There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 130

“It’s really good for men…”

Although I didn’t explicitly say it would enhance virility, the Yongle Emperor seemed to understand my words perfectly.

Ginseng has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac, so it’s no surprise men are so eager to get their hands on it.

The Yongle Emperor, examining the reddish-tinged red ginseng, asked me,

“Seeing how red it is, it seems full of yang [a concept in Chinese philosophy referring to the active, male principle], but is it really effective?”

“My uncle, Grand Prince Ikan, was also on the verge of death from an illness, but after consuming this, he regained quite a bit of energy.”

“Oh, not that…”

The Yongle Emperor said, sounding frustrated.

Like the terribly complex person he was, he chewed his lips several times.

I didn’t offer a specific answer.

‘What if it doesn’t work after he eats it?’

So, I only mentioned that it enhances vitality.

But I believed it would have an effect.

After all, our royal family had seen positive results from our trials.

Come to think of it, when I return, the youngest will have grown quite a bit in the womb.

The Yongle Emperor, with a frustrated expression, waved his hand.

“Alright. I’ll have my subordinates try it and see.”

The Yongle Emperor hurriedly waved his hand again.

Even if Joseon made a new aphrodisiac, he couldn’t know what side effects it might have, so he had to have it tested first to see the results.

“I hope there will be good results, and that the Emperor, who governs the world, will take ginseng, the best of all medicines, and live a long and healthy life.”

I said to the Yongle Emperor.

The Yongle Emperor, who hadn’t shown much reaction to the various treasures, hurriedly disappeared as soon as he obtained the red ginseng.

‘I didn’t know he was so eager.’

Even if the Yongle Emperor disappeared, it wasn’t a big problem.

After all, other officials were in charge of the practical matters related to the formal audience [the act of entering the court].

‘Honestly, there’s nothing that important anyway.’

Maybe the Boseondan issue.

But Zheng He had taken over that issue, so there was nothing to worry about.

‘Should I take my time and go sightseeing in Nanjing during my free time?’

Seeing the Yongle Emperor, who had taken the red ginseng, disappear like the wind, I had such hopes, but I soon had to give them up.

The person bothering us was still there.

===

“What is it today?”

“It’s an invitation to hunt from the Prince of Han. He requested that you accompany him when he leaves Nanjing soon.”

“Again?”

Prince of Han, Zhu Gaoxu, had been constantly asking to build a relationship with us ever since he visited us on the first day and mentioned the royal seal.

As befitting his reputation as an excellent military commander, most of that relationship-building involved hunting.

“There’s no reason to refuse, right?”

I heard that it was a long-standing tradition since the Goryeo Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 918 to 1392] for envoys to contact the Ming Dynasty’s princes.

It wasn’t a tradition that the Ming court particularly welcomed. Zhu Yuanzhang even exiled our envoys for privately interacting with the princes, but we stubbornly persisted.

No matter how much Zhu Yuanzhang fussed, our Joseon [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897] diligently exchanged envoys with the Prince of Yan, as well as the Princes of Zhao, Ning, and Jin.

‘Why did they do that?’

I can’t figure it out at all.

Anyway, because there were such precedents, there was no reason to refuse the Prince of Han’s invitation.

It would be troublesome to hear, ‘Until now, you’ve been diligently meeting with the princes, so why is the Joseon crown prince acting like this?’

– Swoosh!

The arrow flew and hit the deer’s neck head-on.

I mainly used a musket, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t handle a bow or other weapons.

‘I’m glad I received early education from Yi Seong-gye [founder and first king of the Joseon dynasty].’

“Amazing! To catch a deer with one arrow at such a young age!”

Zhu Gaoxu shouted, praising me.

The fact that my martial arts were excellent seemed to have left a good impression on him.

‘The problem is that this isn’t necessarily a positive thing.’

According to Kwon Geun’s explanation, he was competing with the Crown Prince for the next throne.

“But why is the third prince dozing off like a sick chicken?”

“Ah, are you talking about Do?”

It was tough on my younger brother, who wasn’t a very active person.

Zhu Gaoxu clicked his tongue at Do, who was nodding off on horseback.

“How can a prince be so sickly? The throne should be inherited by someone as strong as the Crown Prince!”

‘No, he’s supposed to become Sejong [fourth king of Joseon] according to the original story…’

Why is he comparing me to my younger brother?

The strange thing didn’t end with that.

After hunting with the Prince of Han, I had to go to the house of the Prince of Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, at his invitation.

Zhu Gaosui came out barefoot to greet us.

“I’m very happy that the princes of the Eastern Country have visited my house. Let’s have a pleasant discussion about poetry!”

‘The second is the military type, and the third is the literary type.’

This was also difficult.

I knew almost nothing about Chinese poetry.

If it weren’t for my younger brother, who was familiar with the Book of Odes [oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry], it would have been hard to endure.

“Oh, to think that there is a prince who is so deeply learned even at a young age. Joseon’s future is truly bright.”

Zhu Gaosui said, praising Do to the fullest.

Depending on the point of view, it could be interpreted as saying that Grand Prince Chungnyeong was better than the Crown Prince.

‘Well, that’s true.’

“Wouldn’t someone so knowledgeable be able to bring peace to the country?”

“That’s right!”

A man named Maeng Hyeon, who was a close aide to Zhu Gaosui, shouted in agreement.

At this point, I could understand what was going on.

‘They’re using us brothers to argue that they should become emperor, right?’

I knew that the Zhu family was a mess, but it was giving me a headache because they were subtly trying to drag us in.

‘Hunting or discussing poetry is only good for a day or two.’

