At Prince Baekhwa's Residence...
If Baekje spent his days lying around, eating and sleeping without making any effort, then Baekhwa was his complete opposite.
Day and night, he buried himself in his studies. Papers, ink, and books were all that ever filled his hands. From morning until midnight, he constantly ordered servants, butlers, and attendants throughout his residence to fetch and return books from the royal library.
Days passed. Weeks went by.
And at last, the long-awaited day arrived—the day of the examination.
This was no ordinary test that participants, mostly men with only a handful of women among them, had to pass.
It was an examination that determined one's fate.
Every male from every household, whether rich or poor, was allowed to take it free of charge. Those who passed could choose whether to become a Yunuko, a minister, or enter other branches of governance such as the magistracy. Those who failed would be sent to the Borderline to undergo military training.
Many feared Baekje.
Whenever people saw him, they avoided him and whispered among themselves. It was as though he carried a contagious disease—no one wished to approach him, stand near him, or even brush against him.
But Baekje himself did not care.
Meanwhile, at Baekhwa's residence...
The servants were thrown into chaos after the prince fell ill with a severe fever and flu, preventing him from attending the examination.
One week before the examination...
"Ahem! Ahem!"
"Your Highness, please drink this medicine so your condition may improve, even if only slightly."
"There is no need. My throat merely feels itchy. Ahem! Ahem! Just leave me warm water and some persimmon biscuits."
"But they are sweet, Your Highness. Perhaps—"
"Butler, who exactly is the master between us? Shall we switch positions instead? You become the prince, and I shall become your butler!"
Baekhwa shot him a furious glare before coughing violently once more.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
The butler left the room with disappointment and concern clearly written across his face. Stress and frustration were evident in his expression as he struggled with the stubborn prince.
Days continued to pass, yet Baekhwa's condition only worsened.
When the day of the examination finally arrived, he could no longer rise from bed. His body shivered from the cold, yet he burned with fever.
His servants panicked. Even the butler lost composure and immediately summoned the kingdom's greatest physician.
Five minutes later, the physician arrived.
After examining the prince, he discovered that Baekhwa was suffering from severe fever and influenza.
The cause:
Overexertion, lack of sleep, and irregular meals.
"Ahem! I'm going to be late for the examination," the prince said while desperately trying to rise despite his body refusing to obey him.
"Your Highness... forgive me, but you cannot attend the examination today."
"And why not? Such insolence! Ahem! Ahem!"
"Please look at your condition. You cannot even stand. Yet you still insist on forcing yourself. There will be another examination next year."
Upon hearing those words, Baekhwa fell silent.
He merely gestured for the butler to escort the physician out and thank him on his behalf.
After leaving the prince's residence, the physician headed to the King's Palace to report the situation. However, the king was not there, so he proceeded instead to the Queen's residence, assuming the king would be with her.
When news of Baekhwa's illness reached the king and queen, they immediately visited him.
Before leaving, the queen ordered one of her attendants to bring a thousand-year-old ginseng for the prince.
Though Baekhwa was not the queen's biological son, she still cared deeply for him. Not only for him, but also for the king's other children born from different women.
Because of this, she earned their respect—whether genuine, pretended, or merely superficial.
Consort Yihwa eventually learned that the queen had visited her son before she did.
The moment she heard the news, rage consumed her.
She smashed a glass against the floor.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
"How infuriating! Infuriating! Truly infuriating!"
"This is a humiliation for an aristocrat like me! The king's first wife visited my son before I, his own mother, did. I should have been the one beside him, caring for him during that time. No... no, this cannot be!"
After venting her anger, she immediately went to see her son, checked on his condition, and remained by his side until he recovered.
Baekyi also frequently visited and stayed at the residence after hearing what had happened.
Inside Baekhwa's Chamber...
Lady Yihwa entered the room alongside her attendants and ladies-in-waiting, though she dismissed them shortly after entering.
"Ahem."
She cleared her throat while glaring coldly at Baekhwa.
Trembling, the prince spoke.
"Mother... please forgive me if it pleases you. I truly did everything I could. I studied tirelessly. I had nearly memorized every book I read, but my body simply gave out. Please forgive me, Mother."
"If you were not ill, I would have slapped you already. It is a disgrace to our clan not to place first. At best, second or third place would have been tolerable."
"Yes, Mother."
"But why did the Queen learn of your illness before I did?"
