There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 147

My Joseon Has No Sejong – Episode 148

< A Tree with Many Branches >

Midsummer, 1405.

Tsushima Island was completely subdued by Joseon forces.

“The Wokou [Japanese pirates] abandoned their fortresses and fled!”

“It’s a victory for our forces!”

However, Sunnyeong-gun [a Joseon military title] was not satisfied with the victory. He had no intention of letting them return peacefully.

“They are already Wokou who have invaded our land! If we let them live, they will extend their evil hands towards Joseon again! Don’t let a single one escape!”

It would have been impossible to thoroughly search Tsushima Island with only Joseon troops, but as the situation became clear, the local clans, who had been hesitant, rose up all at once.

“Now that the new Shugodai [military governor] of Tsushima has been appointed, we will take the lead and follow!”

“Search the mountains! Those who bring back the heads of the invaders will be heavily rewarded!”

They were originally Wokou themselves.

They were experts at seizing opportunities to strike weak enemies.

The same was true of their people. It was common in this era for them to live as innocent civilians, but if they found fleeing soldiers, they would turn into bandits.

The shattered Shoni army was nothing more than easy prey for them.

Sunnyeong-gun rounded up all the captured stragglers and sent them to Joseon, while the commander, Shoni Yorimitsu, barely escaped with his life.

The prisoners survived, but their fate was not easy.

They now had to fight against barbarians from the unheard-of Southern Frontier, instead of their beloved homeland.

“Joseon has suppressed the Wokou and obtained many prisoners, and they have requested to dispatch these people to Annam [present-day Vietnam]. What should we do?”

The Yongle Emperor’s expression was not bright.

The Yongle Emperor had actually considered the idea of ‘conquering Japan’ because the Wokou were an extreme nuisance even in the original history.

To this end, he even asked Joseon to lend him the way, but it was dropped due to various realistic circumstances and Taejong’s preemptive conquest of Tsushima Island.

Therefore, it was good news that Joseon had suppressed the Wokou.

Moreover, they even expressed their willingness to participate in the dispatch by offering prisoners, even though they were not their own troops.

Without realizing it, the Yongle Emperor had gained both practical benefits and prestige.

‘That’s what I don’t like.’

It was obvious that they were trying to avoid his attention too blatantly.

Especially now that subtle tensions were rising over the Eight Banners [military administrative divisions under the Qing dynasty, but the concept existed earlier].

In addition to this, there was another reason why the Emperor was uncomfortable.

“Isn’t it because the Emperor has bestowed grace upon the vassal state, and they are voluntarily subjugating the Wokou and offering soldiers?”

“Also, the Emperor’s decree regarding the royal marriage is considered the glory of the royal family, and they are positively considering it…”

Hwang Eom poured out flattery from the side, but the Yongle Emperor’s expression remained unchanged.

No, it was subtly becoming more distorted.

When the Yongle Emperor’s anger was reaching its limit, Hwang Eom drove in the wedge.

“This is how the Son of Heaven governs the barbarians, so how can we not say it is wise…!”

“Silence!”

The Yongle Emperor threw the scepter he was holding at Hwang Eom’s forehead.

“Ouch!”

Hwang Eom grabbed his forehead and collapsed.

The Yongle Emperor shouted, panting.

“Accept Joseon’s request to offer soldiers!”

“Then what about the royal marriage issue?”

The Crown Prince asked cautiously, and the Yongle Emperor glared at him and said.

“Let the Ministry of Rites choose a suitable daughter of a prince!”

‘Joseon specifically requested Hwangmae?’ Before he could even ask such a question, the Yongle Emperor turned and headed to the harem.

Hwang Eom, with a bump swelling on his forehead, hurriedly followed him.

‘Father is being stubborn!’

Zhugaochi shook his head.

The Ministry of Rites would also have a headache.

They couldn’t openly say to Joseon, ‘We’ll send anyone, so don’t complain and marry them to your Crown Prince.’

‘Joseon will refuse, and then the royal marriage will be off.’

Perhaps this was the picture Joseon wanted.

Either give Hwangmae or call it off.

After all, the King of Joseon was no ordinary person.

