INTRODUCTION

Record of the Virtue of Queen Inhyeon, Lady Min depicts the life of the second queen to King Sukjong, emphasizing political intrigue and triangular relationships.  It explores the roles of women amidst political upheaval, delving into the complexities of royal court politics. The story of a virtuous queen, a passionate king, and a deceitful consort reveals the contrasting views of womanhood in late Joseon society. This classic narrative, based on historical events, has maintained its popularity through various modern adaptations.

Three or four years passed in this state, until Heaven’s fortune returned to the country. It has been said that when suffering ends joy begins, and when joy ends sadness begins again, and so clouds gradually faded to allow the sun to shine forth. The king’s wisdom returned to him as he came to realize the innocence of Queen Min and began to suspect the wickedness of Consort Jang Hui. His wariness grew and his demeanor changed even as greater and lesser officials alike sent memorials to him on a daily basis, saying, “Queen Min’s uncles and cousins must be punished by law.” The king steadfastly refused their request, and so the Min family was able to preserve itself.

     Lady Jang had a presentiment of the king’s changing attitude, so she began to fear for herself. In the Year of the Blue Dog[1] she and her brother Jang Huijae plotted to repeat the events of the previous purge by having upright people killed and the former queen executed. As their design threatened to cause a major incident in the court, the king watched their behavior and pondered their motivation until he became fully cognizant of their heinous design. On the very day that their plan was supposed to come to fruition, the king overturned their stratagem by suddenly dismissing all the deceitful and fawning officials and summoning those he had ousted.

     On the ninth day of the third month of the Year of the Blue Dog, a royal servant was sent forth from the palace three times. And on the ninth day of the fourth month, the king wrote a pronouncement declaring the innocence of the former queen and ordering her to be brought back to the royal residence. He also composed a personal letter and gave it to a servant and a eunuch messenger to deliver it.  But the queen refused to accept it saying, “How could a condemned person allow an outsider into her house and receive the king’s letter?” And so she kept the house gate closed. For three days the servant stayed outside asking to be let in, but the gate remained shut to him.

     When the royal servant returned to the king and reported on the modest manner with which the queen refused to admit him, the monarch became uncomfortable and frustrated. So he sent a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Rites who asked that the gate be opened, but he was refused as well. He and another official from the Royal Secretariat entreated, saying that her action was damaging the dignity of the country, but she did not relent.

     The king sent a stern order, saying, “To behave in this way is to express resentment toward your sovereign, so have her open the gate immediately.” Members of the Min family took fright at the development and sent many letters to the queen, but she still refused to comply. After a few days, officials of the second grade came and asked to be let in. The queen finally said that it would be improper of her not to admit personages of such lofty positions and ordered that they be admitted through the outer gate.

     The queen delivered the following message to them through her maidens.

     “Though I am a condemned person, the king, through his benevolence, allowed me to live. I am filled with awe and gratitude, but how could I presume to allow people into my house when I am trying to abide by the laws of the country? I am mortified that the king persists in sending his officials to make his order known.”

     The king’s envoy prostrated himself and requested several times to be let into the house. The king also sent a severe command to the Min family household on two occasions, which frightened Lord Min, the minister and the queen’s older brother. He entreated the queen earnestly until she consented to fully open the outer gate. On the twenty-first day of the fourth month, when the gate was opened at last, visitors saw that plants in the house garden had grown to the height of a person. Soldiers dispatched by the king cut down the growth, but then they saw that green moss covered the stone steps and dust obscured the windows. The royal envoys lamented it all and shed tears.

     After the vegetation was tidied up, royal envoys and soldiers rested on the grounds, creating a busy atmosphere in the once desolate and dreary place. As the queen’s maidens spied upon all the commotion through the gaps of doorways, they shed tears in both happiness and sadness. But the queen regarded it all with anxiety and no hint of elation in her expression.

     With the outer gate open, palanquin bearers of the Min family crowded inside. When the king learned of the opening of the gate, he sent forth four palace ladies to deliver his personal letter. They announced the arrival of the royal letter, but the queen refused to open the middle gate, so they had to wait outside half the day. Royal servants bearing other items from the palace beseeched the queen to accept the king’s letter.

