He Became King Sejong’s Lifelong Prime Minister - Chapter 83

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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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King Sejong’s Trap (4)

 

Am I dreaming right now? That’s what I’m thinking.

 

If not, there’s no way such words would reach my ears.

 

“What did you just say, Minister of War? I’ve been exhausted from heavy work lately, so I didn’t properly hear what you said.”

 

Jo Mal-saeng repeated it with a bright smile.

 

“His Majesty just commanded this. He said to specially elevate Kim Gyeoul, the concubine of Ministry of War Jeongrang Kim Dae-bung, to the position of main wife, and to provide Royal Gifts from the Royal Palace for the wedding ceremony.”

 

I once saw this advertisement, no, this post on the internet.

 

It said that pure intentions only go as far as pork, and if someone buys you beef… there’s definitely some ulterior motive behind it.

 

Though it was probably something a restaurant owner made up for fun, these words resonated greatly with people and spread widely for a while.

 

It contained the excellent meaning of being wary of excessive kindness without compensation.

 

Similarly, the fact that something that could never happen under normal circumstances has occurred, unless the king is making an unreasonable move due to Joseon’s customs and laws.

 

There must be a hidden, or rather openly revealed intention of the villainous professor King Sejong, who prevents capable graduate students (ministers, officials) from graduating (resigning) while pushing them into the next stage (doctorate).

 

To summarize it in one phrase, it would be this.

 

‘Hehe, you can’t resign. Dae-bung will serve the Royal Ancestral Shrine and State until he dies.’

 

I said I wanted to benefit Joseon, but I didn’t say I wanted to be like Hwang Hee, who even past age 90 came to the Royal Palace with a walking stick to handle official duties and later was even forced to work from home.

 

My vision turns yellow, and my head becomes dizzy.

 

I wish I could just collapse like this.

 

I want to take sick leave and just rest for about a month, I really mean it.

 

“Haha, you must be so happy you’re speechless. When Minister Families hold weddings, there have often been cases where the Royal Palace lends materials to help… but there has never been a precedent like yours where the Royal Palace provides the items needed for the wedding.”

 

During King Sukjong’s era, there was a case where Prime Minister Heo Jeok, who belonged to the Southerner faction, borrowed Oil Curtain made of oil-soaked cloth from the Royal Palace for a household member’s wedding.

 

To be precise, the problem was that he illegally used his authority as Prime Minister…

 

Anyway, as Jo Mal-saeng said, there are indeed cases where the king often lends materials for weddings in minister households.

 

But there’s no precedent of receiving Royal Gifts like in my case.

 

As I sat there in a daze, Jo Mal-saeng patted my shoulder and chuckled heartily.

 

“I’m jealous enough to be envious, Kim Jeongnang.”

 

Whatever Jo Mal-saeng said, I had made up my mind.

 

I was willing to gratefully accept King Sejong’s great grace in elevating Gyeoul-i to the position of legitimate wife.

 

If I readily accept this, it would become difficult for me to resign carelessly, and I’d be bound for at least the next 20 years…

 

But anyway, Gyeoul-i would be happy about it.

 

If my wife would be happy, I could certainly work for about 20 years.

 

However, I absolutely would not accept the Royal Gifts that His Majesty was bestowing, even if it killed me.

 

If I accepted those, I would end up like Hwang Hee.

 

Even if I shouted with my own mouth ‘No, I don’t want it, please don’t!’, King Sejong would say ‘Yes, yes!’ and work me like a lifelong slave.

 

Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps all over my body and made my spine shiver.

 

“I will go submit a petition.”

 

“…? Are you ill somewhere? As a subject, you should just gratefully accept His Majesty’s grace, so why would you specifically submit a petition asking him to withdraw it?”

 

“Through His Majesty’s great grace, considering my situation of having no legitimate wife and elevating my concubine to wife does not greatly violate propriety, so I will gratefully accept that. However, bestowing Royal Gifts from the Royal Family to a low-ranking official like myself would set a wrong precedent, so this must be prevented.”

 

After saying that, I immediately wrote a petition and sent it to the Royal Secretariat.

