It was the twelfth day of the month of the dog, King Seo-Jung along with the Queen and Prince Man-Ju, was at the proclamation of Prince Young-Sik as the newly crowned prince. All of the ministers were in attendance amongst them were Minister Gi and Minister Lim Do-Yun, though showing a calm exterior, it was undeniable in his eyes the fury that he felt. He wanted the lineage of the current King to end, yet one more remains and he is about to be proclaimed the crowned prince.
The Queen again tried to downplay Young-Sik's attitude and capabilities and questioned if he was fit to be the newly crowned prince "Your Highness…are we sure that an eight-year-old will be the best fit for this monstrous task? We should take it easy on him, after all the trauma he underwent"
"He is well enough to take on the responsibilities of the crowned prince. I believe he will overcome the trauma in his heart and mind" The King replied with the utmost confidence in Young-Shik
Standing behind the King and Queen, Man-Ju heard everything his father said. He could not deny that tiny pinch in his heart because their father favored the youngest over him.
"Your Highness and your Majesty, …The crowned prince has arrived" A eunuch said, announcing the entrance of Young-Sik.
The newly crowned prince entered the great hall. He wore blue robes with a dragon crest on the front, back, and shoulders. He made his way through the center walkway to the front. The prince bowed to the King and Queen, as a sign of respect.
The King, in a proud voice, said, "I, King Kim Seo-Jung, at this moment elevate Kim Young-Sik to Crowned…" but before he could finish his proclamation, the young prince interrupted him.
"Your Highness…I would like to use the wish that you promised me" Young-Sik said in a stern voice
"Can it not wait, my son?" The King asked impatiently, to which Young-Sik only shook his head.
King Seo-Jung looked at Queen Eri with confusion. "Let the little prince speak Your Highness, we only need to wait a few moments," she said "I will delay his proclamation no matter what," she thought to herself.
"Very well," The King said as he laid back on his throne "Speak my son, let me know what you want to wish"
Young-Sik dropped to his knees and bowed with his forehead touching the ground. "Your Highness! I wish to abdicate my claim to the throne, I wish for Prince Man-Ju, to be elevated to crowned Prince!" This act startled everyone present, especially the King.
Queen Lee, upon hearing what Young-Sik said immediately capitalizes at the opportunity "Your Highness, as per our law, we must respect the wish of those who want to give away their claim to the throne"
Minister Gi quickly backed the edict that the queen mentioned "Your Highness, the Queen is right. We can't force the burden of leadership on anyone who fears to carry the responsibility"
The prince rose and faced Minister Gi "I do not fear the responsibility, Minister Lim, I merely think that my brother is the future King that we will all need"
Minister Gi, scoffed discreetly at the little boy "And what will our prince do after abdicating?"
"Stay your tongue, minister…you are talking to a prince!" Young-Sik said angrily. Minister Lim, who was listening, was both shocked and impressed that a grown man was silenced by a mere boy.
The King smirked and smiled at Young-Sik's handling of himself. "Tell me…why don't you want to be King, let alone crowned prince?"
"Because Your Highness, I will be more effective and useful, serving our nation and King as a soldier, a physician, and a scholar," Young-Sik explained. Though his words were carried by the voice of a boy, they showed the determination of a person well beyond his age.
The Queen was surprised at what the prince revealed as his ambition "Which one would you want? You can't be all of them." She gently asked the boy, wanting him to clarify what his ambitions were.
Young-Sik smiled at the Queen before he spoke "Your Majesty, just because something was not done before, does not mean it cannot be done"
The Ministers from the left all laughed at what they thought was the naivete of the prince. One of them went as far as saying "The Queen is right my prince; it cannot be done"
"When the then peasant, King Cho Sun, first said that he would establish the Kingdom of Chiongsun all those centuries ago, everyone laughed as well. But as you can see, A thousand years later here we are, living in a nation that a peasant established" Young-Sik reminded the left-wing ministers, silencing their rude tongues.
"Is this what you want my son? I am giving you this one chance to take back what you said" Warned the King "Even I cannot undo this wish of yours once granted" he added.
Young-Sik smiled as he nodded while saying "Yes Your Highness…that is what I wish for"
With a heavy heart, The King wrote Man-Ju's name on the proclamation and stamped it with the royal seal, much to the glee of Queen Lee and the surprise of Man-Ju.
"Your Highness," Man-Ju said catching the attention of his father "Let us grant Prince Young-Sik another wish, in exchange for what he has given up"
With an agreeing smile to Man-Ju, the King addresses and asks Young-Sik "Tell me son which one would you like to be. A great warrior, A compassionate physician, or an intelligent scholar?"
