There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 241

“Your Highness, it is time to retire to your chambers.”

“I will look into this a bit more.”

Yi Bang-won curtly replied to the eunuch Noh Hee-bong’s words.

If someone were to only observe the Crown Prince’s busy activities, they would surely think that the King had completely passed all the work onto the heir, but the tasks Yi Bang-won handled were far more diverse than those of the Crown Prince.

The various ancestral rites, ceremonies, and events that had to be performed as the King.

The delicate diplomatic issues with the Ming Dynasty.

Resolving pending issues raised from various regions.

Readjusting the political forces within the court and establishing an intelligence network throughout Hanyang.

The progress and supervision of various projects that were actively underway.

And even dealing with the increased complaints and petitions that came with the increased workload.

These were tasks that would have overwhelmed an ordinary person, but as always, there was a reason why a person sat in such a high position.

To wield power meant to take on more work and responsibilities.

Ordinary people who sought comfort rather than ambition were not qualified to hold power in the first place.

‘Therefore, someone who is not prepared should not ascend to this position.’

This was not only true for the monarch but also for the subjects.

There was a reason why officials grumbled that this place was no different from a gulag, yet no one actually quit.

Yi Bang-won, as the person at the apex of such a court, was indeed handling state affairs in an exemplary manner.

However, even for someone as steely as him, he could not deny that he sometimes had such thoughts.

‘Is this kid just starting things because he trusts his father too much?’

Clearly, administrative efficiency should have increased incomparably compared to the past due to the systematization of documents and the introduction of charts.

But with new construction projects starting in Joseon every time he blinked, he couldn’t feel it at all.

The Crown Prince was complaining that he was being overworked, but at this point, it was hard to tell who was overworking whom.

‘I can’t stop this, either.’

As much as the Crown Prince was starting things, Joseon was developing day by day.

‘Should I increase the number of those passing the higher civil service examination?’

Even with the principle of the monarch personally overseeing all affairs, it was impossible for the King to truly examine every task in detail.

If he was feeling this way, the burden on the officials in charge of the actual work must be even greater.

‘I should create a pretext to hold a special examination… Ugh, I’ll be even busier.’

Yi Bang-won, who was sighing, realized that the pencil he was absentmindedly holding had stopped moving.

“It seems I should stop for today since I’m only getting distracted.”

Yi Bang-won shook his head to clear his mind and said,

“Which chamber shall I prepare for you?”

“Go to Consort Ui’s chamber.”

Consort Gwon was the first concubine he had chosen (of course, Queen Wongyeong was lying down and opposing it even then).

Even as he moved towards the chamber of his favored concubine, Yi Bang-won’s mind was still complicated.

The role he played was not only that of the King.

He also had responsibilities as the head of a household.

That was to marry off the remaining children.

This process also required delicate political arrangements, which made Yi Bang-won’s head ache.

At least Princess Jeongseon’s marriage partner had been decided, but it wasn’t as if they were going to hold the wedding right away, so he would have to continue to pay attention to the progress of the ceremony for at least a year or two.

Then, a bold idea came to his mind.

‘Wait, I don’t necessarily have to handle all of this myself.’

It was not proper for an older brother to act as the chief mourner when the parents were still alive, but it wasn’t as if he was being asked to take on such a role.

He had already decided on the marriage partner, so all that was left was to ritually examine the prospective son-in-law, have a conversation with his side’s chief mourner, discuss the timing of the wedding, and report it to the King.

Originally, he would have had to summon the relevant people to the palace to handle the matter, but if he entrusted it to the Crown Prince, he could prepare for the special examination.

Wouldn’t things be a little easier once the personnel were replenished through the special examination?

Yi Bang-won harbored a glimmer of hope.

===

To go to Nam Jae’s house and scout around.

“It’s not scouting. It means I want you to go and say hello as his older brother.”

No, I am the foundation of this country, yet I have to go and greet a State Councillor!

I wanted to shout that, but in fact, even I frequently visit Hwang Hee’s house, so it’s not really a big deal.

For the record, I don’t go to Maeng Sa-seong’s or Heo Jo’s houses.

Their houses are so poor—no, so frugal—that I feel sorry to get a meal there.

