LOOSE ENDS
"Your Majesty." Minister Lee said as he bowed down his head.
"What is it?" King Gwangyang asked.
"Pardon me but I have some bit of bad news." Minister Lee replied.
"What is it?" King Gwangyang asked.
"There was only one Han candidate whose name was brought forth for the Crown Prince's concubinage." Minister Lee replied.
"What could be any worse than that?" King Gwangyang asked.
"There are very many Hans out there that would want to get this opportunity to marry into the Royal Family.
It turns out that prophecy of a person from the Han family becoming Queen spread out really fast across the land to the extent that it is barely suppressant." King Gwangyang added.
"Your Majesty would be surprised by what I am about to tell you." Minister Lee said.
"Go ahead." King Gwangyang granted him the permission to talk.
"The Only Han there is Han Seunghyeonjeong, the third son of Minister Han." Mr. Lee said.
The moment that the King heard that, he beat the table in front of him in fury and then stood up from the throne.
"Never." The King said.
"Never." He continued to sing.
"Your Majesty, I am at fault, forgive my inadequacy." Minister Lee said.
The King got a hold of the ink pot and the Jade seal that he sat with at the forefront and then he threw it at the Minister across the stairs.
Minister Lee seeing them flying dodged them and then after wards he started to smack his head onto the floor.
"I can't let this happen, not one of my Children shall marry into that family." The King Gwangyang yelled after throwing a tantrum.
"Your Majesty." Mr. Oh, the King's Head and personal Eunuch said and it did not take very long for the King to calm down as he held his chest.
"Your Majesty's grace is immeasurable." Minister Lee said as he looked up at the King.
"Rise up." The King commanded in a ferocious and a deafening voice.
Minister Lee rose up immediately as he bowed down his head.
"Listen very carefully to what I am going to tell you today because I have no intention of repeating myself again." King Gwangyang said.
"Yes your Majesty." Minister Lee said.
"My Grace is limited and at that I won't give it out to any man who just comes my way." King Gwangyang said.
"Yes Your Majesty." Minister Lee said.
"As Long as I am the King of this country, and as long as I am the protector of this our heavenly kingdom of Geosan, I won't allow my eldest son to concubine into the Han family, especially the family of Minister Han Seung Yoo." King Gwangyang said.
"Yes your Majesty." Minister Lee said.
"Do whatever you can and whatever is in your power to stop that from happening and no one is to speak a thing of this.
Han Seunghyeonjeong doesn't possess the qualities to make him a concubine to my eldest son." King Gwangyang said.
"Do this and you shall be rewarded for that." King Gwangyang added.
"Yes your Majesty." Minister Lee replied.
"Leave at once." The King ordered and the Minister bowing his head exited from the Gaesonghui hall as Mr. Oh went closer to the King.
"Is there a problem your Majesty, are you alright?" Mr. Oh asked.
"I am fine, just tell Soohyun that I want to have an audience with him." King Gwangyang whispered to his Eunuch.
"Yes your Majesty, I shall send out the word now." Mr. Oh replied as he slowly walked out of the throne room.
"It can't be, I won't let this happen." The King thought.
"How was it?" Minister Yang asked Minister Lee.
"You should have seen the King, he was enraged and he was furious when he heard that one of the candidates was Han Seunghyeonjeong.
He threw a tantrum and kept on saying that as long as he is the King of this country and the protector of this our heavenly kingdom of Geosan, he would never let the Crown Prince concubine a Han." Minister Lee said.
"The King is very much determined to it then." Minister Yang said.
"It's just as I thought it would be." Minister Suk Hwan said.
"You really are intelligent." Minister Yang said.
"But now who recommended Han Seunghyeonjeong?" Minister Lee asked.
"Who do you think wants to benefit from this?" Minister Suk Hwan asked.
"Minister Han?" Minister Yang replied.
"Wrong." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
The other two were surprised by his answer that it left them completely dumbfounded.
"Then who could it be of not the father of the future Royal concubine?" Minister Lee asked.
