The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 48

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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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#48. Poisonous Mushroom

 

Ok-i looked straight at Eunhye with indignant eyes.

 

[This servant heard something unbelievable.]

 

“What was it?”

 

[He boasted loudly that he had obtained a very, very rare mushroom called Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus for a palace consort through great difficulty, and offered it through his nephew the Prime Minister, so he would soon be promoted to Hanseong.]

 

“Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus? Is that a precious mushroom?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, Ok-i shook her head.

 

[How could a lowly person like this servant know such things? However, he said that if he offered it, a high-ranking consort in the palace promised him promotion to Hanseong.]

 

“Queen Dowager, the high-ranking palace consort that Minister Choi mentioned must be Lady Gyeongbin, right?”

 

At Eunhye’s question directed at him, Gwangjo kept his mouth tightly shut with a serious expression.

 

“Queen Dowager, why are you like this? Do you perhaps know something?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, Gwangjo closed his eyes tightly then opened them, asking Ok-i in a stern voice.

 

[Are you certain you heard that scoundrel Minister Choi say he sent Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus to Hanseong?]

 

[Yes, this servant heard it clearly.]

 

Gwangjo let out a groaning sound and exhaled a long breath.

 

“Why are you like this?”

 

Seeing Gwangjo’s worried appearance, Eunhye asked with a voice full of concern.

 

[Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus is… a poisonous mushroom that has grown wild only on Miseondo since long ago.]

 

“What?! Then you’re saying Lady Gyeongbin asked for a poisonous mushroom?”

 

[Moreover, that mushroom called Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus is an extremely vicious poison known only among the shamans of Miseondo.]

 

“Oh my, why would Lady Gyeongbin ask for such a wicked mushroom!”

 

To Eunhye, whose eyes widened as if they would tear from shock, Gwangjo said with a bitter smile.

 

[Well, she certainly won’t use it for anything good. Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus is a mysterious poisonous mushroom that melts completely when exposed to sunlight, but maintains its toxicity even when boiled or burned, and you cannot detect its color, smell, or taste.]

 

Eunhye’s heart was pounding violently. Why on earth would Lady Gyeongbin need such a deadly poison?

 

But how does Queen Dowager know about Miseondo’s poisonous mushrooms?

 

Perhaps reading the mixture of fear and curiosity in Eunhye’s eyes, Gwangjo gazed beyond the greenhouse glass window as if looking at distant mountains and spoke.

 

[When this old man was alive, I greatly expanded Taeshin Kingdom’s territory through conquest wars. Miseondo was also an island nation conquered in that way.]

 

“Ah… You expanded territory even across the sea! As expected, Queen Dowager was a truly, truly great king!”

 

Even at Eunhye’s exclamation of admiration, Gwangjo did not change his expression of looking into the distance.

 

[At that time, Miseondo was an island called Haeyong Kingdom. It was ruled by the Muga Clan bloodline who considered themselves descendants of the sea dragon king.]

 

Then Eunhye, who had nodded, asked Ok-i, who had stopped crying at some point.

 

“Then even now, there must be many Domu and Shinyeo on Miseondo?”

 

At Eunhye’s question, Ok-i shook her head as if to say no.

 

[There are none. This servant has lived on Miseondo but never heard such stories.]

 

“Huh? Why? Are there really no Shinyeo on Miseondo?”

 

At Eunhye’s curious question, not Ok-i but Gwangjo’s fierce answer was heard.

 

[I killed them all completely. I wiped out the bloodline of the Muga Clan that ruled Haeyong Kingdom, from the elderly to newborn babies!]

 

“What?”

 

Eunhye’s surprised eyes and mouth both grew large simultaneously.

 

What on earth had happened for Queen Dowager to be so enraged?

 

Gwangjo continued speaking while looking at Ok-i, who was trembling in shock, without relaxing his expression twisted with anger.

 

[At that time, the king of the Haeyong tribe who was defeated by our Taeshin Kingdom tried to poison me and the princes with that Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus after the surrender ceremony establishing vassal relations with Taeshin Kingdom!]

 

“What?”

