There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 115

With the help of the Kiin [laborers conscripted from the sons of local officials], the earthen structure was built quite well.

Even I was impressed by its completion.

“How is it, sir?”

The Kiin asked with proud expressions.

“You guys are capable when you put your minds to it.”

I gave them sincere praise.

Well, the problem was their lack of motivation. They were just friends who ate and were dragged to the worksite every day, so there was no way they couldn’t do it.

‘Motivation is the biggest problem after all.’

My conviction grew stronger.

Since they kept their promise, I had to keep mine.

Mal-eogeon and the Kiin seemed to notice this, looking at each other, unable to contain their excitement.

“Then…”

Mal-eogeon opened his mouth.

“I cannot compensate you with money.”

However, the Kiin’s expressions crumbled at my words.

‘What a scammer…!’

Before that thought could fully form on their faces, I quickly appeased them.

“However, I will compensate you with positions. Some of you may take on local official positions when you return to your hometowns, but many of you may not?”

Not all sons of local officials inherit local positions.

There were many who were simply dragged in to replace their brothers.

Joseon [Korean dynasty from 1392 to 1897] in this era had various checks and balances in place for local officials, and various duties were imposed, but it was still a position where one could wield some power.

The sense of deprivation felt by the Kiin, who suffered like this and could not obtain local positions, must have been no joke.

‘I’m going to step in and fill that void.’

I lined up the Kiin and took out something I had prepared.

“I will create a new organization so that you can lead the development of your hometowns.”

“A new organization?”

I unfurled a flag.

The flag had four characters embroidered in Idu [an early writing system using Chinese characters to represent Korean].

– Saemaeul Association (塞摩乙會) [New Village Association]

“Sae, Saemaeul?”

People’s eyes widened at the sight of the characters.

As expected, they are sons of local official families, so they can all read this much.

“What is this?”

“It is as it says. It is an organization to renew the villages in various parts of Joseon.”

I looked at the Kiin and asked.

“When you first came to Hanseong [old name for Seoul], what did you think?”

“That is…”

The Kiin trailed off.

Hanyang had been a large city since the Goryeo Dynasty [918-1392], but it was not as clean and prosperous as it is now.

However, now that it has been transformed by the Hanyang construction project, it boasts a dignity that is comparable to any city of this era.

“Until recently, Hanyang was no different from your hometowns.

But it has become like this through constant effort. You have all participated in that process, haven’t you?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Mal-eogeon replied.

Hanyang benefited greatly from the influx of powerful people due to its status as the capital, but the number of people increased daily, and the markets also prospered.

“The goal of this Saemaeul Movement [a modernization project in South Korea in the 1970s] is to increase the income of the people in the villages and improve the living environment, just like Hanyang.

Are there any people other than you who have the knowledge and skills necessary for this?”

This was not an empty compliment.

The Kiin had learned a great deal from being called to work on the construction of Hanyang.

I held up three fingers.

“After intensive training, in exactly three years, I will send you back to your hometowns.”

I said that.

There was no one more suitable than the Kiin, who had a relatively high level of education and were familiar with practical field work.

‘Especially since they are locally optimized talents.’

The biggest difficulty I faced in Africa was the opposition from conservative people.

No one would listen if someone they didn’t trust came and said, ‘Let’s build a bridge, let’s plant trees.’

‘But these people have most of that trust as a resource.’

The Kiin were sons of local officials, so they were bound to be familiar with the affairs of the village more than anyone else, and their words were bound to carry weight in the village.

‘Dissemination of agricultural technology, infrastructure maintenance… they are all talents who can take charge of these tasks.’

They were people who could not only do it, but also promote it better than anyone else.

Of course, it wasn’t free.

I said to the Kiin.

“After three years, when you go down to your hometowns, I will give you a small stipend and provide you with a local official position.”

I once asked Jinhyuk-hyung.

‘Did the local officials in the Joseon Dynasty really not receive a salary?’

‘Well, they say the government offices took care of it on their own, and they were also relatively well-off, so they wouldn’t have starved to death even if they didn’t receive it.’

Then he added.

‘Still, wouldn’t there have been a big difference in how people perceived it, whether they were officially paid or not?’

I paid attention to this.

What people need may not simply be money.

Perhaps the compensation for labor itself is important.

I looked at the Kiin and said.

“Do you think that all the work you have done so far is useless?”

I asked.

“To be honest… we thought it was useless to us.”

Mal-eogeon replied.

“It’s something we wouldn’t even look at when we return to our hometowns, but we had to take charge of it for ten years in the capital, so we couldn’t help but sigh.”

“Even though you reclaimed land and built buildings with your own hands? Didn’t you build this earthen structure so well? Are there people in your hometown who can do this?”

“……”

The Kiin’s expressions became subtle.

“Isn’t it something anyone can do if they learn?”

“That’s right, anyone can do it if they learn. That’s why your role is important.”

I addressed the Kiin more emphatically.

“You are not just the dregs of local officials. You are not slaves that the country called to do dirty work.

The Kiin are people who can teach good farming methods to the people of their hometowns, open up waterways and roads, and teach ways for everyone to live well.”

I said that to the Kiin.

The reason why these people’s motivation to work has declined is because they do not know ‘why they have to do this.’

The fact that the state treated them like slaves also caused them to lose their self-esteem.

However, the dissatisfaction triggered by these reasons can be filled surprisingly easily.

With something like an ‘armband’ that I will give them.

“You are teachers. You are teachers who can take the developed technology of this Hanseongbu and pass it on to your hometowns.

When that time comes, even the mountains and rivers of your hometown will praise your achievements!”

