He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Gwon Ram and Han Myeong-hoe (1)

People often say that if you like meddling in other people’s business, your life will go to hell.

Indeed, there are countless cases where people’s lives fall into ruin just for showing kindness.

You pick up a wallet dropped on the street and take it to the Police Station the next day, only to have some crazy person suddenly sue you.

There are even crazy bastards who sue for sexual assault after you save someone’s life with CPR.

If you’re unlucky enough to get caught up with such crazy people once, while you won’t end up in prison since your innocence will be revealed during the investigation, you’ll still end up spending at least ten million won.

On lawyer fees and settlement money.

In Joseon where courtesy and law are alive, if someone tries to file such lawsuits, the person filing the suit would be beaten with a Beating Stick for false accusations, being called less than human.

So Joseon is a very good country for showing kindness.

“Gapseok, let’s take those children who ran away over there to our House. At this late hour, who knows what harm might come to two children wandering around.”

Gapseok shook his head at my words.

“My Lord, I am ignorant and do not know well who the master of that house is. However, I can clearly see that anyone who owns such a large house in Bukchon must be a person of great influence. If we carelessly get involved in such a person’s family affairs, things will get complicated. Please say that family matters should be handled among family members, and let us return Home quickly.”

Gapseok’s words were correct.

The master of that house is former Jincheon County Magistrate Kwon Je, who even served as a 2nd rank provincial governor before being demoted when his Bribe-taking was exposed.

Moreover, Kwon Je’s Father is Kwon Geun, one of the top ten founding contributors, so the family’s influence is truly tremendous.

While Joseon is a country of courtesy and propriety where those who show kindness won’t suffer unjustly, it’s also a patriarchal state.

When patriarch Kwon Je drinks and beats the children, people just click their tongues and that’s it, and even when that bastard ultimately killed his own daughter (though unintentionally), he received no particular punishment.

All that happened was having ‘that bastard is trash’ written in the historical records.

“If you interfere in other people’s family affairs, only My Lord will suffer needlessly.”

I couldn’t make any rebuttal to his words.

Because everything he said was right.

However, I simply couldn’t just pass by those pitiful children.

Partly because the one running away there is Gwon Ram, but also because it reminded me of my own childhood when I lived in Korea.

If it were the Civil Servant Uncle who helped me both materially and spiritually during my poor days, even knowing things could escalate, even knowing he might face disadvantages himself…

“Everything you say is right, but as a human being, how can I pretend not to see those children? If they were children from poor families it might be different, but since they’re a young lady and young master from a yangban household, they’ll surely suffer terrible treatment at the hands of Hanyang’s ruffian gangs.”

In 21st century Korea, even if minors run away and sleep on the streets, they can usually get by without encountering serious trouble…

But in Joseon without CCTV, if a boy and girl wander around in such expensive clothes, they’ll definitely catch the eye of scoundrels and get kidnapped.

Once kidnapped, getting released after paying ransom becomes a distant prospect.

Because even the scoundrels know they’ll be arrested the moment they appear to collect the ransom.

So after kidnapping them, they’ll sell them as slaves to some remote countryside corner, claiming they’re children from noble families.

Then they’ll be lost forever.

“Let go of the reins.”

“Oh my, My Lord…”

When I spurred my horse, Gapseok shook his head as if he had no choice and released the reins.

As I approached the children, their movements stopped.

Anyone would be startled if a man on horseback suddenly approached them late at night.

“My name is Kim Dae-bung. I hold the position of Fourth Rank State Council Secretary. In society, I’m called Kim Dae-bung of the written memorial, and I hear that in the marketplace they also call me the written memorial My Lord.”

“Written memorial… My Lord? Could you be that renowned…”

“I am exactly the Kim Dae-bung you’re thinking of.”

The faces of young Gwon Ram and the girl behind him were filled with terror.

Having directly witnessed their father drunkenly overturning the drinking table and brutally beating his wife, how terrified they must have been.

And looking closely, the girl even had bruises on her face.

How desperate must they have been to flee late at night without even thinking about what disasters might befall them outside the house?

At least those children were truly fortunate to have met me.

“What are your names?”

“I am called Gwon Ram, and my sister here is named Kwon Yeong.”

“I see.”

As I expected, the boy’s name was indeed Gwon Ram.

