Surviving as Jang Hee-bin's Child Court Lady - Chapter 78

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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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Chapter 78. What Happened at Dongguan Wang Temple
‘This is my chance.’
At last, the opportunity I had been waiting for had arrived.
I began reciting the words I had organized in my mind dozens of times, speaking with perfect logic.
“Your Majesty, I know of a patient who recovered completely from their illness without any new treatment methods being applied. They remained healthy for about a hundred days, but a few days ago, the symptoms began appearing again.”
“Tell me what symptoms have appeared. The Royal Physician is an excellent healer who has saved many critically ill patients, so he should be able to help you.”
Those words from the King were exactly what I had been waiting to hear.
I took a deep breath and began describing the symptoms in detail.
“The skin has become red and cracked. There is retching. There is abdominal pain… and, um, also… the patient keeps wasting away. The face has become as pale as white paper.”
With an expression of deep worry, I added once more:
“But during those hundred days, the patient was perfectly fine. I thought they had completely recovered.”
Even as I continued speaking without pause, I did not forget to observe the Royal Physician’s expression.
What mattered most here was the Royal Physician’s reaction, not the King’s.
The King’s decision could come later.
Right now, how the Royal Physician interpreted these symptoms was what mattered most.
“Hmm…”
The Royal Physician was quite serious, his expression grave.
“Skin disease, progressive weight loss, a pale complexion, and abdominal pain as well… The symptoms do not seem ordinary.”
At that moment, the King asked:
“What do you mean by ‘not ordinary’?”
“It does not appear to be a simple illness, Your Majesty. Since I have not examined the patient directly, I hesitate to speak hastily, but…”
“It is fine. I wish to hear it, so speak.”
“Yes. Based solely on what I have heard, I would suspect poisoning rather than illness.”
“…Poisoning?”
“Yes. It could be from harmful food or… perhaps poisoning from toxins. The symptoms do sound somewhat similar to arsenic poisoning.”
“…”
Arsenic poisoning.
There was no certainty in the Royal Physician’s words.
Both the King and I understood that this was merely a possibility.
And yet…
‘The Royal Physician suspects poisoning too.’
Ever since hearing of Suk-ui’s symptoms from the Nurse Attendant, I had been thinking the same thing.
Of course, I am an ordinary person without medical knowledge.
Therefore, the Royal Physician’s judgment was all the more important.
“…”
A tingling sensation ran across my scalp.
When I lifted my head, what entered my vision was the King’s gaze, piercing through me.
“Hwang Bong-bong.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You have not mentioned something important.”
Doubt flickered in the King’s gaze as he regarded me.
“Who exactly is this patient exhibiting such symptoms?”
“Ah. Well….”
I feigned hesitation, but soon enough, I laid bare the truth.
“It is Suk-ui of Sung-gyeong Hall, Your Majesty.”
A brief silence descended.
Bewilderment crossed the Royal Physician’s face.
He had carelessly uttered words like addiction and poisoning upon hearing the account from a mere child, without deeper consideration.
Yet now that he comprehended the subject was one of the King’s concubines, his shock was inevitable.
“Mm.”
Through the silence, a low murmur escaped the King’s lips.
He turned his inquiry toward me.
“Suk-ui has been ailing for some time now. Yet you say her illness vanished as though washed away?”
“Yes. For the past two or three months, she has been in excellent health. Her complexion was vibrant, and her appetite was robust.”
I hastened to continue.
“But just days ago, she suddenly fell ill again. It seemed so peculiar, and I grew curious, so I inquired of the Royal Physician.”
Deep furrows etched themselves across the King’s brow.
He directed his question toward the Royal Physician, who could not conceal his alarm.
“What is your assessment? You mentioned addiction poisoning earlier, did you not?”
“Indeed, I did…. But as I said, without a proper examination, I cannot be certain of anything. However….”
The Royal Physician, who had seemed to deliberate for a moment, spoke with resolve.
“The symptoms do not appear to be of an ordinary nature.”
The King exhaled deeply and lifted his head.
The atmosphere around us had grown considerably heavier.
Realizing that the palace attendants and officials stood with bated breath, their eyes fixed upon his feet, the King opened his mouth.
“Return to the palace.”
With heavy steps, the King made his way toward the royal palanquin.
