There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 383

384. The Outbreak of War (2)

Yi Bang-won gathered all his children and began to speak.

“You have each taken on important roles in the nation without having earned any merit, solely through the King’s grace.”

His half-siblings looked somewhat aggrieved but didn’t argue.

“I have never favored relatives meddling in state affairs, but since you are each contributing to the nation by demonstrating your abilities, I cannot dismiss you.

Even after I am gone, treat the King as you would your own father, and never do anything to displease him.”

“Father, how can you say such a grievous thing?”

Hyo-ryeong said earnestly, but Yi Bang-won cut him off sharply.

“If I don’t say these things now, when will I? I have lived long enough as it is.”

As Yi Bang-won’s gaze turned towards his younger brothers, they prostrated themselves without waiting for the others.

“We will serve you with the utmost devotion, Brother.”

“Please, put your worries aside.”

Yi Bang-won smiled gently at his brothers’ bold assurances.

“Yes, I trust you.”

Only then did his brothers visibly relax and straighten their postures.

Yi Bang-won looked around once more with a serious face and said.

“As you all know, an unprecedented upheaval is sweeping over the nation.

Those in charge of state affairs must never allow grief to cloud their judgment, even after my death.”

“Yes, Father.”

“It is customary to abstain from meat during mourning, but there is one among my sons who cannot possibly do so.”

At those words, Chung-nyeong looked embarrassed.

Yi Bang-won looked at him and said.

“However, your brother claims that eating too much meat can cause illness, so I will leave this entirely to the King’s discretion.”

“I had no intention of eating meat even during the mourning period,” Do retorted sullenly, causing light laughter to ripple through the room.

The heavy atmosphere eased slightly.

“Our Crown Prince, come closer.”

Yi Bang-won then called Dan and instructed him.

“Your father is filial [respectful of his parents], but he has committed one act of unfilial piety, which is not providing me with many descendants.”

[He is referencing the importance of having many children to continue the family line.]

“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Have three children, regardless of gender, and raise them well’? In South Korea, they even give multi-child benefits for three children!”

“Tsk, tsk, I’ve seen more than ten children with the Queen, yet he makes such excuses.

Our Crown Prince must not resemble him in such matters.”

“Do not worry. I will create a soccer team to present to you soon.”

Dan said, nodding vigorously.

“Yes. If the succession is secured, I will have no further wishes.”

Yi Bang-won looked at each of his family members with affection and offered his advice.

The same went for his sisters.

“I have always diligently taught you the virtues of women, so always keep them in mind and raise your children well.

It would be good if all your descendants succeed and bring prosperity to the family, but even if they do not, what does it matter as long as they are good people?”

“And to my sons-in-law, cherish your wives with love. In the end, only your first wife will remain by your side.”

His siblings seemed quite moved by this unprecedented display of warmth.

‘Was our father always such a caring person?’

He was generally warm to his family, and it wasn’t as if he always showed a cold side, so it wasn’t entirely surprising.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Yi Bang-won, who was lying down.

Would Yi Bang-won, a politician through and through, simply offer nice sentiments and depart?

Well, he couldn’t possibly be plotting anything sinister as he was dying, and it’s said that people change when they are about to die.

“I still have something to ask of the King, so everyone else, please leave now.”

At his words, I asked absentmindedly.

“Can’t you say it in front of everyone?”

“This is a story just for the two of us. What are you doing? Everyone, leave.”

I couldn’t refuse to dismiss the others when he put it that way.

“Yes, Father. Everyone, let’s go out.”

I gestured, and Do led the brothers out.

Before I knew it, only Yi Bang-won and I were left in the room.

* * *

After a moment of silence, Yi Bang-won opened his mouth in a stiff tone.

“In fact, looking back, there was no particular reason why I should have become king.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Except for my own ambition. Even if Bang-seok had become king, the country would not have fallen.”

Unless it ended with a direct clash with the Ming Dynasty and Joseon becoming a province of Ming… yes, that might have been the case.

“But if the throne is right before my eyes, and if I can seize it, why wouldn’t I?”

Aren’t you being a bit too honest?

Maybe it’s because there’s no one else around except me.

“People believe that I had a great cause that had to be achieved, even if it meant imprisoning my parents or killing my brothers.

I can deceive the world like that while I am alive. But after I die?”

“…….”

“I am not afraid of death, but I was afraid of that alone.”

“Aren’t you afraid now?”

“Yes.”

Yi Bang-won said in a slightly relaxed voice.

“Posterity will say that the reason I had to become king was you.

I will be able to deceive not only the world but even history.”

Yi Bang-won turned his head and said.

“You haven’t announced the fact that Ming has raised an army yet, have you?”

“No, I have not.”

“That’s good.”

Yi Bang-won said.

“I am leaving at a good time. It will be the last gift I give to my son for fulfilling his father’s wish.”

“A good time, you say?”

“Announce my death before Ming’s invasion.

You must portray the enemies as ruthless beings who invaded our land, taking advantage of the national mourning. Do you understand what I mean?”

All information coming from the border is controlled by the court.

If we just impose an embargo through the Uigeumbu [a Joseon Dynasty law enforcement agency], manipulating the timeline is easier than eating cold porridge.

“Even those who are immersed in the dreamy ideals of serving the great and rejecting the barbarian, as seen in books, will not be able to argue with you.

Those who do not know propriety are no different from barbarians.”

