Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 77

Jjangra

Hello, Bomb!

77. SimCity Hanseong, SimCity Joseon (1)

With Hong Hee-je’s death, the political situation between Joseon and Ming became uncertain, and the event to invite the tribal chiefs of the Wild Jurchens, scheduled for the autumn of Eulsa Year, had to be postponed.

“Truly regrettable. So very regrettable. Tsk!”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

As Sejong clicked his tongue, unable to hide his disappointment, the ministers nodded in agreement.

“Inevitably, inviting the Jurchens will have to wait until next year. Well then, let’s deal with other matters first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I instructed you to look into the transplanting method [a method of planting rice seedlings]. What were the results?”

* * *

Over two years, a nationwide water management project greatly reduced concerns about floods and droughts.

Gaining confidence from this, Sejong ordered the commencement of research into the transplanting method.

“The reason why Ming produces so much rice is partly due to the climate, but the transplanting method is also a great help. Our Joseon’s staple food is also rice, so research the transplanting method.”

“We obey your command!”

Following Sejong’s order, rice farming using the transplanting method, which had been secretly practiced in the Hasamdo region, began to be openly implemented.

Officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Public Works were dispatched to the areas selected for rice farming using the transplanting method to conduct thorough investigations.

* * *

In response to Sejong’s question about the results of the investigation, Minister of Personnel Heo Jo immediately answered.

“Considering only the yield, the lowest increase compared to the direct sowing method is 15%, and the highest is 25%. Averaging it out, the yield has increased by approximately 19.8%.”

“Is that considered a significant amount?”

To Sejong’s question, Hwang Hee replied,

“It is not as much as the rumors suggest.”

“What is the reason for that?”

“Sufficient fertilizer and sturdy farming tools are needed, and above all, we must first have high-yielding varieties.”

At Hwang Hee’s answer, Sejong stroked his beard.

“Does that mean we must obtain seeds from Ming?”

“The rice from Ming also has its problems.”

“What problems?”

“It is less glutinous than our Joseon rice. Therefore, there are cases where Ming rice distributed as relief or wages is collected and exchanged for Joseon rice. The most common exchange rate is three ‘doe’ [a traditional Korean unit of volume, approximately 1.8 liters] of Ming rice for two ‘doe’ of Joseon rice.”

Hwang Hee’s answer made Sejong look troubled.

“I thought we could solve the problems of the transplanting method by simply expanding water management facilities, but that is not the case.”

“However, if the infrastructure is secured and the seed problem is solved, it is a very good method.”

“Is that so? In what way?”

“It can reduce the number of people who make farming their profession.”

“Oh?”

Sejong showed great interest in Hwang Hee’s words.

* * *

The most significant part of the reforms was strengthening the capabilities of commerce and industry.

Strengthening the capabilities of commerce and industry and promoting urbanization based on this was a major part of it.

For Sejong, urbanization was important in many ways.

If commerce and industry developed, people would gather in the centers of commerce and industry, and when people gathered, cities would be created.

Once cities were created, the monetary economy, which had been a major task for successive kings, could be quickly established.

Also, as people gathered in cities, landlords would lose their dominance, and royal authority could be strengthened.

Strengthening Joseon’s capabilities while strengthening royal authority.

This was the core of the reforms that Sejong was pursuing.

Of course, Hyang, who analyzed Sejong’s reform policies, immediately pointed out the problem to Sejong.

“Urbanization may strengthen royal authority, but conversely, it could become the greatest enemy of royal authority.”

“Even your father knows that. If the livelihood of those gathered in the city is threatened, royal authority will be in danger.”

“That is correct.”

Hyang nodded with a worried face.

‘The French Revolution also took place in Paris! The birth of communism was also due to the poverty of the workers!’

Sejong smiled as he looked at Hyang’s worried face.

“How long do you think it will take for the livelihood of those gathered in the city to be threatened?”

“Yes? Uh…”

“Before urbanization reaches that level, how many people will actually abandon their fields and leave?”

“…Not many, I presume.”

“Then, who do you think will be the first to flock to the urbanization that has just begun?”

“The displaced people, perhaps.”

Sejong nodded at Hyang’s answer.

“That’s right. There are still many displaced people wandering aimlessly in our Joseon. Urbanization is necessary to settle them down.”

