There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 95

‘A ban on going out, a ban on going out!’

I’m not a snot-nosed kid,

Well, I am the age of a snot-nosed kid.

I didn’t know I’d be locked up in the palace altogether.

“Hey, I can understand this guy, but why me!”

Lee Seong-gye asked with a bewildered expression.

“Even the Grand King almost faced danger. This is my deep filial piety to prevent unforeseen accidents.”

“What did you say?”

Lee Seong-gye shouted as if to grab Lee Bang-won’s collar, but Lee Bang-won’s reaction was calm.

“Then what about hunting? Or playing polo?”

“All are prohibited.”

“Are you telling me to play Go in the Taesang Hall?”

“That would be good. You won’t get hurt. Above all, there’s no risk of taking your grandson out and getting him killed, right?”

Lee Bang-won retorted, and Lee Seong-gye’s face turned red.

Lee Bang-won waved his hand and ordered.

“Escort the Grand King.”

No matter how much Lee Seong-gye complains, the current king is Lee Bang-won.

No one in the palace can disobey his words.

Lee Seong-gye was forcibly escorted to the Taesang Hall by the eunuchs.

Left alone, I protested to Lee Bang-won.

“Still, does this make sense?”

No matter how dangerous it was, everything turned out well in the end.

I even captured Soda Saemontaro.

‘Of course, my great-uncle caught him.’

Calming the public sentiment in Gyeongsang Province was thus perfectly accomplished.

How could anyone not be relieved to see people marching with wooden plaques that read ‘I am a Wokou [Japanese pirate]’?

It was almost deadly trying to stop the people from throwing stones on the way to Gaeseong, but it was worth it.

‘What is that procession?’

‘I heard the country has defeated the Wokou and captured their leader!’

‘You’re amazing, Crown Prince!’

Everyone had memories of the Wokou.

Currently, all coastal residents were suffering damage, and even inland people could not have forgotten the Wokou who had rampaged deeply until only a few decades ago.

It was a great promotion, so you should give me a reward.

“I also have work to do, so how can I only stay in the palace.”

I protested like this, but Lee Bang-won replied briefly.

“You don’t have much to do anyway.”

It wasn’t true that there wasn’t much to do in the office, but most of the work I was in charge of was finished.

This was because the first construction of Hanyang [old name for Seoul] was completed, and now only the relocation remained.

The office staff were not idle and were mostly turned to the relocation work to participate, but that was a separate matter, so it was not something I could interfere with.

“Take the Crown Prince to the East Palace.”

===

– Clatter, clatter.

I kept fiddling with the Go stones in the container with a soulless expression.

Lee Seong-gye frowned at the sight.

“It’s distracting.”

“Hoo.”

I didn’t answer and sighed while looking at the ceiling.

“Aren’t you going to play?”

“I’ll play, I’ll play.”

I curled my fingers into a circle and then flicked them violently.

The black stone hit by my finger bounced off and knocked off the white stone on the Go board.

That’s right.

What we’re playing now is not elegant Go [a strategy board game], but Ttakji [a Korean game using folded paper tiles].

“Ugh······.”

Lee Seong-gye, who lost a stone, groaned, but there was no soul.

I was also filled with emptiness rather than joy.

No wonder, we’ve been playing Ttakji together for days, so it was natural.

“It’s not fun.”

“I agree.”

I agreed with Lee Seong-gye’s words.

‘What should I do now?’

I thought so.

I was living according to a set routine every day, but suddenly my work decreased and I was banned from going out, so it was natural.

‘I was so busy until recently.’

I thought so and turned around.

I wanted to have time to breathe somehow back then, but now I’m bored and work is haunting me.

If I were outside the palace, I would have created new work, but that was also impossible.

“Are you going to stay like this?”

You were telling me it was noisy until just now, but this time Lee Seong-gye asked while clattering the Go stones.

“Then what?”

“Shouldn’t we get out somehow?”

I quickly got up.

“Is there a way?”

A way to somehow lift this ban on going out.

When I asked with a hopeful voice, Lee Seong-gye smiled and said.

“I’ve seen a dog hole. If you’re okay with it, even tonight······.”

Ah, that’s a bit much.

===

I called Nobun, the only eunuch left by my side, and asked.

“Have you heard any news from Dongnae? How are the seaweed and pearl farming going?”

“There is no special message yet.”

I asked several times, but I always got the same answer.

Well, how far is it from Gaeseong to Dongnae? Besides, it hasn’t been long since I promoted it, so there’s no way news would come so quickly.

However, I was able to hear about the Gaesi [tribute trade] -related business through Baek Dal-won.

The censors who would have objected were all taking ‘Sagadokseo’ [a study leave] and had not been back for long, so they dared not say anything about Baek Dal-won’s entry.

“This time, Samsan says it will be difficult to get the promised horses. Instead, they decided to give more fur. I brought the surplus, so please accept it.”

Baek Dal-won presented me with fur.

When I checked the quantity in the ledger, there was no error.

“Oh, you can divide the remaining amount appropriately among the Baek Sang leader and his subordinates.”

Since I am the actual owner of Hansang [a trading company], that’s true.

I thought I should take care of it as a bonus, but I’m glad he’s such a thorough person.

‘Fur.’

Winter has passed, and I already have a tiger skin, which is a symbol of glory, so I didn’t really need it.

To be honest, it wasn’t something I wanted that much.

