There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 104

“It’s Prince Sunnyeong.”

“Prince Sunnyeong?”

I blinked at the name, unfamiliar to me.

I wouldn’t say I’m extremely well-connected, but I know most of the influential members of the royal family.

But I had never heard of Prince Sunnyeong.

“Was he perhaps someone purged in the past?”

I asked, sensing something, and Yi Seong-gye nodded.

“Yes. Your father was the one who sent him into exile.”

Yi Seong-gye began to explain slowly.

Prince Sunnyeong, Yi Ji, is Yi Seong-gye’s cousin.

Tracing the lineage, he is the son of Yi Ja-chun’s half-brother, Yi Wanja-bulhwa.

However, this Yi Wanja-bulhwa, along with his brother Na-hae, joined forces with their maternal relatives, the Jo clan of Ssangseong, and tried to usurp the position of Cheonho [a local administrative title] from their nephew, Yi Gyo-ju, leading to their expulsion.

Yi Ja-chun supposedly protected Yi Gyo-ju’s position as Cheonho, then eliminated Wanja-bulhwa and Na-hae, and took the position for himself.

‘What a mess.’

Family feuds were a traditional game from the ancestors.

In any case, Prince Sunnyeong lost his parents early and grew up in the house of his maternal uncle, Prince Igyang Wang-gi, a member of the Goryeo royal family. Yi Seong-gye, feeling sorry for him, brought him to his own house and raised him.

“It seems he was grateful for that, as he served under me and achieved considerable merit. When that rascal Bang-won started the revolt, he opposed it to the end and even went into exile.”

He was one of the few remaining royals who stayed by Yi Seong-gye’s side until the end.

“What is he doing now?”

“I heard that he was released from exile a few years ago and is just passing the time.”

Yi Seong-gye said.

“What do you think? Isn’t he someone you could use?”

“Indeed, he is.”

He has a considerable reputation but is marginalized among the royal family.

He perfectly fits the criteria.

He opposed our father and was purged, so he might not have good feelings towards me either.

Then, Yi Seong-gye suddenly asked.

“By the way, Bang-won asked you directly for this?”

“Yes. It seems Father feels he already owes the royal family a lot and finds it difficult to step forward directly…”

“Is that so?”

Yi Seong-gye looked at the ceiling.

His face was subtly strange.

He said with a somewhat deflated tone.

“Well, do your best.”

===

“Your Majesty, the Grand King. This is Prince Sunnyeong, Yi Ji, reporting for an audience.”

Prince Sunnyeong, Yi Ji, looked considerably younger than Yi Seong-gye, but he was still a man entering old age by the standards of this era.

As he bowed, I also greeted him politely.

“Are you well, Great-Granduncle?”

“Great-Granduncle, you say.”

Yi Ji stiffened at my friendly address.

“Yes?”

Prince Sunnyeong continued.

“Although we are relatives in private, there must be strict decorum between a prince and a common member of the royal family.”

“Haha, did you see that? What a fellow.”

Yi Seong-gye said, looking at me.

“Ah… yes.”

Having only seen people who were greatly moved by being called uncle or granduncle in a friendly manner, I found this rigid man somewhat uncomfortable.

Or maybe this was just an excuse and he simply didn’t like me.

“But what brings you to summon me?”

Prince Sunnyeong did not turn his gaze to me at all afterward, bowing to the Grand King as he asked.

“The Crown Prince has business with you, not me.”

“······.”

Yi Seong-gye said with a hearty laugh.

Only then did Prince Sunnyeong turn his gaze towards me.

‘Yikes!’

His eyes were rather cold.

But I wasn’t one to be intimidated here.

“Due to the many disturbances in the country, meritorious subjects have been appointed excessively, and the land they possess is not just a few Gyeol [unit of land area]. The core of these meritorious subjects is mostly from the royal family, and I wish to resolve this.”

I took a deep breath and said.

“The usufruct [right to enjoy the benefits] of the meritorious subject land is limited to the current generation, and inheritance is prohibited.”

I seemed to have heard that the foundation of the country was collapsing because of that meritorious subject land.

This would be a story from at least several decades later, after many more meritorious subjects had been produced.

