Black Corporation: Joseon

Hello! Just wondering if you like me to insert a bit of historical context in every chapter if I deem it necessary for you to understand more about the historical scene in the story.

“To be comfortable, Sejong must live a long life, a healthy long life!” Following this decision, Hyang persistently persuaded King Sejong.

“If we look at the medical texts obtained through emissaries during the Yuan Dynasty…” Hyang persuaded King Sejong with medical evidence.

“Father is known to prefer meat. However, biased meals disrupt the harmony of yin and yang and the five elements…”

“Eating too much meat and grains can make the blood turbid…”

Hyang actively adjusted Sejong’s diet by reciting passages from the medical texts or even spreading them out if necessary. To the point of residing in the Royal Kitchen for a month, practicing and studying with skilled and novice chefs.

“The broth is too salty! Do it again!”

“Eating a little frequently is better than binge eating all at once. Offer fruits and simple desserts from time to time!”

Hyang didn’t just turn the Royal Kitchen upside down.

“If you call yourself a physician, why are you still only looking at medical texts from the Tang Dynasty? There are several new texts that have come out since then, go get them and read them now!”

“If you read medical texts, you should follow them. What’s the point otherwise!”

“If a herb is mentioned in Ming’s medical texts, but not found in our Joseon, then we must either go and obtain it or find an herb in our own Joseon that has the same effect. Isn’t that the duty of a physician? If we continue to sit idly by, will the herb just grow on its own? Go outside the palace walls immediately and find the herb!”

In the inner medical quarters of the palace, the royal physicians had to study the latest medical books and research herbs, sweating to achieve their goals.

“Regardless of what others may say, exercise is the best!”

Hyang closely observed what type of exercise Sejong enjoyed. It turned out that he enjoyed playing Geokbang1.

“Geokbang? Is it similar to golf? Although golf is quite a good sport… ”

After considering his options, Hyang chose “jump rope” as his exercise of choice.

“It may be amusing, but being a king is not a profession that allows for leisure time and space, so jumping rope is appropriate.”

With the help of skilled craftsmen, Hyang let out a small sigh as he held the jump rope in her hand. “Even creating just one jump rope requires so much effort…” From making a lightweight and durable rope to creating a light and sturdy hoop, Hyang had to go through considerable trial and error.

“Surely the problem is not the technique, but the lack of concept… Do I have to roll it again?” In the constantly upgraded ‘Tech Tree2’, where secrecy is maintained for security purposes, there was only one item that never changed.

“Yes, just roll it.”

As Hyang grew and became more compatible with King Sejong, it became an item that would cause cheers from many. Hyang, holding a rope and a bell made through twists and turns, and a foreign book in the other hand, went straight to King Sejong.

“What is that?”

“While looking for a document for Father’s health, I found this in a book written by the Western scholars. If I translate it, it says that jumping rope is a form of exercise.

“Jump rope exercise?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. May I show you the book?”

“You may.”

As soon as King Sejong allowed it, Hyang stepped into the middle of the convenient33 hall and started jumping rope with both hands on the rope.

Whip whip whip whip! Jingling! Jingling! Jingling! Jingling!

Every time Hyang jumped lightly, the bell on Hyang’s ankle rang cheerfully. After jumping rope about ten times, Hyang politely handed the rope to King Sejong after taking a deep breath.

Upon receiving the rope, King Sejong looked at Hyang.

“It doesn’t seem too difficult. But does this really help one improve his health?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. According to what Western scholars have written, ‘If one jumps over it 100 times a day without rest, the lower body will become stronger, chronic illnesses will disappear, and if a man continues to do this 100 times a day for several years, his foundation will become stronger…'”, the next part was difficult to translate, so it was retranslated from the Chinese interpretation: ‘There will be no withdrawal in the matters related to the couple’s intimacy4.”

“Huh?”

“Uh?”

At that moment, not only Sejong but also the eyes of everyone present in the room, except for the inner court ladies, widened. Sejong tightly gripped the rope in his hand and looked at Hyang.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. According to the writings of Western scholars. They added this: ‘Those who hold high positions or spend a long time on boats tend to have weaker lower bodies. The best way to strengthen a man’s lower body is horseback riding or running, but those in high positions don’t have the time, and those sailing doesn’t have enough space to do so. That’s why this was developed.’”

