Born As The Daughter of a Lowly Concubine - Chapter 77

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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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I was born the daughter of a Concubine of Low Rank.
Chapter 77
Though, if they were fans of the original novel, they might object.
‘There’s no way to avoid hardship no matter what I do. But at least I can soften the discrimination a little.’
Let’s move the plot forward quickly.
People these days hate the slow, tedious parts anyway. They like protagonists who crush their competition through skill and move the story along at a breakneck pace.
Of course, in a historical drama, the early parts are bound to be brutal.
‘The early story usually kills off at least one parent before things really get going, doesn’t it?’
Though not all historical dramas based on real figures follow that formula.
Beyond that, the essentials would be beauty, talent, survival instinct, and connections.
In any case, Ji-hwa possessed all the hallmarks of a historical drama protagonist—almost suspiciously well.
‘Even if I manage to establish systems now, they won’t be implemented on the ground immediately. Changing people’s minds takes time.’
In fact, persuading everyone to accept new institutional arrangements would likely require considerable effort.
The King and the Crown Prince matter, but the greatest obstacle in this whole affair is the Queen.
That’s why I’ve been laying groundwork with the Queen—very carefully, and for quite some time now.
‘The Queen suffered the most grief because of the Queen Dowager.’
When it came to expanding and improving female medical personnel, the Queen Dowager was the most instructive case.
No matter how skilled the Royal Physicians were, treating the palace women couldn’t exclude Female Medical Attendants, and the consultation process had no shortage of complications—so watching from the sidelines was bound to be frustrating.
As the Queen Dowager remained bedridden for so long, it was the Queen who felt the weight of it most keenly. The reason was simple.
‘How could I speak of the Crown Prince’s wedding ceremony when Your Majesty lies ill?’
‘I shall raise the matter with the Queen Dowager.’
‘Her heart is wounded by what happened to Gyeong-eon Prince. It will be difficult.’
‘It has been a year already since Gyeong-eon Prince received the Poison. Surely it is time for the Crown Prince’s Royal Wedding Ceremony.’
Why did they have to have that conversation precisely when the Crown Prince and I came to pay our respects? Thanks to that, we had to sit there in awkward silence, our lips pressed firmly shut.
And the timing was dreadfully unfortunate—the family they’d been considering as in-laws had become traitors, the Crown Prince’s engagement fell through, and only ugly rumors remained. The longer the delay, the clearer it became that all the truly excellent young women would marry and none would remain.
Someone might suggest accepting a young Crown Princess, but since one reason for marrying early is to have heirs quickly, there was no reason to welcome a child bride.
Yet the Queen’s efforts went unappreciated.
‘A Royal Wedding Ceremony, you say! Does the Queen not see that I am still bedridden?’
‘But Your Majesty—’
‘Why! If this old woman should pass away and the Crown Prince’s wedding is delayed because of it, is that not a concern?’
‘How could Your Majesty speak such terrible words? Please, I beg you to reconsider.’
‘Yes, indeed. If this old woman’s days are numbered and it troubles the Queen so, then by all means let us hurry with the ceremony! Yes, let us waste no time!’
To suggest selecting a Crown Princess after hearing such words would make one the most unfilial daughter-in-law in all the realm.
‘The Queen must be a model for all people, a national mother to be revered! Yet a Queen this unfilial—who could possibly respect her?’
‘Your Majesty, please, I implore you to recover.’
‘Recover? If this old woman falters, it will surely be the fault of this unfilial Queen!’
Struck by the Queen Dowager’s accusations of unfiliality, the Queen was forced to play the role of penitent for some time.
The Queen Dowager, who had issued her stern proclamations with such vigor—looking ready to rise from her sickbed at any moment—never recovered after all.
Now that the Queen Dowager has passed away, I wonder if the Queen’s heart is in the most turmoil.
‘The Crown Prince ended up unable to marry for three years because of it.’
In truth, knowing how the novel unfolds, it’s not entirely unfortunate.
Seeing that Ji-hwa’s family was ruined and branded as traitors, the subsequent developments seem likely to follow the same path.
Which meant the next Crown Princess candidate would likely face some calamity as well.
‘Isn’t it better than sending off yet another daughter-in-law candidate and watching the Crown Prince accumulate the wretched reputation of being cursed?’
Of course, I couldn’t voice such mad thoughts to the Queen, so I simply offered gentle comfort, assuring her that a good match would surely come in time.
Given such circumstances, the Queen’s distrust of the Royal Physicians was considerable.
The Queen herself had a delicate constitution and was among those who frequently summoned the Royal Physicians.
In summary, it came down to this: the Royal Physicians couldn’t cure the Queen’s illness, couldn’t cure the Queen Dowager’s illness, and couldn’t cure Si-a’s illness.
