There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 58

“Me?”

I chuckled, finding the idea ridiculous.

Aren’t Lee Bang-won and I in this together?

We’re father and son.

There’s no way Lee Bang-won would ditch me and leave only himself.

“How could that happen when I am your son, Father?”

“Impossible things can happen. Anyway, the Grand King seems to like you, so there might be a way to register you as the King’s son.”

Lee Bang-won said nonchalantly.

“If the Grand King still harbors thoughts of revenge against me, anything is possible.”

“Surely you don’t doubt even your own son?”

I said with a smile.

But Lee Bang-won, who had been smiling until then, stopped abruptly.

“I must.”

“Yes?”

Lee Bang-won held my hand tightly and said.

“Don’t you know what has happened in our family? Once you sit on this throne, you can’t trust anyone, not even your own parents or children.”

‘True.’

I keep forgetting that this is the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897], where patricide and regicide are commonplace.

Lee Bang-won said to me in a consoling tone.

“The seat you will eventually occupy is one where you cannot trust anyone. Not your in-laws, not your meritorious subjects, not even your brothers.”

And not even your children.

I nodded at the advice born from experience.

Though it was Lee Seong-gye who got backstabbed.

‘It doesn’t seem like he’s really trying to get rid of me.’

My son-fool father wouldn’t do that.

It just seemed like Lee Bang-won wanted to teach me this principle.

“And these situations can come suddenly, regardless of your intentions.

If, by any chance, the Grand King tries to take advantage of an opportunity to target me, you wouldn’t be involved, would you?”

“Of course not.”

Why would I do such a stupid thing when a normal succession would happen if I just stayed still? There’s no such idiot in the world.

“But if the Grand King one day raises an army, ousts me, and registers you as the King’s son, you would have no choice but to follow.

In the end, everything depends on the person holding the sword. No matter how much you don’t want it.”

Lee Bang-won said calmly, and I blankly nodded.

Indeed, there is no such thing as eternal kinship in the royal family.

Isn’t Joseon the place where uncles strike nephews, younger brothers offer persimmons and crabs to their older brothers, and sons are put in rice chests to die?

‘This is… the land of Confucianism?’

Ambitious people are everywhere, and people with terrible personalities are everywhere, so Joseon was no exception.

The teachers of the Office of Royal Lectures believe that if they diligently teach the scriptures, they can produce rulers who would never do such things.

I wish I could give those gentlemen a history book each.

“I understand what you mean.”

I had no choice but to say that anyway.

“Good, always keep that in mind.”

After hearing Lee Bang-won’s words, I realized how precariously I was walking on a knife’s edge.

“You are the one who will succeed me, so you must remember these words better than anyone else. Doubt endlessly.”

I somehow felt sorry for my father.

Lee Bang-won is pushing for the relocation of the capital to Hanyang [modern-day Seoul], which was Lee Seong-gye’s wish, and I thought that the uncomfortable feelings had subsided to some extent after Jo Sa-ui’s rebellion.

‘And I’m here too.’

Nevertheless, he has no choice but to be wary of his own father and son.

Does sitting in that position really make you suffer from paranoia?

Lee Bang-won said with a bitter smile.

“I will not accept the Grand King’s request.”

“Yes…”

I knew it would turn out like this.

I didn’t expect much anyway.

I’ll just have to go to Lee Seong-gye and tell him the truth, saying it couldn’t be helped.

However, Lee Bang-won’s words were not over yet.

“Instead, why don’t you try it?”

“Yes?”

“If the formation created by the Grand King is so great, we should select someone with military talent to take charge. You have already defeated the Grand King in Jo Sa-ui’s rebellion, haven’t you?”

No, the story is a bit different from before.

In the first place, aren’t I still too young to even go near the military?

“Didn’t you just say that those sitting on the throne should be wary of even their own sons?”

“That’s just me telling you to keep that in mind. You’re my successor anyway. I entrusted you with the construction of Hanyang, so can’t you handle this much?”

Well, from what I’ve heard in modern times, there are people who do all sorts of things if they feel threatened by their successors.

Like Seonjo, or Seonjo, or Seonjo.

“I’ll give you some of the Fourteen Garrisons’ forces, so would you like to train them?”

This story is going a bit strangely.

===

“It seems the Grand King confides in the Crown Prince.”

After the Crown Prince Lee Je left, Lee Bang-won muttered.

“That is so. I was surprised that he would make such a proposal through the Crown Prince.”

Ha Ryun said, and Lee Bang-won looked at him for a moment.

His right-hand man and loyal servant who had worked with him to achieve great things.

But Lee Bang-won somehow couldn’t confide in him either.

Despite being his own son, Lee Seong-gye’s trust in him was truly remarkable.

‘I’m jealous.’

The father-son relationship, which began to creak from the time of Jung Mong-ju’s assassination, was not easily restored.

But that guy, whether he knows it or not, brazenly burrowed into the Grand King’s embrace.

“Hmm…”

It was fortunate that even the Crown Prince was receiving his father’s favor, and it was truly gratifying.

Moreover, Lee Seong-gye might even regard him as his successor.

It wasn’t a bad feeling, as it proved that he was right after all.