 

Crack, the sound of furious Gwangjo grinding his teeth could be heard very clearly.

 

[Since it was a banquet held after all the vassal relationship treaties were completed, no one suspected their black intentions, which was the fatal mistake.]

 

Deep tears of anguish were flowing from Gwangjo’s eyes that seemed to gaze toward distant mountains.

 

[They mixed Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus powder into rice cakes and mixed its boiled water into tea and alcohol, and except for me, who had built resistance to various poisons since before my reign, the other three princes all vomited blood and died on the spot.]

 

“Gasp!”

 

Eunhye, who covered her mouth with her small hands, recalled the story she heard from Kim Gyo-hyeon yesterday.

 

She had heard that all three legitimate princes died in battle during the conquest wars, but they were actually murdered by poisoning!

 

[I also vomited blood and briefly lost consciousness, but soon came to my senses. And I saw it. Those bastards stabbing daggers into the chests of the fallen princes one by one!]

 

Gwangjo clutched his chest while speaking. Even though he was a spirit who had died over five hundred years ago, he felt like he couldn’t breathe from that rage.

 

[So I slaughtered them all. I killed them all on the spot, then collected the princes’ bodies the next day and hunted down their bloodline one by one to kill them all completely.]

 

Pearl-like tears dripped down from Eunhye’s eyes as she looked at Gwangjo, forgetting even to breathe.

 

How sad Queen Dowager must have been.

 

How sorrowful and resentful his heart must have been, losing all three sons before his eyes.

 

At pain she couldn’t even dare to imagine, Eunhye silently shed tears while looking up at Gwangjo.

 

Ok-i too was so shocked by the unknown history of Miseondo where she had lived that she couldn’t close her gaping mouth.

 

[Therefore! That damned poisonous mushroom has flowed back to Hanseong again!]

 

At the sight of Gwangjo’s abundant beard trembling as he seemed to grind his molars with all his might, Ok-i buried her head and answered.

 

[Yes, Great King! This servant heard that Minister Choi definitely sent it to Hanseong along with citrons!]

 

[Detestable…! These wicked scoundrels, I can clearly see what they’re plotting with that!]

 

Gwangjo, whose chest heaved with great anger, looked down at Eunhye.

 

[Child, I have somewhere to go briefly, so you should return to your quarters now.]

 

“Yes, Queen Dowager.”

 

Eunhye’s heart was also pounding from hearing about the poisonous mushroom called Cheongmyeong Cloud Fungus while listening to the story of the ghost servant Ok-i.

 

Along with the thought that the mushroom Lady Gyeongbin and the Prime Minister obtained through the Miseondo Magistrate would certainly not be used for anything good, why did Crown Prince’s face come to mind?

 

Eunhye bowed her head to Gwangjo then clenched both fists tightly.

 

She didn’t know what it was about, but she couldn’t let things go according to Lady Gyeongbin’s will.

 

In the greenhouse where Gwangjo had disappeared instantly, Eunhye spoke to Ok-i, whose eyes were wide with shock, in a rather stern voice.

 

“Ghost Servant Ok-i from Miseondo, listen.”

 

[Ah, yes yes, Princess!]

 

Ok-i seemed to come to her senses and quickly raised her head toward Eunhye then bowed again.

 

“Thanks to you, I was able to find out what Lady Gyeongbin and the Prime Minister are plotting.”

 

[Ah… this servant still doesn’t understand anything at all.]

 

Ok-i opened her eyes wide as if she really didn’t understand anything. Then Eunhye opened her mouth with quite a serious expression, even flaring her nostrils, in a rather dignified voice.

 

“I will definitely resolve your injustice, so you should achieve enlightenment now.”

 

[What?]

 

Toward Ok-i, who asked back as if not understanding, Eunhye nodded while clenching her molars.

 

“I will definitely find a way to punish that evil Minister Choi. So don’t cry here anymore and achieve enlightenment.”

 

At Eunhye’s words to achieve enlightenment, Ok-i tilted her head and spoke with a face that still didn’t understand.

 

[About enlightenment… could you perhaps tell me how to do it?]

 

“Huh?”

