Even If Flowers Bloom on a Broken Branch - Chapter 71

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

71.
Pretend not to see what you see, and pretend not to hear what you hear. This was the law of survival for maintaining a long-standing position in the palace. However, the events that had unfolded recently were things about which it was virtually impossible to keep one’s mouth shut.
Among them, the fact that the King, who had not even consummated his marriage with the Queen yet, had brought a woman from outside the palace into the court and kept her close to his quarters made not only the palace attendants but also ministers from all quarters gasp in horror.
“Just what on earth is going on here?”
The man who was writing a memorial slammed his brush down with a sharp clack. Ink splattered in all directions, but no one blamed him.
He had an agitated expression, as if he absolutely could not accept this situation.
“This goes beyond being unprecedented; it is something that should never happen. No, how could he not only bring a woman who isn’t even from a noble family into this august palace, but even privately admit her into his quarters!”
“There is strictly such a thing as proper laws and rules. Yet, right now, His Majesty the King is disregarding all of them. If so, why do proper etiquette and laws even exist?”
Furthermore, that woman was someone who used to be under the Grand Princess Consort. Since her status was what it was, there were even people who grew wary, wondering if the Grand Princess Consort’s influence had played a part.
The two ministers who were currently raising their voices were also individuals who stayed close to Chae Mun. He raised the veins in his neck once more.
“This is a matter that will completely turn the Naemyongbu upside down. It is an act that blatantly insults Her Highness the Queen.”
“Then why don’t you go speak to His Majesty directly instead of doing so in this place?”
The man flinched at the quiet voice that came from across the room.
“You cannot even offer direct counsel in front of him, yet you raise your voice like this behind his back?”
“What do you mean by……!”
“Or, did you perhaps submit a memorial with the three characters of your name written on it, Lord?”
The man opened and closed his lips with a flushed face. However, no words came out.
As he shut his mouth with a resentful expression, another minister who had been listening quietly spoke up slowly.
“Furthermore.”
It was a calm voice, as if extinguishing a fire.
“Isn’t there someone else who is insulting Her Highness the Queen first?”
“Are you referring to Lord Chae?”
“How could I not be?”
The ministers sitting around the large desk cleared their throats and exchanged glances with one another.
“Usury is a strict law that Go-wang, the founder of this country, set in stone within the Ten Injunctions. The one who violated that law and threw the entire country into chaos is the father of Her Highness the Queen of this nation. Does this even make any sense?”
As he spoke, everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“Whether this is an affair that occurred after Her Highness the Queen entered Daehee Palace or before, it is a grave crime that must be rigorously investigated and duly punished.”
“If it is something that happened after she became Queen, we should be at a point where we must hold the Queen herself accountable as well. Since he ascended to the position of Gukgu, he should have behaved with discretion, yet did he not reveal his own greed and throw the country into disorder?”
“Then, are you saying he is without guilt if it is something that happened before she became Queen?”
“He might be free of legal guilt, but.”
The ministers, who had been raising their voices against each other, hesitated at the quiet response. The person who had remained silent and merely listened until now had finally spoken. It was Seo Yeo-ro.
He slowly stroked his beard and looked around at the people.
“Then would she have even possessed the qualification to become a candidate for Queen in the first place?”
He was implying that there was no way a criminal’s daughter could have come forward to occupy that position.
The man who had raised his voice, claiming that Hong Ran’s entry into the palace was an act that insulted the Queen, firmly shut his mouth.
As the surroundings grew quiet, he averted his gaze and spoke.
“Is it not still under investigation? I believe such talk is premature.”
“I am saying this precisely because the investigation is drawing to a close. A Gungmun is scheduled to take place soon.”
“That…….”
At the mention of a Gungmun, the man shut his mouth with an expression that showed he was at a loss for words. It was because Seo Yeo-ro was none other than the Inspector General.
The ministers murmured among themselves and looked at Seo Yeo-ro.
“Did the Saheonbu capture some sort of evidence?”
“We are merely doing what ought to be done. We are gathering all the emerging evidence and presenting it to His Majesty the King, so a Royal Decree will surely be handed down soon.”
The person sitting next to Seo Yeo-ro spoke up after him. He was also an individual belonging to the Saheonbu.
“Ordinarily, the Inspector General would have overseen this entire matter, but this time, he has delegated it entirely to the officials of the Saheonbu.”
Seo Yeo-ro nodded his head.
“Though it is a grave crime that defiled the foundation of the country, I requested to take a step back from this particular case to ensure that no backtalk would arise later on. His Majesty the King granted permission as well.”
Everyone knew that while the Chae Clan and the Seo Family did not openly oppose each other, they shared an uncomfortable relationship. Therefore, it meant he was keeping his hands off the matter in advance to prevent any suspicions of personal malice being mixed into it.
When Seo Yeo-ro signaled with his eyes, the man beside him naturally changed the subject.
