Chapter 10….
Hong-ah couldn’t help but feel resentful as she quietly listened to her mother and the Crown Prince talk. Whenever he drew such a sharp line, she couldn’t help but feel her affection for him fade away, no matter that he was her father.
‘Sure, he may not want to burden Mother… but does he really think I don’t see that what he truly wants is for the legitimate heir, born from the Crown Princess, to inherit the throne?’
Even if he despised and disliked Consort Sun, the Crown Princess was still the formal wife he had married with a grand ceremony. Naturally, he expected succession to pass to her children.
Hong-ah knew well that if the Crown Princess failed to bear a child, she would eventually be cast aside. Still, she couldn’t help but sulk at her father’s attitude.
“Whatever you need, say the word. I shall command that Yangwon be given anything she desires.”
Though grateful for the Crown Prince’s kindness, it wasn’t quite the same as before. When Hong-ah’s mother was pregnant with her, the entire palace was abuzz with attention. Now, however, her pregnancy was overshadowed by the Crown Princess’s.
Hong-ah knew that the baby in her mother’s womb would be Princess Gyeonghye. And though she didn’t know who was in Consort Sun’s belly, she did know that child would never see the light of day.
From Hong-ah’s perspective—knowing everything—there were many things she found unsatisfactory. But her mother Yangwon seemed rather relieved. She suffered from severe morning sickness, had little appetite, and wanted nothing special, so it wasn’t much of a problem.
“They say Lady Yangwon suffers terribly whenever she conceives, but the Crown Princess still takes three proper meals a day, do they not?”
“Not just three meals! She even demands snacks to be brought twice in between.”
“Doesn’t that mean her child will be strong and healthy?”
“Most likely it’s the Crown Princess’s child that will be the royal heir, don’t you think?”
The palace buzzed with chatter. Even though the Crown Princess stayed secluded in her quarters, every detail of her daily life spread like wildfire.
Unlike Yangwon, who was wasting away from nausea, the Crown Princess ate heartily and lived comfortably. She was also said to have grown increasingly temperamental—so much so that she trembled before the Queen’s admonishment.
With so many rumors, it was hard to know what was true.
Day by day, Yangwon became more at peace. The pressure of producing a son had shifted onto Consort Sun, leaving her with less of a burden.
It was uncertain whether Consort Sun would ever return to Ja-seon Hall before giving birth, which also brought Yangwon relief.
But because of the severe morning sickness, her body grew thin; only her swelling belly showed that she was with child.
“But listen—this is what I heard from a maid of the Crown Princess’s palace. They say the Crown Princess eats well, has no morning sickness… and yet, her figure hasn’t changed at all.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“She’s put on some weight, yes, but not like an expectant mother. Her belly isn’t growing as it should.”
“How can that be? When a woman is pregnant, her belly swells, and when the time comes, the baby is born from that fullness.”
The Crown Princess’s pregnancy raised many suspicions.
At the very moment when she needed to secure her position before returning to Ja-seon Hall, she had been dealt an oddly convenient hand. It was almost too perfect. And since the baby didn’t seem to be developing properly, everyone’s eyes were on her.
“That’s why people say it’s strange.”
“Hasn’t it already been nearly five months since her pregnancy was announced?”
“Yes. That’s why the Queen, worried that something might be wrong with the baby, ordered a physician to examine her—but she outright refused.”
One day, after spending time at Suwan-jae, Hong-ah was returning to Yeonggyeong Hall on Nani’s back. Near the Crown Prince’s quarters, they overheard maids whispering.
“Oh! Can’t you keep your mouths shut?”
Hong-ah was already four years old and precocious, able to understand much of what adults said. To have such profane talk in her presence was intolerable, and so her nurse sharply rebuked the maids.
The maids, realizing the little princess was on Nani’s back, quickly bowed their heads.
“Y-Young Lady of the Crown Prince’s household!”
“Forgive us!”
The nurse scolded them harshly before sending them away. But scolding could not stifle the rumors.
Rumors always spread with wings. Whispers that something might have happened to the Crown Princess’s unborn heir even reached the King’s Hall and the Queen’s chambers. The Queen, unable to tolerate delay any longer, commanded that a physician be summoned immediately.
But just before the physician could arrive that day, Consort Sun appeared in plain white mourning robes in the Queen’s courtyard, weeping bitterly.
