Born As The Daughter of a Lowly Concubine - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Born the daughter of a lowly concubine.
Chapter 130
“Have you heard? The princess has started up some new strange business again.”
“I have. Perhaps the shock from her kidnapping last time was too great…”
“Now, now—mind your tongue.”
Most public opinion regarding Inoculation ran along these lines.
The theory was that the princess, having suffered such an ordeal before, had become frightened and begun behaving oddly.
“But if it’s not strange, what is it?”
“Exactly. They say that if you prick someone’s skin with a needle dipped in cowpox from cattle, they won’t catch smallpox. Where on earth did such an absurd superstition come from?”
“I’ve heard whispers of such a thing before, but it’s surely nonsense.”
“Whispers?”
“Some woman supposedly made such a claim, but it was probably just coincidence mistaken for cause and effect.”
Some remembered hearing such a story long ago, but no one dwelt on it seriously.
“I hear the physicians at Hye Minser are taking part in this Inoculation business as well.”
“But the one driving the matter from the start is the princess herself, or so I’m told.”
“It’s not the physicians at Hye Minser, but merely a handful of female physicians who’ve been duped into following.”
“Well, no matter how much they’ve studied, women have narrow minds and are easily swayed.”
A few were somewhat moved by the rumors.
“Yet that courtesan Maehyang—she remained perfectly well afterward, did she not?”
“Mere chance. Not everyone exposed to a patient falls ill, after all.”
“True enough. A lowborn courtesan would naturally leap at the princess’s words.”
“Indeed, these female physicians and court physicians—they follow whatever the princess does blindly.”
“I hear the princess has even used her own funds to support Hye Minser financially. It would be difficult to openly defy her wishes.”
With rumors spreading so widely, even the officials would gather and murmur such conversations.
And those conversations, filtered through proper embellishment, reached my ears.
Since they weren’t conducted in secret, the gossip drifted here and there until it found its way to me.
“I hear the Sagwan has filed a memorial regarding Inoculation, Your Highness.”
“Mm? Isn’t that rather late?”
They should have challenged the princess long ago for deceiving the world and deluding the people, clouding the minds of the common folk.
‘Then again, the people at the Gisaeng House who were exposed to the patient were all inoculated, and by the time word spread, most had already recovered.’
Because those exposed were isolated, word naturally spread more slowly.
Moreover, nothing leaked from Siyeongwon itself.
The people of Siyeongwon, strangely enough, don’t speak outside the palace about affairs that happen within.
Since they don’t always know what should or shouldn’t be mentioned, they simply refrain from speaking at all.
With so many people around, not everyone was like this, but most of the inner staff who dealt with me frequently had this inclination.
It may seem discriminatory, but as Siyeongwon’s numbers grew, managing and overseeing everything myself became increasingly difficult.
“If I may ask, Your Highness—is it true that inoculation prevents smallpox?”
“If it weren’t true, I wouldn’t be inoculating people. It’s laborious work—why would I do it out of boredom? I’d be earning money instead during that time.”
The court lady who’d brought the rumors chuckled softly and bowed her head.
Because I’d taken care to look after those around me, the court ladies had grown accustomed to bringing me information whenever they heard rumors—and they readily obliged. There was nothing particularly secretive about it, after all, and no one minded.
As a result, I’d come to know public sentiment to some degree.
Though I wasn’t especially interested in politics, I was curious about what people said of me, so I’d simply asked that anyone hearing such talk pass it along.
Unless it was politically sensitive, few hesitated at such a request.
‘A person of high station who takes sides when trouble arises is rather rare, after all.’
In any case, among the officials, stories about Inoculation and about me seemed to spread together.
My perspective sometimes carried traces of modern thinking, making it unconventional, so hearing various accounts from multiple angles wasn’t unwelcome.
‘Speaking of which, the female physicians and court physicians certainly listen well to me. Then again, I suppose I’ve become rather popular with them.’
I’d worked hard to improve their treatment and had even raised their salaries.
Moreover, since I’d arranged for them to focus primarily on treating female patients, they were exposed to less risk than before. I’d also noticed them pleased that transferring assignments meant fewer troublesome men making advances.
I’d given Hye Minser medicinal herbs, provided snacks—in all sorts of ways, I’d shown considerable care, so they naturally listened to me more readily than to others.
It couldn’t be helped. Everyone prefers someone who looks after them.
Especially when the person is of royal blood, which ordinarily seems so distant and aloof.
I thanked the court lady for bringing the news and had So-i give her some sweets before sending her off.
“But why are you hearing such things in a place like this?”
“I was bored.”
Cheon-ho, still not quite accustomed to my ways, objected as I sat in the gazebo, lazily swaying in the breeze.
It was odd, certainly. Such information usually seemed like it should be conveyed in secret, behind closed doors.
Yet here I was, sitting in a gazebo overlooking a pond, receiving letters and meeting with court ladies.
“It’s better to act confident and open than to seem like I’m scheming in the shadows. Besides, I’m not doing anything wrong.”
“Even so, must it be in the gazebo?”
“Either way, I’m just lounging at home—what does it matter where? As long as I don’t step outside the palace walls, I’m fine.”
“So you mean to say that you, Princess, are dying of boredom.”
