The sight of the White Princess sitting with her arms restrained in the Emperor’s majestic tent which was more magnificent than any ordinary building was etched in the eyes of the high officials.
The very White Princess who had always displayed her noble demeanor as the mistress of the White Tiger Palace was now a shocking sight. She was captured and restrained with her body covered in bruises.
By now, the Emperor had already been briefed on the general situation.
This was less an occasion to uncover the truth than it was to punish the White Princess. All circumstances pointed conclusively to her guilt.
Therefore, the first words the Emperor uttered in that silent scene were simple.
“Defend yourself.”
The stern voice of Emperor Woon Sung permeated the scene.
The White Princess was well aware that any excuse she might offer here would be meaningless.
The situation was already settled. Although she might have considered other strategies had she not been captured, now there was no alternative left.
Anything she said would seem like the desperate flailing of a cornered villainess.
Although the White Princess could not claim her innocence, she was still the mistress of the White Tiger Palace and the crown princess consort of the Empire.
Even so, to remain in such an ugly and pathetic state at the end was too miserable for her.
Only upon reaching the brink of death did she begin to understand why many condemned prisoners quietly accept their fate.
They wished to face the end with dignity and without disgrace before the world.
“…….”
For a moment, the White Princess closed her eyes and thought.
At least when she leaves, she wanted to remain the same mistress of the White Tiger Palace with her back straight and her head held high.
Ha Chae Rim, the one who trapped her like this, must be imagining the White Princess crying her eyes out before disappearing like the dew on the gallows. In that case, wouldn’t the best resistance be to accept this fate gracefully in the end?
“…I was falsely accused.”
However, different words from what she was thinking unexpectedly escaped the White Princess’s lips.
Like anyone facing death, she knew it was futile but still chose to resist as much as she could.
A person must struggle to survive in any situation; that was the White Princess’s firm belief.
“This is all a trap…! Your Majesty! I have been falsely accused of scheming against the Vermilion Princess…!”
The White Princess shouted her defiance with gritted teeth.
The high officials closed their eyes and shook their heads. Emperor Woon Sung did the same.
Despite everything being over, the sight of a human flailing pathetically was extremely ugly. Yet, what did it matter if it was ugly? Should she die just like this?
Struggling to live even a moment longer was what anyone naturally ought to do.
“Your Majesty!”
That was when it happened.
Ha Chae Rim who had been sitting among them suddenly ran to the front of the tent that served as the judgment place.
As if they had not expected it at all, not only the high officials but also Emperor Woon Sung looked surprised and narrowed his eyes for a moment.
“Fourth consort?”
“Yes, that is correct. I cannot say that I am without responsibility for all of the White Princess’s misdeeds…”
The White Princess opened her eyes wide and glared at the fourth consort.
The fourth consort realized that the White Princess had not yet given up her resistance and had sprung forward to swiftly seize control of the situation.
“How can the White Princess’s atrocious acts be forgiven! However, she may not fully grasp the strictness of the palace laws due to her young age. She has sown chaos within these laws through her sinister schemes and deserves stern punishment…! Yet the fault is not solely the White Princess’s!”
Ha Chae Rim bowed her head and continued with tears streaming down her face.
“I too was once a mistress of one of the Four Great Palaces, and as a woman of the same inbong clan, I had personal ties with her. It was my duty to have been stricter with the White Princess, to teach her the palace laws more rigorously. This is… largely my fault.”
“… Fourth consort, raise your head.”
“No, please… please… take into consideration the faults of this unworthy fourth consort. The misconduct committed is indeed severe, but the greater fault lies with the one who failed to teach. Please lighten the White Princess’s punishment and allow this unworthy fourth consort to share in her guilt…”
The fourth consort pleaded for the White Princess’s leniency with her head bowed and tears flowing from her eyes.
The sight was truly disgusting, but the White Princess found herself unable to raise her voice.
The White Princess wanted to cry out that all these schemes were the fourth consort’s doing.
