The Five-Year-Old Baby Princess Rules the Palace - Chapter 50

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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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#50. Know Your Place

 

Prince Chung-in twisted his lips viciously and shouted at Lady Park, who had fallen from his slap, and Lady Han, who was crouched beside her.

 

“How dare a mere court lady interfere between a prince and princess! Is it because your master is insolent that you are the same!”

 

“Prince Chung-in!!”

 

“Brother!”

 

Eunhye screamed loudly at Prince Chung-in’s outrageous behavior, and the startled Prince Ju-an also called out loudly to his brother.

 

Then Prince Chung-in, wearing an expression of disdain, clicked his tongue and began shouting as if proclaiming.

 

“Tsk, how noisy! You should come to your senses too. We are the sons of this nation’s king, no matter what anyone says. Even if we talk about legitimate lineage and such, how dare a mere princess, just a woman, lecture me, the eldest son of His Majesty the King!”

 

“What is this… Prince Chung-in…!”

 

Eunhye’s face turned bright red at the sight of the fallen Lady Park, and she looked straight at Prince Chung-in with her chest heaving.

 

“Why, did I say something wrong? A mere princess who should quietly live palace life and then leave the palace through marriage dares to speak of legitimate lineage before the princes of this nation – how laughable.”

 

“Prince Chung-in!”

 

Lady Park, who had been struck by Chung-in and was sitting on the ground, cried out again.

 

Eunhye looked straight up at Prince Chung-in, who was much taller than her, with fierce eyes.

 

Then Prince Chung-in, raising one corner of his mouth crookedly at that sight, began to mock her with a sneering tone.

 

“Do you finally understand the difference between your position as a princess and mine as the eldest son and prince of this nation, though I am called merely ‘gun’?”

 

Eunhye, whose eyes had deepened unbelievably for a child, looked straight at the mocking Prince Chung-in and spoke.

 

“It is said that if a gentleman is not grave, he will not inspire awe, and if he is not learned, he will not be steadfast! A gentleman must have weight in his words and actions to receive respect from those around him, and if he acts lightly, he will not establish dignity. Moreover, such a person’s learning will also be easily shaken!”

 

“What?”

 

The clear voice of the five-year-old princess was severely scolding the thirteen-year-old Prince Chung-in, drawing from Confucius’s words in the Analects.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Is that all? The Master said: If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with the rites of propriety? If a man be without the virtues proper to humanity, what has he to do with music? What use is it for an unvirtuous person to learn propriety, and what use is it for an unvirtuous person to learn music! Prince Chung-in is extremely rude and treats people carelessly, so even though he is His Majesty the King’s son, he is not a gentleman!”

 

“Ha!”

 

Prince Chung-in was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t find words to say.

 

When did this young princess, who only reached his chest, this child who had nearly died from a terrible illness just two years ago, learn the Analects to mock him like this?

 

Prince Chung-in glared at Eunhye, who was looking straight up at him with reproaching eyes, and raised his hand as if to strike her.

 

That was when it happened.

 

“Cr-Crown Prince!”

 

Prince Ju-an, who had turned pale while trying to stop his brother, opened his eyes wide and collapsed to the ground.

 

“Your Highness?”

 

Prince Chung-in, also startled by his younger brother’s reaction, slowly turned his head!

 

Crown Prince Lee-hwan, loosely holding the leash of Hwanggu who had run away earlier, was looking at him with eyes that seemed ready to shoot sparks.

 

“Cr-Crown… Prince!”

 

Prince Chung-in, who called out to the Crown Prince like a death cry, also turned pale and quickly bowed his body.

 

Woof woof woof!

 

Hwanggu barked loudly as if scolding Prince Chung-in’s behavior.

 

Lee-hwan briefly withdrew his angry gaze from Prince Chung-in and looked at his young sister, who was smiling brightly at him.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Nod nod.

 

Lee-hwan’s thick eyebrows twitched as he looked past Eunhye, who nodded that she was fine, to Lady Park, whose left cheek was swollen red from Prince Chung-in’s strike.

 

How dare he strike the princess’s nanny!

 

Does he act so insolently because he trusts in his mother’s power, backed by the Left State Councilor?

 

Prince Ju-an, who had been sitting on the ground, jumped up and bowed his head with both hands clasped, and Prince Chung-in also couldn’t raise his lowered head.

