There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 346

347. A New Year

Even as the old year faded, I was working late into the night with my close advisors.

Working overtime with these haggard-looking old men, dark circles under their eyes, while a bothersome bird… no, a new year was dawning.

‘Could it be that my life has taken a wrong turn somewhere?’

I couldn’t help but seriously contemplate the absurdity of absolute monarchy.

‘Power is good, but work is not.’

I wondered if there wasn’t someone who could just do the work for me, but then that person would inevitably seize real power.

Rights and obligations are inseparable.

‘Who can I blame for this?’

Formalizing the foreign affairs office met with considerable opposition, but it was a relatively easy matter to handle. Conversely, the issue of separating judicial power faced less initial opposition but proved to be far more complex.

We were coordinating which area to designate as a pilot region, how to revise the current three-instance system of magistrate-governor-king [a system where legal cases could be appealed through three levels of authority], and how large the jurisdiction of circuit judges should be, when the clock tower in the palace chimed.

“Let’s call it a day.”

As I rubbed my eyes and declared this, the energy visibly drained from my ministers.

“We shall withdraw now!”

“We wish you well in the new year, Your Majesty!”

The ministers quickly finished their greetings and hurried out, as if afraid someone would stop them.

Did they really want to go home that badly?

My workplace is my home, after all. I trudged wearily towards my chambers.

‘Should I just go to sleep?’

But since it was the new year, I thought I’d at least see my family’s faces. I headed towards the East Palace [the residence of the Crown Prince], only to be faced with a perplexing question.

“Where did the Crown Prince go?”

Court Lady Noh was also flustered and questioned the eunuchs of the East Palace, then came to me and said,

“They say the Retired King took him out!”

That old man, really.

“At this late hour? Hasn’t the curfew bell already rung?”

“I believe His Majesty specifically ordered that the curfew bell not be rung today……”

“Ah, that’s right. He did.”

I smacked my forehead.

It was the new year, so the curfew was lifted specially for today.

Right now, people must be gathered in front of the clock tower in the market, celebrating the new year.

The shops might be open late too.

Is that what they went to see?

“I should go out too.”

“Your Majesty, how can you at this late hour……! I will send someone to bring them back!”

Bring them back? Not a chance.

They went out on a secret excursion without me; I can’t just sit still.

I left the palace with a few of my royal guards.

* * *

“Your Majesty, please return now…….”

“Ahem. I told you to call me ‘Sir’ when we’re outside.”

This is basic protocol.

Have you never been on a secret excursion before?

It feels so refreshing to be outside after so long.

‘It really brings back old memories.’

I remembered when I went on secret excursions with Yi Seong-gye [the founder and first king of Joseon] and Yi Bang-gwa [the second king of Joseon].

Honestly, back then, I was always anxious that we’d be suspected, walking around with such suspiciously large men.

‘But those times were fun.’

“…….”

I paused for a moment, then looked around and said,

“Fortunately, things look prosperous from the start of the year.”

Since Hanyang [the old name for Seoul, the capital city] is experiencing rapid economic growth, the tall buildings immediately catch the eye.

Since this isn’t an era that’s so fixated on heated floors [referring to the traditional Korean Ondol heating system, which might limit building design], it might have been easier to build high-rise buildings.

Technical skills can be accumulated while doing construction.

Under the bright moonlight, lights were on everywhere, and people were packed together, showing off their new clothes for the new year.

“They must be heading back after watching the striking of the bell at the clock tower.”

‘The late-night vendors must be making a killing.’

People who came out for a late-night stroll wouldn’t just go back empty-handed, so they were tearing into grilled squid and various foods sold nearby.

It was truly like a city that never sleeps.

The noisy sounds must have kept the nearby people from sleeping, but what can you do?

‘Would it be like this if the curfew were lifted on a regular day?’

No way.

Probably half of it is due to the New Year’s special occasion.

‘But where are those guys?’

After wandering around for a while, I finally spotted a group.

Yi Bang-won, disguised as a wizened old man, looking stern from a distance, and Dan, who looked like a grandson who had followed his grandfather to celebrate the New Year.

And the royal guards following behind, pretending not to know them.

‘The security is sufficient.’

“Ah, Fath…… Father!”

Just then, Dan shouted, pointing in my direction.

