or Cancerous Growth?
(10) 17: Sprouting…
or Cancerous Growth?
(10) ***ANNOUNCEMENT*** New Novel Event for the entire week.
Having reached that conclusion, Hyang relentlessly pressured Sejong.
“According to the medical texts from the Yuan Dynasty obtained through the envoys…” Using medical reasoning as his foundation, Hyang steadily persuaded him.
“I fully understand that Father prefers meat.
However, an unbalanced diet disrupts the harmony of yin-yang and the five elements…” “Consuming excessive amounts of both meat and grains thickens the blood and…” Sometimes Hyang quoted directly from medical books.
At other times he opened the books in front of Sejong and lectured him line by line while aggressively controlling his diet.
Just how aggressive was he?
At one point he practically stationed himself inside the royal kitchens for an entire month, terrorizing the cooks and palace maids.
“The seasoning is too salty!
Do it again!” “It is better to eat smaller meals more frequently rather than overeating all at once.
Make sure fruits and light snacks are regularly prepared for His Majesty between meals!” And the kitchens were not the only place Hyang overturned.
“You call yourselves royal physicians, yet you still only study medical texts from the Tang Dynasty?
How many new texts have appeared since then?
Acquire them immediately and read them!” “And once you read them, put them into practice!
What exactly are you doing?” “The herbs listed in Chinese medical books do not exist in Joseon?
Then either travel and obtain them, or find Joseon herbs with equivalent effects!
Is that not the duty of physicians?
If you simply sit around doing nothing, do medicinal herbs magically appear on their own?
Leave the palace at once and search for them!” Under Hyang’s relentless pressure, the royal physicians of the Royal Medical Office sweated endlessly while studying newly acquired medical texts and researching medicinal herbs.
“No matter what anyone says, exercise is still the best medicine!” Hyang carefully observed what sort of physical activity Sejong actually enjoyed.
The answer was gyeokbang, a stick-and-ball game somewhat similar to golf.
“Golf-like sports…
honestly not bad exercise, but…” After thinking things through, Hyang chose something else instead.
Jump rope.
“It’s ridiculous, but the job of king doesn’t exactly allow much free time or open space.
Jump rope’s probably the best option.” Holding the jump rope specially crafted by the artisans of the Directorate of Military Supplies, Hyang released a quiet sigh.
“Even making a jump rope turned into this much work…” From producing lightweight but durable rope to designing sturdy yet light handles, Hyang had endured countless rounds of trial and error.
“The real problem definitely isn’t technology.
It’s the lack of concepts…
so in the end, I really do need to keep working people to death.” Among the constantly expanding “tech tree” inside Hyang’s head, upgraded endlessly under the excuse of secrecy, one principle alone never changed.
‘Yep.
Just work them harder.’ And as Hyang continued growing closer with Sejong, that principle would eventually become the source of endless crying from countless people throughout Joseon.
Holding the newly completed jump rope and a set of ankle bells in one hand, while carrying a Latin text in the other, Hyang immediately went to see Sejong.
“What is that?” “While searching through Western medical books for ways to improve Father’s health, I discovered this.
Translated directly, it is an exercise involving jumping over a rope.” “An exercise involving rope jumping?” “Yes.
May I demonstrate?” “I permit it.” The moment Sejong granted permission, Hyang stepped into the center of the hall, gripped the rope with both hands, and began jumping.
Whish!
Whish!
Whish!
Whish!
Jingle!
Jingle!
Jingle!
Jingle!
Each time Hyang lightly leapt over the rope, the ankle bells tied around his legs rang brightly.
After roughly ten jumps, Hyang caught his breath briefly before respectfully offering the rope to Sejong.
Taking the rope, Sejong looked toward him curiously.
“It does not appear especially difficult.
But you claim this will benefit me?” “Yes, Father.
According to the Westerners’ writings, ‘If one performs one hundred uninterrupted jumps daily, the lower body grows strong, minor illnesses disappear, and if a man continues for several years without interruption, his foundation will strengthen…'” Hyang paused briefly.
