Minister Lim grinned when the prince said, "He wasn't at his house yesterday either." Young-Sik informed the King. "These wrongful tax increases are the reason why the people from Gyong contemplated joining rebel forces...but they all reconsidered after the truth has been uncovered"
Transitioning to a new subject, the King asked his brother, "Have you eliminated the insurgent forces?"
"There was no necessity for that, your Highness. The situation has been resolved peacefully, and the people of Gyong have recognized the circumstances and vowed to stand with us," Young-Sik responded with a sense of pride.
The King was decidedly unimpressed by the prince's account. His expression turned stern as he addressed the assembly, declaring, "Bring that loathsome Minister to me, bound and restrained!" The assembly members bowed in deference to the King as they exited the courtroom. He then focused on the prince, remarking, "Prince Young-Sik, I need to have a word with you."
The King retreated to his private study, Young-Sik looked back at Jin-Ri, "Stay here, this won't take long," he then followed the King
Upon entering the room, Young-Sik saw the King pacing and approached him, but as soon as he did, King Man-Ju struck him hard on his face. "Do you have any idea how you embarrassed me in front of my subordinates? You made me appear utterly foolish! I explicitly told you to destroy those insurgents from Gyong, but instead, you openly defied my command for the whole world to see!" He bellowed at the astonished prince.
"They aren't insurgents or rebels, my brother. They are farmers, struggling individuals pushed to the brink by hunger and the misguided belief that their rulers have wronged them." Young-Sik took a moment to reflect. "These are voices we need to listen to, not just eliminate without understanding the motivations behind their uprising."
With a voice heavy with doubt, King Man-Ju remarked, "I see your game now. You're after their sympathy, aren't you? Seeking their gratitude, perhaps? Are you planning to build an army to rise against me in the future?"
Young-Sik's eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow. "How could you accuse me of such treachery? I have sworn my loyalty to you, followed your every command, and I've fought and killed for you!"
"YOU DARE TO RAISE YOUR VOICE AGAINST THE KING!" Man-Ju thundered; his anger palpable.
Outside, Jin-Ri was grateful that she was the only one in the courtroom to hear and witness the two brothers bicker and shout at each other. Or she thought of the other side of the study, the dowager Queen grinned as she found a tiny rift that she could exploit to drive the two brothers apart.
"You plan to one day take the throne, don't you? You think you were cheated of the crown, do I have to remind you...that it is you who turned his back on the crown!" King Man-Ju stated
Young-Sik breathed heavily as he clenched his fist, his emotions, and sadness ran deep. He could not believe that his brother would even say such things. He pulled out his sword, making Man-Ju take a step back. The prince knelt, offering his sword with both hands to the King, "If you think of me as an enemy or a threat, take our brother's sword and end my life"
Instinctively, Man-Ju's hand inched for the sword, years of jealousy boiled within him, but he regained his composure and helped his brother to stand, "Don't be a fool brother...a rebel will always be a rebel!" He approached the prince and held him by the shoulder, "Have you forgotten? That it was farmers that killed our brother Prince Seo-Joon?"
"I have not forgotten...he died right in front of me, remember?" Young-Sik replied, his voice shaking from the agonizing memory of losing his family
King Man-Ju's voice calmed, his voice softened upon sensing the rising anger within the prince "Then let this be the last time, brother, that we fight over lowly farmers"
Young-Sik only nodded to what the King said. The King returned the favor and smiled at his brother. Switching to a different topic, Man-Ju told his brother, "I'm getting married next month, brother."
Young-Sik furrowed his brow, then raised an eyebrow "I pity the woman who wants to marry you" Young-Sik shook his head in jest "Tell me, who's the poor soul you conned into marrying you?"
Man-Ju grinned and said "That would be Lady Ji-Hye"
Young-Sik with a voice of surprise could only muster "La... Lady Ji-Hye?"
"Yes, are you jealous?" The King asked, thinking that his brother would be envious of him.
