Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 99

Jjangra

Hello, Night.

99. The Great Strategy: Eastern Advance (3)

Sejong and his ministers continued their meeting, focusing on the military’s request for an increased budget and manpower.

“Budget and manpower… Increasing both immediately is beyond Joseon’s [Korea’s historical name] capabilities.”

Choe Yun-deok immediately responded to the Minister of Finance’s statement.

“I am well aware. In planning this strategy, the military’s primary consideration was that it would proceed in step with the Gyeongjang reforms [a series of socio-economic reforms]. Therefore, the necessary budget has been determined accordingly.”

Choe Yun-deok gestured to the military officers standing behind him.

At his signal, the officers distributed thick booklets to the high-ranking officials and ministers. Sejong, receiving the book via a court attendant, examined its title.

-Confidential Plan Budget Proposal.

“Confidential Plan?”

“‘Confidential Plan’ is a code name used in place of ‘Eastern Advance.'”

“Hmm…”

Sejong listened to Choe Yun-deok’s explanation and opened the book.

“Hmm…”

Sejong made a small humming sound as he reviewed the contents.

The book meticulously detailed how the military would grow over the next 30 years and the corresponding budget increases.

‘This is acceptable.’

Just as Sejong was about to give his approval, a sigh erupted from somewhere.

“Hoo…”

Startled by the sudden sigh, Sejong looked up.

“Who was that? Who sighed?”

Thump!

At Sejong’s question, a chair clattered loudly to the ground. The Minister of Finance, the chair’s owner, prostrated himself and exclaimed.

“Please, forgive my sin!”

“I understand why you did that. It’s alright, please take your seat.”

“Your benevolence is boundless!”

At Sejong’s words, the Minister of Finance expressed his gratitude and sat back in the chair that a court attendant had set upright.

‘It’s understandable why he sighed.’

The budget requested by the military to execute the grand strategy was calculated based on fairly reasonable grounds.

The budget, based on the population growth rate identified through annual smallpox vaccinations, the increase in taxes entering the Ministry of Finance, and the amount of gold and silver secretly stockpiled, was adjusted to not place a significant burden on the national administration if executed as planned.

However, the absolute amount of that budget was enormous.

Naturally, the Minister of Finance, responsible for the budget, couldn’t help but sigh.

“In my opinion, it seems reasonable. I can see the hard work of the General Staff Headquarters officers.”

“Your benevolence is boundless!”

Choe Yun-deok and the military officers bowed deeply in gratitude at Sejong’s praise. Straightening his back, Choe Yun-deok added.

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did the most work in preparing that budget proposal.”

“Is that so?”

Sejong and the ministers looked at Yi Hyang with expressions that said, ‘Is it you again?’

As the attention focused on him, Yi Hyang bowed slightly and replied.

“I merely placed a spoon on the table that the officers of the General Staff Headquarters had prepared.”

Lee Jing-ok, who had been standing back, muttered to himself without realizing it.

“It wasn’t a spoon, it was a shovel…”

“Shhh!”

“Gasp!”

When a colleague next to him gave a small warning, Lee Jing-ok immediately shut his mouth and looked around.

* * *

As soon as the General Staff Headquarters established the plan for the ‘Eastern Advance,’ Yi Hyang eagerly intervened.

“I will not interfere with the operation of the military. However, let’s discuss the budget regarding military preparations (兵備) [military provisions].”

‘No to military-first politics!’

Drawing on his experience as a civil servant in the 21st century who handled financial affairs, Yi Hyang advised on the budget proposal prepared by the General Staff Headquarters officers.

And for the officers, a numerical hell unfolded.

If they were even slightly greedy in compiling the budget, Yi Hyang relentlessly grilled them, from Choe Yun-deok down to the staff officer who had just joined the General Staff Headquarters.

“Does the General dream of a revival of the military regime?”

“Do you know the meaning of ‘putting the cart before the horse’?”

“Repeat after me! ‘The budget is blood!'”

That wasn’t all.

“Is this what you call a calculation? Shouldn’t military officers be strong in numbers! I will give you a problem to calculate! We have discovered the enemy’s line! The enemy’s line is in four columns, stretching for one li [approximately 500 meters]! Then, what is the total number of enemies approaching now?”

Thanks to Yi Hyang’s thorough grilling, the officers of the General Staff Headquarters gained calculation skills as excellent as those of the researchers at Area 51 and the Ministry of Finance officials, and they became more proficient in using counting rods than anyone else.