“The next part was difficult to translate, so I relied upon a Chinese translation of the Western text.
It states: ‘During relations between husband and wife, a man shall no longer retreat.'” “Hmm?” “Ah?” At that instant, the eyes of every man inside the hall, excluding the eunuchs, lit up brilliantly.
Sejong gripped the rope tightly and stared at Hyang.
“Is that truly what it says?” “Yes.
According to the writings of the Westerners.
They further explained, ‘Men of high office or those who spend long periods aboard ships inevitably develop weakness in the lower body.
Riding horses and running are the best methods for strengthening male vitality, but high officials lack time while sailors lack space.
Therefore this method was developed instead.'” “Excellent!
Truly excellent!” At the additional explanation, Sejong struck his knee in delight.
Both Taejo and Taejong had endlessly drilled into him that a true man needed strong legs developed through horseback riding and running.
“And you say I should jump one hundred times with this?” “Yes.” “That hardly sounds difficult.
And these bells?” “They are worn around the ankles.
If done properly, they produce pleasant sounds.
If the rope catches your feet, the sound becomes clumsy and unpleasant, helping maintain concentration.
Chief Eunuch.” “Yes, Your Highness.” “When Father practices this exercise, count the bell sounds carefully and ensure he reaches exactly one hundred jumps.
The Westerners specifically wrote, ‘Excess is as harmful as insufficiency.
Beginners should first aim for thirty uninterrupted jumps, then slowly increase the number until reaching one hundred.'” “I shall remember Your Highness’s instructions carefully.” After explaining the precautions to the chief eunuch, Hyang turned back toward Sejong and bowed respectfully.
“My greatest wish is only for Father’s long and healthy life.
Please take diet and exercise seriously.” The instant Hyang finished speaking, the ministers immediately joined in.
For them, it was a rare opportunity to gain favor with the king.
“The Crown Prince’s words are absolutely correct!
His Majesty’s health is the most important matter in the realm!” Thus, Sejong eventually began each morning by drinking water and then immediately practicing jump rope.
“This is not as easy as it looks!” At first his feet constantly tangled in the rope, but gradually Sejong became more and more skilled.
Once Sejong began practicing jump rope regularly, positive changes quickly appeared.
The most obvious improvement was that he finally began having proper bowel movements.
Watching Sejong’s complexion steadily improve as his digestion normalized, Hyang smiled in satisfaction.
“With all the added fiber and the stimulation from jump rope affecting his organs, if he still stayed constipated that would’ve been ridiculous.” As rumors quietly spread that jump rope helped constipation, Queen Soheon and the royal consorts also became interested.
“My son, if this jump rope is truly so beneficial, would it also help your mother?” Queen Soheon, once again volunteering herself as representative for the women of the palace, effectively issued a command disguised as a question.
Hyang immediately answered.
“This is entirely my oversight.
Please forgive me.” Without hesitation, Hyang prepared special jump ropes for the queen and consorts.
The ropes were beautifully decorated using twisted strands of five-colored silk.
However, once the women actually attempted using them, they encountered another problem.
“These skirts are uncomfortable!” “Should we tell the Crown Prince?” After much hesitation, Queen Soheon once again took the lead.
“Crown Prince, this exercise is excellent, but there is a problem.
The clothing is somewhat…” “I shall think of a solution.” Although he answered confidently, the problem was far from simple even for Hyang.
“Maybe I got too carried away…” Still, because he had already promised a solution, Hyang thought deeply before finally finding inspiration.
Borrowing design elements from the riding pants worn by aristocratic and upper-class Western women during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Hyang created a new design and sent it to the Royal Tailoring Bureau.
At first Queen Soheon and the consorts hesitated slightly at the unfamiliar style.
But they quickly realized the new clothing allowed far greater freedom of movement than traditional skirts.
Soon they wore them not only for exercise, but during daily life as well.
