There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 179

Looking back now, Yi Hwa resembled Yi Seong-gye quite a bit, perhaps because they were brothers.

However, one difference was that he was much more politically skilled.

‘No wonder he earned three meritorious subject titles.’

Yi Hwa acted very friendly towards me, subtly pulling my arm.

“Oh, I really don’t know anything, Great Grandfather.”

“Is that really so? Perhaps someone might be entering the State Council this time…?”

There was a reason why Yi Hwa was so sensitive to the direction of power.

“My other sons are already grown and don’t require my attention, but Jeoncheon-gun, Heungcheon-gun, and Ikcheon-gun below them are now grown, and these children are a great worry to me.”

Yi Hwa said.

‘Ah, it’s about time for those people to enter officialdom too.’

Yi Hwa’s eldest, second, third, and fourth sons had already served in high positions such as Dochongje [Military Commander] and Seungji [Royal Secretary].

It was a measure of preferential treatment for Yi Hwa, who was a founding meritorious subject and the head of the royal family.

However, while the grown sons were one thing, Taejong had not yet taken any special measures for the sons below them after solidifying his foundation.

So, Grand Prince Uian was concerned about them.

I frowned invisibly as I thought.

‘Isn’t it enough that you’ve already taken so much? You’re trying to get benefits for the youngest line too?’

However, other meritorious subjects could not be free from such privileges, so Yi Hwa’s request was, in a way, natural.

I said with a smile.

“Since Grand Prince Uian made a great concession the other day, wouldn’t His Majesty bestow a favor?”

I said this, but I didn’t particularly think Yi Bang-won would do that.

I had confirmed Yi Bang-won’s will to cut off those who did not help the royal authority, no matter what means he used, because of the last incident.

There would be no way that Yi Hwa’s sons would newly enter the court.

===

Yi Bang-won succeeded in renewing the atmosphere of the court through a three-pronged attack of abdication, regency, and cabinet reshuffle.

It was like Yi Bang-won’s second term in power.

Because of the series of political situations that followed the abdication, the vassals were very disciplined.

They realized once again that the Lord’s intentions were extraordinary.

First of all, the maternal relatives completely retired.

Lord Yeoheungbuwon Min Je also retired to Giroso [a retirement home for high-ranking officials], and the Min brothers went down to Bupyeong.

‘Since I warned them so much, they absolutely won’t be able to enter Hanyang [old name for Seoul].’

Because they had been burned once.

I didn’t know if it would be Min Mu-gu or Min Mu-jil, but I had decided to send one of them to Majapahit [an old kingdom in Indonesia].

Seeing this, only someone who was terribly oblivious would not know what it meant for the Min clan to step down.

Although it was not openly declared, they realized that the king’s influence was at play here.

‘At least now there will be no humans who are fooled by the abdication show.’

I thought so.

My maternal uncles who really believed the abdication… I have nothing to say.

Anyway, Yi Bang-won, who took over the regency and returned to the throne, announced a new list of the State Council.

“We dismiss Ha Ryun and Jo Young-mu, and appoint Grand Prince Uian Yi Hwa as Chief State Councilor, Seong Seok-rin as Left State Councilor, and Yi Mu as Right State Councilor.”

Is this the result of discussing with Ha Ryun and Jo Young-mu?

‘It’s as expected.’

I nodded and thought.

“…Your Majesty, your grace is boundless.”

Yi Hwa tried hard to show a happy expression, but he could not hide the reluctant expression hidden behind it.

The Chief State Councilor was the head of the vassals, but in reality, it was not a position with real power.

Unlike the Left and Right State Councilors, who could influence the personnel affairs of the civil and military officials, the Chief State Councilor was in charge of reviewing diplomatic documents or retrying death row inmates.

That’s why Ha Ryun, the father’s confidant, remained in the position of Left State Councilor.

‘He gave preferential treatment, but he made sure not to seize real power.’

Nevertheless, on the surface, it was the position of the highest rank, so it was good to pay off the debt by restricting the purchase of land by meritorious subjects.

I thought so.

In addition, his sons were also excluded from the list of people who newly obtained official positions.

‘If it were normal, he would have taken care of the official position by now.’

However, in addition to the sons who had already entered the government, there was even a hint of a will not to employ the sons who had not yet obtained official positions.

Yi Hwa had an expression that said, ‘This is not what I wanted,’ but what could he do?

He looked at me with an expression asking me to help him, but why would I have any obligation to do that?

‘Giving you the position of Chief State Councilor is enough.’

On the other hand, there were also those who newly obtained official positions.

“We appoint Jo Won as Deputy Director General and Yi Seung-gan as Co-Deputy Director General.”

Jo Won was Jo Young-mu’s son-in-law and Yi Seung-gan was Ha Ryun’s son-in-law, so it was compensation for taking away their official positions in order to renew the court.

Anyway, Ha Ryun and Jo Young-mu will take a break and return to their proper positions.

It was such a clear signal.

No more appointment of meritorious subjects and royal family members.

Yi Bang-won, who was in his second term in power, showed his confidence.

===

Yi Hwa, who was appointed as Chief State Councilor, performed his duties diligently.

Even if the Chief State Councilor had no real duties, he could advise the king as a State Councilor.

“Even if the position is honorary, it is the highest position. There is no reason for Grand Prince Uian to hate it so much.”

Except that if you serve as Chief State Councilor, you will be on the path to retirement.

‘It’s a natural purge.’

But Yi Hwa was old, and he had been seriously ill before, so wasn’t this Yi Bang-won’s own consideration?