However, when the fourth consort suddenly stepped forward and began to shield the White Princess, it confused her on how to judge the situation.
The crafty fourth consort’s wailing was surely nothing more than an act.
But to accuse the fourth consort who was now protecting her as the perpetrator of everything seemed exceedingly disloyal. At least in the eyes of the high officials, it would appear like she was merely exploiting the fourth consort and she would be seen as a greater villainess.
Perhaps if she just remained quiet… the Emperor might find the fourth consort’s pitiable state and grant some leniency. That could be… a more realistic approach.
“…….”
Yet the White Princess shook her head and shouted.
“All of this was orchestrated by the fourth consort! The fourth consort was the one who appeared and schemed to capture me…!”
“…….!”
At that moment, murmurs swept through the audience.
Cursing words was also heard amidst the clamor. It had finally come to this. Even the fourth consort who had defended her was now being accused in an attempt to escape the situation. Voices filled with contempt and disdain toward the White Princess could be heard.
However, the White Princess clenched her teeth and shouted,
“Why was the fourth consort commanding the ghost hands? I saw it with my own eyes! The ghost hands do not move unless directly commanded by His Majesty or ordered by one of the three great high officials!”
“That, that is…”
“Is that the important matter here?”
The voice of the Emperor permeated the space once more.
The intelligent Emperor Woon Sung fully understood the situation. The fact that the fourth consort was commanding the ghost hands was completely irrelevant to the issue at hand.
“However, Your Majesty! It is very strange! Right after the incident, they appeared to restrain me as if on cue …!”
“Ha Wol-ah… How could you… do this to me…!”
The fourth consort spoke with tears streaming down her face.
“I was merely trying to correct you as a fellow woman of the Inbong clan …! The ghost hands… were specially assigned to me by the Chief Councilor after hearing the circumstances…!”
As the fourth consort wailed with such sorrow, silence once again enveloped the gathering.
“Is that the truth… Chief Councilor?”
When the Emperor spoke, Chief Councilor In Seon Rok who had been observing the situation raised his head.
Then in a calm voice he said,
“Yes, that is true. The fourth consort informed me of the situation and requested that we quickly apprehend the White Princess.”
“… The situation was urgent, so that was a reasonable decision.”
With that, the Chief Councilor sat back down.
There was no need for unnecessary intervention. From his perspective, the best course of action was to remain a strict bystander.
The White Princess tightly closed her eyes and thought hard again. There must be another way.
“However…! I have never sent such a sachet as a gift!”
“Wol-ah…! It would be better to stop making meaningless lies…! Please…! Let’s beg the Emperor for mercy together…! Continuing to lie now will only make matters worse…!”
“The sachet… was sent as a gift by someone disguised as a maid from the White Tiger Palace by the fourth consort. I never instructed my maids to do such a thing.”
The White Princess sat with her back straight and spoke only the truth.
Even though the world looked down on her with contempt, she could not afford to be disheartened. This was her last stage to struggle for survival.
“Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, come forward.”
At that moment, the Emperor called for the Vermilion Princess.
The Vermilion Princess who had been watching the situation from inside the tent finally stepped forward when the time seemed right.
Dressed in her red court robe, the Vermilion Princess bowed once before the Emperor.
The high officials also bowed their heads and watched her in silence with bated breath.
Despite being the most affected by this incident, she appeared to be in surprisingly good condition as she probably had enough rest.
“Is it true that you received the sachet as a gift?”
“Yes, it is true. The sachet came as a gift through Headmaid Hyeon Dang and was tied to the end of my sword.”
You cannot lie in front of the emperor.
And indeed, it was a clear fact that the Vermilion Princess had received the sachet as a gift. It was also undeniable that the sachet had come as a present from the White Tiger Palace.
“So, are you saying that it’s certain you received the sachet from the White Tiger Palace?”
“I have been informed that it was sent as a gift by the White Princess of the White Tiger Palace.”