Young-Sik burst into fits of laughter, "I take it back, you're the poor soul who got conned," he then walked out of the study, still in bouts of laughter
"Hey, why are you laughing? Come back here, you brat, don't walk away from your brother," Man-Ju shouted frustratedly, as he ran after the prince
After some time, Young-Sik strolled out of the courtroom, Jin-Ri, who was crouching by the entrance, immediately stood up to greet the prince, "Is everything okay, your Highness?" She asked
Young-Sik showed her a rolled-up parchment and said, "I've got what I need. Time to go back to Gyong"
"What about that Minister Son character?" Jin-Ri inquired curiously as she followed the prince
"He's probably long gone by now, or one of his cohorts is hiding him," Young-Sik sighed
"How did he even know that we're here to arrest him?" Jin-Ri pondered
"Probably, he got wind of that little trouble at the market, who knows. What's important is that the King granted me the authority to return the taxes that were charged from Gyong" Young-Sik said, hastily as they headed to the treasury department.
Jin-Ri with permission from the prince heads to their rented hut to visit Yeng before they leave for Gyong. Upon arriving, she opened the door of the hut, only to be pulled inside. Jin-Ri's eyes widened when she saw Chief Bong and his men, she heard crying and saw Yeng huddled on the floor. She went over to her friend's side. Brushing aside Yen's long black hair only to lay eyes on blood at the corner of her lips. "What have you done to her?" she furiously asked the snickering man.
"Nothing! I just gave her a soft tap on the lips to remind her that she is behind on her payments." Il-Sung explained without a care in the world.
"You already got a large sum from me, isn't that enough, would you please just leave us alone?" Jin-Ri begged the bulbous man
Bong Il-Sung grabbed Jin-Ri by the hair, forced her to her feet, and slammed her to a wall "Listen here, you whore! I want my money, I didn't raise the lot of you out of the goodness of my heart, I raised you so I can be rich!"
Straining against the man's grip, Jin-Ri attempted to pull her hair free while pushing Il-Sung back to halt his relentless approach. However, her defiance awakened a primal urge within the chief, a rush of excitement that coursed through him. "You always hear it, I know, your face is ordinarily plain; your body, though... it's like a masterpiece sculpted by divine hands," he said, his lips curling in a hungry smile.
Jin-Ri turned her face away from Il-Sung when she felt his hands running up her waist. Yeng suddenly jumped and pushed the chief off her friend "Stop it you monsters!" She shouted at them while shielding Jin-Ri.
Il-Sung, not one who delights in being disturbed shouted "Beat these two!"
The group of men charged menacingly, but they stopped when they heard what Jin-Ri told them, "A caravan of gold!"
Bong Il-Sung halted his men, "What did you say?"
Jin-Ri stuttered "A Caravan of gold and silver will pass the eastern side of Mt. Gonggisup between tonight and tomorrow." Her eyes were red with tears that loomed, threatening to stream down her face
The chief pointed a finger menacingly at her, "Do not lie to me!"
"I'm not lying to you, the prince will return the excessive tax collected from the cities and villages of Gyong," Jin-Ri explained
"If you are lying, I know where to find both of you, believe when I say I will have my way with both of you before I rip you to pieces. Don't even think of running away, I can find you!" Threatening Jin-Ri and Yeng "Common boys, time to prepare for a big payday!"
After the men left, Yeng embraced her friend, "Are you alright?" Jin-Ri only nodded, "What have you done? They will steal everything and you will be left with the blame"
Jin-Ri nervously looked at her friend, "I couldn't just let them hurt you," she explained
"But what will we do now?" Yeng inquired, the fear in her eyes and voice visible.
Jin-Ri shook her head, "I don't know...pack everything and go to the Cherry Blossom, stay there, Lady Hu will be able to protect you"
Yeng worried about Jin-Ri's safety, couldn't help but ask, "What about you?"
"I will be with the prince, don't worry about me, just do as I say and don't leave the Cherry Blossom until I say so," Jin-Ri quickly stood up and exited the house. when she got to the streets, she ran back to the palace. One thought kept running in her head, "What will I do?"
It was almost nightfall when Prince Young-Sik and the caravan reached the eastern face of Mount Gonggisup. The group is watching a bunch of carts loaded with gold and silver. This stash is the overcharged tax money they plan to give back to the people of Gyong.
