Ironically, the second reason Hyang changed his plans was something as simple as bodily functions.

"I'm gonna burst! I'm gonna burst!"

Suddenly overcome by the urge to relieve himself, Hyang hurried toward the chamber pot.

Throwing aside the cumbersome folds of his red robe, he relieved himself into the pot before cursing quietly.

"Damn it! Missed again!"

As Hyang grew old enough to leave diapers behind, the thing that irritated and frustrated him most was using the bathroom.

The palace did have toilets.

The problem was that there were too few of them and they were too far away.

As a result, Hyang had to use chamber pots for most of his needs and endure the inconvenience every single time.

That personal irritation alone would have been enough, but the problem of bodily waste was something that absolutely needed solving.

'The entire palace reeks of piss and shit!'

Every secluded corner of the palace, every area thick with trees, was littered with piles of excrement and stains of urine.

In severe cases, trees frequently used by palace maids as hidden urination spots developed yellow, withered leaves.

And smell was not the only issue.

There was also the matter of hygiene.

The slightest carelessness while relieving oneself immediately resulted in stained clothing.

'No, the real problem is the clothing itself!'

Hyang recalled memories from when he had been even younger.

Back when Chungnyeong still lived in his private residence before becoming Crown Prince, Hyang once watched his mother changing clothes before laundry.

'How many damn layers are there?!'

First came the undergarments and inner pants layered one after another, then wide trousers, then a petticoat, then a rainbow-layered skirt made from multiple colors of fabric, and finally the outer skirt decorated with elaborate gold patterns.

Watching the process blankly, Hyang screamed internally.

'What the hell were all those movies I watched in my previous life?! Every historical consultant involved should resign! Those films always went straight from the outer skirt to bare ass! Even if they were erotic movies, they were theatrical releases! This is ridiculous!'

Though his thoughts wandered off track, the issue remained.

Those endlessly layered skirts became absolute nightmares whenever women needed to use the bathroom.

Because the clothing was so difficult to remove and adjust, reaching actual toilets became impractical, leading people to routinely use chamber pots or relieve themselves in hidden corners away from others.

And alongside the clothing and toilet problems came another major hygiene issue.

"We greet the Royal Heir."

Several palace maids carrying baskets of laundry immediately bowed upon seeing Hyang.

"Mm. Good work."

At Hyang's overly dignified response, utterly unlike a child his age, the maids struggled to suppress laughter while gathering their things and continuing on their way.

"Wait. You there."

"Yes?"

"Not you. The third maid behind you."

"Are you referring to me, Your Highness?"

The maid pointed out stepped forward with a confused expression.

If the royal heir had already passed adolescence, perhaps she might have dared entertain hopeful fantasies despite the dangers, since palace maids technically belonged to the king.

But the child standing before her was only five years old.

Once the maid stood before him, Hyang spoke simply.

"There's something on the back of your skirt."

"Pardon?"

"The back of your skirt."

"Pardon?"

"There's shit on your skirt."

The maid, who had continued tilting her head in confusion, instantly turned bright red and lifted the back of her skirt.

"Oh my!"

"Go change immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The red-faced maid fled hurriedly while Hyang glared at the remaining maids.

"And what exactly were all of you doing?"

"Pardon?"

"Your coworker's clothes had a problem, yet none of you noticed?"

At Hyang's scolding, all the maids immediately lowered their heads.

"We are ashamed."

"Make certain this does not happen again."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After warning them, Hyang sighed quietly and continued walking.

That afternoon during lessons, Hyang recounted the incident to one of his scholarly attendants before asking a question.

"It is natural for humans to relieve themselves. Yet if the clothes they wear interfere with that, does that not go against natural principles?"

Caught off guard by the question, the attendant answered awkwardly.

"However, clothing exists not only to protect against heat and cold, but also to preserve modesty and display a person's status. Therefore some inconvenience must be endured."

"Status... Yet determining a person's worth through clothing alone also goes against natural principles, does it not? Is there not a saying that 'Even when dressed in rags, the virtue of a gentleman spreads for a thousand li'?"

"That may be true, but..."

"Then should things not change?"

"H-Haha..."

Sweating profusely, the attendant struggled to answer Hyang's relentless questions.

That night, lying in bed, Hyang made a vow.

"I'm absolutely going to build flush toilets and reform clothing."

These two issues became the greatest reasons Hyang ultimately changed his plans.

Whenever environmental and hygiene problems arose, Hyang could not stop himself from cursing.

"I seriously can't live like this. It's filthy and suffocating."

And by filthy, he meant filthy literally.

Even back when Sejong still lived in his private residence as Grand Prince Chungnyeong, bedbugs had crawled everywhere, while lice and fleas were common.

People rarely bathed, and the scented sachets hanging from their waists mixed strangely with body odor and filth to create an indescribably awful atmosphere.

Combined with the toilet and clothing problems, it became impossible for Hyang to endure silently any longer.

"Even twenty-first-century Korean military bases mostly got rid of pit latrines..."

Unable to adapt to the horrifying toilet situation, Hyang revised his plans once more.

"So this becomes Version 1.5?"

