Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 155

Jjangra

Helo Night

155. Trespass (1)

Bukchon, Hanseong [present-day Seoul].

It was a wealthy district in Joseon [historical Korean kingdom], filled with traditional tiled-roof houses where high-ranking officials, both active and retired, resided.

Inside a tiled house of about seventy sections, located in Bukchon, an elderly scholar sat in the largest room of the detached building.

With windows and doors thrown wide open on all sides, the scholar stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the moonlit night sky.

“Lord, it’s risky to be in a place so exposed,” Nam Jun-seok said from the front yard of the detached house.

The scholar chuckled. “Haha. What would anyone gain from taking the life of this powerless old man? If someone wanted me dead, I’d be gone long ago.”

Nam Jun-seok pleaded again, “The great undertaking is approaching. You must be extra cautious at times like these.”

“What worries could I have with you here? I trust only in you.”

“Lord!”

“I understand. I’ll be careful.”

The scholar nodded, looking defeated. As he stepped back, Nam Jun-seok gestured to his subordinates. At the signal, the warriors silently approached the detached house and began closing the doors.

“Leave the south window open. I still want to enjoy the moonlight,” the scholar requested.

“Yes, Lord.”

After closing the doors, Nam Jun-seok spoke to the warriors in a low voice. “The great undertaking is near. Pay even closer attention to the Lord’s safety and security.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Some warriors stood guard around the detached house, while others continued patrolling along the walls, following Nam Jun-seok’s orders.

The scholar, leaning on the window frame and gazing at the moonlight, muttered to himself, “A great undertaking… Revenge is a more fitting word.”

The scholar was Seo Seon, who had returned from his hometown.

* * *

Seo Dal was imprisoned in the Uigeumbu [Joseon Dynasty’s special judicial body] prison for ‘ordering an assault on an official in uniform.’

To prevent Seo Dal’s punishment, Seo Seon offered his resignation. However, due to Hyang’s strong insistence, Seo Dal received one hundred strokes of the cane.

Reports also surfaced that Seo Dal had been abusing his power, relying solely on Seo Seon’s influence, and the censors requested that Seo Seon be punished as well.

Due to the censors’ accusations, Seo Seon’s meritorious subject certificate and military title were revoked, and he was forced to resign as Minister of Justice.

“Your Majesty! I will gladly accept my punishment, so please, show mercy to my son!” Seo Seon pleaded for his only son, Seo Dal, but Sejong ordered the sentence to be carried out. What made it worse was Hyang’s presence.

“Show no leniency!” At the Crown Prince’s command, the soldiers struck with full force for all one hundred strokes.

The cane was a punishment that could kill after only ten strokes. Therefore, soldiers usually didn’t hit so hard unless the criminal truly deserved to die. They often accepted bribes from the criminal’s family to hit even lighter.

However, this time the situation was dire. Hyang was present at the execution site, ensuring it was carried out properly.

As a result, Seo Dal’s pelvic bones were completely crushed.

“It seems he will never walk on two feet again,” the doctor said after being called for treatment.

Seo Seon asked urgently, “What about his lower body? Will he be able to continue the family line?”

The doctor shook his head silently.

“Listen! This child is our family’s only son! I’ll give you anything if you heal him!” Seo Seon pleaded.

The doctor sighed. “At this point, I can only say it will be difficult. First, the wounds must heal, so he needs to rest in a comfortable place.”

“Ah, I understand!” Seo Seon immediately took his family to his hometown of Icheon.

However, Seo Dal didn’t recover. The festering skin and muscles from the caning caused necrosis, leading to complications. He died before even one hundred days had passed.

Seo Dal’s death brought tragedy to Seo Seon’s family. Unable to cope with the shock of their only son being beaten to death, Seo Seon’s wife followed him in death.

After holding his son’s and then his wife’s funeral, Seo Seon cried tears of blood and shouted, “Your Majesty! I will repay this grudge, without fail! And I will take revenge on all those who worked with me for decades and said nothing!”

Seo Seon, vowing bloody revenge, began formulating a plan.

“Revenge is impossible alone. I need allies. To gather people, I need a cause… A cause…”

As Seo Seon struggled to find a cause, an unexpected figure approached him.

“Lord, you have a guest.”

“A guest? Who would visit an old man in the back room with no power…? Who is it?”

The servant cautiously replied, “He said you would know if he mentioned Yangnyeong…”

Thump!

Seo Seon pushed aside the desk and stood up. “Yangnyeongdaegun [Grand Prince Yangnyeong] is here! Heaven has answered my prayers! Thank you, heavens!”

Seo Seon ran barefoot into the yard and saw Yangnyeong in a splendid robe, surrounded by warriors. He prostrated himself.

“I greet Daegun Daegam [an honorific title for a grand prince]!”

“I heard you were in mourning and came in haste, but it seems I am late. I am sorry,” Yangnyeong said.

“Not at all! Please, come inside!”

It was a meeting of two men who held a grudge against Sejong.

* * *

Although he smiled foolishly in front of Sejong, Yangnyeongdaegun’s resentment never faded.

‘That seat was mine!’

Yangnyeong forcibly suppressed the anger that surged every time he saw Sejong sitting in Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace] looking down.

Yangnyeong was capable in his own way, but his competence was overshadowed by his incidents and accidents.

