Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 130

Jjanggeura

Hello, Bomb!

130. The Female Slave (2)

‘I received the order, but the easiest way is the best. Then… a preliminary check is essential!’

Hyang, who was pulled away just as he was about to enjoy ‘Hyang’s Happy Time,’ immediately began checking the preconditions.

“First, I was thinking. What if a privately owned female slave marries a commoner? Shouldn’t she be required to notify her master and receive a document proving the master’s permission? And in the case of government-owned female slaves, shouldn’t they receive a permit from the relevant government office?”

Heo Jo immediately responded to Hyang’s words.

“In the case of private female slaves, the ‘master’ will never give permission. It’s likely private female slaves will never be able to marry in their lifetime.”

Hyang nodded in agreement to Heo Jo’s answer.

“I suppose so.”

“And in the case of government-owned female slaves, they will not *want* to get married.”

“Pardon?”

“A significant number of government-owned female slaves are women from noble families.”

“Ah…….”

At Heo Jo’s response, Hyang trailed off and nodded, understanding dawning on him.

* * *

When officials or members of the Sadaebu [Scholar-officials, the ruling class] committed serious crimes—mostly treason—their families and relatives were implicated and ruined.

Adult men were typically executed by beheading or hanging, while young boys and women usually became government slaves.

Thus, many of the women from noble families who became government slaves maintained their chastity—at least outwardly.

The same was true for women who were given to meritorious subjects instead of becoming government slaves, or who became private slaves for various reasons.

These women, whose status had been reduced to that of commoners, remained chaste in the faint hope of ‘restoration’ to their former status.

Since the family of Sim On, King Sejong’s father-in-law, had been reinstated early in Sejong’s reign, except for Sim On himself, they clung to this faint hope.

And they maintained their chastity to try and achieve that hope.

* * *

After listening to Heo Jo’s explanation, Hyang organized his thoughts for a moment and asked another question.

“Although Father has issued a royal decree, it will not be easy considering the opposition from the owners of the slaves. Then, as a second-best option, what if all children born between commoners and female slaves are automatically made government slaves?”

Heo Jo immediately replied.

“Private slaves all *desire* to become government slaves. Even now, many private slaves are flooding in, hoping to become government slaves. So, of course, they will all be desperate to find commoner husbands to become government slaves.”(Note 1)

“Heo…….”

Hyang looked dismayed at Heo Jo’s answer.

After being stunned for a moment, Hyang quickly regained his composure and replied to Sejong.

“Since I have received Father’s command, I will do my best as a subject to find an answer.”

“I trust in the Crown Prince.”

“I will dedicate my life.”

Hyang, answering as if vowing to himself, bowed to Sejong and left Gangnyeongjeon Hall.

Sejong, watching Hyang’s departing figure, asked Heo Jo after Hyang had completely disappeared.

“Suppose… if we had not carried out the reforms and the Crown Prince had not shown such outstanding talent, what would have happened?”

Heo Jo remained silent for a moment at Sejong’s question before opening his mouth.

“I am afraid to say… if that had happened, I, no, all the officials would have insisted on the Slave Mother Inheritance Law. Because if we didn’t, the possibility of Joseon falling into civil war would increase.”

“Civil war…….”

Sejong murmured with a bitter face.

‘If it were Minister Heo, it would be understandable.’

Heo Jo was a well-known principle-ist [a person who strictly adheres to principles]. The principle he valued most was ‘the peace of Joseon.’ To this end, he was the one who insisted that even laws that were considered unfair should be enforced. That was why he had strongly advocated the ‘Law Prohibiting Commoners from Filing Lawsuits.’

According to that principle, when Ryu Jeong-hyeon’s case occurred, Heo Jo initially supported Ryu Jeong-hyeon but later changed his direction to support Sejong.

When Sejong trailed off, Heo Jo became even more serious and advised.

“Your Majesty, it is not too late even now. You must deal with Grand Prince Yangnyeong.”

“He is still my brother, and now that we are carrying out reforms, the public sentiment is with me, and the Crown Prince is showing outstanding abilities, so let’s move on.”

“…I obey your command.”

When Sejong decided to bury the matter of Yangnyeong, Heo Jo had no choice but to accept it.

It was the king’s order.

‘A subject can advise, but he must not recklessly pressure the monarch.’

This was Heo Jo’s second principle.

* * *

“Slaves…….”

Hyang muttered softly as he returned to his room in Donggungjeon Hall.

