Whenever King Sejong asked questions about the northeast region that had been upgraded to Hamgil Province, Hwang Hui and Kim Jong-seo answered to the best of their abilities.
“Are the Jurchen people who have surrendered obeying well?”
“Yes. Since surrendering, they have shown their loyalty to Joseon.”
“What do you think is the reason?”
“It is all because Your Majesty’s virtue is so great.”
In response to Hwang Hui’s answer, King Sejong smiled slightly and replied.
“I appreciate the praise, but please give a proper answer. That way, the court historians won’t curse at me, right?”
At King Sejong’s words, the eyes of all the ministers inside Geunjeongjeon Palace turned toward the court historians. The ministers’ eyes looking at the court historians seemed capable of killing a person with just a glance.
“Gasp!”
“Your Majesty! How could we…!”The court historians, subject to the ministers’ glares, immediately prostrated themselves on the floor and appealed their grievances.
In response to the court historians’ appeals, King Sejong turned his head, gazed into the distance, and spoke.
“Well… Seeing what you guys have been doing lately…”
As King Sejong slightly trailed off, the court historians immediately realized the situation was turning against them. Fortunately, the court historians currently in charge of recording were senior members.
“Your Majesty! It seems to be the result of the excessive zeal of the newly appointed court historians! We will make sure to instruct them thoroughly!”
“We will ensure that Your Majesty need not worry!”
At the court historians’ replies, King Sejong turned his head and looked at them.
“Are you certain?”
“Please don’t concern yourself, Your Majesty!”
“Really? Then, I’ll trust you. Carry on with your duties.”
“Your grace is immeasurable!”
As they returned to their positions, the court historians gnashed their teeth.
‘Which one…!’
‘Which bastard did it…!’
***
As lectures on Confucian classics given to the king proceeded, a fierce struggle had taken place between King Sejong and the court historians. No, it was a continuation of the struggle that had been going on since the time of Taejo Yi Seong-gye.
It was a struggle between the kings who wanted to maintain a minimum of privacy and self-esteem and the court historians who sought to record everything in writing.
King Sejong was no exception. Even when he wanted to engage in solitary contemplation or have secret conversations with Hyang, the court historians would not back down.
Therefore, King Sejong had to wield his authority to drive away the court historians.
And the court historians who were chased away hid behind the door and made every effort to record the conversations between King Sejong and Hyang.
In the end, King Sejong had to make a request, not a demand, to the court historians.
“It is commendable that you are devoted to your duties. However, being too excessive is not good. Shouldn’t you at least give me time for my own contemplation?”
In response to King Sejong’s words, the court historians flatly refused.
“The monarch is a public figure. We have the duty to record everything about the monarch!”
At the court historians’ principled answer, King Sejong gnashed his teeth.
“Is that so? Is that what you’re saying? Very well.”
From the next day onward, a fierce battle – to be precise, King Sejong’s relentless nagging – took place between King Sejong and the court historians.
The day before the battle, King Sejong summoned Sangseon.
“Sangseon, you’ll have to endure some hardship from now on, but please prepare some diapers.”
“Pardon?”
The next day, King Sejong entered Geunjeongjeon Palace wearing diapers inside his pants. From that moment, the battle began.
King Sejong never once descended from the throne while attending to state affairs. The only times he descended from the throne were when he went to the dining hall to eat and when he returned to Gangnyeongjeon Hall after finishing the morning court session.
From then on, the court historians and ministers had a terrible time.
The court historians who recorded the sacho (史草, draft history) and the court diarists who wrote the Seungjeongwon Ilgi (Journal of the Royal Secretariat) were assigned to Geunjeongjeon Palace in pairs. The reason for assigning them in multiples was so that even if one of them had to leave their post due to toilet needs or other matters, the recording could continue uninterrupted.
However, as King Sejong’s nagging began, the court historians and diarists had no choice but to become petrified statues.
Whenever a court historian, desperate to relieve himself, tried to get up from his seat, King Sejong’s reprimand immediately followed.
