The officials who had tracked down the troublemakers responsible for Myeonsinrye wore expressions of utter despondency.

“How did it come to this…”

“So widespread…”

“They aren’t even rats, so why so many…”

In every government office in Seoul, those who had practiced Myeonsinrye were exposed and dragged out. From the Six Ministries, which had continued since the era of the Six Boards, to the Board of Review, the Judiciary, and even the Board of Audit and Inspection itself, perpetrators were caught.

“Hah…”

Checking the list sent up from below, the Prime Minister wore an incredulous expression.

“Is this certain?”

“It is certain.”

“Not false accusations or slander?”

“Were there not too many eyes watching for that?”

At the Deputy Prime Minister’s answer, the Prime Minister placed a hand on his forehead.

“There’s going to be a huge uproar…”

And what followed was exactly as the Prime Minister predicted.

***

“Tsk tsk tsk…”

Checking the list in question, Hyeon clicked his tongue with a displeased expression. At the continuous sound of tongue-clicking, the Prime Minister and Ministers all pulled their heads into their shoulders like turtles. Hyeon, who had been continuously clicking his tongue while examining the list, began to speak with a voice sharpened to a razor’s edge.

“Let us grant the Six Ministries that much. Ah! Let us grant the Imperial Army that much as well. Since there has been much talk about Myeonsinrye since ancient times.”

The Joseon army was no stranger to the suffering caused by the evil practice of Myeonsinrye. From officers to soldiers, newcomers faced all sorts of bullying and disadvantages if they did not treat their seniors to alcohol and food. Therefore, in the process of military reform, several special measures were taken to eliminate this practice. From the time of King Sejong until now, monarchs had constantly strived to abolish it.

“…However, through the continuous efforts made so far, I believed the word ‘Myeonsinrye‘ had become a dead language. Yet, it was still continuing? And in the Board of Review, the Judiciary, and the Board of Audit and Inspection, of all places! To see such nasty things!”

“We apologize!”

“Your subjects were incompetent and could not oversee properly! Please forgive us!”

“Arrest those on the list immediately and bring them here! I will conduct an interrogation!”

Geunjeongjeon Hall rippled at Hyeon’s declaration that he would conduct a personal interrogation.

“Your Majesty! This is a matter for the Police Bureau! It is not a grave matter requiring Your Majesty’s personal interrogation!”

“Your Majesty! There has been no personal interrogation since the founding of the Empire!”

“Since there has been none until now, are you saying I should not do it?! It is a crime of violating an Imperial Order! Is this something to be taken lightly?!”

“But, if Your Majesty conducts a personal interrogation, we worry it might tarnish Your Majesty’s prestige…”

“Silence! Do not think to block my path! Anyone who does so, I will interrogate whether they too had practiced Myeonsinrye in the past!”

“…”

At Hyeon’s warning, the ministers shut their mouths in unison.

• Judging by the current situation, it seems this Myeonsinrye has continued all along, hasn’t it?
• Then, that means there are those among you who did it too, right? Is that why you’re blocking me?
• Fine. Shall we expose everything once and for all?

The ministers all shut their mouths at Hyeon’s warning.

• The Emperors are people who do what they say they will! We shouldn’t push any further!
• There is no justification to stop him! No justification!

Eventually, Hyeon’s personal interrogation was decided. The ministers coming out of Geunjeongjeon Hall after the assembly was adjourned sighed deeply, one after another.

“A bloody wind will blow once again…”

“The reign of peace has ended in my generation.”

“Creating such an incident, we have left a stain on history. Such shame…”

• The monarch conducting a personal interrogation is a very big event.
• And, mostly, it is a political event.

This means that the occurrence of a personal interrogation signifies the end of a peaceful reign.

• This is a dishonor to the monarch, but an even greater dishonor to the subjects.

It was certain they would not avoid the criticism of ‘ending the reign of peace by failing to perform their assigned duties properly.’ This was why the ministers tried to stop Hyeon.

***

Those arrested according to Hyeon’s order were dragged to the interrogation tribunal and made to kneel.

“His Imperial Majesty enters!”

As Hyeon appeared at the tribunal, the officials of the State Tribunal and the Police Bureau, along with the ministers who had arrived beforehand, bowed in unison. Taking his seat, Hyeon looked over the prisoners kneeling with their bodies bound in ropes.

“Hmm…”

Examining the prisoners, Hyeon ordered in a low voice.

“Among those fellows, bring those belonging to the Judiciary, the Board of Review, and the Board of Audit and Inspection forward first!”

“Yes.”

At Hyeon’s order, about ten sinners were dragged before him.

“Why did you do what you were told not to do?”

“Please grant us mercy!”

“I asked for the reason. Do not say anything else.”

“Please, grant us mercy!”

“I said do not say anything else!”

At Hyeon’s stern warning, the dragged-out sinners began to make excuses.

“Hearing stories among the elders of the clan calling it a memory, I thought it was a form of elegance…”

“I thought it would become a good memory as time passed…”

“I had a bit too much to drink…”

“It was just a childish act.”

Listening to the excuses offered by the sinners, Hyeon began to point them out one by one.

“Elegance? Did you say elegance? If that was elegance, why would the country have banned it! Memory? Is it truly the way of a gentleman to give pain to others for your good memory! No, even if not a gentleman, is it something a human should do! Drunk? A pathetic excuse! If you are a gentleman, you should boast of restraint and moderation, yet you boast of excess! Is that a gentleman! And, childishness? It is recklessness!”

