There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 460

461. Side Story – Whereabouts of This Star (2)

The car was already entering Seoul.

The firmly built Fortress Wall of Hanyang [the old name for Seoul] was now almost impossible to find.

It seemed that it had been dismantled, leaving only a part of it, because it couldn’t handle the increased traffic.

‘Well, after I conquered the Central Plains [historical region in China, often considered the cradle of Chinese civilization], there were no external forces that could directly strike Joseon’s [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897] capital.’

Even if such an enemy existed, it would mean that they were such a strong enemy that it would be better to run away or surrender if Hanyang was breached.

In a situation where the capital is attacked, it’s all for naught.

As time passes, the defensive power of the fortress walls inevitably becomes obsolete.

So, it seemed they had coolly pushed the fortress aside and built a road in its place.

‘I don’t particularly miss it.’

It seemed like a much better direction than obsessing abnormally over the legacy left by the predecessors and ruining the national agenda.

Following the vanished fortress, what caught my attention through the car window was the attire of the people passing by on the street.

I didn’t realize it immediately after jumping through time after death because I was so out of it, but…

‘It’s not bad at all.’

I don’t know much about fashion, so it’s hard to explain, but even considering the slightly Hanbok-like [traditional Korean dress] appearance, it didn’t look too strange from the aesthetic sense of the world I originally lived in.

Although they share a common ancestor in the clothing of early Joseon… perhaps because they have been so frequently differentiated and improved, or perhaps because changes from foreign countries could not be ruled out, just as Joseon influenced foreign countries.

Or maybe it’s both, but it felt quite modern and sophisticated.

The point is that there’s a faint hint of modernized Hanbok, but it’s not the look of a school teacher carrying a Danso [short bamboo flute], but rather quite presentable.

‘Maybe I think so because I lived in Joseon for about 70 years.’

Joseon led and dominated the hegemony of this world.

Its influence would have extended not only to politics and economy but also to culture.

Even during the Goryeo [Korean kingdom from 918 to 1392] period when they were acting as the Mongol son-in-law, Koryo style (高麗樣) was popular in Yuan China [Mongol-led dynasty of China, 1271-1368], so how could it not be in this world where Joseon is the center?

Since the population was so large and the technology was developed early on, it would have been the Joseon people who could apply the developed technology and newly created materials to fashion first.

‘This makes sense.’

For a long time, designers from all over the world, and especially the Joseon designers who would have made up the largest number, would have all been attached to improving and modifying Hanbok to suit each era’s trends and demands, so it would be stranger if their aesthetic sense was lacking.

“······.”

The escorts looked bewildered as they watched me sticking my face to the car window as if I was amazed, but I didn’t care.

‘These are all things I’m seeing for the first time.’

I have to clearly see how the country ‘I’ made has changed, so who cares about such trivial things.

===

The car entered Bukchon [traditional Korean village in Seoul].

Hanyang had expanded in all directions, even tearing down the fortress walls to accommodate the increasing population, but Bukchon alone had preserved the spirit of early Joseon and remained intact until much later.

This Bukchon was a residential complex where I had high-ranking officials live when I decided to relocate the capital back to Hanyang, so it seemed that it had not changed much over time.

No, rather, thanks to the years that had accumulated, it looked all the more antique.

And when the car stopped in front of a particularly large-looking Hanok [traditional Korean house] house among them.

I couldn’t help but mutter.

“Isn’t this Ye Sangjeong [likely a historical building or place of significance]?”

“Ye Sangjeong?”

To be precise, it’s not exactly that Ye Sangjeong that I took from Hwang Hee’s son-in-law and used.

Unlike other houses that have largely preserved their appearance from 200 years ago, this place had traces of being ‘relatively’ newly built.

‘It seems a bit bigger than it was back then.’

I wonder if they bought the house next door and expanded it altogether.

However, it was certain that this place was the location of that Ye Sangjeong that I clearly remembered.

‘Well, it’s been a long time since the intelligence agency managed this place.’

In fact, I had been gradually stopping putting people in Ye Sangjeong and monitoring high-ranking officials since I was in power.

It’s not that I suddenly had faith in my subordinates.

‘Rather, there were so many Gisaeng houses [Korean female entertainers] in Hanyang.’

As the economy developed and money started to circulate, formidable competitors began to appear not only in Gaeseong and Pyongyang, which were the meccas of Gisaeng, but also in the capital.

Even in such circumstances, Ye Sangjeong’s reputation was still as strong as ever, but people are always animals that seek new things.

Instead of visiting ten times, they would only visit five times, and in order to cover the rest, they would put people in other restaurants, so the question arose as to whether the intelligence agency itself needed to operate it.

So, with using it to confine Seondeokje, whom I had brought to Hanyang, as the last thing, Ye Sangjeong had completed all its duties.

After that, the Ilpae Gisaeng [highest rank of Gisaeng], who had worked hard, got a separate Giru [type of establishment] elsewhere and continued the name of Ye Sangjeong, and the house itself was transferred to the imperial family and was later demolished.

‘It’s been so long that my memory is hazy.’

It’s not something I handled directly, and I’m not sure because all I heard was that Dan did it.

Anyway, I was so moved by just returning to the location where that Ye Sangjeong was that I stood in front of the gate for a long time, but the other escorts didn’t seem to be.