“The fact that a woman unrelated to the palace has come to reside inside the court is certainly a matter to cause a stir in the Naemyongbu, but since the one who should govern that place is currently in a difficult plight, control is likely not being maintained.”
“I heard His Majesty the King handed down a strict royal decree commanding the Queen not to step outside Daehee Palace. And that he did so while being exceedingly furious.”
A few ministers shook their heads slightly. They had expressions that suggested a headache.
“Furthermore, His Majesty is also a full-grown man. Even though every woman within the palace is beneath him, is it not possible that there is someone he is instinctively drawn to?”
“That is correct. Has he granted her a Cheopji, or has he bestowed an Official Rank upon her? He has merely kept her by his side, so what are you all so afraid of?”
“What do you mean, afraid!”
A few individuals flared up and half-stood from their seats.
“We are saying this because it goes against the established laws. What on earth is that woman that we should be afraid?”
“Well, then that is a relief.”
The faces of the ministers turned red and blue at the words spoken with a meaningful expression by the person sitting next to Seo Yeo-ro.
However, the expressions of several people remained hardened.
“Nevertheless, it is certain that this is a situation to note with caution.”
Seo Yeo-ro spoke slowly.
“Because it is the very first time His Majesty has ever given his heart to anyone.”
“Then what are we supposed to do about this woman’s status?”
The man with the darkest expression murmured in a dying voice. It seemed to be no ordinary headache.
“She is not a palace maid, she is not a noblewoman, and she is most definitely not a royal concubine. There is literally not a single thing that fits any precedent.”
He was an individual belonging to the Yeojo. He cradled his head and spoke as if groaning.
“Even placing that woman in Unchaeheon was done after agonizing over it for a long time. The very act of placing someone who is not yet a concubine there was unprecedented in itself, but…….”
Jinpyeong had gone so far as to completely move Hong Ran to the detached villa located inside Geonhwijeon.
He let out a sigh and brushed his hair back.
“We have already submitted several memorials anyway, but no response comes back. He remains completely silent even during the morning assemblies, so it is deeply frustrating.”
To be sure, the Yeojo was truly in a state where a fire had dropped onto the tops of their feet.
If Jinpyeong were to take Hong Ran, it would completely shift several dynamics of the playing field, so it seemed their nerves were entirely on edge.
“At any rate, the most important matter right now is the affair entangled with the Chae Clan. Let us discuss this again after completely settling that first.”
“Since it is an affair where the master of Daehee Palace might disappear.”
At the words dropped by someone, the complexions of several ministers shifted.
It was indeed a highly plausible matter.
* * *
“What did you say?”
Eun-oh attempted to stand up but held her spinning head and sat back down in her seat.
“Your Highness!”
The palace maids of Daehee Palace stamped their feet, utterly at a loss for what to do.
They needed to support Eun-oh, but because Eun-oh found it unpleasant for anyone to lay a hand on her body, they could not rashly touch her.
Court Lady Shin bowed her head low.
“We beg your forgiveness.”
She was dumbfounded. No, it felt as though the blood in her entire body was surging upward.
It was already maddening enough that Hong Ran’s quarters had been moved to Yeongsongjae, the detached villa of Geonhwijeon, but her legs gave out at the report that the Chae Clan’s residence had been turned into a wasteland.
“I am told the Imperial Guards took away not only the household furniture but also every single account book and all the silver coins. However…….”
“However?”
“A large number of silver coins of unknown origin that did not match the account books were discovered, and…….”
Court Lady Shin trailed off.
When she could not easily continue her words, Eun-oh struck her own chest with her fist as if frustrated.
“Why are you acting so frustratingly? Why can you not speak all at once!”
Eun-oh waved her hand without even looking at Court Lady Shin.
“Everyone except Court Lady Shin, get out. Right now!”
At those words, the palace maids bowed their heads and carefully withdrew.
Court Lady Shin quietly continued her report.
“It is said that a vast number of items that had been reported as stolen goods were discovered in the storehouses of the Chae Clan.”
“……What did you say?”
She wondered what on earth that meant, to hear that they were stolen goods.
As Eun-oh could not continue speaking from the shock that felt like being struck on the head, Court Lady Shin lowered her head.
“There are high-priced articles among them, and since a significant number are items that other families held as heirlooms, the repercussions are said to be non-trivial.”
“Just what…….”
What on earth have you done, Father?
Eun-oh pressed her forehead. A sigh rose right up to the edge of her throat.
She already had more than enough matters to worry about, yet things she had never even imagined were continuously occurring on top of that.
She felt as though this was truly what people meant by encountering mountain upon mountain.
Right then, Court Lady Shin spoke cautiously.
“And there is one more matter that is the most severe problem of all.”
Eun-oh raised her head weakly.
“What else could it be?”
“While investigating Lord Chae’s private space outside the residence…….”
Court Lady Shin hesitated for a moment before speaking further.
“It is said they discovered a large number of items stamped with the Royal Family’s seal.”
Thud.
Strength drained from Eun-oh’s hand, which had been gripping the armrest of the stool tightly.
Her face looked as though the world before her eyes had turned utterly dark.

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