Jjangra
Helo Night
81. SimCity Hanseong, SimCity Joseon (5)
After the meeting regarding the armistice concluded, the Minister of Taxation returned to his office and sighed.
“Haa… I work endlessly, but there’s no end in sight. Should I just resign? No. His Majesty wouldn’t simply allow me to resign…”
As he seriously contemplated resignation, a court attendant arrived.
“Minister of Taxation, are you here?”
“I’m here. What is it?”
“The Crown Prince has sent this for you.”
“Hmm?”
The court attendant presented the Minister of Taxation with a silk-wrapped bundle.
“He said, ‘I look forward to your continued good service,’ as he gave this.”
“…Convey my gratitude for this gracious gift.”
“Yes.”
Though some time passed after the court attendant’s departure, the Minister of Taxation stared silently at the bundle.
“I have a feeling that opening this will lead to trouble…”
The Minister of Taxation hesitated before untying the bundle.
Inside was a small wooden box.
“Haa…”
With a sigh, the Minister of Taxation opened the wooden box, sighing again upon seeing its contents.
“The King or the Crown Prince…”
Inside the box was a wild ginseng [a type of medicinal root] that appeared quite precious.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the inner quarters of the Minister of Taxation’s residence, the scent of medicine was strong.
“What is the meaning of this…”
Lady Kwon, the Minister’s wife, fanned the brazier beneath the medicine pot and grumbled.
The medicine brewing was a tonic that King Sejong had personally bestowed some time ago.
She could have delegated the task to a maid, but treating a precious tonic given by the King so casually might invite gossip, so Lady Kwon brewed it herself.
However, Lady Kwon’s dissatisfaction stemmed from another source.
“What good is a tonic? What good is it!”
Her husband was the type to simply sleep upon returning home.
She couldn’t truly complain, as he wasn’t exhausted from carousing at a *gibang* [a traditional Korean house of entertainment], but from working on state affairs.
Lady Kwon fanned herself irritably and grumbled.
“A tonic that’s not worth the cost of the medicine!”
* * *
As late February arrived, reconstruction work began in earnest.
Hyang, having established a temporary field office near Jongno, meticulously directed the operations.
“First, let’s proceed simultaneously with connecting Cheonggyecheon [a major stream in Seoul] and the nearby streams, and with replotting the fire-damaged area and well-drilling operations.”
The official from the Ministry of Public Works confirmed the situation once more.
“So, we should prioritize connecting Jongno and the fire-damaged area to Cheonggyecheon?”
“That would be the most reasonable approach, wouldn’t it?”
“It’s the most reasonable in terms of manpower allocation.”
“Then, let’s do that. Anyway…”
Hyang regarded the Ministry of Public Works official with renewed interest.
“You seem quite familiar with this kind of work?”
At Hyang’s question, the Ministry of Public Works official smiled slightly and replied.
“Funnily enough, my first job was the construction of this Hanseong [old name of Seoul].”
“Oh? Your rank?”
Hyang examined the ‘living history-level’ official’s uniform. It was old, but the color of the neat uniform was blue.
“I am a Censor of the 6th rank.”
“It seems you started from the bottom?”
“Indeed.”
Seeing the Ministry of Public Works Censor’s expression tinged with bitterness, Hyang offered encouragement.
“This is also fate; let’s create a masterpiece together.”
“I will do my best!”
At Hyang’s words, the Ministry of Public Works Censor bowed deeply. He, too, understood the meaning behind Hyang’s words.
Hyang muttered to himself as he watched the Ministry of Public Works Censor, who had been working diligently, now showing even more enthusiasm.
“There must be more than one or two like him, right?”
Even in the 21st century, many possessed ability and sincerity but unexpectedly failed to shine.
There were many reasons for this, but as time passed, the sad sight of those who had given up and were simply performing their assigned tasks overlapped with the departing figure of the Ministry of Public Works Censor.
Watching him leave, Hyang made another decision.
“If I’m going to overhaul this entire Joseon [Korean dynasty] in the future, I’ll need a lot of capable people. The only answer is to find those with experience and ability!”
That night, Hyang returned to the East Palace and began drafting a new proposal.