“Yes, I wish you success.”

Prince Sunnyeong replied to my words with a displeased expression.

I felt a surge of anger at his attitude, but I swallowed it down and glanced at Yi Seong-gye.

I had expected him to mediate as the Grand King’s loyal subject.

However, Yi Seong-gye was still folding his arms and pretending not to notice.

‘That old man!’

How many chickens have I given you that you’re backing out like this?

I had no choice but to open my mouth.

“But if we touch it rashly, they will strongly resist. It will appear as if the royal family is attacking its own kin, and the repercussions will be significant.”

“Well, that would be the case.”

To use the royal family, we must paradoxically create an environment where they have no choice but to cling to the royal family.

Not like now, where they possess vast lands among themselves and form a cartel, sticking together.

“Prince Sunnyeong, no, Great-Granduncle, please help me.”

I bowed before Prince Sunnyeong and said.

“No, how can His Royal Highness the Crown Prince do this to a humble man like me…”

Yi Ji, who had been indifferent, was taken aback by my sudden action.

He waved his hand, trying to raise me, but I remained unmoved.

“This is not purely for personal gain. Aren’t the ones I’m trying to reform the meritorious subjects who supported Father?”

“That is…”

Prince Sunnyeong couldn’t continue.

Were not the ones I mentioned the core forces that brought down the Grand King and himself?

“······.”

Prince Sunnyeong’s eyes wavered at the mention of taking political burdens for the sake of the country.

As he did so, Yi Seong-gye, who had been observing, opened his mouth.

“Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Please leave us for a moment.”

“Understood.”

It seemed they wanted to talk privately.

‘I can’t miss this kind of thing.’

I pretended to go outside and quickly moved to the next room.

Then, I pressed my ear close to the wall.

“Why are you doing that?”

“I thought it would be better for two people to listen than one.”

I stared at No-boon, who was making such a sound, in disbelief.

Regardless, Yi Seong-gye was speaking in the next room.

“He’s not ordinary, is he?”

Yi Seong-gye asked.

‘Of course, he isn’t.’

He was probably referring to me.

Prince Sunnyeong readily admitted that point.

“He is bold. Even though I was consistently blunt with him, he ignored it and had the magnanimity to humble himself.”

“He resembles Bang-won, doesn’t he?”

“······.”

Prince Sunnyeong couldn’t answer Yi Seong-gye’s sudden question.

He opened his mouth with difficulty.

“If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were alive, he would have been like that.”

I was so surprised that I momentarily took my ear off the wall.

No-boon, who had been eavesdropping, also widened his eyes and looked at me in surprise.

The Crown Prince mentioned here was not referring to me.

He was probably referring to Yi Bang-seok, the Grand King’s Crown Prince from the previous generation.

“Are you still unable to forget that child?”

Yi Seong-gye said with a sigh.

A mournful sound came from beyond the wall.

“Did not Your Majesty personally summon me to establish the loyalty between ruler and subject? How can I abandon him just because the Crown Prince has passed away?”

‘This is something I’m hearing for the first time?’

Was Yi Seong-gye the person who had been attached to Yi Bang-seok as a guardian for the royal family?

A loyal subject of Yi Bang-seok, a truly rare case.

“If he were alive, he would have truly become a wise ruler.”

“······.”

Yi Seong-gye couldn’t say anything in response because he didn’t particularly seem that way.

Instead, he subtly changed the subject.

“That child is not someone who forgets help. If you step forward, you will be doing him a great favor.”

“If I had coveted wealth and glory, I would have done so long ago.”

“You may not desire it, but I feel I owe you a lot.”

“I have already received more than enough grace from Your Majesty. Why do you say that?”

“There’s the ill-fated relationship between our ancestors and your father, and you also achieved merit during the suppression of the Wokou [Japanese pirates] and the withdrawal of troops, but you didn’t receive proper compensation.”

Yi Seong-gye said.

“That’s just how it is.”

“Take the Crown Prince’s hand.”

Yi Seong-gye said.

“Assist the Crown Prince.”

“Is that… Your Majesty’s command?”

“It’s a brother’s advice to his younger brother.”

“Then I shall not accept it!”

“The dead do not return. The living must find a reason to live.”