Later, at the ‘National Defense Academy (國防太學),’ which had changed its purpose to become an educational institution for producing high-ranking military officers like Sungkyunkwan [Joseon’s highest educational institution], which had become an educational institution for producing high-ranking civil officials, the most important thing taught was mathematics.

It was the origin of the saying, ‘Even Xiang Yu [a famous military general in Chinese history] cannot succeed if he is bad at mathematics.’

* * *

“Unless a major variable occurs, it seems best to proceed with this plan as is. What do you think, ministers?”

It was a question directed at the ministers, but Sejong’s eyes were fixed on the Minister of Finance.

“If our Joseon’s economic management (經世) [governance] capabilities continue to grow as they are now, I believe we can sufficiently handle it.”

As the Minister of Finance gave a positive answer, Sejong moved on to the next issue.

“The budget is settled, and the issue of manpower… is it about talent?”

“That is correct.”

At Choe Yun-deok’s answer, Sejong stroked his beard and asked.

“Hmm… The National Defense Academy is preparing for establishment, and the Military Academy is also preparing for establishment, so is there another problem?”

“Both institutions are preparing for establishment, so there is a problem with supplying the immediately needed talent. Also, even if the Military Academy is established, it will be difficult to gather many talented individuals in the current atmosphere of valuing civil service and devaluing military service (崇文賤武) [a societal preference for scholarly pursuits over military ones].”

“That’s also a problem…”

The disdain of civil officials for military officials had been ongoing since the Goryeo Dynasty [the dynasty preceding Joseon]. Of course, the military regime was born out of the uprising of military officials who could not endure such discrimination, but with the invasion of Yuan [the Mongol-led dynasty of China] and the rise of Confucian scholars at the end of Goryeo, military officials had to receive worse treatment than civil officials again.

Of course, according to national law, civil and military officials received the same treatment, and the lowest-ranking local official, the magistrate, was a military official. However, even though they were nominally military officials, almost all those who actually received appointments were civil officials.

Because of this situation, those who applied for the military examination were mainly those who lacked aptitude for civil service.

This was the part that Choe Yun-deok was worried about and pointed out.

* * *

Choe Yun-deok explained in more detail.

“As Your Majesty implemented military reforms, you broke down the practices in which civil officials held positions that should have been held by military officials.”

“That’s right.”

Sejong nodded at Choe Yun-deok’s words.

As can be seen in the case of the magistrate, there were many cases where those who had embarked on the path of civil service were appointed to positions belonging to the military.

In particular, those who entered the path of military service through the military examination suffered all sorts of hardships in the field, and civil officials often occupied high-ranking positions.

When preparing for the military reform for the first time, Sejong took this part lightly. However, Yi Hyang insisted on a clear separation between civil and military officials.

A long debate took place on this issue, and the final winner was Yi Hyang, who argued for separation by citing the case of the Song Dynasty in China.

As the separation between civil and military officials progressed, many officers in the military were pushed out of promotion due to ‘illiteracy’ and ‘lack of mathematics.’

The ousted military officers began to study writing, hoping for the next opportunity, but Chinese characters were not easy.

“Damn! Who created these Chinese characters!”

Was it because of this experience? In the future, the military was the most welcoming of Sejong’s creation of Hangul [the Korean alphabet].

* * *

“…Therefore, in order to solve the problem of talent shortage, I dare to ask Your Majesty to lift the restrictions on those from the Northwest and the children of concubines (庶孽) [illegitimate children].”

At Choe Yun-deok’s request, the high and low-ranking officials began to buzz.

“Lift the restrictions on those from the Northwest and the children of concubines? Hmm… I believe that part is already included in the Gyeongjang reforms?”

Choe Yun-deok immediately answered Sejong’s question.

“That is correct. However, according to the timetable in the Gyeongjang reforms, the ban on entering officialdom from the Northwest will be lifted in the eighth year of the Gyeongjang’s progress, and the ban on entering officialdom for the children of concubines will be lifted in the tenth year. Please move up that timeline.”

“The ban on entering officialdom from the Northwest is the will of King Taejo [the founder of the Joseon Dynasty], and the ban on children of concubines was established by King Taejong [the third king of Joseon]. That is why the timing of lifting those bans has been delayed.”

“However, it is also true that many talented individuals are being missed because of that.”

