Myung OK smiled to herself as she drank a herbal tea made especially for women and looked over her subordinates. For the few years she lived in the mountain, news of the capital had been withheld from her as the master thought it would be a distraction.
They filled her in on the wind of change, the weight of the crown and the man known as the emperor.
She smiled wistfully as she heard them describe his attitude and disposition to politics.He was a man of sense after all, she thought. They have spoken several times of his wits and strengths, but there was no mention of a love affair or any scandal related to it.
"He's good", she spoke up thoughtfully, "But I would like to see the depth of his goodness. Is it a mere facade or there's something more to it?". She sat up , her beautiful white gown stretched to it's full length immersing the men in a world of euphoria and satisfaction. The tea seemed to lose it's taste as she dropped it on the table, a forlorn look on her face.
A man sighed pitifully, "The emperor is said to be allergic to women, boss, how do you plan on winning his heart?".
"Who said I had plans of winning his heart?", she asked no one in particular, a wicked and proud smile dancing on her lips. "The plan is to exploit his weakness, and that's what I'm planning on finding".
"Miss will make him fall for her", was Jae joon's quiet reply. "She's one of a kind", he said, his eyes twinkling with brightness... almost blinding them all.
Myung OK didn't say anything as she made her exit, they bowed before her before exiting their secret meeting room.
Jae joon followed suit as he guarded her to her family house on a horse ride.
"Why are you so optimistic , you clearly heard he has a strong dislike for women, except his empress", she asked Jae joon whose face almost betrayed the inner thoughts harboring in his mind.
"You are one of a kind", he replied again, his eyes gazing over the landscape but devoid of any emotions.
She kept silent and didn't make any small talk.
"Take the military exam, the first place guards the emperor", she broke the silence." I need you to guard and watch him for me, we need to understand him better".
" Yes miss, but I rather not take a first place. Instead, I will take the 3rd position so as to be posted at the royal infantry section and protect you at the same time", he replied while hoping she doesn't disagree.
"Why?".
"That's the place information circulates the most. If I'm to get information, then that's the perfect place". He felt guilty for lying but he wants them to meet at their own pace. The emperor has seen his face and might command him to bring her to him.
'I'm sorry miss, but you need to find out by yourself', he cried silently, guilt snuffing the little heart he has but his mediocre face didn't betray any emotion.
"OK", she said.
4 days later, at the palace .Myung OK stood before a mirror, retouching her uniform . Her hair was tied tidily into a chignon with a white silk cloth. The robe on her body was of a white sleeve and a blue full length gown.
Physician Dong's influence got her a decent position and courtyard as one of the main physicians. She's to serve the dowager personally, responding to all her medical needs, regular check up and full body examination.
In summary, she was posted as a physician to the dowager empress.
On one of her duties after many days of return, a lady who always spite her for having the previous emperor's favour crossed her path.
"Oh look who it is", she scorned, her eyes laced with mockery like one viewing the dung of a pig. "I thought you ran away...too late though, I am an assistant head physician of the empress". She perked up her body like a peacock spreading it's feathers.
She looked over her opponent like an undeserving woman who relied on her looks to get her position. "What happened though, the man dumped you?". She asked mockingly, each word harsher than the previous one.
Myung OK who remained silent chose this moment to speak with a cynical smile.
"Physician Ji, it is astonishing you hold grudges. I never knew I would return to some story of the disappearance of some village beauty".
For some time there was a calm as the lady didn't expect for her to be so cool about the rumor of her disappearance. "You!...", she pointed a shaky finger at her.
"I shall find who spread such vicious rumors about me personally, there is nothing like philosophy after all", she smiled brightly at her like she didn't care as she made her exit.
"That bitch!", physician Ji cursed under her breath. Exhaling loudly, she rushed to report to duty then think up ways of sending her enemy away from the palace. She's had it easy all this years because the sun that shined brightly over people's eyes had gone under a cloud. She promised to never let the evil woman push her back to position two.
Days rolled into weeks as they all rolled into months. The palace experienced some substantial amount of peace and serenity.
The dramas were less as the emperor was stronger than all other.
The dowager empress liked her new physician more and more. The tonics she changed had not only cured her of fatigue but also strengthened her system.
