Chapter 20
Chapter 20. Lee Hyang's Stance on First Love (1)
Yunseo ran with Hongwi for half a shijin without rest.
Yunseo, who had shaken off the unpleasantness from meeting Gwonga's half-sister and Hong Seungwi earlier with her panting breaths, caught Hongwi, who had stumbled again and nearly fallen.
"Haa, haa, shall we go back and wash now?"
Yunseo asked Hongwi, who was also panting, when a long shadow fell overhead and a gentle voice was heard.
"Hongwi, it must be hard for Gwonga, the maid. Come to Father."
It was Lee Hyang.
Lee Hyang, clad in a red Dragon Robe, looked down at Hongwi and Yunseo with slightly reddened eyes.
"Haa, Father!"
Hongwi, still holding the reins, stretched her hand towards Lee Hyang and leaned forward.
"Haa, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Yunseo, having run with Gwonga's body for the first time in a while, was still breathing heavily as she handed Hongwi into Lee Hyang's arms.
Lee Hyang held Hongwi tightly and looked down at Gwonga.
Despite having been so frightening, this spirited woman still shone with dazzling brightness.
As the red sunset brushed past Lee Hyang's face, casting a shadow on Gwonga's.
Lee Hyang's deepening eyes captured Gwonga's forehead, beaded with sweat, her slightly parted lips exhaling ragged breaths, the long neck glistening with sweat,
and her chest, rising and falling, rising and falling.
For a moment, Lee Hyang felt an intense desire that made him dizzy.
Unaware, Yunseo looked up at Lee Hyang and reported in a breathless voice.
"Your Highness, haa, I have, haa, something to show you, haa, later!"
\\\
"So it was Gwonga, the maid, after all?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. That night at Bihyeon Pavilion, Your Highness met with Gwonga alone for a long time, and then sent Eom Jachi here to request a private audience."
"Hmm..."
Jeon Gyun, the Grand Audience Hall eunuch, couldn't understand what made a mere maid like that draw the attention of Your Majesty and even Grand Prince Suyang at Myeongrye Palace, but having received much, he began to slander Gwonga faithfully.
"Gwonga is a monster. Since she took over the night watch, there are many concerns that His Highness the Grandson has been neglecting his evening studies. A few days ago, she dangerously took His Highness the Grandson near the water at Gyeonghoeru, and now they say it's very noisy in the open space in front of the East Palace because she's flying a kite."
"Flying a kite? Our Hongwi?"
"Yes, when Gwonga claps her hands, the young Prince struggles to follow. It's a great concern for those around her that she acts so roughly when he might fall."
"......"
"...Your Majesty, there was a disturbance in front of Geonchunmun today, and Gwonga regarding a debt document,"
"Bring her to Cheonsu Hall tomorrow by Shinsi (3 PM)."
King Sejong cut off Jeon Gyun, the Grand Audience Hall eunuch.
Jeon Gyun could read nothing from the King's face, which was lost in deep thought.
Jeon Gyun, wondering what this strange turn of events was, bowed deeply and backed away.
At that time, after Hongwi, who had played to her heart's content, had been cleanly washed and was sleeping soundly.
Yunseo wrapped finely ground charcoal powder in paper, and carrying a box containing a fox fur brush and a fake debt document, headed to Bihyeon Pavilion.
Just then, a few raindrops began to fall, filling the air with the earthy scent of soil.
"His Highness the Crown Prince looks serious. Be sure to pay close attention to his mood."
Eom Sangjeon, personally lighting the way with a lantern, subtly advised her.
Yunseo recalled Lee Hyang's expression as he had looked down at her with reddened eyes earlier.
His Adam's apple had moved distinctly, as if he had something to say but swallowed it back.
"Why? Is it because I played vigorously with His Highness the Grandson again? I'm doing it because it's truly necessary for the Prince's cognitive and emotional development."
"It's more likely due to the currency circulation and defense contractor issues. He had a long, heated debate with Minister Kim Jongseo and Minister Jeong Inji earlier but couldn't reach a conclusion."
