Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 284

284. An Ordinary Day in Hanseong (2)

‘Why is His Majesty here?’

Meng Sasung, prostrate on the floor, muttered to himself, beads of cold sweat forming. Though he had drunk less than the other ministers, Meng Sasung was still quite intoxicated.

However, his drunkenness vanished instantly.

“Come, come. This is good. I was feeling lonely drinking alone. Come and have another cup.”

“Yes, yes….”

Meng Sasung approached on his knees and respectfully received the cup offered by Sejong. Meng Sasung’s hand trembled slightly as he accepted it.

Watching Meng Sasung, Sejong smiled slightly and continued.

“Hearing the ministers enjoying the banquet without reserve makes me feel truly at ease.”

“Pfft! Cough! Hiccup!”

Meng Sasung, who had spat out the wine he was drinking at Sejong’s words, immediately prostrated himself on the floor, bowing his head.

“Please forgive my disgraceful behavior!”

“What disgrace? Hearing the ministers enjoying the banquet without worry makes me feel rather relieved.”

“Your Majesty is too kind!”

“Anyway… is the work that arduous?”

“No, not at all! We are here to serve His Majesty and Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] with the utmost devotion!”

Meng Sasung answered in a loud voice, but inwardly, he lamented his situation.

‘Why, why? Why me? Why? Why! Why do I have to be here! Why! Why!’

Sejong continued to smile as he spoke.

“Indeed, you are Meng Sasung. If Minister Hwang were here, he would complain immediately.”

“Surely not?”

Though he answered that way, Meng Sasung inwardly agreed with Sejong.

‘Certainly, Hwang Hee would do that. Absolutely.’

Hwang Hee, who had received the punishment of ‘lifetime service’ due to various scandals, was boasting an even sharper tongue after receiving the punishment. When Meng Sasung worried about Hwang Hee pointing out problems even to Sejong, Hwang Hee simply replied.

“Since I’ve already thrown myself away, why worry about the future?”

“Minister!”

* * *

Continuing to offer wine to the trembling Meng Sasung, Sejong continued.

“Thanks to the quick completion of today’s state affairs, I had some time, so I went on a secret excursion to see how the people are living. But I heard that the ministers were gathered drinking, so I came to see. Thanks to that, I was able to hear various inner thoughts.”

“Pl, please spare me!”

“Why would I kill you? I am the one who should reflect.”

“Ah, no! It is our fault.”

“It’s not a fault. I have come to know your difficulties, so I will try to find a solution.”

“Y, Your Majesty is too kind.”

“Then, let’s have another drink.”

“Yes, yes. Your Majesty.”

* * *

Only after several more rounds of drinks was Meng Sasung able to leave the seat.

“Hmm, it’s late, so let’s meet tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will see you tomorrow.”

“Be careful going in.”

Sejong, watching Meng Sasung’s back as he politely took his leave and went outside, made a small humming sound and stroked his beard.

“Hmph….”

* * *

Taejong’s evaluation of Meng Sasung was only two characters.

-Like water (如水).

“Meng Sasung is like water. Just as water does not discriminate against the vessel, he also does not discriminate against the position. And like water that always maintains a level surface, he is always fair and impartial. Being like water, that is Meng Sasung’s greatest strength and weakness.”

After Taejong’s death, Sejong, who had completely seized power, came to understand what Taejong meant by ‘the greatest strength and weakness.’

Compared to the Crown Prince Hyang, talents recommended by Taejong, such as Hwang Hee and Meng Sasung, all had shortcomings, but they were not so lacking as to be unsatisfactory.

Therefore, Sejong valued Meng Sasung, and Meng Sasung fulfilled his role sufficiently.

In particular, since becoming Second State Councillor, he had been coordinating disputes between various ministries and handling affairs fairly and impartially, truly living up to his name.

However, Sejong came to see Meng Sasung’s weakness clearly.

Meng Sasung’s greatest weakness was his indecisiveness. His easygoing personality and lack of discrimination created his indecisiveness.

