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At the palace, Taehyung’s carriage arrived at the same time as Jung Hoseok’s carriage.
Taehyung waited for Hoseok’s group to enter the palace first.
“Taehyung, did you notice there is something strange about Su Ryeon?” Seorin asked softly.
Taehyung looked at Su Ryeon in the distance. Although Su Ryeon wore makeup and a beautiful dress, it couldn’t hide her withered aura like someone attending a funeral.
Inside Consort Jung’s personal chamber in the palace, she makes Su Ryeon to sit with her. She then started to talk with Su Ryeon.
“Don’t act like a corpse… if you exposed anything… you know what will happen to you,” Consort Jung threatened Su Ryeon.
“Yes aunt,” Su Ryeon said.
“I considered your mother, my friend who is like a sister to me so I spared your life this time, and you should be grateful, that I didn't let my son know anything till now,” Consort Jung said. “But don’t you dare to act shameless and ruin my plan.”
“But… Aunt....,” Su Ryeon said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll spare your life,” Consort Jung said.
Su Ryeon clasped her trembling hands helplessly.
“It’s time to go to the banquet hall,” Consort Jung said.
Consort Jung and Su Ryeon left the chamber and went towards the banquet hall with their family that was waiting outside the chamber, while Minji hid behind a window. Minji tried to find her bracelet but in that process, she also found out Consort Jung’s secret.
The emperor’s birthday banquet was held in the imperial banquet hall. There were dancers, singers, musicians, and actors who performed at the banquet. The guests ate food and drank wine.
Taehyung was too anxious to appreciate the performers’ skills. At his father’s birthday banquet the men and women sat at different banquet tables. Taehyung couldn’t sit next to Seorin, he could only look at her. He noticed Consort Jung was watching Seorin too closely.
Seorin didn’t dare touch the delicious food and wine in front of her. She was worried Consort Jung would dare to poison the food and wine to kill her and her son.
Seorin was also wary of the venomous Sooyeon who sat next to her, Sooyeon was smiling at her but she felt Sooyeon was displaying fangs.
Seorin calmly picked up a cup of wine and pretended to sip the wine while spilling it into her dress.
“Elder third sister, forgive me,” Seorin said. “I need to go to clean myself.”
Yunji escorted Seorin to a chamber the emperor reserved for his daughter-in-laws in the palace.
“Miss, calm down,” Yunji advised.
Seorin watched Yunji help her wipe her dress too calmly.
“Little sister Yunji, wait until you’re pregnant then you’ll understand how I’m feeling,” Seorin said.
Yunji thought Seorin’s words were reasonable and nodded her head.
Seorin sat on a chair near a window. “I want to stay here and rest. I don’t want to go back to the banquet hall.”
Yunji quietly opened a small chest she packed. She used a silver needle to check if the food and drinks were safe. Then she passed the small chest to Seorin.
Seorin’s eyes brightened to see the familiar nutritious food and drinks.
“Fifth prince said his wife wouldn’t dare to eat the food at the palace so I secretly brought food into the palace,” Yunji said.
Seorin smiled, she thought Taehyung was becoming more considerate by the day.
Seorin and Yunji happily ate and drank together but Su Ryeon entered the chamber.
“What are you two doing?” Su Ryeon asked.
Seorin raised her head and saw a maid help Su Ryeon walk.
Su Ryeon was also heavily pregnant and had trouble walking. The maid helped Su Ryeon sit next to Seorin.
Su Ryeon looked at the small chest of food and drinks and smiled. “Little sister, does your body ache when you stand or sit still for too long?”
“Yes,” Seorin said politely. “Unnie, your complexion looks pale. Do you want to call an imperial physician?”
“It’s alright, perhaps it’s because I’ll be giving birth soon,” Su Ryeon said.
Su Ryeon turned to face the maid. “Go and bring me the lavender oil. I feel a little faint.”
Seorin was suspicious of the gleam in Su Ryeon’s eyes. “Unnie, I rested enough. I’ll go back to the banquet hall first.”
“Wait,” Su Ryeon said. “Little sister can you help me pour a cup of tea. I’m thirsty after eating salty food.”
Seorin reluctantly asked Yunji to pour a cup of tea.
Su Ryeon accepted the cup of tea, lowered her head, and blew.
Seorin was startled to see Su Ryeon swirl the tea with a fingernail before drinking it. Seorin remembered she and Taehyung used to the same tactic to deal with Chae Young.
Su Ryeon spatted blood on her dress.
