The Light

Palace

With poor eyesight and bad joints, the Dowager Great Aunt Princess Lady Hyegyeong was politically unambitious, thrifty in nature and often kept to her quarters. However, she offset her excellent attributes by balancing them with an unfiltered mouth and loud opinionated discourses she freely disbursed to bring order to what she termed as 'an order less' Palace and teach the Royal children, whom she openly declared as derelict, their duties. 

"You need to start producing some offspring, Your Majesty! At least find a concubine to warm your bed until you select a Queen. Has Joseon run out of females? How can my brother's grandchild be so dull, so un-manlike? Don't you have some court ladies you fancy?"

Hwan choked, reddening, spluttering his tea in quite an unkingly fashion. Princess Ha-Yeon's head jerked up, flabbergasted, unable to believe what she heard. Aghast, she darted a quick look at her brother, who was trying to manfully recover his composure. The rickety old Great Aunt Dowager with beads for eyes doling out the unsolicited advice looked woefully unruffled as if she were discussing the weather. 

"It is a shame that the only remaining progeny of my foolish nephew is so unwilling to perform his manly duties!" The woman continued unperturbed.

Hwan found his floundering voice. "Great Aunt Dowager, we have had this conversation many times prior. I would request you to drop it. Now." 

His sister looked like she would rather be swallowed by the floor than sit across from this awful old woman. He would have gladly followed suit.

Princess Lady Hyegyeong was their Father's Aunt, their great-grandfather's child by a Royal Concubine from an influential family. Married to an illustrious painter, she had proudly run a household of seven concubines that bore seventeen daughters. Princess Lady Hyegyeong had also produced her husband's only son, a fact that she never let anyone forget, never mind the son had died a wastrel riddled with disease in one of the rare unregulated brothels of Joseon. She flew the Joseon morality flag high for women, driving Princess Ha-Yeon to tears with her ceaseless reprimands of what she perceived as behaviour not becoming of a Princess.

Your mother raised you to be a hoyden!

Keep your head down!

Today, your hands were exposed in the garden!

Take shorter steps!

You cannot laugh that loud!

Don't show your teeth!

She had already threatened to fire all of Princess Ha-Yeon's servants. Princess Ha-Yeon, who had previously enjoyed the run of the entire Palace, now kept to her Quarters, fearing she would run into one of many servants of the Dowager who loudly reported any deemed indiscretion they observed. 

Princess Lady Hyegyeong was also relentless in her single-minded pursuit of getting Hwan to sire some children in the Palace. 

"Do you not like women, Your Highness?" Had been Hwan's introduction to this ancient harridan he was forced to call 'Great Aunt'. "What is this story about a Eunuch that you were partial to? There is a strange rumour about him being a woman. Considering you have kept away from Kisaengs and Court ladies alike your entire life, shall I assume the rumour was spread to dispel the thought that you perhaps like men?" Hwan had sat through it, equally appalled and amused at the odious interpretation of Jay Yi's story.

A young court lady had almost lost her head to Hwan's sword when she tried to seduce him. It turned out that Eunuch So had been strong-armed into including the young woman in the Crown Prince's retinue by the intimidating Dowager, and the typically unflappable Eunuch So had caved in instead of standing his ground. The young woman had fallen to Hwan's feet sobbing and fervently promised to renounce the world if she escaped Hwan's wrath. Though infuriated, Hwan did not blame either her or Eunuch So for capitulating to this terrifying woman. A quick visit by Hwan to the Dowager's quarters had ended any such future enterprises. 

"If you try to interfere with my servants again, Great Aunt Dowager, you will be removed from the Palace, and your family members shall be demoted to slaves." Hwan had been straight-backed and as polite as you please while delivering the threat he had every intention to follow through.

While that terminated all other creative plans that the reed-thin, barely-any-flesh-on-bones Lady Hyegyeong might have had up her sleeves, it did not stop her from lecturing the wayward Royal whenever she chanced upon an occasion to do so. Which, unfortunately, was almost daily when Hwan paid his duty visits to the Dowager. 

