Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 235

235. Opening of School (2)

“Hmm…. It might just work….”

As Sejong muttered with a slightly troubled face, Hyang immediately began to explain.

“Father, the women who possess the scholarship to teach children would be women from noble families (Ban-ga [families of scholar-officials]).”

“Wouldn’t they be?”

“And wouldn’t the husbands of such women also be men from noble families?”

“They would be.”

At Hyang’s explanation, Sejong frowned more and more, nodding his head.

‘There’s something here, what am I missing?’

Seeing Sejong’s expression, Hyang muttered inwardly.

‘This man is sometimes weak against unconventional attacks….’

Confirming that Sejong was struggling, Hyang explained in more detail.

“If the husband has not passed the civil service examination….”

At that very moment, Sejong slapped his knee.

“That’s it! What does the location matter for studying for the examination! If they follow their wives, they can achieve good results as long as they have the will and determination!”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang smiled brightly.

“That’s right. Or, the couple could work as teachers together.”

“Yes! Yes!”

Sejong clapped his knees and rejoiced at Hyang’s words.

Hyang came up with this idea because of the culture of the noble class at the time.

* * *

The ultimate goal of men born into the class called Yangban [ruling class, composed of civil and military officials], which combined the civil and military officials, was to ‘enter government service (chulsa [to serve the king]).’ To this end, men of the noble families, especially civil officials, had to study diligently.

Hyang focused on this very point.

According to Hyang’s investigation of the officials, the average age at which boys from noble families began studying was around 5 years old. At this time, they began studying with the Thousand Character Classic [a foundational text for literacy], and from around the age of 10, they began studying in earnest.

The time to take the civil service examination and pass it was in the mid-teens for those with good abilities, but on average it was in their 30s.

“In other words, they are long-term students who prepare only for the civil service examination for almost 20 years. The difference from the 21st century is that most of them study on their own without star instructors or prestigious academies. Economic problems are solved by tenant farming, and they don’t even manage it themselves by employing stewards.”

In this situation, Hyang came up with a way to advance married women from noble families—not virtuous women, but those with husbands—into the teaching profession.

If they were married women with husbands, they would be able to move even if they were subject to the principle of avoidance (sangpije [a rule preventing officials from serving in their hometowns or regions with close ties]) when entering the teaching profession.

As mentioned earlier, teachers were provided with official residences and government-owned servants. And, if the couple working as teachers came from a wealthy family, they could even bring their own private servants from home.

In that case, even if the husband moved with his wife, he would be able to study without any major problems.

“Why was there such a saying? In the 80s and 90s, pharmacists, in the 2000s, female teachers, and after that, public officials of any kind were ideal partners….”

* * *

Sejong nodded repeatedly after listening to Hyang’s explanation.

“Excellent! Our Joseon’s biggest problem was the lack of people, but we can solve this problem!”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang now wore an expression of incomprehension.

“Father? Surely, you’re not going to open up government positions to women?”

At Hyang’s question, Sejong nodded.

“Of course, there will be many restrictions, but if they have the will to do it, why should we stop them?”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang said with a pale face.

“It seems too radical.”

‘This man! It’s already chaotic because it’s too fast! You’re trying to put someone who’s barely used to the speed of a horse on the KTX [Korean high-speed train]!’

Seeing Hyang’s expression, Sejong chuckled and continued.

“Surely, you don’t think we can implement it right now? It will probably take a long time. Perhaps….”

Sejong paused for a moment and looked at Hyang with playful eyes.

“Around the time you ascend the throne?”

“Hahaha….”

Hyang was sweating profusely and laughing awkwardly.

“It’s late. Go and rest.”

“Yes, Father.”

Hyang, who had left Gangnyeongjeon [the King’s residence], sighed deeply.

“Hoo~. Anyway, as soon as I take one step, you immediately warp…. I’m afraid to say anything.”

Recalling the conversation he had just had, Hyang shuddered, then suddenly counted on his fingers.

“The time I ascend the throne…. At least 20 years? No, these days Father is taking good care of his health, so at least 30 years…. That’s quite far off. Father is taking it easy.”

Hyang, who was relieved and moving his feet, suddenly stopped and was horrified.

“No!”

“Yes? Your Highness! What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s nothing….”

Hyang’s voice, saying it was nothing to the eunuch, was trembling.

Hyang’s mind was in a panic as he headed to Donggungjeon [the Crown Prince’s residence].

‘I forgot! How did our Father ascend the throne!’

Sejong was the one who ascended the throne through Taejong’s abdication (seonwi [transfer of the throne], handing over the throne to the next king).

Because he had experienced it himself, he could abdicate at any time.

‘No, it’s not just abdication! There’s also regency!’

There was a fact that Hyang didn’t know because it wasn’t in the curriculum and Samcheopo Teacher [a reference to a strict, traditional tutor] didn’t mention it.

In the history before Hyang intervened, Crown Prince Munjong served as regent for the last 8 years of Sejong’s reign.

In any case, Hyang desperately tried to organize his thoughts.

‘Don’t panic! This is Gongmyeong’s [a famous strategist known for his elaborate traps] trap…. That’s not it! Anyway, nothing is confirmed yet, so let’s not be afraid in advance! Father is still healthy!’

As he struggled to sort out the situation, Hyang’s thoughts jumped to a completely different place.

‘Yes! Let’s quickly make an heir! Father will still have at least 10 more years to abdicate or serve as regent. Let’s quickly make an heir, raise them, and then pass it on!’

