Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 200

200. The Beginning of Spring (5)

Kim Jongseo’s idea was quickly refined by the officials, though he remained the driving force behind it.

Accepting Kim Jongseo’s proposal, Hwang Hee said with a hint of warning,

“Your plan sounds plausible, and I’m willing to back it. But let me tell you, if you don’t execute it properly, your view of Gyeongbokgung [the main royal palace] from Hanseong will be brief before you’re sent packing.”

“Oh, my lord, I assure you, I’m taking this seriously.”

Hwang Hee scoffed at Kim Jongseo’s confident words.

“Humph! Is that so? Don’t forget who will be reviewing and approving this proposal. If you’re careless and it gets rejected, you’ll be on the next transport home.”

“Gulp!”

Kim Jongseo swallowed hard at Hwang Hee’s words. Knowing Hwang Hee’s personality, he was more than capable of carrying out that threat.

Seeing Kim Jongseo’s apprehensive expression, Hwang Hee continued,

“But, if you do a good job and get it approved, you’ll be stuck in Hanseong for a long time, preparing funds and managing the execution, right? How long do you think that will take?”

“At least a month…”

Kim Jongseo, blurting out the answer, replied nervously.

“Just entrust it to me! I won’t make you do it twice!”

“Do well. Your stay in Hanseong depends on your own two hands!”

“Yes, sir!”

Kim Jongseo felt a surge of enthusiasm, the first in a while.

After that, Kim Jongseo relentlessly pushed his subordinate officials until the proposal was finalized.

“You idiot! The numbers are wrong here!”

“Hey! I told you not to use Idu [a system of writing Korean using Chinese characters]!”

“Oh my~. Look at this rascal? Did you write this with your hands or your feet? Do I have to rewrite it myself?”

Kim Jongseo scolded his subordinates, using dialects he had picked up from officials across the country.

* * *

After about a month of preparation, Hwang Hee and Kim Jongseo returned to Hanseong with the proposal.

While surveying the northeastern region, they followed the east coast and passed through the Chugaryeong Tectonic Valley, which connects Wonsan and Cheorwon. Hwang Hee turned to Kim Jongseo.

“We’re currently planning to rebuild the road network throughout Joseon [the name of Korea during this period]. The path we took would be ideal for the northeastern region, wouldn’t it?”

Kim Jongseo nodded at Hwang Hee’s question.

“It’s much better than accidentally wandering into the mountains and becoming tiger food.”

“Record it.”

“Yes.”

At Hwang Hee’s command, Kim Jongseo took out a writing board and began to write. Having lived in the northeastern region for so long, Kim Jongseo’s writing was fluent even while riding a horse.

Hwang Hee, watching Kim Jongseo’s handwriting from the side, grumbled inwardly.

‘That guy… his handwriting looks bold and upright, but he’s so slippery in his actions…. How should I handle this….’

“Wow! Well written! A masterpiece!”

Kim Jongseo, oblivious to Hwang Hee’s worries, praised himself while admiring his writing.

At that sight, Hwang Hee looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

“Hoo~. How did I end up with a lifetime sentence with a guy like that…. How should I deal with these damn sons….”

Hwang Hee’s pity for his own miserable situation made his affection for his sons dwindle.

* * *

After experiencing various events, Hwang Hee’s group passed through Sukcheongmun, the north gate of Hanseong, and the cityscape of Hanseong came into view.

“Hanseong~ I’m back!”

Woof woof!

“Shut up!”

The sound of a dog barking came from a nearby thatched house at Kim Jongseo’s loud voice. Kim Jongseo, embarrassed by the sudden barking, shouted, and Hwang Hee next to him said,

“Stop talking to your friend and let’s go. We need to get to Gyeongbokgung before sunset.”

“Yes… Yes? My lord! Friend? Are you saying I’m a dog? Your words are a bit harsh!”

“Shut up!”

Continuing their banter, the two men headed towards Gyeongbokgung. The guards following them whispered softly from behind.

