Chapter 23
Episode 23. Cheonsu Hall, A Private Audience with King Sejong (2)
When a threat is detected by the brain's warning system, the escape plan programmed deep within the brain automatically activates, sending warning signals throughout the body.
Then, the amygdala, known as the reptilian brain, which controlled the body during the time humans were still beasts, takes the lead, partially blocking sensory input and information going to the higher brain, the frontal lobe, and advanced cognitive functions of the mind, transforming the body into an optimized mode solely for survival.
Large amounts of powerful stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine are secreted throughout the body, causing the heart to pound, blood pressure and breathing to quicken, and the body to either flee, fight, or freeze in overwhelming terror.
Because information to the rational brain is momentarily blocked, memories from this time are fragmented, with vision, smell, and hearing stored separately as fragments in memory. Furthermore, Broca's area, which governs language, is also momentarily blocked, making it impossible to articulate the terror of this moment in rational language.
At the counseling center, Yunseo had counseled clients who had suffered abuse, sexual assault, group violence, or school bullying in situations of extreme fear, just like Yunseo now. She had testified in court for those who, due to fragmented memories, could not provide consistent victim statements.
And she had spent a great deal of time helping clients, who had lost a part of themselves by unconsciously pushing away even the facts of their victimization to avoid recalling their helplessness and shame for being unable to do anything while enduring suffering no human should experience, to find their accurate memories while rationally recognizing that the abuse was not their fault.
As King Sejong had requested, Yunseo mechanically recited the stages of human brain development she knew. Her frontal lobe, overwhelmed by fear, awakened, and as the abundant stress hormones subsided, Yunseo realized she had been overcome by fear.
She also realized that if she did not handle this incident properly, she would, like the clients she had seen at the counseling center, be overwhelmed by the fear of being dragged like an animal in front of the horse stables whenever two male eunuchs dressed in dark green robes appeared,
and that merely hearing Jeon Gyun's voice would plunge her into the terror of death, causing her body to stiffen and break out in a cold sweat, and that the humiliation and shame of crawling on all fours like a beast before King Sejong today would make life in the Palace unbearable.
Life is not something that simply happens; it is something that must be lived. Daily life is not something to be endured but a time to be proactively led.
Thus, Yunseo, who had always counseled her clients with conviction as a professional counselor, was now placed on a harsh test bench where she had to apply those counseling principles to herself.
“······.”
Yunseo stopped reciting mechanically, stood up, and crossed her arms in front of her chest, hugging herself tightly.
Then, closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, holding her breath until she counted six at the end of her exhale, practicing mindful deep breathing, and patted her shoulders with her hands.
Pat, pat.
I was overwhelmed by the fear of death and suffered animalistic humiliation, but this is not my fault.
Pat, pat.
Humans are noble and dignified beings, capable of sacrificing themselves for their beliefs, for others, for freedom, for religion, for democracy.
Pat, pat.
I, Kwon Yunseo of the 21st century, will do my best to regain my human dignity in this Palace environment where humans are treated like animals and fear is wielded.
Even if the end is death.
Pat, pat.
“······?”
King Sejong, who had been sitting behind a desk piled high with various documents, listening greedily to the fascinating knowledge, looked at Kwon Ga in surprise.
King Sejong had known from the beginning that the Kwon Ga maid was pitifully caught in fear, but he had thought it was not a significant problem because most people he met as king feared him.
Thinking he had shown sufficient leniency as a king by giving her water to calm down, King Sejong watched with surprise and curiosity as Kwon Ga suddenly stopped speaking, straightened her body without permission, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and patted herself.
Finally, Kwon Ga opened her eyes.
And Kwon Ga committed an act that should never be done without the king's permission: she stared directly at the king, her body upright.
The transformation of a mere eighteen-year-old, frail maid trembling in fear into someone who met his gaze with the same confident eyes that his Father, the late King, had once looked at him with, was as bizarre and mystical as a cicada emerging from the body of a grub!
“Your Majesty!”
Yunseo released her arms and, kneeling, straightened her upper body to look at King Sejong.
“Your Majesty, I heard that one must be notified a day in advance and prepare to have an audience with Your Majesty. I was brought here like a dog and made to stand before Your Majesty in a disheveled state, without proper attire, having been taken away without notice and having gone through the proper procedures to receive my dismissal and leave the palace. I have committed a grave discourtesy.”
“······!”
“I request that you punish Jeon Gyun, the Grand Audience Hall eunuch, who has made me, a Palace Lady of the East Palace and wet nurse to His Highness the Grandson, such a discourteous person by violating the solemn audience procedures you have established, thereby bringing disgrace upon Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince, and our His Highness the Grandson.”
There was nothing Yunseo, who had paradoxically resolved to face death to live properly as a human, could not say.
The anger that had been accumulating since her soul was dragged to Joseon began to erupt all at once.
“And please grant me time to return to my residence in the East Palace, calm this current fear and anger, and prepare to calmly tell Your Majesty, who is like heaven, what I know.”
“Hah!”
King Sejong looked at Yunseo as if she were a goblin.
But Yunseo steadfastly met King Sejong's gaze.
King Sejong was great only in history; to the living Kwon Yunseo of the 21st century, the current King Sejong was merely an old man who condoned the unjust violence committed by Jeon Gyun.
“······.”
“······.”
King Sejong was dumbfounded by this type of person, the first he had ever encountered, yet he was also filled with fierce curiosity.
That maid, from the Queen's Palace to this moment of being dragged to Cheonsu Hall, has been speaking her mind, prepared to die, about what she believes is unjust.
Her recklessness was astonishing, yet that recklessness felt dazzlingly brilliant.
How beautiful is a human who speaks with such confidence, staking everything they have.
It was at that moment of admiration.
