Chapter 103: Chapter hundred and three: Accidental discovery

The empress palace bursted into series of activities as they prepared delicacies and refreshments according to her command.

It's so rare to see her in high spirits so they are elevated in the feeling of happiness too. Surreptitiously, they looked appreciatively over the young and beautiful woman who they believe had the magic of making their always moody and quiet master turn into a happy and chirping bird

Heart of gratitude served her with honor as a person and not really because the empress commanded. During the meal serving, the chief courtmaid who was like a mother figure to the empress heaped tons of meats and foods on her plate.

"Oh... thank you", Myung OK respectfully thanked the court lady. "But I'm not sure I would finish all... it's too big", she held the spoon about to dump more dishes to her plate meekly then pushed back the incoming meal.

The smile on the old lady widened and her impression of her skyrocketed.

Empress Jang smiled happily as she clasped her hands around Myung OK's, she seems to have a thing for clasping arms but few people knew it's quite rare to see her do so.

"Myung OK", she called out fondly like one calling out to a best friend. "You should finish all this dishes, you are too lean and women should be more fleshy", she said softly, imitating the voice and demeanor of her mother-in-law.

Myung OK smiled conservatively as she clasped her free hands on hers. "Your Majesty, you sound like an old woman". They both burst into a bubble of deep laughter which infected the servants with a smile.

"That's how the empress dowager sounds all the time", she said between laughter. Oh yeah! it's been so long she had a good laugh. She looked over the lady who had stopped laughing but still smiling in awe. Every movement of hers looks fluid-like and composed. The very refinement of a true aristocrat.

The little princess she ditched at her grandmother's palace came to mind at this moment. She wondered if her little girl would be this refined with a mannerism of a noble and elegant as the lady before her. For the first time, she felt inferior for not only is she beautiful and elegant, she's so talented in the field of medicine.

They dined and wined at the table as the empress ordered, or rather suggested so sweetly it couldn't be turned down.

As the palace maids cleared the used dishes away, the empress dragged Myung OK to the garden pavilion where she soliloquies sometimes.

Settling down on the beautifully carved wooden seat, Myung OK who had unconsciously felt her pulse felt alarmed.

"Your Majesty?", she called, drawing the attention of the empress who peeled a tangerine seriously.

"Yes?", she answered but didn't stop what she was doing.

"Have you been experiencing any health issue?". Her gaze scrutinized the empress's facial expression seriously as she asked this question.

She smiled nonchalantly but her pain was expressed vividly in that smile.

"What sickness could be bigger than rejection and a loveless marriage?", she asked with a forced smile as she threw a tangerine into her mouth before passing the rest to her.

"Your Majesty, please don't talk about it if it's too hard", she said . The pain she saw in her eyes unsettled her so much she wished to avoid the topic.

"Don't worry, I feel like talking about it. It's so strange I could talk about this light-heartedly with you. I'm grateful to you for that". She took a bunch of red grapes, removed one from it's stalk then passed the bunch to her.

"Please", she said as she pushed the bowl gently, indulging her to help herself.

A long while later, the empress started speaking to her new best friend. Myung OK had not expected such heroism from her but she listened quietly.

"I had wanted nothing but to be married to the man I loved but more and more dream-like became the marriage", she smiled wistfully.

She continued, "I should have known political feeling was higher than mere admiration for feminine beauty".

Myung OK saw her stop then look up at her with kind eyes filled with a bright beam of welcome that she was inexpressibly touched. "Let's leave the unhappy events and talk about you, how have you been?", she asked delightedly, her sad eyes replaced with happiness.

Myung OK told a cheerful story of how she had spent the gone years with the omission of why she really left. The empress congratulated her upon her improved appearance and they began to speak on serious matters.

"If your heart is fixed on this career then I have a golden opportunity for you", the empress said excitedly.

Myung OK perked up with full attention while waiting on her to continue. "What is it, your Majesty?. I shall be delighted to grab this opportunity", she said enthusiastically, her eyes filled with delight.

"You must get the emperor's interest". Myung OK froze. If she had water in her mouth she would have choked to death at this moment.

The empress saw her exaggerated reaction and smiled to elaborate more.

"He purchased the biggest pharmacy in the city, he leads the country and his influence will carry you through anything". Myung OK looked in daze as she watched the empress though innocently push her towards her husband. Is she gullible or she has full confidence that the emperor won't take an interest in her, she wondered.

