Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Probability Cloud (2)
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Yi Geum scrubbed his ears furiously. It was less like washing and more like grinding them raw.
A sharp, irritable pain pierced through his ear canal and slammed into the most vulnerable spot at the base of his skull.
Having tormented such a sensitive organ for so long with water (unsterilized by lye) and rough hands, inflammation was hardly a surprising outcome.
Yi Geum stopped washing his ears and snatched the basin from the face-washing court lady.
A modern person might head to an ENT clinic, but as a Joseon man, Yi Geum believed that tossing this water toward the Crown Prince's quarters, as always, would make it all better.
But Yi Geum had no idea where the Crown Prince was right now.
Letting out a guttural roar, Yi Geum hurled the basin away. Crash! Water splashed out, soaking his dragon robe.
The face-washing lady and the other junior court ladies didn't scream. Nor did the eunuchs attending at his sides.
The ladies simply prostrated themselves before the king, then retrieved the basin and fetched fresh water.
No one fretted over Yi Geum or asked why he was suddenly acting up.
They don't argue logic with babies. Senile elders get the same treatment.
Throwing tantrums is only natural. Unlike modern folk, Joseon people upheld the virtue of respecting the elderly and tolerated such behavior.
And this wasn't just among the ladies and eunuchs—it was rapidly becoming the consensus across the entire court.
Scientific laws are established by first observing phenomena to form hypotheses or mathematical theories, then verifying them through experiments.
As servants of a scientific monarch, the entire court left no gaps in this regard.
Their close observations of Yi Geum since the Sixth Abdication Incident provided ample grounds for the senility hypothesis.
And this time, the Dowager Queen had refined it to a level of reliability rivaling the Principia.
On top of that, Yi Geum was now providing the ministers with experimental evidence himself.
"Send all the Crown Prince's attendants into exile! As for the eunuchs and ladies of the Eastern Palace, flog them half to death— I don't care if they die! Investigate the Royal Guard Commander and the Three Ministers as well. Does it make sense that no one in the kingdom knows where the Crown Prince is? He hasn't even appeared at his mother's bedside—this is unprecedented filial impiety through the ages! Find him and bring him here at once!"
Among the ministers, glances exchanged thoughts like, 'What was the last thing the Dowager Queen said? Something about handing the throne to a filial son?'
Even though they'd just been dismissed, ministers like Chief State Councillor Park Mun-su, Left State Councillor Jo Jae-ho, and Right State Councillor Kim Sang-ro—fearing the king's madness would worsen—hadn't left. They now believed they grasped the situation.
It was obvious: the Dowager Queen had hidden the Crown Prince.
To protect the next king.
The ministers, ever strict on protocol and long-time guardians of the royal lineage, shuddered at this shadow cast even after the royal patriarch's death.
The Dowager Queen's confidants, like low-ranking palace eunuch Seo Kyung-dal, surely knew the Crown Prince's location, but no matter how deranged Yi Geum had become, he couldn't order the torture of her eunuchs right in front of her coffin. That would remind the ministers why Gwanghaegun had been deposed.
The ministers didn't even want to know where the Crown Prince was.
They knew the quantum truth that position and momentum can't be observed simultaneously.
Rather than vanishing into the tail of a wave function in Schrödinger's box, the Crown Prince had floated off into the world of probability clouds—his position no longer mattered.
Now was the time to ponder momentum over position: the political direction of who would win.
Rational scholars despised futile efforts. They simply watched the king burn alone—like spectators watching a fire across the river.
This point occupied a major part of Kim Unhaeng's plan.
Kim Unhaeng had never, not once, suggested to anyone that they rally behind the Crown Prince and stage a rebellion.
Playing the central figure in an active plot was beyond someone of his age and influence—not to mention it would inevitably produce a traitor.
Fear made it so. No matter how much Kim Unhaeng cursed him daily, Yi Geum was a king who had successfully quelled two rebellions.
Instead, Kim Unhaeng offered the ministers a safer alternative.
What he had steadily guided them toward was cold indifference toward the king. No bad comments means no lawsuit.
By planning passive rebellion rather than active revolt, Kim Unhaeng overcame his weaknesses and unwittingly drew in nearly the entire court.
But only nearly the entire court—not all of it.
