There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 309

My Joseon Has No Sejong – 310

Merit Allocation

Fortunately, I wasn’t locked in a rice chest again.

‘Well, there’s some reward to being king.’

It was because the officials who thought this was too much stopped the retired king.

They didn’t want to see the king locked in a rice chest.

“Getting injured on the battlefield is always a possibility.”

When I said that, Ju So-hwa glared at me.

“I heard you got hurt because you were needlessly showing off?”

“I wasn’t showing off that much.”

I just allowed Han Wang to get close according to the plan.

Ju So-hwa sighed in relief and stroked the silver mirror with her finger.

“Mother’s silver mirror saved your life again. I’m glad I gave it to you.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I didn’t particularly deny it.

If I said it still hurt, she would make an even bigger fuss.

Instead, I hurriedly changed the subject.

“Let’s hug our kids for the first time in a while. Have they been doing well?”

I approached my daughters, who were clinging to Ju So-hwa.

The three of them look exactly alike, so they somehow remind me of a Dodrio [a three-headed bird-like Pokémon].

However, the daughters subtly hid behind their mother.

“O-oh, hello…”

Gyeong-i awkwardly bowed her head, and Hyeon-i hid behind her mother.

“??”

To think that we would become so awkward after being away for a few months.

I was quite shocked by the eyes of my daughters, who were sending me a ‘Who are you, mister?’ kind of look.

‘Is it because they’re so young?’

I can’t believe their father would be so easily forgotten.

Staggering back a few steps, I looked for my son.

“Crown Prince, where’s the Crown Prince?”

“Father!”

Seeing my son running towards me in his dragon robe and hugging me tightly, I felt like crying.

He’s the only one for me.

Danie squeezed me tightly.

– Squeeze

“Keuk. W-wait.”

The place where I was injured hurts.

If you hug me that hard, the pressure might burst the stitches.

I barely managed to pull Danie away.

“Heeing.”

Danie stepped back with a disappointed expression, but I couldn’t help it as I felt a threat to my survival.

‘Didn’t he get too strong while I wasn’t looking?’

The reunion with my family, which I had been looking forward to, ended with wounds on my heart and body.

===

“The children have grown so much in the past few months. Our children were all running to see their father, and I couldn’t tell who was who, haha.”

‘What is this? Is he bragging?’

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Do.

No, our kids are just awkward, but they must have missed their father deep down.

So, for now, it’s a draw.

“Hyang-i and her sisters wrote a poem because they missed me in Liaodong, and it was so touching. I happen to have brought it with me, would you like to see it?”

“Ahem, Prince Chungnyeong. Isn’t this an important occasion? Save such personal stories for later.”

I sternly scolded Prince Chungnyeong.

‘It’s definitely not because I’m jealous!’

We are on our way to a place where we have gathered officials for the allocation of merits.

It is only natural to reward and praise those who survived the great war that determined the fate of Joseon.

I am reviewing this in my head as I move my steps, but how can I lose this precious time because of my brother’s boasting about his children?

Of course, our officials were not included in the merit allocation in Beijing.

That was because I, the King of Joseon, had to reward them separately.

‘If the Ming Dynasty bypasses me and rewards them directly, that means they want to fight.’

We might suspect that the Ming Dynasty is trying to win over our officials with positions and wealth.

Even if that’s not the case, can we guarantee that there won’t be anyone who runs wild under the pretext of receiving a Ming Dynasty position?

‘For example, Yi Suk-beon.’

That’s why I excluded him from this expedition, just in case.

The Hongxi Emperor was quite thorough in that regard, and Yang Shiqi didn’t seem to want to stir up trouble.

The Ming Dynasty simply gave me a lot of wealth as a reward to me, the King of Joseon.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I should eat it all.

It means I should distribute it as a reward to the guys below me.

What if I swallow it all up?

Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Because the authority to reward is entirely mine.

Of course, I didn’t do such a conscienceless thing.

“Give the returning soldiers a long rest and distribute the gifts received from the Emperor evenly. Those who wish to receive it in money should be paid the equivalent of two rolls of silk.”

I issued such an order because the monetary economy was slowly taking root.

Markets were actively forming nationwide, and currency was spreading rapidly, especially in cities.

Perhaps those from towns familiar with goods would receive silk, but those from Hanyang [modern-day Seoul] and other urban areas were likely to receive money.

“Raise the ranks of the military officers by one level and give them the same gifts.”

After the rewards for the lower-ranking military officers were completed, the faces of those gathered were full of anticipation.

“And now, it’s these people here…”

They know it’s their turn now.

“Ahem.”

In particular, the shoulders of the crouching Min In-saeng were shaking.

Seeing that, I felt like my internal organs were twisting.

“Eugh…”

I gritted my teeth at the thought of appointing Min In-saeng as a meritorious subject, but there was no other way.

After all, he showed resourcefulness in that situation and encouraged the soldiers.

“I will raise his rank and appoint him as a Jisah of the Spring and Autumn Annals [a high-ranking historian], and he will lead the officials of the Spring and Autumn Annals from now on.”

“…”

The ‘Thank you for your grace’ that should have burst out naturally was not heard.

“Your Majesty, if that happens, will I not be able to directly record the historical drafts?”

Min In-saeng asked.

Jisah was the highest position in the Spring and Autumn Annals, excluding the Yeongsa and Gamsa who were concurrently held by the Prime Ministers, so he would no longer be able to write historical drafts directly.

“That’s right. Now, take charge of administration instead of being a working historian.”

“T-that’s not what I want…”

Before Min In-saeng could argue, I turned my head to the other side.

‘He’s dissatisfied even though I’m raising his position.’