     Members of the Min family became mortified and entreated the queen many times not to show such disrespect to the will of the sovereign. She finally relented and allowed the inner gate to be opened. Only then could the palace ladies come before the steps to her chamber and touch their heads to the ground to confess their faults. With tears in their eyes, they looked up and saw that the queen’s appearance and attire were shabby to a pitiful degree. The ladies could not help but cry out loud at her state, but the queen merely looked down and pretended not to notice. When she was given the king’s letter, she bowed in the direction of the royal palace four times, and only after pausing for a long moment did she open it. The letter was full of expressions of remorse at his past wrongdoings and sorrow at the turn of events, ending with the request that she return to the palace. After she finished reading, she sat down in a decorous manner without uttering a word.

     One lady prostrated herself on the ground and addressed her.  

     “His Majesty ordered me to bring back the queen’s reply, so I bid you to write a letter.”

     After a long moment, the queen let out a sigh and spoke.  

     “Return to the palace and say that this condemned woman dares not write a reply.”

     The ladies could not entreat her anymore, so they went back to the palace and informed the king of her words. The king became sad and repented his past errors all the more. Next morning, he wrote another letter to the queen and sent it off along with an outing dress, beddings, and a set of dishes. The ladies received his order and returned to the queen to speak of past events as they wept. The queen displayed neither gladness or resentment at that, her demeanor as unchanged as endlessly flowing waters. One palace lady came into to her chamber and addressed her.  

     “Yesterday the king summoned us and asked, ‘Did she have outing clothes, bedding, and dishes?’ We told him that she possessed none of those things. The king became upset and said, ‘I made a mistake in the past out of anger, but the palace has been lax in not taking care of her.’ Officials of the Palace Supply Office said, ‘We can prepare an outing dress and beddings right away but we cannot have a dish set ready today.’ The king replied, ‘Then send her the silver dish set that was to be used at the mourning rites at the royal gravesite.’ He then realized that the preparation of beddings would take too long, so he personally inspected his own beddings and ordered them to be sent. And he commanded that the pillow to be substituted with one embroidered with the image of the phoenix.[2] When the outing dress was being made, he became upset that it was colorless, so he had the official in charge arrested and ordered another to be made in a deep blue shade. He inspected it as carefully before sending it.”

     While recounting such details to the queen, the palace lady shed heartfelt tears at the king’s deep benevolence. The queen pretended not to hear at first, but she briefly bowed down before speaking.  

     “The king’s favor knows no end, so how dare I refuse his command. But it is wrong to keep the properties of the palace in a common household, especially when it comes to the king’s beddings and dishes. Not for one moment should such things be in a private home. It is not proper for someone of my station, so I cannot comply. Take back those things.”  

     The ladies earnestly entreated her a number of times, but she would not relent. Instead, she asked that they tell the king, “All this is not proper for someone of my station, so please grant me the comfort of being treated as I should be.” The palace ladies had no choice but to relay her message to the king who was moved by her sense of propriety. So he wrote yet another letter telling her that this was a matter of the dignity of the entire country and that her behavior amounts to resenting and ridiculing the king in exposing his faults. And he sent the gifts back, telling the palace ladies that they would be punished if the queen did not accept them.

     When the queen read his letter, she became filled with anxiety as she knew that she could no longer refuse his command. So she ordered that the objects be left at the house but unpacked and did not write a reply letter. It was only after her siblings, uncles, and cousins beseeched her and the palace ladies begged her that she took out a piece of paper and wrote a letter of only five or six lines. She sealed it and gave it to the palace ladies who returned to the king and informed him of her actions. The king happily unsealed the letter and read it. In gentle and courteous words, she confessed her faults profusely, which both saddened and impressed the king.

     The following day was the twenty-third day of the month which was the queen’s birthday. On the occasion the king wrote another letter and sent it along with food. He commanded, “Everyone in the palace should send her gifts just like in the old days,” spreading word of his favor across the capital. As people obeyed his order with a glad heart, members of the Min family shed tears in gratitude, but it filled the queen with nothing but dread.

     “How can a condemned person accept gifts from the royal palace at a private home?” she said and sent them back.

     The king tried to persuade her to accept them a few times, and officials from the palace entreated her as well, but she would not relent. All the officials and commoners of the country endlessly praised the nobility of her character and conduct.

     At this time the widow of the queen’s father came, and the queen treated her with usual care and devotion. Wives from her family also visited her day after day, and palace eunuchs took turns keeping watch over the house at night. With officials and ladies of the Palace Maintenance Office protecting the place, the procedure for entering it became increasingly strict. When it became difficult for people to see her, the queen ordered, “Do not prevent people from coming in.” While she received her visiting relatives, she maintained her usual stance in being neither intimate with them nor neglectful of them.