Meng Sasung disliked hearing unpleasant things from others as much as he disliked saying unpleasant things to others. Therefore, when disputes arose, he tried to reach a conclusion that was as fair and impartial as possible, and in accordance with reason. That way, there would be no backlash.

Also, he always paid attention to coordination because he disliked disputes between officials handling state affairs that would disrupt the work.

As a result, he rarely stepped forward to express his opinion first. If Hwang Hee pointed out problems directly to Sejong when necessary, Meng Sasung was the type to offer solutions after a problem was discovered.

Even at the drinking party earlier, when a heated debate broke out, Meng Sasung diligently went back and forth between the ministers to calm the overheated atmosphere.

* * *

“He’s the perfect person for the Deputy Prime Minister position, if not the Prime Minister. Anyway… the ministers say they are having a hard time with overtime work, so how should we solve this? Would it be best to increase the concentration of work and process as much as possible in the shortest amount of time?”

Sejong was contemplating solutions to the ‘harsh working environment.’ However, most of the methods would have the ministers and officials begging for their lives if they heard them. The background for this was the gossip about Sejong that came out of the ministers’ drinking party earlier.

Sejong himself was not aware of it, but he was a man who held grudges.

* * *

“Your Majesty, shall we bring the Gyeju [leaders of Geomgye] back in?”

Brought back to reality by the Royal Guard Captain’s question, Sejong straightened his posture and answered.

“Bring them in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Soon after, the three Gyeju re-entered the room. Composing himself, Sejong continued the conversation with the Gyeju.

“Last time, I ordered you to keep a close watch on the artisans. So, what changes have you seen?”

“Not yet, Your Majesty.”

“Is that so? That’s fortunate. So, are there any inconveniences in carrying out the work?”

At Sejong’s question, the Gyeju’s faces brightened, and they answered immediately.

“We are short on people. Please allow us to increase the number of Gyewon [members of Geomgye].”

“Increase the number of people?”

At the Gyeju’s request, Sejong stroked his beard and organized his thoughts.

‘Come to think of it, the Geomgye [covert organization] suffered great losses in the process of suppressing the coup in the year of Gi-yu, didn’t they? But now, although they are listening to me, they are essentially pariahs… If I make a mistake, the security of Hanseong [capital of Joseon] could become a problem.’

In the end, Sejong asked the Gyeju directly.

“It’s not that I distrust you, but I am worried about the security of Hanseong, and I can’t shake the worry that your existence may be revealed due to imprudent people.”

“We will maintain that with our lives.”

“Is that so? But you see, as far as I know, the time when you lost the most people was in the year of Gi-yu. But why are you asking to increase the number of people now, when you haven’t asked until now?”

Sejong’s point was valid. At Sejong’s question, the Gyeju of the Bukchon Geomgye explained the reason.

“Although we lost many people in the Gi-yu incident, the remaining people were able to handle the work within the four gates [city walls]. However, to properly handle the work we have been entrusted with this time, people have to go all the way to Jemulpo [port city]. But there are too few people to do that.”

“I see.”

Sejong nodded at the Gyeju’s answer. With the creation of a branch in Shandong [Chinese province] and the establishment of maritime trade routes, Jemulpo was teeming with merchants from the Ming Dynasty [Chinese dynasty]. Not only merchants but also Chinese warriors who came to escort them were not few. Weapons were confiscated the moment they set foot in Jemulpo, but they could not be trusted.

Sejong, who was nodding at the Gyeju’s words, suddenly had another thought flash through his mind.

‘Wait, isn’t Jemulpo the only place where I’m worried about external spies? There’s also the Waegwan [Japanese trading post] in Dongnae [district in Busan] far away, and Gaeseong [city in North Korea] is still a bit unstable. In that case….’

Sejong, who was about to open his mouth, suddenly stopped.

‘But if I expand their power, will I be able to control them properly?’

Sejong, who was considering various scenarios, came to a conclusion.

“Good. I will allow it. But in addition to that, I will add an order.”