Perhaps they were not well-versed in history, they only tilted their heads at my words.

‘Study history a little in your daily lives, you guys.’

How historically significant this place is.

Fortunately, the old butler who greeted me was well-versed in such history, unlike the escorts.

He even taught me things I didn’t know.

“Have you heard that your great-grandfather built this house for the first time?”

Of course, I’ve never heard of it.

But I answered with a look that seemed like I remembered it.

“Yes, I think I’ve heard of it.”

“Hmm······?”

The old butler suddenly hardened his face and said.

“Suddenly using honorifics, was that accident bigger than I thought? Shouldn’t you focus on stabilizing yourself first?”

“······No, it’s okay.”

Such a reaction to using honorifics to a servant.

I don’t know how the original owner of this body lived.

Anyway, this site, which had returned to the imperial family, was repeatedly bought and sold several times, and then came back into the hands of our family during my great-grandfather’s time.

“He was so happy that the land that was once the imperial family’s villa had returned to the hands of the imperial family’s descendants. It must have meant that much to him.”

Is that how it was known in later generations?

If he was such a person interested in history, I would like to tell him the truth that this place was actually a Gisaeng house and a secret house for the intelligence agency.

But since that ‘great-grandfather’ has been dead for a long time, there’s nothing I can do.

Although he was a descendant of the imperial family, he was from the most distant branch, so he only had the title of Count up to his great-grandfather, but he seemed to have a great sense of pride.

Or maybe he was more obsessed with it because he was barely on the verge of the Jongchin cutline [a term related to Korean royal lineage].

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have made it possible to inherit the title permanently, right?’

I shook my head after thinking about it for a moment.

‘No, if I had done that, it would have been a mess.’

Even in the Ming Dynasty [Chinese dynasty, 1368-1644], Yang Sa-gi was suffering from the burden of supporting the imperial family, which had been increasing since the beginning of the country.

In the end, I sent Yang Sa-gi to his death, but his concerns were quite valid, so Joseon was able to solve the imperial family problem from the beginning by weakening the titles without exception, except for a few royal families, and instead of paying pensions, they simply gave them a fortune when they separated from the family.

The method was that we gave you enough property, so your descendants should not ask the imperial family or the country for help, but take care of themselves.

‘But Shim Yang Cola······.’

I don’t remember giving my youngest son something like this.

‘I should look into it later.’

I wonder what happened that my son created something like this.

Well, my dad is the one who created Hyunju, so what can’t his son create?

I took out a can of cola with water droplets on it from the refrigerator and drank it.

It’s been an hour since I was asked to wait in the reception room and waited quietly.

It’s so boring, so they won’t say anything about taking it out and eating it as I please, right? It’s my house in the first place.

“Doctor, have you arrived?”

At that time, I heard a commotion of greetings from outside, and the sound of footsteps approaching here resounded.

‘Is it finally a face-to-face meeting?’

Just before I got up and turned my head.

A danger signal was detected from behind.

A danger signal conveyed by years of technical support experience in newly established countries where warlords and terrorists run rampant, and decades of experience as the King of Joseon!

I quickly turned my body, and the head of a titanium golf club, no, a Gyeokgu stick [traditional Korean polo stick], was plunged into the sofa where I had been sitting until just now.

“Die, you bastard!”

‘Crazy!’

I stepped back in horror.

However, the opponent who cowardly attacked from behind did not give up.

“I clearly told you not to cause an accident!”

As soon as I closed my eyes and opened them, a swing flew again.

I glared.

It is commonly referred to as Gyeokgu, but there are two types of Gyeokgu.

Masan Gyeokgu, which runs on horseback, and pedestrian Gyeokgu, which people walk around and hit directly.

Masan Gyeokgu was popular when I lived.

At that time, Gyeokgu meant Masan Gyeokgu. Since it was incomparable to pedestrian Gyeokgu in terms of intensity, it was naturally popular.

‘On the day of the game in Gujeong [Korean New Year], all the people flocked to buy tickets and watch.’

However, since there is a fatal disadvantage that you have to play the game on horseback, there were several shortcomings in spreading it as a lifestyle sport.

Even now, it seems that its popularity is still there as a Nadam event [Mongolian festival], but it is not a sport that you can do as a hobby.

On the other hand, this pedestrian Gyeokgu survived as a lifestyle sport in the process of modernization and seemed to occupy a similar position to golf.

Like other modern sports, it seems that some modifications have been made to the rules and methods, but it has not deviated significantly from the original framework of Gyeokgu.

Naturally, that swing was also not much different from the swing of Gyeokgu that I had seen so far.

‘I was the nephew of the best Gyeokgu player in Joseon, so there’s no way I can’t avoid such a sloppy swing.’

Therefore, I was able to avoid the swing of the Gyeokgu stick flying towards me while watching it with both eyes.

‘Slow.’

As I moved my upper body back, the Gyeokgu stick cut through the air.

‘Well, this much.’

Then, an angry shout burst out from the opponent’s mouth as if he was dumbfounded.

“This bastard dodged it?”

Then, should I not dodge it and get hit?

I dusted off my hands, took my eyes off the Gyeokgu stick, and turned my gaze.

To dare to ambush someone with a weapon so cowardly.

I don’t know why, but should I take a look at the face of the opponent who dared to try to bury me without fear?