On one of those days she's having moments, she invited her beautiful physician to take over her skin care products.
"Myung OK", she called fondly. "I like the herbal products you recommended and your instructions to change my diet. At first, I had been angry my favorite meals were replaced but I can say I'm happy I listened to you". She rubbed the skin covering her wrist admiringly.
"My skin got better and brighter, I sleep well at night and my body feels lighter too". Myung OK smiled as she bowed in reverence to her.
"Serving her Majesty is my outmost desire and biggest accomplishment", she replied intelligently as she watched the dowager's smile grow bigger.
"Yes, I'm happy you like serving me. The first time I saw you, with your seductive beauty... I thought you aimed for my son ". Myung OK stiffened slightly as she heard this but remained composed with a tacit smile.
"What I didn't understand was why you would work for me and not at his palace", she sipped her tea as she gazed over at her slyly, trying to find any subtle change in expression but found none.
"Look at me rambling on incoherently". Her hands smothered her sleeves as she looked at the calm expression of the lady. "Forget what I said Myung OK, I'm just surprised you are not aiming for my son or you are hiding it quite well... oh here I go again", she lifted her cup as she nodded for her to lift hers too.
"To great days ahead", she toasted . Myung smiled with a calm serenity as she repeated her words and sipped her tea elegantly.
"Your Majesty, the emperor just came . He left when he was told you are with someone and insisted not to disrupt your discussion". A courtmaid dressed in a green robe rushed in to inform her mistress after the palace customary greetings.
"Really?", the empress asked but she wasn't looking at her maid but at her female physician whose movements looked so natural as she sipped her tea. Her heart warmed up clearing whatever doubt she had about the girl.
"Inform the emperor's palace, I will make a visit later", she commanded in her ever domineering voice.
"Your Majesty, I beg to leave now. I have a skin care product am working on and would like to present to you" .The dowager's eyes lit up with impression and admiration.
"Alright, I won't delay you further", she dismissed her happily.
Once outside the palace, the calm facade she had worn cracked to reveal a haughty smile. The dowager had clearly been testing her to get a reaction and she had done wonderfully well. What she doesn't understand is why she is against her getting close to the emperor. Is she that unworthy?
Striding slowly towards the storage room, a disappointed look waved through her face down her stomach. It's been 3 months since her return yet she hasn't caught a glimpse of him.
The security around him was tight, her schedule full, the palace so big so much that there is no chance of coincidental meetings and most disappointingly the dowager's palace is in an exact opposite direction of his palace coupled with her suspicion .
The dowager knowingly or unknowingly never sent her on an errand to the emperor's palace. She only ordered her to make tonics but not send it to him. At the pace of things, she wonders when her first step in the mission will get accomplished.
Two weeks later, she fell into a trap of the devil incarnate called Physician Ji.
It so happened that a medicine she boiled personally was tampered with and was found to contain wolfsbane. Not exactly poison as it's used for medicinal purposes when it's poison is extracted, but has same reaction when tested with a silver spoon in it's raw form.
Due to incessant cases of palace poisoning, silver spoons are used to test food or medicines before they are served to royalties.
The dowager's silver spoon turned black when it was tested on the tonic Myung OK sent.
"Get the girl quietly without alerting the whole palace", she ordered quietly, her brows creased to a fault. Her lips were pressed into a thin line like one suppressing an unimaginable anger with her face darkened considerably to an extent.
Oblivious of what happened, Myung OK arrived to find the palace in a solemn silence.
"What happened?", the dowager angrily growled immediately as she pointed at the bowl of medicine and darkened spoon, stifling her for she has never spoken to her in that manner before.
Myung OK stooped down to examine what happened. Sniffing the content, she frowned as she took a little taste of the medicine shocking the whole assembly at the same time proving she's innocent.
"Your Majesty, this is not the tonic I prepared", she replied agitatedly as she used her handkerchief to wipe out whatever particle in her mouth.
"I presumed so", the dowager relaxed.
"What happened?", she asked softly this time, a stark contrast to the tone she used earlier.
