Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 651

651. Diaspora (2)

A single volley of gunfire was all it took for the disobedient residents to understand the seriousness of their situation. As quickly as their rebellion had begun, they were kneeling on the ground, clasping their hands and wailing.

“再給我一次機會(Give us one more chance)!”

“我會做任何事情(We will do anything you ask)!”

Despite their pleas, the administrator remained unmoved.

“His Majesty has already granted you three opportunities, which you rejected. There will be no more chances! You have one *sh辰辰* [two hours] to settle your affairs!”

At his firm words, the residents tearfully rose and began walking towards their homes. Only the families of those killed in the gunfire remained in the open space.

“Remove the bodies,” the administrator ordered.

The families of the deceased cautiously carried away their loved ones, avoiding the soldiers’ gazes.

They began preparing to move, but their pace was slow, clinging to a last shred of hope. Their movements were sluggish.

Seeing this, the Imperial Army commander ordered his subordinates:

“Start a fire!”

Soon, a large bonfire blazed on one side of the open space. The commander then issued another order: “Once the time is up, set fire to the homes of the disobedient!”

“Yes!”

Hearing the order through the interpreter, the village chief desperately raised his voice. “Pack your things quickly! The soldiers are going to set fire! Hurry! Hurry!”

Having already witnessed bloodshed, the people understood immediately and began packing their belongings in a frenzy.

After the allotted two hours, the commander gave the order: “Set it ablaze.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers began setting fire to the wooden pillars and rafters of the homes. The dry wood, parched after winter and into spring, ignited instantly. Residents rushed out, carrying their belongings.

As they emerged, soldiers with torches went inside, setting fire to everything left behind.

Against the backdrop of rising black smoke, the disobedient residents, gathered once more in the open space, stared at the Imperial Army soldiers with terrified eyes.

“Everyone is out, sir,” the village chief reported.

Hearing this through the interpreter, the administrator issued his next order: “Gather all the men, regardless of whether they are remaining residents or malcontents. Once they are gathered, have them dig up all the graves where the ancestors of the malcontents are buried.”

“Yes?” The village chief, hearing this incomprehensible and deeply disturbing order, looked troubled. The administrator continued: “His Majesty has decreed that no trace of those who refuse to live as subjects of the Empire will be tolerated. Therefore, dig up the graves and cremate all remains. As a final act of mercy, we will provide urns for the ashes.”

“… Yes.”

Following the administrator’s order, the village chief mobilized the men to dig up the graves of the disobedient residents’ ancestors. The remains were cremated.

Given the number of remains, the cremation would take considerable time. However, the meticulous Empire had already prepared a large supply of firewood.

Thanks to the oil-soaked and dried firewood, the cremation was completed quickly, and the ashes were placed in urns.

Once the remains were collected, the disobedient residents were forced to leave the village immediately.

Guarded by the Imperial Army, the departing residents repeatedly looked back, shedding tears.

* * *

This expulsion, marked by bloodshed, took place throughout the Yo-ha region.

“The number of those expelled and moving towards Shanhaiguan is approximately 1.2 million. We expect the final number to reach about 2.4 million,” Kim Jong-seo reported.

Hearing this, Hyang smiled faintly.

‘They don’t even treat them like people.’

Even as an Empire, Joseon still maintained distinctions in the units used to count people.

員 (Won) was used for high-ranking officials, 人 (In) for ordinary or lower-level officials, 名 (Myeong) for commoners, and 口 (Gu) for slaves.

Kim Jong-seo, however, used none of these. It implied that while they weren’t treating them as animals, they weren’t treating them as people either.

Composing himself, Hyang nodded and replied, “Thank you for your hard work. Please encourage those working in the field to continue their efforts.”

“I obey the Imperial command.”

As Kim Jong-seo finished, Minister of Education Lee Sa-cheol raised a concern. “Your Majesty, expelling those impudent individuals from Bukji who refuse to accept the Empire’s rule is a fitting measure. However, digging up the graves of their ancestors is, upon further consideration, excessive.”

Hyang firmly replied, “As I have said before, it is not excessive at all. Why should the roots of those who do not belong in the Empire remain within its territory? Judging by their behavior, they will try to return, using those graves as an excuse. Does that seem reasonable to you?”

“However, exhuming ancestral graves without permission is a grave breach of etiquette…”

“It’s not as if we’re exhuming corpses for posthumous punishment, so do not worry. I repeat, we must not make the mistake of leaving the roots of those who do not belong in the Empire. Throughout history, the Zhongyuan [Central Plains, referring to China] people invariably insist that anything good is unconditionally theirs, and they exploit any opportunity to satisfy their greed. Therefore, it is best to prevent such things from happening in the first place. We must eliminate any possibility of such claims, even after a hundred years, even after a thousand years.”

As an aside, Hyang’s words proved prophetic.

Centuries later, many Chinese people petitioned the Imperial government to reside in the Empire’s northern territories without foreign screening, claiming ancestral ties to the region. These requests flooded in, but the Imperial official in charge gave a simple answer: “Since there are no household registration records, we do not recognize it.”

