Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 595

595. Reopening of the Heavens – Rolling Again Today (3)

Upon returning to Hanseong [present-day Seoul], Sejong immediately unpacked his belongings at Gangnyeong Hall.

“After being away for a few years, it feels strangely unfamiliar.”

After voicing his thoughts, Sejong looked around the room and turned to Hyang.

“Was this left empty all this time? The palace staff must have worked hard to clean it.”

“Doing it periodically makes the effort less burdensome than you might think.”

“That’s true.”

Sejong nodded slightly and looked at Hyang.

“Then, let’s get to work properly starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, Father. Please rest comfortably.”

“Alright. You rest too.”

* * *

Though he told them to rest, Gyeongbok Palace [main royal palace in Seoul] was bustling with activity from that evening.

As it was the return of the most senior members of the royal family, the Crown Princess, the Grand Princes Yangwon and Yangje, as well as the royal grandsons and great-grandsons, all visited Gangnyeong Hall and Gyotae Hall to pay their respects.

And in this process, Hyang had to endure an unexpected scolding.

“Wait… is the Grandson still unmarried?”

At Queen Soheon’s question, Wan blushed with embarrassment as he answered.

“I am sorry.”

“Oh dear… tsk!” [sound of disapproval]

Queen Soheon clicked her tongue and glared at Hyang.

“The Grandson is still unmarried! What on earth has the Crown Prince been doing!”

At Queen Soheon’s rebuke, Hyang hurriedly bowed his head and replied.

“I am sorry! Just as I was about to find a match for the Grandson, the war broke out, and things turned out this way!”

“Listen here, Crown Prince! The war broke out this year! And the Grandson is already seventeen! If the Crown Prince had any sense, he would have arranged the Grandson’s marriage before His Majesty left for Shinji!”

“But at that time, the Grandson was only thirteen…”

“Crown Prince!”

At Queen Soheon’s shout, Hyang immediately prostrated himself on the floor.

“Yes! I am sorry! It is my fault!”

‘I forgot! What kind of person Mother is!’

Sejong and Queen Soheon were a couple who perfectly embodied the saying ‘husband sings, wife follows.’ In particular, Queen Soheon was a woman who could be called the ‘Iron Lady.’ Despite facing the ruin of her clan by Taejong [Sejong’s father], who was concerned about the rise of in-laws, she remained resilient. When a great fire broke out in Hanseong, she took command in Sejong’s absence, even though she was heavily pregnant.

Therefore, Hyang immediately prostrated himself on the floor at Queen Soheon’s scolding. The only person who could remain unfazed in front of Queen Soheon or Sejong in such a state of anger was Princess Jeongso.

‘It’s definitely my mistake, though.’

Hyang clicked his tongue inwardly while receiving Queen Soheon’s rebuke.

* * *

No matter how long Hyang had lived in Joseon, most of his values were aligned with 21st-century standards. According to 21st-century standards, where marriage in one’s 30s was common, the late teens were far from the age of marriage. Rather, getting married in one’s teens was more likely to be viewed negatively.

Therefore, Hyang himself did not show interest in marriage until he was in his late teens, which was a concern for Sejong. If he hadn’t been holed up in the research institute and Area 51, constantly producing results, Hyang would have certainly been forced to marry before he turned 15.

No, there were actually such movements, but Sejong stopped them.

“He is so diligent; let’s wait a little longer.”

Sejong, recalling his own childhood when he was immersed in the joy of learning, had stopped it.

“Wouldn’t it be alright to delay it for another two or three years?”

Then, due to rumors that Emperor Seondeok was coveting him, Hyang was hastily married off.

* * *

Sejong nodded upon hearing about the issue of his grandson Wan’s marriage.

“There is definitely a problem.”

The next day, as soon as the morning assembly ended, Sejong immediately summoned Hyang and the Wan-Duseul brothers.

“You know why I called you, right?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang immediately bowed his head and answered.

“Yes.”

“Tsk!” [sound of disapproval]

Sejong clicked his tongue and rebuked Hyang.

“It is a great mistake that you were indifferent to the Grandson’s marriage, even if we consider that you were uninterested in marriage yourself.”

