Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1184

1184. The Task He Left Behind (4)

-It is said that the late Taesang Emperor’s reply is unprecedented!

Before long, rumors like this began to spread throughout Gyeongbok Palace and Yukjo Street [the main administrative avenue of the Joseon Dynasty].

Those who heard the rumors all had sparkling eyes and chattered non-stop.

“What is there to worry about with the Taesang Emperor?”

“Of course! I’m really looking forward to the day I get to read that reply!”

However, those who knew the inside story to some extent sighed.

“Hoo~. I don’t know the content yet, but it’s certain that the *amount* is unprecedented, right?”

“I’m worried about how much mental energy the content will consume. Wasn’t the one who wrote the reply the Taesang Emperor?”

“I’m really worried.”

Hyang clicked his tongue at these stories and grumbled.

“Tsk! I just wrote it in an easier way to understand, so the amount increased, but you’re worrying unnecessarily! Ha! Thinking about it, it’s unfair! I wrote *more* when I worked on Hunminjeongeum [the Korean alphabet] with the late Emperor! What do you mean unprecedented? This is why the words ‘these days kids’ or ‘back in my day’ come out!”

While Hyang was making such old-fashioned complaints, Woo was sighing.

“Haa~, as expected, each character is meticulously selected, and each phrase is like a string of pearls. Truly, there is no omission in finding the problem and no blockage in presenting the answer, as befits the Taesang Emperor! Haa~. But, that’s the problem.”

Woo evaluated Hyang’s reply with words full of admiration and regret.

“I have been trained by the Emperor since I was young, so I can quickly recognize the surface and inner meanings of the sentences written by the Taesang Emperor, but those who only see the sentences are likely to only know the surface meaning. Of course, even knowing only the surface meaning is a great answer, but the inner meaning is the highlight….”

Unable to hide his regret, Woo read the reply again and soon made a decision and stood up.

“I have no choice but to ask for another difficult favor. Hey! I’m going to Sugang Palace! Prepare!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Hearing that Woo was visiting, Hyang, who greeted Woo at Sugang Palace, sat opposite Woo and asked a question.

“So, did you read the reply well?”

“Yes. I read it well.”

“How was it? I’m worried that it might have just strained your eyes.”

Woo waved his hand dismissively at Hyang’s humility and replied.

“Ah, no. It was truly like rain during a drought!”

“Thank you for seeing it favorably. So, what brings you here today? I’m curious.”

At Hyang’s question, Woo hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“That is…. It’s really presumptuous, but I’m thinking of holding a lecture on this reply, and I’d like you to be in charge of the lecture at that time.”

“Lecture? Hmm…. It’s a very easy-to-understand article, but do we need a lecture?”

“There are really many stubborn people who only understand it literally.”

“That’s why I wrote it in an easy way?”

“There are more than a few people who can’t apply anything other than what the Taesang Emperor mentioned.”

At Woo’s words, Hyang nodded silently and grumbled inwardly.

‘Bureaucracy is the oldest evil habit in the East and West….’

Hyang, who was enthusiastically criticizing ‘bureaucracy’ and ‘non-action,’ accepted Woo’s proposal.

“Hmm…. I know what the Emperor is worried about. Then, let’s do this. First, how about letting the officials read the reply and then holding a lecture?”

“That would be good.”

“In addition, open all the windows and doors of the lecture hall so that anyone who wants to listen can listen. Ah! If necessary, let them ask questions.”

“Are you saying that even those with ranks below Isagwan [a relatively low-ranking official position] can ask questions?”

“That’s right.”

Hyang, who answered immediately, smiled playfully and continued.

“How about fishing for a while after a long time?”

At Hyang’s words, Woo clapped his knees and exclaimed.

“That’s a great idea! I’ll do that!”

From the day Hyang and Woo conspired, the printing room of Gyeongbok Palace began to work all night.

“How many copies should I print?”

“I think we should print about 200 copies first.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“It’s the Emperor’s order.”

“I will obey the order!”

The eunuch who delivered Woo’s order handed over Hyang’s reply. The head printer of the printing room, who respectfully received Hyang’s reply, hurriedly opened the reply.

“This is….”

The head printer, who was looking at the letters densely filling the thin paper, looked worried and looked at the typefaces.

“If we make a mistake, we’ll run out of typefaces. Hey, guys!”

“Yes, sir.”

The head printer, who had gathered the printers, showed them the reply and said.

“We have to print 200 copies from now on! If we make a mistake, we may run out of typefaces, so be careful! In particular, if you combine the fonts incorrectly and make typos, I’ll scold you so hard that you’ll cry!”

“Yes! Sir!”

The printers, greatly answering to the head printer’s scolding, looked at Hyang’s reply with nervous expressions.

‘We are printing a document written in the handwriting of the Taesang Emperor! In addition, we have to print 200 copies of that large amount! If we make even a small mistake, 10 years of study will be in vain!’

The printers, who were very nervous, carefully proceeded with the typesetting, and the head printer also carefully inspected it.

The printed matter that came out after such efforts consisted of three volumes, unlike the original.

This is because it was clear that the cost could not be covered if it was made of Seonik paper [high-quality paper] like the original, so it was printed on general government paper. Government paper also boasted excellent quality, but it was thicker than Seonik paper, so it was impossible to bind it into one volume.

“No, it is possible to bind it into one volume, but if we did, we would have a weapon that could be used as a weapon.”

