#*tlutm

two lovers under the moon 🌕 | chapter 15

—“Were you waiting for me, hyung-nim?”

two lovers under the moon 🌕

jinkook

joseon au

former lovers to strangers to lovers

angst, romance, second chances, eventual happy ending

references to persuasion by jane austen

15/?

SUMMARY - Their paths cross once more, five years after their greatest heartbreak, after everything was lost. Jeongguk returns to Hanyang in glory and is determined to do it all differently. Seokjin suffers the loss of his family's status and faces heartbreak once again. Can they overcome the pain and grief of their separation, or will their fates break apart for good?

NOTE: I originally planned to have this scene take place when Seokjin goes to work hungover after going out with the Office of Royal Decrees, but ultimately ended up cutting because I didn't think it would benefit the story and while writing this. I had planned for Seokjin to know he was going to Wonju from the very beginning of the chapter and it appears in some of his inner monologue (that I didn't like how it affected the overall chapter development, so I moved that plot point to the end). It's still a cute scene that shows some of Jeongguk's personality so I still want to share it. Although it didn't end up published, we can pretend this has happened behind the scenes at some point. :)

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(qs by me lol)

-What year is the fic set in?

The fic is set in the mid-late sixteenth century, right after the Imjin Wars.

-Are any of the characters inspired by real-life people?

I took a lot of inspiration for Jeongguk's character from Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, a renowned military figure of the Imjin Wars. None of the other characters have real-life counterparts (mostly because I think a lot of the historical figures of the time were terrible people lol).

-Why did you choose Changdeokgung as the main palace?

After the Imjin Wars, Gyeongbokgung was significantly damaged. Changdeokgung was at times the main palace for Joseon monarchs. Changdeokgung also has Huwon ("Secret Garden") that I think is gorgeous, especially during autumn. A few scenes in the fic take place around Huwon.

I did run into a problem with choosing Changdeokgung as the main palace though--Yukjo Street, or the Outer Palace, where the Six Ministries were historically located, was right outside of Gyeongbokgung. So though the Outer Palace at Changdeokgung is where the ministries are located in the fic, it's actually incorrect (don't come for me sorry!!).

-What is the time span of the story?

The story begins in late August/early September (much like Jane Austen's Persuasion). I predict it will go into spring of the following year.

-How do you choose the quotes at the beginning of each chapter?

A lot of BTS songs just fit the vibe lol. The quotes from Persuasion are taken directly from the part of the novel I'm covering in the fic. As for the poems, I have many saved that I think fit the story. I have a ton I haven't used yet (and likely won't get to).

-Where do you find your references for the fic?

I do a lot of my own research. For a general overview of topics, I rely on Wikipedia and the resources cited in the articles. I've also read history books on the era and, as I mention in my author's notes, I watch a lot of sageuks!

-Where do you find the pictures for your moodboards?

Pinterest! I have a board dedicated to inspo pics for the fic. I would share it but it's on my private personal account. 😭

-What are your main inspirations for the story?

Here is where I admit my lack of originality. I read a fic called Persuade My Heart by Mymanicmarie (a Rurouni Kenshin Persuasion AU) many years ago and after a recent reread it gave me the idea to write my own Persuasion AU set in Joseon. One of my favorite sageuks, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, is another major inspiration (if anyone has watched it, I have basically stolen the historian plotline and inserted some of the characters from the drama into this fic (with some characterization modifications) lol). And, of course, the novel the story is based on, Persuasion by Jane Austen.

hi! i am putting this post together for a simple breakdown of what government looked like during the joseon dynasty to go with two lovers under the moon. i hope this information is helpful!

HEAD OF GOVERNMENT

King — usually had the final say in everything, but some kings were overpowered by powerful ministers and political factions.

HIGHEST GOVERNMENT OFFICE

State Council — Lead by the Chief State Councilor with the Minister of the Left and Minister of the Right directly beneath him. The most powerful officials in government.

SIX MINISTRIES

These were the primary bodies of government and were directly under the king and State Council. The six ministries were:

Ministry of Personnel: Oversaw all assignments and position movements for civil officials.

Ministry of Rites: Oversaw all rituals, gwageo examinations, etc.

Ministry of Taxation: Oversaw revenue, finances, and collected taxes for the government.

Ministry of Justice: Heard cases and gave out punishments.

Ministry of Defense/War/Military Affairs: Oversaw the military. This included military officials and conscription.

Ministry of Public Works: Oversaw construction, roads, etc.

THREE OFFICES

These governing bodies provided direct checks and balances for the king and the government. The Three Offices were:

Office of the Censors: Checked the power of the king. Had the ability to remonstrate, or call out, the king if they felt he was not acting or governing virtuously.

Office of the Inspector General: Monitored the government, particularly government officials, for corruption.

Office of Special Advisors: Oversaw the royal library and did research for the king. They also met with the king to have discussions on Confucian philosophy. (Some officials on the State Council served in the Office of Special Advisors concurrently.)

LESSER OFFICES

Smaller, but no less important, administrative divisions of government.

Office of the Royal Secretariat: Each minister had a secretary from this office and passed down decrees (or orders) from the king. 

Office of Records/Royal Decrees: Maintained all the administrative and historical records for the government. Historians employed here wrote down the daily activities of the government.

Royal Investigation Bureau: Worked directly under the king.

Sungkyunkwan/Royal Academy: The royal university where top candidates studied for the gwageo exams. A few Joseon kings also studied here.

CIVIL OFFICIAL RANKS

Ranks were determined by number (1-9, with 1 being the highest and 9 being the lowest) and further divided into senior and junior ranks (i.e., second senior rank and second junior rank) for a total of 18 ranks. The hierarchy is as follows:

-First senior rank — the highest ranked official (I think the only first senior rank official could be the Chief State Councilor)

-Ninth junior rank — the lowest ranked official (think like…the most entry-level of entry-level)

The only way to move up the ranks was through promotions and those were all handled by the Ministry of Personnel. Promotions happened by merit or by connections. You can imagine how most of them went. I’m not sure how totally right this is but I believe civil officials were selected for 3 year terms which could be renewed or they could step down or seek higher posts.

One thing to note about working as a civil official meant that you were constantly rotated by the Ministry of Personnel to different places to avoid corruptive practices. So you could be assigned a cushy post in one place and an absolutely horrible one in another even if you were fairly highly ranked. (If I’m not mistaken, I believe this practice continues in S. Korea in certain professions (prosecutors come to mind).)

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