Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 35

Jjangra

Hello, Bomb!

35. The Year of Gapjin Reformation (13)

“Expand the board?”

“It means using merchants and artisans to grow Joseon’s [historical Korean kingdom] economy and national power. To increase the size of Joseon itself.”

Hyang drew three squares of the same size as the first square, connected them, and then divided them into sections again.

“The foundation of their wealth lies in agriculture. We need to foster commerce and industry, increase economic power through trade, and expand the territory to steadily increase the number of self-sufficient farmers. If we can do that, they will become relatively weaker. As you can see in this diagram, initially, they held 3/4 of Joseon in their hands and controlled it, but if we increase the size like this, it will only be 3/16. That’s less than 25% from 75%, meaning they weaken by more than 1/3. We can then use that weakened position to impose taxes on them as well. If that happens, they will have no choice but to follow the trend.”

Sejong clapped his knees at Hyang’s words.

“I see! There was such a way!”

Although Sejong was pleased and clapped his knees at Hyang’s answer, he soon pointed out a problem.

“But even if we foster merchants and artisans, the nobles will still be the main consumers. Commoners don’t have enough wealth. So, will it be possible to increase the size as you said?”

“Your Majesty, look broadly.”

“Look broadly? Hmm… Ah! Are you talking about trade?”

‘As expected!’

Hyang nodded, admiring Sejong’s understanding.

“Yes, it’s about increasing the size through trade.”

“That’s right, if we engage in trade, we can overcome the limitations of the land and increase the size. If the nobles are tied to the land as they are now, they won’t be able to keep up with the speed of growth. The yield from farmland is limited.”

“That’s correct.”

As Hyang affirmed, Sejong immediately pointed out a problem.

“But increasing the size of commerce and industry requires seed money. And most of the wealth that will become that seed money is in the hands of those nobles. If those nobles invest their wealth in commerce and industry, wouldn’t their power only grow, contrary to your expectations?”

Hyang nodded at Sejong’s point.

“That’s right. Seed money is needed to grow commerce and industry, and seed money is also needed for trade. If the court does nothing, those nobles will become the financiers and monopolize the profits. To prevent that, Joseon, or more precisely, the court, must become the financier.”

“The court must become the financier?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang explained the concept of a bank, specifically a state-run bank. Sejong’s face was filled with admiration as he listened to the explanation.

“I see! That way, merchants and artisans who need seed money can borrow it at low interest rates, and the court can control the movement of wealth!”

“If the court firmly grasps control, it can create a new market called the investment market.”

“Investment market? A market where seed money is treated as a commodity and traded. Hmm…”

Sejong stroked his beard and pondered. After a moment of contemplation, Sejong opened his mouth.

“If we move as you said, we will need a very large number of officials. Isn’t this beneficial to the nobles?”

“We will need specialists who are well-versed in the relevant fields rather than those who have studied Confucianism. In simple terms, the number of those who enter officialdom through miscellaneous examinations will greatly increase.”

“That’s also a problem. There are more than a few who become arrogant and act improperly as soon as they rise to officialdom.”

“There’s a saying: ‘If you want power, give up wealth; if you want wealth, give up power.’ However, it is also true that it is difficult to make a living with the current stipends. We need to make the stipends realistic and, at the same time, put shackles on them.”

Hyang explained the concept of ‘pension’ and how to use it as a shackle, and then continued.

“Looking at the current civil service examination system, anyone can apply in principle as long as they are not of the lowest class, but in reality, the nobles make up almost all of the applicants. Commoners don’t have the leisure to study comfortably. So, it would be a good idea to screen and select those with at least a minimum level of education who are intelligent, and then educate and use them in the country.”

“Are you saying we should educate all the people?”

“I think it is reasonable to guarantee at least a minimum level of education to those who are of the commoner class. People need to know so that they can avoid unfair situations, and if they do experience unfairness, they can appeal to the country to resolve it, right?”

Sejong fell silent at Hyang’s words. After a long period of contemplation, Sejong opened his mouth.

“There are two most important problems. One is the budget, and the other is… the writing system. The budget can be solved by developing mines and reforming the tax system as you said, but the writing system is a difficult problem.”

“Your Majesty will surely be able to solve it.”

“Aren’t you trusting this father too much?”

