I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 135

The palanquin carrying Yang Ryeo-cheong entered the Imperial Palace and stopped deep within the outer court.

“Noble Consort Yang, we have arrived. Please dismount.”

Standing before Yang Ryeo-cheong as she stepped out of the palanquin was the head eunuch, his head slightly bowed.

“Greetings, Noble Consort Yang. I am the head eunuch who attends His Majesty.”

He was the chief of the palace eunuchs and the Emperor’s closest aide. More than just a simple eunuch, he wielded immense influence over the Emperor, so much so that even the court officials couldn’t treat him lightly. A single word from him could bring the Emperor joy or incite his wrath.

Yang Ryeo-cheong, remembering her manners, bowed to him as respectfully as possible.

“I am but an inexperienced and immature girl. I humbly request your guidance, Head Eunuch.”

“Oh, why do you humble yourself so? Noble Consort Yang, it is clear at a glance that you already possess everything. The Imperial Palace may be unfamiliar and even frightening, but please do not worry too much. This is also a place where people live, and I will wholeheartedly assist you. Heh heh.”

The head eunuch offered a benevolent smile and guided Yang Ryeo-cheong.

“Now, this way, please. This is Ha-an Palace, where Noble Consort Yang will reside from now on.”

It wasn’t grand or extravagant, but it was a residence that stood out with its meticulously maintained garden. At the entrance of the palace, three court ladies and two eunuchs stood with bowed waists, waiting to serve Yang Ryeo-cheong.

“These individuals will become the Noble Consort’s hands and feet, attending to her needs. If you find them even slightly uncomfortable or disrespectful, they will be severely punished.”

Before the head eunuch could finish speaking, they bowed deeply and exclaimed,

“May the Noble Consort enjoy great fortune!”

Seeing them offer their greetings, the head eunuch escorted Yang Ryeo-cheong inside.

“If you need anything or experience any discomfort, please inform them. His Majesty is also paying special attention, so there should be no inconveniences.”

The head eunuch bowed slightly and turned to leave, but Yang Ryeo-cheong hurriedly asked,

“Head Eunuch, when will I be able to see His Majesty?”

“His Majesty is busy with state affairs. Even His Majesty himself does not know when he will visit this place. So, do not fret too much and take your time. Well, then.”

The head eunuch turned away, and one of the maids who had come with Yang Ryeo-cheong followed him out.

“Sir, the Noble Consort wishes to offer a small token of her appreciation. Please, do not refuse it.”

She subtly offered a small silk pouch, and the head eunuch took the pouch as if he were very accustomed to it.

“I gratefully accept the Noble Consort’s sincerity.”

As soon as the head eunuch disappeared, the maid quickly returned to the palace.

Inside the palace, the three court ladies and two eunuchs stood blankly, having seen Yang Ryeo-cheong without her veil.

Yang Ryeo-cheong glanced around her residence once and then plopped down on a chair, as if the tension had drained from her.

“These are people who have grown up with me since I was in my private residence, like my own sisters. I must behave in a way that prevents discord from arising while living together.”

Only when the first order was given did they come to their senses.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The court ladies and eunuchs understood perfectly Yang Ryeo-cheong’s warning that she would not tolerate any bullying.

“I need to rest.”

At her word that she needed to rest, the court ladies quickly approached, supporting her to the bed.

In the place where the owner of Ha-an Palace had disappeared, only the owner’s people and the Imperial Palace’s people remained, and an eerie tension lingered.

One of the maids who had entered the palace with Yang Ryeo-cheong spoke first.

“I am Hong-yeon (Red Smoke), and here are my sisters, Ja-yeon (Purple Smoke) and Cheong-yeon (Blue Smoke).”

As soon as she opened her mouth, she spoke in an informal manner, and the eyes of the Imperial Palace people widened.

One of the eunuchs glared, but he was overwhelmed by the aura suddenly emanating from the three women and couldn’t open his mouth.

