< Episode 7: Who Did You Say My Father Is? (5) >
Episode 7: Who Did You Say My Father Is? (5)
The second reason Hyang changed his plans was, amusingly enough, due to physiological needs.
"I need to go! I need to go!"
Suddenly feeling the urge, Hyang rushed to where the chamber pot was located.
Pushing aside the cumbersome red robe hem and attending to his business over the chamber pot, Hyang cursed softly.
"Damn it! Missed again!"
Since reaching the age where he no longer wore diapers, what bothered and irritated Hyang the most was using the bathroom.
Though there were toilets in the palace, there were few of them and they were far away.
Because of this, Hyang had to handle most of his needs with a chamber pot, and each time he had to endure the inconvenience.
This personal complaint of Hyang's aside, the issue of bodily functions was a problem that absolutely had to be addressed.
'The palace is overflowing with the smell of shit and piss!'
In various secluded spots throughout the palace, places with many trees, there were always piles of feces and traces of urine.
In severe cases, the leaves of trees in spots court ladies favored for relieving themselves would yellow and wither completely.
It wasn't just a matter of smell. There was also a hygiene issue. The problem was that if one lost focus even slightly while relieving oneself, it would immediately get on one's clothes.
'No, the clothing itself is the problem from the start!'
Hyang recalled memories from when he was even younger than now.
It was from when Chungnyeong Daegun still lived in his private residence, and Hyang's mother was changing clothes to do laundry.
'Just how many layers is that!'
First, she put on inner leg undergarments, innermost undergarments, inner pants, padded underpants, then wide pants over those, then an underskirt, then a multicolored layered skirt made by layering cloths of different colors, and finally a skirt with gorgeous gold-pressed patterns.
Watching this scene blankly, Hyang cried out internally.
'What were those movies I saw! Tell the historical researchers to all turn in their resignations! After the outer skirt and inner skirt, it went straight to buttocks! Even if it was erotic content, it was a theatrical release - that's too much!'
Though he digressed, those层层 layered skirts themselves became the worst obstacle every time women needed to relieve themselves.
Because the clothing was difficult to put on and take off, making it hard to even reach the toilet, using chamber pots or relieving oneself in secluded spots away from people's eyes had become daily life.
There was another important hygiene problem that came with these clothing and toilet issues.
"We greet the Prince."
Court ladies passing by carrying baskets of laundry saw Hyang and immediately paid their respects.
"Yes. Good work."
At Hyang's response, putting on weight unlike a child, the court ladies held back laughter and began gathering their things to go on their way.
"Wait. That court lady there."
"Yes?"
"Not you, the third court lady from the back."
"Me, Your Highness?"
The designated court lady stepped forward with a puzzled expression.
If the Prince were past the age of understanding, they might hope for some fortune - though there would be problems since court ladies were the King's possessions - but the Prince before them was only five years old.
When the court lady he designated came forward, Hyang spoke simply.
"You. It's stuck behind you."
"Yes?"
"I said it's stuck on the back of your skirt."
"Yes?"
"There's shit on the back of your skirt!"
The court lady, who kept tilting her head not understanding, turned bright red at Hyang's words and lifted the back of her skirt.
"Oh my!"
"Go change."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
When the red-faced court lady hurriedly left the spot, Hyang glared at the remaining court ladies.
"What were you all doing?"
"Yes?"
"Your coworker's clothes had a problem and you didn't even take care of it?"
At Hyang's rebuke, all the court ladies bowed their heads.
"We beg your pardon."
"Make sure this doesn't happen in the future."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Having given the court ladies a warning, Hyang let out a small sigh and moved his feet.
That afternoon during lessons, Hyang told the guest scholar about what happened during the day and asked a question.
"If one is human, naturally excreting is the normal way. But if the clothes one wears hinder that, isn't this departing from the normal way?"
At Hyang's question, the guest scholar in charge of education answered with a troubled expression.
"However, clothing is not simply for blocking cold and heat, but for covering shame and representing that person's status, so one must endure the inconvenience."
"Status... That a person's status is determined by their attire is also not the normal way, is it? Is there not a saying that 'Though a gentleman wears rags, the fragrance of his virtue spreads a thousand li'?"
"That is true, but..."
"Don't you think it should change?"
"Ha, haha...."
At Hyang's question, the guest scholar had to break out in cold sweat.
That night, lying in bed, Hyang made a resolution.
"I will definitely create flush toilets and carry out clothing reform!"
* * *
These two reasons became the biggest reasons Hyang decided to change his plans. Whenever environmental issues came up, Hyang cursed.
"I can't live like this, it's so stifling and dirty!"
Here, 'dirty' meant literally dirty and unbearable. Even in the private residence where Sejong lived as Chungnyeong Daegun, bedbugs commonly roamed, and lice and fleas were also common. Added to that was the situation of not bathing frequently, combined with the fragrance rising from the scent pouch worn at the waist, creating a situation that was truly too dirty to describe.
With the toilet problem and clothing problem overlapping, Hyang decided to change his plans.
"Even in the 21st century Republic of Korea military, flush toilets disappeared everywhere except a few places..."
Recalling the toilet problem he absolutely couldn't adapt to, Hyang changed his plans.
"Is it becoming ver.1.5?"
Calculating how many revisions this was, Hyang modified items in the plan he held in his heart.