 

**

 

On the way to Gwanghwamun, I met Heo Jo and officials from the Saheonbu and Office of Censors.

 

As soon as Heo Jo saw me, he smiled brightly and welcomed me warmly.

 

“As expected of Jukheon (Kim Dae-bung’s pen name)! Kim Jeongnang, I knew you would definitely submit a petition saying this unprecedented matter was not right.”

 

“Since I have no wife, elevating my concubine to legitimate wife can be accepted as similar to succession rites (when there are no children from the legitimate wife to carry on ancestral rites, allowing the concubine’s children to perform the rites). However, the Royal Family giving Royal Gifts for the wedding of a low-ranking official like myself goes against proper order and would remain as a wrong precedent.”

 

The intention to give was truly appreciated. No, actually, I wasn’t grateful.

 

Pouring unrequested grace into my mouth and then declaring that I had now become unable to retire… how could I be grateful for that?

 

I wanted to retire at an appropriate time and live the rest of my life comfortably.

 

I’d like to visit Jinhae County once in a few decades too.

 

“As expected of a pioneer of written memorials. Come, let’s go together. Go and submit a petition to His Majesty saying this goes against proper protocol. We must make sure to stop the Royal Palace from bestowing Royal Gifts.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“And I sincerely congratulate you on being able to take your beloved concubine as your legal wife. Though I don’t have much to spare, I’ll make sure to give you generous Congratulatory Money.”

 

“So you’re congratulating me on one hand, but opposing me receiving Royal Gifts because it’s wrong?”

 

Heo Jo laughed heartily.

 

“Even if I die from an Iron Mace blow like Poeun (Jeong Mong-ju), shouldn’t I say what’s wrong is wrong? Just like Kim Jeongnang did.”

 

Meanwhile, the officials following behind Heo Jo reeked of alcohol.

 

Heo Jo was originally the type to immediately submit direct advice when displeased and oppose anything he disagreed with, so he could submit petitions opposing the Iron Mace King Lee Bang-won while sober…

 

But ordinary officials can’t write petitions opposing the king while sober.

 

That’s why the Office of Censors is the only department among all government offices in Joseon where daytime drinking is permitted and even encouraged.

 

They’re told to borrow liquid courage to submit their petitions.

 

We all spread mats in front of Gwanghwamun.

 

Heo Jo was the first to begin.

 

“Your Majesty, it is true that Ministry of War Jeongrang Kim Dae-bung has rendered great service to the nation. Therefore, Your Majesty’s concern that he might face difficulties without a legal wife, and allowing him to make his beloved concubine his legal wife, though somewhat against propriety, does not go against reason. However, sending wedding Royal Gifts from the Royal Palace is unprecedented except for the weddings of royal family members including princes, princesses, and other royalty. Why do you seek to bestow such favor upon him while breaking Joseon’s proper protocols?”

 

Breaking protocols to bestow such ridiculous imperial grace just to embarrass me for life.

 

Such wicked thoughts must absolutely not be allowed.

 

With Heo Jo and even the officials from the Office of Inspector General and Office of Censors joining forces, it gives great strength to submitting the petition.

 

We must quickly stop this terrible thing from happening.

 

“Though we do not fail to recognize Retired King’s ocean-deep imperial grace in cherishing Kim Dae-bung, in the long run, Kim Dae-bung will earn the jealousy of countless officials because of this matter. For future generations, it will leave a bad precedent of broken protocols. How can this be called something for the benefit of Kim Dae-bung and his wife? Please set your sacred heart right and kindly withdraw your royal command!”

 

Next came petitions from high-ranking officials including the Chief Censor and Chief Inspector.

 

They all said it didn’t fit proper principles and asked for reconsideration.

 

They didn’t use intense words like Heo Jo’s “such imperial grace could harm Kim Dae-bung, so it should all be scrapped.”

 

When my turn came and I was about to recite my prepared petition.

 

“Retired King His Majesty, His Majesty the King has arrived!”

 

Lee Bang-won and King Sejong had come.

 

They appeared much faster than we had expected.

