Chapter 157
Chapter 157
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Starting My Recovery Life from Namhansanseong (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The late Dowager was sharper than I'd given her credit for.
The Dowager—more precisely, Palace Matron Cha Ji-jung-gwan Seo Kyung-dal—had only passed on the information about the testament to Park Mun-su, the senior minister outside the palace. Since Park Mun-su hadn't shown up for work after the Dowager's death, Seo Kyung-dal must have received her final instructions and carried them out before she passed.
I could roughly guess what those instructions were.
First off, the current ministers couldn't be trusted. Staying under a senile king was already a sign of loyalty to him.
Even if that weren't the case, the ministers would have found the testament right after the Dowager died, handing the credit for deciding the next king to the Noron majority in the court.
The Dowager, determined to protect the rightful heir, couldn't tolerate the next king becoming a puppet under Noron dictatorship. Park Mun-su, a key figure in the Soron and Wonron factions and bold enough to stand up to the king, was the perfect choice.
That said, she hadn't left it entirely in the Soron's hands.
If Park Mun-su suddenly popped up claiming the testament on his own, it would only lead to chaos. In the worst case, another Literary Purge could erupt.
So the Dowager had only told Park Mun-su the location of the testament, not its contents. That put Park Mun-su, outside the palace, in a position where he couldn't seize it alone.
In the end, he'd need the help of the Crown Prince's Noron close aides—like me.
By making them dependent on each other, it ensured the Noron and Soron wouldn't tear each other apart, only to fall into Yeongjo's grasp—the one who'd love the chaos the most.
That's right. The court must not play in the king's hands.
It had to play in mine.
That didn't mean I'd arbitrarily reshuffled the court's personnel.
Even the Crown Prince couldn't do that directly. He wasn't king yet.
Right now, the top priority was "rescuing the king captured by traitors and dragged to Namhansanseong."
To that end, I'd hurried to publicize the Dowager's testament.
Rumors were already spreading like wildfire through Hanyang that a Beast King (beastly in a slightly different way than Seongjong, who was supposedly reincarnated as him) was the culprit. There was no hiding the Crown Prince's return anymore.
The contents were as expected.
Overall, it resembled a will, but it included denunciations too explosive to voice aloud, lest the listener drop dead.
Moreover, when the current queen died, the late king's mourning period was already nearing sixty years. It's hard for the elderly to bear children—male or female alike. Yet Munnyeo arrogantly strutted about, claiming she'd borne the king's son. I can scarcely write more; it seems nothing but ghostly mischief.>
Blaming it on ghostly mischief, the edict viciously attacked the king's brain and manhood at once. It exploited how this era rarely distinguished between spiritual phenomena and medical ailments—a vicious smear.
This is like the tale of [Knotting Grass to Repay Kindness], where the man who once said to requite his concubine's affection by making her his wife ordered her buried alive with him at death. How could it not be demonic work? Otherwise, he wouldn't have forbidden even bed attendants during his mother's illness.>
The son of that sacrificial burial man believed his father's words before senility set in and married off his father's concubine.
And the concubine's father repaid the kindness by knotting grass to trip pursuing enemy soldiers when the son was defeated in battle—that's the famous tale of Knotting Grass to Repay Kindness.
From here on, the king's words need not be heeded.
With unfilial ravings no sane man would write appended, the proof of senility was ironclad. This was my chance to promote that the Dowager, too, had desperately craved "Chun-sik armor" before dying.
What followed was predictable. The Dowager named the Crown Prince as the next king and recommended honoring his father—who seemed overwhelmed—as Supreme King.
Total agreement.
The ministers gathered in Citizen Hall to hear this testament today would agree too.
Anyone who didn't was no longer a minister but a traitor starting today.
For the ministers unsure how to react to this live palace soap opera, the Crown Prince graciously demonstrated.
As if hearing the testament for the first time, he cycled through a rainbow of expressions before collapsing in sobs.