It was a proposal with an incredibly long title: ‘Regarding the Establishment of a Specialized Agency for National Land Development Management.’
The idea was to create an organization that would select individuals with ability and practical experience, regardless of their affiliation with the Six Ministries [the main administrative bodies of Joseon], and entrust them with comprehensive management responsibilities.
* * *
The first step in the reconstruction of the damaged area was the reorganization of the plots.
“What should we use as the standard for plot reorganization?”
The working-level staff, hesitant for a moment, immediately answered Hyang’s question.
“Wells, sir.”
“That’s right. We need to dig wells and reorganize the plots accordingly so that we can properly align the roads and sewers.”
“Then, let’s do that. It’s also a good opportunity to check the efficiency of the prototype drilling rig that was made.”
“Drilling rig?”
The working-level staff tilted their heads at Hyang’s words. The next day, three drilling rigs were brought from District 51.
“Is this it?”
The artisan in charge of the drilling rig’s development and testing stepped forward to explain its benefits to the working-level staff.
“It takes less time than digging wells by hand.”
“Is that so?”
“The greatest benefit of reducing that time is that you can quickly determine whether the well is usable or not.”
“Is that so? Then, let’s start.”
“Yes.”
The drilling rigs, divided among three main areas of the damaged zone, began work.
“Hmm… this place looks promising.”
The drilling rig foreman, examining the terrain and the map with the rough outline of the temporarily designated area, pointed to a location likely to have a water vein.
“We’ll dig here! Set it up!”
“Yes!”
At the foreman’s command, the crew moved quickly, setting up a sturdy tripod made of steel and installing a drilling propeller on top.
Finally, they connected a spiral drilling auger and a steel pillar to the propeller and inserted it into the ground.
Once the initial setup was complete, the crew connected a steel pillar about 1 *jang* [approximately 3.3 meters] long to the propeller and brought a cow to tie it to the steel pillar.
“Giddy up!”
“Moo~.”
When the cow’s hindquarters were lightly tapped, it began to move slowly.
As the cow circled, the propeller turned, driving the auger into the ground.
“Hmm…”
As the drilling rig operated, those managing the area gathered to observe.
“It looks good?”
“It seems useful.”
At the managers’ favorable response, the drilling rig foreman puffed out his chest and replied.
“We dug wells in District 51 with this! How frustrating is it when strong men dig for days and no water appears? This drastically reduces that time!”
“Hmm… that’s true…”
Swaaaaaa!
“Water!”
After two days of drilling, water gushed from the borehole. Everyone applauded.
“Water!”
“Wow! Look at the stream of water gushing out!”
As the water flowed, the drilling rig foreman removed the equipment. The managers and residents then assessed the well’s quantity and quality.
“This looks good?”
“It seems like it will be a good well.”
Once the assessment was complete, the drilling rig foreman packed up his equipment and prepared to dig the next well. He gathered the managers and remaining people.
“Now we need to make a proper well, so move quickly! We have a mountain of work to do!”
“Yes, sir!”
The drilling rig demonstrated excellent performance at the reconstruction site. Securing water sources was quickly achieved, and plot reorganization accelerated rapidly.
The placement of houses and drainage was determined around the well, and residential areas were distributed to the displaced people based on household and land registers.
“It’s good, but…”
Although they received land, the faces of the displaced people did not brighten easily due to the problem of funds to build houses.
“Ahem! Who is the head of household who received this land?”
The head of household, lost in thought, was startled when the official asked for him.
“It’s me, sir. What’s going on?”
“Well, you need to build a house, but do you have money?”
“Hoo~. It all burned down, so how could I have any?”
“Hmm… so, the country has decided to lend money. Do you have some time?”
At the official’s words, the head of household spread a straw mat and offered it to the official.
“Oh! I have to make time even if I don’t have it! Please sit here first!”
The head of household, after listening to the official’s explanation, tilted his head slightly and asked.
“I understand what you’re saying, but what is a grace period?”
“You only pay interest for the period you want, and then you pay back the principal. So, if it’s a 3-year grace period and a 3-year repayment, you only pay interest for the first 3 years, and then you pay back the interest and principal in installments for the next 3 years.”
“Ah!”