As the saying goes, even if the nation falls, three loyal retainers remain.
Amid this unprecedented national crisis, Hong In-han, a Hongmungwan lecturer staking his claim as the next throne-shaper, stepped forward.
"To my eyes, this reeks of Kim Unhaeng's doing. The dismissed Kim Unhaeng supposedly retreated to Cheongpung Myeongwol with his family under the pretext of reading books, heading to his wife's hometown in Chungcheong Province. But his scholarship is paltry and shallow—hardly the mark of a man who appreciates such elegance. His wicked ambitions are clear; we must dispatch troops to seize him."
Yi Geum had indeed wanted to grab and interrogate Kim Unhaeng the moment the Crown Prince vanished.
But Kim Unhaeng had naturally already fled the capital. Yi Geum, more focused on the Dowager Queen, hadn't yet ordered troops mobilized.
Now, though, Hong In-han's words rang true. There wasn't much else to do besides catch Kim Unhaeng.
As Yi Geum moved to approve it, a dissonant twang—like a saw blade striking a steel string—interrupted.
It came from Chief State Councillor Park Mun-su. He spoke in a tone that wished he could crush Hong In-han's skull.
"What outrage is this—a mere fifth-rank underling up here, brazenly pointing fingers to sort rebels from loyalists? First, we must torture Hong In-han for overstepping his station."
This low official's presence was purely by Yi Geum's grace. No one had spoken up because of his powerful backers.
But Park Mun-su did.
And his argument was pure, unassailable orthodoxy.
Even the humblest in-laws can't escape attacks, yet this one struts like a madman. Training commander Hong Bong-han hung his head in shame.
Hong In-han glanced desperately at Park Mun-su, but Park ignored him completely and addressed the king again.
"Moreover, while Kim Unhaeng's scholarship falls short of a top exam graduate's fame, his talents are extraordinary. If he harbored wicked intent, he'd stay right here in the capital—not anywhere else."
This, too, was orthodoxy.
All successful Joseon rebellions happened in the capital. Provincial ones—like Yi Gwal, Yi In-jwa, Yun Ji—had all failed in recent memory.
Not a premodern limitation. Even future Korea's successful coups occurred only in Seoul. Anywhere, anytime, a coup's foundation is the capital.
"If Your Majesty wishes to apprehend Kim Unhaeng, don't stir the people by sending armies south—search right here nearby. If he truly went to Chungcheong with his household, he harbors no ill intent."
Park Mun-su was fundamentally a Soron and one of the few wary of Kim Unhaeng.
Though he'd lately been enjoying fine red ginseng, merit was merit, grudges were grudges. He was sincerely advising the king on finding Kim Unhaeng and discerning his guilt.
But like all Park Mun-su's words, they grated inescapably, twisting Yi Geum's judgment from the start.
"Has Lord Yeongsung finally lost it to senility? Since when has interrogating a criminal started with defending him? Seize him first! I'll personally judge him and his whole gang. Send a rider to the Royal Guard!"
Setting aside the bold presumption of guilt, even after earning merits against Dutch pirates, Royal Guard Commander Sin Min had been sidelined—unclear if he'd faithfully obey.
But if Yi Geum were the type to consider that, none of this would have happened.
Noron ministers couldn't fully endorse Park Mun-su, but sending troops to Chungcheong would harm their Gyeongho scholar base.
This era's armies were little better than bandits of equal number; even the Capital Guard and Royal Guard had lately plundered near the city.
No Noron attacked Lord Yeongsung, despite his barely concealed 'Who's the senile one?' expression.
Park Mun-su, heading to the State Affairs Council, paused.
Come to think of it, he'd been dismissed alongside the other ministers.
What was there to learn from Kim Chun-sik?
'Time to go home and brew some ginseng.'
Park Mun-su didn't show up for work the next day.
In truth, both Park Mun-su and Hong In-han were right.
Thus, as Hong In-han said, Kim Unhaeng harbored wicked ambitions. Specifically, since taking those ten cane strokes.
So, as Park Mun-su said, he was near the capital.
He'd sent the rest of his household south by boat with Kim Sung-eung's help.
This was the first move to shake off Yi Geum's pursuit.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before Yi Geum figured it out and targeted the Namyang Hong clan entirely. So Kim Unhaeng prepared a second deception.
