Post by ajk on Jun 19, 2014 18:35:52 GMT -5
"He's just a little boy." And that's just the start as far as Bangwon is concerned. "I gave everything I had for your cause" when Bangseok was a baby. I went to Ming in your place and did the dirty work to put you on the throne. But while Seonggye tells his son he's grateful for and proud of him, he says he's not fit to be a king. You don't have the right kind of heart for it, he says, with such brutal honesty it leaves Bangwon gasping.
Bangwon staggers outside to where Min is waiting for him. Min immediately assumes that it was the queen's doing, and at that, he turns right back around and heads for the queen's palace. And walks right in on her. "I asked you for help," he says bitterly; "how could you betray my trust like that." But of course she only told him she'd consider helping him, not that she'd definitely support him. And she admits to Bangwon that she talked to her husband and "only reminded him he has other sons." Now Min barges in and apologizes for Bangwon's rudeness...but then gives her mother-in-law a mouthful of the same attitude. Wow! Bangwon can barely make it home, he's literally staggering from the shock and disappointment.
Seonggye tells JD his choice. JD agrees the boy has potential but wonders if it's too soon to formally name him, and fears it might cause trouble among the other sons. Seonggye waves it off. Just ignore it and let me handle it, he says.
Next morning: The council is debating it. They're not happy about it and want Chancellor Bae to go to the king and protest. Bae doesn't want to, but he takes Jo Jun with him and they go. (Oh, and JD? Not at the meeting; doing paperwork. That's ignoring it like Seonggye wanted.) Bae and Jo express the council's opinion, but Seonggye isn't budging. And that argument about promoting the oldest son? He says that in the north where he came from, many of the people are Jurchens and their custom is to pass family assets down to the youngest, not the oldest. "There aren't any problems with that," he says, and adds that he's not concerned about Bangseok's age. But Jo Jun keeps pressing and pressing...and irritates Seonggye enough that he has the written royal order brought in and placed on a table in front of Jo...and orders Jo to personally write Bangseok's name on the order! Jo is dumbfounded, and Bae implores Seonggye not to bully a minister giving advice. Seonggye gets up and leaves them without making Jo do it, though...goes outside for some fresh air and solitude...
...and isn't going to get the solitude because here comes Banggwa, protesting the choice of crown prince. I don't care if you don't choose me, he says, but if you don't then you must choose Bangwon. Otherwise "It will break us all apart. Think of mother and please reconsider." He even drops to his knees.
Turns out the order hasn't been finalized yet because Seonggye is so surprised at the negative reaction to it. Bangwon and his allies are glad to hear this. Now they want to know what JD thinks about it all.
JD is still sitting in his office doing paperwork and not expressing any opinion on the choice of Bangseok. Bangwon shows up and gets right to the point. Bangseok "will be just a puppet" because all of the older brothers have power and soldiers of their own. It will turn into chaos. Okay, JD answers, if not Bangseok, then who? Of course he knows the answer before Bangwon says it and is trying to suppress a smile. It's time for us to become friends again, Bangwon urges, and adds, "You need powerful royal authority to succeed in achieving the cause." Which he should not have added, because JD clearly does not like that. Then Bangwon gets on his knees. "I'm asking as a student who truly respected and followed you. Please help me."
Bangwon leaves, and outside runs into Bangbeon and Bangseok. A weird conversation with a threatening undertone, with Bangwon telling the younger boy that there's a position everyone wants and "you know what you must do." Bangseok does little more than acknowledge, and then Bangwon walks away. JD happened to be within earshot of it, and confronts Bangseok about the lack of confidence in his answer. Bangseok replies with a startlingly mature and insightful response about how he needs to be humble and careful right now and that "a king should listen more than talk, don't you agree?" It's a very impressive display of wisdom from someone so young.
That paperwork JD was working on, it's the list of subjects who achieved merit in founding the new dynasty. JD takes it to the king and says that this latest version of it excludes all of the king's sons by his first wife! Bangwon, Banggwa and all the rest. He tells Seonggye that Bangseok will make a good king but will face substantial opposition and difficulty. You'll need to curb the other princes' power, he advises...so you'll need to approve this version of the list...and then "I will protect Bangseok from any threat."