"To not know my Great ancestress's illness had deepened this far—I'm the world's greatest unfilial son!"
Most here had already gotten the heads-up from their sons or nephews in Chundang—the court elites' offspring.
Not just Park Pilgyun, the Noron powerhouse and grandfather of Park Jiwon, but heavyweights across Noron and Soron—like Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard Yu Cheok-gi, who'd heard from Yu Yeon-ho, or Subordinate Academician Seo Ji-su, persuaded by Seo Myeong-seon—all followed the Crown Prince in wailing. Then they swore to rescue the lost dementia patient.
Kim Jong-su, however, seemed to have failed to convince his clan's elders.
The Cheongpung Kim clan's representatives were Kim Jae-ro, Kim Yak-ro, and Kim Sang-ro. Kim Yak-ro was dead, and the other two were retirees.
Kim Jae-ro was no issue. He'd long left frontline duty and wasn't hardline against the Crown Prince.
The problem was Senior Minister Kim Sang-ro, left in the capital.
He'd always been anti-Crown Prince. I'd thought his recent sufferings under Yeongjo (severe enough to miss the procession due to illness) might make him cooperate somewhat, but dodging the rod had preserved his misguided loyalty.
"What nonsense is this! His Highness must first clarify where this suspicious so-called testament came from. Surely the work of villains..."
Kim Jong-su, failing in his sector, rushed to cover up. Rudely, he grabbed his elder's shoulder.
"Elder Uncle's frailty lately makes him see illusions. I'll escort him away—please forgive this rudeness!"
"You—you brat! Have you gone mad?"
But few aided Kim Sang-ro.
They 'hadn't yet lost their minds like the king or Kim Sang-ro.' Even Kim Jae-ro could only watch his cousin dragged off in dismay.
From now on, in Joseon, evidence of senility was hating the Crown Prince. Because senile Yeongjo hated him too.
Perfect logic, even by my standards. My isekai hero medical knowledge shone through.
Kim Sang-ro was politely escorted out by my logical soldiers, just like me.
Yes, that's right. The area was ringed by ironclad Training Guard and Royal Guard troops.
Joseon's elderly welfare was world-class. Soldiers would visit lone elder Kim Sang-ro daily for daycare.
Any smears of martial law? That's slander from Yeongseong-gun, eyes squeezed shut over there like he saw something unsightly.
This was an urgent national security measure amid crisis. What if another Go Seon-bok popped up?
The measures proved effective.
When Shim Hwan-ji petitioned the Crown Prince to ascend temporarily based on the Dowager's edict, no minister dared roar in protest.
Of course, the Crown Prince angrily dismissed Shim Hwan-ji. He's filial, after all. By tomorrow, Kim Jong-su or Seo Myeong-seon would petition his reinstatement as loyal servant, and the Crown Prince would approve. No issue.
Deeply distraught by his father's illness and abduction, the Crown Prince sobbed and retired inside.
The Crown Prince hadn't shirked responsibility.
He'd declared the hundred officials must unite to rescue the king. That sufficed.
If he had to spell out the 'how' in detail, the line between sovereign and subject meant nothing.
As Propaganda Officer, I distributed the all-nighter Kim Chun-sik operation plan (in the Crown Prince's name) to the officials.
With the Crown Prince's seal in my hands, my word was his.
Raids on no-shows to today's Crown Prince loyalty rally under 'probable traitor' suspicions, repurposing the Namhansanseong relief system for 'mobilization prep'—all transmitted seamlessly.
Included were troop and supply assemblies, of course.
The last was crucial: keep Arsenal Superintendent Chae Je-gong too busy to suspect foul play.
Until resolved, Chae Je-gong couldn't go home. His Nam-in remnants like An Jeong-bok could be wheedled slowly.
The logistics? Not my forte. That's why Chundang existed.
