Chapter 166: Seo Yeon

"Where is Seon-Ho? I must see him" my patience this evening was wearing incredibly thin with this couple just like in the past. And at this point I ha day over-protective children hanging off my arms, not willing to let me out of their grasp. "He's busy with a guests and is not to be disturbed!" I hissed at her, wishing that he jumped off a cliff and took her with him. "Hyun-Ki...Hyun-Ki, he's here isn't he? He is, right? You better not be hiding him from me!" I couldn't reason with her so I had my maids hold her down and quiet her down whilst I tried to overhear my husband's conversation with that deluded jerk. I sent my children to bed sternly and I promised I would join them in a few minutes. I rushed to my husbands side, but when I saw blood on his fists I knew he was beyond listening to reason. I saw him bending down and looking at his hands for god know's what, until I saw some strange scratches and scars on his fingers with a victorious look in his eyes. He called upon our 7 year old son to go to his study and write a letter of complaint to the King about one of his scholars and to list his crimes against him and the evidence that went with it along with similar charges brought upon Hyo-Sonn. I helped him to use his father's seal and I hold him to give it to our main guard to send to the palace immediately.

'So, you want a wife? And children? Ok, I'll grant you your wish...after atoning for your crimes" he hissed at him before sending him back to the concubines home under tight supervision before visiting Hyun-Ki and slapping her as his given right as their master. He then proceeded to lay the crimes against her of adultery and also placed her in the same room as her so-called lover whilst we waited for the King's personal eunuch to make his visit. These were serious crimes and although he could have waited until the morning but he was itching to put the Queen in her place as she had tried to take over the Prince Bang-Won's favourite pastime of making him suffer as he got closer to the King. It was the Queen who pushed these 'presents' on to us via the King who was begging to get perplexed and frankly embarrassed of her antics. I couldn't believe she had deluded herself in to think that my husband had as much influence as she believed...the King always held a hanging threat over him if he crossed the line but my husband never did...to the King's knowledge anyways. And she had tried to do everything in her power to make my job at the palace a lot harder than it needed to be.

He sent instructions for all of the concubines to be woken up and to be guarded for the eunuch's inspection. At this point our children had fallen asleep but they were reluctant to let go of me so I had no choice but to stay with them and let my husband deal with the matter on his own. He knew how much I had suffered at their hands so he promised me that he wouldn't punish anyone unless I was there to witness it all for my mother's sake. I gave him a deep kiss in appreciation as he took off.

Seon-Ho came home in the early hours of the morning and collapsed into our children's bed that they still shared together for now. Instead of cuddling with his precious daughter he instead wrapped his arms around Hyuk for once as my son turned around in his sleep and wrapped his small hands around his father, sleeping as peacefully as I had ever seen him. We all spent the morning in bed when the children woke up and I treated my son to the biggest piece of left-over dessert last night as well as getting him the rest of his militia book collection he spent his pocket money on. It was a rare carefree morning for us until we all got ready for the concubines punishments. Seon-Ho was hell-bent on proving to his family that he didn't collect concubines or had any inappropriate relationships with other women at all. Due to his mother's plight as a slave and a concubine he didn't want that tradition being passed down into our family. I also took the time to explain to our children how lucky we were that their father showered his attention and love on us in a society where concubines were treated as part of a family's wealth.