On the second day after the wedding, Huian rose early as always. Having finished his toilette, he waited until the hour came, then went alone to pay his morning respects to the Emperor and Empress. Whether he had grown somewhat accustomed on the second day, or whether the sight of a daughter-in-law coming alone without her husband to greet her parents-in-law was pitiable, the Emperor received his greeting with a far more generous face than on the first day. He even urged him: the Crown Prince being away in the provinces, it must be lonely–do not stay only at Inyeong Palace, but visit the Empress often and deepen the affection between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
The Empress too was much gentler than on the first day. Yesterday she had been so cold that an icy wind seemed to blow, but today, with the face of a most benevolent mother-in-law, she asked whether he had slept well last night. Thinking that she seemed comfortable only when the Crown Prince was not before her eyes, Huian merely repeated diligently: “Your boundless grace, I am overwhelmed, it is all thanks to the two Majesties’ grace.”
After that, the breakfast he faced alone was supremely peaceful. With no Emperor, no Empress, no Crown Prince, every dish tasted delicious. Rarely, Huian emptied a whole bowl of rice, and only after the table was cleared did he realize that today’s side dishes had been unusually heavy on vegetables, and that, oddly, there had been more seafood dishes than meat.
After breakfast he headed for Wonnyeong Palace at the Empress’s summons. It was to be introduced to the Emperor’s consorts.
In rank, the Crown Princess stood higher than any concubine. Even so, he could hardly summon the Emperor’s wives rudely hither and thither, nor could they treat the Crown Prince’s principal wife as a subordinate–so it had become custom for them to meet at a suitable place and exchange greetings. And making that suitable place was none other than the Empress’s share.
“All of you, pay your respects to His Highness the Crown Princess.”
The Empress first seated Huian beside herself, then had all the concubines bow to him. Then she took Huian around, having him greet each concubine one by one. By law, Juwon’s Emperor could keep one Empress, three Bi, five Bin, and seven Gwiin. Of course, the inner palace’s internal rules were always applied flexibly to suit the circumstances of the time; counting the one-night ties bearing titles like Sebu, Sangjae, and Eocheo, the number of the Emperor’s wives reached into the dozens.
But the Empress had summoned to Wonnyeong Palace only the fifteen concubines who had formally received investiture. Her attitude was that the Crown Princess had no need to know the countless concubines who had not even received investiture.
Even so, before all the concubines she spoke as if defending her husband:
“His Majesty does not keep many consorts.” As she said, Geonheung, the current Son of Heaven, counting the Empress and all his consorts, did not quite reach thirty. Considering that the emperors until now had kept anywhere from thirty to over a hundred–truly enormous numbers of consorts–he could be called a most chaste ruler.
Thinking so, Huian found the Crown Prince strange anew. How could he have no proper concubine at twenty years of age? He was no lover of men, yet he hardly enjoyed women either–had his two Crown Princesses not conceived right away, he would have been outright suspected. Could he be a eunuch–
Then, as if she had been reading Huian’s mind, the Empress said,
“One cannot blame a great man for knowing and enjoying the delights of cloud and rain. Moreover, does the Crown Prince not bear the duty of governing the imperial house’s prosperity and securing this nation’s altars? In that sense, thinking only of the Crown Prince, His Majesty and I have not a day free of worry. However important assisting His Majesty in state affairs may be, how can he so neglect his most important duty?”
As always, ending with blame under the pretense of worrying about the Crown Prince, the Empress suddenly looked at Huian standing beside her, seized both his hands tightly, and said,
“So our virtuous Crown Princess must this time without fail present His Highness with a strong grandson. Hye’s demigods bear five or six children at once, no? And they will all surely be born as sons only–just thinking of it is already reassuring.”
Every word of it was impossible. Knowing it all well, yet deliberately saying such things before everyone–if she could tell lies so, he had no reason to feel guilty about telling lies himself.