Young-Sik noticed Jin-Ri was a little edgy and kept looking around as if searching for something. "You're a little anxious today, is there a problem?" Young-Sik asked casually
"What was that, your highness?" Jin-Ri asked absentmindedly, as she was snapped out of her edginess by the prince
Young-Sik shook his head, "I said, why are you so anxious?" he asked his court maiden
Jin-Ri just smiled and casually answered, "It's nothing, your Highness, I just remember this was the same path we were ambushed on the way to Gyong"
Young-Sik shook his head, "No, it isn't, that was a different route," the prince clarified
"Really? I mean it looked similar, yeah it looked similar that's why I was a bit on the edge," Jin-Ri explained.
But, Jin-Ri was hiding the truth; her edginess had a reason behind it, and it was something she had done.
The prince's caravan came to a halt at the base of the mountain. Just as Jin-Ri had anticipated, they established their camp on the eastern side of Mt. Gonggisup. While the soldiers busied themselves with cooking, Young-Sik admired the stunning cliffs of the mountain. The cliffs were adorned with delicate willow trees, their long branches and leaves flowing gracefully like a soft veil. Lush shrubs lined the area, appearing as if they had been meticulously arranged. Jin-Ri walked over to the prince and said, "Isn't it breathtaking, Your Highness?"
Young-Sik nodded sagely, arms crossed, and said, "I know, they're beautiful...I hate it."
Jin-Ri looked at him, utterly baffled. "You...you hate something as gorgeous as this cliff? You do know it looked like a garden suspended in mid-air"
He chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he turned to his court maiden. "Trust me, you'd feel the same if you had to climb this thing every week for the past decade!"
"Seriously, why on earth did you decide to tackle this cliff every week for ten years?" Jin-Ri asked, her eyes wide with intrigue. The thought of such a repetitive challenge baffled her.
"It was essential for my endurance training," Young-Sik explained, a playful smirk on his face. "I'd start my day with the climb, then by noon need to be back on the base of the mountain," He pointed to a spot that seemed impossibly high.
"Did you force yourself to do that exercise, your Highness?" Jin-Ri asked delicately upon learning that the mountain holds a sore spot for the prince
Young-Sik ruffled his brow "Me? Assign myself that task. I'm not crazy," The prince paused and then turned around, "My master forced me to do it, part of my endurance training," he stated, finishing the conversation and walking away.
Jin-Ri took another look at the cliff, and suddenly, it seemed less like a picturesque wonder and more like a death trap. "Yeah, I'd bite the dust if I tried to scale that thing," she said, a shudder creeping down her back as she imagined the terrifying drop.
Sitting under a tree, the prince admired the star-filled sky. Jin-Ri came up to him, holding out his dinner. "Your Highness... here's your meal," she said politely.
After he took the bowl of boiled chicken thighs, Jin-Ri was ready to leave and find a spot to eat, but the prince stopped her, saying, "How about you join me instead?"
Jin-Ri surveyed her surroundings before pointing to herself, a gesture that brought a smile and a nod from Young-Sik. With grace and care, she took a seat across from the prince to keep him company.
"You don't have to worry about being formal... just be yourself with me," Young-Sik reassured his court maiden.
"You know I can't do that, you Highness, you're a prince, I'm merely Jin-Ri, the lowly court maiden," She explained with a shallow smile that did not escape the prince's keen observation
"If you feel that way, fine, I am a prince...but this prince says, be yourself when around me," Young-Sik said "After all, you've been like that since the capital"
"That was different, we were in disguise. I can't just act like you were the prince...our cover would have been blown," Jin-Ri answered the prince. Yet deep inside, something was stirring her heart.
"You can just call me Yong," Young-Sik said to Jin-Ri, his voice warm and inviting, hoping she would agree.
"But I can't just call you Yong, Your Highness, especially not in front of others," Jin-Ri replied, feeling the weight of tradition.
"Then when it's just the two of us, Yong it is," Young-Sik replied, his demeanor relaxed and friendly.
Jin-Ri considered this as she observed the prince enjoying his meal. Despite the cold ground beneath him and the way he ate with his hands, the way he was bridging the gap between him and his soldiers left her in admiration.