Chapter 115: He Has Returned! (1)
When morning came, Jibilsanggung reported to the Queen Consort about the wedding night.
"So, did the Crown Prince safely complete the wedding night?"
"Yes. His Highness safely completed the wedding night."
"But why is your voice like that? Your nose sounds stuffed. Why is that?"
"I had some nosebleeds..."
As Jibilsanggung slightly raised her head, cotton soaked with blood was stuffed in both her nostrils.
"My goodness! You must have been tired lately, hmm? I see... Is there any need to worry about heirs?"
To Queen Soheon's question, Jibilsanggung answered firmly.
"There is absolutely no need to worry about the heir issue!"
After that day, rumors began to spread that 'the Crown Prince is a genius in that area as well.'
And among noble families with sons or grandsons of similar age to Hyang, they began to move secretly.
'Find that book the Crown Prince supposedly saw!'
* * *
Perhaps thanks to becoming sufficiently familiar through the Crown Princess, Hyang spent an even hotter wedding night with the two consorts.
Thanks to this, Sejong even asked Hyang the following:
"I heard talk of a book... ahem. Where and what kind of book did you obtain?"
To Sejong's question, Hyang answered with an embarrassed expression.
"Among the books I've been acquiring through envoys since long ago, a few books concerning relations between men and women were mixed in."
'I can never say I learned it from the internet even if I die!'
At Hyang's answer, Sejong demanded from Hyang in a subtle voice.
"Is that so? Such books existed? How embarrassing. I should check what kind of books they are. Bring them to me."
"The contents were embarrassing so I burned them immediately."
"Hey, you rascal!"
In an instant, Sejong shouted loudly. Surprised, Hyang looked at Sejong and answered.
"W-what did I do wrong...?"
At Sejong's words, Hyang asked back with a flustered expression.
Then Sejong answered.
"H-how can you treat books so carelessly! Burning them!"
"I-It was too embarrassing..."
"Even so!"
At Sejong's excessive reaction, Hyang quickly answered.
"Considering the number of my half-brothers and brothers of different mothers, there is no need for you to see books as well..."
"All learning must never cease."
At Sejong's answer, Hyang stood with his head lowered, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.
* * *
The rumor that 'the Crown Prince is amazing at night too!' spread widely within the palace.
Thanks to this, the musuri doing chores here and there in the palace also chatted with this rumor as their topic.
The musuri working in the royal palace were not court ladies. They were women selected by the sanggung from among strong and hardworking women among common folk.
Therefore, while there were unmarried women, there were also many married women. The musuri selected this way received identification tags and commuted to and from the palace.
True to their name musuri (water carriers), their main task was drawing water for use in the palace, but they also fired the kitchen stoves and handled all sorts of miscellaneous chores.
The work was rough, and since there were many married women with stubborn personalities who had been through everything, rated as strong and good workers, all sorts of uninhibited conversations took place where musuri gathered.
"Hey, did you hear the rumor?"
"What rumor?"
"The Eastern Palace, I mean the Eastern Palace."
The musuri waiting for their turn with many water buckets lined up at the well discussed 'the Eastern Palace.'
However, since they could be punished with flogging if they casually mentioned Hyang's name, they vaguely continued the conversation as 'the Eastern Palace.'
"The Eastern Palace? Ah... they say he's that amazing?"
"Jibilsanggung sat guarding and had three nosebleeds, they say?"
"Oh my! How amazing! Jibilsanggung is someone thoroughly experienced, isn't she? For such a person to have three nosebleeds? Oh my~. That person is truly 'four mal five doe.'"
When her colleague marveled, the musuri who first spoke sighed.
"Phew~. While someone makes Jibilsanggung have nosebleeds, my household's enemy starts snoring as soon as his back touches the floor... there's no joy in living, no joy. I don't expect 'four mal five doe,' but if only he were 'five doe' I'd have no wishes!"
"Oh my? If he were just five doe, you'd make meat soup every morning!"
"Hohohoho!"
"Hohohoho!"
The musuri sharing stories laughed loudly enough to shake the neighborhood.
Watching this, a young musuri asked an older musuri beside her.
"What does 'four mal five doe' mean?"
