Chapter 105
On the day the great fire broke out in Hanyang, Sejong and Taejong Yi Bang-won had left the palace and were engrossed in hunting.
Even before this, Yi Bang-won had often gone hunting, using the excuse that Sejong needed to exercise for the sake of his health, while draining the court budget and the royal treasury...
So the fact that they were hunting now was not particularly unusual.
There was one unusual thing, however: the way Sejong and Taejong were hunting had changed considerably from before.
“Your Majesty, are you uncomfortable riding your horse?”
“It has already been over a year since Your Majesty personally taught me how to ride, so I am not tired from riding this much.”
Bang-won grinned when he heard that.
In his eyes, there had been only one thing Sejong lacked: stamina.
But now much of the weight he had gained had come off, and his stamina had improved greatly as well. He showed no sign of tiring even after riding around for two shijin (four hours).
Of course, if Yi Seong-gye had still been alive, he would have said that any male of our family should be able to ride for not two shijin, but two whole days without tiring...
Even among able-bodied men, some became tired after riding for about two shijin, so Sejong had improved quite a lot.
“It is truly a great blessing that Your Majesty rides so well and has grown healthy as well. It feels as though I am watching Jongmyo and the state grow stronger day by day.”
“Then this time, I must surely bring down a top-grade kill—the classification used for hunted game—and offer it directly in a sacrifice to Great King Taejo.”
“Not only has Your Majesty grown strong, but your filial devotion is also so profound. I truly have nothing left to worry about.”
Originally, gangmu involved beaters driving about three game animals toward a king sitting still, after which the king shot them.
All the soldiers and civilians from the surrounding areas were also permitted to hunt freely.
But Sejong and Taejong had completed every procedure prescribed by court etiquette and were now hunting freely.
As they rode around the hunting grounds at a fairly fast pace, a wild boar came into Bang-won’s view.
Bang-won motioned for everyone nearby to be quiet, had Sejong halt his horse, and signaled him to ready his bow.
Sejong and Bang-won held their breath and drew their bowstrings taut.
Since they were going to do it anyway, they aimed for the boar’s right shoulder so that the kill would be suitable for offering at Jongmyo.
If an arrow pierced the right shoulder, passed through the heart, and emerged near the left shoulder, the kill qualified as a sangpum—a precious sacrificial offering for Jongmyo.
At Sejong’s signal, they released their bowstrings simultaneously.
Fortunately, both arrows succeeded in killing the boar instantly.
“Your Majesty, very well done! Haha, who would have thought that a day would come when Your Majesty and I could ride horses, shoot our bows, and hunt a wild boar so perfectly? Is this not a joyous occasion worthy of being recorded in the annals and preserved for posterity?”
“Since Your Majesty is hale and strong enough to bring down a wild boar so perfectly, it is indeed a great occasion.”
“I believe this was possible because Your Majesty never neglected physical training and continued to practice riding and archery even while busy with state affairs. This was possible because Your Majesty has grown stronger, so it is a very great occasion indeed.”
The warriors of the Naegeumwi and Gyeomsabok nearby shouted “Long live the King!” three times to show their agreement.
Taejong thought he ought to bestow at least a seom of rice on each of these tactful fellows.
Then, in high spirits, Taejong decided to ride this momentum and boast about his son, so he asked the commander of the Gyeomsabok,
“How would you rate His Majesty’s horsemanship?”
“How could I presume to judge Your Majesty’s horsemanship?”
“His Majesty will continue practicing riding, train in mounted martial arts other than equestrian feats, and keep strengthening his body. You will have to serve as his teacher, so speak without reservation.”
“He is no less skilled than the mounted regular soldiers of the Ten Companies. If he practices horsemanship as diligently as he has for another year or two and learns gisa—the art of shooting a bow from horseback—then, excluding equestrian feats, he will be skilled enough to rival the Gapsa.”
“The mounted regulars I can believe, but are you not exaggerating too much by comparing him to the Gapsa?”
“His Majesty has already shot fifty arrows and hit forty-seven. As someone who has achieved this after only three years of learning archery, I offer this opinion with confidence as a military officer.”
At those words, Yi Bang-won’s mouth curled all the way up to his ears.
If his son became capable of shooting a bow while riding, then one day Bang-won would even be able to watch his son hunt game from horseback with his own eyes.
Just thinking about it as a father put him in a wonderful mood.
“Since the commander says so, I am truly pleased. I will specially bestow a treasured sword upon the commander of the Gyeomsabok, so accept it and redouble your resolve to do your utmost to protect His Majesty from now on.”
“Yes, Grand King Emeritus.”
“And if you think about it, is it not also because of Kim Daebung’s life-risking remonstrance that His Majesty’s body has grown so healthy and nimble?”
Sejong flinched at those words.
It was an undeniable fact that his body had become nimble and healthy, and becoming a very virile man at night had been good in many ways, too.
But Bang-won’s words brought back the misery he had suffered while hauling his heavy body up Bugaksan once every day thanks to Kim Daebung’s remonstrance, along with the resentment of having to exercise instead of enjoying his favorite late-night work and reading.
Out of spite, he decided to make Kim Daebung a chief state councilor as soon as possible and work him to the bone for the rest of his life.
“I heard that we caught three tigers today. I will bestow one of their hides upon Kim Daebung to reward his loyalty.”
“Your Grace’s favor is boundless.”
“The court budget is plentiful, so from today until the day gangmu ends, buy cattle, pigs, and chickens in addition to the animals we hunt, and have them cooked so that even the household slaves can eat their fill of meat.”
While this heartwarming conversation was taking place, they saw an official riding toward them from far away at an extremely urgent pace.
