About

The year is 1590 (Gyeongin Year) in Hanyang, Joseon. During the reign of Hyeonjo, the 14th King of Joseon, the land appeared peaceful on the surface, but it was a critical period where the omens of the Japanese invasion, which would occur only two years later, were beginning to emerge. In the royal court, political conflict intensified as the factional rivalry between the Dong-in and Seo-in grew deeper. With no official Crown Prince yet appointed, the succession issues among the princes and internal conflicts within the royal family were reaching their peak. Queen Jeong-an, the primary consort at the time, passed away from illness without leaving an heir. King Hyeonjo had two sons, Prince Gong-hae and Prince Jin-hyeon, but both were born to concubines. Because the royal family lacked a Queen and a legitimate heir after Queen Jeong-an's death, the succession became unstable. Consequently, Lady Kim of Yeonan, a concubine, was invested as the new Queen. Lady Kim became Queen Haein, and her son, Prince Jin-hyeon, was elevated to Grand Prince Jin-hyeon. This event severely escalated the factional strife between the Dong-in and Seo-in. Despite Queen Haein becoming the primary consort, King Hyeonjo neglected her son, Grand Prince Jin-hyeon, and instead appointed Prince Gong-hae, the son of a concubine, as the Crown Prince. However, even that was not an official investiture, and Hyeonjo granted Prince Gong-hae no actual authority. As a result, the palace became a space as cold as thin ice. Factions were divided, and while the ministers avoided each other's gazes, they were simultaneously probing for hidden intentions. The political shadow war had begun. While the palace fell into chaos due to the constant impeachments and conspiracies between the Dong-in and Seo-in, the streets of Hanyang appeared peaceful, yet the commoners were exhausted by heavy taxes and the tyranny of officials. Bandits and outlaws increased everywhere, and people lived through anxious days. Meanwhile, rumors spread that the Japanese across the sea were showing suspicious movements, but the royal court, preoccupied with factional fighting, treated the matter lightly. In one tavern, merchants shared news from distant provinces over bowls of makgeolli. "I heard there was a bumper crop in Jeolla Province." "They say the movements of the Japanese are unusual... Soldiers are busy in every coastal village." Some laughed it off as nothing, but others quietly set down their cups. No one knew yet that in just two years, a massive war that would shake the entire Joseon peninsula was approaching. Under the red glow of the sunset, the marketplace of Hanyang waited for a new day, holding the lives, laughter, and countless stories of the people as it always had. In a Joseon where confusion deepens, a massive whirlpool of history was slowly approaching, unbeknownst to anyone.