“…Though I am an unworthy subject, I shall endeavor so as to fulfill the two Majesties’ wishes.”
Even so, his heart was heavy because of the Crown Prince. The more the Empress’s efforts to see an imperial grandson spread to everyone, the louder the voices of condemnation toward the Crown Prince would grow.
But there was no help for it. This Empress had summoned him all the way to Juwon to say these words, and to hear this answer.
Sure enough, the Empress smiled as if greatly pleased, and finally embraced Huian as she said,
“The Crown Princess saying so makes this mother’s heart boundlessly glad.” Calling herself “this mother,” her embrace was truly as warm as those words, and Huian was all the more tormented.
Only after partaking of the early midday meal together with the Empress at Wonnyeong Palace could Huian at last return to the Crown Princess’s palace. That afternoon, the wives of the court’s high ministers were scheduled to visit. The preparations for receiving guests had been finished early; with the interval not permitting anything else in the meantime, he was sitting idly in his study gazing at the scenery outside the window when an unexpected guest came.
“Your Highness, I am Heo Yuyeong.”
Wondering what his business might be, he received him, and seeing the bundle of books in Yuyeong’s hands, only then remembered yesterday’s matter. He had known the promise to bring books was no empty word, but he had not expected him to deliver them so promptly, so Huian was a little flustered. Still, his glad and welcome heart could not be helped; receiving the books with both hands, he asked,
“Are these all books the Jungseorang recommends I read?”
“No. Only three of these did I choose; the rest His Highness personally chose.”
More surprised, Huian looked through on the spot the books Yuyeong had brought. Which were the books Yuyeong had chosen and which the Crown Prince had chosen, he could not tell, but whichever they were, they were without doubt written easily so that anyone could understand at a glance. Only within the classics did some characters with complex strokes catch his eye; as Huian bowed his head to look more closely, Yuyeong said very carefully,
“I understand some characters are used differently in Hye. So if any passage does not make sense, please ask me anytime.”
As he said, there were indeed some characters used differently in Juwon and in Hye, but examining the context before and after, he could guess the meanings well enough. Even so, Huian felt he somehow knew why Yuyeong said this. The Crown Prince had probably instructed him: that the Crown Princess had learned writing late and might not know some characters, so speak well in advance lest his feelings be hurt, and teach him.
Of course, even with unknown characters he could roughly guess and pass over–he had done so until now–but still, grateful for the Crown Prince’s consideration, Huian told Yuyeong he would surely do so.
“For him to not merely have the books delivered but to have you teach the characters directly–His Highness’s trust in the Jungseorang must be great.”
Offering the refreshments a palace servant brought in, he asked how long it had been since he began serving His Highness. Yuyeong answered in an inwardly proud tone,
“It is fifteen years this year since I began serving His Highness.” Huian asked in surprise, having expected five or six years at most,
“The Jungseorang is not long past twenty, is he? How could you have served His Highness for so long?”
“As Your Highness says, I am twenty-six this year. But I entered the palace at eleven as a baedok and studied together with His Highness, who was then the Third Prince.”
“What is a baedok?”
“A baedok means a study companion of the young princes.” In short–politely put–a whipping boy who studied alongside the prince and took the beatings in his stead when the prince erred.
“I see,” Huian nodded.
“I hear His Highness was praised throughout the palace from childhood for his brilliance.”
“It is true. At four he had already learned the Thousand Character Classic, and in the year he turned six, though he did not fully grasp the meanings, he read through the classics without hindrance. And when he turned eight, he grasped even the meanings fully.”
If that were true, it was beyond merely brilliant–truly the words “heaven-sent prodigy” would not be wasted.
“The other princes’ baedok must have envied you.”
At Huian’s words, Yuyeong, who had not lost his smile until then, suddenly hardened his mouth and stammered, “Th-that… that was… probably…” At that reluctant answer Huian raised one eyebrow without thinking and asked,
“Was it not so?”
