SPIES IN DISGUISE

A couple of days had passed and the Crown Prince and his household concluded the mourning of his late stillborn son.

The Crown Prince sat on top of the balcony that overlooked the rest of the city to as far as the Gaesungseong palace stood.

In a distance to his left was the beautiful sea far away but thin like a line of blue thread stretching across and far.

"How high is this?" The Crown Prince always asked himself and just as he had promised his father he had come to terms on finding a concubine.

The greatest deal was after the rift between himself and the Crown Princess widening, he was to marry someone else for love and who better than the person he'd dreamed about for the past seven days.

"Your Highness." He heard an all too familiar voice calling him.

"I see you are here." The Crown Prince told the Eunuch.

"He has returned." The Eunuch said.

"Bring him here." The Crown Prince ordered.

"Yes your Highness." The Eunuch said bowing his head and walking away.

The Eunuch returned a short while later with the guard that the Crown Prince had sent out to investigate that boy from the fabric store.

"Your Highness." The guard said.

"Did you get everything that I had asked for?" The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong asked.

"Yes your Highness." The guard replied.

"I wish to have a word with you in private." The Crown Prince said.

"Yes Your Highness." The Eunuch said and he stepped away with a couple of guards leaving the Crown Prince alone on the pavilion.

"You understand that one day I shall be King." The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"Yes your Highness, I am well aware of that." The guard replied.

"Even still my Father has eyes watching me so I want this conversation to be a private one that means whatever is going to be discussed here on this pavilion shall remain here." The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong said.

"Yes Your Highness." The guard replied.

"That is good to hear, so proceed and tell me what took you so long?" The Crown Prince asked.

"There is a lot to this young man your Majesty and if you don't mind I thought that it would be better if I told you all his hobbies, his daily whereabouts and his individual interests and indulgences." The guard replied.

"You are one very resourceful person." The Crown Prince said.

"For you your Highness, I would gladly lay down my life." The guard replied.

"You flatter me so much so I shall trust that the information you are about to present to me is authentic." The Crown Prince said.

"Believe me your Highness when I tell you this, it is all true, all that I am about to tell you and I have checked thoroughly not once or twice but more.

I went to the office of Censors and did some thorough digging there as well you'd even be surprised that he is in deed a very distant relative of yours." The guard said.

"Tell me more." The Crown Prince said.

"That boy is the third son of Minister Han, the Inspector General and Minister in charge of that office.

He was born on the day of the Lantern festival and a couple of weeks from now he will be turning sixteen years old.

He has two older brothers the eldest called Han Seungjae and is currently learning at the Royal Academy so that he can become a government official.

The second is Han Seungnyang and he is currently in the military and learning from the Province of Peju in the North West of the Kingdom.

He on the other hand is Han Seunghyeonjeong, he stays at home and takes keen interest in weaving, music, and all of the other basic liberal arts.

He is known to be a very smart and wise person who is foresighted at such a young age and is expected to soon participate in the entry exams at the Royal Academy.

He isn't a lush spender and he is rather the most humble of all Minister Han's sons who is quite a skilled martial artist at that.

He doesn't travel much and when he does, he visits the music store, the clothes store, the temple and his father's workplace.

On other ordinary days when he is not home, he is simply touring the city." The guard said.

"That is very brilliant of you and I have heard of Minister Han more often than usual as far as I can recall." The Crown Prince said.

"His father is well known and respected in the business world, he imports and exports goods of the best quality both to and from the surrounding Kingdoms of Jiutsu, Yi and Jin.

Additionally, he is known for his incorruptible nature and he is morally an upright man who is smart and dignified as well.

He traces his ancestry to your great, great, great grandfather through the Princess Yheonjyeon." The guard replied.

"So we are very distant cousins?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Yes your Highness." The guard replied.

"What about his mother, you have barely said a single word about her?" The Crown Prince asked.

"You must be acquainted with Lady Kim Geumsang." The guard replied.

"My mother's best friend, I grew up seeing her visit the palace quite oftenly and talking to my mother almost every time." The Crown Prince replied.

"She is Mrs. Han and his biological mother." The guard replied.

The Crown Prince smiled.

"It seems that luck and the heavens are in my favour." The Crown Prince said.