"The physician likely went to the throne hall first. Since the King and Queen are always together, Her Majesty must have learned of it before you."
Lady Yihwa merely nodded.
But Baekhwa knew that deep inside, his mother was still seething with rage.
After their conversation, Lady Yihwa departed and returned to her own palace.
Sunset — Prince Baekhwa's Palace
Rumors spread throughout the palace that Prince Baekje had ranked first in the examination.
The news caused Consort Yihwa's fury to boil even further.
At that time, she was staying at Baekhwa's residence to care for him. Though he had mostly recovered, he still suffered from cough and colds.
Five days had passed since the examination.
The servants whispered among themselves.
"Hey, did you hear the news?"
"What is it, Linda?"
"The examination results are out."
"The exam?"
"Yes."
"Who ranked first?" Dina asked eagerly.
"Prince Baekje. Second place is the most handsome man alive, Si Yunan, and third is Hoon Sakwon."
"Ah... that arrogant aristocrat?"
"Yes."
At that moment, Consort Yihwa was on her way back to her own residence and planned to return again later that night.
The news spread everywhere—throughout the palace and even beyond its walls.
One Month Later...
All who had passed the examination were formally honored and declared official members of the royal court, now eligible to serve the kingdom.
Inside the Grand Hall...
One by one, the officials entered and took their designated seats.
The successful scholars followed shortly after and sat in their assigned places as well.
Then came the princes, consorts, concubines, the king, and finally the queen.
Everyone attended—
Except Baekhwa and Lady Yihwa.
Their seats remained empty.
First, they offered prayers and gratitude to the Lord for the blessings of the past year before the ceremony began.
The names of every successful examinee were called one by one.
After receiving their certificates, Baekje was summoned to deliver a speech.
"I do not wish to become a magistrate or rule this nation."
"What I desire is to defend this kingdom—to become a general willing to protect the Borderline."
"I did not pass this examination because of intelligence or talent alone."
"I passed because I already knew the contents of the examination."
"It focused on Confucianism and Daoism... as well as the writings I composed when I was fourteen years old during my years in seclusion."
"Writings...?"
"What does he mean?"
Murmurs spread across the hall.
"Silence!" Yunuko Choi commanded.
A minister boldly stepped forward and asked,
"Your Highness... may I ask what pen name you used?"
"Wang Baek."
Shock swept through the hall.
Some rejoiced.
Some were stunned.
Some were intimidated.
Others were terrified.
A minister named Hong Jang Yoon immediately spoke.
"Your Majesty, I never imagined the noble prince was truly such a prodigy. From this day forward, he shall not only be feared by many, but respected as well."
"Countless ignorant people learned because of his writings. Many dreamed of success because of him—and truly achieved it."
"Long live His Majesty the King! Long live Her Majesty the Queen! May your reign continue for many years and guide this nation faithfully!"
The king and queen merely smiled and nodded graciously.
Standing beside the king, Yunuko Choi Seokji stepped forward.
"May the King and Queen be forever blessed! May your reign continue to prosper and expand!"
"Long live the King and Queen!"
Everyone rose and bowed.
"Rise."
They returned to their seats.
Baekje stepped forward once more and knelt before the king.
"Father... grant me permission to return to the military camp."
"I do not wish to become king. Instead, I wish to become a general who will defend our nation."
The magistrates, Yunukos, and elderly generals immediately erupted into discussion.
Some agreed with the prince.
Others strongly opposed him.
The hall grew noisy with debate until the king raised his hand, silencing everyone.
"My son, I shall think carefully about your request. For now, let us set aside that matter and focus instead on your thirty-first birthday on April 17, two months from now."
"I wish for you to marry before reaching that age."
"In Baekje, it is taboo to remain unmarried past thirty. Society will already consider you old by then."
"I merely fear that people will make you an object of ridicule."
The queen gently added,
"My son, I hope you understand where your father's concerns come from. Everything we say is for your own future."
But the prince answered firmly,
"Father, Mother... forgive me."
"I would rather become the subject of mockery than marry a woman I do not love."
The king and queen could only sigh heavily as they exchanged worried glances.
Meanwhile, the officials resumed whispering among themselves.
Several minutes later, the king gestured toward Yunuko Choi and whispered something to him.
The Yunuko departed and soon returned accompanied by servants carrying lavish trays of food.
After the feast and celebration ended, everyone finally returned to their respective homes.