Counting how many revisions he had already made, Hyang updated the plans inside his head.

Advance the beginning of public activity to age nine. At the latest, by then I'll officially become Crown Prince instead of merely royal heir. Once I become Crown Prince, I'll possess real authority.

After becoming Crown Prince, begin making trips outside the palace. Understand how commoners in the capital actually live and support the reforms Sejong will eventually pursue.

In addition to that, help accelerate the creation of Hangul.

"That should do it."

After reviewing the revised plans, Hyang rose from his seat.

Opening the window and looking outside, he muttered quietly.

"I wonder if that brat's growing up properly."

The "brat" Hyang referred to was Grand Prince Suyang.

Sejong becoming Crown Prince had brought changes to the entire family.

Because Hyang was the eldest son, he entered the palace together with his parents, while his second younger brother, Anpyeong, had been born inside the palace.

But the middle child, Suyang, still lived outside in the private residence.

Technically he should have already been brought into the palace, but Sejong's enthronement, the Tsushima expedition, and Anpyeong's birth all overlapped, leaving Suyang's entrance continually delayed.

Historically, Suyang entered the palace when Hyang turned eight and Suyang himself was five.

"This part will probably follow real history fairly closely..."

Digging through memories from his previous life, Hyang recalled that princes and princesses were officially expected to leave the palace at fifteen upon reaching adulthood.

In practice, however, royal children often became semi-independent around age eight.

"But this is still early Joseon..."

Hyang counted lightly on his fingers.

"At minimum three years. At most ten... What exactly should I do with that brat during all that time?"

Knowing that the younger brother currently living outside the palace would someday seize the throne, Hyang agonized over how he should handle him.

"I left him alone because there wasn't enough time before he entered the palace, but once he gets here, I'll have to start shaping him. Should I just crush him from the start? Or should I play the role of a kind older brother and slowly guide him?"

While debating between the stick and the carrot, Hyang suddenly snorted in laughter.

"Ah, forget it. I'm only five now, and by then I'll only be eight. If one kid starts tormenting another kid, people will just think I'm insane."

While Hyang worried over how to deal with the future usurper of the throne, Queen Soheon was suffering her own concerns.

"Yu needs to enter the palace eventually as well... Hooo."

Sighing softly, Queen Soheon looked toward Hyang's room.

The very first time Hyang saw newborn Yu wrapped in swaddling cloth, Queen Soheon sensed something strange in her eldest son's reaction.

'Hostility? Why?'

Worried by the hostility Hyang displayed toward his newborn brother, Queen Soheon quietly asked the wet nurse.

"The eldest seems to dislike the younger one. What should I do?"

The wet nurse answered with a smile.

"That is perfectly natural, Madam."

"Natural?"

"When a younger sibling is born, the older child rarely likes it. The affection once focused solely upon them now shifts toward the younger sibling. Once the older child grows slightly and receives proper guidance, the issue resolves naturally."

"Is that truly so?"

"Of course."

Despite the reassurance, Queen Soheon remained uneasy and earnestly requested the wet nurse's help.

"Please take good care of this matter."

"Certainly, Madam."

Afterward, perhaps thanks to the wet nurse's efforts, Hyang no longer openly displayed hostility toward his younger brother.

Yet Queen Soheon's worries never disappeared.

The hostility vanished, but in its place came indifference... followed by impossibly high expectations.

"Hyang, what are you doing?"

Several days after Yu's first birthday celebration, Queen Soheon found Hyang inside Chungnyeong's study searching through bookshelves.

At her question, Hyang straightened his posture and answered politely.

"I was looking for a few light books to clear my mind, as well as determining which texts would be suitable for Yu to study later."

"Hyang. Yu only just turned one. Is it not far too early to choose books already?"

"I have learned that proper preparation beforehand is always best."

"That is not incorrect, but..."

Since Hyang's words were technically true, Queen Soheon hesitated before asking another question.

"Then what do you think would be best?"

"I believe Tonggam Jeoryo would be appropriate. Since he has already passed his first birthday, beginning immediately after age two would likely be ideal."

Cold sweat instantly formed on Queen Soheon's face.

"Is that not far too early?"

"Too early?"

At Hyang's puzzled response, Queen Soheon nodded.

"It is. You began studying unusually early because you are exceptionally gifted. Other children do not start so soon."

Hearing the explanation, Hyang immediately protested.

"Everyone in Joseon knows Father possesses extraordinary brilliance. Children carrying the blood of such a man absolutely cannot be mediocre."

"Hooo..."

At Hyang's firm response, Queen Soheon released another long sigh.

Remembering those earlier events, Queen Soheon sighed once more.

"I thought bearing such an intelligent child was a blessing..."

But having a child too intelligent had become its own disaster.

Compared to the eldest son, the second and third sons were intelligent but still lacking.

Like comparing the brightness of the moon to the sun itself.

The real problem was that Hyang unconsciously judged his younger brothers according to his own standards.

No, Hyang alone was not the issue.

Once the princes began their education, the ministers would inevitably begin judging all the royal children by Hyang's impossible standards as well.

"Hooo..."

And so Queen Soheon's sleepless nights continued without end.