"That's briefly about him." The guard said.

"HAN SEUNGHYEONJEONG." The Crown Prince said as he stood up and walked to the age of the balcony.

"HAN SEUNGHYEONJEONG." He mentioned the name again as he turned around to look at the guard.

"Such a very beautiful name for a very beautiful person, don't you agree with me?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Yes, your Highness." The guard replied.

"Immaterialistic, kind and loving, such people are hard to find." The Crown Prince said.

"Your Highness indeed is the best at choosing but I heard something that might not be to your pleasure." The guard said.

"What is it?" The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong asked.

"Your father has informed all the Ministers and the people in charge of appointing candidates for the position of concubinage to make sure they screen all the choices made and the propositions of the most eligible daughters and sons for the post." The guard said.

"Is that all?" The Crown Prince asked.

"For the time being, yes your Highness." The guard replied.

"Then I want his name forwarded and by all means he must be brought before that panel, do whatever you can to make sure that he also apart of that activity while you also set me up with his father." The Crown Prince said.

"May I ask why?" The guard asked.

"Just do as your told to make sure the grass is greener by the time I get to it, I need to impress him if I want the hand of his son in marriage." The Crown Prince replied.

"Yes your Highness." The guard replied.

"You may leave." The Crown Prince said as he waved the guard away and the guard walked out of his sight.

At that very moment, the Eunuch returned.

"Are you alright your Highness?" The Eunuch asked.

"I am alright." The Crown Prince replied.

"At least I'll be better once I get what it is that I want." The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong replied as he stared at the city and smiled.

"Your Majesty." Soohyun said.

"Did you do what I had asked you?" King Gwangyang asked.

"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun replied.

"So tell me." The King said.

"The Crown Prince had barely stepped out of the Cheoncheugung palace these past seven days but I have heard rumors among his staff that he is in love with someone." Soohyun replied.

"I suppose he doesn't feel even the slightest remorse like he always apprehended me." King Gwangyang said.

"What should I do your Majesty?" Soohyun asked.

"You know this better than any other person, find out whatever you can and I need to know everything about my son's new lover." King Gwangyang replied.

"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun said as he bowed his head.

"As far as I remember there was also someone else whose files I had asked you to look into if I am not mistaken." The King said.

"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun said.

"What is it that you found out?" King Gwangyang asked.

"Minister Suk Hwan is a very smart and reliable young man, he's got a talent and a brain that surpasses most people in the kingdom.

He's descended from the Clan of Yi and his parents that raised him got him from an orphanage where I can not seem to find out more about his biological heritage.

They say that he was a baby at the time he was found at the doorstep of the orphanage and his parents served minor positions in the government with his father Minister Suk Hyeon working at the Royal Investigation Bureau.

His mother on the other hand served in the palace as a court lady." Soohyun replied.

"You said both his parents died." King Gwangyang asked.

"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun replied.

"What is it they died of?" King Gwangyang asked.

"They were murdered and at the time, there were Imperial guards who carried out the investigation given that his father worked at the Royal Investigation Bureau.

It happened that they were poisoned on the day they had their meal with their son so even though the investigation was inconclusive, he was first apprehended for his parent's murder as the real culprit was believed to have somehow been smart.

When the ministry of health looked into it and they managed to detect the kind of poison that had killed the old couple, it was a very rare type that had been administered to the body in very small portions.

It gradually killed them and given that the young man had been away at the Royal Academy and studying oftenly, the investigation concluded he wasn't the culprit.

Eventually, all the charges that had been pressed against him were dropped and he was set free and allowed to sit his final term at the Royal Academy.

There he highly passed and was the best out of all the other candidates that he was instantly recruited into the nobility where he has sprouted to this very day." Soohyun said.

"An awful tale, it really saddens me." King Gwangyang said.

"I feel sorry for the young man too." Soohyun said.

"I can't help but question, he is a very smart person in deed and he is a very rare talent." King Gwangyang said.

"It seems your Majesty finds such immense interest in this young boy, how come if I may ask not to seem rude but out of concern?" Soohyun said.

"Remember, what it was that I told you about people who are too smart." King Gwangyang said.

"People who are too smart are most regrettable when they are your enemies." Soohyun replied.