It was a testimony completely unfavorable to the White Princess. However, the facts could not be distorted since not only the Vermilion Princess but also many others were already well aware of them.
There was absolutely no means to defend the White Princess.
Even though the Vermilion Princes felt helpless, she still racked her brain tirelessly.
She believed that the White Princess was not the culprit. To claim that, she needed evidence.
Ye, there was not a single piece of evidence to support the claim that the White Princess was not the culprit. Baseless claims would only worsen the situation.
“However…”
So the extent of defense the Vermilion Princess could offer was just this.
“I have been considering that the actions attributed to the White Princess seem too clumsy to be her doing.”
“Explain further.”
“It is a very clear fact that if the plot had not worked, it would have backed the White Princess into a corner. It is hard to believe that she would have proceeded with such a scheme without considering even that possibility… and without thinking this through.”
This was just speculation.
It may be that the White Princess was just crazy with her envy and jealousy and started doing things with no regard for the consequences.
Nevertheless, the Vermilion Princess had decided to present it that way. It was important to steer the conversation in a direction that might, even slightly, work in favor of the White Princess.
“Indeed, Your Majesty! The situation is incredibly unnatural! It seems as if someone… has set up the situation with the intention of using the Vermilion Princess to accuse me of high treason!”
The White Princess thought it was time to raise her voice and speak.
“This must be the work of the fourth consort! The fourth consort who could freely enter and exit the White Tiger Palace could have orchestrated this entire incident!”
“How can you say such a thing, Wol-ah…! How can you do that to me…!”
“Save your crocodile tears, fourth consort! The high officials of the great Cheongdo Palace are not going to nod in agreement to a woman’s words that appeal merely to emotions!”
“It is you who are appealing to emotions, Wol-ah!”
The fourth consort stood and shouted so that everyone could hear with tears in her eyes.
“There was poison inside the sachet sent as a gift from the White Tiger Palace! After that fact became known to all, how can there be any credibility in the claims accusing me afterward?”
“Your Majesty!”
Ignoring the fourth consort’s words, the White Princess approached the emperor again and kneeled down.
“Please allow me to examine the sachet that was on the stage closely! If it was indeed a gift I sent to the Vermilion Princess, it would naturally be embroidered by me. I know my own stitching best. If I could see it myself… I could prove that the sachet was not made by me!”
“…Is that true?”
The White Princess instantly lost her breath as the Emperor looked down at her coldly.
It was a word she threw out randomly in order to survive. This was because there needs to be a foothold for the discussion to proceed.
But if one cannot be responsible for the words spoken… They might just disappear like dew at the gallows.
Is it really worth risking my life on this?
That question coldly seeped into her mind.
“…Bring the warrior commander here.”
At this time, the Emperor called forth for Jang Rae who had been responsible for guarding the area around the stage.
From beyond the throne, the warrior commander Jang Rae bowed his head and kneeled before the Emperor.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You have investigated the stage. Did you secure the sachet that was hanging from the end of the Vermilion Princess’s sword …?”
“…I am ashamed, your majesty. I searched thoroughly around the stage, but I could not find the sachet.”
If only she could see the sachet, she could prove that it was not the one she had made.
The White Princess had claimed this yet the sachet itself had disappeared from the scene.
“……”
How should one interpret this fact?
Before anyone could speak, Ha Chae Rim raised her head and spoke out first.
“Strange that you confidently asked to see the sachet, and yet, you were the one who removed it!”
The scene was so chaotic that no one had the chance to take care of the sachet at that moment.
However, even though attempts were made later to find the sachet again… It was strange that it could not be found.
If someone intentionally removed the sachet, the high officials had no choice but to suspect the White Princess the most.
She had boldly said she would show the sachet to prove her innocence. Perhaps because she knew it could not be found.
This interpretation was not too far-fetched.
Once she was accused of being the culprit, all interpretations inevitably turned against the White Princess.