I stiffened my face and stepped forward.

“Is it so good to abandon your son and go out to play with your grandson?”

“It is good. I wonder if the Retired King felt like this.”

Yi Bang-won said with a nonchalant smile, and I could only awkwardly smack my lips.

‘He’s still got a grudge.’

“We were going to eat rice cake soup for the New Year, would you like to join us?”

“Is there even a place that sells rice cake soup at this hour?”

“The whole capital is bustling with New Year’s celebrations; there must be at least one place open.”

I couldn’t just go back alone.

I followed behind Yi Bang-won.

* * *

As we entered the teahouse, a boy ran up and asked,

“Sirs! What can I get for you?”

His eyes sparkled as he asked, looking like he was hoping that wealthy-looking customers like us would boost his sales.

If he were a part-timer, he wouldn’t be like this; is he the owner’s son?

“Do you sell rice cake soup for the New Year?”

You might wonder why we’re looking for rice cake soup at a teahouse, but I heard they sell simple meals here, like cafes selling brunch.

The boy looked disappointed, as if he expected us to order something better, but his answer was polite.

“Of course. These days, many officials can’t even eat breakfast and go to work early. A bowl of rice cake soup is perfect for that.”

Well, those poor people.

Don’t they even get breakfast at home?

Anyway, it doesn’t seem to be my fault.

The three of us received the menu that the employee boy handed out.

I thought there would only be one type of rice cake soup, but there were more varieties than I expected.

But I’ll probably just order the regular rice cake soup at the top.

“Father, I want to eat cheese rice cake soup!”

“Yes, yes.”

I nonchalantly agreed, but soon I couldn’t help but tilt my head.

‘Cheese rice cake soup?’

So that means cheese rice cake soup?

Sure enough, when I looked at the menu, cheese rice cake soup was prominently listed.

Even in this world of great change, they sell something like this at a teahouse.

And who are the guys who buy it?

“The royal guards really like cheese. They come every day before going to work.”

“The royal guard uncles also said that cheese is a man’s food!”

Dan whispered in my ear.

It’s good that he has the sense to whisper so the employee doesn’t hear, but listening to the words of the Jurchen people [a nomadic group from the north], as expected of a great-grandson of a semi-barbarian.

Damn it, I heard that putting cheese on everything is popular in the capital these days; is this a culture that originated from those Jurchen bastards?

In modern times, I think cheese was the preference of girly girls, but this is a strange world.

“Order what you want…….”

Even if you ask Dad to trade with you, he’ll never trade.

“I’ll have pheasant rice cake soup.”

Yi Bang-won naturally ordered the premium rice cake soup.

Chickens have become quite common, but pheasants are different, so the price will naturally be higher.

The employee’s eyes widened, then his mouth formed a curve.

“Yes, I’ll bring it to you right away!”

As the boy answered energetically and went out, Yi Bang-won wiped his hands and said,

“You can guess what life is like for the people by looking at their meals. The Crown Prince should also try eating outside whenever he goes on secret excursions.”

“He can’t go alone yet.”

In fact, he can’t go out alone even when he grows up.

How dangerous is it outside?

Finally, the rice cake soup came out, and the three of us picked up our spoons without hesitation.

Stirring the rice cake soup, Yi Bang-won said,

“There are plenty of egg garnishes.”

“There are so many houses raising chickens these days, so that’s probably why. There’s quite a bit of chicken garnish too.”

Not just chicken.

Cows have always been animals loved by Koreans, but the number of pigs I brought from Shandong [a province in China] has also increased a lot.

They have multiplied quite a bit through breeding, and I have imported them whenever I felt like it.

‘Now there’s almost no need to worry about feed.’

Taking a hint from Hyeon’s words, I tried using water cabbage as feed, and it turned out to be more efficient than I thought.

Since water cabbage is such a ridiculously prolific weed, mixing it with rice bran or food scraps is enough to provide sufficient feed for livestock.

‘Just by distributing livestock breeds and developing feed, it has become much easier to see meat, but if we introduce modern intensive farming…’

It’s uncertain whether the conditions for introducing it in this era will be met.

“The rice cakes are the same. These days, the price of rice has become much cheaper.”

In modern times, farmers would be upset if the price of rice plummeted, but as we are barely emerging from a self-sufficient economy, a good harvest cannot be harmful.