Anyway, the carts carrying Hyang’s replies printed in that way ran through Yukjo Street.

“Heo~.”

“Hiccup!”

The officials who received the replies often sighed or hiccuped because they were so dumbfounded by the amount.

“Did you all receive it? I’ll give you five days! Read it all in five days and prepare for the lecture.”

“What about the tasks we’ve been assigned during that time?”

“Are you saying you’re not going to do it?”

“There’s no time….”

“You won’t die if you don’t sleep for five days. I’ve been through it all. And, do you think you’re the only one working? I work too! I have to read all of this while working too!”

In addition, the female officials added these words.

“I even raised children there. Where are you groaning? Back in my day….”

“I’ll get started right away!”

While the officials of Yukjo Street were silently screaming at the unexpected disaster, Hyang also began to prepare for the lecture.

“Is it a presentation for the first time in almost 100 years? What a hardship to be old….”

Hyang, who was muttering with a bitter smile, soon burned with determination.

“I’ll show you what a presentation is after a long time! Is there an eunuch outside!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Call people right now. There’s a lot to do, starting with the production of the track! Ah! Tell the Taesang Emperor to come too!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Wan, who ran at Hyang’s call, froze at the sight of the work site.

“I’ll refine the writing and take overall inspection, so you supervise the work.”

“M, me?”

“Do some filial piety after a long time.”

“It’s unfair! Anyone who hears it will think I’ve only been unfilial!”

“Is this rebellion because you’re old? You son of a b*tch! Do as I say!”

“…Yes.”

Wan, who stuck out his lips as much as his age, began to proceed with the work, using eunuchs and artisans.

* * *

Fifteen days later, a lecture was held that would be recorded in the history of the Empire and the world.

In the front yard of Geunjeongjeon Palace [the main throne hall of Gyeongbok Palace] in Gyeongbok Palace, countless tents were set up and seats were laid out.

Good quality mats were laid out in the places where high-ranking officials attending the lecture were seated, and straw mats were laid out in the places where low-ranking officials or scholars from the research institute were seated.

Moreover, Woo opened the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace wide so that anyone who wanted to could come in and listen to the lecture. Of course, they had to pass a thorough physical examination that made them swear.

And, before long, the road leading to the front yard of Geunjeongjeon and the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace was crowded with people.

It wasn’t just inside the palace.

Many people set up camp outside Gyeongbok Palace and pricked up their ears, and those with good voices volunteered to take on the job of Byeonsa [storytellers], informing those gathered outside of the contents of the lecture.

“The Taetaesang Emperor is here!”

“The Taesang Emperor is here!”

When the eunuch announced the appearance of Hyang and Wan, those who had gathered in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon and the passage of Gyeongbok Palace all rose from their seats and paid their respects.

Hyang and Wan, who received the salute, took their seats, and the eunuch then announced the appearance of Woo.

“His Majesty the Emperor is here!”

In response, Hyang and Wan also rose from their seats and paid their respects to Woo, and Woo also politely returned the two people’s salutes.

And with Woo taking his seat, the lecture began.

* * *

As Hyang sat in the chair prepared for Hyang, who was the speaker, the waiting eunuch brought a large funnel-shaped megaphone and installed it.

“Can you hear me well?”

“I can hear you well!”

Hearing the answer, Hyang soon began the lecture.

“In order for the Empire to continue to prosper in the future, the most correct answer is to uphold the national policy of Hongik Ingan [benefit all mankind]. However, the meaning of this Hongik Ingan is so great that it is rather difficult. So, contrary to the saying ‘look at the forest, not the trees,’ let’s look at the trees first, not the forest. This is also the reason why I am giving this lecture today.”

Huang paused here and looked at the people. Huang, who was watching the people writing down Huang’s words with gold pens or sharp pens, took a light breath and continued.

“First of all, let’s start with the personnel section, as the saying goes, ‘personnel is everything’.”

Hyang’s words that followed can be summarized as follows:

-To interpret the meaning of Hongik Ingan in personnel matters, the first things to be careful about and to be observed are fairness and recognition.

-In order for all personnel matters to be carried out smoothly, reward and punishment must be observed.

-And in order to keep this, fairness must be observed first.

-Even if the same achievement is made, if the reward for it differs depending on who the person is, and even if the same punishment is given, if the punishment differs depending on who the criminal is backing, who will believe in and follow the country? Therefore, fairness must be observed.

-Next, the things to be careful about and to be observed are recognition. This recognition is not one thing but two things.

-The first recognition is the affection between people. People can live beautifully like people only if there is this affection.

-If there is no recognition, the Tao [the natural order of the universe] will also lose its light and become barren.

-If that happens, fairness will turn into harshness.

-The second recognition is recognition in the sense of certainty, and the important thing is the same.

-This recognition is to recognize experience.

If a person devotes his life to one thing, and if the thing he devotes himself to does not deviate from the Tao, his experience should be recognized and respected. This recognition will be the greatest force that will allow the Empire’s life to continue to roll forward without stopping or declining.

-Because this recognition must be well established in order for the Empire’s population not to decrease and continue to increase.

When Hyang’s words reached this point, about half of those who had already read the reply and about 50% of those who were listening to the story outside Geunjeongjeon tilted their heads and expressed their doubts.

At this sight, Hyang, Wan, and Woo’s expressions turned a little bad.

‘No, is half of them already eliminated?’

‘Did I write it that difficult?’

Huang, who was slightly worried, continued the explanation again.