Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Birth of the Confucian Guardian

Right State Councillor Lee Jiyeon sighed.

“Since when has the moral learning of this country been driven into the ground like this!”

He raised the banner of rejecting heresy and beat down the heretical religion followers, and warned the whole country of their cunning tongues to correct the fallen way.

But look at the Hanyang capital now.

Everyone is out of their minds over one barbarian kid, aren’t they.

“Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.”

When he encountered one person who looked in a good mood just from looking, Lee Jiyeon’s mood became even worse after glancing at that face.

“Excuse me, Chief Scholar.”

“Right State Councillor Your Excellency.”

“Why do you... look in such a good mood?”

Kim Jwageun.

Seeing a person who seemed to symbolize the omen of ruin of this country, Lee Jiyeon’s mood became even more messed up.

“Since the moral learning of this country is standing properly, how could I not be in a good mood?”

“Moral learning standing properly. I am thinking the exact opposite.”

“Is that so.”

The two sedo families that manipulate this country of Joseon at will, the Andong Kim clan and the Pungyang Jo clan.

The relationship between these two families is not a level of grudge where destroying each other’s three clans and chewing their intestines is the goal of a lifetime as depicted in historical dramas... if one must say, it was about the level of pro team rivals competing for the seat of power. Real and Barca, LG and Lotte, Im and Kong, T1 and Gen.G or so.

But the word rival is nice, the gap between 1st and 2nd was too clear. Even if the Jo clan’s form is a bit good recently, the gap that was three or four steps has merely reduced to one or two steps.

Looking at the human Kim Jwageun in front of the eyes now, he passed the civil service exam (was passed) last year well over forty and in just one year repeatedly promoted stormily and now had become the Chief Scholar of Sungkyunkwan, in other words the president of Seoul National University.

For such a lowly human to take on the role of the head raising the future of Joseon solely by family background.

It is the end of the world.

It was truly the end of the world.

Is this the feeling of the front of the eyes being pitch black.

“I am, you know. The Chief Scholar of Sungkyunkwan who bears the heavy responsibility of making the moral learning of Joseon flourish, right?”

When the guy whose learning was shallow and couldn’t even pass the civil service exam over forty until he passed by connections spoke confidently, Lee Jiyeon took a big breath for a moment. He was dizzy.

“Perhaps because I worked hard, a Westerner who admires the high way and learning of our Joseon has entered the court, so it is truly the great fortune of this country.”

“A seven-year-old child drifting is entering the court?”

“Ei. It’s just words. Our elegant fragrance moved an innocent child who knows nothing, so isn’t one realization of this child much more precious than these 100 people who flock like flies seeking profit?”

Kim Jwageun voluntarily brought that child called Lee Aseul or whatever to his house, and these days was spouting nonsense about how his own learning is high and he civilized the barbarian with the royal way or whatever.

Lacking the patience to keep listening to Kim Jwageun’s bullshit, he eventually got angry in a fit of rage.

“Come to think of it.”

“Yes, Right State Councillor Your Excellency.”

“I heard all Westerners believe in heretical religion, so how about having a confrontation with the Westerner monks caught this time? Perhaps, oh. That little thing’s inside might be blackish too.”

“Yes? Eh? No, are you seeing the vicious monks who came to this country to spread heretical religion and the child who drifted and washed up at the same level right now?”

“Ahem. If there’s nothing to feel guilty about there won’t be any problem. Let’s try attaching them once. If by chance he pities them, it must be that he has the will to spread heretical religion in this country rather than being edified by the words of Confucius and Mencius. I’ll contact soon so send that child then.”

Before Kim Jwageun could even answer he waved his arms largely and left the place. Feeding that guy whose only family is dirty felt somehow like his mood was relieved.

But his hardships were not over.

“What did you just say?”

“So... Her Majesty the Queen Dowager said she is worried because His Majesty the King does not seem to enjoy learning recently.”

“She said?!”

