Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Walking on Thin Ice (3)
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24. Walking on Thin Ice (3)
25. Walking on Thin Ice (3)
The crown prince tossed the liquor bottle aside with the air of someone who had never heard of a drinking ban.
"Fine, since you've all been nagging me so much, I'll go myself!"
The bottle smashed against the head of an innocent palace maid. The wise maid had already fainted and was quickly carried away by the others.
They barely managed to straighten the crown prince's robes from both sides, but after just ten staggering steps, he had rumpled them all over again.
Thus, Crown Princess Hong was startled to see the crown prince barge in like some street ruffian.
"Your Highness, you've come. The grand heir will soon be brought into the palace by his wet nurse. But what brings you here?"
The crown prince didn't answer and strode straight into the chamber.
The palace underlings, who survived by reading the room, swiftly withdrew.
However, the crown prince acted as if he wouldn't have cared even if they had stayed.
His strong arm yanked the crown princess toward him. She could smell the overpowering stench of alcohol on him.
Involuntarily, she furrowed her brow.
"Your Highness, you're being too rough. Besides, the grand heir will be here soon..."
"Cut the nonsense. You know as well as I do—do you think my coming here will make the grand heir any better?"
At that moment, she realized the crown prince was thinking the same thing she was.
If there was no hope of their son surviving, then they needed to produce another to maintain his position as "the grand heir's father."
That would rob the king of any pretext to adopt a new heir, forcing him to acknowledge the crown prince whether he liked it or not.
If he absolutely hated that, the only option left would be to suddenly kidnap and kill the son like some adoptive heir—which meant treason was the only excuse for a legal execution, but that would make the grand heir a traitor's son too.
But how could a king of a nation stoop to such methods?
The crown prince had surely done the math on that.
The crown princess even sensed a hint of desperation in her husband's rough groping hands.
Though she felt the same, she wanted to reassure him.
So she guided him slowly, ensuring it wasn't just a mechanical act for that purpose.
binge drinking and intense lovemaking have something in common.
They both make a person wiser afterward. Especially men.
Having done both, the crown prince was twice as wise. He had white silk brought in and began painting, looking every bit the scholar.
He might lack scholarly accomplishments by his father King Yeongjo's or the court scholars' standards, but like any crown prince, Yi Hwon had received the finest education Joseon could offer.
No ordinary yangban son could match him in poetry, classics, or painting. Soon, a fierce black dragon emerged on the white silk in bold strokes.
The crown prince tossed the brush aside and said to the crown princess, who lay exhausted and reclined before him,
"This is what I saw in a dream last night—it's a sign that a son will be born."
The crown princess didn't say anything Kim Unhaeng-like, such as "If you want another round, just say so instead of wasting expensive silk," or "Take care of the son you already have."
She understood the crown prince's determination to do everything possible.
Crown Princess Hong quietly rose and approached him.
"We're doing everything we can for Grand Heir Yi Jeong. If Your Highness forgives me without rebuking it as illicit ritual worship, I'll even pray to the heavens and earth spirits."
Prince Sado was, kindly put, interested in diverse studies; harshly put, he abandoned proper learning for stimulating pursuits.
He'd secretly obtained and delved into Taoist texts, even hallucinating from them. So the mere idea of consulting a shaman didn't offend him much.
He just feared offending his royal father and the ministers.
"Your intent is noble, but you must avoid idle gossip."
"How could there be any slip-ups?"
"Is there a skilled Taoist or shaman?"
"Yes. There's a shaman who cultivates on Gyeryong Mountain and has settled on Inwang Mountain. They say if she prays piercing the divine mysteries, nothing is impossible."
Thus introducing Yeoni, Hong added one more line to seek the crown prince's permission.
"She's very close with Lady Hong of Namyang, who came from the same Chungcheong Province. She won't perform the ritual without her introduction—and that lady is the wife of Kim Unhaeng, the Inspector of the Office of Special Counsel whom Your Highness admired for his scholarly depth."
"Oh? Then a man of Kim Chunsik's caliber wouldn't mismanage his household, so that shaman can't be some wicked sorceress peddling illicit rites."
"Exactly."
"Very well. I won't speak of it, so make sure your underlings stay silent too."
"Of course."
As she spoke, the crown princess had drawn much closer to him.
"You used to be so gentle, but lately your mood has been so poor—it's worrying. Trust in fate after doing all that can be done. Rest your mind and wait."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. The crown prince fell silent, feeling the soft skin touching him directly, with nothing between them.
For days, I sweated bullets pondering Joseon history during King Jeongjo's reign.
Instead of useful info, all that came to mind were power-trip tales like force-feeding ministers liquor from a huge brush holder (about the size of a cut-up modern PET bottle) or banishing them to an artificial island in a pond.
The takeaway? Jeongjo had such iron control over his ministers that he could indulge in sadistic power plays daily.
But that puts me in a tough spot.
Still, I'd prefer a king I can manipulate—no, one who heeds his ministers' advice well.
