Born As The Daughter Of A Lowly Concubine [EN]: Chapter 126

The Hyeminseo [a Joseon-era medical facility] was just as I remembered.

Fortunately, there weren’t too many patients, so Sehwa, having heard of my arrival, quickly came to find me.

“Sehwa.”

“Young Miss, you’ve come.”

“Yes. I went to Siyoungwon [a government office] and heard about the novel from Physician Heo Seong-ji. May I see it now?”

“Of course, Young Miss.”

As if she had been expecting me, Sehwa retrieved the manuscript.

“You should have told me when you finished the draft.”

I even taught her how to contact me. Of course, going through Siyoungwon or my residence would be a hassle.

“It’s not really a final draft yet. And sending this writing to the palace… it feels a bit… sensitive.”

Hmm. Being wary of the royal family is understandable.

‘And they deliberately cultivate that wariness to maintain their authority.’

Sehwa handed me the manuscript and returned to her work, joined by Seong-ji.

Soi was looking at me with such an earnest expression that I had no choice but to sit beside her and read the book.

Reading alone would be faster, but sharing my initial thoughts with someone else would be nice.

Seong, the Royal Guard, and Cheonho seemed to think they were not needed, so they went outside.

‘It feels like a waste of manpower, no matter how I look at it.’

I wonder if they’re going to do some physical training.

First, I focused on the manuscript with Soi. This time, she wrote it in Hangeul [the Korean alphabet] from the start.

Thanks to that, it didn’t take long to read, and the content was quite satisfying.

It was entertaining, and it praised the Crown Prince to a reasonable degree.

‘Hmph. She even included the events of that day…’

Even the Crown Prince’s lines from that day are included.

This is… a subtle hint for those in the know?

Reflecting current trends, it even included content about the Crown Prince opposing the slave system and officials trying to harass him in response. Wow.

It was a well-crafted piece that perfectly met my needs.

It’s not just the royal family; others will object to this.

“How is it?”

“It’s fun!”

Soi clenched her fists and exclaimed in a hushed voice.

I carefully put away the manuscript and called Sehwa over. She looked slightly nervous as she approached.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!”

It’s exactly the work I wanted!

Sehwa is a talented person who is unexpectedly good at creating works for image promotion!

“But, there’s one thing I’m a little disappointed about.”

At my words, Sehwa seemed a little anxious and swallowed hard.

No, I’m not that scary…

“What is it?”

“The Crown Prince is showing off too much and acting too serious.”

“…Ah, yes.”

And I could see her shoulders slump as if she had lost all her energy at my answer.

Hey, that’s a pretty serious critique.

“Let’s add a bit of a… silly side. No, a clumsy side.”

“Yes…”

Sehwa seemed to be holding back her laughter, but I pretended not to notice.

“Humans… aren’t fun if they’re too perfect. They need a little bit of humanity.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I don’t know what was so funny about my words, but Soi, Seong-ji, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Don’t laugh.”

“Yes, haha. But, Young Miss, have you ever thought about writing yourself?”

“Me?”

Sehwa, still laughing as if trying to change the subject, brought up an unexpected topic.

“Yes. This story is practically made by you, Young Miss. I just added the details.”

“No, I don’t have much talent for creation.”

What I told Sehwa was the story of the original work that I already knew, a simple summary of events that had already happened, and a reasonable explanation.

In other words, it’s an existing story. I don’t have the ability to flesh out a story in the first place.

‘Hmm. Actually, I’ve thought about whether it would be interesting to write the history I already know as a novel.’

If it’s actual history, it’s not like I’m copying someone else’s work, so I’d feel comfortable.

However, since it’s often covered in historical dramas, I thought of the early Joseon Dynasty story, which I know in relatively great detail, and gave up early on.

If I wrote a novel about the late Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty] and early Joseon periods, readers would definitely fall for Yi Seong-gye [King Taejo of Joseon], the main character, in terms of development. He’s an undefeated general and a master archer who can hit a helmet string with an arrow.

But then, Yi Seong-gye destroys Goryeo and founds Joseon, and suddenly, as if he’s gone senile, he leaves behind his five grown sons from his first wife and insists on making the youngest son from his young concubine the Crown Prince?

‘They’d say the writer is crazy and that the character is ruined.’

They’d say that my Yi Seong-gye isn’t like this and curse me for ruining the main character by writing such an extreme story, and that they’re disappointed in the writer for making him fall for a concubine and neglecting his first wife and children.

Some would make absurd and distorted claims that this looks like the youngest son inheritance, a custom of nomadic peoples, and that Yi Seong-gye is actually from that side, while others would argue that it’s actually common for rulers to fall for young new wives and neglect their first wives and children, which has happened frequently since ancient times.

Furthermore, among Yi Seong-gye’s prominent sons, Yi Bang-won [King Taejong of Joseon], the youngest of the five brothers (Yi Bang-yeon, the sixth son, also passed the civil service examination during the Goryeo Dynasty, but died young before and after the founding of Joseon), is not a military officer but a civil official, and he kills all of his half-brothers, puts his second brother on the throne, and then takes the throne himself?

It was clear that I would be told that the writer’s favorite character is Yi Bang-won, and that a guy who suddenly popped up is being pushed.

It must have been a build-up to this, since he suddenly passed the civil service examination in a military family.

But then, Yi Bang-won, who became king, even wins a war against his father, who was an undefeated general?