     The Directorate of Astrology selected an auspicious day for the queen’s return to the royal palace, which was the twenty-seventh day of the fourth month. The king personally selected a eunuch who was sent to relay his order for her to return. The queen reacted with astonishment and refused. 

     “Because the king’s benevolence knows no end, I was allowed to live on to gaze at the sun, to see my elders and siblings, and to exchange loving words with my relatives. I am grateful for all those things, but how could I dare go to the royal palace to look up to the king’s face?”

      As she persisted in refusing to accept his gifts, the king sent a stern order to the Min family household and sent ministers and other high-ranking officials to seek an audience with the queen. The monarch also sent four or five letters every day, until the queen finally understood the futility of her actions and accepted his will. She let out a quiet sigh as she bowed to necessity. She put on a proper dress and proceeded to the royal palace.

     The daughter of the queen’s older brother Min Jinhu had been eight years old when she had been brought into her household, and now she was thirteen. Under the queen’s guidance, she had become a girl of beauteous speech and behavior. The queen cried as she held her hand and could hardly make herself leave, and the young lady Min could not refrain from weeping and sobbing as well. All those around them tried to console them as they grieved.

     When the golden-hued royal palanquin came, the queen dismissed it saying, “I will ride an official’s palanquin.” The royal servants told her that it would displease the king, and the members of the queen’s family entreated her as well, so she relented by ascending the royal palanquin. As she made her way to the royal palace, the great roads of the capital were filled with people bearing flags and decorative weapons, palace maidens in splendid attire lined up in pairs before her, generals led thousands of soldiers from the king’s guards to protect the queen, and officials of the highest and the middle rank accompanied her. The queen’s behavior was so proper and noble that she emitted a powerful fragrance and a brilliant light. The weather was fine, with a wind that smelled sweet and a sky that was filled with auspicious clouds. The roads were crowded with spectators, some of whom danced in joy while others shed tears thinking of past events. Wives of high-ranking officials rented out street stores from where they could better observe the procession. There were more people out on that day than on the occasion of the royal wedding. In the past, the queen had left the palace in a palanquin covered in white cloth, followed by weeping palace maidens and officials. Who could have predicted then that a day like this would come? This was the result of Heaven itself being moved by Queen Min’s unfortunate fate and high virtue. And so the king had been compelled to realizing his ultimate will. All the palace maidens found themselves happy and sad, and so they wept but they laughed as well.

     The king made sure that the queen’s chamber was furnished with a table and sitting mats, and walked through its garden to see that the place had everything she would need. He summoned a palace maiden and asked, “Why are there no hairdressing implements here?”

     The maiden replied in fear, “I did not think of it.”

     The king became angry and ordered them to be brought immediately. The maiden in charge of the implements, in her panic, unknowingly brought one that was bent over on one side.  When the king personally inspected it and saw the damage, he became angry. He had another one brought and had the fault of the maiden in charge be recorded. As the people around him saw how the king’s judgment was sound and certain, they were impressed by his care of the queen.

     When the queen was returning to the royal palace, the king went up to the top of a high building where he was pleased to see so many joyful people. When the phoenix-decorated royal palanquin arrived, he ordered that the queen be brought below the building’s parapet. Palace maidens came to the side of the palanquin and informed the queen of the king’s presence, but she said, “How could a condemned person dare go before the king?” And she refused to come out.  

     The king came and opened the palanquin’s door, pushed aside its beaded screen, and took up a fan to blow some air into it. The queen, recognizing the monarch’s endless benevolence, came out and prostrated herself to confess her faults. As the king felt uncomfortable at the scene, he ordered palace maidens to help her up and bring her into the building. But even after the maidens guided her in, she dared not sit on a mat but instead prostrated herself once more on the floor. She thought of everything that had happened and where she was now, which made her feel sorrow and gladness by turns. A veil of melancholy fell from her beauteous brows, and tears covered her eyes with the radiance of the morning star. Her expression became desolate and her prone form emanated sadness. The king was glad, but as he thought of the past, he was overcome with such shame that people dared not look at him or the queen.

