Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 14

Jjanggeura

Hello, Bomb!

Germination… Carcinogenesis? (7)

“Secondly, we must obtain a decree prohibiting excessive demands for goods from envoys coming to Joseon.”

“Oh?”

“Heup!”

Hyang’s statement surprised Sejong, while the officials turned pale.

Amidst the frozen atmosphere, the Minister of Rites raised his voice.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince! The second request is impossible! No, it is impossible!”

“Why is it impossible?”

The Minister of Rites immediately responded to Hyang’s question.

“Our nation, Joseon, has a relationship of serving the great with Ming [China during that period]. It is not proper for a country that offers tribute to protest against the servants of a great power.”

“Why is that impolite? Isn’t it more immoral for the servants of a great power to oppress a small country? If you are true Sadaebu [Confucian scholars/officials], shouldn’t you properly point out immoral acts?”

“Those who come as envoys are eunuchs. They are the closest aides to His Majesty the Emperor! If they speak ill of our Joseon to His Majesty the Emperor, our Joseon will be in crisis!”

“Is our Joseon such a weak country? From what I have learned, the 100,000 Ming troops stationed in Liaodong are there because they are worried that our Joseon might invade the great power. Is our Joseon, which Ming is so wary of, a weak country?”

“That is….”

“And does the Minister view the Emperor of the great power as such a foolish person? To decide on war based on the flattery of a single eunuch?”

“That is…”

As the Minister of Rites was losing the debate, the Daesagan (Chief Censor) joined in.

“From ancient times, it has been the natural order for small countries to serve great countries. For a small country to act against a great country is to go against the natural order. If our Joseon goes against the natural order, Ming and Joseon will inevitably confront each other militarily. If this happens, we must expand our military force, which will not only waste talent but also place a heavy burden on the people. This is a shortcut to national ruin and abandoning virtue. Of course, I understand what Your Highness the Crown Prince is trying to say, but you are still young and may commit the folly of being penny-wise and pound-foolish…”

“Are you saying this is being penny-wise and pound-foolish! Every time a Ming envoy comes, I hear that the carts carrying the goods they plunder block the road for 5 li (approximately 2 kilometers)! The goods filling those carts are treasures plundered from our Joseon’s national treasury and the people’s granaries! Is this a small matter? If so, from now on, the Daesagan should be responsible for covering all the items every time a Ming envoy comes! The ancient sages said that the duty of the ruler and high officials is to ensure that the people are comfortable and not starving! Yet, you are fawning over a mere eunuch, allowing the people to be exploited and emptying the national treasury. Is that the benevolence and righteousness that Sadaebu have learned?”

Hyang, out of breath from speaking at length, paused to catch his breath and continued.

“And which of the two sages, Confucius and Mencius, told us to submit rather than serve?!”

“Your Highness’s words are a bit harsh! It’s not submission, but…”

The Daesagan, thinking Hyang had crossed the line, tried to retort, but Hyang immediately cut him off.

“I’m not finished! It is said that a great man resides in the wide house of the world, stands in the right place in the world, and walks the great path of the world! Which of these three does bowing and offering wealth to a mere eunuch fall under? And yet you call yourselves great men? In the old days, when the State of Qi threatened the State of Lu, Confucius bravely stepped forward, pointed out the injustice, and repelled them. Do you think your actions are the same as this?”

At Hyang’s criticism, the officials’ faces turned red. In a place where the king was present and the historian was recording everything, the Crown Prince was openly insulting them, saying, ‘You petty men!’

But Hyang’s remarks were not over. Hyang turned to Sejong and prostrated himself.

“Your Majesty, I beseech you! The most prominent officials have gathered here, but instead of risking their lives for the peace and stability of the nation and the welfare of the people, they only wish to wear silk robes, lie on golden bedding, and live out their natural lifespan! I will go as the chief envoy of this winter solstice embassy! I will go and petition the Emperor to stop the wrongdoings. Please grant me permission!”

“Crown Prince!”

“These officials gather and, whenever they open their mouths, call Joseon ‘Little China’ and do not hide their admiration for China. However, when it comes to developing our Joseon like that great country, they make all sorts of excuses and do nothing. How can this not be called hypocrisy? Father! That great country has been using coinage since the Song Dynasty, and the current Ming Dynasty not only uses coinage made of gold, silver, and copper but is also starting to collect taxes in gold and silver instead of goods! But what about our Joseon? Since the time of King Taejo, we have been trying to create paper money (Jihwa) to make it easier for the people to use, but we have only failed! Why is this? It is because the national treasury is weak! For this reason, I am trying to accompany merchants on the delegation to fill the national treasury! Only when the national treasury is strong can we relieve the starving people, circulate currency, and make our Joseon even more prosperous! I earnestly beseech you, Father! Please allow me to go as the chief envoy of this winter solstice embassy! Although I am only nine years old and my body is small, I am confident that my heart is higher than Mount Tai!”

“Crown Prince, the road to Yanjing [present-day Beijing] is long and arduous.”

Sejong tried to dissuade him, but Hyang did not stop his advance.

“When I read the history of the Western barbarians, there was a great empire called Rome. However, this Rome also started as a small town. But one day, the land split open, and a sacrifice was required for the founding of the nation. At this time, a young Roman nobleman declared that only a human could be a sacrifice for the founding of the nation and rushed in alone on horseback! Was it only the Western barbarians who did this? Look at the Hwarang [elite warrior youth group] who unified the ancient Three Han [ancient Korean kingdoms]. Not only Gwan Chang but also men from prominent families became Hwarang and were the first to rush into the land of death! Now, our Joseon’s situation is both a crisis and an opportunity! If we use this period well and overcome it, our Joseon will lay the foundation for a thousand years, and if we fail, we will decline into a small country on the periphery! Father! Please understand!”

