Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 112

Similar timeline, the Forbidden City.

“That guy… he really is something, isn’t he?”

After finishing his political duties, Emperor Zhu Zhanji muttered under his breath as he returned to his chamber.

The person he was talking about was Hyang.

“From what I’ve heard, he’s definitely not your average guy.”

***

The phrase ‘The Crown Prince of Joseon is not ordinary’ was universally echoed by envoys who had visited Joseon.

“Not ordinary?”

To Emperor Zhu Zhanji’s question, the envoys uniformly responded.

“Indeed, Your Majesty. His scholarly aptitude is exceptional, despite his young age.”

“He humbly says he’s inadequate, but as you converse with him, it’s impossible to measure the depth of his knowledge!”

“Oh? What about his appearance?”

When asked about Hyang’s appearance, the envoys responded immediately.

“He’s incredibly handsome!”

“He may be young, but he can’t hide his handsomeness!”

“If the legendary Song Yu and Pan Yue were reincarnated, it would be this Crown Prince of Joseon. If he were to walk the streets of Beijing, we would witness ‘fruits filling the cart‘!”

[TL/N: Fruits filling the cart simply means gifts, favors, praises are given in great abundance.]

[TL/N: In Chinese history, 宋玉 (Sòng Yù) and 潘岳 (Pān Yuè) are celebrated both for their literary talents and exceptional good looks. Sòng Yù, a poet from the Warring States period, was not only a master of words but also known for his physical beauty. Similarly, Pān Yuè, who lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was famous for his allure and poetic prowess. Their reputations as handsome men are well-documented in historical texts and have been immortalized in art and literature.]

“Oh? Is that so?”

When the term ‘fruits filling the cart’ was mentioned, Emperor Zhu Zhanji’s eyes sparkled.

‘Fruits filling the cart’ refers to a tale about Pan Yue, who would fill his cart with fruits thrown by admiring women—and even grandmothers—as he passed by, following an old custom of women offering fruits to men they fancied.

The envoys’ uniform praise piqued Emperor Zhu Zhanji’s curiosity.

“Should I invite him over?”

As Emperor Zhu Zhanji pondered, coincidentally, Hyang arrived in Beijing, leading his delegation.

“Ah, as expected!”

Internally impressed by Hyang’s courteous bow, Emperor Zhu Zhanji was filled with admiration.

“Despite being so young and yet to have his coming-of-age ceremony, he’s so respectful!”

Although he still looked like a young boy, his towering height and clean-cut face made it obvious that he was a very handsome man.

In the following banquet and literary discussion focused on calligraphy and painting, Emperor Zhu Zhanji grew increasingly fond of Hyang.

“Humble but not servile, polite but not excessive! Truly a talent!”

It wasn’t just Emperor Zhu Zhanji who was impressed.

“The Crown Prince from Joseon is a strikingly handsome!”

Through palace maids and eunuchs who attended to him, the rumor spread, reaching every corner of the Forbidden City and even the whole of Beijing.

When Hyang eventually left the Forbidden City to return to Joseon, the spectacle unfolded where residents of Beijing flocked to witness the Joseon delegation’s procession.

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***

“Seems like he’s destined for greatness…”

If Hyang were to hear it, he might respond internally with ‘Look here! I’m the Crown Prince! Of course, I’m destined for greatness!’ Emperor Zhu Zhanji muttered, deep in thought.

“Marriage is the ultimate form of alliance, but…”

He had jokingly told Hyang, ‘We have suitable women here,’ startling him. But even if Hyang had accepted, there were complications.

His daughters, with the eldest now being 7 years old, were too young.

On the contrary, his sisters were too old to be sent.

“It’s a pity. In that case… Take a look!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Summon the Chief Secretary immediately!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Emperor Zhu Zhanji, having given the order to Hwanguan, hardened his resolve.

“If all else fails, adopting a daughter is an option. The priority is to first confirm whether what the Joseon crown prince has said is true or an excuse.”

Time passed, and the Chief Secretary who had hastily returned received another order from Emperor Zhu Zhanji.

“Send someone to Shandong and gather detailed information on the Joseon Crown Prince! Especially focus on his marital status!”

“Marital status, you say?”

“Haven’t you, the Chief Secretary, seen? The Joseon Crown Prince is no ordinary person. He needs to be restrained!”

“I will send someone right away!”

‘Finding a way to control the Joseon Crown Prince’ was exactly what the Chief Secretary had wanted to say. When Emperor Zhu Zhanji said the same thing, the Chief Secretary promptly sent someone to Shandong.

***

‘To counter whatever schemes Ming has, I need to act quickly! This is a race against time!’

As the situation grew urgent, King Sejong began to act decisively.

First, he sent the second-tier candidates back home, and from the first-tier candidates, began selecting the final ones for Hyang’s harem.

Those who were rejected from the selection received various gifts like silk and went back home. Surprisingly, these candidates found a spouse quickly because they had been selected for the harem in the first place.

“Who could be a better daughter-in-law than someone who was a candidate to be Crown Princess!”

Moreover, these rejected candidates started a trend when they returned home; to be precise, they accelerated certain trends.

The first was the flush toilet. Although it was already commonly used in the palace, it had not yet spread to the common households. This was because renovating the bathroom would be a significant task. However, the candidates who had returned home shared their experiences and soon households began buying and installing flush toilets.

Next were glass products made in glass factories.

These glass products became explosively popular.

And among them, the most recent product, the compact mirror, became a must-have for women at that time.

From decorative mother-of-pearl mirrors to full-body mirrors, to small hand-sized mirrors, women started buying these according to their circumstances.