     At this time the crown prince was seven years old, but he acted as properly as an adult.  He came in and bowed before the queen four times and sat before her. She was so taken by the fairness of his maturity that she could only hold his hand and stroke it as she let out deep sighs. The king sat close to her to repent his past deeds and to console her. He spoke to her with such gentleness that his words would have melted iron and stone. The queen protested that she did not deserve such treatment from him and behaved with such propriety that all was gentle and calm between them. The king was all the more impressed and became ever more respectful toward her. All those gathered were impressed as well.

     After the queen’s return to the royal palace, she was overcome with such anxiety that she could not eat anything. The palace maidens became concerned and repeatedly brought her food, but she did not touch anything even when the king ate in her company. When the monarch asked the maidens if the queen had been taking her meals, they replied, “In the past the queen’s anxiety made her weak, and ever since she returned to the palace, she has not eaten a single meal.”

     The king was astonished, and he personally sent her some rice porridge. The queen was moved by the king’s concern and ate the porridge a few times but she could not recover her strength.

     At this time, Consort Jang Hui, who had taken the seat of the queen and thought she would occupy it for thousands of years, was overcome with rage and frustration. She had watched the king change his mind overnight and seen the return of the ousted queen to the royal palace after many orders from the sovereign. It felt as if a lightning bolt had struck her from a clear sky and split her body into pieces, or she had fallen off a high cliff, or a thousand monkeys had jumped around in her chest. She sent a maiden to the queen with the following message.

     “I still occupy the seat of the queen, so why does the deposed queen not come to pay her respects to me? Such a major breach of etiquette is the height of impertinence.”

     When the maiden delivered the message, it left the queen at a loss for words. She pretended not to have heard anything and did not send a reply. All the while her behavior was calm and her demeanor upright and honorable. As the king sat with her and observed her appearance, he felt ashamed of his past deeds and angry at Lady Jang’s impudence. When he returned to his quarters, he immediately ordered the queen’s reinstatement, the restoration of the title of Grand Lord to her deceased father, the honoring of the queen’s uncle who had died while in exile at Byeokdong,[3] and the granting of official positions to his descendants. He, furthermore, took away the courtly status of Lady Jang’s father, reduced her position from queen to consort, and ordered Jang Huije[4] to be exiled.

     The king also commanded his eunuchs, “Move Consort Hui to Chwiseon Hall[5] and clean up the major palace building after her departure.” 

     When palace maidens and eunuchs delivered their sovereign’s order and told Lady Jang to move quickly, she became furious and reprimanded them in a loud voice.

     “I am still the mother to all subjects and the crown prince as well. How dare you treat me with such disrespect. I will surely make the deposed queen bow down before me.”

     Overcome by her evil nature, she took out her frustration on the crown prince by beating him severely. The king heard of it and went to see her in a rage. She was receiving her meal when he came, and the sight of him raised her spitefulness to the extent of turning her face red and blue.

     “I still occupy the position of queen, so how is it that the deposed queen does not pay her respects to me, and what crime have I committed that I must be sent down to a lower hall?”

     The king became very angry as he addressed her.

     “How dare you expect the queen to pay her respects, and how dare you think that you can keep the position of queen?”

     Lady Jang suddenly kicked her meal table with great force and replied.

     “How could I not remain the queen when I am the mother of the crown prince? I will surely see Lady Min bow down before me.”

     As the meal table broke apart and food fell all over the place, the people present were dumbfounded by her dissolute behavior. The king became astonished and all the more furious.  He ordered that she be dragged out of the building. As there were many in the palace who greatly resented her, they heartily followed the king’s order as they rushed in, carried Lady Jang out and dragged her to the lower hall. All that time she heaped abusive words at the queen, cursing her endlessly. The king wanted to oust her right away, but he knew that he had to settle everything in a proper manner. He also refrained from punishing her further in consideration of the crown prince.

     A favorable day was chosen for the queen to regain her place in the court with all proper rituals. She refused the honor three times but she ultimately relented, putting on a ceremonial dress and taking her place as the queen. When it was done, she descended from her seat to express her gratitude for the king’s benevolence. As the rites were conducted with utmost solemnity and splendor, it was even more beauteous than her initial ascension. With his face filled with a joyful expression, the king held the queen as they sat down together to receive the congratulations of his concubines and palace ladies. Numerous officials of the court also came to offer their felicitations. A gentle wind blew outside and auspicious clouds surrounded the royal palace, so there was a general sense of harmony. As peace came to the place, sounds of joyful people spread and all subjects of the land obeyed their sovereign with glad hearts.

