Lady Hyegyŏng

[2] Lady Hyegyŏng's parent's marriage suffered strain after the death of her paternal grandfather, Hong Hyeon-bo (홍현보; 洪鉉輔; 1680–1740), but the couple reconciled when the young child refused to eat.

[4] In 1744, a royal edict was sent out requesting that families with eligible girls submit their names for the selection of a spouse for the son of King Yeongjo, the Crown Prince Sado.

For the first selection process, the Hong family was not particularly wealthy, so Lady Yi stitched outfits suitable for presentation at court from old clothes.

[5] During the second presentation, three girls were selected, but Lady Hong writes in her memoir that King Yeongjo complimented her as a "beautiful daughter-in-law," during their meeting.

[8] Lady Hyegyŏng's family initially enjoyed a close relationship with their royal in-laws and her father was employed in various official roles during his lifetime.

[15] After an argument with his father in 1756, Sado berated an official and, in his haste to pursue him, knocked over a candlestick that started a fire, burning down several buildings.

Later, he became violent towards the ladies-in-waiting, causing Lady Hyegyŏng to report to his mother, Royal Noble Consort Yeong, that his illness was worsening.

Royal Noble Consort Yeong wanted to speak to Prince Sado, but was persuaded not to, as Lady Hyegyŏng said she feared for her own safety if he found out that his wife had spoken to others about it.

[20] In 1760, she recalls Prince Sado threw a go board at her, which hit her in the face and caused such a large bruise around her eye that she had to miss a ceremony for King Yeongjo's moving house.

[25] She wrote The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng (한중록; Hanjungnok), in Hangul - not literary Chinese, detailing her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess, her husband's descent into madness and the deeds for which he was eventually put to death.