"All of them Your Highness," Young-Sik said again, but this time no one laughed at the prince except for one, Minister Lim
Do-Yun thought to himself "Stupid boy, that ordeal left you lacking in the head. I will help you get your wish so that I can laugh at you" he stepped up to the center walkway and said "Your Highness! Let us grant this wish of the prince, his sincerity in serving our country has touched our hearts and we wish him to succeed in this undertaking that he trusted upon himself"
Seo-Jung gave a deep sigh of sadness but of pride as well "Very well…if that is your wish, my son. We will reconvene in two weeks for Prince Man-Ju's ascension to crowned prince," The King said to Man-Ju who quickly rose and transferred to the right-hand side of his father. "Prince Young-Sik take the crowned prince's former seat" Young-Sik bowed and sat in the place Man-Ju vacated.
The great hall then erupted in cheers, wishing prosperity and long life to the royal family. Man-Ju turned towards Young-Sik and leaned toward him "You are indeed a stupid boy!" he said to his brother "But…I want to thank you for trusting me"
"I know, you will be the best King our nation will ever have, I have faith in you brother," Young-Sik said to his brother
As the ministers gathered and cheered on, Do-Yun grinned sinisterly, he thought to himself "Thank you for helping me, you foolish child!"
Later that day after the festivities and ceremonies, Minister Gi, was summoned to the residence of Minister Lim. When he arrived the guards of the residence bowed to him. He was guided into the pavilion where their meeting was to take place. On his way there, he noticed several palace soldiers with some court ladies.
When he reached the pavilion, he noticed that several soldiers guarded it. Upon entering, he saw Minister Lim was already discussing with someone else. He sat at the seat pointed by Minister Lim. "Minister Lee, where are your manners? Kindly greet our guest" Minister Lim said
The minister's eyes widened when he saw Minister Lee's guest. "Your Majesty?"
"Greetings Minister Gi, please don't tell me, you were kept in the dark about my contributions?" Queen Lee, slyly said
"Contributions? What contributions is she talking about Lord Lim?" Minister Gi asked in confusion while looking at Minister Lim
Minister Lim laughed out loud at his contemporary's lack of knowledge "The answer is straightforward our dear Minister Gi, it was Queen Lee who supplied us with the location of the former Queen's caravan"
"Your Majesty… you were responsible for this great victory of ours?" Minister Gi asked, his delight was evident in his eyes.
"It's funny, isn't it? The foolish King enthroned the very person responsible for the deaths of his former queen and son" Queen Lee said, while laughing. "I would have killed that brat too had he not abdicated his claim for the throne"
"But shouldn't we kill him as well?" Minister Gi asked his co-conspirators
"That would be impossible to accomplish now," Minister Lim said "After the failed rebellion and the deaths of his family. The King would surely tighten the security around him and his remaining children."
"Then all has been for naught, the King is still in control, it would take a long time for us to raise an army for another rebellion," Minister Gi said with disappointment
Minister Lim scoffs at Minister Gi's lack of faith "Not entirely a problem, please remember that the next in line to be King is the son of our contemporary"
"You don't have to worry about those two boys, the crowned prince will follow my every word and Young-Sik, I will be a caring and loving mother to him, more so than the mother he had just lost. Soon he will be eating out of my palm" Queen Lee, confidently declared
"It may take some time, but we will soon hold the throne," Minister Lim said in a stern voice "While we wait, we will make sure to cut the bonds that link the King to his allies. We will slowly weaken him from the inside"
After a week, King Seo-Jung summoned the prince to the great hall. Upon arrival, the prince is greeted by three distinguished gentlemen. "Bow in respect to your three masters Prince Young-Sik," the King said, instructing the prince on what to do.
One by one, the prince bowed to his mentors. "General Shin, I offer my respects," Prince Young-Sik declared as he bowed to the individual nearest to him. The esteemed General Shin had fought valiantly in various campaigns against foes and rebels, was recognized for his brilliance in military tactics, and was hailed as the greatest sword master in Chiongsun.
He bowed respectfully to the next figure, expressing, "Royal Physician Go, it is my esteemed privilege to learn from you." The physician acknowledged this with a bow of his own. As the head of the Royal Physicians, Physician Go is recognized as a trailblazer in Chiongsun medicine, having studied medical methods from various cultures and incorporating that wisdom to enhance the nation's medical practices.
At last, he approached the third individual and bowed respectfully. "Master Im, I ask for your forgiveness for my previous disinterest. I am now prepared to learn from you," he expressed to his former mentor. Scholar Im serves as the educator for the royal princes and is well-versed in the laws, traditions, and edicts of Chiongsun. His steadfast commitment to sharing his knowledge with eager learners is truly commendable.
The three who were hand-chosen by the King to teach his son bowed to the prince. Then they turned to King and bowed to him "Your Highness, you honor us by giving us this task. We will teach the prince diligently" They all said.
The King nodded to them, they faced the prince and spoke one at a time. "To learn from me, You must prepare your mind, conviction, and compassion," Physician Go said
Next was master Im "Like I said before my prince, to know what I know, open your heart and mind to the laws of our nation"
Finally, General Shin addressed the prince "Your Highness, to become a warrior, you need to strengthen your body, for I will push you beyond your breaking point. Your mind will determine how far you will go and your heart will dictate how powerful you will become"