"The Crown Prince." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"The Crown Prince?" Minister Lee asked.
"You must be mistaken this time around." Minister Yang added.
"Come to think of it, if Minister Han is one of the most powerful ministers in the Kingdom, marrying from his family would protect the Crown Prince from the pressure that would be instigated on him by the Hans.
We very well know the Hans are very impossible to satisfy that is why they can never at any one time be contented that the King is in their favour.
Our current King will not live forever and if the Queen isn't in the position to give birth to an heir to the throne, if the Crown Prince marries a Han then the child that they could possibly have will be a defendant of the Hans.
The Royal Clan might as well be large but the Hans dominate some of the most vital institutions in this government, this might protect the Crown Prince but it doesn't give the Royal Clan assurance of peace." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"That makes sense Minister Suk Hwan, you are in deed foresighted." Minister Lee said.
"Yes you are, that hadn't occurred to me anyway." Minister Yang said.
"I am certain it is the very reason that the King reacted that way, he likes to keep his thoughts to himself and there is another possibility that if it isn't the Crown Prince's doing then he might have been enchanted by the young man one way or another." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"So this is a political marriage after all and even if it is for love on the Crown Prince's side, Han Seunghyeonjeong would not refuse even at his father's command to marry him." Minister Lee said.
"The Crown Prince might think that he shall be putting a shield for himself in place but that will only attract more and more trouble.
I fear that sooner than now, the Hans using this political marriage shall rise to power." Minister Yang said.
"Unless we manipulate the situation." Minister Suk Hwan said.
"Manipulate the situation?" Minister Lee asked.
"Yes." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"How?" Minister Yang asked.
"I need to talk to the King because it is only he who can undo what has been done but there is only one possible way to foil the public suspicion as well." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"What is it?" Minister Lee asked.
"If it is to get married into the Royal family, it is best if the Grand Prince got engaged to Han Seunghyeonjeong." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
The others were surprised.
"The Grand Prince has no chance of inheriting the throne so if he got engaged to Han Seunghyeonjeong, we can protect the throne.
After a while, we can come with a false claim to break off the engagement and the Hans will have no choice but to stay silent.
When we least expect it, the Crown Prince will have settled down and there won't be need for him to chase after Minister Han's third son again as he would have in every way been a very rebellious person to the Women's court." Minister Suk Hwan replied.
"The Han's failure to get married into the Royal family will be inevitable, that is one very wise move." Minister Yang said.
"That is if the King too has seen it already or is willing to offer his support." Minister Suk Hwan said.
"Your Majesty, you called for me." Soohyun said as he bowed his head.
"I am impatient to ask if you found out what I asked you to do." The King spoke in a low voice so that others wouldn't pick up their conversation.
"I had just had the people report back, the investigation was just concluded today." Soohyun said.
"I trust you more than anyone because let alone that, you are my eyes and ears in the kingdom and you have been more effective than even those of the Royal court." King Gwangyang said.
"I am to your service and yours alone your Majesty." Soohyun replied as he knelt down in front of the King.
"Very well then, please, go ahead and tell me in detail what it is that you managed to find out from the spies that you sent." King Gwangyang said.
"Your Majesty, this I am afraid might not be to your liking." Soohyun said.
"What is it?" King Gwangyang asked.
"The Crown Prince wasn't necessarily leaving his residence as he might have feared the attention.
He was sending out people to spy on the Han Manor and at the time he did leave his palace, he went to the market dressed simply where he met the third son of Minister Han, Han Seunghyeonjeong." Soohyun said.
The Crown Prince has an eye out for all the Han residence members and in the very end, I found out that he even hired people to have Han Seunghyeonjeong's name put on the list of candidates for the Crown Prince's concubinage.
In the very end I had my men do a reinvestigation to get the real truth and I am afraid, the investigation concluded that your son, the Crown Prince Gyeongjeong has developed a liking towards Mr. Han's son.
The Crown Prince is determined out of his love for him to make him his concubine." Soohyun said.
