Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 67
>Chapter Title: Turning Misfortune into Fortune (3)
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Two officials were hurrying toward the clinic of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
They were Bae Jikjang, a seventh-rank attendant of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and Jo Chambong, a ninth-rank official of the same bureau.
Bae Jikjang, rubbing his sleepy eyes, spoke in an irritated voice.
“If that’s not true, you’d better prepare yourself.”
“It’s true, sir. I even checked his major eight meridians.”
“Good grief. This guy.”
Bae Jikjang shook his head in disbelief.
And who could blame him? The patient in the clinic, Mok Kyung-un, a cadet of the Guard Division, was in no condition to wake up or improve in such a short time.
Yet somehow, his pulse had returned to normal overnight.
They had set night watch, but whether from fatigue or sheer incompetence, he didn’t know where the man had left his brains.
‘Nonsense.’
He was fully intent on giving the fool a thorough scolding.
As they neared the clinic, they spotted someone crouched outside, dozing off with his head nodding.
It was the medicine boy.
“Hey, you lazy bum.”
Jo Chambong scolded him upon seeing him.
Startled, the medicine boy jumped up like a disciplined soldier.
Spotting Bae Jikjang and Jo Chambong, he stammered in panic.
“M-Masters.”
“We told you to watch over the patient, and here you are slacking off.”
“Th-That’s not it, sirs.”
“What do you mean it’s not? Right now...”
“A guest just arrived inside, sirs.”
“A guest?”
A guest out of nowhere? How odd.
Puzzled, the medicine boy cautiously explained.
“It’s the Junior Supervisor from the Western Depot, sir.”
“The Junior Supervisor?”
Bae Jikjang and Jo Chambong exchanged bewildered glances, unable to hide their confusion.
Among the eunuchs of the Western Depot, a Junior Supervisor was a high position, one that directly served the imperial clan.
So why would one come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard clinic?
Wondering what was going on, they rushed inside.
Once in, Jo Chambong, who had taken the lead, scanned the room.
His eyes soon fixed on one bed, and he couldn’t conceal his shock.
“Gasp!”
His reaction was so extreme he nearly fell on his rear, prompting Bae Jikjang and the medicine boy to look as well.
But then,
“Eek!”
“Wh-What is this!”
The reason for their astonishment was simple.
Atop the bed where the patient should have been lying were dozens of chunks of something chopped up.
As clinic staff, they immediately knew what it was.
It was a dismembered corpse.
The gruesome sight left them utterly at a loss.
As they stood frozen in horror, a rustling sound came from somewhere.
They all whipped their heads toward it.
It was in front of the medicine cabinet where herbs were stored. There stood a figure in red official robes.
“M-Master?”
The medicine boy called out to him unwittingly.
The man in red robes turned, revealing a chilling smile in the flickering lantern shadows.
‘!!!!!!’
* * *
Bimi Palace.
This was the residence of Prince Jingqin, one of the four powers that dominated the realm.
Originally, as a royal kinsman, Prince Jingqin had governed the Sichuan region, but the current emperor, who had favored him even before ascending the throne, summoned him to the capital, Kaifeng, after the previous emperor’s death.
And he granted him this palace as his dwelling.
Though he cherished his younger brother, the emperor named the palace with the character for caution and vigilance to remind him not to forget his place.
Yet despite such imperial consideration, Prince Jingqin steadily expanded his influence to reach his current position.
-Swish!
A dignified man in his mid-fifties turned the page of an old book.
Standing silently near the door, watching him, was a middle-aged eunuch in red official robes.
The ornate robes alone hinted at his rank.
This eunuch was none other than Ho Gonggong, the Chief Supervisor of the Western Depot.
-Swish!
The man turning the pages at a steady pace soon spoke.
“Supervisor Fan is late.”
At this, Ho Gonggong replied in his sycophantic tone.
“Your Highness, shall I send for him?”
The identity of the mustachioed, dignified middle-aged man was none other than the master of Bimi Palace, Prince Jingqin.
True to his status as one of the four who swayed the nation, he exuded not just refinement but an arrogant aura that seemed to encompass all things, far from ordinary.
“No need. He’ll come when the time is right.”
“As you command.”
Ho Gonggong bowed with hands clasped at Prince Jingqin’s words.
Yet in his downcast eyes lingered concern.
‘He won’t defy Your Highness’s order, will he?’
He had already seen Supervisor Fan barely hiding his glee upon hearing that Mok Kyung-un, the Heaven-Earth Society’s promising talent he had sent, had suffered severe injuries.
It troubled him greatly.
‘He must have been quite frightened.’
He could understand the sentiment.
If the reports were accurate, the man had endured such wounds and humiliation—it was only natural.
Anyone would rejoice if the source of their fear was injured, and seize the chance.
But this was no opportunity for him.
[Examine him closely. We can’t lose such a valuable talent.]
Prince Jingqin wanted that Heaven-Earth Society talent for himself.
True to his thirst for talent, he disregarded the fact that the man had threatened his cherished daughter, the Princess.
He even claimed such a one was all the more worth taming.
Perhaps this was the difference between one who aimed to rule the world and the ordinary.
‘Supervisor Fan, please don’t do anything foolish.’
If he saw this as a chance and acted rashly, His Highness would not forgive him.
His Highness hated above all being disobeyed.
Just then, Prince Jingqin closed his book and spoke.
“Speaking of which, why is that wench still perfectly fine?”
“That wench...”