     Princess Daejang and Princess Myeongan came to see the king, feeling happy and sad by turns as they spoke of how everything was made possible by the wisdom of the king and the virtue of the queen. The princesses expressed their gratitude for the sovereign’s benevolence but spoke no word about the queen’s sufferings of the past six years. They only praised him for his wisdom as they stayed at the palace for four or five days. The king personally arranged a feast where the princesses and all other relatives of the king gathered to enjoy themselves. Ever since the queen’s return to the place, the sense of harmony reigned ever more strongly.

     The king may have had a stern demeanor and spoke very little, but he was careful to observe everything and to stand by his principles. He exiled to faraway places the palace maidens who had acted impudently when the queen had been deposed, and he promoted those who had followed the queen, increasing their salaries so that they might live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Other maidens envied them greatly. He also summoned back all the officials who had been ousted for entreating the king not to depose the queen and granted them important positions in the government. He shed tears thinking of the loyalty of those who had died during the controversy and sent gifts to perform proper mourning rites at their graves. He also built a memorial hall where they could be honored in the spring and autumn, so that their fidelity and integrity could be promoted and their names renowned among their descendants. Their sons were granted court positions with generous salaries so that they could support their parents and children. The king even wrote personal letters to their households consoling them. They were all greatly moved and awed by his favors. Everyone within and outside the royal court joyfully gave thanks and offered congratulations.  

     The king was very upset at Consort Hui’s wickedness and impudence, but he treated her with respect in consideration of the crown prince, granting her all due honors and riches second only to those of the queen. And he showed great favor by allowing her to live in Chwiseon Hall in the royal palace. Even vicious beasts like snakes and scorpions would have acknowledged their guilt and felt grateful, but not Consort Hui. She had dared to go beyond her station in ascending to the position of queen, to be looked up to by the entire country and to receive the affection of the king. But now that she had so suddenly been deprived of her position and demoted to the status of a consort, she became filled with resentment. And she held the queen responsible for all her troubles.

     Her words lacked modesty and her mind was inflamed by evil thoughts. Whenever she saw the crown prince, she beat him mercilessly until he fell ill. The king became enraged and forbade the crown prince from visiting Yeongsukgung Palace. But the prince persisted in asking, “How could you not allow me to see my own mother?” and wept. The king consoled him by giving him toys to play with, and had him stay with the queen. She showed him such love that the crown prince stopped thinking about his mother.

     Lady Jang’s power was based on her status as the mother of the crown prince, but she could no longer see her son and the king stopped visiting her as well. No one had any sympathy for her so she fell into loneliness that was deeper than what the queen had known in the past. How pitiful it was! Good people are bound to receive fortune and the wicked misfortune. Heaven may be a lofty place but it listens to all things in the lower world. When the queen had been ousted, everyone in the land had lamented her fate. Her body may have suffered but her name had remained radiant. But when Lady Jang had been deposed, everyone in the land had thought it was right and those in the royal palace had rejoiced, snorting in contempt at her. That made Lady Jang all the more resentful, embarrassed, and hate-filled as she thought of the queen. When she took walks in the garden, she could overhear the queen’s joyous sounds while she played. Hearing of the queen’s good fortune caused a sensation of things crumbling to pieces inside Lady Jang. She also heard stories from outside the palace, of the Min family becoming renowned as it received the special favor of the king and congratulations from all the land. Meanwhile, her brother Jang Huijae, who had been exiled to Jeju Island as a criminal, received no sympathy from anyone. Her vexation from all this pained her greatly. As evil thoughts gathered like clouds in her mind at all hours, she could hardly control herself. She used all the treasures she had greedily accumulated to scheme with nefarious palace maidens, obtaining poison and trying to put it in the queen’s food. But the queen suspected that she might do such a thing and had her palace maidens guard against it with utmost vigilance. She also had all her meals prepared only by her most loyal maidens, so she was able to avoid disaster. Everyone in the royal palace knew of her enlightened mind and obeyed her with loyalty, so there was none around her who would commit such an evil act against her.  

     Lady Jang, in frustration, laid countless curses and damnations upon the queen, her evil knowing no bounds. How pitiful it was! If Lady Jang had acted modestly and relied on the queen’s goodness, the power of the crown prince, and the favor of Heaven, she could have earned glory. But she found no contentment in life, so she created her own misfortune by hatching treacherous plans that would lead to her death. It was a truly frightening state of affairs.