He must have approved it because now we see the installation ceremony taking place. Narration tells us that Bangseok was installed in August 1392. That the merit-subject list was approved without the six oldest princes. And that JD and Yun Sojong began "working in earnest" afterwards to compile historical and strategic documents for the new dynasty. That October, the Ming emperor formally recognized Seonggye's ascension to the throne, after which JD went to Ming as Seonggye's envoy "to secure friendly relations." Soon afterwards, Chancellor Bae died. We learn that Bae entered the government during King Gongmin's reign and achieved successes against Japanese pirates. Died at the age of 68.
Jiran has been summoned to the palace very late at night. Seonggye's new job is getting to him. He feels lonely. "Call me by my name just once," like the old days, he implores Jiran. ." Jiran can't bring himself to do it, even after Seonggye threatens him with death. So Seonggye starts hitting him and Jiran shouts it out of reflex. And now before we know it, the two of them have dressed in plainclothes and have snuck out of the palace. They walk down a nearby street and decide to stop a nearby all-night cafe and have a meal among the commoners. They ask the waiter what's good here, and get a strange answer: "Seonggyetang." That's what they call pork stew these days, he says. Why? He's reluctant to say why, until Seonggye hands him a big piece of silver. So he explains that since Goryeo fell, many of the capital's residents have secretly holding ancestral rites for Choi Yeong! And that they offer pork at the rites, which is cooked into stew afterwards...and is being called Seonggyetang. "They let out their anger of a fallen country that way." And he says that 90 percent of the people feel this way. Jiran gets angrier and angrier as the waiter explains it all...but Seonggye tells him to calm down and he quietly eats his stew. Quietly but not happily; the story has devastated him and tears flow from his eyes as he eats.
Some weeks have passed. Bangwon has returned from Dongbukmyeon, where he was tending to ancestral family matters at his father's request. His father-in-law has brought a guest, who's waiting for him: Ha Ryun. They've never formally met but they sit down and talk. Ha has taken an interest in the prince, and speaks of Bangwon "persevering" and someday becoming the king.
Bangwon staggers outside to where Min is waiting for him. Min immediately assumes that it was the queen's doing, and at that, he turns right back around and heads for the queen's palace. And walks right in on her. "I asked you for help," he says bitterly; "how could you betray my trust like that." But of course she only told him she'd consider helping him, not that she'd definitely support him. And she admits to Bangwon that she talked to her husband and "only reminded him he has other sons." Now Min barges in and apologizes for Bangwon's rudeness...but then gives her mother-in-law a mouthful of the same attitude. Wow! Bangwon can barely make it home, he's literally staggering from the shock and disappointment.
Seonggye tells JD his choice. JD agrees the boy has potential but wonders if it's too soon to formally name him, and fears it might cause trouble among the other sons. Seonggye waves it off. Just ignore it and let me handle it, he says.
Next morning: The council is debating it. They're not happy about it and want Chancellor Bae to go to the king and protest. Bae doesn't want to, but he takes Jo Jun with him and they go. (Oh, and JD? Not at the meeting; doing paperwork. That's ignoring it like Seonggye wanted.) Bae and Jo express the council's opinion, but Seonggye isn't budging. And that argument about promoting the oldest son? He says that in the north where he came from, many of the people are Jurchens and their custom is to pass family assets down to the youngest, not the oldest. "There aren't any problems with that," he says, and adds that he's not concerned about Bangseok's age. But Jo Jun keeps pressing and pressing...and irritates Seonggye enough that he has the written royal order brought in and placed on a table in front of Jo...and orders Jo to personally write Bangseok's name on the order! Jo is dumbfounded, and Bae implores Seonggye not to bully a minister giving advice. Seonggye gets up and leaves them without making Jo do it, though...goes outside for some fresh air and solitude...
