Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: National Salvation's Resolve (2)
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Kim Unhaeng's mistake lay in being too accustomed to Joseon's bureaucratic paperwork.
Return reports from envoy missions were usually handled like any other document. If it had been that way, Kim Unhaeng could have returned, paid his respects to the Queen Dowager and the royal consort, and then tailored the report to his advantage as needed.
But the current Yi Geum was carrying out an unprecedented face-to-face oral report right there in his son-in-law's mourning hall.
For Kim Unhaeng, it was like being caught completely off guard.
In the end, he had no choice but to do his best to give cues through glances.
Nakchang-gun Yi Taeng, like the VOC Joseon branch employees who had gone to Tsushima earlier, became Kim Unhaeng's mouthpiece and spoke.
"...And so, it seems the Golden Khan—that is, the Qing Emperor—suspects us amid his campaign against the Dzungars and seeks to eliminate any future troubles. That traitor Jo Dongha was already captured and executed in Beijing, but it hasn't fully dispelled the Emperor's suspicions."
The deceased Ilsungwi Jeong Jedal was forgotten by everyone in the room at that very moment.
Chief State Councillor Park Mun-su, who had come to urge the king to return to the palace as quickly as possible, spoke up swiftly.
"This isn't the first time. They always like to intimidate us with threats of troops, and lacking righteousness themselves, they assume others do too. With their major mobilization to the west, it's natural they'd worry about their rear. If they intended invasion, they wouldn't have sent just 10,000 men."
His words stemmed the ministers' panic. But they couldn't stem Yi Geum's anger.
"What did the Vice Envoy accomplish that he couldn't even stop a traitor from spreading such rumors? Deputy Commander Kim Unhaeng claims he spotted and reported the traitor, but the timing is suspiciously perfect. Isn't there more to it?"
It was the insight of a capable monarch. Kim Unhaeng, taken aback, signaled Nakchang-gun again.
Nakchang-gun defended him like a mantis infected with a fungus, creaking along.
"The Emperor separately summoned and questioned the envoys out of suspicion, but Kim Unhaeng didn't hesitate to speak Manchu, which pleased him. We didn't present items improper for tribute out of propriety, but as Your Highness has reported, the Emperor bestowed paintings, poems, and even Tibetan prayer beads, so it seems he has no intent to raise arms."
But Nakchang-gun's abilities without envoy mode were obvious. Yi Geum immediately dismissed the defense and bellowed.
"That doesn't excuse it. The old Hwang Jin-gi, who did the same as Jo Dongha back then, crossed the Yalu in Hanbok and fawned over the Jurchens for rewards—was that something to boast about? Report the mission in full detail, without omitting a single character of what happened!"
The ministers' faces stiffened with tension at the sight of the king, triggered by a 30-year-old trauma and ranting wildly.
The Hwang Jin-gi the king had just named was an extreme Soron partisan.
When Yi In-jwa's rebellion failed, he boldly donned a side-slit cheongsam, sewed a secret letter into his clothes, and fled to the Qing.
You could mistake the cheongsam for women's clothing. It was that bold a resolve. After all, Kim Jong-seo had done the same, and rational Joseon scholars wouldn't hesitate to disguise as women in dire straits.
And that resolve paid off. Hwang Jin-gi evaded capture for over 30 years.
Joseon had held his son hostage for 30 years, waiting, but executed him just five years ago when capture seemed hopeless.
So why did Yi Geum fear Hwang Jin-gi's defection so much?
Because this wasn't the first time the Qing had meddled in Joseon's royal succession.
There was a reason the Qianlong Emperor had mentioned Prince Sohyeon to Kim Unhaeng.
The Qing had repeatedly tried to dethrone Injo and install the pro-Qing Prince Sohyeon.
Of course, they knew Sohyeon was Injo's son. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken him.
But with Jurchen thinking, they couldn't fathom that a son who openly ousted his father wouldn't gain support in Joseon.
Today's Qing promoted Confucianism with stability, but back then, they were true barbarians who wouldn't even ask after parents' well-being.
Plus, it wasn't just genetics.
As Kim Yak-haeng later lamented, all rites and culture were in the East, and Chinese civilization had long died.
Fan Wencheng, a Ming loyalist who surrendered to the Qing and shone brightest among Han officials, even contributing to immortalizing King Jangmok's deeds at Samjeondo, directly suggested replacing the Joseon king.
The Qianlong Emperor, who posed as a Confucian monarch, made lists mocking Han officials who served both Ming and Qing, but spared Fan Wencheng.
If even he suggested it, the Qing court's consensus at the time goes without saying.
And wasn't the current situation identical?
However, even the Qianlong Emperor lacked solid evidence, so instead of invasion or direct envoys, he used Jo Dongha's border crossing as an excuse to "lightly" reinforce the Shenyang garrison.
If the Joseon king cowered, great. If the pro-Qing Crown Prince rumors were true and the dynasty flipped, even better.