He was approaching the King, but judging from his rather disheveled appearance...
he had undoubtedly come to deliver extremely bad and urgent news.
“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A massive fire has broken out in Hanyang!”
“How extensive is the damage?”
“I do not know that much, Your Majesty. Her Majesty the Queen is currently directing the firefighting effort from the front despite being full-term. Moreover, because everyone is so focused on suppressing the fire, we have no idea who started it.”
There could hardly have been a worse calamity.
While the King was away, some bastard who deserved to be torn limb from limb had appeared and set Hanyang ablaze.
“Father, I think I must return to the palace immediately.”
“Yes. This is no time to be conducting something like gangmu.”
The fact that Bang-won and Sejong were returning to the palace would not put out the fire at once.
But after setting one fire, those arsonists could start another at any time.
The King had to return quickly, if only to prevent further damage of that kind.
There were countless fire refugees in Hanyang to care for, reconstruction to oversee, and a mountain of other work to do.
“I will return immediately. Make preparations. We will omit every complicated formality and return to the palace as quickly as possible!”
“Yes, Grand King Emeritus.”
Sejong felt that this was not enough.
Given his stamina and horsemanship, he could reach Hanyang from Gwangju-mok in Gyeonggi within half a day if he rode as quickly as possible.
Since he himself was the King, returning even a little faster might reduce the damage...
“Grand King Emeritus, I will ride back to Gyeongbokgung.”
“Riding at such speed is dangerous.”
“If I go with the Gyeomsabok and Naegeumwi warriors here, it should not be difficult to protect myself from bandits or anyone who might seek to harm me.”
With Sejong speaking so insistently, Bang-won could no longer oppose him.
After seeing Sejong’s horsemanship moments earlier, he also believed that riding from Gwangju to Hanyang was entirely possible.
“Commander of the Gyeomsabok, keep a close eye on His Majesty and make sure he does not overexert himself.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Once Bang-won gave his permission, Sejong immediately spurred his horse toward Hanyang.
**
As Sejong had expected, he and his party arrived at Gyeongbokgung in less than half a day.
“What is the situation now, Queen?”
Queen Soheon, who had been directing the firefighting effort in Sejong’s stead, gave him a detailed account of the situation.
By a stroke of heavenly fortune, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo had been safely protected, but fires had broken out throughout Hanyang, so at least several thousand houses had probably burned to the ground, and many people had been injured or killed.
Tears streamed down Sejong’s face as he listened.
His heart ached terribly at the thought of so many people—too many to count—having burned painfully to death in the flames.
With the Bang-won Law now in effect, he had thought he had finally given the people hope for the future.
How could so many people have to die without even properly tasting that hope?
“First, we opened Gyeongchang and are feeding rice porridge to those who lost their homes. And Jegum Kim Daebung of the Directorate of Warships rendered truly great service in suppressing this fire.”
“Kim Daebung again? Kim Daebung is truly a loyal subject, a loyal subject... What great service did he render?”
“As soon as he learned that a fire had broken out, he evacuated his family first. Then he put on his official robes, stood before the people, and calmed those who were running about in confusion because of the fire. After that, he personally picked up a hammer and joined the people in tearing down the houses lying in the fire’s path, preventing the flames from spreading farther. Even amid the crisis, he also reported a plan for capturing the arsonists to me. Thanks to that, we were able to arrest thirty people suspected of being the arsonists.”
Sejong was deeply moved.
He was a civil official, not a military officer, so there had been no need for him to step forward and lead the firefighting effort.
Nevertheless, he had risked his life on the front line, calming the people and helping them put out the fire.
‘Kim Daebung must have saved several thousand people in Hanyang.’
“As soon as I heard that the fire was out, I learned that he had fainted and collapsed on the spot, so I had the royal physician examine him.”
A royal physician was not required to care only for the King and members of the royal family.
They also had the additional duty of caring for officials of senior second rank and above.
Therefore, Queen Soheon’s decision was not at all improper.
If the state could not even send a royal physician to a subject who had rendered meritorious service while prepared to burn himself for the sake of the nation, what sort of absurdity would that be?
“Judging from the official robes Kim Daebung had been wearing, they were covered in mud, and sparks had burned holes all over them, leaving them almost indistinguishable from rags.”
There was an enormous amount Sejong needed to do right now.
Even so, Sejong decided to visit Kim Daebung first.
He believed that checking on a subject who had risked his life to protect Hanyang was also part of a King’s duty.
As soon as Sejong asked where Kim Daebung was, he rushed there.
“Your Majesty.”
When Sejong entered, he saw Kim Daebung’s body covered in thick layers of all sorts of ointment.
His entire body was covered in burns and other injuries.
“How is Kim Daebung’s condition?”
“He has passed the critical point, Your Majesty. He should regain consciousness and wake up soon.”
Sejong looked at Kim Daebung and wept.
These were injuries sustained when a man who did not need to take such risks had thrown himself into danger to save even one more person.
Looking at those scars, Sejong felt that this disaster had happened because he had failed to listen more carefully to Kim Daebung’s remonstrance.
“...... It is all my fault. Therefore, Royal Physician, you must save Kim Daebung by whatever means necessary.”
Sejong said this, then removed his dragon robe and laid it beside Kim Daebung.
“Once the salve dries, personally drape this over him. Under no circumstances is it to be used as Kim Daebung’s shroud.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The very idea of using a dragon robe as a shroud was absurd, but the royal physician was not foolish enough to argue about it.
Indeed, he displayed the judgment befitting a man who had risen beyond the usual career ceiling for royal physicians—the lower grade of the senior third rank—and advanced even further.
This story was later included in textbooks as a true heartwarming tale.