After that, Sejong proceeded with the matter at lightning speed.
Kim So-ryang, Kim Dam’s father, received the royal order through a messenger who had ridden all night, and rushed up from Wonpyeong County – now Paju – in one breath.
Upon arriving, Kim So-ryang heard a rough outline of the story from Jeong-cho, who was with Sejong.
“So, Deputy Director Jeong-cho here learned that the two children had affection for each other and became the matchmaker. I also think he’s suitable as Jeongui’s partner. What do you think?”
“It’s an honor for our family!”
Kim So-ryang had no choice but to accept immediately at Sejong’s question.
To be honest, Kim So-ryang had no other option but to accept.
This was because of the example of Yi Sok, whose family was ruined after refusing to accept the previous king Taejong’s illegitimate daughter as a daughter-in-law. (Note 1)
No, in Yi Sok’s case, there was at least the excuse that he refused because the prospective daughter-in-law was an illegitimate princess. But Princess Jeongui was Sejong’s legitimate daughter.
As Kim So-ryang gave permission, half willingly and half unwillingly, Sejong continued with a satisfied face.“Ah, and come up to Hanseong with your family. Now that you’ve become part of the royal family, you can’t remain as a county magistrate, can you?”
At Sejong’s words, Kim So-ryang prostrated himself and answered.
“Your grace is boundless!”
“A position has been prepared in the Ministry of National Defense, so you should come up as soon as possible.”
“I receive your command!”
The position Sejong had assigned for Kim So-ryang was the head of the Second Administrative Office in the Ministry of National Defense. It was quite a high position, but not so high as to cause gossip.
Of course, Sejong hadn’t just randomly chosen the position. It was the result of examining Kim So-ryang’s performance evaluations and reviews.
“He’s skilled in administration, so this position should be perfect. The Minister of National Defense had been complaining about the lack of people skilled in administrative work anyway.”
Both in the history before Hyang’s intervention and in the history after his intervention, Kim So-ryang ended up benefiting from his son’s influence.
In the history before Hyang’s intervention, as Kim Dam rose to the position of Minister of Personnel, Kim So-ryang was posthumously promoted to Minister of Military Affairs with the rank of Jaheon Daebu.
And in the history after Hyang’s intervention, he became a high-ranking official while still alive.
As the situation was settled, soon the government gazette was posted on bulletin boards in government offices across the country.
-To commemorate the Crown Prince and Princes safely reaching their first birthdays, and to celebrate Princess Jeongui’s wedding, a discount event will be held at state monopoly stores for five days. The dates are…
“It’s out!”
The people checking the contents of the gazette clenched their fists and focused on it. What the people were most interested in was the event dates and discount rates.
“What’s the discount rate? What does it say?”
“Let’s see… Uni… uniform… Uniform 50%!”
“50%, it says!”
“And it’s uniform!”
“Long live His Majesty!”
At the content of “50% discount on all items,” all the people reading the gazette shouted “Long live!”
Meanwhile, veteran officials watching the scene at the entrance of the state monopoly stores warned the new officials.
“It’ll be quiet for a while, so rest and build up your strength. Once the event starts, there’ll be wailing.”
“Is it that bad?”
“You’ll be able to feel what it means to say ‘people flood in like a tidal wave.'”
At the veteran official’s words, the faces of the new officials turned pale.
However, the veteran officials who had already gained some experience had researched and shared appropriate methods.
‘Only let in a manageable number of people at a time.’
‘Set up zigzag queues with ropes to prevent people from rushing in all at once.’
‘Make sure to request solid support from the police bureau.’
At the same time, ships and carts loaded with goods to be sold rushed to state monopoly stores across the country.
***
While the whole of Joseon was buzzing with anticipation for the discount event, another matter was progressing.
At a gisaeng house in Bukchon.
The ministers were having a drinking party together after a long time.
“How long has it been since we had a drink together?”
“Haha! Indeed!”
The ministers enjoyed the feast, laughing constantly.
As the ministers said, it really had been a long time since they had a drinking party.
Under the pretext of “slowing down the pace but ensuring substance,” they had been reviewing and coordinating policies, leading to a life of “home-office-palace-office-night duty room-palace-(repeat)-occasionally home.”
There was a break in between when Lee Jik passed away, but they had to endure more than a day at the funeral home paying condolences.
Amidst this, “Princess Jeongui’s marriage” was decided. As Sejong’s workload decreased due to focusing on his daughter’s marriage, the ministers finally had some free time after a long while.
As drinks were exchanged, the ministers asked Jeong-cho, who was attending the drinking party:
“How did you end up becoming the matchmaker?”
“Yes, tell us.”
At the ministers’ questions, Jeong-cho emptied his cup with an embarrassed expression and opened his mouth.
“Well, you see… Weren’t both of them receiving education at the research institute? When I took a peek, I saw that love was budding between the two. So, I stepped forward to be the matchmaker. They’re both in the prime of youth, wouldn’t there be a scandal if something went wrong?”
After saying that much, Jeong-cho emptied his cup and sighed.
“Sigh~. I thought it had worked out well, but…”
As Jeong-cho trailed off, the ministers nodded. They had heard the rumors that had been circulating in the palace for a while.
Seeing the ministers’ reactions, Jeong-cho concluded his explanation.
“Because of that, things progressed urgently. If not for that, we could have chosen an auspicious date and proceeded according to proper procedures.”
“Well, they’re both in the prime of youth…”
“Still, since it happened after permission was given, isn’t it rather fortunate?”
The ministers summarized the situation, speaking like this.
***
As the drinking party broke up, the ministers left the gisaeng house one by one.
“Lord Hwang.”