‘The way I’m putting it, all the major royal women sound chronically ill.’
I’m not sick, though.
In any case, the Royal Physicians’ primary patients were indeed largely women.
In the palace, the male royals numbered at most the late King, the King, the Crown Prince and his unmarried brothers, and the Crown Grandson—but the women ranged far more widely: the Grand Queen Dowager, the Queen Dowager and her Concubines, the Queen and her Concubines, the Crown Prince and his Concubines, Princesses and Royal Daughters, and the wives of princes.
True, the King sometimes sent Royal Physicians to his ministers, and palace staff who fell ill naturally sought the Royal Medical Office. So the office didn’t treat only royals. But the resident staff included a high proportion of palace women.
‘Come to think of it, unless we abolish the Concubine system altogether, wouldn’t it be better to properly train Female Physicians?’
Why do we live so inefficiently?
Certainly, some raised objections about a woman serving as Royal Physician. But when one asked whether a male Royal Physician would then place his hand on the Crown Princess’s or a Concubine’s wrist to perform Pulse Diagnosis, whether on an unmarried Princess or Royal Daughter—no one had the answer.
Yet for all the talk of filial piety’s importance, no one bothered to advocate for raising professional Female Physicians to serve their mothers. Curious, that.
‘After all, they’re not the ones who are sick.’
Moreover, the Female Medical Attendants who already existed were often not even properly utilized.
‘We need both—Female Physicians equal to male physicians, and the current Female Medical Attendants who perform almost nursing duties.’
The Queen Dowager’s care fell to the female medical attendants, but the actual treatment naturally belonged to the Royal Physicians.
Even now, capable female medical attendants were appointed as Female Physicians, and occasionally those recognized for their abilities became the King’s personal physicians or even gained their freedom—but such cases were far from common.
Moreover, Female Physicians held the rank of Chea-jik, which left their position ambiguous.
‘And naturally, the other Royal Physicians resented it.’
The Queen, who had often heard my such grumbling, seemed to have no objection to cultivating Female Physicians, yet she remained cautious about granting them official rank and incorporating them separately into the Outer Court Rank System.
She agreed that the existing bureaucratic structure, no matter how minor the category, would never willingly accept women, and that to manage them properly, they ought to belong to both the Inner and Outer Court Rank Systems under her authority.
Yet she seemed hesitant to incorporate those with high likelihood of contact with men outside the palace into the Inner Court Rank System, where they would be regarded as the King’s women, proposing instead the Outer Court Rank System.
It seemed she intended not to be blamed by the King for appearing to make a political move.
Of course, I had laid groundwork with the King as well.
Should I misspeak, the Royal Physicians’ lives could be endangered, so I conveyed it indirectly through the Crown Prince.
Separate from my visits to the Central Palace, I broached the subject while the three of us—the King, the Crown Prince, and I—shared refreshments and conversation over light fare.
“Si-a has come of age, yet how much longer can we entrust Pulse Diagnosis to male physicians? It would seem better for a capable Female Physician to perform the Pulse Diagnosis.”
“Indeed. Since it is a delicate matter, that seems the better course.”
Of course, for someone like me who had lived in the modern era, it was hardly a delicate matter.
It was sorrowful enough that I was not growing, and everyone was cautious lest my feelings be hurt by not receiving treatment befitting my age, so my opinion carried unexpectedly more weight.
“Father, might this not be an opportunity to cultivate more female medical personnel?”
“You mean the female medical attendants? Are we not already selecting children from among the young servants to train as female medical attendants?”
“Yet the female medical attendants are mostly limited to assisting the physicians, are they not? If we do not give them proper positions, how can they fully exercise their abilities?”
I also mentioned that even when the women of the royal household fell ill, they found it difficult to confide in the Royal Physicians.
They all hesitated and held their tongues from shame, but I was still a small child.
“I have heard that even among common folk, women hesitate to speak of their ailments, and their illnesses often deepen as a result.”
Moreover, men could not conduct separate research on female patients.
Even in the modern era, research was often conducted only by male standards, but here, since women were even more cautious about opening up regarding women’s ailments, treatable illnesses only festered and worsened.
“And is it not strange that those attending to the health of the Queen and the Queen Dowager lack even official rank?”
Assigning such important work to temporary contractors?
“That is…… when you put it that way, there is merit to the argument.”
Seeing the King fall into thought, I counted it as half a victory.
The important thing was that he first recognize the need.
‘I wish there were more Female Physicians among the common people as well.’
Perhaps I should establish a women-only clinic that treated only female patients.
I had many slaves in my possession; after proper education, I could select and train some as physicians.
If I later wished to release them, they would need to have the means to support themselves—and what profession was better than a skilled trade?