"You should also try to get the grand dowager's interest. Recently, she had been searching for anti-aging and anti-wrinkle solution. If you research on that I'm sure you will find a solution", the empress continued her recommendations.

"Why , My lady... why would you do all this for me?", Myung OK asked, confused.

"If you ask this table lying across us, it would tell you I never forget old friends", was her nonchalant reply.

"You are so kind to me", Myung OK said, moving closer to clasp her hands tightly; "I am quite touched by your goodness, your Majesty", she said again, her fingers pressed with the right pressure on her wrist.

Empress who smiled brightly at her felt her shudder under her skin, then realization dawned on her as she quickly unclasped herself from her.

"Your Majesty", Myung OK cried out wretchedly, "How long has it been?".

Tears filled her eyes as she broke into a sob. She will give up. Yes, she will let go. For this woman that called and treated her as a friend she will give up her desires.

"How long have you known you've been sick?". The voice came out raspy probably due to the lump in her throat.

The empress smiled sheepishly like a child caught stealing their hen's egg.

"Shh!", the empress pressed her fingers on her mouth as she hissed. "Don't be loud", she said softly as her eyes darted around their perimeter for some sort of cover.

"It's nothing serious", she said when she found the servants are out of earshot.

Myung OK who had been skeptical about her health had slyly pressed on her radial artery under the guise of thanking her. Feeling the strong pressure left her shocked, her blood pressure is high while her heart beat is very fast. Heart disease.

"I jealous you", she said suddenly, her gaze in a faraway distance. "You will make a name for yourself, quite independently of any title bequeathed to you. If I could go back in time, I should be more ambitious than I have been hitherto".

Amidst her tears, she smiled at the compliment given to her. She tried to make herself warm with pleasant memories of the empress, but despite herself, despite all that she could do, there was the terrible sensation of a great weight of an unpleasant secret that must in time be exposed.

"Did you find the culprit behind the poisoning incident?", Myung asked, changing the topic smartly.

The empress chuckled. "The person was never found. How could you find something that never existed from the beginning?", she asked mysteriously.

"From the tone of your voice, you know the culprit... who was the bastard?", she asked in a low growl.

"Don't worry, nothing remains hidden under the sun!".

She sprang suddenly to her feet as she bade her goodbye. "The princess needs to be taken for an afternoon nap or she will nag everyone to their early grave". She pushed Myung down gently as she made to stand. "Finish the fruits, I will invite you soon... and nobody must know of your discovery", she said then left swiftly but elegantly.

"Your Majesty, the way you treat me is overwhelming me. Can you not treat me with so much kindness and trust?", she cried silently before making her way towards her courtyard, the fruits bagged for her to take.

Five days afterward, a physician who wallowed in the shadow of victory not knowing it's a death trap made her way to expose her counterpart on her evil deed. Poisoning of the dowager empress is treason and is punishable by death.

Disbelief had flashed through her face when she exposed the 'evil' of a certain physician only to find herself restrained and captured by the guards like they were already waiting for her.

"Your Majesty! you must be mistaken. The one in cuffs should be Physician Kim not me!", she howled hoarsely as she fought the restraint on her.

"Is that so?". A gimmick puppet asked before the master behind it exposed herself.

"I wonder how physician Ji knew of a poisoning I stopped from getting exposed", the lady asked her again, her tone heavy with mockery and disdain but no trace of fear.

"Your Majesty see she's confessing to her crimes!", she cried out loudly but stopped. Wait a minute, she already knew about it?. She looked at the dowager's calm expression whose cloth's embellishments outshined her robe. She even looked bored.

She raised her gaze to see her advisory's taunting face to realize she has fallen into a trap. She changed the direction of her accusation.

"Your Majesty! she put me up to it. She threatened to kill me if I don't do as she asked!".

The guards took her away but her gaze never left Myung OK's. How did she do it? Even if she's given a chance at reincarnation, she would never know how the tables fell on her. Bitch!.She cursed.

Few days later, the emperor released an imperial edict to call back prince Song from his delegation order.

It's been so many years and the border issues stabilized due to his strong political and military power yet he never came back. It could mean one thing... someone behind the scene had been manipulating his power from behind and obstructing his return.

Who could it be?