There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 66

The King Emeritus, barely escaping death, returned to his residence in a mentally disoriented state.

I followed, entrusting his care to the guards.

“My goodness, what on earth was all that commotion about!”

Having received the news, my aunt rushed out barefoot in surprise.

“What happened to you, going out for a stroll after so long?”

“Well, that is…”

‘He was having fun at a house of courtesans and choked.’

It’s a story that would embarrass Yi Bang-gwa [King Emeritus’s personal name] quite a bit, but it was quite a commotion, so he’ll hear it from somewhere anyway.

“He was playfully joking with a courtesan…”

“Oh, you idiot!”

The Queen Emeritus slapped the King Emeritus’s back, who was still out of it.

“Ouch!”

Yi Bang-gwa screamed even in his dazed state.

“?”

I widened my eyes.

I was surprised by the rare sight of my gentle aunt slapping the King Emeritus’s back as if she was dumbfounded.

“Why is she doing that?”

When I asked, Hwang-hee, who was next to me, slyly said.

“Even if the Queen Emeritus looks kind, how can she stay still after hearing that her husband almost died while womanizing?”

Well, this family is quite eventful in its own way.

Today was another dizzying, chaotic, and bewildering day for the Jeonju Yi family.

Isn’t it too eventful, humanly speaking?

===

The rumor that the King Emeritus had an accident while visiting a house of courtesans seemed to have spread to those who needed to know.

Well, there’s no way the people of Gaeseong [historical capital of Korea] would miss this interesting story.

‘It’s not like I’m the one who’s embarrassed.’

The problem is that I’m also involved in that story.

“The rumor has spread that the Crown Prince saved the former King Emeritus with his quick thinking.”

“…Didn’t you spread that story?”

Then Cho Gung-jang covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Who spread it, what does it matter? What’s important is that His Highness’s majesty impressed Gaeseong. Didn’t you suddenly appear in a moment of desperation and save His Highness’s life?

You’ve worked hard, Your Highness.”

Then she grabbed my hand and patted it.

My heart also warmed up.

‘No, I must be crazy.’

I quickly came to my senses and twisted my hand to pull it out.

‘That’s why this woman is a burden.’

From Cho Gung-jang’s point of view, saving the King Emeritus who was about to die was like saving her own life.

If something went wrong, it was obvious that she, who had been unlucky enough to get involved, would also be punished.

Still, her attitude is too much.

It’s as if she’s smitten with me.

‘If I fall for this, I’ll be caught in this woman’s schemes.’

“Today is a day to celebrate Your Highness’s achievements. Don’t feel pressured and enjoy yourself.”

I pushed away Cho Gung-jang, who was sticking to me like glue, and asked.

“I sent the cooks this time; is it going well?”

As expected, business talk is the best way to change the subject.

Cho Gung-jang replied with a slightly sulky face.

“You should talk about that with the Rouge.”

‘That’s because that person only stationed you here.’

When I urged her to answer, Cho Gung-jang said.

“The customers’ reactions are very good. They even ask if you have any other dishes developed by the Crown Prince.”

Well, is my name being sufficiently branded at this point?

That’s what I was aiming for in the first place.

I was appropriately checking sales and asking questions when Cho Gung-jang came close to me again, saying that.

‘No, why are you doing this again?’

Is she a pervert who likes children?

===

If I want to get rid of distracting thoughts (잡념), I have to practice.

After exercising only in the East Palace [residence of the Crown Prince] for a while, I entered the Taesang Palace [residence of the retired King] after a long time, and Yi Seong-gye [King Taejo’s personal name] welcomed me.

“I heard you saved Bang-gwa this time?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Yi Seong-gye made a pathetic expression.

“How old is he, and he still hasn’t grown up.”

“Are you talking about the King Emeritus?”

“Everyone.”

Did someone else cause an accident?

“So, what brings you here?”

“Let’s have a sparring match after a long time.”

I felt it this time, but my strength seems to have increased a lot.

But strangely, I can’t feel it when I face Yi Seong-gye.

‘When will I be able to surpass this person?’

I think Yi Seong-gye will get old and weaken faster than I grow up and win, but still, winning is winning.

However, before we could even exchange a few 합 [martial arts move], a eunuch hurriedly walked over.

“Your Highness!”

“What’s going on?”

“A person from Jeonui-gam [Royal Medical Office] has come.”

“Ah, is it because of that matter.”

I said that and took off my wooden sword.

“What is it? Why did you call this old man?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay? Aren’t you going to Hanyang [modern-day Seoul]?”

“How can I stay there when you’re here.”

Jo Young-mu decided to manage it on his own.

I was going to teach him the Heimlich maneuver, but I kept putting it off because I had a lot of work, so he came to find me himself.

“Oh, you didn’t have to come out; I would have called you when the time was right.”

Sorry, I actually forgot.

“I’m sorry. However, as a doctor, I witnessed new knowledge, so I was restless… I couldn’t stay still.”

The King Emeritus’s doctor seemed to be a passionate person.

I like people like this.

“Okay, can you teach me now?”

It’s not that difficult.

I’ll teach him CPR along with the Heimlich maneuver.

It doesn’t take a few minutes to teach that either.

Then the doctor waved his hand.

“Ah, it’s not just I who want to learn His Highness’s divine skills. Our Jeonuisogam (典醫少監) [Deputy Director of the Royal Medical Office] adult heard about His Highness’s treatment from me and was greatly surprised and expressed his desire to see you.”

“Jeonuisogam?”

When I tilted my head and asked, Yi Seong-gye slapped his palm with his fist and said.

“Ah, is it that guy?”