‘Should I ask the Royal Physicians if there are any retired physicians or someone they know who could help with the training?’
But since they were all people who had struggled through national examinations and risen to the rank of Royal Physician, many harbored such elite pride in their own excellence that I was not particularly inclined to ask.
‘Besides, since my goal is not specifically to cultivate Royal Physicians, it does not matter if they are not.’
In any case, this required their own input, so I would have to ask them directly.
Returning to my Residence and reflecting on my conversation with the King and Crown Prince, my thoughts turned there, and I decided to venture out.
After all, since medicine is a profession with high overwork rather than mere fatigue, it was difficult to compel anyone without their own will.
“So you are going out again?”
“Yes.”
“This humble servant worries that the Princess ventures outside the palace too frequently.”
“If things had gone as they should, I would already have married into another family and left home. Think of this as simply spending too long at home.”
“Princess.”
“I was lying on the floor for a while.”
“You were in mourning.”
“It is not yet ended.”
“Please, Princess…….”
It was neither Ga-i nor Song Bi who followed me now, nagging in this way.
Ga-i was busy properly developing the enterprises I had begun haphazardly, while Song Bi had to oversee the court ladies within the palace during Ga-i’s absence.
For that reason, it was So-i, Ga-i’s younger sister, who followed me now.
She was a court lady who had received strict education while being roughly teased by her elder sister, but her disposition seemed softer than Ga-i’s, which gave me some concern when I watched her.
She was perfect for outings, though.
Leaving the palace in this manner, the first place I visited was the Book Rental Shop I had acquired before.
The shop was crowded with people—perhaps a popular new release had come in.
Watching the mix of courtesans, noble young women, servants, and people of all stations gathered there was somewhat amusing.
As I stepped inside the shop, the owner hastened over.
“Oh my, Miss! You have come?”
“Yes. How is the wife doing?”
“Thanks to you, Miss, she is much improved.”
Jang, who had been the original owner, had been unable to raise urgent funds to cure his wife’s illness and had intended to close the shop.
I heard this story while out and about, and it happened to work out perfectly—so I impulsively bought the Book Rental Shop.
Since I couldn’t manage it myself anyway, I decided to keep Jang on as manager, and seeing his circumstances looked dire, I offered to advance his wife’s medical expenses and suggested he visit other physicians and prioritize her treatment.
Thanks to that, his wife showed improvement after some time, and I heard she’s now recovering.
“How’s business these days?”
“It’s going well, miss. I work hard to repay your kindness.”
“Just keep it reasonable.”
Since I’d entrusted the shop to someone who’d run a successful business before, it couldn’t help but thrive.
“The children seem quite good at book copying?”
“Indeed, miss. I’m a merchant myself—I don’t run a losing enterprise.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Once I’d acquired the rental shop, I set some of the children from Si-young Won who’d learned to write and had decent penmanship to copying work, and it seemed to work out well.
‘It would be wasteful not to put what I’ve taught them to use.’
Though it seems they’re getting rather absorbed in novels because of it.
Even the new young children coming in are eager to learn their letters so they can read novels—buying the shop turned out to be worthwhile.
“I prepared things in advance, hearing you’d be coming.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
Jang naturally handed a bundle to So-i, who stood behind me.
This place was mine, and Jang knew I loved novels, so whenever a bestselling new release came out, he naturally set aside copies for me and would bring them out like this whenever I visited.
So-i, already knowing this, her eyes sparkled as we left the shop.
“Is this the new release, miss?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, so both volumes came out at once.”
“After you’ve finished reading, miss, might I read it first?”
“Whichever of you reads it first, you’ll end up copying it if you like it anyway.”
The books I brought were naturally read by me first, then given to the attendants in my Residence—and there was quite fierce competition over who’d read them first.
“If we gather together and copy it, it won’t take long to transcribe.”
“My Residence is rather quiet lately anyway.”
“Oh, no, miss!”
“It’s fine. When have you ever seen me complain about such things?”
“You really are something, miss.”
Grumbling as she went, So-i slung the bundle, heavy with books, against the horse’s flank and followed behind me.
Today, without Seong Yoon or the Gyeom-sa-bok attendant, I was moving light with just So-i in tow.
‘Seong Yoon got dragged away by the Crown Prince today.’
Unwilling or not, if one remained in the palace, there were inevitable days of being forcibly summoned.
Had she known I was going out today, she would have insisted on coming along, but honestly, it’s grown a bit tiresome now.
‘The author’s style is familiar enough now.’
I was walking with a rare lightness of step, watching people pass by and lost in various thoughts, when it happened.
“Um, excuse me, miss!”
……?
An unfamiliar voice called out and stopped me.

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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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