"So, this is 'The Western Expedition Essays' that everyone is saying Seo Hwi was found with? This book if full of flattery for Concubine Choi's brother along with the deposed Fifth Prince? Someone has obviously set him up…and what about The Concubine Park? Where are the orders for her confinement? I cannot lose her after the death of Concubines Cho and Kim…" "Your Highness, i am here to report on the pregnancy of The Concubine Park! Congratulations, Your Highness…" "Pregnant! She is pregnant! So soon after I woke up…servant! Is it really true that it was Nam Seon-ho who saved my life? Through The Concubine Park herself? really?" "It is indeed Your Highness and the Emperor has already rewarded him for this." "With what?" "That is unknown to us, Your Highness, but it seems as though The Concubine Park has put in a request to place her prenatal care into the hands of The Concubine Choi after she has birthed a Princess for you…" "She is placing her trust in The Concubine who had her on house arrest for no reason at all? What on earth is going on? How much did i miss out on when I was unconscious?" "The Concubine Park is wise beyond her years; she must have a reason t provoke her like this even with the temporary power that she granted herself in your absence, Your Highness. Since she has plotted against your favourite Concubine due to her own resentment, she must be relying on her for your child's survival…"
"Your Highness, the brother of Concubine Choi is waiting to dine with you." "Very well, let him in so that i can give him his orders…"
"...my goodness brother, how could you interact with my husband that way? The most feared Third Prince in this kingdom? How could you use his personal eunuch to serve you lunch himself? Have you lost your mind?" "Relax sister, do the victories that i have secured for him not deserve the service of his own eunuch?" "Do not mistake yourself as a member of The Royal Family no matter how many how many victories you achieve for him brother, so do not do that again!" "It was that servant's honour to be in my service! And what is wrong with you? i thought that you were in charge of this place in his absence?" "He was only being polite when he called us family, but you overstepping you're bounds of property is certainly not helping my situation at all. Luckily, i have jus sent him a new embroidered robe to keep hm happy, but how long will that last?" "It looks like living in the palace has narrowed your mind, sister. I am just echoing your husband's words and acting upon them; because we are family and apart from The concubine Park, none of his other concubines have been granted such a title, which makes you one of his favourites." "I am nobody's favourite in the palace compared to Seo Yeon, not even he noble wives outside of the palace can compete with her favour. Not to mention that her ally, The Concubine Park is now pregnant at the very same time! And she has her other ally, the widowed Mistress Nam with her, and they are a very dangerous group altogether." "You should focus on taking down the weakest whilst i shall take on The Concubine Park and Yen when you invite us all to dine together for dinner sister." "You had better not act as presumptuous to them as you did with my husband earlier." "do not worry yourself sister, i shall behave according so my station, but I can only hope that they will act the same way...."
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"…I see that Seo Yeon is already moving out to be with The Concubine Choi so son after the death of the previous Concubines that she was friendly with..." "…how wise she is beyond her years; it didn't take her long to become a social climber did it?" "So this is what a horde of jealous concubines sound like? it wasn't like she had a choice..." "or she planned it well to gain our husband's favour, since there were talks of a marriage between them earlier, this is something that you cannot deny, Mistress Nam. All of the favourites are now living together without you, so it is more convenient for them to call upon our husband The Third Prince, even you you both arrived in the palace at the same time. Or maybe you were only invited here to be some kind of mole whilst they live off in luxury together."
"...do not listen to them My Lady, you know that The Third Prince also favours you, that is why you spent so much time embroidering a robe for him." "You are right; I have put a lot of thought into it, servant. it really does look flawless now and it is ready to be sent off i believe, but i know that if Yeon herself made one for me, it would have been 10 times as better as mine; she didn't come up with an embroidery business for now." "But your one has more thought put into it, My Lady." "The Third Prince treated me so well before, of course i have to return the favour for letting him give me a path for survival in the palace. I have spent such a long time on this as well, i really hope that he likes it and keeps me in his thoughts, as I cannot just rely on my brother-in-law for survival. And as sleeping gowns are closest to the body, so this should do the trick, to feel my affection for him. Now, i have to go and meet the children that i will be caring for, along with Yeon…"
"My Lady, a messenger has appeared from The Concubine Choi…" "For me? Really? Well what does she want?" "My Lady, it looks like The Third Prince wants The Concubine Park alone during her pregnancy, so she is having us move in with her instead right next to Yeon!" "Really? But i have a young child, will that not disturb her? And her daughter?" "It looks like the decision has already been made, My Lady, and she wishes for us to pack now in time to join her for dinner in just an hours time!" "What? But why? why is she targeting me all of a sudden? What on earth could i have done to offend her like this?" "My Lady, do you not remember what Seo Yeon warned us about? It is her high servant, The Mistress Han who has taken issue with your promotion right above hers? This surely must be her doing…" "I am a servant who was promoted to a main wife, whilst she was a free kisaeng who became a servant to the Mistress of the man who was supposed to buy her freedom and give her a life of luxury and power, which is what she missed out on. On the surface, she is irritated by me, but deep down this has everything to do with Seo Yeon who rose to greater power than she ever has. But she is well-protected, whereas i am not. The Mistress Han will really go to war with a defenceless single mother without any wealth and power just to dispose of me, an ally of Seo Yeon." "My Lady…." "I know, that she has done a lot for me, as has my brother-in-law, but i cannot risk harming my son for defending them either."