“Father, I am entering.”
Without seeking permission, the Crown Prince abruptly flung open the door of Cheonsu Hall and entered.
“Hah!”
This too was unprecedented, and King Sejong gaped at his son.
Lee Hyang had been in Bihyeon Pavilion, summoning various artisans from the Royal Printing Bureau and Gungisi, to discuss whether fingerprints were indeed different for each person, as Kwon Yunseo had said, and if so, how to effectively collect those traces.
The reasoning was that artisans like the ink-roller craftsman who applied oil to the type for printing and the printing craftsman who pressed paper onto the type, who dealt with oil and ink, would easily be able to devise a method to find finger patterns.
Gungisi, which handled gunpowder, would have excellent skills in processing the fine powder needed to detect the traces of finger patterns left on paper.
However, Eom Jachi urgently informed Lee Hyang outside that he had something to say.
“Kwon Ga went to Park Sanggung’s house to make a medicine to help with the itching from mosquito bites. Because the night watch change was imminent, she was wearing men's clothing convenient for riding. I am concerned that Jeon Gyun might use this as an excuse to slander Kwon Ga.”
“Tell the artisans to research the matter discussed today.”
Having commanded this, Lee Hyang rushed directly to Cheonsu Hall, next to Sajung Hall.
Except for the Royal Hunt, which was a military training disguised as a hunt, running like this without armor was something he had only done in his childhood, before being appointed Crown Prince.
Exhaling his increasingly rapid breaths, Lee Hyang had ultimately failed to find the man named Bogeom, but he had concluded that even if such a man existed, he could not let Kwon Yunseo go.
As he entered the courtyard of Sajung Hall, Jeon Gyun, bowing low in front of Cheonsu Hall, caught his eye.
Lee Hyang approached Cheonsu Hall with quick steps.
“Se, His Highness the Crown P-,” “Ugh!”
Lee Hyang slapped Jeon Gyun squarely on the cheek as he was bowing.
He struck with such force that Jeon Gyun spun like a top and fell to the ground.
“You will die today!”
Saying this, Lee Hyang entered Cheonsu Hall.
Inside, he saw the disheveled back of Kwon Yunseo.
The brim of her hat was crushed and torn, her hair was sticking out in all directions, and her azure robe was torn at the shoulder, revealing the jade-colored Jeogori underneath.
Seeing that sight, Lee Hyang felt his breath catch.
Can a person feel such heartache for another person?
Despite such a tragic appearance, Kwon Yunseo stood tall and proud even before His Majesty.
Her straight shoulders, as if refusing to yield to any threat in the world, were so heartbreakingly poignant that Lee Hyang prostrated himself before the king and reported,
“Your Majesty, Kwon Yunseo went out on my errand. Because she had to return quickly, I ordered her to wear comfortable attire.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Her words were different.”
“Kwon Yunseo’s words were a fabrication born of deep loyalty, out of concern that it might harm the dignity of myself and our His Highness the Grandson.”
King Sejong observed his son with an interested gaze.
His son, who had reluctantly entered the Consort's chambers like a cow being led to the slaughter whenever he was earnestly persuaded that it was important for the succession of the royal ancestral shrine, now displayed ardent affection in his eyes toward Kwon Ga.
“Is Yunseo the name of the Kwon Ga maid?”
“Yes, Father.”
“···Take her, and go.”
“Your kindness is immeasurable.”
Lee Hyang bowed low in respect and said to Yunseo,
“Let’s go, Yunseo.”
‘Yunseo.’
When Lee Hyang called her name, Yunseo was suddenly reminded of a dream from the previous night.
Since coming to Joseon, everyone had called her ‘Kwon Ga,’ and no one had called her by name. She had thought the appearance of a man with long, beautiful hair was a dream.
Yunseo, with trembling legs, bowed to King Sejong.
Lee Hyang firmly grasped Yunseo’s arm to support her as she swayed.
"Come again the day after tomorrow, at the hour of the new time."”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This time, you have been notified in advance, so prepare comfortably.”
“···Yes, Your Majesty.”
As Yunseo backed away to leave Cheonsu Hall, King Sejong suddenly called out to her again.
“Kwon Ga.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Still supported by Lee Hyang, Yunseo bowed to King Sejong.
“Even if the Crown Prince had not come, you would have been safe. And similarly, even if the Crown Prince had not come, Jeon Gyun would have been dismissed, punished, and sent as a slave to Bukcheong in the north.”
Hearing His Majesty’s voice through the open door, Jeon Gyun wailed, banging his forehead on the ground.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I have committed a crime worthy of death. Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
“Drag him to the royal prison and give him sixty strokes of the rod!”
King Sejong commanded in a stern voice.
‘Jeon Gyun is eliminated!’
He had been Grand Prince Suyang’s spy from early on, leaking Palace movements, and secretly causing Palace servants to mistreat Hongwi.
And most importantly, he was the culprit who, when Munjong suffered from boils, obstructed his meetings with officials and merely said he was fine, causing him to miss the proper treatment period and leading to his untimely death.
And Jeon Gyun, who handed over our Hongwi as a hostage to Grand Prince Suyang during the Gyeyu Coup, has been eliminated!
I had intended to take Jeon Gyun down with me, even if it meant death, while trying to preserve my human dignity and honor.
As the tension of facing death dissipated, all strength suddenly drained from her body.
Just as Yunseo was about to collapse to the ground, Lee Hyang scooped her up in his arms.
“Y-Your Highness!”
“Hold onto my neck tightly so you don’t fall.”
As the startled Palace Ladies and eunuchs murmured, Lee Hyang commanded,
“Everyone, prostrate yourselves and lower your heads.”
Lee Hyang, carrying Yunseo, strode confidently across the courtyard where everyone was prostrate with their heads bowed.
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