Jin-Ri's eyes went all big and round when she spotted the eunuch just staring at them, holding something wrapped in white cloth. "Uh, me? Escape? No way! I'm here 'cause I heard the King stashed a surprise for me in the stables, and I'm just so super curious I can't help but want to peek!" Jin-Ri said, feeling all awkward.
"No, he didn't," Eunuch Ahn shot back. "Why are you in those old servant clothes?"
Jin-Ri looked down at her outfit, then shot a confused look at Kwan and Yeng. "Uh, Yeng, can you explain this?"
Eunuch Ahn turned to Yeng, "Uh, she's in her old servant uniform, so she won't mess up her pretty dress for the ascension...yeah, that's it," Yeng said, nervously giggling.
"There is no gift in the stables, I know that because I am the one in charge of the gifts," Eunuch Ahn calmly explained
Kwan used his hands to cover the Eunuch's mouth and then pushed him up against the wall. "You will keep your mouth shut, if you value your life, you will not tell anyone that you saw us," he warned the eunuch
"So, you are trying to escape!" Eunuch Ahn exclaimed after wrestling free from Kwan's grasp
"Are you going to tell on us?" Jin-Ri asked, as she approached the eunuch, "Are you going to inform the King?"
"Well, if you are trying to help the prince escape, I just thought he might need this" The eunuch removed the white wrappings to reveal Young-Sik's sword "The King told me to bring it to the weaponsmiths to be melted down, but when I saw the three of you sneaking around, I thought you were going to steal horses to save the prince"
Jin-Ri wrapped the sword again, then tied it to her back. "Yes, we plan to save the prince, and we're going to need your help!" she told the eunuch
After a while, Eunuch Ahn came running towards the guards. "Quick! Consort Hong is trying to escape! I saw her over there," he said, gasping and pointing in a direction away from the stables.
The soldiers looked in shock at the Eunuch, "Well? Go after her, before the King beheads the lot of you." After hearing what the king might do to them, the soldiers scampered to go after Jin-Ri.
Once the guards have left, Eunuch Ahn signals with his hands that the coast is clear. From behind the adjacent building, Jin-Ri and her two friends come running out. While Yeng and Kwan ran straight to the stables, Jin-Ri stopped in front of the eunuch. "Thank you, but you need to go now, so the King won't suspect that you helped us," She reminded the eunuch
"Lady Jin-Ri, you are the only one who can help our prince. Please save him," Eunuch Ahn beseeched Jin-Ri.
"Don't worry, I will save him," She promised the eunuch. He smiled and bowed before making his getaway from the place. Kwan and Yeng came out of the stables riding two horses, with a third one in tow.
Kwan helped Jin-Ri get on her horse and quickly rode out of the palace grounds, through the southern gates. The King then emerges from one of the buildings. "I am gambling my future Queen with this plan of yours," he said
"One insignificant girl is hardly a price worth your time." Il-Sung emerged from behind the King. "You predicted correctly that she would go and try to rescue the prince. Now they will lead us straight to the one who threatened your throne."
"Pray that this gamble of yours pays off, or your head will come off." King Man-Ju glared at Chief Bong before turning around and walking away. Grinning, the village chief followed the King.
As the trio galloped out of the southern gates, Yeng couldn't help but ask, "Why did we not go out through the northern gates?"
"We can't go through there; it is filled with people who can easily recognize Jin-Ri. We will have to circle to the north," Kwan explained.
"Yeng, when we reach Mt. Yangge, I need you to go to the village, you and my parents lead the villagers to a different location, we need to assume that the King will attack them," Jin-Ri instructed her friend
"Don't worry, I'll make sure everyone will be safe," Yeng promised Jin-Ri. "Let's cut through the market, that will take us directly to Mt. Yangge," Yeng told her friends
"Thank you," Jin-Ri expressed her gratitude to her friend. Yeng smiled and nodded in return.
"Lady Jin-Ri, we can't rescue the prince with just the two of us; we will need to recruit a lot of men," Kwan informed Jin-Ri.
"That is why we are going to Nyuong gum, I am hoping that Grandfather Jang can help us with that," Jin-Ri explained her plan to Kwan
"What about Mun-He?" Kwan inquired
"We can't risk going to her just to expose her as one of our allies. Let's hope she is up to date with what's happening and knows what to do." Jin-Ri tugged on her horse's reins, and the horse began to gallop. Kwan and Yeng followed suit and led their horses to follow Jin-Ri
In the Cherry Blossom, just as Jin-Ri hoped, Mun-He saw what had happened to the prince and rushed to Eri to inform her of what had transpired. She went straight to the room where the former Queen was currently confined. She flung the doors open, waking a sleeping Eri in the process. "What do you want?" Eri snobbishly asked
"Your son...had your father killed!" Mun-He revealed without any hesitation.