I was so flustered by that entire evening that i completely forgot about my appointment with the Royal Children that i was supposed to nanny, which almost cost me the job entirely, if Yeon hadn't spoken up for me and verified facts with The Concubine Choi. But that disastrous dinner banquet was the most humiliating experience of my life, it had even surpassed events that I had suffered as a maid. And since i was going to continue to be treated as such, then I would need to find ways to preserve myself by doing some old-fashioned snooping around to see exactly what was going on between all of these women so that i knew how to protect my family when i was the first to approach The Concubine Choi's palace.
"…is this really the palace's annual bonus?" "It is My Lady, but The Internal Affairs Authority has confided in me that The Third Prince wishes to cut costs after his expensive treatment, so this year's bonus is only half of last year's…" "But a concubine of my status I have to grant large sums of money to my loyal servants, even twice the original bonus isn't enough to cover costs, and yet they wish to half it? what on earth am i supposed to do with this now? The more silvers that i have, the more servant i can buy off in each concubines quarters to serve me…no, i clearly need to talk to my brother about this, for this is matter of my prestige in the palace. my husband's favour is a separate matter, but it is more vital to keep handing out handsome rewards to those commoners." "My lady, who don't you ask your brother for financial help? He will be here tonight anyways to dine with you…" "I will have to since these meagre monthly salaries couldn't possibly last me for over a week! but to keep asking family for money is not a permanent solution either…" "My Lady, your predecessor did bribe officials with her husband…" so this was the issue with The Concubine Choi and The Mistress Han, but what about The Third Prince who had just situated himself n the side chamber with his servants and some work documents to await the dinner that The Mistress Han was handling herself.
"…Your Highness, here are the bills that have been accounted for that we need you to go over so that you can continue to cut costs as in your harem as you please…." "How has The Concubine Choi spent over 8000silvers this month alone? This is triple my own monthly spending! Does this make any sense to anyone?" "The New Year is approaching us in a month's time, where everyone likes to indulge in luxurious, so it is hard to stick to a budget then…" "She still cannot surpass The Royal Family Members in this case, concubines spendings should't exceed ours, there is simply no need to! Look at Seo Yeon! She spends hardly anything due to her being a proficient and frugal multi-tasker. she doesn't even use any servant at all! And her brother, despite being a father now himself." "It is a matter of prestige for these concubines, even their accessories are all foiled with gold somehow or another and they order more clothes just to match them all!" "Women put more care into their appearances than men, even i know this to be a fact, so elevate their social statuses, not to mention their daily allowances...it looks like she is spending more to plant spies in her rivals chambers, just as i thought." "But where is she getting this money from?" "Why don't you ask the one who keeps exceeding his memorandum limit by lecturing me about his sister's daily life and routines and do son and so forth...." "But he cannot do that! He cannot interfere in your personal maters like this! How can he lecture a Royal Prince…." "He is a master of my own making that is how. And i was only forced to give him the job because Seo Hwi refused to because of my own fucking wife and how dared to torture his sister. I fear that i have lost a good man due to my own family politics…"
"Your Highness, both The Concubine Choi and The Widowed Mistress Nam has sent you a sleeping gown each." "They must both have interlocked hearts, for this dragon on the robe has been embroidered so lively for a sleeping gown. For one to take care of minor details so carefully and thoughtfully…did you say Concubine Choi sent this to me? The Embroidery Department is too busy for work such as this; who could be so meticulous like this apart from Seo Yeon herself? Wasn't she the one who set up the Seo family business?" "I believe that you are right Your Highness." "Very well, let us play this game, Concubine Choi."