Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 276

276. How to Overtake a Stork. (2)

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Hyang’s unexpected question caught everyone off guard. Sejong, along with the officials, was momentarily confused and asked for clarification.

Hyang elaborated, “There’s a saying among the common people: ‘If a crow-tit tries to follow a stork, its legs will split.’ Has Father ever heard of it?”

“I have. Doesn’t it mean, ‘Know your place and don’t act beyond your means’?” Sejong replied.

The officials nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Hyang pressed on, “But what if we must catch up, no matter what?”

“With several times the effort…” Sejong answered unconsciously, then chuckled. “Crown Prince, I understand what you’re trying to say. However, it doesn’t quite fit Joseon’s current situation.”

“Yes?”

“To implement the plan you’re envisioning, we need external help. Do we have a reliable ally in our current situation?”

Hyang considered Sejong’s words, then bowed his head. “I am sorry. I was showing off my shallow knowledge.”

“Be careful in the future. So, what is your plan?”

“Yes. That is…”

Before Hyang could explain, Maeng Sa-seong interjected, “I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty, but we are ignorant and cannot follow the conversation between the two of you.”

Maeng Sa-seong’s words were met with nods from the officials and historians alike.

‘Stop with the riddles that only you two understand!’ they seemed to think.

‘Where can people with poor minds live in this world!’

‘Should I take a tonic for intelligence instead of regular medicine?’

Sensing the officials’ confusion, Sejong spoke, “Vice Prime Minister, if you were a crow-tit being chased by a stork aiming for the prey you caught, what would you do to avoid being caught?”

“Ah…”

Maeng Sa-seong finally understood the riddle. Hyang had likened Joseon to a crow-tit and Ming to a stork. The problem was that, according to the common saying, Joseon was in a situation of chasing after Ming. Sejong was pointing out that Hyang’s analogy was flawed.

“I, Maeng Sa-seong, understand now.”

‘Ugh! This damn riddle!’

“So, what would the Vice Prime Minister do?” Sejong asked.

“Wouldn’t we have to run like crazy?”

“But wouldn’t we eventually get caught?”

“That is…”

“What do the other ministers think we should do?”

Sejong’s question plunged the officials into thought. Kim Jeom broke the silence. “The difference in power between Joseon and Ming is clear, so there are limits to the orthodox [traditional] approach. It seems we need an unconventional strategy now.”

Jo Gye-saeng, the newly appointed Minister of Education, immediately objected. “No matter how urgent the situation, unconventional strategies are not the answer! Unconventional strategies cannot defeat orthodox ones! We must remember why the ancient sages valued the orthodox approach!”

Jo Mal-saeng, the Minister of National Defense, retorted, “Who doesn’t know the importance of the orthodox approach? But consider the gravity of the current issue. As Minister Kim said, the difference in capabilities between Joseon and Ming is obvious. Is this a situation to adhere to the orthodox approach!”

“The more it is, the more we must value the orthodox approach!”

Jo Gye-saeng and Jo Mal-saeng raised their voices, engaging in a heated debate. Sejong, Hyang, and the other officials shared the same thought.

‘Those brothers sure fight well.’

* * *

The flames of the debate spread to Sejong.

“Your Majesty! When using unconventional strategies, one cannot hesitate enough to contemplate it a hundred times and waver a thousand times! Unconventional strategies may provide temporary sweetness, but they do not provide lasting benefits!” Jo Gye-saeng declared.

No sooner had Jo Gye-saeng finished than Jo Mal-saeng countered, “Your Majesty! Among the officials gathered here, no one is unaware of the importance of the orthodox approach! However, the situation demands an unconventional strategy! Although an unconventional strategy is like a gamble, we must use it when necessary!”

“Your Majesty! The actions of the officials set an example for the people! If the people emulate the preference for unconventional strategies over the orthodox approach, what will happen? If the result justifies everything, will any morality remain among the people of Joseon?”

“Isn’t that too much of an exaggeration?” Sejong remarked, finding Jo Gye-saeng’s words excessive.

Jo Gye-saeng firmly denied it. “Not at all! If we think lightly and disregard it like that, we will fall into an immeasurable swamp at some point!”

Jo Mal-saeng raised his voice again. “Then! Minister of Education, answer me! Ming, which is several times larger and has a stronger national power than our Joseon, is closely following us! In this situation, what is the orthodox approach!”

“Developing technologies that are ahead of Ming, engaging in trade with more countries to enrich the nation, and making the people comfortable!”

“That is not an answer to the fact that Ming is demanding that we hand over what we have right now! It is an orthodox approach, but it is the wrong answer!”

“How can you be sure that the purpose of the Ming envoy coming now is the hand cannon? Do you have proof?”

“Huh?”

The Geunjeongjeon [main hall of the palace] fell silent. Jo Gye-saeng had just made a dangerous statement.

Jo Gye-saeng bowed his head to Sejong again and pleaded, “Your Majesty! All we know now is that ‘an envoy is coming from Ming!’ That is all we know! Yet, we are trying to predict ‘this will happen!’ and discuss unconventional strategies as a countermeasure, which must be prohibited!”

Jo Mal-saeng chimed in, “If not that, then what is it!”

“Shouldn’t we discuss that from now on? What is the reason for the officials gathering in this main hall!”

“Enough,” Sejong said, stopping the escalating debate.

The Jo Gye-saeng and Jo Mal-saeng brothers closed their mouths and stepped back as Sejong continued, “There is nothing wrong with what the Minister of Education said. However, Minister of Education, the most likely scenario in the current situation is what the Crown Prince said, so I was trying to hear the countermeasures for that. The Minister of Education doesn’t know whether the countermeasures the Crown Prince will say are unconventional or orthodox, does he?”