"What did you say? My son killed my father?" Her voice trembled as she shook her head, "No, that can't be true, he would never hurt his grandfather. You...you and that bastard prince did this, and you are blaming my son." She shouted in denial, "When did this happen?"
"The day the prince left for Guiong," Mun-He coldly replied
"The day? That was several weeks ago! Why am I only informed now?" Eri furiously asked
"The prince wanted to tell you himself," Mun-He simply replied
Eri stood and approached Mun-He. "Then why are you telling me this? Is that bastard too afraid to tell me what he has done?"
"That bastard prince is a prisoner on the way to Guiong to be executed, and your son is the one who gave him to the Guiong envoy," Mun-He explained to the Queen, still maintaining her cold demeanor
Eri smiled, "Good! My son will have no more hindrances to his rule!" she said, speculating on the future of her son
"Guess again you royal pain in the ass!" Mun-He told Eri, showing emotion, particularly anger for the first time, "Prince Young-Sik is the only one that protects your son, he is the only one they fear, the only one that shielded your son from those that wanted to steal his throne. But now that your son betrayed him to the enemy to die, who will protect him now?"
At that point, Eri felt a surge of truth hit her like a jolt of lightning. It was only now that she realized that the prince was the only one standing between her son and those who wished to take advantage of him. She grabbed Mun-He by her arms and frantically asked, "My son, he is all alone now, you must help him!"
"Mi...Minister Lim, somewhere in his estate, keeps a record of all those he coerced to his side. They signed a declaration that...that should Minister Lim call them to arms, they will lend him support." Eri revealed to Mun-He
Lady Hu bowed to Eri. "Thank you. Now we have something to work with." She exited the room, leaving Eri alone with her thoughts and worries about her son.
Jin-Ri, Yeng, and Kwan rode till their horses were exhausted, stopping only to let the horses rest and drink water. After an hour or so, they rode again. They reached Mt. Yangge just before midnight. "Be careful, Yeng," Jin-Ri reminded her friend
"You too, stay alert," Yeng told Jin-Ri. She then whipped the reins on her horse and went her separate way. Jin-Ri and Kwan directed their horses straight up the path and into Mt. Yangge. The night was illuminated by a full moon, helping Jin-Ri navigate through the mountain pass. When they reached the peak, the lights of Nyuong gum were visible, an indication that they were nearing their destination.
They continued their descent from the mountain and reached Nyuong gum within an hour of the tiger. Jin-Ri jumped off her horse when they reached the gates of Grandfather Jang's house. Knocking frantically, she yelled, "Uncle Ban! Uncle Raim. Please open up, we need your help!"
Kwan also started to knock on the gates loudly and shouted as loudly as he could, "Please open up, we are friends of the prince!" After some time, the big gates creaked open, much to the delight of the two.
"Lady Jin-Ri? Captain Gi? What brings you at this hour?" Uncle Ban asked, then scanned the area looking for someone. "Where is the prince?"
"Rouse Grandfather Jang and Master Min-Jae," Jin-Ri instructed the two men as she entered the estate and went straight to the main house. "The prince is in dire need of our help."
Jin-Ri and Kwan did not notice that two pairs of eyes were watching them intently outside the estate. After the gates closed, the two individuals looked at each other before making a hasty retreat.
At the great table, after everyone was gathered, Jin-Ri placed the prince's white sword on the table. Min-Jae slowly picked up the sword that once belonged to him. Understanding immediately that something might have happened to the prince, "Where is the prince?" He directed his gaze at Jin-Ri. "Lady Jin-Ri, where is my brother?"
Kwan expressed a surprised look at what he heard, "Brother? Did he say brother to Prince Young-Sik?" He looked confused and glanced at Jin-Ri as if he was asking for context.
"He is the long-lost crowned prince...Prince Seo-Joon" Jin-Ri calmly explained to Kwan
Captain Gi immediately stood up and bowed to the man in front of him. "Your Highness, please forgive me for not recognizing you."
"Please, Captain, that is quite alright, I assure you," Min-Jae assured Kwan. he then focused back on Jin-Ri. "Lady Jin-Ri, please explain where the prince is. Did something happen to him?" he asked anxiously
Jin-Ri recounted the events leading up to Young-Sik's current predicament. From how King Man-Ju blackmailed her using Young-Sik's outburst as an excuse to imprison and execute him. She also revealed how Man-Ju acquiesced to the emperor's demand to take back Young-Sik to Guiong to face execution.
Grandfather Jang's hand flew to his chest as the news hit him like a thunderbolt. "My grandson, my poor grandson," he cried out, but the sorrow was short-lived, quickly giving way to a boiling hatred. "That loathsome King! How could he do this to his flesh and blood? How could he hand his brother over to the emperor?" he roared, his anger palpable. "I will tear him limb from limb with my bare hands!"