There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 10

It was when Jeongjong, now the retired King, ascended the throne.

Various strange occurrences plagued Hanyang Fortress.

Comets appeared, owls cried in Gyeongbok Palace at night, crows circled above the palace, and magpies built nests on the eaves of Geunjeongjeon—terrifying events indeed.

To modern eyes, it might seem like, ‘Oh, well,’ but Jeongjong, being a pre-modern man, thought differently.

‘Hanyang’s terrain is truly unfavorable!’

Only someone who had seen several of his brothers meet their end in Hanyang could think that way.

Thus, the Gaegyeong faction of officials fulfilled their wish to return to their beloved hometown, and Joseon was supposed to prosper in Gaeseong, following in the footsteps of Goryeo, until the country’s demise… or so it should have been.

If the King of this nation, Joseon, hadn’t been the indomitable Yi Bang-won.

“Your Majesty, Gaeseong has been the royal capital for five hundred years of Goryeo; why do you seek to move it to Hanyang!”

“Please, reconsider your decision!”

The Gaegyeong faction officials weren’t fools either, so they desperately tried to protect their real estate values.

Their power was so great that even Yi Bang-won had to step back.

Yi Bang-won sighed, rubbing his forehead.

‘Good grief.’

He had casually floated the idea of moving the capital, thinking it was about time to push for it, but they opposed it with such vehemence.

Fortunately, the young officials he had personally appointed were forward-thinking, but the old senior officials, led by Kwon Geun, were truly desperate.

‘Like sly old foxes.’

Yi Bang-won rubbed his head.

“Your Majesty! The relocation of the capital is out of the question!”

“When we returned to Gaeseong, the people rejoiced and were in an uproar; why do you seek to return to Hanyang again!”

In the year of Muin, while sweeping away meritorious subjects, including Jeong Do-jeon, he had largely appointed moderates from the former dynasty (Goryeo), and thus, they had close vested interests with Gaeseong.

A prime example was Kwon Geun, the Vice Minister and Grand Scholar.

“How about moving the Jongmyo Shrine [Royal Ancestral Shrine] in Hanyang to Gaeseong as well?”

The Gaegyeong faction officials agreed with Kwon Geun’s suggestion.

“Indeed. Sending officials to Hanyang to manage it is too much trouble.”

‘Managing the Jongmyo Shrine is troublesome, but moving it isn’t?’

Yi Bang-won was fed up with these people who opposed for the sake of opposing.

He questioned the Seungji (Royal Secretary).

“Have any memorials been submitted regarding the capital relocation issue?”

“Yes. Public opinion is divided fifty-fifty.”

As the interests of Gaeseong and Hanyang clashed sharply, the people of Gaeseong insisted on maintaining the capital, while the people of Hanyang advocated for its re-establishment.

‘I suppose I should mainly bring out and discuss the memorials from Hanyang among these.’

Still, he couldn’t completely ignore the voices of Gaeseong, so he had to include one or two for appearances.

After reading a memorial against the relocation from a Gaeseong scholar, Yi Bang-won ordered another memorial from Gaeseong to be brought up.

At that moment, Park Seok-myeong, the Jisin-sa (Royal Secretary, later Chief Royal Secretary), who was examining a memorial, suddenly trembled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your, Your Majesty.”

The Jisin-sa hurriedly approached Yi Bang-won and whispered.

“The person who submitted the memorial is a resident of Gaeseong named Yi Je (李禔)…”

“Yi Je, you say.”

Surely, that was the name of the beloved First Son.

Yi Bang-won snatched the memorial from the Jisin-sa’s hand.

「I believe that when His Majesty the Taesangwang (Retired King) first established the capital in Hanyang at the beginning of the nation, it was all for a profound purpose. Gaeseong is small in land, but Hanyang is the land bestowed by heaven to be the capital…」

The memorial, which began with this, was clearly written in the First Son’s handwriting.

