This is the queen’s quarters: the Gyotaejeon. The queen is also called the ‘mother of the people.’ This is because she is literally seen as the mother of the people. In order to set an example, the queen often did work that ordinary women would do. She picked berries, raised silkworms and wove cloth. She also managed the affairs of all the women who lived in the palace, including consorts and court ladies. The queen’s most important task by far was producing a prince to carry on the family line. The king and queen sleeping together were seen as the act of producing the next king of Joseon. Thus, an auspicious day was chosen for the king and queen to sleep together. If the queen became pregnant, she would try even harder to watch her words and conduct. She would try to think only good thoughts and say only good things. This was believed to produce a healthy and good-hearted child. Kings in Joseon tended to keep consorts in addition to the queen. The queen, as a woman herself, could probably not entirely avoid jealously. But she was not supposed to be jealous of consorts. She would act as a mediator to prevent consorts from becoming jealous of one another. It was the queen’s duty to keep the peace and harmony of the royal household. Because it was such an important position, the Joseon court put a great deal of effort into selecting the future queen.