There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 348

349. The Weight of the Crown (2)

The officials eyed me, their expressions suggesting that instead of focusing on producing more royal offspring, I was wasting time on frivolous pursuits.

‘Those old geezers are thinking the strangest things.’

What they really need are condoms.

‘If those guys have illegitimate children, they have to provide for them handsomely.’

Which the legal wife and children wouldn’t appreciate.

It wouldn’t matter if they were shameless enough not to care, but surprisingly few people are that thick-skinned.

Not to mention those who resent having to share their inheritance with illegitimate children.

Thinking about it, it’s actually advantageous for the officials to use *Heupjeongpi* [a traditional contraceptive sheath].

Even though they couldn’t openly admit their interest due to their dignity, they were subtly coveting it. So, I generously distributed the ‘tribute’ to them.

‘These guys are beta testers, so to speak.’

It’s only natural that sensitivity dulls when using *Heupjeongpi*.

Even ultra-thin condoms with modern technology do that, so there’s no need to elaborate on these condoms that primarily focus on contraception.

However, if the loss of sensitivity is bearable enough to avoid unwanted births, it will be marketable enough.

Not only in Simhado, but also in Joseon.

“*Biak* [a medicinal tonic] is a beneficial elixir that helps with conception, so we should encourage its production…”

“Ahem, I don’t know if there will be a time to use this,” one official muttered.

The officials whispered to each other, but secretly slipped the *Heupjeongpi* into their sleeves.

They’re such predictable people.

* * *

Troublingly, it wasn’t just the officials who were giving me suspicious looks.

Juso-hwa poked me in the side and muttered.

“I just replaced the court ladies… who are you looking at…?”

“Huh? What?”

Juso-hwa pouted and sighed.

“It’s nothing.”

It seems she thinks I brought *Heupjeongpi* because if a prince is born, there will be undeniable proof of my infidelity.

I lamented.

Are there so few people who believe in my pure intentions of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and curbing the mass production of illegitimate children?

Only after explaining it again did Juso-hwa barely understand.

‘Anyway, she’s so jealous.’

Well, I wouldn’t go as far as the Yuan Dynasty princesses who openly beat their husband’s concubines, or Queen Wongyeong who made them stand outside in the winter.

If I actually took in concubines, would my wife have done that?

I was deep in thought.

In the meantime, Juso-hwa didn’t forget to give me advice.

“If that’s the case, it might be more useful in the Ming Dynasty than in Joseon.”

“Why?”

“The imperial family is growing so rapidly. More than hundreds are born every year. That’s why my nephew is worried.”

Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered a story I heard in the past.

My late brother-in-law, Emperor Yongle, raised an army to protect the sovereignty of the princes, but when he succeeded in seizing the throne, he crushed all the political rights of the imperial family.

However, simply suppressing them wouldn’t prevent backlash.

The country was responsible for the finances of the imperial family, paying stipends according to their rank.

‘I don’t know exactly how much.’

It is certain that a prince receives 10,000 *seok* [a unit of measurement, approximately 180 liters] of salary. I, as the Prince of Sim, also receive it regularly.

In Nanjing, they complain that I’m eating up the salary even though Liaodong and Liaoxi are entirely my territory, but that’s none of my business.

Princes and other members of the imperial family also receive stipends for their daughters and illegitimate children.

Once an imperial family member is born, the country regularly provides money, but all political rights are taken away, so there is nothing to do.

As a result, the imperial family was said to have childbearing as their only occupation.

The Ming imperial family seemed to be showing a miraculous birth rate that modern South Korea would envy, as the state was responsible for everything when a child was born.

However, for our nephew, the Hongxi Emperor, who is tightening his belt, it was nothing short of a disaster.

‘The imperial family will have good nutrition from an early age, so the infant mortality rate will be lower than that of commoners.’

Then those children will grow up and have children like bamboo shoots, and those children will grow up again and have children…

The number of imperial family members is increasing exponentially.

As time goes by, it wouldn’t be surprising if the country’s finances collapsed just from supporting the imperial family.

Perhaps a structural reform will take place before that, but the Hongxi Emperor ascended the throne after a military struggle with his two younger brothers.

I’m worried that it might end up with him unfairly targeting the other imperial family members.

“Are you saying we should export this to Ming?”

I realized what Juso-hwa was saying.

Even if financial support cannot be cut off immediately for political reasons, measures are needed to maintain the appropriate number of imperial family members from now on.

It would be better to encourage the use of *Heupjeongpi* to suppress the imperial family, which is growing like rabbits.

‘It’s up to the Ming Dynasty court to decide how to induce its use.’

Let’s get in touch with Yang Sa-gi.

Even though Yang Sa-gi doesn’t like Joseon very much, he will welcome this kind of solution with open arms.

If the Ming court gets involved, there is no need to worry about sales channels or quantity.

‘It might become a pretty good export item.’

In Joseon, only old people who have grandchildren and need condoms to prevent illegitimate children will use it.

Of course, we don’t need it yet. It’s more important to create a spare heir.

‘There’s been no news since I had daughters.’

I stared at the stain on the picture hanging on the wall and turned off the light.

Ancestral gods should use their power at times like this, what are they doing?

* * *

In the original history, Sejong pointed to the Yi Man-ju forces of Pajeo River as the mastermind behind the invasion of Oljeokhap in Pyeongan-do and thoroughly suppressed them.

Of course, there was no evidence that Yi Man-ju impersonated Oljeokhap, but it was okay.

What Sejong needed was a justification for subjugating Pajeo River, not facts.

The reason is unknown. He just might not have liked the Jurchen.

Yi Man-ju must have felt wronged, but he had no choice but to accept it.

He had no choice but to come to Sejong and offer local products and information about the Oljeokhap invasion.

