The Love They Never Had

"Grace and peace to The Third Princess Consort!" "Well, I haven't been greeted like that in years, I wonder if something has happened for this good mood? Why is everyone so courteous today? Only The Empress was ever greeted like this…" "We have heard that The Third Prince will promote you as soon as this plague is over, and as your family, we simply wish to congratulate you, although it was good of you to put yourself in the Empress's shoes…" "Thank you concubines, is that wha these flowers are for? Pink for concubines, red for the main wives…." "How dare she invert the superior and inferior flowers, as if she is The Empress herself?" "I have long heard that she really is loosing her mind these days since she go herself into trouble…" "..and yet our husband still lists her immediately after finishing state affairs and looking into the plague…" "Do you suppose that she uses witchcraft to retain her husband's heart?" "His Majesty should spend more time with her before he deposes of her, I guess? Maybe I should select a good pair of Hetain jade ruyi from the storehouse and place it on her pillow so that she can catch up on her sleep finally…" "Your Majesty always shows such understanding towards His Highness, The Third Prince, especially when you have taken on the majority of the anti-plague tasks in the palace as of late." "Really? Well, I wonder what rank he shall grant me with? There is Noble Consort above Consort, and Imperial Noble Consort above that, which is equal to 'Step-Empress…' "I suppose our husband will promote you in this order, and no matter how distinguished the title of Imperial Noble Consort is, it is still only second to 'The Empress'. The Emperor may have his Imperial Noble Consort, but The Empress is the only 'mother of the nation'. One cannot be addressed with a name that does not belong to them."

"Words well spoke, Concubine Park; one should wisely understand the bounds of duty and appropriateness." "That is true, it is The Empress's duty to educate the concubines and uphold discipline. I do hope that my words will assist you in managing the palace with virtue and reason after your promotion…" "…and if I indeed have the fortune to become blessed, I shall fulfil my role and help execute His Highness's duties of palace management more than I am doing now, and you concubines can have more time to yourselves." "The Princess Consort possesses a sharp tongue indeed, and knows how to wage war with words alone." "You know that I like to banter with my husbands official concubines for your sharpness of wit. But we have serious business to discuss, as our husband has asked us to prepare paper offerings for the victims of his plague and let the priests guide their souls through to 'the pure land'. Anyway, that is all and everyone is dismissed for this morning meetings. I must check on our husbands breakfast menu in my quarters…." "Your Highness, the Household Department requests a private audience with you…" "What can possibly bring them in here so early? Let them in, for I have nothing to hide from my sister wives. And servant, don't forget that my husband also likes pickled cucumbers, so put them out in the front. And as for the baozi, he has had far too much of it lately, so just put it away for now."

"Peace be to Your Highness, here is a preview of your promotional robes…" "Isn't this for the Imperial Noble Consort position? Who on earth ordered you to send this to me?" "The Third Prince, who else could do this, Your Highness? Our superior asked us to deliver it to you personally." "Is this really by my husband's decree? I was just talking about this, and it has already been delivered to me? Is this a dream or reality right now? Look at how exquisite them embroidery is, it is the most fanciest robe I have ever laid eyes upon before…"

"Your Majesty! There is bad news, Your Highness!" "What! What is it! Why are you ruining such a good moment for me? What could have possibly happened now?" "Your Highness; there seems to be trouble with the shu brocade that you sent over to The Seo's yourself…" "What trouble?" "There was a rather poisonous pin that was attached to the shoes, and it has caused considerable harm to…" "No! That isn't possible! I didn't tamper with anything at all this time! It wasn't me! It really wasn't me now, not this time!" "Your Highness, The Third Prince is so furious, that he is having your quarters searched violently!" "No…what about the breakfast that I cooked for him myself? I spent all morning on it…" what sort of ominous omen was this? As soon as my husband made to depose me, a plague broke out? Surely that would work in my flavour since The Royal Family heavily believed in superstitions? But now I was to be caught out once again in a mistake that I had seemingly made as soon as there were talks about promotions for me? What was going on? Who did this? Wh was working so effortlessly to frame me in front of my husband's concubines in sheer humiliation? Frame me…

"Servant! Did the Imperial Guards find anything?" "Your Highness! They found a satchel of poison tucked under the Glinting Satin that was meant for you…" "quickly! Go and tuck it into my sister's robes! I shall not go down for a crime that I did not commit!" "Your Highness….The Lady Min has escaped!" "What! What on earth are you talking about? When? How? Why? And why are you only telling me now!" "Forgive me Mistress, it was only reported to me now!" "Very well, but I need to send people to find her….no, we re currently experiencing the outbreak of the plague which will end her life before she can reach whatever destination she finds herself at. But do this, go and tuck it into the robes of The Mistress Han, she is the one who will have t take the fall for this one. Because I will become the Imperial Noble Consort by the end of this plague, whether the public likes it or not.

