There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 165

Before I could even speak, Hwang-hee waved his hands in a flustered manner, offering excuses.

“Your, Your Highness! Please hear me out! I didn’t know it would be a gathering like this!”

Regardless, I squinted at him and said,

“You faithless wretch…”

Everyone was secretly plotting to get rid of Maeng Sa-seong, and he claims he came without knowing.

Hwang-hee beat his chest in frustration and shouted,

“Crown Prince, how many times have the Grand Inspector and I shared tearful midnight snacks? How could I stab him in the back?”

‘True enough.’

Perhaps thanks to a great superior, the people under me seemed to have a strong bond among themselves.

That must be why Maeng Sa-seong glossed over it when Hwang-hee’s son-in-law falsely received land for his house.

‘Now that I think about it, isn’t that infuriating? Should I just leave them to their own devices?’

No, let’s not have such bad thoughts.

I shook my head and said,

“Then why did you come here in the first place?”

“I have always admired Minister Woo Hyun-bo.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

I cut him off sharply, and Hwang-hee scratched his head and said,

“Actually, aren’t all the people here Your Highness’s peers? I thought I might be able to glean some valuable information.”

He came along to piggyback through an acquaintance.

‘It’s certainly a suspicious motive, but it’s hard to call him out on it.’

I’m relieved he didn’t betray the loyalty of our Hanyang Construction Bureau members.

“So you’re trying to ride these people’s coattails and become one of Father’s henchmen?”

The Woo Hyun-bo cartel was a pro-government force backed by Lee Bang-won.

Hwang-hee had excellent political sense and was quick-witted.

That’s probably why he rose to the position of being second only to the king.

In response to my question, Hwang-hee lowered his voice and answered,

“I had no choice. Are you aware that both the Grand Inspector and I are classified as being in the Crown Prince’s faction by the public?”

“Crown Prince’s faction?”

“That is correct.”

Hwang-hee nodded and said,

“Well, considering that, you guys didn’t even visit me when I was confined to the East Palace, did you?”

When I questioned him, Hwang-hee subtly changed the subject.

It must be because he was wary of my father.

“In any case, since the world sees us as Your Highness’s allies, I came out here to dispel such misunderstandings.

Isn’t that the same reason His Majesty sent Your Highness here?”

“Me too?”

I pointed at myself blankly, and Hwang-hee said,

“How can there be two suns in the sky?

If the perception spreads that His Majesty and Your Highness have different intentions, there will inevitably be those who try to drive a wedge between father and son.

But since Your Highness has come to Minister Woo Hyun-bo’s memorial service on behalf of His Majesty, who can say such a thing?”

Hwang-hee’s words made me slap my forehead.

So Lee Bang-won was showing consideration for me on this occasion?

But…

‘If this happens, only Maeng Sa-seong will be screwed.’

If I align myself with Lee Bang-won’s close aides, I inevitably won’t be able to protect Maeng Sa-seong.

“Shall we file a petition stating that the Grand Inspector is falsely accusing a high-ranking official without grounds?”

“I’ve heard that the infighting among the censors is already severe. If we make a move, there will be support from within the Censorate as well.”

“His Majesty has essentially approved our actions. Why worry about what happens afterward?”

I clenched my fist tightly.

Am I to become a man who betrays his subordinates like this?

“Your Highness, please accept a drink from me.”

While I was contemplating, Kim Han-ro held a bottle with both hands and offered a ceremonial drink.

When I looked at Hwang-hee, he subtly avoided my gaze and said,

“Do as Your Highness sees fit.”

Even though he says that, Hwang-hee also thinks that I will inevitably agree to their wishes.

But…

“I’m too young to drink much.”

I firmly refused Kim Han-ro’s offer.

“Your Highness.”

Hwang-hee grabbed my sleeve and whispered, but I had no intention of backing down.

“The Grand Inspector is an upright official, how can I participate in a plot to drive him out?”

I stood up abruptly.

Kim Han-ro’s face hardened.

“Your, Your Highness. Suddenly…”

“I’m going back now!”

At least I have to protect my people.