“Where are you going?”
“I, I need to relieve myself…”
In response to the court historian’s answer, King Sejong made an exasperated expression.
“Oh my, state affairs are currently proceeding without pause, yet the court historian who is supposed to record this is leaving his post?”
“B-but this is a physiological phenomenon…”
“I’m also staying at my post.”
“There is another person…”
“Don’t two people need to be present to cross-check and ensure accurate records? Sit down.”
“Yes.”
And so, just before the court historians were about to burst from holding in their urine, King Sejong would slightly release them.
“Judging by your face, it seems you can’t hold it any longer. We can’t have you soiling Geunjeongjeon Palace, so go take care of your business and come back.”
“Your grace is immeasurableee.”
When the court historian who disappeared with an echo returned to his seat, King Sejong’s nagging resumed.
“How can a man with such weak endurance handle important responsibilities?”
“I-I apologize deeply!”
The court historian had to bow his head whenever King Sejong reprimanded him, and the other court historians and diarists had to record this while squirming uncomfortably.
The hardships of the court historians and diarists continued even during mealtimes.
“Where are you gentlemen going? Do you expect any conversations to take place during mealtime?”
When the court historians and diarists were heading to the dining hall used by ordinary officials instead of the one where King Sejong and the ministers ate, they had no choice but to accompany King Sejong to the dining hall at his words.
Upon arriving at the dining hall, King Sejong suddenly spoke as if he had just remembered something while eating.
“Come to think of it… Chief State Councilor.”
“Yes, please speak, Your Majesty.”
Just as King Sejong was about to say something to the Chief State Councilor, he looked at the court historians and diarists.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to record?”
“Y-yes, yes!”
The court historians and diarists had to put aside their meal trays and take out their writing brushes and ink.
King Sejong leisurely ate his meal while conversing with the ministers. However, there were absolutely no pauses. As a result, the court historians and diarists had to starve throughout the entire mealtime while recording.
****
This situation continued even after King Sejong moved to Gangnyeongjeon Hall.
After reading the remaining memorials and reports on the agenda items to be discussed the next day, King Sejong got up from his seat.
“It’s time to sleep now.”
“May you have a peaceful slumber.”
“Where are you going?”
At King Sejong’s question, the court historians who were organizing their seats paused and looked at him.
“Even while sleeping, I might wake up and handle state affairs if something comes to mind. Are you just going to leave?”
“B-but…”
“Sit back down.”
“Yes, yes…”
In the end, the court historians had to sit back down and spend time aimlessly.
However, the court historians were also human. Thanks to King Sejong’s scheme, the court historians had to work from the morning court session until just before the next day’s morning court session without fail. This was a considerable amount of overwork, and eventually, as time passed, the court historians began to doze off.
The next morning, when the court historians opened their eyes, they had to be startled.
The dragon robes worn by King Sejong and the blankets he used to sleep were draped over their shoulders.
“Gasp!”
As the surprised court historian turned his head, King Sejong was sitting there, watching them.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Please punish us with death!”
As the court historians prostrated themselves and pleaded guilty, King Sejong replied in a nonchalant voice.
“Death? No need for that… If you’re tired, it can happen. Chief Eunuch.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At King Sejong’s command, Sangseon collected the dragon robes and blankets that the court historians had been using.
King Sejong, wearing the dragon robes that Sangseon had retrieved, left Gangnyeongjeon Hall.
***
Upon arriving at Geunjeongjeon Palace, King Sejong ascended to the throne and began the morning court session.
After opening with various small talk, King Sejong looked at the Chief State Councilor.
“Chief State Councilor.”
“Please speak, Your Majesty.”
“It seems the court historians’ work is quite demanding.”
“It’s not an easy job. Did something happen, Your Majesty?”
“Last night, I suddenly woke up with a thought, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the court historians all slumped over their desks, sleeping. They looked so pitiful that I covered them with my dragon robes and blankets.”
“Gasp!”
