Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 442

442. Laying the Groundwork (4)

As Minister Hwang Hui and the other ministers seemed to understand, Hyang added,

“Of course, the Ilji Multination might not properly form and could become the Ilji Single Nation. However, whether it’s people or animals, the body is much larger than the head, but the body cannot replace the head. I believe the same applies to the confederacy I’m envisioning.”

“The body can never replace the head, no matter how large it is… That’s well said.”

“Indeed.”

Sejong and the ministers nodded, impressed by Hyang’s words.

Watching them, Hyang muttered inwardly,

‘It’s infamous in Africa, Asia, and Ireland, but the Commonwealth [a political association of former British colonies] is still the most useful. Of course, that damned infamy is the problem…’

The relationship Hyang envisioned was like that between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. They seemed loosely connected but maintained a strong, continuous bond.

‘Of course, that relationship might be because those countries are predominantly white people rooted in England, but if you think about it, aren’t the origins of Native Americans also in Asia?’

“…Crown Prince?”

“Yes? Yes!”

Lost in his imagination and wandering off track, Hyang was abruptly brought back to reality by Sejong’s voice.

“I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment…”

“What were you thinking about that made you so distracted?”

“I apologize.”

Seeing that Hyang had regained his senses, Sejong immediately asked,

“As you said earlier, it seems beautiful for Joseon to play the role of the head. If so, what do you think Joseon must protect and what should it share to continue playing that role?”

“There are three things we must protect.”

“Three? Isn’t that too few?”

“Absolutely not.”

Sejong’s eyes lit up at Hyang’s firm answer.

“Really? Let’s hear it then. What are those three things?”

“Knowledge, capital, and food self-sufficiency. The reasons are…”

Hyang explained why those three things must be protected.

-Joseon must secure the most pioneering knowledge in physics and technology for creating devices. This is self-evident.

Sejong and the ministers nodded at the first reason.

Sejong went a step further.

“Then I understand why capital must be protected.”

Hyang nodded strongly at Sejong’s words.

“That’s right. Of course, the newly acquired ownerless land will become larger than the mainland in terms of economics. However, if Joseon takes the lead in securing and managing the most important capital, the seed money, we can sufficiently maintain our leadership.”

“Indeed, indeed! That’s absolutely right!”

Kim Jeom nodded vigorously, agreeing with Hyang’s words.

Smiling and giving a small bow to Kim Jeom, Hyang continued,

“The knowledge I mentioned earlier only referred to physics and technology for ease of understanding, but we must also maintain our pioneering position in ideology.”

“Ideology?”

“Isn’t our subservience to Ming not solely because of Ming’s size?”

With that short question, Hyang closed his mouth.

However, no one was unaware of what Hyang was trying to say. Thanks to this, the atmosphere inside Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace] quickly became heavy.

In an atmosphere where even a feather felt as heavy as a rock, Sejong was the first to speak.

“Yes. I fully understand the necessity of that part, and it is something we must achieve. Fortunately, there are people who are most suitable to take on this task.”

At Sejong’s words, Hyang and the ministers all nodded.

* * *

‘The people, regardless of status, only pursue wealth and physics, so morality has fallen to the ground!’

‘Finding convenience by seeking the truth hidden in physics is important, but awakening and teaching morality is also important!’

As memorials of this nature were submitted, Sejong created a research institute to study Confucianism. However, Sejong, Hyang, and the ministers were all far removed from orthodox Confucianism, so they were not pleased with the growing voices of idealists. Therefore, former officials who had gone through administrative work took positions in this research institute alongside Confucian scholars, and debates between them were constant.

And Sejong and Hyang were busy fanning the flames and watching.

“Popcorn! I need popcorn!”

This was the line Hyang shouted whenever he heard their debates.

* * *

“Alright, I understand the first and second reasons well. Then why is food self-sufficiency important? In the case of the newly discovered ownerless land, it is said that there are plains with dense forests just a little way inland from the coast. Wouldn’t that solve the problem of farmland?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang nodded.

“That’s right. It probably will. If that happens, our Joseon will certainly be able to escape from food shortages.”

“Then isn’t the problem of food self-sufficiency solved? Even if there is a problem with the food situation in the mainland, we can bring it in from the remote land and solve it…”

Sejong stopped speaking, pondering the words he had just said. He shook his head.

“I see. That would be a problem…”

“That’s right. That’s why we must protect the issue of food self-sufficiency.”

Meanwhile, the ministers began to grumble inwardly at the conversation between Sejong and Hyang.

‘Again, it’s starting again! Riddles that only the rich know!’

‘Ugh! Are they showing off how smart they are or what!’

Knowing the ministers’ feelings, Hwang Hui stepped forward and asked,

“As Your Majesty said, even if it is remote land, it is still the land of Joseon. Just as it is natural to send grain from Gyeongsang or Jeolla when there is a famine in Gangwon-do, isn’t it natural for the remote land to help when there is a problem in the mainland?”

Hyang stepped forward to answer Hwang Hui’s question.

“The problem is that if we make even a small mistake, the self-employed farmers of the mainland will be wiped out. There was a country called Rome among those Western countries…”

‘Rome started to creak without anyone knowing after it swallowed Egypt, right?’

Hyang explained the reason using the example of Rome.

“…Therefore, we must maintain an appropriate level of food self-sufficiency for the sake of social stability on the mainland.”

