two historical references in #28

[ajk]

A couple of things came up in #28 that weren't entirely clear to me so I checked into them a bit. This won't be very authoritative, given what little I know about the subject, but just in case anybody's interested....

Early in the episode, when Choongnyeong is challenging his father about the rebels, he mentions the murder of Jeong Mongju. This in particular seemed to be what made the king most angry. Jeong Mongju, it turns out, was a Confucian scholar who lived during the last years of the Goryeo dynasty. He eventually became a very successful advisor and diplomat serving the last king of Goryeo. He was assassinated after leaving a party that was held in his honor by Yi Seonggye, his political rival. Yi became King Taejo (Taejong’s father), the first king of the new Joseon dynasty. Supposedly Jeong's work did a lot to establish Confucianism in the country and was a big part of the reason that Joseon adopted Confucianism (couldn’t find any detail on this). So I suppose it would make sense that the murder of someone so respected, even though he worked for the old regime, would be a touchy subject for the new regime. Especially if the king’s father orchestrated the murder, which it sounds like he might have.

Later in the episode we saw the historical flashback with King Taejo’s eunuch and prince Bangseok, Bangwon/Taejong’s half-brother. Supposedly the eunuch was the person who oversaw the building of the palace. I couldn’t find anything on the eunuch so I don’t know if that’s fact or fiction. But as for Bangseok...In the same year that Jeong Mongju was murdered, 1392, king Taejo named Bangseok heir to the throne. He was talked into doing this despite his belief that Bangwon would be a better king. Six years later, Bangwon heard about a plot against his life and launched an attack against the plotters, killing them and Bangseok and his other half-brother. This was the First Princes’ Rebellion (referred to in the clip as the First Strife of Princes).

Candylover posted some good info about the rebellion in the “king Jeongjong” thread and of course there's the Internet, so I'll stop here. But that's the scoop. (If I've misstated anything, then somebody please do step in and correct me.)

[jinju0]

that was perfect! thank you for the info. it helps a lot. this drama is like a history lesson. i love it.

[TheBo]

I have a question. In the second paragraph, you say Bangwon launched an attack that killed "Bangwon and his other half-brother"--is that right? Did Bankwon die in this attack, or someone else?

Bo

[ajk]

Oops--I meant to type "Bangseok" and typed the wrong name. Bangwon murdered his half-brother, who had been named heir to the throne. Thanks for catching that; I just modified the post to correct the error. It should make sense now.

[Candylover]

Hi, ajk. I always admire your enthusiasm for history.
I don't know about the eunuch thing, but Jeong Mong-Ju ('Jeong' is also transliterated into 'Chung' )is such a famous person in Korea that most Koreans even learns his poem showing his loyalty to Koryo dynasty, 'Though I Die and Die Again ' by heart. Actually he is a symbol of loyalty in Korea.

"I Die and Die Again

Although my body perishes, and yet one thousand times dies,
My bones becoming ashes,
Even my soul vanishes.
Still all my heart and all my love, unchanged remains with you
My undivided loyalty, unchanged remains with you."
(here 'you' means Koryo or the king of Koryo dynasty)

And who orchestrated the murder of Jeong is not the king's father, but the king himself, and that was why King Taejong was so upset when the murder was mentioned. King Taejong was a brave warrior supporting his father King Taejo (the founder of Chosun dynasty), and in actual a 'butcher' of all people challenging him including his brothers.

Taejong (1367 – 1422, r. 1400-1418) was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great( Yi Seonggye). He was born Yi Bangwon in 1367, the fifth son of Yi Seonggye (later King Taejo), and qualified as an official of Goryeo Dynasty in 1382. During his early days, he helped his father to gain the support of the citizenry and many influential figures of the government. He was sent to the Ming Dynasty of China in 1388. In 1392, he helped his father to overthrow Goryeo and establish the new Joseon dynasty.