Thank goodness he has some sense, this newcomer.
Though it does seem like quite a bit of time has passed since he arrived.
Just as Seong Gyeom-sabok used to do, bringing me all manner of news and gossip had become Cheon-ho’s primary duty.
Seong Gyeom-sabok had grown so busy with one thing or another that it felt as though Cheon-ho—this young fellow—had simply taken his place.
These days, whenever I’m not with him, he gets dragged off somewhere for training. I honestly can’t fathom what Seong Gyeom-sabok is trying to cultivate.
I sighed as I watched Cheon-ho, who seemed delighted to have scrounged up some snacks for once.
“I don’t understand why everyone fusses over me like this. It’s not as though I’m causing trouble inside the palace.”
“That would surely be because your history has been rather spectacular, Princess.”
“Hmph.”
Look at him—he’s already grown comfortable enough to be cheeky about it.
“By rights, I should have already undergone marriage and departure by now, living peacefully somewhere. I’m not wandering far afield—just strolling through the streets a bit—so one or two attendants would suffice. Yet here I am with two massive retinues!”
I stand out terribly on the road!
I’m not parading about doing anything grand—I’m simply taking leisure walks.
If I wanted to be so conspicuous, I might as well have ridden in a palanquin.
“……Well, you were actually abducted, so what can one do.”
“Which is precisely why I’m being so well-behaved about it.”
In truth, now that I’d reached sixteen summers, everyone seemed uncertain whether to treat me as an adult or continue indulging my youth.
This ambiguity was partly why So-i’s punishment remained unresolved. To punish So-i for failing to properly attend me would be to slight me, since So-i’s superior was me. Yet the Queen herself could have ordered it without issue, though given her many concerns about my lack of growth, she was not one to lay a hand on those who had served me since childhood.
In my own mind, if punishment were to be meted out, it should come from me; and since So-i had merely followed my commands, I had no reason to punish her.
‘If punishment must be given, then it rightly falls to me. So-i was only obeying my instructions, so I have no cause to punish her.’
Moreover, even the royal household seemed to be quietly acknowledging the abilities of So-i’s older sister, Ga-i.
I had never realized that Ga-i’s business acumen was quite so formidable……
‘Perhaps others—even they themselves—are letting talents go to waste without realizing what they truly possess.’
As I entertained such thoughts while confirming the latest news from Hye Minser and Siyeongwon through Cheon-ho, I furrowed my brow.
Letters alone seemed insufficient; receiving reports in person from an intermediary was swifter.
“How is Maehyang faring these days?”
“Maehyang continues to sing at the Playground. However, while there are people who come to hear her songs, the Gisaeng House itself doesn’t seem to receive many customer requests for her. Of course, in times like these, few would call upon courtesans or frequent such establishments—the place where smallpox claimed so many victims is now something people wish to avoid.”
“Hmm.”
It might not be a bad idea to reform the performance culture somewhat while this opportunity presents itself.
How convenient that these noble yangban gentlemen shrink from courting inoculated courtesans.
The current method, where performer and audience crowd too close together, risked both moral corruption and the easy spread of disease.
It would be a shame to waste the courtesans’ talents, so I was considering other avenues for them to earn their livelihood.
‘While performances on the Playground stage are feasible, Maehyang’s reputation is valuable—I ought to upgrade her offering and market her accordingly.’
I’d been planning this for some time, so the building was already partially constructed. Now I needed to seriously solicit the courtesans’ opinions.
‘Should I stage some kind of event for the opening? A Goryeo-style concept with costumes and interior design could be amusing. How might the people of this era respond to it?’
Since contemporary records from that period were better preserved in this era, recreating costume designs shouldn’t be difficult.
It wasn’t quite retro—more like a concept café of sorts, I suppose.
Come to think of it, I’d heard there was a courtesan whose specialty was Goryeo Hyangga—why not make that a feature attraction?
‘And if I match the dishware to celadon, that would be rather nice.’
When I’d discussed this with the Crown Prince previously, we’d found a skilled potter through Saongwon whose work was quite excellent.
‘I should place a large private order.’
Caw! Caw-caw-caw!
Deep in thought about business matters, I was startled by the raucous cry of a crow.
I turned my head toward the noise and caught sight of a single crow flitting about restlessly nearby.
‘Come to think of it, birds do live surprisingly long. Could that be the same one from back then?’
The location was certainly right for it.
That little creature was endearing.
I wonder if it’s been living well all this time.
‘Se-hwa…… is probably the female protagonist, I’d wager.’
My confidence isn’t absolute yet, but I can’t imagine it being anyone else.
True to her role, she seems to have escaped safely then, though she likely didn’t encounter Sucheon.
‘If only it hadn’t been for that one servant, I could have made them flee together as siblings.’
Turning my attention back to the letters I hadn’t yet finished reading, I suddenly found my gaze meeting Cheon-ho’s.
‘……Did I just remember something?’
Since our eyes had met, I decided to ask.
“……Why are you staring at me like that?”
“My apologies. The crow’s cry made me wonder whether it might be eyeing your hair ornament—or ah?”
“What is it? Is something—oh!”
I turned to look at Cheon-ho, who was following the crow with his gaze in that strange way, and cried out in alarm.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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