Today, the brother-sister duo happened to coincide on their visit, resulting in the mortifying embarrassment for both. For such a self-proclaimed doyen of propriety, the woman had little sense of what was appropriate for a young woman's ears in front of her brother. Hwan felt sorry for his high-spirited sister as she squirmed through the indignity. 

"Your Majesty," the obnoxious Great Aunt looked up, tilting her face in a way that looked as if she was looking down on her rather aquiline nose that seemed to have been bent out of shape after being in other people's business for so long, "you must find the Princess a husband. I have a man in mind. He is from the fourth rank and eminently suitable for the Princess. He will be perfect for her at twenty and nine years of age as he possesses the experience of an older man who can manage the unruliness of the Princess and low enough in rank not to be of trouble to the throne." Completely ignoring the cry of dismay from the Princess, Lady Hyegyeong looked mighty pleased with her declaration. "I heard you have completed compiling the list of families from where you are considering acquiring your Queen?"

Hwan had grown weary of this conversation. The old nag had no idea how sore this point was for Hwan and how close she was to being throttled by him. If he were to indulge in his fantasy, he would probably have a lot of help from his sister, who was undoubtedly weaving her own fantasies to hasten the demise of the insufferable woman. 

"Great Aunt Dowager, yes, I have already chosen the candidate for my Queen."

This elicited a surprise exclamation from the Princess and brought the Dowager to an upright position. 

"You mean you selected without going through the Princess selection?"

"That is Abbamama's wish," Hwan informed her quietly and experienced a great satisfaction at the lack of air her decrepit lungs seemed to exhibit.

"Along with the throne, that old coot has abdicated his senses! I wish to speak with him now!"

"She is despicable!" Princess Ha-Yeon burst out the moment they were out of the earshot of her multitude of complaining mouths. 

Hwan smiled. "You do not have to worry. No one will marry you off without your consent."

That mollified his poor sister, her drawn face finding some colour back. 

"Oraboni, you do not look good. Do you still not have your appetite?" Princess Ha-Yeon's delicate brows creased with worry.

Hwan was aware this was a continuous topic of discussion amongst all those close to him. To assuage them, he had agreed to painful needle therapy a month after taking the reins of affairs from his father as the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, nothing helped bring the sleep Hwan needed or the appetite that would nourish his body well. What they did not know, and he could not share, was that it was not his body but his heart that needed nourishment. And he had closed the door to the cure forever with his stupidity. 

"I am better. Joseon still needs a lot of work, so it is keeping me very busy," Hwan prevaricated. 

"Did you mean what you said to Aunt Dowager that you have chosen a Queen?" His sister asked hesitantly. "You don't have to talk about it if you do not want to," the kind young girl who was far beyond her years in wisdom quickly added.

Hwan gave his sister a conspiratory smile. Bending closer, he said, "That was not entirely true. I just wanted to swipe some of the smugness off her face and hope she would lose the remaining teeth on that fodder for some time at least."

The Princess giggled.

Sobering, Hwan said, "I have finalized a few families, but I do not know if they will agree."

Princess Ha-yeon looked surprised. "Why would they refuse you?"

"I will only wed if the woman gives her consent. Some of the families might not be agreeable to the idea. If they are, I do not know if their daughters will be. Not everyone is enamoured by the Palace life, Princess."

Confused, Princess looked at him. "How is it different from Princess selection?"

"None of the women will be bound by the selection process as it will be conducted secretly."

"Ah! You want to know if you both will suit each other, am I right?"

When you become the King, please change the law, Your Highness!

Hwan nodded wordlessly. 

Princess Ha-yeon nodded and looked down, making a small circle with her toe on the ground. "How is everything in Byeokcheon?"

Hwan smiled. "Sung On is doing phenomenal work with the villages. I met Man Deok two months ago when he came for the Procession. I am planning to send some gifts to them next month."

"Do you think," Princess paused, choosing her next words carefully, "the Governor has been able to move on from Lady Min?"

Hwan sighed. "I do not know. I sincerely hope so. Sung On is the last person I can bear to see hurt."

"It is not your fault!" Princess Ha-Yeon exclaimed. 

