Chapter 3 (2/2)
“Yes, My Queen ?”
Joo Sang-gung raised her head with a sluggish voice as if everything was ready. The eyes of Jungjeon and Joo Sanggung clashed.
“From now on, it’s just half a test.”
“Yes?”
“Go to Councilor Lee and tell him that I had given birth.”
“My Queen!”
“And I will take a girl from another family to make her a princess.”
“My Queen… How!”
At the end of the Queen’s words, Joo Sanggung knelt down, shrieking. Being a person of Councilor Lee, it was a bad thing to do. However, Joo Sanggung also knew that there was no other way to protect Jungjeon and the princess. Joo Sang-gung’s face was distorted.
Then the Queen continued.
“All of them are ready. The little girl I tried to steal will be brought to Saga and it is clear that I have given birth to a child who is now dead.”
“…….”
“Let’s live.” If you decide to run away from me and be on Lee Haksoo’s side, I will tell him all these words I have spoken to you now.”
“My Queen ..!”
“ Take my command and go to my saga to pick up the child, then you go to the Councilor Lee. And say that you have left my side. So that you and the princess can live.”
“My Queen!”
Joo Sang-gung bursted into tears and fell flat on the floor. The midwife , who was holding the dead child in her arms, was also shedding tears, unable to bear the sorrow that erupted. Joo Sanggung had to leave the Queen’s side but she couldn’t take her feet off the floor.
“Do not hesitate and leave.”
“It’s very harsh for a child, My Queen!”
“After the half examination, you will have to persecute me with Lee Haksoo and the ministers.”
Every single word that Jungjeon said was stuck in Joo Sanggung’s chest like a dagger. It was the road to fall. It was a business that was bound to collapse. There was no way the Queen could not know it. However, there was no choice but to choose that strategy.
“My Queen if that happens, your life will be inevitable.
Your family could also be destroyed .Why do you want to do something so reckless?”
“”Is there any other way?
“My Queen!”
“Whether I leave the palace in despair or I leave the palace as an invoice of a national mother.”
“My Queen!”
“What can I choose? So I have to take a step back.”
“It is also to withdraw, My Queen!”
The voice of the Queen was trembling lightly.
“To protect the princess, my child, I have to.”
“If My Queen is not with your Majesty’s side, the preaching power will be lost.”
“I have lived with my Majesty for the rest of my life. But now, a lot of poison is spreading in His Majesty’s body.The indulgence medicine that is like a medicine. Even though l obviously knew there was poison in it, I couldn’t stop it.What can I do anymore? Your Majesty also knew it.”
“” My Queen!”
“”Now that everything is coming to an end. “
It was the strange fate of herself and the King, who had become accustomed to it before she knew it. Her eyes were full of vanity.
“ I must be thrown out of the palace alive to embrace the cause. Also, you must be the person on Lee Haksoo’s side to protect everyone.
“”My Queen!”
“”Now you have a royal duty.” Hide your will and your heart and live as his person. Revenge will be me, not the princess.”
“My Queen!”
“So that I can take revenge safely. Until then, you must survive safely as a person of Lee Haksoo.”
Jungjeon looked up at the moonlit blue sky and swallowed her tears.
*********
“Sinner Jungjeon Hong , listen ! Your crime of replacing the dead princess, trying to confuse the royal family and the court members. Therefore you will be exiled to Tamra. Also arrest Do Hwan Hong, your brother, who helped you with the crime, and he will be sent to Wando. All Hong’s property will be confiscated and returned to the national treasury.”
Jungjeon bowed to Daejeon, where the king was. All the nine people who helped Jungjeon looked at her with a fever and said,
“Even if the Queen gave up her pledge, she sill would be exiled to Tamra. I didn’t know the distribution of the Queen would be so small.”
Woo Eui-jung and Joo Sang-hyun clicked their tongues at Lee Hak-soo, the Left State councilor as if they were displeased with his decision.
Then, Lee Haksoo looked at the back of the Queen as she was leaving the city with no belongings and made a joke.
“You didn’t have to die if you supported my son to take the throne.”
“A son ?! “
“ I have to show the puppet clearly that I killed the sick and stupid king and built a new Joseon under the name of rebellion and handed it to my son.”
“How many years ago, was the child who was born in Namhae, was your son ?! | thought you had a daughter again! Oh, I have all those knowledge , Sir.”
Joo Sang-hyun mocked at Lee Hak-soo and opened his eyes.
Jungjeon was listening to all the voices, clenched her fists and trembled . All the nine members who were guarding the Queen’s side of the palace lay flat on the floor and saw her off.
“My Queen.You have to be strong!”
It was then. The king, who was looking at Jungjeon in a distance and approached her with tears.
Jungjeon turned her head toward the king in a desperate appearance. The king exhaled harshly and held the hand of Mr. Hong, who had become emaciated.
“My Queen!”
“Your Majesty, you must live on”.
“My Queen had to do this. It makes me such an incompetent husband.”
“l apologize for not being able to protect you and the princess until the end of my life. Please do not forgive me, my king.”
Jungjeon smiled brightly as she was holding back the tears. Maybe this was their last meeting. The king was confident that he would eventually fall to death, but he wanted to show only the resolute figure to the end.
“It was you, My Queen, that you didn’t let go of my hands until the last moment.”
“Your Majesty.”
“But until the end, My Queen sacrificed your life for me. How can I blame you.”
The king shed tears and swept Jungjeon’s cheeks several times. All the courtiers who couldn’t look at the two heartfelt people lay flat on the floor and cried . Jungjeon stared at the king’s face for a long time and nodded slowly.
“If I leave the city like this, I may not be able to protect Your Majesty’s last moments.”
“My Queen!”
“You will be lonely. You will be afraid alone, Your Majesty.”
In the end, Jungjeon had to show tears. When the tears that had been held up burst, the two hugged each other warmly as if they had been waiting for a long time.
“No, I am happy, My Queen. Knowing that the princess will be living and breathing safely somewhere in this Joseon Dynasty. That fact alone makes me overwhelmed.”
“Please understand my heart, Your Majesty. I had to send the princess away, not being held in your Majesty’s arms even once once. I will protect you and my princess even when l die.”
The king smiled happily as he wiped the tears flowing from the Queen’s cheeks . Jungjeon also smiled brightly again and held the king’s hands.
“I will survive until the end .. I will restore the reputation of the Princess and Your Majesty.”
“My Queen!”
“I will surely repay your majesty and the royal family’s deep sorrow. Your Majesty .. You should put all the rest of this life here and close your eyes comfortably.”
“We were happy together, Jungjeon. Thank you for living as my wife and as my woman. “
“I was also happy living as his Majesty’s wife. I am very happy to live as the Queen of the nation, Your Majesty.”
The two hugged each other with hot tears. That’s how Jung-jeon’s revenge began.