Chapter 114: That Guy Was Strong!
The news that 'Queen Soheon's recovery has been decided!' immediately spread in all directions.
Upon learning that the Crown Prince was the protagonist of this matter, Queen Soheon called for Hyang.
"Crown Prince! Thank you so much! Truly, thank you!"
At the sight of Queen Soheon weeping loudly while holding her hand, Hyang answered respectfully.
"It was something I had to do as a child. Now please calm your heart and live a long, healthy life! You must see not only your grandsons but your great-grandsons as well."
"I must! Yes! I certainly must!"
That night, Sejong visited Queen Soheon's quarters, took her hand, and spoke.
"I've been sorry all this time. Please forgive this husband who was thoughtless."
"No, Your Majesty! No! This concubine now has no regrets!"
Queen Soheon once again became tearful, following the events of the day.
* * *
After going through these events, the day of Hyang's wedding finally arrived.
Having performed four of the Six Rites (Nappechae, Napjing, Gogi, Chaekbin), Hyang performed the Imheonchogye (the king giving words of admonition to the Crown Prince) before proceeding to the Chinnyeong (going to the separate palace to bring the Crown Princess).
"Crown Prince, judging from your usual conduct, I think there is no particular need for worry, but since human affairs are unpredictable, I will say one thing. From now on, you are the head of a household. Never act rashly and be prudent in all matters."
"I will bear this deeply in mind."
Having completed the Imheonchogye, Hyang mounted his horse and headed for the separate palace.
On horseback heading toward the separate palace, the Crown Prince muttered quietly.
"I have to do this two more times?"
Because the Crown Princess and the concubines all had different saju (four pillars of destiny), the auspicious days were also different, so Hyang had to perform the wedding ceremony three times.
Riding a fine horse, Hyang simply let his thoughts flow along with the ritual.
'Wedding night... Now that I think about it, whether in the 21st century or this time, this is the first wedding night of my life? Hmm...'
As soon as the word 'wedding night' appeared, all sorts of flesh-colored spectacles unfolded in Hyang's mind.
At the sight of Hyang chuckling to himself, the eunuchs attending him whispered among themselves.
"Have you ever seen the Crown Prince like that before?"
"He looks like Prince Yu did when he saw the model train."
"Must be a good thing... I want to get married too..."
At one eunuch's grumbling, his colleague walking beside him looked at him with a strange expression.
"..."
"Why?"
The colleague asked with still that strange expression.
"You've been going out at night a lot lately..."
At his colleague's question, the eunuch in question jumped in alarm, looked around, and said to his colleague.
"Hey! Do you want to see someone lose their head?"
There was a reason for the eunuch's alarm.
In the case of Ming Dynasty eunuchs, the entire genitalia was removed, but in Joseon, only the testicles were removed.
However, in Joseon's case, since erection was possible, there was a high possibility of various scandals with the court ladies living together in the palace.
Therefore, if the colleague's question was slightly distorted, it could become a life-threatening major incident.
'Eunuch so-and-so said he wants to get married. Come to think of it, he goes out frequently at night.' would go around and transform into 'Eunuch so-and-so said he wants to get married, and that eunuch is close with Court Lady so-and-so. Could they have some relationship?' and finally transform into 'Eunuch so-and-so and Court Lady so-and-so are having an affair!'
And if such rumors reached the ears of the senior eunuchs or senior court ladies, a bloodbath would ensue.
The internal discipline of eunuchs and court ladies was stricter and crueler than imaginable, so if anything went slightly wrong, the subjects of the rumors would disappear without a sound.
At the sight of his colleague breaking into a cold sweat from uttering just one sentence, 'I want to get married,' another eunuch teased him.
"If you want to get married, just get married. Why are you so surprised?"
This was said because, unlike in China, Joseon eunuchs could marry.
However, the eunuch who was teased answered in a sullen voice.
"I don't have money..."
"That's why I told you to drink less alcohol."
While the attending eunuchs chattered, Hyang was still surrendering his body to the flow of consciousness.
'As expected, the Prime Minister is... Argh! I didn't delete the magpie folder on my computer in my room at the blacksmith shop!'
