Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 238

238. The Start of School (5)

“Hiccup!”

After a jug of Takju [Korean rice wine] brought by the eunuch was emptied, and about a third of the newly brought Takju was gone, Chu finally couldn’t overcome the alcohol and started hiccupping.

Hyang smiled at the sight, and the eunuch watching the scene from the side was sweating bullets inside.

‘I feel it sometimes, but His Highness is truly a scary person!’

While drinking with Chu, Hyang was truly cunning. It seemed like they were emptying their glasses equally, but the amount Hyang drank was only about 2/3 of Chu’s.

However, even 2/3 was a considerable amount, but no signs of intoxication could be found on Hyang’s face.

‘Is it true that bloodline can’t be deceived?’

Taejo Yi Seong-gye [founder of the Joseon dynasty] was a strong drinker from the start.

Moreover, royal events always involved alcohol, and the alcohol used in such events was strong Soju (燒酒, distilled liquor).

Therefore, being strong in alcohol was one of the qualities that a king should possess.

And in that aspect, Hyang was showing definite qualities.

Anyway, seeing that Chu’s vigilance had crumbled due to the alcohol, Hyang slowly started to proceed with his plan.

“So, what’s your name?”

“My name? Just call me Chu. What’s the point of knowing the name of a lowly farmer?”

“I’m just curious.”

Chu, who was looking at Hyang with bleary eyes at Hyang’s words, replied.

“Han, hiccup! Han-soo is my name.”

“Han-soo, that’s a good name. Here, have another drink.”

After feeding Han-soo another bowl of Takju, Hyang asked what he was really curious about.

“By the way, Han-soo, why didn’t you send your children to the academy?”

“Hiccup! Ah! I’m going to send them, I tell you!”

“Sending them from now on is sending them, but why haven’t you sent them until now? That’s what I’m asking.”

At Hyang’s question, Han-soo picked up the glass in front of him and emptied it in one go. Seeing that, Hyang quickly refilled the glass.

Han-soo, who emptied three glasses in a row, breathed roughly and opened his mouth.

“Phew~. Your Highness the Crown Prince. What’s the point of children of a guy who farms a patch of land the size of his palm learning to read?”

“Who knows? Maybe they’ll have a talent for writing and do government work?”

“Puhahaha!”

At Hyang’s words, Han-soo laughed loudly and waved his hand.

“As expected, hiccup! Your Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t know the ways of the world…. hiccup! Phew~. You don’t know.”

“Doesn’t know the ways of the world?”

“Phew~. Do you know how expensive one book is with Confucius this and Mencius that, hiccup! is?”

“Ah….”

At Han-soo’s question, Hyang let out a short groan.

* * *

There were metal typefaces, but books were expensive items in both Goryeo [previous Korean dynasty] and Joseon. This was because the typefaces to fill the contents of the books were Chinese characters.

Chinese characters, which are ideograms (表意文字, meaning characters), had to be made into typefaces one by one.

Hyang created a rotary printing method that engraved letters on steel cylinders in units of pages, but the books printed in that way were all the books used in the Samin Academy [local village school].

In the end, books were still expensive items.

How expensive were they? Books like the Great Learning or the Doctrine of the Mean were worth two or three bags of rice.

In other words, to buy one book, you had to spend the yield of two to three fields of rice.(Note 1)

* * *

Seeing Hyang’s expression, Han-soo continued with a flushed face.

“Hiccup! Phew! This humble one, you see. Even though I look like this, hiccup! you see. When I was young, I heard people call me a prodigy, hiccup! Do you know how happy my father and mother were? Phew! But do you know what happens when the child of a family who lives by tenant farming is called a prodigy? Hiccup!”

“I don’t know?”

When Hyang pretended not to know, Han-soo raised his voice.

“The young masters of the landlord’s house ruined my father! They said the landlord scolded them for being worse than me!”

“Oh dear! Tsk tsk….”

When Hyang clicked his tongue, Han-soo beat his chest and burst into anger.

“Those kids whose blood hasn’t even dried! Hiccup! They were angry that they were scolded! They rolled my father in a straw mat! What crime did my father commit!”

Feeling suffocated by Han-soo’s wailing, Hyang emptied his glass in one go.

Still feeling suffocated, Hyang emptied three glasses in a row.

“Your Highness. You’re drinking too quickly.”

At the eunuch’s words, Hyang glared at the eunuch.

“If you were me, would you be able to stand not drinking?”

