Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 219

219. Changing People (2)

The road paving of local cities, which had started and steadily progressed, faced a significant change in the year of Gyeongseul (1430), the 12th year of King Sejong’s reign.

The construction of a national road network connecting Hanseong [present-day Seoul] to the entire country had begun. The initial step was to build major roads extending from Hanseong to the east, west, south, and north.

Through the construction of these major roads, large cities in the provinces began to be connected, facilitating trade and communication.

In this process, an entirely unexpected area emerged as a transportation hub: Wonsan.

Wonsan, previously a small village under Deokwon-bu, which had been renamed from Uiju (宜州), a name from the Goryeo Dynasty, was elevated in rank by five levels to Wonsan-mok [a higher administrative division].

“Is the court mad?”

“Where even is Wonsan?”

“Why Wonsan? Is there a hidden gold mine there or something?”

The people were naturally curious about the reason for Wonsan’s sudden promotion.

However, it wasn’t long before the people—especially the merchants—discovered the reason.

While Gangneung, the largest city on the East Sea [Sea of Japan] coast since ancient times, required crossing the treacherous Taebaek Mountains, Wonsan was relatively easier to reach. In addition, the port being built in Wonsan quickly attracted the attention of merchants.

“A harbor blessed by nature!”

Thanks to the natural breakwater formed by the Wonsan Peninsula, the port being built in Wonsan was remarkably safe from storms, a crucial advantage for maritime trade.

Merchants, having confirmed that the roads and sea routes connecting to the newly developed northeastern region, as well as the untapped lands to the east, would originate from Wonsan, moved quickly to capitalize on the opportunity.

“We must go and secure a prime location first!”

Thus, Gangneung and Wonsan would inevitably engage in fierce competition for the coveted position of the central city in the East Sea region.

* * *

This rapidly changing Joseon was not beneficial for everyone.

In August of the year of Gyeongseul, all the gisaengs [female entertainers] in Hanseong submitted a joint petition to the court.

“How can such an outrageous thing happen! For lowly gisaengs to dare submit a petition!”

The officials who received the petition were outraged, denouncing it as an act of impudence. However, King Sejong reacted differently.

“Gisaengs are also citizens of Joseon, and therefore entitled to submit petitions if they deem it necessary. Bring it to me.”

“Your Majesty, it is merely a letter from lowly gisaengs. It will only sully Your Majesty’s eyes.”

The ministers tried to dissuade him, but Sejong remained firm.

“Do they not know their place? Yet they still submitted a petition, which suggests there must be a genuine grievance. Bring it here.”

At Sejong’s insistence, the Royal Secretary reluctantly submitted the gisaengs’ joint petition to the king.

Sejong, having received the petition, immediately unfurled the scroll.

“The handwriting is truly beautiful and elegant. I do not know which gisaeng penned this, but they wrote it exceptionally well.”

Admiring the calligraphy of the petition, Sejong soon began to carefully examine its contents.

Excluding the customary greetings and praises for the king, the main content was a complaint about the increasing difficulty of making a living.

-These days, the officials of the court rarely frequent the gibangs [gisaeng houses].

We, lowly gisaengs, entertain banquets with the songs and dances we have diligently learned since childhood, and we earn our livelihood from the patronage we receive through our efforts. However, the number of people visiting the gibangs has drastically decreased, and even when they do come, they only focus on quickly getting drunk, making it exceedingly difficult for us gisaengs to sustain ourselves.

When we inquired with the visiting officials about the reason for this decline, they stated that it was because they were burdened with an excessive workload and granted very few days off.

We have heard that Your Majesty is a wise and benevolent ruler who always seeks the well-being of all people. Although we are lowly gisaengs, we are also citizens of Joseon, so we humbly beseech you to increase the number of days off for the officials to alleviate our hardships.

“Hmm…”

Sejong, having read the gisaengs’ joint petition, stroked his beard thoughtfully. After a moment of contemplation, Sejong handed the petition to the Chief Eunuch.

“Let the Chief Eunuch read it aloud so that everyone may hear it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the Chief Eunuch finished reading, Sejong turned to the ministers and asked,

“What are your thoughts on this matter?”

“…”

The ministers did not answer Sejong’s question immediately. They themselves had reduced their visits to the gibangs due to sheer exhaustion from their demanding schedules.

In the end, the ministers could only offer a vague and dismissive response.

“It is merely the shortsighted perspective of the gisaengs. Please do not concern yourself with it.”

Sejong’s expression revealed his displeasure with the ministers’ answer.

“The petition clearly stated that they do not visit the gibangs because they are burdened with excessive work and granted few days off. As far as I am aware, the officials are entitled to a considerable number of days off?”

“…”

At Sejong’s pointed remark, the ministers fell silent once more.

