Part II: Taehyung

Chapter 3: The Son of the King

Gwangcheon, Capitol of the Baekje Kingdom

    The King of the Baekje kingdom was Yi Jeong-sin, a capable king with excellent leadership skills. He had two sons, both equally brilliant, whom he loved deeply. 

    One day, he was given the news that his wife had given birth to a third son. He could not be more happy as he rushed to her chambers. Upon entering her room, he found her weak and in severe pain. He held her hand and stood by her side as she breathed her last breath. He made her a promise.

KING YI JEONG-SIN:

My darling, I promise to build a tomb for you that will forever provide you with everlasting happiness in the next world. I will order the construction of a temple so the people of Baekje can offer sacrifices in your name. And finally, I promise to never remarry, for only you hold the keys to my heart. I promise that I will take care of the three sons you have given me.

    For a King to promise not to remarry after his Queen’s death was unheard of. He would not even keep a concubine. That was how faithful he was. However, that was not the only bad news that day. 

    King Yi Jeong-sin picked up the baby boy, who had been laying next to his dying mother, and noticed how small the child appeared. This child seemed malnourished and weak. For the next two weeks, the King would not leave the boy’s side, watching the entire recovery. The King named this boy Kang-dae, meaning strength, to highlight the boy’s victory in surviving. 

    As the boy grew stronger, however, it was clear this boy was different. Kang-dae could not speak, his face grew more and more deformed as he grew, and his body was still very weak. Kang-dae was mentally and physically disabled. 

    The King had been hoping that the boy would someday miraculously “heal.” However, that day would never come. When Kang-dae grew to be 10 years old, the King had had enough. He threw the boy out, banishing him from the palace and leaving him to die. The King could not bear to witness the boy, knowing that HE was the father to that “creature,” as he would refer to him as. The house servants could not bear to see the young boy suffer on the streets and took him in to care for. This lasted for five years, until the king found out and killed all the servants harboring him. Once again, Kang-dae was forced out of the palace, this time no one was willing to help, knowing they would be killed. 

    Kang-dae walked the streets living in terrible conditions. Not knowing right from wrong, he ate feces, raw foods, and insects. Often, he was bullied by the peasants. He was beaten, burned, and tortured for absolutely no reason at all. The worst example of this abuse came one night in the year 124, when Kang-dae was only seventeen.

    The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Baekje, Goo Shin, was among the most powerful people in the land. He had a daughter, Goo Chung-mi, who was known for her beauty. She had an elegance and classiness that made all the court men crazy for her. One evening, three teenaged nobles approached her in an attempt to seduce her. When she firmly held her ground of her disinterest in them, they became furious. They decided that if they couldn’t have her, no one would. Two of the boys kidnapped her and the other headed into the village to find a certain someone: Kang-dae. 

    He lured Kang-dae by tricking him into following him. Although Kang-dae did not possess complex thinking skills, he had a kind and pure heart. This led him to becoming easily manipulated. The teenager lured Kang-dae into a secluded room, where the charming girl, Goo Chung-mi, was kept hidden. The three boys proceeded to commit an act so evil that words could not possibly indicate the ruthlessness and abusiveness that occurred. 

    Nine grueling months afterwards, Goo Chung-mi gave birth to a child, Kang-dae’s child.