Then, as Kim Unhaeng thought, they could bind Joseon as a loyal vassal emphasizing "the great nation's grace."
From the Qing's view, it was a perfect cost-effective scheme.
No matter how much the cordyceps controlled the mantis, it couldn't make it walk into water.
Nakchang-gun could only embellish Kim Unhaeng's merits; he couldn't hide or lie about events witnessed by too many before the king.
Kim Unhaeng, prostrated in the back as a lowly Seonraegun-gwan, desperately scanned for even a dog to rush forward, but it was futile hope.
Nakchang-gun relayed all the Emperor's words. Yi Geum was shocked.
'Prince Sohyeon!'
Yi Geum couldn't rage about it here, or it'd look like he was admitting Injo killed Sohyeon.
But it was enough to grasp the Qianlong Emperor's intent.
Whether Jo Dongha's or Kim Unhaeng's fault, the Emperor sought to replace this country's king with his son.
At that moment, Yi Geum's composure and dignity as the strong vanished.
As the ruler of humanity reached east, Yi Geum instantly became pathetic.
Now, he had to fight to survive.
This "fight" emphatically excluded marching north. The Shenyang assault plan was worthless.
Its purpose was never real attack—just internal theater.
Yes. Yi Geum needed to clean house immediately.
And how to "clean" was shown by King Jangmok's precedent.
At that instant, Yi Geum became the staunchest believer in the Sohyeon assassination conspiracy. Cornered like this, how could he not kill his son?
For the nation—for me—he must die.
It was national salvation's resolve.
This incident was beyond my expectations too.
That damn king pulled the bizarre stunt of receiving the report on the way to his son-in-law's mourning visit, messing everything up.
Using his daughter-in-law's funeral as a concubine selection venue—what's with him and ruining funerals?
Nakchang-gun, being royal too, was just as useless.
No, even if the king ordered full disclosure, mentioning Prince Sohyeon? Older than Yeongjo, he'd die naturally anyway—why risk it?
The good news: Yeongjo couldn't punish me severely.
I was ready to smash that horrific Buddhist-Jurchen hybrid Tibetan prayer bead before Yeongjo to prove my Juche loyalty, but he didn't demand such dramatics. Must fear the Emperor.
The other envoys fared the same.
The Emperor sent no troops or edicts east of the Yalu. What crime?
If Yeongjo really wanted heads, it'd be "offending His Majesty," but he treated the envoys amicably.
If he calculated this far, Qianlong qualifies as humanity's master.
With two utterly ordinary actions, he signaled: "The problem isn't bad ministers (including the Crown Prince)—it's the king."
With Chief Ministers advising no harsh penalties during the Queen's mourning—basically, "skip the son-in-law visit and return to the palace"—Yeongjo dismissed all Three Offices and exiled them nearby.
But Deputy Envoy Jeong Gwang-chung alone protested ignorance due to drunkenness during the Emperor audience and got sent to Jeju. Idiot?
In Yeongjo's regime, that's no punishment. Oh, interpreters like Seo Jong-hyeon got caned, but that's eunuch fate. Unfair? Become yangban.
My case: diplomacy wasn't my responsibility, so no grounds; just dismissed for insolently speaking Manchu.
Losing that piddly salary stings a bit.
Anyway, with useless Nakchang-gun prompting swift action, I need to move fast too.
Yeongjo, planning an all-nighter at Princess Hwan's anyway, returned to the palace immediately.
I looked around.
Originally just to gather thoughts before heading home (can't enter palace—dismissed), but now the mess hit me.
The mourning house, swept by king, guards, officials, and servants, was near ruins.
Princess Hwan must resent her father now.
Had Yeongjo stayed despite advice, it'd show favor, earning fear and respect. Absent entirely, no Noron attacks.
But he cursed her out, then fled at urgency, proving he doesn't truly cherish her.
Eh, why care about others? That's our king's personality.
While I met the king, Kaoru Bluetooth-connected to the Ilsungwi house, helping with chores.
I told the popular Kaoru among maids and cooks to keep helping and report anything important.
Why leave the phone?
Recording app on. Anyway, family and servants must scatter for safety soon.
In a few days, third month of spring.
Before felt Seoul spring ends, all will conclude.
For Yi Geum to clash militarily with the Crown Prince, the Queen Dowager must die first.
But if he could kill her at will, the Crown Prince would've killed his father ten times over.
So, ordering northern troops to max alert (ignored, naturally), Yi Geum awaited her death—when odd news reached him.
"The Queen Dowager's illness deepens; she's taking the trendy Chun-sik-gap from Chang'an."
Explained Chun-sik-gap by eunuchs, Yi Geum had a hunch.
He summoned exiled-near-capital Nakchang-gun.
"Did Kim Unhaeng survive the ordeal thanks to that family secret Chun-sik-gap?"
"That's exactly it, in my view."
Nakchang-gun guessed the king's hopes. Couldn't repay due to debts.
