Meanwhile, Sejong, having realized his own mistake, opened his mouth with a reddened face.

"The historians..."

But after noticing the historians enthusiastically scribbling away with their gold pens, Sejong smacked his lips once before looking toward Hyang.

"If the Crown Prince still has more to say, continue."

"Yes, Father."

After briefly regaining his composure during the short farce, Hyang resumed his assault.

"The ministers gathered here and the scholar-officials outside the palace have all studied morality and reason, so perhaps you can endure hunger. But the ignorant common people, lacking education in such principles, do not know how to endure starvation. If we wish to teach morality to the people and lead them toward virtue, should we not first ensure their stomachs are full? Though 'virtue first, profit last' and 'valuing righteousness over gain' are important teachings, improving livelihoods and enriching the people are important as well!"

"Exactly right!"

At Hyang's statement, Sejong struck his knee approvingly.

Once again, the atmosphere inside the court froze solid.

'This man's dam finally burst. Completely burst.'

Suppressing a sigh, Hyang looked toward the ministers.

Those who had opposed his proposal already appeared half-dead beneath his relentless attacks.

'This is the final card. If this succeeds, I can completely shut them up.'

Strengthening his resolve, Hyang launched his final offensive.

"Since ancient times, people have said, 'The will of the people is the will of Heaven.' No matter how much virtue a ruler accumulates, if the people cry out in misery, would Heaven truly respond favorably? There is also the saying, 'Do all that man can do, then await Heaven's will.' Should we not first exhaust every possible effort before waiting upon Heaven? Yet whenever drought strikes, ministers call it the king's lack of virtue. When disease spreads, they call it the king's lack of virtue. When people starve to death, again they call it the king's lack of virtue. They always say virtue must come first. That reverses cause and effect! Is it not proper to prepare irrigation before drought arrives, prepare medicine before epidemics spread, and store grain before famine strikes? Yet failing to prepare any of those things while only discussing the king's virtue... could it perhaps mean..."

Hyang paused deliberately and glared at the ministers.

"Do you all perhaps believe Joseon itself lacks legitimacy and virtue? Many of the ministers gathered here served as officials under the previous dynasty as well. If so... perhaps you believe that Grand King Taejo founding Joseon despite being a servant of Goryeo was unrighteous and lacking in virtue. Perhaps you believe my grandfather drawing his sword was unrighteous and lacking in virtue. And perhaps Father ascending the throne instead of my uncle, who was the legitimate eldest son..."

"Your Highness! Absolutely not!"

"We have never once entertained such treasonous and arrogant thoughts!"

Forgetting entirely that they stood inside a royal audience chamber, the ministers panicked and waved their hands frantically.

Seeing Sejong's expression darkening rapidly, every official immediately threw themselves flat upon the floor.

"Your Majesty! Your servants have never once harbored such disloyal thoughts! Please see our sincerity!"

"Please see our sincerity!"

Beginning with Chief State Councillor Ryu Jeong-hyeon, every minister denied the accusation while prostrating themselves, but Sejong remained silent for a long time.

Heavy silence filled the chamber.

Only after an extended pause did Sejong finally speak.

"Crown Prince, your words went too far."

"I have committed a grave offense. Please forgive me."

"In the future, weigh your words more carefully."

"Yes, Father."

After warning Hyang, Sejong turned toward the ministers.

"The issue of fulfilling Ming's tribute request shall proceed according to the Crown Prince's proposal. Prepare it thoroughly. This year's spring famine was severe, and despite summer approaching, rainfall remains scarce. I believe it proper to secure grain and provide relief to the people."

"We obey Your Majesty's command."

Not a single minister voiced opposition to Sejong's decision.

After glaring coldly at the ministers, Sejong turned back toward Hyang.

The icy expression vanished from his face, replaced by a warm smile.

"Is there anything further you wish to add?"

"When distributing grain to the people, I believe it would be better not to simply hand it out freely, but rather provide it as compensation for labor."

"Compensation for labor?"

