Chapter 13
Chapter 13. Sejong and Lee Hyang at Cheonsu Hall (1) / 'Shinmi' Revision
After the dawn bell rang, Lee Hyang headed to Cheonsu Hall with a bowl of ripe cherries.
The cherry trees, which brightly illuminated the East Palace with pink blossoms in spring, were a symbol of the Crown Prince's profound filial piety.
This was because Lee Hyang had personally planted and meticulously cared for the trees for Sejong, who particularly loved cherries.
In the room where papers with unfamiliar symbols scribbled on them lay scattered among books, Sejong was currently confined to this Cheonsu Hall, using his illness as an excuse to finalize the creation of a new script.
After Sejong contentedly chewed the cherries Lee Hyang had carefully selected and offered, spitting the pits onto the tray, he spoke kindly.
“Didn't your father throw two things at once? Then, they will readily accept being called 'subjects' to oppose the Southern Face (the King sitting facing south to conduct state affairs), even if it means death. Remember this, Hyang-a. Throw two. If there's something you absolutely must see through, throw something even stronger along with it.”
After returning from the Onyang temporary palace, Sejong announced that he would transfer all monarchical powers, except for military command and the right to appoint officials, to the Crown Prince.
It was a Royal Order for the Crown Prince to sit facing south like the King and oversee state affairs, and for all subjects to address him as 'subject' as they would the King.
Although it was Sejong's pure intention to fully transfer authority to Lee Hyang, the officials, remembering the precedent of King Taejong who wielded the blade of purge under the guise of abdication, were submitting memorials day after day, shouting their opposition, fearing they might be struck down if they naively agreed.
“I need time to complete these characters. Hyang-i, you also need time to nurture your talented individuals. Are not my people and my era too old?”
Popping another handful of cherries into his mouth and picking up his brush, Sejong spoke.
The urgent private audience requested last night was due to Sejong misunderstanding that the Crown Prince was stepping back due to the controversy surrounding the Southern Face.
Believing he had resolved all his son's issues, Sejong drew the character 'ㅂ' (bieup) with his brush, attached 'ㅇ' (ieung) beneath it, and moved his cherry-filled lips.
Lee Hyang, wearing only a thin robe over his casual clothes, his topknot undone and his long hair loosely tied back with a string, gazed with sunken eyes at his Father, who had not lost a shred of his kingly dignity despite his disheveled appearance, like a rake.
'Should I just go back?'
If he left now, he could maintain the persona of the 'filial Crown Prince Lee Hyang,' which had become as natural as his own skin. He could embrace his fifteen talented younger siblings, whom Father loved dearly, with a generous heart, and thus become a wise king who successfully inherited the achievements of his wise father...
'It's impossible,' Gwonga had said.
'I will die early, and then Hongwi will be murdered by his uncles, half of my father's officials will be swept away, and in the end, only the cruel and greedy will remain to lead Joseon.'
To know but not to guard against even the slightest possibility of tragedy is to be a sinner before the state.
“Your Majesty, I, Lee Hyang, Crown Prince of Joseon, have a request for you.Lee Hyang opened his mouth just as Sejong pursed his cherry-filled lips to pronounce the labial stop 'b'.
Therefore, Sejong did not pay close attention to the fact that Lee Hyang did not address him as 'Father' but as a subject.
“Hmm? Speak."I believe it would be best to formally appoint the grandson as the Grandson of the State early next year, Your Majesty."”
“!”
Startled by the completely unexpected words, Sejong spat out the half-eaten cherry pits and bought himself time to fathom his son's intentions.
“...The Grandson of the State is usually appointed at the age of eight, when they can read the Sohak (Elementary Learning), isn't it? Our Hongwi is only three years old...”
His son always anticipated his Royal Intention and spoke his desires.
So, Sejong deliberately spoke at length to express his reluctance.
But today, Lee Hyang was vastly different from the pleasing color of ripe cherries.
