There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 54

< What is True Education? (1) >

Lee Suk-beon, who had retreated from Lee Bang-won without a word, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, is this how it ends up after all?”

‘What’s he talking about?’ I wondered.

“There was no need to go this far, Your Majesty.”

‘What is this? Is he crazy?’

That’s what I thought as I watched Lee Suk-beon looking up at the sky and laughing.

It seemed like he felt betrayed because he was once close to the king and now he had to clean up after the young Crown Prince…

‘It’s not like I asked for you to be assigned to me.’

‘Thinking about it now…’

It really felt like Lee Bang-won was just dumping all the unwanted tasks on me.

When I returned to the Office of Royal Decrees and told Hwang Hee, Maeng Sa-seong, and Heo Jo about this news, they were naturally in an uproar.

“Oh my, why did you have to bring that man here?”

“Do you think I wanted to?”

I replied curtly as Hwang Hee wailed.

“Lee Suk-beon is notorious for his personality issues. He’s not even that old, but he acts like a big shot just because he’s a meritorious subject [a subject who has made significant contributions to the state]. He will surely come here and not do his job properly, only throwing his weight around.”

Heo Jo said grimly.

“Above all, he sees everyone except His Majesty as beneath him, so he will not readily listen to the Crown Prince’s orders.”

He couldn’t say anything to Lee Bang-won’s orders, but he might be rude to me, his direct superior.

‘Even though I’m the successor, I doubt he would respect that.’

Still, as I’ve experienced, I shouldn’t judge the people of this era by my modern common sense.

Whether it’s strong-willed or a ‘whatever happens, happens’ mentality, they often act as they please.

Lee Suk-beon was exactly that kind of case.

“I heard that His Majesty has been distancing himself from Lee Suk-beon lately, so it seems his favor has waned a lot.

So, isn’t he trying to remove him from his position as Left Army Commander and gradually exclude him from state affairs?”

‘Of course. I would do the same if I were him.’

He hadn’t officially sent him into exile or dismissed him on some pretext, but it was clearly a move to purge him.

‘Then why didn’t he just quietly get rid of him and pass him on to me?’

Lee Bang-won threw a problem my way, sob sob.

“Your Highness, do not worry. He is a man of both literary and military skills, so if we can get him to focus, he can be useful, can’t he?”

Maeng Sa-seong said, trying to comfort me as he saw my decaying expression, but Heo Jo waved his hand, oblivious.

“No matter how great his abilities are, it’s all in vain if he doesn’t try to use them. Lee Suk-beon lives for his own ego, so unless you hold the leash tightly and control him from above, he won’t listen at all. In other words…”

The competence of the superior is the most important thing.

The atmosphere stiffened at Heo Jo’s words.

Just like Lee Bang-won did, the ability to shut up someone like Lee Suk-beon with a single word is the competence of the monarch.

People all looked at me at once.

‘Ah.’

Because of Heo Jo, it was as if I was being labeled as incompetent as a superior if I couldn’t control Lee Suk-beon.

“Your Highness…”

People’s gazes, mixed with expectation and fear, were directed at me.

They were half-doubting whether I could control that reckless, bewildered, and unruly Lee Suk-beon.

In times like these, you have to make a bold statement first, whether it turns out good or bad.

I thumped my chest and said.

“Do not worry. I will completely break Lee Suk-beon’s spirit. Office of Royal Decrees officials, rest assured and focus on your duties.”

At my confident words,

“Oh, that’s our Crown Prince.”

“We trust only in the Crown Prince.”

The expectations of the officials poured out on me.

Good, let’s prove my leadership for sure this time.

How can I, who will rule this country of Joseon in the future, be swayed by a meritorious subject with a shattered personality?

‘Wait, could Lee Bang-won be aiming for this?’

My gaze turned to the palace where Lee Bang-won was.

But I soon shook my head.

Even Lee Bang-won wouldn’t try to train his son in this way.

===

However, Lee Suk-beon was even more of a psycho than I imagined.

“Have you finished grasping the work of the Hanyang Construction Office?”

“Is there any need to put in effort to grasp something like this?”

– Crack

No matter how good Lee Suk-beon is, he can’t be better than Hwang Hee or Maeng Sa-seong.

I engraved the word ‘忍’ [patience] in my heart and said.

“Then how much slaked lime do you think will be needed for this reconstruction of the capital? Tell me.”

“That’s easy. The circumference of the capital is nearly 50 li [approximately 20 kilometers], so if we only consider the parts to be repaired…”

It was a fairly accurate estimate.

I was going to find fault and scold him severely if he was wrong, but Lee Suk-beon seemed to be doing his job properly after all.

‘Damn it. He’s getting away with it so easily.’

Maybe he even anticipated that I would try to find fault and thoroughly prepared for it.

I regrettably gave up this time and said to Lee Suk-beon.

“Let’s go to the Inner Court together. There are things to deliver to the Embroidery Department.”

“Do we have to go there ourselves?”

‘Does this bastard have to be told everything?’ rose to my throat, but I desperately suppressed it.

“We need to meet the Queen and discuss additional orders, so shouldn’t someone in charge of the practical work accompany us?”

It’s not just a matter of having someone deliver it and being done with it.

Taking Grumpy Smurf… I mean, Lee Suk-beon, to the Queen’s Palace, I saw my mother looking more annoyed than before.

What’s wrong this time?

“I have delivered the five sewing machines you requested to the Embroidery Department.”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard.”

‘We’re doing as much as we’re paid for, what else.’

Although we met the ordered quantity without any problems, Queen Wongyeong’s face was grim.