...and isn't going to get the solitude because here comes Banggwa, protesting the choice of crown prince. I don't care if you don't choose me, he says, but if you don't then you must choose Bangwon. Otherwise "It will break us all apart. Think of mother and please reconsider." He even drops to his knees.
Turns out the order hasn't been finalized yet because Seonggye is so surprised at the negative reaction to it. Bangwon and his allies are glad to hear this. Now they want to know what JD thinks about it all.
JD is still sitting in his office doing paperwork and not expressing any opinion on the choice of Bangseok. Bangwon shows up and gets right to the point. Bangseok "will be just a puppet" because all of the older brothers have power and soldiers of their own. It will turn into chaos. Okay, JD answers, if not Bangseok, then who? Of course he knows the answer before Bangwon says it and is trying to suppress a smile. It's time for us to become friends again, Bangwon urges, and adds, "You need powerful royal authority to succeed in achieving the cause." Which he should not have added, because JD clearly does not like that. Then Bangwon gets on his knees. "I'm asking as a student who truly respected and followed you. Please help me."
Bangwon leaves, and outside runs into Bangbeon and Bangseok. A weird conversation with a threatening undertone, with Bangwon telling the younger boy that there's a position everyone wants and "you know what you must do." Bangseok does little more than acknowledge, and then Bangwon walks away. JD happened to be within earshot of it, and confronts Bangseok about the lack of confidence in his answer. Bangseok replies with a startlingly mature and insightful response about how he needs to be humble and careful right now and that "a king should listen more than talk, don't you agree?" It's a very impressive display of wisdom from someone so young.
That paperwork JD was working on, it's the list of subjects who achieved merit in founding the new dynasty. JD takes it to the king and says that this latest version of it excludes all of the king's sons by his first wife! Bangwon, Banggwa and all the rest. He tells Seonggye that Bangseok will make a good king but will face substantial opposition and difficulty. You'll need to curb the other princes' power, he advises...so you'll need to approve this version of the list...and then "I will protect Bangseok from any threat."
He must have approved it because now we see the installation ceremony taking place. Narration tells us that Bangseok was installed in August 1392. That the merit-subject list was approved without the six oldest princes. And that JD and Yun Sojong began "working in earnest" afterwards to compile historical and strategic documents for the new dynasty. That October, the Ming emperor formally recognized Seonggye's ascension to the throne, after which JD went to Ming as Seonggye's envoy "to secure friendly relations." Soon afterwards, Chancellor Bae died. We learn that Bae entered the government during King Gongmin's reign and achieved successes against Japanese pirates. Died at the age of 68.
Jiran has been summoned to the palace very late at night. Seonggye's new job is getting to him. He feels lonely. "Call me by my name just once," like the old days, he implores Jiran. ." Jiran can't bring himself to do it, even after Seonggye threatens him with death. So Seonggye starts hitting him and Jiran shouts it out of reflex. And now before we know it, the two of them have dressed in plainclothes and have snuck out of the palace. They walk down a nearby street and decide to stop a nearby all-night cafe and have a meal among the commoners. They ask the waiter what's good here, and get a strange answer: "Seonggyetang." That's what they call pork stew these days, he says. Why? He's reluctant to say why, until Seonggye hands him a big piece of silver. So he explains that since Goryeo fell, many of the capital's residents have secretly holding ancestral rites for Choi Yeong! And that they offer pork at the rites, which is cooked into stew afterwards...and is being called Seonggyetang. "They let out their anger of a fallen country that way." And he says that 90 percent of the people feel this way. Jiran gets angrier and angrier as the waiter explains it all...but Seonggye tells him to calm down and he quietly eats his stew. Quietly but not happily; the story has devastated him and tears flow from his eyes as he eats.
Some weeks have passed. Bangwon has returned from Dongbukmyeon, where he was tending to ancestral family matters at his father's request. His father-in-law has brought a guest, who's waiting for him: Ha Ryun. They've never formally met but they sit down and talk. Ha has taken an interest in the prince, and speaks of Bangwon "persevering" and someday becoming the king.