“We only care about the safety of our Noble Consort. If you are acting as spies under the orders of another palace, spreading vicious rumors that don’t exist, or directly harming our Noble Consort, we will kill you all with our own hands.”

Overwhelmed by their aura, the court ladies and eunuchs couldn’t speak, but they immediately thought that these were no ordinary crazy women.

“You probably already know from the rumors, but our Noble Consort’s older brother is, without exaggeration, the wealthiest man in the Central Plains [historical region of China]. You are serving the sister of such a person, so you must have become greedy for money. We can give you enough to fill that greed tens or hundreds of times over. But! Only depending on how you act.”

Hong-yeon gestured to her two colleagues.

They opened pouches filled with gold nuggets the size of thumbs and threw one to each of the court ladies and eunuchs.

“Our master uses such gold nuggets instead of silver. The gold nuggets we just gave you are the price for watching a young girl like me act impudently. We won’t commit such rudeness in the future, but you must keep in mind what I have said so far.”

People bow to the person who gives them money and follow the words of the person who gives them money. It doesn’t matter to the person receiving the money who the owner of the money is.

It’s like tenant farmers fearing the overseer more than the landlord.

The reason why Jo Gwang-yun made these three women the subject of distributing the money, rather than Yang Ryeo-cheong, is that they will think of the maids as a source of money, not just maids.

After speaking, Hong-yeon completely withdrew her aura and politely bowed to the court ladies and eunuchs, who still had bewildered expressions.

“Please call me Hong-yeon. I will treat the three ladies as my older sisters and follow the two eunuch elders as if they were my own brothers from my private residence.”

Hong-yeon, Ja-yeon, and Cheong-yeon smiled brightly at the court ladies and eunuchs, clinging to them like younger sisters.

The three court ladies and two eunuchs worried whether they would be serving as many as four masters, but they gave a sullen smile to the three women, with the expectation that fixing their fate was only a matter of time if they didn’t leave this Ha-an Palace.

* * *

“Yes, how is it going?”

“A few people have gathered at Jeonghwa Palace.”

As the head eunuch carefully reported, the Emperor frowned.

“Did the Empress call them?”

Jeonghwa Palace was the Empress’s residence, so it meant that the Empress was also present.

“Not exactly. It seems that the consorts went to see the Empress.”

“Jealousy or greed, I wonder…”

“They are all childless, so they must always be anxious, wouldn’t they be?”

The head eunuch regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.

The Emperor had only one son with the Empress. The Imperial family should be strong with many descendants, but for some reason, there were no offspring. Fortunately, there was an heir to the Emperor, and that was the legitimate son born to the Empress, the Emperor’s legal wife.

The head eunuch prostrated himself before the Emperor.

“I have spoken falsely. Please kill me.”

The Emperor, who had been frowning, waved his hand.

“Get up. It’s the truth, so what’s the matter?”

“I am grateful.”

“It’s no use having too many children. After I die, those guys will step forward and encourage each other to take the throne, and in the end, only a bloody storm will blow through the Imperial family. One is enough.”

Having only one son had another advantage.

The inner court was quiet because it couldn’t budge against the Empress’s authority. Although he was only two years old and had not yet been appointed as the Crown Prince, the women of the inner court all lived prostrate before the Empress because the next Emperor would be her son.

The head eunuch watched the Emperor’s mood and cautiously asked.

“Should you go to Noble Consort Yang’s residence tonight?”

The Emperor nodded silently.

“I will prepare accordingly.”

The Emperor had taken in many concubines, but Yang Ryeo-cheong was the first he had visited on the first day of her entry into the palace.

The Emperor, whose marriage was often a political arrangement, currently had two legal wives and eight concubines.

The legal wives were the Empress and the Virtuous Consort, and the concubines were three Consorts and five Noble Consorts.

Yang Ryeo-cheong was the ninth concubine and the sixth Noble Consort.

Because it was a political marriage, there were concubines whom he had never visited even once. In other words, they had entered the palace several years ago but were still virgins.