“No!”

Sejong smiled at Hyang’s firm belief.

“I must not become a shameful father.”

* * *

While Sejong and Hyang were having a lively discussion, taking future matters as their topic, some of the officials from the Office of the Inspector-General were gathered at a gibang (妓房, courtesan house) in Namchon [neighborhood in Seoul], talking. However, while Sejong and Hyang were having a friendly discussion, the atmosphere among the officials was one of bitter indignation.

“To imprison the ministers, this cannot be!”

“That’s right!”

“The law is collapsing, the law!”

The officials, drunk on alcohol, raised their voices and expressed their frustration. Among them, one was raising his voice the loudest.

“The main culprit of all these misfortunes is the Crown Prince! A mere ten-year-old boy is trying to control the affairs of state! This is outrageous!”

“Hey, Go-cheong!”

“The Crown Prince must be replaced…”

“Hey, Go-cheong!”

A fellow official next to him hurriedly tried to stop him, but the official called Go-cheong was full of vigor.

“Why! Did I say something wrong? Isn’t it true that the law of the state has been distorted since the Crown Prince intervened!”

“Even so, he is the foundation of the nation. As the Chief Censor said before, those words should not be spoken lightly!”

“What kind of humiliation is that Chief Censor suffering now!”

“That part can be appealed through a memorial! Don’t you know the saying ‘The mouth is the gate of misfortune’? Are you thinking of bringing misfortune not only to yourself but also to your family and the scholarly community?”

“The job of an official is to speak the truth, so what’s the problem!”

“The problem is the time and place!”

Go-cheong had to shut his mouth at his colleague’s advice. However, unable to suppress his anger, Go-cheong emptied his glass repeatedly.

As time passed and the atmosphere shifted towards dispersal, Go-cheong, with glazed eyes, put his arm around the shoulders of a gisaeng [Korean courtesan] sitting next to him and flirted with her.

“Hey, you, how about sharing the pleasures of the clouds and rain with me today?”

“You’ve had too much to drink. Your spirits are too high, so let’s share the pleasures of the clouds and rain next time.”

When the gisaeng politely refused with a smile, Go-cheong’s face turned fierce.

“You! Where did this lowly thing come from! If I tell you to do it, you just have to do it!”

The smile disappeared from the gisaeng’s face at Go-cheong’s abusive language. The gisaeng, straightening her back, questioned Go-cheong.

“Isn’t a gisaeng, who is lower than farmers, artisans, and merchants, like a beast wearing human skin? But how can a noble scholar share the pleasures of the clouds and rain with a beast? Ah! Perhaps you have a unique taste?”

“You!”

Go-cheong’s face turned red, then blue, as he jumped up from his seat at the gisaeng’s words. The gisaeng in front of him had just told him, ‘Are you a pervert who engages in bestiality?’

The drinking party, which had been filled with music and laughter just a moment ago, became quiet in an instant, and a colleague who had come with him got up to stop Go-cheong.

“Hey, Go-cheong.”

“You want to die!”

“Are you showing off your power to a mere gisaeng? You speak like a virtuous scholar, but your actions are those of a petty person. Go ahead and kill me.”

“You!”

Bang!

Just as Go-cheong was about to swing his fist, the door burst open.

Standing in the open doorway was a giant of a man, over nine feet tall, with a long bamboo cane in his arms, his arms crossed.

Go-cheong hesitated and stepped back at the giant’s aura. The giant, glaring at Go-cheong, opened his mouth.

“You are too drunk. Shouldn’t you go home now?”

“That would be good! Hey, Go-cheong. Let’s go back.”

A colleague stepped in to mediate, but Go-cheong was unable to do anything. He wanted to beat up this impudent gisaeng right now, but he couldn’t because of the giant standing there. Seeing this, the colleague roughly pulled Go-cheong’s arm.

“Hey, Go-cheong! You’ve had too much to drink today! Let’s go back!”

That’s how the officials left the drinking party. The gisaeng’s voice was heard behind Go-cheong, who was being dragged out.

“Congratulations. Your name will soon be widely spread throughout Hanyang [old name for Seoul].”

“You!”

“Alright! Alright! Let’s go!”