* * *
At the Chinnyeong conducted at the separate palace, Hyang was able to see the Crown Princess's face for the first time.
'Ooh! She's the center! Alright!'
Seeing the Crown Princess's face, Hyang cheered inwardly.
When he secretly observed the 'Gyeonghoeru Tea Party' hosted by the Queen, Hyang had evaluated them as a 'girl group.'
'If it's a girl group, there must be a center!'
Thinking so, Hyang worked hard to operate his Danmaekgyeong.
'Wow! No matter how I choose... they really selected properly!'
The beauty of the three final candidates was impossible to rank.
Though he somehow managed to select a 'center' after much effort, the other two were also neck and neck, so Hyang, suffering from 'choice paralysis,' passed the ball to Sejong.
'If I'm going to have regrets either way, at least make someone else the excuse!'
However, due to internal and external circumstances, all three candidates were taken, and from then on, Hyang fell into another worry.
'Then. Who is the Crown Princess?'
And at the long-awaited Chinnyeong, seeing the Crown Princess for the first time, Hyang couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
* * *
As mentioned earlier, Hyang's Crown Princess candidates were unconventional compared to the customs of the time.
Their beauty was exceptional, but the biggest difference was that all the candidates were tall.
Of course, they weren't lanky like 21st-century fashion models, but they were on the larger side compared to the average of the same period.
This was due to the influence of the Geomgye (investigation bureau) that searched for the candidates.
The members of the Geomgye, having received King Sejong's order, had shared opinions about what kind of candidate would be good.
"I understand we're supposed to find a candidate who is roughly pretty and kind-hearted, but wouldn't it be better to set more detailed standards?"
"More detailed? Isn't roughly pretty and kind-hearted enough?"
"Hey! We're not just picking a daughter-in-law for some high-ranking family. This is the Crown Princess! The Crown Princess, I tell you! You ignorant bastard!"
"Look who's talking!"
"Hey! I at least made it through the Analects! You ignorant bastard!"
Seeing the members bickering like this, the Gyeju (bureau chief) spoke up.
"Looking at you lot... add scholarship to the candidates' standards."
At the Gyeju's command, the grumbling members stopped their quarrel and asked.
"Scholarship?"
"Yes. As you all know, isn't the Crown Prince quite intelligent? Do you want to present a pretty but foolish candidate and get on his bad side?"
"Ah..."
After scholarship was added to the criteria for selecting candidates, 'height' was added next.
"Height? Why height?"
"Think about it. His Majesty the King, no, let's think from the Great King Yi Seong-gye onward. Were there any short noblemen?"
When the member who mentioned 'height' brought up Sejong's lineage, all the members exclaimed in admiration.
"Ah!"
"If you're going to swing a sword, a good physique is the answer, absolutely."
"Does His Highness have occasion to swing a sword?"
"Better than being scrawny, isn't it?"
Among the arguing members, one cautiously offered a different opinion.
"Then should we recommend a sturdy candidate..."
"If you actually recommend such a candidate and later get marked by the Crown Prince?"
"Then let's compromise with height for now..."
And so 'height' was included in the selection criteria for candidates, and Hyang was satisfied.
* * *
The Chinnyeong ended safely, and having returned to the Donggungjeon (Eastern Palace), Hyang conducted the Dongno (the ritual where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess bow to each other and share wine and food) with the Crown Princess.
After the Dongno ended, Hyang and the Crown Princess, wearing light clothing instead of heavy ceremonial robes—though they were still the Gonryongpo and Dangui—sat facing each other at the drinking table.
'This really doesn't set the mood...'
Hyang grumbled toward beyond the threshold with a face full of complaint.
"Do people really have to be by the door like this?"
At Hyang's grumbling upon seeing the eunuchs and court ladies crowded outside the bridal chamber door, the Jibil Sanggung sent by Queen Soheon answered with a smile.
"It is the national law."
At the Jibil Sanggung's answer from outside the door, Hyang clicked his tongue.
"Tch! No privacy, no privacy... Fine! But! Absolutely do not open that door!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
* * *
The Jibil Sanggung, sitting and waiting outside the bridal chamber, listened to the movements inside.