He hadn’t visited the Virtuous Consort, his legal wife, for a long time either. She was the second wife he had taken in to reduce the threat of the military, but she was sickly and always coughed.

Therefore, he had completely abandoned her under the pretext of the royal physicians’ advice that the Emperor’s health might be harmed if he got close to her.

The fact that such an Emperor was visiting Yang Ryeo-cheong from the first day of her entry into the palace was proof that he was drawn to her.

The head eunuch had only seen Yang Ryeo-cheong with her face covered with a veil, but he knew that she could melt men with just her eyes. He was old and unable to perform his duties as a man, but just facing those beautiful eyes made his heart flutter.

The head eunuch, leaving the Euirip Hall [hall for daily affairs] to prepare for the first night, wore a strange smile.

“There will be so many things happening tomorrow morning. Heh heh.”

* * *

The Empress, the owner of Jeonghwa Palace, gave a benevolent smile to the three Consorts who had gathered.

“Is her beauty said to be so outstanding?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The court ladies of Ha-an Palace are said to be so mesmerized that they are lost in thought, even though they are women themselves.”

“I am worried that her humble status will tarnish the dignity of the Imperial family.”

The Empress burst into laughter.

“Hoho. Listen to you all. It hasn’t even started yet. But if you make such a fuss like this, what will you do later?”

“Yes? What do you mean by that?”

“The Emperor has only seen that woman once. He welcomed her into the Imperial family with just that one meeting. Just looking at that is enough to guess what Noble Consort Yang’s beauty is like. And he will be staying at her residence often for the time being, so can you endure seeing that?”

“Your Majesty, it’s not that we are being jealous…”

She tried to make excuses in a hurry, but the Empress raised her hand to stop her.

“She was appointed as a Noble Consort because of her lowly status. Noble Consort is a rank of Senior Third Grade [a rank in the imperial court]. Aren’t you all Consorts of Senior Second Grade? There is a difference in rank, so stop being jealous. Jealousy is…”

The Empress looked around at the three Consorts and said,

“Jealousy is something you do to someone of the same rank. It’s only worth watching if you are jealous of each other. Have I ever been jealous because the Emperor entered your chambers? There is nothing more undignified than being jealous of someone below you.”

It meant that she was the Empress, so she didn’t compete with Consorts.

The three Consorts felt humiliated but had no choice but to smile.

“As expected, Your Majesty is wise. I am ashamed that I was worried even for a moment.”

The Consorts got up as soon as they finished drinking their tea.

“Then we will leave. Please rest comfortably.”

As soon as the Consorts disappeared, the Empress threw down her teacup, and the court ladies serving the Empress quickly prostrated themselves on the floor.

“Your Majesty, please calm down. I am worried that your health will be harmed.”

But the Empress’s hands did not stop trembling.

“I told him to get rid of that woman before she entered the palace… I can’t believe that man can’t make a decision. It’s so frustrating!”

The Empress began to resent her older brother, Wi Chung-hyeon.

* * *

He finished his official duties early today.

The Emperor, leaving the Euirip Hall, quickened his pace without realizing it.

The eunuchs and court ladies chasing after him also quickened their pace.

The Emperor, who had practically run to Ha-an Palace, entered the garden before his subordinates could even announce his arrival.

“The Emperor has arrived!”

As one of the eunuchs hurriedly shouted, there was a commotion inside the palace, and Yang Ryeo-cheong hurriedly ran out and prostrated herself.

“Your Majesty, I…”

“It’s alright. It’s my fault for coming earlier than expected. Get up. The floor is cold because it’s winter.”

The head eunuch said to those who were prostrating themselves next to Yang Ryeo-cheong,

“Attend to the Noble Consort.”

The Emperor held Yang Ryeo-cheong’s hand tightly as she was helped up.

“Let’s go inside. We couldn’t have a wedding, but shouldn’t we have a wedding drink?”

The Emperor smiled brightly and entered Ha-an Palace.

End