The Weight of a Crown
[In opening, I take it that Jongmyo and Sajik are weighty matters indeed, so when the Great Mandate is passed on, the worthy must be chosen.]
[Chungnyeong is of gentle and clear temperament, and through devotion to learning his brilliance grows anew each day.]
[The hearts of the people have already turned to him; this is truly a virtue bestowed by Heaven.]
[Therefore, I confer the royal seal and gold book upon you and invest you as king. Preserve the ancestral state forever, and nurture all the people beneath heaven.]
James Miller asked cautiously.
He seemed to understand the words only faintly, if at all.
"Could you explain exactly what it means?"
After a moment’s thought, Si-woo spoke.
"These are the words Taehjong used when handing the throne to his son..."
He pointed at the first sentence on the monitor.
"The opening reads almost like a declaration. Jongmyo and Sajik, the foundation of the state, are said to be so weighty that the one who inherits the throne must be a man of virtue. Of course, the proper interpretation should come from specialists, but... I don’t think this is just ceremonial phrasing. Taehjong seized the throne after surviving the two Princes' Rebellions. It was a position he rose to through blood. That’s why I think he would have taken the matter of succession more seriously than anyone. And look at the second line."
He tapped the word Chungnyeong.
"Chungnyeong was Sejong’s princely title when he was crown prince. He was Taehjong’s third son. This passage reads like a direct listing of Chungnyeong’s qualities. It connects to the first line. It seems to be explaining why the third son, Chungnyeong, was chosen."
Everyone’s eyes were on Si-woo’s mouth.
"The moment these words were engraved on the gold plate, they became an official royal record. A document for posterity. Taehjong, too, would have intended every character to carry meaning when he handed over the throne."
James Miller pointed to the next line, impressed.
"What about the third line?"
"It can be read as saying that the people’s hearts had already turned to Chungnyeong, but..."
Si-woo’s voice dropped slightly.
"This is a line worth paying attention to. Taehjong doesn’t seem to have written that he simply chose Chungnyeong himself. He wrote that the people’s hearts had already turned toward him first."
He exhaled slowly.
"I think there are several intentions behind that. Taehjong came to the throne through the Princes' Rebellion. In other words, he took the seat by force. That stain must have followed him for the rest of his life. So when it came to his son, he wanted to do things differently. He wanted to give his son the perfect legitimacy of having been made king not by bloodshed, but because all under heaven desired it. That would have been the greatest gift a father could give."
Si-woo went on.
"There was probably political calculation in it as well. He needed a principle to stand on. And he was speaking to those who would read it later. He was invoking the logic that the people’s will is Heaven’s will. It sounds as though he’s saying he wasn’t choosing Chungnyeong out of favoritism, but because the people, that is, Heaven, wanted him. At the same time, it’s a terrifying warning. If the king was made because of the people’s hearts, then the moment he betrays those hearts, his right to rule disappears too. Taehjong understood royal authority better than anyone. You could read this as the ruling philosophy he left his son."
General Yang Dong-seok let out an admiring laugh.
"I see. Remarkable. To come up with that interpretation at a glance."
Si-woo shook his head.
"That’s only my personal reading."
"No, it was highly persuasive. Well done."
James Miller nodded as well, clearly intrigued.
"Since we can’t go back to that time, it’s only natural that several interpretations would emerge. Yours was logical and interesting."
But Si-woo kept looking at the monitor with care.
He leaned closer to the screen.
His eyes followed every brushstroke.
There’s no hesitation.
From the instant the brush touched the surface to the instant it left it.
Not once did the hand falter.
It struck hard, then bent and sprang away.
The handwriting was fast, forceful, and decisive.
Si-woo spoke.
"I think I can add one more thing."
James Miller turned to him.
"Of course, until a formal examination is done, this is only speculation. I want to make that clear first. Nothing I’m saying is confirmed."
"Go ahead."
"Please wait a moment."
At once, Si-woo searched for something on the laptop set up in the conservation room.