“I am sorry.”

“You shouldn’t create things to be sorry for!”

“I am sorry!”

“Tsk!” [sound of disapproval]

Once again, Sejong clicked his tongue and looked at the Wan-Duseul brothers with a gentle expression.

“Well, thanks to having a careless father, you two have suffered greatly.”

“Not at all.”

Seeing his grandsons’ response, Sejong’s expression suddenly became strange.

‘Wait! Could it be that these guys too?’

Recalling Hyang’s eccentric behavior, which could only be described as extraordinary, Sejong asked his grandsons.

“Do you perhaps have any women in mind?”

“I have been too busy completing my assigned tasks to know much about women.”

“I also feel the same way.”

“I also feel the same way.”

At the Wan-Duseul brothers’ answers, Sejong’s expression turned fierce once again, and he glared at Hyang, who once again had to prostrate himself on the floor.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk!” [sound of disapproval]

‘Wow! He’s really angry!’

“Crown Prince, I need to talk to you a little more.”

“Yes, Father.”

‘I’m dead!’

Sejong, who had been glaring at Hyang as if he would devour him, immediately relaxed his expression and looked at his grandsons.

“Alright, so you don’t have any women in mind. Then, is there a particular type of woman you desire?”

“That’s…”

At Sejong’s question, the Wan-Duseul brothers blushed and trailed off. Seeing his grandsons shy and flustered, Sejong smiled warmly and asked again.

“Would you prefer a woman with a kind heart? Or a wise woman? Or a woman with outstanding beauty?”

After thinking for a moment at Sejong’s question, Wan glanced at Hyang and asked Sejong.

“How did Father answer?”

“It was a masterpiece. I still remember it clearly. ‘A woman with the kindest heart among the most beautiful women, or the woman with the most beautiful appearance among the kindest-hearted women.'”

At Sejong’s answer, the Wan-Duseul brothers’ heads turned towards Hyang in unison. Their gazes were filled with admiration.

‘As expected! Father!’

“I also feel the same way!”

“I also feel the same way!”

“I also feel the same way.”

At the Wan-Duseul brothers’ answers, Sejong sighed, placing a hand on his forehead.

“Haa~.”

“Grandfather?”

“Shall I call the royal physician?”

At the Wan-Duseul brothers’ fuss over his sigh, Sejong lightly waved his hand.

“It’s nothing. I have heard what you desire, so I will consider it carefully. You may leave.”

“Yes.”

At Sejong’s order to leave, Hyang and the grandsons all paid their respects and retreated. No, they were about to retreat.

“Crown Prince, you stay a little longer.”

Hyang, who was trying to slip away with the grandsons, turned around with a tearful face.

“Phew~, I’m finally going to live a little.”

“Phew~.”

“Haa~.” The Wan-Duseul brothers took a long sigh as soon as they left Gangnyeong Hall.

However, the Wan-Duseul brothers quickly ran out of Gangnyeong Hall at the sound of Sejong’s roar, which echoed so loudly it seemed as if Gangnyeong Hall would collapse.

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

* * *

A few days later, at the secret headquarters of the Milwi [secret royal guard], located somewhere in Hanseong.

The chief of the Milwi, the Royal Guard Captain, and the officers gathered the Milwi and conveyed Sejong’s orders.

“This is an order from above. Investigate women of marriageable age.”

“Yes?”

“Are you telling us to act as matchmakers?”

The new recruits, who had not been Milwi for long, wore bewildered expressions, but the veteran Milwi nodded.

“It’s definitely time, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s rather late. Think about the Grandson’s age.”

“Is that so?”

The veterans, who had been having a conversation that the new recruits couldn’t understand, asked the Royal Guard Captain and the officers.

“Since the order has come to us, does that mean the criteria are the same as before?”

“That’s right. However, this time, the difficulty is high. We have to find suitable matches not only for the Grandson but also for the two royal grandsons.”

“Yes?”

This time, even the veterans wore bewildered expressions.

“The Grandson and the royal grandsons have all missed their marriageable age, and they all want the same type of woman, so they’re going to handle it all at once.”

“Huh?”