“Is something the matter?”

I asked this, but I roughly guessed what it was.

Until recently, my mother was elated, saying that she would use this to firmly suppress Concubine Kim’s pride.

In terms of the structure of the Inner Court [the private quarters of the palace, typically for the Queen and concubines], it was already an overwhelming situation, but only the Queen, my mother, could achieve such a feat.

‘Well, public opinion didn’t turn around that easily.’

It is true that many court ladies were amazed to see the sewing machine in the Embroidery Department.

They even lined up to see it, and they were all excited that sewing became easier.

It was no exaggeration to say that it briefly showed the difference in status between the Queen and the concubine.

Moreover, since it was nominally given by me, her son, to show filial piety, Queen Wongyeong’s shoulders soared to the sky.

But things didn’t go as planned.

The court ladies, who were not yet familiar with using the sewing machine, made mistakes one after another.

‘Ouch!’

‘What’s wrong… Oh my, are you okay?’

When a young court lady pricked her hand, Kim, who happened to be in the Embroidery Department, immediately held her hand and personally took care of her.

‘You go and rest. I’ll do the rest.’

Moreover, thanks to her rolling up her sleeves and helping with the work that the child had to finish that day, the story spread throughout the palace.

It was said that she won the hearts of the people with this one act.

‘Hmm, it seems like my mother dug her own grave.’

“That bitch is acting. Who in the world would do such a thing in the status of a concubine? It’s obvious she did it for others to see.”

My mother was genuinely indignant.

Her face showed that she found it truly hateful that she was doing all the good deeds herself.

But even I, her son, thought that was a bit…

‘Hmm, it’s a bit ambiguous to see it as a show.’

Since there are so many praises about Concubine Kim’s personality, isn’t it possible that she was just genuinely kind?

As someone who works with people with strange personalities, I was just envious of having such a kind person by my side.

‘It could be an exaggeration to do the work that the court lady should be doing for others to see, but since she was originally from a servant background, she may be used to it.’

It’s an action that my mother, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has been an upper person since birth, can never do.

The Queen, who pushes with money, and the concubine, who wins hearts with a kind heart.

It’s like watching a novel’s heroine and villainess compete.

‘No, what am I thinking about my mom right now.’

But what can I do if that’s the real situation?

As if to reinforce my delusion, Queen Wongyeong gritted her teeth and said.

“That cunning woman. There is nothing she won’t do to win His Majesty’s favor. That’s why His Majesty was moved and went to her chambers that day, wasn’t he?”

‘Oh, Father.’

Why are you adding fuel to the fire?

With Queen Wongyeong’s jealousy already severe, he visited Kim’s residence, no less than any other concubine.

I shook my head.

I don’t know either.

Let the love and war be taken care of by the couple.

What my mom asked for was to supply sewing machines, so I’ve done all I need to do by solving this.

If you order additional quantities, I can put more in accordingly.

It doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen, judging by the way things are going.

Anyway, I didn’t want to pay any more attention to the marital fight, but my mother didn’t let me go.

“Now that it’s come to this, I have to find another way.”

“Yes?”

“I have three legitimate children from my body. One is our Crown Prince, so he has already received His Majesty’s favor and is in charge of state affairs at a young age, so there is nothing to worry about. I have to raise the other two children much better than the ones that woman gave birth to.”

Somehow, my mother’s jealousy seems to be flowing in a strange direction.

‘Is this why she was obsessed with the original Yangnyeong Daegun [the Queen’s eldest son, who was later deposed], who was a mess?’

Here, I grew up normally, no, abnormally genius, so that expectation seems to be directed at my younger siblings.

It’s not good for parents to pour excessive expectations on their children when they are young.

Children should be raised outside, why are you making them read books already?

‘Well, Hyoryeong seems to be in his room playing with figures.’

And the other sibling may not be an outdoor type and may be surprisingly suited to it.

Queen Wongyeong continued to complain.

“How can you praise a child who hasn’t even been weaned as a genius? Does that make sense?”

“Yes, well, His Majesty has a bit of that tendency.”

Not as much as he does to me, but he’s a fool for his other children too.

Lee Bang-won.

Of course, he would do that to his half-siblings.

Queen Wongyeong held my hand tightly and said.

“You are still their older brother. Isn’t there a way to help your siblings study easily?”

“Even if you tell me that.”

Should I do some creative talent education for future people myself?

In the first place, I’m a child myself, does it make sense to ask a child to come up with a way to teach children?

But this atmosphere right now was too uncomfortable.

And if I don’t control this, what hardships my siblings will go through.

“I understand. I will think about it.”

I had no choice but to say that and leave the Queen’s Palace.

Lee Suk-beon, who had been silent until then, pouted.

Why is he doing this after finishing the practical consultation with the eunuch earlier?

Lee Suk-beon muttered loudly to himself.

“I, who used to be in charge of important state affairs, am now in charge of the work of a mere sewing woman. What is this big deal?

I really want to die because it’s so boring.”

It’s not even a mutter since he’s saying it so that everyone can hear it.

‘He’s saying this kind of thing whether I’m here or not.’

This is going too far.

I stopped abruptly.

Then Lee Suk-beon, who was following behind, had no choice but to stop.

“Why did you stop, Your Highness? We have a long way to go…”

“Anseong-gun [Lee Suk-beon’s title], may I say one thing?”

“…?”

As Lee Suk-beon looked at me as if asking what was wrong, I also looked straight into his eyes and said.

“Don’t fucking act up.”

< What is True Education? (1) > End

ⓒ Pitkong