There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 12

I had heard various things about the Retired King’s personality.

Both in this era and in modern times.

It was said that, unlike his background as a military man, he was gentle and didn’t assert his own opinions.

‘Thinking about it that way, it might not be a big deal after all.’

Even if Grand Scholar Kwon Geun poked his uncle in the ribs, wouldn’t he want to side with his nephew rather than some old geezer like that?

Thinking that, I hurried my steps toward the Retired King’s residence.

In the Retired King’s residence, there was a woman who seemed to be transitioning from middle age to old age.

Yangnyeong Daegun’s memories told me that she was none other than Queen Kim, the Retired King’s wife.

In other words, my great-aunt.

I was about to bow my head towards the Retired Queen when.

“…You’ve come.”

‘Oh, my.’

I turned my head towards the voice I heard from somewhere, and the Retired King Jeongjong was sitting across from me.

I hadn’t felt his presence at all.

Is he a ninja?

“Y-Your Majesty, are you well?”

Jeongjong nodded.

Then he closed his mouth again.

When the Retired Queen ordered outside, three cups of tea were brought in.

I thought we would share some refreshments and have a pleasant chat, but the atmosphere was very awkward.

‘Is he usually a man of few words?’

“…”

After waiting for a while, I was thirsty, so I gulped down the tea in front of me.

It was already half-cooled, and I only felt lukewarmness in my throat.

He hadn’t said a word from the time the tea came out until it cooled down.

I felt restless for some reason, so when I couldn’t sit still, the Retired King opened his mouth.

“The capital relocation… you suggested…”

“That is correct, Great Uncle.”

I knelt down and spoke to my great-uncle.

Jeongjong turned his head away as if he didn’t like it very much.

Queen Kim, who was next to him, said soothingly.

“Your Majesty, put aside your anger and speak slowly. The Heir Apparent is a bright child, so he will understand well.”

“The adults… had their reasons… for returning to Gaegyeong…”

My great-uncle still spoke with his arms crossed.

No, logically speaking, does it make sense to relocate the capital because an owl crying at night is ominous?

From a modern person’s perspective, I couldn’t understand what great meaning there was in this, so I replied bluntly.

“Yes, I also had my reasons for submitting the memorial.”

“Indeed…”

Jeongjong suddenly slammed the desk.

“When an adult… speaks, you should listen quietly and say, ‘Yes, Your Majesty’… How dare you talk back…”

“Excuse me?”

“Kids these days, honestly…”

I was in a daze.

Haven’t I heard these words countless times in modern times?

In my memory, there was never a case where a conversation ended nicely when these words came out.

‘I’m screwed!’

“Hanyang… is such a… terrible place…”

Jeongjong stroked his beard and slowly continued.

‘Kwon Geun, I’m definitely not letting this guy go.’

Seeing my decaying expression, my great-aunt next to me said.

“The Retired King made the decision to return to Gaegyeong himself, so he seems uncomfortable.”

The only thing he pushed for and succeeded in when he was still a king.

Is this because it’s a matter of pride for my great-uncle, who has no presence?

And I touched it?

“Ahem…”

I realized it late, but Jeongjong’s words didn’t end.

“A capital… must have roots… but Hanyang has no roots… Gaegyeong… has been the capital for five hundred years.”

“Ah, yes.”

I couldn’t argue with this, so I gave a soulless response.

‘Damn it, how dare you throw a bomb at me?’

My teeth gnashed with anger at Kwon Geun.

To use a ‘I’m telling!’ tactic that only elementary school students would use at his age.

‘Since they’ve pulled in a backer, I have no choice but to pull one in too.’

The first person that comes to mind is, of course, my father, Yi Bangwon.

He is also the ruler of this country, Joseon, and he is positive about the capital relocation issue.

However, I soon abandoned that thought.

‘Father didn’t directly step forward on the capital relocation issue.’

He may have been doing public opinion work behind the scenes, but he didn’t come to the forefront because the opposition from the Gaegyeong faction officials was considerable.

