There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 262

“Don’t stop the Crown Prince from taking concubines!”

“Of course not.”

Lee Bang-won, triggered by his trauma related to Queen Shindeok, ultimately focused solely on the issue of offspring.

I didn’t particularly plan to apply a monogamous system to the royal family, so Lee Bang-won reluctantly compromised with my answer.

As if to replace the failed concubine auditions, Lee Bang-won pushed ahead with the appointment of the Grandson, overcoming objections from officials who said it was too early.

“Previously, even royal descendants often died young, but since the Crown Prince has reorganized the palace’s hygiene and health practices, none of my sons and daughters have died prematurely.

Moreover, the Grandson is especially strong and healthy, so why should I wait?”

Appointing the Grandson before his first birthday? What kind of 5G-level title grab is this?

‘Lucky little rascal.’

Lee Dan’s chubby cheeks were pressed in by my finger.

He has risen to the esteemed position of Grandson, a first in Joseon’s history, but he is still too young to understand what it means.

By the time he understands the significance, this cute baby version of him will be gone.

Thinking that way, I should spend more time with him now, but I didn’t have the time.

The Bi-agra we exported through the envoys finally started to get a response.

===

When Emperor Yongle heard the news that ‘the’ item had finally arrived, he suppressed the urge to run out barefoot with superhuman self-control.

“So, Consort Huang has given birth to a healthy son.”

He displayed imperial dignity and familial affection, expressed deep regret that the nephew’s name had already been chosen, and only then inquired about the medicine.

“It is a matter of celebration that the vassal state has gained an heir. By the way… I heard you have something to present to me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Although the tribute from our struggling country is meager, if it can bring even a speck of satisfaction to Your Majesty’s heart, even if it’s just straw or wood shavings…”

Never before had the envoy’s babbling felt so long and unnecessary.

Emperor Yongle could only hear the name of the medicine after the lengthy introduction was over.

“Bi-agra, Bi-agra. Is it named so because taking the medicine makes one’s yang energy [vital energy in traditional Chinese medicine] feel like it’s soaring up a mountain?”

“That is my understanding, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongle didn’t hesitate any longer.

He sent the envoy away with a perfunctory excuse of needing rest and returned to his inner palace, where he soon experienced the explosive vasodilation effect of nitroglycerin.

‘Is this the effect from just using one dose?’

Like others, Emperor Yongle, living in the 15th century, paid no attention to the side effects that the Crown Prince had earnestly warned about.

The headache seemed slightly noticeable, but still bearable.

Greed stirred in Emperor Yongle’s heart.

‘Truly an amazing item. If it weren’t made from ginseng, I would have sent for the artisan.’

This was an era without concepts of copyright or patents.

Emperor Yongle, unable to shake off the mindset of ‘Hey, let’s share if there’s something good?’, thought so, but unfortunately, judging from the subtle ginseng scent and the envoy’s explanation, it was something that could not be made outside of Joseon.

‘Since it uses Goryeo ginseng as a raw material anyway, it would be better to import the finished product regularly as tribute.’

At the same time, Ming Dynasty officials gathered at the Huotongguan [a border gate between Ming Dynasty and other countries] were thinking similarly.

Huotongguan.

Since the Crown Prince Lee Je’s visit, this place had become a private mahjong parlor for high-ranking officials. The officials, who had received samples through the delegation, were raving with excitement.

“Did you really see the effects?”

“So much so that I almost took a new concubine. It was that effective.”

The modern sample marketing, aimed at word-of-mouth, that Crown Prince Lee Je had ordered worked perfectly.

‘This guy isn’t one to make empty claims…’

It’s human psychology to believe wholeheartedly when a neighbor you see often says they’ve benefited.

Not long after the Joseon delegation arrived, a scramble to obtain it broke out in Nanjing.

Even high-ranking officials were rushing around to find Bi-agra, but they couldn’t find any quantity other than the few samples the delegation had presented.

As a substitute, the demand for Joseon ginseng, known as a Bi-agra ingredient, skyrocketed, but that alone was not enough.

If so, even replicas should be circulating, but even those were useless.

“Can’t we make this in our Great Ming?”

“Give up. Joseon is a land with different water and soil, so only the ointment made from ginseng grown there is effective.”

Although less effective than Goryeo ginseng—or rather, that’s what was known—ginseng also grew in China.

However, attempts to replicate Bi-agra using it repeatedly failed.

Until nitroglycerin could be synthesized, nothing would work, but everyone who didn’t know this thought:

‘Ah, it has to be Goryeo ginseng after all!’

But they couldn’t just dig up soil from Joseon, so they had to wait for the next Joseon envoy to bring a large quantity of Bi-agra.

Reservation orders were already flooding in.

With this level of fervor, the imperial palace should have stepped in to quell it, but that didn’t happen.

‘Even His Majesty can’t stop this.’

‘Even now, dissatisfaction with the maritime ban is growing.’

‘Joseon freely trades Bi-agra by sending ships everywhere, but we can’t because of that maritime ban.’

The maritime ban!

Currently, a dual policy was being implemented: the emperor was spending vast sums to send Zheng He’s fleet, while the people were completely prohibited from going to sea and trading.

Originally, Joseon, which had no other trading partners besides Ming, would have also implemented the maritime ban, but now it was different.

‘Even if we brought that Bi-agra on just one ship, all of Nanjing would use it!’

Even if the sea routes were opened, it would be impossible due to the lack of quantity, but the Nanjing officials were frustrated.

“What exactly is the maritime ban?”

“Even lowly Japanese can go to Joseon and get Bi-agra, but why can’t we, the officials of Great Ming!”