I was tired of it now, and it would be a problem if Joseon was misunderstood as siding with one of the two princes.

After much deliberation, I flopped down.

“Ah, I don’t care! I’m just going to rest at the Hoedonggwan [Joseon Dynasty’s diplomatic and trade mission in China] now!”

“Your Highness, but the two princes have personally invited you…”

“Tell them I can’t go because my legs are sick. What can they do if I can’t move?”

I was tired of it, so it worked out well.

It’s a shame that I can’t leave the Hoedonggwan because I’m pretending to be sick.

Kwon Geun said with a troubled expression.

“Your Highness, but it is the duty of envoys to meet with high-ranking officials and understand the actual situation in detail…”

“Then why don’t you call those people here to the Hoedonggwan?”

“Yes?”

Kwon Geun looked around the Hoedonggwan.

“Even if it’s just once or twice, it won’t give a good impression if Your Highness keeps calling high-ranking officials…”

The Hoedonggwan was just an envoy’s lodging, so it wasn’t a suitable place to entertain anyone.

But it depends on how you look at it.

“Wait and see. I’ll make it so that the high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty can’t help but come running.”

I spoke loudly.

But I still had questions.

‘What is the Crown Prince doing while my brothers are playing like this?’

Even at a glance, the two princes were actively aiming for the throne.

But the Crown Prince, who was closest to the throne, hadn’t even shown his face since the first day we arrived to enter the court.

‘Is he the type who doesn’t like to come forward?’

I tilted my head.

===

“Eunuch Hwang. I’m very glad you came to the Hoedonggwan.”

The first person I called was Hwang Eom, a eunuch specializing in Joseon diplomacy.

“I’m the person in charge of Your Highness’s entry into the court, so how could I refuse Your Highness’s invitation?”

Hwang Eom emphasized that entering the court was his achievement.

I heard that he was horrified when Zheng He came out to greet us first.

‘We’re just watching the fire from across the river [idiom meaning to be uninvolved in a conflict].’

“So… what brings you here?”

“Ah, do we need a reason to see each other? I called you to further strengthen my relationship with Eunuch Hwang.”

“Ah, yes…”

Hwang Eom, however, had a bewildered expression.

Of course, there’s really nothing to do in this era.

At best, you can write poetry, draw pictures, or play Go [ancient Chinese board game], but those aren’t hobbies that Hwang Eom has any connection with.

And you can’t indulge in pleasure because Hwang Eom has a fatal physical flaw.

Even if you exclude the fact that you can’t bring women to the Hoedonggwan due to the envoy’s reputation.

‘But people are always craving new games.’

And I knew a game that Chinese people liked the most—no, beyond liking, they would go crazy for.

“Eunuch.”

I said, taking out the wooden tiles I had made in my room.

“Have you ever heard of Mahjong?”

===

There are various theories about the origin of Mahjong, but as a result of my investigation, it was clear that it did not exist in this era.

I remember playing Mahjong with Chinese people when I was in Africa.

‘You guys have to go to work tomorrow, won’t your boss say something if you play Mahjong all night like this?’

‘It’s okay. Chairman Mao Zedong said that Chinese people can’t quit Mahjong.’

Even the man who eliminated real sparrows (雀) with a single gesture couldn’t make them quit Mahjong.

Like this, the love for Mahjong exists in the DNA of Chinese people.

Hwang Eom was no exception.

When I brought the Mahjong that I had established in a modern style, Hwang Eom quickly fell into it.

Before I knew it, Hwang Eom had even seated his subordinates and started playing Mahjong.

“Why didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince come out when we entered the palace?”

When I asked casually, Hwang Eom said while diligently matching the tiles.

“Ah, His Highness’s health is not good. That’s why he can’t come to these official events. Uh-huh, Ron [Mahjong term]!”

“Oh no, I got stuck with it!”

“Eunuch, please take it easy on me.”

“His health is not good?”

When I asked while stacking the tiles, Hwang Eom replied.

“His legs are uncomfortable.”

‘Hmm.’

Perhaps because Hwang Eom was classified as a member of the Prince of Zhao faction, there was a subtle disrespect in his tone.

“He has been excellent in academics since he was young and enjoyed reading books, but he likes to eat and hates exercise, so he has become very obese. It’s so difficult for him to go outside, so I’ve said it all.”

“Is that so?”

‘Do should have heard this story.’

I regretted not putting my younger brother on the Mahjong table.

He can’t even walk properly.

Just looking at the fact that the Prince of Han and Prince of Zhao factions have been formed by vassals and eunuchs, the Crown Prince’s power was not solid.

This was all due to the Yongle Emperor’s favor being withdrawn.

The Yongle Emperor, who believed himself to be a hero of the century, distrusted his fat and unsightly son, as was usually the case with people with strong bodies.

As the king’s favor was withdrawn, people naturally had no choice but to go and attach themselves to other sons.

The relationship between Joseon and Daejoseon [another name for Joseon] could be shaken depending on how the succession of the Ming Dynasty would go.

‘So the other sons are trying to drag us in.’

The Ming court gave meaning to Joseon’s entry into the court, or Joseon’s recognition was also important, as Zhu Gaoxu mentioned the royal seal.

Of course, I decided to maintain strict neutrality.

“But he has had many descendants, so it’s really amazing.”

Hwang Eom said slyly.

“Ah, then you must have a great-grandson.”

“Yes, His Majesty the Emperor cherishes him quite a bit as the eldest grandson.”

It’s not strange that the Crown Prince is treated coldly but the great-grandson is cherished.

Originally, love is poured out every other generation.

Who will be the winner of this throne competition?