I paired Hong Daeyong and Park Jiwon as Bi-byeon-sa clerks and War Ministry aides for support. Touched by my suspension, they surprisingly worked diligently without mishaps.
The Royal Guards had done some foolish things at Gyeongbok Palace before, but they were basically diligent soldiers (they'd quietly come to Seoul when provincial armies disbanded). They were a huge help here.
The Royal Guards controlled the Han River. With the four gates sealed, they and the Chun-sik Fleet had full grip on the capital's logistics.
In other words, Hanyang's prices were up to me.
Of course, I wasn't shortsightedly gouging now.
Riots would hurt them more. So I skimmed the logistics budget lightly.
My real gain was palace supplies for the king.
Using the excuse that the Inner Palace staff remained and the (new) king would return soon, I received the usual tribute. Then distributed it wholesale to the people (me).
Offices still functioned, so they needed supplies too, but austerity was mandatory in emergency.
Thus, after 'use scrap paper, stop the stoves,' I stockpiled the rest in my warehouse. No wonder post-liberation Korea never lifted 'grave national crisis' status.
Oh, the Royal Guard commander is Kim Seong-eung? Yes.
But Kim Seong-eung returned to his old unit, commanding the Training Guard. With him busy, I temporarily took over as former Royal Guard deputy.
And Training Commander Hong Bong-hwan? As his low profile showed, he was quietly recruiting Noron anti-Crown Prince holdouts from the shadows.
I didn't lock him up. He suggested it.
"If I lead the Training Guard to Namhansanseong, His Majesty will surely kill my daughter. The Grand Heir might be safe, but Yongdu-gun won't."
In my case, losing Crown Princess Hong cut my unofficial Crown Prince channel.
Plus the sons were risks. Yongdu-gun Yi San was one thing, but if Yeongjo used Grand Heir Yi Jeong as filial piety proxy in a doghouse, that precious item was gone.
Above all, it'd devastate the Crown Prince. No one wants two mad kings in a row.
So Hong Bong-hwan would be 'captured by Kim Seong-eung.'
Meaning Yeongjo had to believe it. Namhansanseong intel needed fudging.
Dumping military ops on Chundang, I turned to what only I could do.
No time yet to figure Yi Yeon's Speed skill, but I had a proven alternative.
Pigeons flew to my Chun-sik delivery men monitoring 'Loyalist Army' movements in southern Gyeonggi and Chungcheong.
Grand Heir Yi Jeong, living a life not originally permitted, was eight in Korean age.
Yangban kids that age needed basic texts for prodigy status; commoners toiled at odd jobs years earlier.
Royalty was worse. Sado Seja heard his first abdication decree at four (second at five), younger than Yi Jeong.
By Yi Jeong's age, he'd sacrificed at the Royal Shrine on Yeongjo's orders. Sado Seja's perfect decorum awed all.
Not that miraculous. Like North Korean mass game kids' precision drills—achievable with harsh costs.
Grand Heir Yi Jeong endured that pain differently from his father.
Yi Geum had more leeway than Injo.
Guard Commander Go Seon-haeng wasn't incompetent, and Su-eo-cheong had stockpiles (no asking Su-eosa guard captain Shin Min). Yi Geum maintained royal dignity.
He summoned the Grand Heir and Yongdu-gun.
"Your birth father (Sado Seja) is unfilial and disloyal, selling the country to barbarians. I'll depose him as Crown Prince and punish severely, but I can't let it extend to you. From now, you're sons of the late Prince Hyojang."
Adoption was common in yangban or royal families, especially post-father's death.
But grandfather forcing it was shocking.
"Why issue such an order, Your Highness? This subject cannot bear betraying heaven's bond."
The Grand Heir prostrated, weeping in plea. For a moment, Yi Geum saw his father in him.
Forgetting old favoritism as Huinpyeong Ongju's reincarnation, Yi Geum bellowed.
"Grand Heir, you treat military orders so lightly? Planning patricidal villainy like your father?"
He turned to Yongdu-gun.