“Shall I prepare your bath?”

Hyang replied briefly to the eunuch’s question.

“I have work to do. I will sleep alone for the time being. Tell them that.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hyang’s lips were sticking out a mile as he gave the order to the eunuch.

“Just try to say something about me being late in producing an heir. I’ll overturn everything.”

Hyang, left alone after sending the eunuch away, sat at his desk and muttered.

“Slaves… it’s really not easy. Frankly, it’s the economic base and military foundation of the local magnates, Sadaebu, and Sarim [local scholarly elite]……”

Confirming the current situation, Hyang grumbled and recalled the words of Teacher Samcheonpo after a long time.

-The Joseon Dynasty is the most researched because there are many historical records other than the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Thanks to that, the figures of the Joseon era are overflowing with supporters and detractors.

Shall we go back in time, starting from the recent past?

First, Mr. Lee Myung-bok and Mrs. Min Ja-young [King Gojong and Queen Min].

Whether they made every effort to protect the country during the imperialist era, or whether they were delusionalists who dreamed of reviving the outdated autocratic monarchy and the power of in-laws, there are many opinions.

Above them is King Jeongjo, who is debated whether he was a reformist monarch or a master of staged performances.

King Yeongjo, who is a strong suspect in his brother’s death and a power-addicted person who killed his son, or a veteran politician who maintained a delicate balance of power.

King Gwanghae, whether he was a madman or a master of balanced diplomacy during the Ming-Qing transition.

The most famous of these are Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who sparked controversy over whether he was a national hero or an over-packaged figure because the military regime supported him, and General Won Gyun, who, on the contrary, is said to have been excessively criticized.

And recently, people have started to criticize our ‘Sejong the Great.’

The main things that those who criticize King Sejong bring up are the ‘Law Prohibiting Commoners from Filing Lawsuits,’ the ‘Slave Mother Inheritance Law,’ and the ‘Forced Immigration Policy.’ Based on these, those who criticize King Sejong evaluate him as follows.

‘An absolute monarch and a saint for the haves.’

But you know what?

If he only cared about the haves, why did he create Hunminjeongeum [the Korean alphabet]? If it was easier for the haves, the best thing to do would be to make all the lower classes ignorant, so why did he create Hunminjeongeum?

Because of intellectual vanity, wanting to show off his good head? Do you think this makes sense? Don’t you feel like something is out of sync?

* * *

“Is it ultimately a compromise for the sake of political stability?”

Hyang muttered with a serious face as he recalled the words of Teacher Samcheonpo.

According to Teacher Samcheonpo’s ‘self-proclaimed nonsense,’ the ‘Law Prohibiting Commoners from Filing Lawsuits’ and the ‘Slave Mother Inheritance Law’ were created by a compromise between the Joseon royal family, who came from northern warlords, and the powerful figures in the southern region of Joseon.

The ‘Law Prohibiting Commoners from Filing Lawsuits’ was created by King Taejong, who strengthened the royal authority, and King Sejong to extend the central power to the provinces.

The local magnates in the granary area, who had lost their military base due to the abolition of private soldiers and the conquest of Tsushima Island, had to accept the Law Prohibiting Commoners from Filing Lawsuits.

On the other hand, the local magnates, who accelerated the annexation of land by taking advantage of the consecutive years of famine from around the time of King Sejong’s enthronement – Teacher Samcheonpo cited those who aggressively accumulated wealth during the IMF crisis as an example – pushed for the ‘Slave Mother Inheritance Law,’ which Sejong had no choice but to accept.

Teacher Samcheonpo, who told his own nonsense in this way, concluded as follows.

-King Sejong inherited the strong royal authority of King Taejong, but why did he have to be pushed back like this just over 10 years later? First, the problem of the Jurchen in the north, and second, the primitive land transportation problem in Joseon at the time.

If an anti-government movement involving the use of force were to occur in the south, it would be difficult to arbitrarily withdraw the military power concentrated in the north, and even if we were to move and suppress the troops scattered in the southern region, it would be difficult to meet the time properly due to the terrible road conditions. Then the damage on both sides will only increase.

So, they made a kind of agreement. With the ‘Slave Mother Inheritance Law.’ ‘We will guarantee your interests to some extent. So listen to the central government.’

Hyang smiled wryly as he reflected on Teacher Samcheonpo’s words.

“Come to think of it, every time that guy spouted nonsense, it was so plausible that we wondered if he was an alien……”

Hyang continued, chuckling as he thought of Teacher Samcheonpo.