And because of that, an entirely unexpected butterfly effect emerged.
Sejong’s nighttime activities suddenly became far busier.
The reason was simple.
Unlike traditional clothing, the new riding pants subtly emphasized the waist and hips.
The jump rope Hyang created for Sejong’s health spread rapidly across Joseon.
Ironically, it spread even faster than the gold pens had.
“Even if proper rope is unavailable, people can always use straw rope instead…
but seriously, was the biggest reason really male virility?” Reading reports sent through the merchant guilds that now functioned as his private information network, Hyang burst into laughter.
The greatest story among the reports involved an elderly rural nobleman already past sixty who immediately began jump rope training the instant he heard the rumors.
Still, another butterfly effect emerged entirely beyond Hyang’s expectations.
“Riding pants are becoming fashionable?
No way.
Seriously?” The riding pants favored by palace women because they were comfortable and practical began spreading among noblewomen outside the palace as well.
“Why?” While investigating the cause, Hyang discovered something unexpected.
The riding pants subtly highlighted the lines of the waist and hips, making them incredibly effective at dragging wandering husbands back into their wives’ rooms.
Moreover, women during early Joseon were far more open-minded and active than Hyang had expected.
In fact, social customs on the Korean Peninsula had remained relatively open ever since the Three Kingdoms period and Goryeo, with that atmosphere continuing even now during early Joseon.
In such a society, practical and slightly provocative clothing becoming fashionable was hardly surprising.
“No wonder they eventually started building chastity gates everywhere…” Once again, Hyang remembered one of Teacher Samcheonpo’s bizarre lectures from his previous life.
“The fact that they created rewards for ‘virtuous women’ proves virtuous widows were actually rare!
The same thing happened in the Catholic West constantly searching for ‘saints’!” Time steadily passed, and the departure date for the winter solstice envoys traveling to Beijing finally approached.
Hyang prepared various possible diplomatic scenarios and personally educated the envoy delegation.
“…Therefore, if the situation develops this way, I believe this response would be best.” “That may be true, but if handled this way, it could technically become deception toward the Emperor, which may create diplomatic problems.” At Chief Envoy Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s concern, Hyang stared at him coldly.
“Diplomatic problems if discovered…” “Scholar-officials must always remain honest…” “Then should we first confess to the Emperor that all the warhorses we sold Ming were actually purchased from the Jurchens and resold at nearly double profit?
Or perhaps we should also confess that Joseon is not truly poor in gold and silver, but simply refuses to mine them aggressively?” “That is…” At Hyang’s sharp criticism, Ryu Jeong-hyeon found himself speechless.
Still glaring at him, Hyang pressed harder.
“Are you speaking because you genuinely worry for Joseon’s safety, or merely because you wish to suppress my momentum?” “I have never harbored such disloyal intentions!” “Then what exactly do you consider the correct answer?” “…I shall follow Your Highness’s plan.” Once the Chief State Councillor surrendered, the meeting finally proceeded more smoothly.
“According to Ming regulations, Joseon, Dai Viet, and Siam are officially permitted only one diplomatic mission every three years.
What if Ming decides to enforce those rules again?” “And why would Ming restore that policy?” At Hyang’s question, the Minister of Taxation explained.
“Because they may become suspicious of the true nature of the missions once they see the size of the merchant groups accompanying them.” “Then ask Ming to establish an official Joseon trading quarter, just as we established Japanese quarters in Joseon.
Rather than attaching merchants to every mission individually, a permanent commercial district may benefit both sides.
Eunuch, bring me the map.” “Yes, Your Highness.” After the eunuch returned with the map, Hyang studied it for a long time before speaking again.
“If maritime routes are allowed, Shandong would be ideal.
If only land routes are allowed, then somewhere along the Liao River region would work best.
Present the suggestion to Father.” “We understand.” After returning to his chambers, Hyang released a long sigh.
“Hooo…
So in the end, outside of Shandong there really is no answer.”