Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 500

500. The One Who Earns, The One Who Spends (2)

When Sejong arrived at the bridgehead of Shinji, all the officials and soldiers stationed there rushed out to greet him.

“We greet Your Majesty!”

“You have all worked hard. You may rise.”

Sejong, after acknowledging the officials and soldiers, grasped their hands and shook them.

“You have truly worked hard.”

The officials and soldiers, moved by Sejong’s handshake and praise, were brought to tears.

“We have only done what we were supposed to do! To be praised like this is truly an overwhelming honor!”

“Overwhelming honor!”

“Long live His Majesty!”

“Long live!”

The officials and soldiers, deeply touched by Sejong’s praise, shouted ‘Long live’ at the top of their lungs.

* * *

After the fervor of the ‘Long live’ chants subsided, Queen Soheon and the concubines moved to their designated accommodations, and Sejong proceeded with the officials to the Shinji Development Headquarters in the center of the bridgehead.

Upon entering the conference room of the Development Headquarters, Sejong began to review the current situation.

“Bring me the documents that have not yet been sent to Hanseong [the capital of Joseon].”

“You must be tired from the long voyage; wouldn’t it be better to rest first?”

“We are concerned about Your Majesty’s health.”

The officials, worried that Sejong might become ill from the long and tiring journey, tried to dissuade him, but Sejong firmly refused.

“Looking at the state of your attire, all thoughts of rest vanish.”

At Sejong’s words, the officials wore embarrassed expressions.

They had worn their neatly washed official robes in anticipation of Sejong’s arrival, but most of them were quite worn and faded.

“Bring the documents quickly.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Soon after, the conference room began to fill with stacks of documents.

As the documents piled up, Sejong relentlessly fired questions.

“Is the rotation of those stationed here at the bridgehead and the eastern garrison proceeding smoothly?”

“Yes, the lower-ranking soldiers and officials are rotated every year and a half, and the officers are rotated every two years.”

“What is the reason for the difference?”

“If everyone, both above and below, were to change at once, it could disrupt the progress of tasks in the area. We have staggered the rotations to prevent this. Similarly, replacements from the mainland occur every three years for lower-ranking officials and soldiers, and every five years for officers.”

“Is that so? That is fortunate.”

Sejong nodded, seemingly relieved by the officials’ response.

* * *

This natural rotation system was created through accumulated experience.

To manage the expanded territory of Joseon, which extended beyond the northeastern regions where the Jurchens [a Tungistic people who lived in the northeast of China] roamed, to Daeseol Island and the Northern Archipelago, the placement of officials in charge of administration was essential.

However, having to live indefinitely in unfamiliar foreign lands led to a decline in morale among officials and soldiers.

“Damn it! This is just like being exiled!”

To prevent the decline in morale among officials and soldiers, Joseon began to actively utilize the rotation system.

On a small scale, rotations were conducted between the bridgehead area, where Joseonization was most advanced, and the outer regions. On a larger scale, rotations were conducted between the Joseon mainland and foreign lands, thereby preventing morale decline. Additionally, incentives such as higher performance evaluations were offered to those serving in foreign lands, maintaining the morale of officials and soldiers.

* * *

Just as the saying goes, ‘Personnel management is everything,’ Sejong, having confirmed that there were no major issues in personnel matters, which he considered most urgent, began to examine the documents with a more relaxed expression.

However, the more he read through the documents, the worse Sejong’s complexion became. As a result, the officials became restless.

“Hoo~.”

After skimming through the documents piled in front of him, Sejong sighed deeply and opened his mouth.

“There are still many shortcomings.”

The contents of the documents submitted to Sejong were all similar.

-We are carrying out such and such tasks and have achieved such and such results. However, to achieve proper results, such and such things are needed.

To put it more simply:

‘Send us this, send us that, send us everything!’

The most senior of the officials stepped forward to explain Sejong’s assessment.

“We have been consuming resources to grasp the general geographical information of Shinji, and important equipment, including steam engines, has only recently arrived. Therefore, there are many shortages.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than another official stepped forward to add.

“Moreover, even with only a rough understanding, the land of Shinji is unimaginably vast. Even if the equipment that has arrived operates properly, shortages will continue for a considerable period.”

“We have been requesting it for several years, but the court continues to postpone it, citing budget issues.”

“The only fortunate thing is that Shinji is overflowing with all sorts of resources to enrich the nation. If we establish a proper foundation and begin operations, Shinji itself, as well as the mainland, will have fewer worries.”

Although a somewhat positive answer came out at the end, Sejong replied with a nonchalant expression.

“I have confirmed that story in the report.”

* * *

‘The land of Shinji is overflowing with all sorts of minerals, including iron and coal!’

When the court received the survey results from the prospectors sent from the mainland a few years ago, everyone from Sejong to the high and low officials cheered.

Watching Sejong and the ministers’ reactions, Hyang muttered inwardly.

‘That place is a cheat code in itself!’

* * *

“Hmm….”

Sejong, staring at the documents while listening to the officials’ responses, soon came to a conclusion.

“From among these, prioritize what is needed right now.”

“Yes?”

“What is needed immediately. Things that would cause problems for survival if they were missing, such as medicine or weapons.”

“Ah, yes!”

Understanding Sejong’s command, the officials quickly began to organize the documents.

“That must be included.”

“This can be omitted….”

“It must not be omitted!”

As the issue of selection arose, the conference room quickly became noisy. All the officials argued for the necessity of their respective tasks and refuted the claims of others.

Engrossed in the fierce debate, the officials forgot about Sejong’s presence.

“Heut!”