‘Father would rather call it off than give Hwangmae.’

That would hurt his pride.

I don’t know how the person involved in the story feels.

Crown Prince Zhugaochi, who had left the main hall, got on the wheelchair. A eunuch naturally grabbed the handle of the wheelchair.

Zhugaochi smiled slightly awkwardly.

He had been having difficulty moving on his own, so he liked the function of moving by pushing the wheels himself.

‘How did the Joseon Crown Prince make such a thing?’

However, from the eunuchs’ point of view, they couldn’t let the Crown Prince push it himself.

“Where shall we go?”

“Let’s go to the inner palace.”

The destination was the inner palace where his mother, Empress Inhyomun, Lady Seo, was.

She had been visibly ill these days, lying weakly in bed, and her sister-in-law, Princess Zhusohwa, was holding her hand tightly beside her.

“It’s been a while, Aunt. How have you been?”

The Crown Prince spoke politely.

Then Lady Seo, who was next to her, said.

“These days, your aunt is studying Korean diligently. I wonder what’s gotten into her.”

Then Zhusohwa’s face turned red.

“It’s nothing! There are just many Korean palace maids in the palace, so I thought I’d like to be able to talk to them smoothly…”

Seeing Zhusohwa waving her hands with a flushed face and hurriedly making excuses, the two laughed.

“Aunt.”

“Yes.”

“Joseon has decided to send troops to Annam.”

The Grand Princess, like the girls of her age, was not particularly interested in the brutal military affairs.

But now she couldn’t hide her interest.

That was why the Crown Prince had told her.

This young aunt had been eagerly listening to anything related to Joseon for some time now.

The same was true of the stories coming from the Joseon people who participated in Zheng He’s fleet, which had set sail a while ago.

The stories they told were all the same.

‘Our Crown Prince? He’s amazing!’

‘That’s right. Like father, like son. Just looking at the devices the Crown Prince made and the things he’s done going back and forth between the North and South, he’s no ordinary person.’

‘The nobles are afraid of the King and the Crown Prince, but we’ve never had it so good.’

Zhusohwa couldn’t help but be moved every time she heard such stories.

Along with that, her curiosity about Joseon was growing.

“Your Highness, is there any other news from Joseon…?”

Zhusohwa asked, touching her fingers together, and the Crown Prince smiled.

“Are you talking about your friend?”

“Y-yes. Friend.”

“I heard she was hit by an arrow in Palcham.”

“What?”

Zhusohwa exclaimed in surprise as if she had been hit by an arrow herself.

The Crown Prince calmly soothed his aunt, who looked like she was about to faint.

“Fortunately, she survived. People from Liaodong say that a silver mirror in her bosom blocked it.”

It was a story that Yi Seong-gye would have foamed at the mouth and jumped at if he had heard it, but Zhugaochi said so.

“S-silver mirror…”

What kind of joke of fate is this?

“I-is that so.”

Zhusohwa muttered blankly.

Is this fate?

If she hadn’t given her the silver mirror…

It was a dizzying thought.

She almost didn’t keep her promise.

“Because we promised to meet again someday…”

That slick guy probably won’t bother to learn Chinese diligently.

I’ll have to greet him again in Korean when we meet again.

‘What if I make another mistake?’

He almost broke his promise because he was wandering around recklessly, and he should be grateful to her for saving his life.

It was obvious that such words would come out without her knowing when they reunited.

‘Ugh.’

Should I practice speaking nicely from now on?

While she was worrying about that, the Crown Prince hesitated and opened his mouth.

“And His Majesty has ordered the Ministry of Rites to choose a daughter of a prince to send as the Crown Prince’s consort.”

The color drained from the princess’s face.

===

“Why did you bring up such a story to that child?”

The Crown Prince bowed his head at Lady Seo’s rebuke.

“Wouldn’t it be better for Aunt to know sooner rather than later?”

“It’s what His Majesty is doing. Whether you know it sooner or later, what will change?”

Lady Seo sighed.

“I will try to persuade Father again.”

“Don’t. You might incur the Emperor’s wrath instead.”

Lady Seo said so.

It was only recently that the Grandson had gained the Emperor’s favor and the Crown Prince had solidified his position.