"My son." The King said lamenting as he stood up from his Throne.
"My son, flesh and blood, the child from my legs, how could he make such a decision and turn his back on me?" King Gwangyang asked himself.
"Give your order and I'll carry it out your Majesty, I'd kill for you." Soohyun said.
"Making sure that he doesn't see the day of light again might only widen the rift between me and my son.
Additionally, it might only create trouble and insurgency for the Royal Clan and you of all people know that among all things in this world I hate, a divided Kingdom is the worst." King Gwangyang replied.
"Isn't the Kingdom already divided your Majesty?" Soohyun asked.
"What right have you to question my capabilities, are you saying that I haven't been a very good King?" King Gwangyang asked out of fury.
"I didn't mean to your Majesty." Soohyun said.
"Then you must atone for your sins, It is alright to feel sorry but in a way or two, this is not the time to kill what we have nurtured.
As we both know I have nearly raised that Han boy since I raised his father, he is as intelligent and even perhaps smarter than all the other people I've seen.
In my greed I don't want this country to lose a very flexible and perfect talent therefore I know Minister Han will come to me soon." King Gwangyang said.
"How can you be sure your Majesty?" Soohyun asked.
"Minister Han hates to involve his family into politics, his son marrying the Crown Prince would only bring his family trouble and controversy from the Royal Clan and he'll know I am the only person who can save him.
He'll come and turn to me to withdraw that offer from my son because I have the power to put an end to it, as long as he does not accept it." King Gwangyang said.
"But you know your son your Majesty, like you he always wants to get what he wants whenever he wants.
We both know he could go to any extent to get the woman or man he wants given that he did that before." Soohyun said.
"But I am above him and he is not above me." King Gwangyang said.
"Don't rest assured your Majesty, I don't mean to offend you but even at that time you were above the Crown Prince.
Can you guarantee that he won't do the same thing again?" Soohyun asked.
"There is only one way that he can possibly do that but I trust your men are far more experienced than his to watch the scene.
I want you to watch and make sure that you prioritize the safety of Minister Han, if you do, he will still abide by my will as long as I have pulled him under my wing." King Gwangyang said.
"Is this the very best there is to offer your Majesty?" Soohyun asked.
"Me and you want the same thing, every thing I taught you myself doesn't just fall into place, it all happens step by step when you have calculated every move of your enemy." King Gwangyang replied.
"Alright your Majesty." Soohyun said.
"Get to it right away." King Gwangyang ordered.
"Yes your Majesty." Soohyun replied as he stood up and walked out of the throne room.
Mr. Oh walked in and went towards the King who slowly reclined in his seat.
"Your Majesty, please retire to your Chambers at once." Mr. Oh said.
"My time here is limited and I am well aware that I can not really last that long." King Gwangyang said.
"Your Majesty." Mr. Oh pleaded.
"I still have one more duty to accomplish before I retire for good." King Gwangyang said.
The Crown Prince Gyeongjeong was seated in his study when one of his guards walked in with a couple of scrolls.
"I got what you asked me for your Highness." The guard said.
"Did anyone happen to know what it was that you did?" The Crown Prince asked.
"No one knows that I stole the records." The guard replied.
"Then it'll be much easier to return them." The Crown Prince said as he took hold of the scrolls and the books.
"Alright your Highness." The guard said.
"But are you comfortable bending the rules for your brother?" The guard asked.
"My brother's fealty for me is great, I trust him so much and given that he can go against father to side with me it's the least that I can do for him." The Crown Prince said.
"Alright your Highness, I'll leave you to it." The guard said.
"You may." The Crown Prince said as the guard walked out and left him opening the scrolls and the books.
After looking into the records, The Crown Prince stopped when he was surprised by what he had seen.
"It can't be it." he said as he keenly looked through and calculated everything.
"If Minister Han was the one under apprehension then following the timeline and all those years it's only possible that my brother is in love with....." The Crown Prince thought
"No." The Crown Prince said to himself as the very first name that came into his mind was him HAN SEUNGHYEONJEONG.