“What is it, Lord Maeng?”
Maeng Sa-seong, who had called out to Hwang Hui, looked around and asked in a low voice.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“Princess Jeongui’s marriage. Do you really think that sequence is correct?”
At Maeng Sa-seong’s question, Hwang Hui immediately answered.
“There’s a saying in the market: ‘Pretend not to know even if you know, and don’t try to know if you don’t know.’ Do you think the other ministers just let it pass because they didn’t know?”
At Hwang Hui’s words, Maeng Sa-seong nodded slightly. Seeing Maeng Sa-seong’s reaction, Hwang Hui continued.
“Now that we’ve talked about it like this, rumors will soon spread. With that, we’ve done our job well.”
“Hmm… I suppose so.”
Maeng Sa-seong nodded at Hwang Hui’s words.
As Hwang Hui said, the “love story” that Jeong-cho had talked about at the gisaeng house spread throughout Hanseong in an instant. And soon after, it spread throughout Joseon. The secret royal guards also played a part in spreading the rumors so quickly.
***
While rumors were spreading like this, Princess Jeongui’s wedding took place.
Sejong had prepared a house in Bukchon for Princess Jeongui. Hyang, attending on behalf of Sejong at the wedding held in the courtyard of the house that exuded a fresh feeling, muttered inwardly while looking at Princess Jeongui and her husband.
‘Isn’t this how Joseon’s Curie couple is born?’
Both Princess Jeongui and Kim Dam belonged to the research institute and were devoted to its work. Therefore, it wasn’t an impossible thing.
‘No, since this is earlier, instead of being Joseon’s Curie couple, are they becoming France’s Jeongui couple?’
As he continued this train of thought, Hyang burst into laughter.
‘And one of their children will say they’re the family’s shame.’
***
The second daughter of the Curie couple, unlike her parents and older sister, entered the cultural field instead of the scientific field.
And when her parents, older sister, and even her husband received Nobel Prizes – in her husband’s case, he received the Nobel Peace Prize as a UNICEF representative – she often joked like this:
“I’m the family’s shame.”
However, she received the Legion of Honor instead of a Nobel Prize.
***
Shortly after Princess Jeongui’s wedding took place, the first birthday celebration for Hyang’s three sons was held.
The first birthday party held at the Crown Prince’s palace was attended by Sejong, the royal family members, and ministers, all celebrating the first birthdays of the three children.
“Now! It’s time for the doljanchi!”
On the feast table, various objects were placed for the doljanchi. Besides traditional items like thread, rice, brush, and money, even a compass and a sword were placed, while the Crown Princess and the wet nurses sat the babies in front of the table.
“Now! Quickly, grab something.”
As soon as the words fell, the other two children, except for the Royal Grandson, grabbed the compass and sword like lightning.
“Sigh~.”
Seeing this, the Royal Grandson let out a small sigh with an expression of unfairness.
‘I’m not seeing things, right? That was a sigh?’
‘A baby sighing?’
While everyone was bewildered by the unexpected situation, Hyang whispered softly to the Royal Grandson.
“Wan, no matter what Du and Seul do, you have the authority over personnel appointments.”
As if understanding something from Hyang’s words, the Royal Grandson grinned and grasped the thread and brush in both hands.
“Thread and brush… He’ll have a long life and be accomplished in scholarship. That’s good. Du grabbed the sword, so he’ll become a military official, and Seul grabbed the compass, so he’ll travel far seas and expand Joseon’s territory.”
At Sejong’s words of blessing, Hyang smiled and bowed his head.
“I only hope they’ll grow up as Father wishes.”
“You’ll have to educate them diligently. By the way, I always feel this, but you’ve really given them good names. Jade… Yes, a person should become like jade.”
As Sejong said, the names of all three children meant fine jade.
At Sejong’s high praise, Hyang bowed his head and replied.
“I hope they’ll become precious treasures like jade.”
However, there was something Hyang didn’t mention.
It was etiquette to choose rarely used Chinese characters for the names of royalty, especially princes. This etiquette, called ‘pihwi’, was to prevent the disrespect of commoners using the same characters as the names of ancestors or kings.
Because of this, most princes’ names were given as single characters chosen from rarely used Chinese characters.
And Hyang had volunteered to take on this naming task.
“If they’re given names with difficult-to-pronounce Chinese characters, it’ll be troublesome for me.”
Although he took on the task to avoid trouble, Hyang realized that naming was not an easy task.
“Tch… This is frustrating…”
While pondering for suitable names, Hyang soon found an appropriate method.
“This is annoying! Let’s go with one, two, three!”
After deciding on the pronunciation first, he then searched the dictionary for Chinese characters with appropriate good meanings, which resulted in Wan (琓, name of a jade), Du (㺶, jade), and Seul (璱, blue bead).
***
After the first birthday party ended, in the deep night when everyone was asleep, Hyang sat alone in his study, reflecting on the day’s events and tilting his head.
“No matter how I think about it, aren’t those kids on their second round? It seems like their second round… No matter how smart they are, it doesn’t make sense that they already understand words, right?”
Suspecting that they might be reincarnators like himself, Hyang soon shook his head.
“But that’s a bit strange too… They’re showing it too obviously? Don’t they think they’ll be suspected right away?”
After pondering for a long time, Hyang finally reached a conclusion.
“Whether they’re reincarnators or not, what’s the problem? If they’re reincarnators, it’s good because they’ll do well on their own, and if they’re not reincarnators, it means they’re that smart, which is also good. In other words, no matter what, the fact that they’ll be rolled by me doesn’t change, so why worry?”
And so, the brief interlude was coming to an end.
***
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