The Chief State Councilor and ministers, startled by King Sejong’s words, glared at the court historians as if they were going to kill them. Maeng Sa-seong, angered by the appalling incident, spoke in a stiff voice.
“What an impudent act! We must immediately seize those insolent individuals and punish them for their crimes!”
In response to Maeng Sa-seong’s words, King Sejong shook his head.
“No. It is natural for people to sleep when they are tired. How can we punish them for that? It happened because they were diligently carrying out their assigned duties, so I will not hold them accountable.”
At King Sejong’s words, the ministers bowed their heads in unison.
“It is Joseon’s fortune to have a king who shows such magnanimity!”
Although they said those words, it was obvious that the ministers would rush to the Office of Royal Decrees after the court session ended and scold the court historians.
***
The fierce battle between King Sejong and the court historians also affected the ministers.
As King Sejong refused to move from Geunjeongjeon Palace, the ministers also could not leave Geunjeongjeon Palace. Since they had to be in Geunjeongjeon Palace during the day, all their work had to be done in the evening and at night after leaving Geunjeongjeon Palace.
For the elderly ministers who were old enough to retire at any time, this was an unbearable ordeal.
“Why is His Majesty doing this?”
The ministers, who were suffering from King Sejong’s torment disguised as advice, investigated the cause.
“His Majesty is acting this way because of the court historians.”
“As expected… Grr!”
“They caused such disputes even during the reigns of King Taejo and King Taejong… Tsk!”
The ministers, clicking their tongues or grinding their teeth, immediately rushed to the Office of Royal Decrees and scolded the court historians.
“You people! How are you doing your job? Don’t you know flexibility?”
“However, the duty of court historians is to record everything!”
However, the court historians continued to protest, citing principles as their reason. In response, the ministers clicked their tongues and said a word each.
“Who told you not to record? We’re telling you to record what needs to be recorded, but distinguish between what must be recorded and what can be omitted! How can you be so frustrating!”
“B-but…”
“You people! Who told you not to record at all? You must record the official duties and events that His Majesty attends to, but you can just overlook the private matters that His Majesty engages in!”
“In any case, how can you lack flexibility to this extent!”
***
The suffering of the court historians did not end there.
Following the ministers, the court historians had to answer the summons of Queen Soheon, the queen consort.
“I have heard about the recent incidents in Geunjeongjeon Palace and Gangnyeongjeon Hall.”
“We apologize deeply.”
“I understand your duties, but I believe it would be better to show some flexibility.”
“However…”
“What do you mean by ‘however’! Do you know how many days it has been since His Majesty last visited the queen’s quarters? Seven days! Seven days! You’re saying ‘however’! If something terrible happens to him due to overwork, will you take responsibility? Huh? Will you take responsibility?”
The court historians, who witnessed Queen Soheon’s notorious temper firsthand, had to immediately bow their heads.
“We deeply apologize!”
“In any case, if anything happens to His Majesty, not only I but also the concubines will not let you off easily! Keep that in mind!”
“Yes, yes!”
The court historians, who had been scolded by Queen Soheon and came out with pale faces, looked up at the sky.
“Phew… Why…”
“If it comes to this, the only one left is the Crown Prince…”
As one of the court historians muttered those words, a eunuch hurriedly approached and informed them.
“His Highness the Crown Prince summons you immediately.”
“…Understood.”
Some of the court historians, following the eunuch, muttered softly.
“Should I just submit my resignation?”
Seeing the court historians’ pale faces, Hyang inwardly muttered.
‘If I nag them too, these people will all go insane. They already look 80% insane…’
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Hyang ended it briefly.
“Please handle it well on your own. Goodbye.”
“Yes!”
***
In the end, the court historians had no choice but to wave the white flag to King Sejong. From then on, whenever there were various incidents – most of which involved Hyang – and King Sejong gave a slight hint, the court historians would silently pack up and leave without a word. Moreover, instead of hiding behind the door and eavesdropping like before, they would stay far away until a eunuch came to fetch them.