There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 245

Direct seeding or transplanting?

In fact, when I asked those assisting me, both had their pros and cons.

If the conditions are right to draw enough water, transplanting is unconditionally better, but…

If a severe drought were to occur where we couldn’t even pump groundwater, the impact would be severe.

‘But we’re not the ones choosing.’

Both the risks and returns belong to the people.

All we can give is the right to choose.

“The progress of construction varies from district to district, so there may be places that do not yet have sufficient weirs and reservoirs, and there may be places where waterwheels or water containers have not been supplied. Depending on the region, there may be places where direct seeding is not suitable due to annual droughts.”

The people are never foolish.

Would farmers want to ruin their entire year’s harvest?

Those places will adhere to direct seeding.

Districts where conditions allow, and courageous people who want to earn more income, will apply transplanting to their land.

But if the court arbitrarily judges and blocks this, who would jump in except for those who are prepared to face severe punishment?

Farmers are conservative people anyway.

Since one of the important slogans of the Saemaul Movement [a South Korean rural development program] was to increase rural income, shouldn’t the country take such measures?

‘Regulations should be loosened to be effective.’

“Give the people the right to choose…”

Lee Bang-won repeatedly muttered.

Transplanting has a large income when successful as much as the risk when it fails, so he seemed tempted.

But it seemed like uneasiness remained in his father’s heart.

“However, let’s say we lift the ban on transplanting as you said. But there will surely be those who are blinded by greed and arbitrarily carry out transplanting without considering the circumstances of their land.

If those people ruin their farming, we will have to provide them with Hwan 곡 [government-loaned grain] to feed them.”

Lee Bang-won looked at me and said calmly.

To think that far, as expected, he’s not an emperor for just a day or two, his experience is different.

‘Well, even in modern times.’

There were many people who started businesses without a plan, relying only on blind government money like youth loans or startup loans.

That’s why loan screenings are conducted and various recovery plans are prepared, but even in modern times, problems arise here and there, so there’s no way that would work properly.

But rather, in this era, and because the state controls Hwan 곡, there was a solution that could be used.

I answered calmly.

“Give Hwan 곡 in Annam rice.”

“…”

Lee Bang-won’s face momentarily stiffened at my refreshing answer.

After pondering for a while, my father nodded and sighed.

“That stuff was terribly tasteless.”

===

Although the Giao Chi Provincial Administration Commission of Ming Dynasty was acting as the Governor-General of Vietnam, not the entire Annam region was under the surveillance of the Provincial Administration Commission.

The rule of the Ming Dynasty was carried out with the cooperation of local powerful clans, and these clans traded with us without hesitation, regardless of the maritime ban.

Honestly, the Provincial Administration Commission probably noticed, but what are they going to do if they know?

We are assisting Yongle Emperor’s lifelong great project, Zheng He’s voyages to the West.

It’s okay to replenish supplies at the port of the suzerain state.

Thus, when our ships first brought Annam’s specialties, the court went wild.

“Rice?”

“Annam has a mild climate and abundant water, so they can harvest rice twice a year.”

The Joseon people, who were crazy about rice, burned with fierce jealousy towards Annam as soon as they heard that.

“Some people work hard to grow rice and harvest it once, but in Annam, they plant rice seeds once and harvest twice as much as us.”

“That’s only the story of the southern provinces. If you go up to the northern regions, you can’t even see rice and only grow millet.”

“Did the Emperor subjugate Annam to get a rice warehouse!”

And demands for a fierce expansion of trade poured in.

“We don’t need various luxury goods or the natives’ weapons, it would be better to fill that space with Annam rice!”

“That’s what I’m saying! If we maintain the lifeline with Annam, we won’t have to go hungry even in a famine!”

The goods that we import through the Great Voyage were truly diverse.

Starting with spices, various luxury goods, and water buffalo horns for each bow – Lee Seong-gye liked it -, saltpeter, ivory, etc.

However, due to the strong demands of the court officials, for a while, the docks were filled only with Indica rice, called Annam rice.

“Ew, spit spit, why does this rice taste like this?”

“I’d rather eat plain barley rice. Why is this rice less sticky than barley?”

Of course, the Annam rice, which was imported without a plan, was thoroughly rejected by the market and sank heroically.

These people, they lived by digging up grass roots at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, but now they’re full.

The inventory was full, and the officials were saying that we should maintain trade routes in preparation for famine while they didn’t eat it themselves, so Annam rice was truly difficult to handle.

“If we use Annam rice, we don’t need to do 번다하게 토렴 [a process of repeatedly pouring hot broth over rice to warm it], so it’s good to serve in 국밥 [rice soup]!”

“Turn the leftovers into alcohol. Ugh, we should have brought more saltpeter.”

However, unlike the grumbling of these working-level staff, the imported Annam rice sufficiently fulfilled its role as a reserve food.

Even Annam rice is still rice, and even if they were starving to death, they wouldn’t refuse to eat Annam rice, so it was proudly stored in granaries in each region, waiting for the day to be taken out.

“Lend Annam rice as Hwan 곡?”

“That’s right.”

“And when we get it back, we get it back as our Joseon rice?”

“Since there are no households in Joseon that farm Annam rice, of course, that’s how it should be.”

‘Truly a demonic idea…!’

Lee Bang-won admired with such an expression.

There are also opinions that Hwan 곡 should not be lent to those who ruined their farming by transplanting, but if they can’t receive Hwan 곡 help in times of need, who would dare to challenge transplanting?

So, lend it in Annam rice.

They won’t starve to death because there is Hwan 곡, but if they farm carelessly and ruin it, they will have to eat tasteless Annam rice when they receive Hwan 곡 and pay back with Joseon rice that they worked hard to farm.