“Indeed! Truly!” Sejong slapped his knee in admiration upon hearing Hyang’s supplementary explanation. Both his father and Taejo had drilled into his ears the importance of a strong lower body for men, achieved through horseback riding or running.

“Are you saying I should jump over this 100 times?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“It doesn’t seem too difficult. But what are these bells?”

“They are to be worn on your ankles, Your Majesty. When you jump properly, they produce a pleasant sound, and when you stumble, they make a harsh sound, helping you focus. In particular, Chief Eunuch,”

“Yes, Crown Prince.”

“His Majesty must carefully count the bell sounds while jumping and make sure he reaches exactly 100. As written by Western scholars, ‘Moderation is key’. Begin by aiming to jump 30 times without stopping, then gradually increase the count to 100.’ That is the instruction.”

“I will bear the Crown Prince’s command in mind.”

After passing on the precautions to Chief Eunuch, Hyang approached King Sejong. “Your Highness, my utmost wish is for Your Majesty’s long life without illness. Please, consider the importance of a proper diet and exercise.”

As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, the court officials chimed in. For them, it was an opportunity to score points with the king after a long time. “Your Highness is correct! Ensuring Your Majesty’s well-being is indeed the most important matter!”

In the end, King Sejong began his morning routine by stretching his neck and jumping rope. “This is not as easy as I thought!” Although he stumbled repeatedly at first, King Sejong gradually became proficient at jumping rope.

◈◈◈

Upon starting rope jumping, positive changes began to happen to Sejong, and the most significant change was that he began to see things clearly. As Sejong started to see things clearly and his complexion improved, Hyang had a gratified smile on his face.

“Eat plenty of fiber and stimulate the organs by jumping rope; if you don’t have a bowel movement, that’s unfortunate!”

As rumors spread that rope jumping was effective for constipation, the royal concubines in the inner palace started to show interest in it.

“Your Highness, they say that rope jumping is so good; would it be good for me as well?” At the command-like question posed by Queen Soheon, who had taken the lead, Hyang responded immediately, “Oh, please forgive this son’s incompetence!”

Hyang, who readily replied, immediately created rope jumping for the queen and royal concubines. Queen Soheon and the royal concubines, holding the splendid ropes made of twisted five-colored threads, encountered another problem.

“The skirt is uncomfortable!”

“Should we tell His Highness?”

After some deliberation, Queen Soheon took the lead once again. “Your Highness, rope jumping is good, but there’s a problem. The clothes are a bit…”

“This son will try to find a solution.” Although he answered like that, it wasn’t an easy task for Hyang.

‘Did I go too far?’

Hyang, who had been struggling to find an answer in order to produce a result, found an answer. He made a design by adopting the design of riding pants that Western noblewomen or upper-class women enjoyed wearing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and sent it to the Royal Clothing Bureau.

When Queen Soheon and the court ladies received the clothes, they were slightly hesitant about the unfamiliar design, but soon began to enjoy wearing them not only during exercise but also in everyday life, as they were more comfortable moving in than the clothes they had previously worn.

As a result, an unexpected butterfly effect occurred for Hyang, as Sejong’s nightlife became busier than expected. This was due to the design slightly emphasizing the waist and hips, unlike traditional designs.

◈◈◈

To maintain King Sejong’s health, the rope jumping skill that Hyang had developed quickly spread throughout the country. Ironically, the speed at which it spread far surpassed that of the spread of the previous brush’s invention.

“If the rope doesn’t work, use a calf rope. But the biggest reason was ‘vitality’!”

While reading a document sent through Sangdan (government office), which had become a personal information network for Hyang during the process of supplying brushes, Hyang burst out laughing.

Among the reports related to rope jumping, the most impressive one was that of a rural aristocrat who was over 60 years old and had been groaning with aches and pains, but as soon as he heard the rumors, he started jumping rope.

However, there was also a butterfly effect that Hyang had never expected.

“Riding pants are in fashion? Oh, come on!”

Riding pants, which palace women loved for their ease of movement and activity, began to spread among the women of the wealthy class.

“Why?”

While investigating the cause, Hyang discovered an unexpected fact. The riding pants that slightly accentuated the curves of the waist and hips were the perfect means to lure men passing by into the inner chambers. Surprisingly, women in early Joseon were quite open-minded and active. No, the customs of the Korean Peninsula have been quite liberal since the Three Kingdoms period, even before the early Joseon period, and that trend has continued to this day. In such a societal atmosphere, clothes that were easy to move in and sexy(?) were enough to become a trend.

