There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 144

In the south, the Shoni clan was regrouping their forces, and the Training Command was busily preparing to cross the sea, creating an atmosphere of war. However, here in Hanyang [the capital of Joseon], peace reigned supreme.

There were no political storms brewing as in the past, nor were family relationships fraught with tension.

This was very good, but on the other hand, it felt somewhat dull.

“It’s hot,” Queen Wongyeong said, stroking her now full-term belly.

“It’s not even summer yet?”

Indeed, while dealing with matters related to Ming China and discussing issues concerning Tsushima Island, the days had passed, and late spring was giving way to the beginning of summer.

I flapped the heavy gonryongpo [dragon robe worn by the Crown Prince] I was wearing.

This gonryongpo, made for the Crown Prince, was terribly uncomfortable.

‘I’m likely to die from heat rash in this thing.’

Despite people grumbling about wasting firewood, I was washing frequently to prevent such an unfortunate event, but I couldn’t do anything about the heat.

And in this weather, my pregnant mother must be suffering even more.

I wondered if she might fall ill.

“Mother, is there anything you would like to eat?”

When I asked Queen Wongyeong, who was sweating, she nodded.

“I don’t know why I crave sweets so much these days. I want to eat the sweet foods you make, but it’s a shame I’m not allowed to have them.”

Queen Wongyeong said.

Queen Wongyeong used to enjoy donuts and twisted breadsticks as desserts, but after she became pregnant, I restricted her intake, fearing it might harm the fetus.

One reason was that her cholesterol levels were rising…

‘Cottonseed oil is unsettling.’

Of course, it goes through a detoxification process and is mixed with other oils before being used.

But even a small amount could be a problem.

Cottonseed oil is still used because there’s nothing better for puffing up fried foods.

“Please wait.”

Fortunately, I had an idea to fulfill Queen Wongyeong’s wish.

“I will present you with a sweet and refreshing dish.”

It was a dish using sugar that my younger brother had voluntarily donated.

===

As soon as I returned to the East Palace, I went straight to Nobun.

“There’s milk in the royal kitchen, right? Bring some of that here.”

“Milk, Your Highness?”

Nobun’s eyes widened at my sudden request for milk.

Since Taejong established the Dairy Office (乳牛所) [an office dedicated to managing dairy production] last year, they had been exclusively responsible for supplying milk to the palace.

However, in Joseon at this time, obtaining milk was not as easy as one might think, and it was mainly used for medicinal purposes, so there were surprisingly few opportunities to encounter it.

Milk porridge (Tar락juk) [a type of rice porridge made with milk] was good for nourishing the body, and milk was said to be good for smallpox on the neck, so it was used as medicine.

So, why would I, who had been healthy ever since possessing this body, need to drink it?

It’s not like I was someone who shouted, “I love milk, I love it the most in the world!”

“Fortunately, there was some milk left in the royal kitchen to make milk porridge… Are you perhaps feeling unwell?”

Nobun asked, concerned that I was suddenly asking for milk when I never did before.

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

I dismissed Nobun’s unnecessary worries.

I was worried that the milk might spoil since it was already late spring, but fortunately, the quality of the milk seemed fine.

“I’m going to make shaved ice (氷菓) [a type of frozen dessert] with this.”

I said that.

‘It’s just like the rolled ice cream I saw on YouTube.’

I had seen it on YouTube.

If you pour milk on a frozen iron plate, it freezes and solidifies, and if you keep stirring it, it turns into ice cream.

But where would I get ice in this weather?

‘From the ice storage, of course.’

In the Joseon Dynasty, ice was stored in ice storage for royal ancestral rites or for the food of high-ranking officials.

Of course, there was one near this palace as well.

“Y-Your Highness? You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking.”

I dragged Nobun, who had a bewildered expression, into the ice storage.

‘I suffered quite a bit making this, too.’

I felt a sense of nostalgia because there was no place in the construction of Hanyang that my hands hadn’t touched.

As expected, there was still a lot of ice left, probably because it was systematically managed. The ice storage, built of granite and insulated from external heat with all sorts of materials, had a chilling air as soon as you entered.

“Rub this tray against the ice.”

The tray, placed among the frozen ice blocks, quickly lost its heat.

The same was true for us.

‘I told you to wear something thicker.’

I clicked my tongue and looked at Nobun, who was shivering.

I wanted to take off my clothes and give them to him, but I couldn’t. I figured the only way to warm up was to exercise.

“Okay. I explained how to make it earlier, right?”

I said, handing him the spatula.

Nobun, with a tearful face, sprinkled the sugar-mixed milk on the tray.

The milk, spread widely across the tray, soon began to freeze white.

Nobun reluctantly stirred the frozen milk with the spatula.

As the white frozen milk mixed together, it began to create the soft texture unique to ice cream.

“Good job, good job!”

I enthusiastically encouraged Nobun.

Just as Nobun was complaining that his arms were about to fall off, the first ice cream finally began to take shape.

I snatched it away and tasted it.

“Hmm, this is the taste.”

It was a taste I wanted to share with others, like Together ice cream [a popular brand of ice cream].

The milk flavor was a bit stronger, but I could add more sugar.

‘I definitely need sugar.’

Honey would work, but sugar is what makes this taste possible.