     At this time, an unfavorable farming season resulted in a year of poor harvest. The king and the queen became concerned so they left Jeong House and reduced the number of side dishes in their meals by half. The monarch also wrote a memorial ordering the expenses of the state to be reduced in order to save people’s livelihood. His great care in this matter impressed government officials and common people alike.  

     In the Year of the Red Rat,[7] the crown prince went through the ceremony of maturity as he reached the age of nine. When it came time for him to take a wife, the king and the queen personally oversaw the selection process and picked Sim Ho, a girl from the lineage of the Sim family of Cheongsong. The crown prince was twelve years old at the time of his wedding. His wife was a gentle and generous person, so she came to be much loved by the king and the queen. When the monarch was not dealing with matters of state, he spent much of his time in the inner palace, finding pleasure in conversing with the crown prince and his wife. At this time, the prince born of the concubine Choe became three years old. He was a child of extraordinary qualities who was beloved by the king and the queen. The queen constantly caressed him, loving him as if he were her own. Concubine Kim could not produce a child, so the queen took pity on her and made a point of showing her favors. And so the royal palace became filled with a sense of peaceful harmony with no evil person about. The only exception was Lady Jang whose attitude did not change a bit. She was the one who had given birth to the crown prince, but it was the queen who received the honor of selecting his wife and who became the recipient of the new wife’s devotion. Filled with evil thoughts when she was awake and asleep, Lady Jang gnashed her teeth and swore vengeance upon her.

     In the company of a cunning shaman and a wicked fortuneteller, she planned evil deeds day and night. On the west side of Yeongsukgung Palace, she built a spirit house which she decorated with colorful silk to summon evil ghosts. She composed a letter to the supernatural beings detailing the queen’s family name, the time and date of her birth, and begged them to kill her. She also hung a portrait of the queen and had her maidens shoot three arrows at it every single day. When the portrait’s paper became torn to pieces, she dressed the picture in a silk dress and called it the queen’s corpse. Then she buried it by a pond. Three years passed since she had the portrait pierced with arrows, but the queen’s position in the palace remained as stable as a sturdy rock, which frustrated Lady Jang to no end.  

    Jang Huijae had a concubine named Sukjeong who had been a prostitute. She was so skilled in evil schemes that she had murdered Jang’s wife in order to take her place. When Lady Jang summoned her and discussed her plans, it was truly a partnership of likeminded people. In order to put the most heinous curse upon the queen, they brought an unsightly skeleton into the palace and put it in a container wrapped in colorful silk. They then waited until night fell before they buried it beneath the stone steps on the north side of the building where the queen slept. They also obtained more silk and made a dress for the queen, only to grind human bones to powder and sprinkle it in its wadding. Who could have thought of such a wicked deed? With the evil curse ingrained in the fabric and the stitching of the dress, Lady Jang wrote a falsely polite letter to the queen to accompany the gift of the dress.  

     The queen kindly thanked her for making the dress, but she refused to accept it. The infuriated Lady Jang offered it to her two or three more times but it was rejected every time. She had no choice but to take it back, but she prayed every day at the spirit house and endlessly schemed to use ten thousand wicked and uncanny ways to realize her will. It has been said that what is wrong can never defy what is right, and that what is wicked can never defeat what is righteous. Yet it has happened in the past that Son Bin defeated Bang Yeon. And it turned out that the queen was destined to have a short life, which is enough to make one doubt the wisdom of Heaven. After having suffered harsh and wretched treatment, she entered another time of misfortune as evil spirits descended on her.  

     In the eighth month of the Year of the White Dragon,[8] the queen suddenly fell ill. Although she did not suffer any specific ailment to a serious degree, her body repeatedly became cold and then feverish by turns. In the middle of the night, she would sometimes suffer stabbing pains in her joints, though on some nights she would feel fine. There was no consistent set of symptoms that troubled her. The entire palace became concerned, as did the king who summoned Lord Min to the inner palace and informed him of her peculiar illness. He also ordered medicine to be used to bring her back to health but she did not improve even a little bit. After winter passed and spring came, the queen’s snow-like complexion became ruined as yellow pus appeared on her skin and disappeared by turns. None of the doctors could fathom the nature of the ailment. The king considered that the queen had contracted a disease that was so difficult to cure because her health had been damaged by so many years of suffering. He repented his past deeds and fell into sadness. He also worried that she was perhaps destined to live a short life because of her extraordinary qualities. When the queen saw that the king was in distress, she grew nervous and bore her pain without complaint. Lady Jang knew what was happening and was pleased by it. She then planned even more evil acts.