Before going to Nam Jae’s house, I first stopped by the Retired King’s residence.

“Seong-gye, there’s a Korean proverb that says, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'”

“…Isn’t that from Sun Tzu’s Art of War?”

“Oops.”

Come to think of it, the original text wasn’t even ‘never be defeated.’

“Anyway, I stopped by to get some information about Nam Hwi’s family.”

“Is Nam Hwi the name of the grandson who’s getting married?”

“Yes. I heard you’re close to Nam Jae.”

“Even if I’m close, how many grandsons does that man have? I don’t remember every little detail.”

The Retired King yawned and said,

“Come to think of it, Nam Jae mentioned that one of his grandsons likes leisure and pleasure.”

“Is that Nam Hwi?”

I asked urgently.

Saying he likes leisure and pleasure sounds impressive, but it actually means he’s addicted to entertainment.

“I don’t know, I only heard it vaguely.”

The Retired King yawned again.

He doesn’t even remember such things, so the information is useless.

Well, Lee Seong-gye might not have felt it was worth remembering.

In this era, the character or intentions of the parties involved in marriage aren’t that important.

Its significance lies in the union between families.

My wife?

Well, it was a political marriage, so I was able to get married.

If we didn’t need each other, Joo So-hwa would probably be married to some Ming Dynasty scholar by now.

‘Just imagining it makes me uncomfortable.’

Anyway, from that perspective, what I needed to consider was not the character of my brother-in-law but whether this marriage alliance would be helpful to me.

Yes, to me.

Royal marriages are only conducted for the purpose of protecting the royal family.

And protecting the royal family means protecting me, the foundation of the country.

“What kind of person is Nam Jae?”

I’ve seen him a lot in the palace, but I don’t have any personal acquaintance with him, and I haven’t had any work-related dealings with him, so it’s not easy to figure out his character.

“Well, first of all, he’s a meritorious subject who helped establish the country. He and his younger brother Nam Eun participated in enthroning me.”

“I know that much.”

“And when your father went to the Ming Dynasty, he was the only one who stepped forward to assist him when everyone else shook their heads. He also took the lead when Bang-gwa appointed your father as Crown Prince, so he’s truly a central figure among the central figures.”

So he was already siding with our father back then.

He seems to have a remarkable talent for recognizing who will become king.

‘Come to think of it, I think I saw him in ‘The Morning Country’ [a Korean historical drama].’

He was the one who saw through Grand Prince Chungnyeong’s great ambitions and supported him, saying, ‘How can the son of a king not become king?’

If the content of the historical drama is correct, isn’t he a remarkable nobleman who chose kings across three generations: Taejo, Taejong, and Sejong?

‘Huh? Wait a minute.’

He picked Grand Prince Chungnyeong even though the Crown Prince was still alive.

This guy is no ordinary person.

Perhaps because he had gone through the turbulent times of the late Goryeo and early Joseon, he had the mindset that he could overturn the foundation of the country if necessary.

What if Father had noticed Nam Jae’s mindset?

‘The reason he entrusted me with meeting Nam Jae is to make him my man.’

Just as the Retired King passed on his connections in the Northeast and with the Jurchens, Yi Bang-won might be planning to gradually build a foundation for me.

‘No matter how I think about it, there’s no other reason.’

My father, who spends every night dallying in the concubine’s chambers, is passing on the problem of my younger sister to me because he’s busy?

Isn’t that too obvious a lie?

If so, this is Yi Bang-won’s quest.

‘I have no choice but to complete it successfully.’

I steeled my resolve.

“It would be helpful to befriend Grand Scholar Nam Jae. Is there any way to get close to him?”

Lee Seong-gye pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Nam Jae is very fond of baduk [Go, a strategy board game].”

“Oh ho.”

I can play baduk to some extent.

“I should have a chat and ask him for a game of baduk.”

If he likes baduk that much, we’ll naturally become close while exchanging a move or two.

This is a piece of cake.

I’m glad I came to the Retired King’s residence first.

“Not a bad idea. Although Nam Jae plays in a rather unique way.”

Unique? Is he getting lessons from a baduk spirit?