It was Hyang’s stream of consciousness that had jumped not to Samcheopo, but to Andromeda.

“Eunuch!”

“Yes! Your Highness.”

“Tell the royal physicians to get some medicinal herbs that are good for tonifying and strengthening.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to have to use a lot of strength from now on.”

“Yes?”

* * *

Although it was Hyang’s momentary wit, Sejong, who liked this plan, told the ministers about it.

“…So, I had this thought, and it seems quite good. Therefore, I want you to find and supplement the shortcomings and create a plan.”

“Yes? Yes… Yes…. We obey your command.”

At Sejong’s command, the ministers were bewildered, then made absurd expressions, resigned themselves, and accepted Sejong’s command.

The ministers gathered in the State Council’s meeting room and sighed deeply.

“There are so many things to do, but suddenly out of the blue….”

At Heo Jo’s complaint, Kim Jeom responded.

“But, doesn’t what His Majesty said make sense? Our Joseon has a long way to go, and there are not one or two things that we can’t do because we don’t have enough people?”

“But, even to women….”

“We’re dying because we don’t have enough people, should we be distinguishing between men and women now?”

“Tch!”

Heo Jo and the other ministers ended the situation by clicking their tongues at Kim Jeom’s point.

It was a groundbreaking order that destroyed the values they had held until now, but they sympathized with the necessity more than anyone else.

This was something that most of the officials working in the Joseon court at the time agreed with.

The daily heavy workload was making them realize the need to secure talent.

Therefore, the court quickly entered the process of materializing Sejong’s command.

Of course, there were those who refused to the end.

Those who refused in this way eventually became obsolete and disappeared from the competition, or had to finish their careers in the Records Office.

Of course, unlike these endings, everyone who took on the work was curious about something.

“But, who was the first to think of this?”

“Isn’t it His Majesty? He’s the one who issued the order.”

“Have you worked with His Majesty for a day or two? His Majesty is a being who transcends the human world, but isn’t he not the kind of person who can make such a breakthrough?”

“That’s true….”

‘Who could it be?’

It was a question that everyone from the ministers to the low-ranking officials was curious about.

But, they soon knew the answer.

“It was the Crown Prince who did it. What….”

“Who else is there besides His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?”

* * *

Anyway, because it was something that most of those in charge of state affairs agreed on, it soon became a new policy.

And, as time passed, it began to create results that Hyang had not expected.

The way of thinking of the Joseon people began to change.

No, the social position of women, which had continued from the Three Kingdoms period to the Goryeo period and began to be enforced with the start of Joseon, began to regain its place.

Of course, until this period, women’s rights were more guaranteed compared to the late period.

They were free to travel. Although the procedures were strict for the daughters of noble families, they could get divorced if they wanted to.

Also, when their parents died, they divided the property in equal proportions with their male siblings.

However, only the clan name ‘So-and-so of such-and-such’ was recorded in the family register.

Women who became formal officials of the country, even if they were only teachers, began to have all their names recorded in the family register.

Even though they were women, it was because they had done a honorable thing for both their in-laws and their own family, which was ‘entering government service.’

And, as women’s social advancement gradually increased and their rights improved, future historians—foreign historians studying Joseon history—had to suffer.

“It skipped again!”

At the screams full of foreign historians’ cries, Korean historians replied with a nonchalant expression.

“From the old Three Kingdoms period, women’s social advancement was free.”

“Joseon wasn’t like that!”

“It was. But, the period when women were forced was only a little over 30 years from the beginning of the founding of the country to the end of Sejong’s reforms. It’s too short a time to take root completely. It looks radical, but if you look closely, it’s right to see it as a reaction to such coercion.”

“Does that make sense!”

“Yes. It makes sense.”

In the end, as various controversies continued, the ‘Lee Hyang Alien Theory’ or the ‘Lee Hyang Time Slip Theory’ emerged again.

Then, the Korean government stepped in again.

“Do you want to die? Do you want to be killed? Do you want to go to hell?”

Again, Sejong and Hyang, who led this period, were ‘inviolable’ beings.

* * *

These things were things of the distant future, and Sejong and Hyang had to spend every day busy.

“Merchant ships of the Huihui people [likely referring to Muslims or traders from the Middle East/Central Asia] have entered Jemulpo [modern-day Incheon]!”

Hyang, who was working in Area 51, frowned and grumbled after receiving the report.

“They said they would arrive within 3 months…. It’s over a month late….”

But, Hyang, who soon organized his expression, immediately organized the situation.

“Did the Ministry of Taxation dispatch officials?”

“Yes!”

“Send doctors to check if there are any patients with infectious diseases as they have come through the hot season.”

“Yes!”

Hyang, who had delivered the order, got up from his seat.

“I’ll have to go to Gyeongbokgung [the main royal palace].”

* * *

While Hyang was paying attention to the ships of the Huihui people, the private schools across the country finally opened.

Schools built throughout the country, from large cities to the smallest administrative district, Hyeon [county], were crowded with children.

Noblemen’s sons who came riding ponies or donkeys pulled by servants, mischievous children who came with the children of the village, daughters of noble families who came holding the hands of their nannies, and girls wearing old skirts and jackets gathered at the entrance of the school.

After a while, the doors of the school, which had been renovated from a Confucian school, opened and the teachers came out.

“Boys this way!”

“Girls this way!”

The official schedule of the school began by dividing the boys and girls who had gathered in one place.

It was the beginning of the great journey that would later be called ‘the greatest driving force of Joseon’s great leap forward.’