'It's their first night, will it go well?'
Unlike Sejong, who had already fathered children before entering the palace, Hyang was spending his first night in the palace.
Furthermore, Hyang had no sexual experience until now.
Therefore, the Jibil Sanggung had no choice but to focus her attention on the movements inside the room.
If necessary, she would have to enter the room even without the Crown Prince's command, and the Jibil Sanggung had the authority to do so.
While paying attention to the movements in the room like that, the Jibil Sanggung ended up with a dumbfounded expression.
It was because Hyang and the Crown Princess were having completely unexpected conversations inside the room.
"So, what are the Crown Princess's hobbies?"
"I enjoy reading books or doing needlework, but what I like most are horseback riding and archery."
"Archery? Wow~. How skilled are you?"
"It was only betting among women, but I almost never lost a bet."
"That's impressive!"
"Does Your Highness also enjoy archery?"
"I like archery too, but these days I prefer shooting something else instead of bows. Please wait a moment."
After a brief rustling sound, Hyang's words continued.
"This is the six-barreled cavalry firearm that Joseon cavalrymen use these days. Shooting with this is really quite fun."
"Is that so?"
"Let's do it together sometime."
"Yes."
At the conversation coming from inside the room, the Jibil Sanggung beat her chest.
'Oh my! There's a mountain of things to do right now, and they're chattering about firearms or whatever?'
While the Jibil Sanggung was frustrated outside, Hyang was equally frustrated.
Even in the 21st century, Hyang was far from dating.
He was a well-known otaku in middle and high school, and after entering university, he went all the way to America for his hobbies, becoming branded as a 'global otaku'—no women approached him.
'I need to create some kind of atmosphere... but I can't just say "Let's lie down! Take off our clothes! Touch!" That's not right! In movies and dramas... damn! The movies I've watched have nothing to do with romance! I'm going crazy!'
'Creating a romantic atmosphere' was a completely unknown territory, and what made Hyang hesitate even more was the Crown Princess's age.
The Crown Princess was 15 years old. Hyang was also 14, but he didn't care about his own age and was only concerned about the Crown Princess's age.
'Underage, underage! Click, click!'
Even when he tried to forget, the psychological brake kept catching, and Hyang kept hesitating.
*Ding~*
What broke that atmosphere was the sound of bells coming from the bell tower.
Hearing the bell, Hyang turned his head to check the time.
"It's already midnight. Let's go to, to sleep."
"Yes."
Answering demurely and lowering her head, the Crown Princess's neck was red up to her nape from shyness and tension.
The Jibil Sanggung, who had been listening to the conversation outside, clenched her fist small.
'Finally!'
When the lights in the bridal chamber went out, a few court ladies who came with the Jibil Sanggung tried to make holes in the door.
However, behind the paper pasted on the lattice, glass stood firm, and beyond that, another layer of paper blocked their view.
"Give up. This Donggungjeon is where glass doors were first installed. Do you think His Highness would have just let that pass?"
At the words of the court ladies working at the Donggungjeon, the court ladies who came with the Jibil Sanggung wore faces full of regret.
"Hmm..."
When the Crown Prince and Crown Princess finished their first conjugal relations, the Jibil Sanggung waiting outside wore a curious expression.
'It seems average... or maybe a bit short...'
Since the duration and frequency of conjugal relations also affected the matter of heirs, the Jibil Sanggung began analyzing with a serious face.
Right then, Hyang's voice was heard.
"Now that I roughly understand, let's do it properly."
"Pardon? Your Highness? What do you mean by that?"
"I only learned about conjugal relations through books, so today was my first time. Now that I've grasped how to do it, let's do it properly!"
"Yes, Your Highness? Through books...!"
Suddenly the Crown Princess's words stopped, and after a while, strange moans began to leak out.
"Ah...!"
Following that, the bridal chamber heated up.
"This time like this..."
"Again?"
"Now this too..."
Listening to the sounds coming from inside, the Jibil Sanggung looked outside.
Dawn was breaking.
"What in the world..."
At the ceaseless sounds, the Jibil Sanggung's eyes gradually grew more sunken.