Go-cheong shouted, but his colleague forcibly grabbed him and left the gibang. Of course, it was only natural that they were charged an exorbitant amount.

As the gisaeng had predicted, Go-cheong’s reputation spread throughout Hanyang in less than a day. As soon as the rumor spread that ‘an official from the Office of the Inspector-General had been drinking and causing trouble at a gisaeng house,’ the ministers of the court stepped forward to investigate the incident.

As the investigation began, the officials began to protest.

“This is a tyranny to oppress the Office of the Inspector-General and block the channels of speech!”

“This is ignoring precedent!”

Officials were those who would risk their lives to argue if they thought that not only the ministers but also the king was wrong. Therefore, they were given considerable freedom as a countermeasure for the risks they faced. There was no respect for rank among officials, and it was customary for them not to be reprimanded even if they drank to the point of intoxication during working hours. In other words, it had been customary to turn a blind eye to even considerable trouble.

However, this time the ministers had a justification.

“Not only did he force a state-owned gisaeng to sleep with him, but he also tried to use violence. This is a disgrace to the name of the court officials and scholars!”

In the end, Go-cheong was caught in the investigation, and Sejong issued a verdict.

“It is a great crime for an official, who should impeach injustice, to abuse his power and commit injustice. The criminal shall be immediately stripped of his official title and sentenced to exile five hundred li [Korean unit of distance, approximately 0.4 km] away.”

“I obey your command!”

According to Sejong’s order, Go-cheong was immediately sent into exile. However, Go-cheong’s case was handled more severely. Generally, when a person in office was sentenced to exile, they would depart from their home, and an escort officer would not accompany them in many cases. In addition, it was customary for the country to provide horses and food, and for the criminal’s son or servant to follow and serve them. However, in Go-cheong’s case, he had to wear a sword around his neck and be put in a cangue [wooden collar] to be sent into exile.

The reason for this was that it was revealed during the investigation that Go-cheong had said, ‘The Crown Prince must be deposed.’ Sejong, upon receiving the report, was furious and added to the sentence.

“Mentioning the deposition of the Crown Prince is a crime of treason. However, since it was said by a petty person who used violence against a gisaeng, I will not go as far as to order his death. However, I will change the exile from five hundred li to one thousand li, and send him with a sword around his neck and in a cangue.”

“I obey your command.”

Of course, Sejong already knew this through the previous memorial. He had put aside what he could have punished as soon as he received the memorial, waiting for a situation like this to come. As a result, the officials had to be careful about what they said.

Hyang, who heard the whole story of the incident at the Donggung Palace [Crown Prince’s residence], smacked his lips.

“They say that the eloquence of a gisaeng is the best in the world… it’s really sharp.”

As Hyang said, the eloquence of Joseon gisaengs was famous. Around the time of the Gyeyu Jeongnan (계유정난, a political coup in 1453) when Suyang (수양, Grand Prince Suyang) seized power, the court officials had a drinking party at a gisaeng house. One of the ministers, heavily drunk, asked a gisaeng he liked to sleep with him.

“You are a noruyanghwa (路柳墻花, a willow by the road and a flower on the wall, meaning a woman who is easily accessible to anyone) who matches her compatibility with that man yesterday and this man today, so how about matching your compatibility with me this time?”

The gisaeng immediately retorted at the minister’s words.

“You are the one who enters Gyeongbok Palace [main royal palace] yesterday and Myeongrye Palace (Suyang’s residence) today, so you will have the best compatibility with me, a noruyanghwa.”

* * *

Sejong did not only judge Go-cheong’s crime.

“Criminal Ryu Jeong-hyeon tried to lead the king down a wrong path with his narrow-minded opinion, which can be said to be a deception of the king. Therefore, Ryu Jeong-hyeon will be given death (賜死) [forced suicide], and all of his family members will be made government slaves (官奴). In addition, his property will be confiscated (籍沒).”

“I obey your command.”

“In addition, the Right State Councilor, the Left State Councilor, the Chief Censor, and the Chief Inspector-General, who formed a party with him, will be exiled 2,000 li away. However, their family members will be left as commoners, but 80% of their property will be confiscated.”

“I obey your command.”

As a result, the old ministers who had raised their names in the early days of Sejong’s reign faced a different end from the original history.

End

ⓒ 국뽕