Yeolseong eobu.
It was a compiled record of the handwritten calligraphy of Joseon’s kings.
Some images were available in the National Museum of Korea’s online archive.
He found the entry for King Taejong’s calligraphy and brought it up on the screen.
A black-and-white scan of ancient handwriting.
He placed it beside the monitor displaying the terahertz scan results.
"Would you like to take a look?"
James Miller and General Yang Dong-seok naturally stepped closer.
Si-woo indicated the two screens in turn.
"The left is Taejong’s handwritten calligraphy from Yeolseong eobu. The right is the terahertz scan of this gold book. If we compare the two..."
Yang Dong-seok swallowed without realizing it.
Si-woo pointed to the left screen with the tip of his finger.
"The first thing that stands out in Taejong’s handwriting is the finish of the horizontal strokes. At the far right end, the brush lifts slightly and comes back inward. In ordinary regular script, the stroke is gathered slowly. But Taejong’s writing is different."
He traced the end of a stroke on the laptop screen with his finger.
"He doesn’t slow down. He carries the motion straight through. At the final moment he actually puts force into lifting the brush. See here? The tail of the stroke is short and sharp. It doesn’t trail off smoothly. It ends as if cut."
Then he shifted his gaze to the right, to the scan of the gold book.
"Look at the character king."
Everyone’s eyes moved back and forth between the two screens.
"The way the stroke ends is identical. More important is this."
This time Si-woo pointed to the vertical strokes on both screens.
"In Taejong’s handwriting, the vertical line comes straight down, then turns ever so slightly to the left at the end. It’s a recurring feature in several of Taejong’s surviving samples in Yeolseong eobu. The same trace appears in the gold book. Even the angle is almost identical."
James Miller narrowed his eyes and studied both screens slowly.
"It really is."
"At first I thought it might simply be a similar style from the same period."
He shook his head.
"A script can resemble another if it comes from the same era. But this isn’t really a matter of style."
He indicated both screens together.
"The way the hand applies force. The point where speed changes. The angle at which the brush is lifted at the end. Those things come from the person, not the script itself. They’re traces only someone who has held a brush the same way for decades can leave behind."
General Yang Dong-seok folded his arms and spoke in a low voice.
"So you’re saying the same trace appears in both places?"
"Yes. Of course, that doesn’t make it conclusive. Specialists in forensic handwriting would need to compare them carefully before any conclusion could be reached. What I’m telling you now is only my field judgment."
Si-woo added quietly,
"Still, when two things are this alike, it’s hard to call it coincidence."
The conservation room fell silent for a while.
James Miller spoke slowly.
"Then it’s highly likely that this gold book was engraved from a text Taehjong himself wrote by hand, with an artisan copying it directly."
"Yes. I think that’s very likely."
James Miller gave a low whistle.
* * *
It took several days for Crosier Fine Art’s initial authentication report to come out.
The final line of the report read:
[This artifact perfectly embodies the characteristics of early Joseon royal metalwork, and after examining the other specific traces, the possibility of forgery is exceedingly low.]
That was the beginning.
Once Crosier’s report was released, the National Museum of Korea’s Artifact Authentication Committee formally requested a review.
Other institutions followed in a stream of requests.
That was only natural, because this was not just another Joseon royal artifact.
The gold book of Sejong’s enthronement.
The only surviving example.
It did not take long for those words to spread through academia.
Once the articles started appearing, the spread was instantaneous.