Touched by her undiluted loyalty, he hastened to assure her. "Sung On was graceful about Lady Min's decision. Give him some time. I am sure he will learn to forget her and find happiness with someone new."

"And you, Oraboni? Will you be able to move on from her too?"

He did not see that coming. Princess had never openly broached the topic of Min Jay Yi with him. With the worry his sister reacted, his face must have lost colour. 

Was he that obvious? Embarrassed, Hwan shook his head, "I don't know what you mean, Princess. I miss Eunuch Go, of course." Giving her his most brilliant smile, Hwan hedged.

Then, a bell rang at the back of his mind. 

"Follow me. I need your advice on something."

Princess Ha-Yeon complied. She observed her brother with interest as he turned the pages of a book he did not need to read. She was used to her brother doing that whenever he was in deep thoughts and needed to keep his hands occupied.

The morning was sunny, and the Royal chamber glowed in the sun's warm embrace. It contrasted starkly with her brother's thoughts that ran unmistakably dark and troubling. 

Hwan closed the book with a thud. 

He looked uncomfortable, and to her surprise, she noticed a few beads of perspiration on her always unruffled brother's forehead. 

"Ha-yeon, if - if you hurt someone," looking increasingly uneasy, Hwan paused as if searching for words, "I mean, say, if someone, a friend, hurt you badly, what can that friend do to make you feel better?"

Reaching out for a sweet from the tiny plate on the porcelain table in front of her, Princess gave it a thought. "Honestly, I would not know Oraboni. I never had a friend."

Startled, Hwan looked at her, belatedly realizing Princess was not the right person to ask. He had forgotten how lonely and sad Palace life could be for the women.

"However, even though I do not have much experience, I assume seeking forgiveness would be the first logical step."

Hwan shook his head. "This person does not want to meet the friend anymore. They refuse visits and do not entertain missives."

Princess studied the floor of her brother's royal chamber. "The person can't be in hiding forever. They must visit places or go out at times. I am sure the friend can find ways to meet the person away from home. Also, the friend must have done a lot of good deeds in the past that might help overlook one hurtful deed, unless the friend killed someone."

 "The friend killed this person's trust," her brother said brokenly.

Pursing her lips, Princess studied him. "Is this - person - by any chance, a woman?"

Hwan looked down, his answering expression louder than any word could be.

"Was-was that friend disloyal in some way?"

Hwan shook his head. "The friend unfairly accused the person of something unthinkable out of – out of jealousy." Her brother looked so forlorn and anguished that Princess Ha-Yeon wanted to cry. 

 "Oraboni, anger makes you say things you do not often mean. Did you not just tell me that-" she took a breath, "to give the Governor some time? I am sure, given time and your sincere heart, this person will also see things in a different light."

Princess Ha-Yeon wanted to say something more eloquent to make her brother feel better. Eventually, she chose something simple to say, "You have always been able to find a solution to problems even when they do not seem to exist. You must not give up on finding one for this situation either." She paused, weighing if she should say more, and took the plunge. "From what I have learned about her and her generous heart, give her time and your sincere apology. She will forgive you."

She was glad she did because, with moist eyes filled with hope and gratitude, Hwan gave a small smile that warmed Princess Ha-Yeon's heart. 

Hwan watched the door close behind his sister. The young girl had grown overnight in their shared grief and loss. Her faith in him had always been unshakable and the only ray of hope in the bleakness that had been his life before Jay Yi came to him, and he was grateful for the small miracle his sister was. 

He felt as if a curtain had lifted. The answer had been staring at him all this time while he had been seeking it in all the wrong places. 

Hwan reached for his quill and wrote a short missive to Master Kim Myung Jin: 

 I want to meet Master Mun Je-on in private at Manyeodang three days from today before sundown. Please arrange post haste. 

 Also, please assemble the Shield Team to discuss the baffling case of the young girls past that meeting at the Inn. Please invite Master Mun Je-On as well, and do not alert anyone of my participation.