Besides, nominally, the Retired King is above my father, so it would be awkward to openly object.

‘Then there’s only one person left.’

“Sob!”

I suddenly wiped my eyes.

My great-uncle, who had been lecturing me for a while, widened his eyes.

I put on the best acting I could.

“I, your nephew, did not know the Retired King’s high intentions! Please give me a chance to reconsider.”

As I knelt and begged like that, Jeongjong wore a faint smile on his face, as faint as his presence.

What is this?

Is he happy to receive my recognition?

“If you know… that’s enough…!”

Before the Retired King could change his words, I hurriedly left the Retired King’s residence.

Then, I quickly found Nobun, who was waiting outside.

“Nobun, where are you!”

Nobun asked in confusion.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the Grand Palace!”

‘I asked for a chance to reconsider, but I didn’t say I’d withdraw.’

You’re bringing in adults in such a petty way?

Then I’ll bring in an even bigger adult.

That’s how kids’ fights become adult fights.

===

Yi Seonggye, who received a sudden visit, turned his head away as soon as he saw me.

He’s doing the same thing as Jeongjong.

“What brings you here?”

“Is there a reason why a grandson would come to greet his grandfather?”

“Anyone would think you come every day.”

Well, that’s true.

Paying respects at the Grand Palace was my father’s duty, not mine yet.

To be honest, I only came when I was bored.

Every time, Yi Seonggye’s attitude was grumpy, but unlike before, he was full of life.

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me why you came.”

“Then I’ll get straight to the point.”

I opened my mouth.

“You want to go back to Hanyang, don’t you?”

“That’s right.”

Yi Seonggye raised his eyebrows.

Hanyang is the capital he designated. It is the greatest evidence that he established a new dynasty.

Even though there was a bloody fight there.

“I heard you submitted a memorial to relocate the capital to Hanyang, is that why?”

“Great-Uncle is an obstacle. Please stop him.”

He has no presence, but if he calls me every day and tortures me like that, I might go crazy.

Maybe I’ll withdraw the memorial.

“Bang-gwa wasn’t originally like that.”

Yi Seonggye said with a sullen expression after hearing the whole story.

“He was a reliable guy when he was running around as a military man, but at some point, he lost his presence.”

Yi Seonggye lamented.

“He knows he has no presence. So he wants to prove that he doesn’t this time.”

“I know that too. But the relocation to Hanyang will happen anyway. Please stop Great-Uncle’s interference, Grandfather.”

“Then what do I get? Let me calculate the benefits once like you.”

At Yi Seonggye’s words, I smiled and said.

“Isn’t the relocation to Hanyang what Grandfather wants? What benefits are you calculating when your filial grandson is fulfilling Grandfather’s wish?”

“You rascal! You also want the relocation to Hanyang because you have some ulterior motive. I’m granting your wish, so we have to settle the score right away.”

Yi Seonggye, who pretended to ponder for a moment, said.

“Okay, let’s settle the wish you won in the last bet this time. How about it?”

“Oh, no, not on my watch.”

I strongly resisted.

He’s doing something that Yi Seonggye secretly wanted, so I can’t do a losing business.

“Let’s think of it not as one person doing a favor for another, but as helping each other. How about it?”

“I’ve never seen a guy like you.”

Yi Seonggye clicked his tongue.

Who was the one who was trying to gloss over the bet he won?

“I understand. I’ll use my power to prevent Bang-gwa from getting involved in this matter anymore.”

Yi Seonggye coughed and continued.

“But what are you going to wish for with the bet?”

After the request to give him money was rejected, I wondered what I could get from Yi Seonggye.

The weapons Yi Seonggye possessed were cultural assets even in modern times, so I was tempted, but they were useless in a practical sense.

Then it would be better to inherit the intangible value that only Yi Seonggye has.

I held my head up straight and said.

“Please teach me martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

Yi Seonggye scoffed and asked.

