There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 225

< Career Planning (1) >

I swallowed hard.

At my signal, Jang Yeong-sil took a breath and slowly turned the handle of the machine.

– Creak!

– Hum!

As the suspended magnet passed through the coil, a current pulse was formed.

What I created was the Pixii generator, the first generator.

It works by connecting two coils at the top and rotating the U-shaped magnet at the bottom with a handle to generate electricity.

It literally only produces a small amount of electricity, so it wasn’t as significant as the batteries I made before, but if we develop this further, we can generate large amounts of electricity using various power sources.

Getting there will be another headache, though…

‘But I have Jang Yeong-sil.’

Let’s not worry.

Yeong-sil is a genius.

He may lack theoretical knowledge compared to me, but his skills as an engineer are unmatched.

That’s why he left his name as a representative inventor of Joseon [historical Korean kingdom] in the original history.

In other words, he’s a dream engineer who can realize any client’s imagination.

‘If it weren’t for him, I would have been stuck at the stage of making coils.’

I was amazed by his dexterity.

In any case, developing even a small generator was encouraging.

We can’t stay at the battery level forever.

“Everyone worked hard. I’ll give you and the artisans of the Military Arms Bureau a generous reward, so go home early and rest today.”

Then, cheers erupted from the gathered artisans of the Military Arms Bureau.

After all, what boosts the morale of workers is bonuses and early leave.

I looked at them with a satisfied smile and thought.

‘I’ll have to exploit them ten times more in the next project, so when else would I let them off like this?’

The next step is a large generator using electromagnets.

Unlike the inventions so far, which were possible with simple principles, I have no idea how long it will take.

I mourned in advance.

===

“Wow!”

The teachers cleared their throats at the sudden commotion, seeing the princes craning their necks.

“Young masters.”

At his words, Yi Bi, born to Royal Consort Hyobin Kim, and Yi In, born to Royal Consort Shinbin Shin, turned their heads sharply.

Left Bin-gaek [royal lecturer] Han Sang-gyeong sternly rebuked them.

“Poetry is different from factual writing and cannot be interpreted only by its surface meaning. If you misinterpret the meaning of one character, the meaning of one phrase becomes obscure; if you misinterpret the meaning of one phrase, the meaning of one chapter becomes confused; and if you misinterpret the meaning of one chapter, the meaning of one piece becomes completely distant from each other. Do you understand what I mean?”

“…Yes.”

When the princes answered sullenly, Han Sang-gyeong said.

“But the young masters are distracted by outside noises and cannot concentrate on their studies, so how do you think these Bin-gaeks feel?”

The princes fidgeted and bowed their heads at the teacher’s subtle rebuke.

“Must the young masters act like this just because the Crown Prince does not devote himself to learning?”

In fact, His Majesty is just unusually fond of civil officials, but what can you expect from a family that is fundamentally martial? In any case, the arrow could only be aimed at the Crown Prince, Yi Je, who was disrupting the academic atmosphere.

The reason why these splendid instructors are teaching the strict princes instead of the Crown Prince is because Yi Je had already run away, saying, ‘Those who haven’t even read Zhu Xi’s “Family Rituals,” [Confucian text]’ isn’t it?

After that, the Crown Prince’s Office, which was on the verge of closing down, was entrusted with the education of the princes by Yi Bang-won’s order.

At first, there were complaints from the Crown Prince’s Office staff about teaching the princes instead of the Crown Prince, but soon they had to stop those complaints.

“Follow the example of Grand Prince Chungnyeong. No matter what noise is outside, he is reading his book upright.”

Among the princes receiving education—Grand Prince Hyoryeong had already escaped following his brother—Grand Prince Yi Do, the oldest, was fixing his eyes on the book without disturbing his posture in the slightest.

‘As expected of Grand Prince Chungnyeong.’

‘It’s rewarding to teach him, at least.’

He was not only intelligent but also never neglected his studies, reading the classics more than a hundred times and the historical texts more than thirty times, truly a prince who loved learning.

