Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 125

Jjangra

Hello, Night.

125. Currency

Sejong 11 (1429, Gi-yu Year)

As the latter half of the reformation began, not only Sejong but also the court officials and administrators felt a subtle tension.

The reason Sejong, his ministers, and the administrators were all tense was that it was finally time to reorganize the administrative structure in earnest.

To ensure smooth progress, the scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon [Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute], as well as the Six Ministries, were reviewing and revising plans day and night.

“The ultimate goal of the reformation is for as many people as possible to have a stable livelihood (恒産 [Hengchan, stable property]) and escape from poverty.”

“Indeed.”

Sejong nodded at the explanation of Byeon Gye-ryang, the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon. Sejong’s eyes, as he looked at Byeon Gye-ryang, were filled with worry.

‘Grand Scholar Byeon has become very weak…….’

* * *

Byeon Gye-ryang, who was appointed as the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon in the second year of Sejong’s reign, had completely established himself as the head scholar as Sejong proceeded with the reformation.

As Byeon Gye-ryang continued to hold the position of head scholar, the work of the Jiphyeonjeon gained definite continuity.

Although all sorts of scandals and rumors swirled around his personal life, Byeon Gye-ryang was able to serve as the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon because he was academically outstanding.

Later, as Sejong’s reformation progressed, the chief councilors and ministers of the Six Ministries looked at Byeon Gye-ryang with envious eyes.

This was because Byeon Gye-ryang, as the head scholar, was able to avoid the storm of bribery and corruption.

He had to return the lands he had received from the previous kings, but in a way, thanks to his position as the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon, which could be considered a sinecure, he did not have many gifts coming in.

“If he didn’t have such a petty character, he would have been worthy of a chief councilor.”

“It is because of his petty character that he is the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon.”

Despite these rumors, Byeon Gye-ryang did his best as the head scholar of the Jiphyeonjeon. His petty nature played a significant role in meticulously and thoroughly researching policies. Of course, doing things so pettily and meticulously had the disadvantage of narrowing his vision, but he also had the quickness to make corrections when pointed out.

Of course, the scholars of the Jiphyeonjeon had to endure constant scolding every time.

For Byeon Gye-ryang, with his petty personality, the task of researching and improving the reformation policies was a considerable burden.

Thanks to this, while other officials of similar age were thriving, Byeon Gye-ryang was rapidly weakening.

* * *

‘I should start preparing for Grand Scholar Byeon’s successor.’

Thinking about a successor to the weakened Byeon Gye-ryang, Sejong asked a question.

“The ultimate goal is that, but there are many things to be resolved before that.”

“That is correct. The Jiphyeonjeon, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel believe that the priority of two issues must be decided first.”

At Byeon Gye-ryang’s answer, Sejong looked at the ministers of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, who were present, and asked a question.

“What are the two issues?”

Kim Jeom immediately answered Sejong’s question.

“Currency and administrative reform. The question is which of the two should be implemented first for efficiency.”

At Kim Jeom’s answer, Sejong stroked his beard and asked.

“Wasn’t it decided that the administrative district reorganization would be carried out first?”

“It was, but the situation has changed.”

“The situation has changed?”

“Yes. When the reformation was first planned, it was decided to reorganize the administrative districts and then enforce the circulation of currency.”

“That’s right. Wasn’t the reason for doing so because there had been continuous attempts to use currency, but resistance was severe?”

Kim Jeom immediately answered Sejong’s point.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“But now the situation has changed?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Why? No, how? No… no… Did encouraging commerce and industry change the situation?”

At Sejong’s question, Kim Jeom answered with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“That is also a reason, but some rather absurd things have made the people demand currency.”

“Absurd things?”

“Bathhouses and fried chicken (鷄炸 [gyeja, literally ‘chicken fry’]).”

“Huh…….”

At Kim Jeom’s answer, Sejong looked dumbfounded.

“What on earth do bathhouses and fried chicken have to do with currency… No, wait… The Crown Prince mentioned bathhouses, didn’t he?”