 

Lee-hwan’s ears, as he glared at them with fierce eyes and breathed hotly, caught the sound of Eunhye’s voice speaking as cutely as a small bird chirping.

 

“What brings you here at this hour, brother? Shouldn’t this be the time to prepare for your evening lecture?”

 

At his young sister’s cute voice as she came pattering to his side, Lee-hwan relaxed his angry expression and lowered his body.

 

“Due to urgent court matters, Father summoned all the teachers to Sajeongjeon. So today’s evening lecture has been postponed.”

 

“Wow, then can you have dinner with me today?”

 

Nod nod.

 

Seeing Lee-hwan nod with a smile, Eunhye beamed. Then she crouched down in front of Hwanggu, who was wagging his tail vigorously at her.

 

“Hwanggu, does it hurt a lot? I’ll tell them to have the veterinarian apply medicine, so just bear with it a little.”

 

Eunhye, who had been stroking Hwanggu’s large head with her small hands, pouted sadly when she saw the red scraped wound under the collar.

 

The wound scraped by the leash that Prince Chung-in had gripped tightly had become quite a long gash with blood even forming, hadn’t it?

 

Lee-hwan also frowned at Hwanggu’s wound, then stood up and handed the leash he was holding to Lady Han.

 

“Go to the Crown Prince’s Palace with the princess.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

When Lady Han received Hwanggu’s leash with both hands, Lee-hwan lowered his body again in front of Eunhye and took her small hand.

 

“I will have a brief conversation with Prince Chung-in, so go to the Crown Prince’s Palace first.”

 

Eunhye nodded at Lee-hwan and smiled brightly.

 

“Yes, brother. I’ll take Hwanggu and apply medicine to him, so you must come quickly.”

 

“Alright.”

 

At Lee-hwan’s answer, a sweet floral scent spread from Eunhye as she nodded again.

 

“Nanny, Lady Han, let’s go. And can I hold Hwanggu’s leash?”

 

“Oh my, that won’t do. If you fall while doing that, it would be terrible.”

 

Lee-hwan briefly watched Eunhye’s procession moving away while squabbling over Hwanggu’s leash, then looked at Prince Chung-in, who was hunching his neck and only rolling his eyes around.

 

“It seems you are seriously mistaken about something.”

 

“Wh-what do you… mean, Your Highness.”

 

Prince Chung-in, who was one year older than Crown Prince Lee-hwan, quickly corrected his words that were about to become informal and asked.

 

“You are certainly Father’s eldest son and a prince of this nation. However.”

 

However?

 

Prince Chung-in’s gaze, filled with hostility, dared to reach straight toward the Crown Prince.

 

“You are merely a royal relative, not someone of a status who can dare treat a princess, the legitimate daughter of this nation’s king, carelessly. Moreover, you are the one who should leave the palace after marriage.”

 

“Wh-what?”

 

“The Doctrine of the Mean states that the way of the gentleman is extensive yet hidden – the gentleman’s way is broad and great, so it does not appear. Therefore, one should always be wary of ostentation or excessive behavior that goes beyond one’s position.”

 

“Hah!”

 

These siblings are working together to make a fool of me. How dare that princess, small as a mouse dropping, mock me with references to the Analects, and now you, who sits in the crown prince’s seat thanks to your mother, trample on me by quoting the Doctrine of the Mean?

 

Creak-

 

The sound of Prince Chung-in grinding his teeth so hard that it was frightening to hear leaked from his mouth.

 

Crown Prince Lee-hwan, who smirked by raising only one corner of his mouth at Prince Chung-in’s appearance, stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Also, it is said that the gentleman acts according to his position and does not desire what is beyond it. You should cultivate the Doctrine of the Mean a bit more.”

 

Grind-

 

At the murderous aura of Prince Chung-in, who clenched his teeth and tightened both fists, Prince Ju-an squeezed his eyes shut and stepped forward.

 

“Your Highness, please forgive Prince Chung-in’s discourtesy toward Princess Eunhye.”

 

Lee-hwan looked down intently at Prince Ju-an, who bowed his head on behalf of his brother.

 

He was a child who had played well with the princess since childhood. Unlike his brother, this younger brother had no greed and a tender heart, but could this boy navigate well around the great mountain called power?

