There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 203

These days, a new trend in transportation was spreading throughout Hanyang [the capital of Joseon].

It wasn’t a surprise anymore to see strange and wonderful things coming out of the East Palace [residence of the Crown Prince], so the Joseon people were naturally, or rather eagerly, accepting them.

“Look at this country bumpkin, who rides a palanquin [a covered litter carried by poles] these days? With a rickshaw, you can go from one end of the city to the other.”

“I heard that wealthy officials are keeping rickshaws at their homes.”

“I heard that Hansang [a merchant guild] provides rickshaws for hire, so there’s no need to buy one…”

“You fool. Isn’t dignity important? Dignity.”

Horses were difficult to manage in the city, and palanquins required a lot of manpower and were inconvenient, but rickshaws could be pulled anywhere with just one person, so they were widely used.

Since paved roads didn’t exist in this era, it was quite bumpy, but compared to palanquins, rickshaws were much better.

Moreover, Hanyang had relatively well-maintained roads thanks to a large-scale maintenance project, making them convenient to use.

The bicycle was also one of the inventions that benefited from the roads.

Although the bicycle itself was a modern invention, its prototype with pedals had already appeared in the 18th century.

Although it was nicknamed the ‘bone breaker,’ the tough Westerners used it well even on the rough battlefields.

The Joseon people were no less persistent, so there was no way they couldn’t use bicycles.

Even when riding on the maintained roads, the frame frequently broke because there was no cushioning and the whole thing was made of wood, making it vulnerable to shocks. However, since the Joseon people, who were used to fixing things as they went, it wasn’t a big problem.

‘And, inconvenience leads to improvement. Isn’t that right?’

The Crown Prince had no intention of spoon-feeding them everything.

“Ah, it’s already broken?”

“Please make it more durable.”

“Ah, then what will we live on? Well, this just needs the wheel fixed.”

“It crumbles even if you step on a small stone. It would be much better if you added leather to the wheels.”

In any case, there was no reason not to do deliveries in this situation.

===

“You have to eat Jajangmyeon [black bean noodles] on moving day.”

I said, smacking my lips.

The eunuchs and court ladies brought by Joso-hwa had long been moved to Induk Palace [a separate residence within the palace], except for a few maids who directly attended to her.

Since I was a Sangwang [retired king] who didn’t—or couldn’t—interfere in state affairs, isolating them in Induk Palace made it easy to prevent any possible espionage.

However, they were not entirely useless.

“Jajangmyeon… are you talking about the Shandong dish? How does His Highness know about it…?”

The Ming Dynasty’s eunuchs were everywhere in the palace.

That meant that there were eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty’s royal kitchen as well.

In particular, Emperor Yongle was kind enough to send a court eunuch with the skills of a master chef along with his younger sister, worried about how she would eat in an unfamiliar place. So, Joso-hwa and I would send word to Induk Palace and occasionally order these Chinese dishes.

‘Wait, then can’t they make Jajangmyeon too?’

Chunjang [black bean paste] is made by arranging the traditional Chinese sauce, Tianmianjiang [sweet bean sauce].

So, with the arrival of the new family member, I had given them a special order to make it in advance.

“Huff, huff, Your Highness.”

Nobun, who had ridden his bicycle, was sweating profusely as he took out the bowls one by one from the wooden box.

It had a handle for easy carrying, and it looked just like a metal delivery case.

“You came back quickly. It wouldn’t have gotten soggy.”

I’m glad I told him to go by bicycle.

“It’s black, so it looks a bit unappetizing.”

Joso-hwa said, poking the Jajangmyeon with her chopsticks.

The dark color of the aged Tianmianjiang seemed to be causing a sense of hesitation.

“Hey, don’t be prejudiced and eat it.”

Everyone who eats it once goes crazy.

“…It’s delicious.”

I turned to the voice and saw my sister-in-law quickly avoiding my gaze and bowing her head.

It seemed like she had said it without realizing it.

“In the East Palace, even the dogs carry Chogye bridges [a type of Korean sweet] in their mouths, Madam. You will be enjoying these delicacies often in the future.”

At Nobun’s words, I poked him in the side.

“Why are you saying what I was going to say, you rascal.”

After scolding him, I looked at Joso-hwa and said,

“So, are you not going to eat it? If you’re not going to eat it, I’ll eat it.”

“Who said I wasn’t going to eat it?”

Joso-hwa said, picking up the Jajangmyeon and bringing it to her mouth, then making a face.

“It’s delicious. That’s why I’m more upset.”

“What’s that.”

“Pfft!”

Sim-ssi burst into laughter as she watched Joso-hwa and me bickering.

We both looked at her and asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just…”

Just?

As we stared at her with puzzled expressions, my sister-in-law finally said with a relaxed face.

“I was worried, but after seeing you two, I think I’ll be able to live well in the East Palace.”

‘……I guess that’s a compliment?’

But it’s a relief that her stiff attitude seems to have softened.

But where did my real brother go?

“Ah, come to think of it, the Grand Prince is in Induk Palace?”

Nobun said, wiping away his sweat.

“You should have told me sooner, you rascal.”

What on earth is he doing there?

===

That question was answered a little later.

As I saw the comic books scattered here and there and my brothers lying down and piling them up, I sighed.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Huk, hyungnim [older brother]!”

Seeing my brothers, who were like unemployed bums, playing around made my heart twist.

The eldest brother is running around helping with the move, but what on earth are these guys doing here?

But the bowls next to them are…

“Nobun came and said that hyungnim ordered this food, so we asked them to make some for us too.”