"You don't need to know yet."
"Come on~. What does it mean? Huh? What does it mean?"
When the young musuri kept pressing, the older musuri began to tell the story.
-In a certain village in the countryside, there lived a yangban couple with very good relations between husband and wife.
One day, the couple woke up at the same time just before sunrise, and their eyes met and they began to engage in relations.
Just as things were heating up, the kitchen maid who was doing kitchen work called out to the wife.
"Madam. Madam~. How many doe of rice should I measure for breakfast? Madam? Madaaam~."
As the maid, famous for being scatterbrained, kept calling out, the wife answered from inside the room.
"F, five! Fi-ive! Fi-ive! Doe!"
"Okay, got it."
When dawn fully broke and the wife came out to the kitchen, she saw a large pot full of cooked rice and was shocked, grabbing the maid.
"You wench! Are you in your right mind! Why did you make so much rice!"
"You told me to make this much, Madam!"
"When did I say that!"
"You said 'F, five! Fi-ive! Fi-ive! Doe!' didn't you! Five doe plus five doe makes one mal, and five-five makes two mal five doe, altogether four mal five doe!"
"That's how the saying 'four mal five doe' came about. Alright! It's your turn! Let's draw water!"
The older musuri who finished the story walked toward the well with long strides, and the young musuri with a bright red face followed behind with quick steps.
* * *
Meanwhile, the families that became Hyang's in-laws through marriage were also moving busily.
"Is the luggage all packed?"
"Yes, Father."
"Hoo~."
The parents sighed deeply seeing their sons preparing to leave far away.
The sons had to leave for the distant and rugged northern frontier for the family's peace and their own safety.
* * *
After Hyang's marriage was decided, Sejong invited everyone who would become Hyang's in-laws.
Sejong gathered those who would become Hyang's in-laws at the banquet hall of Gyeonghoeru and conducted the banquet seated in the seat of honor.
"To celebrate the joyous occasion of the Crown Prince's spouse being decided, I have called you all who will now become the royal family's in-laws."
"We are overwhelmed by your grace."
Those invited to Gyeonghoeru all bowed their heads at Sejong's words.
The banquet began, but the in-laws' people watched only Sejong while extremely tense.
'Even a small mistake means extermination of the family!'
After some time passed, Sejong got to the main point.
"Today, I invited you all because I have something to say."
"We will listen with washed ears."
'Has what was coming finally come?'
The in-laws' people swallowed dry saliva while watching Sejong.
Sejong slowly opened his mouth.
"After the Crown Prince's wedding ends, no, even now many guests will visit your homes. Isn't that so?"
"We will lock the gates immediately!"
At Sejong's pointing out, the prospective fathers-in-law all answered in one voice.
In fact, as soon as the word spread that they 'became the Crown Prince's Crown Princess - or consort,' not only gift bundles but also relatives and acquaintances who had rarely visited before flocked in.
"Hoho~ Locking the gates unconditionally is also rude. Do entertain them, but I hope you won't do anything that brings shame to the royal family."
"We will bear it deeply in mind!"
The prospective in-laws all bowed their heads and answered.
"And... your sons are truly impressive."
"Your praise is more than we deserve. They are ones who would be fortunate just to earn their keep."
"How could that be? Seeing one, you know ten. Hmm... have they taken the civil service exam?"
At Sejong's question, the brothers of the Crown Princess and consorts answered one by one with trembling voices.
"I am working at the Ministry of Taxation."
"The Ministry of Taxation? That must be quite hard work. Suffer a little more. The overall inspection is not far away. If you do your best, there will be good results."
"I will devote myself utterly!"
Soon, one sturdy son spoke up.
"I passed the military examination recently."
"The military examination? You must become the shield that protects the country, so work even harder."
"I will forge ahead, again and again!"
Among the nine sons of the three families attending the banquet, excluding the one working at the Ministry of Taxation and one who passed the military examination, the remaining seven were preparing for the civil service exam. It was exactly as reported.
Having confirmed the situation, Sejong stroked his beard lightly and opened his mouth.
"I would like to give opportunities to the other sons excluding the one working at the Ministry of Taxation, would that be alright?"