Insurance for my family is tempting, but thankfully, Yi Hwan, nearing his hundredth day, is sturdy, and Se-hwa is healthy too. I may not know modern medicine, but I keep basic hygiene solid.
I'm giving my family comprehensive future safety over one-time health boosts. That was my decision.
No time for longer deliberations anyway.
A few days later, word reached even me that the grand heir's condition was critical. Seeing Apothecary Director Hong Sang-han's corpse-like face confirmed it wasn't mere rumor.
The next day, sitting on the porch, I waved my hand at empty air as if swatting a fly.
That's how it would look to others.
The next instant, a talisman appeared in my sleeve, unknown to anyone.
Then I heard a door behind me.
Turning, I saw Se-hwa, dressed up for an outing after a long while.
Inside, her family's maid Unnyeon was soothing Yi Hwan, who wailed for his missing mother.
But Se-hwa didn't turn back or falter; she said calmly,
"Preparations are complete. Shall we go?"
"Good. Let's."
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. The more fiercely something is forbidden in the open, the more rampant it becomes in the shadows.
Despite Joseon's vehement suppression of superstition and expulsion of heretics, records abound of shamans, Taoists, and monks entering the palace.
Prince Sado himself obtained a secret manual through a "palace-visiting Taoist." Later, in King Sunjo's era, the Crown Princess's residence and Little Eastern Palace incidents stemmed from shamans' claims.
Thus, Yeoni could enter the Eastern Palace disguised as a servant running errands.
It wasn't elaborate infiltration—just minimal effort for appearances. The guards turned a blind eye as it was routine.
Yeoni thus earned the honor of a private audience with the crown princess.
But she wasn't tense at all.
In her sight, the spirit guarding the crown princess was utterly ordinary.
Compared to Kim Unhaeng's monstrous pressure, it was as good as nothing.
Seoul's royal spirits were holding off Kim Unhaeng's guardian deity; otherwise, the city's mountain and land spirits would be extinct by now.
So Yeoni flawlessly recited her instructions.
"If you empty the chamber where the noble one resides for just one day, I'll quietly perform the prayer. Tell me what foul spirit haunts the palace, and I'll return to Inwang Mountain to beseech the general spirit to drive it out."
The base was her knowledge, but parts were added by Kim Unhaeng and his wife Hong Se-hwa.
After listening long, the crown princess asked,
"I see. Is there anything I or those around me should beware of?"
The awaited question. Yeoni pulled a silk pouch from her bosom.
"For a foul spirit to infiltrate the palace, it's no ordinary one. Fearing harm to the noble one from clashing great spirits, I've brought this ward."
Yeoni spread it out: at first glance, ordinary powder medicine. The crown princess asked puzzled,
"What is that? Do shamans use medicine too?"
"Medicine and prayer were one and the same as ancient fangji. This is from a Chinese Taoist—dissolve it in water and drink during prayer; it'll not only aid against illness but shield your vital energy from divine clashes."
The crown princess's eyes wavered slightly at Yeoni's persuasive words.
Kim Unhaeng had initially puzzled over how to convince them to feed the grand heir talisman-infused water without calling it crazy.
But the solution was anticlimactically simple.
Don't call it a talisman.
Kim Unhaeng carefully burned the talisman alone.
Then mixed the ash with ordinary powders like bellflower or licorice—harmless anytime.
Paper doesn't turn to fine ash when burned, so it was camouflage.
He tasked Yeoni with delivery, pitching it as "adding good medicine to the ritual doubles the healing effect."
Meeting the crown prince now was tricky, but using his name directly had ways.
But Kim Unhaeng didn't.
His goal was "saving Grand Heir Yi Jeong," not "gaining Prince Sado's favor."
He had no interest in the "Prince Sado faction," regardless of what the prince thought.
Hong Bong-han was in the prince's line yet enjoyed King Yeongjo's favor, but their positions differed.
Hong was an open sycophant. As Kim Unhaeng felt at his own wedding, Joseon's marriage views made Hong more "Yeongjo's in-law" than "prince's father-in-law."
Crucially, Yeongjo chose Hong.
Kim Unhaeng saw Yeongjo hated most those escaping his control.
The rational king lost reason only when his ego was pricked. Being a "non-Yeongjo-appointed sidekick" was too risky.
Plus, hastening the future grand heir's reign factored in.
Prince Sado, same age bracket as Kim Unhaeng with Hong's base, was hard to freely manipulate.
Yeongjo kept him low-profile, but the prince wasn't mentally stable either. One misstep could land him as Hong Guk-yeong at best—or 38th in the White Massacre roster.
Better a malleable young grand heir he could build from scratch.
For the heir to ascend early, Prince Sado didn't need to live long. No need for his favor.
Thus, Yeoni delivered the medicine.
If cured, credit went to her.
Kim Unhaeng explicitly confirmed her guess.
