Rise of an Empress

The Card of Fate

Concubine Park tries to walk with her head down. She is disguised as a eunuch now. Planning this took a long time and she is confident that this plan will not fail. She needs to meet General Lee Jong In to get some answers. Why is he avoiding her nowadays? She has sent him several orders to meet him, but he has refused to meet her and is still silent without apologizing to her. 

Concubine Park is walking on the corridor of a special barrack of the Goryeo army now, in this particular royal portion of this special barrack General Lee is used to staying as a General of army, when he stays in the capital of Goryeo.

Successfully Concubine Park has passed several army check posts. There's a minimum chance to get caught when she is wearing an exclusive uniform of a eunuch with the royal seal and bears letters for General Lee from the royal palace. Actually, the letter bearing is completely fake, but it's normal for him to receive a lot of letters and news from the royal palace as one of the trusted generals and closest people to the Emperor of Goryeo.

At last, she reaches the expected door with the soldiers' instructions. She knocks on the door of General Lee's room and after hearing the response to come in she enters inside.

Once inside the room, she takes off the eunuch’s hat and locks the door from inside, "Long time so see," Concubine Park says in a cold voice to General Lee.

He doesn't get surprised, but he knows very well that she will always find a way to do what she desperately wants.

"I thought at least maintaining a distance would be better for both of us," Jong In says while feeding some tender cabbage to the rabbits inside the wooden cage. These are the rabbits that Concubine Seo didn't let him eat as a meal. He left these rabbits to an old woman in Guangdong to be taken care of for a few weeks as it wasn't possible to carry rabbits with them on the way. He assured Concubine Seo that one day he will return these baby rabbits to her again. But it seems like returning rabbits will make things complicated as the Emperor is so possessive of his pregnant concubine.

"So, the parrot has learned words. What do you think, Jong In? You left the capital without sending me any letter or apologies. My spies are always active around you. You stayed in your mother's old home with a pretty lady. You drank wine with her, had a physical relationship with her in a wine shop, and so on. You are forgetting to be loyal to me. But I won't forget how to bring you down. Remember, I am Park Seung Deok from the Miryang Park clan. How did you end up meeting Concubine Seo on your way? And where have you kept your secret lover hidden?" Concubine Park says in an angry but low voice, obviously, she can't let any soldier around suspect anything wrong happening inside the General's room.

"Bring me down then. I can't do it anymore. My first fault was to have feelings for you and let you use my feelings. Then you manipulated me. I can't betray myself and His Imperial Majesty anymore. If you ever loved me, you wouldn't do such a thing to me," Jong In says when he has decided after thinking for so long.

"I am tired of the same speech again and again. We both are staying in the safest positions. Why can't you understand? Don't make me desperate to harm you. You know well that I can't control my anger. Kick those disgusting rabbits out!" Concubine Park clenches her fist. She badly wants to kick those rabbits whom General Lee is still feeding without giving full concentration to her.

"Can you please kick me out of your life? I am sick of your threats every time. This, your actions, is not love, but force. It's you who left me at first to get power over the Miryang Park clan. What was wrong to leave that position to your elder sister? She was the first choice of your family to be a concubine. You are the advantage seeker who wants everything in your favour. Bring me down, I am not afraid of your power and status anymore. I don't want to continue this secret forced relationship anymore. I am ready to pay for my sin with my life," General Lee says while unlocking the door and leaves, keeping Concubine Park alone in his room.