Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 654

654. The Strange Neighbors of the Woodpecker (3)

Through his accumulated experience in managing state affairs, Sejong steadily took control of the indigenous tribes of Shinji.

Using bribes disguised as gifts, subtle appeasement through give-and-take, and the power of Shinji’s strongest military force, Sejong gradually began to bring the surrounding tribes under his control, one by one.

However, Sejong never became complacent.

“These people have been at odds for centuries, if not millennia. It’s hard for them to unite easily. It’s only human nature to think the grass is always greener on the other side. If we don’t properly address the underlying issues, discontent will fester. We need a healthy outlet for competition.”

He knew that a suitable means of competition could divert discontent.

Therefore, Sejong began to consider what that might be.

“Ssireum [Korean wrestling] is good, but not enough on its own. We need something that can bring people together more effectively and create opportunities to meet with the chieftains one-on-one. What would work best?”

As he pondered, stone throwing came to mind.

“All we need are common stones, and some simple clubs and shields, so it’s not a bad option….”

* * *

For the Joseon people, stone throwing was a traditional game. During holidays or New Year’s, young men from nearby villages would gather to play. Or, when village disputes arose, stone throwing was sometimes used to resolve them.

However, stone throwing often led to injuries or deaths, and games could quickly escalate into brawls.

Therefore, when stone throwing began, influential figures from the villages or local officials would act as referees and mediate. Even so, brawls often broke out, and sometimes even the referees would get involved.

Despite the rough nature of the game, the king, the royal family, and influential figures enjoyed watching it.

For example, when Sejong showed his dislike, King Taejong, the former king, would say, “This is an excellent means of training,” and force him to watch.

Eventually, in the 9th year of Sejong’s reign, he created systematic rules for stone throwing.

Later, as the Gyeongjang [military reform] progressed, stone throwing became a means of training reservists. To prevent unnecessary injuries, he ordered participants to wear old armor discarded by swordsmen.

As comprehensive entertainment venues were created, professional stone-throwing teams formed. These players traveled across provinces, even the country, to hold matches in these venues.

It was the birth of a ‘league’.

The plate armor from the downsizing longsword units was repurposed as protective gear for the professional stone throwers.

The court realized that these matches strengthened the people’s sense of belonging and began to utilize them.

* * *

It seemed *gwaenchanhda* [okay] enough, but Sejong shook his head.

“No, we’ve only just begun to build trust. If we’re not careful, it will turn into a deadly battle. We’ve seen this in Joseon. Even after a thousand years as citizens of the same country, stone throwing led to deadly fights.”

Giving up on stone throwing, Sejong considered other options.

“Baduk [Go]? No, it’s good for leaders like the chieftains, but not for the warriors. We need something to expend their energy. Hmm….”

As he pondered, another idea came to him.

“What about Gyeokgu [polo]?”

But he quickly dismissed it.

“No, the time it takes to train the horses is a problem, and we could create troublesome enemies before they’re even properly tamed.”

For every good point, two or three bad ones emerged, and Sejong’s head began to ache. He put his hand on his forehead.

“This is a headache.”

“Shall I call the royal physician?” Sangseon [eunuch] asked.

Sejong shook his head. “No. I’ve been stuck inside too long. I’ll go out for some fresh air.”

“Shall I have a horse prepared?”

“No, I’ll play Gyeokbang [a type of ball game].”

“I will have everything prepared.”

As Sejong left the room, eunuchs carrying *chae* [a type of stick] and *seokgu* [stone ball] made of agate and carnelian followed him.

* * *

Sejong was known for disliking physical activity, but he enjoyed a few exercises: archery, which had made Taejo famous; jump rope, which Hyang had suggested; and Gyeokbang.

Among them, Gyeokbang was his favorite.

Even before Hyang’s intervention, records showed officials worrying about him playing Gyeokbang all night long.

This was the same after Hyang intervened, and Sejong, mindful of his officials, gave them considerable tonics as gifts.

The officials expressed their gratitude, but when they turned away, they wore complicated expressions.

* * *

Because Sejong liked Gyeokbang so much, the first things he created at the temporary *haenggung* [detached palace] were an archery range and a Gyeokbang field.

Sejong, enjoying Gyeokbang at the archery range, lightly swung the *chae* [stick] and muttered, “It’s no fun playing alone.”

“Shall I prepare Jangchigi [field hockey]?”

“No, it’s okay….”

Sejong stopped mid-sentence.

“That’s right! There was that!”

Having had a good idea, he hurried back to his room.

Jangchigi was similar to modern field hockey.

The rules were simple: two teams used long wooden sticks to put a *mokgu* [wooden ball] into the opponent’s goal.

With no restrictions other than not hitting opponents with the stick or tripping them, Jangchigi was perfect for warriors.

As Sejong expected, it became explosively popular among the indigenous tribes. Warriors with little to do as military conflicts decreased showed off their strength through Jangchigi.

Winning against another tribe, especially a rival, was an honor equivalent to winning a war.

The tribes did their best to win. They created dedicated practice areas and held matches to select the best players.

They also sought out Joseon people skilled in Jangchigi in the residential areas and learned *jantech* [small techniques].

As Hyang’s reign continued, this Jangchigi competition grew to an empire-wide scale. Jangchigi and stone throwing became the empire’s two major professional leagues. While there were other professional leagues, including archery and Ssireum [Korean wrestling], Jangchigi and stone throwing were the best team sports.