Well, from my perspective, it doesn’t matter whether I win or lose, so I don’t need to pay much attention to it.

===

“It is an immense honor for Your Highness to personally visit my humble home. Please, come in.”

When I went to Nam Jae’s house, he and his son Nam Gyeong-mun were already waiting outside.

I nodded as I listened to his humble words.

If this house is humble, then Maeng Sa-seong and Heo Jo are no different from homeless people, but it’s just a formality anyway.

‘What kind of houses are my subordinates living in?’

I should build them each a new house later.

We exchanged pleasantries, saying things like the royal family’s marriage proposal was an overwhelming honor, and that the prospective son-in-law was a worthy person, so there was no need to worry.

It was when Nam Gyeong-mun excused himself, saying that the two of us should have a conversation.

“Your Highness, are you perhaps good at baduk?”

I was wondering when he would bring up baduk, but Nam Jae opened his mouth first.

He’s indeed a baduk maniac.

“I enjoy it, but I’m still unskilled compared to the State Councillor.”

“For the Crown Prince, who created the renowned Imjeonrok [a war game manual] in the capital, to say such humble words. This old man finds it hard to believe.”

War game intelligence and baduk intelligence aren’t exactly the same, and even in war games, I almost lost to Lee Seong-gye, but it feels good to hear flattery.

“Since you say so, I can’t refuse a game.”

“I always bet when I play baduk. Would that be alright with you?”

Is this what Lee Seong-gye meant by unique?

There are many people who enjoy betting on baduk, so it’s not that unique.

I answered coolly.

“I’ve already heard about it from the Retired King. Let’s do that.”

“Since Your Highness is a guest, I will concede the first move.”

I didn’t refuse and took the black stones.

The baduk game progressed fairly evenly.

I could play baduk to some extent, and Nam Jae wasn’t so much better that he could completely overwhelm me.

As the game was still undecided, Nam Jae placed a stone and asked quietly.

“What do you think of this marriage proposal, Your Highness?”

“Didn’t I just say? I’m happy about it.”

“That’s just what you said on behalf of His Majesty, isn’t it? But I believe Your Highness has also considered the pros and cons separately.”

“……”

I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts before opening my mouth.

“That depends on the State Councillor’s judgment.”

Am I someone worth protecting to you?

The pros and cons of this marriage would be determined by that.

“Haha, you’re putting this old man in a difficult position. Your Highness is no ordinary person either.”

Nam Jae laughed and avoided giving an immediate answer.

Should I force an answer? Or should I step back in consideration of my relationship with Nam Jae?

As I was pondering, I noticed that the game was tilting.

‘Oh no.’

It’s all because Grandpa kept insisting on playing Alccakgi [a variation of baduk] instead of baduk.

‘My real skills aren’t like this. Yes, that’s right.’

I nodded and thought.

I came here to befriend Nam Jae anyway, so let’s just think of it as losing on purpose as a form of hospitality.

“The State Councillor’s baduk skills are beyond my reach. I lost.”

I didn’t forget to offer subtle praise as I threw down the stones.

“Your Highness’s skills were also impressive. However, the world of competition is cold, so there’s nothing I can do.”

Nam Jae said sternly.

“Haha, there was a bet involved, so there’s nothing I can do. So, what do you want?”

I wondered if I should just drink a glass of penalty liquor, but Nam Jae opened his mouth with a stern expression.

“Take off your clothes, Your Highness.”

“……?”

What did this guy just say?

“The person who loses a game of baduk to me has to take off one item of clothing. That is the rule of this betting baduk. Didn’t you hear about it?”

In an instant, an unknown madness flickered in Nam Jae’s eyes.

I couldn’t believe that Nam Jae, who had been calmly discussing the marriage just a moment ago, would change so drastically.

I was dumbfounded and thought.

‘This guy is completely crazy?’

—

The Cheongpa Geukdam [a collection of anecdotes] contains an anecdote about Nam Jae enjoying undressing baduk.

His baduk opponent was a monk from Muksa Temple, and because Nam Jae brought food to the temple every time he won, the monk always had no choice but to play naked hospitality baduk in humiliation.

ⓒ Pit-Kong