.eighty two.
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"I will be loyal to you, if you make me your queen."
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Jung was sat atop the hill that over looked the tenth prince's home on one of his visits back from his military service. Nowadays he had been discharged and given free days more often per request of his mother. She had begged Yo for him to give Jung more time off. But that wasn't what Jung wanted. He liked his time in the military. It kept him distracted. When he was back home, he more often remembered Park Hak Soon and he felt a prick in his chest. A deep heart ache that just didn't seem to go away whenever he went home.
Yo had been king for a few days now and had changed many of the laws that Mu had put into place during his reign. Mu had signed for more humane conditions for the slaves that had been taken as prisoners of the war. But Yo had abolished that law, and declared that those people were not citizens of Goryeo, and therefore could not even be considered human beings. He was accompanied by Princess Jangmi, and he was telling her everything that was going on with the third prince. She had noticed how the fourteenth prince appeared as though something were bothering him, and he didn't hesitate before telling her the truth when she asked him about it.
"My brother has taken over the throne of our country." Jung said with a sigh. But he didn't even seem like he was happy about it. Though, he didn't even need to mention it to her. News like that traveled so quickly around Goryeo that everyone knew already. It also didn't help that Yo had organized for a big party in the palace to announce his coronation. He had brought in musicians, beautiful women, and all the nobles were there to celebrate. Jung had been there, forced to pretend like he was having a good time, while his brother dangled the crown in everyone's faces.
The princess widened her eyes at the news. There were rumors floating around there was going to be an uprising. Now that she was hearing it from Jung, and that she heard it had actually happened, she knew that the rumors were true. The nobles and even the citizens of the country were unhappy with the way that Wang Mu was running it as king. Most people wanted either Wang Wook, who was very intelligent, or Wang So who was skilled in military training to take over. As they saw it, the first prince was weak and did not know what he was doing when it came to running the country. He had only been first choice by birth right, and because his father had wanted it that way before his passing.
When she said nothing and only sat there in her surprise, Jung continued, "He has offered me Hak Soon in exchange for my loyalty to him."
That was another thing that surprised Jangmi. But the thought crossed her mind that the prince had probably no doubt accepted the terms. He was still head over heels in love with the general's daughter and on several occasions had told her that he would do anything to have her. But this was a very real possibility and the tenth prince was his brother after all. Taking his wife and his family from him would have been something terribly cruel. It was exactly what Jangmi was trying to do. But then again, she was merely an outsider to him, and Wang Jung was his brother.
"Will you do it though?" She wondered. "Will you be loyal to him?"
He looked ahead onto the property. Eun and Minji had been outside with the children, enjoying the warm spring day. Now they had gone back inside per Minji's request. Jinki couldn't be out in the sun too long because of his health. Also, since the twins were already four years old, Eun had gotten a tutor for them to start learning how to read and write. Minji sometimes had Jinki sit in during a few of the lessons, so that he could have something to do and distract himself. Their youngest daughter was but a few months old and required the care of her mother for most of the day.