“Someone! Help!” Su Ryeon screamed. “What did you put in the tea?”
The maid rushed into the chamber and the maid screamed too.
Seorin’s back turned cold. Consort Jung didn’t want to poison her… Consort Jung wanted to frame her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The palace maids and eunuchs ran in different directions.
Some ran to the emperor, others to Hoseok, Taehyung, and Advisor Park Jimin.
In the chamber, Su Ryeon collapsed on the floor and was bleeding continuously. Tears fell down from her pale face and her stomach ached unbearably. Even in her pain, she didn’t forget to bite the powdered fingernail and swallow it.
Seorin was too shocked to move. After she saw Consort Jung and Sooyeon approach the chamber too quickly, she regained her composure.
Seorin didn’t know why Su Ryeon cooperated with Consort Jung to kill Su Ryeon's child and frame her. But she knew the consequences, the emperor wouldn’t spare Taehyung and everyone at his manor for conspiring to kill the emperor’s grandchild.
“Miss, inside the tea, are powder used to induce labor,” Yunji said.
Seorin didn’t have any other options, she herself sipped the tea.
“Miss!” Yunji said.
“Don’t worry, I only drank a sip,” Seorin said. “Little sister Yunji, you need to be my midwife.”
“Midwife?” Yunji asked in panic.
Seorin clutched her stomach, the powder was too concentrated.
“My child is more than eight months,” Seorin said. “It’s possible. I’m begging you Yunji!”
Seorin laid on the floor. She felt contraction in her stomach and cried.
Yunji thought about what happened and understood Seorin’s logic. Seorin wanted to save everyone at Taehyung’s manor by drinking the dissolved power and giving birth prematurely.
Yunji quickly helped Seorin on the floor, pulled out the hidden dagger, pricked a finger, and wiped the blood on Seorin’s dress.
“Fifth prince’s wife is bleeding!” Yunji screamed.
Yunji’s fingers pressed on some of Seorin’s vital acupuncture points and inserted a pill into Seorin’s mouth to save her energy.
Everyone rushed to the chamber and saw Su Ryeon and Seorin were bleeding on the floor.
Consort Jung and Sooyeon were startled Seorin was giving birth too.
“Fifth prince’s wife is in labor!” Yunji screamed.
A long time later Yunji wiped Seorin’s sweaty forehead.
“Miss, you need to push harder,” Yunji said.
“Ah… Fifth prince’s wife is bleeding!” the palace maids cried out at the same time.
“Get out of here!” Yunji ordered the troublesome palace maids.
Yunji looked calmly at the panicked and tired Seorin. “Miss, it’s alright. Miss, you need to push harder.”
Seorin bit down on the cloth and pushed hard. She didn’t know her fingernails were piercing her palms because the labor pain overwhelmed her senses.
“My child… you need to endure and survive,” Seorin murmured.
Outside the chamber, Taehyung saw a maid carry another bowl of blood water.
“What’s happening inside?” Taehyung asked in panic. “How is my wife?”
The maid shivered to see the usual gentle Fifth prince glare deadly at her. “Fifth prince… I don’t know.”
Taehyung was angry and anxious. His wife and child were healthy. There was no reason for Seorin to give birth prematurely unless something happened while she wasn’t inside the banquet hall.
Su Ryeon and Seorin were in labor in chambers next to each other. Su Ryeon gave birth to a stillborn child while Seorin gave birth to a healthy child.
Su Ryeon looked at her dead son’s purple face and sobbed loudly.
Outside the chamber, the emperor heard Su Ryeon’s sob.
“What happened?” the emperor asked Su Ryeon’s midwife coldly. “How is my grandchild?”
The midwife knelt in front of the emperor and cried for mercy. “Your majesty, Third prince’s second wife’s child died.”
“Died?” the emperor asked.
The emperor didn’t believe what he heard. How was it possible for a woman who had a smooth pregnancy for nine months suddenly lose a child?
Hoseok is shocked and slumped on the ground and Consort Jung acted to cry hysterically.
“My grandchild was healthy,” Consort Jung said. “Why did I lose my grandchild?”
Suddenly a child’s loud cry was heard and Taehyung stood upright.
Another midwife carried a healthy child outside Seorin’s chamber.
“Congratulations your majesty,” the midwife said. “Congratulations Fifth prince, your wife gave birth to a prince.”
Taehyung didn’t care if his child was a boy or a girl. “How is my wife?”
“Fifth prince, your wife lost a lot of blood,” the midwife said. “Your wife is in a weak condition.”