"Droughts occur frequently not only because rainfall is scarce, but because irrigation systems are insufficient. Local fortifications and reservoirs should be repaired, and where none exist, new reservoirs should be built. Riverbeds should also be dredged to prevent flooding. If the people are mobilized for such projects and compensated with grain, we can expand irrigation infrastructure while simultaneously preventing both wandering refugees and starvation deaths."

"A plan that kills two birds with one stone. It would be good to implement it exactly as you proposed. Ministers, what do you think?"

At Sejong's question, the ministers answered unanimously.

"We believe it is an excellent proposal!"

"Then it shall be carried out accordingly."

"We obey Your Majesty's command!"

After hearing the ministers' response, Sejong turned toward Hyang once more.

"The Crown Prince may withdraw now."

"Yes, Father."

"And once the mourning period ends, participate in the royal lectures."

Startled by the command, Hyang looked at Sejong briefly before lowering his head.

"I obey Your Majesty's command. Though still young and inexperienced, I am deeply honored to receive permission to participate in Father's royal lectures."

"Then return and continue your studies."

"Yes."

Once Hyang departed, Sejong looked toward the ministers with a hardened face.

The gentle smile he had shown while facing his son had completely vanished, replaced by a chill as cold as a northern winter storm.

"We shall end the morning court here. Return and attend to your duties."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Though before that... perhaps I should carefully consider what exactly you ministers truly think of our Joseon."

The instant those words fell, the ministers again threw themselves flat against the floor.

"Your Majesty! We have never harbored such disloyal thoughts! Please believe us!"

"Please believe us!"

The ministers shouted themselves hoarse, desperately proclaiming their innocence.

Watching them with a cold expression, Sejong turned his head away.

"Go and attend to your duties."

"Please believe us!"

"I said return to your duties!"

At Sejong's thunderous shout, the ministers scrambled away in panic.

After leaving the mourning hut where Sejong stayed, every minister released a long sigh.

"Hooo..."

"Haa... This is serious. If things go wrong, blood may start flowing again."

"His Majesty inherited the blood of both Grand King Taejo and the former king after all... Hooo..."

Worried about a possible purge descending at any moment, the ministers gradually shifted their conversation toward Hyang.

"His Majesty is extraordinary, but the Crown Prince is equally terrifying."

"Terrifying indeed. With nothing but his tongue, he completely controlled the political atmosphere of the court..."

"He has only just turned nine, yet the way he speaks resembles an old minister past sixty."

"He certainly is no ordinary man..."

"Still, what worries me most is His Majesty's state of mind."

Unable to hide their unease, the ministers glared toward the true culprits.

"You fools had to keep talking nonsense!"

"Have you never heard the saying 'The mouth is the gate of disaster'?!"

Despite the barrage of criticism, Chief Inspector Seong Eom, the Chief Censor, and the Minister of Rites walked silently without responding.

"Speak if you have mouths!"

"You spoke plenty during court! Why are you silent now?"

"How do you plan to resolve this disaster?"

As accusations poured toward them, Chief Inspector Seong Eom finally answered.

"I apologize."

"And that's enough?"

"..."

The three quietly separated themselves from the rest.

After passing through the palace gates and arriving along the Six Ministries Avenue, they released another long sigh.

"Hooo..."

"We were completely outplayed. We underestimated him simply because he was young."

At the Chief Censor's words, all three nodded grimly.

"What should we do now?"

At the Minister of Rites' question, Seong Eom answered quietly.

"If necessary, we may have no choice but to submit resignation memorials."

"Resignation memorials...?"

"Yes. Once suspicion has taken root in the royal mind, disaster will eventually follow sooner or later. What sort of bloodline does His Majesty possess? Once resolved, that bloodline never hesitates to stain itself with blood. Was it not because of that same bloodline that brothers fought one another? That same bloodline destroyed even the families of queens and royal in-laws without hesitation. Submitting resignation memorials may be the only way to protect our families and scholarly lineages from disaster."