“Ha Wol-ah…! How I pitied you…! And now you conspire to make me a criminal…!”
Consort Ha Chae Rim wept endlessly.
“I…How dearly I cared for you as a fellow woman of the Inbong clan … How could you do this to me… Ha Wol-ah… Ha Wol-ah…!”
It was a complete betrayal.
The White Princess touched the floor with the tips of her trembling fingers.
Why should she struggle any further when the whole situation was already over for her? Her death was already close by.
She closed her eyes firmly.
The gathered high officials all looked at the White Princess with eyes full of disdain.
Though she might not humbly admit her guilt, she was seen as the worst of the villains. Someone who had shamelessly struggled and even schemed against her only ally, Consort Ha Chae Rim. At least, that was how they saw her.
Consort Ha Chae Rim continuously wiped her streaming tears with her sleeve.
Her pitiful state evoked sympathetic sighs from the high officials.
However, the moment Consort Ha Chae Rim’s eyes met the White Princess’s beneath the cuff of her sleeve… she voiced a mournful tone and flashed a bitter smile.
The implication was clear. Any further resistance was useless; just accept your fate.
“Do you have anything more to say?”
The Emperor asked the White Princess.
The White Princess… could no longer respond.
She felt a lump in her throat and … slowly… she lowered her head.
Boom!
Crash! Bang!
It was at that moment,
“Wh-Who are you! Stop him from entering!”
“Wh-What strength is this! Aagh! Aaaagh!!”
“How dare you force yourself into the tent of his majesty! Stop him! Stop him now!”
Amid the charging soldiers, a man pushed through with sheer force and made his way into the tent.
He carried the Vermilion Bird Tablet which granted him access to most places but even so, he shouldn’t have been able to approach the Emperor’s tent so easily.
But despite this… the man gritted his teeth and brushed aside the soldiers as he pushed his body forcefully into the tent.
The Vermilion Princess and the White Princess were visibly shocked by his appearance.
His body was covered in blood and his face was wrapped in a black cloth mask.
And beneath the partially removed mask was the face of… Seol Tae Pyeong.
“How presumptuous! How dare you force yourself into the tent of his majesty!”
“Stop right there!”
The one who called the soldiers to halt was warrior commander Jang Rae who was kneeling before the Emperor.
At his command, the soldiers from the Red Palace froze in shock.
Jang Rae who was brandishing his sword rushed forward and glanced at the face visible beneath the mask.
“You are Seol Tae Pyeong from the White Immortal Palace. How dare you create such turmoil here! Leave before you are severely punished!”
“Warrior Commander, I have something crucial to convey.”
When Seol Tae Pyeong told him something in a low voice, Jang Rae’s eyes widened in surprise. After a brief whispered exchange, Jang Rae eventually bowed his head.
The assembled high officials were clueless about what was unfolding.
However, Jang Rae no longer stopped Seol Tae Pyeong as he moved forward with his head bowed.
As always, Emperor Woon Sung observed everything with a cold detached gaze from his throne.
Beneath him sat a lot of high officials from the high council as well as many high military officers.
At a gathering of the highest echelons of Cheongdo Palace, a man covered in blood barely managed to keep himself upright as he entered.
He moved as if he were a walking corpse.
The man, however, paid no attention to his condition. He dragged bloodstains behind him as he knelt and bowed his head.
“Your Majesty, I am deeply sorry for this presumptuous act. I am ashamed to appear before you in such a disheveled state, but the urgency of the matter forced me to do so. Please consider my urgent reasons.”
His solemn voice resonated throughout the gathering.
“I am Seol Tae Pyeong, a third-class warrior from the White Immortal Palace. I have come bearing important evidence relevant to the matter involving the White Princess.”
Both the Vermilion Princess and the White Princess could only stare with their eyes wide open.
No one had imagined that Seol Tae Pyeong would burst onto the scene like this.
After a moment, Seol Tae Pyeong pulled a small object from within his clothing and placed it before them.