***
The royal palanquin moved forward.
Inside sat the King, his eyes pressed shut.
The palace guards, attendants, and the common folk gathered from afar to pay their respects all believed the weary King had fallen asleep.
But the truth was quite the opposite.
My mind remained perfectly lucid.
It was clearer than it had been in recent memory—honed to a razor’s edge.
‘We might suspect poisoning rather than illness.’
‘The symptoms do resemble arsenic poisoning.’
The Royal Physician’s words echoed in my ears.
I had come to love my youngest son, Yi Hwon, born to me in my later years, yet I had never shown particular favor toward his mother, Suk-ui Park.
Since bearing Yi Hwon, Suk-ui had suffered from illness continuously.
For this reason, not only the attendants of the Royal Chambers but even my ministers opposed my visiting Sung-gyeong Hall in person.
They feared the illness might spread to me.
Thus, whenever I wished to see my youngest son, I summoned Yi Hwon to Hee-jeong Hall instead.
My visits to Sung-gyeong Hall were rare as beans in a drought.
Even then, I would only observe Yi Hwon’s condition and never actually meet with Suk-ui.
‘Her skin is cracked and reddened. She retches. She suffers from stomach pain… and… she grows thinner by the day. Her face is as pale as blank paper.’
I recalled Hwang Bong-bong’s sorrowful tone as she spoke those words.
A deep sigh escaped my lips.
A deep sigh escaped my lips.
‘I must order an investigation at once.’
It was only natural.
If the Royal Physician suspected poisoning, I would overturn Sung-gyeong Hall itself if necessary to uncover the truth.
‘Besides, there is already precedent in Sung-gyeong Hall, is there not?’
It had been only months since that sacrilegious incident when honey found its way into Yi Hwon’s food.
The honey incident in Sung-gyeong Hall had never been properly resolved.
The maid accused as the culprit had died, and the matter had been left to fade away.
‘This time, I must root out the source entirely.’
If Suk-ui’s symptoms truly were poisoning rather than ordinary illness…
‘Then the perpetrator must be the same person who sought to harm Yi Hwon.’
My jaw tightened as I sank deeper into thought.
***
While not as grand as a royal progress, the royal procession mobilized this day was nonetheless substantial in scale.
After the royal palanquin bearing the King departed, led by the palace guards, officials and palace attendants began advancing in orderly succession.
My position, as always, was dead last.
In the end, I could only depart from Dongguan Wang Temple long after the King had moved far ahead.
Thud.
Feeling the palanquin lift into the air with a jolt, I licked my parched lips.
‘At least I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.’
The decision rested with the King, but I had done everything within my power.
‘If Suk-ui truly is addicted to something, then this time I absolutely must catch the culprit….’
That was when it happened.
“Hwang Bong-bong!”
I heard my name called the very moment my palanquin began to move.
Upon hearing that voice, I instantly recognized it by instinct.
‘That hot-headed fool…?’
We had crossed paths on Yukjo Street, yet he had chased me all the way to Dongmyo?
It hadn’t taken even two hours by palanquin, so it wasn’t terribly far….
‘But why on earth…?’
I was quite flustered, but curiosity seized me first.
I quickly opened the window and rolled up the curtain.
Poking my head out through the small opening, what came into view was….
“Hwang Bong-bong! Stop right there!”
Park Moon-soo, chasing after the procession from some distance behind.
‘…I’m incredibly curious about why you’re doing this too, but there’s no way I can stop the palanquin of my own accord.’
Despite the commotion, the palanquin bearers pressed steadily forward in silence.
A few palace guards following behind the palanquin glanced at Park Moon-soo.
Eventually, one of the guards approached Park Moon-soo with an exasperated expression.
Had he been an adult, he would have been dragged off to Geumbu or at least thrown to the ground.
But the guard seemed inclined to simply admonish the foolish young nobleman and resolve the matter.
Snap.
At the same moment, an attendant lowered my palanquin’s curtain and closed the window.
In that instant, Park Moon-soo cried out.
“Hwang Bong-bong! Listen well!”
…Yes. Though I’m hardly in a position to answer, my ears are open, so I’ll listen as best I can.
“Your older brother!”
Hm…?
“Your older brother Hwang Jin-gi is looking for you!”
…What did you just say?

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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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