Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 654 Grandfather and Grandson Reunion
Gyeongun Palace was originally the private residence of Grand Prince Yi Jung of Wolsan, the elder brother of King Seongjong of Joseon. During the Imjin War, the main palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace, was completely burned down in the civil unrest, and other palaces also suffered varying degrees of damage.

Later, when Joseon was restored and the king returned to the capital, he found that the palace was only in ruins. So he had to designate the relatively large and less damaged private residence of Grand Prince Wolsan as a temporary palace, called Jeongneung-dong Palace.

In the 28th year of the Wanli reign, Queen Park, the primary wife of King Yi Yeon, who regarded Crown Prince Yi Hun as her own son, passed away.

Two years later, in the thirtieth year of the Wanli reign, King Yi Yeon, then fifty years old, married Kim, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Kim Ti-nam, who was then serving as the Assistant Minister of Personnel, as his second wife. That year, Yi Hun was already twenty-seven years old.

Four years later, in the thirty-fourth year of the Wanli reign, Consort Kim gave birth to Yi Yeon's eldest son, Yi, at the Jeongneung-dong Palace. Taking the name "Yongchang" from the phrase "Having received the mandate from Heaven, may his life be long and prosperous," she bestowed upon him the title of "Grand Prince Yongchang."

Two years later, in the thirty-sixth year of the Wanli reign, Yi Yeon, who was fifty-six years old at the time, passed away. Yi Hun, who was thirty-three years old at the time, succeeded to the throne and, in accordance with the rites, honored his twenty-four-year-old concubine, Lady Kim, as Queen Dowager and gave her the honorific title Jeong-ui.

After ascending the throne, Li Hui renamed the Zhenlingdong Palace to Qingyun Palace and lived there until the 43rd year of the Wanli reign.

In the 43rd year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Changdeok Palace was completed. King Yi Hun moved out of Gyeongun Palace with his wives and concubines, but left Queen Dowager Jeongui and her daughter, Princess Jeongmyeong, behind. After moving to Changdeok Palace, King Yi Hun set up military forts on all four sides of the walls of Gyeongun Palace and assigned a large number of soldiers to guard them, thus placing Queen Dowager Jeongui and her daughter under house arrest.

Changdeokgung Palace is about six miles away from Gyeongungung Palace. Even though the Crown Prince's entire entourage moved slowly, it took them less than a quarter of an hour to travel the distance.

According to the Joseon Dynasty's "Gyeongguk Daejeon" (National Code), the Crown Prince's procession should not exceed fifty people. In other words, in normal years, bringing only the Crown Prince's personal guard would suffice for the ceremonial duties. However, during this special period, to ensure his own safety, Yi Yeok brought out the entire Crown Prince's personal guard, numbering over one hundred men. This was a blatant overreach of regulations, but since both the Royal Household Department and the Crown Prince's personal guard knew that the King had vomited blood and the Crown Prince was acting as regent, no one dared to criticize or point it out.

The people in the Inner Palace and the Imperial Guard knew the inside story, but the military officers of the Inner Palace Guard responsible for guarding Qingyun Palace knew nothing.

"Your subject, Shen Jixiu, Assistant General of the Inner Guard, pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!" As soon as the two Qingdao flags fluttered in front of Da'an Gate, the Inner Guard officer, dressed in the robes of a third-rank military officer, quickly ran to the Crown Prince's carriage and kowtowed in greeting.

"Get up." The carriage door opened, and Crown Prince Yi Cho, wearing a winged crown and a vermilion robe with four-clawed python patterns, slowly stepped out of the carriage with the help of his attendants.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Shen Jixiu rose with a full bow.

"General Shen," Li Chu called out to Shen Jixiu, but did not look at him.

"Your subject is here!" Shen Jixiu bowed and replied.

"Please open the door." Looking at the Da'anmen Gate, which he hadn't seen for several years, Li Chu couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

He was born here, grew up here, and got married here. He could even vaguely remember the first time he met his stepmother here. At that time, Li Chu was only four years old and could not understand why his mother, who looked much older, would kowtow to this "elder sister" with the etiquette of a junior.
Shen Jixiu couldn't comprehend Li Chu's feelings at this moment, nor did he know why he had come. Therefore, Shen Jixiu did not act immediately, but instead bowed and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, may I be so bold as to ask, has Your Highness come here to see His Highness the Western Palace?"

"You came to the West Palace but didn't see the West Palace, did you think you were here to see me?!" Before Li Chu could reply, the eunuch who had helped Li Chu out of the carriage jumped in front of Shen Jixiu and shouted, "Go open the door! What are you talking about?"

"Stop making a fuss, it's annoying." Li Zhu glanced at him indifferently, then turned to Shen Jixiu and said, "I want to see the Grand Queen Dowager, please open the door."

The eunuch retreated sheepishly, but Shen Jixiu remained unmoved: "May I ask, Your Highness, do you have His Highness's warrant?"

"No," Li Chu shook his head.