"Currency circulation?"
Then, historical knowledge surfaced: the persistent efforts to circulate currency from the Jeohwa of King Taejong's reign, to the Joseon Tongbo of King Sejong's reign, and to the iron coins of King Sejo's reign, all ending in failure.
"The atmosphere was terrible. When they couldn't conclude why it failed, Minister Jeong Inji accused Minister Kim Jongseo of being ignorant of economics, saying he was only catching barbarians in the border regions. Then Minister Kim Jongseo pointed fingers at him, asking why he, who had amassed a fortune in Hanyang through money lending, didn't understand the principles of currency circulation with his greedy head."
Yunseo couldn't help but chuckle.
What a shame to have missed such a spectacle of the two greatest minds of Joseon shouting at each other and brawling.
"Our Crown Prince, who is like the spring sunshine of the world, even told them to focus their energy on problem-solving instead of fighting like that, and returned. After that, the man who usually focused with terrifying intensity was processing a report, sighed, closed his eyes, and his face turned red. So you must be especially careful."
As she spoke, they arrived at the large wooden porch in front of Bihyeon Pavilion.
Eom Sangjeon called out towards the inside.
"Your Highness, Gwonga, the maid, is here."
"...Enter."
The reply came a beat late.
Eom Sangjeon, seeing this, whispered quickly, "Your Highness is very troubled by the currency issue, so don't stubbornly push for that fingerprinting thing you don't trust yet. If anything, if you catch those guys and show them the spicy taste of Naesao, they'll confess their lies easily, so don't worry too much." He was about to pat her shoulder but quickly withdrew his hand and opened the door.
Lee Hyang was leaning against a chair, eyes closed, wearing his usual thin, plain silk robe.
He wore pale pink trousers and a jeogori, with a sky-blue robe made of the same material draped over him. His wet hair was down his back, as if he hadn't bathed long ago.
Under the candlelight, the exceptionally handsome man looked like a painting of a beautiful woman, and she wanted to admire him for a long time, but Yunseo squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, composing herself.
This was not the time to be captivated by Lee Hyang's beauty.
"Your Highness, I have something to show you."
"...What is it?"
Lee Hyang asked, still without opening his eyes.
He seemed extremely troubled by the currency circulation issue.
Believing that she needed to help him with this problem that had repeatedly failed since previous generations for him to have the capacity to pay attention to the fingerprinting issue, Yunseo placed the items she brought on the edge of the desk where Lee Hyang was sitting and knelt beside the desk.
The good thing about modern compulsory education is its curriculum that teaches basic knowledge in various fields. It's an educational system where, if followed diligently, one can accumulate enough knowledge to offer basic solutions to most problems of the 15th century.
Once Hangeul is promulgated, it would be wonderful if Joseon could implement compulsory national education for its people.
Then, a handful of yangban wouldn't be able to ruin the country with useless, lofty discourses, acting like petty emperors, using their few books to claim they know everything, while enslaving the majority of the people as servants.
Thinking this, Yunseo cleared her throat and began.
"Your Highness, for currency circulation to succeed, silver must be introduced."
"!"
Lee Hyang, who had been savoring Gwonga only by ear, finding the unfamiliar and bewildering emotion of love and feeling unable to control his desire when looking at Gwonga, fearing he would act shamelessly, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
Gwonga, kneeling, her eyes shining brightly, boldly met his gaze.
"Whether it's China, Japan, or even the far Western regions and beyond, silver is the basic currency everywhere because it has intrinsic value. Whether you bring a silver ingot from China here to Joseon or take it to Japan, its value is recognized. However, Jeohwa is just a piece of paper that cannot be eaten or worn, and since the bitter memory of the immense losses incurred when the Goryeo-era Won Dynasty's paper currency collapsed, people simply cannot trust or use it."
Lee Hyang's mouth fell open.
What was this beautiful and intelligent girl, who now shook his mind and then his head?
