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Outside the palace, some palace guards fought with the scholars. There were two types of scholars outside-- one who fought violently with the palace guards, desperately pushing their way through and shouting to see the King while the other had laid a big mat outside, kneeling and doing silent protest. Though their methods of protesting are different, they have the same agenda.

The shouting and pushing continue. More enforcement of guards was quickly deployed to control the scene. All guards were on high alert and all entrances and exits were heavily guarded.

The loud shouting caused chaos outside the palace. It was so loud that their voices echoed around the big palace. Inside the Prime Minister's office, Prime Minister Heo sit with his two side-kicks at their usual table.

"Are the scholars still protesting outside the palace?" Prime Minister Heo asked.

"Apparently so." Minister Seo replied. He made eye contact with the Prime Minister as he talks. "They still cannot accept the sudden deposition of Queen Inhyeon."

"You are missing the important part." Minister Kim chirped. "They are mainly not happy that the Minister Min is being stripped from his post. They threatened to bring us down if the King does not reinstate Minister Min."

"They even compared to when the King reinstated our Prime Minister." Minister Kim added.

"Is that so?" the Prime Minister watched Minister Kim as he blabbered details of the protests. "I guess I should get rid of Minister Min in order to get some peace."

"We should make those scholars stop. If they continue, I'm afraid it will sway the people." Minister Seo voiced out his own thoughts. Prime Minister Heo nodded slowly. He paused their conversation to have some silent thinking time.

"Get rid of him." He looked up and said. The side of his lip curled up. He has always wanted to get rid of Minister Min, and now he has the chance to do so.

**********

Eunmin quickly ran to the back of the house and entered the yard. She knew that Joy would be in the yard at this timing, to wash and dry her laundry. As quickly as she could manage, she finds Joy just where she thought she would be.

"Agassi! Bad news, bad news!" She shouted and ran up to her. Joy dusted her laundry that she had hung on the clotheslines and turned.

"Is there anything wrong?" Joy asked as she bends down and grabbed another piece of her laundry before she stood up again.

Panting, Eunmin tried to catch her breath. She takes a look at Joy for a moment before she spoke. "Agassi...Minister Min has been killed."

Joy stopped what she is doing and stared at Eunmin. Her face turning pale as seconds go by. She gripped the piece of laundry that is in her hand tightly. There's no need for Eunmin to repeat what she said since Joy had heard it loud and clear.

"It's been three days." Eunmin quietly added. Because they are being placed in exile in the countryside, news from the palace tends to take much longer to reach here.

Joy's eyes turned red as she continues staring at Eunmin blankly. Three days, she thought. Minister Min must have painfully waited to see his daughter's face. Thinking of this, Joy can't help but feel a piercing pain in her heart. Still needing some time to take the news in, Joy continued staring at Eunmin blankly as though her Earth had stop spinning.

"Inhyeon."

This time, both Eunmin and Joy turned. Joy's eyes slowly moved and landed on a particular person. He walked up towards her quietly while Eunmin moved away to give them some space. Tears that Joy had been desperately holding back fell the moment the King reaches her.