He was worried about Father, and naturally concerned about how Wol-i and Mother were doing, but before physical exhaustion, willpower was merely weak. With feelings like disappointment in himself and some inexplicable sense of being hurt, Sansan sobbed out his sorrow and followed Myeong-ok back to Mianggung Palace.
The real problem arose not long after that.
Myeong-ok, who had sent word to Hondangsa in advance, immediately put Sansan in the bathtub upon returning to Mianggung Palace, then began gathering the braziers scattered here and there. Other palace servants also moved busily following Myeong-ok’s instructions.
Meanwhile, a eunuch from Hondangsa who had just undressed to help Sansan bathe approached with a washcloth and then stopped short. He’d forgotten the medicinal herb pouch that Myeong-ok had repeatedly emphasized. Fortunately, he hadn’t left it at Hondangsa, so he just needed to retrieve it from the pile of luggage temporarily stacked outside the rear hall.
He left a word to wait a moment, and briefly left his post wearing only the dubong he’d worn as a raincoat. When he returned with the medicinal herb pouch not long after, only the empty bathtub was waiting for him.
***
“Hey. There’s something I want to ask…”
“Please ask.”
Most words were easily drowned out by the sound of pouring rain. Sansan asked the palace maid in a slightly louder voice with reddened ears.
“I used to know it, but suddenly I can’t remember the meaning… Do you know what pungjibaaksan? Pungjibaaksal? Wh-what that means?”
“Do you mean pungbibaaksan? It means the wind blows and hail scatters everywhere.”
Why was it that knowing the meaning made him understand even less? Sansan felt frustrated and asked again.
“Then what does it mean that the f-family has been pungbibaaksan?”
“Hmm, it’s usually used when a family suffers disaster and recovery seems impossible. Why do you ask?”
“…Never mind. Nothing.”
Sansan shook his head. His complexion had turned pale, but the palace maid only thought it was from being caught in the rain.
Leaning his back against the bathtub and just biting his own nails, Sansan couldn’t settle his anxious heart at all. Though he was worried about Father, what concerned him even more was his younger sister Sanwol.
If Father was imprisoned and the family suffered disaster, then what had become of Wol-i?
Especially at this time of year, it was already a season when food was scarce. With Father, the head of the household, captured in the palace, was there even food at home? Not knowing any of this, Sansan deeply regretted eating meat side dishes at every meal until his stomach burst.
Just then, the eunuch left his post leaving only Sansan behind. As Sansan rolled his eyes here and there aimlessly, his gaze suddenly fell on the accessories he’d removed. Bracelets and anklets strung with colorful jewels, and things like golden hairpins.
Originally, Sansan’s impulses always came without warning. Once absorbed in a single purpose, he couldn’t see ahead. Like a tidal wave, it swept away all of Sansan’s reason.
Sansan rose smoothly from the water, and without even drying off, as if possessed, picked up and put on the official hat and green clothing that the Hondangsa eunuch had removed. Then he stuffed all the accessories he’d been wearing into his clothes.
It was a simple thought. No matter how foolish, even Sansan knew that such accessories could be sold for money. He intended to just check if Sanwol was okay, and give her the accessories for the time being before returning. He didn’t even think of it as theft.
With his head lowered, Sansan squeezed through the busy palace servants and hurriedly left Mianggung Palace through the back door they used.
The rain was still drizzling down steadily. Since he had neither dubong nor umbrella, his whole body quickly became soaked, but he didn’t care and continued walking into the imperial garden. Perhaps because he’d sometimes stolen glances at Sinmumun Gate from a distance whenever he went for walks in the imperial garden, his footsteps naturally headed that way without even thinking about it.
Perhaps because of the rain, there were fewer people guarding Sinmumun Gate than usual. One guard holding a spear looked down at Sansan obliquely and blocked his way.
“Your badge?”
In the case of palace maids, leaving the palace was impossible except in special circumstances, but eunuchs were different. If they wore their identification badges, they could move both inside and outside the palace. Especially for eunuchs belonging to the Six Palaces, going out was frequent. It was because they had to take care of their masters’ trivial errands.