“Heok!”

The officials, who had been engaged in such a heated debate, realized that Sejong was sitting at the head of the table. Terrified, they prostrated themselves on the floor.

“To show such an unsightly appearance! We are deeply sorry!”

“Please forgive our disgraceful behavior!”

Sejong waved his hand with an expression that it was nothing.

“It’s alright. It’s a familiar sight.”

“Yes?”

“Anyway, have you finished selecting everything?”

“Yes? Yes. That is correct!”

Sejong, looking at the documents in response to the officials’ answers, muttered.

“There’s still a lot. Let’s see….”

After that, the officials were thoroughly grilled by Sejong. After being grilled, another third was cut from what the officials had selected, and only then was Sejong satisfied.

“This is good enough.”

* * *

Two days later, the fleet that had brought Sejong was ready to return.

“Commander Kang.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Calling the commander who was leading the fleet, Sejong handed over a large wooden box through a eunuch.

“As soon as you arrive in Wonsan, send it directly to the court. There is a letter I wrote inside.”

At Sejong’s command, Commander Kang immediately replied.

“Yes! I will definitely do so!”

“I’m counting on you.”

“I will do my best!”

And Commander Kang faithfully carried out the received order.

As soon as he arrived in Wonsan, Commander Kang immediately requested a special messenger to deliver the box in question to Hanseong.

* * *

Thus, the box sent by Sejong went straight into Gyeongbok Palace [the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty].

With the single fact that ‘Sejong’s handwritten letter is inside,’ the wooden box in question was delivered directly to Hyang without any intermediate process, and the ministers were summoned to Seungwhadang [a building within Gyeongbok Palace].

“Father has sent a letter.”

“The contents of the letter seem quite extensive.”

“We’ll know when we open it.”

Thus, Hyang broke the seal of the box and took out Sejong’s letter from inside. After confirming the royal seal and the state of the seal on the envelope, Hyang opened the envelope and took out the letter.

“The Crown Prince and the ministers are to see….”

The content of the letter, which began calmly, was as follows:

-I have safely arrived in Shinji and, upon inspecting the situation, there is a significant difference from what I heard in Hanseong.

-This is considered a matter of time difference rather than a problem of manipulation or corruption.

-As a result, there are more things needed than expected in Hanseong.

-For that reason, secure the items on the attached list as quickly as possible and send them to Shinji.

-Also, those in Shinji are eager for news from the mainland. In addition, I am concerned that the situation in Waeguk [Japan] and Europe, which I heard about just before leaving, is also unusual. Therefore, operate a regular ship dedicated solely to the transmission of information.

-For the ship for information transmission, first assign a Gibum ship [a type of Korean warship], but in the future, it would be good to build a dedicated ship that focuses on speed rather than cargo capacity.

“…That is all.”

Hyang, who had read the letter aloud, handed the letter to Hwang Hee. After Hwang Hee and the ministers took turns reading the letter, Hyang asked.

“What do you think?”

“I think a regular communication line is reasonable.”

“That is correct.”

Hyang nodded at the ministers’ reactions. Although Hyang was in charge of all state affairs, it was still a regency. Consulting Sejong about issues such as diplomacy and national defense and receiving answers could reduce the occurrence of political problems.

Hyang also made a quick decision in response to the ministers’ positive reactions.

“Then, let’s proceed according to Father’s wishes. Secure the supplies that Father has asked for as quickly as possible and send them to Shinji, and organize a regular ship to be in charge of communication. And, we will promote the development of a dedicated ship as quickly as possible within the budget limit.”

“We obey the command.”

“I will investigate the available budget.”

The ministers proceeded with the work swiftly. Watching the ministers’ actions, Hyang suddenly had a serious expression.

‘What is it? Why do I suddenly feel uneasy? Why this feeling?’

And, as the situation in Waeguk changed, Hyang realized why he felt uneasy.

* * *

Seong Sam-mun and Han Myeong-hoe, who had been dispatched to understand the situation in Waeguk, had reported to Hyang as follows:

-It is certain that a great battle will take place between the Daenei clan and the shogunate in the spring.

Jo Mal-saeng nodded at Seong Sam-mun and Han Myeong-hoe’s conclusion.

“That is reasonable. Winter is too cold to act easily, and summer is too hot to fight. In particular, the summer in Japan has a long rainy season, and the weather is humid, so you may end up wasting gunpowder. Autumn is the harvest season, so if you wage war at this time, you will ruin the year’s harvest and go hungry.”

“So there is no answer other than spring?”

“That is correct.”

Hyang also nodded at Jo Mal-saeng’s answer.

“I agree.”

However, even in the spring, Waeguk was still in a state of calm.

The biggest reason for this was the condition Hyang had placed on the sale of weapons.

-I will not sell without the guarantee of the Daenei clan!

The lords of Waeguk who heard the condition had to stand at a crossroads.

“The shogunate said they would just give it to us….”

“It’s not just giving it to us, didn’t they say we could pay the money later?”

“I heard that Joseon-made matchlock guns are even better in performance….”

After much deliberation, the lords began to choose between the Ouchi and the shogunate.

At first, most were observers, but as rumors spread that neighboring territories – generally not on good terms – had introduced gunpowder weapons, they were forced to make a choice.

As the situation changed, a lull occurred. Both the Ouchi and the shogunate were busy coordinating the smooth cooperation between the lords who had joined them.

They refrained from fighting in order to train the suddenly increased number of musketeers.

As the situation in Waeguk changed in this way, a huge amount of sales revenue came into Joseon, and Sejong was not one to simply let this pass.