‘Excellent penmanship.’

“Why did the Jisin-sa not report the fact that the First Son submitted a memorial?” Yi Bang-won asked, and Park Seok-myeong bowed his head and replied.

“It seems that the lower-ranking officials of the Seungjeongwon (Royal Secretariat) did not recognize it because the First Son submitted the memorial under the name of an ordinary resident of Gaeseong.”

“Hmm.”

Surely, there must be a reason why the First Son submitted such a memorial.

It wasn’t surprising that he knew his intention to move to Hanyang.

He was a smart child, after all.

“What do you think of this memorial?”

It was a well-explained piece on the will of the Taesangwang, who established the capital in Hanyang, and the benefits of geographically making Hanyang the capital.

However, the Gaegyeong faction officials didn’t seem to think so.

“The officials also know that the First Son is bright, but it seems there are parts he doesn’t know well because he is still young.”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a member of the Gaegyeong faction, stepped forward and said.

Yi Bang-won’s face twisted.

“What did you say?”

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites flinched at those words.

He had realized that criticizing the First Son was Yi Bang-won’s sore spot.

However, he couldn’t back down now.

‘Cheer up!’

‘We’re behind you!’

‘Our great cause depends on you!’

He felt silent support from behind.

It was because the officials who had houses, land, and ancestral tombs in Gaeseong were sending unspoken encouragement.

It was truly a tearful struggle to protect real estate values.

‘Thank you, everyone.’

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward with a determined expression.

“Your Majesty, the palaces and the residences of many officials are already complete in Gaeseong; why do you seek to return to Hanyang? The First Son’s memorial does not consider the effort and cost required to build Hanyang at all.”

Yi Bang-won stared silently at the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had openly criticized the First Son, tightly closed his eyes.

‘But the relocation of the capital must be prevented.’

He had thousands upon thousands of acres of land that had been passed down for generations near Gaeseong.

He couldn’t abandon all of this and go to Hanyang.

However, Yi Bang-won did not dismiss the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites for being angry at the attack on the First Son.

Rather, he smiled.

‘I was wondering how to strongly impress the First Son on the officials.’

The First Son was causing such a stir, as if he had seen through his concerns.

Of course, there would be countermeasures for such remarks.

The opportunity had come to showcase the First Son’s political capabilities, which only he had noticed, to the officials.

“Very well. Then you can persuade the First Son yourselves. Royal Attendant Noh Hee-bong, go and summon the First Son!”

===

‘These old geezers are the Gaegyeong faction officials, huh.’

I had hurriedly walked over upon receiving Abamama’s [Father’s] order to enter the Pyeonjeon Hall [Council Hall] right away, and it turned out that the discussion about the relocation of the capital was in full swing.

‘I did throw the bait well.’

The fact that the First Son submitted a memorial under the name of an ordinary citizen was a topic that couldn’t help but ignite.

Even the officials who were trying to vaguely gloss over the issue of relocation had no choice but to react to this.

I glanced at my father.

Was he telling me to defeat them with my cold reason and logic?

If so, that was my specialty.

A person called the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites came forward and said, “The First Son may not know because he is still young, but Hanyang, though it was where the Taesangwang established the capital, had many ominous events.”

“The country fell in Gaeseong, though?”

What could be more ominous than the country falling?

As I suddenly interjected, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites stammered in embarrassment.

“Th-th-there were comets and owls crying at night…”

He didn’t prepare the next line?

“No, those are things that happen anywhere, and the country fell here, you know.”

“It’s not just that, there were, um, crows…”

“First Son, I am Grand Scholar Kwon Geun.”

An old official, unable to watch any longer, cut off the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Was he trying to introduce himself?

Seeing the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites step back without saying anything, it seemed like this old man was the chairman of the ‘Capital Relocation Opposition Residents Committee’.

“What is the reason for going to Hanyang?”

‘Because my land is there.’