“….”

At Hyang’s question, the eunuch closed his mouth.

* * *

Having relieved his stuffy heart with Takju, Hyang asked Han-soo.

“Even if it’s tenant farming, it’s illegal to use violence against an innocent person. Did you report it to the authorities?”

“Pfft!”

Han-soo, who burst into laughter, emptied his glass and looked at Hyang.

“Your Highness. Phew! This humble one, you see. Hiccup! It’s like bragging about myself, but my father and I heard the words ‘He lives without the law.’…. Hiccup! But you see. Phew! As I live, I see that there are two kinds of people who live without the law.”

“Two kinds?”

“Yes. One is the guys who are safe even if they ignore the law. The other is the guys who also ignore the law. Hiccup! Which one do you think this humble one is?”

“….”

Hyang couldn’t answer and emptied his glass. Seeing that, Han-soo grinned and emptied his glass with him before continuing.

“Guys like this humble one are the ones who also ignore the law.”

“Wouldn’t you have to study hard to avoid such a situation?”

“Son of a bitch….”

When Han-soo uttered profanity, the eunuch next to him shouted.

“You scoundrel!”

“Stop it.”

When Hyang raised his hand to stop the eunuch, the eunuch said to Hyang.

“Your Highness! That lowly guy is talking to Your Highness….”

“He’s drunk. He’s just drunk on alcohol and anger. Just stay still.”

“Yes….”

The eunuch had a face full of dissatisfaction, but he had to step back.

Hyang filled Han-soo’s glass with Takju and continued.

“Of course, it’s an ignorant thing to say, but wouldn’t it be better to have them study anyway?”

At Hyang’s words, Han-soo shook his head greatly.

“Your Highness! What did I say earlier? How expensive are books, and you’re telling me to study? Phew! As I said before, I know because I was called a prodigy. Learning is like drinking salt water. When you drink salt water, you get thirsty and look for water, right? Learning is the same. You’ll be desperate to learn more! Then there’s a chance that the pillars of your house will be pulled out?”

“But if you have learning, you can appeal to the law when there’s an unfair situation, right?”

At Hyang’s words, Han-soo beat his chest.

“Oh my! It’s frustrating! Even if there’s a law book, who makes the judgment! People do! Then who do you think they’ll side with?”

“….”

Once again, Hyang closed his mouth. Han-soo beat his chest and continued.

“Guys like this humble one! We don’t need laws or anything! We just have to lie flat to survive! We have to take out our liver and gallbladder, and lie flat without even having the guts to be angry to survive! We have to give up everything we can and live! Hiccup! But you see! If young kids know a few lines of Confucius, they can’t do that! They waste their time taking the civil service exam to rise in the world, or they take the military exam and become arrow fodder for the Jurchens [nomadic people] in the north! Hiccup! It’s fortunate if that’s all that happens! If they argue about right and wrong, their heads will fly off!”

“….”

In the end, Hyang, who was speechless at Han-soo’s words, had no choice but to empty his glass again.

“Is that so? I see. Have a drink.”

After that, Hyang and Han-soo diligently emptied their glasses.

Completely drunk, Han-soo continued to beat his chest and pour out his grievances, and Hyang nodded and accepted those words.

In the meantime, the eunuch had to buy another jug of Takju.

After some time, Han-soo, unable to overcome his intoxication, fell sideways with his glass in his hand.

“Phew~. Phew~.”

Looking at Han-soo, who was spewing out alcohol and falling asleep, Hyang emptied his glass for the last time and got up from his seat.

As Hyang came down from the bench, Han-soo’s wife, who had been restless, rushed over and prostrated herself on the ground.

“Please forgive my husband for saying nonsense because of alcohol.”

At the wife’s plea, Hyang smiled and replied.

“I didn’t hear any bad words. I only heard complaints about life. Your husband seems very drunk, so please take him inside quickly. It would be a big problem if he caught a cold.”

“Yes? Yes! Jang-soe!”

At Hyang’s words, Han-soo’s wife called her eldest son. Jang-soe, who bowed deeply to Hyang, picked up Han-soo and moved him into the room.

Hyang, who was watching the scene with a smile, turned to the eunuch.

“Give me your wallet.”

“Yes.”

When the eunuch politely handed over his wallet, Hyang took out a silver coin and handed it to the wife.

“Make him a good hangover soup tomorrow and feed him.”

“Such a large sum of money! I really don’t know what to do!”