     The twenty-third day of the fourth month was the queen’s birthday. As her illness came and went, the king wanted to make certain that she did not have any regret in life so he ordered a feast and summoned the women of the Min household to enjoy themselves with her. The anxious queen refused the honor two or three times, but as the king was adamant on the matter she was moved by his favor and the devotion of the crown prince who entreated her to accept the honor. She consented to celebrate for a few days. The king and the queen were pleased by the loyalty demonstrated by the crown prince and his wife. The women of the Min household considered that it was beyond their station to be invited to the royal palace,[6] but they assumed that the queen had recovered her health. They were also grateful for the king’s benevolence, so they decided to accept the invitation. When they saw the queen, however, they became concerned as her illness manifested itself in many ways. The queen wept with worry and sadness as she spoke to them.

     “I lack talent and virtue, so there is no way I can repay His Majesty for the enormous favor he has granted me. These days, my mind is confused and my thoughts are hazy as if I am lost in a cloud or a fog. I fear that I do not have long to live. I have caused concern to His Majesty, and I will not be able to enjoy the company of my brothers and sister again. So I bid you to teach your children well so they would gain virtue and fortune, and their descendants would know glory.” 

     When she finished, she choked up with weeping. Everyone became so distressed by the queen’s grief that many cried as well. The women of the Min family, with their hearts shaking, could not help but shed tears, but they suppressed them as best they could and tried to console the queen.

     “You are still young, so you will recover presently from your illness. Please do not speak such words.”

     They bowed down to her before they left. Afterward, they lamented the pitiful state of the queen and wept as they departed from the palace in their palanquins.

     At this time, all the princesses and king’s consorts made dresses for the queen, but she did not accept any of them. The princesses entreated her until she could no longer refuse the honor. The dress made by Consort Jang Hui was also refused at first but the crown prince took possession of it and implored the queen to accept it. She was moved by the ardent devotion displayed on his face and felt compelled to take the dress. How pitiful it was! Calamity brought on by a wicked individual knows no limit, but how could anyone has seen through such evil? If the crown prince had the slightest inkling of what was afoot, he would have hidden the dress rather than presented it to the queen. Although the crown prince had been born of Consort Jang Hui, he had received the love and affection of a good mother from the queen, so he had become a better person than the one who had given birth to him.  

     While other consorts freely visited the queen’s quarters, thus establishing an atmosphere of harmony and grace, Lady Jang was forbidden from doing so due to the faults of her own making. When Lady Jang and the crown prince spoke, there was no openness or intimacy between them. He implored the queen to accept the dress, thinking that his mother was acting out of courtesy, but this would become a source of regret that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The queen did not put on the dress even for a moment, but because it was inside the building, its evil curse spread out, filling her room with a murderous air. From the fifth month onward, her illness became so severe that she could not get up.

      The king became so concerned that he designated a special building for the queen’s treatment. He also ordered the queen’s brothers, including Minister Min, to personally take care of her and oversee the administration of medicine. They took the medicine and stayed by the queen’s side, nursing her with great care. She became sad every time she saw them and shed tears. She spoke to her brothers and nephews.

     “Although you have gained the positions of high-ranking officials and you have earned renown, I am filled with worry for you. I bid you to use your positions well and behave in an impeccable manner so that you do no damage to His Majesty’s lofty and upright virtue. Make plans also to take care of yourself as you abide by your sense of loyalty and principle.”      

     During the queen’s illness, the king was reluctant to leave her side even for a day. Her noble brothers, even in the midst of their sadness, were gratified to tears by his devotion as they continued to administer medicine to the queen with utmost care. Even though doctors were always at the ready outside her chamber and tried a hundred different things to cure her, nothing worked and her condition grew worse. This was not an illness that originated in her body. How could medicine made of natural ingredients stop such an evil sickness that was born of a poisonous curse? The queen was quite alert during daytime but her sickness worsened in the night, making her utter nonsensical words. Her symptoms were very strange and none could fathom their nature. This was also part of the queen’s unfortunate fate.