“The interest rate is only 30% per year. If you’ve ever used private loans, you’ll know that the cheapest interest is 50%, right? But the lenders who only receive that are called *bodhisattvas* [enlightened beings]. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.”
“So, think about it carefully.”
“But where do I have to go to borrow money?”
“Come to the Ministry of Taxation. Then.”
The official, finished explaining, got up, and the head of household quickly rose as well.
“No, have a glass of cold water before you go.”
“It’s okay. I have many more houses to visit. Then, think about it carefully.”
The official strode off to find the next house.
“Take care!”
The head of household squatted in one corner of the yard and began to calculate.
“So, to build a house, I need money… what I earn in a year is… if the interest is 30%…”
He moved small stones around to do the math.
* * *
Three days later, the head of household, having made up his mind, visited the Ministry of Taxation.
“Excuse me… sir…”
The head of household, hesitating in front of the Ministry of Taxation’s gate, grabbed a passing official.
“What’s going on?”
The official, crossing the threshold with a tired face, turned his head.
Seeing the man, the official knew what was coming.
“Did you come about the loan issue?”
“That’s right.”
“Go inside and straight to the right; there will be a room.”
“Yes? Yes. Thank you.”
At the official’s explanation, the head of household bowed deeply and entered the Ministry of Taxation.
The place in question was quickly found.
The head of household joined others who looked like him and waited his turn.
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
“Park Soon-bok… a family of five?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you’ll need at least 3 bays [a unit of measurement for traditional Korean houses], right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then the cost is…”
Park Soon-bok, having received loan counseling, received a piece of paper and exited.
“They told me to go to the Ministry of Public Works?”
Holding the paper, Park Soon-bok headed to the Ministry of Public Works.
“Let’s see… Park Soon-bok… what year were you born?”
The official, holding a handwritten copy of the household register, checked the contents of the paper.
“3 bays… the amount of materials needed is…”
The official called out the amount of materials needed to build the house and confirmed it with Park Soon-bok.
“…That’s all, is there anything missing?”
“Yes. But, do I have to use a tiled roof? That’s expensive.”
“What if there’s another fire? Are you going to lose everything again in one go?”
“That can’t happen!”
“Cheap tiles have come out this time, so try using them. If you don’t like them after using them, earn money later and change them.”
“…Yes.”
The official handed Park Soon-bok the papers after confirming all the materials needed for construction.
“Put your stamp there.”
“Yes? Yes.”
At the official’s command, Park Soon-bok inked his right thumb and stamped diligently.
“Okay, take this paper and this paper and be sure to keep them. One is a receipt with the list of materials, and the other is a record of how much you borrowed and when you will repay it.”
“Yes.”
“The materials are…”
The official paused, searched through the books piled next to him, and continued.
“It will arrive at your house site in four days. Find the workers yourself. You can build it by taking turns with your neighbors, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then it’s all over. Go out. Next!”
Park Soon-bok, coming out of the Ministry of Public Works building, blinked and muttered.
“What is this… it’s like a goblin game [something confusing and magical]…”
* * *
As the reconstruction began, there was a labor shortage. Day laborers flocked in from other areas of Hanseong, but it was not enough.
This was because many houses were being built, and road construction was also underway.
In the end, Sejong issued an order to the military.
“Draw available manpower from the 12 divisions guarding the capital!”
“I obey your command!”
The soldiers sweated profusely at the construction site.
Meanwhile, generals watched the scene and shared their opinions.
“Hmm… it seems that the Crown Prince’s proposal is not wrong?”
“That’s right.”
They were generals belonging to the General Staff Headquarters of the Joseon Army.
During the large-scale reform of the Joseon army, Hyang had proposed the creation of a new military branch.
The military branch that Hyang proposed was the engineering corps.
However, most of the generals reacted negatively.
-There are almost no soldiers who can’t chop with an ax or hammer, so it is unnecessary to create a separate military branch.
These generals’ negative reactions changed to ‘necessary!’ during the restoration after the Great Fire of Hanseong.
In the end, after further discussions, the engineering corps was created.
‘Swords and spears may rust, but shovel blades shine!’
‘One step, one shovel!’
‘If I am given a shovel and a pickaxe, I will move mountains and rivers!’
It was the birth of a military branch that created all sorts of rumors and legends.