I emphasized.

“The achievements of you, the Saemaeul leaders!”

“……!”

The Kiin’s bodies flinched as I emphasized with force.

“Three years.”

I held up three fingers.

“I will send you back to your hometowns in exactly three years.

Until then, diligently learn the knowledge and skills to be disseminated to your hometowns.”

===

The Kiin’s reaction became subtle at the words that they would be freed from the simple labor they had been doing and given systematic education.

It wasn’t exactly a loss for them either.

This was especially true for the second or third sons who were not inheriting local official positions and were pushed by their families to become Kiin.

The Crown Prince’s declaration seemed somewhat arrogant.

But he didn’t seem like someone who would talk nonsense.

He was, after all, the person who had transformed this Hanseongbu into a completely different place.

“Well, I thought it would be nice to take that Geojunggi thing [likely refers to a specific piece of construction equipment] to my hometown.”

“My older brother was complaining that he didn’t have enough manpower to build a dam in my hometown. I was wondering if I could learn how to make one and go down there.”

In addition, the Kiin who had built houses and buildings with limestone soil (cement) and concrete (concrete) greatly felt its usefulness.

But not everyone welcomed this.

“I’ve been a Kiin for over ten years, and you want me to do it again when I go back to my hometown? No way, I can’t do it.”

When someone grumbled, Mal-eogeon scolded him for talking nonsense.

“Hey, do you think we’re going to be working with shovels?”

“Then?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince said that we should be teachers.

Then the magistrate [local administrator] and the hojang [village head] will have to listen to us and proceed with the work. What about the distribution of materials? Who else knows what concrete is or what a winch is besides us?”

Mal-eogeon clenched his fist and said.

“It’s better than being a low-ranking local official under the hojang anyway. It’s a good thing.”

‘The village has been living the same way for years. It wouldn’t be bad to turn it into a place where people can live.’

If that happens, who knows, maybe even the family members who used to treat him like a burden will start to support him.

===

The Kiin problem was roughly settled, but more serious problems poured in one after another.

One of them was the problem of the displaced people.

“There are many displaced people wandering around Hanseongbu these days.”

“Displaced people?”

I looked at Hwang Hee.

Displaced people are literally wandering people.

Since it had not been long since the end of the turbulent times, there were quite a few of these people.

‘But near Hanseongbu?’

Of course, these people are not model citizens who abide by the national laws.

Their very existence is a considerable threat to public order.

And displaced people are loitering near Hanseongbu, where the king resides.

“Where did these people come from?”

“That’s… they say they are people who were kicked out of Hanyang.”

“Huh?”

My eyes widened.

“No, I definitely gave out all the compensation?”

When Hanyang was re-established as the capital, a considerable number of private houses were demolished to build roads and buildings here and there.

However, the original owners were definitely given other residential areas.

I turned to Hwang Hee, who was sitting next to me.

“Hwang Jwayun [Hwang Hee’s official title], you…!”

“I really didn’t do it!”

Hwang Hee hurriedly made excuses.

Well, there’s no way Hwang Hee would have embezzled that.

“It seems that there are quite a few people who have been pushed out of the capital, and many of them have failed in farming because they are not familiar with the land.”

“Oh my.”

In short, they failed in farming on unfamiliar land and became displaced people.

“It’s not like you can avoid the labor or taxes just because you failed in farming.”

I know the cause, so let’s start with the countermeasures.

I looked around and asked.

“Shouldn’t we release the Hanseongbu troops, capture them, and send them back to their land?”

“That is the right thing to do. But the problem is not solved by returning them to their original registration.”

That’s right.

It’s not the end just by catching them like this, but it’s a problem of providing a stable economic base and settling them down.

“Then, let’s ask His Majesty to exempt the areas that have failed in farming from taxes and labor…”

My head was throbbing with the flood of work.

“Let’s take a break for a while.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The Hanseongbu officials who were discussing the matter noticed the unusual atmosphere and quickly retreated.

‘Whew.’

I feel better after cooling my head a little.

If I rest a little more like this….

“I need a bow, a bow!”

‘Ugh.’

This voice.

I was taken aback when someone who had barged in without even being announced shouted like that.

But I couldn’t scold him for being so rude.

The identity of the person who suddenly visited was none other than King Taejong Yi Seong-gye.

“A bow?”

I looked at the royal bow (御弓) [a bow used by the king] that Yi Seong-gye was holding for a moment.

‘He’s finally gone senile.’

I lamented.

I knew this day would come, but I wish it had come a little later.

I wiped away my tears.

“Can’t you hear me? I said I need a bow!”

I looked at Yi Seong-gye, who was shouting, and said.

“Grandfather, aren’t you holding one in your hand?”

In times like this, you shouldn’t panic or get angry.

I heard that it is most important to calmly explain and let the person accept the situation himself.

But Yi Seong-gye looked at the royal bow and shouted.

“Who’s talking about this?”

“No, then what kind of bow are you talking about?”

I asked in bewilderment.

“I need one more bow besides the one I use.”

Yi Seong-gye said.

I waved my hand in annoyance.

“Hey, Yeong-sil [a famous inventor], go and make him a wooden bow.”

“Hey, a wooden bow. A bow should be made of buffalo horn.”

“There’s no such thing in Hanseongbu.”

Even if there is, it’s expensive.

“I can’t just give it to an uninvited guest.”

I answered with a mix of annoyance, and Yi Seong-gye’s lips twitched.

‘Ah, could it be?’

I should have known.

“Oh my! I’m supposed to be your grandfather!”

Yi Seong-gye burst into tears.

End

ⓒ Pitkong