* * *

While many in Bukji headed towards Shanhaiguan with tears of regret, others changed their perspective.

“This… this is a chance to make a lot of money!”

Those who saw opportunity in crisis immediately visited the land department of the local government office.

“What brings you here?”

“I would like to lease more farmland.”

“You want to lease more farmland?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

* * *

After the Gyeongjang reforms, based on the Wangtosasang [“land belongs to the king” ideology], all land in Joseon became the property of the king. This applied even to large landowners who had owned land for generations. Whether they were large landowners or self-sufficient farmers with a small patch of land, they were only granted lease rights.

Based on this, the court made it impossible for landlords to arbitrarily raise tenancy fees.

-You are also in a position of leasing, so where are you acting high and mighty! Return the land!

This naturally caused a backlash. However, the Giyu Rebellion allowed Sejong to sweep away these rebellious forces on a large scale and establish this system.

Hyang, who had given Sejong this idea, whistled softly. “This will make it difficult to play real estate games now.”

This system was applied to all regions of the Empire.

* * *

Those who learned about this system saw an opportunity in Bukji.

“The land is already cultivated by the idiots who were just kicked out! You don’t have to suffer while cultivating! If you miss this land, you are the biggest idiot in the world!”

The sadness for those who had lived next door until yesterday vanished, and the remaining residents visited the land department, dreaming of becoming wealthy farmers.

* * *

While many in Bukji dreamed of becoming rich and frequented government offices, others dreamed of wealth through violence.

While the expulsion was underway, Minister of National Defense Min-shin submitted a report to Hyang.

“What is it?”

“An unsavory incident has occurred in Bukji.”

“An unsavory incident?”

Hyang’s face twisted as he read the report.

“There are people who deserve to be torn to pieces!”

The report detailed the following:

– During the expulsion and escort to Shanhaiguan, some killed the disobedient and concealed their property.

– The ringleader was Hong Yun-seong, who, with other military officers, mobilized subordinates to carry out these acts.

– So far, approximately 2,000 disobedient people are estimated to have died in this manner.

Bang!

Hyang slammed the desk and raised his voice. “Have you ever seen such damned bastards! Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, listen! Investigate thoroughly, as there may be others who have committed similar acts!”

“We obey the command!”

“And convey my orders again! ‘This is an effort to ensure the Empire’s well-being! However, anyone who tarnishes the Empire’s name and harms its well-being will be severely punished!’ Convey that exactly!”

Hwang-hui and the other ministers bowed their heads in unison. “We obey the command!”

“Hoo~.”

Hyang took a long breath, barely suppressing his anger. He looked at the report again, his eyes gleaming. ‘Hong Yun-seong? That Hong Yun-seong?’

“It says the ringleader is Hong Yun-seong, but who is he?”

“He is the second son of Hong Je-nyeon, and he became a military officer through the *eumseo* [privilege system based on family background]. He is said to be very greedy.”

“So, he committed such a terrible act….”

‘That’s the Hong Yun-seong. That bastard abused his power due to his greed and suffered all kinds of hardships after his death. Good! Let’s take care of one thing this time!’

Having reached a conclusion, Hyang asked Hwang-hui, “What punishment is appropriate in such a case?”

“Even though they disobeyed the Empire, they did not resist with force. Killing and plundering their property is a serious violation of military law, so capital punishment is most appropriate.”

Hyang nodded. “Have Hong Yun-seong, the ringleader, and his accomplices, regardless of rank, executed. Thoroughly investigate their property and return all concealed assets to the national treasury. And give all Imperial Army involved a warning.”

“We obey the command!”

Having issued the order, Hyang looked bitter and muttered inwardly. ‘This will add to my infamy. Hmm…. I should leave an excuse.’

“I order the historians and scribes.”

The historians and scribes looked at Hyang with tense faces. ‘Do we have to go out again?’

However, Hyang’s next words were different. “The historians and scribes must record the expulsion in Bukji and what happened today without omission, including these words of mine. Future generations may see this expulsion as excessive, but it is an unavoidable measure for the Empire’s well-being. I have handled this fairly with the appropriate standards for this time, so I hope that future generations will not judge it arbitrarily with their own standards.”

The historian, who had recorded up to that point, added the following words:

-… As the Emperor said this, I record everything without omission.

The historian says:

It is natural for the people of the Empire to follow the Empire’s laws, systems, and Imperial commands.

As the saying goes, if you don’t like the temple, the monk should leave. It is natural to force them to leave if they insist on neither following nor leaving.

He also gave appropriate punishment to those who committed outrageous acts.

What’s the problem?

However, in later years, progressive historians around the world criticized this expulsion, along with Sejong’s *Hwacheok* [outcast group] policy, as inhumane.

Scholars on the opposite side refuted this criticism. “Didn’t you read the Veritable Records? Are you illiterate?”

Meanwhile, other scholars pondered Hyang’s remarks and shook their heads. “A figure from centuries ago had already foreseen this situation. Is he even human?”