Six-year-old Yi San, terrified, replied.
"With the king's command given, how could we hesitate to obey?"
Not that Yi San was sly or hated his father—he'd faithfully read the room as elder brother.
Less intense, but like any family, seconds learn from watching big brothers get scolded. Hence the 'sharp second child' trope.
"Yongdu-gun's wit is admirable. Grand Heir, don't resent your brother—emulate him."
Yi Geum pondered: if the Grand Heir followed his father's path, should he pick Yongdu-gun before the boy grew unmanageable like the Crown Prince, and use 'other means' on the Grand Heir? He dismissed his grandsons.
The brothers returned showing typical sibling dynamics in crisis: Yongdu-gun eyeing his brother warily, Grand Heir mildly offended at his sibling.
Crown Princess Hong was a seasoned mother who knew her father-in-law well.
She grasped the situation without details.
To her ink-swallowing eldest and excusing youngest, she said quietly.
"What did Father tell you before, Grand Heir?"
Yi Jeong remembered.
"No matter what, never betray blood kin. He said there'd always be someone to trust and rely on."
"Yes. Remember that lesson, Grand Heir and Yongdu-gun. Uphold righteousness, and relief will come."
The boys calmed not from understanding, but her comforting tone.
After they left, Crown Princess Hong gazed northwest.
She repeated her eldest's words to herself.
If her husband's most 'trusted and relied-upon' retainer, Kim Chun-sik, heard, he'd have a good plan.
House Kim of Jang-dong boasts proud ancestors.
One lesser-known: patriot Kim Si-bal of the previous reign.
His name alone screams extraordinary—and his deeds matched.
Kim Si-bal's father-in-law was Noron loyalist Yi I-myeong. When King Gyeongjong ordered his execution, he couldn't stomach the humiliation.
He ambushed the Royal Guard messenger on the mountain path, seized the document, and locked him up.
Punishment? Interrogated, but released. Is this the king's country?
He couldn't stop Yi I-myeong's death, but that's not the point.
The court scrambled: re-dispatching envoys, crossed paths, utter farce—all because the document never arrived.
No phones? Best era ever.
Of course, I don't do half-measures like captures.
That's 'traitor courier' stuff.
The documents claim Loyalist Army by king's order—but all traitors say that.
Using a dementia geezer's name for mass spam calls? Thug behavior. Modern suspended sentence; filial Joseon? Death.
To Yi Jae-un and Chun-sik delivery men: all traitor courier gear, cash, horses as bonuses. Gold per mob.
May His Majesty fully enjoy his Namhansanseong recovery life.
I'll clean up obstructing traitors—Dog-Beating Stick Kim Unhaeng, the East Sea's Fiend.
Author's Note
Today's subtitle parodies the title of author Pitkong's masterpiece Starting My Possession Life from Namhansanseong, with permission.
1. Seo Ji-su briefly appeared as Bu-ryeong Busa in Chapter 69 'Jet Stream Attack' and was mentioned again in Chapter 95 'Twisting Scales'. He's from a famous family.
A few years later in-story (real history), he slips up in a royal lecture and gets exiled. Yeongjo sends him to Chungju as mid-level official: "Ignores loyalty, so off to Loyalty Prefecture." Like boat exiles or triple-boat ones, Yeongjo loved quirky banishments.
2. Same clan, but Kim Sang-ro was anti-Crown Prince/anti-Jeongjo in real history; Kim Jae-ro more centrist (Jeongjo supporter). Kim Jong-su belonged to Kim Jae-ro's faction.
3. Kim Si-bal was hot-headed: released after that stunt under Gyeongjong, arrested again under Yeongjo for arbitrary killing. Annals note his 'powerful relatives' spared punishment—impressive.
Generationally Kim Unhaeng's uncle-ish, but distant kin. Closest famous tie: his first cousin once removed Kim Yak-haeng (the one who petitioned for regency origins).