The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 47

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#47. The Tyranny of Miseondo Magistrate

 

The Ghost Servant’s hands gripping the tree were covered in scratches, with dirt and dried blood clotted under her fingernails.

 

Eunhye stopped walking toward the Ghost Servant and tilted her head curiously as she asked.

 

“I don’t know what circumstances brought you here, but why did you come specifically to Mother’s Garden? Did you perhaps want to see the Queen Mother?”

 

The Ghost Servant seemed startled by the words “Queen Mother.” With her tear-filled eyes wide open and her chest heaving, the Ghost Servant shook her head vigorously.

 

“Then why did you come to the Palace? Did you perhaps arrive here without knowing it yourself?”

 

The Ghost Servant, hiding behind the large tree, only shook her head again.

 

“Ah, this is really frustrating! Try saying something. What reason brought you to appear in Mother’s Garden?”

 

At Eunhye’s words, spoken with a frown of frustration, the Ghost Servant opened her eyes wide with a surprised expression.

 

[Is this place truly the Palace?]

 

“You came here without knowing it was the Palace?”

 

At Eunhye’s questioning response, the Ghost Servant looked around with surprised eyes.

 

[I did not know. I was simply dwelling in a citron sapling being taken to Hanseong, with the single thought of meeting someone higher than the Miseondo Magistrate.]

 

Eunhye tilted her head and asked.

 

“Someone higher than the Miseondo Magistrate? But you said you were a diver, so why are you covered in dirt?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, the Ghost Servant lowered her head and answered in a tearful voice.

 

[Because I died on a mountain, not in water. In our Miseondo, there are dozens, hundreds of people who died unjustly like me.]

 

What could have happened… Eunhye frowned briefly, lost in thought, then asked again.

 

“If you came all this way because of injustice preventing you from finding peace, then tell me quickly.”

 

It was a dignified tone hardly believable from a five-year-old child. Gwangjo looked at Eunhye with proud eyes and smiled gently.

 

The Ghost Servant, who had been quietly looking down at her wounded hands, raised her head to look at Eunhye.

 

[But who are you, young lady? Earlier I saw all the people working here being deferential to you.]

 

At the Ghost Servant’s question, Eunhye pursed her lips cutely, glanced at Gwangjo, then smiled awkwardly.

 

“Me? I’m a prin… cess? I told you this is Mother’s Garden, didn’t I?”

 

[Gasp!]

 

The Ghost Servant, so shocked she made a choking sound, prostrated herself flat on the ground.

 

[Princess! Not knowing that you were the Princess, this lowly one has committed a mortal sin. This lowly one is called Ok-i, a diver, and I never dreamed this was the Queen Mother’s Greenhouse. I just…]

 

The Ghost Servant briefly swallowed her words, then continued in a tearful voice.

 

[Princess! Please save my poor father and the innocent people of Miseondo. Please punish the Miseondo Magistrate, who is the worst of the worst!]

 

Ah… so suddenly like this?

 

And I’m just a five-year-old princess. What power do I have to punish the Miseondo Magistrate?

 

Regardless of Eunhye’s flustered feelings, Ok-i cried louder and pleaded.

 

[Since you are a princess of this nation, surely you have much higher authority than the Miseondo Magistrate.]

 

Eunhye looked at the wailing Ok-i with troubled eyes.

 

“I am not a person of high authority. Above me there’s Crown Prince and Queen Dowager and Queen Dowager, and I’m just a prin… cess.”

 

Eunhye muttered awkwardly toward Ok-i, who was now clasping her hands together in supplication, then looked up at Gwangjo.

 

“Queen Dowager, what should I do now?”

 

Gwangjo, who had been looking down at Ok-i with deepened eyes, spoke in a low voice.

 

[Stop crying and speak. Is the Miseondo Magistrate’s surname perhaps Choi?]

 

At Gwangjo’s question, Ok-i lifted her tear-stained face and nodded vigorously, saying yes.

 

[That’s right. His name is Choi Byeong-gap! How do you know this, elder? Are you perhaps also a spirit who died unjustly in our Miseondo?]