It didn’t take long for them to reach the conclusion: ‘Shouldn’t we grant special privileges to Joseon, the number one vassal state, and open the sea routes?’

The maritime ban was originally intended to prevent Japanese pirates, so it shouldn’t matter with the current Joseon, which had become something of a Japanese pirate exterminator.

Their judgment was simply to obtain Bi-agra, but for Joseon, it was exactly what they had been hoping for.

===

Meanwhile, unlike Nanjing’s misunderstanding, Kyoto was also in an uproar to obtain Bi-agra.

“Lord Yoshikazu has seen the effects!”

“That sickly Lord Yoshikazu!”

Ashikaga Yoshikazu, the only son of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimochi.

So frail that he seemed barely able to support himself even at a young age, this child was the Shogun’s heir.

Everyone clicked their tongues, wondering if he could even continue the lineage, and even his father, Yoshimochi, secretly thought so.

In the original history, Yoshikazu was given the Shogunate by his father Yoshimochi, but he died early after only two years without leaving an heir. Because of this, the retired Yoshimochi acted as Shogun.

If there were other sons, it might be different, but he only had one son.

All the sons below him died before reaching Yoshikazu’s age.

But now, although he was still sickly, he somehow succeeded in getting it up(?).

‘It’s done.’

Yoshimochi thought, clenching his fist.

If this happens, he will be able to secure an heir.

‘Yes, if I can see a grandson early…’

No, without waiting for a grandson, he could use that medicine to have another son.

Ashikaga Yoshimochi swallowed hard.

Nothing is more important than the lineage of the Shogunate.

If things continued as they were, he would have to pass the Shogun position to his younger brothers, but how could he want that?

However, there was one obstacle.

“I heard that this medicine was presented by the Joseon Tongsinsa [Korean diplomatic mission to Japan during the Joseon Dynasty]. They said it was a medicine obtained from Ming?”

The difficulty in obtaining the medicine was truly daunting.

And that was due to Yoshimochi’s own decision.

‘Abolishing the licensed trade was a regret for eternity.’

His father, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, had submitted to Ming, received investiture, and continued tributary trade, but Yoshimochi had driven out Ming’s envoys and severed the investiture relationship.

But to continue obtaining this Bi-agra, he would have to resume the licensed trade. Should he offer tribute again even now?

As Yoshimochi’s worries deepened, his vassals consoled him.

“Do not worry, Shogun. According to the Tongsinsa, the medicine is made directly in Joseon. If we request it with friendship, they will surely give it to us.”

Hearing the vassals’ words, Yoshimochi was greatly surprised and asked.

“How did Joseon make such a thing?”

Ming was a vast country with a long history of medicine, so he naturally thought that even if the Joseon envoy brought it, it was made in Ming.

“The women whom the Shogun favors are also using Baekja powder [a type of cosmetic powder] from Joseon, so you can see how precise Joseon’s medicine is.”

‘Indeed, not only medicine, but Joseon products have been overflowing since some time ago.’

At some point, even the Shogunate’s retainers were flaunting luxury items such as Joseon pearls, gold and silver-gilded products, and sable furs.

“I heard that the Crown Prince of Joseon made the medicine himself, so although we have heard much about the Joseon heir’s brilliance, he is truly not someone to be taken lightly.”

Yoshimochi also agreed.

‘Well, what does it matter if it was made in Ming or by the Crown Prince of Joseon? As long as the medicine works well.’

He wasn’t the only one thinking this way.

Not only the Shogunate but also the daimyo [powerful Japanese feudal lords] who were on the verge of their lineage dying out were all planning to run to Joseon and grab onto their pant legs.

What kind of gift should he give to please the Crown Prince of Joseon?

Yoshimochi pondered seriously.

‘Should I give him an elephant? Elephants are sacred animals that appear in Buddhism, so the Joseon people will surely like them.’

===

“The daimyo from various regions are clamoring to get us to build a bridge to Joseon.”

“Hmph, when did they start looking for us now, after treating us like dirt?”

Meanwhile, Ouchi was standing tall with pride.

Joseon was like an older brother to Ouchi. They shared silver mines and worked together on the silkworm business. If that wasn’t brotherhood, what was it?

Just as Ouchi was wielding his connection with Joseon as a weapon, King Onsa of Ryukyu was also flaunting his power to his heart’s content.

“The great country (Joseon) knew that I was married and sent down precious medicine, which means that the great country intends to preserve the Ryukyu royal line that continues from me for all eternity. Truly, I cannot but call it the grace of my parents.”

He gave up his ambition to marry a Joseon princess and married the daughter of a local clan to establish a base within Ryukyu.

There were also opinions to marry a shaman to gain religious authority, but he had also learned Confucianism.

The imperial seal and edict given by the suzerain state proved that he was a vassal king of the Ming emperor, so how could he marry a lowly shaman as the king’s consort?

‘I must produce an heir quickly.’

As Onsa thanked the grace of the great country Joseon and entered into the production of a prince, there were others who were surprised by Joseon’s favor.

“Such a thing from the brother country Joseon!”

The same reaction erupted in the Majapahit court.

The sample of Bi-agra that Jo Watongsinsa Min Mu-gu had given was enough to satisfy even the King.

Although weakened, Majapahit was still a country with influence throughout Southeast Asia.

When ‘Joseon’s medicine that revives even dead things’ was first introduced through the court, it soon spread throughout Majapahit through the lords, and then to neighboring countries…

And, and…

The fame of Bi-agra continued to spread westward, westward.

Until it finally reached the end of the sea.

End