She turned around to glare at the King, her eyes burned with hatred for Man-Ju. She wanted so much to curse at him, to claw at his face and rip his eyes out, but she did not. She knew that any hostility towards the King would only make things worse. She turned around again to see her prince's situation.
The donkey began to walk, pulling the cart carrying the cage with Young-Sik in it. "Let it be known that Kim Young-Sik is a traitor who endangered our country because of his hubris. Let it be known that King Lee Man-Ju, our one true savior, has managed to save our nation by defeating this false hero." The eunuch repeated those words over and over while parading Young-Sik in a cage.
The people listening and watching were hurling curses at the prince. They were throwing all manner of filthy things at him. Some of them shouted, "You filthy traitor, I hope the emperor skins you alive." Others shouted, "Liar! Pretender! You had us fooled, We hope you suffer a horrible death!"
The things that the people shouted at the prince broke Jin-Ri's heart. She could not believe how quickly they turned on their prince just because of some false accusations. She ran back down the ramparts and looked for Kwan and Yeng. "We have to help him if we don't help him...they will kill him!" she begged her two friends
Kwan nodded, and he led the two women away from the crowd, but as soon as they moved, they were blocked by several soldiers. "Madame Jin-Ri, please return to your mansion," one of the soldiers instructed them
"Let us pass," Kwan ordered the soldiers, but they did not budge. "I command you to let us pass!" he repeated.
"We are under direct orders from the King, and he said to confine you three in Consort Hong's mansion." The soldier replied," He also told us, should she refuse, we will kill Lady-in-waiting Yeng on the spot!" The soldiers pulled out their swords and aimed them all at Yeng, frightening her.
When Yeng regained her composure, she told Jin-Ri, "Don't mind me, just go." The soldiers, upon hearing Yeng's words, approached her menacingly.
"No! Don't harm her, please," Jin-Ri begged the soldiers. "I will do as told, just don't harm her."
The soldiers sheathed their weapons, and one of them approached Jin-Ri. "Please follow us, Consort Hong."
The trio was escorted by the soldiers back to Jin-Ri's mansion. Once they were inside, the soldiers closed the doors and scattered themselves around the house. One of the court maidens approached Jin-Ri and said, "Consort Hong, it is time."
"Time? Time for what?" Yeng asked, coming between Jin-Ri and the other court maidens.
"It is time for her ascension," Queen Ji-Hye said as she came out of Jin-Ri's private quarters. Everyone bowed to the Queen as she approached. "Before the sun sets on this day, you will be officially appointed as the King's consort."
"NO! I refuse!" Jin-Ri declared in defiance, making her stand known to all
"Everyone, leave us!" The Queen commanded the court maidens to look at each other, unsure of what to do.
Ji-Hye's lady-in-waiting broke the silence and said, "As you wish, your Highness." She then ushered everyone out of the mansion, including Kwan and Yeng.
"I refuse to be the King's consort, even if it costs me my life!" Jin-Ri declared with fierce determination. "He handed Yong over to the enemy!" she added emphatically.
"I'm not here to persuade you to become his consort; my goal is to assist you in rescuing the prince," Ji-Hye said, catching Jin-Ri off guard.
"Why would you want to help me? How can I trust you? You were the one who kept me away from the prince; why should I believe anything you say?" Jin-Ri questioned, her trust in the Queen wavering.
"I wanted you to step away from the prince, but I never intended for him to be harmed. I know you have every reason to doubt me, and to be honest, I don't fully trust you either. But I do know that you love him and would go to great lengths to protect him. I love him too, and if that means helping my rival escape for his sake, then I will do it," Ji-Hye clarified to Jin-Ri.
Jin-Ri's fiery temper began to subside as she listened to the Queen's heartfelt words. "What do you have in mind?" she asked, curious about the plan that might be unfolding.
"The ceremony for your ascension to consort is set to begin before sunset, giving you just enough time to make your escape. Once I leave, I will call upon the guards and court maidens to give them their instructions. You have but a fleeting moment to slip out of this mansion," Ji-Hye detailed, outlining the escape strategy for Jin-Ri. "Once the guards are distracted, head straight to the stables; I've arranged for three horses to be ready for you all." The Queen then guided Jin-Ri toward her quarters. "Quickly change into your court maiden uniform to avoid drawing any attention."
"Do you know which route they will take back to Guiong?" Jin-Ri asked while she changed her clothes, already plotting her course of action in her mind.
"They'll navigate around the eastern mountains via the northernmost route, as the mountain ranges will be impassable for carriages and carts. This detour will extend their journey by another day. You have just three days before they exit that region. Once they've crossed the mountains, it will be too late to save the prince," Ji-Hye warned Jin-Ri, emphasizing the urgency of her mission.
Jin-Ri fell silent for a moment as she changed into her servant's attire. After securing her hair, she approached the Queen. "The King will surely punish you if he discovers this," she cautioned.
"He won't be able to punish me easily. The priority is rescuing the prince, and you have only three days," Queen Ji-Hye reiterated to Jin-Ri.
"I will not fail! You can count on that!" Jin-Ri replied with a stern voice
Queen Ji-Hye gave a slight nod to Jin-Ri before declaring, "This doesn't mean I'm giving Young-Sik to you. He belongs to me!" With that, she strode toward the grand doors and flung them open, but before she stepped out, she glanced back at Jin-Ri. "Just remember, I'm not aiding your escape; you're assisting me in saving my prince," she declared to Jin-Ri, and then she stepped out of the mansion.
Moments later, Kwan and Yeng entered the mansion, spotting Jin-Ri dressed in her customary court maiden garb. "Lady Jin-Ri, what's happening?" Kwan asked, bewildered.
"There's no time to explain! Keep an eye on the guards. The instant the Queen signals them, we need to dash to the stables," Jin-Ri urged her friends. "The Queen is on our side to help us rescue Yong."
"Can we trust her? She is the wicked Queen," Yeng interjected, voicing her concerns.
"We can trust her on this," Jin-Ri assured the two. Captain Gi then went to a nearby window, slowly opening it to look outside.
He listened for a while before he heard the Queen call the guards and court maidens, "All of you! Approach the Queen, she is about to state her orders regarding the ceremony," A lady-in-waiting called out.
"Get ready," Kwan whispered to the two when all of the guards had left their posts. Kwan opened the window doors wide enough for them to pass through. Kwan was the first to exit, followed by Jin-Ri and finally Yeng. He gently closed the doors to avoid making a noise. Once the window doors were closed, they ran straight to the stables.
The trio made it as far as the building adjacent to the stables, where they encountered a problem. Peeking behind the adjacent building, Yeng expressed her concerns, "There are at least five guards outside the stable, I don't think she forgot to mention that!" she sarcastically said
"Unfortunately, I think it slipped her mind," Jin-Ri retorted, "The two of us will have a long talk after this!" she stated, the irritation in her voice was very clear.
"Lady Jin-Ri, why are you here? Shouldn't you be preparing for your ceremony?" The trio turned around to see Eunuch Ahn standing behind them. "Are you trying to run away from the King?"