Outside the palace courtroom, Ministers Shin, Im, and Go watch as Minister Lim passes by them with a smirk on his face. "I have to say, the left wing sending only Lady Ji-Hye as a hopeful was a genius move. They were assured fifty percent of the minister's votes. Minister Im lamented
With a worried tone, Minister Shin said, "I really believed the Lim clan was losing their grip, but now that Lady Ji-Hye is Queen, their influence is likely to rise again."
"I have recently discovered that the dowager Queen is a distant relative of the Lim clan, it turned out that her mother is a distant niece of the late Lim Do-Yung." Minister Im stated
"Is there all to it? Nothing else? The dowager Queen helped Ji-Hye, because they are family?" Minister Shin pondered
When he saw that Minister Go was in a daze, Minister Im asked, "What's your take on the situation?"
Minister Go replied, his voice reflecting both concern and fear, "Gentlemen, we have far more critical issues to discuss than who will be sharing the King's bed."
"What do you mean by that, my friend?" Minister Shin inquired, worry etched on his face as his round eyes darted.
Minister Go looked around nervously before admitting, "I don't think King Seo-Jung died of natural causes. I believe he was poisoned."
Minister Im took a deep breath to steady himself after the shocking revelation. "How can you be so sure? That's a pretty serious claim."
"While I was attending to the previous King's body, I noticed a particular odor of almonds emanating from our King," Minister Go explained.
"So, you think the dowager Queen did it to get her son on the throne?" Minister Shin asked, already suspecting the answer.
Minister quietly nodded his head, Minister Im quickly asked in hushed tones, "Do we have more evidence?"
"Hidden, where only I or the prince could find it," Minister Go assured his contemporaries
"Is Prince Young-Sik already informed?" Minister Im asked
"Unfortunately, not yet, I was trying to find the poison's identity, first before I presented my findings to the prince," Minister Go explained
"Have you identified the poison?" Minister Shin asked
"Based on the symptoms, the speed of its effects, and other notable properties, it is a western poison called Cyanide," Minister Go paused for a while. "It mimics the symptoms of heart conditions; thus cases are often thought of as heart failure"
"Does the King know?" Minister Im asked
"I chose not to inform him. He stands to benefit the most from all those who have something to gain from the late King's passing," Minister Go clarified.
"I see your point; it's prudent to withhold this from the King until we have more evidence," Minister Shin replied, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "However, the prince needs to be made aware immediately. Only then can we initiate a thorough investigation."
"Then it's settled. We talk to the prince as soon as he is back," Minister Im concluded. The three ministers then made their way. Minister Gi emerged glaring at the three ministers from the back of one of the courtroom's pillars.
That evening, Young-Sik and Jin-Ri arrived at the home of Minister Son. "Let me do the talking" Young-Sik instructed his court maiden.
Just as the prince raised his hand to knock on the grand gates, Jin-Ri burst onto the scene, hammering away and shouting, "Hey Minister Son, open up! We've got proof, that you've been falsifying documents! Come out and face us, or else!"
"Or else what?" Young-Sik quipped, a smirk dancing on his lips.
"Or else I'll unleash my secret weapon: a swift kick to his backside and a dramatic throat-slitting!" Jin-Ri replied with a surprising calmness. "Seriously, Minister Son, open these gates! My hands are starting to feel like they've been through a workout!"
"Would you stop that, for all we know Son might have already bolted, because of your loud mouth," Young-Sik said while swatting away Jin-Ri's arms.
Just then, the wooden gates swung open and two men came out. "Who the hell do you think you are causing a commotion here?" One of the men asked aggressively
The other man started to shove Young-Sik, "Get out of here, both of you before I break your faces" he warned the pair, threatening them.
Jin-Ri started to hit the man, who was shoving the prince, "Hey...you can't do that to him, you don't have any idea what he'll do to the both of you if you continue to harass him like that"
"Why you little bitch" The man brandished his arm ready to slap Jin-Ri. The prince used the hilt of his sword to jab the man in the throat. The man was brought to his knees coughing and clutching his throat.
The other man acted like he was going to attack Young-Sik. "I don't have time for this," Young-Sik thought, and with a swift round-house kick, he knocked the other man out of commission.
More men came out to confront the pair, but the instant Young-Sik pulled out his sword, and they all stopped and ran away. "Cowards come back here...I'll teach you a lesson none of you will forget" Jin-Ri shouted
"How are you going to teach them a lesson?" The prince asked curiously
"Through you! Why? Do you have a problem teaching them a lesson for me?" Jin-Ri asked proudly
Young-Sik just shook his head and went straight into the house followed by Jin-Ri. He pried the doors to the receiving area open. Inside the room, Minister Son's wife and parents were startled
"Who the hell are you? Why are you just barging into my son's house?" Minister Son's father asked the pair, shouting as he did.
"I am Prince Kim Young-Sik, and by my authority, I command you to surrender Minister Son to me on charges of Corruption, Abuse of authority, Forgery, and Impersonating a member of the royal family!" the prince demanded. The revelation of the prince's identity silenced the people, they all bowed to Young-Sik and started to volunteer information of their own volition.
