There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 19

My idea was simple.

‘Why not just make them work in a gulag for a few years and then let them out?’

I heard that even in North Korea, when they purge people, they often send them to labor re-education camps instead of killing them.

Killing not only the traitor himself but also his implicated sons is too harsh.

‘Even if mining is tough, it’s better than dying.’

I burden my grandfather,

Lee Seong-gye eases his conscience,

Lee Bang-won is satisfied using the traitors,

And Kang Hyun’s children save their lives.

Isn’t it a truly win-win situation for everyone?

‘The completion of a world where no one gets hurt.’

“Gulag, gulag, you say.”

Lee Bang-won repeated the word meaningfully.

He seemed to like the term.

“You are wise. It’s good to have even one more pair of hands.”

Lee Bang-won continued.

“It will also greatly promote my hoseangjideok (好生之德, the virtue of cherishing life).”

Lee Bang-won looked at me and nodded.

“I didn’t originally intend to shed too much blood. Ending it at that level would be better.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I wondered how it would turn out, but somehow I kept my promise with Lee Seong-gye.

===

Lee Bang-won smiled at his son’s idea.

As the Heir Apparent mentioned, it wasn’t just about humiliating them.

“To throw the rebellious elements into a gulag, eh?”

It’s not like exiling them to Wonji or turning them into slaves to be distributed among meritorious subjects.

It’s a proposal to gather these traitors separately and re-educate (敎化) them until their minds are corrected.

Since the work is so hard, no one wants to do it, but labor is needed in harsh places, so using the rebels would be perfect.

He asked the Chief State Councilor, Ha Ryun.

“What do you think of the Heir Apparent’s idea?”

“This is a type of tohyung (徒刑, penal servitude), which is more merciful than killing and can serve as an example.”

Since they are the wives and children of traitors, their numbers are not that large.

However, there’s no rule that only those involved in this incident should enjoy the ‘gulag.’

Lee Bang-won’s thoughts turned to those who had recently become a concern.

“What about making the Mansan soldiers (漫散軍) who were captured this time serve in the mines?”

“The Mansan soldiers, you say?”

During the civil war between Emperor Jianwen and Prince Yan Zhu Di in Ming, countless people from Liaodong fled to Joseon, and they were called Mansan soldiers.

Some of them even turned into bandits and rampaged on the border, and they were all arrested this time, so Lee Bang-won was referring to them.

“But hasn’t Ming ordered all the Mansan soldiers who fled to be repatriated?”

Joseon had supported the settlement of the Mansan soldiers, taking advantage of Ming’s internal strife, but after the enthronement of the Yongle Emperor, Ming strongly demanded their repatriation.

So, Ha Ryun’s concern was valid.

“Even if we return those who have not committed crimes in Joseon, how can we willingly release the bandits? Should we allow those who harassed our people under the guise of the great Ming to return without consequence?”

“Some will be killed as an example, and the rest will be dealt with by the great Ming. Is there any reason to take the risk?”

“This is a matter of Joseon’s pride!”

Lee Bang-won said, striking the desk.

“I, I apologize, Your Majesty.”

Ha Ryun quickly lowered his head.

Lee Bang-won looked at him for a moment and said.

“Report that all the bandits who rampaged on the border have been suppressed by our soldiers, and send them all to work in the mines.”

There’s no way we can feed bandits for free.

“If we hide them deep in the mines, no one will be able to find them, no matter who comes.”

Lee Bang-won was planning to let even the Mansan soldiers taste the pleasures of the gulag.

‘At this rate, we can just sentence all those who have committed serious crimes to gulag labor.’

With that thought, Lee Bang-won gave an order.

“Since the Heir Apparent is in charge of the production of white porcelain, let the Heir Apparent also be in charge of managing those sentenced to gulag labor.”

===

“H-Heir Apparent. Who are all these people?”

Choi Hae-san asked, looking at the traitors lined up before me.

“These are the children of the rebels who have been sentenced to the gulag, and the bandits from Liaodong.”

Like the terrifying titles attached to them, the faces of the people gathered were grim, but they lowered their heads, overwhelmed by the fierce spirit of our soldiers.

“Chief Choi, I heard that you are in charge of exploring the mines (鑛床)?”

“To be exact, I am also in charge of exploring the mines.”

Choi Hae-san said with a tired face.

Originally, in addition to the work of the Military Supplies Department, he had to cooperate with the development projects I ordered, and he was also in charge of mineral exploration, so even if he had three bodies, it would not be enough.

‘I should give him some ginseng later.’

Wow.

Where else can you find such a good boss?

Choi Hae-san said with a complaint.

“Our country has to offer hundreds of nyang [a unit of currency] of gold and silver to Ming every year.

Since the Heir Apparent has created white porcelain, if it becomes popular and is officially presented as tribute, it may decrease a little, but we cannot neglect the work of finding mines.”

Further down the line, they would close even existing mines to maintain the excuse that gold and silver were not produced.

But at this point, they were still diligently digging around.

“There should be a silver mine in Dancheon. Should we focus on developing that area?”

I muttered to myself.

Originally, rocks in mines rarely contain only lead and are mostly distributed with gold or silver.