“Keueok, it’s my first time eating it, but it’s delicious. As expected of a dish developed by hyungnim.”

“You guys are the first to find and eat these things.”

To taste the fun of eating Jajangmyeon while reading comic books before me.

I can’t forgive you.

I snatched the comic books they were reading.

But when I glanced inside, the art style wasn’t what I remembered.

“This isn’t Samganghaengsildo [Illustrations of the Three Bonds]?”

It wasn’t Oryunhaengsildo [Illustrations of the Five Relationships], which was published as a sequel either.

Oryunhaengsildo was in the same series as Samganghaengsildo, so it should have shown a similarly deformed art style, but the current style was closer to a dramatic style.

The art style of the illustrations attached to Chinese classical novels remained strong, but.

Did such a comic exist in Joseon now?

“A great wind blows and the clouds scatter…?”

I frowned at the title, which was taken from a line from the Great Wind Song (大風歌) written by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang.

Who on earth came up with this chuunibyou [a Japanese term for someone who acts like a know-it-all adolescent] -like title?

“The Sangwang Jeonha [retired King] made the comic himself. We participated in the compilation of Samganghaengsildo, so he told us to come and oversee it.”

“That’s right. It’s a public duty because the King ordered it, a public duty!”

Not everything the Sangwang ordered became a public duty, but they insisted on it.

I think I know why I was the only one left out of the three brothers.

He must have been sulking because I trashed the official publication, so he didn’t even bring it up.

‘The artwork is quite amazing, regardless of the content.’

Was there anyone in Joseon who could draw such a picture?

===

While I was thinking that I should ask the Sangwang about it someday, Lee Bang-won [King Taejong’s given name] opened his mouth.

“Is the new daughter-in-law doing well?”

“Yes, she is.”

Lee Bang-won asked abruptly, and I nodded.

“What do you think of her?”

“She just seems nice.”

It was a common comment attached to a good person, but Lee Bang-won nodded slowly after hearing my words.

“You mean she’s not the type to collude with her family. Your eyes must be accurate.”

“…Isn’t that obvious?”

What kind of schemes could my fourteen-year-old sister-in-law be plotting in connection with her family?

As I looked at Lee Bang-won with a slightly puzzled face, Lee Bang-won tapped the desk.

“All marriages in the royal family are made for political reasons. Do you know that?”

That’s obvious.

Even political marriages need some affection for each other to be maintained, but they wouldn’t marry someone without political gain.

My marriage was the same.

“Your marriage is like that, and to be honest, I can’t say that I didn’t have any intention of riding on the power of the Yeoheung Min clan.”

I became fond of her while studying at Minje’s house, but there were also calculations for the future.

Lee Bang-won marrying off Do to the Sim clan was also an extension of this political strategy.

“The Sim clan is difficult to deal with. Sim On’s father, Sim Deok-bu, had conflicts with the Taesangwang [King Taejo] in the Goryeo Dynasty, and their power is not insignificant.”

It is a well-known fact that Lee Bang-won disliked his in-laws.

However, the Sim clan was a bit of a special case among them.

First of all, the family itself was a prestigious clan, and Sim Jeong, Sim On’s younger brother, had even married into the Goryeo royal family.

After Lee Bang-won’s ascension, his other younger brother, Sim Jong, contacted the exiled Grand Prince Hoian and scratched Lee Bang-won’s nerves, making him nothing more than an uncomfortable thorn in his side.

“Then why did you marry into such a family?”

“Putting aside my feelings for the Sim clan, Chungnyeong [future King Sejong] needs a good in-law family. We also had to throw the Sim clan the bait of the royal family’s trust. The combination of a beloved Grand Prince and a virtuous daughter-in-law from a prestigious family will live well without any flaws.”

“Yes…”

“That’s only if they keep their place.”

“…”

Why does he always say such scary things?

‘But in the end, it would have turned out like this in the original history.’

If it was the Grand Prince’s in-law family, there would be no reason or room to find fault, but if that Grand Prince became the King, the story would be different.

Given Lee Bang-won’s personality, he would have to start pruning.

‘That point is probably after Chungnyeong ascends the throne.’

Once the Sims have poured all their family’s strength into supporting Chungnyeong Daegun’s [Grand Prince] ascension to the throne, as Lee Bang-won wants, he can get rid of them when they have served their purpose.

“Well, it seems like they’re getting along well, as you said. I heard that the daughter-in-law’s expression has become very bright.”

“Do you also monitor the East Palace?”

The King cannot know everything that happens in the palace.

If he did, Lee Bang-won would not have been furious when he belatedly learned about the misdeeds of the original Grand Prince Yangnyeong, as described in ‘The Land of Morning Calm’.

But there was a variable here, which was that Wang Ho, a veteran of Dongchang [a Ming Dynasty secret police agency], had transferred to Joseon.

If he had built an information network using eunuchs and court ladies, the stories we share would be pouring into Lee Bang-won’s ears.

‘I should call Wang Ho and scold him.’

I sighed.

When you think about it, he’s a human I recruited, but he’s sided with Lee Bang-won without saying a word.

Like an informant, he seems to know who the real power is.

“I don’t think you need to be so wary. I don’t know about the in-law family, but the child seems very nice.”

Joso-hwa seems to like her very much too.

‘I don’t know what my sister-in-law herself thinks.’

Anyway, they’re all little kids, so what problems could there be?

However, Lee Bang-won’s purge brain never stopped, so it was a problem.

At my grumbling, Lee Bang-won looked at me for a moment and said.