“Do you know who it is?”

Then Yi Seong-gye nodded and replied coolly.

“When I was on the throne, Japanese pirates surrendered from time to time. One of them was a monk who came over, and I remember giving him a position because he was quite familiar with medicine.”

“Is that so?”

A Japanese doctor.

Suddenly, a rare individual popped up.

“Well, I heard that Bang-won [King Taejong’s personal name] has been going there often since he was in 잠저 [before becoming Crown Prince], so that guy must have gotten a position too, damn it.”

Yi Seong-gye grumbled, but I was rather intrigued.

“Okay, let’s see his face. Have the Jeonui-gam doctors come to the East Palace.”

===

Pyongwonhae wore a topknot and was dressed in Joseon clothes, so he looked like a perfect Joseon person on the outside.

His Joseon language was so fluent that I wouldn’t have noticed at all if it weren’t for the slight Japanese accent.

“I am truly honored to meet the Crown Prince as a low-ranking subject of Jeonuisogam.”

Pyongwonhae said, prostrating himself.

“No, why are you doing this when you have a deep friendship with Abamama [term for ‘father’, referring to the King].”

I wondered what kind of bow he would give when he met the king if he did this when he met the Crown Prince.

Is this the Japanese Tatemae [Japanese behavior of showing one’s true feelings and opinions]?

When I said that, Pyongwonhae bowed his head.

“To revive the nearly deceased King Emeritus, this is a great achievement that only the ancient Bian Que [legendary Chinese doctor] could have done. As a doctor, how can I not show this much respect?”

‘No, he’s not dead.’

Why do you say that a living person is dead?

“Okay, what are you curious about that you wanted to see me in person?”

“I heard that Your Highness pushed the King Emeritus’s chest to open his airway; is that true?”

When Pyongwonhae asked, I nodded.

“The passage through which breath rises from the lungs is blocked, so wouldn’t it be possible to sweep up the air remaining in the lungs and make him vomit food? Just like when you press one side of the ball, the other side swells up.”

“Oh, that’s right. But how did Your Highness come up with such an idea? Even we, who diligently read medical books, had a hard time doing it.”

“That’s right. Knowing the structure of the body is not an easy task. Even if you only read medical books, it wouldn’t have been easy to know…”

While praising me, he wondered about that point, so I was ambiguous about what to answer.

“That’s.”

“Was the rumor that you opened up a person’s body true?”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes at the sudden question.

“I heard that you split Mansangun, who caused a riot when you went to Geumju in the past, in half with one sword and obtained his head yourself; wouldn’t you have observed it at that time?”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

I wondered how I was imprinted in these people’s heads.

“Your Highness is a wise person, so you must have torn it apart and learned these principles when the enemy’s body was opened.”

There was a gaze mixed with admiration and fear towards me.

“No, that can’t be true.”

I don’t know how the rumor spread, but I never beheaded Mansangun myself – I blew it away – and I never dissected it.

I protested, but the gazes of others were skeptical.

However, Pyongwonhae was calm.

“Indeed, that’s right!”

Pyongwonhae said, clapping his hands.

“As expected, my thoughts were correct. There is definitely knowledge that cannot be obtained only from medical books.”

I couldn’t say that I saw it in the future, and it was frustrating, but if Pyongwonhae was convinced, is that it?

But his words didn’t end there.

“Your Highness!”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I would like to ask Your Highness for one request.”

I don’t think it’s a normal request.

When I told him to speak, Pyongwonhae sparkled with subtly crazy eyes.

“Doesn’t it happen often that people die in the Gulrak [mining camp] that Your Highness manages?”

No matter how well you tell them to follow safety rules, in this era where life is disregarded and safety equipment is poor, several people always die.

So, these days, instead of putting criminals in prisons all over the country, they send them to Gulrak to fill the ranks.

“Then can we examine the corpses?”

“Are you saying you’re going to dissect them now?”

It was unexpected.

This is Joseon, a country of Confucianism.

In this case, no matter where you hear such a sound, shouldn’t you say, ‘It is not what a gentleman should do to damage a corpse; how can you cut open his stomach and insult him?’

‘Ah, but this person is not Joseon.’

It’s now the end of the Goryeo Dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty.

Until a few years ago, there was a time when people’s lives were worth less than flies.

Besides, if he’s a doctor from Waegu [old term for Japan], he wouldn’t have such taboos.

‘Still, he used to be a monk, so is it okay to talk about this publicly?’

“Isn’t it against the Buddhist path?”

Then Pyongwonhae sniffed once.

“Aren’t the criminals who entered Gulrak just trash who will fall into Avici [lowest level of Buddhist hell] even after death? What if I disrespect the corpse a little?

If I can have excellent medical skills by disrespecting them, I should do so.”

Pyongwonhae was so cold that Yi Seong-gye’s words that he was a monk seemed irrelevant.

‘Well, I guess it’s possible that Japanese monks were the ones who created armies and fought each other.’

I started to like this slightly crazy doctor.

‘Yeah, there has to be this kind of boldness.’

I was so excited that I imagined the story of dissecting corpses myself after hearing the censors opposing it every day.

“What can’t I do for the development of Joseon medicine? I’ll take action quickly.”

I said that and grabbed Pyongwonhae’s hand.

“As expected, there’s a reason why Abamama trusts you!”

I like these passionate people.

“Haha, it’s nothing.”

Pyongwonhae laughed.

On the other hand, the faces of the doctors who saw me and Pyongwonhae proceeding with the story arbitrarily turned pale.

“Wait!”

Someone stopped the two of us.

End

ⓒ 핏콩