Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 176: Seon-Ho

But of course I couldn't catch a break. As soon as I was finally settling in comfortably into the village after finding a location to build my own home so I could have some privacy with my wife, I had some news dispatched to me from our home in our village of Da-In's death...and how the body had been found on our doorstep. I could only sigh in frustration before handing over the job to Hwi before we could even talk about our private investigation with Bang-Won. Hui-Jee arrived a few days earlier so I had no choice but to entrust my family to her as I told my family I had to return to the palace for a day or two to sort out work matters before I could return. My wife looked at me suspiciously but I just kissed her goodbye and cupped my unborn son in her belly before taking off. I had been next to him everyday since my wife told me the news and I had held him in my hands every night. I cursed Chun-Ae and anyone who took me away from my children unnecessarily as I already didn't spend enough time with them as I wanted to. I was just about to mount my horse when I thought about how to cover my tracks as I didn't want the Seo's to worry about this.

I went back to their home and I called out for my son, as well as ask Hwi if I could take his sons along for a visit in the palace.I couldn't help but to laugh at their reactions; Hwi had kept his children from the palace and with good reason. But I explained that the palace may be a part of my son's future life and I wanted him to start going there a lot more with people he was comfortable with instead of forcing him to go alone like we both were forced to once upon a time ago. Soon enough all the boys started shouting their heads off and jumping around to persuade Hwi and Hui-Jee who didn't look comfortable with the idea. But they couldn't say no even if they wanted to. They gave in reluctantly as the noise got louder before they all ran for the carriage. I got in with them as Hwi ordered someone to take us there. I had 3 over-excited boys talking about nonsensical plans they made once they set foot in the palace as if they owned it or something. I couldn't help but play into their 'plans' as they made me make a bunch of promises. It was only when they finally fell asleep that I could focus on the message I was sent. I looked over at the young boys with my plan set in motion; I understood the Seo's adversities with the palace and even though the boys were young I wanted them to make their names knows already in a platform I could provide them with; the palace. Not only did I keep my promise to look into my father-in-law's death but I wanted his grandsons to be known, and that was exactly who my son was...I even wanted my mother's lineage to shine in my children even though it seemed to be going to Hana. She had her bratty moments like her mother, even if it was for good causes but when she was calm and quiet in the village she reminded me so much of her that was described to me...even Hyuk was a lot calmer in nature like Hwi whereas his boys sometimes reminded me of myself in my youth although they were just more hyper rather than short-tempered as I was.

Thank goodness they were awake when we arrived or I would have had trouble carrying all three boys who were already starting to over-eat for their training diet. We went to the home first as quietly as I could in case Chun-Ae was watching me. So I stayed in the carriage until was notified that she wasn't home. I had people find her and follow her whilst I had the servants who came up to me in a panic to explain what had happened. They saw the young boys and took a hint as I ordered them to move 'the object' back to where it came from carefully with cloths and anything else that would conceal their touch. I then ordered food and other refreshment be brought in for all of us before we made our way to the palace. Once my orders were carried out I let the boys out of the carriage to eat and rest before I told them to change into their best clothes and that my nephews could take some of Hyuk's clothes for the time being. I made my way into the home I had for the concubines as I took a closer look at the decomposing body that had just been left there. I looked over at the pot of water that had been carelessly left there as I ordered to have it sent to a pharmacist as I knew this was out of Moon-Bok's experience. I went to Da-In's room to look through everything, painfully aware that she had been robbed. I rummaged through what she had left...until I noticed a small dairy she had stuck between her old bedding that evidently never been washed and some old clothes that were in the same state underneath her window. It had told me everything I had suspected a long time ago but I didn't dwell too much about it. She had indeed lost her wealth to the brother of the man she killed on the way to find me...along with other services she had to provide to him to keep her life. So she had been leeching off of her sister who was bankrupt my the time she had started watching me.

The boys were obviously well-rested as they all came clamouring to me in their new clothes, telling me they were all ready to go to the palace. I told them to gather their weapons that I made sure they brought along and clean them in his room while I ate. No sooner than I had sat down I had a full report of Chun-Ae's activities that I had even bothered to look in before because I had never cared. But now it looks like she wanted to frame my wife by killing one of my concubines 'out of jealousy' which was not a pleasant label for any wife to have, especially when Yeon was anything but jealous....and I inadvertently found out a couple of her secrets that could finally grant me the divorce I needed as well as explained why she was able to come back into our lives. I breathed a sigh of relief with the biggest smile on my face; it had only been less than a year and already all of the concubines that were determined ti ruin my marriages had already met their end...all except for one.

I got the boys ready as I collected my seal and we made our way to the carriages. I already had Jeong-Beom waiting for me as Bang-Won had returned to the palace now that his father and myself were supposed to be taking a break so he wasn't expecting us. I had them placed strategically outside Bang-Gan's courtyard to use his training field whilst I went to find Chun-Ae in a certain someone's office...Sung-Rok had gotten his place in the palace under me a long time ago and I don't know how he kept his position. He still stuck to his goal of being under a price or someone else in the royal family just like my father was. But it looked like Chun-Ae was trying to hold onto him for some support so he pointed her to a minister who had taken an unimaginable interest in her for a number of years. Now it was clear to me instantly who had fathered Bong-Ju the minute I laid my eyes on him. I hadn't recognised him in the sea of other ministers and court officials but when I had investigated into his family background all became clear. The palace only had its main staff..and the minister's office was completely unguarded. I had the boys with me this time in case anyone tried to give her a third chance into my home. I quietly burst in the office catching them both in a very compromising position. I had to close the boy's eyes before I could continue charging them with adultery as well as the murder of Da-In and their own son Bong-Ju...and even a few palace maids that had gone missing under her authority. I was taken aback for a moment she truly looked so much like Yeon that I was afraid I had almost made a mistake.

She covered herself up and ran towards me but before she could say anything I handed her a copy of my divorce letter to her whilst the other one was on it's way to be met with both the King and the Queen. "You...you are going to let go of me? You're...you're only scaring me aren't you?" She kept asking me erratically as if she just wasn't caught cheating on me in front of 20 witnesses. "Say...say something please? Look...it wasn't my fault. It was...it was him! He lured me here and threatened that I must surrender to him or he would have me kicked out of the palace! He...he raped me so many times...and Yeon! She never lets you visit me that's why...that's why you dumped me in home with no resources, right? You, you never let her leave your side but you never see me wither! Have you forgotten how many years I have saved you? How I looked after you when she abandoned you?" I refused to hear another word from her as I had her and her lover tied up on the spot, not even giving them the chance to get dressed before we all headed to the summer palace for the trail. Hopefully this would all be over tomorrow and I would be back home tomorrow where I belonged, by the side of my unborn baby, my daughter and my wife.