"If he recovers, it's your merit. As an official, I can't privately prescribe medicine, but my wish for his recovery is no different. Hence this roundabout way—no other ambitions."
It sounded plausible even to Yeoni.
Plot to assassinate via Yeoni? Absurd.
If half the rumors reaching the Shaman Safety Planning Department were true, the heir would die in a month anyway.
But "no ambitions" was likely a lie. Se-hwa had discussed with him: if cured, gain crown princess's trust to raise the heir; if not, dodge blame.
That very ambition bolstered Yeoni's trust.
Clear, healthy desire—no need if assassination was intended.
Yeoni guessed it was a famous Chinese remedy Kim Unhaeng sourced via official channels.
She'd embellished it into a "miraculous divine medicine."
Hearing this, the crown prince was even happier than the crown princess expected.
"Chinese medicine! I think I know the source. Follow that shaman's instructions without worry. The grand heir just might recover!"
In this era, "Made in China" always sold.
The crown prince was especially enamored with Chinese culture—as a Norakpa scholar.
He knew Yeoni's connection via the crown princess. Hearing "Chinese medicine," he assumed Kim Unhaeng was behind it.
'He had the shaman lie. Can't blame him.'
Fear of rebuke for private royal contact, no doubt. The crown prince resented his father anew.
And trusted Kim Unhaeng more for piercing such barriers.
Kim Unhaeng had defied the king for him.
He knew the heir's recovery would make or break the prince's reputation—an open "Sado faction" pledge.
And his abilities: no one matched his China intel, whatever the method.
Even his "latest histories" were unobtainable despite the prince's efforts. Suspicious if he had Beijing spies.
The crown prince was convinced.
'Kim Unhaeng is heaven-sent talent for my future reign!'
But caution was needed, as his actions taught.
He issued discreet approval: spare no aid to the shaman healing the heir.
Thus, Yeoni's "I must prepare and feed it myself" demand was accepted.
Kim Unhaeng's precaution against item waste-testing.
The heir Yi Jeong instinctively rejected the foreign substance, but that was natural.
What child gulps medicine willingly? Under the palace ladies' watch, Yeoni coaxed him gently.
Then she met the crown princess again.
Time for Kim Unhaeng's final instruction.
With professional poise, Yeoni said,
"I'll return and pray seven days and nights nonstop. But if I may, there's foul energy in this palace."
"What?"
"A straight sophora tree twists and blocks the noble one's fate. Cut it down soon, or illness will climb its branches again."
After one night's prayer and medicine, the heir's fever dropped and skin cleared. Despite her sharpness, the crown princess urgently asked,
"Wh-what does that mean?"
"My apologies. The oracle came out that way when I divined. Have you planted a sophora nearby?"
"No such thing."
"Strange. Sometimes I fail to grasp the spirits' words... Let me check."
She asked for paper, then wrote the character for gui (桂).
Gazing intently, Yeoni casually added yong (永) beside it, muttering,
"Sophora tree... extending long..."
That instant, the crown princess's eyes flashed as she glanced at the paper.
"No, I think I know what that foul energy is. You may withdraw."
Yeoni left without a word. The crown princess richly rewarded her, of course.
But Yeoni didn't pray seven days and nights upon returning.
She just made a show of it outwardly; inside our Inwang Mountain crew of four lounged.
As Eoji devoured a boiled chicken, Yeoni whispered,
"That wet nurse Gyeong Yeong will surely be dismissed. Since the crown princess figured it out herself, no accusations of shaman meddling."
"You handled it perfectly—couldn't be better. Here's the promised reward."
I offered a small gold ingot smelted from Jiksan's placer gold.
Even if Yeoni was rich—for a county shaman among shamans—it was modest.
Yeoni's eyes widened, hand over mouth, doubting such a gold lump obeyed nature's laws.
Se-hwa said,
"With Eoji here, no worries, but report any ambitious scum immediately. Now that the crown princess takes interest, no mere powerbroker dares touch you."
"I don't know how to repay this grace."
Yeoni bowed deeply again, sincerity in her voice.
Yangban who whimsically used and discarded shamans, butchers, monks, or Taoists littered the land.
My modern ethics-laden equality must have deeply moved her. Not some ploy to whisk her away, severing other ties but me.
Of course, I was moved too.
Saving an innocent child—how could I not be?
If no career boost comes from this, Sima Qian was right. Heaven's at fault.
1. The tale of the crown prince drawing a dragon on silk and telling Hye-gyeonggung Hong it was a sign of a son's birth is recorded in Hanjungnok. Of course, Hanjungnok just says she conceived Jeongjo around then.
2. The wet nurse who raised Grand Heir Yi Jeong was indeed named Gyeong Yeong (Annals of King Yeongjo). As one of the "eight high-ranking wet nurses" mentioned in the story, she wasn't punished when the heir died.
3. Sima Qian recorded wicked criminals like Do-cheok living long, easy lives, while loyal ministers and heroes died tragically, questioning if heaven's principles truly exist.