Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 637

That night, Hyang sat alone in his bedchamber, his hand on his forehead, deep in thought.

“No matter how I think about it, I feel uneasy… Ugh! That damn Cheoldeok bastard!”

Jinpyeong had become a headache in a different sense, causing Hyang considerable distress.

Considering Jinpyeong’s excessive passion for railroads, he couldn’t just ignore it.

“He’s the kind of guy who would ask for his own private army if the railroad construction is delayed again…”

Infrastructure projects like railroads consumed a large portion of the budget, as much as their importance warranted. If Jinpyeong went on a rampage, he would surely push the railroad as the top priority without considering the budget balance. If he went even further, the ‘Gyeyu Cheolnan’ [a hypothetical rebellion sparked by railroad construction] wouldn’t be just a pipe dream but a real possibility.

“I can’t just say ‘You’re purged!’… There needs to be a justification.”

If he purged Jinpyeong carelessly, it would be seen as a power struggle, like the ‘Princes’ Rebellion’ that had happened twice before [historical power struggles among princes for the throne].

-The Emperor killed his second younger brother, the most powerful competitor, to ensure a safe transfer of power to the Crown Prince!

What was worse was that such a purge could become a precedent. If the person who ascended the throne unconditionally killed all his brothers, the imperial family itself would gradually shrink. Also, the emperor who ascended the throne would wield even more powerful dictatorial power. If such a history of dictatorship continued, they would lose the flexibility to respond to external stimuli, and in the end, they would surely be eliminated.

“The people will continue to want to share more and more power, but if that happens, only the execution ground will be left in the end.”

Besides the issue of justification, there was another reason why Hyang hesitated to purge him.

“There’s also the sense of kinship as a fellow otaku [a person with obsessive interests, particularly in anime and manga]….”

Like the saying, ‘A widower knows the plight of a widow,’ Hyang, who had caused all sorts of big and small accidents as an otaku in the 21st century and even after being reincarnated, didn’t hate Jinpyeong that much.

“Is this a conflict between reason and emotion….”

Muttering to himself, Hyang chuckled and came to a conclusion.

“Reason, emotion, it’s all bullshit. If I leave Jinpyeong alone like this, the conclusion is a catastrophe. Even if I don’t step in, the officials will.”

The fact that he threw a tantrum in front of Hyang today alone was enough to cause a flood of petitions.

So far, Jinpyeong had no desire for power and was only obsessed with railroads, so the officials were likely to laugh off today’s incident. However, if similar incidents became frequent, the probability of them becoming alarmed could not be ignored.

-If he’s like that in front of the Emperor, he might try to manipulate state affairs for the sake of a railroad if he’s not careful!

If this thought gained traction among the central officials, they could put pressure on Hyang later.

No matter how much dictatorial power Hyang had, he couldn’t be sure of winning if all the officials joined forces.

“The conclusion is that I need to attach a control panel. Who would be suitable?”

Hyang thought about the candidates one by one.

“Excluding the Prime Minister and the left and right Vice Prime Ministers. They’re too old. Excluding Hwangbo-in… There’s no one as familiar with the judicial system as him. Kim Jong-seo… His city addiction is a problem, but it’s a relief if he doesn’t grab Jinpyeong by the collar. Hmm… Lee Sa-cheol is too stubborn. If I’m not careful, a collar-grabbing situation will happen in reverse.”

Thinking that far, Hyang sighed.

“The biggest problem is that they’re all too old! Considering their achievements, power, and reputation, they’re enough to control Jinpyeong, but the age gap and generational gap could cause problems. Looking at Jinpyeong now, he’s a terrible hybrid of his well-known personality and the stubbornness of an otaku. If I’m not careful, I’ll make things worse. Then someone of a similar age….”

Thinking that far, Hyang sighed again.

“The only ones who are easy to handle are the Four Musketeers.”

To put it properly, the Four Musketeers were the best people to use as scapegoats, lubricants, and brakes, getting caught between Hyang and Jinpyeong.