Of course, Sansan hadn’t stolen the eunuch’s clothes knowing this; the eunuch’s clothes had just been there at that moment. For that reason, Sansan didn’t understand what badge he meant and just fumbled through his clothes here and there for no reason.
“I-I came from Mianggung Palace…”
“So you didn’t bring it.”
The guard spoke in a reproachful tone. Having nothing to say, Sansan hesitated and just moved his mouth.
“What kind of eunuch are you to look this pretty? Your fate must be quite harsh.”
The guard who suddenly looked up and shot a glance at the pouring rain turned his gaze back to Sansan. Then suddenly he clicked his tongue briefly. The sight was rather pitiful.
“Hurry and go come back.”
It was a tone of letting him off just this once. Sansan, who roughly judged the situation, bowed deeply to the guard and crossed the rainy path with a patter, patter. Before long, he finally took a step outside the palace.
At this time, Sansan had no idea how many people would be punished because of him. If he’d known, he would never have done it.
***
The imperial palace was turned upside down. After Sansan disappeared, Mianggung Palace became a scene of chaos. Judging that they couldn’t search quietly hushing it up like at the imperial garden, Myeong-ok immediately sent someone to Geoncheonggung Palace.
In truth, Palace Eunuch Yu who oversaw Geoncheonmun Gate was someone who held much resentment toward Myeong-ok. Entering the palace around the same age as Myeong-ok and experiencing all sorts of hardships, he had secretly admired Myeong-ok in his youth.
He’d felt sorry for her circumstances of having to live going from one prince to another regardless of her own will, and wanted to comfort her himself. It was truly an arrogant delusion.
Naturally, Myeong-ok didn’t even glance at such Palace Eunuch Yu. Her interest was only in the power she could obtain, so a mere eunuch who couldn’t even become a chief eunuch couldn’t possibly satisfy her.
Thus as time flowed and flowed, Palace Eunuch Yu’s affection eventually turned into twisted lingering attachment. Even when Myeong-ok was in charge of Geoncheonggung Palace before going to Mianggung Palace, he constantly picked fights over everything.
The protocol was just a good excuse. Giving a hint to Chief Eunuch Han wasn’t a particularly difficult task. As always, what stood above protocol was inevitably the Emperor’s heart.
Not satisfied with having Sansan kneel in the rain, Palace Eunuch Yu again didn’t convey the news from Mianggung Palace to Chief Eunuch Han this time. Thus until the morning court session completely ended, the palace servants of Mianggung Palace had no choice but to search for Sansan among themselves and wait for the Emperor to come.
The Emperor learned that Sansan had disappeared a full shichen after Sansan disappeared. It was because the morning court session happened to end late today.
The Emperor’s fury lightly transcended everyone’s expectations.
“Chief Eunuch Han repeatedly emphasized not to let anyone in… P-please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“Those without sense cannot live eating the imperial household’s salary.”
The Emperor drew an imperial guard’s sword. Without even listening to the full defense, he severed Palace Eunuch Yu’s head with a clang and displayed it in front of Geoncheonggung Palace.
“H-he had no identification badge, but was definitely dressed as a eunuch. Since we sometimes let eunuchs in and out even without identification badges… I have committed a crime worthy of death, this subject was negligent. Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
“This is the imperial palace of Great Ha. If we let negligent gatekeepers live, who won’t take the palace security lightly in the future? It’s right to kill them all and govern with one punishment as a warning to a hundred.”
The Emperor also severed the heads of the Sinmumun Gate guards and displayed them in a row in front of Geoncheonggung Palace.
“Your Majesty, please show mercy. The young master is not someone with such strong willpower. What if he returns, sees the dead, and receives a great shock? We are deeply worried, so please show mercy.”
“He is to become Empress and bear the Crown Prince. He needs to learn at least once how many lives hang on his words and actions. So he won’t even think of doing such a thing ever again.”
Footnote
Pungbibaaksan (풍비박산) – Family ruin/destruction
