The Flower in Prison (옥중화)

I have something to talk to you about at length, Madam.

What is it?

I am putting my life on the line to tell you this.

You do know that a girl named Ok Nyeo is working at the Taoist Temple as an administrator?

You must also be aware that Her Highness the Queen Dowager takes to that child as well.

Yes.

But why are you telling me about that girl?

Ok Nyeo is meeting His Majesty the King outside of the palace.

Pardon?

Is that true?

Yes.

I saw with my own two eyes how they met outside of the palace.

The next day, he sought me out because of her, too.

Is that so?

If His Majesty the King chooses to expose this affair,

he said, he will not forgive us.

I believe that you will protect me, Madam,

so I am telling you this.

What's wrong?

Your Excellency, I found out who His Majesty the King was meeting outside of the palace.

- Really? - Yes.

- Who is it? - That girl, Ok Nyeo.

What? Ok Nyeo!

Yes.

Ok Nyeo, that girl, was meeting His Majesty the King.

Till now, she's been influencing His Majesty

to mitigate our affairs at every turn. It was her! That girl!

Why?

Do you think that makes sense?

What do you mean? The High Minister of the Taoist Temple

just now told me he saw with his own eyes that His Majesty the King and Ok Nyeo were meeting.

They can meet,

but if your words are true, the current crown is meeting Ok Nyeo

to deliberate on how to restrict Queen Dowager and Our Lesser Yoon faction.

- That's right. - I'm saying that doesn't make sense.

That girl is just a Taoist Temple Administrator.

Before then she was a low-born prison damo.

What does the king lack that he'd discuss national affairs with that lowly girl?

You should say things that make sense.

You're saying these things because you don't know that girl.

Do you know how tenacious and artful she is?

Surely she is manipulating His Majesty the King

to take revenge on us.

If that isn't so, there's no reason for her to meet the king secretly.

Your Excellency you must kill that girl immediately.

You don't know what kind of scheme she'll come up with next, after meeting with the king.

- Your Excellency! - What would change just because that one girl disappears?

- Killing Ok Nyeo is meaningless. - Your Excellency!

But the fact that the king met that girl outside of the palace

is something that we can use.

If we use that chance well, we can grab his ankle (hold him back).

What do you mean?

To hold him back?

Ok Nyeo.

Sir.

Queen Dowager is looking for you.

You must go to the palace this instant.

Pardon?

You hurry first to the company.

- Yes. - Let's go.

Sir.

Didn't you say that we must meet Queen Dowager?

But where is this?

If you go inside you will know.

You may take your leave now.

Yes, Your Excellency.

There's no need to be so anxious.

I called you because I have something to tell you at length.

There's no need for alarm.

If you have something to say, you should have called me yourself.

Why did you lie?

You never lose a single word.

If I had not brought up the excuse of Her Highness the Queen Dowager

would you have so docilely met Nan Jung and I?

His Excellency summoned you to ask you some things, so first come inside.

I said for you to enter inside.

We said we have no intention of harming you.

Madam, shortly before,

had attempted to kill me.

What is your real reason for bringing me here?

I heard that you are the Taoist Temple Administrator.

Since you are also in close relation to Her Majesty the Queen Dowager,

I summoned you for a request.

How much did you bother her for her to wear such an expression?

If I had intended to kill you, I would have already done so.

I'm saying that there's no need for me to have called you in this way.

If you really cannot believe me, then go back.

It's here.

Are you saying that Ok Nyeo definitely entered this house?

Yes.

This is one of Yoon Won Hyeong's residences.

Pardon?

Isn't His Excellency Yoon Won Hyeong's private residence in Gaedong?

Even in the capital, Yoon Won Hyeong and Jung Nan Jung have over eight houses.

This is one of them.

What is it you want to say.

When the Taoist Temple is shut down, what happens to you?

I heard that you became an administrator in exchange for getting rid of your government slave status.

Will you become a government slave again?

I'm not sure of that, either.

Since Her Highness the Queen Dowager especially dotes on you,

she probably won't leave you to become a government slave.

If there is something you want, tell me.

I will put my efforts into it.

There isn't anything I have in mind yet.