Taehyung rushed into the chamber and parted the beaded curtains. Seorin was lying on the bed, her whole body was sweaty and her hair was messy.
Seorin cried happy tears. “Taehyung…”
Taehyung held Seorin and cried. “Seorin…”
“Seorin!” Su Ryeon cried out from the neighboring chamber. “I want to kill you! Give back my son!”
Seorin gripped Taehyung’s hand and whispered. “This is their scheme. Be careful.”
The emperor was sad to hear a grandson died but he was also happy to hear his other grandson was alive.
“What happened?” the emperor asked Su Ryeon’s maid coldly.
The maid knelt in front of the emperor and cried. “Your majesty, I don’t know. I left to get lavender oil for mistress and after I returned I saw mistress lying on the floor and bleeding. I… I heard it was the Fifth prince’s wife who poisoned the tea.”
“What poison?” the emperor asked and signaled an imperial guard to investigate.
A while later the imperial guard reported to the emperor. “In Fifth prince’s wife and Third prince’s second wife’s tea are powder to induce labor.”
“Who dared to do this?” the emperor asked. “Find the culprit! Who was here when it happened? Who poured the tea?”
The palace maids and the eunuchs knelt and cried. “Your majesty, we were framed.”
“Your majesty, the powder was only in their two cups of tea… it’s too coincidental… someone must have contaminated their tea in front of them,” the imperial guard said.
Su Ryeon and Seorin were harmed so Yunji was the biggest suspect.
Seorin heard the emperor was interrogating Yunji. She was weak but used her little strength to walk outside and kneel in front of the emperor.
“Imperial father, Yunji is like a little sister to me,” Seorin said. “Yunji risked her life to help me give birth. If she wanted to harm me, she could have easily killed me and my son.”
Taehyung’s heart ached to see Seorin kneel too soon after giving birth, he could only kneel next to her.
The emperor believed Seorin, he didn’t think the culprit was Yunji.
“If it isn’t her then who else?” Consort Jung asked. “There were only three of them inside the chamber!”
“Why did my son died?” Hoseok asked remorsefully. He knelt in front of his father and cried. “Imperial father, you need to give me justice.”
“Seorin, why did you kill my son?” Hoseok asked.
Seorin was prepared for Hoseok’s accusation. She cried and hit her forehead on the ground.
“Imperial father, I indeed asked Yunji to pour the tea for Unnie,” Seorin said. “But I didn’t know what was inside the tea. I also drank the tea and was harmed too… my son could have died…”
Seorin sobbed pitifully.
“Who can be certain you didn’t risk your son’s life to kill my grandson?” Consort Jung asked. “Even though you drank the tea, you and your son are safe. What about my grandson? Your venomous snake heart schemed this!”
Seorin heard Consort Jung spit blood lies and threw dirty water over her body.
“Consort Jung, what are you saying?” Seorin asked. “Are you saying because I want to kill your grandson that I would risk harming my own child?”
“To succeed you would willingly do anything!” Consort Jung said.
“If what Consort Jung saying is true then wouldn’t it also be true Consort Jung would be willing to kill your grandson to frame me?” Seorin asked.
Consort Jung was choked by Seorin’s sharp words. “Why would I ask my daughter-in-law to kill our grandson to frame you?”
Seorin laughed coldly. “Consort Jung can suspect that I have a venomous snake heart and am willing to sacrifice my son to succeed. Then why can’t I suspect your daughter-in-law?”
“Everyone talk less,” Hoseok shouted in agony. “What scheme? What frame? My son died here!”
“Consort Jung, you’re also a mother,” Seorin said. “You understand the importance of flesh and blood. As long as a conscience exists, a mother would never risk their own child’s life, you also know that. I didn’t commit the crime and I believe unnie didn’t commit the crime either. Although we don’t know who the culprit is but I didn’t accuse unnie. So why is Consort Jung certain that I’m the culprit?”
Seorin could only deflect suspicion on Consort Jung because Su Ryeon swallowed the evidence.
“I can also empathize with Third brother’s state of mind,” Seorin said. “If I lost my son I believe I would act more irrational than Third brother and his second wife. But Consort Jung I don’t want dirty water to be poured over my body.”
Seorin’s breaths were shallow and her body swayed.
Taehyung caught Seorin before she fell to the ground.
“Imperial father, you know clearly what kind of person I am,” Seorin said. “Imperial father, everything I said earlier was true-”
Seorin fainted.
“Seorin!” Taehyung cried out.