“They are a match made in heaven.”

“That’s right. Seeing them bickering like that every time, but still sticking together every day….”

* * *

“Hmm….”

Sejong [the king] hummed as he examined the report submitted by Hwang Hee. He had already listened to the verbal explanation with the ministers, but he was reviewing it again while looking at the actual document.

After reading it all, Sejong closed the book and looked at the ministers. Seeing Kim Jeom looking into the distance and calculating something with his fingers, Sejong muttered softly.

“I roughly have an answer….”

However, since there was a procedure, Sejong cleared his throat loudly.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Gathering the attention of the ministers with his cough, Sejong brought up the main point.

“What are your thoughts?”

After taking some time to organize their thoughts, the ministers began to speak one by one in response to Sejong’s question.

“In my opinion, it is a sufficiently good idea.”

“I also agree. The Jurchens [nomadic people living in Manchuria] are inherently rough people, and if their lives are unstable, they will immediately reveal their ferocious nature. It will cost a considerable amount of wealth, but stabilizing the lives of the Jurchens and subduing them is definitely not a loss.”

The ministers evaluated that the proposal brought by Hwang Hee was useful.

At the ministers’ evaluation, Sejong turned to Hwang Hee.

“I will accept the proposal you brought. Immediately consult with the ministers of the Six Ministries to determine the scale of the necessary resources. You have come a long way, so take a day off first and then start working.”

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”

At Sejong’s command, Hwang Hee bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude. It was good that he accepted the plan made by Kim Jongseo, but he was most grateful for being given a day of rest.

It was the same for Kim Jongseo.

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”

Sejong smiled and opened his mouth at Kim Jongseo’s loud expression of gratitude.

“Are you Kim Jongseo?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I have heard rumors.”

Sejong, looking at Kim Jongseo with a subtle smile, continued.

“As long as you keep within reasonable bounds, I won’t say anything.”

“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless!”

* * *

‘The Hanseong’s boozer has returned!’

Kim Jongseo’s return was immediately known in the gibang (courtesan house) district.

“Which house will he go to first this time?”

The gibang touts looked out onto the street, waiting for Kim Jongseo to arrive.

Not long after, Kim Jongseo appeared in the gibang district and shouted loudly.

“I have returned!”

“Oh, sir! Welcome!”

“Sir! Come to our house today!”

“No, come to our house first!”

Kim Jongseo looked back at Hwangboin, who was accompanying him, surprised at the more intense solicitation than expected.

“It seems like the solicitation has gotten worse?”

“The economy isn’t good in this neighborhood either.”

“Huh?”

Hwangboin explained the reason to Kim Jongseo, who was tilting his head.

“The officials don’t have time to go to the gibang because they are working.”

“Ah….”

Kim Jongseo, nodding at Hwangboin’s explanation, dragged Hwangboin into his regular gibang.

“It’s been a while, so bring a well-prepared table!”

“Yes, sir!”

Shortly after, the table was set, and a gisaeng (female entertainer) entered. Hwangboin, who had started to drink after the gisaeng’s performance began, frowned.

“The alcohol is weak! Bring it properly! Otherwise, I won’t pay the bill!”

“Oh my! Yes, sir!”

The ginyo (female entertainers) quickly moved and began to change the alcohol pot at Hwangboin’s scolding.

“Huh? Isn’t this the original taste?”

Hwangboin replied briefly to Kim Jongseo’s question after tasting the alcohol in the glass.

“You may not know, but I have to go to the office tomorrow. To avoid getting scolded for being even a little late, I have to eat quickly, get drunk quickly, and sleep quickly.”

“Huh….”

Kim Jongseo shook his head at Hwangboin’s explanation.

“Alcohol should be enjoyed leisurely….”

“If you want to survive in Hanseong, you’ll have to get used to it.”

Kim Jongseo’s face was filled with a sense of loss at Hwangboin’s answer.

‘The Hanseong life I imagined is not like this….’