“What do you need swords and bows for? If you get hit by that musket, even warriors who have trained for decades will go down in one shot, won’t they?”

Hmm, is there still resentment left over from the musket bet?

I don’t think so.

Is this purely because he values the musket that much?

I said.

“Didn’t you see the musket’s reloading speed? It’s not enough for self-defense yet, let alone for military use. Please teach me a thing or two, Grandfather.”

It’s a tough world.

Even in the country I worked in, fists were more important than the law, but it’s even more so in this pre-modern era.

Since I’m the Heir Apparent, I’ll have escorts wherever I go, but you never know what might happen.

‘On the other hand, Yi Seonggye is the undisputed strongest military commander. If I’m going to learn martial arts, it’s better to learn from the best.’

When I was in modern times, I registered at a dojo run by a Jiu-Jitsu world champion with that thought, but I quit after 3 days.

Yi Seonggye chuckled and suddenly placed his thick hand on my head.

“?”

“Now you’re acting like a grandson, not a merchant.”

Yi Seonggye, who was laughing heartily, changed his expression completely.

With a truly devilish face, he said.

“But my training will be a little painful.”

The hand gripping my head was full of strength.

“Ah! Aah!”

No, why is this man like this?

As I screamed at the pressure I felt in my temples, Yi Seonggye let go of his hand.

“Hahaha!”

Yi Seonggye is laughing heartily as if he’s having so much fun.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

Can I get a refund for this dojo?

I thought with tears in my eyes.

===

Some time later.

News came that the Retired King had gone to the Retired King’s residence and overturned the Retired King’s meal table while he was eating.

Rumor has it that he shouted, “The eldest son also ignores me.”

‘Great-Uncle must be easy to deal with.’

Is that the grandfather who squeezed tears in front of me? The real Yi Seonggye is a legend…

Since Grandfather openly stepped in to suppress Great-Uncle’s nagging, Great-Uncle no longer called me.

All that’s left is to show a demonstration in front of people.

Like when I showed off the musket, Yi Bangwon and the officials all came out to see the Geojunggi [a type of lever-based crane].

“It really moves!”

Yi Bangwon said, watching the sight of a rock weighing at least 7 tons being lifted by the Geojunggi.

My father and the new officials admired it without hesitation, and the Gaegyeong faction officials watched it with constipated expressions.

Naturally, opinions were bound to be divided.

“It looks simple, but it’s like that!”

“But how can you guarantee that this alone will reduce the construction work by half?”

“The Geojunggi is amazing, but it only solves some of the work.”

‘I knew you guys would say that.’

I thought, listening to the criticisms made by the Gaegyeong faction officials.

As expected, my father caught that point first.

“That cart doesn’t look ordinary either.”

It’s a sharp observation worthy of Taejong Yi Bangwon.

I stepped forward and explained.

“That’s right. That cart is called a Yuhyeonggeo [a two-wheeled vehicle with auxiliary loading devices], and it was made in response to the fact that the wheels of existing carts break easily. You can easily transport it by attaching cows or horses.”

The Yuhyeonggeo is a type of two-wheeled vehicle.

Unlike existing carts, it has auxiliary devices such as Yeodu and Bokto, making it convenient to load cargo, and it can be controlled more stably when the cart moves.

The materials lifted by the Geojunggi were loaded onto the Yuhyeonggeo, and then they were stacked with a winch, and a small fortress wall was created in an instant.

“How is it? Wouldn’t this be enough to reduce costs and labor by half?”

Having heavy equipment means not only saving that much power.

Physical labor is literally pain. Just not carrying heavy stones with bare hands will greatly increase the morale and stamina of the workers.

‘I know it well because I’ve worked in construction every vacation.’

How angry I was when the equipment broke down while laying cables and they told me to pull it with my bare hands.

In the end, I couldn’t stay at that site for long and ran away.

“Well, is there enough proof for my words?”

I smiled at Kwon Geun.

End

ⓒ Pitkong