“I cannot say it was not, since it is true that others envied me… but it is also true that they pitied me and felt sorry for me, so I cannot quite say it was so either…”
Dragging his words out, neither one thing nor the other, he clearly had much he wanted to say but could not. The usual Huian would have just pretended not to know and not asked. But seeing Yuyeong so eager to speak, it did not seem like a serious story, and being the Crown Prince’s childhood story, he found himself curiously interested, so in the end he asked.
“Why did the other baedok pity you?” Lowering his voice, he said, “I shall not tell His Highness, so tell me.” As if he had been waiting for those very words to come out, Yuyeong said, “Since Your Highness is so curious, I shall tell you!” and scurrying closer on his knees, began pouring out the story without even breathing.
“His Highness was clearly an endlessly clever person from childhood. And not only bright in learning but proficient in all matters, so that even adults had no means to match his talents. Especially his talent for tormenting his teachers was very, very, VERY outstanding. His methods were so exquisite as to be unbearable–for example, like this. He would steal the Grand Tutor’s book in advance and cunningly alter the characters within, then when the Grand Tutor lectured on that passage in class, he would quickly raise his hand and, pointing out the part the Grand Tutor had read wrong, say without the slightest hesitation: ‘Teacher, you said that the road to reason is long and far, so there is no end to learning–yet how is it that you lecture without even looking at the book? Is this not because you have grown arrogant, thinking you have already reached the stage where you need not look at books?’–shaming him without restraint! Then the Grand Tutor, saying he would ask why His Highness, instead of devoting himself to learning, was so bent on tormenting his teacher, would have ME beaten! And that is not all. He had long since memorized the sages’ words–memorized over a hundred phrases!–and yet at lesson time he would shake his head saying he did not remember! Many times! To torment ME!”
“Surely he did not do it to torment you on purpose. Perhaps he truly did not remember–”
“No!!”
Yuyeong was so excited he cut off even Huian’s words as he cried out.
“It cannot be! What kind of person do you think His Highness the Crown Prince is! The day before, I clearly heard and saw him reciting with his eyes closed! But he knew one character differently, and when I pointed it out, the very next day he kept his mouth shut tight and insisted he remembered nothing, playing dumb!”
The more he spoke, the more his indignation surged; Yuyeong was even panting for breath. Then at last he seized the back of his own neck with a groan and sank down on the spot. Startled, Huian picked up the teacup on the refreshment table and handed it to him; Yuyeong took it with trembling hands and drained it at once. Even then, after panting a long while to catch his breath, as if his senses suddenly returned, he quickly composed his posture and said in his usual utterly calm tone,
“But I can never deny that his heart for cherishing his subordinates was also extraordinary. Once, I was beaten in His Highness’s stead until my calves were not merely bruised but bleeding. Naturally my mother was very upset. But somehow His Highness heard the story, and one day he called me to him and, asking me to convey his apology to my mother in his stead, loaded my arms with precious fruits. And after that day, I was never beaten in His Highness’s stead even once.”
The Crown Prince applied himself diligently to his lessons so that Yuyeong would not be switched by the teachers, and he made sure never to hurt him even in play. He had at last realized that his baedok too was someone’s precious son.
“At the time, His Highness was not yet ten years old. Everyone knows that knowing with one’s head and putting it into action are different things, and that the latter is several times harder. Even at that young age, His Highness strove to keep whatever he had once resolved, no matter what. His depths were deep, and his actions even more deliberate–how could he not be heaven-sent material for a ruler? And how could one not follow one so overflowing with virtue?” The one who had been panting a moment ago while badmouthing the Crown Prince was gone; Yuyeong, now the most trusting and loyal subject in the world, spoke solemnly. The final praise and eulogy of the Crown Prince were plainly full of intent, but speaking his insides so openly, he could not be called scheming. Rather, it gave more than ample sense of how close he and the Crown Prince were, how much they trusted and followed each other.
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