“So, the Gate of Virtuous Women must have been created…”

Hyang remembered the ramblings of Samcheonpo, the teacher, once again.

“The fact that they say the Gate of Virtuous Women was created and even provided benefits proves that virtuous women were rare! Similarly, in the West, or even in Catholicism, they searched for ‘saints’ in the same way!

‘Come to think of it, didn’t the clothing of the Tang Dynasty that exposed the collarbone also spread to Silla?’

◈◈◈

Time flowed steadily, and the departure of the official envoy to Beijing drew near. Hyang created a hypothetical scenario and educated the envoy party.

“So, if it goes like this, I think it’s best to answer like this.”

“That may be so, but it could also lead to lying to the Emperor and cause diplomatic problems.”

“But it’s not entirely false, is it? It’s true that the national treasury wobbles every time a Ming envoy comes and that there is a shortage of gold and silver. It’s also true that we want to emulate the Ming’s system, but we cannot because of the shortage of gold and silver. It’s just not entirely accurate. It’s slightly exaggerated.”

“If it gets exposed, it could cause diplomatic problems.”

When the Chief Envoy, Chief State Councilor5 Ryu Jeong-hyeon, made this suggestion, Hyang looked at him suspiciously.

“If it gets exposed, it could cause diplomatic problems…”

“And the Chief State Councilor should always be honest…”

“Then, should we tell the emperor that all the war horses we have given to Ming were fakes and that we have nearly doubled the price we paid for them in Yeojin? Or should we tell him that it’s not that there is a shortage of gold and silver, but that we just don’t mine and excavate as much as we could?”

“That’s…”

Chief State Councilor Ryu Jeong-hyeon was at a loss for words at Hyang’s reproach. Hyang, who had been eyeing him, pressed on, “Are you saying this out of concern for the safety of Joseon or just to quell my ambitions?”

“God has never had such an unpredictable mind!”

“Then what is the correct answer?”

“…I will follow the plan of lowering the Crown Prince’s status.”

After the Chief State Councilor surrendered, the meeting proceeded more normally.

“According to the rules of the tribute system established by the Ming, we, Dawei6 and Seomra are granted a visit once every three years. If Ming revives this rule, what should we do?”

“Why does Ming want to revive this rule?”

The magistrate, who asked the question in response to Hyang’s inquiry, explained the reason. “Because the size of the accompanying trade delegation raises doubts about the nature of the tribute mission.”

“In that case, just as we have established the Wae-gwan7 for Japan, ask the Ming to create one in Joseon. It might be mutually beneficial to make it a permanent institution rather than having them accompany us on trade missions. Attendant, get me some maps.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After examining the map brought by an attendant for a while, Hyang pondered. After some time had passed, he spoke up. “If we only allow sea routes, it would be best to make it in Sandong8, and if we only allow land routes, it would be better to build it in the Yoha9 river area. Please submit a proposal to the King for his consideration.”

“I understand.”

Hyang sighed as he returned to his room.

“Phew~. There’s no answer except for Sandong!”

Translator’s Notes

 

There’s parts of the historical context in this chapter that I don’t quite understand. So, it’d be helpful if someone could enlighten me…

Footnotes

“격방”: geokbang, a Korean game played with a stick and ball, similar to hockey[↩]Tech Tree: a term used in video games to describe the tree-like structure of technology and upgrades that players can acquire.[↩]“편전” (convenient hall) refers to a small building or a room in a palace where the king would conduct daily administrative affairs.[↩]Nightly activities… Ehem[↩]It refers to a high-ranking government official who was responsible for the education and military training of the crown prince and other royal family members in the Joseon Dynasty.[↩]대월 (Dawei): a former kingdom in present-day Myanmar, which was a tributary state of China during the Ming dynasty. While Seomra = Kingdom of Siam, now Thailand[↩]Japanese embassy in Joseon.[↩]“산동” (Sandong) is a region located in the eastern part of China’s Shandong Province, facing the Yellow Sea.[↩]“요하” (Yoha) is an archaic name for the Liao River, a river in northeastern China that flows into the Bohai Sea.[↩]