“Commander Choi, return to Hanyang and take charge of the Three Armies Department.”

“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!”

Choi Yun-deok bowed down and shouted as soon as he heard my words.

Unlike the reluctant Min In-saeng, Choi Yun-deok had a very excited expression.

Yi Bang-won holds the military power, but I need to start placing my people in key positions.

“Then, who will be the vacant Bukgye Byeongmasa [Northern Frontier Commander]…?”

At Kim Jong-seo’s question, I looked at him.

With a look that said it was time for him to go to an external post.

“Y-Your Majesty, I have already served in Bukgye.”

Kim Jong-seo turned pale, but how could managing the Jurchen [a Tungistic people who lived in Northeast Asia] for a while be the same as this?

Bukgye Byeongmasa is virtually a local governor who governs the entire Bukgye.

“This time, the area outside the Liaodong Garrison has been entirely incorporated into our Joseon’s northern territory, greatly expanding the territory. Naturally, the districts and boundaries must be reorganized, so please work hard until then.”

You have to experience a big position like Bukgye Byeongmasa to become a Minister and a Chief State Councillor.

Kim Jong-seo, who had been given false hope, stepped back.

I was busy raising the ranks and positions of others.

Even among them, there was even someone who was not a person.

“You’re going to give a government post to Ttaeng-gu?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Although the Yongma [a mythical horse] is not a person, he has made a great contribution to saving Your Majesty in the great battle.

One should not forget the grace received from even a mere creature, let alone a divine creature like Yongma.”

‘What is this.’

I clicked my tongue.

Ttaeng-gu is a cowardly guy in the first place, so he just stepped back, and it just happened to work out.

But all the soldiers gathered there at the time watched the scene, so it’s hard to just shut my mouth.

Perhaps, even after giving out all the rewards, I might be called a stingy king for not giving Ttaeng-gu a government post.

‘He’s such a lucky guy.’

It must be nice to have people take care of your government post even if you just stay still.

“Then, bestow the title of Jeongheon Daebu [a high-ranking civil official title] of the 2nd rank to praise the Yongma’s merit.”

Ttaeng-gu would probably prefer getting more carrots than such a position.

‘Wait, what about the Saboksi [the Bureau of Horses] guys then?’

The de facto head of Saboksi, excluding ceremonial concurrent posts, is Saboksijeong [Director of the Bureau of Horses] of the 3rd rank.

The highest Saboksijeong in Saboksi is lower in rank than Ttaeng-gu.

‘I’ve heard jokes about military dog handlers making their juniors salute the military dog when I was in the military.’

Oh well, whatever. They’ll figure it out.

“And Prince Chungnyeong.”

I looked at Do, who was sitting next to me.

Although it wasn’t very noticeable, if I had to pick one of the people who made the biggest contribution in this war, it would be Do.

He carried out the supply mission in the rear so well.

He also managed Liaodong well so that there were no particular conflicts when it was occupied.

“The Grand Prince is already without rank, so there is no rank to add, and there is no place to go up in the Jiphyeonjeon [Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute].”

Then Do’s eyes twinkled.

Is he asking me to make him a Prime Minister?

‘No way, you.’

I still need to use him more in practice, but he’s already a Prime Minister?

But I have no intention of going back on my word.

“I will bestow the title of Gukgong [Duke of the Nation] to Prince Chungnyeong as a reward.”

“G-Gukgong, are you saying?”

The officials were greatly surprised.

“Although the title of Gong [Duke] has been abolished according to the etiquette of vassal states, we still posthumously confer Gong when a subject dies.

Also, in the previous dynasty, they called princes and subjects Gong when they were enfeoffed [granted land or titles].”

That’s why my father was once called Prince Jeongan.

“Above all, the Ming Dynasty still maintains the title of Gukgong, so it is not unusual to have one Gukgong in Liaodong.”

I have the title of Prince of Shen in the Ming Dynasty, so it is natural to make my brother a Gukgong with the ‘autonomy’ I have obtained.

The Emperor’s permission? Why do I need that?

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m actually going to give him land.’

I’m just going to give him more salary.

But people took it differently.

The revival of the Gong title and independent enfeoffment.

Wouldn’t they think it’s a groundwork for virtually external kingship and internal emperorship?

‘Well, that’s what I intended.’

I thought.

I haven’t decided what to call the title of Gong, but I can just take it from an old country or place name.

“I will follow your will.”

Now that he has risen to the position of Gukgong, it was nothing more than proof that he was at the forefront of the royal family, but Do’s expression did not change.

I asked in a small voice.

“You don’t look so good. Why is that?”

“I’m a little scared.”

I was surprised by Do’s honest confession.

“Why?”

Is it because he’s afraid of being checked?

But Do shook his head and said.

“It’s not that. When I created Hangul [the Korean alphabet], there were more than one or two people who slandered me behind my back without saying a word in front of me, but why would I be afraid of those guys now?”

“Then what is it?”

Do said with a serious expression.

“If Hyang-i and Yu know that their father is such a great person from an early age, wouldn’t that be too fatal? I’m very worried that they might become arrogant.”

“…”

I closed my mouth.

Even after hearing that I was going to appoint him as Gukgong, was he thinking about that until just now?

Who would have imagined that my brother would become like this?

‘Should I just cancel the title or something?’

As I was thinking about it, I heard someone calling my ear.

“Your Majesty!”

“What’s wrong, Chief Royal Secretary?”

The merit allocation was over, and I was about to start a banquet.

Meng Sa-seong also spoke briefly to the point, as if taking that into account.

“Envoy Yu Jeong-hyeon, who went to a foreign country, has returned.”

Yu Jeong-hyeon, who was sent to Venice, has finally returned.