Actually, I had planned to protect him even if he wasn’t Gwon Ram, but if this kid is destined to become Prince Suyang’s strategist…

I need to form a bond with him and protect him well, giving him proper education so his character doesn’t become twisted.

Looking at his actions recorded in history, his abilities were truly outstanding, but his rotten character led him to commit only evil deeds.

If I could fix his personality a bit, wouldn’t he grow into a talent who could greatly help the nation?

Gwon Ram’s sister asked cautiously while trembling.

“You’re not going to tell us to go back home, are you?”

“Seeing you young children trying to run away from home at this late hour, how could I be so heartless as to tell you to go back? You must have your reasons for doing this.”

The biggest reason I couldn’t just ignore these children running away was because it reminded me of my past life.

When I lived in Korea, I was born into a very poor household.

Father passed away in an accident when I was young, and Mother got cancer from overworking herself while raising me alone.

Since we didn’t have cancer insurance, she didn’t know what to do about the expensive cancer treatment costs.

No, this is something I learned when I became an adult – she actually tried to refuse treatment and just die because we had no money.

She said that if she went into debt to treat her illness, it would be like killing her child to save herself.

But young me ran to the District Office, desperately begging for help to save my mother, and I happened to meet a Civil Servant Uncle who was about to retire.

That uncle really worked hard to help our household, even though it was technically someone else’s business.

He helped us with all the paperwork to get designated as basic livelihood recipients, and somehow expedited the processing time so we could be designated as medical benefit recipients as soon as possible.

Thanks to becoming benefit recipients, all treatment costs were waived, and Mother didn’t miss the timing for cancer treatment, so she was finally able to survive.

And with livelihood benefits and housing benefits coming in, our family didn’t starve to death during her treatment.

These children aren’t poor like I was back then, but how terrifying must the drunken head of household’s violence have been for them to run away like this?

Having these thoughts, I absolutely couldn’t treat this as someone else’s problem.

“Let’s go to my house first and rest a bit. And just in case, I’ll call my physician too.”

“Thank you… but are you really sure it’s okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“My father served as a provincial governor. And if My Lord interferes recklessly in our household affairs, you would…”

Find yourself in quite a difficult position.

After all, it would mean directly meddling in the domestic affairs of the son of Kwon Geun, a founding merit subject, and a former provincial governor.

Since I had touched on that man’s sore spot, he might even try to kill me.

But I couldn’t just pretend not to see children I could save.

I patted Gwon Ram’s head to deflect his words.

“Haha, a child should just innocently accept an adult’s kindness like a child should. If things go wrong, well, I might face impeachment from the Office of Inspector General. But that’s something for me to worry about, not something for children like you to be concerned about.”

“But, My Lord…”

“You’re quite thoughtful for someone so young. But you’re still a child, not an adult, so you don’t need to make cold calculations like an adult or consider everyone else’s circumstances.”

If I get impeached and things get twisted this way and that, I might be stripped of my position and sent into exile.

So what if that happens?

Even if I’m exiled, our household has plenty of money anyway, so I can eat well and live well even in exile.

A person lives only once and dies only once anyway.

Then at the very least, I should live without doing anything shameful in my own eyes.

That way I can face the Civil Servant Uncle who helped my young self and our family in every way possible.

“I ask again, will you follow me?”

“We’ll be in your debt, My Lord.”

And so I rescued the two children from the drunken, rampaging Kwon Je and returned home.

When I got home, Gyeoul-i was surprised, but after I explained the situation, she immediately called for a physician.

According to the physician, since we treated them early, there shouldn’t be any permanent scars on their bodies.

And the next morning, as soon as the sun rose, the expected unwelcome guest came to our house.

Kwon Je.

As soon as that man saw me, he immediately lashed out reproachfully.

“Even though you may receive the favor of both His Majesties in the Royal Court, isn’t interfering in other people’s household affairs far too presumptuous?”

What I did was indeed presumptuous.

According to Confucian values, even if parents beat their children or go so far as to try to kill them, the children must forgive everything and fulfill their filial duties to their parents.

In such a world, it makes sense for them to get angry and scold me for arbitrarily protecting children who were kicked out of their homes.

Hmm, in times like this, it’s best to fight fire with fire.

“My Lord, you abused children while drunk – is that truly the right behavior? Can you honestly say you’re acting righteously before all people?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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