“That, that that, she thought that if she showed His Majesty the appearance of the clever barbarian child enjoying learning, it might become a new stimulus-”

“Does that even make sense as words?! Aang?!”

The country was going crazy.

He wanted to quit his post and return to the countryside.

Really.

***

There is no prison that is not terrible, but Joseon’s prison was a bit severe.

- Come to think of it, you were a prison experienced person, right?

Strictly speaking the place I was in was a detention center not a prison, but by my guess China’s detention center would be much more terrible than Korea’s prison.

But the 19th century was not something China or whatever could compare to.

“Hup.”

An era where torture is still used as a legal interrogation method.

Even in China’s detention center, violence by guards, forced labor, and torture were carried out. What I suffered wasn’t much but locals often became corpses.

But even 21st century China had the awareness that if torture or something is reported in foreign media it is a national disgrace.

In this era there is no such thing.

In Europe they say torture was abolished or became a dead letter, but anyway they used it well in colonies. Joseon goes without saying.

What I saw heading to the prison together with Kim Byeonggi, and for some reason Lee Ha-eung who slyly joined, was.

A Westerner who had already become almost rags, tattered.

“Go talk once.”

“What talk...”

“Anything is fine.”

The Westerner who would be dragged here and receive harsh torture is only one kind.

Only missionaries.

From the beginning when I came here I had resolved to sell them to raise my body price, but seeing the appearance of a person literally crushed like meat dough, I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth.

Above all, the chilly fear that in a moment of carelessness I too could enter that prison and turn into that terrible shape tickled the back of my neck.

“Hello.”

“W-who are you. Why a child-”

“Do you happen to know English?”

The man’s eyes, which had been blinking the eyelids that didn’t move well a few times slowly, gradually focused.

“A child? Why a child-”

“I’m sorry. I only know English, Chinese, and Joseon language.”

“Right. Who are you?”

“I am Arthur Lee. I am English, and while going to Whampoa with my parents I was shipwrecked and came here. And you, uncle?”

“I am Bishop Imbert (Laurent-Joseph-Marius Imbert). I came from France. Are you okay? Did the Joseon government not beat you?”

“I... am okay. I am not being persecuted, and instead I am studying Joseon language and Joseon classics.”

The man named Imbert sagged instead of answering.

Just as I thought he might have died and slightly put my hand inside the prison, he raised his head again and looked at me.

In his eyes that had been dying, an unknowable strength and courage, and conviction were now welling up.

“Listen well from now on, child. You must absolutely not show any sign that you revere the Lord Jesus Christ, and you must not show sympathy to me either.”

“Yes?”

“When answering me from now on, show a sign of getting angry or rebelling. If you show even a little sign of sympathizing with me, the Joseon government might harm you.”

I had originally come intending to do that.

But I never imagined that this person called bishop would say this first.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you okay, is not it. What did I just say?”

“You frog bastard!! Satan! Jesuit-like monster!!”

- He really does it when told. Did it take about 3 seconds?

Then should I get my neck cut together too, you bastard.

Despite my refreshing three-hit combo of insults, Bishop Imbert did not even twitch an eyebrow.

“You are doing well. You must never give up hope. Joseon people won’t particularly try to kill you either. Stay quietly, and return to your home country.”

“What about you, uncle!”

“Death is not scary. I only feel pity for the believers of this land who are persecuted. But you must not die here.”

Imbert coughed. Droplets of blood scattered on the floor.

“The Lord reviving you and guiding you to this land must be because there is a task entrusted to you. Child. If you return safely, can you help the people of this land? Can you do even a very small something for these pure people suffering from greedy officials and nobles?”

“Unwashed frog! Playboy! Antichrist who worships the Pope!”

“Yes. You are doing well. That’s it. Now go back. To the side of those Joseon people.”

I unconsciously tried to bow my head in greeting but stopped and quickly stuck close to Kim Byeonggi’s side.

After completely coming out of the prison, we moistened our throats at the place the prison guards and servants had prepared in advance.

“So, what did you talk about with that person?”