“Return to your room.”

“Please understand!”

“I said return! Eunuch! The Crown Prince seems too excited! Take him to his room and let him rest!”

“Father!”

After Hyang disappeared, led away by the eunuch, Sejong glared at the officials standing like trees in the courtyard. Sejong’s eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at the officials.

“You petty men.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Are you truly Sadaebu and gentlemen! Even a child who is barely nine years old is willing to risk his life for this Joseon, and what have you been doing! Are you great men! Are you Sadaebu! Are you gentlemen!”

“Please kill us!”

Starting with Chief State Councillor Ryu Jeong-hyeon, the officials prostrated themselves on the ground and cried out for death.

“Is it over if you ask to be killed? Is it over if you ask to be killed! What country’s servants are you! You are truly deserving of the words ‘You yuksirhal nomdeul [a vulgar Korean curse meaning something akin to ‘damned bastards’]’ that street vendors would say!”

Sejong, who always spoke with courtesy and followed etiquette, threw etiquette far away and drove the officials with harsh words.

“Crown Prince, do you know how many hours a day that child sleeps? He doesn’t sleep more than three hours! A child who is barely nine years old is reducing his sleep and worrying about how to make this Joseon prosperous and the people comfortable, and what have you been doing! You rice-bucket eaters! You always looked for ways that things couldn’t be done rather than ways that they could be done! What else is that if not being a rice-bucket eater! What good is it if you are only big and your hair only turns white! You petty men whose hearts hold less meaning than a child!”

“Please kill us!”

“Instead of just asking to be killed, go and find an answer right now! If you can’t, I will kill you all as you wish! Get out!”

At Sejong’s roar, the officials quietly retreated. Meanwhile, the historian who recorded all of this added the following:

-Although the Crown Prince’s remarks were harsh, there was not a single mistake. Are the current State Councillors and Six Ministers of Joseon ministers of Joseon or ministers of Ming? In accordance with the words of the sages, they should be forgetting sleep and meals for the sake of national peace and security, but instead, they are busy wearing silk robes (明紬官服) to the court and lying on silk bedding (明紬衾枕) to sleep. In this situation, the Crown Prince’s remarks are cathartic (痛快) itself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hyang, who had returned to his room and sent away the eunuch, took a long breath.

“Hoo~. Shit! I went on a rampage (暴走)!”

After watching the behavior of the officials in the Sejong’s residence for a long time, the situation in 21st-century Korea overlapped at some point. Then Hyang went on a rampage.

“I have to prepare to go to Ming… Going to Ming is not in the plan…”

Hyang, anticipating the situation that would arise from his rampage, scratched his head nervously and came to a conclusion.

“It’s a rampage! Either my shins will be cut off, or the officials will be cut off, one of the two!”

Having made a decision, Hyang shouted outside.

“Eunuch!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“I need to prepare to go to Ming!”

“Yes?”

“Pack your bags!”

* * *

Upon hearing the news that ‘The Crown Prince is packing his bags!’, Sejong jumped up from his seat.

“Why is that child packing his bags?”

“That is… He said he would go to Ming right away… He said that if he thought about the country and the people, he couldn’t delay even a moment…”

At the eunuch’s answer, Sejong burst out of the hut (草幕).

“I’ll get that son of a bitch!”

Junggungjeon (Queen’s Residence).

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!”

“What is it that makes you so noisy?”

Queen Soheon, who was reading a pyesul (稗說, unofficial history/fiction) obtained through a court lady, wore a puzzled expression at the words of the head court lady who had rushed in.

The head court lady, barely catching her breath, which had become rough from hurrying, opened her mouth.

“The Crown Prince is saying that he is going to Ming and is preparing now!”

“The Crown Prince to Ming? Why? Ming is not a neighborhood right next to Hanseong [old name for Seoul], and why would a mere nine-year-old go?”

“He said that the envoys from Ming are excessively exploiting the people, and he will stop it… When the officials said it was unreasonable, he said he would go himself…”

Before the head court lady could finish speaking, Queen Soheon rose from her seat and ran outside.

Crash!

“Your Majesty!”

“Get out of the way!”

Queen Soheon, opening the door as if to break it before the court ladies could even open it properly, grabbed the hem of her skirt with both hands and began running barefoot through the palace.

“You bitches! What are you doing! Escort the Queen! Your Majesty!”

“Yes, yes!”

The head court lady, running out barefoot after Queen Soheon, shouted at the court ladies who had frozen like statues and began running after the Queen.

* * *

“Hoo~, who should I recommend as the chief envoy?”

Minister of Taxation Kim Jeom was worried about who to recommend as the chief envoy for the winter solstice embassy. Normally, he might have recommended himself, but this time it was absolutely not an option. If he made a mistake, his head could be cut off by the Yongle Emperor, and conversely, if he returned without properly accomplishing the task, his head would certainly be cut off.

“Who would be good…”

As he was repeatedly contemplating, the Minister of Personnel rushed in with a pale face.

“Minister! Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!”

“What is it that makes you act without dignity (體統) like that?”

“Dignity is not the issue now! Something terrible has happened!”

“Have the Jurchens moved? Or the Japanese pirates?”

“It would be fortunate if it were the Jurchens or the Japanese pirates! The Crown Prince has moved!”

“The Crown Prince?”

“The Crown Prince is packing his bags to go to Ming right now!”

“What!”

Thump!

At the words of the Minister of Personnel, Kim Jeom jumped up from his seat. The chair he had been sitting on rolled far away in the commotion, but Kim Jeom left the Ministry of Taxation without even having the leisure to pick up the chair again and began running towards the palace.

End