At Sejong's question, the fathers-in-law made a deep bow.
"We are overwhelmed by your grace!"
Not only the fathers-in-law but the sons themselves also made deep bows.
"We are overwhelmed by your grace!"
But the words Sejong continued with were not good words at all.
"I have prepared places for you in the northern development lands. Go there and accumulate achievements and merits. Then later when the time comes, I will use you even more preciously."
At Sejong's words, the sons who had been happy froze on the spot. But soon, the one who passed the military examination answered in a loud voice.
"We will follow your command! You have given us such a good opportunity, we are overwhelmed by your grace!"
The other sons also answered with the feeling of crying while eating mustard.
"We are overwhelmed by your grace!"
"I will look forward to it."
Having finished one matter, Sejong glared at Hyang's fathers-in-law.
"Soon, lord titles and peerages will be bestowed upon you in-laws. So I have something to request."
"Command us."
"It is simple. Do not forget whose blood I have inherited. I too, if necessary, can stage the same events."
At Sejong's words, Gyeonghoeru literally froze. Everyone except Sejong had pale faces and only kept their heads bowed.
Eventually, the three fathers-in-law answered with trembling voices.
"We will bear it deeply in mind and follow your command!"
* * *
That was how, except for the son serving at the Ministry of Taxation among the sons of the three families, all the rest came to prepare to leave for the north.
"Your son, then, will now depart."
"Yes, yes... sob!"
At the sight of sons making their farewell bows, the mothers wiped tears with their sleeve cuffs. The father sitting beside them tried to maintain composure and encouraged his sons.
"Yes. Think of this situation as an opportunity and do your best."
"Yes. Then, Father, Mother. Please stay in good health."
The sons who paid their farewell respects left their families and headed north.
* * *
Excluding the Crown Prince's wedding that was carried out 'like roasting beans in a flash of lightning,' the second half of the tenth year of Sejong's reign, the year of Musin, seemed to pass peacefully.
However, on October 16th, an impeachment petition came up from the Office of the Inspector General.
The target of impeachment was Minister of War Hwang Sang.
-Chief Commander Yi Sun-mong committed adultery with Wolhwa-bong, the gisaeng concubine of Minister of War Hwang Sang, and was caught by Hwang Sang, who then shaved both their heads. Yi Sun-mong then falsely reported and did not perform his duties. Hwang Sang illegally extorted a gisaeng, and Yi Sun-mong took false sick leave and did not work, so they should be heavily punished.
Sejong, who received the petition, immediately gave an order.
"Imprison the related parties in the Uigeumbu and interrogate them."
"I will follow your command!"
Meanwhile, Hyang, who heard the story, lightly shook his head.
"No, in this era too, were there things like pills and seeds? The elders have quite some energy..."
Eventually, when everything was proven true, Sejong gave an order.
"Recover all position certificates and merit certificates given to Yi Sun-mong and Hwang Sang. Confiscate half of all their property. And sentence both to indefinite document organization punishment."
"I will follow your command!"
Meanwhile, the historian recorded all these events and added a note.
-His Majesty ordered the criminals to receive document organization punishment, and all ministers agreed.
The historian comments.
Nowadays, exile punishment is almost nonexistent.
I can only deplore that there are almost no respected old ministers.
* * *
As Hwang Sang received document organization punishment, the position of Minister of War became vacant.
"Who would be good..."
Though he ordered the ministers to recommend suitable candidates, Sejong himself searched his memories to find a suitable person.
While Sejong was looking for a suitable candidate, the Chief Royal Secretary entered with a scroll.
"What is that?"
"These are the document organization records completed this month."
"Leave it and go."
"Yes."
As Sejong unfolded the scroll left by the Chief Royal Secretary and checked the contents, his eyes fixed on one place.
"The Ministry of War achieved these results? How?"
Examining in detail the Ministry of War's achievements that recorded results surpassing other departments of the Six Ministries, Sejong's gaze fixed on one name.
'Jo Mal-saeng.'
The one who had entered the records office after receiving document organization punishment had demonstrated outstanding ability and quickly organized the Ministry of War's records.
Confirming the name, Sejong smiled and murmured.
"There was a usable person."