“This is the sachet that hung from the sword of the Vermilion Princess.”
With that revelation, everyone understood why Jang Rae had allowed Seol Tae Pyeong to enter.
The sachet that the guards of the Red Palace had searched for in vain was in Seol Tae Pyeong’s possession all along.
“Th-That is…!”
But the most shocked of all was Consort Ha Chae Rim.
She couldn’t understand how Seol Tae Pyeong had produced the sachet.
“… Your Majesty! How would we know if this is the same sachet that was at the stage…!”
“It is indeed the right one!”
Before Ha Chae Rim could raise her voice further, the Vermilion Princess who had been bowing her head exclaimed.
“It must be the sachet that was attached to the tip of my sword! Although it has been scorched and burned here and there and its shape has changed, I can definitely recognize it as the same item!”
Ha Chae Rim was at a loss for words.
The Vermilion Princess shouted without even looking at the sachet properly. As if she judged it more important to lend weight to Seol Tae Pyeong’s statement.
Once the Vermilion Princess asserted so, no one could deny that this was indeed the sachet from the scene.
“Is that so?”
Emperor Woon Sung quietly acknowledged the statement and continued the conversation.
“The White Princess has claimed that if she saw the sachet, she could prove her innocence. Is that true?”
“…Yes.”
“Examine the embroidery on the sachet and explain it in a way that I too can be convinced.”
Consort Ha Chae Rim’s face turned deathly pale.
She had never imagined that Seol Tae Pyeong would appear here with the sachet in hand.
However, the White Princess was in no less of a tight spot.
The statement she had made was merely thrown out to escape a crisis. There was no way that seeing the sachet and its embroidery could actually prove her innocence.
“Your Majesty.”
To make matters worse, one misfortune followed another.
“The sachet has been burned and damaged in several places, so it is impossible to properly examine the embroidery.”
It seemed that in the end, the heavens sided with Ha Chae Rim.
Seizing the opportunity, Ha Chae Rim sprang to her feet and exclaimed.
“I knew it would come to this!”
With a voice loud enough for the whole world to hear, Ha Chae Rim cried out desperately.
“The White Princess must have known that the embroidery could not be examined! Otherwise, she could not have spoken so confidently!”
If you can’t kill, you will be killed.
Trying to frame someone is as grave a crime as the original sin itself.
If Ha Chae Rim couldn’t turn the tables on the White Princess and lead her to death, she herself would be the one to meet her end on the gallows.
Ha Chae Rim continued loudly with a sense of desperation greater than anyone else’s.
“If the embroidery cannot be examined, what meaning is there in it, Your Majesty! There is no need to be misled by the White Princess’s words any longer! The law cannot stand if it continues to be led by baseless claims!”
The situation had completely turned in her favor.
While it was unclear how this warrior called Seol Tae Pyeong had obtained the sachet, the fact that its embroidery could not be examined rendered it all meaningless—
But when her line of thoughts arrived at that point, Ha Chae Rim suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
How?
How did Seol Tae Pyeong possess the sachet that the warriors of the Red Palace had failed to find even after scouring the entire stage?
“Your Majesty. Do you know where I found this sachet?”
Taking advantage of Ha Chae Rim’s moment of silence… Seol Tae Pyeong quietly raised his head and spoke.
“I found it in the possession of Woon Baek, the commander of the ghost hands.”
A chilling silence swept through the tent following his words.
Commander of the ghost hands, Woon Baek.
He was the warrior assigned by Chief Councilor In Seon Rok to assist Consort Ha Chae Rim.
That’s right, he had been acting under the fourth consort’s orders for this incident.
He had hidden the sachet after retrieving it from the scene.
So, who instructed him to do this? Who exactly tried to conceal the sachet?
The commander of the ghost hands wasn’t someone who could be casually commanded by anyone. He must have been legitimately directed by someone involved in this incident.
And that someone is…
Soon, the color began to drain from Consort Ha Chae Rim’s face.
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