Thinking that far, Hyang soon chose one person.

“Sung Sam-moon is the only one.”

Objectively speaking, Han Myung-hoi was the right person for this job. He was quick-witted and had a good head for problems, so he was capable of preventing problems before they arose. However, Hyang, who knew about the relationship between Jinpyeong, Han Myung-hoi, and Kwon Ram, excluded the two of them first. And among the remaining people, Ha Wi-ji was so stubbornly stubborn that he had no choice but to exclude him.

It was an unavoidable choice, but the card of Sung Sam-moon wasn’t a bad one.

In the history before Hyang intervened, he was smart enough to become a Jiphyeonjeon scholar [a scholar in the Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute], and he had decent sociability to gather people for the restoration of Danjong [a deposed king]. However, his lack of decisiveness was a flaw, as he hesitated because of a variable that occurred just before the uprising and failed.

However, this part had been improved to some extent while working under Hyang, so Hyang chose Sung Sam-moon.

* * *

The next morning, Hyang summoned Han Myung-hoi and gave him an order.

“Appoint Sung Sam-moon as the ‘North Land Railroad Development Supervisor’ and send him to Jinpyeong. His affiliation will be directly under the Seungjeongwon [Royal Secretariat].”

As soon as Hyang finished speaking, Han Myung-hoi carefully opened his mouth.

“I am sorry to speak so boldly, but wouldn’t it be better for me to go?”

“Why?”

“Maejukheon’s [Sung Sam-moon’s pen name] abilities are not lacking, but sometimes he is a bit stubborn. Considering Jinpyeong Gongjak’s [Duke] personality, there may be conflicts.”

“That’s why I chose Sung Sam-moon.”

“Yes?”

“He’s not affiliated with any other government office, and he’s affiliated with the Seungjeongwon, which is like my own hands and feet. This means that it’s my intention, so if Sung Sam-moon stops him, Jinpyeong will have no choice but to stop. And….”

Stopping for a moment, Hyang looked at Han Myung-hoi and smiled.

“As you said, sending you may be the best option, but it’s not good for me.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to be uncomfortable just to make Jinpyeong comfortable.”

This was Hyang’s true feelings. Hyang’s work had become easier thanks to having Han Myung-hoi, who was quick-witted and had a good head for problems, by his side.

At Hyang’s words, Han Myung-hoi’s expression became strange.

‘Should I like this or not?’

To put it nicely, it meant that he was receiving the Emperor’s favor, and to put it badly, it meant that he had to work his ass off.

“What are you doing? You need to write the order quickly so I can approve it, right?”

“Ah, yes! Yes!”

At Hyang’s urging, Han Myung-hoi quickly bowed and retreated outside.

* * *

As time passed, the conversation between Hyang and Han Myung-hoi spread as a rumor.

The officials who heard the rumor all nodded their heads.

“A Doseungji [Chief Royal Secretary] deserves to hear such words….”

The assessment that Han Myung-hoi was quick-witted was common.

Meanwhile, Han Myung-hoi was spending a hectic time as Doseungji.

“Oh! Doseungji is busy again today!”

When Kim Jong-seo, whom he met on the way to Geunjeongjeon [the main hall of the palace], pretended to know him, Han Myung-hoi bowed his head and replied.

“Greetings, Minister of General Affairs.”

“I’m always good! Hahaha!”

Kim Jong-seo, who laughed heartily, patted Han Myung-hoi on the shoulder.

“Seeing Doseungji reminds me of the time I was with Bangchon Daegam [Kim Jong-seo’s pen name] in the North. It feels like only yesterday that I suffered so much, but time has already passed like this! You should suffer a little more too! Then good days will come.”

“Yes. Hahaha… Thank you.”

Even as he staggered every time Kim Jong-seo patted him on the shoulder, Han Myung-hoi forced a smile and answered.

“Hahaha! Then take care!”

Han Myung-hoi, who was looking at Kim Jong-seo disappearing with a hearty laugh, looked up at the sky and muttered.

“Will good days come?”

