There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 274

No matter how much Ahn Gyeon is contributing to Joseon’s birth rate, I can’t just let him laze around as an adult comic artist.

‘I don’t know what he’s drawing, but at this rate, we’ll have nothing to say even if cultural assets disappear.’

Even without considering that, his skill in painting is an undeniable strength.

I could have him draw anatomical charts or blueprints, or at least create educational comics.

Now, as in the past, comic books are more popular than text-based books.

‘I don’t know why someone with that much skill was drawing erotic art.’

I heard he started learning art normally, but after succeeding as an underground artist, he became complacent with his earnings.

In other words, that’s how much money he was making.

The Royal Painting Institute [a government-run art academy] doesn’t pay well, you know.

“Your Majesty!”

As I was carefully considering what to say, Ahn Gyeon suddenly bowed his head to the ground.

“This humble one was deeply moved by the ‘Samganghaengsildo’ [Illustrated Guide to the Three Bonds, a Confucian text emphasizing moral behavior] compiled by Your Majesty and the Grand Princes!”

“Huh?”

He’s not acting like a captured criminal, but like a fan meeting his favorite comic artist.

Come to think of it, unlike the other guys who were beaten up and captured with him, Ahn Gyeon’s eyes were sparkling.

‘This guy’s a fan.’

I’ve created more than a few hit works, but I didn’t realize ‘Samganghaengsildo’ had such a profound impact.

If I use this well, I can easily guide Ahn Gyeon onto the right path.

“Ahem! A criminal shouldn’t speak so carelessly!”

The Geumgubu [Royal Guard] officer scolded him, but I raised my hand to stop him.

However, I maintained a stern expression.

“Do you know your crime!”

I sternly rebuked Ahn Gyeon.

“Your talent as a painter is outstanding, yet how could you use such talent to draw lewd pictures, harming public morals and spreading wrong sexual values?”

The officials looked at me with eyes that said, ‘Are you really saying that?’ but I casually ignored them.

“I, I deserve to die!”

Ahn Gyeon shouted while prostrating himself, but I didn’t really intend to kill him.

None of those who say they deserve to die actually want to die.

The officials looked curious about what punishment I would give.

They probably thought I would throw him into a labor camp to rot.

But I had no intention of doing that at all.

Rather, it is the virtue of a good leader to let him make use of his ‘expertise’.

“Since the crime was committed with paintings, it must be repaid with paintings! Take him to the Royal Painting Institute and have him dedicate himself to drawing educational comics to restore proper customs!”

As it is, the explosive increase in Joseon’s population is definitely due to the influence of the menstrual cycle method I promoted.

Since they’re enjoying the benefits, I thought I should also publish it as a comic book.

Let’s title it ‘Puberty and Sex’.

I’ll think about what other tasks to assign him later.

“The, the Royal Painting Institute, you say?”

Ahn Gyeon asked with wide eyes.

The Royal Painting Institute’s salary is much less than what Ahn Gyeon earns in a month, so it’s no wonder he’s surprised.

Still, isn’t it a much better punishment than getting beaten and having all his money confiscated?

“Thank, thank you, Your Majesty!”

As expected, Ahn Gyeon seemed to realize this, as he shouted with a moved expression.

After Ahn Gyeon was dragged away, the Geumgubu officer looked at the others and asked.

“Then what should we do with these people?”

The Geumgubu officer was asking about the fate of the boss and other painters who drew erotic art.

‘Oh, right, these guys were here too.’

The painters confessed their names one by one when they were dragged in, but since I hadn’t heard of any of them, they were of no interest to me.

I mean, why did they drag them all in when they only needed to bring Ahn Gyeon?

I waved my hand.

“They’re all just trying to make a living, so just release them.”

I generously granted them a warning.

I only needed to get Ahn Gyeon out; there’s no need to crack down on adult content.

I’d rather be known as a king who generously lets things go than one who installs warning.or.kr [a Korean website that blocks access to harmful online content] in later generations.

‘Write it down properly, you punk.’

I glared at Min In-saeng.

I told them to return the confiscated money as well.

Although they lost the hit artist Ahn Gyeon, the operators of the adult site, who were able to get out unscathed, all retreated gratefully.

“Your Majesty, what should we do with these erotic art collections?”

I returned the money, but I couldn’t return the erotic art collections since they were arrested under the pretext of harming public morals.

The Geumgubu officer and the officers glanced at the pile of erotic art collections.

But I lightly betrayed their expectations.

“How can we leave such obscene things lying around? They should be burned in the back garden, so the eunuchs should hurry and move them!”

The eunuchs followed my orders and began to load the erotic art collections onto carts and move them.

They’ll probably take them to some storage room, knowing their place.

I returned to my room after taking all the measures, but Joo So-hwa was still burying her face in her knees, her ears red.

“Did you read it all?”

When I approached Joo So-hwa and asked, she flinched.

“W, why do you ask?”

Why else?

They say that practicing what you read is true reading.

“Hawaawa…”

When I picked up Joo So-hwa, my wife, who was already dazed, covered her face with her hands.

===

There are a few things I realized through the market inspection.

First, the need for standardization of weights and measures.

In Joseon, non-standardized weights and measures are still rampant.

To some extent, they are used with the consensus of the people, but it would still be more confusing than officially standardizing and promulgating them.

I don’t know for sure, but King Sejong of the original history probably solved this problem before moving on.

‘The question is whether to introduce the metric system at this opportunity.’

Will there be strong opposition to abandoning the familiar ‘척근법’ [cheokgeunbeop, a traditional Korean measurement system]?

Even in modern Korea, ‘평’ [pyeong, a traditional Korean unit of area] feels more familiar than the metric system when looking for a house.

And the second is.

‘Currency, of course.’