“If you add….”

The Gyeju swallowed dryly and looked at Sejong. This was because almost none of the orders given by Sejong were easy.

“While you are increasing the number of people and expanding your power, expand the surveillance network as well, first Jemulpo, Dongnae, and Gaeseong. Ultimately, it’s all over Joseon.”

“Jemulpo, Dongnae, Gaeseong….”

The Gyeju, who were repeating the areas that Sejong had prioritized, nodded slightly.

Jemulpo and Dongnae were full of Hwasang [Chinese merchants] and Waesang [Japanese merchants]. Therefore, there was no way there wouldn’t be spies. Finally, Gaeseong was the capital of Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty]. Although it has almost disappeared now, in the early days of Joseon’s founding, it was a place full of ‘anti-Joseon’ energy.

‘It’s not going to be easy, but if we do well, we can take control of Joseon’s nights!’

The Gyeju, who had finished calculating, immediately bowed their heads.

“We accept the order!”

“And one more thing.”

At Sejong’s words, ‘One more thing,’ the Geomgye’s Gyeju perked up. Seeing the faces of such Gyeju, the Royal Guard Captain sitting next to Sejong stealthily raised his hand to the hilt of his sword.

“Why? Is it difficult?”

At Sejong’s question, the Gyeju looked at each other and answered.

“No, Your Majesty.”

However, the atmosphere between the Gyeju continued to be fierce, and Sejong, who was watching the scene, asked a question.

“By the way, how do you decide on the Gyeju of the Geomgye?”

“The previous Gyeju designates before retiring, but ultimately, the Gyeju is decided through a duel between the nominee and the challenger.”

“So, the strongest guy becomes the Gyeju?”

“That is correct.”

“Then, if you are integrated into one organization according to my orders, will the three of you duel for the position of the leader?”

“Perhaps, that will happen.”

“It wouldn’t be a life-or-death fight, would it? If we have to fight to the death, the loss would be great….”

“Yes, life-or-death fights rarely occur. It is a loss to lose a skilled person who is qualified to be a challenger.”

“Is that so? Hmm….”

Sejong, who was examining the Gyeju who were wary of each other, opened his mouth again.

“Would it be okay if I recommend a candidate?”

“We will follow if Your Majesty designates.”

“No, we have to follow the rules. That way, there won’t be any trouble. I’m thinking of putting forward a suitable person to compete with you as a candidate.”

“If you mean a suitable person?”

When the Unjongga Gyeju asked cautiously, Sejong turned his head and looked at the Royal Guard Captain.

“Royal Guard Captain. You are the candidate.”

“I accept the order.”

As soon as the Royal Guard Captain’s answer came out, the Gyeju shouted at the same time.

“What the hell!”

“Huh?”

When the Royal Guard Captain’s face became fierce after hearing the Gyeju’s curse, the Gyeju immediately bowed their heads.

“The lowly ones made a mistake! Please forgive us!”

“Please forgive us!”

“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Your Majesty is too kind!”

Although they answered that they were grateful, the Gyeju were screaming inwardly.

‘Isn’t this too much!’

The nickname of the Royal Guard Captain sitting next to Sejong was a nickname that even the three-year-olds of Joseon knew.

The Royal Guard Captain’s nickname was ‘The Best Swordsman in Joseon.’

In the end, the Dadong Gyeju waved the white flag to Sejong.

“I will accept the Royal Guard Captain as the leader in this position.”

At the Dadong Gyeju’s words, Sejong shook his head.

“No, the rules are the rules! Shouldn’t we follow the customs?”

“There will be no one who opposes if the Royal Guard Captain becomes the leader.”

Even the Bukchon Gyeju stepped forward, but this time the Royal Guard Captain took the words.

“You never know. It is best to make a clear decision. And now I’m not the same as before, so who knows?”

“Surely….”

The Gyeju shook their heads at the Royal Guard Captain’s pretense and shouted inwardly.

‘Not the same as before, my ass!’