There’s no end to this favoritism. I don’t know what the writer is crazy about, and I’d be told that they must have started hating Yi Seong-gye while writing.

Moreover, Yi Bang-won doesn’t stop there, and he even destroys his in-laws, who were the biggest contributors to his becoming king, saying that he’s eliminating powerful relatives…

If he had lived well, but the eldest son he made Crown Prince is such an incorrigible hooligan that he ends up deposing him, and then he makes the third son, not the second, the Crown Prince because he’s smart. Then he destroys the third son’s in-laws, saying he’s going to get rid of powerful relatives.

No, is the writer’s taste a little crazy? Does the writer have any complaints about the royal family’s powerful relatives right now?

And the third son, who becomes Crown Prince after such a difficult process and quickly ascends to the throne, is later a great sage king (Sejong)?

Wouldn’t they really curse me for being a pervert?

There’s a limit to how artificial it can be. It was clear that I would be cursed for doing everything I could to shield Yi Bang-won.

‘Of course, there would be people who would like it because it’s an unpredictable development.’

But I didn’t want to write while being cursed like that.

Even if the great sage king’s eldest son (Munjong) dies early and the second son (Grand Prince Suyang) takes the throne from his young nephew (Danjong) and eventually kills him, and then the story goes on to say that the children of the second prince, who became king, die one after another, then people would really say that the writer’s taste is strange…

‘After all, non-fiction stories are the most stimulating. Human imagination can’t keep up.’

If you don’t know it’s real history, the writer just becomes a crazy person.

The story itself has a trashy flavor, so it seems like it would be popular, but it was obvious that I would be cursed a lot, so I decided to give up with my ordinary mentality.

Since I gave up on my creative ambition, I should just work hard to run my business.

“And when this is finished, let’s adapt this a little and put it on as a play.”

“Yes? Would that be okay?”

“Hmm. Actually, it would be nice to build a theater… or something like that later and do it properly, but…”

The purpose of putting on this play is to improve the Crown Prince’s image, so I’m thinking of letting many people see it, so it’s not really necessary to go that far.

In the future, it might be worth considering a more high-end strategy.

High-end isn’t always the answer, but the demand for a little luxury in a slightly more luxurious place exists in every era.

Of course, that’s only if the plays we’re doing now are successful.

‘Come to think of it, I want to increase the number of restaurants. If possible, should I build a space where performances can be held and have regular performances?’

I think I’ve seen that a lot in historical dramas.

And should I make a tea house too?

‘Now that the number of people in Siyoungwon has increased, I want to make more money and create more jobs…’

While I was lost in business planning, the number of patients at the Hyeminseo was increasing one by one, so I decided to go back so as not to get in the way.

Originally, the Hyeminseo isn’t a very good place to meet.

So, I think it would be good to make a tea house. A place where I can be sure of the hygiene.

As I was thinking that and trying to say goodbye, I saw Sehwa packing her things.

“Oh, where are you going, Sehwa?”

“I’m going on a house call. There are cases where they ask us to see patients who can’t move.”

“Is Seong-ji going too?”

“Yes.”

Even if the symptoms aren’t severe, there are quite a few female patients who request house calls.

“So, where are you going?”

“Yes?”

I now have a bodyguard on each side, so I can go around a little more leisurely than before.

The Crown Prince probably expected this when he assigned them. Even if he didn’t, it doesn’t matter.

Of course, I feel sorry that the two of them will be late for work, but our precious writer’s safety is also important. It’s not late yet since the sun hasn’t set yet.

“I’m going back, so I’ll take you.”

“Ah, thank you. But, it’s not a place where Young Miss should go…”

“?”

Where is it that I can’t go?

Realizing that I wouldn’t change my mind unless I heard a convincing answer, Sehwa hesitated and finally opened her mouth.

“It’s a gibang [traditional Korean courtesan house] in Dabanggol.”

“Ah…”

I understood why she said I couldn’t go.

“That’s perfect. Let’s go together then.”

“Yes?”

“I was thinking I should go there once.”

“Y-yes…?”

And it wasn’t a place I couldn’t go to now.

Whether Sehwa was flustered or not, I called out the guards and got on Jeok-ah [the name of her horse]. Seong-ji was smiling silently as if he had expected it.

“No, no. Young Miss?”

“Sehwa, have you ever been to a gibang in Dabanggol?”

“Yes? No. I’ve never been there before.”

“Then I’ll guide you.”

“Y-yes…?”

Coincidentally, everyone who is accompanying me now has been to a gibang in Dabanggol.

‘Of course, I don’t know about Seong-ji. Soi is probably the only one who hasn’t been inside.’

Let’s take this opportunity to legally (?) go inside.

It’s still broad daylight, and it’s not the time when there will be many people in the gibang.

‘Maehyang [a courtesan] must have been very surprised by what happened last time, so I should go and show my face there.’

I sent a letter saying that I was safe because I was worried, but I received a very dejected reply from Maehyang saying that she had no face to see Young Miss.

It seems that she is blaming herself because I was kidnapped on the way back from meeting Maehyang here that day.

‘Well, if I hadn’t been wearing ordinary clothes that day when I met Maehyang, but had been dressed as a young lady from a noble family as usual, I might not have been kidnapped so easily.’

Maybe the people passing by on the street would have thought something was wrong and caught the kidnapper.