Already, markets are forming not only in the ‘Sijeon’ [government-controlled markets] in Hanyang but also here and there outside the capital, and the same is true in the provinces.

Compared to the capital, where the items are much more diverse, the vast majority of transactions still involve daily necessities such as grains, fabrics, agricultural tools and livestock, food and salt, earthenware, and handicrafts.

Not only that.

Due to the prodding of the meritorious subjects who are crazy about money, the transport ships operating in Cheonghaejin are constantly carrying local products even when they are not transporting taxes.

As much as the movement of logistics has been promoted, the market has naturally grown that much.

“However, in the market, the people mainly calculate and trade with rice and cloth, which is inconvenient to transport, and their values are different from each other.

Wouldn’t it be better to exchange them for money?”

‘If commodity money is widely used, doesn’t that mean that there is a basis for currency to be circulated?’

“However, foolish people cannot eat or wear money even if they are hungry or cold, so they are reluctant to use currency, and even if we distribute it for use, it is difficult to see its effectiveness.”

Yes, that’s the problem.

The problem was that the country had tried to supply currency several times, but it was not actually used in reality.

But that’s understandable; if the government issues currency but doesn’t accept money and collects taxes in rice, who would use currency?

Minister of Taxation Hwang Hee stepped forward and said.

“Your Majesty’s intention to issue currency and have the people use money is right, but copper is not readily available in the country and relies solely on imports from across the sea. Although the supply of copper has become smooth, wouldn’t it be too hasty to introduce coins?”

“Who said anything about coins?”

I dismissed Hwang Hee’s words.

‘In the end, the key is to guarantee the credibility of the currency.’

Coins are made of copper, so they have value in themselves, but they plummeted in value when they became worthless anyway.

In that case, it would be better to issue banknotes, which cost much less in terms of issuance and transportation, and pay more attention to guaranteeing value.

‘If you act shortsightedly to eat up the seigniorage [profit made from issuing currency], you’ll be screwed.’

Fortunately, we are not in a situation where our tax revenue is so low.

If that were the case, the experiments I conduct like eating rice would have been impossible.

‘And we have Iwami [a silver mine in Japan].’

The amount of silver coming across the sea every year amounts to thousands of ‘관’ [kwan, a unit of weight].

There’s no need to worry about Ouchi [a powerful Japanese clan].

The Ouchi guys are rushing to us, begging for ‘비악’ [biak, a type of silver].

‘If they’re willing to open up sales channels and act as importers, there’s no reason not to do it in the name of alliance.’

Instead, give me more silver.

“Gold and silver are also things that cannot be eaten when hungry or worn when cold, but doesn’t everyone desire them?

If the country prepares enough silver and can exchange it for banknotes, the people will gradually trust and follow, so what’s the problem?”

What needs to be presupposed here is the establishment of a bank (銀行).

‘This is all I can do.’

This is the plan I came up with by racking my brains with my limited economic knowledge.

However, the concerns of the officials still remained.

“Even in the Yuan Dynasty, those who forged ‘교초’ [gyocho, Yuan Dynasty paper currency] were executed and severely punished, but in the end, there were those who issued them arbitrarily, adding to the chaos of the country. Wouldn’t it be better to issue coins instead?”

Even if it’s counterfeit, a coin is still a coin.

That was what the officials suggested as an alternative to banknotes, but in my opinion, it was meaningless.

“What’s the point of mixing impurities into coins? In my opinion, banknotes are much easier to prevent forgery in the current situation.”

We have a printing press.

It’s almost impossible to forge banknotes by hand, and it’s not efficient.

‘In the first place, is there any place other than temples that can make movable type right now?’

Outside of temples, I’m not even sure if the common people have the traditional printing capabilities, whether it’s metal type or woodblock printing.

Even if they try to replicate banknotes using traditional printing methods, it won’t be easy.

‘The difference in technology will expose everything.’

Someday, when printing presses are widely distributed and the forgery capabilities of the common people grow, I’ll have to reconsider it then, but for now, forgery is almost impossible.

In particular, the more sophisticated the design created by the government, the lower the risk of forgery will be.

Sophisticated design, huh.

‘Come to think of it, I have Ahn Gyeon.’

It just so happens that the guy I recently caught was probably a painter who left his name in history.

His skills have already been proven with erotic art.

Internally, there may be opposition to a guy who used to draw erotic art drawing the country’s banknotes, but that won’t be announced anyway.

‘I should come up with a design.’

I’ll think of the ideas, and Ahn Gyeon will draw them.

Isn’t this division of labor?

===

Ahn Gyeon, who entered the Royal Painting Institute, was delighted.

His Majesty said it was a punishment, but in reality, it was no different from being specially recruited to the Royal Painting Institute.

Ahn Gyeon had earned money, but he had always longed for this position.

Although there was jealousy from those around him who saw a guy who came from nowhere taking a position, that didn’t matter.

Ahn Gyeon was engrossed in his work, referring to under the special order of His Majesty.

For reference, because his knack for drawing erotic art still remained, even those who had been giving him disapproving looks were impressed.

Ahn Gyeon, who was happily working, forgetting that it was a task given as a punishment, had no choice but to lose his words at the order that came down next.

“…You’re telling me to draw a design?”

Ahn Gyeon, who was summoned to the Printing Office, asked Lee Cheon.

“That’s right.”

“This humble one is in the middle of a task ordered by His Majesty…”

“This is also a royal order from His Majesty. You better get used to it.”

Lee Cheon said, waving his hand as if he was annoyed.

“Ah, and it’s top secret where it’s used, so don’t ask me.”

Ahn Gyeon’s head was spinning.

Perhaps he was recruited to a place that was too absurd.

He suddenly longed for the back alleys of Namdaemun [a district in Seoul], where he used to draw erotic art.

End