There is no diplomacy or negotiation with barbarians.

Only raising an army to subjugate them.

Apart from the animosity towards the belligerent country, the reverence for China and the longing for its rites and music, which the literati [Confucian scholars] hold in their hearts, will be shattered.

“Are you saying to use my death, Father?”

“A ruler must use even his living family, so what is there to hesitate about using a dead corpse? Say you will do it.”

I can’t just keep resisting when he puts it like this.

I sighed and said.

“I understand.”

“Good job.”

Yi Bang-won had a faint smile on his face.

I thought he was done with his instructions, but Yi Bang-won was still moving his lips.

I asked him.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

For a man who is so clear about cutting things off, he’s hesitating like this.

After hesitating for a long time, Yi Bang-won finally seemed to have made up his mind and opened his mouth.

His eyes, which had been benevolent like a man about to depart, were now gleaming like those of a hyena.

“Je-ya.”

“Speak.”

Not ‘Your Majesty,’ not ‘Son,’ but my given name, which I haven’t heard in a long time.

Yi Bang-won looked at me and finally spat out the words.

“If your brothers become obstacles to achieving the royal enterprise…”

“No.”

I cut him off firmly without listening any further.

“That will not happen.”

Yi Bang-won’s eyes widened for a moment.

I put strength into my voice and said strongly, once again.

“That will not happen.”

For a moment, complex emotions flashed through Yi Bang-won’s eyes.

Regret, apology, pride, worry, disappointment.

And above all.

Yi Bang-won’s mouth moved very slightly, and a faint voice escaped, barely audible.

“Thank you.”

* * *

I held Yi Bang-won’s hand and sat there for a long time, then soon walked out.

“He has passed away.”

Before I could even finish speaking, Dan burst through the door.

“Ah, ah… !”

My older and younger sisters rushed into the room, followed by Hyo-ryeong, Seong-nyeong, and my half-siblings with hurried expressions.

Do sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling.

“Aren’t you going in?”

“Father instructed in his will that those in charge of state affairs should not grieve, so I can’t help it.

I must allow my brothers to fully indulge in their sorrow first.”

“That’s the disadvantage of success.”

I, too, was overwhelmed with what to deal with first.

While my thoughts were tangled, I suddenly asked my brother.

“Aren’t you curious about what Father said?”

“Of course, I am, but there must be intimate stories that only kings can share.”

I looked at my feet and muttered.

“He said that we should not fight among our family in the future and live in harmony.”

“…….”

Do thought for a moment and then said to me.

“He said the most difficult thing to keep.”

“That’s right.”

I absentmindedly rubbed the floor with my foot.

The maids must have swept and cleaned diligently, but the floor felt damp.

* * *

“The enemy has heinously invaded Joseon, taking advantage of the national mourning! They think this is when we are at our weakest because our grandfather has passed away!

But we will not fall! We will never avoid the challenges the enemy throws at us, no matter when or where!

“Agh!”

“Horse riding, archery, wrestling!

We have always loved the winner and never acknowledged the loser! Defeat is so hateful that even thinking about it is disgusting!

“Agh! Agh!”

“Let’s go! Let’s fight and honor our grandfather’s spirit! The Military Supplies Department must prepare enough white flags and armor within half a month!

“Agh! Agh! Agh!”

“Let’s plant our spears and swords in the chests of the Ming soldiers!”

The sight of the barbarians holding a revival meeting in the East Palace was so appalling that the maids and eunuchs hurriedly left their posts.

Seeing that sight, I smacked Dan on the head.

“Don’t say useless things and just protect the house well.”

Do you want to be ‘equipped’ by the artisans of the Military Supplies Department too?

Dan rubbed his head and asked complainingly.

“Stay still, you say? 30 years from now, when my grandson goes out to avenge the late King, what should I answer when he asks what his grandfather did!”

“…As you know, the late King didn’t exactly die because of the Ming Dynasty.”

Why has the Ming Dynasty suddenly become your grandfather’s enemy?

They probably don’t even know that Yi Bang-won is dead yet.

It doesn’t matter since that means the propaganda that the Ming army invaded taking advantage of the national mourning is working well.

War is imminent, but we must do what we have to do.

It has been decided that the late King’s body will be buried together in the tomb where the deceased Queen Wongyeong is buried.

The tomb’s name is Heonreung.

Perhaps his posthumous title will be Taejong.

That’s what he wanted, too.

He must have longed for me to give him the posthumous title of Taejong, who inherited the legitimacy of Taejo, for his father.

‘Even though he seized power through a coup.’

But looking at the Taejongs of history, how many of them didn’t seize power in that way?

No, in the first place, aren’t all the kings of all dynasties originally descendants of traitors and parricides?

Even the previous dynasty, Goryeo, was the descendant of Wang Geon, who ousted Gung Ye through a coup.

This family, which has caused rebellions for several generations even among the dynasties of countless rebels, is a bit special.

From that point of view, I guess I’m an unavoidable member of this family too.

Seeing how thrilling the rebellion against the Celestial Dynasty is.

Perhaps there was a way to avoid it.

If we had prostrated ourselves before the Emperor’s stubbornness and returned to the old Joseon that conformed to the Celestial order, we could have certainly avoided the war.

But I didn’t.

Yi Bang-won was right.

If the throne is right before my eyes, and if I can seize it, there is no reason not to.

For myself, or for those who follow me.

The blood flowing in my body was craving rebellion.