bean water and a different soup than the one on the large round table. Thus, the king had his choice of soups and rice types. Finally, the rectangular table held vegetables, eggs and other ingredients for the jeon-gol, which was cooked on the spot and served to him. ‘The taster’s job was to check for the presence of poison by trying the food first; the king would begin to eat only after confirming she did not die from the food. The royal spoon and chopsticks were made of silver, which was believed would also react to poison in the food and serve as a further warning. ‘The meal always started off with a spoonful of liquid from the dong-chi steamed rice was placed in the king's mouth along with a spoonful of -mi (sliced radish in vinegar water). Then a spoonful of soup. The rice and side dishes were eaten next. A bit of rice was put into the soup and eaten, and when the soup was finished, the bowl, spoon and chopsticks were put aside. A new set of spoon and chop- sticks was then used to continue eating the rice and side dishes. Finally, a bowl of scorched rice tea was placed in tke spot originally occupied by the soup bowl. ‘The meal was concluded when the king consumed one spoonful of rice that had been immersed in the scorched rice tea, ‘The labor of many people was needed to prepate just one royal ‘meal. The toil of farmers and fishermen went into producing the rice ang, and the royal chefs had to work hard, too. ‘The act of providing the king with the very best and other ingredients used in the sura- food the land had to offer was the people's way of asking for good government so that their own lives were better. Tae Joseon mon- archs, 100, curtailed the number of stra-sang side dishes in times of drought or famine and traveled through hard hit areas to show they ‘were willing to share in the people's hardship.11 Ailments Associated with Joseon Monarchs Joseon kings enjoyed all the things any man could possibly desire-absolute power, beautiful women, delicious meals, a palatial home, elegant clothes, and the best medical facilities in the land. Of course, his family line was unrivaled as well. The Joseon royal descent group began with Taejo, a courageous general and highly skilled martial artist. His immediate ancestors, too, were physically strong people from Hamgyeong-do (in present-day North Korea). However, Taejo's successors were not so healthy. Despite coming from a strong bloodline and having the best food, clothing, shelter and medical care available, they were not free from physical and mental disease. With Taejong, Joseon’s third ruler, eye afflictions and abscesses first appeared and became hereditary afllictions. Free of ill- ness in his youth, Taejong began having eye trouble within a year of ascending the throne and suffered from tumors from the second year of his reign. What was the cause of this? {am now thirty-six. | never previously suffered from boils, but this year no fewer than ten have festered, | asked Royal Physician Yang 1 | The King's Governing Rote th HA x L 7— es N sf Ste Royal illaat Onyang _Joseon monarchs frequented this com- pound 16 Keo! their almons. A hot spring ond the main cudienes hall or inthe canter. The Kyu- femogak Archives. 8 Hong-dal (1832) the reason, and he explained my energy flow was blocked by remaining inside the palace too long and not venturing out- side enough. He recommended | take baths in the het springs to relieve these symptoms. from the Annals of Taejong Even the records accurately pinpoint the cause of the Joseon monarchs’ chronic problems with eye disease and boils. They lived in the lap of luxury without having to lift a finger, and this lack of activi- ty was the root cause of their afflictions. ‘The royal duties consisted entirely of mental labor. The king was seated when he received subjects or dealt with offcial documents. He was carried everywhere he went in a sedan chair and rarely had opportunity to walk or move around as a form of exercise. He had toread an endless stream of official communiqués, memorials and peti- tions, which would naturally wear on the eyes (especially considering the poor lighting). Thus, the health problems can directly be linked to the occupational hazard of being the state sovereign. ‘The Joseon monarchs enjoyed a rich diet while failing to exercise adequately. Most of them were overweight and suffered from dia- betes and high blood pressure. Such maladies stem from poor blood circulation, as pointed out by Taejo’s royal physician. Excessive read- ing combined with high blood pressure would result in eye prob- lems, and abscesses on the skin were inadequately treated. Hence, these were virtually unavoidable afflictions for Joseon monarchs. Failing eyesight and raging boils would greatly impede the king's ability to execute his duties. He could not read documents when his eyes hurt, and a work backlog would accumulate. Writing or attend- ing the royal lectures would be difficult, and meeting people would be extremely embarrassing when boils were on the face. An ailing king would entrust others with performing many of his duties, invit- 16 the rise of corruption, ‘The Joseon monarchs bathed in hot springs to improve their cir- culation and relieve their skin ailments. Taking a hot bath was about the only way for the king to receive medical treatment while remain- ing in the dignified seated posture required by his stature. On the other hand, royal ailments were sometimes not all bad. Recovering from a life-threatening illness caused some monarchs to reflect on life and strive to become better rulers. Yeongjo banned the practice of three particularly hideous torture methods," and his deci- sion to prohibit the use of one them—the red hot poker—was directly related to an illness suffered by him, In 1733, Yeongjo received moxibustion (a very painful cauterizing of the skin with burning wormwood) for his illness, but abscesses spread even to the treated spots on his skin, and his condition did not readily improve, He eventually was burned in over 100 places and came to associate this process with the branding torture and ordered the treatment to 11 The King’ ¢ Goverring Role sf One of the banned torture methods was jri-teulgi, which Involved inserting two sticks between the victim's legs and ‘oisting them. Anothe apseuthyeong (88) placing. heavy st ‘cn's knees, Ether ofthese po cedures injured the leg muscles find bones and often resulted in permanent dsaiiy Branding vl dang 959 iE En-wa (7 8 (8) and his eo-eonspirators, members of the Soron (i: Young Doctrine) fae ‘on, were prosecuted fo insigat- Inga malitary revolt to avenge the ascendaney of the rival Noron (Gea Old Doctrine) faction during the reg of Yeongjo's predecessor, Gyoniiong. 60 Josean pide itself in being the “nation of deconum othe Easter side (of China)" (4 J m2 dongarg yee, Le. displaying the most orthodox Confucanisen ff any Chinese vassal state Joseon's ose ts with China were ‘mark of distinction, and many Chinese rulers considered Foseon ee model iby stop: It is increasingly dificult to endure the abscesses where moxa has been burned (on my skin). In reminds me somehow of the treason tr: als of 1728." Henceforth, the use of the hot poker torture is forever banned. —trom the Annals of Yeongio Persons with access to the king could tell when he was suffering from physical ailments. Mental illness, however, was another story. His outbursts were directed mainly at royal family members, the queen or royal concubines, and documenting such episodes was very difficult. The private and public les of the king's life were strictly separate. His every word and deed during official functions such as audiences with foreign envoys or domestic subjects were carefully observed and meticulously documented by the Historians in the Office for Annals Compilation and the Recorders in the Royal Secre- tariat. Publicly, he was very careful to maintain the bearing befitting the monarch of Joseon, which prided itself on being the mode! Con- fucian state.” On the other hand, his unabashed character was revealed in the vicinity of the royal sleeping quarters, where he could be openly angry, hateful and out of control at times. This section of the palace compound was reserved for his private life and was the residence for the queen, other royal family members and the people who supported his lifestyle —the palace lady attendants, eunuchs, and commoners working in skilled positions. The king's behavior there was away from the historians’ and secretaries’ prying eyes. Fortunately, however, some documents remain that reveal the private side of the king's life. Royal palace diaries and novels such as Gyechuk Diary (5 1:11 i Gyechuk Ilgi), Tales of Queen Inhyeon (exe _gung Hong (Wii Hanjungrok) were written by attendants close to (4 Inhyeon Wanghujeon) and Memoirs of iady Hyegyeong- the king and queen or, in one instance, by the wife of a crown prince. ‘These stories paint a completely different picture than the one in the official records.