No, even stylish men, whether they were nobles or commoners, considered these mirrors a must-have.

And among those who admired themselves in the mirror, there was Hyang.

“Hmm… If I do say so myself, I have quite a handsome face.”

Standing in front of the full-body mirror installed in his room in the Eastern Palace, Hyang admired himself in various poses.

With a face that combined the best features of both King Sejong and Queen Soheon, and having entered a proper growth period with a balanced diet, at least 8 hours of sleep, and training in horseback riding and martial arts, Hyang had grown tall and broad-shouldered. Objectively speaking, not just by the standards of the Joseon era but also by those of the 21st century, Hyang was handsome.

“It’s funny how this Hanbok, especially the Dragon Robe, only looks good on those who are tall and have broad shoulders.”

Just as Hyang said, traditional Hanbok was the type of clothing that looked dignified on those with broad shoulders.

“Alright, enough self-admiration. Time to go work.”

Adjusting his clothes in the mirror, Hyang opened the door to his room.

“Let’s first stop by the research lab.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As always, Hyang headed to the research lab accompanied by his stewards, where he ran into Yu.

“Isn’t that Yu?”

At Hyang’s call, Yu rushed over and bowed.

“Brother, no, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Are you well?”

“Ah, yes. You’ve learned to bow properly. You’ve been diligent, haven’t you?”

“Hehehe.”

Pleased by Hyang’s compliment, Yu smiled brightly.

“So, are you on your way to see the trains again today?”

“No, I am going to learn mathematics today.”

Hearing Yu’s answer, Hyang was taken aback.

“Already learning mathematics? If it’s at the research lab, then that’s an advanced course, isn’t it?”

Hyang looked back at the prince’s tutor following Yu.

“Is Yu properly mastering the classics?”

“Yes, Your Highness. He is working hard.”

“Hmm.”

Hyang patted Yu lightly on the shoulder.

“Keep up the good work. You haven’t given up your dream about trains, have you?”

“No! My dream is to lay railroads throughout Joseon!”

Upon hearing Yu’s answer, Hyang smiled and patted his shoulder again.

“Work hard.”

“Yes!”

Upon entering the research lab, Yu respectfully bowed to Hyang.

“Your Highness, I will now go to attend my class.”

“Work hard.”

After seeing off Yu, Hyang spoke to his steward standing behind him.

“Hasn’t Yu grown a lot?”

“He will soon be 11 years old. He will also soon be appointed as a Grand Prince.”

“I see…”

Although he said so, Hyang was grumbling internally.

‘Why is an 11-year-old this tall! I’ve worked so hard to grow taller! He grows like a sprout with just water!’

Recalling Yu’s robust shoulders, which seemed uncharacteristic for an 11-year-old, Hyang corrected his words.

‘Revised! He grows like a bad sprout with fertilizer-infused water!’

A lot had changed since Hyang created the butterfly effect that led to Princess Jeongso surviving, including the titles given to Hyang’s younger siblings. The year Yu was supposed to be appointed as Grand Prince Jinpyeong was this year, Sejong 10th year (1428), but he had not yet been appointed.

The main reason was that due to Princess Jeongso’s survival, the sequence of titles starting from Hyang had all been pushed back.

***

Back in his daily life and busy with work, Hyang suddenly received a summons from Sejong.

“What could it be?”

Sejong, who rushed to meet Hyang, who had arrived in haste due to his lack of understanding of the whole situation, soon headed for the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion with Sejong in the lead.

“The candidates for the crown princess have been decided.”

“Is that so?”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang visibly tensed up. 

It was because news had recently arrived from Shandong. 

– Several officials are inquiring about the crown prince. They are particularly investigating whether he is already married.

Because the contents of the urgent report were grave, Hyang had been quite anxious.

“We can’t rush, can we Father? If we make a mistake, my married life could turn into a nightmare…”

Sejong, whether he understood Hyang’s concerns or not, continued walking and elaborated.

“Right now, the queen  is sharing refreshments with the candidates at Gyeonghoeru. Let’s discuss who catches your eye.”

“Wouldn’t that be improper?”

‘If we make a mistake, we could ruin the lives of these poor young ladies! This isn’t some 21st-century matchmaking event!’

To Hyang’s question, Sejong fumbled in his sleeve and pulled out an object.

“You recently created a decent device, didn’t you?”

What Sejong produced was a telescope.

Standing some distance away from the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Sejong and Hyang observed the site through the telescope.

“Wow…”

Upon seeing the ladies sitting at the tables in Gyeonghoeru, Hyang unconsciously let out a small exclamation of admiration.

‘My God! If this is the standard, they would qualify as members of a girl group in the 21st century! And from a major talent agency at that!’

“Which candidate do you like?”

“I need a little more time to observe.”

After examining them further with the telescope, Hyang sighed and lowered the telescope.

“So, have you decided?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang replied with a troubled look.

“Please let my royal mother decide. I find it difficult to make a decision.”

‘The difficulty level of the multiple-choice is too high!’

That night, Sejong was lost in thought.

“This child… has really thrown me a nasty curveball.”

From Sejong’s perspective, the three candidates were neck-and-neck, creating a deadlock.

“Hold on! Do I really have to choose just one?”

After pondering for a while, Sejong looked at it from another angle.

“One of the duties of a king is to produce many heirs to ensure the stable continuation of the royal family. And it’s not enough just to have many heirs; they have to be intelligent. The crown prince is already academically gifted, and these candidates are also well-educated. So then…”

Sejong paused momentarily to gather his thoughts, and his expression darkened again.

“Oh no… there’s this issue as well.”

Another problem suddenly came to Sejong’s mind.