It is a win-win solution that can solve the Annam rice inventory and impose just the right risk on the people.

Lee Bang-won smiled broadly.

I also rubbed my hands while smiling evilly.

“Shouldn’t we lift the ban with this much?”

Some time later.

Lee Bang-won issued a royal decree to abolish the ban on transplanting.

The agricultural landscape of the southern provinces began to change rapidly.

===

Seonsan is originally a town where rice paddies are active.

As such, transplanting was one of the most widespread districts, so the abolition of this ban was fiercely welcomed.

Before long, the story of his hometown was heard even by Giljae, who had 상경 [gone to the capital] – so it’s all said.

“Whenever they gather in groups of three or five, they only talk about transplanting.”

“That’s right. They had been farming secretly regardless of what the government said, but the abolition of the ban is another story.”

There were always those who stubbornly transplanted even if the country forbade it, as if they were emulating the demeanor of Giljae, the last loyalist of Goryeo, but it was the first time since the founding of the country that it was allowed on such a large scale, so Seonsan was in a festive atmosphere.

“Since 사형 (師兄) [Senior Brother] – has made a great contribution this time, you must be even more pleased.”

The Senior Brother that Kim Suk-ja mentioned was Park Seo-saeng, who had contributed to the distribution of waterwheels this time.

Park Seo-saeng was once under Giljae’s tutelage, so it was true that he was pleased with his disciple’s achievement.

But Giljae shook his head.

“That is only a private teacher-student relationship. As a teacher, I am pleased with my disciple’s achievement, but what I am truly surprised and impressed by is not because of that.”

“Then it’s because the country finally allowed transplanting.”

When the teacher was in Seonsan, he rescued the people who were unlucky enough to be dragged to the government office several times.

Whether it was due to antipathy towards Joseon or recognition of people from the same hometown, or both, but now there will be no such thing.

Kim Suk-ja thought so, but Giljae shook his head again this time.

At this point, Kim Suk-ja was frustrated.

He stopped indirectly guessing and asked his teacher directly.

“Then, what is the reason for your surprise, teacher?”

“Freedom.”

Giljae replied briefly.

“Freedom?”

At Kim Suk-ja’s question, Giljae picked up a brush and said.

“Now that the country has abolished the ban, how will people farm?”

“Well, they will transplant. Isn’t that what the country meant by abolishing the ban?”

“That’s not it. Someone will plant rice seeds directly in the ground as they used to.”

Kim Suk-ja tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Isn’t that a natural thing?”

Since they have been farming by direct seeding all their lives, someone may think that transplanting is unreliable.

“It’s not natural. If the country’s intention was to encourage transplanting as you said, an order would have been issued to all the people of the southern provinces to farm by transplanting.”

But the Crown Prince did not do that.

He expanded irrigation facilities and supplied various equipment to draw water to rice paddies, preparing everything for the spread of transplanting, but…

‘In the end, he did not take the last step.’

And he turned that decision over to the people.

Whether to take a small risk and earn less, or take a big risk and earn more.

“If what you say is correct, teacher, then the Crown Prince’s actions are not right. If he thinks it is the right path, he should make the people accept it even if there are difficulties.

In my disciple’s eyes, it seems that His Highness is afraid of failure and is passing the responsibility on to the people.”

Even if the Crown Prince, who has wonderfully carried out various projects like magic, cannot control the sky to make it rain.

So, in order not to tarnish the reputation that shone with successive successes, he entrusted the decision to the people who do not know well, isn’t that so?

If it fails, it will be their individual responsibility.

“People who do not know well. Do you really think so?”

“Isn’t that so?”

“They are often called foolish people, but how can a person’s virtue and wisdom distinguish bloodlines? Even if they are uneducated people, how can they not know the desire to harvest more, the joy of harvesting, and the fear of losing everything?”

How can enlightenment only exist for the Sadaebu [scholar-officials]?

The reason why Giljae took even the lower class as disciples was precisely because of that.

But the rulers of this Joseon, or rather, the rulers of the dynasties that have existed so far, did not know that.

They did not believe that the people were beings who could think.

The benevolent monarchs who left their beautiful names in history were the same.

Because the virtuous ruler loves the people, he makes the people accept what he thinks is right.

At this moment, Giljae felt a deep sense of kinship with the Crown Prince.

“This Joseon is a country founded by a person who struck down his king and cut off five hundred years of royal lineage. Because the justification is insufficient, he has no choice but to hold the people in one hand. It is a country that can never last long.”

‘How was Goryeo different?’

Giljae continued his thoughts, leaving Kim Suk-ja’s question behind.

“But I think that the current Crown Prince can continue the fate of this Joseon, which will not last long.”

The Crown Prince’s actions are also different from 무위지치 [Wuwei governance – a philosophy of non-action].

Emperor Shun only kept his position by being respectful and facing south (恭己正南面而已矣) [a quote about a ruler’s virtue], but the Crown Prince was diligent in creating a foundation for the people to ‘choose’.

Which scriptures of ancient and modern times instilled such thoughts in him?

“I don’t think that’s what the Crown Prince intended…”

“He wouldn’t have intended it.”

But whether he realized it himself or not, his actions naturally contained such a belief.

The belief that the people are never foolish and can distinguish their own interests and move accordingly without being told by anyone.

And the belief that this self-governing world is better than a world where a great king of all time governs by personally handling all affairs.

That strange belief is something that only the Crown Prince has in the world right now, but─

Someday, won’t the world all be governed under such a belief?

Giljae suddenly had such a feeling.

“There is more to learn.”

And there are more books to write using what I have learned and leave to posterity.

===