Chapter 177
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 177
Chapter Title: A King's Legacy
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-…I think I’ve heard of it?
-Yeah, I think I heard about it in history class lol.
Korean and Chinese characters appeared on the screen.
[피휘避諱 - Naming Taboo]
“This is how you write it. The character for ‘avoid’ and the character for ‘taboo.’ During the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, it was a practice to avoid using the Chinese characters that were part of the king’s or a high-ranking person’s name.”
-Ah. I remember now. If they used a common character in their name, the subjects couldn't use it at all, so they purposely chose rare characters for the king's name.
“Yes. The names of Joseon kings were often chosen using difficult Chinese characters that ordinary people didn’t use. Usually, they would choose a single-character name to go with the surname ‘Lee,’ but Lee Hongwi is a special case. You know King Sejong’s name, right?”
-Lee Do!
“Yes. Grand Prince Suyang’s name is Lee Yu. Usually two characters. Though King Taejong, Lee Bangwon, had three.”
The Film Critic continued.
“Even the names of royalty were rarely spoken. Grand Prince Suyang was called Suyang Samchon instead of by his name, Lee Yu, and Grand Prince Seongnyeong was called Seongnyeong instead of Lee Jong. That’s how precious the names of Joseon royalty were. If that was the case for royalty, imagine how it was for the king’s name.”
At the Film Critic’s words, everyone recalled a scene from *Yeok*.
-…!
-No way…….
“Yes. Lee Hongwi. From that moment, Sejo completely revealed his true intentions. Danjong must have known, too. Who would dare commit the discourtesy of calling the king by his name so carelessly?”
-I just thought he was calling his name. You know, like how moms use your full name when they’re mad.
-222 I thought it was something like that too.
-I knew it!
-It’s even more chilling when you know.
“And the connection with Gangdol was also touching. Of course, this story is likely fiction. To be exiled to the village of the people he saved and to see their lives firsthand… I hoped it brought Danjong some small comfort.”
-But were there people who were sad when Danjong died?
-Yeah, his time as king was so short.
-ㅠㅠ It would be so sad if there was no one. ㅠㅠ
“His reign was just over three years, but there must have been people who survived because of Danjong’s orders. Even the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty mention records of epidemics and natural disasters.”
-The Annals of Prince Nosan?
-Isn't that said to be heavily distorted?
The Film Critic nodded.
“We don’t know how much of the Annals of Prince Nosan was altered, but the natural disasters and epidemics were likely true. Those facts aren’t related to the political turmoil. In any case, if such people remained, they probably mourned Danjong’s death, just like in Gangdol’s village.”
-ㅠㅠ Danjong ㅠㅠ
-If he had drunk the poison, I would have been sobbing my eyes out.
-I’m glad they didn’t show it directly. ㅠㅠ
-I cried a lot even without seeing it. ㅠㅠ
-The line was so sad. ㅜ
-Danjong: …Wasn’t I… good enough?
-…You’re making me cry again.
-ㅠㅠ You were more than good enough. You did so well.
The Film Critic’s eyes also grew moist. He had seen it more than five times, but that line always made him tear up.
“Me too. I wanted to praise him and tell him he did a great job.”
At the Film Critic’s choked voice, the chat window became a sea of tears.
-I’m planning to go to Yeongwol this summer vacation. I’m going to visit Danjong’s place of exile and pray at Jangneung.
-22 I also went to Grand Prince Seongnyeong’s tomb lol. I plan to go to Jangneung too.
-Jangneung?
“Danjong’s tomb is called Jangneung. He was only recognized as a king during King Sukjong’s reign. That’s nice. I should take a trip to Yeongwol when I have time, too.”
-An unexpected trip to Yeongwol.
-But I heard Yeongwol is already preparing for it lol.
-Really?
-Yeah, apparently they’ve been preparing hard ever since it was announced Lee Seojun was filming *Yeok*. They’re planning the Danjong Festival and other events. You can find the schedule on the Yeongwol County Office website.
-Are you an official?
-…No comment.
A Yeongwol County Office employee was also watching the Film Critic’s video. The Film Critic smiled and continued.
“Let’s stop talking about Yeongwol and get back to the movie review. Just like in *The Royal Physician*, they didn’t show the death directly in *Yeok*. The director probably predicted that the shock would be immense if they showed Danjong’s corpse.”
