There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 204

‘So, all that matters is getting along well, and everything will be okay, right?’

I tried to brush it off like that, but after hearing Yi Bang-won’s words, I felt a strange unease.

My younger brothers probably don’t realize how complicated their older brother’s thoughts are.

I headed to the throne room, having barely slept.

Yi Bang-won valued my participation in state affairs, so even if he didn’t explicitly require it, I felt obligated to attend the often tedious meetings.

‘Still, it’s frustrating to listen to this stuff.’

I sighed inaudibly.

The main topic of discussion at the meeting was the bicycle I had invented.

“The bicycle developed by the Crown Prince is incredibly useful. It allows for easy and quick travel over long distances, so not only Hanyang [the capital city] but also major towns are competing to produce this item.”

To effectively use bicycles and carts, well-maintained roads are essential.

However, once a significant number of people start using bicycles, their presence could create a demand for continuous road maintenance.

It was a positive development in that it could create a virtuous cycle, but it was also problematic that everyone was trying to find such novel applications for the new invention.

“This bicycle doesn’t require feed like a horse, and it can be easily made with just wood. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to train bicycle troops (車兵) instead of cavalry?”

Maintaining horses is quite expensive.

The difficulty of importing horses had decreased after subjugating the Jurchens [nomadic tribes north of Korea], but the cost of caring for the increased number of warhorses was still significant.

The proposed solution was to create bicycle troops.

‘That would only be useful within the city.’

On long journeys, they would break down frequently, requiring constant repairs.

If a wheel breaks during a battle, would a technician have to risk their life to replace it under enemy fire?

“No matter how strong someone is, they cannot ride a bicycle faster than a horse. Also, riding a bicycle is tiring, so how can we expect soldiers exhausted from riding to effectively face the enemy?”

Yi Bang-won voiced his disapproval with a look of dismay.

While bicycles might be useful in limited situations like communication, even he, a civil official, was taken aback by the suggestion of replacing cavalry.

‘I guess we need to teach even civil officials basic knowledge about other fields.’

At this rate, coordinating between departments would be frustrating and impossible.

“However, the number of warhorses is excessive. The turbulent times are over, and the world is at peace, so we only need soldiers to defend against invasions from the Wokou [Japanese pirates] and northern barbarians. Why are we trying to train tens of thousands of cavalry?”

‘I agree with that.’

Joseon [Korea] in this era, mindful of Annam’s [historical name for Vietnam] downfall, invested heavily in strengthening its national defense.

This was largely in preparation for a potential conflict with Ming China [the ruling dynasty of China at the time].

However, Yi Seong-gye [the king] was dissatisfied with this defensive strategy, which focused on fortification and stockpiling military provisions.

‘We must also have the power to strike the opponent.’

Thus, the Training Command, the central army, was constantly expanding its cavalry force.

Honestly, I couldn’t disagree with the officials who argued it was a waste of money.

‘Wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to use Jurchens as mercenaries?’

For them, horses are a source of wealth, and each man is practically a cavalryman. It wouldn’t cost as much as raising our own cavalry.

Since they have already submitted to us, shouldn’t we just give them some wealth and use them when needed? But Yi Seong-gye’s resolve was unwavering.

‘How can we predict the future and rely solely on them? If our strength weakens, the Jurchens will betray us immediately.’

Since Yi Seong-gye, an expert on the Jurchens, was so adamant, what could I say in rebuttal?

What exactly was Yi Seong-gye anticipating?

‘To offset the losses, we should just diligently sell horses to the Ouchi clan [a powerful Japanese clan].’

Since establishing ranches on Tsushima Island [an island between Korea and Japan] to export horses to Japan, the horse population had continued to grow, now exceeding that of Jeju Island.

As a result, such opinions naturally arose.

“Shin Sang-goon Go Bong-ji humbly entreats.”

His accent was noticeably different from that of the people of Seoul.

Yi Seong-gye, a native of Hamgyeong-do [a northern province], also had a slight Northeast accent, but it was less pronounced than this man’s.

‘Who is it?’

I was briefly confused because I hadn’t seen him often in court, but the accent jogged my memory.

Go Bong-ji was the younger brother of the Tamna Seongju [local ruler of Jeju Island], who had been sent to the capital to represent Jeju and connect it with the mainland.

“Now that the country has acquired vast lands in the north and tens of thousands of Jurchens, it has sufficient access to fine horses. There is no longer any need to raise warhorses on the limited land of Tamna.”

Go Bong-ji continued.

“Furthermore, ranches are being established in the mountains of Tsushima to raise horses for sale to Japan, so there is no reason for Tamna to bear this burden.

Tamna, located in a remote area, was moved by His Majesty’s virtue and finally embraced by Joseon. I humbly request your mercy.”

Tamna being embraced during Yi Bang-won’s reign meant that Go Bong-ji’s brother, the Tamna Seongju, had relinquished his title.

Jeju Island had a history of strong independence. Until the Goryeo Dynasty [the dynasty preceding Joseon], clans such as the Go, Yang, Bu, and Moon clans ruled autonomously, calling themselves Seongju or Prince.

However, as time passed, the centralized system strengthened, and after the founding of Joseon, this trend accelerated. A few years ago, they had abandoned these hereditary titles and accepted local official positions. Go Bong-ji subtly flattered Yi Bang-won by mentioning this.

“Your Majesty, after listening to Sang-goon’s words, it seems that Jeju is facing significant hardship.”

Then, unexpectedly, Chief State Councilor Yi Hwa stepped forward and spoke.

‘Huh?’

