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East Wind
The king lent unused state-managed farmland to poor people so they could farm, and he reduced officials’ salaries to provide rice and grain to the poor so they wouldn’t starve. At first, the officials protested to the king, saying he was ruining the country by reducing their salaries to cover such costs. They argued that these lowborn people would simply embezzle all the crops from the borrowed land once their bellies were full. Not a single one would return what was lent to them, they claimed.
However, when the first autumn came that year, the palace was filled with the hearts of the people. A procession of citizens voluntarily offering their harvested grain, saying the king had saved them from starvation, continued one after another. The ministers who had initially opposed were left speechless at the sight, and some nearly collapsed when they heard the next royal command.
‘Take your grain and return home. And with that grateful heart, give to others in difficulty,’ he commanded.
So after feeding the poor with the ministers’ reduced salaries, he even refused the grain they voluntarily offered and told them to help each other. The court was flooded with petitions for a while, arguing this was nothing but a complete loss. But the king gathered the ministers in his private quarters and declared that the reason kings and ministers existed was to save and protect the country, and the country prospers when its people eat well and live well. He wondered why they still didn’t understand this and ordered that anyone who mentioned this matter further would have their salary reduced for half a year, effectively silencing the ministers.
Because of this, the people said the current king was the most benevolent and virtuous ruler they would see in their lifetime. That even calling him a sage king was insufficient.
“…Talking about a sage king, indeed.”
But such words only came from people who didn’t serve the king closely. Juhwan stared blankly at the back of the man entering Gangnyeongjeon Hall. The pressure to immediately become queen after becoming the Crown Prince’s consort and give birth to a royal heir had doubled, but throughout three winters, the man hadn’t even thought about planting seeds in the field, let alone bearing fruit. Juhwan alone endured all kinds of harsh words.
Hearing people wonder if the queen might be unable to conceive was tiresome, but how could Juhwan say with his own mouth that on consummation nights, His Highness wouldn’t touch even a strand of his hair, instead sitting outside the bedding and talking only about someone else?
‘Jeonggwan liked chestnuts.’
‘Yes. He liked to roast them and scoop them out with a spoon.’
‘Next time, I should sit him beside me and peel chestnuts for him.’
‘…Yes. He would like that.’
And to be filled with longing for a child who had been his servant? How could he say that?
When Jeonggwan was first mentioned by the man, Juhwan thought he would faint. The one who supposedly fell in love with a eunuch was actually the Crown Prince. It was absurd and felt like betrayal, but upon reflection, it didn’t seem like Jeonggwan would have spoken that way in front of him if he had known the man was the Crown Prince. Now, more than feeling betrayed, Juhwan wished Jeonggwan would appear before him, even if it meant sharing his husband. No, Jeonggwan didn’t need to appear.
He just wished, please, that Jeonggwan was alive and well. Unlike his previous concerns that Jeonggwan, not being a child, couldn’t survive alone in the palace—which led him to try to get Jeonggwan to follow Taekun—Juhwan was finding it increasingly difficult to endure palace life without Jeonggwan. Just as his father considered even the yard servants as family members, Juhwan thought of Jeonggwan as family. If news of Jeonggwan’s death were to reach him, he might truly fall apart.
So, he earnestly hoped that Jeonggwan was alive somewhere.
During the three months at sea, the year changed. The ship that had departed in winter endured the sea winds and arrived in Joseon. Before even feeling the scent of newly blooming grass, Jihoon, who had been suffering from continuous seasickness, raised his head one last time to vomit, then staggered to his feet. Jeonggwan, who had been watching from the side, patted Jihoon’s back saying, “You’ve been through a lot,” then picked up their large luggage.
In Qing, since they only had each other to rely on, even though Jihoon was a nobleman, he would carry his own luggage to lighten Jeonggwan’s load. But now he seemed to have difficulty even standing up, so Jeonggwan carried Jihoon’s luggage as well, holding it in both hands as he disembarked. It was the soil of Joseon that he was stepping on after about three years.
“Gwan-ah. I absolutely cannot go home now, so let’s stay at an inn tonight.”
The aftereffects of seasickness seemed quite severe, as Jihoon, with his gaunt face, suggested heading to the marketplace where inns were gathered, and Jeonggwan quietly followed. It was fortunate. He had been worried about what to do if Jihoon had said they should go straight home. Of course, it was just a delay of one more day, but he still needed time to mentally prepare.
“Wow, the country really seems to have prospered.”
“Why do you say that?”
“There’s no one sitting out on the street on the way to the inn.”
Come to think of it, it was true. Joseon before they left for Qing had been full of starving people on the streets, but now the faces of the citizens showed no worry, and everyone seemed vibrant. The man had truly become a virtuous king. He had treated Jeonggwan warmly too. Jeonggwan smiled at the newly felt gentleness of the man’s character. To think that he had been able to receive the love of such a person, even if only for a while.
“Why are you about to cry? Are you moved on behalf of the ministers?”
“…I’m not crying.”
“Someone as big as a mountain, crying. Let’s go quickly. I’m hungry.”
What nonsense about crying. It was just sand in his eyes making them moist. Jeonggwan briefly set down the luggage, wiped his face with his sleeve, then picked up the luggage again and followed Jihoon.