I will definitely get sugar from Gangnam [a region in China known for sugar production] or Ryukyu [an island chain south of Japan, also known for sugar].

I resolved.

I took a spoonful and let Nobun, who was shivering, taste it.

“It’s already cold, huh…!”

Nobun, who was horrified to come out of the cold place, forgot what to say as soon as he tasted it.

Then, he looked at the ice cream with a strange look in his eyes.

“Your Highness, just one more bite!”

“Uh-uh, no way.”

“How much do you think I suffered because of you, Your Highness! You have to give me at least three spoonfuls!”

“You should be grateful that you learned a skill thanks to me. Isn’t it all experience that becomes your blood and flesh?”

I asked.

Working under a boss like me, he had become an all-rounder who could handle various tasks, so I should be charging him tuition.

‘It’s the same thing I heard from the old guys.’

But those guys only made me do things that weren’t really career-building while saying that.

On the other hand, I was steadily nurturing Nobun as my aide.

I ate the ice cream and shed tears of emotion.

“This is a great invention of the century.”

It was the same when I made chicken, but I never thought I would be able to eat ice cream again in this era.

“It’s a shame to eat it alone.”

I carried out a pot of ice cream.

‘I brought a stone pot just in case, but it’s okay if it melts a little.’

The first ones I saw were my younger brothers.

“Hyung-nim!” [Older brother]

When Hyoryeong, whose pronunciation was still unclear, called out to me, I responded by scooping up a spoonful of ice cream and putting it in his mouth.

“Hya!”

His eyes widened at the cold ice cream.

In this era, it is not easy to eat cold food unless it is cold soup or cold noodles.

The common people may reluctantly eat frozen rice in winter, but that is not an act for gourmet enjoyment.

He couldn’t come to his senses from the sweet and cold ice cream feast.

“Hyung-nim, me too, me too!”

Chungnyeong, who was next to him, saw his brother with glazed eyes and jumped up and down, urging me.

“Okay, you take a bite too.”

Instead, add 30 jump rope jumps.

Do licked the spoon, sucking to make sure he didn’t miss a single drop.

“Please give me one more bite!”

“No. You’ll get fat.”

“Isn’t it made with the sugar you took from me!”

“I didn’t take it.”

I said proudly.

I saved you… from the fear of diabetes…

But Do, unaware of these circumstances, kept nagging.

“I feel like I can study better when something cold goes in!”

There’s no such thing.

How could someone more logical than anyone else say such nonsense?

Once you taste ice cream, you can’t easily escape…

“How on earth did you develop such a dish? Hyung-nim, you’re a real genius!”

In his eyes, I would seem like a mysterious human who churns out unheard-of foods one after another.

‘As expected of a future slave owner, he recognizes that I’m a genius.’

I wondered if I should give him one more bite, but I soon came to my senses.

“Still no.”

“Heeing.”

I said firmly.

I have to let all my family members taste it.

“You rascal, if you made something like this, shouldn’t you have brought it to this grandfather first?”

“Why,,, didn’t you,, call me,,,?”

And after the Grand Royal Father took a spoonful, the former King Yi Bang-gwa took a spoonful, and the younger brothers begged again and ate a spoonful…

Now it was time for me to stir the stone pot with a spoon to eat.

“Huh? What?”

I was dumbfounded.

“It’s all gone!”

I hadn’t even eaten much!

I cried out.

‘I didn’t even give it to Mom and my youngest sibling in her belly.’

I could make it again, but the milk was already gone.

Even if I tried to bring it from the royal kitchen, there was nothing particularly stocked except for the milk I had taken.

Then there was only one way.

“Is ‘there’s none’ all you can say? You have to bring the milk directly from the Dairy Office.”

“Who?”

I scolded Nobun, who asked blankly.

“Of course, it’s you, you idiot.”

===

However, Nobun, who went to the Dairy Office, returned with only a swollen face, having failed to achieve his purpose at all.

“Uwaaah, Your Highness!”

I was taken aback when I saw Nobun returning like a fifth grader looking for a cat robot and asked.

“Why does the guy who went to get milk have a face like that?”

“The Dairy Office guys, the Dairy Office guys…”

Nobun sobbed.

“When they asked why I was taking it, I said it was by order of the Crown Prince and told them to hand it over without saying anything, but they made my face like this!”

He said, expressing his injustice.

No, Nobun’s tone is a bit rude, but… he was ignored even though he was backed by my order?

“These guys dared to say that a mere eunuch was demanding milk… They said that they were the ones who managed the royal milk, so they couldn’t tolerate such an insult, and they couldn’t hand over the milk without a royal order.”

“What?”

“I had to fulfill the Crown Prince’s order with a bone-carving determination, so I begged them to give me the milk, but they were so stubborn…”

Nobun continued.

So, this is it?

– We won’t listen to the Crown Prince’s orders either. We will absolutely defend the milk until the King asks for it!

‘Are these crazy bastards?’

Originally, living life once with no regrets was the basic mindset of people in this era, but this was an extraordinary level of pride.

What is the source of this confidence?

Nobun was whining, asking me to avenge him, but I was more curious than angry.

Dairy Office, I don’t know anything except that it’s managed by milkmaids.

Why are they being so stubborn?

I immediately headed there.