Hyang nodded at Sejong’s explanation.

‘Tsk. It’s an industrialization with different goals and processes from what I learned…’

The industrial revolution through reforms that Sejong was promoting at the time had different causes and processes from what Hyang had learned in textbooks.

The Western industrial revolution was a revolutionary development of technology and systems to pursue more and more wealth as commercial capital grew in size.

However, the reforms that Sejong was undertaking were similar to the economic development plans promoted by South Korea’s military dictatorship.

* * *

That was the situation, so Sejong showed interest in Hwang Hee’s words.

“Reduce the number of people who make farming their profession? How?”

“The most important aspect of the transplanting method is rice planting. Planting seedlings in a field filled with water greatly reduces the number of times weeding is required.”

“Hmm… That’s true.”

The direct sowing method, which was used by most Joseon farmers at the time, was a method of sowing rice seeds in a field filled with water and growing them.

This method required a lot of manpower because weeding and management had to be done continuously from the time the rice seeds sprouted.

“Reduce manpower, you say…”

As Sejong showed interest, Hwang Hee cited an actual case.

“There is an elderly couple in Gyeongsang Province whose sons were all killed by Japanese pirates and are living with two grandchildren. This couple was farming using the transplanting method, and except for rice planting and harvesting, the two of them managed one ‘gyeol’ [a unit of land area] (結, 2750~11000 pyeong) of rice paddies.”

“What did they do during rice planting and harvesting?”

“They borrowed slaves from a nearby landlord to plant and harvest rice and paid them wages.”

“Oh? Old ginger is spicier than new ginger [an idiom meaning older people are wiser]… Indeed, the old saying is true.”

“That is correct. If we use ‘dure’ [traditional cooperative labor system] and ‘pumassi’ [exchange labor], it will no longer be necessary for most of the people to be tied to farming as they are now.”

“Indeed!”

Sejong clapped his knees in delight at Hwang Hee’s words.

However, as soon as Hwang Hee finished speaking, the Minister of Justice raised an objection.

“Your Majesty! ‘Dure’ and ‘pumassi’ may be the answer, but they can also become another problem!”

“Another problem?”

“Please consider why ‘dure’ and ‘pumassi’ were prohibited.”

“Ah…”

Sejong’s face darkened at the Minister of Justice’s words.

‘Dure’ and ‘pumassi’ were means of uniting rural communities.

The problem was that the local powerful clans and influential families used the solidarity created in this way to strengthen their power.

Even if that were not the case, most of the peasant revolts that the people had waged at the end of the Jeonjo dynasty were uprisings by farmers gathered through ‘dure’.

Therefore, Joseon prevented local officials from mobilizing the people, but also prevented the creation of private organizations such as ‘dure’ and ‘pumassi’.

Ironically, while the central government blocked ‘dure’ and ‘pumassi,’ the local gentry insisted on creating and using ‘Hyangyak’ [village regulations based on Confucianism], which contained Confucian beliefs.

These claims of the local gentry subsided as the literati purges involving Jo Gwang-jo occurred later, but eventually, as the Sarim faction seized power, ‘Hyangyak’ was disseminated nationwide.

In the end, Sejong had no choice but to come to an ambiguous conclusion.

“There is not enough evidence that the yield has definitely increased with the transplanting method, and the method of solving the problem of manpower mobilization is still somewhat insufficient, so let’s do some more research.”

“We obey your command.”

“Let’s take a break for a while.”

Sejong, who declared a recess, went outside and sighed deeply.

“Haa~. Nothing is ever easy…”

“Father!”

Sejong, who was frowning at the unsolved problem, smiled and turned his head at Hyang’s energetic voice.

“What’s going on?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang shouted with a beaming smile.

“I have created a threshing machine!”

“A threshing machine?”

“Yes!”

Sejong was curious about Hyang’s proud answer.

“Really? Let’s take a look.”

“I put it in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon (勤政殿, main hall)!”

“Really? Chief Eunuch, summon the ministers.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After a while, Sejong and the ministers gathered in the front yard of Geunjeongjeon.

“Is this the threshing machine that the Crown Prince made?”

“Yes!”

Listening to Hyang’s answer, Sejong looked at the threshing machine in front of him.