At Seong Eom's words, the Chief Censor and Minister of Rites both nodded with gloomy expressions.

Seong Eom released a long sigh.

"Hooo... I merely wished to create a nation governed through kingly virtue and moral rule..."

At the same time, after returning to the Eastern Palace, Hyang tilted his head while reviewing everything that had happened.

"I used the phrase 'improving livelihoods and enriching the people'... did I even use that correctly? I was so furious I just threw it out there."

The instant the ministers, deeply soaked in Confucian orthodoxy and the traditional hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, began opposing him, Hyang's anger had exploded straight to the top of his head.

"Wow. Watching this happen live is even more infuriating."

Fueled by rage, Hyang drew upon every scrap of historical trivia from his previous life.

In the process, he pulled out the concept of "improving livelihoods and enriching the people," one of the future foundations of Silhak thought in late Joseon, and used it to crush the opposing ministers.

Thinking back afterward, Hyang realized that if the opposing ministers had been given even a little more time, they might have successfully counterattacked.

Remembering how close the exchange had been, Hyang suddenly laughed.

"Father's support carried the whole thing."

At precisely the right moment, Sejong's outburst had become a miraculous move.

The ministers' thought processes froze completely after witnessing the king display a side of himself he had never shown even once since ascending the throne.

"Though the historians definitely had fun recording all of it. I wonder how this will end up written in the Veritable Records later."

Remembering the historians furiously dipping their gold pens in ink while writing as though possessed, Hyang scratched his head.

"Teacher Samcheonpo really deserves some gratitude."

While the ministers worried about the future and Hyang reviewed the things he had shouted during court, Sejong sat speaking with Queen Soheon.

Queen Soheon sat upon a mat laid outside the mourning hut, while Sejong remained seated inside.

According to Confucian mourning customs, husband and wife were forbidden from sitting or sleeping together during the mourning period.

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"I had some rice gruel brought in."

"Your Majesty is the pillar of this nation. The country itself stands only so long as Your Majesty remains healthy. Please ensure you eat properly."

"I shall remember that."

While discussing Sejong's health, tea was prepared.

A eunuch served tea to Sejong, while a palace maid served Queen Soheon.

After taking a sip, Queen Soheon spoke.

"I heard the Crown Prince caused quite an incident during this morning's court."

"The Crown Prince caused no incident. He proposed an excellent policy. The one who caused trouble was me."

"Pardon?"

"I let my emotions overcome me and used the sort of speech I only used back when I still lived as a prince. Honestly, behaving this way hardly suits the dignity of a king..."

"Pfft... Hahaha!"

At Sejong's complaint, Queen Soheon burst into laughter.

After wiping the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, she looked toward him warmly.

"Still, Your Majesty's complexion appears far brighter than before. Honestly, why not simply speak your mind openly? Why worry about the historians' gold pens?"

At her words, Sejong nodded.

Although his face had burned red after the earlier scene in court, inwardly he actually felt refreshed.

The tension long weighing upon his neck and shoulders seemed to have vanished instantly.

After organizing his thoughts, Sejong finally spoke.

"The Queen is correct. My own peace of mind should come first."

"A wise conclusion, Your Majesty."

"And once the mourning period ends, I instructed the Crown Prince to participate in the royal lectures."

At those words, concern appeared on Queen Soheon's face.

"Will that truly be alright? The Crown Prince is still very young..."

"Considering the gold pens and the way he conducted himself today, I believe he is more than capable."

Pausing briefly, Sejong sighed.

"Hooo... The Crown Prince truly is extraordinary. You know this as well, do you not? His behavior, speech, and thinking all resemble a minister well past forty..."

Though Sejong worried aloud about his son seeming like an old man trapped in a child's body, his face nonetheless carried unmistakable pride.

Seeing his expression, Queen Soheon smiled as well.

"Not long ago Your Majesty worried that the child was too intelligent and built too much distance even between father and son. Yet now you seem reassured."

"I am reassured."

Sejong nodded firmly.