 

[What did you say?]

 

Gwangjo’s thick eyebrows, full of white hair, twitched greatly. Startled by this sight, Eunhye waved her small hands frantically at Ok-i.

 

“Watch your words! This person is King Gwangjo, the 6th generation ancestor king of Daeshinuk! He’s also my Queen Dowager!”

 

[What?]

 

As if not understanding what this meant, Ok-i looked up with blank eyes at both Gwangjo and herself, prompting Eunhye to speak loudly once more.

 

“Oh my, he’s a spirit moving in ethereal form like you, but he’s the great king Queen Dowager of this nation! Don’t you understand?”

 

[Eek!]

 

Ok-i, who had been wearing a dull expression, immediately let out a gasp as if her breath was being cut off.

 

Then she prostrated herself even more than when Eunhye revealed her princess status, as if she might sink into the ground.

 

[Your Majesty! This lowly being has committed a mortal sin! Having never left Miseondo in my entire life, everything is unfamiliar and frightening, so please forgive me just this once!]

 

Gwangjo slowly nodded toward both Eunhye and Ok-i the Ghost Servant.

 

[Enough. How can one who is already dead die again? I said enough, so tell me in detail about the affairs concerning Miseondo Magistrate Choi.]

 

Just hearing the words “Magistrate Choi” seemed to fill her with resentment, as a subtle aura of anger rose from Ok-i’s prostrated body.

 

Clear tears were streaming from Ok-i’s eyes as she slowly raised her body.

 

[Magistrate Choi is an utterly wicked person who must never be left alone. He is draining the lifeblood of Miseondo’s people! Sob sob!]

 

Unable to continue speaking and crying so pitifully, Gwangjo asked coldly with chilled eyes.

 

[Tell me in detail.]

 

At Gwangjo’s cold questioning, Ok-i began telling Miseondo’s story with unfocused eyes as if looking into the distance.

 

[Among the people living in Miseondo, more than half the men take boats and half the women dive for seafood. The rest farm citrons and millet. However, even such Miseondo has its lean season.]

 

Ok-i, with a sad smile at the corner of her mouth, looked down at her fingernails torn by blood and dirt as she continued.

 

[When the lean season comes, people borrow grain from the government office. But when heavy rains ruin all crops, with no way to repay what they borrowed, countless parents sell their children as slaves to the government office.]

 

“They sell their children as slaves to the government office?”

 

Eunhye looked at Ok-i with disbelieving eyes.

 

[Otherwise, mothers and fathers get beaten to death in front of their children, so they have no choice.]

 

[Good heavens! What is this! Isn’t there relief grain sent down from the nation every year? During my reign, not a single person in our Taeshin Kingdom went hungry!]

 

At Gwangjo’s loud angry voice, Ok-i let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd and shook her head.

 

[This lowly one has lived in Miseondo and never once received relief grain sent down from the nation.]

 

[Good heavens, how can this be!]

 

Deep wrinkles were carved into the lamenting Gwangjo’s brow.

 

[That’s not all. That Choi Byeong-gap has joined hands with the leader of Cheonsin Religion to kill countless innocent people, rape countless women, and plunder uncountable wealth!]

 

[Cheonsin Religion?]

 

Gwangjo wrinkled his thick eyebrows as if hearing this for the first time.

 

[Yes, the Cheonsin Religion that came over with Western Regions merchants a few years ago is not only deceiving people with Byeong-gap the Miseondo Magistrate’s authority behind them, but also freely molesting women in private homes.]

 

At Ok-i’s words, Eunhye also tilted her head. Even in Crown Prince’s Library, Eunhye had no memory of seeing books about Cheonsin Religion.

 

[Men who oppose Cheonsin Religion are beaten to death for being possessed by demons, and not content with seizing the citron fields they cultivated, they’re even offering their daughters as concubines to the Miseondo Magistrate, sob sob.]

 

Looking down at Ok-i, who again couldn’t continue speaking through her wailing, Gwangjo let out a long sigh through his teeth.

 

[So, were you also killed by those Cheonsin Religion people or whatever they’re called?]

