Chapter 1: Why Am I Jeong Do-jeon? And Why Are You Yi Bang-won?
My name was Choi Sang-han.
I studied decently. I was a little better than others, but nothing exceptional. I went to university just matching my grades.
I felt embarrassed to talk to people, so I didn't speak much.
When asked, I would answer vaguely.
"Which university do you go to?"
"It's at the foot of a mountain."
"A mountain?"
"They call it Gwanaksan, but you probably don't know it."
"Oh."
After saying that, I always wore the jacket with the university's name on it.
[SEOUL]
A jacket with the logo like this.
With that, everyone treated me well.
Well… I wasn't exactly super smart. My major was Korean history.
But I wasn't especially knowledgeable about history. I had to study other things to prepare for a job, so I just knew a little more than others.
Until I entered Seoul National University, I was considered clever. But once I started university, I felt like I had become an idiot. This was a place where top students from all over the country gathered. In the end, I hit the bottom.
Then one day, there was a small gathering with my department.
"Jeong Do-jeon?"
"Yes. I thought we could do a seminar about Jeong Do-jeon."
"Hey. Why Jeong Do-jeon? Better do Yi Bang-won instead."
It seemed like they wanted a casual discussion disguised as a seminar.
It wasn't a bad idea, but since the professor would be there, the topic was too weak.
"Let's do something else, not Jeong Do-jeon."
"You really don't like Jeong Do-jeon, do you?"
"He lost. And his ideas couldn't be realized in Joseon's monarchy. What's this 'Chief Minister Total Management System'? Total management system for ministers?"
I chewed on Jeong Do-jeon for a while.
"Even if it was correct, premodern ideas only have meaning if implemented. Losers' ideas are meaningless. Think about it. We dig into the thoughts of late Joseon Silhak scholars like they're amazing. But what's the point? Their words are just idle chatter from secluded losers."
"Hmm."
I really thought this.
The countless ideas of Silhak scholars were just theories. They were only talking about how things could have been better. Strictly speaking, their ideas weren't solutions to overcome the miserable reality.
Whether those ideas could actually be implemented politically, or what impact they might have had, no one knows. No, I was certain. Even if they had taken power, their ideas couldn't have been executed. They were just the fantasies of a few secluded scholars ignorant of real politics.
"So, senior, what do you think Jeong Do-jeon should have done to win?"
A junior sitting in the corner asked abruptly.
I couldn't remember who it was. I took a sip of soju and said:
"What else? Kill Yi Bang-won. There's no other answer, right?"
"That's what we're saying now. But Yi Bang-won was a prince. How could you kill him? Even if he was out of Lee Seong-gye's favor, he was the legitimate prince."
"That's exactly why I'm saying it. What's the point of that hypothetical? It's meaningless."
"Okay. Then let me ask like this. If you were Jeong Do-jeon, what would you do?"
"Me? If I became Jeong Do-jeon right now?"
"Yes."
"Hahaha. You're funny. Why ask that? It's impossible anyway."
I tried to laugh it off, but the junior's eyes were weird.
It was… eerie somehow.
For some reason, I felt like I couldn't avoid answering properly.
"So I take this memory and knowledge with me?"
"Yes."
"Then I'd work with Yi Bang-won."
"Why? You could just kill him."
"You said it yourself. You can't. Try telling Lee Seong-gye to kill Yi Bang-won. I'd die. Would you really kill your own son? That's how I think. But leaving him alone is scary."
"You mean you'd survive by siding with Yi Bang-won?"
"Yes. Nothing else."
"But if you knew about the Prince's Rebellion in advance, you could suppress it, right?"
"Can't we just work with Yi Bang-won? Honestly, among the princes, no one was better than him. That's a fact. Also, do you remember whose son he was? None other than Sejong."
Just as I was about to continue, the junior showed no sign of stopping.
Now that I noticed, it was a bit strange.
Other juniors, who had been chatting noisily, were silent, just listening to our conversation. It felt weird. My heart started pounding for no reason.
"And then?"
"Hey, let's stop."
"And then?"
"...Create a Yi Bang-won without the Prince's Rebellion. Stop right there, and retire to the countryside."
"Why retire? You'd be a kingmaker."
"Scary. Could get purged."
"Ha-ryun didn't get purged."
"He's good at survival. I'm not that good."
"I see. Okay, then."
"Huh?"
Then the junior snapped his fingers.
"Then let's try it."
"What? This guy… why now…"
At that moment, time stopped, and darkness surrounded me.
How much time passed?
I slowly saw light.
…Where am I?
…Who am I?
It felt like my rationality returned, but suddenly my head throbbed.
"Ugh…"
I held my head with my right hand.
After a while, the pain subsided, but my mind was dizzy.
At that moment, a strange thought flashed through my brain, and I reflexively opened my eyes wide.
"Holy sh*t! Why am I Jeong Do-jeon?!"
"...Sir, are you okay?"
I noticed a person across from me.
The moment I saw his face, I knew who he was.
…Why are you Yi Bang-won?
Author's Note: Chapter 1
Choi Sang-han (최상한): The protagonist in the modern timeline, whose consciousness suddenly inhabits Jeong Do-jeon.
Jeong Do-jeon (정도전): Historical figure from the early Joseon dynasty, known as a strategist and politician who opposed Yi Bang-won.
Yi Bang-won (이방원): Historical prince who later becomes King Taejong, known for the Prince's Rebellion.
Lee Seong-gye (이성계): Founder of the Joseon dynasty. Mentioned to emphasize historical context.
Gwanaksan (관악산): A mountain near Seoul National University, used as a subtle reference to Choi Sang-han's university location.
[SEOUL]: Refers to Seoul National University logo on his jacket.
Ha-ryun (하륜): Historical figure, politician who survived purges, mentioned to contrast the protagonist's caution.