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"Everyone gather in the laundry area and line up! And tell me whose robe is this that has been strewn haphazardly on the floor like this!" "It looks like it belongs to the ex-Mistress Han, and it looks like she hasn't gotten round to cleaning it yet…wait! What on earth is that sticking out of the pocket? Mistress Han? Would you care to explain this?" "Are you being serious? If my supervisor hadn't tossed me these new robes on a whim after loosing mine, then I wouldn't potentially be facing trouble, would I? I expect a proper investigation to go down or…." "So from what I am hearing, we haven't even examined what you are hiding in your pocket robes, and you are already acting guilty? No wonder my husband dumped you when he could, you really are not one of the brighter ones are you?" "Your Highness! I mean…peace be to Your Highness." "…still, we must get to the bottom of he culprit who severely harmed the pregnant wife of The Master Seo, for my husband intends to ipse strip punishment on whoever is found guilty of such a crime!" "What are you talking about? Kim Hyeon…did she miscarry her baby? Did she really? Tell me!" "You are in n position to order me around, slave! Especially when you were just found hiding the poison in your work robes! What do you say, husband?" "Your Highness! I really have no idea what is going on here! I know nothing abut any poison or miscarriage at all! Someone is obviously framing me for my…past connections to Seo Hwi!"

"How dare you make excuses? Did you really think that you could get away with hiding the poison in plain sight" "I bear no grudges against the girl, so why would I harm her!" "Because you were the one who trafficked her into the brothel after you set her home on fire, killing her entire family! Is that not so, Han Hui-Jae?" "No! That isn't…that wasn't me! It was Kim Aerum who did that! She was her cousin, not mine!" "And yet everyone apart from you who was involved in the brothel traffickings, including Seo Yeon is dead! So you will have to carry out the burden of their crimes if you are indeed found guilty of this as well!" "I am not the only one who was a part of that…ouch!" "Do not talk back to your superiors again girl, before I slap you again!" "I have been under the strictest supervision since. my…demotion, so where could I get any poison from at all? I have only been exposed to these quarters since my arrival here to serve The Third Prince and I don't go anywhere else! I do not know the palace at all and you know this, don't you Third Prince!" "Who knows if you are in contact with any other Royal Family member, since the male ones used to attend your brothel for years now? Including my husband? You could be doing favours for others to establish your own business again to facilitate an escape for yourself? Who knows, you are certainly capable of it, using brother's grudges against each other just like you have with a pair of close friends in the past?" "Well, i obviously didn't manage to get away with it then, so how could I have perfected that craft under lockdown in the palace, Your Highness!" "The Third Prince clearly favours me once again and you are nursing that ld grudge to justify your anger towards me, even now? How many times has it been reported to us that you stay close to the vast pond here where the official residence of the 5th Prince lies? How you are always watching it instead of paying attention to your work? You continually violated palace regulations to try and visit those quarters? What else can that possibly mean? We might still spare your life if you confess right here and now!"

"Third Prince! After everything that we have shared together and everything that I have helped you with, please allow me just one chance to prove my innocence! I had even lost my child and I was tricked to being infertile and I haven't received a single apology yet! As a woman, I have lost my lifeline in this world, so please allow me a single chance to defend myself! It won't be too late to find me guilty if you do not believe me!" "Why should I? All of these allegations that have been placed on you are all backed up with facts." "Because since I chose to become your woman, I entrusted my fate into your hands, so why would I align myself with anyone else when I have lived for you alone for years now?" "maybe you needed backers when mu wife became suspicious of us?" "If I were to use such despicable methods, then I could have used this method for more impending matters, like ridding us both of your wife so that I could have her position and you know it. It is also because I bear a clear conscious that I can say this without harbouring any fear at all. You are also a man of great talent and insight, and you know how ambitious I am. And now after suffering from one mishap after the other, I know how to smell out a clear trap like this one." "You dare to swear that you have no connections with nay of my brothers after the fall of your brothel?" "I swear, Your Highness, I no longer hold any power to sway your brothers to meet my needs, do I? Apart from yourself, all of your brothers share equal status and should you be brought down by your wife, no-one will think of me, right? A barren and unmarried woman? Riots will incur with or without my assistance, so who will want me as an ally? Isn't that true, Your Highness?"