 

[No. I… while trying to save my brother who fell off a cliff while carving cliff inscriptions…]

 

“Cliff inscriptions? What is that?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, Gwangjo smiled bitterly and clicked his tongue.

 

[Cliff inscriptions refer to when nobles visit mountains with beautiful scenery to enjoy themselves and carve their names or poems on large rocks or cliffs.]

 

“Really? Nobles do such things too? How do they carve writing on cliffs?”

 

Eunhye’s eyes widened at hearing this curious thing for the first time.

 

[The nobles don’t carve it themselves, usually they call stonemasons or carpenters and pay them to carve it.]

 

Eunhye frowned.

 

“Carving on rocks would be dangerous too, but how do they carve letters on cliffs?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, Gwangjo made a groaning sound. Hadn’t he himself, during his lifetime, often climbed high mountains and had cliff inscriptions carved?

 

[They tie a rope to a sturdy tree atop the cliff, bind that rope to the stonemason’s body, then lower him down to carve letters with chisel and hammer.]

 

“Ah…! That must be truly frightening.”

 

At Eunhye’s sigh mixed with sadness, Ok-i burst into tears again.

 

[Oki’s Brother, who worked as a stonemason, also died while carving that bastard Choi Byeong-gap’s worthless verse on a cliff rock!]

 

Eunhye made a devastated expression at Ok-i’s screaming appearance.

 

[It was a day when I was resting from diving, so I climbed the mountain with friends. But that bastard Choi Byeong-gap and the Cheonsin Religion leader and other nobles were having a flower viewing. And at the cliff below their feet, Oki’s Brother was hanging!]

 

“Gasp! Don’t tell me your brother fell to his death before your very eyes?”

 

Eunhye asked with a shocked face.

 

[That bastard Choi Byeong-gap! He was looking down mockingly at Oki’s Brother, who was hanging from a single fraying rope and begging to be saved, as if he were insignificant.]

 

“How can such a thing be possible, Queen Dowager?”

 

At Eunhye’s shocked voice, Gwangjo also looked at the crying Ok-i with an astounded expression.

 

[I ran with my companions to the edge of the cliff and threw myself down on the dirt ground, stretching my arms out to my brother. Those bastards were still just cackling with laughter as if watching some entertaining spectacle!]

 

Only now did Eunhye understand why Ok-i, who had been a diving jamnyeo, had been covered in dirt all over her body with her fingernails completely torn and mangled.

 

“Queen Dowager, how can people be like that?”

 

Watching Eunhye’s small chest heaving as if she was terribly angry, Ok-i continued her next words as if sobbing.

 

[The moment my hand barely reached and I grabbed my brother’s hand with all my strength, the rope tied to my brother’s body… snapped.]

 

“Ah…!”

 

Along with Eunhye’s short gasp, Ok-i shed thick tears.

 

[The moment we fell down the cliff, I could see my crying reflection in my brother’s terrified eyes.]

 

Gwangjo let out a long sigh as he watched the sobbing Ok-i.

 

[Then why didn’t you ascend to heaven and instead remained in this world?]

 

At Gwangjo’s question after his sigh, bright blue flames sparked in Ok-i’s eyes.

 

[Because I heard it clearly!]

 

Eunhye, who had unknowingly wiped away the tears that flowed down with her sleeve, looked at Ok-i who was lying prostrate but holding her head up straight.

 

“What did you hear?”

 

[Before my brother and I fell down the cliff, that bastard Choi Byeong-gap said this!]

 

Ok-i was breathing roughly and puffing out her chest, seemingly more furious the more she thought about it.

 

[He said that a high-ranking concubine in the Palace was his very close blood relative, and that he and this country’s Left State Councilor were uncle and nephew. So he said there was nothing to worry about regarding the deaths of such lowly people like us!]

 

Eunhye, who had been listening to the long sighing sound from Gwangjo with his eyes tightly shut, suddenly opened her eyes wide.

 

If the Miseondo Magistrate’s surname was Choi, could the high-ranking concubine in the Palace possibly be Lady Gyeongbin?

 

[Moreover!]

 

“Moreover? What is it?”

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