Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 790

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790. The Confucian Scholars Go to Shinji (2)

As spring fully arrived, the first contingent of the Shinji subjugation force, which had departed from the mainland, reached Shinji.

The first contingent, having arrived at the initial market, briefly rested to recover from the fatigue of nearly two months of sailing before setting out for the Shinji Imperial Palace.

* * *

Approximately fifteen days later, a venue was prepared at the railway station located at the entrance of the Shinji Imperial Palace to welcome the subjugation force. On a makeshift platform, the governor and his officials gathered, awaiting their arrival.

“Even with Jin-pyeong and the artisans of District 52 working to increase the speed of the iron horse [train], it still took nearly fifteen days. That’s unexpected.”

At the governor’s remark, Jin-pyeong, who stood beside him, responded.

“They said it took time because they were conducting training concurrently.”

“Is that so? Anyway, once those crazy bastards in the far south are dealt with, I’ll be busy again. The Duchess might be a bit disappointed.”

At the governor’s words, Jin-pyeong replied with a bright face.

“As a member of the Imperial family, how could physical hardship be an issue? Although I must once again endure a long separation from my family, my wife and children also understand that as members of the Imperial family, they must bear it.”

Seeing Jin-pyeong’s words and expression, the governor chuckled and responded.

“You rascal. Wipe that smile off your face before you speak. A man over fifty still can’t manage his expressions.”

“Hup!”

* * *

‘What the Empire lacks is people.’

This was one of the problems that had yet to be resolved.

In particular, the shortage of talent in Shinji was even more severe.

Although they were continuously bringing officials from the mainland and educating the natives to create officials, key positions such as ministers and vice-ministers remained largely vacant.

They had absorbed tribal chiefs and veteran warriors from the native tribes into the bureaucracy and political circles, but they still had limitations in seeing the bigger picture.

As a result, officials who had come to Shinji from the beginning and risen to high positions were basically holding at least two positions concurrently.

Thanks to this, Sejong and the governor continued to lead busy lives.

Holding multiple positions meant that checks and balances were weakened, increasing the possibility of corruption.

The responsibility for auditing and checking this fell entirely on Sejong and the governor.

Therefore, Sejong and the governor had to examine documents and review budget expenditures more meticulously than when they were in the mainland.

Naturally, it was too much for Sejong and the governor alone, and they needed assistants.

Sejong chose the Empress as his assistant, and the governor chose Jin-pyeong as his.

Queen Soheon, whose family had been destroyed by Taejong’s political machinations, was able to become Sejong’s greatest assistant precisely because of that.

In Jin-pyeong’s case, it was the iron horse and steam engine that made him valuable.

“You know very well that if the officials become corrupt, you won’t be able to lay the railroads, right? Using the budget as an excuse.”

“I am well aware.”

“Is that so? Then find them on your own.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the governor’s words, Jin-pyeong’s eyes lit up as he cross-referenced documents to find problems and went on field inspections.

The governor was able to use Jin-pyeong comfortably because the railroad construction in Shinji was proceeding more smoothly than expected.

Unlike the mainland, where mountains appeared one after another, the railroads in Shinji, with the exception of the mountainous areas where they had struggled in the beginning, were mostly plains.

In other words, the difficult sections were almost finished before Jin-pyeong arrived, greatly reducing Jin-pyeong’s burden.

The governor did not leave Jin-pyeong alone and assigned him the role of auditor.

As a side note, Jin-pyeong’s family was very grateful to the governor for this decision. Jin-pyeong, who had been engrossed in railroad construction and constantly away from home, began to commute regularly and spend more time with his family.

However, Jin-pyeong’s eyes were always on the railroad, and he was eager to hear the news that the subjugation force was coming this time.

This was because if the subjugation force conquered the south, the railroad could be further expanded.

* * *

Growing bored of waiting for the subjugation force to arrive, the governor and Jin-pyeong continued their conversation.

“The praise for Marquis Euigyeong and Count Haeyang’s good work is widespread.”

At the governor’s praise, Jin-pyeong sighed.

“Hoo~. What good is it if they do well? None of them want to follow in their father’s footsteps…”

Jin-pyeong grumbled with a displeased expression.

Unlike the history before the governor’s intervention, Jin-pyeong did not have any concubines. As a result, Jin-pyeong and his wife, Lady Yoon, had only two sons and one daughter.

In an era when having many children was the trend, the number of their children was very small.

Thanks to this, the governor even muttered to himself.

“Could this be the reason why the direct lineage of the royal family almost disappeared from the mid-Joseon period, and collateral lines frequently emerged?”

The suspicion remained a suspicion, and Jin-pyeong’s children lived different lives from the history before the governor’s intervention.

The biggest difference was that, unlike the history before the governor’s intervention, none of them died young.

In this situation, the governor stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming.

“Is the unofficial history that they died young because of their father’s karma true?”

However, as Jin-pyeong lamented, none of Jin-pyeong’s children followed in his footsteps.

The eldest son, Sung (崇, Crown Prince Euigyeong), showed interest in administration, especially in the field of finance, and immediately joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

It was a tough job that required him to work late every day and wrestle with numbers, but Sung enjoyed it.

From Sung’s point of view, Shinji’s financial affairs were the best environment for him to thrive.

The second son, Hwang (晄), also chose a different path from Jin-pyeong.

Since he was naturally weak, Jin-pyeong and his wife were very concerned about his health. Seeing Jin-pyeong and his wife’s concern, the governor’s meddling spirit was activated.

“Medicine is good, but the medical book says that moderate physical training is even better for your health.”