“Raise your children well.”

Hyang, who gave words of blessing to the wife, turned his body.

“I’ll have to rely on the guesthouse in this Hyeon (縣) [county] tonight.”

“I’ve already informed them.”

“You’ve worked hard. And….”

Hyang lowered his voice.

“Be careful not to let unnecessary words spread.”

At Hyang’s warning, the eunuch immediately lowered his head.

“Yes.”

The next morning, Hyang, who woke up early in the Naeah (內衙, the living quarters of the local official) of Jugyo Hyeon’s Hyeonryeong (縣令, local magistrate), headed to Han-soo’s house with his party.

“Did you sleep well? Is your stomach okay?”

At Hyang’s question, Han-soo lay flat on the floor and replied in a trembling voice.

“This humble one committed a capital crime yesterday!”

“Crime? What crime?”

Hyang smiled playfully and turned to the eunuch standing next to him.

“Do you know?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s what he says? Ah! I made one promise! That you would send your children to the academy from today. Have you prepared them?”

“Yes? Yes!”

Hearing Han-soo’s answer, Hyang turned his gaze.

Next to Han-soo and his wife, the three brothers were also lying flat on the ground, looking around.

“You guys have to study hard! For your parents, and for yourselves, and finally for this Joseon. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

When the eldest, Jang-soe, answered loudly, Hyang, who was looking at him with a pleased face, said to Han-soo.

“Trust your Abamama (아바마마, father). I’m sorry that I can only say these words now.”

“Ah, no!”

“Then take care.”

Hyang, who said goodbye to Han-soo, stopped by the Jugyo Hyeon Samin Academy and encouraged the teachers.

Finally, Hyang, who visited the Hyeonryeong of Jugyo Hyeon and congratulated him, turned to his party.

“Return to the palace (還宮)!”

“Yes!”

* * *

“This son has returned.”

When Hyang announced his return, Sejong greeted Hyang with a welcoming face.

“You’ve worked hard. So, how was it?”

The petitions came not only from Jugyo Hyeon.

Similar petitions came from all over Joseon, and Sejong had to suffer from stress.

“Why on earth?”

In the end, Hyang, who couldn’t stand to see this, moved himself.

The reason Jugyo Hyeon was chosen was because it was the first place the petition came from.

‘If they were preventing them from going to the academy for a trivial reason, I would give them a severe beating!’

Hyang went down with this determination.

At Sejong’s question, Hyang smiled and replied.

“I met a good teacher.”

“Huh? A good teacher?”

When Sejong became curious, Hyang reported the story with Han-soo.

“Heo!”

When Hyang’s long story ended, Sejong let out an exclamation.

“‘Among three people walking, there must be a teacher for me (三人行必有我師焉)!’ I met a good teacher! I got a good teacher! What do you think, gentlemen?”

At Sejong’s question, Lee Jik came forward and answered.

“He said he was just a farmer, but his words are full of profound principles (玄機, deep and subtle principles).”

Following Lee Jik, the Minister of Justice continued.

“That’s right. When making a judgment, we must deeply engrave the words ‘Even if there is a law book, people make the judgment’ and make sure that there are no wronged people.”

“That’s really true. And….”

Sejong, who paused for a moment, continued with a face of sincere admiration.

“‘Learning is like drinking salt water and looking for water. The more you learn, the more you want to learn.’ Isn’t this the right attitude for those who practice learning? I think it is our job to solve this thirst of the people.”

“That’s really true!”

“Then let’s think about a plan.”

“We will follow your orders!”

The ministers answered in unison.

There was no reason for the ministers to oppose it either.

One of the ideals of Neo-Confucianism was to enlighten the people. Teaching the people was also part of that enlightenment.

Therefore, the ministers participated enthusiastically.

What came out of such a meeting were two things.

One was to make it mandatory for children to attend Samin Academy.

Instead of just recommending it, they made it something that must be done, and the world’s first compulsory education and the world’s first free education were implemented.

The second was the creation of a scholarship system for students from poor families among those studying at Junghakdang (中學堂, secondary school).

As these systems were created, many historians in later years had to grab their hair, suffer from hair loss, and be in agony. And on the Korean internet, the number of people looking for the mastermind increased.

* * *

Note 1) The History of Books and Knowledge in the Joseon Dynasty. Written by Kang Myung-gwan. Imagination of a Millennium.

http://books.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/01/04/2014010400558.html