However, the monarch had to ask more of the maid who readily provided answers that even the most wise and practical minister in the court could not find.
"Father printed copper coins. Copper has many uses, so why did it fail?"
"I heard that even government offices preferred to receive goods in kind rather than copper. How can the people trust copper coins that the government distrusts? Moreover, there were no suitable goods to buy or sell."
His mind felt illuminated.
Lee Hyang picked up a brush and gestured with his left hand.
"Wait, no. If you keep kneeling like that, your pretty knees will hurt. Bring that chair over and sit next to me."
Then he quickly wrote down what Gwonga had just said on paper.
Then, he suddenly frowned.
"China excessively demanded gold and silver, causing great suffering to the people. Therefore, Your Majesty managed to negotiate not to pay tribute and closed the gold and silver mines, but if they are reopened..."
"It's alright, Your Highness."
Yunseo brought a square wooden chair without a back and sat next to Lee Hyang, saying confidently.
"Emperor Xuande of the Ming Dynasty has passed away. Since then, the current emperor is being swayed by eunuchs, and he is engaged in war games with the Mongols to the north, so he will not have the capacity to pay attention to Joseon for the time being."
"...How?"
Did you find out?
Lee Hyang, again carelessly using his handsome face, was about to ask Yunseo.
"Last night, the Crown Princess appeared in my dream again and told me. And Your Highness, I will continue to share this kind of knowledge sporadically. At that time, please don't ask how I found out, just listen and apply it where necessary, as the late Crown Princess told me for our Hong—"
Yunseo was about to say 'Hongwi' again but caught herself, pursing her lips as if coughing. Lee Hyang lightly touched her lips with his finger.
"When we are alone, call him Hongwi. You feel such intimacy with my son, so you call him that, don't you? However, you must be careful elsewhere. There will be a limit to pretending to cough like before."
Oh my, he knew!
"That's right, Your Highness. The Crown Princess is telling me everything for our Hongwi, so please don't ask how I know, just listen and apply it where appropriate."
She felt relieved after saying it.
If it were up to her, she would have confessed that her soul had traveled from the distant 21st century, but she decided against it, fearing that King Sejong, who never put down a book even when sick, would summon her constantly and treat her like an encyclopedia, demanding she spill all her knowledge.
Yunseo's prediction was accurate.
Even though she only spoke of currency, Lee Hyang's eyes shone intensely. He leaned in so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face and demanded.
"Every night, after Hongwi falls asleep, come over. Come over and tell me everything you heard from the Consort."
See, see.
Like father, like son.
"Only for half a shijin. If our Hongwi wakes up, I have to soothe him back to sleep. I also need some rest. I have other things to do during the day, Your Highness."
"Half a shijin? That's too short. Let's make it one shijin."
"Half a shijin, one gak!"
"Half a shijin, two gaks! It is the Crown Prince's command!"
"...Yes, I will obey your command."
Yunseo had no choice but to bow her head.
Then, the collar of her jeogori loosened, and a glimpse of her fair cleavage appeared and disappeared.
Lee Hyang closed his eyes tightly again.
His head spun with the desire to reach out and touch her and the conflict of not being able to treat this woman so carelessly.
Yunseo mistakenly thought Lee Hyang had momentarily fallen asleep due to exhaustion from his day's work.
Yunseo was also tired.
Her muscles, pleasantly relaxed after running for the first time in a while, were crying out for rest.
So, she quickly unfolded the paper and began to talk about fingerprints.
"Your Highness, I am truly sorry to trouble you with my personal matters when you are busy with state affairs. However, this technique is not only for my own affairs but is also crucial for identifying criminals. Your Highness, I know you are tired, but please open your eyes and look at this."
Yunseo gently shook the sleeping Lee Hyang's shoulder to wake him, then stood up from the chair and showed him how to press the tip of her left index finger onto each of the five circles she had drawn beforehand.
Then, she firmly took Lee Hyang's left hand.
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