry. Noble Concubine Shin raised the corners of her mouth as if mocking. But since her head was bowed, the Emperor did not see it.
“Of course it may not be quite the same as for a woman, but this humble concubine thinks men are no different. In relationships where intimacy is shared, who would not consider legitimacy important? Please look with mercy upon Young Master Yoon’s difficult circumstances.”
The Emperor had been born brilliant and had never in his life been swayed by anyone’s words. Everything in the world went according to his will. What he wanted to do was done as he wished, and he had never once experienced failure. Thus he had led the Ha Empire down the path of a rich nation with a strong military.
But since he had never truly desired anything of his own accord, he was ignorant and benighted regarding his own heart, which could be called most important. That it was the only thing he was clumsy at, that he didn’t even know this fact—that was the beginning of his misfortune. And so he was properly swayed by Noble Concubine Shin’s words.
“…A title certificate, you say.”
The Emperor nodded. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed indeed so. Perhaps he had been too thoughtless all this time. If he devoured someone who didn’t even have testicles, then dismissed him saying he was tired of him, that would be too heartless.
He thought for a moment of Sansan becoming his concubine. Then a tickling sensation bloomed from deep within his chest. To enter the concubinage meant officially becoming a person who belonged to him.
A concubine…
The Emperor, who seemed to be mulling something over while swallowing back his muttering, finally opened his mouth after a long while.
“Is Han-ho not back yet?”
The head eunuch, who had just returned from Hongdeokjeon, hurried breathlessly before the Emperor. Seeing him gauging the situation, not knowing what was happening, the Emperor gave his command.
“I will issue an imperial edict. I intend to bestow upon Yoon Sansan the rank of concubine. According to protocol, it would be proper to start from the lower ranks of Lady Attendant, Beauty, or Noble Lady, but considering he is a eunuch who cannot bear children and has already spent several months attending to my bed with dedication, I will make an exception and allow him to start from Wanui. The title shall be Jin (珍, precious treasure). You must quickly go to the Empress Dowager to inform her of this, receive the date, and proceed without delay.”
For a moment, everyone present was astonished. This was the first time Emperor Yeonghwi had bestowed a title since his ascension to the throne. The head eunuch quickly collected his surprised feelings, knelt on one knee, and placed his fist on the floor.
“Yes. Upon receiving your command, this slave will keep it in mind and carry it out, Your Majesty.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
Noble Concubine Shin followed by bowing once more. Even Noble Concubine Shin had not anticipated the title. The more this was so, the more she felt inclined to wait and see. The deeper a man’s heart, the more irreversible his heartbreak would be.
The head eunuch had a palace eunuch under him send people to Suganggung Palace and the Imperial Household Department. Having finished giving his command, the Emperor silently looked down at the letter and self-reflection the head eunuch had brought, holding them in his hand. Even without bringing them close to his nose, Sansan’s scent was strongly detected.
“Hee-yo.”
The Emperor called Noble Concubine Shin’s name. Noble Concubine Shin, who had just been standing up, answered “Yes,” and walked with graceful steps to sit beside the Emperor on the Arhat Bed.
“According to your words, in matters of intimacy, men are no different from women, is that right?”
“That is so.”
Noble Concubine Shin answered after sipping her liquor. Whether from the alcohol, her skin was flushed and her form quite alluring, yet the Emperor showed not the slightest sign of being moved. Even when she subtly pushed her breasts together to reveal her cleavage, he remained unmoved, so Noble Concubine Shin laughed inwardly. He seemed completely bewitched by that fellow.
“Then can I say that sending letters with his own scent on them like this also comes from the same heart as women?”
“Scent?”
Noble Concubine Shin leaned forward, bringing her upper body closer to the Emperor, and examined the letter and self-reflection he was holding. She couldn’t detect anything that could particularly be called a scent.
“Though he always says he dislikes it, what on earth am I to make of him sending things with his own scent on them like this?”
Noble Concubine Shin tilted her head slightly. People of Ha generally carried sachets once they became adults. They always carried them so that their own scent would permeate their clothes and skin, and they would grind the sachet materials into powder and apply small amounts when conveying something between lovers or spouses. It came from the heart of wanting one’s beloved to think of them at every moment.
Of course, there were rarely people who didn’t do this. A representative example was the Emperor before her eyes. The Emperor didn’t like bothersome things and never carried a sachet at all. Besides that, among men whose circumstances didn’t allow it or who were indifferent to adornment, there were occasionally cases of not carrying sachets.
The fellow who was Concubine Yoon’s older brother was rumored to be extraordinary, if not exceptional. It didn’t seem like such a man would carry a sachet, and moreover, the letter and self-reflection the Emperor was holding weren’t even love letters—in fact, the letter hadn’t even been sent to the Emperor. And most importantly, Noble Concubine Shin could not smell any scent from those papers.
After briefly pondering what to do, Noble Concubine Shin opened her mouth.
“Perhaps I had too much liquor—to my utmost shame, this humble concubine does not know what scent you speak of. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“The scent is this strong, and you truly cannot smell it?”
The Emperor pushed the papers closer to Noble Concubine Shin’s face. Noble Concubine Shin sniffed and smelled again, then shook her head once more.
“Yes, Your Majesty. This humble concubine cannot smell any scent.”
The Emperor looked down at the letter and self-reflection written by Sansan with a troubled expression. In fact, he had had a similar conversation with the head eunuch a few days ago. He too had said he couldn’t smell anything. Then was he possessed by a ghost? He clenched his teeth until his jaw bulged.
It was absolutely not an illusion. Clearly there was a strong scent of tender grass and flowers soaked in rain. It wasn’t just from these letters. Dongbaejeon in Yeongnyeong Palace was always filled with that smell.
Strangely, when the Emperor smelled that scent, he became engulfed in an intense passion that was difficult to control. Even knowing he was crying from pain, he couldn’t stop. The deeper the lovemaking became, and the more intense Sansan’s crying grew, the thicker and heavier the scent of grass and flowers became, blowing away the Emperor’s reason at every moment.
Footnote:
Wanui (완의) – (lowest rank of principal wife/concubine)