Taejong helped his father dispose of powerful Confucian officials such as Jeong Mong-ju, who remained loyal to the Goryeo kings. After he failed to win the allegiance of Jeong Mong-ju to the new dynasty, he arranged to have him murdered in 1392 by five men on the Sonjukkyo Bridge in Gaeseong, following a party held for him by Yi Seonggye ( King Taejo of Joseon). This bridge, now in North Korea, has now become a national monument of that country. A brown spot on one of the stones is said to be Jeong's bloodstain, and to become red when it rains. The murder of Jeong Mong-ju removed the last political obstacle to the Yi dynasty.

Yi Bangwon thought he would be appointed as the successor to the throne, but his young half-brother, Yi Bangsuk, was favored more by King Taejo and Prime Minister Chung Dojeon, who were afraid of Taejong's strong leadership and hard-line policy against noble families. In 1398, he led a coup against Jeong Dojeon and Bangsuk, exterminating Jeong's faction and murdering Bangsuk, his siblings and the queen. He then supported his older brother, Jeongjong of Joseon, as Crown Prince. Disheartened, Taejo abdicated in 1399, and Jeongjong succeeded to the throne.

[photos]
Jeong's shrine and his portrait in it, the bridge on which he was murdered by King Taejong's men, and a stone monument admiring his loyalty. All in Gaeseong of North Korea.
tinyurl.com/3j2k9v

[more info]
www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jeong_Mong-ju

[jinju0]

Candylover,
thank you for the wonderful addition to ajk's post. the poem is great. that stone is kind of eerie. i can imagine it turning red when it rains. it almost seems like there is a little "repeating of history" also once King Taejong becomes king. thanks again

[ajk]

Thanks for the supplement, candylover. Much appreciated. That kind of stuff just doesn't come up in English-language searches so it's good of you to share it with us.

[TheBo]

This is so interesting, even apart from the show (which I cannot see). Thanks you guys.

Bo

[Soju]

I wonder how much overlap there is between this show and the end of 'Age of Warriors'.

I didn't record AOW, and there's so much to read int the AOW board (in the 'Off Air' section) it might take quite a bit of reading to find out.

Can anyone who remembers AOW better than I comment?

[joef]

AOW took place in tn 1100's, over 300 years before the Yi clan overthrew the Wang clan to establish Jeoson.

[Soju]

Jun 11, 2008 21:59:35 GMT -5 joef said:

AOW took place in tn 1100's, over 300 years before the Yi clan overthrew the Wang clan to establish Jeoson.

Hmm, the timeline on KBS's page for AOW says as much. But I was sure I saw a drama that ended with the Yi dynasty establishing Jeoson.

Or maybe, was it that the Archfiend was a Yi, and that there was a prophecy about the Yi ascendency? Or maybe it was that I was reading my Korean history book at the same time I was watching AOW and am mixing the two up.

Or was it part of Yi Sun Shin? Eh, the more I think about it, the more confused I get

[Candylover]

The Archfiend (Yi Ui-Min) was a Yi, but his clan was different from that of the royal family Yi of Chosun dynasty. But Yi Ui-Bang was the same clan, and his younger brother, Yi Rin was King Sejong's direct ancestor. FYI, Ui-Bang's another brother (elder brother) was Yi Joon-Ui, who counted on Ui-Bang for high positions in the palace. (Do you remember him?)
In AOW, Yi Rin was not an important character at all, but when he first showed up on the screen, I remember the narrator having introduced him to us by saying that he was the ancestor of Chosun dynasty. Ui-Bang was King Sejong's ancester, but a collateral one.

Yi Hahn (in the 9th century, Silla kingdom)
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Yi Yong-Boo

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Yi Rin -- Yi Joon-Ui -- Yi Ui-Bang(?-1174)

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Yi Yang-Moo

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Yi Ahn-Sah

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Yi Hang-Lee

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Yi Choon

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Yi Jah-Choon (1315-1360)

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Yi Sung-Gyeh (King Taejo: 1335-1408)

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Yi Bang-Won (king Taejong: 1367-1422)

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Yi Doh (King Sejong: 1397-1450)