“That uncle is a French person! He’s a Catholic ghost!”

“I see. What is France and what is Catholicism again.”

Even the same question, the feeling from Kim Byeonggi doing it and from Lee Ha-eung’s mouth was different from the start. The latter was a much chillier feeling.

“France is a country next to our country. It’s a bad country. Dad said the people there are bad people.”

“Hehe. Is that so. Did you perhaps hear why they are bad?”

“He said they are people who believe in Catholicism.”

“Catholicism?”

“Catholicism is, so... a bad thing.”

I unfolded the story bundle as carefully as possible, that is, while pondering vocabulary at a level a child could do, slowly.

French people eat frogs.

French people believe in Catholicism.

Catholicism believes in the Pope so if the Pope orders they abandon even the country and betray the king. So British people don’t believe in the Pope and only people of bad countries like France believe in the Pope.

Reciting this fluently is only low-level.

The highest point is chattering so that it looks like a level of ‘I just listened to the story mom and dad told but that’s how it is’.

“So, British people don’t believe in the Pope and believe in that Yeso (Jesus)?”

“Yes!”

To Lee Ha-eung’s question mixed with a trap, I nodded refreshingly.

- Is that okay?

If I say I don’t believe in Jesus here, that would be something that arouses more suspicion, right?

Before Lee Ha-eung opened his mouth to say something, I immediately bit the flesh inside my mouth tightly. When the taste of blood was felt stingingly at the tip of the tongue, tears welled up in my eyes.

“That uncle said I would fall into hell.”

“What?”

“He said I have to quickly change my mind and believe in the Pope to go to heaven, otherwise I would burn forever in hell.”

“How can he spout such evil words even to a seven-year-old child. As expected heretical religion followers are truly vicious in their hearts beyond measure.”

“Child, there is no need to care about such miscellaneous talk. There is no such thing as heaven or hell. When you die the soul goes to heaven and the white to earth and disappears. You did well.”

“Hueeeeng!!”

“Maksoe! Hurry and come bring some yeot!”

I cried my heart out and then quickly put the yeot Maksoe gave into my mouth, savored the sweetness for a moment, and cried my heart out again.

Around the time I had cried for a long time and my eyes were swollen, I slowly brought up the main point.

“Is there really no heaven or hell?”

“Yes. It’s all in the classics. Such vain things are just stories those monks made up to bewitch people.”

“Then... could I perhaps make a request to the elders?”

“Speak.”

“Could I, also, to my parents, and the people who were on the ship, hold a memorial service?”

The two people literally had expressions as if hit once with a hammer.

“I miss mom and dad. I, also, want to practice filial piety, and hold a memorial service.”

“Truly admirable! Yes! You should! I will report to father today right away!”

“Even if a Westerner, if he learns and practices how would he not know benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom! You have finally learned the Way and awakened, so it is truly the great fortune of the royal ancestors!”

If Catholicism burned the ancestral tablets, this hero of justice Arthur Lee must even make ancestral tablets that didn’t exist to match the balance of the universe.

To Joseon people who take the Three Bonds and Five Relationships and loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness as national policy and conviction, after studying Confucianism a little he immediately wants to hold a memorial service to practice filial piety?

There’s no way this doesn’t work.

It perfectly snipes the worldview of Joseon people.

Sure enough, both Kim Byeonggi and Lee Ha-eung’s faces flushed red.

It was the moment my position was upgraded from ‘blue-eyed monkey who knows how to read books’ to ‘evidence that Joseon’s way civilized the barbarian’.

And.

“Her Majesty the Queen Dowager is looking for the British child called Lee Aseul.”

The path to the palace also opened.

(Commentary)

The word Jesuitical, if translated, would be about ‘of the Jesuits’, ‘Jesuit-like’, and it also has negative meanings such as cunning, ambiguous, playing subtle word games, so prejudice against Catholicism and the Jesuits is reflected.

The most representative prejudice against Catholicism at the time is the claim that they would betray the country for the Pope.

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Author's note

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