-I knew that Danjong’s body was discarded, so I thought it would be a huge deal if it appeared in the movie… Thankfully, it didn’t.
-It was shocking even without showing it. I cried so much.
-22 Until Sejo started laughing, I was thinking, I’m going to kill that son of a… and then die myself.
-Divine punishment was served.
-Divine punishment… scary.
Reading the comments, the Film Critic got goosebumps. It was a feeling that gave him chills just thinking about it again.
“After Danjong died, the news was delivered to Sejo. Actor Lee Jiseok’s acting was so, so good that I really wanted to punch him, but there was a separate divine punishment. While watching the movie, even I thought it might truly be a punishment from heaven. For a moment, I felt sorry for Sejo.”
-Lee Jiseok’s acting is seriously amazing.
-But you can’t say it was just Lee Jiseok’s acting… the inside of the bedchamber was terrifying.
-Agreed lol.
“Yes. Actor Lee Jiseok’s performance, filled with shock and fear, was impressive, but the inside of the bedchamber felt genuinely strange, as if something was really there. I asked around, and apparently, actor Lee Seojun was sitting in the bedchamber. He wasn’t visible on screen, but he acted alongside Lee Jiseok. I heard it was incredible during the filming, too.”
-…No wonder!
-I had a feeling.
-But is Danjong alive?
“No. He died. Sejo calling out ‘Lee Hongwi’ was probably that. A kind of hallucination brought on by his inferiority complex and guilt.”
-? Guilt, after he killed him himself?
-He’s really doing it all on his own, huh?
-Seriously. He wasn’t prepared for that much?
The Film Critic laughed at the perfectly synchronized comments.
“He would have been prepared. After planning and pushing through with such determination, wouldn’t he have been? But experiencing it firsthand must have been different. In the Joseon era, it was believed that the king was sent by heaven. As you know from *The Royal Physician*, it was an age that believed in gods more than science. Imagine killing that heaven with your own hands.”
-Fact 1) It was an era where they consulted fortunetellers when they were sick.
-Fact 2) It was an era where they held ancestral rites to cure illnesses.
“When the previous king was alive, and when Prince Nosan was alive, he probably didn’t realize it because Danjong was ‘alive.’ He must have thought it wouldn’t matter if he died. But once he was truly dead, it all came rushing in.”
-Guilt?
“Guilt would be one part of it. The biggest thing was probably fear. The Gangnyeongjeon bedchamber is where successive kings resided. It’s where Sejong, Munjong, and Danjong stayed.”
-…Whoa?
“Perhaps the apparitions Sejo saw didn’t end with Danjong. He probably saw Danjong, his older brother Munjong, and his father, Sejong. How often would Sejo be reminded of Munjong and Sejong in that place? Not just the bedchamber, but all over the palace, he would have been unable to escape thoughts of Danjong. Ah!”
The Film Critic, who had been speaking passionately, stopped and his eyes widened. The chat window exploded at his sudden pause.
-What?
-What, what?!?
The Film Critic, regaining his senses, swallowed hard.
“Come to think of it, in the opening… didn’t the camera pan around to different places?”
-…?
-No way…?!
The chat went silent for a moment. The camera that they thought was just introducing the palace, panning across its various locations. A chill ran down their spines.
“…Could those all be places where Sejo saw Danjong?”
At the Film Critic’s words, the chat erupted again.
-Why is there a ghost in a historical drama?! A ghoooost?!
-How can you live in a place like that! ㅠ
-ㄷㄷㄷ Couldn’t he just leave Gangnyeongjeon?
-If it were me, I’d burn the palace down. ㅠㅠ
“But it’s the place he took after killing his nephew. It’s the place he wanted so badly. Would he leave it over a mere illusion?”
-It’s too scary to be just an illusion. ㅜㅜ
“Well, he probably didn’t die right away. But he would have been fine during the day and seen hallucinations at night. He might not have noticed when he was healthy, but when bad things happened, when he fell ill, and as death approached, it would have constantly resurfaced in his mind. His sin.”
-1 person who felt sorry for Sejo in the last scene.
-1 person who thought, poor Sejo.
-1 person who thought, divine punishment is scary. I should never do bad things.
The Film Critic, who had also pitied Sejo, nodded.
“It’s not a satisfying punishment, but I don’t know how comforting it is that he was punished even in that way.”
