Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: King Sejong the Great's Trap (4)
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Am I dreaming right now? That's the thought that crossed my mind.
If not, there's no way such words could reach my ears.
"What did you just say, Minister of Military Affairs? I've been so exhausted from my heavy workload lately that I must have misheard you."
Jo Mal-saeng repeated it with a beaming smile.
"His Highness just commanded that Kim Dae-bung's concubine, Kim Gyeol, be specially elevated to principal wife, and that the royal family provide ceremonial gifts for the wedding."
I once saw something like this on the internet—an ad, or maybe a post.
"A pure heart goes only as far as pork belly. If someone buys you beef... they have an agenda."
It was a joke made up by some butcher shop owner, but it resonated deeply with people and spread like wildfire for a while.
It was a great warning to beware of excessive favors without strings attached.
Likewise, unless King Sejong the Great was defying Joseon's rites and laws, this was an event that could never happen.
The devious professor—King Sejong the Great—was openly trying to force a talented graduate student (prime minister, official) to skip graduation (resignation) and push into further studies (PhD).
To sum it up in one line:
'Hee hee, no resignation for you. Dae-bung will uphold the ancestral rites until the day he dies.'
I said I wanted to benefit Joseon, but I didn't want to end up like Prime Minister Hwang Hui, dragging myself to the palace with a cane past ninety, working until they finally forced me into remote work.
My vision blurred, and my head spun.
I wished I could just collapse right here.
I genuinely wanted to call in sick and rest for a month straight.
"Haha, you're so thrilled you can't even speak. It's common for the royal family to lend items used in royal weddings to prime ministerial families for their ceremonies... but there's no precedent for supplying everything needed for the wedding directly from the palace like this."
During King Sukjong's reign, Chief State Councillor Heo Jeok—affiliated with the Southerners—once illegally borrowed oil-treated silk partitions from the royal stores for his family's wedding, thanks to his influence.
Precisely, it became an issue because he abused his power...
Anyway, as Jo Mal-saeng said, kings often lent supplies for weddings in prime ministerial households.
But cases like mine, receiving full ceremonial gifts? None.
As I sat there dazed, Jo Mal-saeng patted my shoulder and chuckled heartily.
"Enough to make anyone jealous, Kim Clerk."
No matter what Jo Mal-saeng said, I'd made up my mind.
I would gladly accept King Sejong the Great's immense grace in elevating Gyeol to principal wife.
Sure, snatching it up would make it hard for me to resign casually, tying me down for at least twenty more years...
But Gyeol would love it.
If my wife was happy, I could work twenty years, no problem.
But the ceremonial gifts from the king? I absolutely would not accept them, even if it killed me.
Taking those would turn me into another Hwang Hui.
Even if I shouted, "No, I don't want it, please stop!" King Sejong would just say, "Yes, you will!" and enslave me for life.
Just thinking about it sent chills down my spine.
"I'll submit a petition."
"...? Are you ill? As a subject, you should simply accept His Highness's grace with gratitude. Why petition to retract it?"
"His Highness's great grace in caring for my plight without a principal wife and elevating my concubine to wife doesn't greatly violate rites, so I gratefully accept. However, bestowing royal ceremonial gifts on a lowly clerk like me would set a bad precedent. This must be stopped."
With that, I quickly drafted the petition and sent it to the Office of Royal Decrees.
**
On the way to Gwanghwamun Gate, I ran into Heo Jo along with officials from the Office of Inspectors and the Office of Censors.
Heo Jo spotted me and grinned broadly, clearly delighted.
"As expected of Jukheon! Kim Clerk, I knew you'd petition that this unprecedented event was improper."
"Since I have no principal wife, elevating my concubine can be seen as akin to heir adoption, where a concubine's child performs the rites in the absence of legitimate heirs. But providing royal gifts for a lowly clerk's wedding violates law and rite, setting a bad precedent."
I'm grateful for the sentiment. No, not grateful at all.
Filling my mouth with unrequested grace, then declaring I can never retire... how could I be thankful?
I want to retire at a reasonable time and live out my days comfortably.
I even want to visit Jinhae County decades from now.
"A true pioneer of direct remonstrance. Come, let's go together. We'll petition His Highness that this violates law and rite. The royal gifts must be blocked."
"Yes, my lord."
"And congratulations from the heart on welcoming your beloved concubine as your principal wife. My household isn't wealthy, but I'll give as generously as I can."
"You can congratulate me and still oppose the gifts because they're improper?"
Heo Jo burst into laughter.
"Even if it means getting beaten to death like Poeun Jeong Mong-ju with an iron club, wrong is wrong. Just like you said, Kim Clerk."