The most representative place is the Dancheon Silver Mine.

“Dancheon? Ah, are you talking about Danju?”

I raised my head at Choi Hae-san’s words.

“Danju?”

“Yes. It is also called Dallineun Dolool (禿魯兀) [meaning ‘running stone’ in Jurchen].”

It hasn’t gotten the name Dancheon yet.

‘Whether you flip it or flop it, as long as the meaning gets across.’

The Dancheon Silver Mine is one of the largest silver mines on the Korean Peninsula, so development is necessary, but there was a big problem.

‘It’s in North Korea.’

And it’s in Hamgyeong Province.

If I were to take the rebels all the way to Hamgyeong Province alone, I would never get permission from my father.

“Are there no mines near Gyeonggi Province?”

When I asked Choi Hae-san, he clapped his hands.

“I heard that silver was found in Geumju before. But when I went there, it took a lot of effort and yielded little, so I didn’t bother reporting it.”

For a moment, I didn’t recognize the place name Geumju.

But when Choi Hae-san told me another place name, I understood.

“Siheung?”

I clapped my hands.

Only then did a piece of memory from when I was in modern times come to mind.

‘Gwangmyeong Cave!’

In modern times, it’s just a tourist attraction, but when I went there, I read on the information board that it was developed during the Japanese colonial era to exploit resources.

I’m sure it was a mine where silver, copper, and lead were mined.

“What good is silver if the cost of mining is more than what you get?”

“There’s always a way.”

I replied to Choi Hae-san’s words.

A way to increase even unprofitable profitability.

Should I take a trip out of Gaeseong for a change?

===

It’s called a trip, but it’s quite a distance from Gaeseong to Geumju.

I couldn’t send the young Heir Apparent out alone.

So, I made a ‘request’ to Lee Seong-gye.

– The Grand King is going to Geumju, and the Heir Apparent is accompanying him!

Lee Seong-gye once went on an excursion, started a rebellion, and stabbed his son in the back, but because of that, there were no more threats.

All the forces that could have joined him were swept away.

Therefore, permission was easily granted.

‘I don’t know how to ride a horse.’

But I couldn’t take a palanquin to Gwangmyeong Cave.

This problem was solved surprisingly easily.

Lee Seong-gye put me in front of him on the horse.

“A man shouldn’t be unable to ride a horse.”

“Isn’t it strange to ride when I’m not even ten years old?”

“I’ve been riding horses since I was five.”

Well, Grandpa is from a Mongol chiliarch family.

His blood is Goryeo, though.

Lee Seong-gye held me in his arms and drove the horse, saying.

“This trip is to settle the matter of saving Kang Hyun’s children.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean? This exploration is related to that matter, so you can’t say that you’ve repaid the debt with this.”

Where are you trying to sneakily get away with it?

“You cheeky rascal, do you want to fleece your grandfather like that?”

“Originally, even between parents and children, calculations must be clear.”

Lee Seong-gye shook his head as if he was fed up.

“So, why are you taking those guys with you? Weren’t you just exploring the veins this time?”

Lee Seong-gye said, pointing to the laborers walking along like cows being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

“There are definitely veins. Chief Choi of the Military Supplies Department said so, and I know it too.”

The problem is profitability, as Choi Hae-san mentioned.

I’m going to solve that.

Of course, I needed manpower.

That’s why I brought a few technicians and a few simple laborers.

The atmosphere on both sides was clearly different.

The blacksmiths from the Military Supplies Department were excited to get out of Gaeseong for a while and join the Grand King’s procession.

But the laborers seemed to have lost all their energy.

‘The person walking in the front was Kang Hyun’s eldest son, right?’

Lee Seong-gye’s gaze was also fixed on him.

I saved his life, but mining is by no means easy, so he might be regretting it.

However, what came out of my grandfather’s mouth was something completely different.

“Thank you.”

Lee Seong-gye said that to me.

“Yes?”

“You fulfilled my request to save the Kang family, even in this way.”

Are you saying that even after seeing those guys being dragged away, unable to die?

However, Lee Seong-gye’s expression was bitter, but he didn’t seem to be regretting it.

“Those guys may think their lives are over, but that’s not true.”

Lee Seong-gye said slowly.

“As long as they are alive, the day when a new ray of light shines will surely come. Whether it’s for the young or the old.”

Lee Seong-gye just said it calmly.

But his eyes didn’t look like those of a person who ended his life by losing to his son.

Rather, he seemed to be harboring some new hope.

‘Was Lee Seong-gye in history like this too?’

It was different from what was depicted in the Land of Morning Calm, but I hadn’t seen the historical records myself, so I couldn’t really question it.

As I was thinking that and turned my head to look at Lee Seong-gye, Lee Seong-gye asked with a deliberately elated expression.

“Why? Did I say something too cool?”

“No. It’s not that, but…”

I trailed off.

“It’s okay, finish what you were saying.”

At Lee Seong-gye’s words, I nodded and replied.

“I heard that people die when they suddenly change.”

“What?”

Lee Seong-gye raised his fist with a dumbfounded expression.

“Look at this unfilial bastard!”

And then he whacked me on the head.

The sound of hitting a watermelon made tears well up in my eyes.