“Is there a special reason for requesting the appointment of the Grandson of the State so early?”
Finally, Sejong asked.
“I wish to strengthen the Grandson's position to ensure the peace of the state.”
“......!”
Sejong put down his brush and looked at Lee Hyang.
Even under Sejong's cold gaze, which had instantly shifted from a benevolent father to the supreme ruler of Joseon, the monarch of all people, Lee Hyang remained unwavering.
“The Grandson's residence will also be moved to the East Palace. If the Grandson resides outside, unnecessary conflicts will arise surrounding his residence, leading to people harboring unwarranted dislike and resentment towards him.”
“...You heard about what happened in the Queen's Palace. But Hyang-a, wasn't that just minor squabbles between boys? You yourself, as kind as you are, used to get into fistfights with Suyang and Anpyeong when you were young and get scolded by this Father.”
Sejong, sensing how things had come to this, tried to placate his son.
However, Lee Hyang steadfastly stated his wishes.
"Next year, when he turns four, I want to establish a Grandson's Study Hall, appoint the best tutors for the Grandson, and select five or six children from prestigious families of similar age to be his companions in study."”
“.......”
The air in Cheonsu Hall, brightly lit by candlelight, began to tense up, though the sun had not yet fully risen.
Between the Father, who was still the monarch and had entrusted much to his son, including Acting Regency, and the Son, who had inherited much and governed his subjects, yet none of it was entirely his own.
In the space where only the current monarch and the future monarch were alone, a silent argument raged fiercely.
A stiff silence persisted for a while.
Somewhere, a late rooster crowed, heralding the new day.
“These characters. They are almost complete, so when would be a good time to promulgate them?”
The intense silence that had dominated Cheonsu Hall finally shattered as Sejong held up a piece of paper.
“My hands tremble, and my eyes don't see well. What do you think?On the paper were the words 'Royal Authority', written with a hand so shaky it was horribly distorted.
To see his Father, who once seemed an insurmountable giant, become so frail. How time had flown.
“...You have written them well, Father.”
Lee Hyang replied with a voice moist with emotion.
Sejong frowned, his pale eyebrows furrowed at the sound of suppressed sobs.
“You, again. You're trying to cry, aren't you? Stop it. Stop it. Hongwi is here, how long will you cry over every little thing? Because your heart is so soft, everyone treats Hongwi carelessly, don't they?”
Sejong, scolding him, had returned to being a benevolent father.
“Who did I learn from? I learned from watching you endlessly embrace Uncle Yangnyeong, Father.”
Yet, on the faces of the two father and son, who were chiding each other's leniency, deep worry was etched.
Formally appointing Hongwi as the Grandson of the State would bring the buried problems and conflicts to the surface.
Having many descendants in the royal family was both a great blessing and a great misfortune.
Sejong, who had to resist pressure to execute his eldest brother, Yangnyeong Daegun, who was sidelined from the position of Crown Prince his entire life, knew too well the weight of the burden his son would have to bear.
Moreover, his son's brothers were all exceptionally talented.
Except for Imnyeong Daegun, who had already been stripped of his princely title twice for assaulting several palace ladies, any of his full brothers, whether Suyang or Anpyeong, would have been more than qualified to be Crown Prince.
Sejong knew better than anyone that while his own situation, having brothers like Yangnyeong, who was deposed as Crown Prince for his eccentricities, and Hyoryeong, who early on pursued unlawful paths, was different, it represented a threat to royal authority for the kingdom and the state, even if it brought joy to him as a father.
However, because one was a father and the other a brother, their positions were bound to differ.
Therefore, Sejong could not readily speak and, using the new script as a topic, subtly avoided the sharp conflict and gave his son an answer.
"Establish a Grandson Appointment Bureau and proceed." Isn't this the first time we are appointing a Grandson of the State since the founding of Joseon? This time, we must establish detailed procedures.”
“Who shall be appointed as the Director-General of the Bureau?”