This Yi Man-ju acted like a whirlwind after Sejong’s death and had his head cut off by the army sent by Sejong’s son, Sejo, so he can be said to have a deep and bad relationship with Joseon in many ways.

However, the story was a little different here.

The Hooligai tribe to which Yi Man-ju belonged was subjugated to Joseon during the previous Jo Wang subjugation war, and Yi Man-ju also received a Joseon official position and entered Hanseong [the capital of Joseon].

He had become so accustomed to life in Hanseong over the past few years that he felt like he knew why the Jurchens who had fought together in the past were risking their lives to return to Hanyang [another name for Hanseong, evoking a sense of longing].

‘It’s so different from Jurchen.’

The streets of Hanseong in front of him were full of things to play with and eat, which could not be compared to the barren north.

Not only that, but the officials walking around Yukjo Street [the main administrative street in Hanseong] looked dignified and professional at first glance.

At this point, even if you don’t listen to your colleagues’ words, ‘If you come to Hanseong, follow the laws of Hanseong,’ you will naturally have a desire to blend into this environment.

Among my colleagues, there are those who have started to wear their hair up for similar reasons.

‘When I think about it, why did I keep my head shaved in the cold north?’

Yi Man-ju also had such thoughts, but he quickly shook his head.

He tried to cling to the pride he had left in his pigtails to stop thinking any further, but soon he compromised with reality.

‘Should I wear my hair up to adapt to Joseon?’

Fortunately, the latest popular product is a fake topknot.

It was a new product for those who were criticized for abandoning their hometown customs after going to Seoul.

In Joseon, they wore fake topknots on top of their braids and *chonmage* [a topknot worn by married men], and when they returned to their hometown, they took off their topknots and returned to their original hairstyles.

It was a very convenient product because you didn’t have to style your hair every time you went back to your hometown.

When Yi Man-ju put on this fake topknot and dressed up, he looked like a perfect Joseon nobleman.

Among the Jurchens, the so-called stubborn ones clicked their tongues at Yi Man-ju’s appearance, but Yi Man-ju had an excuse ready.

Yi Man-ju replied nonchalantly.

“I am going to achieve a great undertaking in the future, but how can I join their ranks if I wear the clothes of a barbarian instead of a Joseon person?”

“Are you trying to succeed as a military officer in Joseon?”

“Of course. Why would it only be that?”

Like most Jurchens, Yi Man-ju decided to settle here after seeing the prosperity of Hanyang.

However, his dream was even bigger than that.

‘What will be left after being a chieftain in that cold north for decades?’

Although Yi Man-ju is a Jurchen, he is nominally the successor of the great tribe Hooligai.

It was as if he had territory in the north, so Yi Man-ju, who spent money well, had a fairly high rank, and was familiar with Joseon’s laws, was treated as well as any famous family’s son.

“I heard that Daenae is going to offer a concubine to the Crown Prince, and His Majesty has allowed it, so why can’t we Jurchens do it?”

There was already a precedent.

It was not a marriage connection with the Joseon royal family, but Yi Man-ju’s aunt became Emperor Yongle’s concubine.

‘Just the fact that my aunt was the late Emperor’s concubine was enough to wield great power among the Jurchens.’

Of course, that aunt will be buried with Emperor Yongle at his funeral and wait for the day she becomes petroleum [a euphemism for being buried alive with the emperor].

That was why Yi Man-ju and his son had to suffer humiliation after being subdued by Meonteomu, but this time it is different.

If he could push his younger sister or daughter into the Crown Prince’s harem, it would be of great help to his future success.

Fortunately, there was a weak connection that he could try to use.

The late Emperor and the current Queen were siblings, so wouldn’t his aunt be considered an older sister-in-law to the Queen?

Yi Man-ju tried to get in line with the Queen by mobilizing all his writing skills and connections.

Hoping that his aunt had made a good impression on Empress Seo when the Queen was in Ming.

* * *

Queen Juso-hwa received the long letter from this Jurchen youth, which had been passed down through several hands, and was lost in thought.

In fact, she usually rejects most letters sent by people she doesn’t know, but she decided to read it because it was sent by someone who had a connection with her family.

‘A letter saying that I am sending it because I might want to know about my aunt.’

Certainly, his aunt was quite docile for a barbarian… a Jurchen.

However, that was just an impression that there was nothing memorable about her, so her impression was vague.

She was only following her main caregiver, Empress Seo, so she had no interest in her brother’s concubines.

‘But it’s also true that I feel sorry for her being buried alive.’

Was it because they were in the same boat? Juso-hwa felt a throbbing feeling in her heart.

Didn’t she also lose her biological mother because of being buried alive?

Yi Man-ju’s letter also contained such a tragic feeling.

‘It seems like he was very close to his aunt.’

I understand that feeling.

Didn’t she also have a bad relationship with her nephew, who is now on the throne?

It had been several years since they had seen each other’s faces and only exchanged news through letters, but that didn’t mean their affection had faded.

At the end, it was written in a roundabout way that he still cherished the relationship he had with the imperial family, so wouldn’t it be good to help him establish a relationship with the Joseon royal family?

Juso-hwa is now the owner of the inner court.

She knows what this means.

However, she didn’t get angry, saying, ‘How dare a barbarian say such a thing?’

‘It’s also true that Dan-i has to work hard if I don’t have any more sons.’

I definitely believe that I will have more children, but you never know.

Also, I had some idea of what my husband was thinking.

As Joseon becomes a multi-ethnic country, he is willing to apply a quota system to the concubines.

Juso-hwa did not bother to reply, but kept Yi Man-ju’s request in mind.

Yi Man-ju would have been very happy if he had known, but the problem was that this was not the only lobbying that was coming in.