     By the seventh month, as additional symptoms arose, her illness became so severe that her very life became endangered. As the entire country trembled with concern and the royal palace fell into grief, the crown prince participated most ardently in prayers to the Lord of Heaven and ceremonial offerings to the Northern Dipper of the Seven Stars.[9] But the queen’s sickness only grew worse. The king could hardly sleep or eat, and his countenance became haggard from worry. Even though the queen’s mind was in a hazy and confused state, she became worried for the king and begged him to take care of himself. When she realized that she would never recover from her illness, she sent away her female doctors and ordered that no medicine be brought to her. When the king heard of it, he became concerned and brought medicine to her personally and asked her to take it whether she wanted to or not as there was no other way for her to get well. He told her that she must obey his wish for her to return quickly to health. The queen barely gained enough consciousness to address him.

     “Since I have been raised to a place of great honor at a young age, there is no reason for me to desire death. But I have had to bear this great pain for over a month, so I cannot help but wish it would all end. Medicine has not alleviated my suffering even a little bit, and my pain grows worse. I have been taking it only to allay Your Majesty’s concern, but I do not think I can last much longer. Please do not ask me to take more medicine that is only making me suffer more.”

     After the king heard her out, he wept as he replied.

     “How could you utter such ominous words? If your stomach hurts, you can refrain from taking medicine for a few days. So please be at peace as you take care of yourself.”

     The king stayed by her side and personally fed her rice porridge. As she was not given medicine for a few days she seemed to improve, which brought momentary relief to the palace. Then one day, she took medicine a few times before addressing the palace maidens around her.

     “I won’t live much longer, so I don’t know how I can repay you for all your care. After you go through the three-year mourning period for me, you will go home to your parents and siblings. You will then marry and live your lives. So let us promise to meet one another in the underworld after our lives are over.”

     At the queen’s words, all those around her fell into such grief that they hid their faces to weep and could not reply to her.

     The queen ordered that the building of her quarters be cleaned and incense be burned. She then washed her face thoroughly with the help of her maidens, put on a new dress, and asked for the king. When the king came, she sat in a proper manner by a table, supported by maidens on either side. As the monarch saw that everyone looked downcast, he became greatly concerned and sat close to the queen. When he asked why she not was taking care of herself better, she wept as she addressed him.

     “I am so grateful that ever since I became your queen you have shown me such great favors. I have nothing to regret except the loneliness I feel from the lack of children. I have not only failed to pay you back even one portion of ten thousand for your benevolence but I have caused you much anxiety. Even after I bid you farewell forever and descend into the underworld, I will not be able to close my eyes in peace. So all I can do is to bow down to you and beg Your Majesty to forget this unfortunate wife of yours and live a peaceful and healthy life.”

     The king wept in great sadness as he spoke.

     “Why do you utter such ominous words?”

     But he could say no more as the sleeves of his dragon robe became soaked in tears.

     Even in her disoriented state, the queen could see the king’s sadness, so she wept anew and let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

     “Your Majesty must bring peace to the spirit of the deceased by taking good care of yourself.”

     The queen then summoned the crown prince and the younger prince and had them sit before her so she could caress them. She then had the king’s consorts and concubines come and addressed them.

     “Because of an ill fortune, I went through a difficult time of six years. But due to the king’s endless benevolence, I regained my position as the queen. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life enjoying the loyal service of the crown prince and the new prince, but my unkind destiny has ordained that I would lose my life on this day. I bid you not to follow my course of misfortune but live long and healthy lives as you serve His Majesty.”

     Prince Yeoning[10]  was eight years old at the time. The queen held his hand as she spoke.

     “I have a special love for his child because of his extraordinary qualities. So how unfortunate it is that I will not see him grow up.”

To be continued. . .

Translated by Minsoo Kang

[1]  The year 1694.

[2]  The mythological bird symbolized the decorous coming together of the sexes. 

[3]  An area in the northern province of Pyeongan, now North Korea. 

[4]  Older brother of Consort Jang Hui.

[5]  A residence at Changgyeonggung Palace.

[6]  Part of Changgyeonggung Palace.

[7]  The year 1696.

[8]  The year 1700. 

[9]  The Big Dipper.

[10] Prince Yeoning: Future King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776), son of concubine Lady Choe.

Record of the Virtue of Queen Inhyeon, Lady Min

Azalea: A Journal of Korean Literature and Culture 

Volume 10, 2017, 275-345.

Trans. Minsoo Kang

Copyright © 2017 The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Digitally published by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea in 2022.