He hadn't sent the household to "Chungcheong Province."
They sailed straight south, hiding along the great routes with aid from Left Naval Commander Lee Ju-guk, Three Provinces Naval Commander Park Jae-ha, and the other Four Emperors—except Han Jung-ryang.
They even picked up family left in Cheonan.
The other Emperors hadn't actively agreed to rebellion, so the excuse was "Qing might invade—evacuating my family only."
Pure corrupt official behavior. That's exactly why the Emperors suspected nothing of Kim Chun-sik's intentions.
But calling it Kim Chun-sik's intentions wasn't precise.
From Kim Unhaeng's position, unable to strike first, countering the king from the capital already demanded too much attention.
Thus, the one directing this massive operation was the last family member by his side: Se-hwa.
At Wangsimni's Chun-sik Ranch—like back when leaving as a secret royal inspector to Hamgyong Province—Se-hwa, who had stayed with Kim Unhaeng, spoke quickly.
"Samhwadang is at Songpa Ferry with Chae I-seong's fleet. Our family's cart drivers (Chun-sik Delivery crew) will go overland with the Gangnam Daeseong folk, shuttling messages between Namyang Commandery (southern Gyeonggi) and Chungcheong. In the capital, Old Pyo (Pyo Cheol-ju) and Dal-mun will stay. They know plenty of ruffians and thugs, after all."
"Thank you."
Kim Unhaeng wondered if there was more to say. So he asked.
"You're not asking why I ordered this?"
"No need. I already know. I've heard from Crown Princess Consort too."
Kim Unhaeng paused briefly.
"Then why not stop me? This could bring clan extermination."
Se-hwa gazed at him steadily, then said,
"When we married, neither family was exactly prominent."
"True. And?"
"Like you, I'll rise to a position above all under heaven in this land. But if that were all, I could've picked a scion from the finest house. Yet I chose you."
"Why?"
Se-hwa didn't say "because you're handsome."
"Even showing up to court daily half-heartedly, with no intent to advance a hair's breadth, yet churning out memorials to chase empty fame—if that's becoming prime minister, you can surpass it. But that's not rising; it's being dragged down."
"Dragged down?"
"Yes. Those people never took a single step beyond their birth. They squandered their one life in sloth—negligent. They failed to expand their parents' legacy—unfilial. Why is every nation's founder the most revered? Because they stood as rulers when their fathers weren't."
Life isn't for rotting. It's for burning. Se-hwa was finally voicing the thoughts that sealed her marriage to Kim Unhaeng.
And like back then—only now with reality, not a painting—Se-hwa brought her finger to his lips.
"You're walking a path no one has trod. And so am I. This road thrills me; I wonder daily what comes next.
After your secret inspection, I thought you'd rise steadily to the State Council. But you always surprise me. You never let a woman grow bored—truly captivating."
Kim Unhaeng looked as if he couldn't continue even without her finger. So Se-hwa said,
"Go. I'll come too. We can do anything—and we'll do whatever we can."
Kim Unhaeng didn't obey. Instead of turning away, he pulled her into an embrace.
"I'll remember that, but this will be the last dangerous task. I promise I'll return. Take good care of Yi-hwan and Suk-yeong."
"Yes."
As Se-hwa said, it was a busy moment. He needed to leave soon.
But at least now, nothing in Joseon could hold him heavier than the slow dampening of his robe's collar against him.
And so the family departed.
But those who weren't family—yet more vital than family in some ways—remained.
I glanced back. Jang-bok and Eoji, plus Go Bong-hwan, staying as liaison to inform the Chundang comrades (his disciples, in a way).
This lineup brought back memories of that first past exam encounter.
This was the Chundangdae Avengers—my first comrades on the road to Chief State Councillor.
No point hiding anymore; it was meaningless.
So I'd already informed this core cadre after Se-hwa: Lee Jae-un, Pyo Cheol-ju, and the rest.
'The king's gone mad and wants to kill the Crown Prince. We've decided to protect him.'
Pyo Cheol-ju with grudges against Yeongjo, Lee Jae-un dreaming of Korea's top tycoon backed by power, Go Bong-hwan seeing a path to high office beyond his clan's humiliation—all agreed.
And Jang-bok and Eoji? No vote needed. Not because they're like phones, but because they're my truest retainers—more than any scholar or soldier.