Meanwhile, the smell of alcohol wafted from the officials following Heo Jo.
Heo Jo was the type to boldly remonstrate sober and defy when needed, even against Iron Club King Yi Bang-won...
But ordinary officials couldn't petition against the king stone-cold sober.
That's why the Office of Censors—unique among all Joseon offices—officially permitted and encouraged daytime drinking.
To borrow some liquid courage for petitions.
We all spread mats in front of Gwanghwamun Gate.
Heo Jo spoke first.
"Your Highness, it's true that Military Affairs Clerk Kim Dae-bung has rendered great service to the nation. Thus, elevating his beloved concubine to principal wife out of concern for his lack thereof bends rites somewhat but not reason. However, sending royal wedding gifts—unprecedented outside royal weddings for grand princes, princesses, princes, and princesses—why bestow such favoritism in defiance of Joseon's laws?"
Defying law and rite with absurd grace to trap me as Hwang Hui for life.
Such wicked schemes must never be allowed.
With Heo Jo and the inspectors and censors uniting, the petition gained real weight.
We had to stop this tragedy swiftly.
"We know of Retired King Your Highness's boundless grace for cherished Kim Dae-bung, but in the long view, this will earn him the envy of countless officials and set a bad precedent for posterity, eroding law and rite. How can this benefit Kim Dae-bung and his wife? Please reconsider your benevolence and retract the decree!"
Next came petitions from the Chief Censor and Chief Inspector and other high officials.
They urged review since it didn't align with principle and precedent.
Unlike Heo Jo's vehement stance that such grace would harm me and must be scrapped.
When my turn came, I prepared to read my petition.
"Retired King Your Highness, King Your Highness arrives!"
Yi Bang-won and King Sejong the Great appeared.
Much sooner than we'd anticipated.
Unease flickered across Heo Jo's face.
Ignoring us, King Sejong smiled at me.
Like a professor kidnapping an innocent undergrad into the dream-filled grad school (from the prof's view only).
My god, what a terrifying smile.
"Seeing the Minister of Rites and Kim Dae-bung reminds me of Wei Zheng aiding Emperor Taizong of Tang."
Emperor Taizong Li Shimin called Wei Zheng "a mirror reflecting myself"—a true prime minister.
He remonstrated relentlessly, from trifles to grave matters, even bitterly enough to make Taizong want to kill him.
And none of his words were wrong, so on the failed Goguryeo campaign's return, Taizong lamented the long-dead Wei Zheng:
'If Wei Zheng were here, I wouldn't have launched this foolish expedition.'
"Yet my bestowing such excessive grace on Kim Dae-bung is to fulfill filial duty as a son."
In Confucian society, filial piety is the ultimate weapon.
How powerful? Hwang Hui fled into three-year mourning exile, forcing Sejong to let him go after months.
Even the National Code allowed children to substitute for parents in all punishments short of execution for filial reasons.
"I know Retired King Your Highness's kindness bends rite. But when reports came of the Bangwon Law increasing taxes while ensuring famine-free meals for the poor, he wept and said, 'Grandfather King Taejo's last edict was to build a nation sharing joy with the people. Now fulfilled, I die without regret.'"
With filial piety and King Taejo invoked, no law or reason could counter Sejong's words.
Opposing would instantly paint us as Goryeo ghosts.
"Hearing Kim Dae-bung has no principal wife, only a concubine—and avoids one lest his beloved suffer neglect like my late mother—Retired King recalled her and commanded elevating Kim Gyeol to principal wife."
Mom and Dad dragged out—no one could stop him.
"Retired King, deeming himself unworthy yet enabled to uphold King Taejo's edict through loyal Kim Dae-bung, commanded ceremonial gifts in gratitude. Thus, Minister of Rites and Clerk Kim Dae-bung: though against rite, oppose no more."
"...Your grace overwhelms us, Your Highness."
Tears fell from my eyes.
Not from joy, of course.
Accepting the gifts and elevation felt like collaring myself for lifelong servitude—despair brought the tears.
But to others, it looked like I was moved by the two kings' grace.
Afterward, King Sejong bestowed precious tonics, delicacies, and beef on Heo Jo and me.
He raised prostrate Heo Jo first, then me, whispering in my ear:
"I won't commit the folly of Emperor Gaozu suspecting Zhang Liang."
In Joseon lore, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang suspected retired Zhang Liang, forcing his "retirement" to avoid purge.
Thus, assuring me to work without fear.
I don't want any of it—I just want early or normal retirement.
"So let us build a Joseon where people smile, dreaming of better tomorrows."
Save me, I want to go home.