Yi Seong-gye said slowly.

“Fortunately, I realized this before I died. Thanks to someone.”

There was no more talk in the next room.

===

Even after hearing Yi Seong-gye’s words, Prince Sunnyeong, Yi Ji, did not seek me out afterward.

Well, if he were the type of person who would come over to my side with just a few words, he wouldn’t have defended Yi Bang-seok against Yi Bang-won.

However, he was diligently working to gather the royal family.

‘It’s fortunate that he seems to be planning to take on this task for now.’

Prince Sunnyeong, Yi Ji, who had received my request, summoned several members of the royal family and suddenly threw a memorial [formal written petition to the king].

The people who had their names on it were mainly the sons of the King Emeritus [retired king].

‘These guys don’t have the ability to take the lead, but they’re perfect for at least putting their names on it.’

The salt pans they possessed were given as a consideration for the King Emeritus and were not originally meritorious subject land. Moreover, I was giving them money by replicating it with sea salt, so they couldn’t dare to refuse.

– Joseon is a small country, but many relatives are dividing it up, claiming to be meritorious subjects, so I fear there will be a shortage of land in the future. Please limit the usufruct to the current generation and prohibit inheritance!

Thus, the royal family was immediately divided into two.

“Hmm…”

The royal family members who wanted to enjoy the wealth and power they had gained as meritorious subjects for generations, and those who were excluded from this and had to cling to the throne.

What I needed was the latter.

“This won’t be a big problem for you guys.”

I said, looking at Do.

They would also divide up some land and houses, but they wouldn’t be sweeping it away like the meritorious subjects.

‘Wait, but he won’t give too much, will he?’

Taejong’s extreme love for his children was both an advantage and a disadvantage.

I would feel a lot of pain if he pulled out a fairly thick beam, even if it wasn’t up to the pillars.

‘Ugh, I must complete the royal family reform with my own hands.’

===

As the issue of prohibiting the inheritance of meritorious subject land emerged as a topic from the Royal Clan Office, many people rushed to someone in a hurry.

“We founded this country and put His Majesty on the throne, so how can such a thing happen?”

“Blood relatives are like limbs, and if His Majesty accepts this memorial, the loyalty of the family will be severed!”

If such a claim had come from the officials’ side, they would have made a collective fuss, accusing them of harming the royal family.

But since this memorial came from the Royal Clan Office, not even the Three Offices [Censorate, Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of Remonstrance], it was driving them crazy.

The person silently listening to the royal family’s complaints was Grand Prince Uian, Yi Hwa.

“You are the most qualified to correct things, as you are one of the three meritorious subjects of the founding of the country, the establishment of the government, and the support of the throne.”

“Please persuade His Majesty.”

After deeply considering the opinions of the royal family, he led his old body and sought out Yi Bang-won.

“Foolish relatives have troubled Your Majesty by doubting your high intentions, and I am truly sorry.”

His words were polite, but in the end, he had come to confirm Yi Bang-won’s intentions.

“Ah, how much help has this nephew received from his uncle that he would find it troublesome? Please take back those words.”

Yi Bang-won said with a seemingly troubled face.

“If that is the case.”

Yi Hwa opened his mouth, intending to have the Royal Clan Office’s memorial rejected.

However, Yi Bang-won interrupted Yi Hwa’s words with good timing.

“Grand Prince Igan is very ill. The royal physician says he may leave today or tomorrow, so how can I, as his brother, focus on such things, sob sob sob.”

Looking at Yi Bang-won sobbing, Yi Hwa’s mouth tasted bitter.

He couldn’t ask someone who wasn’t in his right mind because of his brother who was going back and forth between life and death to firmly nail down the inheritance of his land.

However, Yi Hwa, being an experienced person, asked indirectly.

“I heard that Grand Prince Igan has a son. Even if his father passes away, shouldn’t his family and land be well taken care of?”

“If my brother passes away, I must take care of my nephew, so how can I neglect such matters? Please do not worry, Uncle.”

At the king’s bold promise, Yi Hwa bowed, trusting him for now.

Yi Bang-won looked down at such Yi Hwa with an endlessly expressionless face.

End

ⓒ Pitkong