[Breaking News] Physical copy of King Sejong’s enthronement gold book discovered... "Only surviving example, estimated value beyond calculation" Major domestic and international institutions judge it authentic... History emerges before the world after 600 years
[Joa Daily] "The discovery of a once-in-a-lifetime relic, with appraiser Kim Si-woo at its center" Another miracle after Nutflix’s Singing Bird... industry hails him as "the finest artifact appraiser alive"
[Daily Dongyang] 600 years asleep beneath concrete - how did Sejong’s gold book survive? An artifact recovered in 1950 from the Nakdong River front by American soldier Harold Kelly... preserved in the Kelly family’s care for 70 years
[Jua Daily] The concrete lump was King Sejong’s gold book... appraiser Kim Si-woo: "Strong possibility it is Taejong’s calligraphy" Comparison with Yeolseong eobu shows a match... academic verification now underway
[Cultural Daily] Nutflix artifact appraiser Kim Si-woo uncovers Sejong’s gold book this time Another miracle after Singing Bird... industry again praises him as "the finest artifact appraiser alive"
- Siuuuuu
- I mean, yeah, it’s Kim Si-woo being Kim Si-woo... or so I thought, but wait, Sejong’s gold book?
- I looked up what a gold book was, and it’s unbelievable... this is a relic above national treasure level, wow
- lol how on earth did he find that?
- The Kelly family is incredible. Appraiser Kim Si-woo said its value can’t even be estimated, and they’re returning it.
- Still, the state will probably give them a substantial reward, wow
- Thank you, Harold’s grandfather. May he rest peacefully there.
- Hurry back. I want to see it in person.
* * *
Secretary General Gwak Tae-woo called in the early afternoon.
- Appraiser Kim Si-woo, how have you been?
"I’ve been well, thanks to you."
- The Foreign Ministry contacted us about another matter. At last, we’ve received the message we were waiting for. The American side has decided to proceed with the repatriation as quickly as possible. They’ve even proposed holding an official send-off ceremony.
The news was a little startling.
"A send-off ceremony?"
- Yes. It would be an official event jointly held by the U.S. State Department and the Korean Foreign Ministry. It will probably take place at the airport and be broadcast live. President Doramp is expected to attend as well.
That was even more surprising.
President Doramp was going to attend too?
Secretary General Gwak Tae-woo’s voice grew careful.
- The President is very pleased. He says your work played a major role in Korean-American diplomatic relations.
"Me?"
- In fact, the American side wasn’t eager to move at first. They started with legal ownership review, questions about applying cultural heritage protection laws, all the usual procedural objections. To be honest, it seemed like it might drag on.
"Then how did they agree?"
- After the recent wave of articles, the story of Korean War veterans was also widely covered in the United States. In particular, Harold Kelly’s story was reported repeatedly. Public opinion in America shifted toward returning it. And once your discovery and the Nutflix documentary you’re filming were brought into it, the atmosphere changed quickly. It became a major issue, and they decided to hold a send-off ceremony soon. It’s all thanks to you, Si-woo. Hahaha.
"I see."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Secretary General Gwak Tae-woo said hesitantly,
- Would you be able to attend the event as well, Appraiser Kim Si-woo? The Kelly family has all agreed to participate.
There was no way he could stay out of this alone.
"Of course. It’s being held for a good cause, so I should absolutely attend."
- Hahaha. I’m glad to hear that. I’ll send you the schedule as soon as we can confirm the timing.
And a few days later.
At a White House briefing, President Doramp answered a reporter’s question in a few short words.
[Korea is our precious ally. Returning their treasure is only right. We always do the right thing. We’re on a completely different level from countries that don’t give things back.]
Was that aimed at France or Britain?
He was extremely blunt.
General Yang Dong-seok chuckled as he watched the television screen.
"That’s President Doramp for you. If anyone else had said it, it would’ve caused a huge stir. Though he’s not wrong, either. Haha."
"Well, compared to the things he’s said so far, this one’s not much."
"Still, there’ll be plenty to film this time. Haha."
Yang Dong-seok laughed as he spoke.
"Nutflix got permission to film too?"
"Of course."
"President Doramp says he wants it shot very well."
Director Choi Min-ho cut in from the side.
"You’re joking, right?"
"Of course. Naturally, I’m joking."
That gave Si-woo a start.
For a second, he’d really believed it.
He let out a low breath.
Being close to President Doramp...
Just the thought of it made him feel short of breath.