===

“When I went, all the people gathered there were only protecting Kim Han-ro and plotting to get rid of the Grand Inspector.”

Lee Bang-won nodded at my words.

“I figured.”

“His Majesty sent me to that place, which is as good as giving his permission.”

Lee Bang-won nodded again.

“Do you think I don’t know about Kim Han-ro’s corruption? But it’s not the right time to get rid of him now.”

Lee Bang-won picked up a stone and continued,

“The task of eradicating the meritorious subjects is not yet finished. Of course, according to the laws of the country, Kim Han-ro should be punished to establish discipline, but it would be a shame to waste a useful card on such a trivial matter.”

Lee Bang-won said,

“The Grand Inspector may have struck Kim Han-ro to establish the rule of law in his own way, but only the meritorious subjects benefit from it.”

Since taking power, Lee Bang-won had been diligently suppressing the meritorious subjects.

Lee Geo-yi and his son, Lee Hwa, were prime examples of this.

Lee Geo-yi and his son were purged to the point of being exiled, and others, including Grand Prince Ui’an Lee Hwa, had their meritorious land greatly reduced.

In this way, Lee Bang-won was steadily weakening the power of the meritorious subjects who had contributed to the founding of the country and the Prince’s Rebellion, while actively promoting his own pro-government forces composed of his peers.

He meant that he could not stop this crucial work because of Maeng Sa-seong’s impeachment.

“But Maeng Sa-seong exposed Kim Han-ro’s corruption without any tact, so I have no choice. If I have to support one of them, it’s naturally Kim Han-ro.”

“Then what do you intend to do with Maeng Sa-seong?”

“I’ll have to decide based on how things go. My friends are furious, so they won’t stay still.”

“Even if you don’t punish Kim Han-ro, can’t you just leave Maeng Sa-seong alone?”

“Such a half-hearted solution will only earn the resentment of both sides. If you’re going to take sides, you have to take one side for sure.”

Lee Bang-won asked with a glint in his eyes,

“Or do you want me to protect Maeng Sa-seong, who is your man?”

‘The world sees us as being in the Crown Prince’s faction.’

At Lee Bang-won’s question, Hwang-hee’s words suddenly echoed in my ears.

I felt wronged and protested,

“Wasn’t it Father who assigned Hwang-hee and Maeng Sa-seong to me?”

“The construction and maintenance of Hanyang was a big task, so I had to assign such talented people. This father was very pleased with the results.”

“But?”

“Isn’t it natural for the situation to change over time?”

Lee Bang-won said, fiddling with the stones.

“I ascended to the throne with the help of the meritorious subjects, but now that I’m on the throne, I’m getting rid of them. Even my pro-government forces, whom I’m currently employing, will have to be thinned out to some extent when they get too big for their britches.

Kim Han-ro’s corruption will be a good case to use at that time. Not now.

But do you think Hwang-hee or Maeng Sa-seong will be any different?”

“…”

‘He would have been really good at playing the stock market.’

I thought as I listened to Lee Bang-won’s story.

He knows exactly when to cut his losses.

“Don’t worry. Even if Maeng Sa-seong’s head is chopped off now, I’ll bring him back up someday. You just focus on the work you’re doing now.”

Lee Bang-won was teaching me about politics, but I shook my head.

“The Grand Inspector was only doing his duty. The person who conducted the investigation should not be harmed because of political issues.”

Besides, if Maeng Sa-seong is kicked out this time, who knows when he’ll be able to return.

‘That poor man…’

I don’t know how many times he’s been in danger of losing his position.

“Then you can try to save the Grand Inspector yourself.”

Lee Bang-won said, not even looking at me, as he piled up the stones.

“If you can.”

As he raised his head, Lee Bang-won’s eyes were filled with a subtle heat.

===

I summoned Hwang-hee, Heo Jo, and other former officials, as well as Choi Hae-san and Jang Yeong-sil.

It was the same crew that built Hanyang in the old days.

‘Lee Cheon is in Japan developing Iwami, so he’s missing.’