A man exuding such fierceness that it seemed he would destroy anyone who crossed him left the royal quarters. Having just cornered the ministers like catching mice, his face was filled with anger, quite contrary to someone who had been recalled as having a gentle character just moments ago. Public sentiment was so high that royal authority was stronger than ever, and the ministers, who had behaved disrespectfully to the weak former king, now bowed their heads to him as if facing a tiger. He had left in a rage, saying he disliked even that sight.
“Why do you dislike their trembling before Your Majesty?”
The captain of the royal guards, who had served him since he was Crown Prince, followed behind with a bewildered face and asked.
“Let such people take charge of the country for even a day. If enemy forces invade, they will immediately shake with fear for their own lives and surrender the country.”
Still seemingly not cooled down, the irritable and sensitive man grumbled. Usually, when a master has such a temperament, subordinates would simply bow their heads, acting as if they were dead. However, Court Lady Jung and Court Lady Heo, who served him, only felt sympathy as they brought tea and refreshments that might improve his mood.
It had been ages since anyone had seen the man smile. Since his days as Crown Prince, knowing he would receive the throne early due to the former king’s health issues, he had devoted himself to scholarship without rest. He was a man who had gritted his teeth while being ridiculed by court ministers due to weak royal authority.
And then he finally started to smile. But heaven was so heartless, taking away that happiness all too soon. That’s why everyone around the man, while all fearing him, also felt sorry for him.
“Your Majesty. There’s a ship that came in from Qing today, and it’s said someone with a similar appearance disembarked.”
The man, who had been catching his breath while taking a sip of jujube tea, momentarily paused with his cup raised at the captain’s words. However, he soon drank the remaining tea with a face showing no expectations. It had been well over three years since he had dispatched people throughout the eight provinces to search.
“They say he entered the inn district in the marketplace where sailors often stay. Beside him was the second son of Minister of War Park Daeup. They say he went to Qing three years ago to study, following a diplomatic mission.”
“Park Daeup’s second son?”
“Yes. That… you know, the second son of Park Daeup, the one Your Majesty personally went to check if the rumors about the Queen were true.”
That was right. During his time as Crown Prince, he had gone to the Park family to confirm if the rumors about his future consort were true, and that’s where he first met that child. Later, he had pretended to be the Park family’s eldest son and visited the child every night. There was a momentary spark in the man’s eyes, but it was merely from reminiscing, not from having hope in the person who had entered with Park’s second son.
“I will go personally tonight to check his face.”
At the captain’s words that he would personally go to check, the man waved his hand, saying to do so. At first, he had personally checked everyone with a similar appearance without giving up hope, but now he no longer expected anything. He had experienced too many times that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The man exhaled a short sigh and dismissed the refreshments to review the backlog of petitions.
Jeonggwan went out to the marketplace, leaving Jihoon at the inn, who had said he should sleep early considering the harassment he would face from his parents tomorrow. It was Joseon, which he had missed for three years. The sounds of familiar speech from everywhere were heartwarming. How difficult the first year had been, not understanding the language of Qing.
A smile bloomed on Jeonggwan’s face at the words he could understand completely even after so long. He was happy. Though he didn’t know how long they would stay in Joseon, Jeonggwan was so happy now that he already felt sad about eventually returning to Qing.
“Gasp! Are, are these now sold in the marketplace?”
“Did you come by ship? Honey rice cakes have been sold since last year.”
Before Jeonggwan left for Qing, honey rice cakes were a very precious food. Since not much rice was cultivated, rice-based foods could only be eaten in noble households or the palace. But now they were selling honey rice cakes on the street. This was another indication of how much the country had prospered.
“Give me a handful of honey rice cakes!”
Jeonggwan ambitiously bought a whole handful of honey rice cakes, but his expression as he ate them one by one while walking was not very good. They certainly looked like honey rice cakes, but the treacle inside couldn’t compare to even half of half of what was in the palace. Jeonggwan let out a hollow laugh at these rice cakes that tasted like neither this nor that, but decided to appreciate the fact that even people like him could afford to buy such food.
Despite it being night, the streets were bustling with people. In the past, as soon as it got a little dark, one had to hurry home lest they be robbed of even the clothes they wore. Though not many years had passed, the streets had changed considerably, and while Jeonggwan wanted to explore the eastern marketplace a bit more, he decided to return to the inn early to rest.
Tomorrow would be a busy day for him as well as Jihoon. The minister who had hidden him and helped him escape probably wouldn’t turn him away at the door, but he would likely try to send him back early, considering Juhwan’s position as queen. If so, Jeonggwan would have to return to the Park family after spending only a few hours with his parents, so he needed to conserve his energy. It still took three meals’ worth of time to go from the Kyung family to the Park family.
Just as Jeonggwan was about to turn back and head east toward the inn, tap-tap-tap—the sound of quick footsteps came from behind, and soon his arm was grabbed, turning his body back around.
Simultaneously, a scent he had completely forgotten first tickled Jeonggwan’s nose, and then—
“…Jeonggwan.”
That beloved face, which he had denied even remembering but which actually appeared in his dreams every night, unbelievably entered Jeonggwan’s sight.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
