Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: Jeongchuk Descent (1)
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Princess Hwawan had received advice from Kaoru earlier and devised several plans.
However, none of them could be put into action without knowing her royal father's intentions or future plans. So, she had come to the Temporary Residence of the King under the pretense of a routine courtesy visit.
But it didn't seem like he was in any state to receive such visits.
Princess Hwawan dismissed her maids and waited silently on her own.
It was an obvious ploy to eavesdrop, but the eunuchs didn't chase her away. Not so much because of the king's favor toward her, but more out of a resigned "what does it matter anymore?" attitude.
The king's angry roars continued to echo.
"What the hell is that bastard Kim Unhaeng? What gives that traitorous scum the right to run rampant without fear of heaven itself!"
The historians dutifully recorded yet another "unbearable edict" for the day. The four characters for "not to be heard" had become practically an auto-complete macro these days.
Soon, the macro's efficiency shone through. As the edicts piled up with blocked phrases, the historians simply set down their brushes and took a break.
"All those wearing mourning bands have deceived me. Looking back, the officials of this country have served only their factions, never their king. Everyone knows what the Noron are like. They dared to boast of 'choosing their lord' and slight their sovereign? They grumbled behind my back that I was ungrateful? Now look. A hundred years since Song Siyol was executed, and see what his lingering spirit has wrought! It's you who've birthed Kim Unhaeng yourselves!"
The faces of the Noron ministers paled. Not because Yi Geum had crudely declared Kim Unhaeng Song Siyol's successor.
In Joseon since Sukjong, even the king couldn't hurl insults at Song Siyol, who was honored as the "foremost sage minister" in official documents. To do so would be a denial of the Sarim scholars.
At that moment, Yi Ilje—the builder of the early Chungcheong Province granaries who had received barley from Kim Unhaeng back then—was at the king's side as a Special Advanced Official, a kind of non-active high councilor.
He frowned, wondering why even minor factions like his Soron had to suffer for the Noron's sins.
But in that instant, the king's fury erupted again, as if piercing right through his thoughts.
"Soron! Do you think the Soron are any different? The insolence of trying to choose a king is the same for Noron and Soron alike. You only lost to the Noron thirty years ago! Who do you think preserved your lineages after you stirred up one bloody disaster after another? Do you think I don't know that Kim Unhaeng's carriage didn't discriminate between Noron and Soron!"
Yi Ilje flinched and shrank back.
Minister of Personnel Jeong Hwi-ryang thought it was time to put on the brakes.
The conspiracy theory that even the Transparent Yeojin tribes weren't enough, and now the entire court had been bought by Kim Unhaeng—it was absurd.
(The historians didn't seem inclined to, but) he had to stop this before history recorded them as Kim Unhaeng's vending machines.
"Your Majesty has spoken of Kim Unhaeng repeatedly, but these old ministers are not so foolish or lacking in learning as to be duped by a young man brimming with hot blood. Kim Unhaeng is merely a vigorous youth who hasn't read much but emulates the ancient xia knights, upholding righteousness heavily and wealth lightly[仗義疏財]—not someone who curries favor for personal gain."
The Jeong clan of the Ryeang family, represented by former Chief State Councillor Jeong U-ryang—Princess Hwawan's father-in-law—was another powerful house. As his younger brother, Jeong Hwi-ryang might just keep his head.
Sure enough, Yi Geum spared Jeong Hwi-ryang's neck and overworked his own instead.
"Silence! So what is the intent of those who call themselves heroes, squandering wealth to buy hearts? Have there ever been few valiant souls seeking fame in chaotic times? All of them grasp court elite troops at smallest, or plot military seizures at largest! If no chaos exists, they create it. Just like now!"
Coldly speaking, Yi Geum's analysis of the current Joseon political landscape was almost spot-on. Just last year, many would have agreed with his insight.
But people hear only what they want to hear.
