He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 131

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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 (2)

“A king must be kingly, a minister must be ministerial, a Father must be fatherly, and a child must be childlike. But do you truly think your actions were those befitting a Father?”

It’s only in corrupted Confucianism—or more precisely, Confucianism where the worst aspects were maximized as it passed into Japan—that teaches unconditional filial piety even when parents freely torment and abuse their children.

Even Mencius, who was Confucius’s successor, left these words: “A king must be kingly, but a bastard who doesn’t act like a king isn’t human but a bandit—vermin that deserves to die.”

How much more so when a so-called Father gets drunk and beats his wife, mistreats her, and even beats his children—does this even make sense?

That son of a bitch deserves to be fried three times in sewage water and then roasted to death.

“Do you know what expression the children now at my House had when they fled from My Lord’s residence?”

“How would I know that? I was drunk out of my mind at the time.”

“They looked terrified, like children fleeing from a murderer chasing them with a Sword. While it may be rude of me to dare interfere in My Lord’s household affairs, when I actually saw children who had fled because they wanted to live, I couldn’t just pass by.”

The Civil Servant Uncle who helped our household said this.

The district office chief told him to please stop stirring up trouble and asked if he really had no intention of getting promoted.

Regardless of such pressure, he went around helping people like me and other socially vulnerable individuals within the bounds of the law.

Later, when I was appointed as an administrative officer and investigated him, I found that if he had just been a little less meddlesome and a bit better at office politics, he could have easily risen to the rank of secretary.

But because he went around helping people and earned the displeasure of his superiors, he retired at grade 6.

The truth is, I’m naturally a selfish person, but the reason I go around helping people like this.

It’s because I owe him a debt and because I want to become like him.

No, the fact that I became an administrative official was actually because I wanted to become a civil servant like him.

That’s why I couldn’t just leave Gwon Ram and his sister behind.

He probably isn’t watching me all the way here in Joseon, but still, I want to become someone who wouldn’t be ashamed in his eyes.

“So you’re saying I tried to kill the children. Is that what you’re telling me now?”

“It’s said that harsh laws and tax collection are more frightening to the Common People than tigers. A Father who wields violence while drunk is an even more terrifying existence to children.”

There’s one truly ironic thing.

Survival instinct is embedded in children’s DNA.

So when children face a survival crisis, they try to earn their parents’ love.

For this reason, even parents who are child abusers develop instinctive affection when their children are young, and it’s said that children make every effort to be loved.

No matter how hard the children try, their abusive parents will continue to abuse them.

That Civil Servant Uncle also said this.

When children are asked about abuse-related matters at child abuse trials…

They keep making excuses, saying their father isn’t a bad person, he just gets like that sometimes when he drinks alcohol.

For a child to overcome such strong survival instincts and the desire to be loved by their parents as their offspring, and actually run away from their parents?

Just how severely must they have abused their child?

That bastard deserves to be torn apart and killed.

“Though I hesitate to dare evaluate the conduct of My Lord, who is the son of Founding Merit Subject Kwon Geun and has even served as provincial governor. Do you truly love your children, My Lord?”

“Where in this world exists a parent who doesn’t love their child? Are you saying I’m such trash who doesn’t love his children, Scribe Kim?”

“Just imagining my own child running out of the house late at night makes my heart feel like it’s breaking. I’d be worried they might suffer terrible things at the hands of bad people.”

Humans like Kwon Je cannot empathize with others’ emotions, because they’re psychopaths.

No matter how much you tell such people to love their children as parents, to cherish and raise them well, they can’t understand.

They’re people born without the ability to empathize with emotions, so how could you possibly develop their empathy?

“While worrying so anxiously, if I heard news that someone was protecting my child… I’d be so relieved I’d collapse right there on the spot. And even if the person protecting my child was a slave of the lowest status, I’d bow to them in gratitude and serve them as a lifelong benefactor. Because they saved my child who is more precious than my own life. Isn’t this the heart a father should have?”

“…”

Psychopaths like Kwon Je lack empathy, but they don’t lack the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

So those diagnosed with psychopathic tendencies in their youth judge all social problems based on standards of good and evil.

Going further, though they cannot empathize with emotions, they adapt to society by distinguishing how others might feel based on standards of ‘good and evil’.