“Your Majesty the Queen Mother! I was taught that the duty of the Crown Princess is to uphold the royal line and safeguard the state. Yet through my own lack of virtue, I have lost the royal heir. I deserve only death! Please punish me and avenge the grievance of the lost heir!”
Startled, the Queen hurriedly lifted her up.
“What is the meaning of this, in such cold weather?”
Through sobs, Consort Sun explained:
“Your Majesty taught me to be a virtuous wife—compassionate, broad of heart, and devoted to the Crown Prince. And that a compassionate wife is one who becomes a compassionate mother. I strove to follow your teachings, yet—”
“Stop weeping and tell me clearly. What has happened?”
She deliberately rubbed her sleeves against her eyes, reddening them until they seemed alluring.
“Last night at supper, persimmons were served. Surprised, I asked why persimmons so out of season were being brought, and the maid said they were specially prepared by Lady Gwon Yangwon. It is true that she and I once bore grudges, but during my stay at Hyeonsim-gak, I learned much and let go of malice. Thinking nothing of it, I ate the persimmon, but then—”
“And then?”
At the Queen’s prompt, Consort Sun broke down in tears. Though her eyes were hidden by her sleeve, her voice was so choked with sobs that it was barely audible.
“I awoke in pain to find my belly hollow, and when I gathered myself, I saw a formed mass lying in the bedding. I immediately knew it was the child from my womb. I could not stop crying, and rushed here at once. Your Majesty, what should I do?”
“Compose yourself first, my lady.”
Though her hands comforted, the Queen’s eyes turned sharp.
She may have appeared gentle and yielding, but she was still the mistress of the palace, daughter-in-law of King Taejong, and a woman hardened by storms. She could see clearly where priorities lay.
Her piercing gaze landed on an old court lady. Reading her mistress’s intent, the woman hurried off.
Soon she returned, carrying several bloodstained cloths from Consort Sun’s quarters. The Queen examined them calmly.
“My lady, were these what you used to wipe the blood?”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”
Consort Sun answered with sobs, looking pitiful—so unlike her usual imperious self. But her sideways glances toward the Queen as she studied the cloth betrayed her unease.
The stains looked less like those from childbirth, more like menstrual blood. Narrowing her eyes, the Queen asked:
“Then where is the child you say came from your belly?”
“…Pardon?”
“You claimed to be five months along. I have borne children myself; at that stage, the baby has form. If it was miscarried, there should have been remains. Where is it? There was nothing resembling a baby in your quarters.”
At the Queen’s pointed question, Consort Sun’s eyes wavered. She rolled them frantically as if searching for an excuse. The Queen, seasoned and perceptive, waited patiently.
“I-I buried the poor thing.”
“Buried it? When, and where?”
“Well…”
The Queen pressed further, ready to dig up the very earth if needed. Panicked, Consort Sun quickly changed her story.
“In truth, I burned it. I was frightened, and overcome with guilt. I put it in the hearth. Painful though it was, I wished at least to send the child off in peace. Please understand a mother’s heart!”
Consort Sun prostrated herself, weeping. Yet even in that moment, she did not forget her aim.
“It was all because of Lady Gwon Yangwon that I lost the child! Please punish that insolent woman!”
The Queen pressed her temples, looking down at her. The matter had already grown beyond what she could contain, though Consort Sun seemed unaware.
“Sigh…”
With a heavy breath, the Queen gave her order.
“Escort Consort Sun back.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“Withdraw at once.”
“But—!”
“What are you waiting for? Take her away!”
Before she could speak further nonsense, the Queen cut her off.
Once Consort Sun had been removed, the Queen let out another weary sigh.
The Crown Princess’s pregnancy was a lie! But who could she blame for the oversight? Everyone had been so elated at the thought of a legitimate heir that they had trusted the word of minor physicians, never insisting that the royal physician examine her.
“I shall go to the King. Send a swift messenger to say I beg to see him privately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Queen composed herself, then set out for the King’s Hall. Yet how long could the truth be kept secret? If the Crown Prince found out, he would never forgive it. How foolish she had been. Her face darkened as she went.
The King, too, grew grim upon hearing the full story.
It had been hard enough last time to dissuade the Crown Prince from demanding Consort Sun’s deposition. And after they had gone to such lengths to protect her, how could she now ruin herself with lies and drive herself into a corner? Both King and Queen felt as though their hearts were burning.