“Looking at the current situation, I wonder if he was really an alien.”

* * *

The next day, Hyang, who went to work in Area 51, looked for Jang Yeong-sil.

While waiting for Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang muttered softly.

“It’s a cliché, but I have to do what I have to do.”

After a while, Jang Yeong-sil, who had been called, bowed politely to Hyang.

“Your Highness, did you call me?”

“It’s been a while, Vice Director Jang. So, is the Anyeo project going well?”

At Hyang’s question, Jang Yeong-sil’s face turned pale, and he immediately knelt down.

“I am sorry! We have not yet produced any useful results.”

Hyang, smacking his lips at Jang Yeong-sil’s kneeling and confessing appearance, ordered.

“Get up. And sit in the chair, because we have a long story to tell.”

“Yes.”

Hyang, seating Jang Yeong-sil in the chair, checked the situation.

“It’s been quite a while since Anyeo entered development, right?”

“We are entering our second year.”

“But what’s the problem?”

“In order to be self-propelled, we need an engine to supply the power to move. Since the steam engine has not yet come out, we are researching the use of clockwork.”

“Wow…….”

‘He used that and broke the Anyeo and got his head cut off!’

“Clockwork is heavy, will Anyeo’s frame be able to withstand it?”

“So we are trying to make the frame out of iron.”

“Then, the weight…….”

Hyang, who was sharing his opinions on Anyeo, stopped talking urgently.

“No, no. This is not the urgent thing. The reason I called Vice Director Jang today is because of the order that His Majesty gave urgently.”

When Sejong was mentioned, Jang Yeong-sil immediately straightened his posture and became very nervous.

“Give me your orders.”

“We need to make a loom.”

“A loom?”

“That’s right. Looking at the current loom, a lot of human power and effort is required in the process of weaving cloth. Modify this to create a machine that weaves cloth and spins yarn using hydraulic or animal power.”

“Hmm…….”

At Hyang’s command, Jang Yeong-sil tapped the desk with his finger and pondered.

“Why, is it difficult?”

‘Do I have to step in again? I have so much to do…….’

When Hyang asked cautiously, Jang Yeong-sil shook his head.

“No, I need to see the loom in person and conduct research first, but I think there is a possibility.”

“Okay. I will arrange for a loom to be delivered immediately. I will give you one year for the development period.”

At Hyang’s words, Jang Yeong-sil replied with a troubled face.

“If you give me a little more time……”

“It’s a royal order.”

“…Yes.”

“Then go and prepare. I will send you a loom soon.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Hyang, who sent Jang Yeong-sil out, looked in the direction of Gyeongbokgung Palace and grumbled.

“How am I going to get the budget again…….”

* * *

Hyang, who passed the burden on to Jang Yeong-sil, locked himself in the archives and checked the records.

“It’s not easy to produce results with just the textile industry…….”

Hyang, rubbing his sore eyes while examining a huge amount of records, spread out a blank piece of paper and muttered to himself.

“If they insist that it’s property, I’ll have to treat it as property.”

* * *

Four days after receiving the order from Sejong and passing the burden on to Jang Yeong-sil, Hyang took a bundle of papers and visited Sejong.

“I think I have found the answer to the order Your Majesty gave, so I am reporting it.”

“Speak.”

Sejong and the officials focused their attention, waiting for the answer Hyang would give.

Hyang, standing in the center of Gangnyeongjeon Hall, took a light breath and opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty ordered me to find an answer to solve the problem of slaves. In my opinion, we need to combine several policies and devices to proceed.”

“We need to use several measures in combination…….”

When Sejong pondered Hyang’s words, Hyang immediately continued.

“Yes. But, first of all, it is important to secure a means of livelihood for those who have been freed, and to make those who own slaves realize that the more slaves they have, the more they lose.”

Hyang paused for a moment and looked at the officials before opening his mouth.

“The device for the means of livelihood is currently being researched in Area 51. And in order to change the perception of slave owners, I think we need to change the tax system.”

“Change the tax system?”

Hyang nodded at the officials’ question.

“Yes, they say slaves are property, so we have to treat them as property.”

* * *

(Note 1) Year 14 of Sejong (1432, Year of Imja)

This is an adaptation of the questions and answers between Sejong and his officials regarding the Slave Mother Inheritance Law and the Slave Inheritance Law, with Hyang as the main subject.