"The first two families are the most suitable for your purpose," Scholar Cho suggested, pointing to the shortest list of the three in front of Hwan. "Both families have talented young men who have the great potential to serve you, Your Majesty,"

Hwan observed Scholar Cho with avid interest. The man was unlike any he was acquainted with in the realm of government officials and scholars alike. A brilliant scholar, writer, academician and leader, the man had defied the norm by sticking to his scruples when almost every member of the Cho family had dipped their finger in the proverbial tar of corruption. 

If one were to believe the rumours, he was also a man who had been ready to sacrifice everything for a woman, that too a cheonmin no less. Married at a young age, his wife was from the powerful Kim family and had three daughters from the marriage. As with many Yangbans, Scholar Cho had a concubine. However, she was just not any concubine. 

The woman in question was a kisaeng (courtesan) , a prolific painter, a poet and a social writer who wrote stories for children. Scholar Cho had spent a considerable fortune to buy her from the state. His attachment to her had become an affliction for his family, who had considered taking him off the family registry as much for his affection for the low-borne woman as for not furthering the coffers of the Cho family as expected. 

Ironically, Scholar Cho's integrity saved his family, even though his wife's family had faced a considerable loss of prestige in the wake of Cho Won Bo's conviction that wiped out many influential families and reduced them to penury.

His concubine had recently given birth. 

"I heard you were blessed with a baby boy. Please accept my congratulations." Hwan said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." 

Hwan glanced at the impressive amount of work Scholar Cho had presented in front of him. There were copious amounts of documentation attached to the first list.

Scholar Cho had helped him investigate and evaluate almost one hundred and sixty-eight families around the country for potential government posts. 

He had also paired down the list of twelve families Hwan was considering getting his Queen from. Hwan read the list and folded it, setting it on top of the thick wad of documented observations that went with it, hoping Scholar Cho did not notice the slight tremor in his hand or the loathing that fleetingly graced Hwan's otherwise stoic face. 

Hwan turned his attention to the last list - five families Scholar Cho had shortlisted, which also came with a small pile of paper. "I know this was very short notice, but you did well."

Scholar Cho nodded. "The families were already on the list you gave me for evaluation, so it was easy to shortlist them."

"Please arrange for a meeting with all five of them. I will personally meet them. However, the meetings will need to be incognito."

Scholar Cho nodded. 

"If Your Majesty could be kind enough to lend an ear, could I offer an opinion?"

Hwan tilted his head slightly to signal his permission. 

"I firmly believe that a companion who can feed his intellect is essential for a man to be genuinely successful and keep him on his rightful path. Sadly, our Joseon mores do not often allow our women to be accomplished in this matter." Scholar Cho kept his head down, but his wisdom reflected from every angle of his body. 

"I do not understand Scholar Cho," Hwan was genuinely puzzled.

"I speak from experience that if a man can find a woman who is born noble but has the spirit of a scholarly kisaeng, he is the luckiest man alive. Please forgive the arrogance of my assumption. The lady you possibly have in mind as your Queen might not be the most conventional choice for many, but I believe she embodies the best of both worlds and will make an excellent Queen and Your Majesty a contended man."

Hwan looked at the folded list of candidates he had set aside earlier, a frown signalling his confusion. Which of those twelve families had produced such a paragon of perfection? 

"Having met her once, I can safely deduce Joseon will be lucky to have a gracious, gentle and yet brilliant woman of the highest birth like her as the Queen by your side, especially considering the turmoil Joseon has seen in recent times."

Hwan stared at him. 

"How do you know who I have in mind?"

Scholar Cho smiled. "It is simply an assumption, Your Majesty."

"Such assumption can cost you your neck."

Scholar Cho nodded. "I understand, but I stand by what I said." He looked at the list Hwan was holding in his hand. "If you choose to pursue any unorthodox method in case your Court does not fully support your decision, please remember your servant. I will be at your service."

Hwan did not insult Scholar Cho's intelligence by pretending he did not understand. He glanced at the list, the paper gently rustling in his grip - Five families most closely related to the Late Governor of Gaeseong, Lord Min Ho Seung, and his only surviving child, his daughter, Lady Min Jay Yi.