Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 243 – Turning Misfortune into Blessing (3)

Two government officials were hurriedly heading to the Embroidered Uniform Guard hospital.

They were Supervisor Jae, a 7th-grade physician, and Cho Cham-bong, a 9th-grade physician.

With drowsy eyes, Supervisor Jae spoke in an irritated voice.

“If what you say isn’t true, you’d better be prepared for the consequences.”

“It’s the truth. I even checked the eight major pulses.”

“Oh my. You…”

Supervisor Jae shook his head.

That’s because the Guard trainee named Mok Gyeong-un, who was hospitalized, was in no condition to wake up or improve in a short period of time.

Yet, how could his pulse return to normal overnight?

After assigning night duty, it seemed like the physician had left his senses somewhere out of fatigue.

‘Nonsense.’

He was determined to give him a good scolding.

As they approached the hospital, they saw someone squatting outside, dozing off.

It was the dispensary worker.

“Hey, you rascal.”

Cho Cham-bong reprimanded him upon seeing him.

The dispensary worker was startled and jumped up from his spot like a disciplined soldier.

Then, noticing Supervisor Jae and Cho Cham-bong, he spoke in a flustered manner.

“M-My lords.”

“I told you to take care of my patient, yet you’re slacking off.”

“Th-That’s not it.”

“What do you mean that’s not it? Right now…”

“A guest has come inside at the moment.”

“A guest?”

Out of the blue, who was this guest?

As they were wondering, the dispensary worker carefully said,

“It’s the Junior Supervisor Eunuch of the Western Depot.”

“Junior Supervisor Eunuch?”

At those words, Supervisor Jae and Cho Cham-bong looked at each other, unable to hide their bewilderment.

Among the eunuchs of the Western Depot, the position of Junior Supervisor Eunuch was high enough to directly attend to the imperial family.

But why had a Junior Supervisor Eunuch come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard hospital?

Thinking something was amiss, they hurriedly went inside.

Upon entering, Cho Cham-bong, who was leading the way, looked around.

Then, seeing a bed, he couldn’t hide his perplexity.

“Gasp!”

Seeing him so shocked that he almost fell backward, Supervisor Jae and the dispensary worker also looked in that direction.

However,

“Eek!”

“Wh-What is this!”

The reason for their shock was simple.

On the bed where the patient should have been lying, something torn into dozens of pieces was placed.

As physicians, they could immediately sense what it was.

It was none other than a dismembered corpse.

Faced with such a horrific sight, they were utterly perplexed about what to do.

As they stood there, shocked and at a loss, a rustling sound came from somewhere.

They simultaneously turned their heads.

It was in front of the medicinal herb drawers where various medicinal ingredients were stored, and someone wearing a red official robe could be seen.

“M-My lord?”

The dispensary worker unknowingly called out to him.

Then, the person in the red official robe turned his head and grinned eerily in the flickering lantern light.

‘!!!!!!’

***

Bi-gyeong Palace.

This was the palace where Prince Gyeongjin, one of the four most powerful figures in the country, resided.

Originally, Prince Gyeongjin was governing the Sichuan region as a royal relative, but when the current emperor, who had cherished him even before his enthronement, ascended to the throne, he was summoned to the capital, Kaifeng.

And a palace was given to him to stay in.

Although the emperor cherished his younger brother, he added the character “bi” (毖), meaning “to be cautious and diligent,” to the name of the palace to remind him not to forget his proper place.

Of course, despite the emperor’s consideration, Prince Gyeongjin had steadily expanded his influence, leading to his current position.

-Swish!

A middle-aged man in his mid-fifties, exuding elegance, turned the page of an old book.

A middle-aged eunuch in a red official robe quietly observed him from near the door.

Just by looking at his splendid official attire, one could guess his position.

The middle-aged eunuch was none other than the Chief Eunuch of the Western Depot.

-Swish!

The middle-aged man, who had been turning the pages at a steady pace, finally spoke.

“Eunuch Beom is late.”

At his words, the Chief Eunuch of the Western Depot, Eunuch Ho, spoke in a groveling voice.

“Your Highness, shall I send someone to fetch him?”

The identity of the elegant middle-aged man with an impressive mustache was none other than Prince Gyeongjin, the master of this Bi-gyeong Palace.

