Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 222

I was born as the daughter of a low-ranking concubine. Chapter 222 (222/326)

“The Siyoungwon [a special organization or agency] branches are helping the country so much, they should expand to other regions quickly. There are still regions far up and down that haven’t even built buildings yet, you know?”

“I heard they don’t have enough people. Would that be alright?”

“That’s why they need money.”

As I reached out my hand, the Crown Prince sighed and shook his head.

What. Why. What.

“Well, frankly, I think they should be given official positions and stipends at this point.”

“Just so you know, most of the core personnel at any Siyoungwon branch are women.”

“I’m worried they might get involved in dangerous situations and be threatened.”

“There are quite a few security personnel, and two princesses are stationed as figureheads… I mean, relatives of the royal family.”

No matter how much they grumbled and gossiped behind their backs, no one dared to speak carelessly in front of the royal family.

It was thanks to the royal family’s long-standing strategy of mystique, or rather, maintaining authority.

‘I think I’m breaking it down too much…’

Actually, in a way, there’s no one as mysterious as I am…

“The dispatch of secret inspectors is one thing, but there are other new pieces of news. Would you like to see them?”

“This isn’t going to be published in the newspaper, is it?”

“No. It’s just a selection of things that came to me that I thought my brother would find interesting.”

Of course, I didn’t write them myself.

When I marked things in the letters I received, my palace maids would organize them and copy them in neat handwriting to deliver to the Crown Prince.

Apart from the corrupt officials, the newspaper business was gaining momentum, which made it useful in many ways.

“Speaking of which, you published an article about cowpox in the newspaper this time.”

“Yes. Smallpox is starting to spread again, but people who have been vaccinated with cowpox are all fine, so we decided to publish their testimonials.”

Is there a need to rely on uncertain things like word of mouth?

There is such a sure way of promotion!

As expected, the expansion of the newspaper business had many advantages.

‘Expanding branches, classifying information, there’s so much to do…’

***

While the Princess was busy with the expanded businesses, other discussions were taking place in Siyoungwon.

“Should we tell the Princess?”

“Wouldn’t it be too much of a bother for the busy Princess?”

The people gathered were mostly those who had been with Siyoungwon since its early days, people who could be called Princess Su-yeong’s close aides.

Court Lady Min, the investigators, and even the children who were now called teachers.

These were the people who mainly gathered when discussing the operation of Siyoungwon.

“But isn’t it too obvious that they deliberately targeted Siyoungwon people more than we thought?”

“Isn’t it too unsettling to just let it pass?”

“Certainly, I didn’t expect so many people to be involved.”

“It seems that most of them have passed quietly without any problems.”

As the population of Siyoungwon was large, it took time to conduct a full investigation, but they were able to confirm how much they knew about the gambling den, or rather, the newly opened restaurant.

And unexpectedly, more people than expected answered that they had heard about it and even visited it.

In a way, it wasn’t strange. The Siyoungwon children were used to such performance culture as they frequented Siyoung Park or Siwol Pavilion, so it was not unreasonable for them to be curious about a new place and want to go there.

And most of them just watched the performance and felt, ‘Oh, it’s not as good as I expected,’ and didn’t revisit.

The reason why rumors didn’t spread much within Siyoungwon was simple.

“Everyone was embarrassed to go to a competitor’s place, so they kept their mouths shut…”

“Everyone has an unexpectedly innocent side.”

“No one would say anything for that kind of thing.”

Even as they said that, they all easily understood.

It wasn’t just that they went to a place other than the store where their family worked, but they felt guilty for betraying the Princess who had raised them.

For confirmation and comparison, the attempted bank robbers who were listening to the story next to them turned red and couldn’t lift their heads.

It was said that they were sometimes seen muttering, ‘A guy like me should die,’ while banging their heads against the wall when they were alone.

The attempted bank robbery was only known to those involved, so the children who didn’t know the situation were worried, which made them feel guilty and they had no choice but to silently blame themselves.

“The visit itself is not a problem, but surprisingly, there were not many people outside of Siyoungwon who had heard such rave reviews about it.”

As the Princess’s own businesses were spreading in various directions, there were quite a few external personnel who exchanged business.

Jang’s book rental shop and printing house were such cases.

It’s not like the regulars of that restaurant are only concentrated in Siyoung Park or Siwol Pavilion, but those who work in the book rental shop or the market in the downtown area have not heard much about the restaurant. Isn’t that strange?

In addition, among those who showed that they were from Siyoungwon when they visited the place, quite a few were subtly encouraged to gamble.

Fortunately, not many people were deeply involved enough to commit theft like someone, but those who learned this fact couldn’t help but be angry.

“Do they think we’re easy? Does Siyoungwon look easy to them that they’re doing this?”

“Hey, calm down, calm down.”

“Besides, it’s pathetic that they got addicted to this and even got into debt! They plotted to trap us like this!”

As they were the parties involved in the gambling den, the attempted robbers who were with them at this place couldn’t lift their faces and only bowed their heads.

Court Lady Min organized the situation instead of saying anything to those children.

“But certainly… it seems clear that they were targeting Siyoungwon.”

“Is it okay to just leave this alone?”

“But there’s nothing we can do about it, is there?”

The teachers, who were still young, were puzzled by that remark.

“Why don’t we report it as an illegal gambling den?”

“It’s not that we haven’t thought about it…”

“?”