“His Highness has clearly decreed that no one may approach the West Palace without a written authorization.” With that, Shen Jixiu knelt down again. “Since Your Highness has no written authorization, please forgive me for not being able to open the gate!”

"My father coughed up blood and fell into a coma. My mother ordered me to temporarily take charge of state affairs and welcome back the Grand Queen. Where do you expect me to find the warrant for you?" Li Zhu knew that his father had issued a decree to the West Palace and had considered asking for the warrant to avoid trouble. However, when he thought of his father's arrangements and Liu Xifen's advice, he gave up the idea of ​​asking for the warrant and decided to lie to appease him.

"Your Highness, he really..." Shen Jixiu's brows twitched wildly, his thoughts churning. When the seven-tasseled banner appeared, he had vaguely connected it to the curfew order issued by the Ministry of War, but when he actually heard this, Shen Jixiu still found it hard to believe. He had just met with the King not long ago and had no idea that the King was in any danger of being weak and vomiting blood.

"Do you think I would lie to you?" Li Zhu asked quietly.

"Your subject dares not," Shen Jixiu said, prostrating himself on the ground.

"Then go open the door!" Li Chu commanded, emphasizing his words.

Shen Jixiu still hesitated.

"If you don't open the door, I'm going to have the Imperial Guard smash it down!" The intense sense of insecurity made Li Chu anxious and irritable; he was running out of patience.

"Yes! I'll go open the door right away!" Shen Jixiu finally agreed. This wasn't because he was afraid the Imperial Guard would restrain him and break down the door, but because he had realized something—

According to Joseon Dynasty tradition, although the Crown Prince's Guard is nominally the Crown Prince's personal guard, except for the special case during the Imjin War where Crown Prince Yi Hun was temporarily appointed to manage the military and political affairs of the court, the Crown Prince has no authority to mobilize the guard's personnel. The fact that Yi Jok can now so openly lead the guard out of Changdeok Palace indicates that the King has become so incompetent that he can no longer control the court.

Shen Jixiu rushed to the door and pounded it several times with his fist. "It's me! Open the door!"

"Yes." The inner guards behind the door didn't care about any orders or prohibitions. As soon as they heard their commander's voice, they immediately began to move and lifted the door latch.

The door opened, revealing an unfamiliar desolation and bleakness.

It's not that the yard was overgrown with weeds or the house was dilapidated, but rather that the clean yard was devoid of people, with no sound to be heard, and the whole place was deathly still.

Yi Chok-il stepped inside, gazing at the familiar rooftops, a flood of memories washing over him, as if vividly present. For Yi Chok-il, born and raised here, this relatively cramped Gyeongun Palace felt more like home than the vast Changdeokgung Palace. The further Yi Chok-il walked, the more his nose tingled with emotion. When he reached the vicinity of the Seokodang Hall, the former residence of the late king and his second queen, tears welled in his eyes.

Li Chu let out a long breath and knocked on the courtyard gate with a light but firm knock.

Knock, knock.

"Who's outside?" a woman's voice squeezed out from under the door.

"I am Yi Chu, here to respectfully welcome Her Majesty the Grandmother back to the capital," Yi Chu replied softly.

"Li Zhi? Which department is he from?" The palace maid behind the door had no idea that the Crown Prince would come to Qingyun Palace in person at this time, so even though Li Zhu had used words like "Your Highness" and "returning to the capital," she still didn't react.

Yi Yeok was somewhat annoyed, but he still suppressed his emotions and explained, "Crown Prince of Joseon, Yi Yeok."

"Huh?" The palace maid behind the door was stunned. Her first reaction was not even shock, but that there was something wrong with her ears.

"I am Crown Prince Yi Yeo of Joseon! I have come here to welcome Her Majesty the Grandmother back to the capital." Yi Yeo raised his voice slightly.

"Really... really is His Highness the Crown Prince?" The palace maid's voice trembled noticeably. "It's me, please open the door quickly."

The maid who answered the door was a new palace servant specially sent by the king to monitor the Queen Dowager, but she and the other new palace servants had been "sincerely serving" the Queen Dowager for a long time under her influence.

The palace maid dared not open the door, fearing it might be a malicious person impersonating someone to persecute her, yet she also dared not ask the "prince" outside to provide any evidence. After a long silence, the palace maid behind the door finally managed to utter, "Please wait a moment, this servant will go and inform His Highness."

"Okay, I'll wait." Lee Chu took a deep breath.

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When the palace maid who answered the door found Queen Dowager Jeongui, she was hand-copying the *Golden Light Sutra*. This is a Buddhist scripture translated by the Tang Dynasty monk Yijing. Believers generally believe that reciting this sutra will bring the protection of the Four Heavenly Kings to the nation and the reciter, ensuring peace and prosperity in the world. However, the Queen Dowager was copying this sutra not to pray for her own worldly blessings, but to pray for the deceased blessings of her father, brothers, and son.