I couldn't promise them gains, even if exiled to the ends of the earth—they'd follow.
Jang-bok might grumble a bit, though. Like right now.
"What if they come for our whole clans and bite?"
"Haha. Jang-bok. Do you even know what 'three clans' means? We'll hole up at this ranch a few days, watch the winds. Your only job till then is cooking—so relax. Didn't I make sure your wife and kids got on the boat safe?"
Jang-bok scratched his head, then changed tack.
"Speaking of, where's that Japanese kid (Kaoru)? She didn't bolt, did she?"
I shook my head.
"No. She's at the most dangerous spot."
The real estate front lines were indeed perilous.
Kaoru fought for my dream home and future.
Kaoru crafted a 100% remorseful face. Easy for a pleasure district pro.
"My master does know for sure where Your Highness is, but... we can't reach him."
The Wife-Pampering Princess fidgeted at the Wi-Fi disconnected message.
Unfamiliar with court affairs due to her status, she still believed the king held overwhelming power. Anxiously, she pressed,
"There must be some way. This is urgent state business. Or did you hear something?"
Kaoru flashed a startled slave's expression. The princess thought she'd pierced her heart.
"Just tell me. No one—not Kim Chun-sik or anyone—will touch you. After this, even a slave must realize it's my command, right?"
Sincere. Keeping anyone untouchable was child's play for Joseon's top yandere princess.
Kaoru let out a dainty sigh, her red lips twitching several times. Then she shook her head, tormenting the princess—pure temptress.
By the time she'd believe the Crown Prince was on the moon, 'his location' finally slipped from Kaoru's lips.
Though improper, Yi Geum doted on the Wife-Pampering Princess so much he often summoned her to the palace.
So her visit this time didn't surprise him. No—he was displeased, having long failed the 'Sohyeon Crown Prince ploy.'
But that displeasure turned to shock.
"Pyongyang?!"
In original history, hearing this, Yi Geum would've thought the bastard Crown Prince was off carousing in Joseon's top pleasure district, Pyongyang. And he would've been right.
But not now. Absolutely not.
If the Crown Prince handed Jurchens the Manchu Invasion express pass, 10,000 troops would suffice. Yi Geum finally shuddered as pieces fell into place. He couldn't believe he'd overlooked Pyongyang till now.
The princess whispered, breathless,
"Yes. I heard it from that servant of Kim Chun-sik's myself—certain."
Yi Geum dismissed her and ordered silence, then summoned the State Affairs Council (Park Mun-su absent).
"Tell Royal Guard Commander Sin Min: return the troops to Namhansanseong at once! The Crown Prince is in Pyongyang, colluding with Jurchens to open the gates!"
Jo Jae-ho's shocked face gave Yi Geum smug satisfaction amid the chaos.
'See? I told you—the Crown Prince would eat his parents!'
But Jo Jae-ho wasn't shocked as Left State Councillor.
As Pharmacy Director, he was.
"Where's the royal physician? His Highness's qi seems imbalanced. Your Highness, it'll harm your jade body. Calm your anger first..."
Yi Geum's ear throbbed sharply again.
Still, his words weren't pure misunderstanding.
1. Last chapter got too long, so no explanation then, but the Wife-Pampering Princess not only blocked all women close to Jeongjo but even stole and destroyed his books out of jealousy toward her nephew.
Research also suspects incestuous relations with her own brother, Crown Prince Sado.
Passages from Hanjoongnok:
'Grandfather called the princess, who fearfully complained disrespectfully in sorrow; I couldn't bear to hear and never ceased surveillance till death.'
'Grandfather held a feast in Tongmyeong Hall with the princess... slept amid the revelry till late night when all (gathered men and women) grew weary and slept.'
This is from authority Prof. Kim Yong-suk on domestic Hanjoongnok studies, but interpretations and cross-verification leave room for debate. More importantly, it's from around 1763 when Sado was fully depraved (story-irrelevant timing), so not adopted here.
Even if true, it was likely Sado's crime over affection.
Original history's dark Sado frequently threatened the princess with knives (mostly begging the king to let him out), even kidnapping and threatening her adopted son Jeong Hu-gyeom. Might've influenced Hu-gyeom's later anti-Jeongjo stance.