In fact, it was not so welcome for a prince other than the Crown Prince to like learning so much, but the teachers who had suffered from the Crown Prince were in no position to distinguish such things.

They were only happy that a prince who loved learning had emerged from this royal lineage.

Therefore, the officials of the Crown Prince’s Office were moved by Yi Do, who was studying the Book of Poetry without being disturbed by the commotion caused by the Crown Prince outside.

‘Did it work? Did it work?’

…In reality, he was only focusing his eyes on the book, while pricking up his ears and concentrating on the interesting commotion outside.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Grand Prince Chungnyeong was only pretending to study like a high school senior who slipped a novel under his textbook.

The record that he ‘memorized everything once he looked at a book’ is clearly written in the Annals of King Sejong [historical record].

Often, this expression is used as lip service to show that the king was intelligent from a young age, but at least for Grand Prince Yi Do, it is true.

He had already memorized the entire Book of Poetry, so reading the book had no more meaning than entertainment.

So it was only natural that he was interested in more interesting things.

But on the surface, he was looking at the book with such strict, solemn, and serious demeanor that tears streamed down the eyes of Han Sang-gyeong and the other teachers.

“Princes, follow the example of Grand Prince Chungnyeong and devote yourselves to learning.”

“He doesn’t show the slightest movement even in the midst of the commotion, isn’t this the state of oneness with things?”

Yi Do was just indifferent to the teachers’ praise.

===

The reason why he studies with his half-brothers at the Crown Prince’s Office is solely to avoid unnecessary gossip.

Originally, it was impossible for a Grand Prince to be educated at the Crown Prince’s Office.

However, Yi Do’s older brother thought efficiently as always.

‘It’s awkward to have those people hold concurrent positions and not do anything, so you should at least be tutored.’

Whether it was thanks to his firm position that even His Majesty could not easily shake, or whether he was just as thoughtless as usual, the work proceeded smoothly because his brother, the person involved, allowed it.

His half-brothers were also auditing to make up the numbers, but in reality, it was an education provided for Grand Prince Chungnyeong.

‘I’m grateful, but.’

As mentioned, it is not very welcome for a prince who cannot inherit the throne to enjoy learning.

However, because of the family atmosphere, there was also a feeling of ‘Okay, at least you…’ pushing him, and it was an advantage to be able to do the learning he wanted to do to his heart’s content because his brother’s position was so strong.

But when I think about the brother who left this world of orthodox learning without hesitation, I tilted my head.

Wasn’t my older brother, who always seemed to be slick, the most diligent person?

The person who woke up earlier than anyone else and started the morning was also the Crown Prince, and the person whom His Majesty brought to consult when he had concerns was also the Crown Prince.

He took on troublesome tasks, grumbled, and still carried out the tasks His Majesty ordered without making mistakes, and in the meantime, he took the time to create things that he didn’t know where he had learned from.

The things he made were instruments that were not in the words of the sages, but they were all useful in the world.

“Your Highness is our only hope.”

“Please correct the atmosphere of the royal family and plant the roots of learning.”

Yi Do nodded slightly to the teachers who said that while holding his hand.

“I will.”

But as soon as the scholars of the Crown Prince’s Office retreated, Yi Do’s atmosphere rapidly relaxed.

He yawned widely, half-lying down.

‘Ah, this is boring.’

He already knows everything they can teach.

Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to discuss learning with the teachers, but when he talked with them, there were subtle discrepancies with the situations Yi Do had experienced.

The teachers habitually say, ‘You cannot rule the world correctly unless you learn the teachings of the sages,’ but isn’t there a counterexample right in front of you?

‘Mencius said that a virtuous person is someone who enjoys with the people (與民同樂) [sharing joy with the people].’

In that respect, even though his older brother lacked knowledge of the classics compared to himself, he could truly be called a virtuous person.

He mingled with the lowly commoners without hesitation, and even though his actions were reckless, they always resulted in good outcomes for the people’s livelihood.

‘Then… isn’t Neo-Confucianism not that important after all?’