"We apologize for not recognizing you, you Highness. Please excuse our ignorance," Minister Son's father said in a humble voice, his head bowed more out of fear than respect
"Where is the minister?" Young-Sik asked sternly
"My husband left even before you arrived, Your Highness. Please believe us," Minister Son's wife pleaded
"Get me all the financial records of Minister Son," He ordered the family, to which they all scrambled to give the prince what he asked for
"Your Highness, how was he able to know we were coming so quickly?" Jin-Ri wondered
"I don't know, but it only means one thing, they know we're here," Young-Sik simply replied
Knowing that their presence has probably been exposed, Young-Sik wasted no time studying Minister Son's financial ledgers for unusually large amounts of money. It was nearly morning when he found what he was looking for.
With Un-Gwang in tow, Young-Sik and Jin-Ri marched to the palace. At the gates, the guards were about to stop him from entering, they all bowed when he removed the cloth covering his face. "Your Highness, forgive us we didn't recognize you." The guards all said
"Is there an assembly today?" He asked the guards
"Yes, Your Highness, they are at the courtroom as usual," one of the guards replied. "Why do you have a prisoner with you, your highness?" they asked, seeing the bound man between him and Jin-Ri
Jin-Ri shoved Un-Gwang toward the guards, "Follow me to the courtroom, and drag him along," Young-sik commanded the guards
At the assembly, the ministers were discussing border security, when the courtroom doors flew open. It was the prince, along with his court maiden and their prisoner. "Who dares??!" the ministers asked until they saw Young-Sik with a stern expression.
"Guards cover all entrances and exits, no one goes in and out!" He commanded the guards who quickly followed him.
"Prince Young-Sik, would you mind explaining what is happening?" King Man-Ju ordered him, clearly confused at the sudden lockdown of the courtroom
Young-Sik looked at Jin-Ri who went up to the King. She bowed and handed him a piece of parchment. King Man-Ju read the contents, he then crumpled the parchment and threw it to the floor, his eyes were filled with anger.
"Who dares use the name of a Chiongsun prince to fool my people? WHO?" The King yelled
Murmurs and inaudible whispers filled the courtroom, everyone was buzzing except for Minister Lim, who stood quiet. Young-Sik grabbed Un-Gwang by the hair, dragged him to the front, and threw him at the King's feet.
Young-Sik pulled out his sword and aimed the tip at Un-Gwang's neck. Jin-Ri flinched, she was worried that the prince would hurt the man to make him speak.
"Tell the King what you told me or be punished under the penalty of death!" Young-Sik declared; his eyes burned red like fire.
Un-Gwang quickly answered the King's question out of fear of being killed or tortured "A minister, your Highness. Minister Son commissioned me to forge that fake tax increase"
"Minister Son! Come forward!" King Man-Ju shouted, everyone looked around, but Minister Son could not be found. "Where is Minister Son?"
"I hope you took my advice and took care of that useless Son," Minister Gi whispered to Minister Lim
Minister Lim secretly grinned as he recalled the events from yesterday afternoon. He was at the orchidarium in his house when one of his guards brought a very distraught Minister Son, "You have to help me, Lord Lim!" Minister Son pleaded, "Prince Young-Sik is in the capital, he already got to the forger and I'm sure he will spill my name"
"What does it have to do with me?" Minister Lim asked coldly as he continued to water his plants
"What do you mean, what does it have to do with you?" Minister Son asked perplexed, "It has everything to do with you. You ordered me to commission that tax poster and you gave me your word I will not get in trouble if I do"
Minister Lim sighed, "You should have taken care of your forger as I told you to"
"What he made was such a believable forgery, that we thought no one would find out," Minister Son said, bowing his head to avoid Minister Lim's gaze
Minister Lim pouted his lips and just nodded, "I will have some of my men smuggle you out of the city"
"Provisions, I want some of your men to get my gold and silver so that I can establish myself and my family somewhere else," Minister Son said as if he was telling the elder Minister Lim what should be done.
With a mischievous smile, Minister Lim remarked, "You know how the prince is—he's probably already at your doorstep, plundering your treasures. But rest assured, your family won't face any harm. He'll just take everything precious and leave them to wander the streets as beggars," he concluded, further unsettling the already shaken minister.
"Then you should help us, get me and my family out of the city, and provide us with monetary compensation for that which I have lost," Minister Son asked the elder minister
Minister Lim had just about enough of Minister Son's insistent demands, however, he remained calm and replied "Our bargain is to provide you with safety should this happen, and despite your stupidity, I am still holding up my end of the bargain! But I never agreed to help your family or give you anything"
Minister Lim glanced at one of his bodyguards "Take him to the safe house and make sure he tends to the fields!"
"Tend to the fields?" Minister Son asked, dumbfounded by the instruction laid out by Minister Lim, "I am a minister, not a farmer!" he defiantly added.
Minister Lim seized the young minister by the throat and with a calm yet threatening voice, he said "You're no longer a minister! You're a worthless criminal, on the run! Consider yourself lucky that I'm even allowing you the opportunity to repay my generosity!"
Minister Son struggled against Lim's grip, forcefully breaking free as he retorted, "If you refuse to give me what I demand, I'll surrender myself to the prince and reveal your schemes along with your accomplices!" He attempted to walk away but was intercepted by Minister Lim's bodyguards. "Step aside peasants!" he yelled at them.
The guard pulled out his sword and stabbed Minister Son in the abdomen. He let out a shriek of pain, falling on his knees, as the man pulled out his sword.
Minister Lim took his bodyguard's sword and said, "You should have taken my offer." He lifted the sword, and in one fell swoop he decapitated the young minister.