While the Milwi were just gaping at the answer, the Royal Guard Captain and the officers stroked their heavily bruised eyes and grumbled inwardly.

‘Why is it our fault that the Grandson and the royal grandsons haven’t gotten married!’

‘The Crown Prince didn’t give any orders, so why are you beating us up?’

‘Is being the best swordsman in Joseon everything! That damn old man is still so energetic!’

‘If you want to hit us, just hit us, why make excuses for sparring? Ouch, my body! He only hit the most painful spots!’

It was the Royal Guard Captain and the officers who had been beaten to a pulp by the former Royal Guard Captain, who had returned with Sejong, on a rainy day.

And, before long, the Jaebi [traveling performers] from all over Hanseong had to pack their bags once again and head south of the Han River, or even further south.

This was because the Milwi’s organization had expanded nationwide, greatly widening the scope of the search.

While they were busy searching for suitable matches for the Grandson and the royal grandsons, one of the Milwi agents had a brilliant idea.

“Chief, I have a good idea.”

“A good idea? What is it?”

At the chief’s question, Dongsik immediately got to the point.

“What if we do this officially?”

“Officially? What? Finding suitable matches for the Grandson and the royal grandsons?”

“Yes.”

“You son of a bitch! Don’t you know why we’re Milwi? Have you forgotten what the ‘Mil’ in Milwi means?” [secret]

Despite the chief’s shout, Dongsik continued his explanation stubbornly.

“No, I know it well. But, there’s a limit to what a bunch of dark-skinned men can find by searching around, isn’t there?”

“That’s true.”

“So, we should inquire about skilled matchmakers and entrust the work to them. Of course, we wouldn’t directly connect with them, but rather set up appropriate intermediaries in between. Wouldn’t that make it easier?”

“Hmm… that sounds plausible….”

Upon hearing the proposal, the officer stroked his chin and nodded. Seeing a somewhat positive reaction, Dongsik put strength into his voice.

“There’s another benefit to that. If they’re skilled matchmakers, they’ll easily be able to enter the inner quarters of high-ranking officials. Then, we’ll be able to obtain information that we might miss in the gibang (妓房, traditional Korean house of courtesans), won’t we?”

“Huh? Wait?”

At Dongsik’s words, the chief wore an expression as if he had been hit with a surprise attack.

“Come to think of it….”

Until now, the places where the Milwi obtained information were mostly gibangs. Or, they collected rumors circulating in the marketplace, which were very inaccurate. However, if they could enter the inner quarters of noble families, they would certainly be able to obtain information that they might miss in the gibangs.

“It’s good, but there’s a problem. What are we going to do with the matchmakers? No matter how many intermediaries we set up in between, our identities could be revealed if we make a mistake.”

Dongsik immediately answered the chief’s point.

“There are quite a few children who have entered the Gyobang (敎坊, training institute for female entertainers) but are struggling because their appearance is lacking or their personality is not suitable for a gisaeng (female entertainer). We can use them. At first, we can operate by attaching them to matchmakers to learn the work, and later, we can operate by disguising them as matchmakers or peddlers. In other words, we can create and operate a Milwi organization composed of women.”

“Hmm….”

At Dongsik’s words, the chief weighed the feasibility.

‘If they’re matchmakers, they can definitely enter the deepest parts of noble families. And, I’ve also heard stories of using matchmakers or peddlers to investigate the inner chambers of families that are not on good terms. Let’s see… If we openly run a matchmaking business, we can avoid suspicion of being spies… There’s potential. I’m hearing that the police are also gathering women to assign similar tasks.’

The chief, having thought that far, came to a conclusion.

“That sounds like a good idea. Write up a proposal and submit it.”

“Yes?”

“It’s your idea, so write up the proposal.”

At the chief’s words, Dongsik looked tearful.

“I’m illiterate, though?”

“You know Jeong-eum (Korean alphabet), right?”

“Of course, I know Jeong-eum.”

“Then what’s the problem? Submit it within two days.”

“…Yes.”

Dongsik, who had suddenly been saddled with homework, slapped his own mouth with his hand.

“Argh! This damn mouth of mine!”