It was when Yi Do was seriously contemplating this.

“H-Hyungnim [term for older brother]. Chogye [Korean dish, chicken] is here.”

The moment his younger brothers opened their mouths hesitantly, the thoughts that had been floating in Yi Do’s head disappeared completely.

Yi Do jumped up.

“It’s late!”

He had ordered Chogye from the royal kitchen through his half-brothers as soon as the class was over.

The reason he didn’t order it himself is simple.

‘Then Hyungnim will know.’

Strangely, his older brother couldn’t stand seeing him sitting still and tearing apart chicken.

He remembered the time when his brother was suddenly shocked by his generous and plump appearance several years ago and made him exercise severely.

Goosebumps rose on Yi Do’s arms.

‘Ugh, I don’t want to go through that hell again.’

However, he could never give up Chogye, so he put his younger brothers forward and had it delivered to their residence.

Above the running Crown Prince was the flying Grand Prince Chungnyeong.

“Here, you guys should take one each too.”

Yi Do generously yielded the wings to his younger brothers who had done a great job.

Both of his hands already held a drumstick each.

‘Chicken drumsticks are the rightful right of the older brother.’

“…”

“Originally, younger brothers grow up running errands for their older brothers. I used to bring Chogye to my older brothers when I was young.”

Yi Do said that shamelessly.

If the Crown Prince or Grand Prince Hyoryeong had heard it, they would have asked when you had ever done such a commendable thing, but Yi Do was confident.

Isn’t this also a kind of authority he learned from his brother?

Perhaps if the teachers who had been teaching Yi Do until just now saw this sight, they would have wailed that the Crown Prince had abandoned even his younger brothers, but Yi Do neatly ignored them.

‘Hmm.’

Yi Do, who had cleanly eaten the Chogye and even entrusted the cleanup to them, patted his stomach and lay down again.

‘I feel like I was thinking about something a while ago…’

Since his head is so good, he couldn’t have forgotten.

The thoughts that had been pushed back in priority began to resurface one by one.

‘Ah, right. Chicken drumsticks.’

Just as chicken drumsticks are his right, it is the Crown Prince’s natural right to sit on the next throne.

‘Isn’t it obvious that Hyungnim will be the next king?’

His father-in-law, Shim On, seemed to have had faint expectations at one time, seeing the favor he received, but Yi Do knew that it was just a meaningless imagination.

The reason he became king in the original history that Yi Do doesn’t know is because there was Yangnyeong Daegun, another level of abnormality.

At least if a human is normal, primogeniture will inevitably be achieved.

However, it wasn’t that Yi Do had no ambition.

All the books he had read so far aimed to change the world by honing his scholarship as a scholar and entering public service.

‘I want to help with state affairs, but…’

He knows.

Even though his older brother is regarded as some kind of madman in the world—in fact, Yi Do was sometimes confused—he is a warmer person to his family than anyone else.

That’s why he wouldn’t feel any sense of check even if he asked.

‘I have a feeling that I shouldn’t work under Hyungnim.’

How many of his close aides go home on time right now?

Yi Do decided that he would not become a slave to such a bad Hyungnim.

===

Even though Gil Jae is a loyalist of Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty], he did not cut off all exchanges with people involved in Joseon [current Korean dynasty].

His best student, Kim Suk-ja, is aiming to enter Joseon, isn’t he?

Gil Jae himself also had an old friendship with Yi Bang-won as an individual, not as a king.

So Chungnyeong Daegun did not specifically prevent him from coming and going because of his connection as a friend’s son.

It was fun to interact with a rare genius these days, but when he suddenly came and brought up unexpected business like this, he was also embarrassed.

“So that’s why you came here?”

“Yes. Aren’t you a master of being unemployed, teacher?”

“…I am not unemployed, I am just keeping my loyalty to Goryeo.”

Is this also a sound learned from the Crown Prince?

Gil Jae looked at Yi Do in bewilderment.

< Career Planning (1) > End

ⓒ Pitkong