“Ah…”

At Hyang’s explanation, Hwang Hui and the other ministers all nodded.

Seeing the ministers’ reactions, Hyang moved to solidify his position.

“You must never forget what efforts His Majesty has made to foster the self-employed farmers of Joseon since he started the Gyeongjang [agricultural reform].”

The first thing he did when he started the Gyeongjang was to crush the landlords.

Of course, the biggest purpose at this time was to take the control of the countryside away from the landlords, but the reality was that the self-employed farmers fostered through this process were also a major source of income for Joseon’s finances.

“Hmm…. So, should we avoid greatly developing agriculture in remote lands? Of course, I understand the need to be self-sufficient for the sake of stability on the mainland…”

At Kim Jeom’s remarks, unable to hide his disappointment, Hyang immediately replied,

“No, we must develop it. We will have to develop it on a large scale. We must prepare for the event that there is a famine in the mainland and it is difficult to be self-sufficient…”

Pausing for a moment, Hyang glanced at the scribes and recorders and lowered his voice.

“There’s a saying, isn’t there? ‘If my house is on fire, it’s a disaster, but if someone else’s house is on fire, it’s the best sight to see.'”

At Hyang’s words, Kim Jeom, as well as Sejong and the ministers, all wore dumbfounded expressions.

“Don’t tell me…”

As Kim Jeom made a dubious expression, Hyang gave a bitter smile.

“We have dangerous neighbors around us. We may not hear good things, but if necessary, shouldn’t we throw a spark at them?”

Instantly, the ministers all had the same thought.

‘Such evil!’

“The scribes and recorders should take care of it. In defending the country, we must sometimes be prepared for unjust deeds.”

“We obey your command.”

The scribes and recorders bowed their heads and answered Sejong’s command, but the contents of the historical records were slightly different.

-The scribe says.

In defending the country, being prepared for unjust deeds may be the fate of the ruler. However, I don’t think it’s good to talk about injustice even before starting.

However, there are sometimes countries that I want to set on fire outright, rather than just throwing sparks.

* * *

Before long, Hyang’s presentation was coming to an end.

“Does the Crown Prince have anything else to add?”

“Yes.”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang paused to organize his thoughts and opened his mouth.

“I am well aware of what the ministers are worried about: the newly discovered ownerless land, ownerless land whose size we haven’t even confirmed. Of course, there will be natives there, and even if they are assimilated into the people of Joseon, there is a definite possibility that the hierarchy will be reversed.”

At Hyang’s words, the ministers nodded.

“However, think once again about the current territory of our Joseon. How much wider has it become since the start of Gyeongjang? Even without including Daeseol Island and Jongjang Island, it has become almost twice as wide as before. Nevertheless, the northeastern forest zone still has endless unexplored land, and although adventurous attempts must be made, the Liaodong land of the old Goguryeo remains. If we properly digest this area, I am confident that the mainland of our Joseon will also be considerable.”

“Wait?”

“Hoo?”

At Hyang’s words, the ministers, who were looking at the map, nodded with shining eyes.

* * *

Although the climate was harsh, the unexplored forest zone in the northeast—known as East Siberia in the history before Hyang’s intervention—continued to yield not only timber but also various valuable resources.

Not only forests and resources, but also the natives who had settled in the forest zone were gradually becoming the people of Joseon as they submitted to Joseon one by one.

Thanks to this, the Ministry of National Defense had to update the map every month. This was because they had to enter information about newly discovered areas through the tribes that had submitted.

As Joseon secured the forest zone in the northeast, it was quietly approaching the eastern border area of Liaodong, which was controlled by Ming.

And Sejong and the commanders of the military muttered similar words each time they looked at the map.

“Someday…”

* * *

As Hyang’s speech ended, Sejong concluded.

“I think the Crown Prince’s idea is quite good.”

“That is indeed so.”

“That is correct.”

Hwang Hui and the ministers responded to Sejong’s words.

Seeing the ministers’ positive reactions, Sejong added,

“However, this is only one person’s idea, so there will be shortcomings. Therefore, you should refine the Crown Prince’s idea and report it.”

“We obey your command.”

“And the Vice Prime Minister.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Sejong specifically pointed him out, Kim Jeom bowed his head with a tense expression.

“It seems that we will have to increase the budget. However, since we cannot increase revenue arbitrarily, it seems that we will have to release the funds that have been collected so far.”

At Sejong’s words, Kim Jeom closed his eyes tightly and answered,

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Knowing Kim Jeom’s feelings, Sejong added,

“However, simply releasing it will not help the country, so please review the expenditure items for this year and next year and reduce what can be reduced.”

At Sejong’s command, Kim Jeom answered in a loud voice.

“We obey your command!”

* * *

Not long after the meeting ended, Kim Jeom stormed into the Minister of National Defense’s office.

“Choose!”

“Choose what?”

“Eul-sik rifle or Eul-sik Hwacha [multiple rocket launcher]! Choose one! Mass production of both at the same time is not possible!”

“But…”

“Isn’t there no match for the Gap-sik rifle right now! So choose! His Majesty also said to reduce what can be reduced!”

At Kim Jeom’s urging, Jo Mal-saeng had to choose with tears in his eyes.

“I will choose the Eul-sik Hwacha.”

It was a choice worthy of a Joseon person obsessed with firepower.

* * *