I brazenly replied, “Gaeseong is small in land and was the capital of Goryeo, so it is not suitable for our newly starting Joseon. Conversely, what is the reason for staying in Gaeseong?”

“Of course, moving the capital would cost a lot of money and labor, wouldn’t the people suffer?”

Kwon Geun also spoke shamelessly.

‘The old man’s thick-facedness is no joke.’

Both were fighting for real estate, but the words coming out were nothing short of beautiful.

“Now, now, everyone calm down, how about compromising and relocating the capital to Muak?” Left State Councillor Ha Ryun said, but his sudden suggestion was ignored.

‘What’s with Muak?’

Did he buy land there or something?

Neither Yi Bang-won nor Kwon Geun paid attention to it.

“Whether it’s Hanyang or Muak, the relocation of the capital is not allowed! We cannot burden the people!” Kwon Geun shouted.

The ultimate move of ‘We cannot burden the people.’

I’ve seen it a lot in historical dramas.

Most of them were officials who wanted to maintain the status quo, raising grand causes while only pointing out problems.

“If the state fears corvée labor [unpaid labor owed to the state], then what public works will it undertake? Would you object even if the court built a new house for the Grand Scholar?”

“Uh, that’s,” Kwon Geun paused.

It was a story that would never come true anyway, so he should just put on a straight face and say he would.

Taking advantage of Kwon Geun’s silence, I looked at the officials and said, “Then would you agree if the cost and labor for the construction were reduced by half?”

“The construction of a new capital is no ordinary task, how can you reduce the fixed amount?” Kwon Geun said as if it were impossible.

The Gaegyeong faction officials also nodded.

“If it’s impossible, I will also withdraw my memorial. But if I actually do it, I will take it that everyone here agrees!”

Kwon Geun pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well.”

===

“No, Grand Scholar, why did you agree to the First Son’s proposal?” The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites asked, and Kwon Geun replied.

“If we didn’t accept this, he would think we have no intention of compromising at all, and we would incur His Majesty’s wrath.”

Then he added, “Besides, if the First Son fails in this endeavor, no matter how much His Majesty wants to, he will have no choice but to retract his claim to relocate the capital, wouldn’t he?”

Kwon Geun thought that the First Son had His Majesty behind him.

He had always wanted to go to Hanyang.

“Then why is the Left State Councillor, who is close to His Majesty, pushing for Muak?”

“…I don’t know, maybe he bought land there.”

At that moment, someone said, “What if the First Son can really reduce the public works?”

Wasn’t the First Son someone who could create things like muskets in a snap?

However, the other officials, who were ignorant of military matters, tilted their heads.

“His Majesty is such a fool for his son. Wouldn’t he call the First Son a genius even if he just played jacks with pebbles?”

“His Majesty the Taesangwang and our Majesty say he’s great, so we just assume he is, but in reality, aren’t muskets nothing special?”

“My grandson could come up with the idea of reducing cannons.”

To Yi Bang-won’s dismay, the officials still doubted the First Son’s genius.

“But if such a thing were to happen…”

“Hmm.”

Kwon Geun crossed his arms and tried to recall something.

There was definitely someone who could be helpful.

“Ah!” Kwon Geun clapped his hands.

“Isn’t there His Majesty the Retired King?”

Retired King Yi Bang-gwa.

He had been so lacking in presence that they had forgotten about him, but wasn’t he the one who had returned to Gaeseong instead of the dreaded Hanyang?

He would probably not be pleased with this matter either.

They had forgotten about it for a while, but even if they just gave him a hint, it would help to stop the First Son’s actions…

“His Majesty the Retired King?”

“Would it… be helpful?”

The officials tilted their heads.

Kwon Geun also thought about it carefully, and the Retired King had had little presence since his abdication.

No, in fact, it was the same even when he was on the throne.

‘Well, wouldn’t it be better than nothing?’

The officials thought so.

End

ⓒ Pitkong