If the eldest son takes the throne, the younger brothers will live, but if the younger brother takes the throne, the deposed Crown Prince will have a hard time preserving his life.

They were her own sons, but all except the eldest were full of greed, so Lady Seo’s worries never ceased.

The Imperial Palace was swirling with conspiracies as always.

“Don’t worry, Mother.”

Zhugaochi held Lady Seo’s hand tightly.

“I will make sure that there is no bloodshed. The same goes for our siblings and our aunt.”

The Yi family did, but the Zhu family also killed too many people.

Zhugaochi vowed.

Even for the sake of his dying mother, he would make sure that no more blood flowed in this family.

===

Finally, my mother gave birth to a baby.

“Both the Queen and the baby are healthy.”

I finally sighed in relief at the midwife’s words as she opened the door.

I grabbed the necks of the royal physicians and midwives and shook them to help with the delivery, making sure they washed their hands thoroughly with soap, but there was always a chance of something going wrong, even if it wasn’t a bacterial infection.

My younger brothers and I, who came in late, thought as I held my wrinkled younger brother.

‘Is this Grand Prince Seongnyeong?’

I don’t exactly remember the year of his birth, but thanks to watching historical dramas, I know that there is one more younger brother below our three brothers.

He died young, so he’s not very famous in later generations.

‘Hmm.’

In ‘The Land of the Morning Calm,’ Yangnyeong-gun was described as going out to play even when this Grand Prince Seongnyeong died, triggering Yi Bang-won, but I wonder if that’s true.

I have a good relationship with Yi Bang-won, so I don’t have to worry about being deposed as Crown Prince, but the original Yangnyeong-gun must have been crazy.

That’s why he incurred the wrath of Yi Bang-won, who was crazy about his children, and was even deposed as Crown Prince.

I glanced at Yi Bang-won and thought.

“You have worked hard, my wife.”

It’s been a while since they’ve been so affectionate.

‘If there are kids, they won’t be able to be alone properly.’

Empress Wongyeong is already longing for Yi Bang-won’s affection.

I took my younger brothers’ hands and stood up.

“Well, we’ll be out.”

How about that? This is the quick-witted Crown Prince.

“Another son?”

Yi Seong-gye, who was waiting outside, asked.

You could have waited inside, but you were eavesdropping nearby, pretending not to come to see me.

“There are many sons and many daughters. Isn’t it good to have many siblings?”

“Originally, a tree with many branches never has a calm day.”

“Hey, that’s just our ancestors. It won’t be like that from our generation.”

“Yeah, right!”

Yi Seong-gye snorted.

But historically, only our generation was quite peaceful.

Even if Yangnyeong-gun was a mess, Sejong let him off.

It’s our descendants that are the problem.

“So, what brings you out to greet me?”

Yi Seong-gye looked at me and said.

“The Northeast is said to be unstable.”

“Yes? Why suddenly?”

“All the Jurchens in Palcham were moved to the Northeast.”

That’s right.

With that justification, we sent all the Jurchens who had surrendered to our side there to replenish the population.

Suddenly, a large number of unfamiliar guys appeared, so the tribes that had been living there for generations must be uneasy.

“Wasn’t the purpose to make them rely on us while keeping each other in check?”

“That’s true, but it’s troublesome if this becomes a war of blood for blood. It’s our territory, after all.”

Are you saying to make them compete without seeing bloodshed?

That’s difficult.

“Um…”

After scratching my head for a moment, I said.

“Then how about making them compete openly?”

“Openly?”

Yi Seong-gye asked.

“Make them fight with their pride and prestige on the line. However, in a way that doesn’t shed blood.”

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for the number of Olympic medals, or so I heard.

“If we hold competitions in events such as horse riding and archery, it will be a place to show off their power, and the number of fights will decrease if superiority is determined.”

Show off their power and control traffic through methods other than fighting.

The tribes participating in this competition will do their best to win.

And our status as the host of this event will also increase.

Yi Seong-gye, who was listening to me, thought for a moment and said.

“That’s Naadam [a traditional Mongolian festival].”

“Yes?”

Was it originally there?

< A Tree with Many Branches > End

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