The Abandoned Empress

While calming down his anger for a while, he headed for the palace affairs office, sighing deeply. Stunned by his sudden arrival, people there hurriedly came to him to show due manners. Waving at them to go back to work, he headed to the office, escorted by the director of the palace affairs office.

“Your Majesty, we’re surprised about your sudden visit. Why didn’t you call us?”

“I don’t want to say anymore, director. Bring the documents about the late concubine’s policy on the compensation of the palace employees right now.”

“Well, you mean the late concubine… There is no document about her.”

“I understand. You are not supposed to keep it about the woman because she was executed for treason, but I know you could not discard her documents. I won’t punish you. So, bring me her documents right now.”

“…Sorry, Your Majesty. I will go and get them.”

As he thought, the palace affairs office did not discard all the documents about her. In principle, it was a felony to keep any document about a traitor. In addition, anybody in possession of such documents could invite suspicion that they might plot treason, too. But the director didn’t discard her documents, fully aware of such danger. Rather, he could not do so, thinking everything would be messed up if he let Jiun do whatever she wanted to do like now.

As if he hid the documents somewhere deep inside the palace warehouse, it took some time for him to bring them to Rublis with trembling hands. After reviewing the thick documents for some time, Rublis let out a deep sigh, feeling his guess was right.

The gist of Jiun’s plan was that when the senior attendants, upper, middle or lower servants, and maids as well as their families got sick, they would have the right to get treatment by the royal doctors. On the contrary, the late concubine’s policy was that when they got sick, they would get treatment by the royal doctors, but as those servants and maids with lower positions would be required to pay the necessary medical expenses. The expenses would be deducted from their salaries every month.

Rublis let out a sigh again. At first glance, Jiun’s policy looked more efficient than the concubine’s, but it was not. Their workplace was the Imperial Palace. Jiun’s policy could work for those employed by the lower-rank nobles, but in the case of the palace where the palace people were divided into four distinct classes, her policy was not supposed to work.

Employees with the Imperial Palace were largely classified into four classes. In particular, the distinction was more prominent between the senior attendants and others like servants and maids in lower positions. In the case of the former, they were mostly from the lower-rank noble families, while those with lower positions were almost from the commoners. In fact, the lower servants and maids were primarily serving the senior attendants in the palace. Jiun’s policy hit the snag right here.

The royal doctor’s pride was so high, and most of them were from noble families, so they would not treat commoners except under extraordinary circumstances. But Jiun made sure they treated even the lower servants and maids as well as their family members, inviting their strong complaints and offending even the senior attendants because they were treated equally as the servants and maids.

In addition, those who got their treatment for free were confined to the members of the imperial family. So, they didn’t offer free treatment to those employed by the imperial family or those working at the palace. Accordingly, those who get the royal doctors’ treatment were supposed to pay their share, which was pretty expensive.

So, the senior attendants who got higher salaries didn’t feel any financial burden even though they got the royal doctors’ treatment, and actually regarded their treatment as something like an honor, but it was more advantageous for the servants and maids to go to civilian doctors after being reimbursed for their medical expenses by the imperial palace.

Under the current policy, even they could get the royal doctors’ treatment when they were diagnosed with severe illness with the approval of the emperor or the empress. But they were supposed to pay their share of the medical expenses from their salaries later.

Accordingly, it was natural that the servants and maids complained about Jiun’s policy because it was obligatory for them to receive the royal doctors’ treatment even if they were not diagnosed with serious illness.

“Now you know why I told you to bring the late concubine’s documents, right? Besides, they submitted the petition to me, right? I’ll make sure the empress should take care of this matter in a proper manner tomorrow.”

“Thank you so much for your quick action, Your Majesty.”

Rublis stood up with a sigh. He thought it would be nice to have the empress correct her policy rather than dealing with it by himself. Of course, he could take the necessary measure right away, but he wanted to save her face this time.

“Rube, I’m glad to see you here earlier than I thought.”

“As for the welfare policy, discard the current one and adopt the previous one tomorrow.”

“Why, why? My policy is more efficient. ”

“Do you really think so?” he shouted at her, as he could not put up with the surge of annoyance at the moment.

“Which nobles would stand idle when they are treated like commoners? Which commoner would pay for the expensive cost to treat their sickness? How come you are trying to implement such a ridiculous policy? Are you sure your policy makes any sense?”

“Do they have to pay for the medical expenses?”

“Absolutely! Do you think the royal doctor would offer free treatment to those who are not the members of the imperial family? Empress, just think about it, please!”

“Rube, I didn’t know that. Why are you so angry with me? You know I’m trying hard, too. ”

After seeing her black eyes welling with tears, he shouted more loudly rather than calming down, “You’re telling me that you’re making every effort, but I don’t see you going anywhere at all. Where are you putting your efforts into? I could understand your position when you just became the empress, but it’s been already four years since you became the empress. Isn’t it time you knew the ropes of your work? You don’t do anything right, but you just cry whenever I blame you for it. What do you think is the position of the empire’s empress? I just feel you don’t deserve it at all! Are you sure you are my spouse designated by God? I wish you could do your job at least half as much as the late concubine.”

“How could you, Rube…?”

Jiun, who dropped tears silently, retorted harshly, wiping tears roughly at his last words, “What’s the matter with you? It was you who promoted me to the position of the empress that I didn’t know anything about. It was you who said you loved me and abandoned your fiancée, who was chosen as your spouse since she was born, right? Do you miss her now? You hated her so much, then beheaded her on charges of treason. Now, you miss her so much? Are you serious?” Only

“Shut up!”

Although he was so upset because of her humiliating rebuke, he barely suppressed his anger and warned her. But she shouted at the top of her voice without caring about it at all, “Did I say anything that rubbed you the wrong way? I told the truth! I think I know why you are missing her now. Because you are feeling the pang of conscience? Because you realized belatedly that you loved her? No, that’s not true. You are angry with me because you are not satisfied with the way I do my job, right? You miss her wonderful skills, right? Did you say I didn’t make any efforts? Do you think I live idle? I’ve really had a hardship for the last three years to learn all kinds of stuff I am supposed to master as the empress. Did you ever help me? I really worked hard on my own even when you didn’t care about me. I studied more than twelve hours per day!”

“I told you to shut up!”

He shouted, biting his lip, but she didn’t stop.

“So how much the concubine must have suffered because of you! Do you know what I have repeatedly heard about her since she died? Although they didn’t talk about anything about her in my presence, they always compared me with her behind my back, saying she was the perfect candidate for the empress. Well, do you think she handled her job perfectly from the beginning? I think she must have worked her ass off to master her job. Nonetheless, you have ignored, harassed, and killed her miserably, right? How can you tell me to be half as good as her?”

“Stop it!”

It was almost the same time that Rublis, who blew his top, slapped her in the face and she fell down, cupping her burning cheeks. He ignored her who stared at him in shock, with her black eyes filled with tears, and turned coldly.