"Exactly, you do understand it now, I am only suspicious because it is necessary for me to know where and to whom this young man places his loyalty and fealty.

In the meantime I shall stay very kind and friendly towards him and if possible draw him closer than most people." King Gwangyang said.

"Isn't that too risky your Majesty?" Soohyun asked.

"If he is an enemy, you know it very well I don't trust anyone that is wiser than me or that gets too close, not even my wife or my children.

I can only lean on myself because even at times my own trust in myself is very partial, the best way to keep an enemy or a possible one is closer.

That way I can watch there every possible move.

Not so far from now, the final propositions to take the positions of concubinage will be brought fourth after the ministers have made a decision.

Whatever may come, you need to make sure that I see the final list before the Crown Prince as you continue to look into his every step.

I fear for him like I fear for a young boy and if he's not leaving his residence it is highly possible there is someone playing the role of being both his eyes and legs outside.

Have your most reliable men find out who the Crown Prince's spy is and let them keep an eye on him as I need to be alerted on every single one of the spies movements so that I know what My son could be up to." King Gwangyang said.

"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun said before he left from the King's presence.

Seunghyeonjeong was walking on the streets with Shin Ji keeping a very close eye on him while following him from behind.

It so happened to be that as the lantern festival was around the corner, Seunghyeonjeong passed by the market to buy his mother one of her favorite ornaments.

He stopped by one stall that looking cheap sold some of the most beautiful sachets in the capital.

They were all coloured and many designed with embroidered symbols and colours depicting birds, flowers and butterflies.

"Which one do you like young Master." The old woman at the stall asked.

"Do you have any in the lotus designs?" Seunghyeonjeong calmly and kindly asked.

"Yes young Master." The old woman replied as she shuffled through all the others somewhere nearby and in the baskets next to her.

She pulled out a variety coloured in green, yellow, blue, red and pink, all were unique but they still had that extra ordinary design with a very lively and outstanding lotus design on them.

Seunghyeonjeong looked through all of them.

"They are in deed beautiful." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"This is the best quality that was imported from the Kingdom of Yi young Master." The old woman said.

"It seems so." Seunghyeonjeong said as he turned to Shin Ji.

"Which one do you think mother would like?" Seunghyeonjeong asked Shin Ji.

"Mother fancies having the best ornaments, like you I am also unable to choose from the wide variety of the best quality sachets." Shin Ji replied.

"If you can not choose them yourself then why not let the person you are buying for choose for themselves?" A fourth voice intervened.

All of them turned around to see who it was that was talking out of the blue.

"Your Highness." Seunghyeonjeong and Shin Ji said in unison after they realised it was the Crown Prince amongst them in a very simple out fit.

"Wait, it is you." The Crown Prince said trying to indicate that it was a mere coincidence having crossed paths again.

"It has in deed been a very long time since we last met." The Seunghyeonjeong said.

"In deed it has, please forgive me for having intruded in your conversation, I did not mean to do so and I was just passing by." The Crown Prince said.

"For anyone it would be an honor to meet someone as dignified as yourself." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"Don't flatter me so much given that we have met more than once shouldn't we at least be more than acquaintances?" The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong asked.

"You are in deed kind but I happen to be in a rush home your highness, I wish I could stay longer but the sole responsibility of taking care of the household keeps bothering me." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"Never mind, there's no need for a filial son to feel sorry, I respect the fact that you honour your family's name." The Crown Prince said.

"In return for your unfeigned kindness and your kind advice, I give you one of these sachets." Seunghyeonjeong said as he took the blue one from the old woman and handed it over to the Crown Prince.

"Take it as my small token of gratitude and my apology for not staying long enough but let it also be my promise that I shall make it up to you sometime and give it to the one you love." Seunghyeonjeong said.

"Alright, if you say so then I shall take it because it has been given to me by you." The Crown Prince said.

"How much are these madam?" Seunghyeonjeong turned to the old woman and asked.

"Four silver pieces." The old woman replied.

Seunghyeonjeong offered them and Shin Ji assisted in carrying the sachets as the Crown Prince looked on while the two left immediately.

He then watched them vanish out of sight before he returned his gaze to the sachet in his hand.

"You wait for me." He whispered to himself.

"Someday, I shall give this sachet back to you." He added.