Behind Yangnyeong’s actions was his extreme self-love.

This extreme self-love stemmed from Taejong and Queen Wongyeong.

Historical records state Yangnyeongdaegun was Taejong’s eldest son. However, there were three sons before him, who died so young they weren’t even listed in the family register.

Yangnyeong was born in this situation and survived, so his parents’ affection for him was unparalleled.

Of course, they loved Hyoryeong and Chungnyeong (Sejong) as well, but Yangnyeong received the most love, no matter what.

Receiving excessive affection, Yangnyeong became self-centered. This caused a problem when he became Crown Prince.

Intoxicated by the power of the position, Yangnyeong caused incidents without considering the weight of being Crown Prince.

Many of these incidents involved women.

He also caused Taejong headaches by catching hawks at will under the guise of hunting.

Officials protested, and Taejong scolded Yangnyeong.

However, Yangnyeong was only scolded. Later, he even protested on the spot.

“What to do with this…” Taejong wondered.

Chungnyeong caught Taejong’s attention as he sought a solution to Yangnyeong’s wayward behavior.

Chungnyeong’s outstanding scholarship and modest life were widely known.

“Yes! Seeing Chungnyeong will bring the Crown Prince to his senses!” Taejong chose Chungnyeong as a stimulant for Yangnyeong.

However, this created an unexpected result: a competition between the Crown Prince and Chungnyeong.

Ultimately, Yangnyeong couldn’t overcome the purges resulting from the competition with Chungnyeong and Taejong’s frequent ‘abdication commotions,’ and he collapsed.

When Taejong decided to replace the Crown Prince, Queen Wongyeong opposed it.

“Removing the older brother and establishing the younger brother is the source of upheaval. It cannot be done!” (Note 1)

Because Queen Wongyeong’s opposition made sense, Taejong considered making the Crown Prince the grandson. However, the grandson was only five years old.

Taejong, whose health was deteriorating due to a stroke, couldn’t make a choice that would destabilize the monarchy.

On the day the Crown Prince’s replacement was decided, the Crown Prince, now Yangnyeongdaegun, shouted at Chungnyeongdaegun, who had become the Crown Prince in his place, “All of this is because you tattled on me to my father about everything!” (Note 1)

* * *

Yangnyeong was pushed out of power, but he never gave up.

“The throne in Geunjeongjeon should have been mine!”

Yangnyeong gritted his teeth every time he heard people praising Sejong.

‘I could have done that too!’

Burning with anger in his private residence in Gwangju, Yangnyeong made a firm decision.

“I will surely take it back! Like Han Shin crawling between the legs! I will lower myself thoroughly!”

Yangnyeong recited the story of Han Shin crawling between the legs of thugs and resolved to endure hardship and bide his time.

Dreaming of a comeback, Yangnyeongdaegun began to prepare.

Under the pretext of ‘hunting,’ he traveled Joseon, gathering those with martial arts skills. Under the pretext of ‘making hunting arrows,’ he raided local government warehouses for iron.

He collected it little by little to avoid suspicion.

Then, saying he would ‘hold a feast,’ he raided local government warehouses and collected wealth for military funds.

He also chimed in appropriately whenever Sejong did something.

When they reduced the land given to the royal family and gave it in kind to promote the Gyeongjang [land reform], he resisted and raised his hand. He criticized and followed other policies appropriately.

He reassured Sejong while not losing the hearts of other royal family members.

* * *

While preparing, Yangnyeong lacked something.

“I need someone in the court to give me strength.”

If he ascended the throne, there would be a large-scale purge, so he needed people to fill those positions.

It wouldn’t work if they were filled with reclusive people.

He needed someone in the court to move the officials for him.

“Who would be suitable…” As Yangnyeong pondered, news reached him that Seo Seon had returned to Icheon after being dismissed.

“It’s divine assistance!” Yangnyeong jumped up.

* * *

Facing a common enemy, Yangnyeongdaegun and Seo Seon joined hands.

With Yangnyeong’s support, Seo Seon moved quickly and quietly.

“The soldiers guarding Gyeongbokgung Palace are armed with firearms. We need firearms too.”

“Can you get them?”

“I can’t get the Crown Prince’s firearms, but I can find artisans who can make the Yichongtong [early cannon] before that. The problem is saltpeter…”

Seo Seon inquired about retired saltpeter artisans.

Having found them, Seo Seon took their families hostage and began saltpeter production.

The most important raw material, sulfur, was surprisingly easy to obtain, as there was a lot in the medicinal herbs collected to treat Seo Dal.

In February of Sejong’s 11th year, nearing the end of his preparations, Seo Seon reported to Yangnyeong.

“Now is the time to enter Hanseong. There will be a big event in Joseon this year.”

“According to that Gyeongjang, they are reforming the tax system this year. Should we use that?”

“That’s right. Given his personality, he will do it according to the timetable, and the local Hyangban [local powerful families] will not stand still.”

As a central figure in promoting the Gyeongjang, Seo Seon could choose the right time.

At Seo Seon’s suggestion, Yangnyeongdaegun concluded, “Good. Let’s move.”

* * *

Note 1) The Annals of King Sejong in One Volume. Park Young-gyu. Woongjin Knowledge House.