Logic and persuasiveness are barely related. It's not cynical pessimism—it's the basics of rhetoric known since ancient Greece.
So it was the same now, with ministers unwilling to listen to Yi Geum.
Instead of pondering the consistency in the king's declaration, they scrambled to fabricate counterarguments.
"We know not whose scheme this is, but Your Majesty should not be swayed from the loyalties of your faithful retainers. They flock to strike at a rebel who may not even exist. Issue an order now to halt them, lest the loyal subjects escorting Your Majesty to this perilous fortress be handed to the mob."
This was also right. For Yi Geum to secure even the slimmest chance of victory, he needed to protect his current 'supporters'—with his sole legitimacy as king.
And for exactly the same reason, Yi Geum had no intention of accepting even the soundest advice.
"No cries to fight and win, only talk of royal edicts the moment the enemy appears—I see it all now! You plot to surrender the king to rebels for peace? I can't stand the sight of you—get out, all of you!"
The discussion ended there. Princess Hwawan slipped back to her quarters, avoiding the ministers just in time.
But Yi Geum should have issued his order more precisely.
He hadn't specified how far they should withdraw.
The architect Yi Ilje, unbound by material constraints, vanished first—followed one by one by the other ministers.
The Crown Prince's forces had the fortress fully surrounded. Even Jeong Hwi-ryang, who had held back from a midnight flight out of regard for his position as Minister of Personnel, could no longer ignore the empty seats of his colleagues.
Jeong Hwi-ryang secretly met with Princess Hwawan, who would become his niece-in-law. He tested the waters first.
"Escorting the royal carriage over this long distance is of course the duty of a senior minister, but above all, it was because I could not betray His Highness's grace in worrying over the lineage of Lord Munchung (Jeong U-ryang)."
Jeong U-ryang's son—the late Ilsungwi Jeong Jedal—had no sons.
After Jeong Jedal's death, Yeongjo adopted the distant relative Jeong Hugyeom—originally a fishmonger's son—as Princess Hwawan's foster son, propelling him to prominence as one of Jeongjo's future great foes.
He was also close friends with Hong Inhan, who now wielded extralegal power from Yi Geum, tormenting the ministers caught scaling the walls.
But for now, it was just talk. No time for lineage games.
Princess Hwawan saw her uncle-in-law hadn't come merely to praise the king's virtue. She chose her words carefully.
"Though this house holds ministerial rank, how can we speak of private family matters when the kingdom teeters? Rest assured, it will be seen to in due time."
Princess Hwawan deliberately omitted the subject, emphasizing "in due time."
The family line could be continued by the Crown Prince, not the king. She was hinting at switching to the Crown Prince's side.
That was exactly what Jeong Hwi-ryang had hoped for, and he caught her intent keenly.
"Indeed. At least the royal house prospers with heirs—that much is a blessing amid misfortune."
Simply fleeing would brand him a coward.
To gain recognition from the Crown Prince's faction, he needed merit like smuggling out the Crown Princess and grandsons.
Princess Hwawan, worried about repercussions after reporting the Crown Prince's location to Yi Geum, gladly took on the role.
"Just so. Come to think of it, amid the chaos, I haven't spoken with you. I must go reassure the Crown Princess, who must be terrified."
A meeting among royal women—even the strictest guard captain couldn't interfere.
The two parted with expressions unfit for their outwardly Confucian exchange.
Princess Hwawan still had the jerky and liquor Yi Geum had given her during the Sohyeon Crown Prince ploy.
Not so much preserved as evidence of political scheming, but because she simply hadn't found a way to dispose of it.
Now, however, it proved effective.
When the cat that eagerly ate the meat Princess Hwawan tossed convulsed and collapsed, the Crown Princess was shocked.
"What wicked deed is this?"
"Lower your voice, Crown Princess. This is an imperial gift."
If the king sent poisoned food, the intent was clear: a suicide order.