“Jeju’s submission to Your Majesty is truly in accordance with the mandate of heaven, and it deserves a reward. Just as Han Gaozu [founder of the Han Dynasty in China] entered Guanzhong [a region in China] and abolished the strict laws of the Qin Dynasty, keeping only three laws, it would be beneficial to abolish Jeju’s horse tribute as well.

Since Jeju’s ranches have served their purpose, let the people cultivate the land by allowing them to engage in tenant farming.”

I was puzzled by Yi Hwa’s sudden support for Go Bong-ji.

The two had no apparent connection, differing in both origin and faction.

To be precise, Go Bong-ji was essentially an employee of the Jeju Island Office’s Seoul Liaison Office, lacking any real factional affiliation.

Yet, the Chief State Councilor was supporting him, leaving Go Bong-ji looking deeply grateful.

However, Yi Hwa seemed uninterested in Go Bong-ji’s reaction and continued speaking without even glancing at him.

“Above all, the problems with the tribute system are so severe that the people are preoccupied with preparing tribute goods throughout the year. How can we say this is only Jeju’s problem?”

‘Was that really the case?’

I don’t recall ever hearing such a complaint.

As Yi Hwa was only hinting at the issue, Yi Bang-won also looked questioning.

“What is the Chief State Councilor trying to suggest?”

At Yi Bang-won’s question, Yi Hwa paused to gather his thoughts and stepped forward.

“I believe that the court should not collect local products as tribute. Wouldn’t it be better to combine the tribute with the land tax and collect it in rice?”

“······.”

That sounded familiar.

Yi Hwa’s suggestion made my face harden.

‘This is the Daedong Law [a tax reform implemented later in Joseon history].’

It’s a term that even those unfamiliar with history would have encountered at least once in school.

It’s a key topic in Korean history classes.

It’s often presented as the greatest reform of Joseon, significantly reducing the burden on the people.

‘But why is Yi Hwa proposing this?’

With only a superficial understanding of the Daedong Law, I was slightly dumbfounded.

I had only seen it in textbooks or on Korean History Proficiency Test questions. It seemed incredibly premature for this era.

However, after briefly considering Yi Hwa’s proposal, the officials began to express their approval one by one.

“The Chief State Councilor’s words are correct. In the lower regions, they demand local products that are not produced in that area, or they reject perfectly good items, claiming they are defective. How can the court ignore this?”

“The foundation of farmers is agriculture. If taxes are levied in rice, there will be no need to scramble to find local products, greatly reducing the waste of manpower.”

Looking at those who supported Yi Hwa, they were all meritorious subjects and relatives of the royal family, like him.

‘In historical dramas, the greedy uncles clearly denounce the Daedong Law as a law that will ruin the country.’

Whether that’s accurate or just dramatic exaggeration, the narrative was clear: the righteous side would push for the Daedong Law, while the villains would oppose it.

I looked at Yi Hwa and the meritorious subjects and thought.

‘These people are hardly on the side of justice······.’

Would anyone consider them reformers?

“Since we already have many warhorses entering the country, it is appropriate to reduce the burden by abolishing Jeju’s horse tribute. However, the Jo Yong Jo system [the existing tax system] has been in place for a long time, so how can it be abolished overnight? Further discussion is needed.”

Yi Bang-won’s brief statement indicated that Yi Hwa’s proposal would be considered, but I couldn’t shake my unease.

===

I hurriedly stopped Yi Hwa as he was leaving the palace.

“Chief State Councilor, why this sudden push to abolish tribute?”

I had heard that in the late Joseon Dynasty, families were collapsing and society was crumbling due to the corruption associated with the Bangnap [practice of paying others to provide tribute goods], but I hadn’t received any such reports now.

I wasn’t even sure if the conditions were right to implement the Daedong Law in the early Joseon Dynasty.

Yi Hwa laughed heartily and stroked his beard.

“I petitioned entirely out of consideration for the country and the people’s livelihood.”

“Don’t say things that no one will believe. Tell me honestly.”

Yi Hwa slightly widened his eyes at my insistence and said.

“Now that I’m old and nearing death, what other motives would I have for making such a claim? It will only increase the burden on the land I own.”

“But your great-uncle practically liquidated all of his land before.”

Except for a few plots, he exchanged them for Cheonghaejin [a maritime transport company] shares from the government and sold them to private individuals. He’s using that as an excuse.

‘Wait, could this be it?’

I suddenly understood why Yi Hwa was advocating for the abolition of tribute centuries ahead of its time.

If the tribute was abolished and replaced with grain taxes, the amount of grain transported to Hanyang would naturally increase.

I hadn’t calculated the exact figures, but wouldn’t the increased transportation volume be at least hundreds of thousands of seok [a unit of volume]?

‘For transportation, of course, they would use sea routes, not land routes.’

Cheonghaejin, acting as the national Jo Woon [grain transport] agency, was supposed to take 5% of the transported grain as commission······.

‘These guys, are they doing this for the dividends?’

I made a sullen expression.

Cheonghaejin was operating by earning money from domestic grain transport, a stable source of income, and investing it in high-risk ocean voyages.

However, they were actively distributing dividends from the profits (excluding reinvestments) to appease the meritorious subjects who had lost their land. This was enough to make these people greedy.

“······.”

“Hehe, I’ll take my leave now.”

After Yi Hwa left, I could hear the meritorious subjects chattering among themselves in the distance.

“Why should we care if the taxes on other people’s land increase, since we sold our land?”

“Even if the grain transport volume increases by 1 million seok, no, even 500,000 seok······ Hehehe!”

“The company’s profits are distributed evenly to owners like us. Isn’t this the spirit of Daedong (大同) [Great Unity]?”

I was slightly dazed by the cries of the greedy former landowners, now shareholders.

Daedong Law······ Could it really be promoted for such a reason?

End