“We sent some children who had been there to explore the location of the gambling den, pretending to still be interested in gambling, but the location of the gambling den was not the restaurant.”

“Yes?”

Maurie and a few other investigators sighed.

“There is a path connected to the eaves close to the restaurant, so it is easy to misunderstand that it is the same place… but the gambling den was not located in the restaurant.”

“Then?”

“It is close in distance, but strictly speaking, it was a building in another nobleman’s private house.”

“!”

It was not easy to crack down on gambling that took place in private homes. Especially if it was the work of a nobleman.

If they closed the door and denied it, that was it, and if they said they were just enjoying a light game with acquaintances, that was it.

Court Lady Min, who was listening to the story, asked.

“Whose building was it?”

“They were giving the name of a local nobleman who was not well known, so even the locals didn’t know much about him. They only knew that he was a nouveau riche [newly rich] who came from the countryside.”

“For such people to deliberately target Siyoungwon…”

As she said that, the faces of the former investigators darkened.

They had risked their lives to work for the country, even though they had received a large reward.

But they couldn’t be happy that there were guys who were preying on innocent young children like this.

Besides, most of the Siyoungwon children had no parents or ties.

The children often mentioned the Princess’s family, but there had never been a time in the past nine years when the Princess’s family had stepped in for such a thing.

Of course, did they think that there would be no repercussions for this level of work?

“Court Lady Min, what do you think?”

“There may be a way to quietly get over this by controlling the children. I think it’s worth checking why they are targeting us… or maybe the Princess’s family.”

“…….”

As it was Court Lady Min who said it, it had weight.

If it was a matter involving the Princess’s family, it could be a political issue.

If Siyoungwon made a mistake, it should never cause harm to the Princess’s family or the Crown Prince.

“If, if we approach the gambling den… what if we find out who ordered us to rob the bank at that time? Wouldn’t we see some clues?”

The children, who had been keeping their mouths shut and bowing their heads like sacks of barley, opened their mouths for the first time.

They were the attempted bank robbers, and they were not allowed to act alone and were being watched since that day, but they were unintentionally attending this meeting because they were the parties who knew the most about this matter.

While receiving tremendous glares.

“You might get dragged away and sold somewhere.”

“!”

“Jiya, please don’t say such scary things.”

The adults around them gave some warnings as they looked at the attempted robbers who had stiffened, but there were quite a few who added to Jiya’s words from the side.

“But there aren’t many places that prefer male servants. They only use them for hard work, so mines, salt fields…”

“Come to think of it, they said there were women in that gambling den, or rather, restaurant.”

According to those who visited, there were surprisingly many women who visited not only as female entertainers but also as guests.

In that respect, it was strangely similar to Siwol Pavilion.

“Hmm. But surprisingly, they didn’t approach the Siyoungwon girls very much… In fact, I think they would target girls if they were going to sell them off for debt.”

“Did they think men were more likely to get addicted to gambling?”

“Well. Since Siyoungwon is owned by the Princess’s family, there is also the impression that they protect girls more.”

“Well, girls tend not to leave the Siyoungwon fence unless they have to.”

The discussion did not easily come to a conclusion.

However, sending the attempted robbers back to the gambling den was rejected.

“Why, why?”

“What if you really get dragged away, even by any chance?”

Besides, it had already been determined that they lacked self-control, so they couldn’t just push them back into the gambling scene.

“First of all, someone who won’t be shaken even if they enter the gambling den should go.”

“How do you know if someone who hasn’t done it before will be able to do it?”

“Besides, looking at Mohan’s example… I think you need to be good at gambling to some extent.”

“If we spread rumors that they are scholarship students, wouldn’t they try to work on them on their own?”

The Siyoungwon people once again analyzed what had happened at the time, almost interrogating the attempted robbers.

The Princess’s family might not allow it, but if what they were aiming for was not simply the money of the Siyoungwon children but the Princess’s family, they couldn’t just stay still.

Thanks to this, a few people who had undergone strict screening were put into the gambling den.

Among them was a child who decided to approach, claiming to be Mohan’s friend.

‘I’m Mohan’s friend, and Mohan asked me to bring this instead.’

‘No, how much money does that friend have to pay back, and with this?’

‘I don’t know, but he said to wait a little longer? But what did he do here?’

‘Ah, come to think of it, if you’re a friend, are you perhaps the same scholarship student?’

‘I’m also a candidate, but why are you asking that?’

If you let it flow like this, they subtly took the bait.

For reference, Mohan was trying to earn money these days to pay off his debt little by little, but of course, it was not enough.

“I was told that the security was tight and I was just looking for an opportunity, so they incited the female entertainers and jeered that I had no spirit.”

“How about gambling? Was it worth it?”

“Hmm. I think they’re cheating.”

In order not to be flustered, they had to get used to the gambling scene, so a similar game was starting within Siyoungwon.

The gambling addicts, no, the attempted robbers, tried to come forward as if it was their turn this time, but when the former investigators heard the types of games, they came forward and lowered their tails.

They said that you need to have that much talent to fit in among people even in enemy territory.

“If the uncles went, wouldn’t that be it?”

“Why would they bother deceiving those uncles when there are clueless people like you?”

“…….”

But unexpectedly, the higher-ups who seemed to be really running the show in that gambling scene rarely showed up.

None of the people with the descriptions that Mohan and the other children had witnessed showed up.