At first glance, killing hostages whose value lay in being alive seemed irrational, but framed as "punishment for the Crown Prince's rebellion," it made a twisted sense.
Of course, this assumed military victory, which the Crown Princess didn't fully grasp regarding the force disparity.
Moreover, Princess Hwawan exuded the signature sincerity of one who "never lies." This was undoubtedly an imperial gift.
The Crown Princess shed tears.
"My poor service to the court has driven father and son to this—I won't excuse my guilt further. But what of the young Grand Heir and Prince Yongdu?"
"There is a way for you, the Grand Heir, and Prince Yongdu all to survive unharmed."
The Crown Princess's eyes widened. Was Princess Hwawan suggesting rebellion right now?
In conclusion, it wasn't far off.
Even for Yi Geum, who seemed finished, two cards remained.
One was his immutable position as father and king.
No matter the upheaval, the Crown Prince couldn't strike Namhansanseong preemptively. Even with the "rebel" label, the king was there too.
The other, however, could change.
Thus, Yi Geum had tightly secured the excellent hostages: the Crown Princess and grandsons.
As a result, Guard Captain Gu Seon-haeng intercepted the escape party in time.
Gu Seon-haeng didn't bother asking, "Surely you're not trying to flee!"
It was obvious—wasting time. His words were thus the utmost courtesy.
"Dawn approaches. The enemy surrounds us outside—return quickly."
Likewise, neither Princess Hwawan nor the Crown Princess snapped, "Are you blocking the king's daughter and daughter-in-law?!" Anyone worth such a command wouldn't have been stopped to begin with.
Thus, it was Jeong Hwi-ryang, posing as an attendant, who spoke.
"The general must not have heard. With dangers unknown, His Highness commanded us to preserve the royal heirs from enemy eyes."
Jeong Hwi-ryang showed a bamboo tally.
But he soon panicked. Gu Seon-haeng didn't even glance at it.
Gu Seon-haeng stared at the ground, lost in thought.
With his brother Gu Seonbok having assaulted the Crown Prince, Gu Seon-haeng was doomed regardless. He'd long abandoned attachment to life.
Even so, Jeong Hwi-ryang's ploy infuriated him with its shallowness.
Eunuchs and officers alike plotted escape—procuring a tally was trivial for someone of Jeong Hwi-ryang's rank. That splinter was mere kindling now.
Moreover, "preserving the royal heirs" meant staying in Namhansanseong, nowhere else. The outside was enemy territory. No need to check with the king—it was a lie.
Gu Seon-haeng paused as he prepared to order his troops.
He could arrest the Minister of Personnel here and forcibly return the princess and royal family.
But then what?
In this Namhansanseong—surrounded by rebels (who wouldn't attack but would make him the Jeongchuk Longwood King)—what meaning did "safety" hold in starving the royal heirs?
Gu Seon-haeng soon turned his anger inward.
At his own rationalizing.
He knew better than anyone that Yi Geum's regime was doomed.
Yet had Joseon loyalist Mun Cheon-sang, ignorant of Song's fall, fought the Mongols to the end?
Whether the king raved senile or sought to kill his son, how could no one die for their lord in this situation? Loyalty wasn't offered because he was right or wise.
Yes. It had nothing to do with the king's qualities.
In a way, loyalty was the emotion most distant from the king. Gu Seon-haeng suddenly realized this.
Righteousness and justice were irrelevant now.
Enemy strength mattered even less.
No need to weigh the king's graces.
Mun Cheon-sang's dying words, "My task is complete[吾事畢矣]," needed no emperor's or posterity's judgment. It was pride fulfilled by his own recognition alone.
Now, Gu Seon-haeng resolved to defend the king and die—not for sovereign or state, but for "himself[吾事]."
To such a man, the "petty" princess, Crown Princess, and royal heirs were no concern. He should seize them for the king—but chose not to.
He stepped aside. And ordered his troops to do the same.
Jeong Hwi-ryang hurriedly bowed in thanks.
