Black Corporation: Joseon

Zhu Qizhen’s resistance to Emperor Xuande’s decision was inevitable.

“Your Majesty! How could you make such a devastating decision! This is unjust!”

Zhu Qizhen, who had been in Nanjing, rushed to Beijing to protest the injustice to Xuande.

Despite Zhu Qizhen’s fierce objections, Xuande calmly explained his reasoning.

“His misconduct was too severe. He privately organized a faction among the eunuchs and accepted bribes.”

“Isn’t taking bribes a common occurrence!”

“If we overlook it because it’s common, what use are our laws!”

“He was my teacher!”

“Not a teacher, but a blindfold obscuring your vision.”

“I’ve lived with him longer than anyone else! He would never do such things!”

At Zhu Qizhen’s protest, Xuande pointed to a stack of scrolls on his desk.

“Read them.”

“What?”

“I said read them!”

At Xuande’s command, Zhu Qizhen walked to the stack of scrolls and opened one.

As he read through the scroll, his face grew increasingly pale. The scroll contained detailed accounts of Wang Zhen’s various misdeeds.

Zhu Qizhen hurriedly opened another scroll. However, the contents of the scrolls were all similar.

Finally, after checking the contents of five scrolls, Zhu Qizhen scattered the remaining pile and shouted.

“This is all slander! A conspiracy!”

Zhu Qizhen desperately claimed it was a plot. This wasn’t just because he cherished Wang Zhen. It was also a matter of political burden for Zhu Qizhen himself.

The rumor that his father Emperor Xuande found him unsatisfactory was considered almost fact. If Xuande chose, he could use this as a pretext to remove him from the position of Crown Prince.

This was why Zhu Qizhen desperately claimed it was a conspiracy.

However, Xuande scoffed at Zhu Qizhen’s claims.

“Hmph! Slander? Conspiracy? Don’t you know who I am and how I’ve dealt with those who attempted such things?”

***

Not a few people saw opportunity in the periodic great purges throughout Emperor Xuande’s reign.

“Now’s our chance!”

Some tried to falsely accuse their political enemies, seeing it as a good opportunity. However, these false accusations were quickly exposed, as they couldn’t escape Xuande’s cross-verification. And those who made false accusations had their entire clan, down to the tenth degree of kinship, exterminated.

These great purges later produced both positive and negative results.

The positive aspect was that the integrity of Ming officials was maintained for a considerable period. The negative aspect was that it completely solidified the privileged class while eliminating over sixty percent of Ming’s intellectual and commercial classes.

***

At Xuande’s question, Zhu Qizhen had no choice but to close his mouth.

If I push this further, it’ll become dangerous!

In the end, all Zhu Qizhen could do was plead for leniency for Wang Zhen.

“Though his crimes are great, he was loyal to me. I beg Your Majesty for mercy.”

“I’ll consider it.”

And the result of that consideration was the execution of only Wang Zhen and those who had formed a faction with him.

***

After executing Wang Zhen’s faction, Xuande muttered while assessing the situation.

“This will be problematic… Qizhen will be a problem.”

The one Xuande considered problematic was Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen.

“Continuing to trust someone once trusted can be a virtue, but for an emperor, it can be a flaw. And for that trusted one to be a eunuch… This could lead to a repeat of the Ten Regular Attendants. Moreover, his temperament isn’t just bold – it’s volatile.”

Recalling how Zhu Qizhen had overturned the scrolls even in his presence, Xuande shook his head.

“If this country were in an expansionary period like its founding, the Crown Prince’s temperament might be an advantage, but now we need someone skilled at preservation to succeed me. Qizhen’s personality will only bring catastrophe. He must be replaced.”

Having decided to replace the Crown Prince, Xuande stroked his beard and muttered.

“But replacing him forcefully will certainly create upheaval. I must find a way to minimize the disturbance while making the change beneficial to the country.”

***

When Heo Hu spoke about the discord between Xuande and the Ming’s Crown Prince, Hyang and the ministers’ expressions turned serious.

“For our sake, we should hope the Emperor holds onto his position longer.”

The ministers nodded at Hyang’s words.

“Indeed.”

“The current Emperor understands right from wrong and maintains good relations with our Joseon. But if the Crown Prince’s personality is as rumored, he’s likely to interfere with our Joseon.”

Hyang nodded at the ministers’ words.

“That’s right. Looking at the current situation, the present Emperor is truly good for our Joseon. Hmm… Perhaps we should send some good ginseng and medicinal supplements? Huh?”

When the word ‘supplements’ came out, Hyang noticed the ministers’ expressions turning sour and questioned it.

“What’s wrong? Ah! Are you worried about causing hardship to the people in gathering ginseng and herbs? If that’s the case, couldn’t we select good ones from what’s already been offered as tribute? If you’re concerned about taking from what was offered to Father, I’ll send him a letter requesting permission before proceeding. That should suffice, right?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

Though Hwang Hui stepped forward to agree with Hyang’s suggestion, his expression remained troubled.

Surely it was meant well, but why does it feel so unsettling?

The ministers couldn’t shake their unease due to how the meaning of ‘medicinal supplements’ had been greatly distorted during the Reformation period.

***

Officials weren’t the only ones being displaced during the Reformation.

“My lord, Prince Gwangpyeong has arrived.”