The influence of the governor, who was then the Crown Prince, was enormous, so Jin-pyeong and his wife searched for a renowned martial artist.

This was because Jin-pyeong was obsessed with steam engines, unlike the history before the governor’s intervention, so there were no warriors or strongmen in his house.

Eventually, Sejong, having heard the story, ordered the commander of the Royal Guards to select a person from the Royal Guards and send them to Jin-pyeong.

Whether the governor’s prescription was effective or not, Hwang gradually became healthier.

The problem was what came next.

Hwang, who had become interested in martial arts through the Royal Guards who had taught him, immediately applied to the military. He became hooked on the path of the navy and ended up serving in the navy.

As a result, Hwang was currently serving as a captain at the Imperial Navy base that guarded the sea route between the mainland and Suez.

Lastly, Euisuk, the only daughter of Jin-pyeong and his wife, who was cherished, followed in the footsteps of her aunt, Princess Jeongso, and became a medical professional.

Since all of Jin-pyeong’s children were talented, the governor decided to bring them with him when he came to Shinji.

The reasons were twofold.

-They are all talented individuals.

-To remove them from the mainland in preparation for any unforeseen events.

What made the governor hesitate in this decision was Hwang.

“Sung and Hwang are both talented, but if I’m not careful, both administration and military affairs could fall under Jin-pyeong’s control.”

Based on this analysis, Hwang continued to serve at the Southwest Naval Base, unlike his brothers.

Interestingly, Jin-pyeong and Sung, who lived together in Shinji, bickered every day.

The feud between these father and son became even more intense as Jin-pyeong took on the role of auditor.

“Hey! Director of the Finance Bureau! What is this budget! Why is the budget allocated to the railroad construction so small!”

“That’s enough! It’s increased by 5% compared to last year’s budget, isn’t it?”

“This is not enough! With this budget, we can’t increase the speed of the railroad construction!”

“Is railroad construction the only thing going on here in Shinji? If we’re talking about priorities, national defense is more urgent! The construction of warships is being delayed due to the lack of budget! That’s more urgent! His Majesty has already approved it!”

“Hey, you son of a…!”

“I’ll say it again, it’s already been approved! I’m working! Please leave!”

Jin-pyeong, who had been kicked out of Sung’s office, pounded his chest and burst into anger.

“Before, only my older brother used to scold me, but now even my son is scolding me! I can’t live with this injustice!”

* * *

“…Ah, Brother! I mean, Your Majesty! I can’t live with this injustice!”

“Yes, yes. I’ll pay a little more attention…”

As the governor was listening to Jin-pyeong’s complaints with a bitter smile, the whistle of the iron horse was heard in the distance.

Bbaeeaeek~.

At the sound of the whistle coming from afar, the governor and Jin-pyeong straightened their attire and assumed a serious posture.

From the iron horse that arrived at the station, soldiers carrying military equipment began to disembark one after another.

Bbiik! Bbiik!

“Move quickly!”

“Maintain the ranks!”

Under the command of officers with whistles in their mouths, the soldiers took their places in the venue.

Jin-pyeong, who was observing the soldiers taking their places while maintaining their ranks, leaned slightly towards the governor and asked in a small voice.

“Brother, no, Your Majesty. Are these the soldiers we are seeing now? Or are they bandits?”

At Jin-pyeong’s question, the governor also replied with a slightly bewildered expression.

“I, no, I am also curious.”

The soldiers who were lined up in front of the governor and Jin-pyeong had closely cropped hair and thick beards. And their eyes were full of venom and murderous intent.

“Salute to His Majesty!”

“Chung! [Loyalty!]”

When Commander-in-Chief Lee Jing-ok ordered the salute in a clear voice, the soldiers saluted in unison.

The governor, who received the salute from the subjugation force, welcomed them with a short and simple encouragement.

“Thank you for your hard work in coming to this remote place. I hope that you will punish those cruel and ruthless people who enjoy cannibalism in the south and properly establish morality in Shinji.”

“Chung!”

Having finished the short and simple encouragement, the governor stepped down from the platform and encouraged the generals and soldiers while examining them.

While encouraging and examining the generals and soldiers, the governor looked at Lee Jing-ok and asked briefly.

“I heard in the documents I sent and received that most of the subjugation force are Confucian scholars. But the people I see now are not Confucian scholars, but rather…”

At the governor’s hesitant words, Lee Jing-ok laughed heartily and replied.

“Hahaha! They are indeed from Confucian scholar backgrounds! But aren’t they coming here to wage war, not to take the civil service examination? So I did some training!”

Jin-pyeong, who was listening to Lee Jing-ok’s answer from behind, muttered softly.

“How can you train Confucian scholars to become bandits…”

The officials who heard Jin-pyeong’s muttering nodded their heads at the same time.

Listening to Lee Jing-ok’s words and looking at the soldiers once again, the governor looked back at Lee Jing-ok.

“Seeing that everyone’s bodies are solid, it seems that they are carefully selected. They are truly reliable.”

At the governor’s words, Lee Jing-ok grinned and replied.

“I did some ‘De-fattening’.”

“Huh?”

“There were many who were so generous in heart that they were also generous in body, hahaha!”

“Huh?”

At Lee Jing-ok’s hearty laughter, the governor made a ‘could it be?’ expression, and a small grinding sound was heard from among the lined-up soldiers.

Ppudeut!

This was because those who had lost their corpulence due to Lee Jing-ok’s ‘de-fattening’ were unknowingly grinding their teeth.

“Huh?”

“Where is that grinding sound coming from…?”