“Who do you want it to be?”
The Director-General of the Grandson Appointment Bureau held great symbolic and practical significance.
It was closely involved in everything from the appointment procedures to selecting tutors for the Grandson's education and choosing which families would provide the companion students to learn alongside him.
Furthermore, as this person would be responsible for protecting the Grandson in case of emergency, it was an explicit declaration of whom the royal family considered capable of protecting the future monarch and what faction they had in mind.
And because such a person with immense responsibility and authority could turn and rule as king with the young monarch in tow, or in the worst case, destroy the nation like Wang Mang, Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, or Sima Yi, extreme caution was necessary.
Lee Hyang was about to say the name of Chief State Councilor Hwang Hee but hesitated and closed his lips.
—When Your Highness died early and the young prince ascended the throne, the Grand Princes coveted royal authority and plotted rebellion!
The warning from Kwon Ga, the maid, echoed vividly in Lee Hyang's ears.
'Grand Councilor Hwang Hee is too old. Although he devotes his heart solely to assisting the monarch without forming factions, he is too old to live long enough to protect our Hongwi.'
'I must protect my son. My young son, from my talented brothers.'
Lee Hyang's hand subtly gripped the cushion.
Sejong, even with his dimming eyes, did not miss the movement of his hand.
'Is it truly unavoidable?'
A sigh escaped his lips, and his chest felt heavy.
Lee Hyang, who understood his father's feelings, chose his words carefully.
“I will examine it for a few days and report back.”
“Yes, for our Hongwi, and for everyone, be prudent.”
“Yes, Father. And, about those characters.”
Lee Hyang hesitated, then finally asked.
“Did you perhaps teach them to Kwon Ga, the maid?”
“Kwon Ga, the maid? You mean that audacious nanny-maid who fiercely confronted Suyang's wife the other day for Hongwi?”
“Yes, Father. However.”
Lee Hyang hesitated again, then quickly reported.
“That child knows those characters, Your Majesty. And she knows them more skillfully than I do.”
“That child?”
Sejong, with a surprised look, retraced his memory and nodded.
“She must have had contact with Jeongui. Yeodali was always running around, wasn't she playing well with Hongwi?”
Princess Jeongui, who was knowledgeable in mathematics, had also participated in the creation of the new script along with the Crown Prince and the Grand Princes.
Princess Jeongui's eldest son, An Yeodali, was notoriously restless and famous for poking around various parts of the palace.
Sejong thought of the maid who had bravely stepped forward for Hongwi.
“That child said strange things. She said the ability to lie varies with age. She called it 'age-based cognitive ability.'”
He did not mention that she had prophesied that he would die suddenly because of those boils.
Whenever he thought of Kwon Ga, the maid, he recalled her intense eyes that fiercely asserted her own will, and each time, a sense of urgency like thirst and a crisis of needing to prevent tragedy from 'premature death' would envelop him.
“I must summon that child soon. Shall I call Hongwi too and teach them these characters? Wasn't our goal in creating a script to make it easy for even a three-year-old to learn?”
“They say Hongwi has memorized almost the entire Thousand Character Classic. Even that arrogant Seong Sammun praised him as having more scholarly talent than himself, so he will learn these characters in a few days.”
Sejong gazed at his son, whose face brightened at the mention of his child, and casually remarked.
“You are a doting father.”
“Ah, I apologize, Father.”
Sejong's eyes became complex as he watched his son hastily apologize.
This was because he feared that his profound love for his child might lead to the rejection of his siblings.
And that concern was confirmed in the words that followed.
“Your Majesty, there is a severe famine, and we will soon need to perform a rain ritual. Also, many people are abandoning their homes and land due to hunger and wandering the provinces, so I will order a significant reduction in the tribute owed from all provinces for the time being.”
Every word spoken by a ruler carries intent.
Silence descended again.
Sejong did not speak, and Lee Hyang stubbornly endured the uncomfortable silence with his own resolute silence.
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