Biography Crown Prince Sado

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 illness
1.3 execution
1.4 conspiracy theory
1.5 burial
1.6 taboo , reinstatement

biography
life

letter written crown prince sado father-in-law hong bong-han.

sado s wife wrote memoir in 1805 detailing life together. records prince suffered severe illness during 1745, lost consciousness. although recovered, tense relationship between sado , king yeongjo led him experiencing severe anxiety whenever in father s presence. when sado came of age @ 15, father appointed him regent, giving him power make decisions on administrative matters. lady hyegyeong describes king yeongjo perpetually dissatisfied whichever course of action sado chose. yeongjo did not permit sado visit ancestral tombs until late 1756, nor allowed attend auspicious court events. yeongjo made sure chastise son in front of large crowd, either of ladies-in-waiting or eunuchs. result, sado formed strong bond sister princess hwahyeop, disfavoured father. when died in 1752, sado reported have grieved intensely.

in 1752, sado read taoist text called okchugyeong (hangul: 옥추경; hanja: 玉樞經). whilst reading, hallucinated saw thunder god. henceforth, sado terrified of thunder , refused touch object engraved characters of book.

sado took secondary consort, yeongbin (royal noble consort suk), whom had son in 1754. terrified of father s anger, sado forced take abortive medicines, child born safely anyway. arrangements yeongbin s delivery , housing made lady hyegyeong. sado had son yeongbin in 1755, whom first emperor of korea descended.

illness

in 1757, yeongjo s legal mother , wife died within month of each other. sado had been close both of them , deaths led marked deterioration in mental health , relationship father. way of dealing frustration , rage, sado beat eunuchs. in same month burial of queen jeongseong, sado walked chambers holding severed head of eunuch whom had killed, forcing ladies-in-waiting , wife view it. after this, killed palace staff release emotions, assaulting , raping many ladies-in-waiting. lady hyegyeong reported sado s issues royal noble consort yeong, begged not speak of matter, feared own safety if sado discovered had told someone. 1758, previous phobia of sado s regarding clothing became intensively problematic.

late in 1757, sado took in secondary consort, pingae (royal noble consort gyeong), had been lady-in-waiting grandmother, relations considered breach incest taboo. when yeongjo found out, berated son , sado jumped down well, guard pulled him out. lady hyegyeong had, point, managed have pingae hidden in home of sado s sister, princess hwawan.

on birthday in 1760, sado suffered burst of outrage @ parents, berating royal consort yeong, own son, , 2 daughters. after this, sado threatened princess hwawan, demanding use influence on king yeongjo move palaces , allow sado visit springs @ onyang. threatened kill her; event witness lady hyegyeong , sado s mother. sado physically violent toward wife, necessitated lady hyegyeong avoid court events hide bruises.

in 1761, sado beat pingae in fit of rage. left on floor, died. lady hyegyeong prepared body funeral rites, but, on return, sado reportedly said nothing pingae s death.

execution

in summer 1762, altercation official @ court enraged sado. revenge, threatened kill official s son , attempted sneak through water passage upper palace. failed find son and, instead, confiscated clothing , items belonging him. rumours sado had attempted enter upper palace kill king yeongjo spread around court. fearing safety of grandchildren, royal consort yeong begged yeongjo deal sado. court rules, body of royal not defiled and, under then-common practice of communal punishment, sado s wife , son (the family s direct male heir) face death or banishment if executed criminal. solution, yeongjo ordered sado climb wooden rice chest (roughly 4x4x4ft) on hot july day in 1762. according lady hyegyeong s memoirs, sado begged life before getting chest, though attempted out again.

along children, lady hyegyeong taken father s house on same day. after 2 days, king yeongjo had chest containing sado tied rope, covered grass, , moved upper palace. sado responded inside chest until night of seventh day; chest opened , pronounced dead on eighth day. yeongjo restored him position of crown prince.

conspiracy theory

during 19th century, there rumors prince sado had not been mentally ill, had been framed; however, these rumors contradicted wife, lady hyegyeong, in memoirs of lady hyegyeong. sado s death remains issue of debate whether death retribution actual misconduct or if victim of conspiracy political opponents.

burial

crown prince sado buried on mt baebongsan in yangju. body moved son, king jeongjo, current location in 1789, called hyeollyungwon near suwon, 30 kilometers south of seoul. 5 years later suwon hwaseong fortress built king jeongjo, memorialize , honor father s tomb (the construction lasted 1794-1796, while official reception 1795). lady hyegyeong died , buried husband in 1816.

prince sado , lady hyegyeong posthumously elevated in status , given titles emperor yangjo , empress heonyeong in 1899. tomb , adjacent tomb of son, king jeongjo, , queen hyoui upgraded accordingly , renamed yungneung.

taboo , reinstatement

prince sado reinstated fifteen days after died. name of sado banned king yeongjo during period of reign. because of decision, prince sado s son, jeongjo, ascended throne following passing of king yeongjo, added deceased uncle s (prince hyojang s) family register. 1 of jeongjo s first statements upon becoming king, however, declare, son of prince sado. jeongjo showed great filial devotion father, prince sado, , reinstated original name , title, prince jangheon.