-I don’t know about actual history, but the end of the movie looked like absolute hell. ㅎ
-So satisfying. ㅎㅎ
-Just watching the movie, I can’t imagine how he could sleep in a place like that.
-Me neither. I feel like I’d wake up screaming every single night.
“And the final scene connects to the very first scene. It’s scary, like a Möbius strip. That divine punishment.”
Everyone burst out laughing at the Film Critic’s words. The Film Critic, still smiling, opened his mouth.
“Honestly, before I saw actor Lee Seojun’s performance video, I thought of Danjong as just a weak, young king. He seemed like an extra who appeared briefly in Sejo’s story. But, I was wrong.”
The Film Critic looked at the poster. A young king sat on the throne.
“He wasn’t someone’s supporting character; it was the life of one person. Hidden by Sejo, Danjong’s life also had joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, fulfillment, and frustration. The Danjong in *Yeok* was a virtuous king who cared for his people, a monarch who studied diligently to become a great ruler. Perhaps, through this film, we have taken one step closer to a truth we never knew. Just as Director Woo Junghan said.”
-It could all be fiction.
-Or perhaps, it could all be true.
The Film Critic smiled, satisfied.
“*Yeok* (Reverse), it was a wonderful film.”
* * *
Staring at the monitor, Director Choi Daeman scratched his head. The site he was looking at was a film community forum.
Of course, since *Yeok* was still in theaters, most of the discussion was about it.
No.
“It’s less about *Yeok* and more just about Seojun.”
The people who had cried, laughed, and been moved by Lee Seojun’s work were already curious about the next project from this incredible actor.
-Seojun did two movies, so is it a drama this time?
-I prefer dramas. You get to see him for longer. ㅎ
-I hate waiting a week ㅠ I like movies better.
-Movies are easier to rewatch, too.
-So you’re not rewatching *The Royal Physician*?
-I am. I’m rewatching it diligently.
-I’m hoping for a play. It’d be great if he made another surprise appearance somewhere.
-22 I want to see Lee Seojun’s acting in person.
-333 I’m even thinking of working as a staff member on his next project.
-You think you’re the only one with that idea? You could get to know him that way and maybe cast him later.
-It seems like Lee Seojun works with people he knows.
-The series is one thing, but it’s all connected through Lee Jiseok.
-I heard Lee Seojun was cast first for *The Royal Physician*?
-*The Royal Physician*’s writer and director did *Re-investigation*, a drama starring Lee Jiseok. Lee Seojun had a cameo in it, so he got to know them and ended up in *The Royal Physician*. And for *Over the Rainbow*, I heard he met Director Sarah Rothe at the after-party.
-So he appears in projects by people he’s close to?
-That’s been the pattern so far, so projects by people he knows probably get more points.
Director Choi Daeman sighed.
“If that were true, my project wouldn’t have been rejected so harshly.”
He couldn’t even complain, since the drama Seojun had chosen after rejecting his project was *The Royal Physician*. A drama that set an unprecedented record for a Wednesday-Thursday slot. Lee Seojun’s eye for projects was sharp.
“It didn’t fail, but…”
The project by Director Choi Daeman that hadn’t been chosen by Lee Seojun was a decent film. It had passed its break-even point, and he would probably have no trouble getting funding for his next project.
“Still, I want to work with Seojun.”
There were many good actors, but few could blur the line of the camera. As if one had stepped into a real place, Seojun’s acting had a sense of reality.
Director Choi Daeman read the comments again.
-But does it matter to us? I just hope Lee Seojun’s next project comes out soon, whoever it’s with.
-But it probably won’t be this year or next.
-True. A break should come before another movie or drama.
-He worked hard for three years straight: *Over the Rainbow* the year before last, the awards season last year, and *Yeok* this year. It seems like time for a break.
-Yeah, I hope he rests well and then films hard again.
“That’s probably right, isn’t it?”
Prolific actors might do several projects a year, but Seojun hadn’t been that active so far. It seemed to be because, unlike an adult, he had to attend school and was still young.
“He filmed *Yeok* this year, and half the year is already gone.”
Director Choi Daeman scratched his head and looked down at his own project. He saw the script, messy from dozens of revisions.
“Should I give it a shot anyway?”
He had five projects rejected by Lee Seojun.
But today, Director Choi Daeman was challenging himself again, refusing to give up.
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