“The one from Hoyang Palace.”
“Ah... You mean Consort Ho, Your Highness.”
Consort Ho.
The emperor had countless women.
Among them, two enjoyed exceptional favor: Noble Consort Seo and Consort Ho.
Originally, the emperor favored Noble Consort Seo most, but he did not stint affection on Consort Namgung and Consort Seomun, who had borne him children.
Consort Seomun, in particular, was deeply tied to Prince Jingqin’s maternal clan.
Thus, he had spared no effort or investment to ensure she gained the emperor’s favor.
But before long, the dynamics of the inner palace shifted.
It was all because of the sudden arrival of Consort Ho.
‘A peerless beauty no man could resist.’
That was what everyone who saw Consort Ho said without exception.
A former palace maid upon entering the palace, her looks were said to rival even Noble Consort Seo, famed for her beauty.
Naturally, word reached the lecherous emperor’s ears.
‘Merely three years...’
She hadn’t been in the palace long.
A mere young maid with no backing had captivated the emperor solely with her beauty, rising to consort in just three years.
Even Consort Seomun, who had borne a son, had not achieved that rank.
‘A dangerous woman.’
Noble Consort Seo had won the emperor’s heart over many years.
Yet she had done it in a mere three.
Prince Jingqin couldn’t comprehend it.
Though the emperor was a philanderer who fawned over any woman, he tired of them quickly due to his extreme promiscuity.
He never spent more than three days even with his favorite, Noble Consort Seo.
Yet with Consort Ho, he stayed in her chambers up to half a month, his favor immense.
‘What sorcery is she working?’
Prince Jingqin and the other powers viewed her as a threat.
Attempts to bring her under control all failed inexplicably.
Prince Jingqin had tried as well, to no avail.
He even met her personally to sway her, only to suffer humiliation.
[Why not stay flat on your belly, living true to your station as a royal kinsman?]
Prince Jingqin had been furious upon hearing this.
No matter her favor with the emperor, she had no right to speak so boldly to him.
In the end, he decided on an extreme measure.
Slowly poisoning her to death with a subtle toxin.
Unlike other consorts, she had no backing or allies, so even if she weakened, she had no one to turn to.
Thus, he planned to break her once debilitated.
Yet,
“Two months have passed—why is there still no effect?”
At Prince Jingqin’s question, Ho Gonggong replied awkwardly.
“...My deepest apologies, Your Highness.”
Ho Gonggong found it equally baffling.
It was supposed to take effect in a month, yet even after that passed, Consort Ho remained unscathed.
He had ordered the planted maid to increase the dose.
Yet two months in, Consort Ho showed no signs of illness.
Her skin even seemed to glow more vibrantly, almost illusorily.
“Is there no stronger poison?”
“My regrets, Your Highness, but the poisoner said any more could alert the scent-detecting maids or the Imperial Medical Bureau’s tasters.”
Prince Jingqin let out a faint sigh at Ho Gonggong’s words.
Noble Consort Seo was challenge enough; if Consort Ho suddenly bore a son, the political landscape could grow even more chaotic.
‘Should I focus on preventing pregnancy instead?’
But the other three powers would handle that without his involvement.
They found it just as unwelcome.
His thoughts were growing tangled when a eunuch’s voice came from outside.
-Your Highness, Supervisor Fan requests entry.
“He’s here at last. Let him in.”
-Yes, Your Highness.
The door opened, and Supervisor Fan entered, head bowed and hands clasped.
As he bowed in greeting, a glint appeared in Ho Gonggong’s eyes as he watched.
‘Hm?’
Supervisor Fan seemed unusually composed, unlike his usual self.
Even his energy felt subdued, hard to sense.
Ho Gonggong’s eyes narrowed.
No matter that Supervisor Fan had reached the pinnacle of supreme mastery, he himself was one of the four greatest experts in the palace.
‘He can’t fully hide his energy from me.’
Puzzled, Prince Jingqin beckoned him closer.
“Well? How is that man’s condition? Any sign of recovery?”
-Step.
As Supervisor Fan moved forward with head bowed, Ho Gonggong swiftly blocked his path with rapid lightness skill.
“Halt.”
Prince Jingqin frowned.
“Ho Gonggong, what is it?”
“Your Highness, allow this servant to inspect Supervisor Fan.”
“Inspect? What nonsense is this?”
“Supervisor Fan, raise your head.”
Ho Gonggong ordered the bowed Supervisor Fan to look up.
Supervisor Fan slowly lowered his hands and lifted his face.
His powdered eunuch visage looked no different from usual.
But one thing was off.
‘...Those eyes?’
Before Prince Jingqin and the Western Depot’s chief, Supervisor Fan was always cautious in every way.
Yet his face and eyes were utterly serene.
Ho Gonggong’s gaze sharpened as he gripped the handle at his waist and drew it forth.
-Shing!
Pulling the sash revealed a concealed soft sword.
Aiming the blade’s tip at Supervisor Fan, Ho Gonggong spoke in a voice thick with wariness.
“Who are you?”
Supervisor Fan gave no reply.
Sensing something amiss, Prince Jingqin rose and seized the scabbard hanging on the decorative stand behind him.
What in the world was happening?
Just then, Supervisor Fan’s lips twitched, and he spoke.
“Aaah, sharp ones like you are such a pain.”
‘!?’
This was not Supervisor Fan’s voice.
His was the grating mix of eunuch falsetto and age.
This voice was very young.