Chapter 23: Daehyun – Persuading Official Choi
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with Daehyun holding court in a dim chamber where Official Choi kneels in formal deference. Choi produces a wooden janggi piece—the red king—and confronts Daehyun, accusing him of planting dangerous ideas in Iseul. Daehyun remains silent, weighing the risk of harming Choi (Iseul’s uncle) against the need to win him over. He then declares that a rebellion is inevitable and warns that Choi will die unless he joins. When Choi questions why officials would suddenly risk their lives after two years of silence, Daehyun explains that the king has begun taxing yangban aristocrats, sparking widespread discontent. He proposes placing Grand Prince Jinseong on the throne to minimise conflict. Daehyun reveals that Deputy Commander Park, Choi’s close friend, has access to an army and can be persuaded once he learns that the king raped and impregnated his sister Lady Seungpyeong, driving her to suicide. He cites the Draft History as evidence. Choi initially refuses, arguing that the king’s forty‑thousand‑strong army is too large. Daehyun counters by noting that the king will leave for Kaesong City on the eighteenth of next month, leaving the capital vulnerable, and that the royal guards have lost their loyalty after the death of Min Hyukjin. Choi finally relents, turning over the red janggi king and agreeing to “move the heavens together.”
Key Events
- Daehyun meets secretly with Official Choi and uses a janggi board piece to symbolise the stakes.
- Choi accuses Daehyun of influencing Iseul; Daehyun does not deny it.
- Daehyun outlines the rebellion’s plan: tax‑based discontent, royal guard disloyalty, and the king’s upcoming journey to Kaesong.
- He reveals Lady Seungpyeong’s rape and suicide, pointing to the Draft History as proof.
- Choi initially refuses, citing the king’s numerical military superiority.
- Daehyun invokes Min Hyukjin’s memory to prove the royal guards’ lost hearts.
- Choi changes his mind, pledges support, and turns the janggi king piece over.
Character Development
Daehyun shows strategic patience and emotional restraint. He suppresses his grief over Hyukjin’s death to deliver a steady argument. His willingness to blackmail Choi—while hesitating because the man is Iseul’s uncle—reveals a tension between his ruthlessness and his care for Iseul. This chapter deepens his role as a plotter who uses leverage (taxes, family ties, historical records) rather than brute force.
Official Choi transforms from a cautious, deferential official to an eager conspirator. He begins as a schoolmaster testing Daehyun’s logic, guards his loyalties, and only commits after the emotional appeal about Lady Seungpyeong and the revelation that even the palace guards have abandoned the king. His final line, “Let us move the heavens together,” marks his full conversion.
Min Hyukjin (off‑page) is wielded as a symbol of lost loyalty. Daehyun recalls his hanging and his earlier conversation about the royal guard’s disillusionment. Though dead, Hyukjin’s words become the tipping point for Choi.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Janggi board imagery: The red king piece represents the current ruler. Choi turns it over when he agrees to rebel, showing a symbolic overthrow before any physical action.
- The Draft History: The chroniclers’ record serves as objective evidence of the king’s crime, contrasting with Choi’s initial desire to believe it was gossip. It underscores the theme of truth vs. self‑deception.
- Blackmail and coercion: Daehyun uses threats of death, the revelation of Lady Seungpyeong’s story, and the argument that Choi will be killed anyway if he does nothing. This reinforces the moral ambiguity of the rebellion.
- Loss of loyalty: The chapter argues that power alone is insufficient if the hearts of those who wield swords are gone. The king’s army is large but its spirit is broken—a recurring motif in stories of collapsing regimes.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the turning point for the conspiracy. Daehyun successfully recruits a key official, gaining access to Deputy Commander Park’s military connections. It also solidifies the plan: strike when the king leaves for Kaesong, use the disgruntled yangban and loyal royal guards, and place Grand Prince Jinseong as the figurehead. The emotional weight of Hyukjin’s death is used to seal the argument, tying personal grief to political action.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What is Daehyun’s main argument to convince Official Choi that a rebellion is feasible?
He argues that the king’s tax on yangban elites has created widespread resentment, and that the royal guards have lost their loyalty because of the king’s cruelty (exemplified by Min Hyukjin’s death). He also points to the king’s upcoming journey, which will leave the capital with fewer defenders.
2. Why does Daehyun mention Lady Seungpyeong and the Draft History?
Lady Seungpyeong’s rape and suicide can be used to persuade her brother, Deputy Commander Park, to raise an army against the king. The Draft History provides legal proof of the crime, making it harder for Choi to dismiss the accusation as gossip.
3. How does the janggi piece symbolise the change in Choi’s position?
At the start, Choi sets the red king in the centre of the table, indicating the king’s current control. When he finally agrees to help, he turns the piece over, symbolically deposing the monarch within the game and committing to the rebellion.