As Sejong recalled what Hyang had said, Kim Jeom immediately answered.

“That is correct. During the restoration of the Great Fire of Hanseong, he said that the construction of bathhouses would create a need for currency.”

“Yes, he did. Indeed… I thought it was highly likely, but I didn’t expect to see results so quickly.”

At Sejong’s words, Byeon Gye-ryang joined the conversation.

“It seems that many people have responded to the Crown Prince’s claim about ‘public sanitation.'”

“Public sanitation?”

“To be exact, it is soap (肥皁, 비누 [binu]).”

Sejong became more and more puzzled by the increasingly incomprehensible answers.

* * *

While restoring the area that had been reduced to ashes by the Great Fire, Hyang installed bathhouses and held briefings on the importance of ‘public sanitation,’ gathering not only the royal physicians but also the doctors in Hanseong and the military doctors belonging to the Ministry of War.

He held these briefings not just once, but repeatedly before the start of the rainy season and after the rainy season ended.

The royal physicians and military doctors, who already knew about Hyang’s actions and had read the translated versions of the Western medical books that Hyang had obtained, immediately accepted Hyang’s claims.

As a result, the hygiene conditions in the palace and the military improved, and the number of people suffering from infectious diseases—mainly skin diseases—in the palace and the military decreased significantly.

Civilian doctors who saw these actual effects also began to take an interest in the ‘importance of public sanitation’ and began to emphasize cleanliness to the common people.

Just in time, the 51st District released soap on the market, and people began to pay attention to cleanliness.

“It’s a bit of a hassle, but if you just wash your hands well like this, you can prevent minor illnesses.”

As people paid attention to cleanliness, the popularity of bathhouses gradually increased.

Although quite a bit of time had passed, the early Joseon Dynasty still had strong traces of Goryeo, so the lack of resistance to bathing also played a part.

As bathing became popular in the redevelopment area, the demolition of buildings and the construction of bathhouses became frequent in other areas of Hanseong.

And at the entrances of these bathhouses, in addition to receiving bath fees, they also sold soap. Therefore, it was common for many people to go to the bathhouse ‘while they were out buying soap.’

When soap was first released on the market, people reacted by asking, ‘What is this thing for?’ but they rejoiced at the various uses of soap.

It was not only useful for cleaning the body, but many women cherished soap as if it were a sacred object because they could clean dishes cleanly with a loofah lathered with soap.

As soap became widely used, various problems arose, and these problems led people to demand currency.

The first problem pointed out was the lifespan of soap. The biggest enemy of soap was moisture. Although moisture was removed as much as possible during the soap production process, soap was always used near water, so the consumption rate was quite high.

Therefore, soap was purchased in large quantities through bathhouses, stores, or peddlers, but since there was no packaging to block moisture like in the 21st century, it often melted when it came into contact with moisture in the air—especially during the rainy season.

As a result, people living in urban areas purchased soap in small quantities, one or two at a time, from stores or bathhouses, but the problem was that the price was low.

If they offered cotton cloth as payment for one or two soaps, it would be the size of a rag, so most of them paid with grain, but grain was also a headache.

The same was true for bathhouse fees. It was a small amount that even ordinary people could afford once a week, so it was cumbersome to pay with cotton cloth or grain each time.

As a result, the residents of the neighborhood where the bathhouse was located created a ledger and enjoyed bathing on credit. The problem was when settling the expenses processed on credit. Disputes frequently arose over ‘Did you do it or not?’ every time they settled accounts every half month or month.

In the end, people came to the following conclusion.

“Hey, damn it! Let’s just use money, whether it’s Tongbo [currency] or Gyochyo [currency]!”

“That would be better!”

* * *

“The need for currency has emerged from a truly unexpected place.”

At Kim Jeom’s report, Sejong expressed his feelings with a still dumbfounded expression.

The ministers, including Kim Jeom, nodded at Sejong’s words.

“Then is fried chicken for the same reason?”