It means that rice production has increased that much, so for Joseon, which is fundamentally an agricultural country, there could be nothing better.

“The dumplings are full and delicious.”

Dan said, picking up and eating a dumpling with cheese on it.

‘What’s the point of eating that?’

But like the Crown Prince said, the dumplings in the rice cake soup were bigger and fuller than before.

Whether it’s pork or chicken, they minced meat and vegetables and added tofu to fill it up.

These were ingredients that were originally included, but it was unique that glass noodles were also included.

From my perspective as a modern person, I’m used to glass noodles in dumplings, but it wasn’t like that in Joseon.

‘To be precise, I don’t think there were any glass noodles themselves before.’

It’s a noodle that I didn’t eat when I first opened my eyes in Joseon.

However, after Juso Hwa started looking for it after marrying into Joseon, it gradually spread and even made its way into dumplings.

‘What kind of starch is it made of?’

Since there are no sweet potatoes or potatoes in this era, it’s likely made from mung beans.

Yi Bang-won said with a displeased face.

“It seems like only meat used to be in it. Isn’t this also a trick of commerce?”

Yi Bang-won took a bite of a dumpling from the rice cake soup and asked.

“Hey, Elder. It’s not all that bad.”

Then the employee boy, who was carrying tea next to him, waved his hand and said,

“For those who don’t have money, they can fill their stomachs with glass noodles, and isn’t the texture new? If it’s not enough, we’ll make dumplings with only meat separately.”

They won’t give it as a service; are they trying to sell one more?

I stroked my chin and asked.

“Well, if there are more useful ingredients, it would be good for the store.”

“Is it just good for the store? Customers like it too. You don’t know how well snacks with sugar on them, which were hard to find in the old days, sell.”

“Looking at you, you don’t seem to be very old, but how do you know what the situation was like in the old days?”

“Why wouldn’t I know? I don’t know much because I only grew up after the King changed, but my father always says that his wish in the old days was for the landlord to leave a lot of rice.”

“Was he a slave?”

The employee flinched at my question. It seems he wanted to keep it a secret.

“I was just surprised that a former slave has such a decent teahouse. Don’t feel burdened.”

The boy seemed a little relieved at my words and began to reveal his background without being asked.

“The King freed us from slavery, but in our hometown, everyone knew that our family was a slave family.

I heard that the discrimination was so severe that they decided to move to the capital altogether.”

I thought that localism and discrimination would be a problem that would take several generations to solve, but it seemed that there were people who found a breakthrough in other ways.

“This teahouse was originally run by a Huihui person [likely referring to a Muslim person] who came from China with the Crown Prince, that is, the current King, but the Huihui person, who liked the way my parents worked hard, sold it cheaply. He is a benefactor to our family.”

I nodded at the boy’s words.

For a former slave to have a teahouse in the capital, this could be said to be a decent success.

“The Elder is complaining, but I am very satisfied because I was freed from slavery thanks to the King and can eat as many glass noodles as I want.”

“I never criticized the King…….”

Yi Bang-won said quietly, but the boy didn’t hear him.

After thinking for a moment, Yi Bang-won took out some money from his pocket.

“Here, this is the price for telling me an interesting story. Buy something delicious at the market later.”

“I, I just told you a trivial story, thank you, Lord!”

The employee bowed deeply.

As soon as he was given some money, the title jumped from Elder to Lord.

“No, it was a story worth listening to.”

Yi Bang-won said, meeting my gaze.

I nodded.

Then the employee looked at me again with expectant eyes, but I subtly turned my head.

You’ve already received a tip once; are you trying to get another one from me?

‘I’m not going to give it.’

Because I shouldn’t let a tip culture take root in Joseon.

Instead, I asked the boy a question.

“Do you have any dreams for the future?”

“Now that I’m a decent commoner, I have to grow the teahouse more. Isn’t it everyone’s dream to live better?”

The boy answered proudly.

“That will happen.”

I said it seriously, but he seemed to have taken it as a simple New Year’s blessing, and the boy nodded and answered.

“I hope everything goes well for you too, Sir.”

Before I knew it, the rice cake soup was all gone, and the sun was slowly rising outside the teahouse window, so it was time to get up.

A new year was dawning.