* * *

The competition to expend the warriors’ energy and exploit the tribes’ competitive spirit was decided, but Sejong still had concerns.

As usual, he played Gyeokbang to clear his head and muttered, “I need a suitable excuse for a one-on-one meeting.”

Although Joseon controlled the tribes, it hadn’t gained complete dominance. It was the ‘most powerful tribe among several,’ not the ‘leader tribe’.

“If all the tribes of Shinji are to become one, and Shinji itself a part of Joseon, I have to win over the chieftains. The mothers are being well cared for by the Queen, so I don’t have to worry….”

Analyzing the situation, Sejong sighed.

“Hoo~. What would be a suitable way to meet one-on-one?”

In Joseon, he could secretly visit someone’s house or meet at a *gisaeng house* [house of courtesans].

However, that was impossible here. Even visiting a chieftain’s house would cause rumors. And *gisaeng houses* didn’t exist yet. Considering the *moseup* [appearance] of the chieftains at the last banquet—they all got drunk on soju, the distilled liquor they encountered for the first time—a drinking party was out of the question.

“If I call them for a drinking party, they’ll just want alcohol.”

Feeling *dapdaphae jin* [frustrated], Sejong swung the *chae* [stick] with all his might.

*Ttaak!* [sound of hitting]

Seeing the *seokgu* [stone ball] fly far away, Sejong shouted, “It flies so *siwonhage* [refreshingly]!”

But seeing the eunuch running after the disappearing *seokgu* [stone ball], he licked his lips.

“Tch! I’m making him suffer. But it’s refreshing.”

Seeing the eunuch suffer, Sejong stopped Gyeokbang and returned to his room.

“Still, it was refreshing. Should I have picked it up myself?”

At Sejong’s muttering, Sangseon [eunuch] bowed his head.

“How can you move your *okche* [precious body] for such a small matter? Such things are for us to do.”

“Still, isn’t hard work hard work?”

“You can think of it as exercising. They say you should move your body *jeokdanghi* [moderately] to avoid minor illnesses, don’t they?”

‘Then you’re telling me to get sick and die?’

Sejong suppressed the words and suddenly had a bright idea.

‘Wait! Gyeokbang is possible with just two people, right? And if you put the ball in the *waa* [hole], you move on to the next *waa* [hole], right? Then what if you do it not in a narrow place, but in a wide field? Shinji has plenty of fields! If I make the distance from where you hit the ball to the *waa* [hole] far, and the distance between *waa* [hole] and *waa* [hole] far apart?’

Having thought that far, Sejong clapped his knees with a bright face.

“I’ve found the answer!”

That’s how Shin Gyeokbang [New Gyeokbang] was born. Sejong invited the chieftains to a Gyeokbang field that was 10 *ri* [approximately 4 kilometers] one way and 20 *ri* [approximately 8 kilometers] round trip, introduced Shin Gyeokbang, and enjoyed it with them.

Before long, Shin Gyeokbang became explosively popular among the chieftains and veteran warriors. They were physically *millineun* [pushed back] when playing Jangchigi with the young warriors. However, Shin Gyeokbang was perfect for enjoying while *jeokdanghi* [moderately] pacing themselves. Also, the fact that they were enjoying the game in their own *hojeothage* [secluded] way gave them a sense of superiority.

As Shin Gyeokbang spread, Sejong began to use it politically.

He invited chieftains of powerful tribes and had secret talks while playing Shin Gyeokbang in pairs or trios.

This ‘Gyeokbang field meeting’ became an important *jonjae* [existence] that accelerated Shinji’s incorporation into Joseon.

If the civilization and economic power of Joseon, symbolized by the monopoly office, had influenced ordinary natives, the ‘Gyeokbang field meeting’ had politically influenced them.

* * *

While the natives of Shinji were rapidly being Joseonized, some were ahead of others.

The woodpecker’s husband, ‘Ungkeurin Gom [Crouching Bear],’ was one such case.

He was named ‘Ungkeurin Gom [Crouching Bear]’ because he was large from birth.

Expected to become a famous warrior, he became increasingly disappointing as he got older.

He was smart and strong, but his fighting skills were lacking. This was a major disqualification.

To be precise, his skills were similar to other warriors, but lacking compared to his size and strength.

His strengths, such as intelligence, situation analysis, and judgment, were easily ignored.

Ungkeurin Gom [Crouching Bear], who became the woodpecker’s mate, carefully observed the Joseon people. He volunteered to study Hunminjeongeum [Korean alphabet] and learn Korean.

Fluent in Korean, he quickly learned basic academics, including *sanhak* [mathematics].

This *moseup* [appearance] caught the eye of the Joseon people.

“That friend is *sseul manhande* [useful]?”

“You said His Majesty will be coming soon, right? We’ll need friends like that when that time comes.”

As Sejong arrived and the development of Shinji began to *bongyeokjeogin gwedoe oreumyeonseo* [enter a full-scale orbit], Ungkeurin Gom [Crouching Bear] officially became a *gwanriga* [government official].

He was still the lowest-ranking *gwanriga* [government official], but he had laid the foundation for moving up if he worked hard.

That’s how Ungkeurin Gom [Crouching Bear] and the woodpecker *maryeonhago* [prepared] a house in the Joseon residential area and began to live there.

His position in the tribe was *sunshikgane banjeondoeeo beoryeotda* [instantly reversed].

He went from a ‘*deongchitgap mot haneun jeonsa* [warrior who doesn’t live up to his size]’ to a ‘*jungyohan dongajul* [important lifeline]’.”