 

Since ancient times, blood relatives with the throne in sight were all competitors. So even this seemingly gentle boy might someday point a sword at him.

 

Lee-hwan, who unconsciously sighed through his nose, lightly placed his hand on Prince Ju-an’s shoulder, who looked ready to burst into tears.

 

Wouldn’t this one boy at least be on his kind young sister’s side?

 

“Prince Ju-an, let’s have tea with the princess later.”

 

“Yes? Yes! Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Prince Ju-an made a subtle expression that seemed both honored and pleased, moving his lips.

 

Lee-hwan smiled by raising one corner of his mouth as if finding Prince Ju-an cute, then removed his hand from the shoulder he was holding. Then he turned his head toward Prince Chung-in, who was still radiating fierce energy toward him.

 

“In the future, do not carelessly drag Hwanggu around. What I said before about entrusting Hwanggu to you when my schedule is busy – let’s consider that never happened.”

 

Having finished speaking, Lee-hwan turned around coldly with an expressionless face.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

Palace eunuch Gyeong-hwan hurried to follow behind Lee-hwan, who had turned around radiating cold energy.

 

“Your Highness, are you going to the Crown Prince’s Palace? Although the evening lecture was canceled, it’s still time you should be at the Royal Academy…”

 

“Oh my, Gyeong-hwan, didn’t you see too? How shocked our princess must have been by Prince Chung-in’s harsh words. Right now, this brother needs to be there for her.”

 

What? Princess Eunhye was surprised?

 

From what this servant could see, Princess Eunhye was steaming Prince Chung-in like she was cooking him thoroughly.

 

Unable to voice his inner thoughts aloud, Gyeong-hwan walked with his body bowed, constantly tilting his head in confusion.

 

Step by step, Lee-hwan’s pace toward the Crown Prince’s Palace was extremely fast.

 

While preparing for the stone lecture at the Royal Academy, he had heard that all the teachers had been summoned by His Majesty the King.

 

So he had a brief moment free and was heading to Seong-jeong Hall. But from a distance, wasn’t Hwanggu, the dog he had raised since childhood, running toward him frantically?

 

Lee-hwan, puzzled as to why the creature that should have been tied up at his quarters in Seong-jeong Hall was running around the palace, spotted two unfamiliar eunuchs chasing Hwanggu.

 

Hwanggu ran up to Lee-hwan, who had stopped walking, wagging his tail vigorously, and the two eunuchs who spotted the Crown Prince bowed their bodies while panting heavily with expressions as if they were about to die.

 

Lee-hwan inquired of the two about what had happened, and after hearing the story about Prince Chung-in and his young sister, the Crown Prince had rushed there accompanied only by Eunuch Gyeong-hwan.

 

But the young sister he saw there was completely different from before!

 

The child who had always trembled in fear and couldn’t even look people in the eye was standing confidently before the fierce Prince Chung-in. Not only that, she was speaking of the gentleman’s way from the Analects to Prince Chung-in, who was eight years older than her, with her small chin raised high!

 

With eyes sparkling like brilliant gems and upright spirit, she was sternly scolding the thirteen-year-old Prince Chung-in for his rudeness.

 

Lee-hwan quickened his pace even more, eager to face his young sister’s transformed appearance that he had witnessed moments ago, while Gyeong-hwan walked bent over, moving his legs desperately.

 

What made you change and grow so much? Just the morning before yesterday during the morning greeting, weren’t you the one who trembled so?

 

Lee-hwan recalled the hair ornament that had sparkled above Eunhye’s ear when she passed by him, and the indescribably sweet floral fragrance.

 

According to what Lady Park had conveyed that morning when he returned from in front of his young sister’s room, she had visited the Queen Dowager’s Palace the night before—could it have been a gift from grandmother?

 

Lee-hwan, wanting to see his young sister who would be waiting at the Crown Prince’s Palace first, cast aside the dignity of a Crown Prince and now began to run as if flying.

 

“Your Highness! Gyeong-hwan is dying! Please take me with you!”

 

The desperate cry of seventeen-year-old Crown Prince’s Palace eunuch Gyeong-hwan, short in stature and with short legs, was reaching the Crown Prince’s Palace before Lee-hwan on this afternoon.

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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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