* * *

In fact, Joseon officials were guaranteed a substantial number of holidays.

Basically, the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 23rd of every month were designated as non-working days. This was similar to the 6-day work week system prevalent in 20th-century Korea.

They also had days off corresponding to the 24 solar terms [divisions of the solar year in the traditional East Asian calendar]. (Note 1)

The same applied to major holidays. They were granted 7 days off for Lunar New Year, 3 days for the Great Full Moon Festival [Daeboreum], 3 days for Dano [a traditional Korean festival], and 1 day for Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving]. (Note 2)

In addition, each government agency had holidays established according to its internal regulations. For example, Sungkyunkwan [the Royal Academy] had holidays on the 8th and 23rd of every month. (Note 3) Those working at the Hyangdo Research Institute [local research centers] were given a day off every 10 days.

Combining these various instances often resulted in consecutive holidays lasting several days.

Therefore, the Seowoongwan [astronomy and calendar office] was crowded with officials every New Year, all seeking to calculate the potential for extended consecutive holidays created by combining legally mandated holidays, solar terms, and agency-specific holidays.

* * *

Knowing this well, Sejong questioned the validity of the claim that there were not enough holidays.

“Are there truly not enough holidays? Or have they forcibly reduced the holidays they should rightfully be enjoying?”

The Chief State Councilor, Yi Jik, took the lead in responding.

“The holidays have not been reduced, Your Majesty.”

“Then are you implying that there are still not enough holidays? As far as I recall, the holiday system remained consistent during the reigns of the previous kings, yet such a complaint never arose.”

“Your Majesty is correct. The reason why this situation has occurred is…”

Yi Jik paused for a moment, took a deep breath, closed his eyes tightly, and continued with a hint of resignation.

“The officials are simply overwhelmed with an excessive amount of work!”

‘Poison or the Records Office? Let’s just see what happens!’

Yi Jik answered with a sense of reluctant acceptance of whatever consequences might follow. Sejong asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Too much work?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, there is!”

“Even though we have significantly increased the number of officials?”

“For every official added, two or three more tasks invariably arise!”

“Hmm…”

Sejong stroked his beard at Yi Jik’s report.

“Does that mean we need to further increase the number of officials in the court?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, that is precisely correct! This is absolutely essential for the smooth and efficient progress of the reforms!”

“It seems as though we have already increased the number substantially? If we also consider the increase in local officials…”

“We need to increase it by at least 30%!”

“Then the budget…”

When Sejong mentioned the budget, Kim Jeom stepped forward.

“Of course, it is undeniable that there is currently limited room in the budget! However, the national wealth of Joseon is steadily increasing, so if we can maintain this positive trajectory, we can certainly afford to increase the number of officials!”

“Isn’t that not an easy task?”

This time, Heo Jo stepped forward at Sejong’s remark.

“Your Majesty, increasing the number of officials also provides opportunities to those who have historically faced discrimination. It opens the door wide to those who have been barred from holding office due to their status as illegitimate sons or their origins from the Northwest region, so what could be more beneficial than this?”

“That is indeed true.”

Sejong took a step back when Heo Jo, who was in charge of personnel management in the court, stepped forward to advocate for the increase. Witnessing this, Maeng Sa-seong stepped forward as well.

“Your Majesty, your servants pledge to dedicate their utmost efforts to the enrichment and strengthening of Joseon that Your Majesty so fervently desires. However, there is an inherent limit to what can be achieved with a limited number of personnel. Therefore, we must definitively increase the number of officials. Your Majesty! Your servants will diligently govern the lower-ranking officials and provide unwavering assistance to Your Majesty above! Therefore, we implore you to grant the replenishment of personnel!”

“Please grant it!”

All the ministers gathered in Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of Gyeongbok Palace], regardless of their rank, prostrated themselves on the floor and earnestly requested the increase in the number of officials.

At that sight, Sejong replied in a solemn voice.

“Since your intentions are so resolute, I will place my trust in you. However, there are limitations to the available finances, so let us implement this expansion in stages.”

“Your Grace is boundless!”

“Also, convey my intentions to the gisaengs who submitted the petition. Assure them that better days will come if they persevere for just two or three more years.”

“We will obey Your Majesty’s command!”

“And since the number of personnel will continue to increase, we don’t need to increase the number of holidays, correct?”

“Yes? Yes…”

The ministers, who had paused momentarily at Sejong’s words, soon bowed their heads and answered in unison. Hearing their response, Sejong wrapped up the matter in a much brighter tone.

“Very well, then let us handle this matter in that manner! What is the next item on the agenda?”

“Next is…”

The historian who meticulously recorded all of these events added the following note:

-…Thus, the King decided to replenish the workforce, but resolved to maintain the existing practice regarding holidays.