"My gratitude. No time now, but I'll seek you out later."
(Unversed in military matters,) believing the smuggled tally had worked, Jeong Hwi-ryang praised his own ingenuity and urged the party onward.
Out that way lay the south gate, leading west.
And before it, the Crown Prince's camp.
Gu Seon-haeng smirked. No need for Jeong Hwi-ryang to seek him.
He'd soon follow the same path.
But Gu Seon-haeng's goal wasn't surrender.
He didn't disperse the assembled troops—instead, he gathered them all.
The Jeongchuk descent of two gapsa would differ greatly from Injo's.
Kim Unhaeng disliked the Byulgi Army diligently erecting camps under his orders.
Even crediting them generously for protecting the Crown Prince—at Pony and Sambok's 10% level—he couldn't incorporate them as an 'army' with status guarantees.
Why were Byulgi Army members in Joseon? Because Kim Unhaeng had framed VOC for piracy, ambushed and killed nearly all officers, and enslaved survivors.
If they gained military standing, slipping away on one ship would be easy.
And VOC wouldn't discard such a fine opening-port bargaining chip—especially if military projection faltered.
If his crimes went public, and the Crown Prince opened official VOC channels, Kim Unhaeng would bear responsibility. Better to spill Joseon secrets in Japan like Hamel.
Kim Unhaeng was unlikely to be punished, but in an 'opened Joseon,' his rise could face hurdles.
Among his political foes, some hating him would surely ally with VOC to check him.
Don't dismiss how quickly Joseon could internationalize.
Kim Ok-gyun allied with Japan to topple the government less than a decade post-opening. Considering Kim Ok-gyun's Andong Kim and gwageo first-rank status like Kim Unhaeng, foreign influences are scary.
Thus, Byulgi Army Commander Kim Unhaeng could hardly like the Byulgi Army.
Even strategically, they weren't meaningful forces.
Training Guard troops shot muskets better. Dutch cannons were already in Joseon. Their value? Navigation knowledge—but this was inland Namhansanseong.
The Dutch Byulgi Army seemed to think similarly.
Quartermaster Justus van Nassau, appointed Byulgi Initial Officer, approached hesitantly with a weary face.
"His Highness judged we could provide advanced military tech to Joseon and formed us as a Special Tech Unit[別技軍]. This drudgery... isn't it. There are better ways to utilize us than direct combat."
From atop Pony, Kim Unhaeng looked down and asked.
"Tech?"
"Yes. In sieges like this, it's tough now, but later we could deploy Joseon's mathematicians for mortars and trench designs. Frankly, East Asian sieges aren't scientific at all. So..."
Justus had picked the wrong audience. Hong Daeyong and Park Jiwon weren't here—that was one regret.
Kim Unhaeng responded purely literati-style.
"When the Italians' Rome (Western) fell to Odoacer, were the Latins technologically inferior to the Germans?"
"No."
"Then during the Huns or Muslims sweeping Europe, who was more scientific?"
"...Nothing particularly."
"What wonder weapons did you Dutch use to gain independence from Spain?"
"Th-there is! Prince Maurice of Nassau's linear formations, an advanced tactic..."
"You got crushed despite that, barely winning because Spanish troops deserted?"
"..."
"Advanced military tech my ass. Try sweet-talking to waste the people's blood-sweat treasury, and I won't forgive you."
This stubborn conclusion from prejudice was an error—understandable, but still. Napoleon said similar.
He too was unkind to 'frauds' peddling submarines or steamships. Barring some like ship forests, he conquered Europe without scientific superweapons.
Emulating Napoleon, Kim Unhaeng crushed Justus's plea for a tech-appropriate post.
Rating Kim Unhaeng's morals below conquistadors, Justus plunged into grim imaginings.
He was convinced Kim Unhaeng meant to send them to the deadliest spot for annihilation. Their position looked frontline now.
Before Justus could scheme, the south gate opened without warning.