So he insisted he hadn't babied Kim Unhaeng; he'd marched at ancestral top speed, but Kim recovered via bizarre Chun-sik-gap and Kim family elixir. Front part true.
Had he known Kim's Beijing-taught hair-mustache kung fu was now "Haedong Chun-sik Yeon-gong-beop" (short: Dongchun-gong), wildly popular, he'd have mentioned it.
But Kim's survival was proof enough. If it really revived the Dowager, disaster.
So Yi Geum blocked it.
"To me, Chun-sik-gap is some freakish sorcery. Forbid it, fearing harm to Her Majesty. Strictly punish the inner servant who suggested such superstition."
Pure orthodoxy. Peak scientific monarch wisdom.
Even Europe's "enlightened whites" then sincerely believed electric shocks' medical effects.
But even Yi Geum's advanced science couldn't block her grudge.
Imagine forcing refund on mom's ordered "anion mat," calling it scam.
Whether anions or radiation doesn't matter.
Government ban or scientific rants—parents feel slighted.
Joseon knows crab and persimmons together don't kill. Easy to test.
Yeongjo suspected for "intent": even baseless harm, gritted teeth against brother? Why?
So Yeongjo, over half-century reign, denied recommending such, but never said crab-persimmon ok.
Death penalty for shaman-taoist superstition (known as pointless money pits) same logic. Joseon's moral judgments based on manners.
The Dowager, judging Yi Geum's manners low since 6th abdication (seating mom in woodshed for authority) or making birth-mom-like woman concubine similarly, needed no more.
She sighed.
"I am the sinner. An ignorant old woman clinging to life was unseemly. With Your Majesty's rebuke, why live longer? Bring writing materials."
Then penned her testament.
Soon, her confidante Cha Ji-jung-gwan Seo Gyeong-dal received it reverently.
He'd linked Dowager, Crown Prince, and Kim Unhaeng in Moon clan's case; this time, beaten for seeking Chun-sik-gap for her.
Seo Gyeong-dal hid the will ghost-proof.
The king, disinterested, but national mourning meant I restrained meetings.
Post-report, Yeongjo seems to have me watched. Gyejang faction—hard to bury quietly.
Still, "public duty" calls.
Seeing me work this hard post-dismissal, even Yeongjo'll be moved.
I visited Army Arsenal Overseer Chae Je-gong.
Talent recognizes talent; non-military, he fiercely led Arsenal. In months, massively expanded.
My small precious side-gig workshop corrupted into full weapons factory. War clamor, black smoke screaming destruction—horrific.
But not too late. I'm back; "reform" possible.
Not to aid king, but against propriety. Confucius said military most useless in state.
Resolved, I handed Chae Qing X-file.
Park Jiwon too busy humming; I scribbled from memory.
Useless probably, but Chae has no real northern conquest intent anyway.
Skilled official Chae feigned eager conquest. Grabbed my hand delightedly.
"Just worrying about northern omens; this intel from Chun-sik invaluable to nation! Matches other envoys' tales but more detailed!"
I let useless chatter flow one ear out, smoothly shifting to far vitaler Seoul intel.
"Indeed. Capital troops tense too? Tough times."
Chae sighed.
"Actually..."
Sounded promising.
But before words, outside uproar. Dragon-roars, screams.
Experienced, neither I nor Chae mistook for attack.
Someone beaten. High noble arrived.
Chae jumped up hastily.
"Oh no, Royal Guard Commander! Lately, riding His Majesty's favor wildly; plaguing me. Hide quick. No good catching that brute's eye."
Royal Guard Commander? Gu Seon-bok?
The mukbang-back-stabbed, limbs-torn-by-Jeongjo guy?
Soon, mukbang-fitting plump face appeared.
I recalled a modern-familiar image.
Three Provinces Navy Commander... Reincarnated here too?
Gu spotted me, cheeks sagging. Won Gyun eyeing Yi Sun-sin exactly.
"You the thug Kim Chun-sik rampaging sans rank past years?"
Author's Notes
1. Qianlong episode on filial piety/loyalty: boating, diver's waist snaps surfacing. Drained river, found sword-clad skeleton, burial goods—declared Cao Cao's tomb (unlikely), dragged skull to nearby Liu Bei shrine, beheaded it.
2. Nakchang-gun Yi Taeng's birth unknown, but 1707 Sukjong award implies adult then—at least 15—older than Yeongjo.
3. Seo Gyeong-dal from ch.94 "Cuckoo Hunt." Dowager actually died then, but till end upheld palace discipline. Strict on rites, ensured princesses respected Crown Princess (senior).
4. Confucius: abandon army, grain, people—discard army first. Context: third priority; Kim Unhaeng distorts as most worthless.
5. No evidence Gu Seon-bok resembled Won Gyun. Known Won portrait imaginary. Descriptions: "fat, dirt-colored face, crooked mouth"; contemporary sijo mocks unwarrior looks.