The historian then added a personal comment:

Giving three in the morning and four in the evening [an idiom for deceitful trickery].

* * *

In the end, the replenishment of manpower was officially decided. However, since the implementation was to be phased in over time, the officials of the court were compelled to continue working overtime.

One late night in August, bright lights still streamed from the offices along Six Ministries Street [the main government district].

“What time is it now?”

One of the officials in the Ministry of Taxation, who was struggling with numbers using an abacus and counting sticks, raised his head and spoke wearily. Starting with him, the other officials began to stretch their backs and voice their exhaustion one by one.

“It’s already past 10:30 PM…”

“Already? Time certainly flies when you’re drowning in paperwork.”

“I know, right? And there’s still a mountain of things left to process…”

A rumbling sound emanated from the stomachs of the officials who were lamenting the still-remaining workload.

“How long has it been since we last ate dinner…”

“It’s been quite a while. By the way, I’m definitely feeling hungry.”

“The restaurants are all closed by now, and if we venture outside, the city gates will be locked due to the curfew…”

While everyone was complaining about their hunger, one of the officials reached for a basket wrapped in cloth. The official who untied the cloth and opened the lid of the basket frowned in disappointment.

“As expected, the rice has gone bad! Damn it!”

The official who confirmed that the rice he had bought had spoiled grumbled in frustration, and a colleague next to him remarked,

“Wouldn’t it be more surprising if the rice was still fine in this sweltering heat?”

“That’s true, but…”

In the end, to soothe their bodies exhausted from working overtime and to distract themselves from their hunger, the officials began to engage in casual conversation.

They chatted about various topics, but the persistent feeling of emptiness inevitably led the topic of conversation to food.

“Ah~. At times like this, the Tangguk [beef soup] from Myeongwol Gwan [a famous gisaeng house] is absolutely perfect.”

“Tangguk from Myeongwol Gwan? Is it really that delicious?”

The person who mentioned Myeongwol Gwan nodded enthusiastically at his colleague’s question.

“They simmer the beef bones to perfection, add thinly sliced meat and noodles, and top it with fresh green onions! The milky white broth is an absolute masterpiece!”

“Gulp!”

The officials who were listening intently to the description swallowed their saliva in unison. Unknowingly, the conversation continued to revolve around the tantalizing Tangguk.

“A glass of alcohol alongside that Tangguk is simply divine! Clear rice wine complements the hot soup beautifully, and so does milky rice wine! Kyaa!”

“Stop it! You’re making me even hungrier!”

The person who had initially mentioned Tangguk immediately raised his hand in apology at his colleague’s sharp reaction.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

The situation was temporarily diffused, but soon one or two people began to voice their hunger once more.

“By the way, I’m genuinely starving.”

“It was a mistake to forget to buy something to eat before the curfew while we were working.”

* * *

As the officials of the Six Ministries routinely worked overtime every day, a new scene began to unfold on Six Ministries Street.

A group of merchants started appearing to coincide with the time when the officials were typically leaving work. These merchants sold엿 [Korean taffy] or rice cakes to the officials who were still working late. Because the city gates were locked as soon as the curfew was imposed, it became common practice for officials who had to work overtime to purchase late-night snacks from these merchants.

However, those who missed the opportunity due to an overwhelming workload, like on this particular day, had to resort to drinking water or tea to quell their empty stomachs.

* * *

One of the officials, who was grumbling while clutching his empty stomach, suddenly blurted out a suggestion.

“Shall we order some?”

“Order some?”

“We could send someone to Myeongwol Gwan and have them bring us Tangguk, couldn’t we?”

“But it’s curfew.”

“We can obtain a night pass.”

“Ah!”

The officials who recognized the loophole immediately sprang into action.

They quickly issued a night pass, confirmed the number of people who wanted to partake in the late-night snack, and then dispatched a servant to Myeongwol Gwan.

“Oh, dear…”

The head gisaeng of Myeongwol Gwan, who received the servant’s message after he arrived panting from Six Ministries Street, wore a troubled expression. However, the head gisaeng soon made a decisive decision.

“What can’t we do in these difficult economic times? Wait just a moment!”

It was at that moment that Joseon’s first food delivery service was born.

* * *

Note 1) The Academy of Korean Studies. [http://story.ugyo.net/front/sub01/sub0103.do?chkId=S_KSH_0021]

Note 2) Wikipedia. [https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%8C%80%ED%95%9C%EB%AF%BC%EA%B5%AD%EC%9D%98_%EA%B3%B5%ED%9C%B4%EC%9D%BC]

Note 3) Naver Blog. [https://m.blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=kstudy0700&logNo=220695565729&proxyReferer=https:%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F]