As an aside, drinking strong alcohol to get drunk quickly and end the session has become a tradition and bad habit passed down among Joseon officials.

Just as sailors and lower classes in the Age of Exploration sought rum to get drunk quickly at a cheap price, Joseon officials sought strong alcohol.

* * *

Hwang Hee, having secured the resources with Sejong’s approval, set out with Kim Jongseo again on the way back to the northeastern frontier.

“No, did you hate leaving Hanseong that much? Why do you look like you’ve lost everything?”

At Hwang Hee’s question, Kim Jongseo replied in a gloomy voice.

“Well….”

When Kim Jongseo told him about his experiences at the gibang, Hwang Hee laughed.

“You rascal! Do you know what people are saying in the court these days? It’s ‘There are no people!’ Meaning there aren’t enough officials to handle the workload. To the point where the ministers of the Six Ministries gather and critique every petition that comes up? There are no people, and they are rushing to do things, so how can they have time to drink leisurely?”

“Still, alcohol should be….”

Hwang Hee cautiously brought up a different topic, seeing Kim Jongseo’s still disappointed expression.

“Certainly… alcohol tastes better when you drink it leisurely. In that sense, wouldn’t it be good to have a drinking party in the frontier? The alcohol is a bit rough, but if you go to Gilju, there is also decent clear rice wine.”

“That’s true….”

Kim Jongseo unknowingly nodded at Hwang Hee’s words. The work in the frontier was hard, but the drinking parties still had a sense of elegance.

“Right? So how about it? Let’s settle down in the northeastern region this time. Soon, we’ll be pioneering the virgin lands to the east….”

“I absolutely can’t! I’m going back to Hanseong as soon as the frontier is cleared!”

Kim Jongseo strongly refused before Hwang Hee could even finish his words. At Kim Jongseo’s reaction, Hwang Hee clicked his tongue and muttered.

“Too bad…. I almost got him….”

* * *

With the funds supported by the central government, Hwang Hee and Kim Jongseo soon created a new organization.

‘Manpower Support Center’

After creating the organization and assigning officials, Hwang Hee and Kim Jongseo began recruiting manpower from the Jurchens who had surrendered.

“So, you’re saying you’ll pay wages?”

“That’s right! That’s not all. You can learn how to farm while assisting with reclamation work and agriculture, and if you go out to road construction and learn civil engineering skills, you can get a job right away!”

Many Jurchens looked tempted by the official’s sweet talk.

There were quite a few Jurchens who farmed, but their farming methods had hardly developed from the old Samhan era [ancient Korean kingdoms]. However, Joseon farmers were in a more advanced situation.

Of course, it was all the same in Hyang’s eyes, who had experienced the 21st century.

In addition, the number of Jurchens applying was increasing because the government guaranteed wages.

This solved the problem of survival, which was the biggest challenge the Jurchens faced while wandering. Therefore, many Jurchens, regardless of gender, sought out the Manpower Support Center.

The existence of the ‘Manpower Support Center’ was also a great help to the farmers who had moved up due to the resettlement policy.

The area of farmland received by each farmer’s household was an average of 2 gyul [unit of land measurement]. Converting this area to majigi (traditional Korean unit of area) is about 60 to 80 majigi (12,000 to 16,000 pyeong [another unit of area]).

They received as much as they could out of greed for land, but it was very difficult for one household to reclaim it. The country provided agricultural cattle or horses, but it was still too much.

It was also a problem even if they worked together with neighboring farmhouses because the area to be reclaimed increased in proportion to the increase in manpower.

At this time, the Jurchens supported through the Manpower Support Center were of great help. The Jurchens were tough, having endured harsh environments.

They worked with gestures because they did not communicate well, but before they knew it, the Jurchens and Joseon people were reclaiming farmland while having conversations mixed with Jurchen and Joseon languages.

Through the reclamation of farmland and the expansion of irrigation facilities, the frontier in the northeastern region was gradually transforming into the appearance of Joseon.