 

A look of confusion appeared on Heo Jo’s face.

 

Regardless of our reaction, King Sejong looked at me and smiled broadly.

 

He was like a professor kidnapping an innocent undergraduate student to graduate school full of dreams and hopes (only from the professor’s perspective).

 

My goodness, what a terrifying smile this was.

 

“Seeing the Minister of Rites and Kim Dae-bung is like seeing Wei Zheng who assisted Emperor Taizong of Tang.”

 

Emperor Taizong Li Shimin evaluated him as ‘Wei Zheng is a mirror that reflects oneself,’ and indeed Wei Zheng was a brilliant minister.

 

He was a man who always put his neck on the line to offer advice on everything from trivial matters to crucial issues.

 

So harshly that Emperor Taizong wanted to really kill that man.

 

And since nothing he said was wrong, when Emperor Taizong was returning after failing to conquer Goguryeo, he thought of Wei Zheng who had been dead for several years and reportedly said this.

 

‘If Wei Zheng had been here, I wouldn’t have undertaken this foolish expedition.’

 

“However, my bestowing favor upon Kim Dae-bung to a degree that goes against protocol is to fulfill my filial duty as a son.”

 

In Confucian society, filial piety is a finishing move.

 

How powerful a finishing move was it? When Hwang Hee fled saying he would observe ‘three years of mourning,’ King Sejong had to let Hwang Hee go for several months, demonstrating its tremendous power.

 

So much so that the Gyeongguk Daejeon allowed children to receive all punishments except those corresponding to ‘death penalty’ on behalf of their parents if they wished to fulfill their filial duties.

 

“I too am not unaware that Retired King His Majesty’s favor goes against protocol. However, when the Bangwon Method was implemented and taxes increased, and I heard that poor people no longer had to worry about meals unless there was a bad harvest, Retired King His Majesty shed tears and said, ‘King Taejo left instructions to create a country where we could rejoice together with the people, and now that we have fulfilled those instructions, I have no regrets even if I die.'”

 

Once filial piety and King Taejo’s story came up, we could no longer refute King Sejong’s words with any protocol or logic.

 

Because if we objected, we would immediately become those possessed by Goryeo spirits.

 

“And Retired King His Majesty heard that Kim Dae-bung has no main wife, only a concubine, and that the reason he doesn’t take a main wife is his concern that his beloved concubine would be mistreated by the main wife and become sad. This reminded him of the late Queen Mother. So he commanded that his concubine Kim Gyeoul be elevated to main wife.”

 

King Sejong, who brought out both mother and father, absolutely cannot be stopped by anyone.

 

“Retired King His Majesty commanded that Royal Gifts be bestowed with gratitude to his minister Kim Dae-bung, who enabled his inadequate self to uphold King Taejo’s instructions. Therefore, Minister of Rites and Ministry of War Jeongrang Kim Dae-bung, though this may go against protocol, do not oppose it any further.”

 

“…Your boundless grace overwhelms me, Your Majesty.”

 

Tears fell from my eyes.

 

Of course, they weren’t tears of joy.

 

Receiving those Royal Gifts and the grace of making Gyeoul-i my official wife felt like putting a collar of lifelong service around my own neck, so tears naturally fell from despair.

 

But to everyone else except me, they would misunderstand and think I was shedding tears moved by the great grace of Their Majesties.

 

Afterwards, King Sejong bestowed upon Heo Jo and me various precious tonic medicine, delicacies, and plenty of beef.

 

Then he first helped the prostrated Heo Jo to his feet, and subsequently helped me up while whispering in my ear.

 

“I will not commit the same foolish act as Emperor Gaozu of Han who suspected Zhang Liang.”

 

In Joseon, they think that Zhang Liang’s retirement was because Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang suspected him, so he had no choice but to retire because he didn’t want to be purged.

 

So by saying this, he’s probably telling me to work with peace of mind.

 

I don’t need any of that – I just want early retirement or regular retirement.

 

“So let us work together to create a Joseon where the Common People can smile and dream of a better tomorrow.”

 

Save me, I want to go home.

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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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