“The Ministry of Rites has also been instructed to collect diplomatic documents exchanged with Ming [China].”

Heo Jo said.

“Suddenly?”

“It seems that they are trying to settle the issue of the royal marriage this time.”

“Heo.”

I wondered what it was, but was it about me?

“The story of the royal marriage has been around for a long time, and despite exchanging envoys with Ming several times, there has been no progress?”

After Ming proposed to send a Hwaban princess and we specifically asked for Hwangmae, the Ming court kept its mouth shut.

Perhaps because our court couldn’t bring it up first, it was sinking as old bait without any progress.

Yi Hwa seemed inclined to set a clear policy this time and get rid of this problem.

“I wonder what the position of the Great Power’s court is. Are they against it?”
Meng Sa-seong asked.

“That’s not likely. Isn’t there a precedent for the former deposed crown prince? Even if they were being mean and quit the royal marriage, they would have told us.”

What Heo Jo mentioned was the royal marriage between Yi Bang-seok and the Ming princess that was previously promoted.

At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang [the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty] suddenly sent a national letter saying, ‘I won’t do it because you guys are acting like assholes.’

‘I don’t know, but Yongle’s [the Yongle Emperor, third emperor of the Ming Dynasty] personality doesn’t seem to be better than Zhu Yuanzhang’s.’

If Yongle had completely decided to refuse, he would have openly sent a national letter to break it off.

But now, he was just acting lukewarm, as if saying, ‘Me? Did I say that?’

I wonder what’s going on over there.

“Ming is Ming, but shouldn’t we also clearly define our intentions?”

“His Majesty said it would be good if it could be done….”

However, Hwang Hee raised his head and said.

“What does the Crown Prince think?”

“Puh!”

I spilled the tea I was drinking without realizing it.

“Marriage is a family matter, so what would I say?”

Then Hwang Hee stared at me and asked.

“Do you really think so?”

“…If I don’t like it, I’ll overturn it.”

My subordinates know me too well.

“In the process of a man and a woman getting together, the will of the two people is important. If Your Highness wishes, we should try to recommend the royal marriage again.”

“What if I say I don’t want to?”

At my question, Heo Jo said with a mischievous expression.

“Then I will tell His Majesty that we should end the royal marriage and look for a new lady in the country. We can’t keep playing with Your Highness’s marriage forever, can we?”

That Heo Jo is making this expression.

“Normally, this is not something that we should interfere with, but isn’t Your Highness the foundation of the country? Marriage is a serious matter.”

Meng Sa-seong also agreed.

Since it came to this, I couldn’t just stand still.

“Hmm….”

I looked around.

Of course, there was no one approaching except us.

‘Hoo, there won’t be a historian, right?’

Because of the trauma, I had been going through the confirmation process lately.

After the regency ended, the stalking behavior that I was sick of had subsided.

I wondered if they had all flocked to my father.

The weight of the crown is just like that.

‘I don’t really want to get married yet….’

Even in my previous life, I had never been married, only dated. This is the first time I’m marrying a wife and having children.

“If I have to get married, that child would be better.”

This is not a personal feeling, but a result of carefully considering various political factors.

However, I don’t think the possibility is very high because Psycho Yongle is dragging it out like this.

I felt the corner of the silver mirror in my pocket, but I tried to ignore it.

“There’s nothing particularly lacking, so if we ask for a royal marriage first, we’re going into Ming… why do you see it that way?”

But the old subordinates sitting around did not recognize my cold judgment.

They were just looking at me with the eyes of an uncle watching his young nephew start his first love.

‘What kind of soft misunderstanding are you having?’

I really don’t care if it works out or not.

“Haha, this is a big problem. I will unintentionally put a spoke in the wheel of the Chief State Councilor’s first move.”
Hwang Hee said, stroking his beard.

“I’ll have to talk to His Majesty again.”

“Absolutely not.”

These gossipy people.

===

Only after Crown Prince Yi Je insisted, Hwang Hee, Meng Sa-seong, and Heo Jo were able to leave the East Palace after promising to seal their lips.

Yi Je was relieved that his persuasion had worked and returned to his residence.

“…”

And a moment later.

A man who had been hiding under the porch appeared.

He looked down at the article he had written without even dusting off the dirt on his body.

“I wrote the history for the East Palace, but I didn’t know I would get such a big case.”

The Crown Prince’s obstruction of the solemn record of history remained a great wound, but Min In-saeng did not give up.

Rather, it aroused a kind of challenge in him.

‘As a vassal and historian, how can I not correct the Crown Prince’s wrongdoing?’

So, Min In-saeng was chasing after the Crown Prince and hiding even after the regency ended.

He looked at the history written in pencil.

– His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants a royal marriage.

The Crown Prince’s heart longing for the Ming princess is so extreme that he shed tears while looking west.

The historian argues. The vassals who eat the court’s salary do not use great plans to serve the Jongsa [the royal ancestral shrine], and rather do not move even when they see the Crown Prince’s difficulties, so how can they be called true vassals?

When he read the history again, even he himself felt uplifted.

Isn’t the itchy mouth also because of the rising spirit?

‘But the contents of the history must not be revealed carelessly.’

Min In-saeng was contemplating for a moment with his eyes closed, but there was a way out even if the sky fell.

‘Wouldn’t it be okay if it was my colleagues at the Spring and Autumn Pavilion [historical archive] who would collect the history anyway?’

He admired his own talent and hurried to the Spring and Autumn Pavilion.

End

ⓒ Pitkong