 

Toward Eunhye, who asked back as if wondering what she meant, Ok-i asked again.

 

[How can I achieve enlightenment?]

 

“Uh… that’s…”

 

At Ok-i’s question, Eunhye blinked and spoke, recalling how This Servant’s younger brother achieved enlightenment the other day.

 

“Well… you would know better than me. Don’t you see white light or white clouds or something like that?”

 

[What?]

 

Ok-i asked back as if wondering what she meant.

 

“White light visible around you or anywhere. You follow that and go up… or something?”

 

Then Ok-i, who had been looking around herself, looked at Eunhye with strange eyes.

 

[There’s no such thing… but I have seen it before.]

 

“Where?”

 

[When this servant fell off the cliff with my brother, I saw white light forming above our heads. But when I came to my senses, my brother had disappeared and only I remained.]

 

“What? Then you didn’t stay because you wanted to stay?”

 

At Eunhye’s shocked question, Ok-i nodded.

 

[Yes, Princess.]

 

Eunhye’s eyes widened once again.

 

That’s strange?

 

Didn’t the Queen Dowager say that those with deep resentment remaining in this world become ghosts after death, unable to achieve enlightenment?

 

But she says she didn’t remain by choice, so what’s going on?

 

Eunhye wrinkled her small nose bridge and squinted her eyes.

 

“So you’re saying you didn’t refuse enlightenment, but couldn’t achieve it?”

 

[It seems to be so. Perhaps I remained because I desperately want to see that bastard Choi Byeong-gap get his punishment.]

 

Eunhye’s small head nodded slowly up and down.

 

It was a yearning.

 

She thought that the powerful yearning of the dead was the criterion that determined whether to ascend to heaven or remain in this world.

 

Then did Queen Dowager Gwangjo also remain because she had a deep yearning?

 

Despite being a young child, Eunhye looked toward the distant window where Gwangjo had disappeared with considerably deepened eyes.

 

[Princess? Princess! Someone is calling for you.]

 

It was Ok-i’s urgent voice breaking Eunhye’s contemplation.

 

“Huh?”

 

Looking down hastily, she saw Ok-i looking flustered and unsure what to do.

 

[Over there, behind that door, I can hear sounds of someone calling for you, Princess.]

 

Eunhye turned her head in the direction Ok-i pointed.

 

Behind the distant glass door, she could see two women in navy skirts and green jackets pacing back and forth frantically. They were surely Lady Park and Lady Han worrying about her.

 

Had that much time already passed?

 

Eunhye turned her gaze from the greenhouse door to Ok-i and spoke in a rather dignified voice.

 

“Ok-i, since you’re not ready for enlightenment yet, stay here for the time being, but you must not cause any disturbance among the living. Do you understand?”

 

[Yes! Princess. I will stay here quietly until I see that bastard Choi Byeong-gap get punished.]

 

“Good. I will definitely find a way to punish that bastard Minister Choi. So if you ever see the white light that your brother followed, follow it without delay. Understand?”

 

At the confident command from the little princess who only came up to her waist, Ok-i finally smiled softly and nodded.

 

[I understand, Princess. I will trust only your words and wait.]

 

Eunhye nodded in acknowledgment and thought of Gwangjo.

 

Queen Dowager, if you too see the white light, please stop worrying about this girl and ascend to heaven.

 

“Now, I will return to my quarters. So no matter how you’ve been doing it, you must not be seen by living people or cry out loud. Understand?”

 

[Yes, Princess.]

 

Hearing Ok-i’s answer, Eunhye spoke again as if receiving another pledge.

 

“If I ever hear rumors that a woman’s crying was heard in Mother’s Garden or that someone saw something, I won’t help resolve you siblings’ injustice. Understand?”

 

[Yes, Princess. I will keep it in mind again and again.]

 

Having received Ok-i’s firm promise, who had come to the palace by dwelling in the Hwangam Tree, Eunhye finally nodded and shouted loudly toward the greenhouse door.

 

“Nanny! I want to go to the Royal Kitchen!”

 

As the greenhouse door opened wide and palace servants came in with hurried steps, Ok-i quietly concealed herself.

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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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