Hyeon, rebuking each excuse offered by the sinners, continued to scold.

“I made you come forward first because of the duties you were entrusted with! The Judiciary is the place that examines the law to judge unfairness and injustice, resolving the grievances of the people! The Board of Review is the place that examines whether newly created laws are appropriate for resolving the people’s grievances! The Board of Audit and Inspection is the place that examines and admonishes whether everyone from the monarch to the lowest official is performing their assigned duties properly according to law and morality! Yet, bastards in such places practice Myeonsinrye! Is it right to force unfair things on those who entered later just because you entered a little earlier! Is that fitting for the duties you are entrusted with! Especially! Board of Review! What must one do to enter the Board of Review! You are those recommended because the residents of your hometowns deemed you fair and just, a model for others, and lacking nothing to review the law! You bastards have smeared mud on the faces of the hometown people who recommended you!”

At Hyeon’s criticism, those dragged from the Board of Review all bowed their heads. The Board of Review and the Judiciary, i.e., the legislative and judicial branches, were created to prevent all power from being concentrated in the administration symbolized by the Prime Minister and Ministers. Thanks to this, those wishing to become members of the Board of Review were elected through voting.

It was a vote conducted by grouping certain regions, a concept similar to the constituencies of the 21st century. Thanks to this, a town that produced a member of the Board of Review held a big feast with the combined efforts of all townspeople, and the elected person became the pride of the town. But now, they had become the town’s disgrace.

“Punish their crimes according to the law! And record their names and hometowns without omission in the Court Gazette and announce it to the entire Empire! Let their families, clans, and hometown neighbors all know clearly what these sinners have committed!”

“We obey your command.”

The ministers accepted the order immediately without objection. According to Hyeon’s order, things proceeded swiftly. The sinners all had to serve prison terms in the Archives. Their clans immediately held clan meetings and deleted the sinners from the genealogy. Following this, divorce suits lined up across the country. And once again, influential families across the Empire gathered the elders of the family and warned them strongly.

“I say again, do not even utter the ‘Myeon’ of ‘Myeonsinrye’!”

“Don’t taint the children with strange things!”

***

Meanwhile, Hyang and Wan, who were the starting point of this incident, watched the unfolding situation with intrigued expressions.

“Now I understand why the Emperor Emeritus found it so amusing when I caused trouble.”

“Is that so? Didn’t they say the most fun things to watch are a fire and a fight?”

“By the way, the Emperor seems very angry. To think he would even conduct a personal interrogation. This is the first time I’ve seen him like this.”

At Wan’s words, Hyang grinned and answered, ”Someone treats him like a dragon or tiger and trembles, while someone else treats him like a neighbor’s calf, so wouldn’t he be angry?”

At Hyang’s words, Wan searched his memory for a moment and asked Hyang, ”Is a wise ruler a neighbor’s calf?”

“He hasn’t bitten or danced with a sword and overturned things like someone else, has he?”

At Hyang’s words, Wan forcibly held back the words trying to pop out.

• I also never bit or danced with a sword! Wasn’t that all done by the Venerable Emperor and by you, father! I am wronged!

***

Thanks to Hyeon making a scene, the Empire’s central officialdom, which had been momentarily lax, became tense again.

“Hmm… Seoul is roughly sorted, so now let’s look at the provinces.”

As the Empire’s local organizations were thoroughly shaken down under the direction of Hyang and Wan, the Empire’s government organization snapped to attention from the center to the provinces. And here lay another trick of Wan and Hyang. The Empire was the nation with the largest territory in the world at this time.

Inspecting the local administrative organizations managing this vast territory was not something that would end in a month or two.

“If lucky, half a year; usually a year; if unlucky, more than three years…”

This was the estimated time required for the inspection. Again, it was due to the constraints of communication and transportation. Thanks to this, the Empire’s central organization had to exert full effort to finish the inspection as quickly as possible.

Taking advantage of the gap where the central organization was distracted by the inspection, Hyeon passed several policies that could be problematic—especially those requiring large budgets, like ‘Improvement of the New Power System.’

“…Therefore, I intend to execute the necessary budget starting next year. What do you all think?”

“We accept Your Majesty’s decision.”

“Thank you.”

Of course, if the ministers had decided to tackle him, they could have. However, considering the momentum of Hyeon sitting on the throne, doing so would invite even greater disaster. Therefore, the ministers passed the policies Hyeon put forward as they were. After the assembly adjourned, the cabinet members gathered in the Prime Minister’s office sighed deeply, one after another.

“Phew… With three generations joining hands, we cannot live.”

“Never have the words of our predecessors, ‘It’s comfortable if you give up,’ touched us as desperately as they do these days.”

***

After such a round of ‘reverse taming’ ended, the abdication ceremony proceeded. With all civil and military officials gathered in the front courtyard of Geunjeongjeon Hall, Hyeon handed the throne to Woo. Interestingly, Hyang and Wan’s attire for the event was noteworthy. Hyang wore his characteristic black Imperial military uniform—a Darth Vader lookalike—and Wan wore a black official robe.

“If even the Emperor Emeritus and the Grand Emperor dress in the Emperor’s attire, the dignity of the abdication will be lessened!”

This was the reason Hyang and Wan dressed differently.