Jo Gye-saeng pondered Sejong’s criticism, then bowed his head. “Please forgive my sin.”

“I will consider it as your concern for the country and move on.”

“Your grace is boundless!”

“The atmosphere seems too heated, so let’s cool our heads for a while. Let’s gather again in half an hour (about 1 hour).”

“We obey your command.”

As Sejong declared a recess, the officials hurriedly got up and left the Geunjeongjeon.

“Crown Prince, let’s have a cup of tea together.” Hyang, who was about to follow the officials, turned back at Sejong’s words.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the Geunjeongjeon, a second battle was brewing between the brothers.

“Ah! Brother! Do you have any sense or not?”

“What?” Jo Gye-saeng answered nonchalantly, causing veins to pop on Jo Mal-saeng’s forehead.

“In this situation, what other reason would an envoy from Ming have? Isn’t it because of our Joseon’s weapons?”

“How can you be so sure? A minister should think seriously, not like this!”

“It’s because what the Crown Prince said is right!”

“Even if what the Crown Prince said is right, it is our ministers’ job to think about it again and report it to His Majesty! You only see what’s in front of you, that’s why you are like that!”

Jo Mal-saeng’s voice grew louder at Jo Gye-saeng’s taunt.

“What’s wrong with me!”

“You’ve become a stone statue in Geunjeongjeon because you only see what’s in front of you and eat whatever is given to you, what’s so great about you!”

“Brother!”

“Oh? Are you going to hit me? Hit me! Hit me!”

“Ugh!”

Unable to contain his anger, Jo Mal-saeng rushed at Jo Gye-saeng, and the nearby officials stepped in to stop them.

“Hey! Calm down! Calm down!”

With such a commotion, the officials had to escort the Jo brothers out of the Geunjeongmun [main gate of the palace] with them in between.

Seeing the Jo brothers heading to their respective offices, the officials sighed.

“Hoo~. How can brothers be so different?”

“I know, right.”

* * *

The brothers of the Yangju Jo clan were all officials working in the government. All five brothers held high-ranking positions, but the eldest son, Jo Gye-saeng, and the fourth son, Jo Mal-saeng, were viewed very differently.

Jo Gye-saeng was known as a serious, upright, and scholarly person who always had a book in his hand. This led to his appointment as the Minister of Education, a newly established position created through the reforms. Sejong and all the officials considered it the best choice.

His younger brother, Jo Mal-saeng, was capable but frivolous and liked bribes. He had been caught in a bribery case in the past and was stuck in the records office before finally securing a position in the Ministry of War.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sejong was sharing refreshments with Hyang.

“The historians should step out for a moment.”

At Sejong’s command, the historians and scribes quickly left.

With the listening ears gone, Sejong and Hyang conversed while drinking tea brewed by the eunuch.

“There is a saying among the common people, ‘Old ginger is spicy,’ right?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that true?”

Hyang immediately grasped the meaning of Sejong’s question.

‘He’s talking about that person.’

“That’s right.”

Sejong drank his tea and continued, “The value of the officials lies in pointing out what I have not thought of or overlooked. The Crown Prince must also keep this in mind. When you ascend the throne, the officials who will deal with you will be those raised by them.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“However, there is a limit. Do not forget that if they try to overstep the royal authority, you must resolutely purge them.”

“I will engrave it in my heart.” Hyang bowed his head at Sejong’s warning and muttered inwardly, ‘Grand Scholar Ryu Jeong-hyeon left a big scar on everyone.’

The ‘purge of Ryu Jeong-hyeon and the veteran officials’ had left a big, indelible scar on both Sejong and the officials.

* * *

Half an hour later, Sejong, Hyang, and the officials gathered again in the Geunjeongjeon.

“Crown Prince, explain what you have in mind concisely and clearly.”

“Yes, Father.” Hyang clicked his tongue inwardly at Sejong’s warning to ‘not beat around the bush unnecessarily’ and stood up.

Standing before the officials, Hyang began to explain. “First, this plan assumes that the Ming envoy coming now will demand our Joseon’s cannons.”

Avoiding the issue raised by Jo Gye-saeng, Hyang continued, “It is undeniable that our Joseon lags behind Ming in most fields. However, we are significantly ahead in a few areas, and artillery is one of them.”

The officials nodded in agreement.

“But we cannot simply hand over this artillery if Ming demands it. As we know from the example of the hornbow, Ming did not treat us generously in that area either, did they?”

“That’s right.”

“If Ming demands hand cannons from our Joseon, the basic plan is to hand over hand cannons with reduced performance.”

Maeng Sa-seong immediately questioned, “What if they demand the artisans instead of the hand cannons?”

“Do you think Ming will believe that the artisans we send will do their best?”

“Ah…” The officials nodded at Hyang’s point. Even though they had expressed allegiance, Ming kept many secrets from Joseon regarding national defense and constantly monitored Joseon.

“Won’t Ming immediately notice if we reduce the performance? They must have seen it in Liaodong already?” Maeng Sa-seong pointed out, and Hyang nodded. “That’s right. Therefore, the performance of the hand cannons we will give to Ming will be made mediocre. It will definitely be superior to the cannons Ming currently has, but it will have lower performance than the hand cannons we have. And, it will lead Ming down the wrong path.”

“The wrong path, you say?”

“Yes, there are two ways for a crow-tit to stay ahead of a stork that is following behind. One is to tie the stork’s feet, and the other is to lead the stork down the wrong path.”