So that beast wearing human skin must have realized how much bullshit his words were, since I explained it based on ‘good and evil’ standards.

“Impeach me if you want to impeach, criticize if you want to criticize. But no one else will sympathize with My Lord’s words.”

Kwon Je clicked his tongue sharply after hearing my words.

“My words were too harsh. I’ll apologize. Since you protected my children, I’ll send a return gift with my gratitude. Now let me take Ram-i and Yeong-i.”

“The children are severely injured and receiving treatment from a physician. The physician said they need to be treated at my house for at least a week.”

There’s a mistake that police officers who receive child abuse reports often make.

When the child and parents at the scene say it’s not child abuse, they just withdraw from the situation right then and there.

This is the wrong approach, because what parent in this world would honestly admit ‘I am committing child abuse’ while abusing their child…

And how could a child have the courage to report their own parents as child abusers?

Parents who feel embarrassed and betrayed after being reported because of their child might burn with revenge toward their child and commit even more severe violence.

I can’t guarantee what will happen if I send the children back to Kwon Je now.

Perhaps an accident might occur where a child ends up departing for the other world (though it wouldn’t be Kwon Je’s intention).

“I’m asking you.”

“And I’ve heard rumors going around that your relationship with your wife isn’t good.”

Even in Korea, divorce isn’t something that can be done easily, but in Joseon, divorce for yangban families required permission from the king himself.

It really wasn’t something you could do just because you wanted to.

In the process of getting permission from the king, it would naturally go through Royal Secretariat review.

This becomes unbearable dopamine in the Joseon era, which lacked entertainment.

Naturally, rumors would spread like wildfire throughout society.

Yet that bastard ultimately succeeded in divorcing his wife in the original history.

He did it so he could live lovingly with his gisaeng concubine afterward.

No matter how you look at it, he’s definitely trash that can’t be judged by Joseon era standards.

“How does Scribe Kim know so much about our family affairs?”

“Since there are so many rumors going around. And…”

I spoke in a very quiet voice near this gentleman’s ear.

So that only the two of us could hear.

“I will help you with the divorce.”

A smile appeared on Kwon Je’s face when he heard those words.

“Is that really true?”

“Yes, I will help you.”

When a husband or wife has a violent personality, spends money recklessly beyond control, or commits adultery as casually as eating meals, people begin to think about divorce in such situations.

However, because they have children, they often cannot divorce and continue to endure life while constantly fighting as a couple.

They think that their parents’ divorce would not be good for their children’s growth.

I understand what that feeling is like, but in fact, looking at it long-term, it could be even worse for the children.

They say that for children, living in a household on the brink of divorce gives them the same stress as being thrown into a battlefield.

Rather than continuing to give such stress, it would be better to choose divorce.

In the sense that giving one big pain is better than giving continuous pain.

Of course, the best option would be not divorcing and everyone living well together, but if that’s not possible, wouldn’t it be better to choose the lesser evil.

I think this is the best choice to save Gwon Ram, his sister, and the innocent first wife.

“Then I shall take my leave now.”

Kwon Je said this and went out of the house while humming.

As soon as that bastard left, I immediately called for Gapseok.

“Gapseok, sprinkle a lot of salt at the main gate. And buy some talismans to ward off evil spirits and put them up.”

Just thinking that such human trash came and went makes me unconsciously look for talismans.

I think my mind will be somewhat at ease once Gapseok sprinkles salt and puts up talismans.

Then I went to find Gwon Ram.

“Your father will not come looking for you here for the next week.”

“Thank you, My Lord. But are you really okay…”

I gave the boy a gentle flick on the head that wouldn’t hurt.

“If you’re a child, it’s fine to act spoiled toward adults like a child should.”

There are two things absolutely necessary for Gwon Ram’s normal personality development.

One is the warm love of an adult to replace his father’s role.

The other is escaping from his father trauma.

And the best way to escape from trauma is…

‘Revenge.’

“I have a proposal for you.”

“What kind of proposal are you referring to?”

“It’s nothing bad.”

Do you think I’d just leave that child-abusing bastard alone?

“Do you want me to send your father to Goryeo’s side?”

Gwon Ram’s eyes wavered.

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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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