“My husband, the Emperor, even if she isn’t the culprit,” Consort Jung said. “But they drank from the same cup. Why is it the person who drank the tea first is affected more than the second person who drank the tea?”
“Your majesty, it’s because my mistress’ body is healthy but Third prince’s second wife’s body is weak,” Yunji said.
The emperor’s imperial guards reported that Seorin was healthy and active at the Mountain Top villa. So the emperor didn’t believe Seorin was the culprit. But… he looked at Taehyung asking the imperial physicians to save Seorin then he looked at Hoseok’s tears and heard Su Ryeon’s sob… it conflicted his heart.
“Fifth son, your wife is weak,” the emperor said. “Your wife and son should stay in the palace until they recover.”
Taehyung’s back stiffened. His father wanted to hold his wife and son captive in the palace. It meant his father suspected him.
The emperor sent Seorin and his grandson to the chamber with a spacious nursery and a beautiful courtyard.
Taehyung changed Seorin’s clothes and laid her on the bed.
Seorin secretly opened her eyes and saw Taehyung guarding her. She smiled and her stomach hurt.
“Seorin, are you in pain?” Taehyung asked.
“It hurts,” Seorin said.
“You know how to feel pain?” Taehyung asked.
“What?” Seorin asked.
Taehyung wanted to flick Seorin’s forehead. But he only gently pinch her hand. “When you’re home I’ll punish you.”
Seorin looked pitifully at Taehyung.
“Seorin, you and our son need to stay in the palace,” Taehyung said.
Seorin widened her eyes.
Taehyung kissed Seorin’s forehead. “Seorin, don’t worry. I’ll escort you and our son home soon.”
Seorin understood the emperor was suspicious of her and Taehyung.
“Seorin, you made the right decision at right time,” Taehyung praised.
“I fear it’ll be hard for me to see you in the palace for several days.”
“I’ll take good care of our son,” Seorin said.
“I want you to take good care of yourself first,” Taehyung said.
“What?” Seorin asked.
“I can’t lose you,” Taehyung said. “If we lose our child later we can have another child.”
“I’ll take good care of myself,” Seorin said. “I want to tell you a secret.”
“Um?” Taehyung asked.
“Earlier I only pretended to faint,” Seorin said.
Taehyung was speechless. He realized why a healthy Seorin would suddenly turn weak.
“I needed to faint to be more convincing,” Seorin said.
“Seorin, then why didn’t you wake up until now?” Taehyung asked.
“While you were holding me,” Seorin said. “I felt sleepy and slept.”
Taehyung didn’t know what to say.
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Later Taehyung returned to the manor. After Taehyung recounted what happened in the palace to everyone, everyone was both happy and sad.
They were happy Seorin gave birth to their young master but they were sad Seorin, Yunji, and their young master were held captive in the palace.
Yoongi was the least happy. Taehyung asked to borrow Yunji, his most reliable maid for one day, but Yunji ended up implicated in a calamity.
“Taehyung, you married a good woman,” Yoongi said. “If she didn’t react fast then we could have all died.”
Yoongi thought Seorin was suited to Taehyung and his maid was became quite intelligent in his eyes. It was only recently he instructed Yunji how to help a female cook give birth but Yunji was a fast learner and was able to help Seorin give birth on her own.
“What’s your next step?” Yoongi asked.
“Hyung, first I need to find out why Consort Jung needed to kill her own grandson,” Taehyung said.
Yoongi nodded his head. “They wouldn’t gain anything to kill their own child.”
“Luckily Seorin ruined their scheme otherwise none of us would be alive, hyung” Taehyung said. “Imperial father is only holding Seorin and our son captive to warn me to behave. Although Third brother won this battle, but even a vicious animal wouldn’t eat its own child. Especially if the child is a boy and would earn imperial father’s favor. I don’t believe Third brother would act this irrationally.”
“Are you saying there’s something suspicious about the birth of Su Ryeon’s son?” Yoongi asked.
Taehyung nodded his head.
“That’s possible,” Yoongi said. “I’ll send someone to Third prince’s manor to investigate.”
“Hyung, I want those two people... my wife and your maid to come home soon,” Taehyung said. “Otherwise I’ll be suffering more than anyone in this world.”
“Two people?” Yoongi asked. “It’s three people.”
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhaKmf21Pq
“Three… I forgot about my son,” Taehyung said.
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A/N ~~
Hi, My Precious Readers, I'm here again to treat you all with a new chapter..... I hope that you all will enjoy the intensity of this chapter lavishy..... Let me know if you enjoyed the chapter or not.... See you all in the next chapter...........
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