Looking around at the faces of the people gathered, I looked at the ceiling and lamented inwardly.

‘This is… the Crown Prince’s faction?’

Hwang-hee, as a person who is quick to judge the situation, was rather trying to get rid of that title, and Heo Jo was not a member of a specific faction, but a strict and uncompromising principle.

And Choi Hae-san was just an engineer.

Not to mention the slave Yeong-sil.

‘Even considering the other people, there aren’t any particularly outstanding people.’

Baek Dal-won is just a merchant, and the local officials and Jurchens, including the Yeongheung Choi clan of Hamgyeong Province, may be able to provide military power, but they have little power in the central government.

Among the relatives, my cousins and my great-uncle, Prince Sunnyeong Lee Ji, have been showing a friendly attitude towards me these days.

‘I should exclude my grandfather and my uncle.’

If I use the power of Lee Seong-gye or Lee Bang-gwa, I might be able to solve this problem itself, but if both of them rashly intervene in politics, much bigger problems could arise.

Both of them know that, so they will be very careful.

If I had gathered really threatening people, I wouldn’t be able to help but lament being slandered with this level of people.

“It’s rather fortunate.”

Hwang-hee said.

“If the Crown Prince’s forces clash head-on with His Majesty, the court will inevitably be ruined. And the one who wins will be His Majesty one hundred times out of one hundred.”

Hwang-hee said coldly.

No matter how great my position is as the Crown Prince, I cannot beat the king.

‘Above all, there’s nothing to gain from us fighting.’

I nodded and thought.

“Then put the meritorious subjects forward instead. If you subtly encourage people like Grand Prince Uian, they will gladly move to strike Kim Han-ro.”

Hwang-hee said, glancing at me.

If the meritorious subjects, including Grand Prince Uian Lee Hwa, rise up like a swarm of bees and attack Kim Han-ro, Lee Bang-won will eventually have to step back.

If not dismissal, at least removal from office.

That would mean that Maeng Sa-seong could keep his position.

But I didn’t want to do that.

‘Honestly, the meritorious subjects need to be dealt with, right?’

Even though the meritorious subjects have contributed to the founding of the country and Lee Bang-won’s rise to power, that’s all in the past.

I couldn’t support them in their power struggle because they didn’t want to let go of the privileges they had been given.

Because it would completely overturn Lee Bang-won’s political plans.

‘And Father will definitely be very upset.’

Managing family relationships smoothly is the duty of the eldest son.

“Then I have no choice but to step forward.”

A loud voice was heard from outside, and the door slid open.

The only person I knew who would do such a rude thing as to step into the Crown Prince’s room without permission was Lee Sook-beon, Lee Bang-won’s close aide and meritorious subject, but whose personality was so terrible that he had already been kicked out.

“Prince Anseong!”

Lee Sook-beon was also under me during the construction of Hanyang, but he was not classified as being in the Crown Prince’s faction.

No, he wasn’t classified into any faction in the first place.

‘Because everyone hates Lee Sook-beon.’

Who would like a man who brags about himself at every opportunity and sees everyone else as being beneath him?

But he was truly talented, so I heard that after serving as an official in Hanseong-bu, he moved to another place.

“Now he’s the Daehogun of the Sungeumsa (巡禁司) [Royal Investigation Bureau].”

The Sungeumsa is a government office in this era that is in charge of investigations and trials.

It plays the same role as the Uigeumbu [State Tribunal] that appears in historical dramas, so it seems likely that its name will be changed to that later, but I don’t know when that will be.

Maybe after I die.

“Do you really not need me even now?”

Lee Sook-beon said, sticking out his chest.

He seemed to be intimidated when he was under me, but now that he’s taken on a high position again, his nose is in the air.

“I’d be grateful if you’d help, but why?”

Lee Sook-beon nodded at my question and answered,

“Kim Han-ro once said that his daughter would be more noble than my daughter.

How could this Lee Sook-beon stand to hear such a thing?”

Lee Sook-beon said proudly.

I let out a hollow laugh.

‘To offer such a thing as a reason.’

Why are there only people like this under me?