Han Myung-hoi had a strong feeling that they would never come.

‘No matter how I think about it, I think I’m going to Shinji [a place of hardship or exile] with His Majesty.’

* * *

Meanwhile, Sung Sam-moon, who headed to the Amnok River [Yalu River] with the order, immediately found Jinpyeong.

“I look forward to working with you!”

At Jinpyeong’s words after reading the order, Sung Sam-moon bowed his head and replied.

“I will do my best.”

“Please speak well to His Majesty!”

“I will only carry out the orders I have been given to the best of my ability.”

“Still, please take care of me!”

With that, the introductory meeting ended, and Jinpyeong explained the site.

“As you can see from the map….”

Pointing to the map of the Empire’s territory in the Yoha region with a pointer, Jinpyeong continued his explanation.

“Right now, there’s only one railroad bridge over the Amnok River, but when the North Land development begins in earnest, another one will be built. And not only Yodongseong [Liaoyang], but also here in the Lushun Peninsula [Dalian], and railroads will be connected vertically and horizontally, centering on the strongholds that will be built in the north and east. If that happens, you’ll be able to travel from the northern end of the North Land to Seoul in no more than five days, or as fast as three days.”

“That’s amazing.”

At Sung Sam-moon’s words, Jinpyeong nodded his head greatly.

“It’s a great undertaking. Furthermore, once the railroad network is completed, no one will be able to treat the Empire carelessly. It’s my dream to make that day come as soon as possible.”

“All the Empire’s people in later generations will praise Gongjak [Duke].”

“That would be really nice.”

Jinpyeong, responding to Sung Sam-moon’s words, sighed.

“Hoo! But there’s a problem that needs to be solved first. The problem is the security of the North Land. It’s such a place full of tough guys.”

“I heard that the military will be deployed because of that problem.”

“There are many limitations with the military.”

Jinpyeong explained what the problem was.

-Even now, there are daily chases between the guys who are causing trouble here and there in the North Land and the Imperial Army. Because of this, the allocation of troops is sluggish.

-More and more construction sites will be created in the future, and security forces must be deployed at all of these sites. Otherwise, expensive materials will be stolen.

-The safety of the surveying team is also a problem. Surveying work is essential before laying the railroad, and escort troops are essential to protect them.

-Connected to the above situation, more and more troops are needed, which can cause political problems.

Sung Sam-moon, who had heard the explanation up to that point, raised an objection.

“Why does it cause political problems?”

“It’s a matter of command. If an incident occurs on the site and the military is urgently needed, it will take too long to move through a separate chain of command. Therefore, it is useful to put the command of the soldiers assigned in connection with the railroad under me.”

As soon as Jinpyeong finished speaking, Sung Sam-moon shook his head.

“That is absolutely not allowed. It’s not that there’s a possibility of a problem, but a problem will occur.”

“But I think it’s necessary for a quick response. You know the procedure well, don’t you?”

“That part can be solved by giving the commander of the unit in charge of security the right to self-defense and immediate response.”

“I agree with that part. But what if they attack on a large scale like Yi Man-ju did in the past? Considering the danger of the Yain Jurchens [wild Jurchens], we need to integrate and command several units, but the movement is slow in that part.”

“His Majesty said that he would form a dedicated unit, so you can point out this problem and adjust the size and scope of the unit.”

After that, Jinpyeong brought up various problems and insisted that he needed soldiers to command directly, but Sung Sam-moon came up with countermeasures on the spot and blocked Jinpyeong’s claims.

“Your countermeasures are good, but if you do that, the speed of construction will be slow. In order to see quick results, we need not only improvisation but also bold decisions.”

“If we anticipate and prepare countermeasures in advance, there is no need to improvise or make bold decisions. And, although the speed of construction is important, the top priority is to avoid causing concern to His Majesty the Emperor. Aren’t you also a subject of the Empire, Gongjak?”

“You’re right. You’re right.”

In the end, Jinpyeong had no choice but to wave the white flag to Sung Sam-moon.