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" It wasn't far from the courtyard gate to the Imperial Hall, but the palace maid was panting heavily as she ran.

"What's wrong?" Wang Dafei, who was not yet forty, put down her pen, raised her head, and her eyes and brows showed the kind of loving kindness that only an old lady could have.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived. He says he wishes you to return to the capital," the palace maid said hastily.

Wang Dafei's face first showed a look of confusion, but this confusion quickly turned into a look of shock and fear.

"Where is he now?" Consort Wang asked, trembling.

"Still waiting outside the courtyard," the palace maid replied.

"Good, very good!" Queen Dowager nodded repeatedly. "Quickly, go and tell the princess to hide!"

"Yes," the palace maid replied and walked away, but turned back when she reached the door. "Over there at the courtyard gate."

"I'll handle it myself." Wang Dafei had already stood up.

Queen Dowager Wang quickly tidied her clothes and walked to the still-closed courtyard gate. However, she waited until the rustling behind her had completely subsided before asking, "Is that the Crown Prince outside?"

Upon hearing that familiar female voice, Yi Chu couldn't help but tremble. "Your Highness, it is your subject."

"Hasn't the King already deposed me? Why then does the Crown Prince address himself as a subject?" The Queen Dowager's voice was cold and hard, like winter ice just taken out of an ice cellar.

Yi Chu was taken aback, and quickly replied, "Your Highness, these are merely the slanderous words of treacherous ministers who mislead the king. My father has never heeded any advice. Please do not worry about it, Your Highness."

"Heh." Queen Dowager Wang chuckled coldly twice, but still didn't open the door for Prince Lee. "What brings you here, Your Highness?"

"Your Highness, I have come to request Your Highness's return to the capital to manage affairs." The anxiety on Yi Chu's face grew even more pronounced as dusk deepened.

"I have always lived in the Jeongneung Palace and have never left, so how can you say I have returned?" Queen Dowager Wang asked in a tone that was full of undisguised sarcasm.

"Then I, your humble servant, request that Your Highness move to Changdeok Palace." Yi Chok had no choice but to change his words.

"Since it's an 'invitation,' can I refuse?" The Queen Dowager showed no fear even when facing King Yi Hun, let alone speaking to his son through a door.

Yi Chu desperately wanted to tell his stepmother, who was only fourteen years his senior, that he "couldn't," but propriety bound him, and the sword of the suzerain state hung over his head. He couldn't use force, and he didn't even dare to knock on the door loudly. After much thought, Yi Chu could only plead in a more forceful tone, "Your Highness, Grandmother! I'm begging you!"

Squeak~~~
The door, which hadn't been oiled in a long time, was opened.

"What tricks are you and your son up to this time? If you want to kill me, just send someone to deliver a white silk ribbon!" Consort Wang looked up, but her eyes seemed to be looking down at him.

"Your Highness, Grandmother!" Under the astonished gaze of Queen Dowager Wang, Yi Chok knelt down heavily with a thud. "Your subject has absolutely no intention of harming Grandmother. I only wish to request that Your Highness move to Changdeok Palace so that your subject can comfortably care for you and serve you, thus fulfilling my filial duty."

Queen Dowager Wang stared at Yi Chu in astonishment, completely bewildered by the situation. "I don't need any service. I'm perfectly fine here. You may go back."

This time, Li Zhu didn't reply. He simply lowered his head to the ground. He breathed slowly, and soon he began to sob, his voice choked with emotion.

Queen Dowager Wang opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her gaze lingered on the python robe behind Li Chu for a long time, and finally she sighed with a hint of softening: "What exactly do you want?"

"Your Majesty, I only wish to request that Your Highness move to Changdeok Palace!" Yi Chok said, sobbing as he kowtowed.

"Why? So suddenly," Princess Wang asked.

Yi Chu's body trembled violently. "My father vomited blood and fainted, and my mother ordered me to temporarily take charge of the state affairs. Now that I have some freedom, I have dared to come to the West Palace to invite my grandmother to come."

"Li Hui is vomiting blood!" An inopportune glint flashed in Queen Dowager Wang's eyes. "When?"

Yi Chu immediately sensed the joy and even excitement in the Queen Dowager's tone, but he only dimmed his eyes and said nothing more. "Your Highness, it happened this morning."

"how is the situation?"

Li Chu subconsciously wanted to say "It's alright," but he changed his words at the last minute: "He hasn't woken up yet."

"Then you shouldn't have come." Queen Dowager's gaze softened considerably as she looked at Yi Chu. She didn't actually dislike the child before her; she simply harbored a grudge against him because of his family. When Yi Chu got married, she had given him even more gifts than Yi Hun and his wife.

“It’s alright, your grandson has already taken control of Changdeok Palace,” Yi Chok said.

"Quite decisive!" A strange glint flashed in the eyes of the Queen Dowager. "So you've come to me to request a teaching?"

"Yes," Li Zhu replied emphatically.

"Okay! Let's go."

(End of this chapter)