- Advance the starting point of external activities to age 9. By age 9 at the latest, he will be appointed Crown Prince rather than just a Prince. If he becomes Crown Prince, he will have some power.
- Once appointed Crown Prince, conduct outings outside. Grasp the living conditions of commoners living outside the palace, in the capital, to give strength to the reform policies Sejong will pursue.
- In addition to the above, play a role in accelerating the creation of Hangul.
"This much should be enough."
Having reviewed the modified plan, Hyang rose from his seat. Opening the window and looking outside, Hyang muttered softly.
"I wonder if that kid is sleeping well?"
The 'that kid' Hyang mentioned was Suyang Daegun.
As Sejong was appointed Crown Prince, changes occurred for his family as well.
Hyang was the eldest son, so he entered the palace together with them, and the third son Anpyeong was born in the palace. But Suyang, caught in between, was living in a private residence.
It was a situation where he should be brought into the palace, but with Sejong's enthronement, the conquest of Tsushima, Anpyeong's birth and other events overlapping, the timing of Suyang's entrance to the palace had not yet been determined.
In history, the time Suyang entered the palace was when Hyang turned 8, and Suyang turned 5.
"This part seems like it will flow similarly to actual history..."
Hyang traced his memories from his past life. According to his memories from his past life, the principle was that when a Daegun or Gun or Princess reached adulthood at age 15, they would leave the palace. But in reality, it was commonplace to make them independent around age 8.
"But, this is early Joseon..."
Hyang lightly counted on his fingers.
"Short term 3 years, long term 10 years... What should I do with that kid during that time?"
Knowing that the younger brother currently living outside the palace would later usurp the throne, Hyang agonized over how to handle this younger brother.
"I left him alone because there was no time when he entered the palace, but once he comes to the palace, I'll need to deal with him. Should I just harass him extensively from the start? Or should I try gently persuading him as a kind older brother?"
Hyang was agonizing over the question of 'whip or carrot' when he sneered and couldn't help but laugh.
"Never mind... He's only five now, and by then he'll be around eight. If a kid harasses another kid, I'll just get cursed at..."
* * *
While Hyang agonized over what to do about his younger brother who would later become a throne usurper, Hyang's mother Queen Soheon was also worrying.
"Yu should enter the palace, but... sigh~."
Queen Soheon's eyes, as she sighed, were directed toward the room where Hyang was.
When Hyang first saw Yu, who had just been born and wrapped in swaddling clothes, Queen Soheon detected Hyang's abnormal reaction.
'Hostility? Why?'
Worried about Hyang showing hostility toward his newly born younger sibling, Queen Soheon asked the wet nurse anxiously.
"It seems the eldest child hates the second one. What should we do?"
At Queen Soheon's question, the wet nurse answered with a smile.
"It's a natural thing, Madam."
"Natural?"
"When a younger sibling is born, the child born first usually doesn't like it. Because the affection that was directed only at them now goes to the younger sibling. This part will be quickly corrected once the older sibling grows a bit more and receives discipline."
"Is that so?"
"Of course it is!"
Despite the wet nurse's answer, Queen Soheon, unable to erase her worry, earnestly requested the wet nurse.
"Please put some effort into this."
"I understand."
After that, perhaps the wet nurse's efforts bore fruit, there were no instances of Hyang showing hostility toward his younger sibling. However, Queen Soheon's worry did not easily disappear. Though hostility disappeared from Hyang, in its place came indifference, and next came excessively demanding standards.
"Hyang, what are you doing?"
A few days after Yu's first birthday celebration ended, Queen Soheon discovered Hyang searching for books in Chungnyeong Daegun's study. At Queen Soheon's question, Hyang straightened his posture and answered respectfully.
"Yes. I was looking for a few miscellaneous books to refresh my mind for a moment, and what books would be suitable for Yu to learn later."
"Hyang. Yu has only just passed his first birthday. Isn't it too hasty to already choose books for him to learn?"
"I learned that preparation done in advance is best."
"That's not wrong, but..."
Since Hyang's words weren't wrong, Queen Soheon, trailing off her words, asked another question.
"So what do you think would be good?"
"I think Tonggamjeolyo would be good. Since he's passed his first birthday, it would be good to start right after his second birthday."
At Hyang's answer, cold sweat began to flow on Queen Soheon's face.
"Isn't that too fast?"
"Is it fast?"
At Hyang's counter-question, Queen Soheon nodded.
"It is fast. Hyang, you are brilliant and started your studies early, but other children don't start that early."
At Queen Soheon's explanation, Hyang expressed his dissatisfaction.
"Father's brilliant talent is known to all the people of Joseon. The children who inherit his blood must absolutely not be mediocre."
"Sigh~."
At Hyang's firm answer, Queen Soheon let out a long sigh.
* * *
"Sigh~."
Recalling the past events, Queen Soheon let out another long sigh.
"I thought giving birth to a brilliant child was a blessing, but..."
Giving birth to a child who was brilliant but excessively brilliant had become a curse.
Compared to the firstborn, the second and third were brilliant but lacking. It was like how the moon is bright but cannot compare to the sun.
The problem was that Hyang set his standards for his younger siblings based on himself. No, Hyang wasn't the only problem. From the time the princes began their studies, it was certain that the ministers would set Hyang as the standard of judgment for everything.
"Sigh~."
Along with her sighs, Queen Soheon's sleepless nights continued.
< Episode 7: Who Did You Say My Father Is? (5) > End
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