At Sejong’s question, Kim Jeom immediately bowed his head and answered.

“That is correct. Fried chicken was also not expensive, so there was a lot of demand, and as a result, people began to talk about the inconvenience.”

At the ministers’ words, Sejong made a nasal sound and fell into thought.

“Hmm…”

Sejong, who had been silently organizing the situation, looked at the ministers and opened his mouth.

“Listening to you now, it seems that you want to prioritize the circulation of currency, although you say that the priority must be decided. Is that correct?”

The Chief State Councilor stepped forward to answer Sejong’s question.

“That is correct.”

“What is the reason?”

“It is because the people are talking about the inconvenience. Inconvenience turns into dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction can easily turn into rebellion (叛心 [bansim, rebellious heart]).”

At the Chief State Councilor’s statement, Sejong tapped the armrest with his fingers and fell into thought.

After pondering for a long time, Sejong asked a question.

“I will ask you.”

“Please ask.”

“It seems that the people who want to use currency now are mainly those who live in urban areas. Is that not so?”

“No, it is true that most of them live in urban areas.”

“How widespread are bathhouses and fried chicken shops?”

“They have spread to almost all urban areas with a population of 5,000 or more.”

“A population of 5,000 or more… Then have they spread to almost the county (郡 [gun]) level?”

“That is correct.”

“But aren’t there overwhelmingly more people living in small villages than those living in such urban areas? Are those living in such places also in favor of using currency? Are we making a hasty decision based solely on the words of those living in urban areas?”

Sejong could not hide his worries and continued to press.

Sejong also felt the need for currency use and wanted it more earnestly than anyone else. However, he also knew well that the reason why successive kings had promoted currency use but failed each time was because the people did not respond.

Therefore, Sejong could not readily accept the ministers’ opinions.

As Sejong continued to hesitate, Kim Jeom stepped forward and reported.

“According to reports from the monopoly offices, the demand for currency is gradually increasing even in small villages below the Hyeon [smaller administrative unit] level. Of course, it is not yet the dominant trend…”

Sejong’s face gradually brightened at Kim Jeom’s report. However, Sejong scrutinized the matter carefully.

“It is welcome that the demand is increasing even in small villages below the Hyeon level. However, it can be dangerous if we do not properly understand the reason why such demand is increasing. Have you received a report on the reason?”

“Yes.”

At Kim Jeom’s gesture, a revenue official waiting in the back came forward with a tray holding a book.

As Sejong received the book through the court attendant, Kim Jeom continued.

“As you can see in the book, the peddlers who travel around the markets in such small villages strongly want to use currency. This is because the cotton cloth or grain they receive as payment is burdensome.”

“Peddlers alone are not enough.”

“Farmers also want it. This is because it is not easy to preserve grain.”

“Hmm…….”

Listening to Kim Jeom’s explanation, Sejong carefully read the report. Sejong, who read Kim Jeom’s report from beginning to end, came to a conclusion.

“I understand your opinions well. However, I cannot make a decision right away. The reason why we pay more attention to small villages in the provinces during the reformation process is to break down the authority of the king and the court and to break down the obedience to the authority of the landowners and the gentry of the villages. Only by breaking this down can we pursue the public good (公利 [gongni, public benefit]) that allows as many people as possible to enjoy a peaceful life. Therefore…”

Sejong paused for a moment. As Sejong paused, the ministers focused their attention on Sejong.

Sejong, who had gathered the attention of the ministers, came to a conclusion.

“A hasty decision is worse than no decision at all, so contemplate further.”

The ministers bowed their heads at Sejong’s decision.

“We obey your command.”

“Then, let’s take a break for a while.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After sending the ministers out and sitting alone in the main hall to organize his thoughts, Sejong called Sangseon.

“Sangseon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Bring the Crown Prince.”

“Yes.”

While Sangseon, who received Sejong’s order, found another eunuch to convey the order, Sejong muttered softly.

“It’s not time for this kid to rule as regent, but I should give him some homework. The time when he could only do what he wanted is over…….”