‘I should give it to my mother.’

My mother fainted after hearing the news that I had encountered the Wokou.

Apologizing for unintentionally causing concern······.

‘I have to ask them to lift the ban somehow.’

The best way to resolve a problem is through pillow talk.

“Nobun.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Pick only the best quality and bring it to the Junggung Palace [Queen’s residence].”

“I understand.”

I went to the Junggung Palace with a lot of fur.

My mother was whispering with the court ladies, and I said.

“I seem to have brought fur.”

“Oh my, how did you get all of this······.”

My mother exclaimed at the sight of the precious sable skin.

“I’ve picked only the good ones, so please take them, Mother.”

“I will gratefully accept it.”

Queen Wongyeong replied, and I lowered my voice and asked.

“But why did you call the court ladies?”

“There are some rude people among the maids these days, so I called them to strictly enforce discipline.”

“Discipline?”

Come to think of it, there was a rumor I heard a few days ago.

A maid of Concubine Kim did not greet the Queen even after seeing her, so she was furious and had people beat her up.

‘Ah, this.’

The maid who only had the backing of a concubine wouldn’t have deliberately not greeted her to give her a hard time, she must have missed her or made a mistake.

‘My mother wouldn’t think so.’

I rubbed my forehead.

Isn’t she ‘that’ Royal Concubine Hyo-bin Kim’s maid?

It seems like palace intrigue is happening again.

‘To be honest, it’s not even a fight.’

Kim’s son is the eldest illegitimate son, but he is just the eldest among the illegitimate sons, and there are three legitimate sons who are much older, so he doesn’t have much influence.

He’s not a Grand Prince, but a Prince, so what important position would he rise to?

“Mother, let’s just let it go. Frankly, isn’t it embarrassing to even argue with such a person?”

In terms of status and position, my mother has an overwhelming advantage, but Hyo-bin is favored by Lee Bang-won, so there’s nothing to gain from arguing.

It was driving me crazy that this was more of an emotional issue than a political one.

If there was less affection, this wouldn’t have happened.

‘Well, that’s why she had so many children.’

I had three older brothers and several sisters, and there were still three brothers now, so there were a lot of children.

‘They don’t have a good relationship now, but.’

At least until my maternal uncles were poisoned and died, their relationship wasn’t really bad, but rather their feelings were awkwardly misaligned.

“You don’t know because you were wandering around outside. Do you know how frustrated I am every time Hyo-bin’s child walks around calling himself a prince?”

“Is he already walking? Well, he’s past that age.”

I didn’t pay much attention to my half-brother, so that’s how it is.

He’s at an age when he’s very cute.

Hehe, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Is there anything we can do?”

“Even if you tell me······.”

I subtly turned my gaze away.

It’s not like I’m so happy about my father’s concubine, but what can I do?

When I didn’t answer clearly, Queen Wongyeong became anxious and this time asked for information.

“Aren’t you favored by the Grand King?”

“Yes······ If it’s favor, it’s favor.”

I’ve become very close to Lee Seong-gye.

“How does the Grand King feel about Won-bin these days?”

“Why her again?”

Lee Seong-gye’s concubine, Lady Won, and Lee Bang-won have a kind of political alliance.

She plays a bridging role that smoothly connects the relationship with Lee Seong-gye.

‘To be honest, I don’t like that my grandfather and father are still awkward.’

Their relationship has improved somewhat due to the relocation of Hanyang and various other things.

But they’re still not very close.

“Isn’t it outrageous that she’s acting like my mother-in-law when she’s just the Grand King’s concubine?”

“Yes?”

My mother didn’t have a good relationship with Queen Shindeok either.

But a mere concubine is trying to act like her mother-in-law?

“Isn’t she criticizing me for not having virtue, taking issue with the fact that I caught and punished Hyo-bin’s maid? How dare she! Does she think she’s the late Queen Shinui?”

“Uh······ Um······.”

I closed my mouth.

Won-bin may have said that because she couldn’t stand it.

Still, punishing subordinates is a bit uncomfortable, but it’s not something you can’t do.

Besides, the head of the Inner Court is clearly my mother, the Queen.

I said to my mother.

“I’ll look into it first. I’ll also find a way.”

“That’s right! Only my eldest son.”

“However.”

When I spoke, my mother raised her eyebrows.

“However······?”

“It’s not always the best way to push your subordinates. It doesn’t seem like the child did it on purpose, but if you had shown virtue and embraced her, wouldn’t she have been loyal to you, Mother?

If that were the case, it would be like planting your own person near Kim’s.”

“······.”

Queen Wongyeong’s weakness is that she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, so she naturally assumes that her subordinates should follow her words.

“Since I brought fur this time, give some of the less good ones to the court ladies or subordinates. And check regularly to see if there’s anything uncomfortable.”

“How do I do that?”

My mother asked.

‘You could do a survey.’

But there was no one who could read at this time, so it couldn’t be done.

It was a long time before Hangul [Korean alphabet] came out.

‘Even if I try to make it.’

Even King Sejong barely popularized it by suppressing the extreme opposition with both high scholarship and power.

Even if I, who can’t properly explain the principles of creation or the necessity, create it and push it forward, it will only backfire.

Once it’s derailed like that, it’ll be hard to bring it up again.

“First, have the court ladies find out what’s uncomfortable.”

I said so.

“I have to consider even the minds of those palace women one by one······.”