Then how about working for me?

There were many misunderstandings and difficulties between the two of us,

but in regards to your talents, since the time that you read my fortune so long ago,

I have appraised them highly.

From what I heard, even when you became an administrator,

I heard it was because of your high talent.

Though the Taoist Temple will be abolished

the Taoist Temple will be resurrected someday.

How about it? Will you be one of mine?

Ok Nyeo.

Sir.

What are you doing here, sir?

Speaking of which, why are you coming out of there?

This is one of Yoon Won Hyeong's private residences.

Cho Hee said that you who was supposed to go to the palace to meet Her Highness the Queen Dowager,

saw you enter Yoon Won Hyeong's residence.

Hearing that, I became worried and came to see you.

I see...

Why is it that you said you were going to see the Queen Dowager

but you were instead brought to Yoon Won Hyeong's residence?

His Excellency Yoon Won Hyeong and Jung Nan Jung had summoned me.

If they hadn't done so, they said I wouldn't have met them.

What is the reason they summoned you?

His Excellency Yoon Won Hyeong has proposed that I work for him.

What?

He said to become one of his own and assist in the resurrection of the Taoist Temple,

but in my opinion, it seems he had some alternate motive.

Do you have an idea what that might be?

I'm not sure about that yet.

We shouldn't have sent her away unscathed.

Your Excellency you must be rid of her now in order to not have any other future consequences.

Didn't I tell you that's meaningless?

What exactly is your plan, Your Excellency?

Why do you think the king is meeting with that girl, Ok Nyeo?

I anticipate that the king, too, is a man.

He's healthier and young like no other.

Surely he likes her.

Pardon?

That means that the king is meeting Ok Nyeo outside the palace

and having relations?

That could be so.

But what kind of girl is that Ok Nyeo?

A nice way of putting it is calling her a Taoist temple administrator. What makes her any different than a shamaness?

The king is meeting a lowly shamaness outside of the palace and having relations with her.

While the king shut down the Taoist temple because of its heathen nature

he himself was secretly meeting a shamaness.

Do you think this is any ordinary rumor?

You are right. If this news is spread then the king's authority will crumble to the ground.

Moreover, those supporting the king are

Confucian scholars.

They despise the Tao and superstition above all else.

If they are to find out about these things, from that day forth, the king

will lose a stronghold.

This is a golden opportunity to hold the king's weakness against him.

Have you recently met with the royal ethics officer that we met at His Excellency Lee Jeong Myeong's place?

Yes, I met him earlier.

Can I ask you what you two conversed about?

Yes, he asked me about the lawyer.

Lawyer? Why is it that he asked you about it?

Not long ago, my adoptive father was framed so I had acted as a lawyer then.

He found out about it and asked.

I see.

Yes, he said that he wished to aid the lawyer.

But if you do become involved as a lawyer, you could become at odds with the officials who take care of the lawsuits.

If you are not cautious you could be injured, so be sure to be careful.

Yes, sir.

Where did Jong Geum go for you to come instead?

Your Excellency it's no longer that girl Jong Geum who is the head of the maidservants, but me.

From now on I will take care of you, Your Excellency.

Tisk, tisk. I asked you where she went!

Jong Geum isn't in her right mind now...

What does that mean that she's not in her right mind?

Jong Geum is blabbing about saying that she's pregnant!

Pregnant? With whose child?

What do you mean who? It's you, Your Excellency.

What?

So she got caught by Madam, so Madam brought a physician to check her out!

But then she wasn't even pregnant.

Are you saying that Jong Geum lied?

She didn't lie, but rather if you so earnestly wish for it to be true

you can have fake morning sickness and even fake bloating.

In one word, she's a crazed girl.

How...

Jong Geum.

Your Excellency.

Aigoo, look at yourself.

- Your Excellency... - Get up for a second.

Why didn't you tell me earlier?

Because I was scared...

I will not let you remain in this pitiful state.

If you really were to bear my child

even that venomous Nan Jung couldn't do anything to you.

Just endure and wait a bit longer.

Yes, Your Excellency. No matter what calamity awaits me

I will trust in and wait for only you, Your Excellency.