“Hmm…”

At Choe Yun-deok’s words, Sejong stroked his beard and began to contemplate.

In this situation, the high and low-ranking officials were careful with their words. As the Gyeongjang reforms progressed, the ministers of the Six Ministries were keenly aware of the shortage of talent. Therefore, they generally agreed that discrimination against the Northwest region should be abolished and the ban on children of concubines should be lifted.

However, they were silent for two reasons.

The first was that these two policies were one, the will of Taejo, the founder of the nation, and the other, the law established by King Taejong, the previous king.

From the perspective of Confucianism, which sees upholding the policies and laws made by previous kings as filial piety, this could become grounds for impeachment as an act of disloyalty that encourages impiety.

Of course, there were clauses in Sejong’s Gyeongjang reforms that prohibited discrimination against the Northwest and abolished the ban on children of concubines, but if they expressed an opinion to advance the timing, they could be impeached as those who encourage impiety.

The second was the issue of competition. The number of high-ranking positions was always small. This was the same even as the administrative organization was subdivided as the Gyeongjang reforms progressed. Those who were currently in the positions of Prime Minister and Minister were not affected, but for those below them who were looking for opportunities, an increase in the competition rate was never welcome.

In the end, it was Sejong who made the conclusion.

The conclusion Sejong reached was a kind of compromise.

“I am well aware that there is a shortage of talent in the military. However, that does not mean that the priorities of the Gyeongjang reforms can be changed arbitrarily. If done incorrectly, the entire framework of the Gyeongjang reforms could be disrupted. Therefore, I would like to choose the middle ground. In the sixth year of the Gyeongjang’s progress, I will re-examine the situation and lift the discrimination against the Northwest and lift the ban on children of concubines. If the Gyeongjang progresses properly, then we will be able to withstand the impact sufficiently at that time. The military should keep this situation in mind and be more self-disciplined.”

“I obey your command!”

Choe Yun-deok immediately answered Sejong’s order. When he made his first statement, Choe Yun-deok was prepared to have his head cut off. However, Sejong’s decision to move it up by two years was the best answer for Choe Yun-deok.

In this way, the Eastern Advance began to proceed step by step.

* * *

As Sanggang [a period in late autumn] approached, a large number of people were moving from Hamgyeong-do [a province in Joseon] towards Hanseong [the capital of Joseon].

Dressed in clothes very different from those of the Joseon people, they were the chieftains of the Jurchen tribes heading to Hanseong at Sejong’s invitation.

However, the atmosphere of the chieftains heading to Hanseong was not that of enjoying a trip. No, the closer they got to Hanseong, the more nervous they became.

“The King of Joseon has summoned us?”

The chieftains of the Oryanghap tribe racked their brains at the order brought by the envoy of Joseon.

When they couldn’t find an answer even after worrying alone, the chieftains sought out the chieftains of friendly tribes to share their opinions.

“What should we do, brother?”

“Shouldn’t we go, brother?”

“I’m a little uneasy about being summoned so suddenly.”

“But we can’t refuse to go, can we? You’ve heard how those idiots in the Jianzhou region were treated, haven’t you?”

“That’s why I’m worried.”

Since Ming [the ruling dynasty of China at the time] declared the Jurchen region as its own territory and Lee Seong-gye [the founder of Joseon] died, the relationship between the Jurchen tribes and the Joseon royal family had gradually drifted apart.

Of course, Joseon also gave official positions and traded with the Jurchen to maintain relations, but the intimacy of the Lee Seong-gye era had largely disappeared.

However, if they refused Joseon’s invitation, they were worried about the bloodbath that had befallen the Jurchen tribes in the Jianzhou region.

In this situation where they could neither go nor stay, it was the old tribal leaders who first made up their minds.

“We must go to see the one who inherited the blood of the Great Elder!” [Referring to Lee Seong-gye]

As the veteran tribal leaders who still had memories of Lee Seong-gye moved, the elders stepped forward to persuade the tribal leaders in the tribes where generational changes had taken place with young tribal leaders.

“Hey. It is better to be careful of the descendants of the Great Elder. If he inherited the blood of the Great Elder, it is certain that he also inherited his temperament. Think of the unexpected disaster that befell the idiots of Jianzhou.”

In the end, the Jurchen tribes in the Tumen River region and the chieftains in the Oryanghap region had to move towards Joseon.