As one of the four most powerful figures who controlled the country, he exuded not only elegance but also an arrogant and extraordinary spirit that seemed to encompass all things.

“No, it’s fine. When the time comes, he will come on his own.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

At Prince Gyeongjin’s words, the Chief Eunuch of the Western Depot, Eunuch Ho, bowed his head with his hands clasped together.

However, concern was evident in his eyes as he bowed.

‘He won’t disobey Your Highness’s order, will he?’

He had already seen Eunuch Beom unable to hide his joy upon hearing the news that Mok Gyeong-un, the late-stage disciple sent by the Heaven and Earth Society, had suffered severe injuries.

That worried him quite a bit.

‘He must have been very scared.’

He could fully understand such feelings.

According to the reports, it was natural for anyone to rejoice and not miss this opportunity after suffering such injuries and humiliation.

However, this was not an opportunity for him.

[Examine that person’s condition. We cannot lose such a valuable talent.]

Prince Gyeongjin wanted to have that late-stage disciple from the Heaven and Earth Society.

Being someone with a strong desire for talented individuals, he didn’t care at all that Mok Gyeong-un had threatened the princess he cherished.

On the contrary, he said that someone like him was all the more worth taming.

This might be the difference between those with the ambition to rule the world and ordinary people.

‘Eunuch Beom, please refrain from doing anything foolish.’

If he took this as an opportunity to do something foolish, His Highness would not forgive him.

His Highness disliked those who disobeyed his orders more than anyone else.

At that moment, Prince Gyeongjin closed the book he was reading and spoke.

“By the way, how is that wench still unharmed?”

“If you’re referring to that wench…”

“I’m talking about that wench from Auspicious Palace.”

“Ah… You mean Consort Ho, Your Highness.”

Consort Ho.

The emperor had numerous women.

Among them, there were two women who received his particular favor: Imperial Noble Consort Seo and Consort Ho.

Originally, the emperor favored Imperial Noble Consort Seo the most, but he also didn’t hesitate to show affection to Consort Nam and Consort Seomun, who bore his children.

Consort Seomun had a deep connection to Prince Gyeongjin’s maternal side, his mother’s family.

Therefore, Prince Gyeongjin had spared no investment and effort to ensure that Consort Seomun could receive the emperor’s favor.

However, at some point, the dynamics within the Inner Court had changed.

It was because of the sudden appearance of Consort Ho.

‘A peerless beauty that one couldn’t help but be captivated by.’

This was what everyone who saw Consort Ho said in unison.

The appearance of the palace maid who had just entered the palace was so outstanding that rumors spread, saying her beauty rivaled that of Imperial Noble Consort Seo, who was called the epitome of beauty.

Naturally, the story reached the ears of the lascivious emperor.

‘A mere three years…’

It hadn’t been long since she entered the palace.

A young wench from a palace maid background, without any backing, had enchanted the emperor with her appearance alone and reached the position of consort in just three years.

Even Consort Seomun, who had given birth to a son, couldn’t become a consort.

‘A dangerous wench.’

At least Imperial Noble Consort Seo had won the emperor’s heart over a long period of time.

But this woman had achieved it in just three years.

Prince Gyeongjin couldn’t understand it.

Although the emperor was lascivious and couldn’t resist any woman, his conquests were also quite severe, and he would quickly lose interest.

Even with his beloved Imperial Noble Consort Seo, he never stayed with her for more than three days.

However, he stayed in Consort Ho’s quarters for as long as half a month, showing an immense favor towards her.

‘What kind of sorcery is she using?’

Because of this, Prince Gyeongjin and the other powerful figures also considered her dangerous.

Even when they tried to bring her under their control, strangely, everyone failed.

Prince Gyeongjin had also tried to do so but to no avail.

He even tried to meet her in person and turn her to his side, but he ended up hearing humiliating words from her instead.

[If you’re a royal relative, why don’t you live in accordance with your proper place and prostrate yourself flat?]

Upon hearing these words, Prince Gyeongjin was greatly enraged.

No matter how much she was a consort favored by the emperor, she couldn’t dare say such things to him so recklessly.

In the end, Prince Gyeongjin decided to use an extreme measure.