It was an object made of a wooden frame that looked like a dining table with two legs broken off on one side, with thin iron bars densely packed at narrow intervals.

Sejong, who saw the threshing machine, commented.

“It looks like a comb with legs attached.”

“That’s what I made it with that idea in mind!”

Hyang replied with a proud voice.

Going back and forth between the palace and Area 51, Hyang was able to constantly observe the farmers of Hanseong farming.

“If I could make even one tractor, I’d hit the jackpot.”

Hyang lightly smacked his lips as he watched them farm purely with animal power and manpower.

However, Hyang did not make any further progress there.

There were many other things to make besides that.

It was while watching the harvesting and threshing in the fall that Hyang came up with the idea for the threshing machine.

“This is the second time I’ve seen it this year… It’s truly a symbol of inefficiency.”

To thresh, the farmers spread straw mats in the yard, brought out grinding stones or winnowing machines, and struck the rice straw with all their might.

Watching that scene, Hyang said it was the epitome of inefficiency.

Striking it against stones and wood, gathering the rice grains that fell in all directions while swinging the rice straw like that, and sifting the rice grains mixed with soil and pebbles were all inefficient.

“There must be a way…”

Hyang pondered to find a way to solve the inefficient threshing process.

However, Hyang did not easily find an answer.

The scene of harvesting that Hyang saw in the 21st century was one that was finished in one go with a combine harvester.

It was when he was combing his hair after washing it that Hyang, who had been worrying about finding an answer, found a solution.

Hyang clapped his hands when he saw the fine-toothed comb held by the court lady.

“That’s it!”

What was created through this process was the object in front of Sejong’s eyes.

Hyang was full of pride in creating the threshing machine.

‘Until now, I’ve been remaking what others have made, but this is my original!’

However, the threshing machine that Hyang made was a hold-tae (홀태, foot-operated thresher) that had been used since the mid-to-late Joseon period.

Hyang was ignorant in this area, though he was called Gwangdeok.

As a result of testing Hyang’s threshing machine, it boasted far superior efficiency than before.

Encouraged by the results, Sejong issued a royal order to the ministers.

“Draw the structure of this threshing machine in detail and spread it throughout the country!”

“We obey your command!”

Once again, cavalrymen rode their horses across the country.

The farmers who made and tested the threshing machine according to the structure of the threshing machine made by Hyang all cheered.

“It’s so comfortable!”

“Mak-soe! Break the winnowing machine! We’ll have to use it as firewood!”

“But who made this?”

The farmers were curious about who had first made such a useful tool.

“The Crown Prince made it.”

The farmers who heard the answer began to whisper.

“How did he think of this?”

“I know, right. Is his seed different… [Is he special/gifted?]”

“Even if his seed is different! Some people’s sons make things like this so easily! My son only breaks the crock! You son of a b*tch! You’re going to die today!”

* * *

February of the 8th year of Sejong (1426, Byeongo Year).

Sejong held a martial arts competition and hunting contest in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province.

It was a large event where not only the existing military officers but also martial artists with some reputation from all over the country gathered in Gangwon Province, because if they did well here, they could be specially recruited as military officials.

As a butterfly effect, bandits who had established themselves in Gangwon Province suffered.

-Those who have contributed to the suppression of bandits will be given extra points.

Due to Sejong’s announcement, martial artists who were moving to participate in the martial arts competition did not move alone but moved in groups, knocking down the bandits’ mountain fortresses.

While the bandits who had established themselves in the famous high mountains and peaks of Gangwon Province were suffering, the date for Sejong to depart was also approaching.

“The weather is not good at all, maybe we shouldn’t go…”

“You must go!”

“An order has already been issued and many people are on the move! We must not disappoint those who have left their homes with dreams of a bright future!”

“Please reconsider!”

As Sejong hesitated, the ministers requested in unison that he depart.

Following the ministers, Hyang also pleaded with Sejong.

“I think you should move since you have already issued an order.”

“Ugh…”

Sejong, who let out a groan, eventually had to move.

“Okay. Let’s go! Go!”

“Your grace is boundless!”

At Sejong’s decision, the ministers all shouted, “Your grace is boundless!”

Sejong, seeing the ministers’ appearance, warned.

“I will check your work when I return!”