"Someone added a herb that antagonized the ginseng in your syrup. It's aconite!", she fell down on her knees to seek forgiveness. She already knew there was trouble when she first arrived. When she sniffed the concoction, she already knew it wasn't poisonous but wouldn't be outrightly believed if she told her finding. A plan of using one stone to kill two birds formed in her mind. Firstly, she clears the doubt and at the same time earn more trust. Hence, she sipped the tonic to convince the dowager she has no plan of harming her.
A vicious face formed in her mind. Physician Ji!.
She had wondered why she changed her attitude towards her all of a sudden, even buying her gifts. It turns out all was to make her let her guard down then send her to the underworld.
'I hope the smile I saw you with this morning remains unchanged when I'm done dealing with you', she thought, anger usurping her peaceful mind.
"Your Majesty, I have a small request", she looked beseechingly at the dowager.
"I want this incident hidden".
The servants wanted to strangle her when she made the statement. The dowager too found the request absurd but kept her calm.
"Why?", she asked nonetheless.
"The rat will expose it's hiding place if hungry", she spoke in riddles upsetting the servants more. Poisoning the dowager is treason even if the situation turns out to be different, but it's still a close case of poisoning.
A smile brightened up at her words, it seems the girl already knew who the culprit is but has no evidence. Myung OK returned the smile as she saw the understanding in her. As expected of a cunning woman she thought amusingly in her mind.
"Do what she says. One word leaks and we all know what will happen", she smiled at her servants, her gaze threatening and her eyes filled with menace. They understood perfectly and wouldn't dare do otherwise. Even if they are blessed with ten mouths.
"The empress is arriving!", a courtmaid announced from the door.
Soon, a beautiful woman dressed in a yellow robe embroidered with green flowers walked in. By her side is a miniature version of herself also dressed in yellow. It seems the duo are rocking yellow that day, the outstanding contrast is the Phoenix crown resting proudly on the woman's head.
"Imperial grandmother!", the sweet looking child flew to the arms of her grandmother. A dazzling smile enslaving the group to a state of euphoria. The child's smile is infectious.
"Yes baby", the dowager called out as she wrapped the child in an engulfing hug before settling her steadily on her laps.
"Hwanghu", she called the woman who stood aside watching her child's display with affection and pride.
"Imperial mother, that naughty child nagged me to death to bring her to you", she beamed as she bowed in greeting. Then she turned to see a young lady who sat across the dowager bowing before her. The shock of her discovery sent her spinning with happiness.
"Myung OK?", she gushed as she walked to stand before her. The lady raised her head to smile ruefully at her. "Yes your Majesty", she answered still smiling.
"It's really you!", she screamed in excitement as she clasped her hands in hers affectionately, her disposition as the almighty empress gone.
"Yes your Majesty. Have you been well?", she asked out of concern, her eyes fixed on the clasped hands.
"Do you really care, you came back but didn't find me", she complained like a child cheated by her parents.
"You actually came back but didn't seek me out. You are heartless!", she said again. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked over the matured but ever beautiful lady before her. The air with which she carried herself was meek but beautifully matured. She felt a little jealous.
Myung OK unclasped her hands carefully as she held her ears in apology. "Forgive me your Majesty, I had been planning the perfect time so as not to disturb your rest".
"Foolish woman!, disturb me all you want". She cursed her but her tender gaze never wavered. She wiped out the tears at the corner of her eyes to find the dowager and princess alike staring at her seriously.
"Nari, hurry. Come and greet our savior and your godmother", she reached out her hand to bring the child down.
The dowager smiled, "Was it this child that year?", she asked endearingly.
"Yes imperial mother, we are alive today because of her", the empress whispered softly.
Myung OK shivered when she was addressed as a godmother but didn't protest against it.
Nari, the beautiful lily as her name implies, watched the stranger curiously before wrapping her little arms around her.
"Aunty, this imperial princess greets you". Her childish voice rang melodiously, warming Myung OK heart and making her feel a little bit of guilt.
"Princess, you turned out more beautiful and smarter than I thought". She clamped the child with her own arms but didn't go overboard.
"What's a godmother?", the child asked her mother, her bright big eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.
"Can it be eaten?", she looked at the crowd in expectation of an answer.
Everybody, "..."