It was to use a slow-acting poison to make Consort Ho slowly die.

Unlike other concubines, she had no backing or people to help her, so even if her body weakened, there would be no one suitable for her to turn to for help.

So, Prince Gyeongjin intended to subjugate her when she was weakened.

However,

“Two months have passed, yet why is there no effect at all?”

At Prince Gyeongjin’s question, the Chief Eunuch Ho answered with a troubled expression.

“…I apologize, Your Highness.”

In fact, Eunuch Ho was also puzzled by this.

That’s because he was told that the effects would appear in a month, but even after that period had passed, Consort Ho remained perfectly fine.

So, he had instructed the palace maid who had been planted to increase the dose of the slow-acting poison.

Nevertheless, two months had passed, but Consort Ho showed no signs of weakness.

On the contrary, there was even an illusion that her complexion was getting better by the day.

“Isn’t there a stronger poison?”

“I apologize, Your Highness, but according to the person who manufactured the poison, if the dose is increased further, it may be detected by the food taster palace maids or the supervisor of the Imperial Hospital.”

At Eunuch Ho’s words, Prince Gyeongjin let out a soft sigh.

With Imperial Noble Consort Seo alone being a handful, if Consort Ho were to give birth to a son on top of that, the political situation could become even more chaotic.

‘Should I focus on preventing her from conceiving instead?’

However, this was something the other three powerful figures would take action on even if he didn’t.

From their perspective, it was also an undesirable situation.

Just as his thoughts were becoming complicated, a eunuch’s voice was heard from outside.

-Your Highness, Eunuch Beom requests an audience.

“He’s finally here. Let him in.”

-Yes, Your Highness.

The door opened, and Eunuch Beom, who had his head bowed and hands clasped together, entered.

He bowed and greeted Prince Gyeongjin.

The Chief Eunuch of the Western Depot, Eunuch Ho, who was watching him, had a glint in his eyes.

‘Hmm?’

That’s because, unlike the usual Eunuch Beom, he seemed calm.

Even his energy was well-concealed, making it difficult to sense.

Eunuch Ho’s eyes narrowed.

No matter how much Eunuch Beom had reached the pinnacle-stage of Transcendent Realm, Eunuch Ho was a peerless master counted among the top four in the palace.

‘He shouldn’t be able to completely hide his energy from me.’

As he was finding it strange, Prince Gyeongjin gestured for Eunuch Beom to come closer and spoke.

“So, how is that person’s condition? Is he likely to recover?”

-Step!

At this question, Eunuch Beom, with his head bowed, tried to take a step forward.

At that moment, Eunuch Ho quickly blocked his way with a swift lightfoot technique.

“Stop right there.”

Prince Gyeongjin frowned and asked.

“Eunuch Ho, what are you doing?”

“Your Highness, please allow me to examine Eunuch Beom for a moment.”

“Examine him? What do you mean?”

“Eunuch Beom, raise your head.”

Eunuch Ho told Eunuch Beom, who had his head bowed, to lift his head.

Eunuch Beom slowly lowered his hands and raised his face.

Eunuch Beom’s face, with the characteristic powdered makeup of eunuchs, looked no different from usual.

However, if there was one thing different,

‘…These eyes?’

Eunuch Beom, who was always cautious in everything when standing before His Highness Prince Gyeongjin and the head of the Western Depot, had a face and eyes that were utterly calm.

Eunuch Ho’s eyes sharpened as he grasped the handle of the leather belt at his waist and drew it out.

-Shing!

As he pulled the leather belt, a soft sword hidden inside was revealed.

Pointing the tip of the soft sword at Eunuch Beom, Eunuch Ho spoke in a voice filled with vigilance.

“Who are you, you bastard?”

Eunuch Beom remained silent at his question.

Prince Gyeongjin, who had also sensed something suspicious, stood up from his seat and grabbed the sheath he had hung on the decorative stand behind him.

What on earth was going on?

Just then, Eunuch Beom’s lips twitched, and he opened his mouth.

“Ah, this is why quick-witted people are troublesome.”

‘!?’

This was not Eunuch Beom’s voice.

His voice was hoarse, mixed with the characteristic gruffness of an old eunuch.

But this voice was very young.