His son’s contribution was also significant in mitigating Lee Seong-gye’s hatred.

But…

“Hehe, I must be someone’s son too.”

Lee Bang-won muttered to himself.

He was subtly envious of the affection his father showed to his son.

‘It’s futile to hope to restore the father-son relationship now.’

Looking at the Crown Prince, it somehow seemed possible, and that futile expectation swelled up.

‘It’s a useless thought.’

Lee Bang-won sighed deeply.

===

“How did it go?”

When I visited the Grand King’s residence again, Lee Seong-gye hurriedly came out barefoot and said.

“He told me to try it?”

At that answer, Lee Seong-gye glared.

“You rascal, how did you convey the message that Bang-won said that? Did you throw a tantrum because you wanted to play soldier?”

“I’m busy with my own work, why would I do that?”

And I played soldier a lot for two years, damn it.

Why on earth is Lee Bang-won telling me to manage the military?

Lee Seong-gye covered his ears and said.

“Ah, I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know, and if you’re going to keep treating me like an old man in the back room, I’m just going to go back to the Northeast.”

“The Northeast?”

I froze at the sudden declaration of returning home.

“What are you going to do there?”

Jo Sa-ui’s rebellion happened after Lee Seong-gye went to the Northeast, and he’s going again?

Why is he doing this?

It’s making me anxious.

“Even a fox turns its head towards the hills when it’s about to die, so shouldn’t I go back to my hometown of Hamheung to die since I’m going to die anyway?”

“Oh, you’re doing it again.”

One of the world’s three great lies.

The old saying that old people should die quickly is coming out again.

“If my grandfather doesn’t even convey my words properly because he’s an old man in the back room, isn’t that telling me to die quickly? And you call yourself a grandson…”

“I requested it exactly as you said. Why are you doing this, really?”

“So Bang-won is also neglecting me. My son and grandson are both telling me to die, so I should go back to my hometown to die. Bring out the royal carriage quickly!”

Lee Seong-gye shouted, and the faces of the eunuchs changed.

They hurriedly looked at me.

“Now even these eunuchs without balls don’t listen to me! Let’s go to Hamheung!”

Lee Seong-gye shouted in anger, and the eunuchs hurriedly ran out.

However, this is only to avoid Lee Seong-gye’s anger for the moment, and they will not prepare for the royal tour with various excuses.

Even if they do send him, they will do it with Lee Bang-won’s permission.

“Even those eunuchs without balls are neglecting me, alas!”

‘It’s a headache when an old man gets upset.’

“I’m going to be left as a defeated old man who’s gone senile. I can’t do anything until I die…”

It’s really hard to break an old man’s stubbornness.

Even the evening meal was refused, saying it had no taste, so there was nothing I could do.

– Grumble

I can’t possibly receive a meal and eat it when my grandfather has rejected the dinner table in front of me.

Ah, I’m hungry.

“Are you going to fast because of this?”

“It may not be important to you, but it’s important to me.”

Sigh.

I’m really going crazy.

“If you’re going to do that, let’s go to Hanyang. I mean the new Hanyang. Please help me with my work there.”

I said that.

“The capital is also being renovated using lime soil, so please supervise that? Isn’t that also a great achievement that will be recorded in history?”

If he wants to work, I should give him work.

I’m already swamped with work, so what a terrible sight it would be if only Lee Seong-gye was playing around.

I coaxed Lee Seong-gye like that, but he was firm.

“Be quiet.”

‘Hmph.’

I have to go to Hanyang anyway, but I’m getting a headache because I’ve been forced to take on work.

‘Wait, Hanyang?’

A thought flashed through my mind.

“There is a way.”

After all, what I’ve taken on is just a test unit made up of soldiers selected from the Fourteen Garrisons.

Then, what if I move it to Hanyang and train them there?

And make Lee Seong-gye a consultant and practically pass the work on to him.

‘Then, since it’s far away from Gaeseong, Lee Bang-won will feel less threatened, and Lee Seong-gye can practically take charge of the training, right?’

The core of a coup is seizing the capital.

The further away from Hanyang, the lower the risk.

Above all,

‘It’s a waste to let Lee Seong-gye’s abilities rot.’

Lee Seong-gye is the only one who has completely pacified the turbulent times of the late Goryeo period and led a large army.

“Wait a minute!”

I ran out of the Grand King’s residence and headed back to the throne room.

===

I told Lee Bang-won my opinion of having the new unit trained in Hanyang.

“It will take several years to move the capital to Hanyang anyway, and the new formation will be completed before then, so wouldn’t it be okay to take back the military power then?”

“Hmm.”

Lee Bang-won pondered.

Since I have the command, he can practically control Lee Seong-gye.

Lee Bang-won, who knew that there was no one as good as Lee Seong-gye as a general, said in a very troubled tone.

“Can I trust your grandfather?”

“I will guarantee it with my life.”

Would his grandfather do anything strange when his grandson’s life is at stake?

“Alright. Then I will send Jo Young-moo down, so train with that friend.”

Putting his confidant Jo Young-moo next to him must be Lee Bang-won’s last insurance.

“Yes, well, go ahead.”

I answered readily.

Lee Bang-won said.