At the servant’s words, Prince Pyeongwon, who had been lying down, rose and answered.

“Show him in.”

Shortly after, Prince Gwangpyeong entered carrying a bundle of medicine packets.

“You must be busy – what brings you here?”

“When I hear my brother is sick, I must visit. Besides, they say even dogs don’t catch colds in May and June – how did you manage it?”

“cough Well, I’m not a dog, so I caught it! cough”

Responding to Prince Gwangpyeong’s joke with his own, Prince Pyeongwon looked at the medicine bundle in his brother’s hand and asked.

“What’s that medicine?”

“This? It’s a supplement for my brother whose energy is so weak he catches colds in summer!”

Prince Pyeongwon gave Prince Gwangpyeong a peculiar look at his words.

Feeling his brother’s gaze, Prince Gwangpyeong quickly added.

“Damn it! I really brought it with good intentions!”

“Really?”

“Probably?”

“Brother!”

“Hahaha!”

The commotion settled with a burst of laughter. Wiping away tears of mirth, Prince Gwangpyeong spoke to Prince Pyeongwon in an affectionate voice.

“Wasn’t Mother always worried about your and my health? So pay extra attention to your health.”

Prince Pyeongwon sighed at his brother’s words.

“sigh Don’t you and I have to write another report instead of taking care of our health?”

“That is a problem. The bigger problem is that Mother said that’s actually better.”

“Damn that monk.”

When Prince Pyeongwon cursed, Prince Gwangpyeong pretended to scold him sternly.

“Hey now! Wasn’t he a great monk our mother cherished?”

“I apologize.”

When Prince Pyeongwon apologized, Prince Gwangpyeong smiled slightly and continued.

“And looking at it anyway, that issue was about dream interpretation.”

***

When Prince Gwangpyeong was just past his first birthday, a monk whom Queen Soheon greatly respected visited the Queen’s Palace.

After examining the prince’s face and palm lines, checking his pulse, and interpreting his birth chart, the monk sighed deeply and spoke.

“Ah… This is truly extraordinary. That such a thing could happen, truly extraordinary. Namu Amitabul.”

Watching the monk quietly chant Buddha’s name, Queen Soheon carefully asked.

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s not something I should speak of carelessly…”

“I won’t hold you responsible for whatever you say, so speak what you see.”

At Queen Soheon’s assurance, the monk carefully spoke.

“It pains me greatly to tell Your Majesty, but the young prince’s birth chart shows he will struggle to live past twenty. However, his facial features show he will overcome this crisis, and his hand lines suggest his life force will be renewed – truly an extraordinary thing.”

“You mean!”

Queen Soheon was startled at the monk’s words.

“Truly, truly you’re saying this child’s life has been renewed?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Namu Amitabul.”

“Thank you. Truly thank you.”

“What has this humble monk done? However, where there is yin, there is yang, and fortune comes with misfortune. Though he will escape early death, his life will be filled with toil.”

“Filled with toil?”

“He is fated to work hard throughout his life.”

“Well, isn’t that better than dying young?”

Queen Soheon seemed to make a firm resolution.

Then Prince Pyeongwon was born. Like with Prince Gwangpyeong, when the monk visited for Prince Pyeongwon’s first birthday and interpreted his birth chart, he sighed deeply.

“Ah… How could this… Namu Amitabul…”

“What’s wrong?”

“The same thing has happened as with the young princess… Amitabul… How could such a thing…”

The monk gave the same explanation as he had for Prince Gwangpyeong.

Leaving the palace, the monk looked back several times, muttering.

“For such an extraordinary thing to repeat several times, what kind of phenomenon is this… Amitabul…”

Before that year ended, the monk passed away. Before dying, he left these words to his disciples:

“I am receiving punishment for carelessly revealing heaven’s secrets, so mind your words carefully.”

***

Was it a series of coincidences? Or was the monk’s spiritual power truly remarkable?

Compared to the history before Hyang’s intervention, the fates of Princess Jeongseo, Prince Gwangpyeong, and Prince Pyeongwon had completely changed.

Princess Jeongseo died in February of Sejong’s 6th year, Prince Gwangpyeong in December of Sejong’s 26th year, and Prince Pyeongwon in January of Sejong’s 27th year.

The cause of death for all three was smallpox.

Their deaths dealt a massive psychological blow to their parents, Sejong and Queen Soheon. Particularly, the deaths of Prince Gwangpyeong and Prince Pyeongwon just a month apart dealt a fatal psychological blow to Queen Soheon, to the point where it was said to be one of the reasons she died earlier than Sejong, who suffered from illness.

However, their fates were drastically altered by Hyang’s intervention.

Through the smallpox inoculation recorded as the ‘Crown Prince Self-Harm Incident,’ they avoided early death.

‘Though their lives were extended, they would toil throughout their lives.’

Mindful of these words, Queen Soheon never forgot to attach someone skilled in asset management whenever Princess Jeongseo and Princes Gwangpyeong and Pyeongwon established their own households.

“Royal family members only toil when they lack money! We must prevent them from toiling due to lack of funds!”

However, Queen Soheon’s expectations were far off the mark.

Princess Jeongseo voluntarily became a physician, while the two princes ended up toiling in court affairs, partly by choice and partly by circumstance.